Rugby by John Preece

Scotland’s Seven-a-Side team won the Bowl final in the Hong Kong round of the HSBC World Sevens Series by beating France 31-5 in the final. On their way to the final, they beat Kenya 26-12 and Argentina 24-12 in the preceding knockout rounds. (Library image from Murrayfield 7s)

At the next round, in Glasgow, Scotland play Australia, USA and Spain on the opening, round-robin day.

Edinburgh were beaten by Treviso in the latest round of the RaboDirect PRO12 League in Italy on Friday night. Leading 9-3 at half time, the Edinburgh side were barely able to get out of their own territory for much of the second half, conceding two tries in quick succession. It looked like a no points game for the visitors until Cornell Du Preez – who had blown a three-on-two overlap in the first half by choosing to take on ‘the two’ – galloped in from half way to secure a losing bonus point in the 20-16 defeat.

Heriots beat Aberdeen Grammar to qualify for the RBS Cup Final, which will take place at Cumbernauld’s Broadwood Stadium on the 19th April. Leading 13-10 at half time, a try in the second half gave them enough of a gap to take the win 20-10.

The women’s Sarah Beannie Cup Final will be contested on the same day between Murrayfield Wanderers and Melrose.

In the Under-18 Brewin Dolphin Girls’ Cup final, Murrayfield Wanderers were triumphant 70-29 against Ayr.

There were three outstanding individual performances in this game. Wandies’ Scotland under-20 cap, full-back Rhona Lloyd (pictured above), the capital side’s captain scored five tries; her colleague in the centre, Lisa Thomson, from Hawick,  a try hat-trick; and Ayr’s stand-off Emily Irving, already a full Scotland cap, had a try brace. Lloyd, a 17-year-old pupil at Tynecastle High School in Edinburgh who is a keen sprinter with Corstorphine Athletic Club, has been playing rugby since first year at secondary school.

She has her sights set on international honours. “Scotland are an up and coming team in women’s rugby. The points margins will get smaller and very soon we’ll be competing with the big guns.  I want to be there when they do,” she asserted.

Murrayfield Wanderers’ other tries came from Coreen Grant and a penalty try. Thomson kicked two conversions and Lucy Park – who had a spell in the sin-bin – landed the other eight.

Ayr’s additional tries came from No 8 Lisa Croniken (2) and her fellow back-rower Phoebe McDowall. Irving added two conversions. (report courtesy of Scottish Rugby)

Football

SPFL

Hearts staved off the threat of relegation for three days at least with a 2-0 win over rivals Hibs at Tynecastle on Sunday.

Dale Carrick opened the scoring in the 5^th minute after latching onto a Ryan Stevenson knock down from a Calum Patterson cross.

Hibs should have had an equaliser eight minutes from the end when Jordon Forster headed the ball past Jamie MacDonald only to be wrongly ruled offside.

Alan Maybury was sent off in the 89^th minute before Billy King secured the points with a well taken goal.

Hearts face Aberdeen on Wednesday knowing that defeat will spell relegation and Hibs face the same opposition next Monday.

Scottish Sun Lowland League

Spartans secured a fine 4-0 win against Gretna to secure another vital three points in the race for the Lowland League title.

Goals from Jack Beesley and Motion in a three minute spell gave the Ainslie Park outfit a half time lead.

Beesley made it 3-0 in the 65^th minute and completed his hat-trick five minutes later.

After the game he told the club website: “I think it’s probably my first hat-trick in about 6 years! I’ve had a few chances with free-kicks recently, all pretty much from the same spot on the park so it’s given me plenty of practice and I’ve just managed to get it over the wall and into the net to pretty much seal the game for us with 20 minutes to go.”

“You could say that with the way today’s results have gone and the way we are playing but the games that we have got left, Whitehill, Dalbeattie and Stirling, are all tough ones and to use an old cliché, we’re definitely not taking anything for granted.  We’ll just go out every Saturday and look to pick up 3 points if we can.”

Elsewhere

Gala Fairydean Rovers 4-0 Threave Rovers

Selkirk 2-4 Dalbeattie Star

University of Stirling 0-2 Whitehill Welfare

Vale of Leithen 2-0 Preston Athletic

Central Taxis East of Scotland League, Premier Division

Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale P-P Spartans EOS

Stirling University EOS 1-4 Leith Athletic FT

Tynecastle 6-3 Civil Service Strollers FT

Coldstream 0-2 Craigroyston FT

Heriot-Watt University 0-0 Edinburgh University

Central Taxis East of Scotland League, First Division

Burntisland Shipyard 3-1 Eyemouth United

Duns 2-1 Hawick Royal Albert

Easthouses Lily 3-0 Peebles Rovers

Kelso United 0-1 Ormiston

Women’s Football

A headed goal by Caroline Heron was enough to secure the three points against Aberdeen on Sunday. Elsewhere..

Rangers 2-1 Celtic

Hutchie Vale 2-1 Buchan

Farmington 1-7 Hamilton

Inverness 3-0 Queens Park

Spartans 1-3 City

Speedway

The Scotwaste Monarchs beat Glasgow by 52-38 to win the Air Fence Challenge 1st leg at Armadale on Friday night.

Star man was Craig Cook on a paid maximum 14.

With a big crowd in the stadium and a good atmosphere, it was a pleasing start to the new campaign Monarchs head for Ashfield at 3pm on Sunday for the second leg.

Volleyball

Men’s Scottish Plate

Edinburgh Jets III 0 3 University of Edinburgh

Women’s Scottish Plate

Perth 3 0 Edinburgh Jets III

North Grampian 3 1 University of Edinburgh

Men’s Thistle Bowl

Bellshill Cardinals 1 3 South Ayrshire

Dundee 3 0 Su Ragazzi II

Women’s Thistle Bowl

University of Dundee 3 0 NUVOC

Boxing

Amateur Boxing Association Scotland presents Edinburgh V Manchester

Friday 4 April | Doors 6.30pm

An evening of sporting entertainment sponsored by McEwan Fraser Legal

6.30pm  Doors Open

7.00pm  Boxing Undercard – 6 amateur boxing contests

8.00pm  Main Event Video presentation and Ring Walks

8.20pm  10 Elite Amateur Boxing Contests

£22 | £16.50 | £11 | Includes 10% booking fee

£1 transaction fee when booking online / phone

Hockey

Men

Grange 1-0 Western Wildcats

Edinburgh University 2-1Grove Menzieshill .

Pool A, AAM Gordonians 4-2 over Watsonians

Pool B PSL Team Sport Clydesdale 7-3 Dundee Wanderers 7-3

Inverleith 4-0 win Uddingston.

On Sunday, Glynhill Kelburne won the Aberdeen Asset Management National League Division 1 title for a tenth year running after a 2-1 victory over Grange in the Grand Final at the Glasgow National Hockey Centre

Women

Milne Craig Clydesdale Western 3-0 Edinburgh University

Pool A Glynhill Kelburne 3-2 GHK Ladies.

Western Wildcats’ 5-3 AAM Merlins Gordonians

In Pool B, CALA 2-0 Grange EL

Glynhill Kelburne 3-2 GHK Ladies.

On Sunday Milne Craig Clydesdale Western were crowned champions of Aberdeen Asset Management Women’s National League Division 1 after a dramatic 4-3 win over Grove Menzieshill in the Grand Final at the Glasgow National Hockey Centre.

Photograph by John Preece

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

Lewis Hamilton today made up for his disappointment in Melbourne with a dominant performance in the Malaysian Grand Prix, cruising to victory to mark his 100th points finish in Formula 1.

The 29-year-old British driver ended his 9-race run without a podium in a drive that saw him pick up his first win of the 2014 season, finishing 17 seconds ahead of his nearest challenger and team-mate, Nico Rosberg. It was a composed and assured performance from Hamilton, who only lost the lead once on lap 16, when Nico Hulkenberg stretched his first stint to pit after Hamilton. Hamilton managed to catch the German before completing the lap, however, meaning that he achieved his first Grand Chelem – collecting pole position, fastest lap, and leading every lap of the race.

Rosberg, in the other Mercedes, didn’t appear to have the same pace as Hamilton and was put under pressure at several points during the race by the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel, who managed to overcome his own problems from Australia to finish 3rd and get his first podium of the season.

Vettel’s team-mate Daniel Ricciardo didn’t fare as well, suffering more wretched luck at the beginning of his Red Bull career. After being disqualified from the Australian Grand Prix because of a fuel flow infringement, Ricciardo managed to make a good start in the race, jumping Vettel at the beginning to take 3rd place. As the race went on, he dropped back to 5th but looked to be on for a solid points finish before a botched pit stop saw him stopped in the pit lane as a wheel was not attached properly.

The time lost effectively ruined his race, and things went from bad to worse as he suffered a front wing failure two laps later, forcing him to return to the pits to have it replaced. The Australian driver was then hit with a 10 second stop/go penalty for the pit stop, and eventually took the decision to retire from the race. Unfortunately, the 24-year-old’s misfortune will continue in Bahrain next week after being hit with a ten-place grid penalty for the unsafe release by the pit stop crew.

Hulkenberg fought hard with Fernando Alonso for 4th place, with the Ferrari driver having the advantage of fresher tyres but still having to work hard to get the move done on the determined Hulkenberg.

Elsewhere in the field, there were controversial team orders at Williams, reminiscient of the infamous “multi 21” order in the same race last year. Felipe Massa was told to move over to allow Valtteri Bottas through in order to try to catch Jenson Button, but Massa was not compliant, believing that he had the right to fight for position.

Another battle being fought towards the end of the race was between ex-team-mates Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean. Grosjean, who has been struggling in the Lotus, showed signs of improvement as he managed to hold of Raikkonen. The Finn, now at Ferrari, was trying to make up places after being hit by Kevin Magnussen on the opening lap, causing a puncture and forcing him into an early pit stop.

In the end it was a comfortably victory for Hamilton, and the double podium for Mercedes – their first one-two since 1955 – means that the team now leads the constructors championship going into next week’s race in Bahrain.

Full Race Results

1 HAMILTON
2 ROSBERG
3 VETTEL
4 ALONSO
5 HULKENBERG
6 BUTTON
7 MASSA
8 BOTTAS
9 MAGNUSSEN
10 KVYAT
11 GROSJEA
12 RAIKKONEN
13 KOBAYASHI
14 ERICSSON
15 CHILTON
RICCIARDO (DNF)
GUTIERREZ (DNF)
SUTIL (DNF)
VERGNE (DNF)
BIANCHI (DNF)
MALDONADO (DNF)
PEREZ*

*Did not start the race because of an engine problem

The fourth Edinburgh derby of the season had been billed, particularly from those from the east of the city, as the game which would finally seal Hearts fate and consign the Gorgie boys to their fate of Championship football next season. A rare win for Hibernian at Tynecastle would mean Hearts would be unable to catch 11th placed St. Mirren and would face the prospect of slugging it out for promotion back to the top flight of Scottish football with the likes of Rangers when the new season starts in August.

However, Gary Locke’s young side didn’t read the script and recorded their third win over Hibernian this season, two wins being in the league, the other at Easter Road in the League Cup. Hibernian had sold out their allocation of tickets for the game but for those bedecked in green and white who arrived in Gorgie wearing party hats and streamers, the occasion was as akin to turning up at a New Year Party – in the middle of January. Indeed, given Terry Butcher’s side’s freefall in recent weeks, there may well be another ‘relegation party’ between these two teams in a few weeks at Easter Road – one can’t rule out the possibility the Hibees may be accompanying their great rivals in the Championship next season if they slip further down the league and are involved in the dreaded play-offs.

Both sides may have had hugely disappointing seasons and the kick-off may have been the hardly traditional Sunday lunch time but the atmosphere at Tynecastle was as frenetic as ever on Edinburgh derby day. This was fuelled early on by a wreckless challenge from Hibs Lewis Stevenson which caught the chest of Hearts striker Callum Paterson. The young forward was uninjured, though, and after just seven minutes, he crossed from the right towards Ryan Stevenson. The former Ayr United and Ipswich Town player headed the ball into the path of Dale Carrick who did well to control the ball before firing past Hibs keeper Williams. 1-0 to the home side to the obvious delight of the home support who once again turned up in numbers.

Hibs looked momentarily stunned by this turn of events but eventually began to claw their way back into the game. Danny Handling was given too much space on the edge of the Hearts penalty box but his effort on goal sailed over the crossbar. Soon afterwards, Hibs were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the Hearts penalty box but Sam Stanton’s effort was well wide of goal. The best chance for the visitors, though, fell to £200,000 striker James Collins who was set up by Watmore. However, from 12 yards out, Collins fired his shot high into the stand, much to the frustration of the visiting support for whom the party was turning decidedly miserable.

Hearts also had chances to double their lead and Sam Nicholson’s fierce shot was saved well by Williams.
Hearts almost began the second half the way they began the first and fine play from Dale Carrick set up David Smith whose effort whistle past the post of Williams.

Hibs then claimed loudly for handball when Hearts Australian defender Dylan McGowan blocked Collins’ shot on the edge of the penalty box but to no avail before Ryan McGivern’s two attempts on goal were more in hope than expectation.
Towards the end of the game, it appeared Hibernian had snatched the equaliser. Stevenson’s cross was headed by Forster past Hearts keeper Jamie MacDonald into the net but the visiting support’s raptures were soon doused by the appearance of the assistant referee raising his flag for offside. Television replays showed this to be an incorrect decision by some distance as the Hibs man was clearly onside. The fury felt by the Hibs fans was shared by manager Terry Butcher and some of the Hibs players, particularly Alan Maybury who took his frustration out on Hearts substitute Billy King by tripping the Hearts youngster. A second yellow card was shown to the former Hearts favourite meaning the visitors were reduced to ten men.

Given Hearts surrendered a 2-1 lead to nine men in the League Cup semi-final defeat to Inverness Caledonian Thistle a few weeks ago, few of the Hearts support were taking anything for granted. However, in stoppage time with Hibs pressing for the equaliser, Hearts broke away. The experienced Ryan Stevenson timed his pass to Billy King to perfection and the youngster kept his cool before rounding Hibs keeper Williams to end the scoring at 2-0 to Hearts.

Afterwards, jubilant Hearts manager Gary Locke said “It’s probably too little, too late but the players have shown they’re improving and hopefully we’ve got a strong future. Our wide men and Dale Carrick up front caused them quite a lot of problems. The whole team played very, very well. It was a great game and Hibs added to that by having a right go in the second half. It was end to end and I was obviously delighted to see young Billy King score at the end.”

For Hibernian, it was yet another disappointing outcome to an Edinburgh derby. Manager Terry Butcher could not contain his anger at the assistant referee’s decision to rule out Jordon Forster’s headed goal.

“It’s scandalous, it really is,” said the former England captain. “It’s a horrendous call from the linesman. He can see right along the line of grass. He can spot the player who was playing Jordon Forster on. The players worked very hard, the system was good and they applied themselves but we’ve lost the game and it’s hard to take. We’ve left the players in no uncertain terms that we need to get going now. We have six games left and we have to get points and I am confident that we can do that. Every club in the bottom half is in a dog fight. We need to pull our fingers out and work harder.”

Hearts relegation fate may well be confirmed when high-flying Aberdeen visit Gorgie on Wednesday but Sunday’s victory was at least a last hurrah for their beleaguered but magnificently loyal supporters who are making no secret of the fact they hope their city rivals will still be with them next season.

For Hibernian, the loss of form at a crucial time of the season is a worry. They are six points clear of a play-off place in the league and the lack of games left suggests they should be okay. But their failure to defeat Hearts yet again means one can’t really be confident Terry Butcher’s side will beat anyone else this season. The Easter Road fans will be hoping St. Mirren and Partick Thistle don’t suddenly discover form as the nerve-jangling prospect of a play-off is hardly one to look forward to.

Hearts: MacDonald; Paterson, McGowan, Wilson, McHattie; Hamill, Holt, R. Stevenson; Smith, Carrick, Nicholson.

Hibs: Williams, McGivern, Nelson, Collins, L. Stevenson, Maybury, Handling, Taiwo, Watmore, Forster, Stanton.

Referee: Steven McLean

Att: 16,873

Top man: Danny Wilson – immense in the Hearts defence.

UPDATE – Police Scotland have advised that the missing teenager was found safe and well near the city centre. 

Police Scotland is currently carrying out a missing person enquiry in relation to a 14 year old boy from the Glendevon Park area of Edinburgh.

14 year old Jordan McNaughton was last seen in Glendevon Park around 5.15pm yesterday evening.

He is described as 5ft 8 inches in height, with medium length brown hair and blue eyes.  He is believed to have been wearing blue/grey Adidas trainers, a blue sports jacket and blue jeans.  It is believed his intention may have been to travel into the city centre to meet friends.

Inspector Chris Scobbie of Police Scotland said: “We are carrying out extensive enquires to trace Jordan, or anyone who may know his whereabouts.  With the passage of time we are becoming increasingly concerned for his welfare.  I would urge anyone who knows the whereabouts of Jordan, or who may have any information which could assist in us finding him to contact Police Scotland or Crimestoppers”.

Police Scotland can be contacted on 101, or alternatively please contact the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Police Scotland has officially named the victim of the fatal collision on Thursday 27th March around 9pm on the A71.

41 year old John Higgins died as a result of the crash, and his family have released the following words.

“John Higgins was a devoted father, loving son, brother, nephew and wonderful uncle. He will be dearly missed by all his family and the rest of the West Calder and Polbeth community”.

Enquiries are still ongoing and again we would like to appeal for witnesses who may have seen the Silver Vauxhall Vectra in the Polbeth area prior to the incident.

On Wednesday 2 April 2014, the Edinburgh branch of the No More Page 3 campaign is holding a free evening discussion of media objectification and its consequences.

Actress and writer Lucy-Anne Holmes, the founder of the national No More Page 3 campaign, is travelling to Edinburgh to speak about her experiences of media sexism and of campaigning for change. She will be joined by University of Edinburgh lecturer Dr Tom Webster and a representative from Hollaback, a movement to end street harassment.

Lucy-Anne set up the No More Page 3 campaign in 2012, prompted by her realisation that during the Olympics the largest image of a woman in The Sun newspaper was not of one of Team Great Britain’s incredible medal winners, but of a young woman clad only in her pants, pouting seductively from the paper’s page 3. It started as a petition on change.org, politely asking the editor of The Sun to “drop the bare boobs”.

She could hardly have imagined the momentum the campaign would gain. Now, it has more than 51K followers on social media while the petition has gained over 186,000 signatures. The No More Page 3 cause has received high profile support from a vast number of organisations as well as many celebrities including Jennifer Saunders, Caitlin Moran and Russell Brand. This week, campaigners received a letter from the Scottish government saying it is ‘supportive of the “no more page three” campaign, and we will continue to prioritise our work to tackle gender inequality and violence against women.’

Wednesday’s event provides an excellent opportunity to learn about media sexism and possible ways of making change, as well as being a chance to discuss thoughts and ideas.

‘Boobs aren’t news: media, power and page 3’ will be held on 2 April 2014, 6.30-8pm in Lecture Theatre 3, Appleton Tower, 11 Crichton St, Edinburgh EH8 9LE

Reserve your tickets here: http://bit.ly/1g3vIRs

Booking is recommended as seats are limited.

For more information or images contact Ceris Aston, coordinator of the Edinburgh No More Page 3 campaign, at ceris_nmp3@outlook.com

Follow the No More Page 3 campaign @nomorepage3

Submitted by Ceris Aston

The Forth Bridges Festival’s attempt to stage the ‘World’s Biggest Sit Down Lunch’ has been given a massive boost as the organisers Queensferry Ambition have confirmed they will receive £25,000 from the Homecoming Scotland 2014 Food and Drink Fund.

The Festival was one of a number of Homecoming events awarded money from the special £250,000 fund dedicated to promoting Scottish food and drink in 2014 announced by Rural Affairs Secretary, Richard Lochhead.

The world record attempt will take place on Saturday 13 September 2014 as part of a ten day celebration of Scotland’s iconic bridges to celebrate the 50^th birthday of the Forth Road Bridge.

The ‘Scotland Welcomes the World’ lunch will provide a feast of entertainment for participants across two locations in North and South Queensferry.  Attendees will enjoy a traditionally Scottish Homecoming-themed lunch while dressed in 1960’s outfits to honour the Road Bridge which was opened in 1964.

Richard Lochhead, Rural Affairs Secretary said:-“The Forth Road Bridge is one of this country’s most iconic landmarks and what better way to celebrate its 50th birthday than with another icon of Scotland – our fabulous array of food and drink. Our magnificent natural larder continues to attract huge interest abroad and helps to market Scotland to the world as a Land of Food and Drink – an important ingredient as we encourage people to celebrate their Scottish heritage during Homecoming. Our local communities play an integral part in the food and drink industry and it’s great to be able to support them by bringing events to their areas.”

James Withers, Scotland Food & Drink Chief Executive said: –“Scotland’s food and drink community is hugely excited about 2014.  Homecoming events, alongside the Commonwealth Games & Ryder Cup, provide the opportunity of a lifetime to showcase Scotland as a ‘Land of Food and Drink’.

With surging interest at home and overseas in Scottish produce, next year’s events will be a real culinary celebration, shining a light on our talented producers.  We’re ambitious and we want to set a new benchmark for quality catering at big events.  And there is no better place to do that than at the ‘World’s biggest sit-down lunch’, which should be a feast of world class, local produce.”

Malcolm Brown, Chair of Queensferry Ambition said: –“Queensferry Ambition is grateful for the funding received from the Homecoming Food and Drink fund.  This will ensure that this superb one off event is a real success and uniquely showcases Scottish Food and Drink.  The world might only be with us for a few hours but we will leave a lasting impression of true Scottish hospitality and a real flavour of these great and historic towns.”

Photos Gareth Easton Photography 07752 666 522

With emotions running high, Hearts and Hibs have both warned supporters that robust action will be taken by Police Scotland against anyone partaking in unacceptable conduct during Sunday’s match against Hibs at Tynecastle.

Unacceptable behaviour comes in such forms as foul and abusive language, threatening behaviour, comments about a person’s race, religion, creed, nationality or sexual orientation, damage within the stadium and general anti-social behaviour.

Home and away fans attending the game are also urged not to take flares or any other pyrotechnics into the ground.

Smoke set off in a football stadium is not safe and may adversely affect persons who suffer from breathing disorders. In recent events flares have also inadvertently caused seats to burn and may obviously have serious consequences if flags are ignited.

Police are treating this issue very seriously and any persons caught with flares in the ground or attempting to bring them into the stadium will be arrested.

Both clubs view the introduction of smoke to any ground as unsafe, a very serious health and safety matter and any persons identified as responsible may be subject to club sanctions.

Hibs have also reminded their fans that the club will be held responsible for any damage (breakages, graffiti, stickers) caused inside Tynecastle.

Mother’s Day – ECA Fashion Show – Big Sing – Cityjet introduce Edinburgh – Cardiff route – Russell Crowe 

We hope you have remembered that the clocks have gone forward today. So whatever time it is, it’s not! It’s actually an hour ahead……got it?

And today is the one day in the year that you can show your mum how much you love her and appreciate her. It’s Mother’s Day, but don’t worry fathers your turn comes in June. Father’s Day this year will be celebrated on 15 June.

Need an idea of somewhere to go with your mum?

Well our brunch ideas are here….. and our list of the best chippies is here….. Now we just have to make a list of the best cakes in town….. Suggestions please?

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We have had some great photo opportunities this week and especially this one which John Preece attended.

You can see all his lovely photos of the creations that the Edinburgh College of Art students have come up with here – but here is a taster!

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The Big Sing

Sunday 30th March
7pm
Stockbridge Parish Church
7b Saxe Coburg Street, Edinburgh, EH3 5BN

An evening of participative singing with new songs for the season of Lent and Easter
with Graham Maule, Jo Love, Phil White and Hilary Black, of the Wild Goose Resource Group
of the Iona Community.

Suggested donation £5 including refreshments. Pay at the door.

For more information contact 01315576052 or caroline.brett@yahoo.co.uk

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The first CityJet flight from Edinburgh to the Welsh capital will take off today.

The new route between Edinburgh and Cardiff will operate with three daily flights from £64 one way and £99 return, including a 23kg check-in bag and drinks and snacks on-board.

CityJet has opened a number of new routes to Cardiff Airport this year, including flights from Glasgow which operate up to twice daily.

Christine Ourmières, CityJet’s Chief Executive Officer, said:- “This is an exciting time for CityJet and our expanding Scottish network.

“We hope that our new route from Edinburgh to Cardiff will provide vital connections for both business and leisure passengers in Scotland. We are keen to invest in Edinburgh and we hope people will take advantage of the new daily flights – with three ideally times flights to choose from – to the city of Cardiff.”

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Pity that film actor and star of Noah, Russell Crowe, did not wait till today then to travel to Cardiff for the next fans premiere on his whistlestop tour of Great Britain. In case you missed it click here for our photos from the red carpet yesterday at The Filmhouse.

Anyone like to send us a review of Noah? Did you see it yesterday?

Submit your story here.

Lewis Hamilton took his second pole position of the 2014 Formula 1 season in a rain-soaked qualifying session at the Malaysian Grand Prix to see him equal Jim Clark’s record of 33 for a British driver.

A heavy downpour and stormy conditions meant that qualifying was delayed for 50 minutes, and the conditions on track made it difficult for the drivers. At the end of the session, it was almost impossible for the drivers to improve upon their previously-set times, and that meant that Hamilton’s lap was just enough to see him start on pole position, edging Sebastian Vettel by 5/100ths of a second.

Hamilton’s Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg completed the top three, while the Ferraris of Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen were split by Daniel Ricciardo.

Most cars began Q1 on the intermediate tyres after the track began to lose the large stretches of standing water. The session passed without any major upsets or incidents until the closing minute, when rookie Marcus Ericsson spun and crashed, trailing debris across the track and causing the session to be red-flagged with half a minute to go.

There were more red-flags in Q2, when another rookie Daniil Kvyat struggled under braking in the slippery conditions and hit Alonso, breaking the Ferrari’s front suspension and damaging his own front wing in the process.

As the time came for the top ten to challenge for pole position, McLaren decided to take a gamble with Jenson Button on the intermediate tyres, while the worsening conditions prompted everybody else to opt for wets. The decision didn’t pay off, and Button struggled for grip and pace as he ended up off the pace in 10th. Team mate Kevin Magnussen once again took advantage and managed to qualify in 8th, showing that his strong performance in Australia was not beginner’s luck.

At the front of the grid it was Hamilton who managed to harness the wet conditions the best out of the challengers, and his early flying lap was enough to secure pole position ahead of Vettel. Rosberg struggled more than his team mate on the full wets, but still managed to take third on the grid ahead of Alonso.

Speaking after qualifying, Hamilton said:- “I’m all over the place at the moment. I’m really happy with how well we’ve done over the weekend, but today was incredible – how heavy was the rain?

“It was tricky out there for everyone because at the end it was almost impossible to see. I couldn’t see where the track went, where the corners were, where to brake. I had to bail out of my final fast lap, so it was very close.”

After a disappointing race in Australia, where he also grabbed pole only to be forced to retire early in the race because of an engine problem, Hamilton is looking to put some points on the board in tomorrow’s race.

“For myself and for the team, the priority is to bag as many points as possible,” he said.

“We’ve got great a great opportunity, a great car and a team that is performing fantastically right now. Fingers crossed we can see ourselves through to the finish line.”

Full Qualifying Results

1 HAMILTON 1:59.431
2 VETTEL (+0.055)
3 ROSBERG (+0.619)
4 ALONSO (+0.744)
5 RICCIARDO (+1.110)
6 RAIKKONEN (+1.787)
7 HULKENBERG (+2.281)
8 MAGNUSSEN (+2.782)
9 VERGNE (+3.647)
10 BUTTON (+4.622)

11 KVYAT (Q2)
12 GUTIERREZ (Q2)
13 MASSA (Q2)
14 PEREZ (Q2)
15 BOTTAS (Q2)
16 GROSJEAN (Q2)

17 MALDONADO (Q3)
18 SUTIL (Q3)
19 BIANCHI (Q3)
20 KOBAYASHI (Q3)
21 CHILTON (Q3)
22 ERICSSON (Q3)

Russell Crowe stars in a new Paramount Pictures film called Noah. The tale is a well-known one based on The Bible, and we can only presume will involve a lot of water and an Ark.

We did not see the film but we were on the red carpet when Russell Crowe arrived at The Filmhouse to attend the Fan Premiere of his latest epic billed as a story of courage, sacrifice and hope. He was having a busy day having started off in Dublin and has yet to stop off in Cardiff, but was charming to his fans, if a little less long-suffering with the press.

We got a little interview with him inside the cinema

Douglas Booth the 21 year-old actor who plays Crowe’s son in the movie had arrived at the cinema just ahead of the star.

Olympic medallist Katherine Grainger CBE was also attending the premiere along with her mother Liz.

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The film is expected to gross $41m on this its opening weekend in the US.

Some religious groups have criticised the film before they have even seen it according to the star who told The Guardian of his meeting with Pope Francis which took place in spite of controversy spilling out around the movie.

Almost 600,000 people like the film’s Facebook page, which may or may not be a testament to its popularity, and this is one of several biblical films coming to the big screen this year.

Cyclists on the towpaths of the Union Canal in Edinburgh are being encouraged to ‘Share the Space and Drop their Pace’ with the launch of a new considerate cycling campaign.

The Scottish Canals-led drive, launched today at Harrison Park in Edinburgh, aims to encourage the increasing numbers of cyclists that use the towpaths in the capital for commuting and recreation to be considerate of other users and match their speed to the surroundings. The campaign follows the success of the Towpath Code of Conduct, which was launched last year and offered a range of guidelines and safety tips to canal users.

The towpaths of the Union Canal, many of which were upgraded last year to a new all-weather surface as part of a £1 million revitalisation scheme, are more popular than ever and form a key part of the Sustrans UK-wide National Cycle Network. The routes, which have seen a 300% increase in use in the past eight years, play host to everyone from cyclists and joggers to dog walkers.

Supported by Edinburgh City Council, sustainable transport charity Sustrans, Spokes and Police Scotland, the campaign aims to encourage cyclists to be considerate on the paths by, amongst other things, managing their speed, being aware and respectful of other users and staying alert of both their surroundings and conditions on the route itself. Children from the canalside Craiglockhart Primary School took to the towpaths on their bikes to help launch the campaign alongside representatives from each of the partner organisations.

Alasdair Smart, Scottish Canals’ Lowlands Canals Waterways Manager, said: “The towpaths of the Union Canal are busier than ever and more and more cyclists are recognising the many appeals of the routes, which combine safe inner-city travel with the fantastic environments of the waterway.

“Of course, the towpaths are used by a wide variety of users and, while it’s fantastic that so many people are enjoying the routes, everyone – whether they navigate the towpaths by boot or bike – has a responsibility to ensure they do so in a safe and considerate way.

“The vast majority of cyclists are mindful of the needs of other users and follow safety guidelines but we just want to remind everyone that the towpaths are a shared space. As pet owners and families with young children also use the paths, they’re not the place for cyclists to try and set speed records. Likewise, some sections of the canal – such as aqueducts – are very narrow and it’s safer for everyone if cyclists dismount before crossing.

“Whether you’re travelling to work or just pedalling for pleasure, the towpaths offer a fantastic environment for cyclists. A little consideration and common sense allows everyone to enjoy them.”

Councillor Adam McVey, City of Edinburgh Council’s Transport Vice Convener, said: “The canal is a fantastic space for both pedestrians and cyclists, and is a valuable route for the city, but it’s important that all users respect one another.

“The vast majority of people in Edinburgh are considerate when using public footways and paths and slow down for other users, but we would encourage pedestrians and cyclists to make sure they travel on mixed use routes safely by staying aware of others.”

The campaign follows the launch of the Towpath Code of Conduct last year – a document that sets out guidelines and safety tips for everyone from boaters and anglers to cyclists and walkers. Created by Scottish Canals in partnership with Edinburgh City Council and supported by Sustrans, Spokes and Living Streets Scotland, the Code also offers general hints and tips for using the canals, including what to do if members of the public see an animal in distress or would like to try their hand at volunteering. To date, more than 10,000 copies of the Code have been distributed. A digital version is also available for download from Scottish Canals’ website.

John Lauder, National Director of Sustrans Scotland, said: “The canal towpaths are a great facility for cyclists to use, whether for the daily commute or for leisure purposes.  However, it is important to be mindful that we share these spaces with a variety of other users.  Therefore, Sustrans is fully supportive of this campaign to ‘Share the Space, Drop your Pace’ and we encourage cyclists to be considerate when using the towpaths.”

Posters and banners asking cyclists to ‘Share the Space, Drop your Pace’ have been installed along the length of the Edinburgh stretch of the Union Canal. It’s hoped that the campaign will be rolled out on the towpaths of Glasgow’s equally-popular Forth & Clyde Canal later in the year.

Local Fountainbridge-Craiglockhart councillor and keen cyclist Gavin Corbett was very much involved in the development of the Towpath Code of Conduct and was largely responsible for starting the campaign.

He said:

“As someone who cycles on the canal towpath every day, I know how much its popularity has grown.  But we have to ensure everyone, no matter how he or she uses the towpath, is able to enjoy the routes to their full extent. A minority of cyclists are going too fast or cycling too aggressively for such a narrow path and my plea to my fellow cyclists to slow down, be respectful of other users and enjoy one of the best routes in Edinburgh!”

JIM SILLARS AT THE JEWEL MINERS’ CLUB

An audience of over 150 people attended the ‘Trade Unionists for Scottish Independence’ public meeting at the Jewel Miners’ Club on Thursday night.

The speakers were Annie McCrae [EIS], veteran Nationalist Jim Sillars, and in the chair was Derek Durkin [TUFSI].

Annie McCrae, a teacher, opened the debate with the shock revelation that she would like to see private schools abolished in Scotland. She strenuously complained about the 1% public sector pay rise, which is set for the next two years, and talked about fuel pricing and the gas companies ‘strangulation’ of the poorer sectors of Scottish society.

The loudest applause of the night, however, was for Jim Sillars, the 76-year-old Nationalist veteran, who seemed to be licking his wounds after being barred from Edinburgh University’s independence debate on Wednesday night, regarding comments he had made about Liberal peer Lord Rennard on last month’s Question Time.

Mr Sillars began his speech with a softer tone. His happiest times, he says, are spent with his ten grandchildren, telling them about the importance of education, while his wife, SNP stalwart Margo McDonald, is ‘making the tea’.

Mr Sillars, at present, is travelling the length and breadth of Scotland trying to enthuse the working class to vote for independence. Central to his speech was the question of the North Sea oilfields. He wants to adopt the Singaporean method, where wages and the standard of living are high as a result of their oil billions.

Mr Sillars’ enthusiasm has not dampened. The end of his speech entertained ideas of changing the Saltire, removing the pound, keeping poetry and storytelling alive, and legally ‘doing away’ with the Royal Family.

The debate concluded with the question of which way the audience was going to vote at the referendum. One person chose to vote against independence, with twenty-five undecided, the remainder want the Yes vote.

Photographs and story: Richard Spence.

e journo2014@gmail.com
Submitted by Richard Spence

Festival tickets on sale today – Royal visit – Edinburgh Award – EdinburghReportage – Competitions

Public booking for the Edinburgh International Festival opens today. If you have still not decided what to go and see then perhaps our list of 15 things we think you should not miss here will help.

Here is the programme too:-

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We have had a busy week and thought we might look back on some of it here…..

On Thursday we met The Princess Royal who visited Wester Hailes. Read more here on the Digital Sentinel.

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Earlier in the week we met Richard Demarco who was receiving the Edinburgh Award from the Lord Provost. The 83 year-old artist from Portobello has been instrumental in so many areas of Edinburgh’s artistic life from the Traverse to the Festival, and  was a contemporary of Leith born Eduardo Paolozzi, another of Edinburgh’s famous artists.

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So who have you met over the last week or so? If you have a photo of yourself with someone famous, or if you have a photo of yourself with a famous Edinburgh landmark then please add it to our EdinburghReportage storyboard here. We might meet Russell Crowe later, and so could you if you are in the area of the Filmhouse this afternoon.

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The Edinburgh Reporter is pleased to bring you some competitions and this week we have a couple which are running. One is to win tickets for Fame and the other to win a family ticket for The Edinburgh Dungeon. Good luck!

Click here to be taken to our Competitions area.

To keep up to date with what is going on you might like to Subscribe to The Edinburgh Reporter daily update. It is easy to do – just provide your email address here!

Email address:

Nestled just off Middle Meadow Walk behind a Georgian townhouse lies a very modern, and very beautiful chapel. It is fully accessible from George Square lane for any wheelchair users.

You may never have noticed it, unless you are a student at one of the universities who use it for worship. Whether or not you are a churchgoer it is a very lovely example of modern architecture blending in with the old. When you are in the building you feel as though you are just sitting in the garden.

We hope you like our photos. Please let us know if you have a favourite place or building in the city which is not so well known. Either send us a photo or we can go and do our best to capture the essence of some of our hidden wonders.

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Here is the YouTube video from the time it was designed and then built. The church was opened in 2012, and you can find out more about it here on the website.

We visited the opening of the Hidden Door Festival this evening. Although it was cold there was a steady stream of visitors, and we are sure it would only get busier as more musicians took to the stage.

It comes alive at night, and we find it intriguing that each artist has chosen to use their vault in a different way.

More information about Hidden Door here on their website. The Festival runs till 5 April 2014.

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Edinburgh Airport is undergoing a £25m transformation which will introduce a new security hall with half the number of security stations as the existing one, but which will allow twice as many people to pass through in an hour. At present the airport on a good day can ‘process’ around 260 passengers through security in an hour, but this will rise to around 600 with the new hall – and they promise there will be no queues.

If you find that hard to believe then you need to know that the new building is not just a box thrown up on a whim, there has been real thought put into the expansion of the terminal building.  The rationale behind the single biggest investment by the airport owner GIP since they took over ownership in 2012 is a desire to make the passenger experience a more seamless one, and there is a conscious decision to use new technology to enhance the security procedures. Security staff have been seconded into the team designing the new facilities so that they can offer real input into how the airport will cope with rising passenger numbers in future. Staff were also asked for their agreement on how the outside of the new part of the building would look.

The expansion is being constructed at the eastern end of the terminal and will bring the airport nearer to the new tram stop where a tram will almost always be waiting for passengers to leave the airport every 6 minutes. As well as this the coach park, Lothian Buses terminus and the car rental area are all at this end of the building for ease of access.

The new 6000 square metre structure which you will have seen while passing through Edinburgh Airport is large enough to house two Airbus A319 aircraft, which each have a wingspan of 34 metres. This might give you some idea of how big the extension is!

The new security hall is just a shell at the moment without outside walls but it is easy to envisage the new modern customer facing areas which will house shops, offices and the security hall if you look at the architects drawings.

The airport say that they will not actually need all six security lanes which they are installing at the outset, as they have improved the ways that they measure any existing queues.  This facial recognition technology tracks how long it takes any passenger to clear security from the moment they enter the building. The airport owners can also estimate more accurately how many passengers are expected in the airport at any one time, and so ought to be able to predict the number of staff required in security, meaning no waiting time.  As fewer seasonal staff will be required the hope is that the core security staff, who get refresher courses each year will be more efficient.

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There will be many more loading stations for passengers to begin their security journey by placing their belongings into a tray which will then pass through security screening. The trays have not been left out of the new processes either; from now on there will be no bunching up of security trays! They will all have grips to attach them to the conveyor belt which ought to mean a slicker experience all round.

We are assured that increasing the number of starting points alone will speed up the whole process, and security staff say that there will be no need for any queuing when passengers arrive at the new security area. If there are any queuing times Edinburgh Airport will publish these on their website in an effort to be more transparent.

Every part of the security process has been scrutinised and most of it has been changed. The airport staff are able to use Gatwick Airport owned by the same company as a guinea pig for the changes proposed. One of the most important changes is that the security hall will have no pillars in it. The area is often subject to police surveillance and so for the purposes of enhancing safety the design has been made as open as possible. The staff who are examining the X-ray images will be in a quiet room behind the security hall and will electronically tag any bags which they consider need further examination.

The area which is currently used as security will be changed into a retail area, and by introducing more shopping outlets the airport hope to keep charges for their airline customers down. At present the balance is around 50/50 from retail and airline, and the idea is to reduce that even further to give more leeway on negotiating the costs airlines have to pay.

The development is only part of the total £150m programme planned for Edinburgh Airport and has been planned with expansion in mind.

The building will be wind and weather tight by 16 May 2014 and the new security hall is set to become operational by the end of October 2014.

The Edinburgh Reporter asked Colin Keir MSP what he thought after a tour of the new building.

This is what he said:-

A public information event to highlight North West Edinburgh Partnership Centre and Muirhouse regeneration plans will be held on Wednesday 2 April 2014 to give local people the chance to find out more about plans for the proposed new North West Edinburgh Partnership Centre.

NHS Lothian is leading on the development of the new £12m Centre and members of the project team will be available on the day to explain the latest designs and answer any questions from the public.

The event, which will run from 3pm until 7pm at the North Edinburgh Arts Centre, will also have information on the wider regeneration of the Muirhouse and Pennywell area.

Peter Gabbitas, Joint Director, Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership said: “The plans for the proposed new North West Edinburgh Partnership centre are progressing well and we anticipate submitting the planning application in the next few months.

“I’d like to welcome the local public along to this open session in order to see the latest designs and have any questions answered by our project team.

“The Centre will enable NHS Lothian to work much more closely with the Council and in doing so put children’s health and welfare at the forefront of our services.”

The new building will bring increased health and social care services to the local community, including new GP accommodation and additional physiotherapy, podiatry, dentistry and child health services.

The City of Edinburgh Council is currently developing the existing masterplan for the area surrounding the proposed North West Edinburgh Partnership Centre including the library, the mall, arts centre and Pennywell Road.

In addition, through the Council’s 21st Century Homes programme, 34 homes are due to be completed at West Pilton Crescent by Autumn 2014.

A site start is expected during late spring/early summer 2014 on the first phase of the Pennywell regeneration, which will eventually provide a total of 719 homes for rent and sale with 356 for Council rent.

Hub South East Scotland Ltd, the Council and NHS Lothian’s development partner, has been involved in the regeneration planning for North West Edinburgh.

Paul McGirk, Chief Executive, said: “The Hub initiative is all about enabling the delivery of better, joined up services for communities. I would encourage as many people as possible to attend the event to find out more about this important development for their area.

The event takes place at the North Edinburgh Arts Centre, EH4 4TZ and runs from 3pm to 7pm.

A buffet and special prize draw also on offer to those who attend the event

The Edinburgh Reporter sends our congratulations to the Edinburgh South Hibs Deaf FC under-12′s who, last weekend not only became the first ever team from Scotland to take part in the National Deaf Children’s Society’s 5-a-side competition but came home with the trophy.

The team consisting of  Cameron, Alfie, Harry, Sean and Owen proudly wore the donated new ‘old-stock’ Hibs’ kit, and took the tournament by storm, beating Derby County 4-2, Morecombe 5-1, Leeds United 8-0, Bolton Wanderers 5-1, Derby A 8-2 and Cardiff City 8-3 to reach the final where they beat Derby A 2-1 to secure the cup.

A delighted coach Simon Spence told the Edinburgh Reporter: “We are the first Scottish team to take part on the tournament. The trip was funded by the East of Scotland Deaf Society for Children who paid for the transport which was provided by ASA Coaches and accommodation at the Holiday Inn for the players, myself and fellow coach Kevin Leslie, and I would also like to thanks the Hibernian Community Foundation for donating football strips.

“We travelled down on Saturday and I was just hoping to do well, but the players performed brilliantly and we beat everybody to lift the trophy. Football for deaf youngsters is huge in England so that made winning even more special. Since then we have been invited to take part in another tournament organised by Bolton Wanderers later this year.

“The teams are made up of deaf children as well as their siblings. We train on the third Saturday of every month at the World of Football in Chesser. Willie Kirk of Hibs kindly sends a coach, Paul Doig to help coach the youngsters. In November, Olivia,  a 13 year old girl came to one session and was immediately signed up for Hibs and was part of the Under 15 team who won the Scottish Cup. I recently found out that she has been selected for Great Britain trials.

“I am also involved with the Edinburgh South Soccer School which is a deaf friendly club for 5-8 year olds who train between 10-11am on a Saturday morning at Inch Park.

“I am looking for more players, so if anyone is interested they should contact me on syspence9@gmail.com

“I am also looking funding and a sponsor for the team, and anyone interested should contact me on the email provided.”

Volunteer Glenn Milne from the Hibernian Community Foundation told the Edinburgh Reporter: “We were delighted when Simon contacted us and asked for our support, as we have tried to allocate our charity complimentary match tickets to similar groups throughout East Central Scotland this season.

“Donating a selection of new ‘old-stock’ kit to help the group was an honour, and we were delighted that the team did so well. Being the first Scottish team to play in and become the UK champions against such quality opposition is an achievement that deserves recognition at the highest level.”

Gambado Fountain Park, Edinburgh’s biggest indoor soft play and party centre, has announced it will be fundraising for two outstanding, worthy charities this year, SiMBA, Simpson’s Memorial Box Appeal, and Tailor Ed Foundation.

The decision amongst staff to choose one ‘Charity of the Year’ to raise funds for became too difficult, as they are both very close to their hearts, resulting in the team at the children’s entertainment centre deciding to officially appoint both.

The charities will benefit from donations made at various events throughout the year, including the forthcoming Easter Extravaganza Fun Fortnight, which includes storytelling sessions, ceramic workshops, character visits and an Easter Disco on Friday 11^th April from 12-2pm with Radio Forth’s very own DJ Mark Martin.

SiMBA was chosen in recognition of the amazing work they do supporting people who have been affected by the loss of a baby.  Over £600 has been raised so far after a percentage of the entry fees on the day of a recent character visit was added to the kind donations made by visitors to the centre in fundraising tins.

Sara Fitzsimmons, SiMBA Director, said: “To be chosen as one of Gambado’s ‘Charity of the Year’ organisations to support is a great honour.  We can’t thank them enough for their kindness shown and donations received so far.”

Nikki Jacobs, General Manager at Gambado Fountain Park, said: “Both charities do amazing work – it was never going to be easy to pick one which is why we doubled up and picked both.  We are delighted to have raised so much money already and will continue to do so throughout the year especially at our Easter Extravaganza, which always attracts huge numbers of families, and no doubt even more so with our Forth One disco this year.”

Tailor Ed Foundation was chosen in recognition of the great work they do supporting children with autism and their families. Gambado already has a strong relationship in place with the charity as they host exclusive play sessions twice a month, when the centre is closed to all other guests. Staff who provide a fun, relaxed and safe environment for all kids to play in have been specially trained by the charity on ways to interact and understand children with autism, which helps to make it an even more enjoyable experience.

Kate Langer, acting project manager at Tailor Ed Foundation, said: “”We are delighted that  Gambado has picked us as one of their charities of the year. We really enjoy the play sessions they host for us, which enables children with autism to access soft play in a quieter environment than usual.

“We are so grateful that they will be fundraising for us, as this will allow us to go on providing services for the families of children with autism throughout Edinburgh.”

Gambado Fountain Park is Edinburgh’s biggest soft play centre for children aged from 0 – 12 years old, with everything from a three tier frame with ball cannons and slides to a climbing wall and gated sensory area for toddlers.

It is open from 9.30am till 5.30pm Monday to Thursday, 9.30am till 6.30pm on Friday, and 10am till 6pm on Saturday and Sunday. Prices start from £5.95 per child.

Highlights from 2013’s Edinburgh Short Film Festival are set to make a triumphant return to the city’s Hidden Door Festival.  Hidden Door starts today and takes place over the next nine days in the unused vaults of Market Street.

Each night, a series of events ranging from art installations to music performances and film screenings take place. Using its own independent platform, it gives other refreshing artists a platform for their work. The festival has ran as a not-for-profit event without government funding since it started. The highlights from Edinburgh Short Film Festival will be part of the programme on the evening of 4 April 2014.

Films include the Oscar-qualifying short ‘Butterflies’ by Isabel Peppard and Warwick Burton (Australia), which tells the tale of a young artist who sits on the sidewalk, struggling to make a living by selling drawings to passersby. ‘Quantum Jump’ by Hayk Sahakyants (Armenia) is a heart-warming animation about a clumsy, distracted monk and his unsuccessful quest to reach a state of perfection. Ronny Traufeller’s (Germany) animation captures a world of mechanical creatures that set off on an exploration.

Kate Sullivan’s (England) documentary ‘Walk Tall,’ is a life-affirming gem about a 91-year-old former Olympic gymnast, which picked up the Audience Award at the Berlin Festival of British Film 2013. ‘On Another Note’ by Emma Dove (Scotland) reveals a charmingly quirky portrait of Sarah, a woman who makes her own instruments from acquired junk and the community that surrounds her. The documentary won prizes at the Royal Television Society Scotland Student Awards and Underwire Festival.

Jonathan Beer’s (Northern Ireland) drama ‘Yuki’ is a thoughtful portrayal of a young girl whose world changes upon her mother’s mystery illness. Tommy Draper (Germany) captures a bored businessman on a trip and his fateful call home in ‘Pro Kopf’. Marie Enthoven’s (Beligum) thriller ‘Naïve’ portrays Emma, a young girl who discovers that her life is a lie from witch her mother holds the strings. ‘Chambre Double’ by Mathiew Mortelman (Beligum) is another thriller with a twist.

‘Santa’s Blotto’ by Patrick Myles (England) is a more light-hearted short, portraying seven-year old Jonny’s comic revenge on Santa after he failed to deliver the present he had asked for the year before.‘The Diver’ by filmmaker Damian Mohl (USA), winner of the Student Academy Awards, is a wonderful art house short, capturing the life of a toy, from cradle to grave.

Hidden Door Festival runs from 28 March – 5 April 2014.

Tickets for the event (Friday April 4th) are on sale now, as well as all other events across the festival.

More information and tickets are available over on Hidden Door’s website.

Local author, Max Scratchmann, was delighted to learn that his autobiographical book – The Last Burrah Sahibs – has been listed as a finalist for the celebrated People’s Book Prize, the winner of which will be announced at a prestigious dinner in London later this Spring.

Speaking from his home in Duddingston today, Max said: ”I’m over the moon at just being nominated for this prize, let alone being short-listed as a finalist. I’m going down to London for the awards dinner in May, but I think my nails will be bitten down to the quick by then!”

The Last Burrah Sahibs is a warm and funny personal account of Max’s own childhood in the last days of colonial India, and recounts in vivid detail the life lived by Scottish jute mill workers in the heyday of the industry.

The People’s Book Prize finalists can be viewed here.  The Last Burrah Sahibs by Max Scratchmann is published by Steve Savage Publishers and is available from Amazon and all good book shops.

Submitted by Suzy Cohen

Hidden Door is a unique arts festival that will temporarily transform the 24 disused vaults in Market Street, Edinburgh from today until 5 April 2014 into a bustling hub of art, music and creativity for some 5,000 people to enjoy over the course of 9 days. There will be over 80 visual artists exhibiting, 50 live music acts, 40 film makers, 30 poets and performers, 20 animators in addition to 2 bars, a theatre and a cinema.

This is a very exciting, one-off opportunity to occupy these iconic vaults before they are stripped bare again, and given back to the council to ultimately be handed over to property developers and turned into part of the Caltongate project which has already caused so much controversy over the years.

Hidden Door has seized the opportunity to use this space to showcase the creative talent breaking through right now across Scotland, bringing it to life and showing what is possible if we apply a bit of creative imagination to the incredible spaces our city has hidden away.

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Hidden Door has achieved all of this entirely through the work of volunteers, and without any state funding. All the contributors donate a small deposit to raise capital, and share their resources to make it happen. It is exactly what Edinburgh, the capital of culture needs – an artist-led project that brings the old historic city to life with new ideas, and fresh vision using a space which has hitherto been ignored.

The Edinburgh Reporter has visited the vaults a few times over recent days to capture what is going on in advance of the opening tonight when all will be revealed!

We will have more photos, some audio and video of what you might be able to see, but the full programme for each day is on the Hidden Door website.

 MSP contributes to Child poverty debate  – Edinburgh star in film at Cameo tonight –  Tickets for Musselburgh Ladies Day selling fast – Get ready for the Edinburgh International Science Festival – Martini Fridays

In yesterday’s Scottish Parliament debate on child poverty, Alison Johnstone, Green MSP for Lothian, urged consideration of ideas including a basic income for all citizens.

Alison, a member of Holyrood’s economy committee, highlighted a range of research including:

-A paper by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation which says the single biggest risk to progress is benefit cuts and growing use of sanctions.
-Research by the Fawcett Society which says a fifth of British women’s income comes from benefits, while for men the figure is one-tenth; therefore the loss of benefits and services hits women hardest.
-The Jimmy Reid Foundation report ‘In Place of Anxiety’. The authors Willie Sullivan and the late Ailsa McKay focused on tackling the poverty wages that create in-work poverty.

Alison said:-“We live in a wealthy nation yet inequality is increasing, and the austerity agenda has a particular impact on women and children. Families struggling have not chosen to be in poverty, and are bearing the brunt of the UK cuts making the situation worse.

“One idea we would do well to explore is the citizen’s or basic income. This would replace our incredibly complex welfare system and end the stigma that many people face.

“It’s essential we measure our economic success on how we close the gap between rich and poor and how we create a fairer society for children.”

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Gordon Kennedy stars in a horror film at the Cameo tonight at 11.00pm.   Kennedy is one of the former members of the Absolutely team and started his career in The Bodgers at the Fringe along with other Watsonians.

The Borderlands was a huge success at Frightfest 2013. Watch the trailer if you dare…..or book a ticket!

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Musselburgh Racecourse’s 10th Stobo Castle Ladies Day is heading for a sell-out in record breaking time.

With still 11 weeks to go until the 14 June glamour event, the East Lothian course has less than 1800 briefs remaining, with 6000 admission tickets already snapped up and all hospitality packages sold out.

And race goers only have a few days left to take advantage of an Early Bird offer of a £30 admission price, with tickets priced at £35 from 1 April.

Racecourse bosses have been overwhelmed at the runaway success of the event which has attracted maximum capacity crowds in each of the 10 years it has been held.

But this year’s sales have exceeded all expectations with over 6000 tickets booked at the three-months-to go mark, an 85% increase on sales at the same point in 2013.

Musselburgh Racecourse commercial manager, Mary-Ann Sandercock, said: “The rate of sales for Stobo Castle Ladies Day has been truly astonishing this year and we expect to be Sold Out within the next week or so.

“Last year’s event was such an outstanding success that word-of-mouth, combined with some very smart marketing initiatives, have grabbed the attention of thousands of smart women who know they will enjoy a top quality day at Musselburgh’s Ladies Day.

“Our Early Bird discounted admission rate ends at midnight 31 March and with monthly pay packets about to hit people’s bank accounts we expect a very busy weekend which will tip us toward our maximum capacity level and help us achieve the perfect 10.”

Stobo Castle Ladies Day incorporates the William Hill Scottish Sprint Cup – Musselburgh first £100,000 race and the track’s most valuable ever race.

To secure an Early Bird Stobo Castle Ladies Day ticket priced £30 visit the website here.

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Edinburgh International Science Festival 2014 celebrates Science at the Heart of Everything, inviting audiences of all ages to discover the science all around us over two weeks from 5 – 20 April – right across the school Easter Holiday period.

The Festival’s main venue City Art Centre hosts a series of exciting workshops for children as young as three year olds. Let them snuggle into the Storytime Tent or explore the science around us with Nina and the Neurons. Older kids can explore a giant digestive system revealing the mysteries of human biology in Energise!, right after dissecting an eyeball in VisualEyes or performing surgery in ER. Kids can get gooey and create their own blood clot at the Blood Bar or solve a crime mystery working as a forensic scientist in CSI. Explore this and more with the daily pass starting from £5.

The Edinburgh International Science Festival runs from Saturday 5 to Sunday 20 April 2014. Full details of the 2014 programme can be found at www.sciencefestival.co.uk. Tickets for all events can be booked online via the website or through the Box Office on 0844 557 2686.

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And just because it is Friday……Why not celebrate the end of the week Madmen-style at The Caley Bar’s Martini Fridays.

Michael Nawrot, head barman, at the iconic bar at Edinburgh’s West End, recommends his own favourites.  ‘Opulence is gin based, mixed with pink grapefruit muddled with fresh white grapes and stirred with lillet blanc coated ice.  This one would definitely be for Christina Hendricks character Joan Harris while Don Draper (Jon Hamm) would ask for the bourbon based Manhattan.’

The bar’s signature cocktails also feature strongly on the drinks menu.  They include an Old Fashioned, Garden Party Martini, Newgroni and Caprioska.  Michael continued: ‘We have a wide selection of new and more traditional cocktails and martinis, there’s definitely something for everyone.’

The Caley Bar opens at noon on Fridays.  To reserve your own booth call 0131-222 8888

As the referendum debate gains increasing momentum, one organisation representing over 150 Scottish SMEs has called upon MSPs from both campaigns to present their cases and debate the future of Scotland. WeDO Scotland, a leading collaboration and support organisation for entrepreneurs is hosting a Referendum Debate breakfast in Edinburgh, specifically aimed at the SME community.

The organisation believes that the majority of engagement to date has been with business leaders of Scotland’s largest companies, so WeDO has invited Fergus Ewing MSP and Minister for Energy, Enterprise & Tourism from the Yes campaign and Iain Gray MSP and former leader of the Scottish Labour Party from the No campaign to be on the panel at their debate. The event is taking place on 1 May 2014 at The Assembly Rooms and will be chaired by Bill Jamieson, founder of Scot-Buzz and former Executive Editor of The Scotsman.

Belinda Roberts, founder of WeDO commented:

“The issues which face large companies in Scotland, for the most part, are different from those of the SME community. With the ongoing growth of SMEs, their contribution to the Scottish economy is becoming increasingly important. Many quite simply don’t feel well enough informed to make a decision regarding independence.

By hosting this breakfast, we will help arm SME business leaders with the facts to make informed choices by understanding the key points from both sides of the fence. We are delighted that both MSPs are showing their support.” she added.

Tickets for the event are available on the WeDO Scotland website http://www.wedoscotland.com or by calling 08708-759593.

Event booking page: http://www.scottishreferendumdebatebreakfast.eventbrite.co.uk

Submitted by Belinda Roberts

Edinburgh College opened their doors at the Granton Campus to the public and asked them to support the college’s charity St Columba’s Hospice by attending its free student-led food and drink festival, treat, the newest major event in the Scottish culinary calendar.

Taking place at its Granton Campus, the Edinburgh College treat festival attracted acclaimed Scottish culinary experts, with celebrity chef Neil Forbes headlining. Neil Forbes was named Scottish Chef of the Year 2011 and is the Head Chef and Director at the acclaimed Cafe St Honoré restaurant in Edinburgh.

A wide range of local food and drink businesses handed out samples and were also selling their products – including Whitmuir Farm, the Engine Shed, the Leith Tea Company and The Liberty Baker – and the college’s own Hospitality students will be in the limelight with cooking demonstrations live on stage.

The festival celebrated the drinks industry in Scotland with the festival’s drinks zone offering samples of local beers from the Great Grog brewery, specialty wines from Inverarity Wines and cider specialists Thistly Cross Cider, which is based on South Belton Farm near Dunbar.

All of the proceeds from treat will go towards raising money for the college’s charity of the year, St Columba’s Hospice.

The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art has acquired a highly important drawing by Pablo Picasso, which went on display for the first time today. This landmark purchase was made thanks to an enormously generous legacy made by Henry and Sula Walton.

Dating from 1912, Head is a large charcoal drawing of exceptional quality.  Drawings from this crucial period in Picasso’s career are extremely rare and the larger works, such as Head, which measures 64.9 x 49.5 cm, are nearly all in museum collections.

Henry Walton (1924-2012) was Professor of Psychiatry and Professor of International Medical Education at the University of Edinburgh; Dr Sula Wolff (1924-2009) was an eminent Consultant Child Psychiatrist and the author of internationally acclaimed books on child psychiatry. Not only did they bequeath their art collection to the Gallery, but they also established the Henry and Sula Walton Charitable Fund, specifically to help the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art make new and important acquisitions.

Henry and Sula Walton were particularly passionate about Picasso’s work, assembling a collection of more than a dozen prints by the artist.  Picasso’s cubist work dates from about 1907 to 1915. Rather than try to copy nature, Picasso was interested in recreating it by pulling it apart and recomposing it. Part of the impetus behind cubism comes from the desire to view an object from different sides, and re-compose these different views in a single picture. Cubism is arguably the most important development in art since the Renaissance, and its influence on art and design can hardly be over-estimated.

Simon Groom, Director of the Gallery of Modern Art announced: ‘I think Henry and Sula Walton would have been thrilled by this acquisition. They were passionate about art, passionate about the Gallery, and passionate that the very greatest artworks should be available for our visitors to see. This drawing lies right at the start of modern art. It is bold, dramatic and hugely inventive: with works such as this Picasso completely re-wrote the rules on art. There are comparable drawings in museums in Paris and New York, but nothing like it in any UK public collection. I think Henry and Sula would have been proud to change that.’

Picasso hoarded huge numbers of his drawings, and at his death in 1973, most of them passed to the French state and in turn became part of the new Musée Picasso in Paris. This drawing belonged to Picasso’s grand-daughter, Marina Picasso, from whom it was purchased by Jan Krugier (1924-2008), one of the world’s leading dealers in modern art. He kept it for his own collection. His celebrated collection of drawings was offered for sale at a Sotheby’s auction in London in February this year; the Gallery acquired it directly at auction.

The Gallery now boasts a world-class group of works by Picasso. The drawing relates to several works by Picasso already in the collection: a collage Head, 1913; and the large Weeping Woman etching of 1937.

Prof Elizabeth Cowling, a world-renowned expert on Picasso, will deliver a lunchtime talk on the work in the Studio, at the Gallery of Modern Art on 14 April at 12.45: admission free.

Although John Duncan is a film maker the video which you can watch below is one that he would rather not star in.

John was knocked off his bike yesterday morning around 7 am on Leith Walk by a car coming towards him which then turned into his path. He ended up on the bonnet, but as you can possibly see on the film he bounced up and walked away with a couple of bruises. (We know it is not the clearest footage you will have seen but watch it again – it came from a CCTV camera on a nearby building.)

This lucky escape comes just a few months after he broke his leg while running on Arthur’s Seat. His leg had to be pinned, and he has been attending regular physiotherapy sessions so it was frightening for him to be involved in a collision like this one.

John told The Edinburgh Reporter:-“It was only the second time I had been back on my bike after breaking my leg. Thinking back I feel extremely lucky to have walked away with literally a couple of bruises. I think if I had hit the car a second before or after I probably would have come off worse. I consider myself an experienced rider and it really emphasised to me how dangerous it can be riding around town. I feel pretty angry towards the driver for blatantly driving without care. There really was no excuse it was dry, bright and the road was quiet.”

cctv from John Duncan on Vimeo.

His bike needs a new wheel, although perhaps John’s previous career as a bike mechanic will help in this.  He has decided not to proceed with any formal complaint against the young driver who he said was extremely shaken up after the incident and immediately admitted fault. The car was also damaged.

A project which will take around 10 years to complete was given the planning green light yesterday.

The project to redevelop the Royal Edinburgh Hospital can now move forward.

Plans for construction of the first phase which ought to be built by 2016, along with the full masterplan for the site were unanimously approved at a City of Edinburgh Council planning committee hearing yesterday.

The news comes just a week after the project received outline business case approval from the Scottish Government.

Phase one of the developments include a new £48-million facility providing services for the adult acute mental health inpatient service, older people’s mental health assessment unit, Intensive Psychiatric Care Service (IPCU) and new Robert Fergusson national brain injury unit.

David Small, Chair of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital Project Board, NHS Lothian, said: “We are delighted that the project has now received full planning consent.

“A lot of hard work has gone into reaching this important stage in the project and, while we are not yet at a stage to begin construction, it does represent a significant milestone with the plans to redevelop the site.

“We will now develop a Full Business Case which we anticipate submitting for Scottish Government approval in September this year. Subject to approval of this and financial close, we anticipate beginning work on-site by the end of this year.

“Throughout this process we have involved, listened to and taken on board the views of patients, staff and the public and we are confident that our plans will deliver an excellent mental healthcare facility.”

The redevelopment of the hospital site is being undertaken in partnership with Hub South East Scotland. As our development partner, Hub South East , has been involved from the start of the project and has appointed Morrison Construction as the main contractor to build the new facilities.

Paul McGirk, Chief Executive of Hub South East Scotland, said: “We’ve been involved in this project from the beginning, so it’s exciting to reach this major milestone and we look forward to continuing our successful partnership with NHS Lothian and making these plans a reality.”

Health Secretary Alex Neil said: “Having the right facilities in the right place is important to people across Scotland and the Royal Edinburgh Hospital is a prime example of how continued investment in our NHS is benefiting patients.

“I am delighted this development has reached this important milestone. Investment in health is a top priority for the Scottish Government and we have committed to spending over £2-billion on improving NHS infrastructure over four years.”

The redevelopment of the campus is planned to be undertaken in phased stages beginning with phase one, subject to full business case approval and financial close.