Jazz Festival tickets on sale today – Streams of Story: An evening of water tales – Inverleith House open weekend – National Library of Scotland shows off the book sculptures – Film at the Botanics

Some tickets for the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival go on sale today. Big names including Van Morrison and Jools Holland along with Mel C will be coming to Edinburgh. Get ready to go online or phone in for your tickets!

More details here.

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Thursday 24 April 2014, 6.30-8.30pm. £5/£4 conc. Free for water collectors.
Refreshments included.

To celebrate Tania Kovats’ Oceans, The Fruitmarket Gallery presents a fun evening of water tastings, poetry and a chance to hear stories from the water collectors who helped Tania Kovats bring the world’s seas to The Fruitmarket Gallery.

Shetland poet Jen Hadfield will be travelling over sea and land reading work resonant with the themes of the exhibition. Water sommelier Ericka Duffy will also be bringing her tasting skills to the Gallery, giving you a flavour of different mineral waters from around the world.

Supported by The Scottish Book Trust Live Literature Fund.

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Inverleith House at the Botanics is hosting an Open Weekend on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 May from 10am to 5pm. There will be events including talks by exhibition staff, performance, live music and special offers on limited edition exhibition catalogues and posters.

Events are free but booking is essential. Email ihouse@rbge.ac.uk to reserve a place.

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Just a reminder that some of the seventeen book sculptures are on display at the National Library of Scotland.  They are all wonderful and very much worth a look!

This is one delivered only last summer.

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A film is being shown at the Botanics tonight which they say will change your life. Here is a trailer.

Part of the Edinburgh International Science Festival. Book your tickets here. 

PROJECT WILD THING – official trailer from Green Lions on Vimeo.

Hibernian under-20s are back in action tonight against Hamilton Academical at Livingston’s Energy Assets Arena, kick off 6pm.

With three games remaining, James McDonaugh’s  (pictured) side are three points clear of Celtic in the race for the SPFL U20s League title although the Hoops have two games in hand. Rangers are also in contention sitting seven points behind with three games in hand.

Whatever the final outcome, it has been a successful year for the Hibs’ youngsters who have also gained promotion from the Central Taxi’s East of Scotland First Division.

Tom Gardiner, who moved to Hibs from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer has established himself in defence and is enjoying his life north of the border.

The 19 year old told Hibernian TV: “This season has been a great challenge and playing week in, week out with the 20s and playing alongside older players, who have been in and around the first-team has been great.

“It’s a great level and we’ve been doing well in the league and it’s been a great journey throughout the season.”

Tom’s father, James, travelled to Greenock from London last week to watch his son play against Celtic at Cappielow a round trip of 452 miles and the players rewarded him with a fine 2-0 win.

Tom continued: “It was pleasing, he was in two minds whether to come up or not, so it was a good game for him to come up and see.

“It was great to get the second win of the season against Celtic as well and to get the clean sheet. I was pleased for my dad to see it.”

“Playing against Celtic was good, it was what we want to deal with, it’s hard and it’s always a challenge playing Celtic. We dug deep throughout the match and we got the reward at the end of it.

He said: “We’ve always got the chance. If we just kick on with the last three games then you never know what will happen but it was a good win (over Celtic) and we will see what happens come the end of the season.”

Supporters are reminded that admission is via donation to a bucket collection around the ground. If you can head through to Livingston to cheer on the under-20s your support would be greatly appreciated by the players.

Photo by John Preece

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

Hibernian Ladies’ and Scotland international goalkeeper Shannon Lynn has joined Swedish side Vittsjö GIK on a three-month contract whilst Jenna Fife has been recalled from her loan spell with Hutchison Vale.

Manager Willie Kirk told Hibernian TV: “Losing Shannon is obviously a blow but we have two quality keepers waiting in the wings.

“Hannah (Reid) and Jenna are both capable of coming into the side and doing well and the fight for the number one jersey starts this week at training.”

Meanwhile the on-form Ladies easily secured their place in the semi-finals of the Scottish Women’s Premier League Cup with a comprehensive 7-0 victory over Buchan at Albyn Park on Sunday.

Kirk continued: “The referee [Erin Cunningham] wanted to postpone the match due to the extreme weather conditions.

“Thankfully, we were able to make her see sense given Buchan had paid out £600 to hire a bus to get here and the rearranged fixture would’ve been played in midweek.

“The weather was horrible and there were a couple of daft periods where the ball just wouldn’t stay still for set pieces, but I felt it was a decent performance from the girls in the end.

“It wasn’t the nicest performance for us and in the first half, with the wind behind us, I felt we didn’t make the most of it and instead kept playing the wrong ball.

“We tried to play it in behind Buchan too often and persisted even when it was evident it wasn’t working.

“We changed it at half time and in the second half we kept the ball better, making more of our opportunities. The two goals just after the break killed the game and we were quite comfortable.”

Van Morrison, Jools Holland with special guest Mel C,  Bill Wyman and a Mandela Day Concert are all confirmed for the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival 18 – 27 July 2014 and  tickets for four headline acts will be released today at noon.

The full programme will be launched in May, set to include a host of exciting Festival firsts and one-off specials that will delight enthusiasts and entice new audiences.

The four acts whose tickets are released today will all perform at the Festival Theatre.

Tickets are available to the general public from today at 12 noon

Online at www.edinburghjazzfestival.com and via Festival Theatre on 0131 529 6000 or in person.

The Festival’s opening day, July 18, is recognised worldwide as Mandela Day and has a special resonance this year. The Festival presents three of South Africa’s greatest musical acts

Revered pianist, Abdullah Ibrahim, opens the show. In the late 50s and early 60s, his group made the first South African jazz record and, for many years in exile, he was a torchbearer for South African music. He played at Nelson Mandela’s inauguration, and now in the year he celebrates his 80^th birthday, he will headline at Carnegie Hall in New York and The Royal Festival Hall in London. Following up are Freshlyground, the high-energy band whose official song of the World Cup in 2010 underlined their status as the musical voice of a nation’s adolescent democracy; and closing the show are the legendary Mahotella Queens who have been South Africa’s most popular singing group for 50 years. They have played all the major world stages and were featured in London’s Hyde Park for the Queen’s Jubilee Celebrations in 2012.

On Sunday 20 July at 7.30pm the undisputed king of boogie-woogie, swing, and R’n’B, Jools Holland is back with his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra and an all-star line-up including long time vocal partners Ruby Turner and Louise Marshall, and this year a much-anticipated guest performance by Spice Girl, Melanie C.

Legendary singer-songwriter Van Morrison will light up the stage on Tuesday 22 July at 8pm. Morrison grew up listening to artists such as Ray Charles and Solomon Burke, as well as Woody Guthrie, Muddy Waters and Charlie Parker, courtesy of his father’s record collection. These artists made a real impact on his work, and much of his music has been influenced by the Celtic tradition and jazz as well as soul music and R’n’B. He’ll play music from across his huge back catalogue, plus blues classics, an odd jazz standard, and music from his recent CD, Born To Sing.

Rock ‘n’ roll icon, former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman brings his star power to Edinburgh on Sunday 27 July at 8pm. His musical rebirth as the driving force behind the fabulous Rhythm Kings sees him return to his musical roots, bringing back to life the kind of classic rhythm and blues that first inspired Wyman to pick up the guitar as a teenager.  Wyman’s all-star band will be joined by the original Average White Band singer and guitarist, Hamish Stuart, featured for many years with Paul McCartney.

The packed programme of world-class acts to be released in full in May includes an international jazz supergroup the Mike Stern/Bill Evans Band featuring Dennis Chambers; the Edinburgh debut of Grammy-nominated trumpeter and composer Christian Scott; the popular return, with his exceptional big band, of Chris Barber; and getting the party started with their old style jazz and blues-fuelled stage presence, Davina and the Vagabonds.

There will be a programme of special projects funded by the Scottish Government’s EXPO fund and a reprise of the Tron Kirk Festival Club, which proved to be a big hit in its introductory year last year. The two free events organized by the Jazz & Blues Festival – The Mardi Gras and the Edinburgh Festival Carnival – will take place on the 19 and 20 July respectively.

Police are appealing for witnesses following two indecent assaults in the Leith area of the city in the early hours of this morning (14th April), which are being treated as linked.

The first incident happened around 12:15am on Easter Road when a 30 year old woman was putting a rubbish bag out onto the street. She was approached by the suspect, who then grabbed her and followed her back to her flat. He ran off after the victim raised the alarm, and was lost to sight as he headed onto the cycle path behind Leith Academy.

The second incident happened around 1am on Henderson Street when a 23 year old woman was alighting from a bus. As she walked towards Giles Street, the suspect approached her, grabbed her with both arms and indecently assaulted her. She managed to scream for help and he was disturbed by a witness in a neighbouring property.

The suspect is described as white, 6ft tall, slim to medium build, 20 to 30 years old, short blond hair, wearing a dark grey coloured jacket, possibly with a hood, dark jean and a German or Easter European accent.

Detective Inspector Morag Bruce said: “Incidents like these are extremely rare, but the victims were left shaken and distressed.

If anyone has any information or recognizes the description of the suspect, they are urged to contact police immediately.”

Police are appealing to anyone with information that can assist their inquiries to contact Police Scotland on 101, or Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 555 111.

COSTA MORNINGSIDE TRIALS EXCLUSIVE COFFEE MASTERCLASS LED BY INTERNATIONAL COFFEE CONNOISSEURS

• To celebrate UK Coffee Week 7-13 April 2014, Costa, the nation’s favourite coffee shop, launched an exclusive Coffee Masterclass programme at selected stores across the nation
• Costa Morningside store in Edinburgh held a Coffee Masterclass for its customers on Friday evening

• Portuguese barista extraordinaire Gisela Dos Santos, led the hour-long taster session alongside colleagues from Gibraltar and Italy

For many coffee lovers, UK Coffee Week is considered as an annual highlight – and this year is no different. Thankfully, coffee connoisseurs didn’t have far to go for the ultimate experience to indulge their coffee passion.

To celebrate UK Coffee Week, the nation’s favourite coffee shop, Costa, has launched an exclusive Coffee Masterclass trial for a handful of customers in Morningside, Edinburgh

Customers who attended the Coffee Masterclass at Costa’s Morningside store were treated to a hands-on tutorial with Gisela Dos Santos, who joined Costa in Edinburgh having relocated from a store in Portugal. Tipped as one of Costa’s brightest stars, Gisela Dos Santos treated her guests to an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Costa; hints and tips on crafting the perfect drink as well as providing guests with the opportunity to brush up on their knowledge of Costa’s famous Mocha-Italia blend.

Gisela Dos Santos also rounded up the evening by teaching her guests to make their favourite drink. Gisela was joined at the coffee shop by Gibraltan store manager Arcon Patron and Italian barista Enrique Servrse.

Gisela Dos Santos said: “It was fantastic that we had the opportunity to share our knowledge with our customers. It was a real privilege to speak to our guests about our world famous Mocha-Italia blend – some were astounded as to how much work goes into creating the perfect blend, from sourcing our beans to the serving process, it’s our expertise which make a cup of coffee, a Costa cup of coffee!”

Costa’s Master of Coffee, Gennaro Pelliccia said: “We’re delighted to have created an opportunity to share our passion for coffee with our coffee loving customers. At this stage we wanted to trial our Masterclasses at select stores, but given its success we’ll hopefully look to roll this out on a larger scale for next year’s UK Coffee Week.”

Submitted by Nathalie Agnew

This Easter Edinburgh Zoo’s Discovery and Learning department is working in partnership with Edinburgh City Council to provide a unique day out for children from Edinburgh’s Drylaw, Wester Hailes, Sighthill, Craigmillar and Leith communities.

The Zoo Explorers programme offers children aged between eight and 12 years old the chance to spend a day at the Zoo, combining a fun day out with extended access to educational facilities. The Council worked with youth groups, community centres and development workers within four key areas of Edinburgh to invite a total of 96 children to take part in Zoo Explorers.

As part of their day out, the children will make enrichment for the Zoo’s animals, such as sun bears, banteng, monkeys and big cats, and then watch as the animals enjoy their treats. They also get to experience a hands-on meet and greet with some presentations animals including Dillon the three-banded armadillo and the Zoo’s group of giant African land snails.

Amy Cox, Senior Education Officer for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), the charity that owns and operates Edinburgh Zoo, said:

“We are delighted to work with Edinburgh City Council to bring children to the Zoo who otherwise may not have the opportunity. This is the second year we have run Zoo Explorers and the feedback we receive from the kids is fantastic. They especially love the hands on element, where they get to make various types of enrichment for our animals, like filling boxes with scented hay, and then watching the animals forage and play. Our giant African land snails, which can be longer than a child’s hand, and Dillon the armadillo are star attractions during the animal meet and greets.

Councillor Paul Godzik, Education Convener for The City of Edinburgh Council, said:
“The Council’s partnership programme with Edinburgh Zoo has enabled these children to have a unique day out. Across the year, the Council provides young people from different communities with access to a range of positive experiences such as learning about the life of a zookeeper. We support this service through contracts and grants and the Capital Coalition is determined to provide fair access to the best that Edinburgh has to offer, helping to ensure every child has the best start in life.”

RZSS runs a variety of educational workshops and outreach programmes with schools and groups all around Scotland with the aim of increasing awareness about the importance of conservation as well as to inspire the next generation into action. Funding received by players of People’s Postcode Lottery assists in the Society’s educational aims, including the Zoo Explorers programme.

Hazel Johnstone, Trusts Manager at People’s Postcode Lottery, said:

“I am pleased that the funding received from players of People’s Postcode Lottery is helping to further expand the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s educational projects both onsite and around Scotland.”

Zoo Explorers runs until Thursday 17 April.

LADIES’ LIFESTYLE EVENT POUT RETURNS TO THE CORN EXCHANGE

The award-winning ladies’ lifestyle event Pout is returning to the Corn Exchange in September.

The annual event, launched in 2012, has proven a huge success with a range of Edinburgh retailers – with national brands such as Debenhams and SemiChem and local bespoke, boutique retailers such as Odyssey Boutique, wo:mankind and Norton House Spa.

The weekend event, being held on September 27^th and 28^th, welcomed 3000 women last year and is targeted at aspirational women living in Edinburgh and the Lothians.

Neil Rudram, Sales and Marketing Manager at the Corn Exchange, said:

“Pout is a fantastic event which, despite its brief history, has already become a key date in the calendar for women of all ages in the region. In 2012, 2000 women enjoyed the weekend and this figure jumped to 3000 in 2013. We are confident this year will be even bigger and better than ever.

“It is great to be able to showcase the vast array of beauty and lifestyle businesses Edinburgh and the Lothians has to offer and bring them all under one roof for a weekend of indulgent pampering.

“This is a great opportunity for businesses of all sizes to connect with thousands of women who are eager to hear how they can treat themselves and their friends and family locally.”

The Corn Exchange is currently building its menu of exhibitors and treatments for the September weekend as well as exploring sponsorship and partnership options.

For more information, contact Neil on neil.rudram@ece.uk.com or 0131 477 3500.

With only 100 days to go until the start of the Commonwealth Games, the City of Edinburgh Council and Dance Base are urging residents to show their online support for Scotland’s second teams for the chance to win tickets to Glasgow 2014 events.

The Support a 2nd Team programme, which is led by sportscotland, aims to encourage local communities to engage with the cultures of the Commonwealth and develop links with their nations and territories.

The City of Edinburgh Council and Active Schools is encouraging everyone to join in the fun by learning and performing the first ever ‘virtual flashmob Haka’.

To kick off the celebrations, a flashmob of young people took to the streets of the Grassmarket this afternoon to demonstrate their support for Edinburgh’s second team New Zealand in the 100 day run up to Glasgow 2014. The flashmob members, who performed their own version of the famous Maori ‘Haka’ dance and chant outside Dance Base, joined from Edinburgh Active Schools and community sports hubs.

Schools, community groups, clubs and businesses are encouraged to learn the moves and chants with a simple follow-along tutorial video. Groups can film their flashmob and send it to haka@dancebase.co.uk for inclusion in a final ‘virtual flashmob’ video which will be launched in July in time for the Commonwealth Games. The Virtual Flashmob Haka has been created by Dance Base and New Zealand dance company Taki Maori as part of the nationwide dance project Get Scotland Dancing, supported by Culture 2014.

Running alongside the virtual Haka competition, Edinburgh Council’s ActivCity hub for sport and physical activity is putting residents’ Commonwealth knowledge to the test by encouraging people to guess the name of the Capital’s ‘other’ second team for the chance to win further Commonwealth tickets. Social media followers can enter the competition by sending their responses as a direct message with the hashtag #Edinburgh2ndTeams to the @ActiveEdinburgh Twitter account, the social media hub for sport and fitness news in Edinburgh.

Edinburgh’s Festival and Events Champion, Councillor Steve Cardownie, said: “The countdown to the games is on and with just 100 days to go, I hope people will feel motivated to get involved and show their support for the Games and Edinburgh’s second teams.

“The Council’s team of Active Schools Co-ordinators encourage young people across the city to be excited by sport and more physically active. Based in schools across the Capital, they provide opportunities and motivation and it’s fitting that we have teamed up with Dancebase to offer everyone the chance to join in Edinburgh’s build up to the Commonwealth Games fun.”

The Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop, said: “With just 100 days to go until the Commonwealth Games begin, everyone has a role in making Scotland shine even brighter this summer – when Scotland takes centre stage and we can show the world it’s a great place to live, work and invest.

“Get Scotland Dancing is one of the government-supported legacy projects for the 2014 Commonwealth Games and a cornerstone of the Cultural Programme.  It aims to create a lasting dance legacy for communities across Scotland, widening access to dance and strengthening the sector for the long-term.

“The Virtual Flash Mob is a fantastic way for local people to get involved in dance, get active and try something new while learning about New Zealand culture at the same time. It’s an innovative way of local people coming together and creating and celebrating their own legacy from the Games, and I’m pleased that through legacy programmes such as Community Sports Hubs, Get Scotland Dancing and Support a Second Team have inspired this to happen.”

Leading legal, financial and property specialist Pagan Osborne has announced several key promotions and appointments as it continues to develop its business and operations throughout Edinburgh and Fife.

The company has appointed Karen Turner as its Property Sales Director. Karen has over 20 years’ experience in the property industry previously holding senior positions at Balfour & Manson and Morton Fraser. Her role will include strategic and operational management of Pagan Osborne’s property shops and services in Edinburgh, Cupar, St Andrews and Anstruther. She said:

“I am looking forward to working with Pagan Osborne and using the skills and experiences I have built to date channelling those into its great property business.

“Pagan Osborne is a dynamic legal company and there is already a fantastic team in place who I will relish the opportunity to work alongside while we continue to develop the property offering.”

Also joining the board of directors is Audrey Dishington, previously an associate at Pagan Osborne. Audrey has been appointed Client Development Director and Partner and is tasked with managing the delivery of legal services. She will further develop the client-focussed, knowledgeable team with an emphasis on new client service innovations. Audrey joined Pagan Osborne 18 years ago in the letting department and has developed her career within the business since then. She said:

“I am delighted to take on the challenge of my new position at Pagan Osborne. Throughout the course of my career I have been part of the business evolving to meet the needs of our clients and my new position will allow me to lead our great team of specialists with that expertise and knowledge.”

Private Client Partner Elizabeth Calderwood will join Audrey and Karen on the board as Shareholder Representative, alongside Alan Irvine as Non-executive Director. Alan has been working as a consultant with Pagan Osborne supporting the management team with an organisational and strategic review of the business and will continue to deliver his external insight in this new role.

Alistair Morris, Chief Executive of Pagan Osborne, said:

“As part of a wider review of our business operations, we are delighted to announce these key appointments to our senior team. Karen Turner has built a stellar reputation in the property industry over two decades and brings with her fantastic knowledge and insight. The additional appointment of Alan Irvine, alongside Elizabeth Calderwood’s new position, will bring invaluable client service experience  and balance to our management board.

“As a company, we have a strong belief that people are our greatest asset and Audrey’s rise through the business is a shining example of this commitment to everyone at   Pagan Osborne .”

As part of the organisational review further key promotions have also been made throughout other teams. In the property team, Lyndsey Beckwith and Stuart Brown of the Edinburgh sales office have been promoted to Senior Negotiator and Valuer respectively. Linda Black has been promoted to Head of Property Sales and Letting Fife, Elspeth Rhind to Letting Supervisor, Jen Montgomery to Letting Agent and Katy Lee to Trainee Negotiator.

In addition, Elaine Del Valle is now an associate and Alex Reynolds has been promoted to Senior Marketing Executive.

Alistair Morris added:

“These positive changes are a great way for us to develop our business and continue to evolve so as to best respond to our clients’ needs.

“In an ever-changing marketplace we know we cannot rest on our laurels but need to keep pace with and exceed our clients’ expectations.  That is why I am delighted we are in a position to be able to expand and diversify our top level management with a mixture of home grown talent and outside expertise.

“I am confident that these additions and promotions, along with developments in the wider business, will give us the strategic momentum needed to continue providing a first class service to our clients.”

A further six appointments have been made recently. Isla Horsburgh and Helen Moist join the Fife team as Open Letting Agents. Amy Alexander joins Pagan Osborne as a newly qualified solicitor and Rebecca Marshall and Helen Nicoll as paralegals in the conveyancing department. The business has also appointed Chris Duff as IT Systems Analyst.

Pagan Osborne recently moved its Edinburgh office to a new location on George Street and has invested in significant improvements to its property branches in in St Andrews.

Pagan Osborne has six offices across Edinburgh and Fife and over 100 members of staff.

For more information visit www.paganosborne.com.

The Edinburgh Riding of the Marches will this year commemorate the 100^th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War. In partnership with leading veterans’ charity Poppyscotland, over 300 riders led by the Edinburgh Captain, Captains Lass and the First and Second Officers will inspect the city boundaries emblazoned with poppys on their saddlecloths.  At the conclusion of the ride, a minute silence will be held at the Mercat Cross and wreath laid at the war memorial at the City Chambers.

The Edinburgh Riding of the Marches takes place on Sunday 7 September 2014 and will involve representatives from the 30 riding towns of Scotland from as far afield as Shetland in the north to Annan in the south.  The event attracts around 15,000 spectators throughout the city.

The contribution to the First World War by horsemen and horses alike was profound.  In the region of 6,000 horsemen lost their lives in cavalry attacks and a further 16,000 were injured.  A total of 1 million horses were sent to the front with only 65,000 returning to Britain.  To this day, horses are still used within the military in ceremonial parades and in the rehabilitation of ex-servicemen.

Newly elected Edinburgh Captain Stuart Mitchell said “In this the 100^th year since the outbreak of the First World War, it is extremely important that we mark the contribution to the war effort by horsemen and their mounts and we are honoured to remember them at this years annual Riding of the Marches.  We hope that the people of Edinburgh will be able join us as we mark this solemn occasion”

The Riding of the Marches commemorates the tradition of inspecting the city’s boundaries first recorded in 1579, although the tradition is likely to have been carried out for centuries before.  In times of peace after the Union of Parliaments in 1707, the annual inspection ceased until 1946 when a ride was held to celebrate peace after the Second World War.  It returned in 2009 and has grown into one of the city’s major annual events.

Further information can be found at www.edinburghridingthemarches.co.uk

The final date for the tram launch is not yet officially set, and it seems clear that much more testing needs to be done before the drivers and the vehicles will deal with the public.

The Edinburgh Reporter was lucky enough to go on a journey from the city centre to the airport this morning to find out how near the launch date is.

Red Bull Hillchasers – Portraits of Italian Cinema – Granton Community Gardeners – Leith Community Crops in Pots – Easter Egg Hunt

On Saturday there was a great buzz about The Mound when the Red Bull Hillchasers took place. Our photo shows the winner, Michal Prokop, who cycled up the hill from bottom to top in 27.759 seconds. Just remember that when your bus is going up there today or you are on foot trying not to stop halfway to catch your breath.

More photos and video here.

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At the Italian Cultural Institute, 82 Nicolson Street, EH8 9EW Edinburgh College of Art is presenting Portraits of Italian Cinema, a collection of original portraits of some of the most famous figures in the history of Italian cinema.

People such as Sophia Loren and Federico Fellini feature in the art by students of ECA and a selection of Italian artists in Edinburgh.

Open from today till Wednesday  9-5pm Additional information here. 

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Granton Community Gardeners need a name for their new patch of garden opposite Lidl – Any ideas add them to their Facebook page please!

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Leith Community Crops in Pots say that they were inspired by this video of a TED talk. Their Mission Statement is “To encourage and support the people and organisations of Leith to grow food vegetables, and flowers for bees, in urban spaces, in order to improve health and well-being, community cohesion and environment.”

Maybe it will inspire others across the city to get growing!

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A bit of an unusual venue for an Easter Egg hunt – the Maid of the Forth plies up and down from the Hawes Pier in South Queensferry to Inchcolm Island and beyond. Book now!

2014 Easter Egg Hunt

As usual we will be holding our annual Easter Egg Hunt on Inchcolm over the Easter Weekend, lots of eggs hidden around the Abbey for you to find so make sure you book your tickets online here so you can join in the fun.

 

Thousands of volunteers across Scotland will be sowing golden sunflower seeds in public spaces throughout National Gardening Week which begins today to launch the 50^th anniversary celebrations of Britain in Bloom, which has been organised by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) since 2001.  The thing is that there are no registered events in Edinburgh! So if you have grown some lovely plants in your garden or allotment then please add photos of them to our photo board here!

Keep Scotland Beautiful, Scotland’s environmental charity, is a member of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Britain in Bloom Federation, delivering the community engagement campaigns – Beautiful Scotland and It’s Your Neighbourhood – in Scotland.

Sowing events are being held by community gardening groups across the country, reinforcing the ‘Growing for Gold’ theme of this year’s campaign.

The RHS is providing 500,000 pollinator – friendly sunflower seeds to RHS Britain in Bloom, It’s Your Neighbourhood and Campaign for School Gardening groups across the UK to start sowing during the week to brighten up public spaces. There are 148 Bloom groups (Beautiful Scotland and It’s Your Neighbourhood) in Scotland and 1,065 Campaign for School Gardening Schools.

RHS Community Horticulture Manager, Stephanie Eynon, said: “What better way to celebrate this huge anniversary for Britain than a mass planting of beautiful golden sunflowers. These gorgeous and uplifting plants have been known to grow an astonishing 20 feet high, which reflects the sort of spirit and drive we associate with RHS Britain in Bloom volunteers.”

Carole Noble, Head of Environmental Services at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “It is wonderful that the RHS is providing all of the Beautiful Scotland and RHS It’s Your Neighbourhood groups in Scotland with the opportunity to brighten up their local areas with golden displays, as part of the 50^thanniversary celebrations. It is a great way to thank these groups which work tirelessly to clean up and green up their local areas. Communities in Scotland can still register for this years’ campaigns until the end of April, and they can do this by emailing beautifulscotland@ksbscotland.org.uk for more details.”

Hundreds of events are taking place across Scotland throughout the week and many are designed to encourage children, parents and communities across the country to get together and plant the seeds in and around the school grounds, in local parks and community gardens.

There are a number of events taking place across Scotland throughout National Gardening Week.

• Powis Residents Group in Aberdeen is inviting partners and residents in the local community to get involved in a community clean-up day which will incorporate planting the sunflower seeds. The City of Glasgow College Transitions will be holding a public sowing event at Townhead Village Hall to add a touch of gold to a new community centre in Glasgow, with a new community orchard and garden.

• On 15 April a spring collection of rare and threatened trees are to be planted in parks and other important public open spaces in Perth & Kinross, beginning with a commemorative planting in Crieff’s McRosty Park 

• Every spring the Friends of the Barnhill Rock Garden, Dundee arrange a spring clean-up in the Garden which involves a litter-pick (usually by local Cub Scouts), a major tidying up of areas for which the group is responsible. This year the event will include planting snowdrops-in-the-green in the Snowdrop Wood, now part of the national Snowdrop Trail, and sunflower seeds in a bed beside the railway. It will start at 10am and finish at 2pm and the event includes refreshments provided by the Friends – a coffee break and soup and sandwiches at lunch time.http://www.barnhillrockgarden.org.uk.

RHS Britain in Bloom volunteers work all year round to make the UK a clean, green and beautiful place. Planting sunflowers across the country in celebration of RHS Britain in Bloom’s 50^th year will bring colour to the streets as well as provide vital food for pollinators this summer.

The story of Britain in Bloom began in 1964 when the tourist board wanted a way to market the country through floral displays. Since the RHS took over as the organising body in 2001, the focus of the campaign has widened to include helping the environment, strengthening communities and inspiring more people to get involved.

For more information on RHS Britain in Bloom visit www.rhs.org.uk/communities

More about the events taking place throughout National Gardening week can be found here.

Rugby by John Preece

As reported in the Sports section, Cardiff Blues beat Edinburgh on Friday 29-22 to climb up to ninth in the RaboDirect PRO12 table. However, the losing bonus point, gained by Edinburgh raised them by one place to seventh and in with a chance of European Cup rugby next season. With four matches left in the current season, they cannot now qualify for the play-offs, but can still move up a place, to sixth, if results go their way.

The 124th running of the Melrose Sevens took place on Saturday and The Edinburgh Reporter’s rugby man was nearly there. A ruptured piece of radiator hose prevented a live attendance so a summary will have to do…

As has been mentioned previously, all six of Edinburgh’s top rugby sides were playing and Watsonians, by dint of being second in the Border’s ‘King of the Sevens’ series, had a bye through to the second round.

Currie, Boroughmuir, Heriots and Edinburgh Accies all won through, with Stew-Mel going down to Currie.

The second round saw wins for Boroughmuir and Heriots, both beating invitational sides, while Currie were beaten by eventual winners, Glasgow Warriors. In the second last tie, Edinburgh Accies beat Watsonians to end the Myreside men’s hopes of getting further.

The quarter-final saw Heriots drawn against Boroughmuir and Accies playing Clermont. Heriots fought past ‘Muir in a thrilling 24-17 match, whilst the result of the day had to belong to Edinburgh Accies who put Clermont away to the tune of 35-12.

The semi-finals lined up with the Warriors against Heriots and Accies against home side, Melrose. Heriots started well, keeping their professional opponents in sight for all of a couple of minutes with an early try, before class, fitness, size, etc. won through and Glasgow went on to take the win 38-10, Heriots scoring another try late on.

In the other semi-final, Melrose were probably favourites to win, but Accies took a 17-0 lead before Melrose could answer with a score of their own. However, it was Accies all the way and the Raeburn Place men took the win, 22-5.

Accies v Warriors in the Final. Could they…..? Well… no. Warriors scored an early try, which Alex Blair replied to by selling an outrageous dummy to the Glasgow defence, but once Matawalu and his mates got into their stride, it was all but over by half time at 33-7. The second half was a bit of a, relative, disappointment with only one try apiece – Accies scoring first – to see the final whistle blown on a 40-14 scoreline.

So, at the end of the day, class won through and Glasgow Warriors were worthy Winners on this, their first year at Melrose.

Football

Hearts’ wait for a possible route to exit administration continues as creditors of major shareholder UBIG have agreed to transfer their 50% holding to BIDCO, but no deal has yet been reached regarding the 29% shares held by Ukio Bankas, which holds a charge on Tynecastle Stadium.

Talks will continue between lawyers representing the failed Lithuanian bank and Hearts’ administrators are expected to continue this week.

Hearts U20s saw off Kilmarnock U20s with a 3-0 win at Tynecastle on Saturday to advance through to the Final of the Scottish Youth Cup where they will face either Rangers or St Mirren.

A first half double for Dale Carrick and a goal from Sam Nicholson secured the victory in front of 1578 supporters.

Hearts: Hamilton; Paterson, Gordon, McGhee, L. Smith; King, Scott, Beith (Simpson, 88′), Nicholson (Flanagan, 85′); Oliver (Buchanan, 80′), Carrick. Subs: Sneddon, Ford.

Scottish Sun Lowland League

Spartans made another huge step towards the title following a 2-1 win away to Whitehill Welfare.

Steven Manson gave the home side the lead in the 24^th minute then just before half time Willie Bremner was brought down inside the box by Mike Bruce who was shown a yellow card rather than a red one despite denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity.

The prolific Keith McLeod fired the resultant penalty high into the net to level the scores with what was to be the last kick of the first half.

In the 71st minute Jack Beesley’s free kick found Willie Bremner at the back post. His header found John Grant who netted what proved to be the winner.

With time running out, Whitehill’s Gareth Thom was shown a straight red card for foul and abusive language towards the stand-side Assistant Ref.

Spartans held on for the win which means that only Vale of Leithen can prevent them winning the inaugural Lowland League title on goal difference.

Malt & Hops Man of the Match: Willie Bremner.

Elsewhere

Edinburgh City 4-0 Selkirk

Gretna 2008 1-2 Gala Fairydean Rovers

Vale of Leithen 4-0 Threave Rovers

Scottish Sun Lowland League Cup, Semi-Finals

Dalbeattie Star 1-3 Preston Athletic

East Kilbride 0-1 University of Stirling

East of Scotland League Central Taxis Premier Division

Heriot-Watt University 1-2 Coldstream

Lothian Thistle HV 3-2 Craigroyston

Stirling University 0-1 Civil Service Strollers

Tynecastle 3-2 Leith Athletic

East of Scotland League Central Taxis First Division

Berwick Rangers Reserves 1-1 Burntisland

Easthouses Lily MW 2-0 Kelso

Hawick Royal Albert 0-3 Hibernian

Peebles Rovers 1-1 Eyemouth United

Speedway

Scotwaste Monarchs scored a big win over Workington Comets at Armadale on Friday night by 55 to 38. Comets held in close during the first half of the meeting and Monarchs were just two points up after heat 8. Craig Cook scored a paid maximum and Josh Grajczonek top scored for the Comets. Derek Sneddon withdrew from the meeting after his second ride with a back injury.

Basketball

Clark Eriksson Fury retained their league title having gone all season unbeaten to be crowned Senior Men League winners for two years running.

Clark Eriksson Fury the U18 Men league title.

City of Edinburgh Kool Kats won both the Senior Women and U18 women league titles.

St Mirren West College Scotland won their third consecutive U16 women league title.

Dunfermline Reign took the U16 Men’s league title.

Hockey

As part of Scottish Hockey’s Legacy campaign, Hockey Generation, we are pleased to announce a new club element – Have a Go @ Hockey.

To assist clubs to take advantage of the increased interest anticipated around the Commonwealth Games, Scottish Hockey is offering club grants to support the delivery of introductory hockey events in July & August. This project is made possible due to support from the Award for All Lottery Funding.

Grants of £100 can be used for facility and coach costs at either adult or junior introductory events. All successful applicants will also receive publicity materials to help promote their event locally. The events must be separate to normal club activities and provide specifically for those new to the game (or with very limited experience). Adult sessions can incorporate ‘back to hockey’ as well as newcomers. The sessions should then provide a link to regular club activity.

Clubs may apply for up to 2 grants for 2 separate events where adults and juniors are being targeted separately. Multiple grants will only be provided where demand allows.

The grants are open to affiliated clubs, development groups and Districts. Applications for support must be submitted by Friday 2nd May and grant notifications will be made by 16th May. Where the number of applications received is greater than the grants available, support will be allocated based on a geographic balance and the strength of applications against the following criteria.

Proposed events should meet the following criteria:

•Must take place in July or August 2014.

•Must be delivered by qualified coaches.

•Preference will be given to clubs who cater for male, female and juniors (or who can provide linked activity in conjunction with other clubs).

•Provide a link to appropriate follow-on club activities.

•Must be aimed at newcomers to hockey.

•Must be new activity (not replacement funding for existing training or open day).

•Sessions should include skills introduction and games elements in a fun and relaxed environment. Junior sessions should follow the STIX model.

•Clubs must promote sessions locally (template resources will be provided).

•Clubs must provide session details to Scottish Hockey by 6th June for national promotion. All events will be listed in a national calendar on Scottish Hockey’s website.

•Successful applicants must complete a short online report following the activity.

In order to apply, download the short application form by Friday 2nd May and send it through to jamie.frail@scottish-hockey.org.uk

Photograph by John Preece

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

STEAK restaurant for lunch? No, this is not where you would immediately think to go in the middle of the day, so it was with a little trepidation that we ventured forth. It was, as it turns out, quite a good idea.

Yes, you have to be hungry, as the portions are fairly large for this time of the day, and the sides just too tempting to be ignored.  We set about the lunch menu looking for the light meal we are perhaps used to, but failed. That said, both of us had a first course and a main course, but simply could not sample the puddings as it would have been one step too far for mankind. But what we had was very good indeed.

The chicken and leek terrine was a bit of a surprise as I had not anticipated it would be served warm, but it was a lovely variation on a traditional combination. The apple and walnut salad was a little too large for my dining companion (who is a big eater!). The walnuts were candied which he found unusual though rather a nice compliment to the cheese.

True to say that the rump steak on offer on the fixed price menu is not the cut I would usually order, but nonetheless with its in-house seasoning (top secret so I have no idea what was in it!) it was really tasty, and although a rump steak is never ‘melt in the mouth’ in the way that a fillet steak is, it was actually quite tender.

We had a choice of main course here but it seemed wrong somehow to choose anything other than steak and chips (beautifully presented in a little saucepan of their own and piping hot).  As a side dish we were both were very enamoured with the parsnip macaroni cheese : something to try at home! The peas and leeks also served in a little long-handled saucepan were mouthwateringly fresh and delicious.

There is however a drawback to eating in an environment which is dimly lit with candles on the tables. It feels like evening, and you will not want to rush back to the office. So this makes Steak an ideal lunch venue for a group lunch where you may wish to linger (they have huge tables), or maybe the restaurant can do something to make the lighting more lunchtime friendly for those who do have to return to their desks?

Steak restaurant is offering a lunch menu  every day from 12-2.30pm 2 courses, starter & main, for what is a real bargain price of £9.95 . You can add a dessert for £3.50 or add a glass of house red/white for £3.50. A sample menu is shown below.

(Main photo courtesy of Chris Mackenzie Photography)

Mini Maker Faire – Breakfast with the bunny at Hard Rock  – Cycling event in August – Doug Allan talk – JD Fergusson exhibition

After a tremendously successful initial outing in 2013, Edinburgh Mini Maker Faire is coming back – this time bigger, shinier, and with more knobs on! Filled with novel gadgets, ingenious inventions, works-in-progress demonstrations and performances, exhibitions and interactive workshops, Edinburgh Mini Maker Faire will be a day-long celebration of maker culture at Summerhall, showcasing invention, creativity and resourcefulness from across Edinburgh and beyond.

More details here.

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Hard Rock Cafes across the UK are getting in the Easter spirit hosting a ‘Breakfast With The Bunny’ morning on Sunday 20 April that promises to be a little bit of Easter fun all the family and friends will enjoy.

Hard Rock Cafe Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and London will be donning their bunny ears and inviting families to come along and enjoy some Easter fun and games including Easter egg hunts and Easter egg painting. Hard Rock Edinburgh will also have a magician to bring even more entertainment to the event.

The Easter Bunny will also be making an appearance to welcome children and families to the special breakfast at the Cafes.

Priced at just £7.95 for kids and £11.95 for adults, guests at ‘Breakfast With The Bunny’ will also get some tasty treats and sweets too!

Breakfast With The Bunny takes place at Hard Rock London, Manchester and Glasgow from 10am – 12noon and at Hard Rock Cafe Edinburgh from 12noon – 5pm.

For further information and to book tickets visit http://www.hardrock.com/

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Local charity It’s Good 2 Give are organising a cycling event in East Lothian which starts and finishes at Musselburgh Race Course. There are routes of various lengths from 3k for the toddlers to 47 or 73 miles for the others.

You can register here.

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At the Lyceum wildlife cameraman Doug Allan will be talking about his work. And he has worked with the best – on Blue Planet and Planet Earth with Sir David Attenborough for example.

“Join Doug for an unforgettable evening of extraordinary animal adventures and unique wildlife film footage.  Ask Doug questions about his encounters and travels, and discover what it’s like to be up close and personal with nature’s biggest creatures.”

Booking details here  

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The sunshine looks as though it might disappear by early afternoon according to the BBC Weather so if you are looking for something to do perhaps it should be indoors.

At the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art the JD Fergusson exhibition runs till 15 June 2014. Fergusson was an Edinburgh born painter who was born in Leith.

More details here.

Over 30 firefighters tackled a major blaze at a seven-storey office block which started on the ground floor of the building in Thistle Street Lane next to St Andrew Square yesterday just after 10.30am.

Nine appliances from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) attended the incident along with the Scottish Ambulance Service Specialist Operations Response Team and officers from Police Scotland after receiving a 999 call.

Firefighters with breathing apparatus entered the building to bring the blaze under control as traffic restrictions were put in place at North and South St David Street.

A joint investigation by SFRS and Police Scotland has been launched to establish the cause of the blaze.

No-one was injured.

This week a packed meeting at Murrayfield Stadium’s Thistle Suite listened to John Swinney MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, and Michelle Thomson from Business For Scotland argue the case for independence.

Speaking about the founding of Business in Scotland, an organisation representing over 1700 businesses, she said “When people talk about business, they really were coming from the bent of a large headquartered base of a global international or headquartered in London, but in Scottish terms 99.3% of our business are in the SME – small, medium enterprises – sector. Of them, about 98% are small – that is under 49 employees.

We’ve become used to hearing ‘business says’ when it’s not really reflecting our business community, so we felt it was important to have that voice.”

“We’re finding people with large businesses and micro business are joining us too – all attracted by the positive opportunities that independence for Scotland can bring.”

“What new markets and customer service proposition could I be targeting? How will I differentiate my business? What will have changed? What new country advantages might there be? And, what are the risks of not changing?”

She spoke of the ‘independence bounce’ as the eyes of the world look to Scotland afresh, and asked what message we want to send to the world.

“I have no shame in being ambitious” she said. “But I want that scope and vision for my country too.”

“When did ‘ok’ become ‘ok’? I want something much better for Scotland. It’s vitally important for our children.”

John Swinney spoke about how equivocation in the 1978 devolution vote cost Scotland dear, resulting in a fundamentally depressed economic climate and economic dislocation as industries were destroyed. Voting less than emphatically did Scotland absolutely no good whatsoever.

“Scotland endured policies with no protection in Westminster. We learned a hard lesson, and in 1997 voted emphatically for independence in a whole range of policy areas – the health service, justice, education, housing policies, local government.

Thanks to that vote, we have 100% control over these areas – and the Scottish people are happy with what we – and previous Scottish labour /liberal controlled parliaments have done.”

“Do we want to exercise the same degree of control over our economy? Defense? International relations and foreign affairs? Welfare?”

“We can deliver a better performance when we have the control ourselves. That’s the prospect this independence referendum offers us. We need to take this opportunity to take these decisions for the benefit of the Scottish people.”

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http://www.businessforscotland.co.uk/where-does-scotlands-wealth-go/

Submitted by Neil Hay

A group for independence-supporting Scots Asians are launching a new branch in Scotland’s capital.

Scots Asians for Yes is hosting a public meeting in Edinburgh on Monday 14 April with an array of speakers, including one of Scotland’s most prominent businesswomen and political figures who will tell the audience that our Asian communities should be ‘front and centre’ of the debate.

Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, an actress, lawyer and member of Yes Scotland’s advisory board said: ‘It’s time to put Scotland’s future into Scotland’s hands, so that, together, we can build a nation which works for all of us.

‘I want Scotland’s Asian communities to be front and centre in this debate. And I want to play my part in persuading them that not only is an independent Scotland possible, it’s the best and only opportunity we have to realise our hopes and our dreams for our families and our country.

‘I believe my four children and your children and grandchildren, will have a better life, and enjoy a better and more equal society, in an independent Scotland, caring for each other and their fellow citizens. That is a Scotland I want to live in, and my children to grow up in

’Scotland’s strength lies in its diversity. Migrant communities from across the world will play a crucial role in winning next year’s referendum and building a new, independent nation.’

Ms Ahmed-Sheikh will also be joined by the well-known human rights lawyer Aamer Anwar and grass roots campaigner Jonathon Shafi.

Mr Shafi, a member of the Radical Independence Campaign said: ’Independence is a chance for our society as a whole to embrace diversity. We have seen nothing but fear and division come from Westminster, from immigration vans to illegal wars.

‘This event marks another staging post in the growing campaign for a Yes vote. It’s an exciting time for all of us to be part of this historic movement and set about developing a modern Scotland of many cultures.’

Scots Asians for Yes, Edinburgh launch
7-9pm, 14 April 2014
South Leith Halls,
6 Henderson Street
EH6 6BS

Submitted by Neil Hay

The Red Bull Hillchasers took on The Mound this evening. The weather was freezing, but the riders would not feel that we are sure. The race times were incredible, the buzz deafening at times, but sadly the whole route was not lined with spectators.

Most people were on the bend of the road, or at the top on Mound Place to get the best view, but there were large stretches where the barriers were in place but no crowds to cheer on the riders.

The men’s race was won by Michal Prokop in 27.579 seconds and Shenaze Reade won the women’s race in 30.567 so both races were won by the Red Bull riders. However there were amateurs in the race including Liam Monynihan who won last year and came a very close second in his baggy outfit this year!  The full results are in our photos below.

The City of Edinburgh Council supported this event with a contribution of £7,500.

We hope you like our photos and video of the action. It was fast and furious so we had to be too!

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Cardiff take the points in an exciting match at Meggetland

Meggetland was, once more, the venue for the latest round of the RaboDirect PRO12 League as Murrayfield goes through its transition to a hybrid pitch. Cardiff Blues were the visitors and, in a closely fought encounter, they took a narrow win over the home side in a match which also saw the return of Tim Visser after his lengthy lay-off with a broken leg.

Cardiff were first on the scoreboard with an early penalty from Gareth Davies, but Edinburgh’s Jack Cuthbert drew the sides level a couple of minutes later to bring a 3-3 scoreline just before the five minute mark. However, Edinburgh were to score the opening try. Winning lineout ball in the opposition half, quick recycle from a tackle on Gilchrist put Matt Scott through a hole in the defence (top) to touch down near the posts. Cuthbert stepped up for his second shot at goal and, on what was to be a fine night for the kickers, put the ball through to take Edinburgh into a 10-3 lead with about 10 minutes played.

It took Cardiff only 10 minutes to match the home side with a try in the right corner, following an overlap which got round the outside of the Edinburgh defence to put centre, Cory Allen over the line for the score. Davies then scored with the difficult conversion to draw the sides level at 10-10.

Cardiff were then soon on the points trail again. With another 10 minutes of play – which saw both sides creating chances – sustained pressure on the Edinburgh line told when Filo Paulo was ushered over to score Cardiff’s second try. Davies was once again accurate with the boot and the visitors were now 17-10 to the good. The remainder of the half saw no more scoring, so the players went into the break with Cardiff holding on to that seven point lead.

A lead which they extended after two minutes of the second half with another fine try down the left hand side of the pitch which saw full-back, Dan Fish over for the third Cardiff try on the night. With Davies again proving successful with a very difficult kick, Cardiff were now 24-10 ahead. Once again, Edinburgh launched a quick repost and forced the visitors back into their 22. With bodies flying in from all angles, the defence was soon overrun and wing, Tom Brown was the man in possession when they went over in the corner for Edinburgh’s second try. Cuthbert matched Davies with a fine conversion from near the touchline to bring the hosts to within a seven point margin at 24-17.

The next 25 minutes of the match were to prove scoreless, with Cardiff possibly just shading the possession and territory stats, but Edinburgh more than holding their own. Until five minutes from time, at least. With Edinburgh desperately defending their line, substitute wing, Dafydd Hewitt broke through for Cardiff’s fourth, and bonus point, try. This time Davies put his kick wide, but the gap had increased to 12 points at 29-17.

Not to be outdone, Edinburgh spent the final few minutes hammering away at the visitors’ line and the pressure eventually told as Cornell Du Preez was forced over the line in the corner, with a bit of ‘help’ from Visser, in the eightieth minute. In the absence of any video help, the referee had to turn to one of his assistants to confirm the score. Now 29-22, Cuthbert hit the bar with his conversion attempt to round off the match with the win going to Cardiff and Edinburgh having to settle for a losing bonus point.

It was a bonus point which put Edinburgh into seventh place in the table, being level on points with Connacht before the match. A heavy defeat for Connacht to Ulster helped the cause and the home side are now in a better position to qualify for the new European Rugby Champions Cup, the details of which can be pondered over here. Good luck……

Images from the match will be uploaded to here over the next few days.  

Police appealing for witnesses following a racially-motivated serious assault which took place around 5.10pm yesterday in Cargil Terrace.

A 38-year-old man, who is originally from Zimbabwe, was driving his car on Granton Road when a group of men within another vehicle began shouting racist remarks towards him.

Both vehicles then travelled in the same direction into Cargil Terrace where the altercation continued, resulting in the victim being physically assaulted in the street.

The suspects made off and an ambulance was contacted for the man, who suffered a serious facial injury during the attack.

Police Scotland received an excellent response from the public in the area at the time of the incident and are keen for any additional witnesses to come forward and assist with their enquiries.

The males are all described as being white, late teens to mid-twenties and wearing jeans and casual clothing.

Detective Sergeant Mike Leask said: “The victim was first subjected to verbal abuse before being attacked and sustaining serious facial injuries.

“I would like to thank the witnesses that have assisted police with our enquiries and would urge any additional members of the public who witnessed the assault to contact police immediately and help us trace those responsible.

“In addition, anyone with any further information relevant to this investigation is also asked to get in touch.”

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

Today with just 50 days to go until the UK’s annual get-together for neighbours, The Big Lunch is urging everyone across Edinburgh to get involved in this year’s event on Sunday 1 June.

The Big Lunch is a very simple idea from the Eden Project. The aim of the Lottery-funded event, which is now in its sixth year, is to get as many of the 63 million people in the UK as possible to have lunch with their neighbours once a year.  Free packs can be requested online, they include posters, invitations, an inspiration booklet and other materials to help organise your Big Lunch, so there’s no excuse for Edinburgh residents not to get their community together for a day of friendship, community and fun this June.

Not started planning yet? Don’t worry, there is plenty of time; Big Lunches can be big or small and can take place on a street, garden or community space, anywhere where neighbours can get together.

Getting your own Big Lunch off the ground is simple and inexpensive, people are the key ingredient, with those taking part creating friendlier communities in which they start to share more, from conversation and ideas to skills and resources. With 50 days to go, there’s still time to contact your local council to apply for road closures with many tips for doing so available online at www.thebiglunch.com.  In fact, organising a Big Lunch is easier than you think; all you need to do is follow a few simple steps:

1.    Settle on a venue, anywhere from a street to a garden or local community space

2.    If you’re planning a street party, don’t forget to apply to close your road (contact your local council for advice)

3.    Invite your neighbours, with free invitations available in your Big Lunch pack Decide on who will bring what food, such as a bring-your-own picnic or a barbeque

4.    Arrange your decorations and music, bunting templates are also included in the pack.

Robert Scott from Edinburgh, helped organise a Big Lunch for his local community last year and is urging others in the area to get involved. He said:-“It was a fantastic day for the community.  We had around 300 people there and it was great to see everyone just coming together and getting to know each other or catching up with old friends. We want to put on more of these events in the future as gathering the community together like this rarely happens in the post-modern world we live in today.  Gathering people together can have so many benefits, from chatting to neighbours people have not met before to helping people come out of their comfort zones and try something new, especially for those who may be living on their own, or who are socially isolated.”

So what are the benefits of having a Big Lunch?  Research from The Big Lunch showed that over 60% of organisers say having an event in their community made them feel less isolated and 86% of the 3.65 million people that took part in last year’s Big Lunch reported a positive long term effect in their neighbourhood as a result.

Emily Watts, Communications Manager for The Big Lunch in Scotland said:- “The Big Lunch is all about getting together and having fun. It doesn’t have to be a big event, even a small get-together in your garden or on your street is a great way to get neighbours talking, sharing conversation, skills, resources – and, of course, the vital ingredient – food! It’s not too late to take part in this year’s event on 1 June so why not sign up now for your free pack and get your own event started!”

Peter Ainsworth, Chair of BIG, explains: “It was inspiring to see so many communities coming together in 2013 over a bite to eat whilst enjoying their Big Lunch.  The Big Lunch is a great way of helping people develop a much stronger sense of local community. That’s what the Big Lottery Fund is proud to be supporting again in 2014.”

The Big Lunch is funded by the Big Lottery Fund and partnered by Halifax, ASDA and StreetClub by B&Q. Big Lunches can be big or small and they don’t need to cost much because everyone brings something to the table.

People are the key ingredient!

The family of Ian Smollet, who died following a collision on the M8 on Thursday 10th April have paid tribute to him.

In a statement release through Police Scotland they said: “Ian was a caring and loving husband, an amazing dad and will be missed immensely.

“We would ask that the media respect our privacy at this difficult time and allow us to grieve in private.”

Lord Provost takes up jogging – Neil Gaiman at the Usher Hall – Our Dynamic Earth – The Kelpies – At The Filmhouse today

The Council Leader Andrew Burns is running the Edinburgh Marathon, but meanwhile the Lord Provost is in training for the 5K at the Edinburgh Marathon Festival in May 2014.

He explains all about his training programme here on his blog, but we have a clip of the Lord Provost in the boxing ring with Bradley Welsh who is mentioned in his blog. Bradley is undertaking his own fundraising challenge.

So now you can perhaps decide if any of these sporting endeavours might be worthy of a wee donation. All good causes!

Just Giving pages can be found here

Andrew Burns

Bradley Welsh

Lord Provost

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In a revolutionary new concept of synchronised multi-media storytelling, Neil Gaiman will read aloud his story The Truth Is A Cave In The Black Mountains at an event in The Usher Hall this year. The renowned artist Eddie Campbell (best-known for his illustrations to Alan Moore’s From Hell) has illustrated the story and the FourPlay String Quartet have created an entirely new underscore to the piece, which they play live.

More details and booking here.

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This Easter marks a new beginning for Edinburgh’s Our Dynamic Earth, with the opening of the biggest redevelopment in the attraction’s history.  Following a £1m investment, the iconic attraction is launching three new permanent galleries, two celebrating the legacy of one of Scotland’s most influential scientists, James Hutton, and a brand new time machine offering the experience of falling through time. ‘Scotland’s Time Lords’ will use the full might of creative technology and interactive exhibits to bring Hutton and his theories on the earth’s evolution to life.  Visitors will see talking portraits, animated blackboards, a giant illuminated globe and a bookcase magically transformed by creative projection, before entering the brand new time machine, and taking a dramatic journey back into deep time.

More details here.

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We just love the Kelpies. We do know that they are not in Edinburgh, but here is the Edinburgh connection. If you saw the film we published yesterday by Walid Salhab, master of the time lapse, then you will know that he is a lecturer at Queen Margaret University. If not then here it is here again!

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The Lunchbox is showing at The Filmhouse today. This tweet probably sums it up!

Fancy a film full of sadness, hope and food? Then try The Lunchbox @Filmhouse. Guaranteed no CGI and it’s lovely. You’ll smile.

— Obsolesence (@Obsolesence) April 11, 2014

Booking details here.

STRANGERS IN OUR OWN LIVES: AN EVENING of CULTURAL EXCHANGE

The British Council, LTI Korea and LBF Korea are currently sponsoring an 18 month exchange programme between the UK and South Korea. At the Central Library on Thursday evening, writers Kim Insuk and Han Kang took the stage with Glasgow’s own Karen Campbell to discuss themes of the individual, social alienation and migration. The discussion was chaired by BBC Arts Producer, Serena Field.

Kim Insuk has won all three major Korean literary awards in the course of her career. She is part of Korea’s ‘386 generation’ – people born in the 1960s, who became students in the 1980s and who were in their thirties when the term was invented fifteen years ago. The 1980s were a very difficult time in Korea – a military dictatorship was in power, and Insuk recalled that students spent more time protesting than studying. Her most painful and powerful memory of those years was seeing a friend set fire to himself; as she watched him die slowly in hospital, she asked herself ‘what more can I do to after this?’ – yet she knew she had to do something, and that literature had to play its part in attacking the injustices in society. This gave her a very clear remit.

The democratic election of a president in 1987 led to a huge feeling of positive energy in Korean society; young people believed that they could do great things, but as they have aged, Insuk feels they have become complacent and part of the ‘old guard’ themselves. Korean society has changed beyond measure, and at a speed never seen in the West. Insuk has to work harder to find the themes for her writing, and has become interested in how individuals become alienated from society. Her story ‘Long Road’ is about a member of the 386 generation who, disillusioned with Korean life, emigrates illegally to Australia. Emigration and alienation are traditional themes in Korean literature; Insuk is, however, more interested in how an individual may alienate himself from society than in how gaps in income levels and the modernisation of society may alienate him. Korean writing is now focusing on immigrants to the country and also considering the position of Koreans returning to Korea after growing up overseas, who may feel alienated in their own homeland.

Han Kang, a professor of creative writing in Seoul, is younger than the 386 generation, but still remembers the 1980s; she was aware of the Gwangu Massacre (in which up to 169 people may have died in protests against the military government), and from childhood she questioned how people could do such terrible things to their fellow men. She writes to ask questions not to offer solutions, and says that she could not have started writing if she had felt that other writers had all the answers. Her novel ‘The Vegetarian’ is about a girl who decides to live without harming others; she eventually believes she is a plant, and starts to starve herself to death. Meat-eating is used as a symbol for man’s violence and cruelty – Kang poses the question, is it possible to live without causing any harm at all, or will this in itself cause harm? What is the individual’s role in society?

Karen Campbell’s new book ‘This is where I am’ looks at alienation through the life of Abdi, a Somalian refugee in Glasgow and his mentor, Deborah. Although Karen has previously written crime novels, all of her work has been about identity; she writes about facades, what goes on behind closed doors and behind our personal barriers. Just as people have preconceptions about police officers, so they make assumptions about refugees – people don’t have the time or interest to challenge this social shorthand.
Karen seeks to show how a person away from their own home can become an infantilised, truncated version of themselves – they may be defined by the word ‘refugee’, and feel that they can only share a small part of their lives with strangers. We can all choose the identities that we present to the world, but refugees may have far more baggage and far less chance to unload it. They may also find it too painful to speak about their experiences, especially to someone like Deborah, a woman volunteering for a charity and who has been told to keep some emotional distance.

With this new novel, Karen has had her best ever reader response – she was heartened to hear that the members of a rather conservative book group reported that it had ‘made us look at refugees in a different light.’

This was a fascinating and thought provoking evening. The British Council is hoping to arrange further collaborations between the two countries before the programme ends in October 2014.

https://www.londonbookfair.co.uk/whats-on/interest-area/korea-market-focus/
http://www.klti.or.kr/e_main.do

Submitted by Rosemary Kaye

SOOR PLOOMS AND SAIR KNEES – AN EXHIBITION OF THE WORK OF BOB DEWAR

For anyone who grew up in 1940s small town Scotland, Bob Dewar’s new exhibition at the Doubtfire Gallery will be a real treat. For someone like me, who grew up in suburban London some years later, it is still an absolute delight.

Dewar is a highly successful illustrator and cartoonist (and husband of the writer, Isla Dewar); he’s drawn for the Scottish Field, the OUP, the Scotsman and Birlinn Books, but this is his first ever exhibition. His pictures are witty, nostalgic and beautifully drawn, and remind us of everything from the rag & bone man to wet and windy caravan holidays in Largs.

It’s all there – the extended family huddled round the brand new black and white TV set (when did your family last watch one TV en masse?), the coalman, the chimney sweep, the comics, the sweetshops – I guarantee that cries of ‘I remember that!’ will echo forth from anyone over 40, because for many years things just did not change. The gallery owner has even kindly provided a bowl of soor plums.

‘Soor Plooms and Sair Knees’ is on at the Doubtfire Gallery, 3 South East Circus Place, Edinburgh until 26th April, and is open Monday to Saturday 10-5

Submitted by Rosemary Kaye

A man has been arrested, charged and appeared in court for over 40 bogus workmen offences after targeting a number of residents in Edinburgh.

In total, 14 homeowners in the Currie, Balerno and other areas in the west of the Capital were visited and over-charged for substandard work, which was carried out on their properties.

As a result, a large five-figure sum of cash was extorted from victims.

The 23-year-old was identified as part of Operation Monarda – a new partnership initiative to tackle doorstep crime across Scotland.

After being detained on Tuesday 8th April, he appeared at court the following day in connection with 44 crimes and has been remanded in custody.

Police also seized a number of the man’s assets and have applied for a six-figure sum of cash to be forfeited under Proceeds of Crime legislation.

Another man, aged 47, has also been reported to the Procurator Fiscal in relation to these offences.

Police Scotland, Trading Standards and other partners are assuring the public they are committed to identifying those responsible for doorstep crime and bringing them to justice.

Chief Superintendent Mark Williams, Divisional Commander of Edinburgh City Division said:

“Doorstep crime can affect anyone within our local communities, but we are aware that in particular the over 60’s can be targeted due to a perceived vulnerability.

“Those who commit such crimes, like bogus callers and rogue traders, are extremely convincing in how they approach and interact with potential victims. Anyone can be convinced by the lies these criminals create.

“If you are aware of any suspicious activity taking place at the home of a neighbour, friend or family member then please contact police immediately.”

A spokesperson from Trading Standards Scotland said: “Doorstep crime remains the number one priority for Trading Standards services in Scotland and we are committed to working with our partners to tackle this unscrupulous crime.

“Unfortunately, doorstep crime still remains vastly under reported and we strongly encourage victims, potential victims and their families and friends to report any suspicions they have immediately.”

Please report any suspicious activity to Police on 101, or your local Trading Standards department. If the person refuses to leave your door, or you feel threatened or scared – call 999 and ask for the Police.

The Mound will be transformed this weekend for Red Bull Hill Chasers 2014 

Hundreds of cyclists will descend on Edinburgh this weekend, Saturday 12 April, for Scotland’s Red Bull Hill Chasers 2014 – the UK’s only multi-discipline uphill cycling race, which will see the city’s historic The Mound transformed into a gruelling race track for one night only.

Once again the race is open to the public, attracting thousands of spectators to cheer on competitors from the sidelines.  Last year’s epic race saw 5,000 people take to the capital’s Grassmarket to support professional and local cycling heroes, and this year is expected to be no different.  Big name professionals from the cycling world are set to attend once again including three times World BMX Racing champion Shanaze Reade and three times World Four-X World Champion Michal Prokopp, lined up to take part and ride against some of the country’s fastest amateur cyclists.

Now in its fourth year, having previously been held in Bristol and Malaysia, the unique urban event will see cycling enthusiasts from BMX, mountain bike, road cycling and fixed-gear disciplines battle it out in an individual, timed hill sprint to prove that their discipline is the fastest and to qualify for the main event.

The fastest riders from qualifiers will be selected for the main event where they will go up against 10 of World’s most elite cycling legends in a bid to be crowned Red Bull Hill Chasers 2014 ‘King of the Hill’ with a chance to win prizes provided by Charge Bikes.

Councillor Steve Cardownie, Festival & Events Champion, City of Edinburgh Council, said:  “We were delighted when the Red Bull Hill Chasers challenge decided to make a return to Edinburgh following the huge success of the sprint in the Grassmarket last year. More than 5,000 onlookers took to the streets to watch the 2013 race and I urge cyclists and sport fans from across the Capital to make sure they don’t miss the excitement at the Mound this Saturday night.”

Red Bull Hill Chasers qualifying rounds will be held from 10am tomorrow morning with the main event setting off at 7pm.

For further information please visit: www.redbull.co.uk/hillchasers