A huge rise in anti-social behaviour across West Lothian in the last year has been so extreme it prompted a councillor to ask if the figure was a “printing error”. 

A senior Labour member questioned the figures presented in a year end report  from senior officers which showed a 12% jump on reports for 2023/24 compared to the year before. 

Whitburn and Blackburn Councillor George Paul asked Divisional Commander Jocelyn O’Connor : “For quarter four 22/23 there’s 9,160 and for quarter 4 23/24 there’s 10.281, well over a 1,000 increase. 

“Is that a printing error or is this the case?” 

“This is the case there’s been a 12.2% increase,” Chief Inspector Jocelyn O’Connor told the meeting of the Public and Community Safety Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel. 

Incidents of vandalism rose from 1.299 to 1,374, a 5.8% increase; fire-raising 133 to 141, a 6% increase; and Breach of the Peace 1,348 to 1,429, a 6% increase. 

As for clear-up rates; the detection rate for vandalism was 27.1%. For fireraising 19.9% and for Breach of the Peace 72.5%. 

In her report to councillors CI O’Connor said: “We continue to tackle Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) in its various forms with our partners. 

“Unfortunately issues at Livingston Shopping Centres and the retail parks have increased again with numerous incidents reported to police during this quarter. Although work has been ongoing in the background with various identified youths, incidents did increase, causing issues for both staff and members of the public.  

“Partners continue monthly meetings with Centre management to address ongoing issues and find a long-term solution. 

“In March, both the former Xcite Leisure Centres in Broxburn and Livingston (known as Bubbles), were subject to wilful fire raising. CID are continuing enquiries and are currently following up on several pieces of information. We encourage parents to discuss with their children the dangers of fire raising as well as gaining entry into disused buildings.  

“WLC have currently secured these buildings although we have continued to receive reports of youths attempting to gain entry. “ 

CI O’Connor told the committee: “Police, Youth Action Project and Safer Neighbourhood Teams, have increased high-visibility patrols in ASB hotspots to deter any youth disorder, whilst providing reassurance to local businesses. 

She detailed specific successes tackling ASB in Broxburn and in Blackridge. 

“After an incident at Stewartfield Park, Broxburn where two vehicles were observed driving recklessly on the football pitches, we utilised social media to appeal for information from the local community.  

“Due to this appeal, a 17 year old female was identified, traced and charged in connection with the damage. Community officers thereafter attended the site with WLC staff and contractors to establish a plan to prevent vehicles entering the park.” 

At Blackridge: “Our Community Officer analysed and collated almost 50 incidents from the previous 12 months, linked in with partner agencies resulting in a core group of youths being identified. Joint intervention visits were completed with all the youths being charged, and parental warnings issued.  

“As a result of outstanding efforts, our officers solved 20 vandalisms with a collective damage value of around £11,000 and submitted a lengthy, complex youth offending report. This demonstrates the commitment our officers have in addressing ASB and sends a clear message that this behaviour will not be tolerated.” 

Local Councillor Lynda Kenna thanked police for their work in Backridge she added that it proved that “by partnership working such behaviour could be controlled.”  

CI O’Connor added that community teams had established regular high visibility patrols in areas of the county where ASB was reported. 

By Stuart Sommerville, Local Democracy Reporter 

With freshly prepared pasta, made from scratch, on the menu every day, Luci’s Italian restaurant in Lasswade, ticks all the boxes when it comes to authenticity, as well as sheer delicious variety

Every day, Luci’s team of talented chefs prepare around 40kgs of pasta every week with all types of fresh pasta in the mix, from papardelle, and bucatini to egg rigatoni, traditional spaghetti and tagliatelle.

“Freshly made pasta tastes incredible, so much better than dried varieties,” said Luci’s General Manager Kevin Stewart. ”Combined with our “traditional with a twist” pasta sauces, based on traditional family recipes, what we are offering our customers is really very special.”

“It’s a real labour of love for our chefs to prepare the pasta every day, and it’s certainly worth it. We are receiving fantastic feedback on our dishes and want to continue spreading the word to foodies out there.”

Dishes on Luci’s stand out a la carte menu include Scottish crab – handmade egg tagliatelle with Scottish white crab meat, red chilli, spring onion, Amalfi lemon and coriander butter sauce,  Luci’s famous carbonara – handmade egg spaghetti, smoked ham and Grana Padano, confit egg yolk and crispy ham, and Beef Short Rib – handmade egg paradelle, slow braised short rib, San Marzano tomato and a red wine ragu.

The choice also includes Spicy Italian Sausage- a dish of handmade egg rigatoni, spicy Italian sausage, braised fennel, cime di rapa & chilli, and a wild mushroom and black truffle dish, containing handmade egg bucatini, wild mushrooms, black truffle, mascarpone & pecorino Romano.

Luci’s, situated in Lasswade’s High Street, is open Wednesday to Sunday. Menus change seasonally.

Check out the website at www.lucis-lasswade.co.uk for full menu choices, including a la carte, Lunch Menu, Children’s Menu and Booze Brunch, a highly sociable offering with a DJ, saxophonist and cocktails, available the last Saturday of every month.

Gluten free & vegan options are also available at Luci’s.

A petition calling on East Lothian Council to return household bin collections to every two weeks was considered ‘too political’ to be discussed in the run up to the general election. 

Thousands of people have signed the petition which was launched as the council prepared to introduce a reduced three weekly collection across the county and it was due to be discussed at its petitions committee last week. 

However it has been revealed the meeting was cancelled and the item  rescheduled to be considered in September after officials ruled it was likely to break strict purdah guidelines. 

Purdah is the pre-election period after it has been called when local authorities and other public bodies are required to remain neutral. 

A council spokesperson said the change to bin collections had been a decision taken by the council’s Labour administration and it was felt councillors would have been unable to ‘fully engage’ in the debate without making political comments. 

The originator of the petition shared an email she said she received from the council over the decision which said “this budget choice being debated would risk political comments being made as part of the discussion which, during the pre-election period East Lothian Council is not allowed to facilitate”. 

The petition calling for the return to fortnightly collections has received more than 2,700 signatures and a Facebook page set up for residents against the change has more than 1,600 members. 

The social media page has been swamped with stories from locals who are struggling to cope with the longer wait for household waste to be collected. 

Many say they are now having to make regular trips to the local dumps while others claim neighbours are putting bags in other people’s bins creating tension in streets. 

Some have also resorted to paying private firms to empty their bins as they say they cannot wait for the council’s three weekly collections. 

East Lothian residents have six different waste receptacles made up of a green household bin, brown garden waste bin, blue box for paper and car, green/black box for glass, a grey food caddy and a white weighted bag for plastic, tins and cartons. 

Following this year’s budget decision it was agreed to introduce a new annual fee for collection of garden waste which had been taken away for free once a month, and is now collected fortnightly for a charge of £35 a year and reduce the fortnightly free household waste collection to every three weeks. 

Recycling bags and boxes are collected weekly along with food waste. 

East Lothian Council said the petition over the changed household waste collection was now due to be heard at the petitions committee in September. 

Their spokesperson said: “There is clear guidance that councils and other bodies must follow by law in the pre-election period. 

“We are required to balance our responsibilities to proceed with council business against the requirement to remain politically neutral, preventing any type of communication or activity that could affect, or be seen to affect, public support for a political party. 

 “The petition relates to a result of the administration’s budget decisions. Petition committee members may not be able to fully engage in debate due to the restrictions around statements which are, or could be considered, in breach of the requirement for neutrality during the pre-election period. 

“Therefore the decision was made to delay this committee meeting until post-election period so members, and petitioners, can express themselves without such restrictions.” 

By Marie Sharp Local Democracy Reporter 

Local developer steps in to complete “in limbo” development.

A significant residential development in East Lothian is to be revitalised by an independent property developer following the high-profile collapse of the original housebuilder.

Dundas has confirmed the takeover of 34 plots in the Letham Views development in Haddington which led to sales and construction work grinding to a halt after Stewart Milne Homes went into liquidation.

By stepping into the project, Dundas has committed to delivering high-spec homes that exceed industry standards – with the aim of delivering the final sales completion by May 2025.

The firm is now urging potential buyers who may have reserved a plot with the previous developer to contact them as soon as possible to register their interest.

Craig Fairfoull, Sales & Marketing Director at Dundas, said: “We understand the challenges and uncertainties faced by the prospective homeowners around the history of this site.

“Our primary goal is to make the transition as smooth as possible, and we urge those who had reservations with Stewart Milne for one of these plots to contact us immediately.

“Along with building 34 homes; we are looking at ways in which we can address certain communal issues.

“It is our hope that we can deliver these much-needed homes within 12 months, allowing prospective buyers to finally move into the homes they have been looking forward to.”

The development will see Dundas complete various house types that were akin to those proposed by the previous developer, such as two-bedroom apartments, mid and end terrace homes, and larger detached homes.

Dundas was supported through the acquisition of the site by solicitors Anderson Strathern and administrators Teneo.

In taking on the project, Dundas is building on its recent record in East Lothian, adding to its £35m The Wireworks development located on the banks of the river Esk in Musselburgh.

Dundas, an award-winning and independent Scottish homebuilder, prides itself on crafting homes that enhance the well-being of its occupants.

It emphasises creating inclusive communities and strives to simplify, enrich, and add enjoyment to the home-buying experience.

If existing Stewart Milne residents have any queries about the communal areas, they can contact the customer care team at customercare@dundas.co.uk

Prospective buyers who had reservations previously and want to contact Dundas can do at sales@dundas.co.uk

https://bit.ly/dundas-estates

Police Scotland has welcomed the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Executive Institute (FBI NEI) to its headquarters for its 47th session. 

The senior development course is aimed at police and law enforcement leaders and saw 45 delegates from the USA and representatives of seven other nations undertake the second of three stages at Police Scotland headquarters, Tulliallan. 

This is now the third year in a row the course has come to Scotland. 

The visit, facilitated by Police Scotland’s International Development and Innovation Unit (IDIU) was addressed by several member of the force Executive, including Chief Constable Jo Farrell, and Deputy Chief Constable Alan Speirs, who has oversight of the IDIU. 

Delegates heard about the Scottish approach to policing, the concept of policing by consent and the importance of maintaining public trust; keeping people safe in a digital world; and the public health approach to policing which Police Scotland has spearheaded in recent years. 

Further lectures were delivered on policing under financial pressure, how to recruit and retain the best people, and a study on the impact of different types of leadership styles. 

Practical demonstrations were also observed at the service’s training centre at Jackton on de-escalation tactics, facilitating peaceful protests, and a discussion on the use of force in Scotland, where most officers do not carry firearms. 

Police Scotland’s Chief Constable, Jo Farrell, said; “We welcome the opportunity to share not only our own story and experiences of service transformation, but to also exercise our professional curiosity and learn best practice from others. 

“Law enforcement agencies and police services the world over can learn from each other, and the National Executive Institute’s decision to host another cycle with Police Scotland presents an opportunity to share information, ideas and policing strategies with others who share our dedication to public service. 

“We have forged strong partnerships with the FBI and American law enforcement agencies over the years, most significantly since the Lockerbie bombing in 1988. By supporting collaborative work of this nature it ensures we can all be as well placed as possible to face the emerging leadership and policing challenges which lie ahead.” 

Edward Caban is the Police Commissioner for the New York Police Department, and is a participant in this year’s NEI. He said: “This is a great programme, allowing us to connect with both our domestic and international partners. We’ve talked about public safety being a shared responsibility and we have common goals to make sure our cities and people are safe and feel safe. No matter whether your organisation is small or large, we can all learn from each other, and that’s why we’re all here.” 

Celeste Murphy is the first female Chief of Chattanooga Police Department in Tennessee, who said: “I really like the way you treat the community here by getting to the root of the problems, I find that really refreshing. Community policing is my passion, and we’re moving in the at direction in my department, our philosophies are very similar, and I’ll be taking some of your approaches back to my team to translate into how we carry out our roles.” 

James Smith is Assistant Director of the FBI New York Field Office. He said: “It’s been amazing to further develop the existing partnerships we have over here. We’ve all been able to learn from each other and see how things are done here in Scotland. How we police, how we do investigations and deal with the public in the United State looks different as a whole. However, we do learn from each other about how we can bring some of the techniques we’ve seen here back to the United States and use them to our benefit.” 
 
The first female department Chief for Kansas City, Missouri, is Stacey Graves, who said: “I definitely took notice of how one of Police Scotland’s main approaches is looking at the wellbeing of the entire country and that police is viewed as a virtue. That approach goes into making sure that everybody and every community’s wellbeing is taken care of.” 

Police Scotland and the FBI Training Division at Quantico have been engaged in a collaborative relationship since 2018, with officials from both organisations having undertaken research visits throughout that time. 

The National Executive Institute is built on four pillars of study of emerging trends, enhancing partnerships, promotion wellness and seeking innovation in order to present leaders with the opportunity to engage on the challenges and opportunities which exist for today’s global leaders in policing. 

Changes to the way the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service handle automatic fire alarms has seen a huge 69% drop in the number of blue light call outs for fire crews in West Lothian over the last year. 

Year end figures reinforce monthly drops reported across all wards of the council area since the introduction of the new rule in July 2023. 

Fire officers told councillors this week they would continue to engage with  premises and duty holders to bring down  further the number of false alarms. 

The Scottish Fire and Rescue service produced figures for Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals  UFAS) at the latest meeting of the Public and Community Safety Policy development and Scrutiny Panel. 

The figures show dramatic falls across West Lothian over the last four years. The number of UFAS in 2019/20 county wide was 1,005 and in 2023/24 it was 434. 

A senior fire officer told the meeting: “There were 66 calls in quarter four of last year which was a reduction of a huge 69 % on the equivalent period for the year before.” 

A report to councillors said:  “There was an increase of 12 incidents (22%) when compared to Q3 2023/24 and a significant decrease of 149 incidents (56%) compared to Q4 2022/23. The per 10,000 population trend line over the previous five years shows the West Lothian area to be comparable with the Scottish average and slightly higher than a comparable local authority.” 

The wards with highest call out figures have seen the most dramatic drops over the same 2019/20 to 23/24 period. Broxburn Uphall and Winchburgh down from 76 to 59; Livingston South down from 288 to 125 and Whitburn and Blackburn down from 138 to 60. 

The SFRS changed its policy in July last in a bid to cut the risks of two appliances attendance under blue light road conditions, ie travelling at speed in response to all automatic alarms. 

Now for most commercial premises fire control officers make follow up calls to key holders before sending out crews. 

It also saves the SFRS money- each false call out costing around £2,000- and frees up  time for crew training and public engagement. 

The change means that such a response will only be made to buildings with  “ sleeping risk” including hospitals, care homes and student accommodation. 

The majority of false alarms in the last year were these types of premises. Common UFAS main causes are: Human error (39%), Fault in system (19%), Contaminants (16%) . 

 In his report Divisional Commander Willie Pollard said: “A reduction in UFAS incidents has many benefits namely, reducing road risk, reducing SFRS carbon footprint and increasing business continuity. 

“UFAS incidents fall into a range of categories that include. Malicious, Failure of Equipment and Good Intent. SFRS have developed a UFAS Policy to ensure that persistent UFASs incidents within premises are addressed appropriately. Engagement with key holders is paramount to reducing SFRS attendance.” 

“We have programmed engagement sessions with duty holders and alarm providers to discuss solutions to UFASs. SFRS have a robust UFAS Policy and analyse trends and engage appropriately with Duty Holders of relevant premises.” 

“We aim to reduce UFAS in West Lothian by 5% per year, which contributes towards the SFRS target for reducing the number of UFAS incidents attended in non-domestic premises. 

By Stuart Sommerville, Local Democracy Reporter 

A by-election for the Armadale and Blackridge ward on West Lothian Council will be held in late August. 

The vote follows the death of long-time councillor for the ward, Blackridge native son Councillor Stuart Borrowman last month. 

A by-election is proposed for Thursday 22 August 2024.  

The ward has two other members Andrew McGuire, first elected for Labour in 2017 now an Independent and Lynda Kenna for the SNP, elected in 2022. 

Councillor Borrowman was one of the council’s longest serving members.  

He  had held a seat in the ward from 2003 until his sudden death, aged 71. Formally he represented the SNP before serving as an Independent.  

He was re-elcted in  2022 with 2,571 votes. 

Formal notification of the date will be published when the Notice of Election is published on Friday, 12 July 2024 and further information will be provided at a later date. 

Stuart Sommerville, Local Democracy Reporter 

Paul Hanlon has signed for Raith Rovers on a three-year deal joining pal Lewis Stevenson at the Fife club.

Hanlon made over 550 appearances for Hibs and scored some vital goals across his career. 

The most famous being the late equaliser against Hearts at Tynecastle which subsequently led to Scottish Cup glory. 

Twice voted Hibs’ Player of the Year, Paul has been a model of consistency and a real leader, in both good times and bad. 

He was rewarded with a testimonial in 2018, and is most fondly remembered at Easter Road for his goal at Tynecastle in their 2016 Scottish Cup campaign. 

Paul sits fifth on Hibs’ all-time appearance list, and has left an everlasting impression both on and off the pitch. 

As well as a fantastic playing career, he and our other new signing Lewis Stevenson proudly run the Hanlon Stevenson Foundation, which does tremendous work in helping young people. 

Speaking exclusively to raithrovers.net, Paul said, “I’m absolutely delighted to sign for The Rovers until 2027. I can’t wait to meet the boys, start training and build on the great work that was done last season.“ 

Raith boss Ian Murray also commented, “Paul is an excellent signing for us and a lot of work went into getting him. Left-footed centre halves are hard to find but Paul has played at the highest level in Scotland for a number of years and brings us real quality in defence and in terms of leadership, calmness and aggression. He reads the game exceptionally well and makes the squad stronger. We look forward to working with him and look forward to what he will bring to us also.“ 

Berwick Jewson Bandits and Glasgow Allied Vehicles Tigers race home and away this weekend, with both sides looking to kick-start their faltering seasons.

The weekend begins at Ashfield on Friday (7.30pm), moving on to Shielfield Park on Saturday (7pm) and Stewart Dickson, Berwick’s team manager, said: “Our first goal is to keep things close with one eye on the aggregate point.

“Glasgow ran us close at Shielfield earlier in the season despite only having six riders while we did reasonably well at Ashfield despite missing a track specialist in Lewis Kerr.”

Both sides desperately need the points, Berwick to end an injury-strewn, four-match, losing streak while Tigers have only one win from their three Cab Direct Championship fixures, losing at Workington and Redcar having beaten the Comets at Ashfield.

Glasgow have added Jack Smith to their seven since they lost 48-42 at Shielfield Park in April’s BSN Series clash and he replaces Lee Complin who failed a drugs test in the run-up to that meeting in April and is currently serving a 20-month ban.

Glasgow gained some semblance of revenge in the reverse fixture at Ashfield, a night when Poole’s Sam Hagon guested in place of Complin, with Claus Vissing, guesting for Leon Flint, top-scoring with 13 points.

Berwick were without No 1, Lewis Kerr that night, the former Tiger suffering an ankle injury riding for Oxford in the Premiership, but he is back and finding the kind of form which saw him beat Glasgow No 1 three times at Shielfield Park.

Hagon, who has been in sparkling form for Poole this season, won the British under-21 Final on his last visit to Glasgow, beating SGP2 qualifier Flint in the final, guests in place of injured Danish racer, Bastian Borke, for both meetings.

He is partnered at reserve by Jason Garrad who is having his best-ever season in Oxford’s National Development League, scoring 30 points from his three meetings so far, including a maximum against Edinburgh’s Academy.

A third guest is Erik Riss who has the unenviable task of filling the void left by Rory Schlein’s season-ending crash, the German not currently attached to a Cab Direct Championship side but scoring freely for Oxford in the Premiership.

The 28-year-old has an exceptional record at Shielfield Park for both Redcar and Edinburgh and has also been among the points around Ashfield.

Riss lines up in the No 3 berth on Friday, swapping places with Jye Etheridge – back after missing the last two meetings suffering a concussion in the defeat against Scunthorpe. Ethridge is at No 5 for the Shielfield fixture.

Glasgow’s challenge will be led by two former Berwick captains, Chris Harris and Flint, while Paul Starke and Ace Pijper are also former Berwick riders.

Dickson added: “This is a chance for both sides to get points on the board. Glasgow have had a stop/start Championship campaign with very little continuity, so perhaps there is a chance for us to catch them cold.

“After a solid, albeit not spectacular, start to the season, we have been knocked sideways by injuries to Rory and Bastian who were both riding well above their averages.

“We let Scunthorpe beat us at home, a meeting we should never have  lost, so we have to get the season back on track and there are still 20 points available to us this season. We have to start picking them up.”

Tickets for Saturday’s meeting cost £18 until midnight on Friday. On the day e-tickets and cash admission is £20 (£18 concessions and students). Debit or credit card payments are not available.

Glasgow: Chris Harris, Paul Starke, Leon Flint, James Pearson, Steve Worrall, Jack Smith, Ace Pijper

Berwick: Lewi Kerr, Danyon Hume, Erik Riss (Jye Etheridge Saturday), Drew Kemp, Jye Etheridge (Erik Riss Saturday), Jason Garrad, Sam Hagon

PICTURE: Etheridge v Flint by Taz McDougall

Stellar Monarchs face high-flying Scunthorpe Scorpions at Armadale on Friday and the English combine started this week at the top of the Cab Direct Championship table.

]They have won two home and two away matches, lost only one and taken the two aggregate bonus points they have contested.

They have a solid side with Kyle Howarth at No 1 and scorers down to at least No 6. Michael Palm Toft is currently injured but the rider replacement facility allows all his team mates an extra ride.

Max James returns to the home side after his recent rib injury and there is a change of riding order also in the Monarchs’ ranks, swapping Kye Thomson (pictured) to No 2 and Lasse Fredriksen to No 3.

Team manager Alex Harkess said: “It is a match that could well be tight. Scunthorpe are doing well. They are a very strong home team and don’t do quite as well away from home.

“It is a match we have to win and we expect to be at full strength. As always at Armadale, if all our riders ride at the level we think they are capable of, then we will be fine.”

STELLAR MONARCHS: Josh Pickering, Kye Thomson, Lasse Fredriksen, Paco Castagna (capt), Justin Sedgmen, Max James, Connor Coles.

ELLIE ROSE SCORPIONS: Kyle Howarth, Connor Mountain, Simon Lambert (capt), rider replacement for Michael Palm Toft, Jake Allen, Nathan Ablitt, Mickie Simpson (guest).

Following the Championship match, West Lothian Wildcats race Workington Meteors in the Northern Junior League.

Murrayfield Community Council meeting

The next Murrayfield Community Council meeting will be held on 25 June. The minutes of last month’s meeting are embedded below.

Cllr Euan Davidson was the only councillor present and he is noted as having correctly advised that any extension to the tram will be subject to funding from The Scottish Government. Cllr Davidson advised the meeting that the government had just turned down an application from the council for £44 million to fund a feasibility study into the next part of the tramline. It has been confirmed to The Edinburgh Reporter that this vast sum is indeed only for the study.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop wrote to The City of Edinburgh Council that the “business case for the tram extension to Granton is not affordable nor in line with the recent recommendations of the Tram Enquiry”. This, notwithstanding that tram was included as a recommendation in STPR2 which is a document produced for Transport Scotland and The Scottish Government by transport specialists Jacobs and Aecom.

In that document the recommendation for mass public transport is: “STPR2 recommends that Transport Scotland works with regional partners to develop and enhance the cross-boundary public transport system for the Edinburgh and South East Scotland region, potentially comprising tram and bus-based transit modes including bus rapid transit (BRT) and bus priority measures. This would complement and integrate with the region’s current bus, tram and heavy rail networks, to provide improved connectivity between Edinburgh and the surrounding communities in the region, as well as more direct connections between communities outside Edinburgh.”

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Fundraising concert on Saturday

Tennis event

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Porty Pride Ball

In Pride Month The Porty Pride Ball will be held on 29 June at Portobello Town Hall with Loud and Proud Choir, DJ Blu, Mystika Glamoor, Chloe Roze and DJ Simon Hot Mess. Buy tickets here

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Today’s featured image is from the Royal Highland Show on Thursday. Tickets for Friday and Saturday are now sold out.

I had the privilege last Saturday to go to the hills and gain some perspective on our current affairs, namely football, politics and climate change. 

It was the one clear day in a weekend of downpours.  My companion and I were lucky to be in the right place at the right time to hire a guide to take us over the scary pinnacles of the famous Aonach Eagach ridge, strung by the mountain gods between two Munros on the north side of Glencoe. 

When we weren’t hanging on to the rocks for dear life, we were able to look down on the world below. Tiny cars were speeding along the A82. Loch Leven was glistening in the sunshine. Way out west we would see the Cuillins of Skye, to the north the snow-sprinkled top of Ben Nevis and, looking east over landscape that has not changed much since the Ice Age, we could see the cone of Schiehallion.   

It allowed us to see the previous evening’s football “disaster” in its proper proportion. Scotland going down 5-1 to Germany was just a minor blip in our glorious progress to the European Men’s Football Championship. But then, football itself is just a minor blip in the life of the nation, even though 200,000 Scots have gone on pilgrimage to Germany watch the games.    

Even the general election is a blip in the life of the nation. Though, the 4^th of July looks like it will be a bigger blip than usual.  We have just had a delivery of opinion polls showing Labour 20 points ahead and heading towards their biggest victory since 1951, and the Conservatives the biggest defeat in the party’s 200 year-long history.    

In Scotland, a Savanta poll predicts that Labour will win 29 seats (up from two at present). The SNP, it says, will drop to 17 (from 43), the Conservatives will win six and the Liberal Democrats five. A lot depends on how the vote falls in about dozen marginal seats, but the overall picture is as clear as the view from the Glencoe ridge.

So it’s worth having a look at what Labour has in mind.  No tax increases for working people and an end to “austerity”, particularly in the health service. Apparently that will be paid for by extra windfall taxes on the oil companies and closing tax loop-holes used by the super-rich. If that doesn’t work, then they’ll rely on economic growth to provide enough government revenue. Various brainy think-tankers have raised eyebrows about that piece of wishful policy-making. 

For the launch of the Scottish manifesto on Tuesday, the Scottish leader Anas Sarwar made much of Labour’s idea to establish a Great British Energy Company, head-quartered in Scotland (probably Aberdeen) to invest £8bn in renewables. This he said would lead the transition out of fossil fuels – Labour has said it will not issue any new licences for oil exploration in the North Sea. 

The SNP manifesto launch followed on Wednesday with John Swinney outlining his rather nuanced policy on new oil and gas fields. Each application will be treated on its merits and subject to a number of environmental tests. We were left on equally squelchy ground on the issue of independence.  If the SNP win more than half the Scottish seats on 4^th July, it won’t mean a unilateral declaration of independence but a call for the UK government to allow a referendum.  A call which Labour have said they won’t listen to.

But the issue that seems to stir the blood most during this election is the poor state in which the Conservatives have left the NHS. I find it curious that this is the public service people say they care about most.  I’m sure if schools were to close or councils fail to collect rubbish, voters would care much more about that. These day-to-day services are actually more important for our long-term survival than hospitals. But the main political parties, to their shame, are only concerned with the short-term.

Climate change is perhaps the best example, the issue that needs more political leadership than any other.  All parties have been back-pedalling on this, except of course the Greens (now at around six per cent in the opinion polls).  Labour has watered down its £28bn climate change programme to just £8bn.  The SNP have followed the Conservatives in postponing climate change targets on petrol cars and home boilers. (We learned this week that Scotland has again missed its carbon emissions target, that’s the ninth year, out of the last 13 years.)

One important industry for climate transition is agriculture. But governments, north and south of the boarder, have left farmers floundering in uncertainty over prices, trade rules, environmental subsidies and their role in the future of the country.  It will be interesting to see how much disquiet there is beneath the fair-ground razzmatazz of the Royal Highland Agricultural Show at Ingliston  this weekend.

Farming may be an industry that has survived since the beginning of human civilisation but it is not as old, or as enduring, as the hills of Glencoe.       

Edinburgh has won several of the honours at the annual Scottish Transport Awards held in Glasgow on Thursday evening which recognise schemes that “make an impactful change to Scotland’s transport sector”.

The first award was for Excellence in Transport Design for the City Centre West to East Link (CCWEL) and street improvements project, Excellence in Transport Planning for the council’s City Mobility Plan, and to top it off, Hannah Ross, Head of Major Projects and Commissioning, and Daisy Naryanan, MBE, who until recently worked with the council, both received individual award for their outstanding contribution to the Scottish transport sector. Ms Ross led on the Trams to Newhaven project which began carrying passengers last year and Ms Naryanan was in charge of the redesign of the City Centre George Street First New Town scheme.

Edinburgh Trams also triumphed by winning the highly competitive Transport Team/Partnership of the Year award for their exceptional work on the Newhaven extension. Judges said “their commitment to delivering the project on time, on budget, and with safety as a priority has significantly enhanced the city’s connectivity and sustainability. The results are clear, with customer numbers doubling in the past year”.

Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop said: “It was an honour to speak at the awards ceremony and recognise the achievements of some previously unsung heroes in our transport sector.
“I particularly enjoyed handing out the Frontline Employee of the Year award, and also meeting
so many people who are working so hard behind the scenes, day in, day out, to keep Scotland
moving.
“It was my second Scottish Transport Awards, and I was able to reflect on the progress made over
the past 12 months on so many projects and initiatives. However, we must keep up momentum
and continue to build on these foundations. There is much still to do, and we will only deliver
lasting change by working together on our key ambitions and priorities.
“Well done everyone on such a fitting occasion to celebrate your success.”

• Full list of winners and commendations
• 1.Most Effective Road Safety, Traffic Management & Enforcement (sponsored by First Bus)
• Winner: South Lanarkshire Council: Road Safety Programme
• 2.Excellence in Walking, Public Realm, Cycling
• Winner: Glasgow City Council – East City Way Phases 6 & 7
• Commended: NG Homes and Cycling Scotland: Supporting social housing tenants to travel by
• bike
• 3.Best Practice in Travel to School and Work Schemes
• Winner: Glasgow City Council: STARS School Travel and Road Safety
• 4.Excellence in Transport Accessibility
• Winner: HITRANS: Go-Hi and Motability Mobility Credit Pilot
• Commended: Badenoch & Strathspey Community ConnXions
• 5.Excellence in Travel Information and Marketing
• Winner: First Bus: Under 22s ‘Free to Explore’ Campaign
• Commended: Stagecoach Scotland: “Bussed It, Bossed It” youth campaign
• 6.Excellence in Technology and Innovation
• Winner: Fugro: RILA® Survey of Scotland Rail
• 7.Best Bus Service
• Winner: Glenfarg Community Transport Group: The 55 Bus
• Commended: Stagecoach East Scotland: Fife to Edinburgh Airport on JET747
• 8.Contribution to Sustainable Transport
• Winner: Aberdeen City Council: Aberdeen City Centre Bus Priority Measures
• 9.Transport Team / Partnership of the Year
• Winner: Edinburgh Trams: Trams to Newhaven
• Commended: HITRANS: HI-BIKE
• 10.Most Innovative Transport Project of the Year (Sponsored by Avanti)
• Winner: Aberdeen International Airport: Project CAELUS
• 11.Airport of the Year
• Winner: Glasgow Airport
• 12.Rail Supplier of the Year
• Winner: AmcoGiffen: NR Civils Asset Management – Emergency and Reactive Works
• 13.Excellence in Transport Design
• Winner: The City of Edinburgh Council: City Centre West to East Link and Street Improvements Project
• Commended: Story Contracting: Burton Underpass & Sensory Garden
• 14.Excellence in Transport Planning
• Winner: The City of Edinburgh Council: Edinburgh’s City Mobility Plan and Our Future Streets
• 15. Outstanding contribution to Transport
• Winner:Hannah Ross, City of Edinburgh Council
• 16.Outstanding contribution to Transport
• Winner: Daisy Naryanan MBE
• 17.Lifetime contribution to Transport
• Ralph Roberts, Chief Executive, McGills
• 18.Frontline Employee of the Year
• Winner: Mohammad Ramzan, McGill’s Bus Service Ltd
• Commended: John MacDonald, Caledonian MacBrayne; John Fry, First Bus Scotland; Kian
• Greene, McGill’s Bus Service Ltd; Kary-Ann McGregor, McGill’s Bus Service Ltd; Colin Hunter,
• Stagecoach East Scotland
• 19.Public Transport Operator of the Year
• Winner: Scottish Citylink Coaches Ltd
• 20.Transport Local Authority of the Year
• Winner: Strathclyde Partnership for Transport

The photos below show some of the CCWEL which runs from Roseburn through Haymarket to the West End, along Melville Street and then on towards Picardy Place.

The owner of this bike was temporarily unable to take it for a spin after a swarm of bees took a fancy to it.

Some local beekeepers came to the rescue, one of whom was dressed head to toe in a yellow beekeeping suit and collected the creatures.

A wisecracker on Reddit said: “That’s one way to ensure your bike doesn’t get stolen.” Another said they must have been in the wrong place as The Beehive is in the Grassmarket, and someone who works on Morrison Street suggested the bees might be from their office roof.

Announcing a “green new deal”, The Scottish Greens used Edinburgh’s arts centre at Summerhall to share their pledges on wealth taxes on the one per cent and divestment from fossil fuels.

Co-leaders Lorna Slater and Patrick Harvie emphasised the urgency of climate change and the action needed, and that any Green MPs would provide “the green voice in Westminster”.

Lorna Slater highlighted the “scale of investment” needed to drive forward a sustainable future for Scotland, denouncing the “red and blue governments” which she said have failed to take the matter of climate change seriously in the wake of Net Zero targets, and also Brexit.

Mr Harvie outlined the party’s goals for a “fairer, greener, and more welcoming” independent Scotland. Policies outlined at the launch included extending parental leave, repealing the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024, and explaining the Scottish Greens’ stance on the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

After the’ speeches, candidates went to The Meadows. Here, in one of the city’s landmark green spaces, The Edinburgh Reporter spoke with some of the party’s Edinburgh and Lothian candidates to ask what changes they will offer voters, if elected to Westminster on 4 July.

Speaking with Lorna Slater, Co-Leader of Scottish Greens, The Edinburgh Reporter also asked how the party are addressing the needs of younger voters, with climate change being front and centre of the latest manifesto.

Edinburgh East & Musselburgh candidate, Amanda Grimm, also took a moment to state her commitment to safeguarding the future of Edinburgh’s historic Summerhall, as she opened the morning’s proceedings.

The arts and culture hub in the heart of the city was put up for sale earlier this year.

The General Election will take place on 4 July 2024.

Additional material contributed by Zoe MacNaughton

Honouring 30 Years of Definitely Maybe the atmosphere couldn’t be more charged in Glasgow the night that Scotland played Switzerland in the Euros.

Villanelle, a great band name by the way, features Liam’s son Gene who also takes us back to the early 90s sounding like a mix of Nirvana and early Oasis. There’s more than a hint of his father in Gallagher Jr’s delivery.

When Scotland scored during The View’s set a sense of celebration ramped up several gears, and the band responded with an impromptu Flower of Scotland. A large clock counted down the years to 1994 when Oasis released their classic debut long-player. Liam has delivered another masterstroke in performing the album, as well as single b-sides and demos while drafting in original rhythm guitarist Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs who brings his wall of sound to the likes of Columbia.
The early Oasis sound, which this writer saw twice in two weeks at the Glasgow Barrowlands back in 1994 (after Liam walked off, Noel played the rest of the gig and they returned to play a full set two weeks later) is spot-on. So much so that I feel like I’ve gone back 30 years in a time machine.

The real thrill is that it doesn’t feel like a retread or cash-in but a return to unfinished business. The raw, punk energy of Bring It On Down has lost none of its fury in the intervening years. There’s an abundance of feel-good energy dispensed during I Will Believe, the Liam Gallagher of today delivers a much stronger vocal than on the early b-side while reminding us of the excitement that Oasis brought to a generation.

The crowd has no problem singing the falsetto during Up In The Sky or taking on Noel Gallagher’s harmonies when required. Very few people got to see these early Oasis sets and the sound of the band changed drastically for (What’s The Story) Morning Glory. Change the drummer; change the band and after Tony McCarroll’s departure Oasis was a different beast.
As the five-piece became a cultural phenomenon their set-lists shifted to accommodate a prolific run of new songs and hit records.
Lock All The Doors and It’s Good To Be Free are imbued with a sense of the times in which they were written, essentially when the band were skint, on the dole, dreaming big dreams and pushing themselves forward relentlessly.

These tracks still drip with the attitude of the five Irish-Mancunians from the same council estate who created the original magic back in the early 90s. Noel, Tony and Guigsy are here in spirit and make various appearances on the impressive big-screen montages.

The Definitely Maybe stage setting also adds to the sense of the time with pink flamingos and a large globe that hangs above Liam’s head. Perhaps the only track missing is Take Me which is a favourite among a new generation of fans and the hardcore who sing along to every word of Fade Away, D’Yer Wanna Be A Spaceman and Cloudburst. The strings added to Whatever and the grand finish of I Am The Walrus are sublime.
You would be hard-pressed to find an audience more passionately engaged than during the likes of Live Forever or Slide Away. The Manc swagger of Supersonic spiced with psychedelic Beatles and a hint of Mick Ronson helped Oasis deliver one of the best 45s of all time. Tonight it sounds as potent as it always did, undiminished by the time and tide of changing tastes and fashions. It’s a moment that will remain much like it did thirty years ago.

Liam Gallagher, Definitely Maybe, OVO Hydro

The organiser of the venerable Edinburgh Seven Hills Race is warning that extra checks may have to be brought in next year to prevent athletes infiltrating the event without paying the £14 entry fee.

The annual race went ahead in mid June covering a 14 mile course that embraced Edinburgh Castle Esplanade, Arthur’s Seat, Craiglockhart Hill, Braid Hill, Blackford Hill, Corstorphine Hill and Calton Hill.

It was won in a time of 1hr 39mins 32 secs.

Entrants come from as far afield as The Netherlands.

But Race Director Alan Lawson has hit out at the cheats, branding them “toe rags”.

“There was one significant problem in that several people ran in the event without paying an entry-fee (£14): they just turned up for the start on Calton Hill, mingled with the rest of the field and ran the whole course wearing no number.

“The culprits were mostly young men; some can be seen on photos. We think there were about half a dozen in total.  

 “This is appalling behaviour in an amateur sports event, and is clearly just cheating.

“99% pay to take part, and 1% don’t! It’s the equivalent of climbing over a wall to get into a football match or a rock concert for which you have no ticket, and is really just like shoplifting.

“It’s extremely disappointing that a minority are abusing the famous event in this way.  We would encourage all decent runners to expose any people who are doing this, but extra controls may need to be introduced next year to prevent any recurrence.  

“The entry-fee which clowns are avoiding is only £14 – pretty low for what is offered; the problem is that the event is so popular that it fills up quickly, so the clowns miss out and then just decide on a freebie.

“I’ve had very firm responses from several other race directors re the cheating toerags.”

Described as a combination of road-running, cross-country, hill-running, and urban orienteering over a 14.3 mile course and with 2200 feet of ascent/descent it was first run in 1980.

The race attracts around 500 runners (the maximum permitted) of all ages and abilities. Finishers receive a drinks coaster as a memento.

The race website says of the competitors: “These range from leading distance-runners who get round in 100 minutes to the more modest performers who are allowed to take up to four hours.”

Alan Lawson and his friend David Salmond, both keen runners, devised the race after the latter came across a guide book to Edinburgh which used the phrase ‘seven hills’.

They investigated the possibility of creating a route which included them all and the race has grown in popularity.

Sadly, David Salmond died in 1984 but Alan Lawson continues to be involved in an organising capacity.

Rachael Hamilton MSP is the Scottish Conservatives spokesperson on rural affairs and she was at the Royal Highland Show to launch the party’s rural manifesto.

Ms Hamilton said The Scottish Government have “repeatedly let Scotland’s farmers, crofters and agriculture sector down” during their 17 years in office and that only the Scottish Conservatives are on their side.

Other measures to support farmers in the rural manifesto include:

• Supporting an increase of the UK-wide farming budget by £1 billion over the course of the next Parliament
• Giving Scottish farmers the green light to use game-changing gene editing technology
• Introducing a Young Person’s Agri-Enterprise Fund to support new entrants into the sector
• Tackle rural crime with a Rural Theft Bill

The rural manifesto also pledges to deliver a ‘Rural Charter’ to enshrine in law the rights of rural and coastal communities when it comes to policy making.

The Scottish Conservatives would also reverse the planned closure of Visitor Information Centres across the country, while they would support rural healthcare services through a new funding formula that considers the issues they face.

Funding to help provide new health care facilities could be sought from housing developers under new planning rules. 

The change could break the deadlock facing communities across Scotland where thousands of people have trouble seeing a GP or accessing primary health care. 

While there’s a national shortage of GPs, the main problem facing towns and villages in West Lothian is cramped and crumbling surgeries and health centres. 

West Lothian Council’s Economy, Community Empowerment and Wealth Building PDSP heard that planning officers are in early discussions with counterparts in NHS Lothian looking at ways to take new policies forward. 

A council spokesman confirmed that the council has no powers  to seek developer funding but could have under a new local development plan as part of the new national planning framework – known as NPF4. 

The spokesman told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “As part of the preparation of the next Local Development Plan, the council is examining the potential for seeking contributions from developers towards healthcare infrastructure, primarily primary care infrastructure.  

“The council continues to work with NHS Lothian to demonstrate a robust evidence base to secure developer funding for primary care infrastructure investment. Currently there is no mechanism to allow the council to seek developer contributions for health services.” 

Such contributions could come on top of the existing  Section 75 contributions which pay for education facilities and roads infrastructure on the back of new housing development.  A recent example is a £9m extension to West Calder High School which is being paid for by developer funding. 

A report to the PDSP said: “National Planning Framework 4 (NPF 4), requires planning authorities to address the following matters relating to health:  Tackling health inequalities, particularly in places which are experiencing the most disadvantage; Identify the health and social care services and infrastructure needed in the local authority area; and create healthier places.” 

One councillor had already suggested seeking  developer funding to solve the problem at East Calder, which has seen a 20 year campaign  for an improved  health care centre. 

The problem there has been exacerbated in the village because of the huge Core Development Area housing site at Calderwood which will double the size of the village. 

The building was built in the 1970s to support 5,000 patients. The current  patient list is almost 15,000 and the forecast is that the numbers will grow by a further 5,000 by 2028.  

At a recent meeting of the Integration Joint Board (IJB) which oversees primary and social care joint operations between NHS Lothian and West Lothian Council, cross party councillors and voting members backed a letter to the Scottish Government ministers calling for action. 

East Calder Conservative Damina Doran-Timson added a suggestion that the IJB consult with West Lothian Council on whether Section 75 funding from developers could go towards improving health facilities in East Calder. 

 The IJB wrote to ministers protesting that spending on NHS capital projects have been stalled for at least two years. There are also problems with practices struggling with growing patient numbers in growth areas around Livingston, Bathgate, Armadale and Blackridge. 

By Stuart Sommerville, Local Democracy Reporter 

Three first editions sold for almost £100,000 at Lyon & Turnbull’s Rare Book, Manuscripts, Maps & Photographs auction yesterday (Wednesday 19 June). 

An exceptionally rare hardback first edition of J.K. Rowling’s debut novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone went for £45,201. 

Rowling’s first book in her bestselling series about a boy wizard was famously written in Edinburgh when the author was a hard-up single mother.  

Much of the novel was written in a local cafe as the author’s baby slept. 

Only 500 first edition hardcovers were printed in 1997 thanks to publisher Bloomsbury’s uncertainty about whether or not the book would prove popular. It went on to sell more than 120 million copies, making it one of the bestselling books in history.  

According to Cathy Marsden, Head of Books & Manuscripts at Lyon & Turnbull, around 300 copies were said to have gone to public libraries. “They were much read and are often found to be in fairly tired condition if they have survived at all. A further 200 copies were sold through retailers.” 

In the same auction, a signed first edition of Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale, published in 1952 and the first novel in his bestselling James Bond series, sold for £38,951. 

Fleming’s inscription, which contains a grammatical error, was to his friend and boss at Kemsley Newspapers (owner of the Sunday Times), Ion Smeaton Munro (1883-1970). 

Munro, who was of Scottish origin, was a much-decorated army officer who served in both world wars. 

The inscription reads: To I.S.M, who’s [sic] staunch keeping of the night watches freed the author for this extra-mural opus, Ian Fleming, April 1953. 

A copy of A.A. Milne’s When We Were Very Young, which features the first ever appearance of Milne’s much-loved bear, Winnie-the-Pooh, also sold for £15,120 in the sale. 

Ms Marsden added: “We are delighted with the results of today’s auction, which show the strength of modern first editions in today’s market.  

“Works by literary giants, such as Ian Fleming and J.K. Rowling, continue to prove very popular at auction and I hope that these books are much enjoyed and treasured in their new homes.” 

A 72-year-old man reported missing from Edinburgh has been traced according to police. 

Officers issued an appeal last night to hep find Gary Hardie, who had been last seen in the Mountcastle Loan area of Edinburgh around 6.20pm on Wednesday, 19 June, 2024. 

Earlier today police thanked the public for sharing their appeal. 

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “72-year-old Gary Hardie missing from Edinburgh has been traced. 

“Thanks for the likes and shares.” 

The 2024 Royal Highland Show is underway and expecting to welcome around 220,000 people through the gates over the next few days.

Here is a gallery of photos of animals, tractors (some very big ones) and the people at the show which will be added to during the day.
This is a big business event with around £500 million of business deals entered into over the duration of the agricultural showcase which has something for everyone.

Andrea Geile’s exhibition Amongst the Trees, at The Scottish Gallery on Dundas Street will celebrate the long-awaited turn of the seasons with the Summer Solstice on Thursday 20 June.

The exhibition is set up within The Scottish Gallery’s gardens with Geile’s man-made trees.

The trees are contrasted against the soft foliage and flora, and Geile’s striking work evokes an industrial style, using Corten steel to create standing sculptures that are free to walk through and explore.

Hardened bronze steel interacts with the moving conditions to look at the relationship between the two environments when they are so often pressed together.

The exhibition runs until 27 July.

All photos courtesy of Brian Anderson

All photos courtesy of Brian Anderson

Edinburgh International Book Festival – tickets go on sale today at 10am

The first day when tickets for the Book Festival go on sale is always busy and EIBF have produced guidelines to help anyone trying to get their choices.

1. Make sure to register for an account at edbookfest.co.uk 

2. There will be a queuing system on the website on opening day – this is usually the busiest day. The queue will open at 10am.

3. Log in to your account at edbookfest.co.uk before booking opens at 10am

4. Once you are logged in, the “Join the Queue” button will appear automatically when the countdown finishes at 10am. Click the “Join the Queue” button to secure your place in the queue.

5. Once you have clicked the button to join the queue, you don’t need to keep your browser open – you will get an email notification when you have joined the front of the queue and are able to book tickets.

6. Watch the How to Book  video on the EIBF YouTube channel for full details – or watch it below.

The Royal Highland Show opens today

Tickets are selling fast for the biggest event in the city this weekend. The Royal Highland Show is 240 years old this year and will be a meeting place where £500 million of business is carried out according to the organisers.

Jim Warnock, the Chair of The Royal Highland Show, explained the tender loving care given to the grass in the main ring. He said it is rested before the show and then well fed with fertiliser and they try to time the last fertiliser before the show at the optimum moment to get the really green effect. And it looks as though it has worked. He said this is one of the first things that people notice when they come to the show.

The magic machine is called an equivator which is used to pierce and allow the ground to aerate and drain. Mr Warnock said: “There are some big show-jumping classes in here during the week and they are quite particular that they want it just to be perfect. So we aim to please.”

Edinburgh Climate Festival 2024

This festival takes place on 29 June at The Meadows and organisers hope to inspire climate action in local communities.

Transport and Environment Committee

The council’s Transport and Environment Committee meets this morning at 10am. There is a shorter agenda than usual, we are told it is to accommodate the fact that the Convener, Cllr Scott Arthur, is a candidate in the upcoming General Election.

The papers and how to watch online – either live or as a recording are all here.

These papers include a lengthy deputation by Cargo Bike Movement which is facing a funding shortfall and which is hoping for some support from the council.

Their deputation states: “Cargo Bike Movement is facing a funding shortfall. We have reserves to meet payroll for current staff until 31 July 2024. All staff were put on notice of redundancy on 30 May 2024 as part of the board’s crisis management plan.
“We currently have a pending decision on a grant from Paths for All. The £200k funding it offers (of which £50k is match-funding) represents the best value for money for CEC to support Cargo Bike Movement.

“A plan if we miss out on funding
“If we are unsuccessful in our application to Paths for All and/or do not receive support from CEC we have a financial plan that will allow us to keep the organisation on life support until the end of the year, scale down our work, find suitable locations to store 2-4 cargo bikes.
“This plan protects our core food distribution work, while losing staff, closing the hub,
ending outreach work, selling bikes, curtailing bike lending, minimising mechanical support and slimming down broader public engagement work.
“We will however work to protect our core work supporting food banks and organisations
such as Refugee Community Kitchen, Empty Kitchens Full Hearts and Shrub Zero Waste
Co-Op, delivering food from supermarkets throughout the city every weekday evening. To date we’ve delivered 75 tonnes of food, saving 78 tonnes of CO2e from landfill waste.”

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The Friends of the George (FoTG), a group which is trying to get The Royal George Cinema reopened in Portobello, has appointed Glasgow-based architects, Loader Monteith, to lead a design team undertaking detailed feasibility work with the award of a grant from The Architectural Heritage Fund.

The work will enhance the in-depth commercial and operational assessment being undertaken by independent cinema consultants, Mustard Studios, whose work is being funded by a grant from the Scottish Land Fund.

Loader Monteith approached Stefanie Fischer, a leading cinema architect within the UK’s independent cinema sector to join their team as a subconsultant. Her expertise as a cinema architect complements the expertise of Loader Monteith Architects as conservation architects.

The appointment of the Loader Monteith led team is another step in the long running campaign by FoTG who have been working to save the art deco former cinema from demolition. With support from the community, FoTG hope to acquire and restore the C-listed building, and operate it as a cinema for the community. These latest commissions will develop and refine the group’s ambitious plans and will also include input from educational and film industry partners.

Mike Griffiths, Friends of the George Chair said: “We are delighted to be able to appoint such an expert team of professionals to develop and refine our proposals as we continue to point the way towards a positive future for The George not only in the heart of the community of Portobello, but more broadly, to play a role in the cinema sector in Scotland. The consultants we have working on this bring extensive expertise and experience to the project and will be led by a firm of architects with a burgeoning reputation for exciting contemporary architectural design, deployed to breathe new life into historic buildings. We’re extremely grateful for the financial support we have received from the Architectural Heritage Fund, the Scottish Land Fund and our benefactor Victoria Schwab.”

Iain King, Specialist Conservation Architect and Director at Loader Monteith: “We are pleased to have been selected as the lead architects, alongside our expert team of consultants, to support the Friends of The George in developing the proposal for the George Cinema. Despite the building currently being on the Buildings at Risk Register, it benefits from strong community support and the dedication of the Friends of The George, a group committed to preserving this Art Deco gem and restoring it as a sustainable, independent cinema. We look forward to collaborating with them on this important project.”

Last year, Friends of The George Limited had the cinema building formally valued by a firm of professional surveyors and made an offer to purchase it as a “restoring purchaser”, based on that valuation. Funds for purchase were very generously offered by benefactor, writer V.E Schwab.

This offer was rejected by the current owners of the building who have tried – and failed – twice in recent years to secure consent to substantially demolish The George and develop the site with luxury flats.

Most recently, last October, the owner tried to force Historic Environment Scotland (HES) to delist the building.  HES confirmed that the building continues to meet the criteria of special architectural and historic interest and so there will be no statutory change to the current ‘C’ listing designation.

Recent silent, community protests, independent of the FoTG group, have called on the current owner of the building to clear up the mess outside of the cinema and to address the continued neglect and dereliction of the building.

David Jacobsen is the Socialist Labour Party Genera Election candidate for Edinburgh North and Leith.

He has 20 years experience as a healthcare worker in the NHS and says he is committed to “a National Health Service available to all at the time of need, on demand and free of all charges – including prescriptions, dental care, and eye care”.

The Socialist Labour Party wants all NHS workers to receive wages and terms and conditions that reflect the social importance of their jobs.

Mr Jacobsen said: “Our objectives include the provision of NHS nursing homes free of charge for people who need them and care homes owned and operated by local authorities and not by private companies chosen by a centralised power controlled by the Scottish government.

“In February this year The Scottish Parliament passed the National Care Service Bill. This allows Scottish ministers to transfer social care responsibility from local authorities. This could include adult and children’s services as well as areas such as justice and social work. I urge consituents to stop the transfer of healthcare functions from the NHS to the new centralised National Care Service.”

The Royal Highland Show expects to welcome 217,000 or so visitors from today until Sunday. Already tickets for Friday and Saturday are sold out with higher sales recorded than previous years.

This is where you will find the biggest cattle shed in Europe for the next few days, with dairy cows and beef cattle all looking their best. There are 110 stands in the food hall of which a quarter are alcohol retailers ready to sell their wares. The Royal Highland main ring is looking fabulous and ready for the main event of the year.

While tradition remains at the heart of the Royal Highland Show, the event is far from conventional. Sitting alongside the traditional aspects including livestock competitions and parades – around 6,000 animals are brought to the Show over the four days – visitors can expect to see daredevil BMX riders Showing off their flips and tricks and be on the edge of their seats in the forestry arena as they are entertained by axe throwers, live chainsaw carving, and pole climbers.

The dedicated kid zone located in the Countryside Area will include live Sealpin Gundog and birds of prey flying demonstrations. The RHET Discovery Centre will also allow young visitors to turn their hand to milking Mabel the (fibreglass) cow and take part in honey tasting and candle making.

After the Show on Friday and Saturday, legendary country music promoters, Farmers Bash present the Royal Highland Hoolie which brings together some of the very best of Scotland and Ireland’s homegrown talent to the Royal Highland Centre. Eight live folk and country music acts will perform including headliners Tide Lines and Derek Ryan. Limited tickets are still available for the Hoolie which can be purchased from www.royalhighlandShow.org

David Tennant, Head of Show for RHASS, said: “We’ve officially sold out across two days! The site transforms into the sixth largest population in Scotland the week of the Show; effectively we transform the venue into a mini town which is no mean feat, but our dedicated team have been working around the clock over the last three and a half weeks to ensure visitors have the best experience possible when they visit us this weekend.

“Our traditional Show elements very much remain at the heart of the weekend, with the best of British livestock and equine competing but we also have so many unexpected and family-friendly activities and entertainment for everyone to enjoy. From music to BMX stunts, cookery displays, the farrier competition, sheep sheering and birds of prey and sheepdog demonstrations, there really is something for everyone.

“With large crowds anticipated, we are encouraging those travelling to the Show to consider using public transport whenever possible. The Show is located just minutes from the tram and dedicated Lothian buses will drop you right at the door of the event. We’re looking forward to welcoming this year’s Show-goers through the gates come Thursday.”

The Scottish Conservatives will publish their manifesto for rural Scotland on Thursday – which the party says has been “shamefully neglected” by the SNP Government.

Shadow rural affairs secretary Rachael Hamilton will launch the manifesto at The Royal Highland Show where she will highlight her party’s commitment to delivering a “new deal for farmers.”

She says The Scottish Government have “repeatedly let Scotland’s farmers, crofters and agriculture sector down” during their 17 years in office and that only the Scottish Conservatives are on their side.

Other measures to support farmers in the rural manifesto include:

• Supporting an increase of the UK-wide farming budget by £1 billion over the course of the next Parliament
• Giving Scottish farmers the green light to use game-changing gene editing technology
• Introducing a Young Person’s Agri-Enterprise Fund to support new entrants into the sector
• Tackle rural crime with a Rural Theft Bill

The rural manifesto also pledges to deliver a ‘Rural Charter’ to enshrine in law the rights of rural and coastal communities when it comes to policy making.

The Scottish Conservatives would also reverse the planned closure of Visitor Information Centres across the country, while they would support rural healthcare services through a new funding formula that considers the issues they face.

Scottish Conservative shadow rural affairs secretary Rachael Hamilton MSP said: “Rural Scotland has been shamefully neglected by a central-belt focused SNP Government over the last 17 years.

“Our dedicated rural manifesto clearly shows how we are the voice of these communities who feel abandoned by ministers in Holyrood.

“That feeling is particularly strong among our farming and agricultural communities. As they descend on the Royal Highland Show, I am delighted to outline our positive vision to support them going forward.

“From delivering a £1 billion increase in UK-wide farming, to allowing them to use gene-editing technology and backing new entrants into the sector, we are on their side. That’s in sharp contrast to the SNP who have repeatedly let Scotland’s farmers, crofters and agriculture workers down over their 17 years in office.

“Rural Scotland has so much potential but is being failed by nationalist representatives who are completely out-of-touch with their needs.

“Whilst the Bute House Agreement has come to an end, in all but name, John Swinney’s SNP Government are still working hand in glove with the extreme Greens who are a threat to rural livelihoods.

“In key seats up and down rural Scotland, if voters united behind the Scottish Conservatives on July 4^th, they can beat the SNP, end their independence obsession for good and ensure the focus is on the real priorities facing these communities.”

Police are appealing for the help of the public to trace a 72-year-old man missing from Edinburgh. 

Gary Hardie, was last seen in the Mountcastle Loan area of Edinburgh around 6.20pm on Wednesday, 19 June, 2024. 

He is described as being around 5ft 8in in height, of stocky build with white hair. When last seen he was wearing a beige jacket with a light brown leather collar, blue jeans and light brown loafers. 

He is known to frequent the Drylaw area of Edinburgh. 

Inspector Grant McCulloch said: “Gary is vulnerable and concerns are growing for his welfare. 

“Our enquiries are ongoing and I am appealing for anyone who has seen Gary or who has any information on his whereabouts to contact us.” 

Anyone with any information is asked to contact 101 quoting reference 3505 of 19 June, 2024. 

Scotland’s first Biometrics in Criminal Justice conference took place in Edinburgh today, Wednesday 19 June. 

Hosted by the Scottish Biometrics Commissioner, Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority, experts discussed the use of biometric data and new technologies, underpinned by ethics and human rights. 

Chief Constable Jo Farrell, who spoke at the conference and joined a panel discussion, said: “Policing has a positive duty to use biometric data and new technology to safeguard the vulnerable and bring offenders to justice. 

“Today’s event is about building on the strong relationships and continuing a public conversation which explores the opportunities and challenges future technologies hold for policing and to ensure we maintain and develop the strong ethical basis for our use of biometric data.” 

Dr Brian Plastow, Scottish Biometrics Commissioner, said: “The purpose of today was to start a national conversation around the use of biometrics and show the important part it plays in policing and criminal justice, and not just from the point of view of identifying guilty people, but also for eliminating innocent people from police enquiries.  

“Biometric data plays an important part in keeping people safe, but also engages us in an important conversation about adopting new technology and human rights.”