Edinburgh Trams

Comedy Club

Christmas Sweaters

Jawbone Arch

Ice Hockey Competition

The news about trams yesterday was twofold. First of all the council approved a spend of up to £400,000 for a report on whether the tramline should now be extended.

Secondly it became apparent that the Tram enquiry into what happened at the beginning of the tram project was almost put off the rails by potential witnesses being difficult. Lord Hardie who is in charge of the enquiry explained that some key figures just refused to give evidence to him. 

The enquiry has now changed as it has been deemed a statutory enquiry and anyone who does not cooperate could be compelled to give evidence.

There is now a website where you can follow the proceedings as they unfold.

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In January the multi-award winning Irish comedian, Dylan Moran, will headline the inaugural Gilded Balloon Comedy at The Studio at the Festival Theatre, a new monthly comedy club for Edinburgh.

Thirty years after first opening its doors to present the best Scottish, UK and international comedy talent to the people of Scotland, The Gilded Balloon announced this week that it is bringing a brand new monthly comedy club to The Studio at the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, from Saturday 10 January 2015. 

The Gilded Balloon Comedy at The Studio at the Festival Theatre will be staged in the intimate and welcoming studio space once a month and kicks off with headline act Dylan Moran – “Jokes as sharp as barbed wire and a comedy brain quicker than a steel trap” (The Scotsman).  Lucky Edinburgh comedy fans can expect both buzz and hilarity in equal measure as Dylan Moran test-drives the new material he has earmarked for his forthcoming 53-date UK tour, scheduled for theatres throughout the country from March to May 2015.

Joining Moran on the bill for the first night are the supremely funny and truly loveable Edinburgh based Geordie, Kai Humphries, and the 2013 Scottish Comedian of the Year, Larry Dean.  The evening will be compered by one of the most trusted comperes and respected headliners on the Scottish circuit, Raymond Mearns.

Karen Koren, Artistic Director of The Gilded Balloon, said: “The Gilded Balloon is delighted to be staging a regular monthly comedy club in The Studio at The Festival Theatre.   It is an exciting, intimate and flexible space, perfectly suited to stand up. We’re looking forward to a long association with The Festival Theatre and bringing regular comedy to The Studio’s annual programme.”

Curated by Karen Koren, Artistic Director of The Gilded Balloon, this new monthly club features a line-up of popular Scottish, UK and international comedic talent including Aisling Bea, Paul Tonkinson, Justin Moorhouse and Jarred Christmas.

The three act shows will run from 20:00 – 22:00 (doors open 19:30) on the first Saturday of the month (from February 2015). The shows will be expertly hosted by some talented comperes including Katie Mulgrew, Ray Bradshaw, Raymond Mearns  and Scott Agnew.

Duncan Hendry, Chief Executive at the Festival and King’s Theatres, said: “We’re looking forward to working with Karen and the Gilded Balloon on this exciting new venture. The Studio is a perfect venue for comedy gigs and we’re sure the public will love the opportunity to discover a new space for comedy in the city.”

Tickets (from £10.50) for Gilded Balloon Comedy at The Studio at The Festival Theatre are on sale from 10am on Friday 5 December through Festival Theatre Box Office  – 0131 529 6000 | www.edtheatres.com/festival

For further information on Gilded Balloon Comedy at The Studio at The Festival Theatre go to http://www.gildedballoon.co.uk/.

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Players from the Scotland women’s team and Edinburgh men’s team will be helping out at Save the Children’s Stockbridge shop this morning until noon to raise awareness of the charity’s Christmas Jumper Day.

The players will be wearing their Christmas jumpers, helping out in the shop and handing out leaflets outside.

The Save the Children’s Living and Giving shop is at 34a Raeburn Place, Edinburgh EH4 1HN

And of course we would love to have your photos of your Christmas sweaters. Send them here!

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Edinburgh World Heritage have issued their report explaining that the Jawbone Arch was carefully removed from the Meadows in July, and taken to storage to allow the bones to dry out and stabilise.

“The archway of whale jawbones has been a feature of the area since 1886, when it was brought to Edinburgh by Shetland and Fair Isle knitters, as part of their display for the International Exhibition.”

Now money is needed for the restoration of the iconic arch.

Help secure the future of the Jawbone Arch
For those who may wish to make cash donations to the fundraising appeal for conservation work to the Arch, this can be gifted:

Online: Just Giving – You can give by credit or debit card and if you are a taxpayer your tax can be reclaimed.

By cheque: Please post or hand in to Edinburgh World Heritage, 5 Bakehouse Close, 146 Canongate, Edinburgh, EH8 8DD. Please mark the envelope ‘Jawbone’.

Follow the campaign on Facebook: Save the Jawbone Arch

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We have a competition to win a couple of pairs of ticket for the ice hockey on Saturday evening. If you would like to win then head over here!

The ice hockey club think they have a good chance of being in the points: “Edinburgh Capitals have a big opportunity this weekend to edge in front of some of their closest rivals in the Elite league table.  Home wins against Coventry Blaze on Saturday and local rivals Fife Flyers on Sunday would see the Capitals move into 6th place and provide some breathing space between the Capitals and a number of other clubs fighting for play-off places.”

Can Scotland qualify for Euro 2016?

Every member of the Tartan Army has held onto the dream that, one day, they would see their beloved national football team represent the country in a major tournament once again. It has been 14 years since Scotland were eliminated in the group stages of the 1998 World Cup in France, with subsequent attempts to reach the European Championships or World Cup falling short. The Euro 2000 play-off defeat to England, under the guidance of Craig Brown, is the closest Scotland have come to qualifying, but any fears that the national team will always be the ‘nearly men’ of international football may soon be over. An excellent start to the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign has created renewed hope that Gordon Strachan’s side not only has what it takes to compete at the highest level, but also qualify for the upcoming tournament in France. Betway.com will follow Scotland’s progress and provide odds for their next qualifying match at home to Gibraltar in March 2015, a game which they would expect to win comfortably.

Group D progress

Being drawn in the same qualifying group as Germany, Poland and Ireland would have left many Scotland fans fearing the worst, particularly as the opening game presented a daunting trip to face the 2014 World Cup winners in their own backyard. Strachan’s side more than held their own in Dortmund and arguably deserved a draw for the hard work and number of times they had their illustrious opponents on the back foot, but Germany’s quality shone through in the end to take a 2-1 victory. The defeat may have been unsurprising to even the most ardent of Scotland fans, but the performance provided wonderful encouragement that the Tartan Army could be in for a successful qualifying campaign under Strachan.

A strong 1-0 victory against Georgia in October was almost followed by a wonderful victory in Poland three days later, only for a late equaliser to deny Scotland in a 2-2 draw. It made the game at Hampden Park against Ireland a must-win game in the context of Group D; despite excellent performances, Scotland had to remain within touching distance of the top three and not be cut away from the chasing pack behind surprise leaders Poland. A superb goal from Shaun Maloney secured an invaluable 1-0 win that put Strachan’s team level on points with Ireland and Germany after four games, with the dream of qualifying for Euro 2016 now becoming a realistic possibility.

Upcoming matches

While the Tartan Army will have to wait until the end of March 2015 for Scotland’s next qualifying fixture, there is growing optimism that they will amongst the 24 teams who will participate at Euro 2016 in France. UEFA’s decision to increase the number of participants in European Championships from 16 to 24 provides a wonderful opportunity for nations such as Scotland to not only qualify, but do so on a regular basis to be part of the euphoria and unrivalled feeling of playing in a major tournament. The upcoming fixture against European newcomers Gibraltar should provide Scotland with the best opportunity to considerably increase their goal difference and put three more points on the board, with the minnows conceding 21 goals in their first four official qualifiers, and are yet to score. Travelling to Ireland in June will undoubtedly be a much more difficult test for Strachan’s team, while the trip to Georgia on September 4th offering a potential banana skin that Scotland must overcome if they have real ambitions of qualifying for Euro 2016.

Jim Eadie MSP helped Sainsbury’s celebrate 30 years in Scotland by hosting an anniversary reception at the Scottish Parliament recently.

Peter Griffiths, CEO of Sainsbury’s Bank and the Group’s Board Champion for Scotland, spoke about the training opportunities available to colleagues in Sainsbury’s food colleges 

Jim Eadie MSP hosted an anniversary reception at the Scottish Parliament.  The retailer first opened in Scotland with their Cameron Toll store in his Edinburgh Southern constituency.

He was joined by fellow Members of the Scottish Parliament as well as Sainsbury’s colleagues, suppliers and charities to hear more about Sainsbury’s growth in Scotland over the last three decades, which now includes 85 stores employing over 8,000 colleagues. Minister for Youth and Women’s Employment, Anabelle Ewing MSP, also spoke at the reception.

Peter Griffiths, CEO of Sainsbury’s Bank, and the Group’s Board Champion for Scotland, outlined Sainsbury’s focus on skills and development training and in particular the key role Sainsbury’s six food colleges play, one of which is based in Murrayfield, Edinburgh.

The College offers training to colleagues working on the meat, fish, deli, hot food counters and in the bakery and café and colleagues receive in-depth accredited City and Guilds training from a team of experts. Over 3,000 colleagues have received training at the Murrayfield College, and reception guests were able to have a go at some of the skills the college teaches.

Guests at the reception were joined by colleagues from Sainsbury’s Cameron Toll store. Since first opening its doors in autumn 1984, the store has continued to serve its local community and only last year the store completed a major refurbishment, which saw 86 new positions, 25 of which were filled in collaboration with Remploy.  And since September, colleagues have raised over £1,500 for Guide Dogs Scotland, their Local Charity partner. 

Jim Eadie, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, said:

“I was delighted to host this reception in order to celebrate the contribution Sainsbury’s makes both to my constituency and across Scotland.  Their commitment to the community and the emphasis they place on skills and development is particularly welcome.  The reception was a great way for my parliamentary colleagues to learn more and to turn their hand to some of the skills taught at the Sainsbury’s Murrayfield Food College.”

David Bainbridge, Sainsbury’s Cameron Toll Store Manager, added:

“It means a lot to us to be part of the celebration and to work at the first store to open in Scotland. This event celebrates our brilliant colleagues and the importance we place on making a positive difference in our local communities across Scotland. Our Values are extremely important to us and I’m proud of my colleagues who live them every day.”

Having announced their intention to do so in October, Hearts today become the first football club in Scotland to become an officially accredited Living Wage employer. 

This means that all staff employed at the Gorgie club will be paid no less than the Living Wage. The Living Wage was uprated to £7.85 per hour in November, £1.35 per hour more than the National Minimum Wage which is a statutory requirement.  

In Scotland, there are approximately 414,000 people currently paid below the Living Wage. The Scottish Living Wage Accreditation Initiative has been operating in Scotland since April 2014 and provides support and advice to organisations that wish to pay the living wage. More than 70 employers in Scotland are now accredited as paying the living wage. 

Peter Kelly, Director of the Poverty Alliance who deliver the Accreditation Initiative, said today: “Congratulations to Heart of Midlothian on becoming Scotland’s first Living Wage accredited football club. 

“We are delighted that they will pay all staff who work at the club the Living Wage, and that they have opted to have their commitment to the Living Wage recognised through the accreditation mark. This is an important step forward for the campaign to end poverty pay in Scotland. 

A Hearts spokesperson said: “Heart of Midlothian Football Club is delighted to be given accreditation to become a Living Wage Employer. The club feels that implementing the Living Wage is entirely in keeping with the values that we hold dear as Edinburgh’s oldest football club. Since revealing our intention to implement the Living Wage the club has received widespread backing from both our supporters and sponsors.” 

Source: www.heartsfc.co.uk

A man has been arrested and charged in connection with a murder which took place in the capital seven months ago.

The body of 52-year-old Christopher Gilruth was found in Roseburn Terrace on the 11th May and police launched a major investigation.

The 34 year old was due to have appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today.

The new £11m St John’s RC Primary School will be built on part of the existing Portobello High School site.

Councillors agreed the decision after discussing a report at the City of Edinburgh Council meeting today (Thursday 11 December).

The report outlined the results of the eight-week consultation carried out between September and November this year with parents, staff and the local community on three options.

Councillor Paul Godzik, Education Convener at the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “It’s been a long time in the planning but I’m sure all parents and staff at St John’s will be delighted that such an important milestone for the new school has been reached.

“Using this site is yet another positive outcome from being able to build the new Portobello High School on Portobello Park. This allows us to take forward this project on part of the existing combined school site rather than having to move to a completely different one. It also creates fantastic opportunities for the area of open space that will be created on the remainder of the existing combined school site.

“Today’s decision reinforces the Capital Coalition’s commitment to significant further investment in the school estate. St John’s has been a long-standing priority for replacement within the Wave 3 programme which is now being delivered and has been fully funded by the Capital Coalition.”

The new St John’s RC Primary School is being part funded through the Scottish Government’s Scotland’s Schools for the Future programme which is managed by the Scottish Futures Trust.

Police are investigating after three men robbed a supermarket in Granton yesterday afternoon.

The incident happened at Iceland on West Granton Road around 5.15pm, when the first suspect approached the till with an item to buy. He indicated to the two other suspects, and one of these men reached over and grabbed a three-figure sum of cash from the till.

The three suspects ran from the store in the direction of West Granton Road but were lost to sight. 

This incident comes after a similar robbery at Gregg’s Bakery on Crewe Road North on Tuesday, around 3pm, which may be linked.

All three suspects are described as white, and around 26 to 27 years old.

The first suspect is described as 5ft 10in tall, stocky build, wearing a dark coloured hoody, black scarf over his lower face, dark joggers, and white Nike trainers.

The second suspect is described as slim build and wearing a dark hoody, with grey hoody underneath, grey joggers, blue sandshoes.

The third suspect, who took the cash from the till, is described as slim build, gaunt face, and wearing a dark coloured hoody with hood up and grey hoody underneath, dark joggers, light coloured trainers.

Detective Sergeant Lynsey Thomson said: “This robbery was distressing for those who were in the supermarket at the time, and we are keen to hear from anyone who was on West Granton Road around 5.15pm yesterday who may have information that can assist. We believe there may be a connection to the robbery at Gregg’s on Tuesday, and if anyone recognises the description of the suspects, they are urged to contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

The Full council meeting is being held in the City Chambers today and comes only three short weeks after the last one. It promises to be a busy meeting with a full agenda. You can follow our commentary and that of others on social media here, either as it happens or after the meeting has finished.

The council will decide two important matters today – will it spend up to £400,000 on a report looking at the case for an extension to the Edinburgh Tram and will it also agree to a reorganisation of the way the council works. This will mean dividing the city into four local areas and removing some middle managers.

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Full council meeting today

Today at Edinburgh’s Christmas

Your Christmas sweaters

Edinburgh Matters tonight!

North Edinburgh News

There will be a full council meeting today and we are assured by those who know these things that this one will go on until the afternoon. Sadly we cannot stay all day but we will cover the meeting live here until 1pm.

You can watch the meeting live or on the watch again webcast service which the council are extending to more and more of their meetings. You will find the webcast with all relevant papers here.

For all the papers to be discussed at the meeting click here.

There is a very full agenda with the possible tram extension and also the reorganisation of the council all to be discussed and voted on.

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Not everything in the city centre has to cost you a fortune. Edinburgh’s Christmas has a range of free events here.  We notice however that they include the European Market in the free event section. Sure you can go window shopping, but we do think there are some lovely things on sale…..

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Time to dig out your Christmas sweaters and take some photos. Then send them to our storyboard here and we will have a feature on all your Christmas sweaters as soon as we have gathered enough photos. Go on you will be a star….or a reindeer, or a Santa….

All the information you need on how to send in your photos is here.

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The North Edinburgh Community News has a slot on Shore Radio which the editor of The Edinburgh Reporter is joining tonight to talk about news across the city. We hope it might be a bit of fun too!

Click here just before 7:00pm to join us.

There is more information about Edinburgh Matters here.

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We reported on the North Edinburgh News AGM last month and now the December edition of the NEN is out.

While the paper is distributed free in North Edinburgh we think that others in the city might like to read it. So here it is:-

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Russkaya Capella: Russian Choral Music with a Christmas Flavour. A mixed voice chamber choir performing Russian music, Russkaya Capella was founded in Glasgow in 2009 and is one of very few choirs in the UK specialising in Russian choral music. Tonight Russkaya Capella will perform a selection of church music by Russian composers of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Bortnyansky, Rachmaninoff and Kastalsky, some Christmas songs from the 17th century, and traditional carols from Russia and Ukraine. Ditectors: Stuart Campbell and Svetlana Zvereva. 7.30-8.30pm, Reid Concert Hall, University of Edinburgh, Bristo Square. Free, but please register via eventbrite.

Creative Mornings/Edinburgh: Ian Sharman, design professional and Edinburgh College of Art tutor, kicks off the first ever Creative Mornings/Edinburgh event – a free breakfast (by Pep and Fodder) and a 20 minute talk on a monthly theme, plus the chance to mingle with like-minded creatives in your community. Ian will explore the topic of ‘”Education” beyond traditional institutions‘. 8.30-10am, Dissection Room, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. Free but booking required, online or by calling the box office on 0131 560 1581.

Music Among The Trees: James McNeill plays the church’s fine Wells Kennedy organ to entertain visitors to the Edinburgh Christmas Tree Festival. All welcome, come and go as you please.  2-3pm, The Sanctuary, St Andrew’s and St George’s West Church, 13 George Street. Free.

A Very Rammy Christmas: The Murderburgers, Billy Liar, The Uniforms and Maxwell’s Dead. 7pm, Banshee Labyrinth, Niddry Street. £3 on the door.

Do We Need Photography Centres Today? Ben Harman (Director, Stills) and David Grinley (photographer and tutor) will talk about the role of Stills, its position within the local, national and international cultural sector, and the particular challenges faced by organisations dedicated to photography, asking how such organisations can best serve their audiences today. A Q & A session and discussion will follow. 5.30-6.30pm, Stills, Cockburn Street. Free: no booking required.

Erskine Edinburgh Christmas Carol Concert, featuring The Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Scotland, Cadenza Choir, Chamber Choir of St George’s School for Girls and Caitlyn Vanbeck. 7pm for 7.30pm, St Cuthbert’s Parish Church, 5 Lothian Road. Suggested donation £5. For more information contact Shona Langlands on 0131 666 9961 or email shona.langlands@erskine.org.uk. Erskine has been looking after veterans for almost 100 years and is the leading care organisation for ex-service men and women in Scotland.

National Library of Scotland Christmas Fair: yuletide bargains and festive treats galore! 20% discount on everything in the shop – then relax with tasty refreshments and festive entertainment. 6pm, National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge.

Live Music with Guilty As Sin: guitar, vocals, bass and sax. 8.30pm, The Old Chain Pier, 32 Trinity Crescent.

Under 5s Storytime: 10.30-11am, Morningside Library, 184 Morningside Road.

Artist Talk: Julie Roberts. Julie shares her thoughts on the way the human, particularly female, body is subjected to institutional constraints and injuries, and the way she has explored this in her paintings. 6pm, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ONE, Belford Road. Free and unticketed. Part of GENERATION By Night.

Music Among The Trees: Parkside Primary School, Edinburgh’s new Gaelic primary school, entertains visitors to the Edinburgh Christmas Tree Festival with traditional Gaelic songs. All welcome, come and enjoy! 12 noon-12.30pm, The Sanctuary, St Andrew’s and St George’s West Church, 13 George Street. Free.

Gaelic Bookbug: Gaelic songs and rhymes for young children and babies. 10.30am, Leith Library, 28-30 Ferry Road.

Remembering the Great War in Words and Music: an evening of songs and words featuring renowned bass Brian Bannatyne-Scott performing music by Schumann, Finzi and Mahler, with the words of Violet Jacob, Margaret Sackville and Wilfred Owen read by Lorna Irvine and Ken Cockburn. A collaboration with the Scottish Poetry Library. 5.45-6.45pm, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free and unticketed.

Hamjambo – music and verse in Edinburgh’s other languages: ‘understand little but celebrate all as we show off the city’s performers in languages from across the world’. Music in Basque, Arabic and Finnish, words and verse in British Sign Language, Urdu, Gujerati and Latvian, followed by a solo performance by flamenco guitarist Alex Moseley. 7-9.30pm, Area C Coffee House, 239-241 Leith Walk. Organised by The Common Weal Edinburgh North and Leith. Free: please note venue is BYOB (subject to corkage) and cash only.

The Drawing Room: an informal, artist-led, drawing session. Each session is developed by a contemporary artist, inspired by the GENERATION exhibition and reflecting concerns within the artist’s own work. All materials supplied, no experience necessary. 5.30-6.45pm, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ONE, Belford Road. Free and unticketed. Part of GENERATION By Night.

Take One Action: Open Bethlehem. A special screening presented by Take One Action, Scotland’s global change cinema project. Armed with her camera and a dilapidated family car, Bethlehem-born Leila Sansour returns to her childhood home to make a deeply personal film about a legendary town in crisis – but just a few months into the project, her life and the film take an unexpected turn when Leila’s cousin Carol persuades her to stay and start a campaign to save the city from irredeemable separation. In English and Hebrew with subtitles. Followed by Q & A with director Leila Sansour. 6pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road; book online or call box office on 0131 228 2688.

GENERATION By Night: the season of bespoke, after-hours, events at Modern One continues with a special evening including an artist talk by Julie Roberts and music from Glasgow-based duo BDY_PRTS. Pop-up talks, experimental drawing and the chance to explore GENERATION after dark. 5-8pm,  Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ONE, Belford Road. The Gallery Bus will run after hours: see website for details. Free tickets for this event can be booked via eventbrite.

An Evening with Alexander McCall Smith: the bestselling author will be in conversation about his work, including A Work of Beauty: Edinburgh, The Handsome Man’s Deluxe Cafe, and his retelling of Emma. 6pm, Waterstones West End, 128 Princes Street. Tickets are available from the shop: £5/£3 (Waterstones’ Loyalty Card holders). Further information on 0131 226 2666.

Easel Sketching in the Gallery: December – led by artist Damian Callan. A different subject every month, sometimes with a model. All materials supplied. 2-4pm, Main Gallery Floor, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free: no booking required. Also at same times on Friday 12th December 2014.

Silent Prayer at St John’s: as an experiment, the church will be open for silent prayer and contemplation as people go home from work. The session will start with a short introduction and end with a brief prayer: come and experience the peace of God in the busy run-up to Christmas. 5.15-6pm, St John the Evangelist Church, Princes Street. All welcome.

Nordic Film Festival: a diverse mixture of fresh and classic features, documentaries and shorts showcasing some of the most celebrated and emerging filmmaking talents of the Nordic region. This year’s theme is Horizons. Today: Ani Simon-Kennedy’s Days of Gray (15) ‘ in a world where nobody speaks, language doesn’t exist. On the dry and arid plains, men are hunters, protectors of a society bound by strict rules. Men hunt outsiders. A young boy meets an outsider and begins to question his world, plagued by the awareness that as he grows up he faces becoming a hunter himself’.  5.45pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road; book online or call box office on 0131 228 2688. Note: this film has no dialogue. Nordic Film Festival is presented by day for night, and will continue on 17th December 2014.

Festa di Natale: the Italian Cultural Institute invites you to its Christmas party. 5.30-7pm, Italian Cultural Institute, 82 Nicolson Street. Booking essential: email rsvp.iicedimburgo@esteri.it.

Cafe Voices: Midwinter Tales. Join storyteller and author Donald Smith for an evening of seasonal tales, gritty and gracious, with an open-floor section for storytellers to tell their own tales, all in the relaxed surroundings of the Storytelling Court. 7-9pm, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £5 and can be booked online here or by calling the box office on 0131 556 9579.

The Hobbit Double Bill – Plus! An Unexpected Journey (12A) and  The Desolation of Smaug (12A) followed by a special midnight screening of The Battle of the Five Armies (tbc). 6pm (An Unexpected Journey + The Desolation of Smaug), then 12 midnight (The Battle of the Five Armies), Cameo, 38 Home Street, Tolcross. Book online here for the first two films and here for The Battle of the Five Armies, or call box office on 0871 902 5723.

A giant Winter Lights display and Christmas Spectacle involving 3-D projections will light up the Grassmarket from tomorrow, Thursday 11 December.

Greater Grassmarket, in association with The Grassmarket Hotel, mclcreate and Edinburgh Arts Collective Projector Club, is hosting the large-scale 3D lights display on the corner of Victoria St and the Grassmarket tomorrow and Friday 12th December, and again on Thursday 18th – Friday 19th December.

The display will take place between 5pm and 8pm with live showings each evening at 6.30pm and 7.30pm.

Mamma’s Pizzeria will be providing complimentary mulled drinks and panzerotti mince pies for visitors on the night, and Red Dog Music is having a Christmas shopping evening with prizes, demos, festive munchies and live music.

The project was commissioned by Greater Grassmarket Business Improvement which has also provided local businesses with free LED light Christmas trees for outside their premises to help create a visual spectacle and attract visitors to the area.

Georgia Artus, Greater Grassmarket Project Manager, says: “The Winter Lights Spectacle will be fantastic and the combination of the Greater Grassmarket area’s heritage along with the vast array of unique shops, restaurants and bars makes it the perfect Christmas destination.”

Submitted by Samantha McKay-Challen

Police in West Lothian have alerted forces across the UK to look out for a rare car stolen earlier today as part of a high-value robbery.

The car, a purple Nissan Skyline, registration N40 SKY, is worth £47,000 and is one of only around 20 in the UK.

It was taken during a break-in to a house in Livingston around 10am today in which watches, jewellery and cash worth over £150,000 was stolen.

Police believe the car was immediately driven south and are investigating reports of it being seen in North West England on the M6 motorway in the early afternoon.

Detective Constable Brian Thompson, who is leading the enquiry, said: “This was a high-value housebreaking where a considerable amount of cash and property was stolen, and it is essential we recover this and bring those responsiblem

“I am appealling for anyone who has seen this car today, or who has any other information about this theft, to call Police on 101, or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

The Scottish SPCA is advising people not to buy pets as Christmas presents for fear of a surge in abandonments. As Scotland’s animal welfare charity prepares for its busiest time of year, they hope many pets will be spared the heartbreak of being dumped like unwanted gifts.

Chief Superintendent Mike Flynn said, “It’s an upsetting reality that in the weeks and months after Christmas our centres are often asked to take in puppies, kittens and other pets given as presents once the novelty has worn off.

“Or, even worse, some of these pets are abandoned and left to fend for themselves.
“Clearly in these instances the owners hadn’t realised that the young pet which was great fun at Christmas would need to be housetrained and properly socialised and that this would require effort on their part.

“Every year we stress that animals should never be bought on a whim or given as surprise presents, but some people clearly aren’t getting the message. In January this year we took in over 240 dogs, a 9% rise on the previous year and around 250 cats – over 30% more than in 2013.

“Although we can’t be certain, it’s possible many of these animals were bought as gifts and for that reason we are asking people to consider whether they have the time and financial resources to be able to properly care for an animal.”

In order to reduce the risks of people taking on pets to give away as presents, the Scottish SPCA will stop rehoming puppies, kittens and baby animals between 19 December and 3 January.

Chief Supt. Flynn added, “We have to ensure our rescue animals aren’t being taken on by someone who just wants a new pet for Christmas.

“However, our animal rescue and rehoming centres will be open to the public throughout the festive period, including Christmas Day, and young animals can be reserved during this time.

“Our message is simple, a pet is a lifelong commitment and not a present which can be given at Christmas and then forgotten about.”

Edinburgh Capitals are playing Coventry Blaze this Saturday at 6:00pm at Murrayfield – and you could be there courtesy of the team who have given us two pairs of tickets for the match.

Entries must be in by Friday 12 December at 5:00pm

Enter now to be in with a chance of seeing the best Ice Hockey team in the city!

One of their players Riley Emmerson is an enforcer who has kept other teams in check this season. He is 6’8″ tall and weighs in a 250lb. He is on target to exceed his points total from all previous seasons.

A recent addition to the team Emmerson said: “The club and the fans have made my family and I feel so very welcome since we got here. They have been amazing with the toys for my son Liam. Edinburgh is an amazing city to live in and we’re enjoying our experience. The fans have been great and we hope to repay them for their loyalty by continuing to win.”

Scott Neil said, “Riley has certainly helped the rest of the guys be able to concentrate on playing and it’s also been a big bonus that he is putting up good numbers too. He plays an honest, hard hitting game and has shown good discipline. However, I think he sometimes gets penalised unfairly, purely down to his size. He is a great guy to have on the team and I am pleased he and his family are enjoying all that Edinburgh has to offer.”

Capitals home games for December are:
Capitals v Coventry Blaze Saturday 13th 6pm
Capitals v Fife Flyers Sunday 14th 6pm
Capitals v Belfast Giants Sunday 21st 5.45pm
Capitals v Dundee Stars Tuesday 23rd 7.30pm
Capitals v Hull Stingrays Sunday 28th 6pm
Capitals v Fife Flyers Wednesday 31st 4pm – Hogmanay Hockey

Tickets can be purchased on game nights for all Capitals games, or online at www.edinburghcapitals.ticketsource.co.uk

Police are appealing for witnesses following a housebreaking at Farmers Autocare, Queensferry Road which took place over the night of Tuesday, December 9, between 8.20pm and 7.45am when entry was forced to storage containers in the forecourt.

Around 70 tyres were stolen from the garage, with an approximate value of £3100.  Enquiries reveal a transit type van may have been involved at some point during the night. 

Police are appealing for any witnesses who may have seen this van to come forward. 

PC Grimwood said:  “The suspects have used a transit type van to transport the stolen property.

“We are asking for anyone who was driving past Farmers Autocare between 8.20pm and 7.45am and perhaps saw tyres being loaded onto a vehicle or persons acting suspiciously to contact Police Scotland immediately on 101 or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Scotland’s leading care and housing provider which has its HQ here in Edinburgh are predicting they will have a ‘publishing hit’ on their hands when they launch of their new Tenant Handbook this month.

Bield have spent more than 18 months working on the all-encompassing ‘bible’ for tenants – which they hope is now set to become a model handbook within the sector.

The Handbook, which has been spearheaded by Tenant Participation Officer, Chris McShane, aims to provide tenants with all the necessary information they will need in one handy folder.

Chris McShane said: “It has been a lot of work pulling together the new Tenant Handbook, with tenants at the heart of the consultation process. I am delighted we have reached the stage where we are now ready to issue to tenants.

“We were keen to put it together after finding the original needed updating, given the significant changes that have happened within the organisation over the last few years.

“As a result, we were looking for the new Tenant Handbook to incorporate these changes, on top of ensuring that all of the original key information remained within.”

Chris continued: “When putting together the new book, we wanted to make sure that everything was as clear and concise as possible. We have avoided the use of jargon which was unnecessary and made some parts difficult to understand. Tenants will now be able to refer to the Handbook quickly and easily whenever they need to.

“Tenants have contributed to the development of the new handbook through meetings with myself and through the work of our national tenant body, the Partnership Forum.”

The new Handbook will be available online, as well as in print, for all of their tenants in their housing developments. An audio version will be available for all tenants who prefer this option.

Aileen Morton, Marketing Officer at Bield said: “This guide is incredibly important for our tenants as it contains all of the need-to-know information about their homes and developments.

“This information and the changes within the organisation are the main reasons as to why we decided to pull all of the relevant information together into one easy to use, up-to-date and understandable booklet.

“We hope that by doing this, we can help our tenants live by our ‘free to be’ motto, safe in the knowledge that they have everything they need to live happily and independently in one of our developments.”

Good news for the Foot of the Walk where money will be spent by the new owners of the shopping centre to give it a new look.

The Newkirkgate Shopping Centre in Leith is to benefit from a complete renovation and rebrand to enhance the customer experience following a £400k investment from owners, NewRiver Retail.

Having acquired the shopping centre in December 2013, the significant investment from NewRiver Retail will regenerate the Centre.

Phase one of the refurbishment works started in September and included the installation of new stonework above and between each retail unit, additional high level wood cladding, external paintwork and improved lighting. New branding and signage will be installed in the next few weeks.

Phase two of works will begin in early 2015 and will see paving replaced throughout the centre and a new bike rack installed.

Newkirkgate has also welcomed a brand new retailer to the centre, Store TwentyOne, which opened its doors earlier this month bringing eight new jobs to the area.

Store TwentyOne offers shoppers stylish, fashion led clothing and accessories for women, girls, boys and men. It evolved from a manufacturing business established in London in 1932, supplying clothing to the West End and in particular, Marks & Spencer stores. There are now 16 Store TwentyOne stores located across Scotland, three of which are in Edinburgh.

Scott Darroch, centre manager for Newkirkgate Shopping Centre said: “The Newkirkgate has been a part of the Leith community for many decades and plays an important role in providing day to day amenities for our shoppers.

“We are committed to ensuring that the centre moves with the times and continues to provide a relevant offer. The introduction of Store TwentyOne will offer our customers a second clothing retailer and we are excited to welcome them to our line-up.

“We thank our customers, the retailers and the local community for their support whilst our refurbishment works continue.”

Cllr Frank Ross, Convener of the Economy Committee, said: “This is great news, an improved centre and additional retail will provide more employment to people in Leith. The centre is at the heart of the local community and this investment should help to attract more businesses into Leith creating a more vibrant shopping experience for residents and visitors alike.”

Funding from the People’s Postcode Lottery will help the book festival reach even more people next year.

The Edinburgh International Book Festival announced today that, thanks to generous support of £175,000 from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, plans were now being put in place to develop a wide-ranging programme of exciting literature events and activities outwith Charlotte Square Gardens which will focus on instilling a love of books and an enjoyment of reading for all levels of ability, all ages and all communities.

Nick Barley, Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, said “At the heart of the Book Festival is a holistic and integrated approach which aims to expand participation in literature and develop highly engaged, knowledgeable audiences. The vast majority of our events – for all ages – are participatory, making the Book Festival one of the leading forums for interaction, debate and discussion.

“We want to replicate these forums across Scotland by creating a vibrant and wide-reaching new outreach and learning initiative which will focus on engaging adults, young people and children and fostering a love of reading and words. The funding from players of People’s Postcode Lottery will enable us to start work on this project early in 2015.”

Clara Govier, Head of Charities at People’s Postcode Lottery said: “I am delighted that players of People’s Postcode Lottery are now supporting the Edinburgh International Book Festival. The festival in itself is known for being one of the best in the world and it is great that funding from players will help ensure that Book Festival events reach more people across the whole of Scotland.”

By programming the widest range of events for people of all ages and backgrounds and ensuring services are of the highest quality, the Edinburgh International Book Festival creates a stimulating learning environment where exploring, experimenting and broadening one’s horizons becomes an intrinsic part of enjoying the Festival.  In August 2014 The Book Festival’s Outreach programme delivered a total of 44 events in over 40 venues across Scotland involving 29 authors and illustrators.

With the support of the players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, the Book Festival will build on this expertise to give greater numbers of people access to authors and live literature events across Scotland.

The Edinburgh International Book Festival is the largest public celebration of books in the world, with 800 authors from over 40 different countries appearing in around 750 events every August. The 2015 Festival will run from 15 to 31 August and full programme details will be announced in June 2015.

In Football Remembers week, Wester Hailes Education Centre reenacted a little of the football match which everyone knows about from the First World War.

Private William Tapp wrote in his diary “It doesn’t seem right to be killing each other at Xmas time.” I don’t know what our General would say if he knew about this.”

In December 1914, thousands of soldiers around Ypres in Belgium took part in a spontaneous and informal truce – a moment of humanity from history. It was made all the more poignant as so many were to fall in battle, including Tapp, who was killed a few weeks later. Football Remembers focuses on the games of football played in No Man’s Land in the context of the Christmas truce.

Earlier today pupils at WHEC put on uniforms, greatcoats and helmets to play with a vintage football, and footballing legend John Robertson of Hearts was there to offer his thoughts on going to Contalmaison this summer  and some keepie-uppie skills.  Stuart Sinclair who is the teacher in charge of Modern Studies and History has led the children through the curriculum to learn about the atrocities of war one hundred years ago. 

Contalmaison is the village in France where the sporting battalion known as McCrae’s led the vanguard on 1 July 1916 where they were mown down by machine gun fire and three Hearts players died.

Contemporary folk singer-songwriter Scott McWatt has released a new video to accompany his new single, ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’.

The song comes from his most recent album, A Ceíst Amá, which was released in November 2013. The album featured the unique concept of every calendar month representing each song. The album can be streamed and purchased on Bandcamp.

‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ represents December and has aptly been filmed in and around Edinburgh’s Christmas Market to capture the feeling of the lyrics involved in the song.

All proceeds from the track download will go to the Children’s Hospice Association Society (CHAS) charity.

Their debut album, Sun Structures, has been out for 10 months, yet Temples’ take on music that originated in the 1960’s doesn’t sound dated at all. The psychedelic outfit, who on the night are accompanied by the Mad Alchemy liquid light show, appear neatly dressed, sonically profound and collectively mercurial.

Temples don’t create tension. They got straight to the action and begin with the album’s title track. The set was dominated by Sun Structures with only a couple of b-sides slipped in. The studio to live transition is as immaculate as the band’s outfit for the evening. Every little detail is spotted in their live performance as rhythm guitarist and keyboardist, Thomas Walmsley, adds the touches to the sound from the synth.

Temples didn’t have too much to say to the crowd and skipped straight to the next song after a sip of beer. Songs such as ‘Colours to Life’ and ‘A Question Isn’t Answered’ were executed at pitch perfect studio quality with added psychedelic jams for the audience to trip out too with the hallucinatory backdrop.

The one-song encore of ‘Mesmerise’ added a felicitous conclusion to the gig with a near 10-minute pleasantly turbulent rendition that had the audience fascinated and struggling to leave long after Temples departed the stage.

A train carriage travels through a wintry landscape. You are the passenger in that carriage, and as you watch the swirling snowflakes from your cosy seat, an unknown voice begins to tell you a story. It’s a story that begins quite simply; the speaker tells of his life on the far north coast, of the wild winds that often caused his home and all its contents to shake…..his voice remains calm and everyday as his words lead you to the shocking climax. The story ends; you sit back – but not in your cinema seat, for you are in the middle of a modern day railway station.

If you’re in Edinburgh this week, take a break from the shopping and head into Waverley. Yes Waverley Station; not the first place that springs to mind perhaps, but from Wednesday to Saturday you will have the chance to lose yourself in another world, as Cryptic presents Homecoming: Station Stories. Acclaimed artist Sven Werner of Outland Productions has spent a month visiting communities across the country, asking people what ‘inspiring Scotland’ means to them and the journeys they have taken; from their responses he has created three short films, cinematic worlds in miniature.

The films will be shown via a striking Victorian peepshow; you will be invited to sit on a stool, don headphones and, with a black cloth over your head, experience a story (or all three) by looking through the lens of an antique camera. I tried this out when I came across Sven’s event in Aberdeen last week, and was amazed at how quickly I was drawn in; within seconds I had forgotten about the busy station concourse and was completely absorbed in the story.

Sven (who handcrafted each work himself) and his assistants are all on hand, dressed in appropriate Victorian costume, to tell you more and introduce you to this unusual and enjoyable project. Sven aims to introduce people to magical, poetic worlds, bringing them closer to the stories in their own lives; he uses miniature models in his film and installation works to create an atmospheric intensity. The 5 minutes I spent under the black cloth certainly left a lasting impression – I’m still thinking about the experience a week later.

So instead of fighting the crowds in Princes Street, escape for a few minutes to an enchanting world. Station Stories will be at Waverley 11am-7pm Wednesday 10th to Saturday 13th December 2014, and is a free, non-ticketed event for all ages. I recommend it.

Cryptic is an internationally-renowned producing art house aiming to ‘ravish the senses’ with performances that fuse music, sonic art and multi-media. Founded in Scotland in 1994 by Cathie Boyd, Cryptic presents today’s most imaginative international artists and nurtures the creative talent of tomorrow.

Homecoming: Station Stories is part of the Scottish Government’s Homecoming Scotland 2014’s Tales of Home programme, managed by Event Scotland and funded by Creative Scotland in association with ScotRail.

Chris Hoy wins BBC Lifetime Achievement Award

Broomhouse Foodbank

At The Traverse

Cooking for men in the New Year

Hogmanay at Summerhall – early bird tickets still available

Another award for Edinburgh’s Olympic cyclist Sir Chris Hoy was announced yesterday. He has now won the BBC Lifetime Achievement Award. The sportsman won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2008, but this award is even more coveted, as it is given to someone who has made a huge contribution to their sport. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said:

“Sir Chris Hoy is a wonderful ambassador not only for his sport, but for Scotland as well, and I am delighted that he is to receive this award in front of a home crowd.

“This award is testament to the commitment and drive Sir Chris has shown throughout his career, and he continues to show a passion for cycling by inspiring the next generation of sport stars. He is truly deserving of such an accolade and I join the many others in offering my warmest congratulations to him.”

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Broomhouse Foodbank at 3 Broomhoouse Market EH11 3UU will be open for emergency service over Christmas and New Year. Anyone wishing to make a referral to the food bank should telephone 0131 443 6223. On Christmas Day it will be open between 11:00 and 12:00.

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The Devil Masters opens tomorrow at The Traverse Theatre. Written by Iain Finlay MacLeod and directed by Orla O’Loughlin who is the Traverse Artistic Director, this is billed as ‘surrealist black comedy’ with nuances of class division and manners, it runs till Christmas Eve with matinees on 13, 20 and 24 December. To ‘devil’ is a legal term meaning the training one advocate receives from the other, with the more senior being called a Devil Master. The play is set in a New Town flat with a husband and wife who are both advocates.  There is a preview tonight which you might manage to get a ticket for.

Booking details here. 

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SUMMERHALL HOGMANAY – SIGNED, SEALED AAAAND DELIVERED.

9pm – 3am on 31 December 2014.

Early Bird £22.50 available now until the Christmas Market at Summerhall 14 December.

Group ticket £100 for 5 people.

Full Price Tickets £27.50

The lovely people at Summerhall have all of this for you:

Leave your good job in the city, let your love lift you higher and higher, Summerhall’s Hogmanay’s Signed, Sealed, Delivered. It’s yours.

Edinburgh, the festival city is the place to see in the New Year. We announce Summerhall’s now infamous annual shindig to celebrate the bells will transpose Hitsville U.S.A to the Scottish capital for a mild of wild, funky live music.

The night of live music will invite partygoers to dance into 2015 with the live Detroit Motown Disco at Edinburgh’s Summerhall. Groove the night away with a live floor-filling soulful set, of high-energy Motown classics from the likes of Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Temptations, Four Tops, Martha Reeves, Isley Brothers and a host of other Soul artists.

There are a range of ticket deals available before 14^th Decemeber 2014 – early bird tickets can be bought up until Summerhall’s Christmas Market on the second Sunday of the month.

Alongside live performances lighting up the old Veterinary college on the Meadows – The Soul Foundation will bring in 2015 with DJ sets, roller disco guys and gals, soul-train vibes and disco galore.

Featured DJs include, DJ NormaJean, DJ Afro and DJ Ruffin, playing a whopping selection of 70’s & 80’s disco, Motown, Northern Soul and much, much more.

Live music comes from the sweet four part harmony vocals of the Harmonettes will perform a scintillating set of sparkling, sweet party tunes. Disco balls, Disco Booths, Disco Dancing Girls. All brought together to create a Disco and Soul night to remember. Try saying no to the Soul Train Dance-Off – and of course there will be prizes for best dancers and best Disco/Motown outfit.

If you Feel Like You Can’t Go On, fancy dancing All Night Long? NO, you Can’t Hurry Love – but you don’t have to wait to buy tickets. Early Bird on sale now.

Early Bird and Group Ticket purchases will go in the draw for VIP passes.

If you are reading this on paper using the print function at the top of the article, then please scan the QR code on the left with a smartphone or a tablet and you will be taken straight to our website.

Friendship Day: come along, bring a friend (large or small!) and enjoy free mulled wine, tea, coffee and a festive mince pie. 10am-4pm, The Open Door, 420 Morningside Road.

Sing a Sang: a relaxed singing session hosted by Leith-based singer Drew Wright, aka Wounded Knee. Drew has a broad repertoire of songs, from big ballads to wee ditties, with plenty of scope for audience participation. Everyone is encouraged to sing, so please share your songs – but if you prefer just to listen, that is fine. The emphasis is on singing, so no additional instruments are required, ‘just bring your lungs and your lugs’! 7-9pm, Area C Coffee House (in the basement), 239-241 Leith Walk. Organised by The Common Weal Edinburgh North and Leith. Free.

Dragons, Selkies and Fairy Princes: An Exhibition of Illustrations from Kelpies Traditional Scottish Tales. Three talented young illustrators, Matthew Land, Philip Longson and Ruchi Mhasane, exhibit the stunning artwork created for Picture Kelpies: Traditional Scottish Tales (Floris Books), a beautiful new series of children’s picture books based on classic Scottish folk and fairy tales. Each book pairs a well-known Scottish storyteller with a brilliant illustrator to reimagine a story from Scotland’s rich treasury of folklore. 10am-6pm, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Ends 10th January 2015. Free.

Carols at Gilmerton Library: with children from Gilmerton Primary School. 1.45-2.15pm, Gilmerton Library, 13 Newtoft Street.

LGBT: visit to Edinburgh Crisis Centre Open Day. Find out about the support available at Edinburgh’s Crisis Centre, a 24 hour, 365 days a year community-based resource offering emotional and practical support at times of crisis. 1.15-3pm, meet at LGBT Health and Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street, and travel together to the Centre. Booking essential as places are limited: contact LGBT Health and Wellbeing on 0131 523 1100 or email admin@lgbthealth.org.

Wiff Waff Wednesday: a monthly ping pong night for all ages, with music, drink and great food available to purchase from the Drill Hall Arts Cafe. All welcome – ‘friendship first, competition second’, 6-10.30pm, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny Street. Free entry.

Music Among The Trees: talented pianist Drew Crichton entertains visitors to the Edinburgh Christmas Tree Festival. All welcome, come and go as you please.  2-3pm, The Sanctuary, St Andrew’s and St George’s West Church, 13 George Street. Free.

The Road to Meikle Seggie: Richard Demarco launches the first formal publication of his pioneering work, ‘an essay in words and pictures’. The essay is accompanied by Demarco’s original drawings, an Italian translation by Silvana Vitale, reinterpreted drawings and an introductory essay by Donald Smith. The Road to Meikle Seggie began in the early 1970s at the Netherbow in the Old Town, journeying to the foothills of the Ochils and spreading out across Scotland and Europe. ‘A defining Demarco endeavour, a fertile source for the arts in all media and a vital expression of shared culture at a time when the European ship is sailing through stormy waters.’ The Road to Meikle Seggie is part of an EU-funded project by the Scottish International Storytelling Festival, Seeing Stories: Recovering Rural and Urban Landscape Narrative. Read The Edinburgh Reporter’s article about the 2013 exhibition of Richard Demarco’s prints here. The Festival acknowledges the assistance of the Italian Cultural Institute in the preparation of this volume. 6.30pm, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. Please book your free place by emailing linda@scottishstorytellingcentre.com or calling 0131 652 3272.

National Library of Scotland Guided Tour: a tour of the building and an introduction to the library’s collections and history. 10.30-11.15am (approx.), National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. Booking essential, either online or by calling 0131 623 3734. Please inform the library if you have any special access requirements.

Culture Shock Christmas! Seasonal films from the Cameo – today Gremlins (12A): when Billy’s father gives him an exotic pet for Christmas, a horde of gleeful little monsters are soon rampaging across town. ‘Joe Dante’s comedy horror is as scary, funny and subversive as ever’. 9pm, Cameo, 38 Home Street, Tolcross. Book online here or call box office on 0871 902 5723.

Poetry Pamphlet Festive Fair: independent Scottish poetry publishing is going from strength to strength – come along for a glass of wine, meet the publishers, hear the poems and buy the pamphlets! To book a stall contact Graeme Hawley on g.hawley@nls.uk. 6pm, National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. No booking required.

Nordic Film Festival starts today! A diverse mixture of fresh and classic features, documentaries and shorts showcasing some of the most celebrated and emerging filmmaking talents of the Nordic region. This year’s theme is Horizons. Today: I Am Yours/Jeg er din (15) – director Iram Haq’s ‘courageous semi-autobiographical feature, a powerful and moving portrayal of a young woman struggling with love, motherhood and being caught between two cultures.’  In Norwegian, Urdu and Swedish, with English subtitles. 9.15pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road; book online or call box office on 0131 228 2688. Nordic Film Festival is presented by day for night.

Edinburgh Napier University UK Undergraduate Web Chat: if you are from the UK and have any questions about studying with Napier at undergraduate level, join this online web chat and talk to staff and other prospective students. 4-6pm, register here. For more information contact studentrecruitment@napier.ac.uk.

Chatter and Verse Poetry Group Christmas Party – celebrate Christmas in poetic style! Bring along a Christmas poem you’d love to share, and join in the Christmas Poetry Quiz. All welcome – mulled wine and seasonal refreshments available (and also welcome!). 6.30-8pm, Board Room, Central Library, George IV Bridge. Please book your free ticket via eventbrite. And why not come along to the regular poetry book group sessions, 6.30pm every third Wednesday?

Edinburgh Napier University UK and EU Postgraduate Web Chat: if you are from the UK or EU and have any questions about studying with Napier at postgraduate level, join this online web chat and talk to staff and other prospective students. 4-6pm, register here. For more information contact Ruth Swan (UK) at studentrecruitment@napier.ac.uk or Anna Frankowska (EU) at studyabroad@napier.ac.uk.

Common Policy: Deconsumerisation. Remember Black Friday? Dr Iain Black explains why shopping less will make you happier. 7-9.30pm, Area C Coffee House , 239-241 Leith Walk. Organised by The Common Weal Edinburgh North and Leith. Free.

FLYBE put their 2015 flights on sale now

Flybe, Europe’s largest regional airline, has today put on sale its 2015 Summer schedule that features 30 routes to and from Scotland with a choice of up to 964 flights a week and that includes a brand new route between Glasgow and Bournemouth.

The start of summer flying on 29^th March 2015 will also mark the re-opening of Flybe’s Aberdeen base as announced by Flybe last month.

It will be the first summer for the airline’s three Scottish routes to and from London City airport as well as the Flybe Shuttle service that operates between Aberdeen and Jersey, with brief stops at Leeds Bradford and Southampton.

Seats are on sale now for booking at www.flybe.com with one way fares from £27.99 including taxes and charges and currently available for travel between March 29^th and September 3rd, 2015.

Return of peak summer services including Edinburgh to Newquay and Bergerac; and from Aberdeen, Glasgow, Inverness and Edinburgh to Jersey

Full details of schedule at www.flybe.com

One way fares from £27.99 including taxes and charges

Paul Simmons, Flybe’s Chief Commercial Officer, says: “It’s going to be a busy summer! Over the last twelve months we have continued to grow and develop the airline to provide the most cost-effective, efficient and flexible service for our passengers. Our 2015 Summer schedule from Scotland  boosts further the large selection of connecting flights that are now available not only through our codeshare partners but also with those offered by our franchise partner, Loganair.

“We look forward to the re-opening of our Aberdeen base and are pleased that, through our many codeshare partners, we are able to offer our Scottish customers even more travel choice extending further our reach across Europe and the rest of the world.”

Report courtesy of Pete Laird, image courtesy of Jason O’Callaghan (both Napier Knights)

Match Report

The Knights registered their first win of the season with a convincing win over the Teeside Cougars. An early score from Running Back and team captain Dan Flannery eased Napier ahead following an interception from Line backer Jamie Welsh that gave the Knights excellent field position.

In atrocious playing conditions the Knights moved the ball well but were held at the one yard line on their next drive before finally getting the second score from Flannery in the 3^rd Quarter.

The Cougars put together a final 40 yard, 14 play drive to get themselves on the scoreboard at the final whistle.

The Knights go to 1-2 for the season so far but end the year undefeated at Sighthill park. The Knights now have a Christmas break but return to action in the New Year with a full slate of games and the Varsity Match against the Edinburgh Predators on the 1^st of February at Meggetland Stadium.

Box Score:

Scorers:

1^st Quarter: Edinburgh Napier Knights 1yd TD run Dan Flannery, XPT Declan McDonald Good (7-0)

3^rd Quarter: Edinburgh Napier Knights 5yd TD run Dan Flannery, XPT Declan McDonald Good (14-0)

4th Quarter: Teeside Cougars 2yd TD run Rob Coleman, 2PAT Conversion Good Rob Coleman (14-8)

by Scottish Labour Leadership candidate Jim Murphy MP

‘For the second time in less than a year, the UK’s future will be in Scotland’s hands’

This is an exciting time to be in Scottish politics. Never has our great nation had more confidence in itself or more hope about the future. With the delivery of the devolution Vow on more powers for the Scottish Parliament, change is coming to Scotland.

The challenge for the Scottish Labour Party is to be accepted again as the drivers of that change.

Later this week we will know the result of the Scottish Labour Party leadership contest (online voting closes tomorrow at midday). I’ve enjoyed campaigning alongside Sarah Boyack and Neil Findlay. It has been a good advert for a fresh start for Scottish Labour.

Saturday’s result will be the verdict of Scottish Labour Party members and trade unionists on how best to revitalise our movement north of the border. Immediately after that we need to get moving. We have no time to waste in getting out across the country listening and talking about the change Scotland needs.

After we return from the Christmas holidays there will be just three months until the start of the UK General Election campaign. That’s no time at all to prepare. This evening I will be speaking at an event hosted by Ipsos Mori. We will reflect on the momentous year that’s coming to a close and discuss the decisive year ahead.

The role of Scotland in the evolving story of the United Kingdom is remarkable. For the second time in less than a year, the politics of the entire UK will rest in the hands of Scots. Just under three months ago Scotland decided whether the United Kingdom itself would continue to exist. By a convincing majority, Scots backed unity over division. On 7 May next year in the General Election, Scotland’s votes will help to determine the politics of the UK for years to come.

To paraphrase the nationalists, it will be the UK’s future in Scotland’s hands. A Scottish electorate of just over four million people will again determine so much about the collection of nations that makes up the UK.

For so many reasons, we can’t afford to get this wrong.

Most Scots I know want rid of this Tory Government. Whether referendum No or referendum Yes voters, what will motivate many Scots is the chance get rid of David Cameron from Downing Street.

In Scotland the debate isn’t about ‘whether’ or ‘why’ we should rid ourselves of a Tory government. Instead the predominant question is ‘how?’.

Despite the increasingly fragmented nature of the UK’s politics, an election to the House of Commons under a First Past the Post system remains a two horse race. Only Labour can replace the Tories and form the next UK Government. Not the Liberals, Greens, UKIP or the SNP.

A vote for anybody but Labour in many Scottish constituencies makes it more likely that David Cameron would remain Prime Minister. Bluntly, all that the SNP’s efforts will achieve will be to risk Labour being able to be big enough to replace Cameron.

I know that isn’t what most people who vote SNP, Green or Lib Dem want. As Scots go back to the polls for the second time in eight months the majority are hoping to see the back of the Tories. My message to my fellow Scots is straightforward – our votes really can make the difference. Just as in the referendum, the simple act of voting really does matter again.

And my message for my Party is that in Scotland we have to celebrate and share in our nation’s renewed sense of patriotic self-confidence. I am determined we will.

That work starts this Saturday morning when the leadership result is declared. I’m up for it. I’m confident that Scottish Labour is too.

Boyack prioritises investment in town centre regeneration as leadership contest closes

Scottish Labour Leadership candidate, Sarah Boyack, has used the final hours of the campaign to set out her ambition for greater investment in Scotland’s town centres.

She has issued a challenge to the Scottish Government to deliver on the ambition of its Town Centre Action Plan and to give local authorities the resources to play a leading role in regeneration.

Sarah Boyack MSP said:

“With two weeks to go to Christmas, town centres across the country are buzzing with shoppers picking up presents for their friends and family.   I want to see greater action to spread that positivity through the rest of the year.

“Town centres should be at the heart of our communities.  Retail is a key sector but we must also adapt to the changing make-up of our high streets. There is now a greater emphasis on providing leisure and other services and I am particularly keen to see action to encourage more residential developments.

“This town centre first principle is supposed to be at the heart of the Scottish Government’s action plan but the resources simply aren’t there for local authorities to make it happen.

“As leader, my focus would be on reversing the trend of centralisation we’ve seen from the SNP to return meaningful power to local authorities to meet the needs of their communities.  Fixing local government funding with a fairer alternative to council tax is a priority and I welcome Nicola Sturgeon’s commitment to a cross-party commission on the issue.

“But we need to consider additional ideas.  I am eager to explore new ways to allow councils to generate revenue to drive innovation.  Ideas like a tourism levy work in other countries across Europe and would be worth exploring here.

“Over the weekend we celebrated Small Business Saturday which showcased local innovation in business.  With independent retailers occupying more than half of retail units and a fall in vacancy rates there are signs of optimism.  The challenge now is to provide the investment we need to see to transform our town centres.”

Police in Edinburgh are investigating following a robbery at Gregg’s Bakery, on Crewe Road North, Edinburgh this afternoon.

The incident happened around 3pm when a man entered the shop in possession of what is believed to have been a knife and stole a quantity of money from the cash register.The suspect made off in the direction of Boswall Parkway.

The suspect is described as white, 5ft 6 in tall, medium build, and wearing a sky blue hoodie with white writing, and with the hood up.

Police are now appealing for anyone who was in the area at the time to contact police on 101.

With wild and wintry conditions heading our way, the Council is urging Edinburgh’s residents to heed advice on how to keep themselves, their properties and their vulnerable neighbours safe in bad weather.

The Council’s website is stocked with information on what to do when gales and storms are forecast, such as parking vehicles in garages or away from buildings and trees etc or securing loose objects that could be blown away.

As temperatures look set to plummet once again towards the end of the week with snow in the forecast as well, residents can also log on to see an interactive map of salt bins across the city and find out the priority streets and pavements for gritting patrols. You can now use our online forms to report problems with salt bins or to request a new one for your area.

Preparing for wintry conditions is strongly recommended and the Ready for Winter web page includes tips such as investing in a good, strong snow shovel and arranging a winter health check for your car.

During severe weather, remember to check on your neighbours, particularly if they are older or live alone. Keep up to date with roads, schools and travel information on the website, via Twitter and local radio.

Councillor Lesley Hinds, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “Winter is definitely here now and the Council has been hard at work for many weeks getting the Capital as prepared as possible for whatever the weather has in store for us.

“We’ve got 16,000 tonnes of salt stockpiled – more than three times the amount we used in the whole of winter 2013/14 – and gritting teams have been patrolling and on standby since late October, responding to the detailed and regular forecasts we receive from the Met Office.

“As always, we’d remind residents to do whatever they need to do to get themselves ‘winter ready’ and would urge everyone to look out for those in their community who might be less able to look after themselves.”