Police in Edinburgh are targeting metal theft across the city as part of ongoing Operation Wolf activities.

In support of British Transport Police during their national Metal Week of Action, officers carried out checks at scrap metal dealers to detect, disrupt and deter criminals who dispose of stolen metal at such sites. Road checks were also put in place on arterial routes throughout the city to seek out those using the roads network for the transportation of stolen metal.

Yesterday a targeted day of action was undertaken in the Leith area of the city.

47 police officers worked with City of Edinburgh Council Licensing Standards and Community Safety Officers to target issues of concern to residents.

Arrests were made for shoplifting, assault and vandalism and six people were issued with fixed penalty tickets for anti-social behaviour. A dedicated road check resulted in the detection of numerous road traffic offences resulting in seven individuals being reported to the Procurator Fiscal. Additionally, a Misuse of Drugs Act warrant was carried out resulting in the recovery of personal quantities of cannabis and Valium.

Superintendent Matt Richards said: “Metal thefts are a particular concern for residents in Edinburgh as this crime leads to costly repairs and can cause significant damage to buildings in the process of illicitly removing metal.

We’ve been working with British Transport Police in their national campaign to target the perpetrators and to recover stolen metal.

Our day of action in Leith yesterday also resulted in major success, not only gathering intelligence but cracking down on drug misuse, dangerous driving and other anti-social behaviour.

Residents in Edinburgh can help shape the activities we undertake during Operation Wolf by contacting us on 101 or speaking with your local policing team.”

Growing resistance to antibiotics and other drugs demands a coordinated global response on the same scale as efforts to address climate change, experts say.

Without an international commitment to tackle the issue, the world faces a future in which simple infections that have been treatable for decades become deadly diseases, they warn.

Resistance to antibiotics to tackle bacterial infections and antimicrobial drugs used to treat parasites, viruses and fungi is spreading at an alarming rate. Treatment for many infectious diseases is now reliant on just one or two drugs.

Professor Mark Woolhouse, of the University of Edinburgh, and Dr Jeremy Farrar, Director of the Wellcome Trust, outlined their concerns at an event hosted by the Royal Society in London and in a Comment piece published online in the journal Nature today.

The authors recommend the foundation of a powerful global organisation similar to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to lead an international response.

They argue that the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance is similar to that posed by climate change because it is a natural process exacerbated by human activity and the actions of one country can have global ramifications.

Yet the international response to this threat – caused by the overuse and misuse of antimicrobial drugs – has been feeble, the authors say.

They are calling for the creation of an independent body to oversee surveillance efforts and set strict evidence-based targets, to stem the loss of drug potency and speed the development of new therapies.

Such an organisation should work closely with the national governments and international agencies who will be tasked with implementing its recommendations.

In a world without antibiotics, routine surgical procedures would become deadly, scientists say. Treatment for cancer and diabetes, as well as organ transplants, would be impossible in their current form. Industrial agriculture would also suffer, owing to the increased use of antibiotics in animals as growth promoters.

Dr Jeremy Farrar, Director of the Wellcome Trust, a global charitable foundation spending £750 million annually on biomedical research, said: “We have needed to take action against the development of antimicrobial resistance for more than 20 years. Despite repeated warnings, the international response has been feeble. The World Health Organisation has missed opportunities to provide leadership, and very little progress has been made. The result has been the emergence of strains of infections including tuberculosis and malaria, pneumonia and gonorrhoea that resist all known classes of drugs. We need a new independent body that will not only monitor the spread of antimicrobial resistance, but also drive and direct efforts to contain it.”

Professor Mark Woolhouse, of the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution, said: “The time has come to stop re-stating the problems of antimicrobial resistance and start taking action. We need independent, international leadership on this issue before the massive health gains that have been made since Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin are lost forever.”

Two sensational goals from Hibs’ teenage striker Jason Cummings helped secure a valuable victory last night in the Play Offs first leg at New Douglas Park.

Hibs now go into Sunday’s second leg in confident mood, knowing that barring a disaster they will be playing in the SPFL next season.

Terry Butcher made three changes to the Hibs starting XI with Alex Harris, Lewis Stevenson and Cummings replacing James Collins, Jordon Forster and Duncan Watmore.

Hibs almost grabbed an early opener when Scott Robertson’s curling effort crashed off the post then Accies’ Louis Longridge fired wide from a good position under pressure from Alan Maybury.

Hibs took the lead seven minutes before the break  in spectacular fashion when Cummings pounced on a headed clearance from Jesus Garcia Tena who was under pressure from Paul Heffernan.

The youngster took time to control the ball before striking a sensational effort from 25 yards which left the keeper helpless.

Ben Williams then did well to prevent former Hibee Mickael Antoine-Curier from equalising following a mistake from Michael Nelson.

On 54 minutes Hibs doubled their lead when Paul Heffernan’s driven low cross found from the left was touched on by Robertson into the path of Cummings who produced a stunning finish to chip the ball over Cuthbert and despite an attempted clearance from Ziggy Gordon, the ball had clearly crossed the line.

Hibs looked to add a third and Sam Stanton went close with a long range shot.

Williams was forced into action in the latter stages, but Hibs held on to secure the victory to the delight of the large travelling support.

After the game a delighted Terry Butcher said: “We’ve got to go out [on Sunday] and be professional. We want to make the most of it and finish the job.

“It’s horrible when you’re on the sidelines watching it because there’s so much at stake. It’s only our second win in 20 matches and it feels really good in such an important match”

“Then Jason scores and we didn’t know what to do. We’re not used to coming in at half-time 1-0 up and we’re not used to scoring two goals and keeping a clean sheet. The boys are in the dressing room and don’t know what to do.

“But it’s a lovely feeling and I’m not being blase about it. This is a situation that we wanted to be in and, credit to the players, because they came back after the Kilmarnock game and their attitude since then has been spot on.

“They’ve done remarkably well in terms of how they’ve bounced back. It’s testament to them that, because they did that, it obviously showed tonight.

“It’s only our second win in 20 matches and it feels really good in such an important match. We’ve kept a clean sheet, scored two goals and changed the shape of the team because Hamilton were beginning to dominate the midfield.

“Fair play to them, they’re a good little side and have some good players; they made it difficult for us, but we stopped the rot in the middle of the park, contained it and then thought ‘we’ve got some pace, let’s see if we can get behind them and score’.

“Jason took his second goal really well and his first goal was a dream. We’ve had absolutely no luck in the last two or three months to be honest and there was nothing lucky about our second goal.

“It was a great little dink, a calm finish from someone so young. Before, that would’ve been cleared off the line and nothing been given.

“It’s nice when they do go in. We didn’t play fluently but it was a gritty performance and a steely performance. You need that in these games, high pressure games.

“The players have always stayed firm, have been resolute and shown great character. They’ve believed, I’ve believed and I think that showed tonight.

“You treat it as 0-0 and get on with it. We’re playing at Easter Road and it’s going to be a bumper crowd and the fans will be there cheering us on, on a lovely surface as well.

“We want to make the most of it and enjoy the occasion and make sure we play well and finish the job.”

Hamilton Academical: Cuthbert, Gordon, Canning, Gillespie, Keating (Ryan 52′), Routledge (Crawford 85′), Longridge (Scotland 73′), MacKinnon, Andreu, Tena, Antione-Curier. Substitutes not used: Currie, Devlin, Neil, Kilday.

Hibernian: Williams, McGivern, Nelson, Harris, Robertson (Tudur Jones 90′), Craig, Stevenson, Maybury, Heffernan, Stanton, Cummings (Cairney 85′).Substitutes not used: Murdoch, Collins, Forster, Haynes, Thomson.

Referee: Bobby Madden

Photo by John Preece

http://www.photoboxgallery.com/jlp-photography

Just off the Royal Mile in Edinburgh’s Old Town two thriving businesses are working away in buildings which are centuries old. Both of  these businesses depend on having quick access to the internet, but although they lie in the same place, one has homemade fast broadband and one has a very slow internet speed.

The List, which is the business with access to fast broadband, gets their service from a cable slung out of the window connected to the broadband service in their founder’s house which by lucky coincidence lies right next door. The other business on the top floor, political monitoring company, Newsdirect, cannot access this homemade arrangement as they simply do not have a suitable window. Is this really the 21st century? How can a fast broadband service be accessible to one building but not another three feet away?

And why should it be the case in the 21st century that these businesses in the heart of the city cannot get access to fast broadband? One is a metre nearer the Royal Mile than the other, and you cannot get much more central than that.

We asked Brendan Dick the Chief Executive Officer of BT for his comments, and he has indeed responded to The Edinburgh Reporter, but unfortunately not yet with a solution. He explained that he is having the company’s engineers check on the latest position.

Newsdirect’s business employs a dozen people and is based on political monitoring. As part of that business they stream live videos from Holyrood on Parliament TV. This is made pitifully slow by their existing broadband speed of just under 3mbps. The firm has been in its city centre offices for over 15 years now. They had a sub-tenant until the end of last year and although they now have room for more staff they do not feel able to  expand at present. Business owner Kirsty Regan said:-“Any thoughts of doing this is on the back burner until the broadband issue is sorted out. Even if we take up the council’s voucher scheme the broadband would cost us £40,000 over the next three years, rather than the cheaper version offered by BT Infinity, so it is really not viable, as this is 10 times as much as we would otherwise have to pay.”

The List is the producer of a fortnightly magazine but also the producer of a deal of information on their own website. They have about 23 employees, but are also a bit reluctant to expand due to the uncertainty of their access to the internet. All it would take is for their neighbour to move, and they might lose their access to fast broadband.

The List’s Digital Director, Simon Dessain, explained that BT accepted the order to install Infinity in the office last year, but now it seems they cannot fulfil it. Dessain said:-“We have been told by BT that they have to upgrade the cabinet, and that there are two side by side. Quite where they are we are not sure. The number of hours I have spent on this is detracting from my business. We may have to consider moving if this service, which is fundamental to our business, cannot be offered here. It is just pure luck that Robin Hodge who founded The List lives next door!”

The City of Edinburgh Council offer vouchers of up to £3000 to each business to help with the cost of accessing the internet. Sadly this scheme is of little benefit to either The List or newsdirect at this time.  Even if they buddy up together the cost of the new internet and the cost of servicing that for the next three years is much more than the £3000 offered.

CEO Brendan Dick has replied as follows:-

The situation has not changed since this was last investigated, in that whilst BT has upgraded Waverley exchange for fibre to the cabinet and fibre on demand, as well as faster ADSL and Ethernet, FTTC is not currently available to businesses located at Tweeddale Court as the local cabinet has not been included in our commercial deployment.

BT is investing £2.5 billion in its UK fibre deployment and, like any business, it has to make its investment decisions based on sound rationale. When planning fibre investment, Openreach looks at a number of criteria including costs of deployment; likely demand from service providers on behalf of their customers, existing network topography and costs of infrastructure build. Not every cabinet in any given exchange area will meet this criteria, this being one such case.

Unfortunately, our understanding is that Tweeddale Court is not eligible for inclusion in the intervention project with the Scottish Government as this programme, and others like it across the UK, is set up to provide fibre in largely rural areas beyond the reach of commercial fibre upgrade programmes, and as such this cabinet as it does not meet the State Aid criteria as defined under EU rules.

As mentioned, BT has upgraded Waverley Exchange for Ethernet, a business class product which offers speeds ranging from one megabit per second (Mbps) up to 10 Gigabits per second. Depending on their needs, businesses can opt for a choice of guaranteed broadband speeds over a dedicated line and if relevant across multiple sites, at a fraction of the cost of previous comparable services., from a range of service providers.

Edinburgh’s residents are being urged to make their vote count in the European Elections 2014 which take place today.

European Elections 2014 – Consul General visits Edinburgh Zoo – Best Cupcakes in Scotland – Survey on City Centre Local Community Plan – National Library of Scotland 

Remember to vote today if you are already registered. Polls are open between 7 am and 10pm. The address of your polling station is on the polling card, but if you cannot remember then there is a list here on the council website. 

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Mr Pan Xinchun, Consul General for the People’s Republic of China visited Edinburgh Zoo earlier in the week as part of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) and Scotland China Education Network’s (SCEN) Global Classroom Day. The visit was one of Mr Pan’s first official duties as Consul General since assuming office at the end of April.

The Global Classroom Day brought together 175 students from 13 schools across Scotland to learn about China and its history, culture, language and environment, and is just one of several RZSS/SCEN joint educational programmes aimed at developing stronger bonds between the two countries.

During the visit Mr Pan watched presentations given by the students that detailed their Chinese learning experiences. The event was also attended by Prof Chris West, CEO of RZSS, Jeremy Peat, Chairman of RZSS, and Judith McClure, Convenor of SCEN.

The students also participated in RZSS ‘Beyond the Panda’ workshops, which form part of RZSS outreach and on-site learning activities. Funded by Jaguar Land Rover China, the ‘Beyond the Panda’ initiative has been taught to over 56 schools since August 2013 and aims to educate students about giant pandas, the history of China and the importance of taking action to save the species from extinction. This was followed by a visit to Tian Tian and Yang Guang, the UK’s only giant pandas, where the students had the opportunity to learn more about the species that inspired the programme.

Jeremy Peat, Chairman for RZSS, said:

“It has been a great honour to welcome Chinese Consul General Mr Pan Xinchun to Edinburgh Zoo as part of today’s Global Classroom Day. RZSS is deeply passionate to educating Scottish children about environmental issues, conservation as the roles they can play as individuals in making a difference. As the home of Tian Tian and Yang Guang, the UK’s only giant pandas, we are also committed to increasing the bonds between Scotland and China through research and educational programmes, such as the one held today. It is only through partnerships with organisations such as the Scotland China Education Network and support from Jaguar Land Rover China that we are able to reach these goals.

“The interest received from schools to participate in the Global Classroom Day was so great that we plan to hold several more in the future so as to accommodate all requests.”

Mr Pan Xinchun, Consul General for the People’s Republic of China added:

“This Zoo is not only a tourist attraction in Edinburgh, but also occupies a special place in my heart, as it is the second hometown of our national treasures, the giant pandas Yang Guang and Tian Tian. Two days ago, I visited the Zoo and was pleased to see Tian Tian and Yang Guang well looked after and enjoying their new life here. I salute RZSS for its endeavours to raise awareness and understanding of these animals. My appreciation also goes to SCEN for their use of pandas to promote culture exchanges between China and Scotland. Just as all my Scottish friends wished, I will keep my fingers crossed for the birth of a baby panda in coming months.”

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The cupcakes at Cuckoo’s Bakery in Dundas Street are officially the best in Scotland. The prize for Cuckoo’s Raspberry and White Chocolate cupcake was presented by Mich Turner MBE, owner of Award winning Little Venice Cake Company and Judge on ITV’s Britain’s Best Bakery, who said “It has given me great pleasure to be involved in the competition again this year. I wish Cuckoo’s well in the coming year.”

Cuckoo’s Bakery are proud to be based in the capital city and that this prestigious award has come to Edinburgh for the first time.

Owner Graham Savage said “It is a huge endorsement that the best cakes are produced by us, in the capital city. But we could not have come this far in the competition without our dedicated and skilled team and without the votes of all of our customers – Thank you”

Since opening in February 2011, Cuckoo’s Bakery has made a huge impression as the number one place for beautiful and delicious cakes with a unique twist. Cuckoo’s divine cupcake shop and tea room on Dundas Street is dedicated to producing homemade cupcakes and treats. They are currently running their acclaimed Referendum cupcake opinion poll

Every day scrumptious cupcakes are created by hand in an assortment of flavours which change regularly, including Eton Mess and Banana Split, as well as indulgent seasonal themed delights to tempt even the most diet conscious.

Cuckoo’s founders, the fabulous best friends Graham and Vidya, turned their baking fantasy into a successful reality.  Cuckoo’s was recognised by none other than Cosmopolitan Magazine who have included Cuckoo’s Bakery in their list of ten; ‘Cupcakes and tea – the best in Britain’.

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The survey on the City Centre Neighbourhood Partnership Local Community Survey closes tomorrow 23 May. Have your say here.

After that the responses will be collated and then the council will look at these in depth and consult on the ideas over the summer. The final plan will be published in September.

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The National Library of Scotland would like to show you their Hidden Library…..

The Hidden Library invites new audiences into the heart of NLS with special events in the reading room on the last Saturday of the month.

Events include: workshops, talks, readings, story-telling, exhibition tours and Library inductions.

Dates:
Saturday 31 May – family-friendly events
Saturday 28 June – events tailored for people with creative backgrounds
Saturday 26 July – events tailored for NLS readers

More information here.

Today The Scottish Government announced CashBack for Communities funding to help the development of basketball in Scotland with a new £600,000 funding boost adding to the £11.5 million already given to sport through the same scheme.

Basketball in Scotland has been awarded a new £600,000 funding boost adding to the £11.5 million already given to sport through CashBack for Communities.

Since the launch of CashBack in 2007, the sport has enjoyed a 48 per cent increase in membership and the creation of 57 new youth sections in clubs.

Funded through money seized from serious and organised crime, CashBack funding has enabled basketballscotland to create 45,000 diversionary activities for young people, particularly young women, with a new league for girls to be created this year. Today’s announcement will help generate a further 24,000 positive opportunities for young people over the next three years.

Mr MacAskill made the announcement at a primary school training session with Edinburgh Active Schools and Boroughmuir Blaze Basketball Club. The session was focused on creating more opportunities for women and girls in basketball.

Mr MacAskill said: “Basketball, traditionally the reserve of sportsmen and women on the other side of the Atlantic, is now booming in Scotland with more young people than ever taking part in the sport.

“Not only is this keeping these boys and girls active and fit, it’s benefitting their communities by giving them a positive alternative to crime or anti-social behaviour.

“Since 2007, Cashback has committed more than £74million providing 1.25million activities and opportunities for young people across Scotland, with over £1 million being invested in basketball alone.

“It is particularly pleasing that these youngsters are able to enjoy the sport because of cash seized from the very people who seek to bring misery to our communities.

“I hope this further funding will help to attract even more young men and women to the sport and launch the next Scottish basketball star of the future.”

Kevin Pringle, CEO at basketballscotland, said: “We’re delighted to be able to continue the relationship of funding with CashBack for Communities. From the previous two phases we’ve seen a significant growth in our youth membership as well as the creation of more opportunities for young people in Scotland to get involved in basketball.

“During the next three years we’re looking forward to continuing this growth and enhancing the positive choices available to young people in basketball. CashBack for Communities funding will definitely allow us to do this.”

Simon Turner, Boroughmuir Blaze head coach said: “We’ve been lucky enough to have been involved in CashBack for Communities since the very beginning and with each round of funding we’ve seen a significant growth in the participation and involvement of young people in basketball. It’s particularly significant to see a new girls league established in this latest round of CashBack funding.

“Both children and parents are becoming more aware of the opportunities that are available in the sport and by creating both participant and competitive opportunities; we can really motivate our young players and provide them with a positive outlet for their energy.”

Since the inception of the CashBack for Communities in 2007, over £74 million has been taken from criminals and invested into partner organisations to provide free sporting, cultural, youth-work, employability and educational activities for children and young people throughout Scotland. The CashBack for Communities Programme has provided 1.25 million activities and opportunities for young people.

Photos Jane Barlow

The Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh has been named one of the top ten public swimming pools in the world by a leading travel website.

Lonely Planet has included Scotland’s world class pool on its list, along with the London Olympic Aquatic Centre.

The accolade is the latest boost for the venue, which will host the Diving Event for the Commonwealth Games this July.

Edinburgh Leisure, which manages the Royal Commonwealth Pool on behalf of City of Edinburgh Council, re-opened the venue in 2012 following a £37 million refurbishment.

The iconic 50m pool has since enjoyed a raft of praise for its state-of-the-art swimming and diving facilities, including from Olympic diver Tom Daley.

Councillor Richard Lewis, Culture and Sport Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “It’s come as no surprise that the Royal Commonwealth Pool has made the top ten public swimming pools in the world and I’m delighted that it’s achieved this recognition. The Commie has been a much loved venue for the local community and visitors for more than 40 years since it was originally built for the 1970 Commonwealth Games.

“Two years ago the pool re-opened after £37m worth of refurbishment works, funded by the Council and sportscotland, including the upgrading of the diving pool to meet world class standards, and this has enabled us to continue Edinburgh’s Commonwealth Games legacy by providing generations of swimmers and divers of all ages and abilities the opportunity to hone their skills in a world-class facility. It’s the ideal venue to host the diving competition when the Games return to Scotland this summer and I’m sure the thousands of spectators attending will have a thoroughly enjoyable experience.”

Edinburgh Leisure’s renowned coaching programme also delivers swimming and diving courses for everyone from babies upwards, including the hugely talented Grace Reid and James Heatly who will dive for Team GB this summer.

The travel website has highlighted pools which it says are great for travellers to combine with sightseeing as well as stunning venues in themselves.

Claire Rusack, Leisure Manager at the Royal Commonwealth Pool, said: “It is fantastic to be recognised by a top travel website like Lonely Planet. Our coaching and fitness facilities are enjoyed by a wide community in Edinburgh, as well as being perfectly located for the city’s tourists to enjoy.

“This is a thrilling year for the Royal Commonwealth Pool, with the arrival of the Diving Event for the Commonwealth Games, and the chance to cheer on two athletes who have been coached with us from childhood.

“We have also increased our capacity for diving coaching so more children and adults than ever can discover this increasingly popular sport. We are looking forward to welcoming the Games, as well as our thousands of loyal customers and city visitors when the venue reopens to the public in August.”

Edinburgh Leisure is a not-for-profit business which re-invests any surplus funds directly into providing excellent facilities and services to all customers.

For further information visit www.edinburghleisure.co.uk

Jane MacKenzie has lived and worked all over the world, from the Gambia to Papua New Guinea via Switzerland and Bahrain – but her heart has always belonged to France.  She’s always known she wanted to write a novel too – but her career was in education, not literature.  After a lifetime of travelling and working. she’s now not only settled in Collioure but also seen Daughter of Catalonia appear in print.  In conversation with her literary agent Jenny Brown at Blackwell’s last week, Jane talked about her new novel.

Daughter of Catalonia is set in Languedoc-Rousillon, one of the most beautiful parts of France, full of sunshine, warmth and wine.  Collioure, the place that Jane now calls home, is a fishing village famed for its artists and its anchovies.  Overlooking the Mediterranean, at the foot of the Pyrenees, it was a favourite of Picasso, Matisse, Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Georges Braque; when Jane found it, she knew she wanted to stay. Already fluent in French, she had no difficulty in settling in and becoming part of the local community; at last she had time to write.

All was not plain sailing however, as Jane was unable to sell her first novel.  She realised that her subject matter was wrong, and that the rich setting and plot she needed were already there in front of her; Catalonia, its people, and what happened to them in the Second World War.

The novel opens in 1958, when a young and sheltered girl returns to Catalonia to find out what happened to her late father, a Spanish Catalan and adopted French resident.  Although Madeleine left the area with her mother during the war, he stayed on as a member of the French Resistance; she knows he died, and now she wants to know why. The local people have returned to their everyday lives; having suffered under the Vichy government, they no longer talk about the betrayals and deceptions of the war years.  The questions Madeleine asks open a Pandora’s box of secrets, secrets that will change everyone’s lives.

Daughter of Catalonia is written in three time frames, moving between 1958, the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39, and the Second World War itself.  Jane explained that she had at first tried to bring the past into the present narrative, but Jenny’s suggestion of using flashbacks had proved much more effective in allowing each period to stand out vividly.  Although the story is certainly not chick-lit, it has a romantic thread which Jane chose because she wanted the novel to be accessible and easy to read. She does not use people she knows in her books, saying that a writer needs control of her characters, whereas her real friends and family never do anything she wants them to.  She was ruthless in cutting facts not relevant to the story, as although she finds Catalonian history fascinating and has carried out a huge amount of research, she always reminded herself that her primary goal was to entertain.  Her first draft was, she says,very dark, but she saw that the beauty and charm of Catalonia had been lost, so she spent months re-writing and ‘putting the charm back in.’  Parts of the story are inevitably sad, but the ending is full of sunshine.

The difficulties of getting published are well known, and Jenny was submitting Jane’s manuscript at a time when publishers had become exceptionally cautious, concerned about the economy and the impact of e-books.  Jane says she found the process much harder than she’d expected, and was very lucky to be taken on by Jenny’s agency, hugely valuing Jenny’s tactful and calm input.  In the end, Jenny received two offers for Daughter of Catalonia and it was published last month by Allison & Busby, who were so impressed with Jenny’s editing that they saw no need to repeat the process in-house.

Jane is already working on her next book; although it is not really a sequel, she was reluctant to ignore the many tendrils coming from the novel and has decided to write about the family of Madeleine’s father across the border in Spain.  Book three is already taking shape in her mind – after that she is thinking of taking a break from Catalonia and setting her next work in the Scottish Highlands, the birthplace of her late husband.  She retains a home in Plockton and feels that the area is just as romantic as France and Spain, with many similar characteristics.

Daughter of Catalonia has already earned many enthusiastic reviews; Jane was especially delighted to be told that readers could ‘smell the sun and the grapes’ of Rousillon.  Writing the story has anchored Jane in Collioure and she now can’t imagine living anywhere else in France.  For those of us who must remain in Edinburgh, a delicious spread of Catalan snacks and several glasses of Languedoc wine concluded a most interesting and enjoyable evening.

Daughter of Catalonia is published by Allison & Busby and is available from Blackwell’s, South Bridge.

More information about Jane MacKenzie and Daughter of Catalonia can be found on Jane’s website.

A chip pan fire in the early hours of this morning left a man with slight burns on his hands.

The man was taken to hospital after a chip pan fire in the kitchen of his flat in Viewforth, Edinburgh.

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) crews from Tollcross and McDonald Road fire stations responded after a 999 call was made just after 1am.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus quickly extinguished the chip fire within the kitchen and requested an ambulance to attend so the male casualty could be assessed by paramedics.

The male casualty had been cooking chips and tried to put the fire out sustaining slight burns to the hands. He was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for further treatment.

An SFRS spokesperson said: “Our advice to anyone who does experience a fire within the home is to get out, stay out and call us out.  Never try to tackle a fire yourself.

“More fires begin in the kitchen than in any other room of the house and traditional chip pans are a particularly high fire risk. We would urge everyone take a few simple steps to keep themselves and those around them safe.

“By never leaving pans unattended while in use and by keeping any flammable materials, such as kitchen towels, etc., away from sources of ignition, we can dramatically reduce the chance of fire starting.

“Closing doors behind you as you go will slow the spread of fire and smoke, which will buy extra time and help confine the damage.

“Chip pan fires very quickly spread flames, toxic smoke and heat so having early warning is vital to preventing serious injury or worse. The early warning provided by working smoke alarms gives people the time to escape and for help to arrive.  There is much less chance of someone being seriously hurt or killed by fire if a house is protected by working smoke alarms.

“Smoke alarms give you that vital early warning should a fire start. Encourage those around you to get a free home fire safety visit, or pick up the phone and call us on their behalf.  Please join Scotland’s fight against fire and request a visit by calling the SFRS freephone number 0800 0731 999 or by texting ‘check’ to 61611.  People can also fill out a form at www.firescotland.gov.uk or contact their local community fire station.”

Two members of charity staff are retiring after supporting children in North Edinburgh for over 30 years and there is a party later today!

Mae Duncan and Bob Griffiths have supported children and young people in the North Edinburgh area for three decades and are now retiring from Circle, a charity that improves the lives of children by strengthening families, on 30 May 2014.

Mae, 65, was brought up in West Pilton and now lives in Salvesen, while Bob has lived in the area for 40 years and still lives in the Greater Pilton area.

Mae attended Pennywell Primary School and then Ainslie Park High School, where she took a course in Commercial Studies. She later studied Child Care at Stevenson College and the Greater Pilton Child Care Centre.

Bob went first to Craigentinny Primary School and later to Norton Park Secondary School, which he left at the age of 15 with no qualifications. Like Mae, he studied Child Care at the Greater Pilton Child Care Centre.

Mae and Bob ran two projects at Circle. The first was the “Inter School Social Education Project” (ISSEP), where 5^th and 6^th year students from Edinburgh secondary schools mentored primary school children from North Edinburgh.

The second was “Under Fives,” where Mae and Bob worked with children in the Pilton area for 2 – 5 mornings per week and helped parents to understand the importance of boundaries and play in their child’s development. Mae, reflecting on her time at Circle, said:

“I have always thoroughly enjoyed my time with Circle and will always be grateful for the help and support I received whilst doing my child care training.”

Their work at Circle has made a huge impact on the local community, as they have supported many children and parents over the past 30 years. Liz Dahl, Circle’s Chief Executive, praised their contribution:

“I would like to take this opportunity to wish Mae and Bob well in their retirement and thank them for the over 60 years of combined service they have given to the organisation. They will be hugely missed by everyone at Circle and especially by the generation of families they have worked with over the years.”

To celebrate their service to the local community, Circle is holding a retirement party for Mae and Bob on the 21^st of May at the West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre.

When asked about their favourite memory from their time at Circle, both Bob and Mae explain that they have far too many good memories to simply choose one.

Mae and Bob are looking forward to pursuing their hobbies during their retirement. Mae will read, do crafts and spend more time with her family, while Bob is interested in computers and other gadgets, and will have more time to “potter about with them.”

Hibs’ veteran defender Alan Maybury is looking for the positives rather than the negatives when his team face on form Hamilton tonight in the play-offs first leg at New Douglas Park.

The Irishman also insists that Accies’ 3g pitch will not be a factor in the result.

Speaking ahead of the game, Maybury said: “This is an opportunity to stick our chests out and go and show what we can do.  The fans will back us but only if we give them something to back, so it works both ways. We need them on our side to lift the whole place. Personally I have had no problems with the fans. I understand of results don’t go well then they are not going to be happy. But like I said we need to give them something as well. When we start games well and are on the front foot and going for it then they back us. When we score goals they back us, but if we come off after 90 minutes and we haven’t done that and we haven’t scored and it has been another disappointing result we understand.

“For fans the club it their lifeblood, they want to see their side do well and they are disappointed when it doesn’t go like that. They went their anger and disappointment and that’s fine. I don’t have a problem with any of the fans. But generally they back us and want their team to do well.

“But we need to give them something as well, we can’t just say we haven’t played well or we haven’t scored. They want to go home happy, I understand how it works.”

“The artificial pitch won’t be a factor.  All the boys have played on it, we have done some training on it and we know what to expect.

“I think a few of the boys will have played on Hamilton’s pitch this season, either through the under-20s or they have played there before, so it’s not a factor. We knew whoever we were going to play would be on that surface so it was never going to be an excuse.

“People will argue it’s an advantage to play the first leg away from home but if you don’t get the results there is no advantage. I am just looking forward to the games, to me there is no real advantage.

“If we get a good result then we will come back to Easter Road and maybe kick on, but our record at the moment probably doesn’t suggest there is much of an advantage.

“I have played in big games but maybe at the top or when we were fighting for things. I understand the consequences of it, but I am certainly not having sleepless nights. I am well prepared, we know what to expect. We have to have confidence in our own ability and the ability of the group.

“So I would say I am not going into the game dreading it because if you are like that you are going to freeze and not play well. You need to go and play and express yourself and stick your chest out and be confident. For too long there has been a negativity about this club that needs to be lifted. I have said to the manager I am sick of it.

“I understand the consequences of these games but we have an opportunity to try and be positive and confident, and if we go into the game with that rather than a fear of failure, although I understand a fear of failure can be a driving factor, but I am not worrying about the game, it will take care of itself over the two legs.

Photo by http://www.jcmackintosh.com/

After the doom and gloom following the defeat to Kilmarnock which plunged Hibs into the play offs, Terry Butcher has revealed that he has been encouraged by the reaction of the fans and in particular a letter received from the Hibs Supporters’ Association.

Speaking ahead of tonight’s game against Hamilton, Butcher also claimed that recent comments by the Accies’ boss Alex Neil will be pinned on the dressing room wall to act as a motivator for the players.

He said: “I sense a real Hibernian spirit coming together here. We have had a nice letter from the fans getting behind the team. They will turn up in their numbers to back us. I am confident that spirit will get us over the line.”

“We consider ourselves fortunate to have this opportunity. Normally, when you finish in the position we did after 38 games, and if you haven’t got enough points, haven’t scored enough goals, you get relegated. You don’t get another chance. But we’ve got two chances and we want to take them.

“It’s a great challenge against Hamilton. They have earned the right to match up against us. I know they are looking forward to it. I’ve read their comments with great interest. They will be on our dressing-room wall.

“We’ve seen one or two things and taken note, but talk is Supporters are behind us, People say things but it’s not about talk, it’s about action. Our players are fired up because we are in a position we don’t want to be in.”

“After the Kilmarnock game I took the dog out for so long I should have done it as a sponsored walk I  had to get over it quickly. It’s not about momentum as far as we’re concerned. This is a whole new competition.

“It’s a two-match competition now. You don’t look at what’s gone on before. It’s about what we can do in these two matches.

“We’ve had 10 days to prepare. Hamilton have played two games of course, but we’ve had a little bit of a break at the end of the season, having played three games in the last week of the domestic season.

“So it’s been good for us I think. We’ve had a chance to regroup, get over the huge disappointment of finishing where we are, and now we’ve got two second chances if anything. We had a change of venue where we went to Spartans and they looked after us very well.

“We’ve got two chances to have a go and make sure we stay in the Premiership.”

“Our league now is two games and we want to come out on top.”

Kevin Thomson and Paul Heffernan have been training with the squad and are likely to start.

Photos by John Preece

http://www.photoboxgallery.com/jlp-photography

Police in Edinburgh are appealing for witnesses following a robbery at the premises of Lasswade News Plus in the city’s Lasswade Road on Monday evening.

The incident happened around 4.35pm when two men armed with knives entered the shop and threatened the shop assistant, prior to making off with a three-figure sum of money and a bottle of alcohol.

The men made off on foot southwards from the shop before turning left into Yewlands Gardens in the direction of the walkway to Malbet Park, where they were lost to sight.

Both men are described as being white and between 20 and 30 years old. One was wearing a blue/white hooded top, and was of medium build. The second man, is described as 5ft 5in tall, slim to medium build, wearing a grey hooded top.

Both males spoke with a local accent.

Detective Sergeant Graham Grant, who is in charge of the investigation, said: “This was a violent robbery which traumatised the shopkeeper and it is imperative that we catch these men as soon as possible.

“I am appealing to anyone who witnessed the robbery, or who saw these men in the vicinity around this time, to contact Police Scotland on 101 or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

New air routes – Barnardo’s – Duddingston Festival – Photography exhibition – Tonight at the Cameo

This month the first flights on six new direct routes to Edinburgh Airport will land there, and one of these, Qatar Airways will introduce the Dreamliner to the skies over the capital after a journey from Doha.

VisitScotland analysis has shown the new route, launching on 28 May 2014 will bring around £33m in projected revenue in the first year and £86m after three years with a mix of leisure and business travellers from across the globe.

The news comes as VisitScotland heads to Frankfurt to promote Scotland as a business destination at one of the world’s biggest business tourism trade shows – IMEX 2014 (20 – 22 May).

Last year was the tourism organisation’s most successful IMEX to date, with 22 enquiries resulting in a potential economic impact of over £14 million.

With 3,500 exhibitors from 157 countries and around 9,000 buyers, the national tourism organisation’s stand at IMEX is the strongest it has been in seven years with 15 diverse partners including National Museums of Scotland, Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre, Macdonald Hotels & Resorts and Glasgow City Marketing Bureau amongst others.*

Qatar Airways will be just one of many international exhibitors that VisitScotland will discuss business opportunities with and promote key events such as Homecoming Scotland 2014, the Commonwealth Games and The Ryder Cup.

The Qatar route from Doha is just one of six new direct routes to touch down in Edinburgh and Glasgow this month with others including Philadelphia, Chicago, Zurich and Verona.

***

Gordon Macdonald MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands heard first hand about the work a children’s charity employability service is doing in Edinburgh, helping unemployed young people in to long term work, with a particular focus on supporting vulnerable young people such as care leavers.

Mr Macdonald took the opportunity during apprentice week, to visit Barnardo’s Works Edinburgh to find out about how the charity’s employment placement scheme works and the success it’s had over the years helping young people in to long term employment.

Barnardo’s Works service engages with local employers to provide placements for young people in a sector of the young person’s choosing. The placements are designed as a gateway to permanent waged jobs with the employer.

“Employability services, like Barnardo’s Works, are an important element in supporting young people into sustainable, long term employment by helping them to gain experience and build up their confidence so they are in the best possible position to take up a job. The Scottish Government through Opportunities for all guarantees a place in training or education for all young people aged 16-19 years old and Barnardo’s Works is to be congratulated for supporting vulnerable young people to take up those opportunities.”

Barnardo’s Works recently relocated to share an office with the charity’s leaving care service, 16+ Edinburgh. This service supports young people who are or have been in the care of the local authority. Care leavers are statistically the furthest from the job market, so bringing these services together ensures that some of the young people in Edinburgh who struggle the most to find work get a route to employment.

The charity has been supporting a number of unemployed 16 to 24 year olds in Edinburgh City through employability skills training and work placements. The training covers essential skills including communication, money management, budgeting and assertiveness as well as help with writing CVs and job interviews.

Barnardo’s Works Edinburgh is currently trying to find placements for young people aged 16-24, any local businesses willing to offer placements to young people or would like to find out more should also contact Asima Hussein, Employer Liaison Officer on 07879 893 072 or 0131 556 4583 email  bwe@barnardos.org.uk

***

This weekend 24 and 25 May there is a festival in Duddingston’s gardens, the church, the halls and the pub. There will be a concert on Saturday night when poet, performer and broadcaster, John Hegley, will perform.

Many more details here.

***

Melanie Gow is exhibiting photographs about a life changing walk with her sons at St Giles Cathedral from 26 May.

‘Walking with Angels’ is a fascinating photographic exhibition of 14 moments and installation pieces that show this gently life-changing story in a way that hopes to inspire you. 

Police in Edinburgh seized £35,000 worth of counterfeit goods yesterday (19th May) as part of ongoing Operation Wolf activities.

Police officers, together with City of Edinburgh Council Trading Standards, carried out an intelligence-led operation on a business in the Leith area and a large quantity of counterfeit goods was recovered. Items seized included clothing, sportswear, footwear and watches.

A 31-year-old man was arrested and reported to the Procurator Fiscal.

At the same time, police also carried out a successful targeted day of action in Corstorphine.

A 35-year-old man was arrested and charged with domestic assault, whilst a further seven warrants were executed and outstanding fines paid.

52 licensed premises were checked and police and local council Community Safety Teams carried out a joint initiative aimed at the victims and perpetrators of anti-social behaviour. Police Scotland School Link Officers also took the opportunity to carry out engagement and education work with young people in Clermiston. 

  Further days of action will continue across Edinburgh throughout May and police are keen to build on the early success of Operation Wolf.

Over the weekend officers in the City Centre carried out night-time pro-active patrols on Rose Street, Hanover Street and Frederick Street, and visited licensed premises, including checks with door stewards. Drug sniffer dogs were also employed in public, tolet and cloakroom areas. 

Superintendent Matt Richards said: “Yesterday’s recoveries are a fantastic result for Operation Wolf and the communities we police. Working in partnership with Trading Standards we have successfully seized a huge quantity of counterfeit goods that could have been sold on to unsuspecting innocent members of the public as ‘the real thing’.

“Officers taking part in Operation Wolf are continuing to crack down on illegal activity as well as gathering a vast amount of intelligence. We have submitted over 150 intelligence entries as part of the operation.

“Part of this initiative is to educate and engage with the public, including young people, and to carry out reassurance patrols in the city centre at peak times.  

“If anyone in Edinburgh’s communities wishes to help shape the activities we undertake during this initiative, you can contact us on 101 or speak with your local policing team to raise any community matters you wish police to respond to.”

Gambado Fountain Park, Edinburgh’s biggest indoor soft play and party centre is counting down the days until the end of term with a special 2 for 1 entry throughout the summer holidays.

Aimed at children aged from 0 – 12 years old, Gambado is action-packed with everything from slides and ball pools to an imagination station and a gated sensory area for toddlers. It also features an innovative climbing wall for young daredevils and a new 31-seater traditional carousel.

The centre café serves a variety of delicious hot and cold food and drinks and is also the perfect place to host your kid’s birthday party, ranging from themed ones, including Make-a Bear and Spiderman to hiring out the centre for your own private party.

So, if you’re looking for somewhere to take the kids this summer where they can run around for hours on end – get along to Gambado for an amazing day out which the kids will love and take advantage of the special 2 for 1 offer.

Summer opening times run from 09:30am – 5:30pm, Monday to Sunday.

Daily prices starts from £5.95 whilst adults and under one’s are free.  Check out the Gambado website  and Facebook sites for further details.

Terms and conditions – 

• One child goes free with one full paying child
• Cheapest child is free
• One voucher per family per entry
• Registration fees may apply
• Play sessions may be limited to 2.5hrs at busy times
• This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.
• Loyalty Cards will only be stamped once per voucher
• No photocopies accepted.
• Valid 28^th June 2014 – 11^th August 2014

Police are appealing for information after a man was assaulted and robbed of his mobile phone on Lanark Road, Edinburgh on Monday evening.

Enquiries are ongoing after a 17-year-old male was attacked by four males as he waited for a bus at the bus stop at Gillespie crossroads on Lanark Road, opposite Tower House Nursery, at around 9pm on Monday 19th May.

He was approached from behind by four men when, without provocation, one of them assaulted the man – resulting in facial, neck and leg injuries – and stole his mobile phone. The suspects then made off in the direction of Wester Hailes.

The suspects are all described as being white – with the one who carried out the attack being in his late 20s-early 30s, around 6 ft.  4 in tall, large muscular build, with short black messy hair, piercing blue eyes, and had some teeth missing. He spoke with an Edinburgh accent and was wearing a dark hooded top and dark jogging bottoms.

Two of the other men in the group are described as being about 6ft 4 in tall, medium build, and wearing hooded tops.

The fourth male is described as being 5ft 4in tall; thin build with distinctive bleached blonde short-cropped hair. He was wearing dark green zipped hooded top and light blue jeans and light brown shoes.

Detective Constable Richard Emerson, who is leading the inquiry, said: “This was an unprovoked attack which has left the victim with a number of injuries.

“Police are looking to speak to anyone who saw the incident or the described group of males in the area around Gillespie Crossroads of Lanark Road, Edinburgh around 9pm on Monday.”

Anyone with information on this crime can contact Police Scotland on 101 or, alternatively, the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

‘I’m the only visual aid, so maybe you’d better shut your eyes’ – that’s how Richard Holloway started his Edinburgh Lecture at the National Gallery of Scotland‘s Hawthornden Theatre last week.  Nobody did, of course; the audience was riveted from beginning to end.  Holloway is one of Scotland’s very best speakers; he’s also an author, a broadcaster and former bishop of Edinburgh.  As Matthew Haggis, chair of sponsors One City Trust, said in introducing him, ‘It’s hard to keep up!’

Holloway’s father served his apprenticeship as a block printer at the United Turkey Red factory in Alexandria, West Dunbartonshire.  Technology eventually rendered his job obsolete and he became a labourer for the rest of his life, apart from a brief return to printing during the war.  He was a man who ‘endured and kept quiet’ but after his death Holloway found his father’s two printing mallets in a cloth-wrapped bundle in a cupboard. Holloway understood then his father’s huge sense of disappointment and betrayal.  The Industrial Revolution took people from the land to the cities, where they learned trades and skills – skills that were then cast aside.  Time and change rob the poor of their jobs, their pride and their dignity. Invention, says Holloway, buffets the poor.  He quoted Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s Sunset Song, ‘the crofter has gone…the man …with the land closer to his heart than the flesh of his own body..’    ‘Nothing is true but change, nothing abides.’

Holloway wants us to feel the impact of change on the poor; he wants to motivate us’ not to guilt but to action.’  Marx said that the poor suffer and the rich garner the profits of their suffering; that was how the capitalist system worked – but he also thought that the poor would eventually rise up and smash that system.  Revolutionary anger has not come; instead there is self-destructive apathy.  The poor, says Holloway, are no longer at the bottom of society; they are socially excluded, banished and living as exiles in our midst.

Some of our well-intentioned efforts to improve things have made things worse.  A welfare system intended to help people until they get back into the workforce has instead led to permanent exclusion.  Post World War II redevelopment plans moved the poor from the city centres to the peripheries without asking any of them if that was what they wanted.  Glasgow’s Gorbals and places like them were flattened and the families who had lived there for generations were exiled to far flung housing schemes; again they were excluded, this time from the cities they had been born in.

Scotland, says Holloway, is an unequal and divided country in which a significant minority are excluded and alienated from the benefits enjoyed by the rest.  What’s more, it costs the country a fortune to finance this exclusion; illness, domestic violence, mental health problems and all the issues associated with the disenfranchised poor are not only expensive, they’re also bad for society as a whole.  Civic leaders in Edinburgh have never been complacent about the problems, just puzzled as to how to solve them.

Ten years ago, Holloway chaired a commission on the subject, and one of its recommendations was the setting up of a foundation to draw on the wealth and positivity of Edinburgh and to stretch these assets across to those in need by giving practical help.  The commission’s report was entitled One City because that’s what its members wanted to see, not what they saw.  The One City Trust is the result of that recommendation; it facilitates practical work to tackle exclusion, such as an allotment gardeners’ project, food banks and children’s breakfast clubs.

A happy life, Holloway suggests, is a balance between positive and negative freedoms, ‘freedom for and freedom from.’ Our public policies should concentrate on the latter, to remove the barriers that stop people flourishing.  Edinburgh has made good progress on this, he said in citing the council’s policies protect the rights of disabled people, women, and racial and sexual minorities.  Change can be good. Thanks to local politicians and social reformers it is now one of the best ever times to live in our capital city; we should be proud of how much we have achieved.  Despite all this however, poverty is still there, blocking the way for so many people.  Legislation cannot remove it; the Westminster government’s attempts to do so have been crude and ineffectual.

Holloway explained that one quarter of Edinburgh’s population lives below the poverty threshold.  Eighteen thousand children in Edinburgh are living in low income households; poverty is the single most powerful determinant of a child’s future, and it costs all of us huge sums – according to the Child Poverty Action Group, possibly £156,000,000 per annum in the city alone.   Camilla Batmanghelidjh CBE, founder of the charity Kids’ Company, has said that money is only cascaded into a child’s life when he offends, whilst a fraction of that cash might have kept him out of trouble in the first place. Imaginative early intervention work is taking place in Edinburgh, but the city council acknowledges that much more is needed. Holloway advocates getting into children’s lives earlier to build a stronger reality around them; we need to recognise that our primary duty to our children is to allow them to live abundant and fulfilling lives, whether there is paid work for them or not.  The future is uncertain, more and more jobs are being taken away; we need to strengthen young people to deal with the changing world by preparing them, not for the market but for life.

In the first half of the twentieth century, Holloway reminds us, there was a strong self-improvement ethos.  Libraries, orchestras, choirs, evening classes – these were all available to the poor and they educated people like Professor John Wallace and the late Jimmy Reid. The poor today are excluded from all of these opportunities.  Time, says Holloway, hangs heavy on the hands of the unemployed poor; ’empty time’ is social exclusion’s worst killer.  People hang around like characters in a Beckett play; they are rational beings with time on their hands and nothing to fill it .  The weight of empty time is destructive in communities who have no skills to use it, no memory of how to ‘play.’  We need to accept economic facts; short term tactics based on work practices do not work.  Cultural and creative resources need to be poured into these disaffected communities.

Sistema Scotland is a charity whose mission is to transform lives through music.  Based on a Venezualan movement founded in 1975 by Maestro Jose Antonio Abreu, it was set up in the belief that children can gain huge social benefits by playing in a symphony orchestra. Board members include Holloway himself, Nicola Benedetti and Sally Magnusson.  Sistema, says Holloway, doesn’t talk about crime, drugs and alcoholism – instead it floods communities with beauty and hard work.  Time is filled co-operatively, joyfully and with discipline. Sistema’s Big Noise orchestras give pride back to a community; when children succeed their parents and grandparents change too.

The first Sistema Scotland project in Raploch  (an economically deprived district of Stirling) has already sent more children to the National Youth Choir of Scotland and the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland than any other postcode; it has identified highly talented young musicians who would perhaps never otherwise have been spotted. The focus remains, however, on everyone participating and working together, co-operating and sharing mutual support – it doesn’t matter if a child is musically talented or not.  The orchestra has visited Caracas and broken the hearts of a thousand Venezualans who came to hear it play.  Raploch is now on the Royal Town Planning Institute’s shortlist for the Best Place in Scotland.  Popular demand has led to the introduction of an orchestra for smaller children, Baby Noise, and one for adults, The Noise.  The senior orchestra is now called Rinconda, and Sistema is delighted that a similar ensemble set up in New Zealand has been named the Raploch Orchestra.  Sistema is now organising a teachers’ conference, and hopes to establish Stirling as a world class centre of expertise.

The Big Noise orchestras are a revolutionary way of achieving changes in whole communities.  They address every problem and improve every aspect of local life. We need, says Holloway, to spend thousands to save millions.  There is now a Big Noise orchestra in Govanhill, and Aberdeen City Council is about to launch one in Torry.  Holloway’s dream is to see Big Noise orchestras in deprived areas of Edinburgh, but he acknowledges that Sistema can only move into communities one at a time; there has to be patience.  The Scottish government’s own evaluation of Sistema’s work has been globally influential; Stirling has now cemented relations with almost every country in the world through the Big Noise orchestras.

The original project in Raploch was funded for five years by Sistema itself on the basis that if it worked, the local authority would then take responsibility for 75% of the cost, which it now does.   Sistema has been successful in attracting private and grant funding.  Aberdeen City is to come up with 75% funding from the get-go; Sistema will raise the rest and is hopeful that the oil community will help.  Holloway explains that if councils realise that they can take a little bit of the money from many different budgets, it is easier for them to find the funds – even proceeds of crime accounts can be accessed for this purpose, something that Holloway finds particularly satisfying.

People are given the confidence to participate in the orchestras because Sistema waits to be invited into a community – it doesn’t just ‘parachute in’. People must be empowered, enabled to take part; they must be given back control of their own lives.

The orchestras accommodate all levels of talent. Instrumentality has a unique power that Holloway doesn’t think sport, needing as it does a certain amount of ability, can match;  Sistema welcomes all comers.  To the suggestion that the creation of more and more orchestras might stop them seeming ‘special’, Holloway answers that there are 250 such ensembles in Venezuala – more orchestras don’t just help more children, they also create more jobs in such areas as instrument-making and teaching.

Holloway believes that Big Noise orchestras will spread joy and purpose, giving children resilience to live no matter what the market throws at them, and the resources to deal with economic and social events in new and innovative ways.

Young children skip to school because they are natural artists with an instinct to play and dance.  Many have lost this instinct owing to the problems in their lives, but Sistema knows that with daring and imagination, it can get children skipping once more.

One City Trust sponsors the 2014 Edinburgh Lectures.  A PDF version (and a video, when ready) of this lecture and more information about the Edinburgh Lectures can be found at edinburghlectures,wordpress.com

The Edinburgh Lectures continue at 6pm tomorrow 21st May 2014, when Professor Tom Devine will discuss the global impact of the Scottish people over the last three centuries, in ‘Beam Me Up Scotty.’  Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, National Gallery of Scotland – booking via Usher Hall Box Office.

One City Trust has also published three books to promote awareness of social justice and raise funds for projects tackling social exclusion. Contributors include Ian Rankin, Kate Atkinson and Alexander McCall Smith, and the books can be purchased via the One City website or from bookshops.

Tuesday 20th May 2014

Flora & Fauna: AristoCats – exhibition of work including paintings, collage, cards and bags by Midlothian Community Access Team.  11am-5pm Tuesday to Saturday at The Gallery on the Corner, Northumberland Street, tel: 0131 557 8969.  Exhibition continues until 30th May (closed Sundays and Mondays.)  The Gallery on the Corner represents and supports artists who have a physical or mental health condition or who are from a disadvantaged background.  Part of Autism Ventures Scotland.

Scots Music Group Cafe Ceilidh hosted by the Linten Adie singing group.  A friendly afternoon of Scots Traditional and contemporary songs and music – bring along a tune or a song or simply come and listen.  1.30-3.30pm St Brides Community Centre, 10 Orwell Terrace (off Dalry Road.)  For further information contact Mary Watt on 01573 223515 or email mary.m.watt@gmail.com.  Also see www.scotsmusic.org

Blackwell’s Edinburgh presents Angus Konstam, author of Bannnockburn: Scotland’s Greatest Battle for Independence, published to celebrate the 700th anniversary of the battle that helped to define the Britain we know today. 6.30-8pm, Blackwell’s South Bridge.  Free tickets from the shop’s front desk or by calling 0131 622 8218.  More information from Ann Landmann on 0131 622 8216 or email events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk

Mysteries of Social Media: how to use Facebook & Twitter.  Drop-in session, 2-3pm, Blackhall Library, Hillhouse Road.  Part of Adult Learners’ Week.

Extreme Crystallography: Towards Infinity but not necessarily Beyond.  Professor Malcolm MacMahon from the University of Edinburgh School of Physics and Astronomy gives the second in a series of free talks to celebrate 2014: The International Year of Crystallography.  6.30-7.30pm (doors open 6pm), Cairns Lecture Theatre, Summerhall.  Tickets must be booked via eventbrite.  Aimed at ages 16+ but all welcome.

University of Edinburgh – Question Time: award-winning journalist Bill Jamieson chairs a debate on the Scottish Independence Referendum and Entrepreneurship with an expert panel of politicians, economists and financial commentators.  6-7.30pm, George Square Lecture Theatre, Buccleuch Place.  Free but tickets must be booked via eventbrite.

University of Edinburgh Reid School of Music: BMus Final Year Recitals.  Reid School of Music and other venues – see website for details of performers and locations.  Free and open to the public.  9am-5.15pm (continues on Wednesday 21st and Thursday 22nd, times vary.)

Embodiment: preview event for exhibition of paintings by Edinburgh-based graphic designer Alan Lennon.  6-8pm, North Edinburgh Arts, 15a Pennywell Court (next to Muirhouse Library.)  Tel: 0131 315 2151 for more information.

North Edinburgh Grows Drop-In Sessions. Learn how to grow your own vegetables, fruit and herbs.  Relaxed, informal sessions every Tuesday 1-4pm, no experience necessary – for ages 16+ but you are welcome to bring your children with you.  Contact North Edinburgh Grows Co-Ordinator, Valla on 0131 315 6408 or northedinburghgrows@gmail.com for more information.  North Edinburgh Arts, 15a Pennywell Court (next to Muirhouse Library)

Road to the Referendum: half day session which will consider some of the background issues as well as hard facts and statistics which should inform the debate leading to the Referendum  Facilitated by Alex Wood, experienced  teacher and adult tutor. Part of Adult Learners’ Week.  2-4.30pm, Kirkliston Library.  To book, email kirkliston.library@edinburgh.gov.uk or call 0131 529 5510.

Police Scotland in Edinburgh have confirmed that a 76-year-old man died in a road traffic collision in the city centre last night.

The man, who is not being named until relatives have been informed, was involved in a collision with a vehicle, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Road Policing Sergeant Neil Inglis, who is in charge of the investigation, said: “This was a tragic incident where a man has sadly lost his life and I am appealing for any witnesses who were on Waverley Bridge around 5pm tonight (Monday, May 19, 2014) to contact Police Scotland on 101 or through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

Pensioner dies on Waverley Bridge – Community Access to Schools – RSNO Season Finale! Symphony of a Thousand – Meadows Festival – Hidden Door Art Auction

A 76 year-old pensioner died yesterday evening on Waverley Bridge after being struck by a car near the pedestrian ramp entrance to the railway station.

Police are asking for any witnesses to the incident to come forward with any information.

***

When the Education Committee meets today they will focus their attention on the community access to schools. The  eight community high schools across the city are designed to be used by people in the local community ‘after hours’, but now the council wants to introduce primary school buildings into that letting arrangement.

The council has been examining ways of increasing the use of school buildings outwith normal school hours. The buildings are already used by adult education classes but it was hoped this review might unearth some other possibilities. At present the council support given to the community high schools is £3.2m against income generated of £1.87m.

The council will put extra staffing in place to cope with these community programmes, and in view of the extra staff any allowances made to head teachers of community high schools will no longer be paid. The council will consult with the trade unions on the proposed new arrangements and employing new staff. They have developed an online booking system which is currently being tested to make it an easy task to book a school for your event, and a scale of charges has been devised.

This scale of charges means that if you hire a sport hall from the council it might cost £35 in future as opposed to around £31 now, although other charges such as the hire of a gym or pool will reduce by a small margin. The council estimate that they will generate about £1.04m of income in future years by levelling out all of the charges and ensuring that they are the same across the city.

Charges for adult education classes are also to be set this morning. A course at Drummond Community High School for example will cost £58 this year but rise to £60 next year.

From 2016 the cost for all courses at all schools will be the same and the full fee payable will be £60.

Other items on the agenda include new classrooms for certain primary schools where overcrowding is envisaged. The council expect to be educating 31,000 pupils in 2019, and so is introducing a recommendation to build standalone classrooms such as those already constructed at Granton, Wardie and Trinity Primary Schools which the council consider to have been well received.  

***

On Friday 30 May 2014 | 7.30pm The RSNO will play the Mahler Symphony No8 Symphony of a Thousand

Peter Oundjian (CONDUCTOR)
Erin Wall (SOPRANO I)
Elizabeth Llewellyn (SOPRANO II)
Sarah Tynan (SOPRANO III)
Caitlin Hulcup (MEZZO-SOPRANO I)
Susan Platts (MEZZO-SOPRANO II)
Simon O’Neill (TENOR)
Luthando Qave (BARITONE)
Jonathan Lemalu (BARITONE)

RSNO Chorus
RSNO Junior Chorus
Royal Scottish National Orchestra

More information and tickets here.

***

A reminder about the Meadows Festival which takes place on 7 and 8 June – and yes it takes place in The Meadows!

Live music, food stalls, football and many other family attractions. They are looking for volunteers to help them set up.

***

Police in Edinburgh are currently dealing with a fatal road traffic accident on Waverley Bridge, which happened shortly after 5pm.

Traffic in the area is congested as Waverley Bridge is completely closed, and will remain so for some hours while full accident investigations are carried out.

The accident involved a man being struck by a car on the bridge near to the pedestrian ramp entrance to Waverley Station.

Details of the victim will be released once next-of-kin are notified.

There are currently 12 places remaining on this year’s Summer Youth Theatre Project which takes place at Southside Community Centre from June 30th – July 11th.

Supported by The City of Edinburgh Council’s Department of Children and Families, this intensive theatre project involves around 40 young people with varying degrees of experience over a two week period.  The young people meet daily for three hours in the morning, with optional workshops to further develop different theatre skills such as improvisation, movement, mime, voice, script writing and prop making taking place each afternoon from Thursday July 3rd. Participants use these skills to devise their own production which is presented to the public on the final night of the project.

Further information / Application forms from http://www.livedrama.co.uk/

Submitted by Rebecca Kilbey

Visitors to the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway last week were treated to an extra large slice of nostalgia courtesy of a group of enthusiasts who hired the scenic heritage line for a four day photo shoot starring the beautiful Sir Nigel Gresley designed LNER locomotive, Morayshire, which is maintained and operated by the Scottish Railway Preservation Society (SRPS) at Bo’ness for owners National Museums Scotland.

This photo shows Morayshire, BR number 62712, newly painted in British Rail Lined Black complete with early British Railways Lion & Wheel Crest at Birkhill Station. It is the first time in over 50 years Morayshire has been in BR black livery and hundreds of visitors are expected to attend the Mixed Traffic Gala at the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway which will mark the occasion of Morayshire’s  first ever gala in this livery on 31 May and 1 June.

 For bookings have a look at the website

Photo ©Neil Cave 2014 – TimeLine Events.

Thinking of going on holiday through Edinburgh Airport soon? Now you can do it in some style.

No.1 Traveller have just opened their promised lounge at Edinburgh Airport which will allow you to be collected by chauffeur from your front door, whisked through the airport like a VIP using the Fast Track service and left luxuriating in the lounge till your flight is ready to leave. You may still have to take your laptop out of your bag to clear security, but the experience is designed to be as stress free as it can be.

When in the lounge the food will be freshly prepared throughout the day and a choice of seasonal dishes can be made to order. As well as newspapers and a TV with news there is wireless internet access.

The Edinburgh Reporter spoke to CEO and Founder, Phil Cameron, who told us all about it:-

The Edinburgh Reporter was given the chauffeur driven experience earlier today and it was something we would really like to get used to!

Entry to the lounge alone is £22.50 in advance or £27.50 at the door.  You will find the No.1 Traveller lounge on the right after you have passed through security, and it is open daily from 4.30am till 9.00pm.

Book your travel needs here on No.1 Traveller.

Online as well as on the forecourt

Peter Vardy brings in a team of digital professionals

Peter Vardy, the car company that claims it is always ahead of the game, has appointed a team of nine young digital professionals to ensure that the automotive retailing group is always up to speed with the latest technology.

Recognising that the online experience of car buying deserves as much attention as Peter Vardy’s award-winning showroom sales journey, the company is taking on nine Digital Marketing Executives to work within its eleven dealerships across Scotland.

The new appointments will give each site a distinct online personality and they further illustrate Peter Vardy’s determination to remain at the forefront of digital innovation in an interconnected age.

The digital professionals will introduce online guests to an enriched, interactive and inclusive experience, with first class photography and video about the cars of their choice, as well as tapping into all the latest trends on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Peter Vardy’s Digital Marketing Manager Euan A Cameron said: “This is another ahead-of-the-curve initiative from a company which pulls out all the stops to make buying a car a great day for the most important people in the process – our guests.

“Our digital professionals know that our guests want to research and investigate the best deals possible and they are geared up to make that online decision-making as interesting and as informative as they can.”

New Digital Marketing Executive Rebekah Fraser at Peter Vardy’s Vauxhall Dalgety Bay outlet said: “We want people to have as much information as possible, so I spend each morning checking that all our cars are correctly advertised on petervardy.com and other third party sites including Auto Trader.

“Another part of my job is to update social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to give Peter Vardy Dalgety Bay a unique personality.”

Kabir Akram, the new digital professional at BMW Edinburgh, said: “My main role is to provide social media content and to help with digital strategy at a local level. I am really looking forward to seeing the company grow digitally.

“A big part of my job is CitNOW video, a 360 degree walk round of a car which we can send to our guests via email. We can show specific parts of the car to give guests the input they need to make an informed decision.

Euan and his new team of Digital Marketing Executives look forward to making the Peter Vardy car buying experience even better than it is today.

The Scottish SPCA is appealing for information after a leopard gecko was dumped inside a plastic container in Edinburgh.

Scotland’s animal welfare charity was alerted on Thursday (15 May) after the lizard was found under a bush in a communal garden in the Silvermills area.

Inspector Emma Phillips said, “Abandoning the gecko in a plastic tub was extremely cruel and whoever did this couldn’t have been sure he would receive the help he needed.

“He was left inside a clear plastic container with air-holes, but there was no guarantee he would have been discovered.

“We’re asking anyone who recognises this gecko or saw someone in the area acting suspiciously to contact us on 03000 999 999.

“Thankfully, the gecko is in good health and has already been offered a new home where he will receive the care and attention he needs.”

Anyone with information is being urged to contact the Scottish SPCA Animal Helpline on 03000 999 999.

Photos  by Scottish SPCA

Monday 19th May 2014

Getting Started with your i-pad: Drop-in session, beginners welcome.  4-7pm, Granton Library, Wardieburn Terrace.  Part of Adult Learners’ Week.

Blackwell’s Edinburgh Monthly Book Group: currently discussing Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s ‘Americanah‘.  To join email events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk with your contact details.  6-8pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge, call 0131 622 8218 for more information.

Live Life to the Full – a group open to female carers over 60 to provide respite from their caring responsibilities at home.  A sociable and active group led by Hellen Blyth.  10.30am-12 noon every Monday until 14th July 2014.  Free. St Brides Community Centre, 10 Orwell Terrace (off Dalry Rd), tel: 0131 346 1405.

Kirstine Roepstorff exhibition  – how does a tone, time or the feeling of summer manifest itself within visual perception?  Continues until 19th June 2014 (open Monday to Thursday 10am – 4pm) at the Danish Cultural Institute, 3 Doune Terrace, tel: 0131 225 7189.

Tuesday 20th May 2014

Flora & Fauna: AristoCats – exhibition of work including paintings, collage, cards and bags by Midlothian Community Access Team.  11am-5pm Tuesday to Saturday at The Gallery on the Corner, Northumberland Street, tel: 0131 557 8969.  Exhibition continues until 30th May (closed Sundays and Mondays.)  The Gallery on the Corner represents and supports artists who have a physical or mental health condition or who are from a disadvantaged background.  Part of Autism Ventures Scotland.

Scots Music Group Cafe Ceilidh hosted by the Linten Adie singing group.  A friendly afternoon of Scots Traditional and contemporary songs and music – bring along a tune or a song or simply come and listen.  1.30-3.30pm St Brides Community Centre, 10 Orwell Terrace (off Dalry Road.)  For further information contact Mary Watt on 01573 223515 or email mary.m.watt@gmail.com.  Also see www.scotsmusic.org

Blackwell’s Edinburgh presents Angus Konstam, author of Bannnockburn: Scotland’s Greatest Battle for Independence, published to celebrate the 700th anniversary of the battle that helped to define the Britain we know today. 6.30-8pm, Blackwell’s South Bridge.  Free tickets from the shop’s front desk or by calling 0131 622 8218.  More information from Ann Landmann on 0131 622 8216 or email events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk

Mysteries of Social Media: how to use Facebook & Twitter.  Drop-in session, 2-3pm, Blackhall Library, Hillhouse Road.  Part of Adult Learners’ Week.

Extreme Crystallography: Towards Infinity but not necessarily Beyond.  Professor Malcolm MacMahon from the University of Edinburgh School of Physics and Astronomy gives the second in a series of free talks to celebrate 2014: The International Year of Crystallography.  6.30-7.30pm (doors open 6pm), Cairns Lecture Theatre, Summerhall.  Tickets must be booked via eventbrite.  Aimed at ages 16+ but all welcome.

University of Edinburgh – Question Time: award-winning journalist Bill Jamieson chairs a debate on the Scottish Independence Referendum and Entrepreneurship with an expert panel of politicians, economists and financial commentators.  6-7.30pm, George Square Lecture Theatre, Buccleuch Place.  Free but tickets must be booked via eventbrite.

University of Edinburgh Reid School of Music: BMus Final Year Recitals.  Reid School of Music and other venues – see website for details of performers and locations.  Free and open to the public.  9am-5.15pm (continues on Wednesday 21st and Thursday 22nd, times vary.)

Embodiment: preview event for exhibition of paintings by Edinburgh-based graphic designer Alan Lennon.  6-8pm, North Edinburgh Arts, 15a Pennywell Court (next to Muirhouse Library.)  Tel: 0131 315 2151 for more information.

North Edinburgh Grows Drop-In Sessions. Learn how to grow your own vegetables, fruit and herbs.  Relaxed, informal sessions every Tuesday 1-4pm, no experience necessary – for ages 16+ but you are welcome to bring your children with you.  Contact North Edinburgh Grows Co-Ordinator, Valla on 0131 315 6408 or northedinburghgrows@gmail.com for more information.  North Edinburgh Arts, 15a Pennywell Court (next to Muirhouse Library)

Road to the Referendum: half day session which will consider some of the background issues as well as hard facts and statistics which should inform the debate leading to the Referendum  Facilitated by Alex Wood, experienced  teacher and adult tutor. Part of Adult Learners’ Week.  2-4.30pm, Kirkliston Library.  To book, email kirkliston.library@edinburgh.gov.uk or call 0131 529 5510.

Wednesday 21st May 2014

Piano Speak: Lunchtime Concert.  Will Pickvance’s popular off-the-cuff weekly concert of piano improvisations and repartee.  12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, Royal Mile.

Collective Gallery – tour of the exhibitions led by Gallery assistants and exhibition staff.  1pm, no booking required, free.  Collective Gallery, City Observatory, Calton Hill.  Tel: 0131 556 1264.

The Edinburgh Lectures: Beam Me Up Scotty – Professor Tom Devine OBE discusses the global impact of the Scottish people over the last three centuries.  6pm, Hawthornden Theatre, National Gallery of Scotland, The Mound (Gardens Entrance).  Tickets are £5 and must be bought in advance, either in person from the Usher Hall box office or by calling 0131 228 1155 or online at www.usherhall.co.uk.

e-books for beginners: find out how easy it is to download free e-books from the library website. Bring your own i-pad, tablet, Kindle Fire or e-book reader or have a go on one of the library’s own.  2-4pm Morningside Library, Morningside Rd.  To book email morningside.library@edinburgh.gov.uk or call 0131 529 5654.

The Strange Case of James Hogg ‘the Ettrick Shepherd’, a talk by Robin Baillie.  12.45-1.15pm, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen St.  Free, no booking required.

Book Cafe: come along for a chat about books, library resources, e-books and book groups, and enjoy a free cup of tea too.  2.30-3.30pm, Ratho Library, School Wynd.  No booking required.  Part of Adult Learners’ Week.

The Taylor Wessing Prize – a descriptive tour/workshop for the visually impaired; 10am-3.30pm, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen St.  Free but booking required on 0131 624 6560.

Make Your Own Hanging Basket: materials provided free by Bridgend Growing Communities. 2.30-3.30pm Gilmerton Library.  To book email gilmerton.library@edinburgh.gov.uk or call 0131 529 5628.  Part of Adult Learners’ Week.

Blackwell’s Edinburgh presents Christopher A Whatley: The Scots and the Union: Then and Now.  The cornerstone text on the Union of Scotland and England brought up to date in the face of present day debate on independence.  6.30-8pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge.  Free tickets from Blackwell’s front desk or by calling 0131 622 8218.  For more information call Ann Landmann on 0131 622 8216 or email events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk

University of Edinburgh Reid School of Music: BMus Final Year Recitals.  Reid School of Music and other venues – see website for details of locations and performers.  12 noon to 8pm (continues on Thursday 22nd.)

Road to the Referendum: Part 1 of 4.  Four week course considering the history, politics, culture and literature – as well as some hard facts & statistics – which should inform the debate leading to the Referendum.  Facilitated by Alex Wood, experienced teacher and adult tutor.  10.30am-12.30pm, Portobello Library.  To book email portobello.library@edinburgh.gov.uk or call 0131 529 5558

Road to the Referendum: Part 1 of 4 – course as above, 6-8pm Morningside Library, Morningside Road.  To book email morningside.library@edinburgh.gov.uk or call 0131 529 5654.

Road to the Referendum: half day session considering some of the background issues – as well as some hard facts & statistics – which should inform the debate leading to the Referendum. Facilitator Alex Wood (see above).  2-4.30pm Central Library, George IV Bridge.  Bookings via eventbrite.

Diane’s Drop-In: IT advice.  Drop-in session for anyone new to computer use.  2-4pm, Leith Library, Ferry Road.  Part of Adult Learners’ Week.

Ryan Van Winkle: Nothing But The Poem: join Edinburgh Libraries’ Poet in Residence to read and discuss a poem.  No experience needed, nothing to fear!  6.30-8pm, Central Library, George IV Bridge.   Book via eventbrite.

Over My Dead Body: Hazel McHaffie will discuss her most recent novel, set in the world of medical ethics.  6.45-7.45pm, Corstorphine Library, Kirk Loan.  To book email corstorphine.library@edinburgh.gov.uk or call 0131 529 5506.

Thursday 22nd May 2014

Social group for those aged 65+.  All welcome; come along, have a cup of tea and a chat, and help to choose the group’s future activities – anything from arts and crafts to visiting speakers.  Free.  Every Thursday 12.30-2.30pm until 5th June 2014 at St Brides Community Centre, 10 Orwell Place (off Dalry Rd.)  For more information or if you need help to attend, please contact Katie from the Community Connecting Project on 0131 225 8508.

Word Power Books and the University of Edinburgh Centre for South Asian Studies present Meena Kandasamy, poet, writer, activist and translator, who is based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Meena will discuss her debut novel, The Gypsy Goddess.  4pm, David Hume Tower Conference Room, George Square, University of Edinburgh.  Free, all welcome.  Word Power Books: 0131 662 9112.

University of Edinburgh Reid School of Music: BMus Final Year Recitals, Reid School of Music and other venues.  12noon to 5.15pm, see website for details of locations and performers.  Free and open to the public.

e-books for beginners: find out how easy it is to download free e-books from the library website. Bring your own i-pad, tablet, Kindle Fire or e-book reader or have a go on one of the library’s own.  2-4pm, Portobello Library. To book call 0131 529 5558 or email  portobello.library@edinburgh.gov.uk

Getting started with your i-pad: learn the basics of using apps, internet & photos.  2-4pm, Stockbridge Library, Hamilton Place.  To book email stockbridge.library@edinburgh.gov.uk or call 0131 529 5665.

North Edinburgh Arts: Garden Gang – creative garden workshops for 8-14 year olds, 3.30-5pm every Thursday.  Drop in, make something arty for the garden and enjoy hot chocolate and healthy snacks.  For more information contact North Edinburgh Grows co-ordinator, Valla on 0131 351 6408 or email northedinburghgrows@gmail.com.

Life Writing: creative writing session with Nicky Melville. 2-4pm, Currie Library, Currie.  To book email currie.library@edinburgh.gov.uk or call 0131 529 5609.

e-books for beginners: 11am-1pm, MacDonald Road Library, MacDonald Road.

My Story: Writing To Relax.  With support and encouragement from Dorothy Baird, adult tutor and poet.  All levels welcome. 1-3pm,  Muirhouse Library, Pennywell Road.  To book email muirhouse.library@edinburgh.gov.uk or call 0131 529 5528.  Part of Adult Learners’ Week.

Friday 23rd May 2014

Still Life with Bird’s Nest.  A talk by Dr Tico Seifert on Jan van Huysum’s painting.  Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. 12.45-1.15pm, free, no booking required.

Book Cafe: come along for a chat about books, library resources, e-books and book groups, and enjoy a free cup of tea too.  No booking required, just pop in! 2.30-3.30pm, Corstorphine Library, Kirk Loan.

Michael Dix: The Idolisation of Scale.  Preview of new exhibition investigating the idea of scale through a series of paintings.  5.30-8.30pm, Alpha Art, Hamilton Place, tel: 0131 226 3066.  Exhibition then continues during normal gallery hours until 15th June (NB closed Weds.) www.alpha-art.co.uk

e-books for beginners:  find out how easy it is to download free e-books from the library website. Bring your own i-pad, tablet, Kindle Fire or e-book reader or have a go on one of the library’s own.  2-4pm, Sighthill Library, Sighthill Road.  To book email sighthill.library@edinburgh.gov.uk or call 0131 529 5566.

Stirling Chorale, USA: Lunchtime Concert, 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, Royal Mile.

Snug Lab: Assembly Roxy‘s first of a series of nights launches with an eclectic mix of musicians, fine art, graphic designers and visual artists.  Live music from Liam Kidd, Timo Preece and Frequent Flyers.  7.30-11pm, The Assembly Roxy, 2 Roxburgh Place.  Tickets £5, available from eventbrite or on the door.

Saturday 24th May 2014

Sarah Knox: Shorelines.  Pop-up exhibition, 10am-7pm at Marchmont Gallery, 56 Warrender Park Road. Enquiries: 0131 228 8228 or  enquiries@marchmontgallery.com

Edinburgh College of Art Degree Show – today until 1st June.  Lauriston Place Campus, 11am-5pm with late opening to 8pm on Weds 28th and Thurs 29th.  Free entry.

e-books for beginners: find out how easy it is to download free e-books from the library website.  Bring your own i-pad, tablet, Kindle Fire or e-book reader or have a go on one of the library’s own. 10.30am-12.30pm, South Queensferry Library, Shore Road.  To book email southqueensferry.library@edinburgh.gov.uk  or call 0131 529 5576.

Bohemia Moon Arts, Crafts, Vintage and Design fair with Spring Cafe.  10.30am-4.30pm, Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place. Free entry.

Book Cafe:  come along for a chat about books, library resources, e-books and book groups, and enjoy a free cup of tea too.  No booking required, just pop in!  11am-12.30pm, Leith Library, Ferry Road.

Letts Monster Practice Event: come and join in Monster fun with Letts Monster Practice activities – ways for children aged 5-6 to learn English and Maths skills.  11am-3pm, Waterstones West End (Princes St), tel: 0131 226 2666 for further details.

Chris Kent: The Golem – Chris will give an illustrated talk about his latest graphic novel, The Golem, a Victorian tale of jealousy and revenge.  2.30-3.30pm,  Central Library, George IV Bridge.  Part of Adult Learners’ Week.  Book via eventbrite.

Fancy a day out of Edinburgh?  East Neuk Open Studios starts today and continues on 25th May, 31st May and 1st June, 10.30am-6.30pm. Follow the red balloon trail to meet the artists responsible for an exciting range of paintings, textile, prints, jewellery and more.  Free, see website for details of individual venues in Cellardyke, Pittenweem, Crail, St Monans and elsewhere.

Sunday 25th May 2014

Meet the Ancestors – Tales from the Forest.  Hear traditional tales about the natural world with storyteller Susan Wilson.  For ages 7+, 2pm, 2.45pm and 3.30pm (30 minute sessions), Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street.  Free.

Lego Minifigures Character Encyclopaedia Swapshop: the 5th Lego Swapshop is taking place at Waterstones Cameron Toll at 3pm.   Come & trade with everyone to get the rare minifigure you’ve been after, or make your own minifigure for Waterstone’s Gallery of Awesome.  More details on 0131 666 1866

St Giles At Six: Concert – Neil Mantle (horn), Roderick Long (violin) and Richard Beauchamp (piano) perform Lennox Berkeley Horn Trio Op 44, Johannes Brahms Horn Trio Op 40.  6pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, Royal Mile.