The race to be first past the post in the Scottish Referendum will be run in a special one-off horse race just days before the Scottish Referendum vote on 18 September 2014.

The two horse Ladbrokes Referendum Race at Musselburgh Racecourse on Monday 15 September has the endorsement of the Yes and No camps which have chosen the names of the runners.

Following a marathon political campaign the five furlong sprint will see ‘Yes We Can’ carry the colours of Yes Scotland and line up against ‘Neigh Thanks’ in the Better Together silks.

First Minister Alex Salmond is a keen racing fan and is sure to take a strong interest in the race while those on the opposing No side will want to grab a win on his home turf. The race will go down in history as the first political contest forecast using thoroughbred racehorses.

The race which is due to be run at 1.40pm will be broadcast live on Racing UK while those wishing to cheer on their runner in person will benefit from free entry at Musselburgh on the day which features a full card of Flat racing.

Musselburgh Racecourse commercial manager, Sarah Montgomery, said: “We are in the final straight of the Referendum debate and we thought this one-off race would be a great way for our racegoers to share in the excitement of this historic occasion, regardless of their political views.”

Both horses have been provided by Renfrewshire trainer Jim Goldie, with the horses equally handicapped in order for the race to be as competitive as possible. At present, Ladbrokes can’t split the horses in the betting for the race, offering odds of 5/6 a piece for each runner.

The Scottish independence referendum has now become the most popular political betting event of all time with over £25 million to be wagered on the outcome across the industry. The odds of a ‘Yes’ outcome have collapsed from 5/1 to 7/4 in just over a week, with Ladbrokes reporting peaks of over £10,000 a day bet on the breakaway in Scotland alone. A no outcome, however, remains the odds-on favourite at 2/5.

Alex Donohue of Ladbrokes said: “History will be made on the turf as we enter the final furling to polling day. The betting suggests the political race is getting ever tighter and we’re confident the campaign groups’ equine equivalents will contest just as close a race.

“Mr Salmond is a keen fan of the turf and we’re sure he’ll be watching and hoping Yes We Can gets his head in front where it matters, but it’s sure to be as close as the Referendum itself.”

Ladbrokes latest betting

Ladbrokes Referendum Race – Musselburgh Racecourse – 1.40 Monday 15 September

Yes We Can 5/6

Neigh Thanks 5/6

Independence referendum

No 2/5

Yes 7/4

Photos Rob McDougall

Police Scotland officers in Edinburgh are appealing for information after a man was seriously assaulted in the east of the city in the early hours of this morning.

A report was received at around 1.45am of concern for a 24-year-old man in the street in Kekewich Avenue.
The man was treated at the scene by the Scottish Ambulance Service, before being transferred to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, where he remains in a stable condition.

Detective Sergeant Graham Grant, who is based at Craigmillar, said: “A man has sustained a serious but not life-threatening injury during this incident and we are obviously very keen to identify those responsible.

“At this time it is unclear exactly what happened in Kekewich Avenue but there appears to have been a disturbance and raised voices in the street in the very early hours of the morning.

“Door-to-door enquiries are being carried out, but any members of the public who saw or heard anything suspicious in Kekewich Avenue or, indeed, in the Craigentinny area is urged to get in touch.”

Anyone with any information on this incident should contact Police Scotland on 101 or, alternatively, the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Photographer Derek Anderson and Irvine Welsh’s Simon ‘Sick Boy’ Williamson have something in common: they both grew up in Leith’s Banana Flats – or Cables Wynd House – one of the blocks of flats built by Edinburgh Borough Council (as it then was) in the 1960s as part of a plan to redevelop the area. In those days families keen to leave the slums moved eagerly into The Wynd; some of them are still there. Other residents have come and gone, replaced by new generations with new ideas. Every resident has a story, and now Derek has produced a fascinating exhibition of photographs he has taken as part of an HND in Photography at Edinburgh College. He aims to document the lives of people living in The Wynd today, to portray the reality of their everyday existence. He has worked with residents since December 2013; many of them have become friends.

In a neat and tidy sitting room, an older lady, her nails perfectly varnished, proudly displays her many tapestry pictures, . In an equally pristine room, a couple sit on an immaculate white sofa, the woman looking slightly apprehensive as the photo is taken. Another resident stands beside his polished fireplace; he is older now, but still has something of the fighter about him; his strong arms are generously tatooed. Family connections matter here: a lady in a wheelchair holds a photo of a young Royal Marine; grandchildren’s art and school portraits cover the walls of many flats.

There is of course another side to this community; in an almost totally unfurnished room, a young man stares blankly through an uncurtained window. Food cartons. plastic bags and medicine bottles litter the floor and the one table. We know neither his name nor his story, but the feeling of desolation speaks volumes. In another flat, an older man sits on the sofa in a well furnished room, his head down, his hands on his forehead.

The Wynd has its share of ‘characters’ too. A man lies on his bed with a gun in each hand; in a second photo he holds two rifles. Elsewhere a man in a combat jacket shows us some sort of sword. By contrast, in another flat a woman sits cross-legged on the floor, behind her a Buddhist shrine. The shelves are laden with books; suncatchers hang in the window. A middle-aged man stands in a smart room; flowers cover the table. He stares at the camera; he looks shocked.

A new generation is coming to The Wynd. A black father and his young schoolgirl daughter play on the sofa; arty monochrome wallpaper, stunning red painted walls, stylish wood floor.  The kitchen is a wonderful shade of green, and in another photo the daughter sits at the table, schoolbag beside her, contemplating – what? She looks optimistic, full of life.

Downstairs in the foyer, youths gather. Hoodies, cigarettes, bikes. The fluorescent lights give them a threatening air – but are they? Can we judge them by their age and clothes? They live here like everyone else. In a later photo they stand outside in a line for the camera and in this portrait they are suddenly humanised; they are The Wynd’s future just as much as the little girl upstairs.

The poster boy for this exhibition is an elderly man. Sitting on his sofa surrounded by medical equipment it is clear that he has had a tracheotomy. In the poster photo he looks serious, but a second image in the exhibition shows him laughing, perhaps at something Derek Anderson has said, or maybe just at life. You want to know his story; he looks fun. In one way it would have been good to read a a little about all of the people in these engrossing portraits, but in another they are all the more moving for their lack of words, as we are left wondering about the residents of a diverse community and an iconic building.

Into The Wynd is showing at Leith Library, 28-30 Ferry Road until Friday 12th September 2014 – so you only have this week to see it. The library is open 10am-8pm Monday to Wednesday, 10am-5pm Thursday-Friday.

Derek intends to continue with the project; as he says, it is a work in progress.

A brand new beginners class starts this Thursday at Currie High School.  It is on every Thursday 6.30 – 7.30pm. So what will you learn? How to belly dance! 

Susan Tonner the instructor said: “Edinburgh has a fabulous Adult Education programme and it makes so many topics available to people at an affordable price. Adult Education is far more than just learning a new skill and I am a huge supporter of it. Those who come to my class say they not only learn to dance but enjoy gentle exercise and meet new people and have built lasting
friendships with like minded people.

“I teach Tribal Style Bellydance which has Flamenco and Indian styling to it and is always danced in a group for fun. Although, mostly for women, men can join in and I do have a male student. They say it helps with confidence and a positive body image as well as just loving the fabulous costumes!

The photo shows the troupe at Art in the Park last weekend.

Submitted by Susan Tonner

Edinburgh Trams have been running for 100 days and 1.5 million passengers have been welcomed on board to date. Patronage figures and revenue levels are in line with predictions and importantly with the business model which was developed before operations began.

The service experienced an extremely busy launch period with around 130,000 passengers in the first week followed by regular weekly average patronage in excess of 90,000. Major events including the One Direction Concert, two Champions League games and one of Edinburgh’s busiest ever festival seasons have boosted numbers and given Edinburgh Trams the opportunity to address emerging issues and develop and improve the service along the way.

Ian Craig Chief Executive of Transport for Edinburgh said: “I’m very pleased with progress so far and with 100 days of the tram service under our belts, coupled with record breaking patronage on Lothian Buses, we’re well placed to thrive as a modern integrated transport operator. What we’re seeing suggests a genuine increase in use of public transport across the piece which is a priority for us but also a shared aspiration for many in the city.”

Transport Convener and Chair of Transport for Edinburgh Lesley Hinds said: “We can count these 100 days as a very encouraging start and the fact that we’ve carried 1.5 million passengers speaks volumes about how quickly people in the city have embraced their new tram service.

“These are still the early days of a new operation and there’s always going to be scope to refine things to make sure passengers get the best possible service. We’ve got a great team in place to hone and develop the tram operation and to ensure that we deliver a fully integrated public transport system for the Capital.”

Tom Norris Edinburgh Trams Director and General Manager said: “The last 100 days have been a success for everyone at Edinburgh Trams, from our drivers and ticketing assistants to the team behind the scenes at Gogar Depot. We’ve had major events, a busy Edinburgh Festival season as well as challenges and disruptions that are part of being a transport operator. I hope passengers feel they can count on us to get them to their destination and we continue to listen to feedback from our customers which we’re using to improve our service further.

“We’re off to a really promising start and I’d like to thank all our staff for their efforts and our new passengers for getting on board with us.”

Despite some high profile events and service interruptions, 98.7% of trams have completed full route journeys since the start of operations. Scottish National Entitlement Card use is currently within the Council’s £500,000 budget for the financial year, equating to around 10% of journeys.

The first 100 days of trams covered the period from Saturday 31 May to Sunday 7 September.

Edinburgh is set to benefit from increased economic and cultural links after being accepted into the historic Hanseatic League.

The Hanseatic League was created in the 14^th century to protect economic interests and diplomatic privileges in the cities and countries along the northern European trade routes that merchants visited.

Edinburgh’s connection to the league comes through the port of Leith which was Scotland’s most important port for more than 300 years and provided links with much of mainland Europe from the 12^th century onwards.

The capital’s membership of the league will result in increased civic, cultural and economic links with the 183 cities spread across 16 countries in northern Europe.

Contact has already been made with local schools, libraries, museums and galleries in Edinburgh about promoting the long-standing Hanseatic cultural and historical links.

Lord Provost, Donald Wilson, said: “As a member of the Leith Trust I have been a great supporter of this initiative. As well as the economic benefits for Leith and of course also for Edinburgh this is an opportunity for the city to show its commitment to the development of Leith as Edinburgh’s international port and as a strong community in its own right.

“The Hanseatic League has had a major historical influence on this city with Leith being one of its feeder ports and attempts to reconstruct this network in modern times will therefore have both civic and economic benefits.”

Herr Bernd Saxe, President of the Hanseatic League, said: “I am delighted that Edinburgh has been accepted into the Hanseatic League as it has a rich maritime heritage. I am looking forward to promoting the many cultural and economic links the city has with its northern European neighbours.”

Edible Gardening Seasonal Advice: drop in to find out how to grow your own food and take a look around the productive garden with the Edible Gardening Project Team. 1-3pm, Demonstration Garden, Royal Botanic Garden, Inverleith Row. Free drop-in session. Also available on Tuesday 9th September.

LGBT Drop-In with talk on preparing for a GP appointment: informal weekly gathering for LGBT people – meet others in a friendly, relaxed and welcoming environment and find out what is happening at the Centre and in the community. Between 6.30 and 7.30pm, a GP will discuss how to make the most of appointments – use the session to ask questions and get tips on the best way to make the most of future appointments with your doctor. 5.30-8pm, LGBT Health and Wellbeing Centre, 9 Howe Street.

Blackwell’s Edinburgh Children’s Book Group: a group for 8-11 year olds with a love of books and biscuits. A friendly hour of fiction and chat, currently reading Lauren Child’s look into my eyes. 6-7pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. To join this free group email childrens.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk.

Not About Heroes: Gala Opening Night. Feelgood Theatre Productions presents a play by Stephen MacDonald, directed by Caroline Clegg. Not About Heroes focuses on the meeting of war poets Wilfred Owen and Seigfried Sassoon at Craiglockhart War Hospital . ‘A timeless and uncompromising exploration of courage, humanity and intense friendship forged through poetry and the power of words overshadowed by the terrible and all-consuming conflict of the First World War.’  Suitable for ages 11+.  7.30pm, then at varying times on 9th & 10th September – see website for details – The Rivers Suite, Napier University Craiglockhart Campus, 219 Colinton Road. Concessions, group and school ticket prices available: book here.

Words and Deeds: Weapons and Wounding. Surgeons’ Hall, in partnership with Edinburgh University, brings its touring exhibition to Edinburgh Napier’s Sighthill Campus. The exhibition highlights the severity of injuries that women in warfare would have dealt with, exploring the progression of weaponry and the ever increasing need for new medical and surgical techniques to cope with wounding in warfare. 9am-4pm Monday to Friday until 30th September 2014, Level 4 LRC, Edinburgh Napier University Sighthill Campus, Sighthill Court. Free.

Pear Tree Quiz: Know your physics from your psychics? Still in mourning for the loss of 15-to-1? Try the Pear Tree quiz: cash prizes! £1 per team. 8-10pm (but you are advised to arrive early as tables fill up fast), Pear Tree House, West Nicolson Street. NB: over-18s only.

MONDAY 8TH SEPTEMBER 2014

Edible Gardening Seasonal Advice: drop in to find out how to grow your own food and take a look around the productive garden with the Edible Gardening Project Team. 1-3pm, Demonstration Garden, Royal Botanic Garden, Inverleith Row. Free drop-in session. Also available on Tuesday 9th September.

LGBT Drop-In with talk on preparing for a GP appointment: informal weekly gathering for LGBT people – meet others in a friendly, relaxed and welcoming environment and find out what is happening at the Centre and in the community. Between 6.30 and 7.30pm, a GP will discuss how to make the most of appointments – use the session to ask questions and get tips on the best way to make the most of future appointments with your doctor. 5.30-8pm, LGBT Health and Wellbeing Centre, 9 Howe Street.

Blackwell’s Edinburgh Children’s Book Group: a group for 8-11 year olds with a love of books and biscuits. A friendly hour of fiction and chat, currently reading Lauren Child’s look into my eyes. 6-7pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. To join this free group email childrens.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk.

Not About Heroes: Gala Opening Night. Feelgood Theatre Productions presents a play by Stephen MacDonald, directed by Caroline Clegg. Not About Heroes focuses on the meeting of war poets Wilfred Owen and Seigfried Sassoon at Craiglockhart War Hospital . ‘A timeless and uncompromising exploration of courage, humanity and intense friendship forged through poetry and the power of words overshadowed by the terrible and all-consuming conflict of the First World War.’  Suitable for ages 11+.  7.30pm, then at varying times on 9th & 10th September – see website for details – The Rivers Suite, Napier University Craiglockhart Campus, 219 Colinton Road. Concessions, group and school ticket prices available: book here.

Words and Deeds: Weapons and Wounding. Surgeons’ Hall, in partnership with Edinburgh University, brings its touring exhibition to Edinburgh Napier’s Sighthill Campus. The exhibition highlights the severity of injuries that women in warfare would have dealt with, exploring the progression of weaponry and the ever increasing need for new medical and surgical techniques to cope with wounding in warfare. 9am-4pm Monday to Friday until 30th September 2014, Level 4 LRC, Edinburgh Napier University Sighthill Campus, Sighthill Court. Free.

Pear Tree Quiz: Know your physics from your psychics? Still in mourning for the loss of 15-to-1? Try the Pear Tree quiz: cash prizes! £1 per team. 8-10pm (but you are advised to arrive early as tables fill up fast), Pear Tree House, West Nicolson Street. NB: over-18s only.

TUESDAY 9TH SEPTEMBER 2014

Dramarama: the recent one-off Dramarama workshop for aspiring actors was such a hit that it is now becoming a weekly event!  It’s about building confidence, trying something new and making friends. For ages 12-16. 5.30pm, Corstorphine Library, 12 Kirk Loan. If interested ask in the library or call 0131 529 5506.

Inch Community Centre Junior Club for P4-P7 restarts today. Cooking, arts and crafts, physical activities and a healthy snack. 6.15-7.45pm every Tuesday until 9th December, Inch Community Centre, 225 Gilmerton Road. For more information contact the centre on 0131 664 4710 or email Margaret.faichney@ea.edin.sch.uk

eBook surgery: get help with downloading free eBooks, audiobooks and emagazines. 2-3.30pm, Central Library, George IV Bridge. No appointment necessary.

LGBT Learning Disability Project: Carpet Bowls. For LGBT people who also identify as having a learning disability/difficulty. Join in a game of bowls played indoors – try the game at this session, which is just for this group. Tea and coffee provided. Meet at LGBT Health and Wellbeing Centre, 9 Howe Street at 1.45pm to catch the bus to the venue, or meet at Muirhouse Community Centre, 7 Muirhouse Medway at 2.30pm. Session lasts one hour. Please bring a carer or supporter if you need help to participate. Booking essential: contact George at george@lgbthealth.org.uk or call 0131 652 3281.

Edible Gardening Seasonal Advice: drop in to find out how to grow your own food and take a look around the productive garden with the Edible Gardening Project Team. 1-3pm, Demonstration Garden, Royal Botanic Garden, Inverleith Row. Free drop-in session.

Chris Ryan: Hunter-killer. Former British Special Forces operative turned bestselling author Chris Ryan will sign copies of his new book, Hunter-killer. In this, the second Danny Black novel, the SAS hero is recruited to an assassination squad tasked with hunting down terrorists. 12.30pm, Waterstones West End (Princes Street)

Edinburgh Hacklab Open Night: everyone is welcome at hackerspace open nights – just drop in and say hello. Bring along a project to tinker with, ask for some electronics help, hack some code or just have a chat and see what’s happening.  7pm tonight and every Tuesday and Thursday (subscribe to mailing list for last minute updates), Summerhall, 1 Summerhall.  All welcome: free. More information here.

WEDNESDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER 2014

The Great Stockbridge Bunting Bee: help make Stockfest bunting! If you’d like to take part, drop in for an evening bee, with tea, coffee and biscuits. 6-8pm, Stockbridge Library, Hamilton Place. (There will be another event on Monday 15th for children aged 9+)

Saltire: book signing with Saltire Annihilation Part 1 author John Ferguson, who says ‘Saltire is an immortal being created thousands of years ago to protect Scotland and its people. He’s big, he’s blue and he’s ginger.  He has Scottish values but he’s a traditional comic book superhero with a variety of supervillains to contend with as the story progresses…’ 5-6pm, Forbidden Planet, South Bridge.

Chess Club: a new club for children and teenagers under 16. 6pm, Moredun Library, 92 Moredun Park Road.

Chatterbooks! Reading group for Primary 4s and 5s. 3.30pm, Balerno Library, 1 Main Street, Balerno. Contact the library to book your place – hurry, they go quickly!

Referendum Question Time with Richard Holloway, Sally Foster-Fulton, Dr Doug Gay and Professors Kenneth Boyd and George Newlands. An opportunity to ask questions, share in respectful debate and explore issues from a Christian perspective. 7.30pm, St Andrew’s and St George’s West Church, 13 George Street. Free but ticketed: tickets from St Andrew’s & St George’s West Church, St John’s Episcopal Church, Princes Street or St Cuthbert’s Parish Church, Lothian Road.

Lunchtime Concert: Will Pickvance: Piano Speak. 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.

The Welcoming Association: Scotland for Newcomers. Conversation class with a different topic every week. 2.15-4.15pm, The Hall at St John’s Church, Princes Street. The Welcoming Association brings together refugees, asylum seekers and people from Scottish and local minority ethnic communities, with the aim of welcoming newcomers, learning together and improving English language and literacy skills. The project supports new migrants to get to know the local culture through outings, music, drama, visual arts and talks, and there are also visits from service providers in law, housing, education and employment. It runs a programme of classes and workshops: for more information click here.

Titian in Ten: ten minute pop-up talks delivered by NGS staff.  Gain an exclusive insight as staff from across the galleries offer different perspectives on Titian’s masterpieces. 2pm, Scottish National Galllery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.

Ruskin and the Daguerreotype: Photography and the Grotesque. Gallery talk and tour by art historian Ian Jeffrey, focusing specifically on the daguerreotypes. Ruskin uses the term ‘grotesque’ in Modern Painters: Volume 3 as an aesthetic category with many subsections; he has something imperfect and uncompleted in mind.  12.45-1.30pm, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free but tickets should be obtained in advance from the Information Desk at the Scottish National Galllery, The Mound.

Wiff Waff Wednesday: monthly ping-pong night for all ages with music, drink and great food available from the Drill Hall Arts Cafe.  ‘Friendship first, competition second.’ 6-10pm, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 35 Dalmeny Street. Free.

LGBT 50+: Stroll along the Prom, Prom, Prom! Join LGBT Age, a group for those 50+, on an outing to Portobello beach for a walk along the prom and a breath of sea air, followed by a cuppa and a chat. 12 noon-3pm, Portobello. For meeting place and more information contact Jane on 0131 523 1100 or jane@lgbthealth.org.uk  Organised by LGBT Health and Wellbeing.

LGBT Community Discussion: Ticking the other box. Are you always ticking the ‘other’ box on forms, and how does this make you feel? Hear guest speakers and have your say in a safe and inclusive space. Explore the true diversity of your community, how labels and language affect it and how organisations like LGBT Health & Wellbeing can continue to promote inclusivity. 6.30-9.30pm, venue TBC. Booking essential: click here or contact Jules via jules@lgbthealth.org.uk or call 0131 523 1104. Organised by LGBT Health and Wellbeing.

A Single Man: a special free screening as part of Suicide Prevention Week, in association with Choose Life. Los Angeles 1962: British professor George Falconer is struggling to find meaning in his life after the death of his long time partner Jim. Cast includes Colin Firth and Julianne Moore. Staff experienced in suicide prevention will be available for a post-film discussion. 5.45pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Free tickets can be booked here or by calling the box office on 0131 228 2688.

THURSDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER 2014 

Someone Was Singing: World War One in Poetry and Song.  In association with the Scottish Poetry Library, Edinburgh Reads presents poet Alexander Hutchison and singer/musician Wendy Carle Taylor for an evening of poetry (contemporary and historic) and song commemorating those who died in the First World War.  This evening launches a programme of World War One events in Edinburgh libraries over the next four years. 7-8pm, Central Library, George IV Bridge. Free tickets should be booked via eventbrite.

Harrison Park Bat Night: community event. All welcome, but under-16s should be accompanied by an adult. 7.15pm, Harrison Park, Polwarth. Meet at the play area accessed by Ogilvie Terrace, Harrison Road and Harrison Gardens. For further information contact Esperanza Martin on 0131 445 4025. Organised by the Friends of Harrison Park. Free.

Underwater Explorers. This term: Vikings – Norse Mythology, Viking Navigation, Viking Burials, Monsters and Myths. For ages 8-13. 3.45-5.45pm (children can arrive from 3.30pm), Fort Community Centre, North Fort Street. £1 per session. To book or for more information call Caithleen on 0131 553 1074 or email CLD-Fort@ea.edin.sch.uk

Jay Griffiths on Kith: Jay Griffiths, award winning writer and author of Wild: An Elemental Journey discusses her new book Kith: the Riddle of the Childscape, which examines what it means to be a child, and the huge differences in how childhood is experienced in different cultures. Griffiths explores why many children in American-Euro cultures seem unhappy – and why many children in traditional cultures seem happier. 7-8pm, Lecture Theatre,  Royal Botanic Garden, Inverleith Row. Tickets £5, available from eventbrite. The talk is held in conjunction with the no strangers exhibition at RBGE, which focuses on the plight of indigenous people throughout the world. Further talks related to the exhibition will take place on 13th & 20th September.

Inch Community Centre Senior Youth Club restarts today for ages P7-S2. Cooking, arts and crafts, physical activities and a healthy snack. 6.30-8pm every Thursday until 11th December, Inch Community Centre, 225 Gilmerton Road. For more information contact the centre on 0131 664 4710 or email Margaret.faichney@ea.edin.sch.uk

Drift Live Performance: Drift weaves together stories of generations of women with connections to Portobello Prom across their lives. In a promenade performance by Laura Cameron Lewis and Juliana Capes, participants will walk along the Prom experiencing the scene as it is set and the narrative unfolds.  6-7pm, Portobello Prom; meet on the Prom at the bottom of King’s Road – the walk will end at The Espy for optional drinks. Free. To book call Artlink Edinburgh and Lothians on 0131 229 3555 or email susan@artlinkedinburgh.co.uk  A portable loop system will be available. Part of Investigate – Create ‘opening up the arts in Edinburgh for people with sight loss, hearing loss, people who are Deafblind, and sign language users.’ More information about Investigate here.

Waterstones Edinburgh presents An Evening with David Mitchell: the Man-Booker Prize nominated author of Cloud Atlas and The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet will discuss his new book The Bone Clocks. 7pm, Assembly Roxy, 2 Roxburgh Place. Tickets £8 or £5 with Waterstones loyalty card from Waterstones West End (Princes Street) or online. Further information on 0131 226 2666.

Raising Spirits: Allotments, Wellbeing and Community.  Authors Jenny Mollison, Judy Wilkinson and Rhona Wilkinson talk about their new book, which shows how allotments came about, why they can make such a substantial contribution to health, wellbeing, community, food production and the environment, and what’s happening with allotments in other countries. 6-8pm, Waterstones, George Street. Free tickets available from the shop. Further details on 0131 225 3436.

Portrait Gallery Insights: John Byrne Sitting Ducks. Julie Lawson, Chief Curator of the Portrait Gallery, explores John Byrne: Sitting Ducks, an exhibition by John Byrne featuring friends, family and celebrity sitters. 5.30-6pm,  Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free but places limited so please book by calling 0131 624 6560.

The Welcoming Association: Skills for Living and Working – Job Seeking Skills. 2.15-4.45pm, The Hall at St John’s Church, Princes Street. Refreshments and all materials provided. For more information on The Welcoming Association, see Wednesday’s listings or click here.

The Drawing Room: informal, artist-led drawing sessions. Each session is developed by a contemporary artist and is inspired by the GENERATION exhibition, also reflecting concerns within each artist’s own work. This week: artist Morgan Cahn. No experience necessary, all materials supplied. 5.30-6.45pm, Royal Scottish Academy, The Mound. Free and unticketed.

From Virgil to Tintin: Translating into Scots. A panel of distinguished scholars and translators will discuss the future of literary translation into Scots.  Speakers, who will also read from their translations, are poet and novelist Tom Hubbard, J Derrick McClure, translator of Sorley Maclean and Alice in Wonderland into Scots and Susan Rennie, editor of The Dictionary of the Scots Language and creator of the Scots Tintin. 6pm, National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge.  Free tickets can be booked here. Sponsored by BOSLIT.

Artist Talk: Roderick Buchanan. Artist Roderick Buchanan discusses his exploration of identity in the works currently on show at the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art One, including Soda Stream 1995. 6pm, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art One, Belford Road. Free and unticketed. Part of GENERATION By Night.

Gayfield Twilight Talks – The Power of Place: Global Pictures, Local Spaces. Stuart Falconer of Edinburgh-based architects GRAS and Katy West, curator of the India Street exhibition, will explore their experience of working with designers and makers from different cultures, and the ways in which design can both create international links and highlight international concerns. Chaired by Dr John Ennis, Gayfield’s Creative Director. 6-8pm, Gayfield Creative Spaces, Gayfield Square. Free tickets should be booked via eventbrite. Read The Edinburgh Reporter’s article about India Street here.

FRIDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER 2014

Inch Community Centre Kids’ Club restarts today for ages P1-P4. Cooking, arts and crafts, physical activities and a healthy snack. 1.45-3.15pm every Friday until 12th December, Inch Community Centre, 225 Gilmerton Road. For more information contact the centre on 0131 664 4710 or email Margaret.faichney@ea.edin.sch.uk

Deborah Harkness:The Book of Life. Internationally bestselling author Harkness will talk about The Book of Life, the concluding part of the All Souls trilogy. ‘A rich,  thrilling and educational tale….a captivating and romantic ripping yarn’ (EL James, The Guardian.) 6pm, Waterstones West End (Princes Street).  Tickets cost £5 (£3 with Waterstones loyalty card) and can be purchased from the shop. Further details on 0131 226 2666.

Children’s Crafts: 2.30-3.30pm this and every Friday, Newington Library, 17-21 Fountainhall Road. Contact library for more information.

The Big Debate with Gordon Brewer: BBC Radio Scotland’s presenter Gordon Brewer invites you to ask the big questions about the Referendum. 11.30am-1pm, (broadcast live 12 noon-1pm) Greyfriars’ Kirk, Greyfriars’ Place. To apply for a place in the audience complete the form on the website here;  to submit your questions, email bigdebate@bbc.co.uk as soon as possible.

GENERATION:By Night. Modern One hosts a very special night in conjunction with GENERATION: 25 Years of Contemporary Art in Scotland. A unique evening featuring OPTIMO and GOLDEN TEACHER. Scottish dancefloor pioneers JD Twitch and JG Wilkes will man the turntables  in their own joyously eclectic style, while the Glasgow-based high energy afro-disco collective Golden Teacher perform live. 7.30-10pm, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art One, Belford Road. Free. Please book via eventbrite.

Demonstration of Traditional Oil Painting: The Portrait. Instructors from the Academy of Realist Art demonstrate traditional layering process oil painting as used by 19th century academies. 12 noon-4.30pm, Scottish National Gallery (Main gallery floor), The Mound. Drop-in; no booking required.

Children’s Crafts: this week making ‘The Eye of God.’ All 7-11 year olds welcome!  2-3pm, Central Library, George IV Bridge.

Lights, Camera, Action: Exploring the Cast of Characters in Charles Lees’ The Golfers. Angela Howe, Director, British Golf Museum, will take a look at the personalities in one of golf’s most important paintings. Painted in 1847, it portrays some of the key names associated with the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and the wider development of the game. 12.45-1.30pm, Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free: no booking required.

Food Co-Op: Green City gives you the opportunity to buy cheap, high quality food from the Scottish Wholefoods Collective Warehouse. Ethically-traded vegetarian products, none involving animal-testing. 3-6pm, Forest Cafe, Lauriston Place.

Lammermuir Festival: want to get out of Edinburgh this weekend? Beautiful music is on offer in East Lothian as the Lammermuir Festival begins today. Events from Musselburgh to Dunbar, North Berwick to Humbie. Opening concert 8pm tonight, St Mary’s Church, Haddington. Festival continues to 21st September 2014. More information and booking here.

SATURDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER 2014

Grow Your Ain: come and enjoy the art of producing your own food, from high-class restaurants to children’s vegetable patches. Join Slow Food Edinburgh to learn, dig, eat, forage and connect with people producing their own food all over the world – the good, clean and fair way. 1-4pm, Real Life Science Studio, John Hope Gateway, Royal Botanic Garden, Inverleith Row. Free, no booking required.  Part of Scottish Food and Drink Fortnight. Also available on Sunday 14th September.

Powerful Plants: no strangers exhibition talk and tour. Each culture has plants that are significant beyond the prosaic in providing health, happiness or an entrance to other worlds.  Find out more about the plants especially valued by the people featured in the current no strangers exhibition, and what secrets these plants hold for the modern world. A talk and tour of the exhibition by Ian Edwards, RGBE Head of Exhibitions and Events. 3-4pm, John Hope Gateway, Royal Botanic Garden, Inverleith Row. No booking required.

Organ Recital: Inverleith St Serf’s Church celebrates the renovation of its 1931 Rushworth and Dreaper organ and the 150th anniversary of the Royal College of Organists with a recital by St Serf’s organist Nicky Fraser.  Music by Bach, Franck, Guilmant, Vierne, Howells, MacMillan and Moore. 7.30pm, Inverleith St Serf’s Parish Church, 280 Ferry Road. Admission free: retiring collection.

Lunchtime Concert: Gule Blandakor. 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.

Treasure Everywhere! Draw, colour or design a piece of treasure to add to the arty archaeological frieze. Suitable for all ages. Drop in between 12 noon and 4pm, Grand Gallery One, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Also available on Sunday 14th and Monday 15th September. Free.

Dish The Dirt: who or what is buried in the dig boxes? Sift, sort and solve the mystery! 12.30, 2.30 or 3.30pm (45 minute sessions),   National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Also available on Sunday 14th and Monday 15th September. Suitable for ages 7-12 with an adult helper. Free but limited places: sign up from 11.30am on the day at the Learning Centre on Level 4.

GENERATION tours at Modern One: free, discussion-led tours focusing on key themes and artists. 11-11.45am or 1-1.45pm, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art One, Belford Road. Free: no booking required.

Bruncheon! aka The Sound of Muesli… Featuring the Songs of Bob Dylan. This month at Bruncheon Edinburgh’s finest performers tackle the timeless songs of Bob Dylan. 11.30am-3pm, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 35 Dalmeny Street. Free entry.

SUNDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER 2014

Citizen Science: Have you spotted a bug and not known what it was?  Seen a frog and wanted to tell someone about it? Find out how, where and why your wildlife sightings can be used for important conservation projects – and have a bash at some surveys on the farm. Anna Canning will also lead a foraging walk , Wild Food and Medicine. 1-4pm (foraging walk 2-3pm), Gorgie City Farm, 51 Gorgie Road.

Portrait Detectives! Collect your kit, follow clues and solve a mystery from history! For ages 4-12. 2-4pm, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free: no booking required.

Grow Your Ain: come and enjoy the art of producing your own food, from high-class restaurants to children’s vegetable patches. Join Slow Food Edinburgh to learn, dig, eat, forage and connect with people producing their own food all over the world – the good, clean and fair way. 1-4pm, Real Life Science Studio, John Hope Gateway, Royal Botanic Garden, Inverleith Row. Free, no booking required.  Part of Scottish Food and Drink Fortnight.

St Giles’ at Six: Philomusica of Edinburgh.  Laurence Dunn directs a programme of music for string orchestra by contemporary Edinburgh-based composers, including From Tweed to the Orcades by Stuart Taylor and Karelian Welcome Song by Neil Mackay. 6pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free: retiring collection.

Treasure Everywhere! Draw, colour or design a piece of treasure to add to the arty archaeological frieze. Suitable for all ages. Drop in between 12 noon and 4pm, Grand Gallery One, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Also available on Monday 15th September. Free.

Dish The Dirt: who or what is buried in the dig boxes? Sift, sort and solve the mystery! 12.30, 2.30 or 3.30pm (45 minute sessions),   National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Also available on Monday 15th September. Suitable for ages 7-12 with an adult helper. Free but limited places: sign up from 11.30am on the day at the Learning Centre on Level 4.

GENERATION tours at the Academy Building: free, discussion-led tours focusing on key themes and artists. 11-11.45am or 1-1.45pm,  Royal Scottish Academy, The Mound. Free: no booking required.

Pressure Valve: live open-mic jam session – get up and play if you’re feeling brave, or just chill out and enjoy what’s left of the weekend. 8-10.45pm today and every Sunday, Pear Tree House, West Nicolson Street. NB: over-18s only.

Waverley Access works continue today

Edinburgh Napier is 50!

Local Development Plan

Riding of the Marches

Midfest 2014

The second phase of work to improve access for pedestrians around Waverley Station will get under way on Waverley Bridge today and are scheduled for completion in December.

The overall scheme, costing around £1 million, involves carriageway resurfacing and the widening of footways on Waverley Bridge and Market Street.

Works also include the installation of upgraded drainage, kerb realignment, laying of sandstone and Caithness paving and improved pedestrian crossing facilities.

The initial phase of works on Market Street was completed earlier this summer and included the creation of a temporary taxi rank, new loading areas and a cycle lane.

From today lane width restrictions will be in operation at the NE & SW areas of Waverley Bridge.

Pedestrian access will be maintained at all times and the Waverley Bridge taxi rank will be moved to the south east side at the existing motorcycle bay.

Tour buses are being relocated to St Andrew Square for the duration of the works, however Airlink buses will presently continue to use their current location on Waverley Bridge.

Councillor Lesley Hinds, Transport Convener, said: “These improvements to the streetscape around Waverley Station will make a big difference to how accessible the area is for pedestrians, cyclists and all road users.

“We’ve been pleased to work closely with Network Rail in recent weeks to make sure it’s as easy as possible for station users to find their way to taxi ranks, pick-up and drop-off points and, most importantly, transport connections for their onward journeys [eg tram and bus] once they’ve arrived at Waverley.”

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Edinburgh Napier University marks 50 years of learning with a giant birthday party today.

Members of staff who turn 50 this year – Gillian Davies, Lorna Proudfoot and Sarah Montgomery, and alumnus Ken Brown – will help cut a large cake during a day of celebrations across all three campuses.

The Golden Jubilee event will also feature an outsize birthday card, party decorations, number one hits from across five decades and golden ticket prize giveaways on cupcakes.

Professor Andrea Nolan, the university’s Principal and Vice-Chancellor, said: “We are very proud of our history and felt that our 50^th anniversary was an ideal opportunity to celebrate our many success stories in education, business, industry and science.”

The university has already produced a website, magazine and blog which recognise key events and highlight some of the achievements of the past 50 years.

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The Local Development Plan is out for consultation till next month. You have time now to have your say and you can do that on the council website here. If you live in Currie and Balerno then here is Gordon MacDonald MSP explaining his concerns over what the LDP means for that area.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWZ3Pk7r_k0?list=UUpyjaNvEF_ryiKTJ6QxCkIA]

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The Edinburgh Riding of the Marches was quite a sight yesterday. We have some photos here but you will be able to watch the video of some of the proceedings by clicking here.

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Pro Rugby

Edinburgh opened their 2014-15 Guinness PRO12 campaign with a win against Munster in Ireland, the Irish side’s first first-round defeat since 2009.

It wasn’t all plain sailing however, as, despite an early six point lead and domination of large parts of the first half, a yellow card for Tomas Leonardi with less than 10 minutes left, led to Munster’s first try. The kick was missed, so Edinburgh led 6-5, but another penalty on the whistle gave Tom Heathcote a shot at goal and so Edinburgh led 9-5 at the break.

Munster started the second half well, with Simon Zebo almost going over in the first few minutes, but a second yellow for Edinburgh – Hamish Watson – just before Leonardi returned upped the pressure. They held on, though and a reversed penalty decision, which saw a Munster player off the field, led to Edinburgh’s only try. Attacking up the right, a kick through the defence from Sam Beard saw Jack Cuthbert turning the Munster defence and going over for the try. The missed kick left the score at 14-5 and, at this point Munster turned up the gas a bit. Another try and a penalty brought the score to 14-13, but the visitors held on and took the attack upfield. An infringement just after 80 minutes was taken as a tap penalty and Munster battled upfield once more. What then went through Willem Nel’s mind as he thought it would be a good idea to scoop the ball from a ruck under the ref’s nose, is anyone’s guess, but the 82^nd minute penalty award gave Munster the chance to snatch the win. For the home side fans, though, the kick slid agonisingly past the upright to bring the match to an end, with the visitors taking, ultimately, the deserved win.

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 Club Rugby

With the BT Premiership doing indulging in a bit of hop catching, and starting a week before everyone else, the race for the title got underway last weekend. The only winner from the four Edinburgh sides involved was Currie, as Heriots, Edinburgh Academy and, returnees, Boroughmuir all lost their opening matches.

This leaves the league placings with ‘Muir in fourth with 6 points, Heriots in seventh with 5, Currie one place behind with 4 and Accies at the foot of the table with 0.

In the BT National League, Division 1, Watsonians and Stewarts-Melville form the local presence this year. ‘Sonians were playing at home, but were beaten 40-30 by GHA and Stew-Mel fought out a 26-26 draw with Aberdeen Grammar. This leaves Stew-Mel in sixth, and Watsonians in eighth places in their table with 2 and one point respectively.

The Edinburgh Captain and the Edinburgh Lass on their way to the City Chambers after dismounting from their horses and returning the City Banner to the Lord Provost.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbKLDzdS4eY?feature=oembed&w=696&h=392]

The Edinburgh Riding of the Marches is led by the Edinburgh Captain and the Edinburgh Lass. This year the Captain is Stuart Mitchell and the Lass is Kay Robertson. The 1st Officer is John Baxter and 2nd Officer is Steve Cairns.

The Lord Provost entrusts the Edinburgh Captain with the City Of Edinburgh Banner and they are both supported  by the 1st Officer and the 2nd Officer.

To become Captain, an individual must first serve a year in each of the 2nd and 1st Officer roles. These are supporting roles for The Captain and Lass.

They ride the city boundaries or marches from Gilmerton to the Mercat Cross where the Lord Provost takes the City of Edinburgh Banner back into safe keeping.

It is quite a spectacle as you can see!

A ruined Palladian mansion, a lost garden, the Wildlife Information Centre (TWIC) and the chance to learn more about local and family history at churches are some of the fascinating events on offer during this year’s Midlothian Doors Open Day.

A total of 28 venues have confirmed their participation in this year’s event on Saturday 13 September 2014.

On the day, buildings that are not usually open to the public or normally charge for entry will open their doors, free of charge, to visitors.

A highlight this year is Old Penicuik House where a six year project to consolidate the magnificent ruin has just been completed. Also within the grounds of Penicuik Estate is the Lost Garden, a community initiative to re-establish a former garden as a community garden. Visitors can learn about both the history of the garden and see the progress that has been made.

The Wildlife Information Centre is located in Vogrie Country Park and provides a fascinating insight into the wildlife of Midlothian. For those interested in local history, the Cousland Local History Project has organised a self-guided tour that starts at Cousland village hall and takes in village archaeological sites including Cousland Windmill, the Nunnery and Limeworks.

New to the programme this year are the Secret Herb Garden and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The Secret Herb Garden near Damhead is open from 10am to 4pm and is hosting two special tours….A Herbal Safari (2pm) aimed at children and those who are young at heart and Marvelling at Moths (7.45pm). Both tours require prebooking, please email doorsopendays@midlothian.gov.uk for further information. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Dalkeith will have church records on display. Visitors can find out how to get started tracing their family history, with access to the Church’s large database of names while children can make their very own family tree.

The full 2014 Midlothian Doors Open Day programme is available on our website at www.midlothian.gov.uk/doorsopendays.

For further information on Midlothian Doors Open Day, telephone: 0131 271 3521 or e-mail: doorsopendays@midlothian.gov.uk

Doors Open Day is part of European Heritage Days. Doors Open Day activities in Midlothian are organised by the council and the project is coordinated nationally by the Scottish Civic Trust with support from Archaeology Scotland and Historic Scotland. For more information please visit www.doorsopendays.org.uk

This year’s Doors Open Days campaign, ‘Scotland through the Keyhole’ is a part of Homecoming Scotland 2014.

The Edinburgh Reporter caught up with two local politicians in Currie yesterday. They had set up a stall next to the Health Centre there to inform local residents about ways to object to the local development plan as currently drafted.

Gordon MacDonald MSP and Councillor Bill Henderson both represent the area and have misgivings about the way that the area is designated for housing in the newest LDP which is currently out for consultation. They had gathered quite a crowd to listen to what they had to say.

Gordon explained to us what they are concerned about:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWZ3Pk7r_k0?list=UUpyjaNvEF_ryiKTJ6QxCkIA]

The City of Edinburgh Council has a page on its website where you can get more information on the local development plan and how to have your say. Click here. 

Sonians put 9 past struggling Livi.

The opening weekend of the Scottish Hockey season opened with a bang in the Central 2 Division where Watsonians 2’s scored 9 (nine) unanswered goals against an outclassed Livingston and West Lothian side.

The home side opened the scoring after ten minutes of the first half after a period of sustained pressure which had the visitors scrambling to cleat their lines on occasion. The first goal was followed up less than five minutes later by a quickly taken pair, before a fourth with 10 minutes of the half to go, left ‘Sonians with a 4-0 lead at the break.

Livingston put the home side under a bit of pressure early on in the second half, but lack of power up front left them wanting. 12 minutes in and Watsonians added to their tally with a fifth A sixth after 19 minutes from the home side put the match – if any doubt still existed – well out of reach of the visitors and three more goals – two in the last couple of minutes – sealed a fine first match for the Edinburgh team.

Overall fitness and the ability to string together a series of passes gave the home side a distinct advantage over the visitors who were too dependent, at times, on the ‘long ball’. Mention should be made, however, of Livi’s young keeper who performed a succession of heroic saves and who, no doubt, prevented the score reaching double figures if not the mid- to high-teens.

On paper, Life of Crime looks like another sappy addition to the Jennifer Aniston collection of ‘so-so’ movies. In part, this is true. Life of Crime does often find itself going nowhere and being rather uneventful at times, but on top of that is something with enough wit and understanding to keep you engrossed throughout.

In an attempt to raise serious cash, two criminals kidnap the wife of a rogue real-estate property developer and hold her for ransom, only to find out that her unfaithful husband doesn’t want her back again.

Life of Crime lands Aniston in a role she hasn’t really played before. Often the object of somebody’s affection instead of the damsel in distress, she spends a lot of the film behind a taped up ski-mask, or enclosed in the same four walls. At times, her performance can be a little wooden but there are often moments that have the ability to leave you a little teary eyed, if few and far between. After all, this is a comedy rather than a drama – or so you would assume judging by the promotional material. Don’t expect a huge amount of riotous humour and you should be pleased.
It is, despite sort of hating the word, a dramedy. It is Daniel Schechter’s scriptural work that reads more like a low key American Hustle, thanks also largely to Elmore Leonard – the man behind the novel that inspired it, as well as Jackie Brown. It is very much an ensemble cast, with a select few taking  the reins all in equal measures, and doing a rather good job of it. It’s a shame that it does become a little disengaging at times, especially if this genre isn’t exactly your thing.

Saying that, Life of Crime is still rather surprising. If you’re into the hustler movies of 80’s and 90’s cinema, Life of Crime will be a pleasant throwback to a genre that’s rarely done well these days. With a cast that does the job, and a sharp script that echoes Leonard’s past work, if in a slightly diluted fashion, Life of Crime will leave many satisfied, even more surprised, and only very few disappointed.

Life of Crime is available on Curzon Home Cinema, and is screening in select cinemas nationwide

EDINBURGH SCHOOLS SET FOR LIBRARY ENERGISER

Survey of parents in the Edinburgh & Lothians reveals 47 per cent have at some point been concerned about school facilities

ScottishPower Foundation will celebrate its partnership with Edinburgh International Book Festival this week by launching Library Energiser, a brand new initiative giving primary schools across the city the opportunity to improve their reading provisions with a £2,000 investment and their very own book festival.

The initiative comes after a new survey of parents of children aged four and over in the Lothians found that almost half (47%) had at some point been concerned about facilities in their child’s school,  while 97 per cent of Scottish residents view a well-equipped library as important to a child’s education.

The survey also revealed strong bias towards real books, with 85 per cent of those parents surveyed saying it was important for their children to read books in a paper format, as opposed to reading digitally.

In partnership with Edinburgh International Book Festival, ScottishPower Foundation is inviting primary schools across Edinburgh and the Lothians to submit an image of their current library or reading area along with 100 words on how they would like the space to feel in the future.

The winning entry will receive a £2,000 investment for their reading provisions, along with their very own mini book festival, featuring a visit from one of Scotland’s leading authors.

Launching the new initiative, acclaimed children’s author Vivian French, said: “Reading spaces are a truly wonderful idea. They say: we recognise that reading is an important occupation; we respect your right to read (enjoy!); and if you’re reading a book, you deserve to be comfortable.”

ScottishPower and now the ScottishPower Foundation is marking its tenth year of sponsoring Edinburgh International Book Festival.

Ann Loughrey, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at ScottishPower Foundation, said: “We’ve enjoyed an extremely successful partnership with Edinburgh International Book Festival over the years and we’re delighted to mark our ten years together with Library Energiser; a brand new initiative that spotlights schools’ reading environments.

“Reading provisions for Scotland’s young people are clearly important to parents all over the country and we look forward to celebrating with them when our Library Energiser winners are chosen later this year.”

Janet Smyth, Children’s Programme and Education Director at Edinburgh International Book Festival, said: “We rely so much on teachers and librarians to bring schools to experience and enjoy the Book Festival and this is a wonderful opportunity to support them and give children of all ages and backgrounds access to both contemporary and classic authors”

Entries should be submitted by email to libraryenergiser@stripecommunications.com by Friday 26 September, 2014. Terms and conditions for the competition are available at http://stripecommunications.com/news/scottishpower-foundation-library-energiser.

Photos Greg McVean

Art Maker: join the Art Maker Club and make your own masterpiece with artists Tessa Asquith-Lamb and Louise Fraser.  For ages

4-12.  2-4pm (drop-in), Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. No booking required. Supported by the Friends of the National Galleries of Scotland.

Riding of the Marches: to commemorate the 100th  anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War, and in partnership with Poppyscotland, over 300 riders will inspect the city boundaries, emblazoned with poppies on their saddlecloths. At the conclusion of the ride, a minute’s silence will be observed at the Mercat Cross and a wreath will be laid at the War Memorial at the City Chambers.  The Riding of the Marches commemorates the tradition of inspecting the city’s boundaries first recorded in 1579.  Up to 15,000 spectators are expected. Starts 9.30am at Sheriffhall, then various key points around the city, arriving at Mercat Cross at 3.56pm.  Entertainment (pipe band, silver band, and re-enactments) at the Mercat Cross 2-3pm.  Free. For more information see the Riding of the Marches website here.

Edinburgh Living History 1910: An Indian Summer. Experience great costumed interpretation of the castle on a special tour. Be transported back to the Edwardian period and meet Mr & Mrs Reid, their staff, family and friends as they go about their daily life at Lauriston Castle. The end of the summer is approaching and Mr & Mrs Reid are preparing to travel abroad.  However, they still have visitors in the house and have to entertain them. An event for families. 3pm or 4pm, Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South. £5/£3, or family ticket £12.50: tickets must be obtained in advance from the Usher Hall box office, in person, by telephone or online. Edinburgh Living History is a group of volunteers working with City of Edinburgh museum staff.

Seaweeds for Food and Health: in addition to playing a vital role in our seas, seaweeds are increasingly eaten as and in our foods. A chance to taste, touch and learn about the incredible health benefits of seaweeds. 11am-4pm, Real Life Science Studio, John Hope Gateway, Royal Botanic Garden. Free, no booking required. With the Seaweed Health Foundation.

St Giles’ at Six: organ recital by Dorothea Harris. Buxtehude, Bach, Franck and Leighton Prelude, Scherzo and Passacaglia. 6pm,  St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free: retiring collection.

Come and Sing: an hour of hymns led by a choir from the Netherlands. 5-6pm, St Mary’s Cathedral, Palmerston Place.

Free Jazz Festival: live jazz  played by Brian Kellock (piano) and Kenny Ellis (bass.) 2-5pm, Shore Bar, Leith.

Create: creative messy play session for 0-5 year olds and their parents or carers. Drop-in sessions demonstrating resourceful and inspiring ways to learn with your child. 10am-12 noon, North Edinburgh Arts, 15a Pennywell Court.  50p per session.  More information here.

The Reluctant Time Traveller: Janis MacKay, winner of the Scottish Children’s Book Award 2013, will sign copies of  her new book, ‘a time-twisting adventure full of historical details about World War One, bringing early 20th century Scotland to life for young readers.’ 2pm, Waterstones Edinburgh Fort, Fort Kinnaird. More information on 0131 657 5493.

GENERATION Tours at Modern ONE: free, discussion-led tours of the exhibition, focusing on key themes and artists. 11-11.45am or 1-1.45pm, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ONE, Belford Road. No booking required.

Land and A Cow: the Croft in the Outer Hebrides: Anne Campbell, David Greenall, Ruth O’Dell and Simon Rivett are artists from the Outer Hebrides, all of whom have lived and worked as crofters and painters for the last two decades.  Exhibition open 10am-5pm Monday to Friday, 12-5pm Saturdays, Doubtfire Gallery, 3 South East Circus Place.

Impressionist Gardens Sketchbooks: recreate the style of the Impressionist artists, emphasising natural light, form and colour. Create a series of sketches that can be developed into an impressionist painting; be inspired by the picturesque Japanese garden. 10.30am-12.30pm or 1.30-3.30pm, Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South. £5 per person: tickets must be obtained in advance from the Usher Hall box office, in person, by telephone or online.

Lunchtime Concert: Evangelical Broadcast Television Station from The Netherlands. 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.

Art & Dance Workshops: for ages 5-8 and 9-12.  The two groups alternate between high energy dance workshops and colourful art and craft workshops, with a healthy snack provided in between. 10am – 12 noon,  North Edinburgh Arts, 15a Pennywell Court.  50p per session. Drop-in event but arrive in plenty of time, as sessions fill up fast!

Seaweeds for Food and Health: in addition to playing a vital role in our seas, seaweeds are increasingly eaten as and in our foods. A chance to taste, touch and learn about the incredible health benefits of seaweeds. 11am-4pm, Real Life Science Studio, John Hope Gateway, Royal Botanic Garden. Free, no booking required, also available at same times on Sunday 7th September. With the Seaweed Health Foundation.

Golden Boy

New Haddington bus service

Riding of the Marches

Portobello Village Show

Craigmillar Community Council

The University of Edinburgh have made a short video of the regilding of Golden Boy, the sculpture added to the university building in 1888.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nScI0g70ZEg]

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There is a new bus service from East Lothian which starts today from Haddington and which will run seven days a week. The fare is from £1.50 single for adults, but can be combined with all three zones and tram travel for up to £7.00. There are all sorts of other deals with Ridacard which allows you travel to the airport too. More information online or at the Lothian Buses information shop.

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Today the Riding of the Marches takes place arriving at Duddingston Village at 3:00pm and then at Mercat Cross. The full details are here.

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Portobello Village Show takes place today from 2-5pm in Rosefield Park. Baking, brewing, music, competitions, stalls, tea and beer tents, live music, Tug of War, dog parade, duck racing and much, much more. Come along for a fun filled afternoon for all the family.

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Craigmillar Community Council meets on Tuesday at 7:00pm at the Hays Community Business Centre, Hay Avenue.  Members of the public are very welcome to come along.  One of the topics for discussion will no doubt be the Local Development Plan (LDP2) proposals for Brunstane and it was good to see people talking about this and gathering signatures at the Portobello Market this morning and promoting a Public Meeting scheduled for 25 September at 7pm in the Kings Manor Hotel, 100 Milton Road East. Residents Groups at Brunstane and Coillesdene are working with groups in Portobello and Newcraighall to make their views known as groups.  It is equally important to make individual representations in writing using the formprovided by 5.00pm on Friday 3 October 2014. Representations can be submitted electronically to localdevelopmentplan@edinburgh.gov.uk or by post to Local Development Plan Team, City of Edinburgh Council, Business Centre G.3, Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh, EH8 8BG.

It was former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson who once famously proclaimed ‘Football? Bloody hell!’ I attended my first Hearts match in 1968 and there have been numerous changes to the game, both on and off the field, since then. However, one thing which hasn’t changed is the propensity for football to astound and astonish its aficionados.

This summer’s World Cup in Brazil was a tremendous spectacle, one of the best ever. Yet, when Germany defeated Argentina in the final the BBC’s commentator Guy Mowbray – one of the better ones – spoke of the Argentine manager Alejandro Sabella and mentioned he ‘was previously of Sheffield United’. I have to say that took me by surprise and, sure enough, the defeated manager who took the appearance of a brooding Marlon Brando in the classic film The Godfather, did indeed play for Sheffield United in the late 1970s before moving to Leeds United in 1980. Few people would have thought back then, that the man whose teammates included Scots Arthur Graham, Eddie Gray and Derek Parlane, would have been managing his country in a World Cup final little more than 30 years later.

Here’s another tale of the footballing unexpected. Jock Stein was initially resented as a player at Celtic because he was a Protestant – and his father, a Rangers fan, never wished him well when he played against Celtic. This story is told in former BBC football commentator Archie Macpherson’s excellent biography of the great man. Stein actually supported Rangers as a lad but he didn’t hesitate at signing for Celtic when he returned from a spell in Welsh football. Sadly, there were those at Celtic Park in the early 1950s who wished the big man had remained in Wales. It’s hard to believe that the man who led Celtic to European Cup glory in 1967, thereby becoming the first British club to lift the trophy, would have experienced such feelings of resentment but religious beliefs, sadly, were a major part of how your life was shaped if you lived in the west of Scotland. Stein, to his credit, refused to let such bigoted views prevent him from achieving his ambition of becoming one of the greatest football managers that ever lived.

There were two other nuggets of gold during the close season which had one asking ‘what was that?’ Most startling was the news story that former South African internationalist striker Benni McCarthy had returned to football – by playing for Whitehill Welfare! It was one of those stories which had one checking the date to see if it was April 1^st. But it was true. McCarthy, who won the Uefa Champions League with FC Porto under the tutelage of Jose Mourinho, and who also played for Blackburn Rovers, West Ham United, Ajax of Amsterdam and Celta Vigo, retired from football in June 2013. However, he is engaged to the sister of a Whitehill Welfare player and he was persuaded to make a guest appearance for the Midlothian side who play in the Lowland League in a pre-season friendly against SPFL Premiership newcomers Hamilton Academical. Although the great man opened the scoring he couldn’t prevent his temporary team avoid a 5-3 defeat. But it’s a story that may well feature in football pub quizzes for years to come!

A story which emerged from the pre-season friendlies was one which caused considerable amusement to Hearts supporters. City neighbours Hibernian, now accompanying Hearts in the SPFL Championship, played SPFL League One side Dunfermline Athletic in a friendly game at East End Park in July. The game was a rather tedious goalless draw which left many unfortunate Hibees with a sour taste in the mouth. The highlight, if you can call it that, of the game appeared to be when Hibs defender Callum Booth struck a less than accurate clearance – which struck a passing seagull! The seagull was unharmed and there were claims that the bird actually dived, although these are unsubstantiated. But its days as a winger are believed to be over…

A player who once plied his trade in Yorkshire leading his country out at the World Cup final in Brazil; a Champions League winner and South African internationalist who once played in a world cup finals for his country turning out for a game in darkest Rosewell; and a Hibs player threatening the safety of a seagull with an attempted clearance. Who said summer was the silly season?!

The residents at Lochend and Restalrig are rejoicing this morning as they have won gold in the Flatted Community category of the Beautiful Scotland Awards. This means they have also won the Flatted Community Trophy which we hope they will have somewhere prominent to display!

The high flats at Lochend and Restalrig have beautiful gardens at the foot of  the 76 flats in Lochend House and Restalrig House which have been developed by the community over the last eight years after the area was landscaped with funding secured by Restalrig and Lochend House Residents Association.

The residents have entered the Beautiful Scotland awards for many years now and have gradually moved their way up the rankings from silver to silver gilt. They were recently visited by judges who went over the gardens with a fine tooth comb.

In 2012 they unfortunately could not enter as the area had been dug up by the gas board laying new pipes, but this did not diminish the group’s enthusiasm.

This year they have a WW1 theme, complete with blue, red and white flowers, Scottish and Union Jack flags, poppies and a commemorative stone.

John Fairgrieve, chair of the Restalrig and Lochend House Residents Association said:  “Over the years we’ve gradually added more plants with the help of the Council’s Inch Nursery and we decided to go in for Beautiful Scotland in 2009. At first we managed to get Silver awards and in the past three years we’ve moved up to Silver Gilt. We’re hoping we’ve stepped up this year though – we reckon it’s the best year we’ve had garden-wise and we’re ever hopeful.”

In the pictures:

(3) Back (l-r): Eileen May, Arthur Gawley, Christine Sadler, Stan Dunlop, Maureen Miller, Andrew Nacion; Front (l-r): John Fairgrieve, Margaret Anderson, Oscar the dog.

(4) Stan Dunlop and Christine Sadler tend to the garden

(6) John Fairgrieve and Eileen May

Arboretum Pavilion

Drugs Arrests

Forth Bridges Festival

Riding of the Marches

Your cafe recommendations

The new pavilion at Arboretum Road will be officially opened today. Erskine Stewart Melville College (ESMC) took over the building on a 60 year lease and have spent £500,000 on doing it up to provide new changing facilities. The schools which use the playing fields include St Thomas of Aquins RC High School, Trinity High School, Inverleith Rugby Club and Holy Cross Cricket Club who alerted us to this landmark event on Twitter.

With 4 changing rooms, a tea room & staff accommodation, the new Arbo Pavilion has it’s formal opening next Saturday. pic.twitter.com/XBcDjXYRq0

— Holy Cross Cricket (@HXCricket) August 31, 2014

In October 2012 the Education Children and Families committee heard that the condition of the premises was very poor and the portacabins used as changing facilities were costing around £10,000 per annum to hire. The pavilion had previously been damaged by fire. The excess on the insurance policy amounted to £250,000 which is the initial amount the council would have had to pay to renovate the changing facilities.

The Council entered into an arrangement with ESMC whereby the independent school invested their money to refurbish the pavilion while at the same time allowing schools run by the council and other sports clubs to use the pitches. The building was actually leased by the Old Augustinians, but since St Augustines and Forrester have a new campus with shared sports facilities which are said to be some of the best in Scotland, they had no further need of the pitches in Inverleith. ESMC have already run the Cricket Academy at Ravelston for some years and so had experience of running sports facilities which was one of the factors which persuaded the council to enter the deal with them.

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Five men have been arrested and charged following two days of Police Scotland action in the Wester Hailes area of Edinburgh.

Officers from the Edinburgh Criminal Investigation Department along with colleagues from the Divisional Violence Reduction Unit executed drugs warrants at six properties on Wednesday and Thursday of this week as part of Operation Wolf.

The activity resulted in the recovery of around £1,350 worth of controlled drugs and a three-figure sum of cash.
Two males, aged 48 and 50, were charged in relation to offences under the Misue of Drugs Act and will appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court at a later date, while a 48-year-old was also charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act and was held in custody overnight on Wednesday to appear in court on Thursday.

Two other males, aged 35 and 45, were also arrested in relation to outstanding arrest warrants. 
Detective Inspector Stuart Harkness said: “Over the past 48 hours our officers from the Proactive CID have targeted specific addresses in the Wester Hailes area of Edinburgh and subsequently recovered around £1,350 worth of drugs along with money and other items.

“The arrests and items seized represent another success for Operation Wolf and demonstrates that we will not tolerate criminal activity in Wester Hailes or any other community.

“Police Scotland is committed to removing drugs and criminality from our communities, and we are determined to identify and use all available opportunities to target those responsible for serious and organised crime.”

At the same time as Wednesday and Thursday’s Operation Wolf activity, officers from the Major Investigation Team looking into the recent death of Robbie Morrison also continued to gather information surrounding the 31-year-old’s murder.

Robbie Morrison was killed after being stabbed in Dumbryden Gardens at around 4.30pm on Friday 22^nd August. Enquiries into the attack are ongoing and officers have been distributing appeal posters throughout Wester Hailes to encourage local residents to come forward with information.

Detective Inspector Harkness added: “The intelligence-led activity in Wester Hailes this week demonstrates that Police Scotland does listen to members of the public and acts on their concerns. It is as a result of available information that we have been able to mount this kind of operation and I would like to thank the community and encourage the provision of further information regarding crime in their area.

“Anyone who has any information on drugs crimes, any other criminal activity in Wester Hailes or, indeed, knows anything which may help the officers investigating Robbie Morrison’s murder is urged to contact Police Scotland on 101 or, alternatively, phone the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Detective Chief Inspector Gary Cunningham has been leading the investigation into the death of Robbie Morrison and, two weeks on from the incident, is again encouraging local residents to come forward.

“It is clear from our ongoing enquiries that the community holds vital information that would assist us,” explained DCI Cunningham. “And following the emotional appeal last week from the mother of Robbie Morrison, several people have come forward with details that are helping drive forward our enquiry.

“But we believe there are still people who hold vital key pieces of information and I would urge them to get in touch. We have a hotline number (01506 445 620) and text message service (07769 239 691) that people can use in total confidence.”

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This is Edinburgh has more information about the Forth Bridges Festival on their page here.

Thank goodness for football. Like that scene from the trenches in the First World War, both sides in the referendum battle called a truce for an hour on Wednesday and played football. The No side won, but we won’t dwell on that. And a lot of money was raised for charity.

So if we are witnessing the break up of Britain, then it is being done in a gentlemanly manner and in some excitement. The latest opinion poll from YouGov puts the two sides only 6 per cent apart (47 per cent Yes and 53 per cent No). Many Labour supporters are believed to be switching to the Yes camp.

The Prime Minister is said to be getting anxious. The bookmakers are shortening the odds on a Yes victory. The investment houses are getting worried. The Labour leader Ed Miliband was in Lanarkshire this week to offer the Scots a new contract – support Labour and the Union and get the promise of a higher minimum wage, a freeze on energy prices, more taxes on the super-rich and an end to the bedroom tax.

Meanwhile, the SNP’s Nicola Sturgeon has predicted that there will be a surprise victory for the Yes camp, just as there was for the SNP at the Scottish elections in 2011.

Certainly, the autumn air is becoming a little more bracing. As I cycle around town, particularly in the ex-council estates, I see more and more Saltires and Yes posters. They say the shadowlands of the internet are becoming more confrontational. Churchmen are warning against bitter personal attacks. Labour’s Jim Murphy was pelted with eggs when he visited Kirkcaldy. He called off his 100-town tour for a few days to allow tempers to cool.

In the press, the sniping continues. Retired general Sir Richard Shirreff says an independent Scotland is unlikely to be admitted into NATO. But retired NATO ambassador Dame Margaret Leslie says we would be welcomed with open arms  ( if we can use that term.)  Retired chancellor of the exchequer Alistair Darling says unstable oil revenues would result in a £6bn shortfall in Scottish government revenues. The SNP’s energy minister Fergus Ewing says there would be an oil stabilisation fund.

But all the time the Proclaimers song “Cap in Hand” climbs in the internet down-load charts. “I can’t understand/ Why we let someone else rule our land/Cap in hand.”

But we had a reminder this week that Scotland is connected to the rest of the world, whatever our constitutional status. One of the western hostages being held by the Islamic State in northern Iraq is originally from Scotland. The aid worker, who is not being named at the request of his family, is being threatened with death.

And, on the other side of the conflict, a Glasgow woman Aqsa Mahmood has apparently become a fervent supporter of the Islamic State after being “radicalised” and marrying one of the Jihadists. She’s said to have been sending text messages urging British Muslims to carry out terrorists attacks on the British state. Her family in Glasgow went on television to say their daughter had been brainwashed into betraying them and their community in Scotland.

But there have been happier moments for Scotland this week. We’ve been celebrating the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Forth Road Bridge, one of the wonders of the world when I was a boy. We have since abused it, of course, loading it with twice as much traffic as it was designed to carry. Unsurprisingly, it’s beginning to creak, so we’ve set about building another bridge. We’ve since discovered that the rotting cables can be dried out but we’ve started the new bridge and I suppose we must finish it.

Our other achievement of the week was to win a place in the European team for golf’s premier competition, the Ryder Cup. Stephen Gallagher from Bathgate will follow in his uncle’s footsteps onto the green turf of Gleneagles later this month….when all the referendum rantin’ is over. Thank goodness for golf.

The hidden history of Scotland’s ‘other’ film industry

Films and videos shot by some of Scotland’s pioneering amateur filmmakers will be showcased in a new exhibition opening at the City of Edinburgh Council’s Museum of Childhood today. 

This new archive has been developed through a four year research project undertaken by experts at the University of Glasgow. They have helped locate over 2,000 home movies, fiction films and sponsored documentaries made in Scotland throughout the twentieth century.

The project, entitled ‘Children and Amateur Media in Scotland’, charted the changing experiences of childhood. Together the films offer a unique and important insight into Scotland’s hidden cultural history.

It shows how children were represented by amateur filmmakers throughout the twentieth century, how they became film-makers themselves, and offers our only visual window into many domestic and community scenes, now lost, but once familiar to many.

Professor Karen Lury, Professor of Film & Television Studies and Principal Investigator of the project said: “What we have discovered is that there is ‘another world’ of Scottish film – many, many amateur film-makers, community arts workers and school teachers all making films that reveal a lively and imaginative culture that deserves to be celebrated. The industry and creativity of these amateur film-makers – young and old – rivals the professional industry in Scotland in terms of its global reach and historic importance.”

“We believe that when brought together, the resources produced through this project will create a unique and compelling visual document of Scottish popular history and of Scottish childhood that otherwise would have been lost.”

Working in collaboration with the Scottish Screen Archive, researchers have made these films available for study by experts and for public enjoyment via the SSA’s online catalogue.

The archive will allow the children of today to look back in time to see the culture and society that their parents and grandparents experienced as part of their own childhood.

Councillor Richard Lewis, Convener of Culture and Sport at the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “The Museum of Childhood is one of Edinburgh’s most loved museums with an extraordinary collection of toys and games. For over 50 years, the museum has charted the changing environments children have grown up in, and the different ways they have played.

“The films involved give a fascinating glimpse into the past and the exhibition will perfectly complement the existing collections, while offering something completely new for visitors.”

This evening Edinburgh-based author Joan Rowe will be at Far From The Madding Crowd bookshop in Linlithgow to talk about her book, Duty.

Duty is a work of fiction based on the diary kept by Albert Anderson, who enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1912. Although Albert was lost at sea on the eve of his 21st birthday, the diary survived: Joan unearthed it when she was helping to clear out her former husband’s aunt’s house – for Albert’s best friend was Joan’s daughter’s great uncle, Alfred Rowe .  Fascinated, Joan has been researching Albert’s life ever since; she wrote Duty to tell the story of the ‘lost boys’ – some of them as young as 14 – who perished in the First World War. In April, Joan talked about the book at Morningside Library; you can read about that afternoon in The Edinburgh Reporter’s article here. Now Joan has made new discoveries about Albert and Alfred, and may even have found some of Albert’s surviving relatives – so she will have lots to talk about on Friday.

Far From The Madding Crowd bookshop is at 20 High Street, Linlithgow, opposite Linlithgow railway station and only 15 minutes ride from Edinburgh: support a local author and a local bookshop! The event will begin at 6pm: for more information contact the shop on 01506 845509.

Jonathan Hearn is Professor of Political and Historical Sociology at University of Edinburgh

So far I have been relatively quiet about my personal views in regard to the Scottish referendum on independence on 18 September. But some close to me have wished that I would join the conversation. There are two things to say at the outset. First, although I have been resident in Scotland for about sixteen years, I am still only a US citizen, and thus not eligible to vote in this referendum, or any UK election. So what I have to say about how I might vote if I could is, as they say ‘academic’. I am not really compelled to make a decision. Second, I have no doubt that Scotland could be viable as a small, independent European country. Scotland’s natural and cultural endowments are at least on a par with the rest of Europe, and its people have as much talent and wisdom as any other five million randomly selected Europeans. So it’s by no means impossible. I have always liked the idea of Scotland as a culturally vibrant social democracy. Neither do I have any particular attachment to the United Kingdom. It has good points and bad points, but it is not sacrosanct, and in due course all things must pass.

Having said this, I have serious reservations about the present proposals and campaign for independence, and have to say that, as it currently stands, I think I would probably vote ‘no’, if I could. My views arise out of an attitude of political realism, a certain phlegmatic patience about politics. They are an assessment of the present situation, not an expression of unwavering underlying principles. I am an egalitarian, a middle-of-the-road social democrat, distressed by the fact that social democracy is no longer in the middle of the road. For me questions about sovereignty, independence, nationalism, are pragmatic, not principled. So let me try to elaborate my reservations under a few headings.

1. Quality of debate. Many months ago I was concerned about the relative absence of public debate on the issue, but that has been corrected. However, the quality of the debate has often (not always) been disappointing. The recent Salmond/Darling debate is a case in point. Some of the questions from the floor were abusive and inappropriate (towards Darling in particular) but also ill-informed. To say to Darling ‘If we’re better together, why aren’t we better together now?’, sounds clever, but really isn’t. Darling’s obvious and honest reply should be ‘we are better together, that’s why I’m taking this position’. But given the rhetorical situation, it is difficult to say that without sounding as if one is being dismissive, or saying there are no problems with the status quo. The question assumes that things will be better in an independent Scotland, and takes this as proof that an unsatisfactory present is caused by lack of independence. But whether an independent Scotland will be a better place (I admit it is a possibility) can only be confirmed by making it so, and then finding out. Our unhappiness with present circumstances in no way proves things will be better. My point here is simply that stylish rhetoric is not a good substitute for disciplined reason.

This goes to a basic point that needs to be acknowledged. The ‘Yes’ campaign has a built-in rhetorical advantage, which is not the same as a superior argument. It is always more attractive to offer a hypothetical better future than to offer a grubby compromise with the present. ‘Yes’ just sounds better than ‘no’, in a word, more ‘positive’. People need to look beyond the rhetorical structure of the debate to deliberate about the substantive points at issue. Some will find this easier to do than others.

However, problems with the quality of debate go deeper still, because there is a lot of ‘talking past one another’. For instance, there is no contradiction between Salmond’s assertion that North Sea oil is an asset, and any country would regard it as such (true of course), and Darling’s assertion that the oil provides a volatile tax income stream, and will eventually run out (also true). There was no real debate here, partly because the future is imponderable and beyond the ken of either debater, but also because listeners are only being asked which aspect of the situation they want to fix their attention on—the happy one or the worrying one. That is not a debate, at least not one that leads to a deeper understanding of the issues and possibilities.

2. Political culture and social composition. One of the attractive things about Scotland for me has always been its left-leaning political culture. The fact that the post 1970s Conservative Party has been so weak in Scotland, and the post-devolution politics largely a contest between two moderate left-of-centre parties (the SNP and Labour), with other small left parties such as the Greens in the mix, is a good thing in my view. But I think this reflects a distinctive political culture in Scotland, which is not the same thing as the overall composition of Scottish society and its various social and political attitudes. Reliable social attitudes surveys over many years have indicated that while there is slightly stronger support for a more active welfare state in Scotland than in the rest of the UK, that this difference isn’t large, and might be reversed if the comparison was with, say, the north of England. These surveys also indicate some conservatism on social attitudes, for instance towards the acceptance of homosexuality and abortion rights. Anyone who recalls the uproar that happened in Scotland shortly after devolution over the question of repealing ‘Section 2A’ about teaching that homosexuality can be an acceptable lifestyle, should be a bit wary about assuming the resolutely left nature of Scottish public opinion.

For complex historical reasons, a more social democratic, socially liberal politics has been hegemonic in Scotland’s political institutions and other major professional institutions associated with health an education. This is a good thing. But there is a risk of a view from the ‘left-liberal bubble’ that predominates in the Central Belt and key institutions misreading the wider society. Scotland has bigots and racists and xenophobes just like other parts of the UK. It is normal. They are peculiarly marginalized and silenced in public discourse by the political culture. But people should expect that the political culture will be fundamentally altered by independence, and no longer so constituted in contrast to the rest to the UK and the dominant parties there. This is likely to create the conditions for new political entrepreneurs (in the style of Nigel Farage) to appeal to some of these sentiments more directly. This is not to say that this trend would be unmanageable, or likely to become dominant. It is to say that we should have no illusions about the inherent virtues of the Scottish people, nor should we rest expectations about the political culture in an independent Scotland on such illusions.

Another thing that needs to be stressed here is that the nature of modern democracy tends to teach citizens to view political parties as if they were economic firms offering products. Each party puts forth a policy ‘offer’, and citizen-shoppers choose the offer they like the most. In routine democratic politics, parties out of power tend to make unrealistic offers, and then trim these back if they gain power. And parties in power gradually loose luster as the limits of their abilities are revealed, and they tend to counteract this by using what powers they have to reward core voters and keep them faithful. It’s all a bit grubby, but this is they way the game is played. If what can really be offered is so prone to abuse in these circumstances, we should expect that offers in regard to highly incalculable future conditions of independence are similarly prone. But more than this, we need to look through the pretense that we are buying our preferred policy options, shopping for the kind of society we would like. What politicians and their parties really offer is a set of political skills and know-how, and a broad reputation for how they will tend to use those, within the limited scope for action that circumstances allow them. An independent Scotland will want able yet tractable leaders, and its citizens will want politicians who reflect their (probably diverse) values. The precise policies on offer, while of course relevant, should be viewed with a certain sceptical, ‘wait-and-see’ attitude.

I have been as frustrated as many others with the compromises of the left in recent years. I voted for Ralph Nader in the 2000 US presidential election to express my frustration (while knowing the electoral college system in that instance would render my vote inconsequential and merely symbolic, as I was voting in a firmly Democratic state). Much of the support for independence is driven by a similar frustration with the political left and the Labour Party in the UK, with which I deeply sympathise. I have already indicated that I think there is a tendency to over-estimate how far to the left an independent Scotland, as a whole, will be. But apart from this I think we need to appreciate how hemmed in the political left has become. There is no longer a broad base of industrial working class support to mobilise, and all political parties operating in the advanced capitalist economies have to deal with citizenries that want to consume beyond their means, and elites that so thoroughly monopolise the circulation of wealth that their interests must be courted to win elections. To change this would require profound political and economic restructuring, in a coordinated way across a series of advanced capitalist countries. Rising countries such as China have a material interest in our political stability and penchant for over-consumption, making it even more difficult to change the direction of things. The fact that the model ‘Nordic’, relatively more egalitarian, social democratic countries have been drifting in the same rightward, ‘neoliberal’ direction is an indication of the severity of the situation. An independent Scotland would be a small country in the same general situation. It would not be able to adroitly step outside of it. Scotland could lend its weight towards global reforms of capitalism either as an independent country or as a constituent of the UK. This is not an argument against independence. It is a caution against misconstruing the problems the left faces as problems of national political will alone. They are problems brought on by the global maturation of capitalism, and connected concentration of capital in very few hands.

3. Political timing. I think the best conditions for establishing an independent Scotland would be when the world economy is fairly stable, and it is possible either to align Scotland with a reformed Eurozone, or establish a new sovereign currency. That is not the situation we are in. Another catch is, under such conditions, people would probably be less inclined to make a radical move. As it is, Scotland has had this question put before it under less than propitious circumstances. One result has been the decision of the SNP to turn away from the long established proposal to join the Euro, and instead propose sharing the Pound with the rest of the UK. Now I suspect that if it came to independence, despite the unionist parties aligning against this option, it would be accepted as the most feasible alternative. I think it was a political blunder of those parties to suggest they would block it. They should have stuck to the unavoidable facts, that this option would severely curtail Scottish sovereignty, in effect leaving fiscal policy in the hands of the Bank of England and the UK government. The argument that the problems of the Euro stem from having a shared currency without common fiscal discipline is correct. (In an integrated economy it’s perfectly possible and reasonable for richer regions to subsidise poorer regions, that’s a separate matter.) The same principle holds for a Pound shared across the rUK and Scotland. Salmond’s counter-thrust, that if Scotland is not allowed to keep its share of the assets of the Pound, it can walk away from the debt, isn’t tenable. If it did so the new country’s fiscal reputation would be dismal. That would not be a good start. The bravest thing would be to say that Scotland would at least begin with a new independent currency, accept its share of the debt, and accept that fiscal austerity might have to be the order of the day for some time to come (and hope some help with the debt would come in the form of long term inflation). But that is a hard sell to people who are looking for a better world.

At the moment it appears that the UK economy, including Scotland, is in recovery, growing again. But this is deceptive. The wider European economy, a crucial context, is still on the ropes. In the UK we are basically seeing a return to the status quo ante, with all its attendant problems. A return to growth in an economy that cannot continue to grow endlessly, with no real solution to the tendencies towards over-consumption, over-concentration of wealth, and over-valuing property (private and commercial) as a way of creating capital value. More boom and bust cycles should be expected in such uneven economies where capital is not circulating widely. An independent Scotland would need to be very disciplined to protect itself from these cycles. That is possible, but very difficult under present circumstances. These difficulties have not been very present in public discussions.

I’ve already mentioned the North Sea oil question. Following Norway in using income from tax revenues to set up something like a sovereign wealth fund is all well and good. Would that this had been done a long time ago. How long this source of revenue will last is disputed and hard to guess. But the timing is less than ideal, given that and independent Scotland will need to service its debts, which however the accounting is done, is likely to eat into this fund. More generally, one wishes there was a more realistic and hard-minded debate about the larger issues here. The world is heading into the endgame for fossil fuels, failing to deal with the problem of global warming, slouching towards a nuclear solution, and soon likely to see conflict over precious water resources heat up. This last is an area where Scotland is well endowed, but talking in realist terms about this as a hard geopolitical asset is unattractive. It is easy enough to celebrate Scotland’s water resources and renewable energy potential, and these should be put to good use. But ultimately all this needs to be contemplated within the rather darker context of intensifying geopolitical conflicts over resources. Serious Scottish politics will have to take difficult geopolitical positions on these issues. It is very difficult for mainstream politicians to talk about these troubling prospects, but citizens need to be thinking about them nonetheless.

Final Thoughts. Democracy is an uneasy business. When it’s in rude health it creates social friction. In my ‘homeland’, the US, the election of Obama saw a substantial reinvigoration of political engagement, but also a corresponding backlash. As pitiful as it is for the functioning of US politics, the pitched opposition between the Republicans and Democrats, especially at the extremes, is a symptom of democracy at work. Similarly, the strong feelings that have emerged around the Scottish referendum, though at times uncivil and unpleasant, are unfortunately normal for periods when democratic people become engaged but divided over a central issue. And the political antinomy has been exacerbated by the absence of a middle, ‘devo-max’ option in the referendum, artificially shunting many people toward the extremes. Both sides, and the many who, even up to the wire, will be uncertain about what is best and make a decision at the margin, will need to move on after the referendum, and allow tempers to cool. Democracy has to operate on a slow boil, turning the fire up and down as needed.

If Scotland were to become independent, I think it would face some difficult times, and many new compromises that had not been anticipated, but I don’t think it would be the end of the world. I think necessity would force Scotland to trim its sails. There would be some withdrawal of capital at least for a while, with ensuing unemployment. Professionals in both public and private spheres used to working and circulating in wider UK institutions and job markets will find their horizons of employment and funding, at least for a period, more curtailed. I suspect Scotland would find itself in some sort of Sterling currency union, and that despite noises to the contrary, it would be welcomed into the European Union. I doubt Scotland can continue to charge English and Welsh university students full fees, but will have to treat them on the same terms as other EU students. My argument is not that these challenges cannot be confronted, but that it will be a rougher ride than is often being suggested. To continue the nautical metaphor, becoming independent now would be launching a small craft in particularly rough waters.

This is not a council of despair. I am not saying that Scots cannot become independent and therefore must be politically impotent. I am saying they have choices about how to realise their political powers, and will continue the have choices in the future. As a small independent country there would be choices about how to manage national resources, and how to ally with or oppose other countries, that would not be there otherwise. But as a constituent part of the UK, Scots exercise some power over the composition of Westminster, and over the direction of UK policies, and are able to amplify their political will to a degree in those contexts. People in Scotland, within the UK, have a kind of national agency, even though the alienation from the rightward political tendencies in the larger state may seem to obscure this. It is not a matter of either regaining self-determination or remaining helpless. In either scenario, Scotland will have limited scope, but nonetheless real scope for action. It is a question of which scope is to be preferred.

Finally, I see no reason to believe that the independence issue can be resolved ‘once and for all’ in the negative by a single referendum. Energies may be temporarily exhausted, but changing circumstances may bring the issue back on the agenda. Changes in the disposition of the UK in regard to the EU may well ‘reheat’ the matter. After London, Scotland is the most distinctive and politically integrated component of the UK system, and as long as that’s the case, and there is no reason to expect it to change, its aggregate support for or dissent from the larger system, will be a potential point of political tension (as many electoral maps of recent decades have illustrated). That is a fact of life in the UK, not in itself a case either for or against Scottish independence.

Submitted by Jonathan Hearn

Police Scotland officers in Edinburgh are investigating an incident during which a shop in Edinburgh’s city centre was defrauded of a four-figure sum of money.
The incident occurred at a shop at Lawnmarket on Sunday 13th April 2014. The suspect entered the store and chatted with members of staff there before asking them to exchange notes of smaller denomination for notes of a high denomination.

Using distraction and confusion techniques, the suspect then obtained more money from members of staff than he handed over.
Officers have now have released a CCTV image of a man who they believe can assist with their enquiries.
He is described as white, between 5ft 7in and 6ft tall, around 30 years of age, of slim build and with black hair. At the time of the incident, he was dressed in a black shirt and grey trousers.

Officers would like to speak to the man pictured in the CCTV image, and anyone who recognises him or may have information about the incident is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101 or, alternatively, phone Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 if you wish to remain anonymous.

UPDATE – Mr Curran has been found safe and well.

Police in Edinburgh are appealing for information to help trace a man reported missing in the Capital.

John Curran was last seen within his home address in Craighall Road at around 11pm yesterday evening.

However, police were contacted at around 6.45am this morning when it was discovered that the 74-year-old was no longer within the property.

Local enquiries are now underway to trace John, who lives with dementia, and anyone who can assist officers with their investigation is asked to come forward.

John is described as white, 6ft tall with a heavy build, clean-shaven face and glasses. He is believed to be wearing denim jeans, a checked shirt and black and grey trainers.

Inspector Alan Bowie said: “At this time we do not know how long John has been away from his home and so we are keen to find him as soon as possible.

“Anyone who believes they have seen him since late on Thursday evening or early Friday morning is asked to contact police immediately.

“Similarly, anyone with information as to John’s current whereabouts is also asked to get in touch.”

Those with information can contact Police Scotland on 101.