Edinburgh defy odds to take the win over Munster at Murrayfield

Possibly the only two people outside the Edinburgh camp who thought they were in with a chance against former Champions, Munster, were the two match-day mascots – one of whom gave Edinburgh a 100-10 win. Considering how the hosts had been playing this season, it was likely the ‘out-campers’ would be proven correct.

However, the guys who mattered started the game off with their opening try after just five minutes of the match. After the usual exchange of kicks, Edinburgh gained possession of the ball in the Munster half and, being held out on the right, quickly passed the ball out to the wide left where all Matt Scott had to do was carry a couple of opponents across the line for the opener. Man-of-the-Match and Birthday Boy, Greg Laidlaw, in his first game back following injury, rattled the ball off the post to convert and give the Edinburgh side a 7-0 lead. Edinburgh then went back on the attack from the restart and soon won a penalty which Laidlaw again converted to give the hosts a 10-0 lead after eleven minutes of play.

The Munster men then seemed to waken up and they pushed deep into the Edinburgh half, winning a penalty of their own which Ian Keatley slotted home to open their account. Five minutes later they were on the offensive – and scoring trail – again. This time, quick ball from a ruck left them with a man over and Casey Laulala barged through the tackle of Nick De Luca to dot down next to the posts. Keatley scored from the tee and the match was all square, 10-10. All square for almost a minute, at least as Munster were penalised straight from the kick off for holding on in the tackle. Laidlaw stepped up and, again rattled the same post for the same result and Edinburgh crept ahead at the end of the first quarter, 13-10.

The next five minutes were all Munster, the visitors tore up the field and pinned Edinburgh back on their line and, following a scrum free kick, Mike Sherry barged through for the visitors second try. Keatley scored the conversion and Munster were 17-13 in the lead with 15 minutes of the half left. Again, less than a minute passed following their score before Munster were penalised in their own 22. Another foul at the breakdown gave Edinburgh a ‘free ball’ which Laidlaw launched high into the visitor’s goal area. Tim Visser just failed to gather the high ball, but the penalty had been awarded, so Laidlaw stepped up for his fourth kick of the match and, giving the post a wide berth, slotted the ball home to take the score to 17-16 against the hosts. The remainder of the half was fairly even, with both sides gaining and losing possession and territory. Apart from Laidlaw scoring another penalty, the match was enlivened further by Edinburgh winning turnover ball from a ruck and Laidlaw passing the ball straight into the head of referee, JP Doyle. Funny, but it broke up a promising attack as the match had to be restarted from a scrum. The half ended with Munster knocking on from a ruck near the Edinburgh line and the home side in the lead 19-17.

During the break, the ground staff were again called upon to replace and repair large swathes of the Murrayfield turf, which looks lovely and pristine pre-match, but is being dug up good style whenever a scrum is called. Only time will sort that out, though.

The second half was a much more territorial affair, with both sides probing for position and possession – although Dimitri Basilaia did perform a try saving tackle on Keatley after a couple of minutes. Munster managed to pull out a lead with 25 minutes on the clock with a couple of penalties from Keatley, taking the score to 23-19. And then the try of the match. A flying De Luca managed to put off sub, Hanrahan’s, attempted clearance kick, which landed in the hands of Grant Gilchrist. He then passed the ball in a basketball overarm throw to Visser, who powered away from the diving tackles of a couple of defenders to score Edinburgh’s second try – and his seventh in Europe – of the afternoon. Then followed a long, minutely scrutinised TMO period when Irish(!) ref, Doyle, asked for the initial charge down to be checked in slow motion from a variety of angles and, failing to find foul play, then did the same with Gilchrist’s pass. Meanwhile, Laidlaw was waiting with the ball for the decision and at this point, Munster decided that they could pressurise the officials and walked up to the 22, ready for the, ‘expected’, drop-out which they were ‘sure’ was coming. Eventually, the correct decision was arrived at, Laidlaw scored the conversion and the hosts took a narrow 26-23 lead with just under ten minutes left.

Ten minutes during which Munster decided to turn up the wick and really hammer away at Edinburgh. Unfortunately for them, their wick was almost immediately snuffed out when wing, Simon Zebo, went down with what looked like a fairly innocuous bit of cramp, but turned out to be a fairly serious ankle injury. This took the wind out of their sails and Laidlaw finished off with another couple of penalties – one of which hit the cross bar – to round out the match 29-23 to Edinburgh.

A good opening win for Edinburgh who took advantage of Munster’s many errors and fouls to win a fairly unspectacular match, but a win is a win and hopefully, the way is now open for them to pick up their season and play as the quality of the squad suggests they are capable of.

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

EDINBURGH WINS GOLD AT BRITAIN IN BLOOM AWARDS

Edinburgh is celebrating after the city scooped a top prize at the Britain in Bloom National Awards ceremony last night (Saturday, 12 October).

Scotland’s capital city beat off competition from around the UK to win the Gold award in the Large City category.

Environment Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, Councillor Lesley Hinds, said: “This is fantastic news, I am delighted that Edinburgh has won such a prestigious award. This is entirely due to the talents and sheer hard work of our many Friends of Parks’ groups, community volunteers and the Council’s parks team.

“Edinburgh is a stunning city with beautiful parks and green spaces, and we will continue to work towards protecting and enhancing them.”

Britain in Bloom is an annual competition organised by the Royal Horticultural Society.

SCOTTISH NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY ‘MAKES HISTORY’ WITH STUNNING NEW SCULPTURE

Alexander Stoddart: Making History documents the fascinating process behind the creation of History, a new monumental sculpture recently installed on the exterior of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. Made by Alexander Stoddart, who was appointed Sculptor in Ordinary to The Queen in Scotland in 2008, the sculpture is a representation of ‘History’, or Clio, one of the nine muses, the daughters of Zeus, who in Greek mythology inspired learning and the arts.

The new sculpture adorns the apex of the entrance to the Gallery and replaces the original figure of ‘History’ by the sculptor William Birnie Rhind (1853 – 1933) which weathered beyond repair and was later removed. Stoddart’s new figure is cast in aluminium, stands almost two metres tall and weighs 85 kg. The exhibition explores the technical process employed in creating History through the display of a rich and varied collection of the artist’s preparatory drawings and sculptural studies. These are accompanied by photographs taken in Stoddart’s studio at the University of the West of Scotland, Paisley Campus, and at the Black Isle Bronze foundry in Nairn where the sculpture was cast.

Alexander Stoddart is perhaps best known for his neo-classical sculptures of key proponents of the Scottish Enlightenment which grace some of Edinburgh’s most iconic civic spaces; these include representations of the philosophers David Hume and Adam Smith on The Royal Mile and the physicist James Clerk Maxwell on George Street, a bronze study for which is currently on display at the Portrait Gallery in the Pioneers of Scienceexhibition.

Commenting on the new exhibition, Director of Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Christopher Baker said, “This wonderful new sculpture is sited serenely above the façade of the Gallery, both making a statement and being entirely sympathetic to its context – one of Scotland’s greatest nineteenth-century buildings. It is the first enrichment of this sort which has been installed on the Gallery since the Victorian period. The related exhibition will illustrate in a compelling manner the extraordinary commitment that Alexander Stoddart made to this high profile commission.”

Alexander Stoddart, said, “This tremendous commission, to complete the sculpture scheme of the Portrait Gallery, gave me the opportunity to pay homage to some of the great late-19^th century artists whom I have admired since my earliest days as a sculptor. It has been a weighty honour to have been allowed to work in collaboration with these long-dead men, and a pleasure working with the people at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery who are all alive and thriving in one of the greatest National-Romantic buildings in the British Isles. I should like to thank them all, and to thank my studio assistants in Paisley, and the foundry-workers in Nairn, who worked so diligently with me to achieve this end; a simple little figure, standing where she ought, with the clouds behind her.”

Alexander Stoddart: Making History
12 October 2013 – 28 September 2014
Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street, Edinburgh EH2 1JD | Admission free

Photo courtesy of National Galleries of Scotland John McKenzie

Carnegie Seminars at Holyrood – Rat Race next week – Andy Warhol – Edinburgh to Southampton coach drivers are the best – Today at the Cameo

Next week a series of events led by global experts will be held at the Scottish Parliament and form part of a festival exploring the legacy of Scots-born philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.

Some of the eminent speakers, debating topics from education to peace and from ethics to the environment, include:

Professor Iain Stewart, the geoscientist, author and TV presenter behind programmes such as Earth: The Power of the Planet and The Climate Years

Lord Stewart Sutherland, former Chief Inspector of Schools for England and Wales and Vice-Chancellor of the University of London

Professor Louise Richardson, Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University of St Andrews, awarded the Sumner Prize for work towards the prevention of war and the establishment of universal peace

Professor Martyn Wade, Chief Executive and National Librarian at the National Library of Scotland

David Rodin, co-director of the Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict at the University of Oxford.

Angus Hogg, chair of the Carnegie UK Trust, said:-“Encouraging debate on key issues lies at the heart of our Trust’s mission. Importantly, they are also topics which drove Andrew Carnegie on his quest to improve the wellbeing of society a century ago.

“We are very excited to welcome such an interesting and informed group of speakers to the festival. Their presence and the nature of the discussions, ensures that these challenging issues continue to be debated.”

Click here for booking details for the events which are free.

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Next Sunday the city will once again be turned into a giant assault course on Sunday 20 October 2013, with 3500 runners expected to take part – the highest number yet –  in Rat Race Urban Adventure.

Now in its fourth year, the innovative format sees competitors tackling a 10km running route interspersed with obstacle zones throughout the city centre.

If you are taking part good luck! Further information about the event can be found on the official website atwww.mhsurvival.co.uk, including training information, videos and pricing. Entries can be made online through the website and are open until Wednesday 16^th October.

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Scots band The Proclaimers will be given the ‘Warhol’ treatment this month when an image of the twins will be used for a series of free screen-printing workshops being held at the Scottish Parliament. These sessions are running as part of the new ‘Andy Warhol:  Pop, Power and Politics’ exhibition which runs until Sunday 3 November.

Run by the Fife Dunfermline Printmakers Workshop and supported by the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust, the workshops will provide an insight into Warhol’s technique and offer an opportunity to see how his iconic images were produced.

Booking information for the workshops

The workshops will take place on the weekends of 19, 20, 26, 27 October and 2, 3 November.  They will be run from 11.00 am – 4.00pm.    The free demonstrations will last 30 minutes each.   Booking is recommended as places are limited to 30 people for each demonstration.  To book telephone 0131 348 5454, stating required number of places.  The workshops are open to all ages.

Booking information for the exhibition

Booking for ‘Andy Warhol: Pop, Power and Politics’ exhibition is recommended as tickets will be administered by a specific start time to the viewing (unrestricted end time) and can be done via:

• the online form via the Parliament website
• a dedicated telephone line on 0131 348 5454 – the telephone number references the famous New York nightclub, Studio 54, which Warhol frequented regularly during the 70s and 80s
• emailing  warhol@scottish.parliament.uk

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A pair of Scottish coach drivers have been recognised as the best in the business by National Express.

The drivers have been awarded for going the extra mile to ensure their passengers get a first class service, beating off tough competition from around the UK!

Co-drivers John Hutchinson and Gordon Douglas, who drive the 539 service from Edinburgh to Southampton, were presented with certificates and rewarded for their fantastic approach to customer service.

The awards were made as part of National Express’ Customer Service Week, held last week, to recognise staff who demonstrate an exemplary approach to helping customers.

John and Gordon were put forward straight away by their Shotts-based colleagues at Bruce Coaches in Scotland, when nominations for the awards were taken.

They were commended for always being polite, friendly and engaging, but they stood out for going that bit further for always making sure their passengers’ journeys are as comfortable as possible.

Colleagues told of how John and Gordon have clubbed together to get food and drink for diabetic customers in need, they have arranged for a customer’s wallet, passport and rucksack that he’d left in a restaurant to be delivered to his hotel, and they will also do their best to help passengers who have tight connections on local bus services by escorting them to their bus.

Dad of three John, 47, who lives in Motherwell, said: “I was really surprised, I wasn’t expecting this. Our philosophy is that you put yourself in your passengers’ shoes and help them as much as possible. Our passengers are brilliant, so any problems we have are left at the door of the coach. If you greet everyone with a smile it solves problems before they occur.”

Gordon, 50, of Shotts, who also has three children said: “John and I have been driving for National Express for three years. Drivers are at the front line of the company and often we’re the first point of contact for help. Whatever it is, we maintain the ethos that you treat people as you’d like to be treated and smile – it doesn’t cost anything to smile.”

National Express UK Coach Managing Director Tom Stables said: “Customer Service Week is all about recognising excellent customer service – John and Gordon are shining examples of this. Customer satisfaction is a top priority for us and that’s why we’re so proud of John and Gordon who have shown just how much they care and how far they will go to help their passengers.”

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Today at the Cameo two of the films on offer are Edinburgh based. How we love to say that. Filth and Sunshine on Leith are packing the cinemas. We saw Sunshine on Leith last weekend and the only words are uplifting, wonderful and feel good. And the music is pretty good too! All details are here.

Mike Smith is The Edinburgh Reporter football correspondent who uses his spare time away from Tynecastle to reflect on life in all its guises.

Dear Technical Support.

Last year I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0 and I noticed a distinct slowdown in the overall system performance, particularly in the flower and jewellery applications, which operated flawlessly under Boyfriend 5.0.

In addition, Husband 1.0 uninstalled many other valuable programs, such as Romance 9.5 and Personal Attention 6.5, and then installed undesirable programs such as NEWS 5.0, MONEY 3.0 and CRICKET 4.1.

Conversation 8.0 no longer runs, and Housecleaning 2. 6 simply crashes the system.

Please note that I have tried running Nagging 5.3 to fix these problems, but to no avail.

What can I do?

Signed,

Woman

—————————————————————

Dear Madam,

Thank you for contacting us.

First, keep in mind, Boyfriend 5.0 is an Entertainment Package, while Husband 1.0 is an operating system.

Please enter command: ithoughtyoulovedme.html and try to download Tears 6.2 and do not forget to install the Guilt 3.0 update. If that application works as designed, Husband 1.0 should then automatically run the applications Jewellery 2.0 and Flowers 3.5.

However, remember, overuse of the above application can cause Husband 1.0 to default to Silence 2.5 , Happy Hour 7.0 or Beer 6.1. Please note that Beer 6. 1 is a very bad program that will download the Farting and Snoring Loudly Beta.

Whatever you do, DO NOT under any circumstances install Mother-In-Law 1.0 (it runs a virus in the background that will eventually seize control of all your system resources.)

In addition, please do not attempt to reinstall the Boyfriend 5.0 program. These are unsupported applications and will crash Husband 1.0.

In summary, Husband 1.0 is a great program, but it does have limited memory and cannot learn new applications quickly. You might consider buying additional software to improve memory and performance.

We recommend: Cooking 3.0 and Hot Looks 7.7.

Good Luck Madam!

After a series of dominant qualifying sessions by Sebastian Vettel, who has claimed three consecutive pole positions in the last three races, it was Red Bull team mate Mark Webber who prevented the German from making it four in a row with a great lap to ensure his place at the front of the grid for the first time this season. It also marks the first time this season that Webber has outqualified his team mate, and although Vettel was disadvantaged with a KERS failure in Q3, Webber made the most of the opportunity to take pole. Webber said that the triumph felt somewhat hollow, given his team mate’s troubles, but he will no doubt welcome his best opportunity of the season to get a win before he retires from F1 at the end of the year.

The Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton will start on the second row alongside Romain Grosjean, who once again outqualified team mate Kimi Raikkonen who could only manage a disappointing ninth. Fernando Alonso, who remains the only driver who can still mathematically catch Vettel, had a similarly disappointing qualifying, ending up just ahead of Raikkonen in eighth while Ferrari team mate Felipe Massa managed a more respectable fifth. Alonso knows that if he finishes ninth or lower and Vettel wins, then the championship will be lost, so the Ferrari driver will be looking to make one of his trademark starts to jump up the field and prolong Vettel’s wait for at least another  race.

Towards the back of the field there were many changes to the positions on the grid after qualifying, thanks in part to a number of grid penalties. Jean Eric Vergne missed out on Q2 after the brakes of his Toro Rosso overheated and caught fire, causing the session to be red-flagged while the fire was dealt with. Adrian Sutil could only manage seventeenth, but a five-place grid penalty for a gearbox change due to a crash in practice means that the Force India driver will start from the back of the grid, behind Charles Pic and Jules Bianchi who picked up grid penalties last weekend. Pic has also incurred a drive-through penalty which must be served within the opening five laps of tomorrow’s race, due to his failure to stop at a red light in the pit lane. Bianchi’s team mate Max Chilton outqualifies him for only the second time this season, putting his Marussia over half a second ahead of rival Caterham’s Giedo van der Garde.

It was happier news for Paul di Resta, who missed out on Q3 by less than two-tenths but was still satisfied with twelfth place on the grid, his highest qualifying position since Spa back in August. Speaking after qualifying, Di Resta said: “Given where we started yesterday, I think we should be pretty happy with P12. Slowly but surely we’ve made the car more drivable and in qualifying it felt quite good. I’m feeling upbeat about the race because the long runs have looked consistent and we are well placed to fight for points with a free choice on tyre strategy.”

The Scot will be hoping to end his barren run outwith the points, and may find himself in a good position to do so in tomorrow’s race. However most of the attention will be focused on the front of the grid and the battle between Webber and Vettel to determine not only the winner of the race, but perhaps also the championship.

Full Qualifying Results

1. Mark Webber (1:30.915)

2. Sebastian Vettel (+0.174)

3. Lewis Hamilton (+0.338)

4. Romain Grosjean (+0.450)

5. Felipe Massa (+0.463)

6. Nico Rosberg (+0.482)

7. Nico Hulkenberg (+0.729)

8. Fernando Alonso (+0.750)

9. Kimi Raikkonen (+0.769)

10. Jenson Button (+0.912)

11. Sergrio Perez (Q2)

12. Paul di Resta (Q2)

13. Valtteri Bottas (Q2)

14. Esteban Gutierrez (Q2)

15. Pastor Maldonado (Q2)

16. Daniel Ricciardo (Q2)

17. Adrian Sutil (Q3) *

18. Jean-Eric Vergne (Q3)

19. Max Chilton (Q3)

20. Charles Pic (Q3)**

21. Giedo van der Garde (Q3)

22. Jules Bianchi (Q3)***

*5-place grid penalty, will start 22nd

**10-place grid penalty, will start 20th

***10-place grid penalty, will start 21st

Musselburgh Racecourse has been given the go-ahead to stage Good Friday turf racing for the first time in the UK.

The East Lothian course will host a £150,000 race day next April 18 in what will be the country’s only turf fixture that day, with Lingfield holding a £1 million champion’s race day as the culmination of the UK’s winter all-weather racing season.

The approval by governing body the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) was welcomed by Musselburgh’s general manager Bill Farnsworth.

He said: “It’s a positive move and we are delighted that we have been chosen to be the first UK racecourse to race on Good Friday.

“The Easter weekend is a holiday which many people look forward to and leisure and tourism facilities across the country are open as usual to help them enjoy their time away from work.

“Horseracing needs to reflect modern trends and stay in touch with a society which wants to make the most of its leisure time. Racing on Good Friday will give an exciting outlet to those enjoying the start of a long weekend and I am confident this day will develop in to a major feature on the UK racing calendar.”

Musselburgh will switch its Easter Saturday programme, including the £50,000 totepool.com Royal Mile Handicap, to Good Friday while continuing to stage its popular Easter Sunday race day.

The Good Friday programme will also include Musselburgh’s own version of Doncaster’s Brocklesby Stakes, offering a high profile start to the Scottish Flat season for two year olds.

Lothian Buses in the running for seven awards – Bruncheon at the Out of the Blue Drill Hall – History made fun at Georgian House – Withered Hand in Wester Hailes – Scottish Chamber Orchestra at the library

Lothian Buses has been shortlisted for seven awards in this year’s UK Bus awards, the industry’s premier public transport awards scheme.

The UK Bus awards, which were founded in 1995, were set up to reward and encourage good practice amongst bus operators and local transport authorities and inspire excellence in the planning, operation and marketing of bus services in the UK.

Lothian Buses has been shortlisted for seven awards including:

• The Bus and the Community Award
• Environment Award
• Making Buses a Better Choice
• Top City Operator
• Putting Passengers First
• The Unsung Heroes Award
• Top National Bus Driver

Welcoming the news of Lothian Buses success in being shortlisted, Chief Executive Ian Craig said: “To be shortlisted for seven awards is a major achievement for us after such a successful year.

“Being recognised for our commitment to environmental standards once more is a real testament to the hard work we have done investing in and improving our transport fleet and customer service.

“It is also great to see two of our employees shortlisted for two awards for their hard work over the past year. Our staff are the heartbeat of our operation and our success wouldn’t be possible without the excellent service they provide day in and day out.”

The news of the shortlist tops off a successful year for Lothian Buses, after winning the Contribution to Sustainable Transport title at the prestigious Scottish Transport Awards and the National Scottish Green Champion title at the annual Scottish Green Apple Awards.

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October Bruncheon features At the Out of the Blue Drill Hall will be the mysterious band “The Birds who Flew Beyond Time” presenting some new material with vocal harmonies and trumpet sounds. As well as Iain Mackechnie’s duo “Le Combo”; acoustic-based songs influenced by Celtic, African, R&B, Blues, Jazz and Reggae styles on guitar and percussion. Other acts TBC! And plenty of yummy food and drink – from local to global – the kitchen is cooking up a funky menu as we speak! Live music starts around mid-day. FREE entry – come along and bring all your pals!

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If an 18^th Century house in Edinburgh, which pays tribute to the grandeur of the era, sounds stuffy to a child then the National Trust for Scotland invite you to take them along to the National Trust for Scotland Georgian House for a lovely surprise.

Sited in the glorious Charlotte Square this building is a fabulous example of Robert Adam’s architecture and will take visitors back in time to refined world of the first owner, landowner John Lamont.

For younger visitors during October there’s a chance to really experience life during that period. They can try on costumes and and find out about the life of children at that time, or learn to write with a quill pen – quite a difficult art! Objects of the time can be handled and will be explained, whilst there’s plenty of fun work to be found in the Activity Guide. By trying the flashcards or doing some colouring in, they’ll soon realise that history can be fun.

The Georgian House has been restored to reflect the social, financial and intellectual status of wealthy New Town inhabitants of the time. On display are paintings by leading 18th-century Scottish artists, including Sir Henry Raeburn, Allan Ramsay and Alexander Nasmyth, complemented by fine furniture, silverware and porcelain. While you are there, find out more about life in Edinburgh’s New Town by watching our short film, ‘Living in a Grand Design’, by using one of the information-packed touch screen computers in a small room in the basement, and by chatting to the knowledgeable volunteer guides as you tour the restored rooms.

The Georgian House is an ideal family holiday venue well worth an exploration.

DATES: until 3 November 2013 10.00 – 17.00.

TICKETS: Activities are included in the admission cost and booking is not required. For more information please call: 0844 493 2118.

 

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The Fruit Tree Foundation and South West Soundsare putting on an event in Wester Hailes next weekend.

They have Withered Hand Plus sets from the Fruit Tree Mentoring Programme and South West Sounds @ WHALE Arts Centre, 30 Westburn Grove, EH14 2SA  on Saturday 19 October, from 7:00pm – 10:00pm

Internationally renowned musicians Withered Hand and Rod Jones will perform sets alongside community musicians from WHALE’s South West Sounds project and The Fruit Tree mentoring project.

This unique opportunity to see these incredible musicians on your doorstep is part of the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival and is funded by Creative Scotland. FREE entry – contact WHALE Arts Agency to book: 0131 458 3267 or email tickets@whalearts.co.uk

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Scottish Chamber Orchestra and NLS joint event: ‘The pity of war’   

Men’s Health Survival of the Fittest is a high octane 10km running-based event that will see the Scottish Capital once again turned into a giant assault course on Sunday 20 October, with 3500 runners expected to take part – the highest number yet.

Now in its fourth year, the innovative format sees competitors tackling a 10km running route interspersed with obstacle zones throughout the city centre.

Men’s Health Survival of the Fittest is being staged by Rat Race Adventure Sports, who staged their first ever event – the “Rat Race Urban Adventure” (one of the UK’s first urban adventure races) – in Edinburgh in 2004 and who are the UK market leaders in these types of challenges.

This year’s Edinburgh date forms 1 of 5 fixtures across “Survival season.” Other events take place in Cardiff, Nottingham and Manchester and culminate with a season closer at London’s Battersea Power Station.

The Edinburgh course will feature a “Braveheart charge” starting sequence on the Royal Mile, followed by a tough ascent of Jacob’s Ladder and the completion of multiple obstacles all over the Old Town and Holyrood Park. It finishes in West Princes Street Gardens where spectators are encouraged to come and cheer on the participants.

The obstacles themselves consist of a variety of challenges and runners should expect to face some staple Survival classics such as a series of hay bale walls, an Army assault course, the “Parkour” zone and a roadworks-inspired “Men’s Health at Work” zone. Also standing between entrants and their chances of crossing the finish line will be the infamous Men’s Health “Wall of Fame” – a sheer 8 foot high construction, which competitors must scale before they are able to officially call themselves a Survivor.

Jim Mee, Managing Director of Rat Race, commented: “Survival has become a much-loved date in Edinburgh’s events calendar and we love the way in which the city not only embraces the event, but gives us an amazing canvas on which to create this quirky urban obstacle course. These events are unique and provide a brilliant way to see the city differently, whilst having a bit of rough and tumble along the way.”

This year’s title sponsor of Men’s Health Survival of the Fittest is Volkswagen Amarok. Other partners include Tissot and Remington. Further information about the event can be found on the official website at www.mhsurvival.co.uk, including training information, videos and pricing. Entries can be made online through the website and are open until Wednesday 16^th October.

 – Nearly 4,000 people in Edinburgh helped into work or learning over the past 12 months

– 12 development sites in Edinburgh worth £2.14bn could bring significant jobs windfall

– Edinburgh Guarantee youth employment initiative creates 1,000 new posts for 16-19 year olds

The City of Edinburgh Council today marks one year on from the launch of its Strategy for Jobs with the announcement that funding of up to £4m could be secured to provide loans for up to 1,000 small to medium sized businesses.

Councillor Frank Ross will make the announcement at a business breakfast to discuss jobs creation and key achievements during the first year of the Council’s Strategy for Jobs at the Usher Hall this morning. The event is hosted by the Council and supported by the Edinburgh Business Forum.

The Council is in discussions with the Capital Credit Union to make available a new fund of £1.3m to the East of Scotland Investment Fund (ESIF). This provides the opportunity for this money to leverage other funding, including European, to bring the fund to a potential £4million.

The Council would be responsible for allocating the funding appropriately to help businesses in the city realise their expansion plans. Typical loans of around £40,000 given to businesses result in an average eight new and ten jobs safeguarded per loan. This is based on experience from the existing jobs fund.

Cllr Ross will also reveal that since the start of the Council’s Economic Strategy nearly 4,000 people in the city have been supported into work or learning. He will also highlight future challenges and opportunities for the city’s economic strategy including 12 prime sites across the city which have significant development potential.

Cllr Frank Ross, Convener of the Economy Committee, said: “Small to medium sized enterprises are fundamental to the growth of Edinburgh’s economy. The additional loan fund we are putting at the disposal of small businesses is designed to help make their expansion plans a reality, and create jobs.

“Since last year’s call to action at the launch of our Strategy for Jobs we have seen fantastic achievements with the Council and local business working in collaboration.

“We set out a vision for Edinburgh as a confident, creative and inspiring capital city, pioneering growth and jobs for the city region and for Scotland.

“Our economy is resilient and diverse and we have a very flexible workforce. The number of jobs in our city has now recovered to above the pre-recession peak and the new fund announcement today will help to boost employment even further.

“Young people in the city have benefitted from employment and training opportunities through programmes such as the Edinburgh Guarantee and the Edinburgh Jobs Fund and two incubator hubs have opened, Creative Exchange, Leith and Entrepreneurial Spark hatchery in Edinburgh Park.

“There are some important opportunities for us in the months ahead. We must focus on unlocking the development potential of 12 key sites in the city. We estimate that these 12 sites have an end value of £2.14bn and the potential to create up to 20,000 jobs across the city. Such enormous economic promise could deliver the Council’s Strategy for Jobs five year target through these projects alone.

“Add to this the £3.8billion of investment in infrastructure across the city region at present and you can see that Edinburgh’s future economy is in a strong position for the future.”

Marlene Shiels , Chief Executive, Capital Credit Union, said: “Capital Credit Union is delighted to be working in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council to provide loan finance for SMEs to grow and develop their businesses. Credit unions are community financial institutes providing secure savings facilities and access to affordable, competitively priced loan products for both individuals and businesses throughout the Lothians and Scottish Borders. Over 18,000 members are already using Capital Credit Union for savings, loans and mortgages.

“Working with the City of Edinburgh Council sits very comfortably with our philosophy to help grow and add value to the communities our members, both corporate and individuals, work and live in.”

Hugh Rutherford, Chair of the Edinburgh Business Forum, said, “The Council’s Strategy for Jobs provides us with a very clear vision of the aspirations for this city and highlights the importance of Team Edinburgh coming together to deliver that vision. Edinburgh is an increasingly creative and entrepreneurial city. The SME base offers huge potential for job creation and today’s announcement will give that sector a real boost.

“Edinburgh is a truly international capital city, a global player and a gateway to the rest of the country. Our city centre is the nation’s shop front and must be recognised as such. We need to build on the excellent work already underway to keep our position on the world stage.”

Top 10 achievements in the last year

An investment of £85m in Atria Edinburgh, opened its doors on time and in budget. The City of Edinburgh Council funded project has provided the city with much needed Grade A office space and received the Estate Gazette award for Property Company of the year.

Success of Edinburgh Guarantee. Following the best school leaver results for 10 years, the Edinburgh Guarantee continues to develop. Since its inception in 2011 over 150 businesses have actively supported the guarantee leading to 1,000 young people being matched into jobs, apprenticeships, paid internships or work placements. One in a hundred full time equivalent workers at the Council are now apprentices, achieving an ambitious target set in September 2011.

Entrepreneurial Spark hatchery was launched in Edinburgh Park. Supported by the City of Edinburgh Council and Edinburgh’s Napier University, it has worked with 71 entrepreneurs who between them have created 92 new jobs and 20 intern placements.

Fund of £1m for city centre promotion secured. More money than ever before is being invested in Edinburgh’s city centre as the City of Edinburgh Council , Marketing Edinburgh and Essential Edinburgh have all contributed to this fund for a two year marketing campaign.

New one-door hub for business established in the City of Edinburgh Council’s Waverley Court headquarters. The new hub houses Business Gateway, Building Standards and Planning services. Tailored recruitment support is also offered as part of the integrated approach. The hub has helped 1600 businesses in the first year from all sectors.

Essential Edinburgh ballot renewal. The result for Essential Edinburgh was a resounding vote of confidence in the city centre and Business Improvement Districts have also been set up elsewhere in the city.

Extensive and proactive programme of investor events in Edinburgh, London and overseas leading to significant new investment leads which are being developed across the city. Events attended included Sitematch. MIPIM and Expo REAL.

Creative Exchange is one of three incubator spaces in Edinburgh the Council supports. It opened in Leith in July 2013. The new facility offers business support and workspace for up to 80 individuals or companies. It is already 70 per cent occupied.

Opening of a brand new conference extension at the EICC. This has doubled Edinburgh’s capacity for conference space.

A significant new investment agreement with China. The Chinese city of Shenzhen and Edinburgh have agreed the establishment of joint of joint ‘international creative industry incubation centres’ inside three years. It is hoped that increased cooperation will harness the opportunities offered by the cities’ fast-growing cultural and creative sectors, promoting Edinburgh and Shenzhen as international creative centres and supporting the growth of local businesses into new markets.

Scots band The Proclaimers will be given the ‘Warhol’ treatment this month when an image of the twins will be used for a series of free screen-printing workshops being held at the Scottish Parliament. These sessions are running as part of the new ‘Andy Warhol: Pop, Power and Politics’ exhibition which runs until Sunday 3 November.

Run by the Fife Dunfermline Printmakers Workshop and supported by the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust, the workshops will provide an insight into Warhol’s technique and offer an opportunity to see how his iconic images were produced.

The Presiding Officer, the Rt Hon Tricia Marwick MSP said:-“The Proclaimers are one of Scotland’s best loved music acts and I am sure our visitors will enjoy seeing Craig and Charlie reproduced in Warhol’s distinctive style whilst learning about how he took an industrial process and applied it to his art.”

Carnegie Dunfermline Trust and Chairman, Robin Watson said:-“It was one of our sister Carnegie institutions which provided Andy Warhol with the free opportunity to study his art in Pittsburgh. We are delighted that The Proclaimers are now supporting us to support the Dunfermline Printmakers Workshop to show for free what Warhol might have done with their image, and how he did it.”

Craig and Charlie Reid said:-“Many thanks to the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust, Scottish Parliament and all involved in putting together this great exhibition and workshops. It is an honour to be ‘Warholised’ and our best wishes towards the success of the events.”

The Edinburgh Reporter was at the Parilament last week to see the exhibition which is now open:-

Booking information for the workshops
The workshops will take place on the weekends of 19, 20, 26, 27 October and 2, 3 November.  They will be run from 11.00 am – 4.00pm.    The free demonstrations will last 30 minutes each.   Booking is recommended as places are limited to 30 people for each demonstration.  To book telephone 0131 348 5454, stating required number of places.  The workshops are open to all ages.

Booking information for the exhibition
Booking for ‘Andy Warhol: Pop, Power and Politics’ exhibition is recommended as tickets will be administered by a specific start time to the viewing (unrestricted end time) and can be done via:
• the online form via the Parliament website www.scottish.parliament.uk/warhol
• a dedicated telephone line on 0131 348 5454 – the telephone number references the famous New York nightclub, Studio 54, which Warhol frequented regularly during the 70s and 80s
• emailing  warhol@scottish.parliament.uk

Edinburgh Makar recognised by The Guardian – Cooperative Capital – Grants for old fashioned lamps – Lothian Buses office to get a makeover – Gilmerton Library today 

Edinburgh’s Makar Ron Butlin is fabulous. That we already know. But now Carol Rumens of The Guardian has made his poem Nicolson Square her Poem of the Week! This is yet another poem included in the latest publication by Mr Butlin which is called The Magicians of Edinburgh, which aims to lead the reader through the streets of our beautiful city.

Here is a smidgin of an excerpt

The girl’s left hand keeps her coat shut, the other’s
empty. She’s standing in the middle of the street,
the traffic breaking to a stop around her.
Hardly sixteen – bleached hair, bleached skin, fear.

 

The man she’s with – badly healing cuts and anger
clenched into a face, pressed-in bruises
where the eyes should be.
She’s telling him she’s sorry, and being sworn at.

 

To read more you must buy the book from Polygon by clicking here.

***

Edinburgh is on track to becoming a ‘Cooperative Capital’, according to a leading co-operative consultant.
Speaking at a seminar in the City Chambers yesterday, Martin Meteyard, of the Co-operative Enterprise Hub, praised the commitment shown by the Council in taking forward plans outlined 12 months ago in its Framework to Advance a Cooperative Capital 2012/17.

The council aims to encourage communities, partners and those using its services to become more involved in how these are planned, managed and delivered, with a particular focus on developing more co-operatives to deliver energy, housing, social care and child care services.

Mr Meteyard said: “Co-operatives are a tried and tested business model going back 250 years. We now have a billion members worldwide, providing over 100 million jobs.

“Edinburgh has led the way in Scottish local authority terms and the level of commitment shown continues to be very encouraging.

“Maintaining this commitment in terms of resources is going to be challenging, particularly in the context of continued cuts to the council’s budget, and so building stronger relations with ‘anchor institutions’, such as universities and hospitals, will be key.”

Council Leader, Cllr Andrew Burns, and Chief Executive, Sue Bruce, also spoke at the event, which was attended by 80 councillors, officials and stakeholders.

Cllr Burns said: “We realised when we took office that we had to have a fresh think about how we do business as a local authority so that we could put the public back at the centre of decision-making.

“This has already resulted in some very positive actions, including the creation of the first Petitions Committee, direct parent representation on our Children & Families committee and the complete revision of the budgetary process to allow meaningful public input and debate before any final decisions are made.

“Only last week, I was delighted to receive cross-party support for our proposal to join the Co-operative Councils Innovation Network – the first local authority in Scotland to do so. I have no doubt that, by calling on the knowledge and expertise of others across the UK, we can continue the good work we have started.”

Sue Bruce said: “We were presented with a clear mandate 12 months ago and immediately set about establishing a dedicated Cooperative Development Unit within the Council.

“Since then, good progress has been made in each of the four target areas and also in council service design and procurement. In particular, a lot of time has been spent engaging with external agencies and communities to enable them to deliver the concept themselves, ensuring that their local knowledge, preferences and practical experience shapes the services in their area.”

The seminar, which also included a number of workshops, will inform an update report to be considered by councillors next month.

Key Developments

Co-operative Education
We have established an SLA with LAYC (Lothian Association of Youth Clubs) to support the Out of School Care sector, to identify and help those who wish to adopt a co-operative approach. One club is in the process of applying to the Co-operative Enterprise Hub for support, and a ‘Co-operative Charter’ is also being developed for clubs wishing to follow this route.

Social Care Co-operative
As part of our Market Shaping Strategy we are supporting the development of personalised services and self directed support to launch an Innovation Fund (£300K in 2013/14 and £100k in 2014/15). We are specifically inviting applications to the Fund, launched on 1 October 2013, for a contribution of up to £50,000 towards the costs of establishing an employee owned health and social care co-operative.

Co-operative Energy
Edinburgh Community Energy Co-op is working with CEC on a solar photo voltaic project and is currently identifying suitable locations. The aim is to make money from feed-in tariff for reinvestment to provide other community benefits.

Co-operative Housing
Proposals to support new build co-operative housing in East Edinburgh are progressing well.  Co-operative approaches to the development of social rented housing are limited by investment priorities and the available subsidy, but there may be more potential for mid market rent and low cost home ownership

Co-operative Service Design
Participatory budgeting successes such as ‘Leith Decides’ generate considerable community participation. The ongoing ‘Canny wi’ Cash’ initiative is believed to be a UK first with its focus on a community of interest rather than place. Throughout October, Edinburgh’s older generation will determine how £35,000 of small grants for enhancing older people’s services will be allocated.

Co-operative Procurement
Many examples of strong engagement with partners and service users:
o Market Shaping Strategy for adult social care services
o Commissioning Approaches for children and families services
o Homelessness Prevention Services review
o Community and Accessible Transport Review

***

Edinburgh World Heritage is awarding grants for lamps to be replaced with new ones in the World Heritage Site. They explain:-“The extra funding of £4,200 will enable the production of a specially patterned mould to produce lanterns to an authentic appearance. The new lamps will also be of a higher quality design which will age much better, reducing the need for maintenance and regular replacements.”

The heritage body works alongside the city council on this and hopes that the first of these lamps will be installed by next year.

***

Lothian Buses has announced it will be modernising its most visited Travelshop in the heart of the city centre.

Waverley Bridge Travelshop is set to become the flagship shop for Transport for Edinburgh covering both Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams. Customers and visitors to the shop will be able to seek advice on journeys within Lothian and buy tickets for both buses and trams.  The shop will also continue to be the home of Edinburgh Bus Tours, Scotland’s third most popular paid for visitor attraction.

The doors will close on 3 November and are expected to re-open in spring 2014. During the modernisation, customers and visitors will be able to access any of the company’s other three shops: Hanover Street, Shandwick Place and Dalkeith – some of which will offer extended opening hours.

Ian Craig, Lothian Buses Chief Executive commented:-“Our investment in Waverley Bridge will create a flagship shop for the new organisation offering a modern, comfortable and welcoming environment which will meet the needs of our customers.”

The company’s £500,000 investment will see Waverley Bridge completely transformed both internally and externally.

Councillor Lesley Hinds, the city’s Transport Convener, said:-“Edinburgh’s new tram service is fast approaching and we’re developing the service in a way that fully complements our award-winning bus service. Transport for Edinburgh’s flagship shop will be at the heart of this service and this redevelopment will provide a modern building that will reflect a modern, integrated transport system for Edinburgh.”

For further information please visit www.lothianbuses.co.uk

***

Gilmerton Library is a good example of one of our city libraries where they try very hard to put on loads of events for children. Today they are offering these events:-

Friday 11 October at 10.30am
Bookbug lets singalong with Wendy …
Fruit and refreshments
under 5’s

FRIDAY FUNDAY AT  2.30PM
Pirate facepainting and Pirate plates
under 12’s

Staff and volunteers at Edinburgh’s Royal Blind School put on a unique exhibition last night at their highly impressive Craigmillar Campus, as part of National Braille Week.

The well attended event featured informative displays highlighting the history of Braille including the innovative ways that Scottish charity Royal Blind has used it to communicate through the years.

Numerous photographs and books were available, including a Braille copy of the ‘Broons’ Annual’ as well as an exclusive  exhibition of Braille equipment such as The Tammery, The Braille Dymo Gun, The Stainsby Large and Small and the St Dunstan’s Braille Writer.Former pupil Jim McCafferty who now works for the Scottish Braille Press was on hand to demonstrate how the machines work.

The Royal Blind School was founded in 1876 after the amalgamation of the Edinburgh Royal Blind Asylum which was founded in 1793 by Reverend Dr Johnston and the School for Blind Children which was founded by Edinburgh Printer James Gall in 1835.

It is currently a national grant aided special school which provides specialist education to children and young people with a visual impairment, including those with additional support needs and multiple disabilities.

Also based at the campus is the Scottish Braille Press which supplies Braille, large print and audio media to a wide range of commercial customers, improving access to mainstream services such as banking and education for thousands of visually impaired people. In addition, it produces Braille books and its own series of magazine titles and provides opportunities for the employment of visually impaired and disabled workers.

The event was formally opened by Royal Blind’s Chief Executive Richard Hellewell who welcomed everyone for attending and praised the staff including Head Teacher Elaine Brackenridge and the volunteers for their hard work. He also gave an informative presentation on the work of the school, before introducing former pupil and renowned paralympian Libby Clegg who was recently named School Ambassador.

Libby is one of Great Britain and Scotland’s most successful track and field athletes of recent years with Paralympic Games silver at 100m in Beijing, World Championships gold and European Championship gold to her name.  The 23 year old is a proven performer at elite level, and with the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games already on the horizon, she is training hard for more medal glory on the international stage.

The Cheshire born raised sprinter who moved to Newcastleton in the Borders at the age of 12 is registered blind. She quit her base at Edinburgh’s Meadowbank Stadium three years and now trains six days a week along-side a number of leading Olympic prospects at UK Athletics’ centre of excellence in Loughborough, where the facilities including indoor and outdoor tracks as well as sports science and medical teams.

Libby was a residential pupil at the school from 2002 until 2008 and spoke fondly about her time there, although she did modestly admit that her knowledge of Braille was not particularly good. She told the audience: “This is a real community. I didn’t realise how much the Scottish Braille Press actually did even though it was next to my residential house when I was here. I think people don’t realise how much it gives to people, such as independence confidence, equal opportunities, the right to education and I think it’s really special what the Braille Press do and I would like to thank them for that.

“I am actually atrocious at Braille and the slowest reader ever, but I had such a fantastic time at the Royal Blind School. My two brothers James and Stephen came here as well, and Stephen only finished at the end of June this year.  It’s absolutely fantastic the community and support we get here and I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of the people here. They let me go to all these warm weather training camps and competitions all over the world and they supported me and I would just like to thank everyone for coming.”

Afterwards Libby spoke exclusively to the Edinburgh Reporter about her preparation for next year’s Commonwealth Games. She said:  “I’m really excited at the moment as I have been pre-selected for the 100 meters. All the athletes will tell you that part of the thrill is getting the tracksuit and kit and I am getting measured at the end of the month. I am training ten times a week over six days with only Sunday off. I run with a guide runner and the rules are that he can’t finish in front of me or pull me over the line although I sometimes wish that he was allowed to do that.”

This morning, Libby will visit Cramond Primary School where she will give a brief talk to the school children then answer questions, and the pupils will have a chance to see her Paralympic medals as they get passed round the class.

Libby is undertaking the visit as part of her sponsorship work with ESPC.  Neil Harrison, Head of Marketing at ESPC said: “Libby is a fantastic ambassador for Paralympic athletes.  Her enthusiasm is a fantastic message to get into schools to encourage the children to get into sport.  She has already achieved so much in her field, and with the Commonwealth  Games just a few months away, we’re all firmly behind her in her bid for a place on the podium.”

Helen Donaldson, head teacher at Cramond Primary School said: “Meeting a young successful athlete is a great opportunity for our children to see what can be achieved when they put their mind to it.  It’s one of the few opportunities they will have to touch a gold medal and I am sure she will inspire more to take up running as they grow up.”

Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) and Marketing Edinburgh’s Convention Bureau today announce three new business wins that will bring 3,000 business tourists to Edinburgh and deliver a £6m economic impact to the city region.

The announcement comes just five months after the opening of EICC’s new £30m expansion space and days after the centre welcomed its one millionth delegate from opening in 1995. The new business wins are: The Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, Europe 2014 (case.org), Aquaculture Europe 2016 (easonline.org) and the World Veterinary Poultry Association Congress (wvpa.net) 2017.

All three events were won as a result of a joint bid process in competition with leading global business tourism destinations.

Announcing the new business wins EICC’s Head of Sales and Marketing, Louise Andrew said:-“Our hard working partnership with Marketing Edinburgh is succeeding in attracting international events with a winning combination of the world’s most technically advanced conferencing space and a World Heritage social and cultural landscape in one city centre location”.

The World Veterinary Poultry Association Congress attracted Scottish Government Conference Bid Fund support.

Marketing Edinburgh Chief Executive John Donnelly, said: “The recent bid wins are a testament to hard work and our integrated approach with the EICC and our other partners. Bringing large-scale events and conferences like the WVPAC 2017 is crucial to the city’s business tourism, not only in economic terms, but also its value in promoting the city world-wide as a top international conference destination.”

EICC opened a new £30m expansion space in May 2013 that features the world’s first hall-wide moving floor system, allowing setup transformations in a fraction of the time required in conventional halls.

Submitted by John Gerrie

The puffin has reigned supreme in a special poll carried out by the Scottish Seabird Centre to find out the “People’s Big Five” species.

The poll was carried out in direct response to the Centre’s disappointment that no seabirds were included in Scotland’s Big 5 campaign, run by Visit Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage as part of the 2013 Year of Natural Scotland celebrations.

The conservation and education charity took matters into their own hands by asking visitors and fans of the Scottish Seabird Centre to vote for the People’s Big Five and unsurprisingly the puffin has topped the poll with a whopping 35% of the vote.

Tom Brock OBE, CEO of the Scottish Seabird Centre said:
“This clearly highlights that visitors to the Seabird Centre recognise the puffin’s importance as one of Scotland’s iconic wildlife species. I hope our poll has proven that the puffin deserved a place on the Big Five list. Scotland is home to almost half of Europe’s seabirds with a wide variety of iconic species and the world’s largest gannet colonies (St Kilda and the Bass Rock). It was very disappointing that none of Scotland’s seabirds made it on to the “official” Big 5 list”
Wildlife fans were encouraged to vote for the “People’s Big Five” through the Scottish Seabird Centre’s facebook page, by email or by casting their vote in person at the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick. They voted in their hundreds and the results were as follows:
Puffin: 35.5%
Gannet: 12.4%
Harbour Seal: 8.1%
Deer/Stag: 5%
Otter: 3.1%
The omission of the puffin from the official Big Five list was a big disappointment to the Scottish Seabird Centre at a time when the species is under significant threat from lack of food and even an invasive alien plant. One of the UK’s largest puffin colonies, on the nearby island of Craigleith, has seen its numbers crash from around 28,000 to just a few thousand because of the growth of a giant plant called tree mallow which volunteers at the Seabird Centre have been working hard to remove.

Tom Brock adds:
-“The solidarity shown to the puffin could not have come at more important time. While we are clearly disappointed that the puffin was not on the Big Five list, we have at least been able to use the campaign as an opportunity to raise public awareness that the puffin is in trouble and needs our help to survive. It’s heartening to know that the public still hold this beautiful bird close to their hearts.”

Submitted by Jean Devlin

This week’s photo comes from Carson Ralton. Carson captured a moody sky over St Bernard’s Well in Stockbridge.

The Stockbridge Photography Club is a non-profit photography club that aims to operate in a different way from the traditional photography club mould. They have informal monthly meetings where they discuss their photos over a cup of coffee and learn about the month’s theme.
Outside of this, they arrange photowalks and trips to various locations and landmarks in and around Edinburgh, providing their members with something interesting to photograph, whilst always having someone on hand to answer any questions.

Our exhibition is ongoing, and Rosie McKenzie has kindly extended the running time. Pop into her gallery on St Stephen’s Street. Everybody is welcome!

More info about the club is on their website (stockbridgephotoclub.co.uk)

Submitted by Stockbridge Photography Club

Police in Edinburgh are appealing for witnesses following the theft of metal from a school in the Capital.

Sometime within the past week, around 70ft of lead has been stolen from rooftop windows at the Greyfriars Building of George Heriot’s School in Lauriston Place.

Five windows in total have been affected at the block, which is used as the junior school, and the total value for the theft and necessary repairs is still being calculated.

Officers are now urging anyone who remembers seeing anything suspicious in the area to come forward.

PC Steven Skirving said: “The quantity of lead stolen would indicate that a vehicle was used to remove it from the school grounds.

“Anyone who remembers seeing a car, van or truck at the school during an unusual time or saw the occupants behaving in a suspicious manner is asked to contact police immediately.

“Similarly, anyone with information that can assist us in tracing those responsible is also asked to get in touch.”

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

Police in Edinburgh have recovered over £5,000 worth of drugs from two properties in the Capital.

Officers carried out separate searches of addresses in Muirhouse Gardens at around 4.50pm yesterday (Wednesday).

A half-kilo of amphetamine worth around £5,000 was seized from within one location, while £200 worth of cannabis was found inside the other property. Police are now following a positive line of enquiry in relation to both searches.

Detective Inspector Stuart Harkness said: “Our communities continue to supply us with vital information relating to drug crime in their area and we continue to respond with the activity demonstrated during yesterday’s searches.

“Street-level drug dealers are a blight on our communities and Police Scotland is committed to identifying these individuals and bringing them to justice.

“Members of the public wishing to report drug crime in their community can speak with their local policing team, contact Police Scotland on 101 or make an anonymous report via the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

In 2012, Dewar’s hosted an experiment when musicians from India and the UK were placed in a makeshift recording studio in Edinburgh for a week and asked to come up with an album of original songs. The results were rather special, and in the spirit of that album, three of those acts; James Yorkston, Jon Thorne and Suhail Yusuf Khan with Support – Lisa O’Neill will appear at The Queens Hall on Friday 1 November, playing together as a trio and performing a semi-improvised mix of traditional music from India and the UK/Ireland alongside their own compositions.

The vastly experienced and talented musicians are sure to attract a large crowd, and fans should book early to avoid disappointment.

Fife born James Yorkston is a well-known singer-songwriter in the Scottish music scene who started out as bassist for punk band Miraclehead before his solo career took off with a little help from the late John Peel.

His albums include ‘Moving Up Country,’ ‘Roaring the Gospel,’ ‘When the Haar Rolls In,’ Just Beyond the River,’ ‘The Year of the Leopard’ and ‘I was a Cat from a Book,’ and singles include ‘Shipwreckers.’ ‘Surf Song,’ ‘Tortoise Regrets Hare’ and ‘Woozy the Cider.’

Jon Thorne took up bass aged 23 and is a self-taught musician. His career as a double bassist and composer has seen him play at most of the world’s leading festivals including Glastonbury, Coachella, Roskilde, Wechter, Montreaux Jazz, North Sea Jazz and NYC Central Park Summerstage.

He has also recorded, performed alongside and appeared on albums by artists as diverse as Liam Bailey, Kathryn Williams, Jesca Hoop, Robert Miles, Trilok Gurtu, Robert Fripp, Donovon, John Smith, Lou Rhodes, Love Amongst Ruin, King Creosote, Sam Carter, Amos Lee, The Memory Band, Mr Scruff, Maverick Sabre, Delilah, The Accidental, Ryuchi Sakamoto and Martha Tilston. His debut album “Manchester Road” was released through SAM LTD/ EGEA records in 2006.

Suhail Yusuf Khan is an eighth generation sarangi player from the Moradabad gharana, who is the grandson of the great Ustaad Sabri Khan & nephew of Kamaal Sabri Jee. He began performing at the age of eleven and his greatest quality is his interest in and ability to adapt to musical styles from all kinds of musical cultures and traditions, including an avid interest in electronic music.

The Edinburgh Reporter spoke to James ahead of the concert and asked him about the background to the show. He said: “It came about as myself and Suhail were playing a concert for Dewars in the Caves, Edinburgh. Me and the Fence guys were all there and we’d heard Suhail may be coming, but nothing further was confirmed, so when it came to organising the running order for the evening we didn’t really consider him. Then, of course, he turned up. I asked if he’d like to play on my set and he agreed, so we learned a few songs and played that night. The seed was planted. He’s a friendly looking guy – nice smile and easy to warm to. If he’d come in scowling I may have retreated to a bar somewhere and never spoken to him. We had a lot of similar musical interests though and that helped bond us, both on and off stage.”

The event is sure to attract considerable interest, but what exactly can the audience expect on the night? James continued: “A lot of it will be improvised as that’s one thing myself, Jon & Suhail enjoy doing, but we’ll also be doing some new songs of mine , for which the Cairn String Quartet will be joining us. Suhail is a master of improvisation, as is Jon Thorne, the jazz double bass player who makes up the trio. Jon has played with some of Jazz’s greatest names – Herbert Maf Khazi, Jenkins Moroder – and he’ll be leading us to all sorts of daft places, I hope.”

“We’re going to be recording the tour, but immediately afterwards we’re going into a studio in North Wales to record some of the nonsense we’ve gotten up to. Who knows where it’ll lead? There’s talk of a tour of India, which may be fun. As a musician, when things as interesting as this come up, you have to grab them and just see where they end up taking you.”

James is also delighted to be teaming up with songwriter Lisa O’Neill  from Cavan in Ireland who may also join the trio onstage for a ditty. He concluded: “I love her music and am delighted she’s on board – she’s my favourite songwriter of the last few years and has just recorded her 2nd album, which is a wee beauty.”

Show 8pm 1 November at the Queens Hall, Clerk Street. Tickets £15/£13 conc. Telephone 013 6682019

www.thequeenshall.net

Other dates include:

30th October – Dunfermline – Carnegie Hall

31st October – Kingsbarns – Cambo House. 7pm to midnight, with hot food, ciders, real ales & spiced gin. A free dram o’ 18yr old Dewars whisky to those in fancy dress. With special guest Mary Erskine

2nd November – Glasgow – Oran Mor

3rd November – Aberfeldy Festival

6th November – London – Old St Pancras Church

7th November – Bangor – Hendre Hall

Youngster Danny Handling is determined to be back in contention for a first team place for the visit of champions Celtic to Easter Road on Saturday 18 October.

The teenager played his part in the Under 20s defeat of Dundee United on Tuesday night in Arbroath, setting up Jason Cummings for the opener before being involved in Euan Smith’s winner.

The Haddington youngster told Hibernian TV “Playing well on Tuesday night has given me a good boost of confidence; I set a goal up, but I’d liked to have scored one myself.

“To have played a part in both goals was just as good as they turned out to be what we needed to win the game and I’ve taken confidence from that and the rest of the game and my performance.

“The match went well and I didn’t feel any problem with my ankle at all. It was a good game to play in as the Dundee United under-20s are a decent side. We played good football, so it made it an enjoyable game to play in for my first game back.”

Handling, suffered a bruised a bone in his right ankle against Ross County at the end of August, which forced him to withdraw from the Scotland under-21.

He continued: “I had a bruised bone in my right ankle; at first we all thought it was only going to be a week or two out, but it started to get worse and eventually it was four weeks out. I had to go for an MRI scan to make sure that there was no further damage to my ankle.

“Thankfully there wasn’t and it was only four weeks out and I got a good run out tonight.”

Handling says he is keen to continue playing games in an effort to gain some much needed match fitness and could potentially feature against Craigroyston on Saturday in the East of Scotland Qualifying League or against Inverness Caledonian Thistle’s under-20s side on Tuesday night at Livingston and his main objective is to make himself available for selection for the visit of the Celtic to Easter Road on Saturday 19 October.

He said: “Now that I have the game time under my belt, I’m looking to get my fitness levels back up to what they were before – and that can only happen through playing games.

“If that is a game at under-20s level then that’s what I have to do. But as I’ve said it’s a good team and it is enjoyable and to get my fitness back is my main aim just now.

“I’m hoping to be fit again for the Celtic game after the international break, but whether I am involved or not is up to the gaffer.

“I’m hoping to be fit and ready for selection for the Celtic game. I’m just going to keep working hard in training and keep going about things the right way.”

Police officers and Edinburgh Airport staff will be promoting safe travel to passengers passing through the airport today.

Police Scotland’s Border Policing Command is running a ‘Safer Travel Day’ where advice and guidance will be offered to passengers on how they can keep themselves safe while travelling.

There will be two stalls situated within the terminal building, where police officers and airport staff will be on hand to provide advice and guidance.

They will hand out leaflets to passengers containing a range of tips on safe travel, from crime prevention and personal safety advice, to who to contact in an emergency when abroad.  The intention is to ensure that passengers are equipped with the information they need to have as safe a journey as possible, from airport to destination.

Detective Superintendent Alan Crawford, Head of Border Policing Command for Police Scotland, said: “These events are aimed at making people aware of the various organisations they might see while travelling through airports, as well as raising awareness of security issues and provide crime prevention information which will help keep people safe as they travel between destinations.”

Julie Matthews, Head of Security at Edinburgh Airport, said: “We’re delighted to be collaborating with Police Scotland to promote ‘Safer Travel Day’ in Edinburgh Airport.  Events like this are very important, as they allow us to engage directly with passengers and show that their safety is our top priority.

“We listen to our passenger’s feedback and will continue to work hard to ensure they feel safe when travelling through Edinburgh Airport.”

Capital’s economic position – Council open new respite centre for children – Active Communities – Electoral roll – Calling all artists

Councillor Frank Ross is the Economy Convenor and he has written a long article on the council’s news blog about the economic position here in the capital. He focuses on the Strategy for Jobs initiative which was launched a year ago, and some of the most important development sites around the city.

Councillor Ross concludes:-“One of the Capital Coalition’s commitments is to provide for Edinburgh’s economic growth and prosperity. The key is to embrace the opportunity that these under-used city assets offer us to create new employment and prosperity for the city, and for Scotland as a whole.”

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A disco Jacuzzi bath and Hogwarts floating lights in the dining room are just some of the exciting new features at a state-of-the-art children’s respite centre which will be officially opened today.

The £2.4m Seaview centre, run by the City of Edinburgh Council, can accommodate up to 60 children and young people aged between 5 and 17 with a range of disabilities and additional support needs. It provides regular short breaks full of fun activities and an outreach care at home service.

The building will be opened by 19-year-old Ryan Moffat who used the former centre for the past nine years, and Cllr Paul Godzik, Convener of the Education, Children and Families Committee.

The Council adopted a unique approach to the project by involving staff and children from the very start of the process, inviting them to take part in consultations where they were asked what they would like to see in their new building.

The children’s ideas ranged from floating lights to a flying fox and tree house in the garden, all of which have been included in the design team’s plans. Features requested by staff, such as improved access and plenty of space for wheelchairs and hoists have also formed part of the final design.

All built on one level, the new centre – designed by the Council’s own in-house team of architects – boasts colourful, fun decor, living and sleeping areas as well as a specially designed sensory garden.

Councillor Godzik said: “Respite care is an extremely important service and the new Seaview centre offers a wonderful setting to provide this. Both the young person and their families can benefit immensely from the facilities at the centre.”

Ryan said: “We wanted a football pitch and we are all over the moon that there is one. The new building is really good and everyone will love it especially the garden with the newly-planted flowers.”

Carol Mentiplay, Seaview Manager, said: “What makes the centre so special was all the work that went into taking on board the ideas from both children and staff. I can’t praise highly enough everyone involved in the design and construction process as their enthusiasm has rubbed off on everyone else and resulted in a perfect building.”

The new complex has been built on the site of the city’s old Lismore Primary School, replacing the former building in Joppa which was a children’s home.

Other designs elements which the children came up with include: a willow tunnel to run out onto the all-weather football pitch, murals on bathroom walls to make bathtime fun, chill out zone for teenagers and a recycled welly boot artwork wall in another chill out zone.

Although you can no longer see the sea, children were keen to keep the name to keep link with old centre but also because it is very easy for children with speech difficulties to sign ‘Seaview’.

Construction work started in May 2012 and the centre welcomed its first users in August this year.

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Edinburgh residents, including sixteen and seventeen year olds are encouraged to register ready for the Scottish independence referendum next year.

You will shortly receive your annual electoral registration form through the post and you are being encouraged to complete and return it promptly so that you can have their say at next year’s polls.

In 2014 Electors will be able to cast their vote at the European election in May and at the independence referendum in September.  Anyone who is aged 16 or over on 18 September 2014 will be able to vote in the referendum, so every house is also being sent a ‘young voters’ form to register their details. People completing the registration forms are being urged to make sure the details of any soon-to-be 16 or 17 year olds in their household are included.

People who don’t receive their forms should contact the electoral registration office on 0131 344 2500.

Electoral Registration Officer Joan Hewton said:- “People are talking about the referendum with family and friends, but the only way to have your say is to vote on 18 September 2014, so make sure you’re registered to vote. Registering is quick and simple. All you have to do is update and return the registration forms with details of everyone who lives in your household and is eligible to vote; and remember to include anyone who will turn 16 by 18th September 2014. It’s straightforward, any young person who is 15 and will be 16 by the 18th September 2014 should add their details to the young person’s form and anyone 16 or over should add their details to the main household canvass form.”

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Up-and-coming artists living in Edinburgh have just a few days left to apply for funding from a bursary programme run by the City of Edinburgh Council and Creative Scotland.

Sunshine on Leith was the third most popular film in the UK over the weekend according to figures from the BFI, slightly behind Filth and The Prisoner.

The Edinburgh based feel-good film was shown at 400 screens across the UK and took £770,239 between Friday and Sunday, including £290,000 in Scotland.

The film, adapted from a stage show by Scottish playwright Stephen Greenhorn, stars George MacKay and Kevin Guthrie as Davy and Ally, two young squaddies who are newly returned to Edinburgh from Afghanistan after being involved in a roadside bombing which injures their close friend.

Ally returns to a long-running relationship with Davy’s sister Liz (Freya Mavor), who in turn sets up Davy with her friend Yvonne (Antonia Thomas).

Peter Mullan plays Rab, Liz and Davy’s father, who serenades his wife (Jane Horrocks) with Proclaimers’ classic ‘Oh Jean’ at their 25th wedding anniversary party at the Leith Dockers Club. He brings to mind Lee Marvin signing ‘Wandering Star’ in Paint Your Wagon only gruffer, whilst she produces a more than respectable Edinburgh accent.

With the party in full swing, things take a turn or the worse for all three relationships that night.

The sharp eyed viewer will also spot a cameo appearance by Craig and Charlie Reid who come across Davy and Ally singing ‘I’m on my way from misery to happiness today’ as they leave a pub in Constitution Street.

Although there are unlikely to be many Oscar nominations, there are fine performances all round, several  iconic Edinburgh landmarks and of course thirteen Proclaimers hits including ‘Sunshine on Leith,’ ‘Letter from America,’ ‘Let’s get Married’ and of course ‘500 Miles,’ which makes this  heart-warming, upbeat contemporary film well worth seeing.

Hibs backroom staff are anxiously waiting to discover the full extent of the injury to teenager Cody Mulhall who was rushed to hospital after landing awkwardly during Tuesday’s under 20s victory over Dundee United in Arbroath.

The Irish born striker who has been in sparkling form this season received immediate treatment from senior physio Kitty Mackinnon after the incident, and whilst an x-ray on his leg showed no fracture, he is scheduled to undergo a scan today to ascertain whether or not he has sustained ligament damage.

Jason Cummings opened the scoring midway through the first half but United equalised three minutes later through Brian Graham. Euan Smith restored Hibs lead on the half hour mark and James McDonaugh’s youngsters held on for the victory which takes them to joint top of the table with Hamilton.

Some other positives that emerged from the fixture were Danny Handling’s first competitive match for five weeks after a lay-off with a foot injury and Paul Cairney continued his comeback from an ankle problem.

Head of Academy Coaching James McDonaugh admits Mulhall’s injury took the shine off an otherwise positive night for the squad.

He told the Hibernian website: “He was away in an ambulance at half-time which is a disaster for him as he has been absolutely fantastic for us recently and improving his fitness.

“He was on standby for the Republic of Ireland under-19 squad and he has been scoring goals and progressing really well for us.”

“I thought we played really well and I was really happy with the team. Both the performance and also the win tonight, they were excellent. The score aside I thought we were good to watch.

“We played good football and created chances. In some ways I hoped we had scored a few more goals but Dundee United hung in there and gave it everything and held us out.

“The two centre-backs are young and they’ve got a lot to learn but they improved as the game went on. They were playing against Brian Graham who was a target for a lot of Scottish Premiership clubs. Last season he scored a lot of goals for Raith Rovers and Dundee United snapped him up and is a first-team player and the centre-backs handled him quite well.”

The Academy team are next in action this Saturday in the East of Scotland Qualifying League, Section C tie against Craigroyston at the Training Centre (kick off 2.30pm, free admission – donations to the bucket collection welcome).

Hibernian under-20s: Dougie Horne, Fraser Mullen, Callum Crane, Sammy Stanton, Bob Wilson, Tom Gardiner, Danny Handling (David Paul, 65), Dean Horribine, Jason Cummings, Cody Mulhall (Euan Smith, 20), Paul Cairney. Unused substitutes: Kleton Perntreou, Andrew Black, Ryan Baptie, Gareth McCaffrey, Jay Doyle.

A capital debate inspired by a local mental health campaigner will take place at Edinburgh Napier University tomorrow 10 October 2013 as part of World Mental Health Day.

Mental health nursing students will take on their peers from the University of West of Scotland in the inaugural Allison Alexander Memorial Debate.

Allison, who died in 2013 after a short illness, was a prominent campaigner on improving mental health in Scotland, and was a lecturer and Teaching Fellow at Edinburgh Napier.

Event co-organiser, Margaret Conlon, said: “Alison always enjoyed a good argument and so it seemed only natural to call the debate after her. She was passionate about addressing the stigma around mental health in Scotland and inspired many of today’s mental health nurses.”

The event, which will also feature a keynote address from Dr Phil Barker, is supported by ‘see me’ – Scotland’s national campaign to tackle the stigma and discrimination of mental ill-health.

The event will take place at 1.30pm at the Sightill Campus.

Yellow Court Studio Exhibition, Whitespace Gallery, 14 – 23 October 2013  10.30—5.30pm

Art is an offering from the artist to the rest of us.  So what would art be without viewers?

The Edinburgh Reporter readers are invited to attend an exclusive exhibition of unique digital prints by 3 Yellow Court artists. Take time to sit and relax with a coffee while admiring these colourful and intriguing pieces produced by unusual techniques.

It isn’t always obvious how the prints were made, so Yellow Court welcomes your interpretation. The artists will be available to talk about art on the evenings of 15th, 18th & 22nd October from 5.30 -7pm.

Yellow Court Studio Exhibition, White Space Gallery, 11 Gayfield Square, EH1 3NT, 14 – 23 October, 10.30—5.30pm

Minister for Community Safety Roseanna Cunningham today welcomed an announcement by the Fire Brigades Union that firefighters in Scotland have voted to accept the terms of a Scottish Government offer on pensions.

The news means that there will be no strike action in Scotland.

Ms Cunningham has called on the UK Government to now act to ensure firefighters in England are not disadvantaged from their Scottish counterparts and address the outstanding issues in the ongoing trades dispute.

Roseanna Cunningham, Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs said:-“The Scottish Government is obviously delighted that firefighters in Scotland have voted to accept our offer which provides the best deal available for Scottish firefighters and communities within the legislative and financial constraints imposed on us by the current devolved settlement.

“This vote shows what we can do in Scotland by working together and we look forward to a sustained period of constructive partnership with FBU and others as we build a world class Scottish Fire Service for the future. We have been able to guarantee that there will be no compulsory redundancies, and to make a commitment that there will be no mutualisation or privatisation of the Fire Service in Scotland.

“Through the creation of the single Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, we have been able to protect frontline services in the face of continued budget cuts from Westminster. We look forward to a sustained period of partnership working with the FBU and other staff bodies as we build a fundamentally different approach from that being pursued in England and Wales.

“Of course, we realise our offer does not cover reserved issues which remain within the control of the UK Government. This means that firefighters across all roles and jobs will experience significant detrimental changes to their pensions.

“We urge the UK Government to act now to ensure firefighters in England are not disadvantaged from their Scottish counterparts, and to address the outstanding issues in the trades dispute.”

Are you into Twitter, tweets and tweeting? Do you live or work in Edinburgh and love this city? Then read on!

Following the success of #Scotlandhour on Twitter Rob Wilkinson set up #edinhour to involve independent businesses in the capital to promote the city.

The online chat takes place on the second Wednesday of each month between 9pm-10pm and tonight the chat will be all about “Dark Edinburgh”.

Passing into the winter half of the year, when better than the month of our ancient Gaelic festival of Samhuinn (later copied elsewhere as ‘Halloween’) to look at Edinburgh’s dark side – tales of ghosts, evil deeds and events shrouded in mystery. Get the cocoa ready for a chilling #Edinhour!

The questions and a call for images are up at this web address covering Edinburgh’s murky history, ghosts, what to do in Edinburgh’s shorter days, and of course on the 31st itself.

So what do you have to do to join in? You have to put up answers to questions posed by those hosting the hour.

Tonight the questions will be these ones here and they will be tweeted at the appointed times during the hour.

9pm: Please introduce yourself (name/org, what you do, area and 1st half of your postcode, remember to add ‘#EdinHour’)

9.05: Q1. “Where can you discover & soak up the atmosphere of the darker parts of Edinburgh’s history”

9.20: Q2. “Edinburgh & the Supernatural: tell us about the ghosts, ghouls & spirits that lurk in Auld Reekie”

9.35 Q3. “Dark, cold evenings that the Summer tourists never experience – what’s good to do in Edinburgh now?”

9.50 Q4. “The Death of Summer: our ancient Samhuinn inspired modern-day Halloween – but what will you do on the 31st October?

9.00 – 10.00 Share lots of atmospheric & dark pictures on all the above! (Remember the #EdinHour)

Simply add the #EdinHour hashtag to your tweet during the hour and you are taking part. It really is as easy as that!

The organisers say:-“#EdinHour is set up to celebrate and discuss everything in relation to Edinburgh, and the hosts will work within a brief related to just that, but if YOU feel you have a connection to Edinburgh or an interest in the area (perhaps as a visitor or commuter) then of course join in. We want to be inclusive and by Edinburgh we are happy to include everyone in Edinburgh, near Edinburgh or who wants to be in Edinburgh! It’s ultimately for you to define, not us. Individuals and organisations are equally welcome.”