Big red C comes to Edinburgh to promote major Hepatitis C campaign

A two metre high red C is on display at St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, today to promote a major new Hepatitis C campaign.

The Big Red C campaign, backed by a national group of hepatitis charities and supported by a number of local NHS Boards, including NHS Lothian, aims to reach out to the estimated 18,000 Scots who are unaware they have contracted Hepatitis C. Although symptoms may not appear for many years, the Hepatitis C virus can cause damage to the liver – potentially leading to cirrhosis, cancer and death.

It is estimated that 38,000 people in Scotland have been diagnosed as Hepatitis C positive of which 4658 have been diagnosed in Lothian.

The campaign slogan – Ever injected? Get tested. Hep C – it can be cured – is advertised on buses in Edinburgh and highlights the risks for anyone who has ever injected drugs and encourages them to consider getting tested.

The big C will be in various locations across the city in July – St Andrew Square, St Mary’s Cathedral and St Giles. Volunteers will be on hand around the C to answer questions from the public.

The campaign’s target audience is people who may have used unsterile injecting equipment including people who are currently or who have a history of injecting drug use.  This includes people who injected drugs in the past, perhaps years ago, and people who may have injected drugs once in their life.

The campaign is also raising awareness of the reasons why people should feel motivated to get tested, such as:

• the risk of liver damage caused by Hepatitis C
• the availability of treatments which can cure the majority of cases
• preventing onward transmission of Hepatitis C

Grant Sugden, Chief Executive of Waverley Care, said:- “It is so important that people who think they may have been at risk of contracting Hepatitis C step forward and get tested. Early diagnosis means that people can get treated sooner which can help to prevent long term health problems.”

He added:- “Testing is free and confidential and there is a range of support services in Scotland, including Waverley Care, who can help people through treatment. We understand that a Hepatitis C diagnosis is more than just the medical aspects of the condition. We want people to know there is emotional and practical support out there for them also.”

Leon Wylie, Lead Officer of Hepatitis Scotland – the national lead body for voluntary sector activity on viral hepatitis in Scotland – said: “Hepatitis C is a major health challenge in Scotland. It is vitally important that anyone who has ever injected drugs, even once, accesses testing.

“Up to 15,000 of those 18,000 estimated to be infected are no longer injecting drugs. So people who used or experimented with injecting drugs in the 70s, 80s and 90s – the so-called Baby Boomer and Generation X – may not be aware that they could be carrying the virus. This makes them one of the key target groups for the new campaign.

He added: “You can get tested at your GP or local Sexual Health Clinic – it is just an easy pin-prick blood test. Hepatitis C can be treated but if not in the long term it can cause life threatening liver problems, including cancer.

A new website, and textback service (text ‘hep’ to 66644) with easily accessible basic information about Hepatitis C and links to more detailed information such as where to get tested and support services accompanies the campaign.

Sue Bruce, the Council’s Chief Executive, has been appointed a non-Executive Director of Scottish and Southern Energy plc, with effect from 1 September 2013.

Sue has requested of SSE that all non-Executive Director’s fees due to her while she is an employee of the City of Edinburgh Council be given to charitable concerns that operate in or benefit the city of Edinburgh, beyond any amount required to fulfil her obligation as a Board member to purchase shares in the company.

Lord Smith of Kelvin, Chairman of SSE, said:- “I am absolutely delighted that Sue Bruce is joining SSE’s Board. It is often said that the public sector has much to learn from business. I believe the same is true in reverse and that Sue’s experience and knowledge of the public sector will be invaluable.

“More generally, her outstanding track record as the head of an organisation that provides services on which hundreds of thousands of people depend and also makes significant capital investments means she is very well-qualified to serve on the Board of a company like SSE.”

Sue Bruce said:- “It’s a privilege to have been offered this opportunity to join the Board of SSE, one of Scotland’s most successful companies. I’m looking forward to contributing to the critical service that SSE provides for customers, the environment and the wider economy.

“I do, however, also see this as a mutually beneficial arrangement and a natural extension of the partnership approach that the Council already has with many companies. There is much from my experience that I hope to bring to the Board, but the Council’s services can equally benefit through sharing the good practices of the private sector.”

Councillor Andrew Burns, Council Leader, added:- “I’m really pleased about this for two main reasons. The first is the personal endorsement for Sue’s abilities, as well as the efforts she has made to engage with the business sector in Edinburgh and further afield, which is so important for many areas of the Council’s responsibilities. The second is that it’s a recognition that public sector leaders can have a great deal of experience, knowledge and expertise to offer organisations in the private sector. I’m sure SSE will soon see the benefit of her contribution and that the Council will equally gain from the perspective she will bring from her participation on the board.”

“Sue asked me before accepting if I was able to give my support to her taking the appointment. As I have no doubts at all about Sue’s commitment to the Council and how hard she works I was happy to give her my backing.”

 

SUSAN CALMAN & FORBES MASSON, A.L KENNEDY & JOHN BYRNE HEAD FRINGE LINEUP FOR TWO SPECIAL PORTRAIT GALLERY EVENTS

Tickling Jock: By Night
Wednesdays 7 & 21 August 2013
18.30 – 20.30pm
Scottish National Portrait Gallery
Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2013

The Scottish National Portrait Gallery have announced the line-up for two special events at the gallery during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

The events, which turn the neo-gothic sandstone Edinburgh landmark into a comedy club, will have three separate performance spaces for each two-hour after-work event. The events have been inspired by the Scottish comedy greats exhibition, Tickling Jock, currently on show at the Portrait Gallery.

Susan Calman and Forbes Masson are confirmed as the headline In Conversation With for Wednesday August the 7th. Calman, the Glasgow based comic known for regular appearances on BBC Radio 4’s The News Quiz and QI, is also appearing this year at the Stand Comedy Club with new solo show Always (A Work In Progress). Forbes Masson takes time out from his hectic West End theatre schedule for a one-off appearance at the 2013 Festival Fringe with the National Galleries. Masson, famed as one half of Victor & Barry with Alan Cumming, will be chatting with Susan Calman about the Scottish comedy greats that inspired him, and reminiscing about childhood visits to the theatre to see Rikki Fulton and Jack Milroy’s Francie & Josie. The In Conversation With will take place under the starry sky of our Great Hall after Des Clarke and Scott Agnew perform a special Francie & Josie tribute. This is a unique opportunity to see two Scottish performers at the top of their game chatting about their comedy icons.

The Comedy Café will feature over an hour of stand-up from the best on the festival 2013 including ‘the best kept secret on the fringe’ John Robins, Stewart Lee’s alternative comedy pick and Scot David Kay, the fringe’s favourite Frenchman Marcel Lu Cont and Benny the Human Jukebox whose 90s pop megamix on the melodica has over 2million hits on youtube.

Writer and comic A.L Kennedy will appear on 21 August 2013 to talk about her Scottish comedy greats from Ivor Cutler to Billy Connolly, In Conversation With artist and playwright John Byrne; expect a lively chat and an entertaining half hour from the two great Scots. In the Comedy Café, Edinburgh’s Jo Caulfield, introduces a line-up including Sally-Anne Hayward, Markus Birdman and Simon Munnery. Scott Agnewreturns to By Night to perform as Chic Murray.

On both nights in the Tickling Jock exhibition space Susan Morrison will be reprising parts of her Edinburgh History Festival comedy lecture Giggling Jock.

More acts for both evenings will be announced in the lead up to the events on the National Galleries official twitter and facebook pages.

Tickets are available from edfringe.com 0131 226 0000 and from the information desk at the Scottish National Gallery on the Mound or by calling 0131 624 6560.

Cartwheels, C venues – C nova, 31 July to 26 August 11pm, £9.50 (£7.50 concessions)

Think Juno meets Waiting for Godot. But amazing.

When two first-year flatmates find out that they’ve not only accidentally had sex with each other, but have also got an unwanted pregnancy on their hands, carefree student life is turned on its head.

The world premiere of this magical-realist fairytale for grown-ups follows the lives of Amy and Dorian adjusting to the independence of living away from home. When disaster strikes they, with the help of their flatmate Karen, must decide how to deal with the unwanted pregnancy.

But before they have a chance to work out what to do, Amy loses the child. Having barely adjusted to the throws of one unplanned and life-changing event, the two young people are dealt an emotional blow and find themselves in a world full of uncertainty, sure of nothing except their aim to somehow retrieve the baby they never wanted in the first place.

Cartwheels is a coming-of-age tale exploring love, life and death as three young people discover the perils of friendship, procrastination, unplanned pregnancy and growing up.

Reverie Productions was set up in 2012 by James Hart and Fiona Wardle to work with emerging artists and to tell stories that are innovative and imaginative. The mission has always been to produce professional quality work that is urgent, vibrant and creatively produced.

Mrs Manning, The Staff Room at The Free Sisters, 1 to 25 August (except 13) 11pm, Free

Mrs Manning, widow of a certain fat, sweaty, racist, sexist comedian, escapes his sizeable shadow to tell the tale of her and her (in)famous husband and how she became Manchester’s top care homes comedienne.

This is one-woman character comedy from Helen O’Brien, BBC New Comedy Award Winner and Funny Women Finalist. She has been performing sketches as Mrs Manning for a couple of years, but this is the first time the pensioner has had a show all to herself.

Helen has performed as part of sketch group Domestic Goddi at the Edinburgh Fringe and around the country. She has been touring her other one-woman comedy show Bronagh’s Big Weekend at venues such as The Lowry Theatre and the Belfast Waterfront, and is also bringing that Irish dancing comedy to the Edinburgh Fringe for the first time in the Cellar, Pleasance Courtyard.

When not writing and performing, Helen teaches subtitling at Surrey University and works with adults with learning disabilities. When not performing nervously, Mrs Manning plays bingo and enjoys Bergerac repeats.

Contributed article

The Bitches Box present the Northern Hemisphere premiere of THE BITCHES’ BOX
A show about dogs… direct from woolsheds in New Zealand

LISTINGS INFORMATION
Venue: The Box – Assembly George Square
Time: 15:20 Running Time: 55mins
Dates: 01 – 23 August. Previews 1 & 2 August. No show Tues 13 & 20 August.
Tickets: Previews £8; 7 & 8, 12-15, 19-22 August £8; 3-4, 9-11, 16-18 & 23
August £10 (£8)
Bookings: assemblyfestival.com 0131 623 3030

Web: bitchesbox.com
Web: assemblyfestival.com
Twitter: @thebitchesbox
Facebook: @thebitchesbox

Bitch Box : (noun) kennel used to separate a bitch on heat from other dogs to prevent knotting (breeding).

Ever wondered what sheep dogs in New Zealand talk about in their down time? Yes, we did too.

Hilarious comic actresses Amelia Guild and Emma Newborn breathe life into six different canine characters, giving delightfully uninhibited performances that will have you laughing until the cows come home.

This unique, genuinely Kiwi production brings a dogs eye view of a day on the farm and offers a surprisingly strong story at the heart of a brilliant comedy.

Guild and Newborn have emerged as New Zealand’s latest “ones to watch” after creating, writing and performing this highly original work. Their rare chemistry onstage combines to make a very strong, very funny, complimentary duo.

THE BITCHES’ BOX recently toured the length of New Zealand, travelling to remote woolsheds and being celebrated with sold out houses. Now Edinburgh Fringe goers will have an opportunity to see the show that has had the whole of rural New Zealand buzzing.

Submitted by Sheridan Humphreys

Masters of Drip, Fiddlers Elbow, 3 to 24 August (except 7, 13, 21) 7pm, Free

Dark, imaginative sketch comedy to captivate the curious mind.

Written, directed and performed solely by the Masters, Michael Friederich and Gavin Rankin, exclusively for the Fringe 2013. These young, eccentric gentleman have created an assortment of sketches including absurdist characters in arbitrary situations. A strong comedic bond has seen these two forcibly entertaining people at university, parties and parks in Edinburgh. This disturbing behaviour has finally been confined to an hour each night in the Fiddlers Elbow. Completely independent from ‘The Man’, Masters of Drip promises originality that can only be created through the clashing of a popular music student and a film student, both with an enduring passion for drama.

Smash Castle productions present an erratic array of characters, utilised to crush the conventions of everyday manner. Listed in the theatre section, the Masters employ a foundation in theatrical performance, delivering sketches both humorous and engaging in content. The main theme of the show being Drip. Drip is by it’s nature difficult to discern, complex to condense and wild to endure. The masters see drip as the zest that drives their writing. Whilst not having a complete hold on this enigmatic entity they have invited an audience to discover drip for themselves.

This production is the result of a three year-long working relationship between the Masters. This began as lead roles for a Napier University Drama Society production which transformed into directors of a Roald Dahl Production, and finally to President and Vice President of the society. Glaswegian Gavin is an aficionado of film and photography with a penchant for the nuances of language. Capetonian Michael’s vice is music, he also has a RADA foundation and has spent time at LAMDA studying physical theatre. This creative pairing allows the Masters to take inspiration from various disciplines, delivering their work through a knowledge of the acting method

Like all remarkable comedy, The Masters of Drip are influenced by a variety of art and experience. If comparing their style to other comedy acts, their incendiary relationship could be likened to Peter Cook and Dudley Moore of Derek & Clive, Fry & Laurie, Reeves and Mortimer or Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt of The Mighty Boosh.

Contributed article

Hi-Fi retailer Loud & Clear Edinburgh is hosting their first ever Women in Music / Women and Music event on Friday 16 August 2013 from 6:00-9:00pm.

This is billed as an evening organised by girls, with girls and for girls.

With guest artists Amy Duncan and Fiona Soe Paing who will be with us to share their own experience, the evening will feature discussions, presentations, demos and live music, all in a very relaxed and informal atmosphere.

An evening to socialize, share, talk, enjoy and get inspired!

A glass of bubbly on arrival and nibbles will also be provided. Free event (limited numbers).

Thanks for helping us spread the word!

http://www.loud-clear.co.uk/music-at-the-mill-16-17-18-august-2013/

Submitted by Agathe Girard

SNP question value for money at BBC Scotland – Today at Portobello Library – Summer in Inverleith – Edinburgh Leisure pass for under 18s – French Choir at St Mary’s

The SNP has today contacted the BBC demanding greater transparency following concerns that there is no published breakdown of spending on BBC Scotland as a whole in the corporation’s latest annual report. This follows on from reports in today’s newspapers that less than half of Scots believe the BBC is good at representing their lives through news and current affairs, the lowest proportion of any of the countries in the UK.

Stewart Hosie MP – who has written to BBC Trust Chairman Lord Patten – said:-“The Annual Report shows the breakdowns that include the BBC’s spend on BBC Alba and BBC Radio Scotland but I am concerned that there is no mention of the breakdown to indicate how much was spent on BBC Scotland as a whole.

“This is very disappointing and is at odds with the Trust’s assertion in their own published strategy that they would ‘Set new standards of openness and transparency’.

“Scotland’s population share of the licence fee income alone would be over £320 million, even before the Scottish share of other BBC income sources is considered – far more than is spent in Scotland.

“It is vital that the substantial investment from Scotland is fairly benefitting Scotland, as we already know under current plans that spend on BBC Scotland will reduce to just £86 million in 2016/17.

“This must be considered alongside the statement in the Trust’s report that a majority of Scots do not believe that the BBC is good at representing their life in news and current affairs content.

“It is incumbent on the Trust to ensure that there is real transparency over the continued spending on the BBC in Scotland to ensure that Scottish Licence fee payer who contributes significantly to its income can be sure that they are receiving value for money.”

This is a copy of the letter

Hosie to Patten

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This summer there are many events for children in Inverleith Park, Broughton School and Glenogle Baths and other places in Inverleith. These are organised by The City of Edinburgh Council and you will find more details here.

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The eighty young singers of the Paris National Opera Children’s Choir embark on a summer Scottish tour with recitals of Maurice Ravel’s operaL’Enfant et les Sortilèges. Before heading to Stirling, Glasgow and Inverness, they will first stop at St Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh on 22 July 2013.

The Children’s Choir of the Paris National Opera Children’s Choir present Maurice Ravel’s masterpiece L’Enfant et les sortilèges in a concert version with piano at St Mary’s Cathedral .

L’enfant et les sortilèges is an operatic fantasia in two parts composed by Maurice Ravel in 1924, in collaboration with the author Colette. In his bedroom, a child rebels against his mother’s instructions. In a fit of anger he breaks everything on which he can lay his hands and then surveys the damage. Suddenly each broken toy, each vandalised piece of furniture and each maimed animal come to life to make it clear to him how selfish his behaviour has been.

With its 470 singers aged 7 to 25, the Paris National Opera Children’s Choir is the largest choir of his type in France. Every season, 80 of them become the ambassadors of French vocal music abroad and go on an international tour with a programme of concerts or opera recitals. Over the past 15 year, the Choir have performed in over thirty countries worldwide and in some of the most magnificent venues, including the Ancient theatre of Petra in Jordan and St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

Just a few weeks before the grown-ups are on stage for the Edinburgh summer Festivals, why not meet the budding singers that could very much be the stars of tomorrow?

A performance produced by the Institut français d’Ecosse.

St Mary’s Cathedral – Edinburgh

Palmerston Place, Edinburgh EH

Monday 22 July

6.30 – 8pm

Tickets: £8 (£5)

Box office: http://parischildrenschoir.eventbrite.co.uk or 0131 225 5366

When Pat Fenlon was asked about the possibility of Kevin Thomson returning to Easter Road last season after leaving Middlesbrough by mutual consent, he quipped “only if he is prepared to play for nothing.”

To everyone’s amazement, that’s exactly what he did, and whilst most fans thought he was merely putting himself in the shop window for this season, he has instead extended his stay and signed a one year deal with the club he supported as a youngster in Peebles.

The midfielder is now determined to have Easter Road ‘rocking’ by keeping the tie alive when Hibs face Malmo in tomorrow’s Europa League Qualifying tie.

Thomson has appeared in European campaigns for both Hibs and Rangers in a ten year career, and he hopes to pass on his knowledge to his team-mates.

He said:  “Two legged-ties will be a new experience for the boys and that’s where experience comes in. Most teams will go chasing the game if they go a goal down but a 1-0 first-leg defeat wouldn’t be the worst result in the world. It’s almost a game of chess. They’ll want to score goals to come over here and make it a bit more comfortable for the second leg, whereas we’ll hope to stay in the tie, bring them back and have a go.

“The young boys will need to show discipline, not just for the first ten minutes but for the whole 90 minutes to give us a live chance of progressing.”

“Europe has been great for me. I’ve played 11 Champions League games and managed to get to a Uefa Cup final with Rangers. When I look back at some of the teams we managed to beat that season, it was breath-taking. Then you get the disappointments but that’s just what happens in football. Just look at the end of last season here – we beat Hearts at Tynecastle for the first time in four years and then a couple of weeks later it was heartbreak again when we lost the Scottish Cup Final.

“It’s definitely difficult for Scottish clubs at this stage of the season when you play teams like Malmo who are midway through their domestic season. They definitely have an advantage, there’s no getting away from that. But it’s not an excuse. We have been in early for pre-season training; we’ve had three warm-up matches. The preparations over in Portugal were spot-on. Jimmy Nicholl has come in as assistant manager and he’s been fantastic.

I’d like to think I could pass on some of my European experience. How you do that? I don’t know. When you play in Europe, the ball doesn’t change hands as much as it does in SPL games. So we are going to need to be bright and organised.

“We’ve got a group of boys who would run through brick walls. There are plenty of legs, enthusiasm and quality in this squad. We know we are up against it, we know Malmo are a good team. But you expect to play good teams when you are in Europe.

Thomson accepts that Malmo have good European credentials, but he was heartened after speaking to a former team-mate with recent experience of the Swedish team.

“I spoke to Steven Whittaker at the weekend who played for Rangers when they lost to Malmo two years ago. He said they are decent, although he felt Rangers were the better team and would have beaten them if they’d taken their chances.

“I don’t think we will be going over there to park the bus. But we need to not be naive and think we can go hell for leather, that’s where the experience comes in. Normally, if you go 1-0 down in a game, you feel you have to go chasing for an equaliser. A 1-0 defeat wouldn’t be acceptable in Malmo, but it wouldn’t be the worst result in the world.”

The Scotland international has first-hand experience of Easter Road ‘rocking’ for a European tie, although he watched the game from the side-lines; “The AEK Athens night was probably as good as I can remember for atmosphere. It’s the only time I’ve been genuinely nervous sitting watching a game. I sat behind the bench, I had only just signed for the club at 16, and it was just amazing; the Hibs’ crowd were unbelievable. Could we replicate that atmosphere this season in Europe? I don’t know, but if we stay in this tie I know our punters will get behind the boys. When the fans produce that kind of atmosphere, it gives the players that extra edge and extra yard. We are going to need that in the second leg.

The players fly out from Edinburgh Airport this morning.

A multi-agency initiative to tackle underage drinking and associated problems is being launched in the Capital today, supported by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice.

The East Edinburgh Community Alcohol Partnership (CAP) is a campaign to educate the public on the impact alcohol abuse has on our communities.

The initiative, which is the first of its kind in Edinburgh, will focus on the Portobello and Piershill areas of the city, following successful trials elsewhere in the UK.

Agencies including City of Edinburgh Council, Trading Standards and Police Scotland will join local retailers, schools and youth groups to discuss how young people gain access to alcohol and gain a better understanding of the consequences of underage drinking.

A priority for the campaign is reducing the opportunities youths have to purchase alcohol through continued dialogue between alcohol vendors and enforcement agencies.

To assist with this, Scotmid Co-operative and Sainsbury’s have agreed to train other licensed stores on responsible selling practises, including the ‘Think 25′ identification policy and proxy purchasing.

In addition, the East Edinburgh CAP will also deliver alcohol education seminars to parents and children as well as supporting a range of diversionary activities that promote positive lifestyle choices.

Miles Beale, Chief Executive of Community Alcohol Partnerships said: “I am delighted at the launch of a flagship CAP for Scotland in East Edinburgh. Community Alcohol Partnerships are a tried and tested way of driving down underage drinking and creating better, safer and friendlier neighbourhoods.

“Locally tailored partnerships, which recognise that retailers and licensees are an important part of the solution, have been shown to be highly effective in driving down harm.

“Successful CAPs rely on the support of local stakeholders and the support of the East Edinburgh community will be vital.”

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said: “The work of the East Edinburgh CAP will undoubtedly play a huge part in tackling underage drinking and anti-social behaviour and I am delighted that such a wide range of partners are involved.

“Alcohol misuse is a scourge on communities across the country and costs Scotland £3.6 billion a year as well has having a terrible knock-on effect on families and communities.

“Initiatives such as this promote responsible behaviour in young people and deter underage drinking which will all ultimately contribute to a safer, stronger and healthier Scotland.”

Superintendent Matt Richards, from Police Scotland Edinburgh Division said: “We are committed to keeping people safe and protecting the young members of our community from harm.

“To reduce underage drinking, we need to work together with those who sell alcohol to better understand the problems they face and try to deal with them. The knock-on effects of binge drinking to individuals and local communities can be severe and together we can bring about a change in attitudes and behaviour.

“The East Edinburgh CAP recognises that by working together and with the wider community, including the local youngsters and their parents, everyone can make a difference.”

John Lee from the The Scottish Grocers’ Federation added: “The SGF is delighted to be involved in the East Edinburgh CAP.

“We believe this is a highly innovative approach to tackling alcohol-related problems in our communities. What makes the CAP approach so effective is that it puts retailers at the heart of the partnership and sees them very much as part of the solution.

“This is an outstanding opportunity for local retailers to demonstrate their commitment to responsible retailing and their willingness to work proactively with key agencies in the community.

“Community Safety Leader, Councillor Cammy Day, said: “Underage drinking can cause serious harm to young people and contribute to anti-social behaviour, which affects the community as a whole.

“I am very pleased that retailers are taking a pro-active stance by participating in this initiative and responding to the impact that alcohol can have on communities.

“By working closely with them and with young people, I am confident that the CAP will address this very serious problem and help to create a safer neighbourhood for all local residents to enjoy.”

This week’s photo comes from Kathleen McGovern. Kathleen is a full time Social Worker for Edinburgh City Council, and enjoys taking photographs of pretty places in her spare time. Kathleen absolutely loves hill walking and her walks usually take twice as long due to the amount of photos she takes!

”I joined Stockbridge Photography Club recently in order to learn how to be more creative with my photography,” said Kathleen. ”It has been great to meet nice people who love photography and share great tips – and lovely cakes!”

The Stockbridge Photography Club is a non-profit photography club that aims to operate in a different way from the traditional photography club mold. We have informal monthly meetings in Kiss the Fish Studios, where we discuss our photos over a cup of coffee and learn about the month’s theme.

Outside of this, we arrange photowalks and trips to various locations and landmarks in and around Edinburgh, providing our members with something interesting to photograph, whilst always having someone on hand to answer any questions.

More info about the club is at http://www.facebook.com/stockbridgephotoclub or follow us on Twitter @stockbridgepics

Submitted by Stockbridge Photography Club

Beautiful photos from Rob McDougall of some of the jazz musicians who will be entertaining at the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival 2013 from this Friday.

Famed for her five-year stint as Beyonce’s saxophonist and currently touring with Grammy-winner Esperanza Spalding, Tia Fuller is back in town and ready for her Festival opening performance on Friday. Edinburgh-born singer, Lorna Reid, will be bringing her cool, classy and seductive vocals to brand new Festival venue, the Tron Kirk. And Leah Gough Cooper, one half of hot new Scottish ‘next big talent’ band, Locus, with trumpeter Kim Macari, is back at the Festival for a highly anticipated performance.

Now in its 35^th year, the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival starts this Friday (19^th) and presents 10 full days of unique artistic collaborations, cutting edge performers, funk and dance-fused sounds, timeless jazz favourites, intense art, total relaxation and a good time for all.  Headline acts include Jools Holland, Eric Burdon, Champian Fulton, Snarky Puppy, Mud Morganfield, The Three Bs (Chris Barber, Acker Bilk and Keith Ball) and many more. Participating venues across the capital include Festival Theatre, Queen’s Hall, Teatro Spiegeltent and a new cool, modern jazz club at 3 Bristo Place.

Brand new Festival elements this year include Cross the Tracks, a fresh strand that throws the spotlight on contemporary, underground music influenced by jazz. Plus the Tron Kirk is being transformed into a new ‘Festival club’ that will open at 10am and run through to late evening.

There is a lovely project running just now and if you have any old telegrams then you might think of taking them along to The National Museum of Scotland which is inviting people to bring their telegrams to the Museum this Saturday to be scanned as part of a UK-wide project which is being coordinated by the Science Museum in London. That way they can be preserved for posterity!

People used to send telegrams to wedding receptions, so lots of folk in Edinburgh might have them in a shoebox in the attic.

Curators are particularly interested in those telegrams which have an interesting story behind them. The topic of the telegram can be anything from national, international or local events to personal and family events, and they can be from any time from the Victorian age when the technology was new, until the 1980s when the service was withdrawn in Britain.

Telegrams were the instant messaging of their day, containing short direct messages which were quicker than conventional mail and were especially popular until telephones became widely available, reliable and economical. India’s 160 year-old telegram service was discontinued only yesterday.

People can take their telegrams in to the curators from 10am-5pm on Saturday 20 July 2013 at the Learning Centre of the National Museum of Scotland.

Our main photo shows a telegram sent to the Lionel Blair girls at Birmingham Hippodrome in 1973.

Green Councillor, Gavin Corbett reviews the prospects for the Fruitmarket site in Hutchison-Chesser and what it tells us about the planning system.

The local landscape seems to be dominated by planning and property at the moment, from Craighouse, in the south-west of the area I represent, to Fountainbridge in the east – both presenting great complexity for the council as a planning authority – although also very different. Fountainbridge is a brownfield site with, so far, a fairly productive engagement between community and developer, while Craighouse is a very precious green site with historic buildings and a community relationship with developers where trust has really collapsed.

Into that mix, throw in, in the middle of the area, Slateford Yard, which was granted permission by The Scottish Reporter, on appeal in 2012 and is only now looking to begin on site. The developers are building a large student block in the midst of historic colony homes.

So, it is hardly surprising that, in the Chesser area, the old Fruitmarket site has been, so far, a bit under the radar. It has neither the scale of Fountainbridge, nor the community disquiet of Craighouse or Slateford Yard. But it is an important site all the same.

Situated across Chesser Avenue from the Corn Exchange it was historically the site of a fruit market (hence the name) and then of supermarkets – most recently, ASDA, before the US giant upped sticks and built a much larger store across the road about ten years ago. While the property bubble had not yet burst, it was then bought by a house developer which put forward plans for a very high density development on the site, before going under. The land then reverted to funder RBS, which owns it under its property wing, West Register.

So the land has lain increasingly derelict for 10 years now. Local people want to see it developed, as indeed do I, as one of the three local councillors. In the context of a draft Edinburgh Local Development Plan which (unacceptably, in my view) identifies a lot of green and peripheral sites as suitable for development, the city really needs to work the brownfield land within the city as hard as it can. So, personally, I’d really like to see the site focused largely on housing, especially affordable housing.

That is not where we are though. The debt on the land being so high, the owner has argued that it is uneconomic to develop only for housing and that a large retail chunk is need to make it viable. Against officers’ recommendations, the planning committee in the previous administration granted planning permission in principle in late 2011 for a mixed development comprising homes and a supermarket – subsequently lined up as Morrisons. Local residents presented a petition in support of that proposal.

Although not a councillor at the time I expressed surprise at that decision. With an ASDA across the road and two Sainsburys within walking distance in either direction, I could not see how a fourth supermarket could be viable, leaving aside its impact on smaller shops. And so it has seemed, with Morrisons now pulling out, leaving the developer to seek to recast the proposal as eight smaller retail units, but using the same space and within the same conditions as the existing planning permission.

To repeat – my own view is that the area needs affordable homes more than it needs shops, or at least not the kind of bland corporate shops that are likely to afford the rents on offer. For all that, the lynchpin of the Fruitmarket site is argued to be retail, it is ironically the housing element which is now most advanced, with Dunedin-Canmore Housing Association having lined up funding to build up to two-thirds of the projected homes for social housing or mid market rents. It is the retail element which now looks more in the balance. However, I recognise that the developer is quite entitled to put forward plans within the consent which the previous planning committee granted.

Given that the proposals have evolved so much, I agreed to chair a meeting on 25 June on behalf of Hutchison-Chesser Community Council to ensure that local residents were kept up to date with what is planned. When planning permission in principle was sought two years ago a modest 16 people attended the drop-in sessions so it was good to see around 70 people come to the meeting in St Cuthbert’s Primary School in June.

It is clear, from that meeting, that it would be premature to conclude that there is a settled local view on the use of the site. And it is quite hard to communicate that the land already has a broad planning consent when what people perceive, quite understandably, is a dramatic change in the retail mix proposed; and hence the possible impact from development being quite different. Most, if not all, residents want to see the site developed and almost any land use will result in short-term impacts from construction and longer term impacts on local services and traffic.

For example, residents raised quite reasonable concerns about pressure on Balgreen Primary School which already is having to add capacity to cope with rising rolls; and about traffic flows on Chesser Avenue which is already problematic. If the retail mix were increased so too would traffic pressures, while, if the number of homes were increased, further questions would be begged about how the school will cope.

In other words there is no form of development that will not have an impact. The questions are more to do with how well the impacts have been assessed, what can be done to deal with them, and how well the detailed conditions set by the planning department will be followed. The next stage, which is the developer submitting greater detail on the proposed scheme, is expected over the summer months, but that is really in the developers’ hands as the planning consent has a shelf-life of another two years.

At the moment, it is best to assume that the development will proceed within the scope of the planning consent that has been granted. That, after all, is what the developer is entitled to do. Should the retail equation not stack up I would be delighted to see a revised plan with a greater balance towards housing, plus opportunities for community space and some open space and possibly even scope for investment in community heating. But these are all in a possible future.

It seems that, as in other major planning applications in the area, there is no such thing as plain sailing. I cannot help but feel that a more engaged, community-focused form of planning would be a great boon; but we are a long way from that, as yet.

The planning permission which Gavin writes about can be viewed here on the Council website.

Gavin Corbett is Green councillor for Fountainbridge-Craiglockhart Ward in South West Edinburgh

Hibs’ new signing Rowan Vine has answered the supporters keen to know his favoured position by stating that although he was used wide on the left at St Johnstone, he believes that he would be more influential through the middle, and hopes that assistant manager Jimmy Nicholl who has followed his career with interest since spotting his potential in a reserve fixture with Portsmouth 13 years agrees.

The 30-year-old hitman also insists that everyone at Easter Road will have to pull together to compensate up for the loss of Leigh Griffiths’ goals, and cites his previous club as an example of what can be done without an prolific striker in the team.

Speaking ahead of the club’s European trip to Sweden, Vine said: “I had not played for three years due to injury and had fallen out of favour at QPR, so wherever I was going, I was desperate to play. I was probably used to being a centre-forward, but I’d played so much out wide and in different positions. I’m an attacker, I want to attack and if I can all I think about is attacking and scoring goals.

“I haven’t spoken in depth with the manager on where he intends to play me. I’m a centre forward, but I’ve been played out wide a lot. I’m an attacker and all I want to do is attack. My preferred position is up front.

“It wasn’t a bone of contention for me at Saints, because I hadn’t played much for the previous three years due to injuries. So I was just desperate to play. I was playing up front during an early spell of the season when we won a few games on the bounce and I enjoyed it. But then someone got injured and it was reshuffled. I got moved wide.

“I have spoken to Jimmy Nicholl and he told me he’s known me since I was 17 or 18 playing for Portsmouth reserves. He said he’d seen me a few times. Apparently, he puts a star against your name if he likes you and follows you, which I see as a compliment that he thinks you are good enough a player. He says he was always interested in working with me if the chance came up, and he has seen me play up front, or just off the front man. So hopefully I get the chance to play there.

I’m at the stage of my career where I need to play games, and no disrespect to St Johnstone, they are a smaller club in the SPL. They have over-achieved in the last few seasons. Hibs set their standards a lot higher and expect to be finishing a lot higher up the league. Hibs are a much bigger and better club than St Johnstone in my eyes.”

“I went back down the road for a break during the summer but I spoke to a couple of people who look after me up here. They asked me what I thought of the league here. I told them I enjoyed myself, the standard is fine and it would be one of my preferred destinations if the chance came to come back up. Hibs were top of the list for me.”

The former Luton Town, Birmingham City and Queens Park Rangers star insists that the whole team will have to pull together to make up for the loss of last season’s talisman Leigh Griffiths, but his experience at St Johnstone shows what is possible.

“At every club, there should be pressure on the attacking players to score. Last season, for Leigh to get 28 goals was unbelievable. To have done it for a team which finished outside the top six, you can look at it different ways. At St Johnstone, we finished third with no player in the team scoring more than ten goals. A lot of our goals came from midfield, but I think the whole club here at Hibs knows those goals Leigh scored will be missing so everyone has to try that little bit harder to contribute but it would be a bit of a disservice to the boys here to say they were too reliant on Leigh last season.”

CKD Galbraith, the independent property consultancy, has completed three office space deals in the city centre in the last month.

Acting on behalf of landlord J. Smart & Co. (Contractors) PLC, the Partnership has let the second floor office at Cairncross House on Edinburgh’s Union Street to Republic of Media, an independent communications planning company, on a five-year lease.

The 666 sq foot suite at the four-storey, purpose-built office building, situated in Broughton, has been recently refurbished.

And at Crichton House in Edinburgh’s old town, the second floor mezzanine suite, which extends to approximately 650 sq ft, has been let to the Scottish Labour Party at a rent of £20 per sq ft.

CKD Galbraith acquired the modern open plan office development in 2011 for the private owner in an off-market deal for £1.62million. Other occupiers include national homeless charity Crisis and Scottish Building Employers Federation.

At 53 George Street, CKD Galbraith secured tenant Ellis IP, an intellectual property consultancy, in a second floor suite on behalf of landlord, The Stewart Society.

The redecorated office extends to 517 sq ft and is situated in one of Scotland’s prime business locations. The space was secured on confidential terms for a three-year period.

Michael Clements, Marketing agent at CKD Galbraith said: -“It’s really encouraging to see that increased levels of interest for office space at the start of the year has developed into real letting activity over the summer.”

Strong Men & Women to Compete in Charity Bus Pull for It’s Good 2 Give

On 24 August 2013 Lothian Buses and its Charity of the Year 2013, It’s Good 2 Give, will challenge YOU to pull a double deck bus for 100 feet. Buses weighing over 12 tonnes will be ready to test your strength at Edinburgh Academy between 12pm and 4pm.

This unusual challenge is in aid of Edinburgh based charity, It’s Good 2 Give, which is a local charity providing practical support to young cancer patients and their families.

Teams of up to 10 people can sign up and take part in this fun event and will have at least two shots at pulling the bus. Every bus pull will be timed and there will be prizes for the top teams and a champions challenge for the fastest teams.

This event will support It’s Good 2 Give’s long term goal of raising £1m to create a retreat where families can spend time together during the long months (sometimes years) of cancer treatment.  On a day to day basis the charity supports the young cancer patient and their family by providing snacks to the local oncology ward, and parent packs for parents spending long periods in hospital with their child. They also organise monthly workshops and social visits including a visit to see behind the scenes at Lothian Buses.

Other recent practical initiatives include the provision of ironing vouchers to parents – an initiative that has been greatly welcomed.

A team of University of Edinburgh students has been awarded a £5000 grant to develop a team-sourcing technology platform to encourage students with differing skill levels to connect with each other across campus to collaborate on extra-curricular projects.

If successful, the resulting prototype will be rolled out to other universities and colleges across the UK.

Jisc, the UK’s leading consultants for the use of digital technologies in education and research, awarded the grant as part of their ‘Summer of Student Innovation’ fund. This initiative challenged students to pitch “bottom-up”, technology-based ideas aimed at improving education and innovation in universities. The programme was immensely popular, attracting 36 entries, 6,500 student votes and 550 tweets.

The winning University of Edinburgh team consists of Caroline Nguyen (MA Social Anthropology with Development), Ben Jeffrey (MA Informatics), Maria Alecu (Msc Informatics) and Anoushka Sivaraman (BA Architecture).

The students will spend the next three months building and In September, Jisc will require them to test the prototype amongst other universities and colleges across the UK involved in the pilot.

Caroline Nguyen, Team Member, said:- “We’re extremely excited and appreciative to have been chosen by Jisc to receive the grant. LAUNCH.ed has been stunning – they’ve delivered the support we needed to bring our idea from its initial conception back in November, to where it is today. Being recognised by Jisc’s fund is indicative of all the hard work put in by everyone who supported us.”

Paul Devlin, Student Company Formation Manager for LAUNCH.ed at Research and Innovation, commented; “We are delighted to see this problem being addressed, especially by such a cross disciplinary team. We were able to provide early stage support and look forward to seeing idea becoming a reality. The impact it could have on bringing together better teams is very promising for company formation at this university and hopefully across many other organisations.”

John Shemilt, director of ICT at Imperial College and “Summer of Student Innovation” Project Organiser, commented; “Improving the student experience is widely recognised as one of the most important strategic drivers for universities and colleges. We strongly believe that students should have a prime role in developing novel ways to improve their learning experience.”

Investment to accelerate predictive analytics technology and product development

Predictive analytics specialist GamesAnalytics, today announced that it has secured $1.3 million in Series A equity funding from new investors Par Equity and STV Group plc, which includes follow-on investment of more than $612,000 from Scottish Enterprise via the Scottish Investment Bank‘s Scottish Co-investment Fund. This is the first stage of a planned $3m investment programme.

GamesAnalytics, which is based in Greenside Place in Edinburgh, will use the investment to help accelerate the development and productisation of its predictive modelling platform, Predict™ as well as to strengthen its sales and marketing activities to support its rapidly expanding global client base; with particular focus on Europe and the US. In addition, the funding will see the company increase its reach across all Free-2-Play gaming vertical sectors including social casino, real money gambling, mobile, MMOs and cloud gaming.

Global publishers and developers deploy GamesAnalytics’ advanced toolkit and technology to improve retention and monetization in games design and increase player engagement by creating personalised playing experiences which reflect individual playing styles and competency levels.

“GamesAnalytics has clearly demonstrated a growing requirement for analytics within an industry reorienting itself to new business models and platforms,” said Paul Atkinson, Partner, Par Equity. “With a technology roadmap which is firmly focused on strengthening its European and US market position, we are anticipating a successful partnership with the team at GamesAnalytics.”

GamesAnalytics‘ Chairman, Tim Christian, added, “The company has made significant progress over the last couple of years developing its technology and analytics services as well as establishing an impressive cross-platform client base, following its initial modest angel investment. This new investment will enable us to accelerate platform development and deployment across all gaming sectors and the company is committed to developing best-of-breed analytics tools which enable publishers and developers to deliver intelligent Player Relationship Management strategies.

“We are delighted to have received this latest tranche of funding and to be working with Par Equity, STV Group and the SIB. It is testament to the growing importance of analytics in today’s games industry.”

Michelle Kinnaird, Investment Director at the Scottish Investment Bank, said: “GamesAnalytics is innovative, forward-looking and hungry for growth. It is actively seeking new opportunities and new clients, and that is exactly the kind of company we are here to support.”

Far from being a ‘man’s’ best friend, it is women who go barking mad for their dogs on holiday. Female dog owners miss their pets more than their partners, friends or family when they are away, reveals global travel search site Skyscanner.

Skyscanner surveyed over 1000 dog owners and found that, while men would miss their partner the most if they were on holiday without them, with 37% putting them top, women don’t return the favour. Only 21% of women polled said they’d miss their partner most with 37% putting their favourite pooch first.

And the canine craze doesn’t end there. Dog owners go to great lengths to keep in touch with their pet while on holiday. As many as 40% have called or texted from holiday to check that Fido is OK, while 14% have admitted to ‘chatting’ to their dog by phone so that it can hear their voice, while 5% have taken it further and had a holiday Skype ‘conversation’ with their dog. For those favouring a more traditional touch, 6% have put pen to paper to write their dog a postcard.

The survey also reveals many travellers feel ruff when it comes to jetting off abroad without their four legged friend, with 22% of holidaymakers taking a photo of their pooch on holiday.  A shocking 3% of dog owners admit to having cut their hard earned holiday short and returned home early as they missed their dog too much.

With owners not wanting to be separated from their beloved pets, it’s perhaps not surprising that over half of holidaymakers have planned breaks with their pets in mind to ensure they aren’t left at home. One in five dedicated dog owners have never been away without them and 20% claim the company of any pet would make for the pawfect companion on holiday, more so than their own children and even their friends.

Skyscanner’s Victoria Bailie comments, “Many dog owners see their pet as part of the family, so it’s understandable that they miss them when they go away on holiday. The survey does show that there’spaws for thought as to whether a dog really is man’s best friend, particularly if they know that their partners are missing their dogs more than them when away.”

    Dog owners stay in touch with their pets on
    holiday

    Called or text to see how it is
    getting on                              40%
    Spoken with their pet on the phone      14%
    Sent their pet a postcard               6%
    Added their pet's name onto the
    postcard                                5%
    Skype                                   5%
    Video link                              2%

For those wanting to take their favoured holiday companion with them, Skyscanner has compiled a guide to airline pet fee policies and fees. For more information please seehttp://www.skyscanner.net/news/airline-pet-fees

Skyscanner surveyed over 1000 dog owners through its website and via OnePoll.

Veterans in Edinburgh and the Lothians can now access a local service that will deliver support to help vulnerable ex-Servicemen and women find work.

Veterans’ charity Poppyscotland and mental health charity SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) have created Employ-Able, which provides local support, training and practical advice to assist veterans in their search for jobs.

Employ-Able aims to remove barriers, help develop skills and set goals, taking the form of one-to-one and group work sessions, using the model of SAMH’s successful workshop-based Tools for Living programme. Ongoing support once veterans are in employment is also available.

Bobby Duffy, Director of Operations at SAMH said:- “Scotland’s veterans deserve as much support as we can give them when they settle back into the community. We know it can be hard for some veterans to get back into regular employment and that unemployment and financial difficulties are bad for your mental health, so we’re really pleased to be working with Poppyscotland to deliver this service.”

There are around 189,000 veterans of working age in Scotland and Poppyscotland research suggests that the unemployment rate for veterans aged 18-49 is twice that of the general UK population, with around 28,000 veterans in Scotland out of work. The research found a lack of current employability services that specifically target veterans who may be vulnerable or need additional support to get back into work. Employ-Able is intended to address this gap.

Gary Gray, Head of Welfare Services at Poppyscotland, commented: “A small but significant number of veterans face difficulty in adjusting to civilian life with many facing complex and multiple issues. Employment and mental health are areas of great concern as they impact greatly on all aspects of veterans’ lives and those of their families. By combining Poppyscotland’s knowledge of veterans’ issues and SAMH’s expertise we believe Employ-Able will tackle some of these key areas of difficulty and improve veterans’ prospects.”

Army veteran William Burnett (23) served with the Royal Regiment of Scotland for four years and saw service in Afghanistan. After leaving the Armed Forces William struggled to find a secure job but he is now in full-time employment as a warehouse assistant after taking part in Employ-Able. He said: “I was a nervous wreck when it came to interviews and never got the jobs I applied for. Employ-Able really helped me to get my confidence back. It helped me to develop my skills and I received support to prepare for interviews and get my CV up to date.

“I am now in a full-time job, which is going really well, and I am still in contact with my work preparation adviser who is there to offer me ongoing support. I would recommend Employ-Able to anyone who is unsure about how to get back into work after their time in the Forces.”

To find out more about Employ-Able call Poppyscotland’s Employment Services Co-ordinator Dot Pringle on 0131 550 1568 or email d.pringle@poppyscotland.org.uk

One of the most influential British footwear and clothing brands of all time is coming to Edinburgh this summer.

Dr. Martens – famed over the globe for its authentic, individual designs – will set up shop in the capital for the first time with a new Princes Street store.

The style stakes will be officially raised on August 14 as the brand takes the wraps off its new collection of boots, brogues, brothel creepers and high heels. Die-hard Dr. Martens lovers and fashion forward style gurus alike will be able to get their hands on the new A/W footwear, clothing and accessories designs as well as a wide selection of Dr. Martens branded clothing.

The striking store has been designed to incorporate exposed wooden floors and brick walls to showcase the influence of its British manufacturing heritage.

Amy Nelson, UK Retail Marketing Manager, said:- “The DM culture is vast in Scotland, especially in Edinburgh, so we’re delighted to meet the demand with the opening of our new store. We’ve spotted the variety of trends and styles on Edinburgh’s busiest shopping street and we can’t wait to put our own stamp on it with some of our best sellers – including our signature 1460 boot.

“Dr. Martens encourages people to express their own individuality, celebrate style and stand up for what they believe in. We’ll be asking the people of Edinburgh to share with us what they stand for. We have such an eclectic mix of shoppers from enthusiasts who have bought from every range over the years, to kids who just love the styles and bold designs. We can’t wait to open our doors and welcome in each and every customer.”

Edinburgh will become the brand’s second Scottish store and follows a string of launches throughout the country this year including Norwich, Brighton, Milton Keynes and Newcastle, complementing the brand’s prestigious global presence in 75 countries worldwide.

The new store will be at 76 Princes Street, Edinburgh

Facebook: www.facebook.com/drmartens

Twitter: @DRMARTENS

Street Markets in South Queensferry – Afternoon tea on the Re-union canal boat this weekend – Art drop in sessions for children –  JK Rowling’s new book an instant hit – Cinefringe 2013

Queensferry Ambition in partnership with Hand Up Media are proud to announce the first of 3 exciting and vibrant street markets in the Fairtrade Royal Burgh of South Queensferry for 2013.

South Queensferry Community Market will feature local, Scottish and global goods and produce. Bringing the local community together, the market will feature a range of arts & crafts, jewellery, fashion, glassware, pottery, ceramics, delicious foods and drinks,  and much more.

South Queensferry Community Market
10am – 5pm
High Street Car Park
South Queensferry

Saturday 20th July £50
Sunday 21st July £50
Weekend £80

Saturday 24th August £50
Sunday 25th August £50
Weekend £80

Saturday 7th September £50
Sunday 8th September £50
Weekend £80

Food and drink exhibitors will be charged at £120 per weekend for all the above dates

Bookings secured on receipt of completed booking form and payment. No refunds available.

To request a Booking Form contact: Tania@handupmedia.co.uk
Hand Up Media, 32 Annandale Street Lane, Edinburgh, EH7 4LS
Tel: 07914 254 334 or 0131 558 9644
www.handupmedia.co.uk

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Sunday Afternoon Tea Cruise

 21  July 2013

14.00-16.00

From Edinburgh Quay to Slateford Aqueduct in two hours.

Passengers will enjoy  a voyage of discovery and keep their appetites as satisfied as sightseeing eyes with an afternoon tea of sandwiches, scones, cakes and tea.

Tickets £15 per person, must be purchased in advance

please contact Re-Union on 0131 261 8529 or email info@re-union.org.uk

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Jupiter Artland is the fabulous and acclaimed space outside Edinburgh which bases itself in the garden of Bonnington House at Kirknewton. They are running drop in classes for children from 19 July 2013. Their website explains:-”

These drop in sessions are suitable for children ages 5-13, the morning session will run from 10am to 12pm and afternoon session from 1pm to 3pm.

The cost of these sessions are £6 inclusive of entry for the children only.”

If you haven’t yet been to Jupiter Artland then this will give you an idea of the kind of things you might see there…..

Jupiter Artland – Love Bomb Marc Quinn from Jupiter Artland on Vimeo.

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JK Rowling has been found out. She wrote a debut crime novel cloaked in the invisibility of the name Robert Galbraith. The book enjoyed mediocre sales. And then the invisibility ran out, and now the book has gone straight to the top of the book charts. Watch this video report from Channel 4 news here:-

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Cinefringe is the film side of the Fringe. It aims to put the Fringe onto film and put the film back into the Fringe (if you see what we mean!) A little bit of a reaction to the Film Festival being moved off to June the whole programme is here.  And this is the trailer… of course you have to have a trailer. It’s a film festival!

The Scottish Lowland Football League has announced their first fixture list, casting fixtures until February 2014, and day one will feature an Edinburgh derby.

The league was made up from teams competing in the South of Scotland, East of Scotland and junior leagues, and as from season 2014/5 the winners will go into a play-off competition along with the winners of the Highland League to gain entry into the Scottish Football League Division Three.

Two Edinburgh clubs, Spartans and Edinburgh City will compete in the Lowland League this season, alongside Threave Rovers FC, Preston Athletic FC, Gretna FC (2008), Whitehill Welfare FC, Dalbeattie Star FC, East Kilbride FC, Selkirk FC, Gala Fairydean Rovers FC, University of Stirling FC and Vale of Leithen FC.

The campaign kicks off on Saturday 10 August at 3.00pm, and Edinburgh City will play Spartans at Meadowbank Stadium.

On Tuesday 13 August, Spartans host Vale of Leithen whilst Edinburgh City travel to the Borders to take on Gala Fairydean.

Speaking after the first board meeting, chairperson Andrew Waddell said “We are delighted that we are now in position to publicise the fixtures for the league. We have had to work hard over the past few weeks to get everything in place and I am delighted with the progress made.”

“I would like to thank member clubs, board members and secretarial team for all their hard work and support and I look forward to the League starting.”

Scottish FA chief executive, Stewart Regan, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for all 12 clubs, and another step forward for league reconstruction in Scotland.

“It’s important that ambitious clubs are given opportunities to progress. With the Scottish Lowland Football League running in tandem with the Scottish Highland Football League from next season, we are on track to create a pyramid system feeding into the senior leagues.

“The hard work now continues with the creation of the new league board, appointment of office bearers and detailed planning ahead of the start of the new season in August.

“On behalf of the Scottish FA, I wish all 12 clubs the very best of luck for the new season and beyond.”

Seven fire appliances along with several ambulances and police vehicles attended a report of a gas leak from storage fridges at the Cooperative building on Shandwick Place.

Around 4pm, approximately 40 staff were evacuated to the rear of the building in Rutland Square, and Rutland Street was closed to all traffic.

A police spokesman said: “It’s a precautionary measure in relation to a commercial refrigerated Unit, within shop premises.”

A spokesman for the Fire and Rescue service said no casualties had been reported and that it appeared that the leak may have from the building plant room and added: “A refrigerator engineer was contacted and attended the scene. We then left incident in the hands of the shop owner and the engineer and all was in order.”

A couple convicted of running a brothel at a house in the capital’s west end, money laundering and living off the earnings of prostitution were both sentenced to five years imprisonment at Edinburgh High Court.

Over a nine year period, Margaret Paterson (61) and Robert Munro (61) provided prostitutes for clients throughout the country, whilst former bank manager Ian Goalen (59) acted as a driver for the agency.

Goalen had earlier pleaded guilty to living on the earnings of prostitution and was sentenced to 150 hours Community Payback Order.

Detectives raided their house in Grosvenor Street in September 2011, and found sex toys, along with evidence showing that Paterson had spent over £450k in some of Edinburgh’s most exclusive shops, including Harvey Nichols, Louis Vuitton and Mulberry.

As well as designer jewellery, officers found around 400 handbags and 100 boxes of shoes.

Officers also recovered over £200k cash and identified a business bank account containing £544,601.

Speaking after sentencing, Lindsey Miller, Head of the Crown’s Serious Organised Crime Division, said: “Margaret Paterson and Robert Munro exploited vulnerable women for their own profit, running a large network of prostitutes across Scotland, and laundering the proceeds of their criminal activities.

“This conviction demonstrates our commitment to bringing to justice those who exploit others and seek to benefit from crime. The conviction involves an aggravation under section 29 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010; one of the new provisions to tackle serious organised crime.

“We will continue to use every power available to us to disrupt the activities of those who commit crime and exploit others for their own gain.”