There are lots of things going on in the capital this Halloween. You may want to dress up, have fun with friends, spend time with the family, or even do something charitable. Whatever you choose, Edinburgh offers a great choice of activities. Do you know of any other Halloween activities? Then add them in the Comments box below or put up details on our n0tice board here.

• The Edinburgh Dungeon  is host to the North Berwick Witch this Halloween. The witches are coming to Edinburgh to wreak revenge after their persecution. The Dungeon also promises to be full of Halloween surprises. This is an event ideal for groups of families and friends. Book early to save money and receive priority entrance.11^th – 31^st October. More details on their website.

• Head to The Usher Hall for a 1920s-themed party featuring a showing of the silent film The Cabinet of Dr Caligari and the 1928 short of Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher. With a silent film organist, a jazz band and fancy dress, book early and “don 1920s garb” for this event. Find more details here.

• Join The Edinburgh Zoo’s Ghost Hunt. The ghostly torchlight exploration of the Zoo’s 1793 mansion begins at 8pm. Hot buffet provided, but you must bring your own torch. For ages 18 and over. More details here.

• Frankenstein has a spooktastic line up of events. Events include Supernatural Saturday, Scary Sunday, Macabre Monday, Trick or Treat Tuesday and of course Halloween Wednesday! For extravagant themed party nights, prizes and entertainment, apparently Frankenstein is the place to be from the 27^th – 31^st October. Find more details on their website.

• A Charity Zombie Walk to raise money for Sick Kids Hospital will commence at the Mound beside the gallery. Dress up in undead gear on 3rd November at 2pm. Find more information here.

• The Filmhouse is showing a new restoration of the classic psychological horror “The Shining”. Find tickets and further information here.

Here is a wee frightener for you!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3b726feAhdU]

• The National Museum of Scotland is holding a free drop in from 12.30-6.30 on Saturday 28th October. You are encouraged to dress up for “an afternoon of Halloween themed fun filled with slimy science, mask making and spine-tingling tales”. More details here.

• Dress up and get freaky at the HMV Picture House on 31st October at the over-18s Full Moon Halloween Party starting at 11pm! Find more details and tickets here.

• Take part in the Pumpkin Hunt at the Gyle Centre from 22nd-31st October 2012 to find a free giant chocolate eyeball and the chance to win a Gyle gift card! Go on Friday 26th & Saturday 27th October for face painting and balloon modelling between 12 noon and 4pm. Millies at The Gyle are also offering a Hallowe’en themed cookie icing event on 28th. More details here.

Free Family Hallow’een Fun at the Waste Education Cabin. Come prepare for Hallow’een with Remade in Edinburgh at the Waste Cabin. This Hallow’een workshop for families will teach you how to make Hallow’een Costumes and Masks from reused and recycled materials.

Come to the waste cabin to learn how to

• Make Hallow’een masks and costumes through reusing and repairing materials
• Have fun with some Hallow’een Games and get a tour of the recycling centre

Where: Seafield Community Recycling Centre, Fillyside Road, Edinburgh, EH7 6RD

When: Thursday 25th October, 5pm – 7pm

Book your place now by emailing wasteaction@edinburgh.gov.uk  or phoning 0131 469 5070  (only 15 places available)

Happy Halloween from The Edinburgh Reporter!

Today the Culture and Leisure Committee met away from the confines of the City Chambers in the newly opened Sculpture Workshop in Hawthornvale, which appeared  to be a very suitable location for a couple of the councillors who had arrived by bicycle, as the workshop is right beside the cycle path. It posed a little logistical problem for a couple of councillors filling in for other colleagues who then had to hotfoot it back up The Mound for subsequent meetings. Councillor Richard Lewis and Councillor Norma Austin Hart in our photo are respectively the convener and vice-convener of the committee which will be renamed Culture and Sport from the date of the next meeting.

The agenda for the meeting is reproduced for you in full below.

One recurring theme for the councillors on this committee, some of whom are still quite new, is that they feel that they are a little in the dark about how much the budget actually allows by way of spending. In the case of the £80,000 which the council is being asked to spend on the FINA World Diving Series 2013, Councillor Nick Gardner said that he had no idea whether this was a reasonable sum as he did not know the criteria for granting such sums of money, which clearly would not then be spent on something else. The council officer assured him that by the time an event such as the diving comes to the committee it has been through, firstly an application process by the council to FINA, and secondly, ‘checks and balances’ within the department.  The committee feel that the diving competition will allow a welcome dry run before the Commonwealth Games diving competitions the following year. This will be the first time that the newly renovated Royal Commonwealth Pool (RCP) is to be used for this calibre of  competition which should attract Olympic bronze medallist Tom Daley, among others, although it was used as a practice pool for the Olympics in 2012 following its £37million refurbishment.

The committee was largely pleased to hear that 22 libraries across the city are now open on Saturdays, and that other library opening hours have been in place since 1 October.  The council officer Susan Mooney  confirmed that the staff’s working patterns have now been standardised into fewer variations as agreed with the unions. The committee was told that this allows most of the library staff to enjoy a better work-life balance.  Councillor Munro questioned the fact that the bill for agency staff  had been £200,000 per year, and asked how many permanent posts are being created, but the council officer was not able to clarify this.

Councillor Munro said:-“I am very disappointed that this figure was not in the report, and that there were no exact figures of the number of staff recruited to work in the libraries both full time and part time. This is a good news story, and I feel we are hiding it for some reason. I have no idea why that should be.”

The committee was also asked to ratify the granting of a licence to the Bongo Club of the area underneath the Central Library which is at present only used during the Festival. The council officer expressed the hope that this diversification will be seen as a good thing among their future customers, even though it will not make the council much in the way of revenue. The Bongo Club is a social enterprise linked to Out of the Blue. Councillor Jackson was reassured that the improvements which the new tenant will make to the premises will be strictly monitored and agreed. The lease to the Bongo Club cannot be granted for a long term because there are plans in the offing for the renovation of the Central Library, and the councillors were advised that the temporary nature of the license has been made very clear during negotiations.

The report about the city’s museums was a very positive one, showing that Edinburgh had responded well despite what is known as the Olympic effect, meaning that visitor numbers elsewehere had gone down. The council officer mentioned that the visitor numbers to Nelson’s Monument alone have trebled after an exhibition area was installed there. He also mentioned that despite reports in the press the future of the Tron is as yet undecided, and there will be briefings and discussions over the next couple of years to identify what will happen to that building. Councillor Milligan offered a suggestion of including in our museums the turbulent French history involving Mary Queen of Scots and Frank Little the council officer charged with the responsibility of managing the city’s Museums said that ‘Edinburgh’s Story’ is one which is included in the Museum of Edinburgh, but agreed it was a good idea.

Finally the meeting was advised that a global sum of £3.2m had been spent by the council on the various Festivals in the city, and this led again to a call for more detail in the figures provided, so that these could be seen in context of historical spending. Councillor Orr apologised for putting his auditor’s hat on but suggested this would be more helpful.

The fate of some of the outdoor venues including Inverleith Park was discussed as part of the meeting. It has already been decided that the ATP Tennis tournament which will take place in Edinburgh next year will not be sited in Inverleith and they have already booked alternative accommodation at the Accies ground. No real information about fixing the flooding in Inverleith Park was offered. When looking at the financial figures from Edinburgh Leisure it was clear to the meeting that some facilities had profited from the bad summer weather and others had not. The council officer explained that all the figures for the Edinburgh Leisure facilities are on their website and so figures for income and visitor numbers are easily accessible to all.

The council officer was not present for the final item on the agenda number 14 which addressed the matter of community access to schools which Councillor Munro appeared disappointed about, and Councillor Fullerton wanted to know how the group who will monitor this short term initiative will be made up. The time limit has deliberately been set quite short so that the scheme to use school buildings out of hours can be fully monitored and assessed before perhaps being rolled out across the city. We wrote about this yesterday.

Councillor Ron Cairns was the only member of the committee who did not have any questions for officers or comment on the matters in hand.

Full Meeting Papers 231012-1

Lothian and Borders Police are appealing for information to identify a man who was found dead on a beach in East Lothian earlier today.

The body of a man, believed to be middle-aged, was found at around 10am in a remote spot between Gullane Point and Aberlady Bay, Gullane.

Officers believe he died on the beach and his body may have lain there for a few hours, however is death is being treated as non-suspicious.

The man did not have any identification on him and police are now appealing to anyone whose friend or family member has failed to return home to get in touch.

Similarly, anyone who recognises the description of the man should come forward immediately.

He is described as being approximately 5ft 5ins tall and of slim build, with fair hair and black wide rimmed glasses. When he was found he was wearing black shoes and black trousers and had two grey fleece jackets on under a blue waterproof jacket. A rucksack, believed to belong to the man, was found a short distance away from his body on the beach and had items stored in waterproof bags, leading officers to believe he may be a seasoned walker.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 311 3131.

Culture and Leisure Committee meeting today – Join the Festival Chorus tonight! – World Development Movement skill sharing event –  – Next week at The Usher Hall – Calling all journalists to a pub quiz…

The Culture and Leisure committee meets today. But for a change, they are not meeting in the City Chambers. Instead they will be down the cycle path at the Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, 25 Hawthornvale, EH6 4JT  . Councillor Richard Lewis is the convenor and we have the full set of committee papers here for you along with a preview of one of the cost cutting initiatives to be discussed this morning.

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The Festival Chorus is holding an open rehearsal tonight at The Hub. If you fancy yourself as a bit of a singer then read more here!

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World Development Movement, which fights to end economic injustice and global poverty, is hosting a skill sharing and networking afternoon this Saturday 27 October from 12pm – 5pm at Augustine United Church, George IV Bridge. Whether you’re a seasoned campaigner or interested in becoming active in a local group, the day will provide a chance for everyone to learn something new, share ideas and experiences and come away feeling part of a movement and raring to go!

This is a free event, to book your place email jane@wdmscotland.org.uk or phone 0131 243 2730.

Lunch will be provided and there will be plenty of time to chat and network. There is also a travel subsidy available for those travelling from outside the Central Belt.

For more information, visit http://www.facebook.com/events/186338184835733/?context=create or learn more about the work WDM does via http://www.wdm.org.uk/campaigns-scotland/making-movement-scotland-azerbaijan.

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Joan Armatrading has one of those voices it is really hard not to like. She is playing in concert here in Edinburgh on 1 November 2012 at the Usher Hall. More details about tickets here.

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There will be a Hacks vs Flacks pub quiz for the CIPR raising money for the STV Appeal and the organisers are  looking for journalist teams to enter.

Thursday 15th November at Cargo from 7pm – a good excuse for a get together and a bit of fun as well as doing some good for charity.

It’s £10 per person to enter and teams can be up to six people.

Here’s the link to more info and how to book tickets http://ciprscotpubquiz2012.eventbrite.com/

Phil Pinder won two tickets in our Hue and Cry competition this month and he has now written a review for us of the concert.

After enduring two hours watching the eleven wannabe acts “nail it” or otherwise on the X Factor, I was looking forward to seeing two brothers from Coatbridge who made it to the summit of pop’s greasy pole in the 80s without any help from celebrity mentors, viewers’ votes or exposure to a TV audience of millions simply by being marginally less mediocre than the competition.

And the Kane brothers, Pat and Greg, better known as Hue and Cry did not disappoint me, or the rest of their audience at the Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, on Sunday night. With a mixture of songs from their new album, “Hot Wire”, and classics drawn from their career spanning an incredible 29 years, there was something for everybody. The predominantly middle-aged audience gave a warm welcome to their heroes, with appreciative, but warm and heartfelt, applause for the first few numbers which opened with an energetic performance of the current single “Duty to the Debtor”. Only when the brothers performed their classic “Looking for Linda” were the shackles of the audience’s Edinburgh reserve cast aside, and a few tentative steps in the aisles were taken. By the time they performed their other big 80s hit, “Labour of Love”, we were positively rocking.

Whilst Greg (looking like a taciturn Al Murray in his red suit) was happy to play the support role on keyboard or guitar, Pat enjoyed a terrific rapport with the disappointingly small audience (by my reckoning, the Queen’s Hall was less than half full), dealing effortlessly with his failure to get to grips with the running order of the playlist and a trouser malfunction which required a disconcerting amount of fumbling with his flies. His voice remains as strong as ever and the effort and passion he put into his performance was evidenced by the litres of sweat from his head that showered the stage. Fluid was replenished with sips of what suspiciously looked like a mug of tea! A word too for the supporting cast, particularly the wind and percussion sections, who helped give real depth to the performance and brought to life the unique fusion of jazz, funk, rock and pop that has defined Hue and Cry throughout their career.

Still going strong after 29 years, still belting out timeless classics and still writing intelligent songs with thought provoking lyrics and punchy tunes. I look forward to the winner of this year’s X Factor doing the same in 2041.

Submitted by Phil Pinder

Forty years ago this month, a murder took place in the capital, the circumstances of which not only horrified Edinburgh citizens,  but also reverberated throughout Europe.

Twenty-one-year-old Dutchman Ernest Dumoulin and 18 year-old German, Helga Konrad, had eloped to Edinburgh very much against her parents’ wishes. The couple moved into lodgings run by Herbert Wood at 9 Torphichen Street, and Dumoulin paid three weeks’ rent in advance, allowing him to apply to be married in a Scottish registrar’s office.

On Friday 13 October 1972, Mr Wood and his wife witnessed the wedding and joined the couple for drinks and a meal in a Shandwick Place restaurant, where Helga spoke of her new husband’s plans to become a financial adviser whilst she would become his secretary. Due to her disagreement with her parents, she had no intention of returning to Germany.

When the newly-weds retired to their room, Mr Wood assumed that they had retired for the night, so he he was surprised to hear them leave a few hours later.

He was even more surprised to be woken in the early hours by a dazed looking Dumoulin who was accompanied by two detectives. Dumoulin was covered in mud and his right arm was bandaged. Strangely, Helga was not with them.

Earlier, a merchant seaman strolling along the foot of Salisbury Crags had discovered the body of a young woman. He contacted the police who attended immediately and were met by an apparently distraught and dishevelled Dumoulin, who told them a heartrending tale of him and Helga going for a walk up the Crags to watch the beautiful lights of Edinburgh, but she had slipped and fell.

As there was no evidence at the time to contradict his account, Dumoulin was not arrested, and spent the night in what should have been his honeymoon suite. Mr Wood recalls that he continually played the haunting theme of blockbuster film, ‘Love Story’, over and over again.

Initially the general public were heartbroken for the young man, but on the Monday, detectives arrived at the guest house and took him in for questioning.

Mr Wood took the opportunity to clean the room, and discovered a letter along with receipts for a £412,368 insurance policy taken out on Helga’s life the day before she died in Dumoulin’s room. In 1972, that sum was worth the equivalent of £1.1million today. Mr Wood took the paperwork straight to the police.

When the local office of Hambro Life Assurance not only confirmed this, but also revealed that Dumoulin had tried to claim the policy on the very morning after Helga died, Edinburgh City Police knew they had a murder inquiry on their hands

Extensive background enquiries into Dumoulin quickly established he was a failed financial adviser turned conman in Germany, and he had met Helga through a lonely hearts advert he had placed in a newspaper. She was a country girl, from a rich family but old-fashioned, sheltered and, obviously, very lonely. She spent much of her time feeding the animals at her father Helmut’s farm.

The advert had been placed on June 24 and three weeks later, Dumoulin had arrived at the farm to ask her father’s permission to get married. This permission was not granted, and her father suggested that they wait until Christmas so that he could confirm that he was in a position to support his daughter.

On 15 September Dumoulin collected Helga in his red Fiat, telling her parents that they would only be 15 minutes. Instead they travelled to Edinburgh and the Konrads would never see their beloved daughter again. Dumoulin had also convinced Helga to draw her life savings of £65 out of the bank

It also transpired that Dumoulin had obtained the car under false pretences in Germany and had sold it for £650. On arriving in Edinburgh, he deposited £250 in the Bank of Nova Scotia in Princes Street and managed to obtain £10,000 credit which allowed him to take out a string of insurance policies in his wife’s name.

When he discovered that the insurance company would not pay out due to the circumstances of Helga’s death, he asked them to destroy the forms.

During questioning, Dumoulin denied it all, insisting Helga had slipped and fallen from the 100ft cliff, but  forensic experts noted there were very few scrapes and bruises on Helga, indicating that she hadn’t slipped but had either run and launched herself off the cliff or been pushed, very hard indeed.

Hambro Life Assurance revealed that the insurance policy would have cost Dumoulin £442 a month to maintain, a fortune he didn’t have nor would ever be likely to afford.

After everything was taken into account, Dumoulin was arrested and charged with murder. Under Scots law, Dumoulin’s trial had to start within 110 days of his incarceration, so the clock was ticking to gather the evidence.

At his trial at Edinburgh High Court in 1973, Dumoulin sensationally claimed that it was Helga who had plotted to con an insurance company by faking his death, and then he insisted that she had tried to kill him on Salisbury Crags and had fallen when he put his hands up to save himself.

Despite the fact that there were no independent witnesses to what happened that night, the jury were convinced, beyond any reasonable doubt and Dumoulin was found guilty of murdering his wife of only a few hours, and sentenced to life imprisonment. His subsequent admission of guilt while in prison justified the jury’s decision.

Dumoulin has served his sentence and is now living in Germany, where he is a minister and apparently his duties include conducting weddings.

The Konrad family later purchased a memorial seat which sits in the shadow of the Crags and has a small metal plate commemorating Helga’s short life. It reads: “In loving memory of our daughter Helga Konrad born 16.6.54, died 13.10.72. Buried at Schwerbach, Germany only 300 yards from her parents’ home.”

Photograph by Bods

If you have ever wondered why school buildings lie vacant in the evenings and during the long holidays then you will be pleased to know that the council’s Culture and Leisure Committee are going to look at a new arrangement to make the best use of the buildings during out of school hours.

It is reported to the committee which meets tomorrow morning that such a scheme might save the council around £300,000.

The council plan to set up a pilot scheme which will come back to the committee in March 2013 to report on progress, but they will also report to the December meeting of the committee to ensure the project is moving forward. By the time of the next meeting this committee will be called Culture and Sport under the new governance arrangements.

The idea of the project is to place schools at the heart of their communities and perhaps increase the use of school buildings by others in the community, partly by ensuring that the hire of school buildings is made much easier.There will also be a single tariff across all school premises set at a reasonable level to encourage the hire of buildings for all sorts of purposes, and the hope is clearly to generate extra revenue.

The meeting of the Culture and Leisure Committee us to be held off site in the  Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, 25 Hawthornvale, EH6 4JT beginning at 10a.m.

The full committee papers are reproduced for you below.

Full Meeting Papers 231012

SNP MSPS CONDEMN “VACUOUS” TORY PROMISES AFTER REMPLOY MEETING

SNP MSPs have this afternoon condemned the UK Government for abandoning the disabled workers at Remploy factories across Scotland, following a meeting in the Scottish Parliament with UK Minister Esther McVey.

In Edinburgh, where the Remploy factory is set to close on Thursday after no bids were accepted Edinburgh Pentlands MSP Gordon MacDonald said that it was made impossible for Remploy to go out and find new business.

“The UK Government said that there was not enough business to keep the factory in Edinburgh going. I know from discussions with my local factory that they had been given no advertising budget, had no Scottish-based sales person, and that individual managers weren’t allowed to try and source work locally.

“What’s worse, I’m told that the sales department down south had two dozen vacancies advertised when this closure process began – so how on earth could Remploy factories reasonably be expected to find new business?

“It’s almost as if the UK Government have tried their best to run Remploy into the ground. Their vacuous promises about helping staff find new employment will be of absolutely no comfort to workers in my constituency and across Scotland.”

Aberdeen Central MSP Kevin Stewart said:

“This entire process has been an absolute shambles, and there must be a moratorium on closures until they can detail exactly what these perfectly viable bids entailed, and why they failed.

“To be putting vulnerable people through Work Capability Assessments at the very same time that they are forcing people with disabilities out of work is not only hypocritical – it’s abhorrent.”

Mr Stewart also expressed disappointment that Labour MSP Jenny Marra has tried to blame the Scottish Government for the closures – rather than uniting with the SNP in trying to fight the Tory cuts themselves:

“It’s incredibly disappointing that Jenny Marra is playing politics with this serious issue. She seems to have just accepted these Tory cuts are to happen – when there is still time to stop them – and is trying to score cheap political points against the SNP.”

Exactly two months to the day after leaving Perth on the west coast of Australia, Edinburgh cyclist, Andrew Dickson, finally arrived in Brisbane on the east coast of Queensland earlier today.

As an added bonus,Andrew can now enjoy the hospitality of a former colleague who has been following Andrew’s adventure via The Edinburgh Reporter.

To mark this achievement, a formal event is being held at Radio Lollipop at the Mater Care Hospital in Brisbane tomorrow night.

Since The Edinburgh Reporter last encountered Andrew, he has added to his sightings of Australian wildlife, spotting a spiny echidna lying by the side of the road near Beachport, and a giant ant with pinchers snuggled up inside his training shoe. Whilst the echidna didn’t mind meeting the friendly Scotsman, the giant ant certainly did, and Andrew was forced to use up much of his ‘magic’ foot cream, and from now on his shoes spend the night inside the tent. He has also broken down, checked out the Canberra Highland games and dined with the ‘twelve tribes community.’

After leaving Port Campbell, Andrew eventually reached Cann River Highway with several steep ups and downs and a last climb, which he politely  described as a ‘brut’.  As it’s just as difficult to walk pushing the fully loaded bike, as it is staying on, in the granny gear and pedalling, Andrew just had to get on with it, and when it did flatten out he left Victoria and entered New South Wales or ‘platypus country’ according to several notice boards and the road name changed to the Monaro Highway.

Andrew managed to reach Bombala for lunch by the river and then paid a visit to the library. It turned out they had just had Wi-Fi activated and he was the first person to make use of the system, which makes a nice change as, those who know him will testify, he is normally the last person to use a computer.

From there, Andrew reached Canberra, where by chance the Highland Games were taking place, so he decided to pay a visit.

After heading through the city centre for a final look, he then took the Federal Highway (23) north, where disaster struck as his chain broke.  Normally that would not be a major issue as he has a chain splitter/link remover and spare emergency links, however for some unknown reason the tool would not remove the link pin. One hour and some unprintable language later, Plan ‘B’ came into operation. After unsuccessfully thumbing a lift to Goulburn to get a helpful lorry driver, heading in the opposite direction did mention it was nearly all downhill to Tarago, so he decided to freewheel.

At the village he noticed Tarago Auto Repairs and spoke to a young mechanic who got to work with an angle grinder and removed the broken link in about a minute.  Five minutes later he had the emergency link fitted and was back on the road with only a few hours lost.

“To all the staff at Tarago Auto Repairs, many, many thanks.  You kept the show on the road”, said the relieved Scotsman.

The following day, wanting to make up for lost time, Andrew pressed on through Moss Vale, Mittagong, Yerrinbool and Tahmoor.  He was  starting to loose daylight at Picton and running out of options to camp, when a pick-up truck stopped and a girl got out.  Her name was Anavah and she invited him to stay at the ‘Twelve Tribes’ community (www.twelvetribes.org) at Pepper Corn Farm Creek which was just ahead. Andrew was introduced to Sameach (Anavah’s husband), their children and Nathaniel and all the others at, what he describes as a “super location and even more hospitable and welcoming people”.

All the parents and children were down by the creek having their evening meeting/discussion and this was followed by an open air meal which he was cordially invited to join.  The singing and camp fire really added to the welcoming atmosphere.  The food, all totally organic, was delicious and they wouldn’t hear of Andrew not participating.  The adults and children were all interacting together in discussions and play, including canoeing in the creek.  On the opposite hillside were fields, some with large, plastic covered greenhouses where they grow their own produce.  They also have a shop nearby selling a wide range of organically grown produce including fruit, vegetables, breads and cakes.

Whilst Andrew could have pitched my tent, instead he was invited (and accepted) to use the little log cabin beside a smaller creek.

The following day he headed north on the Old Hume Highway, and had a quick stop at Camden for the library and ‘tourist information’.  He was about to enter Sydney, the biggest city in Australia and needed to be prepared.  His plan was to use the Hume Highway from when he past under the M7 Freeway.

On reaching the M7 Andrew spoke to another cyclist and her advice was to use the cycleway which parallels the M7 round to the M2 and cross into Sydney over the Harbour Bridge. That was ideal, especially when he got the impression it was only about 40 km (under 30 miles), not much more that my planned way in.  What do they say about ‘sticking to the game plan’ or if a route is changed, ‘always check the map’.  Unfortunately Andrew did neither.

Off he went on a wonderfully wide and clearly marked foot/cycle path.  It has a sealed surface and the main route has a central white line.  Side paths have ‘give way’ type lines.  It’s even has street lighting and although following the M7, is not on it.  On he rode and a few hours later saw a Freeway sign indicating Sydney was still 40km ahead.  He then did check the map and discovered that the route is probably three times as long as his initial plan. Doh

Andrew then got to the M2 and saw the vehicle gantry indicated just over 30km (less than 20 miles) so that was fine, however turned out the M2 cycleway is closed for roadwork’s and there’s a temporary re-route in place.  First sign indicated Sydney was 48km (well over 30 miles ahead, whilst much of the re-routing is through housing complexes which were very, very hilly, obviously planned by someone who doesn’t haul over 30kg of bike and gear.  Hour after hour went by and eventually the path returns to M2 cycleway at North Sydney

Andrew decided that it was time for a break, and discovered that McDonald’s operate a scheme whereby seniors (over 60’s) get a free coffee if another purchase is made.  Remembering his roots, Andrew noticed that their cheapest item was an ice-cream at 30 cents (20 pence).  So in he went, got his ice-cream and coffee and paid his 30 cents.  And free refills apply.  Is that not a bargain? If only he had known about this when he started the journey.

Finally, after McDonalds had almost run out of coffee, he cycled the last remaining miles to Harbour Bridge. Andrew takes up the story from there: “It’s something to see, despite all the wire grills and netting, presumably to stop litter etc. and people leaving by other than the prescribed methods.  The big downside was the 5 or 6 levels of steps I had to get up to reach the cycle path. Luckily there is a central narrow slope which allows bikes to be pushed up instead of actually being carried.  I wasn’t popular with all the ‘racing roadies’ and fast commuters who were heading home at evening rush hour.

“So much for cycling around the city.  Weather OK at 6 am but by 7 it was chucking it down, was cool and very windy.  Apparently it had been snowing near Canberra, so will be a day spent indoors and no cycling.  I started at McDonalds for a ‘seniors’ coffee and Wi-Fi,  then on to the State Library.”

His intention is to fly to Japan on Saturday 27 October to visit his son before returning to his Balerno home early November, having raised money for the Craig Gowans’ Memorial Fund and Radio Lollipop.

A final ‘round up’ will appear here in The Edinburgh Reporter when Andrew eventually arrives home in Scotland.

Anyone wishing to contribute can do so at virginmoneygiving.com/bikingacrossaustralia

or wishing to keep up to date with his progress can do so at http://bikingacrossaustralia.blogspot.co.uk/

Lothian and Borders Police are appealing for information to help trace a man who has gone missing from his home in Midlothian.

James Clark was last seen by his wife within their property in Temple Park, Gorebridge at around between 11.30pm on Wednesday 17th and midnight on Thursday 18th October when the couple retired to bed.

After waking at around 6.45am, Mrs Clark found her husband was gone and has not seen or heard from him since.

The couple’s Volkswagen Passat is also missing and it is believed the 54-year-old has taken this when he left.

Enquiries are now underway to establish James’ whereabouts and anyone who believes they have seen him since Thursday morning is asked to come forward.

He is described as white, around 5ft 6ins tall with a slim build, shaved grey hair, glasses and a JC tattoo on his left wrist. He may have been wearing a green and white striped top under a grey hooded zip up top and dark Umbro tracksuit bottoms when he left his home.

A police spokesman said: “James has never failed to return home previously and as such his family are growing increasingly concerned for his welfare.

“It would appear he has taken his car upon leaving his property and officers are now investigating whether the vehicle has been seen since Thursday morning.

“Anyone who can assist with our enquiries or who can help trace James is asked to contact police immediately.

“Similarly, James is asked to get in touch with family, friends or the police as soon as possible and let us know he’s safe and well.”

Anyone with information can contact Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 311 3131, or the charity Crimestoppers in confidence and complete anonymity on 0800 555 111.

ChildLine founder Esther Rantzen is calling on youth groups in Edinburgh to enter ChildLine’s Picture This photography competition before 31st October to be in with a chance of winning up to £1000.

All youth groups need to do to enter is take an imaginative photograph of their group celebrating ChildLine’s 25th anniversary and submit it to ChildLine before the closing date of 31st October. With two age groups in the competition 11 and under and 12-18 there’s a chance for children and young people of all ages to get involved and support the helpline in its 25th year.

By making a suggested voluntary donation of £2 for every child in the photo competition entrants can help ensure ChildLine continues to be there for children in danger or distress.

Esther Rantzen said: “Picture This is a fun way for groups of young people to get creative, fundraise for us and help us celebrate ChildLine’s 25th anniversary while also helping us support the thousands of children in Scotland who need our help. Over 25 years, ChildLine has helped over 2.6 million children across the UK, who felt desperate and had nobody else to turn to. For the first time in ChildLine’s history, we can now answer every child and children can now contact ChildLine online. But we continue to see an increasing demand for our services, which is why I’d love to see every youth group in Edinburgh take part in Picture This.

Susie Barron, NSPCC community fundraising manager said: “Any local youth group affiliated to a national organization in Scotland can enter Picture This and we want to encourage as many groups as possible to join us to celebrate ChildLine’s anniversary. Thanks to the considerable generosity of first direct there are two age categories with prizes of £1000, £300 and £200 for equipment for winners and runners up in each category. So whether your group needs new camping equipment for next summer, digital equipment, or perhaps even a state of the art camera, by entering Picture This you can be in with a chance to win it. You’ll also be helping ChildLine be there for more children who badly need our help.”

Judges Karen Blair, social leadership analyst, first direct, Linda McClelland, PlayFair education coordinator, National Galleries of Scotland and internationally renowned Scottish photographer Colin Prior will decide the winners in each age category who will each receive up to £1000 to spend on equipment of their choice.

The deadline for Picture This entries is 31st October 2012. There are two age categories 11 and under and ages 12-18. To find out more about the competition, including full terms and conditions visit www.nspcc.org.uk/picturethis telephone the Scotland fundraising team on 0844 892 0212 or email scotlandevents@nspcc.org.uk to ask for a registration pack.

Police activity in Stockbridge over the weekend – James Gillespie’s High School – Citadel AGM – Photos for Flickr and n0tice – MSP surgeries

Lothian and Borders Police who are investigating a sexually motivated assault in the Stockbridge area of Edinburgh have carried out a weekend of activity, one week after the attack.

A 23-year-old woman was returning home from a night out in Frederick Street was walking in St Vincent Street when a man grabbed her from behind.

The victim was forced to the ground, but screamed loudly during the struggle and the suspect made off.

Over the past weekend plain-clothes and uniformed police patrolled the area between 11pm and 4am on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night.

Officers spoke with members of the public who were returning home or travelling through the New Town and Stockbridge area to establish if they’d been there the previous week and witnessed anything suspicious.

High-visibility reassurance patrols were also deployed throughout Stockbridge to engage with the local community and over 60 questionnaires were issued relating to last week’s assault.

As part of the policing activity, basement areas and secluded spots in and around Stockbridge were searched for anything of evidential value.

The area in and around Cumberland Street was also included during police patrols, as officers continue to investigate whether a similar attack, which took place on Saturday 29 September, is linked to this incident.

Detective Sergeant Lynsey Thomson praised the assistance of the public so far, but urged anyone who can help bring the suspect to justice to come forward.

DS Thomson said: “It’s now been a week since the victim was subjected to this terrifying ordeal and so it seemed appropriate to re-visit the area in the hope of talking to people who may have been there last week.

“Local residents, dog walkers, early morning commuters and taxi drivers were all spoken to during this time to determine whether they were in or around St Vincent Street in the early hours of last Sunday morning and whether they remember seeing or hearing anything suspicious.

“The response from those we spoke to was positive and we will now go through the statements and questionnaires we completed and progress the enquiry from there.

“Our reassurance patrols were undoubtedly a comfort to those who live in and frequent the Stockbridge area and these will continue for as long as is required.

“I would urge anyone who has yet to speak to police, but who may have vital information that can help identify the man responsible for this attack to contact us immediately.”

Anyone with information can contact Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 311 3131, or the charity Crimestoppers in confidence and complete anonymity on 0800 555 111.

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We know from our Twitter stream that many of you watch Downton. There are some very good actors on the cast, but the class act that is Dame Maggie Smith shines through whenever she appears. The Edinburgh connection is that  Dame Maggie attracted much attention in her BAFTA award-winning role in 1969 as Muriel Spark’s Miss Jean Brodie, and Muriel Spark herself was educated at James Gillespie’s High School for Girls as it was then called.

The headteacher of the existing James Gillespie’s is Donald Macdonald who writes a very good blog to keep everyone up to date with all the school’s activities. The school is to decant to alternative premises across the other side of Bruntsfield Links during the rebuild of a new school commencing next summer.

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Citadel Youth Centre are holding their 2012 AGM tonight at 7.00pm at 175 Commercial Street. You can find out more about what they do http://www.youtube.com/embed/Bzt4r_IIKVM">here on their website. 

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Do you have any good photos of Edinburgh? Then show them off in The Edinburgh Reporter Flickr pool here. Or you could tweet any photos of Edinburgh where they show off something to either be celebrated or changed in our city by using the hashtags #myhighstreet and #change or #celebrate. The photos will be added to the n0tice board which you will find over here.

You can also contribute a photo-based article to our Reader’s Stories by using our Submit a Story form. You may have to give us a couple of words to tell us what the photos are of course!

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We are upgrading our MSP information page today with details of their surgeries and contact details. In the meantime, if Malcolm Chisholm is your MSP, then these are his surgery and contact details:-

Surgeries every Saturday – No appointment necessary.

Leith Library: 10.00am Royston/Wardieburn Community Centre: 12.00

Constituency Office

5 Croall Place
Leith Walk
Edinburgh
EH7 4LT

Open:
Monday-Friday
1.30 to 4.30pm
9.30 am to 12.30pm

Tel: 0131 558 8358

Email:Malcolm.Chisholm.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

North Edinburgh residents were delighted to learn that the doors of Pennywell Shopping Centre are being taken down.

It was confirmed on Friday afternoon by an email from the newly appointed senior project manager, John McDonald, who is in charge of  the city’s 21st century regeneration project.

The email, which was sent to many local groups, advised that on Monday 22 October 2012 work will start to remove the doors and glass fronts on the shopping centre.Other local shops and residents expected to be told today a bit more about the intended work.

Since the shopping centre was roofed and the doors were put in place, many local residents and shopkeepers hadhighlighted concerns about anti-social behaviour over recent months. Many people who took shelter in the area were consuming alcohol, throwing rubbish and generally causing a nuisance. Residents found this behaviour intimidating and Lothian & Borders Police are often on patrol in the shopping centre  to tackle these various issues.

I spoke to one shopper this morning and asked what they thought about the change and she told me that shethought it would be brilliant and might stop the drunks gathering within the centre. She also added that in her view they should have never have been put up in the first place.

Walking through the enclosed centre can be quite intimidating, but when  the doors are removed it will hopefully feel a lot more open and more welcoming.

There has also been talk of the roof being removed but I believe this has been delayed due to structural issues.

Submitted by Robert Pearson

SOUP RECIPE FROM SPOON’S CO-OWNER, RICHARD ALEXANDER

Foraging has become more and more popular over the years and it is easy to see why – it’s a pleasure to find and pick your own food and enjoy fresh air and exercise at the same time.

Seasonal, locally-sourced ingredients can make all the difference to a dish and October is a particularly good month for wild mushrooms, which grow in abundance at this time of year.

Be very careful, though, if you are planning to give it a go – you need to be well informed to forage successfully. It is crucial to be able to identify what is safe to eat and what is not. So, if in any doubt about what it is and whether it’s edible, it’s always best not to risk it.

Our head chef, Rory Fulton, forages on Corstorphine Hill every Sunday morning, returning to the Spoon kitchen with bags of mushrooms, berries and herbs to cook with. Wild mushrooms have a delicious, fresh flavour, which works well in dishes such as soups, stews and risottos, to name but a few.

Mushroom and barley broth with celeriac and tarragon is perfect for the chillier weather – it’s warming, filling and tasty.

WILD FORAGED MUSHROOM AND BARLEY BROTH WITH CELERIAC AND TARRAGON (serves 10)

Ingredients:

1kg mixed wild mushrooms

500g pearl barley

500 g celeriac, 1 cm cubed

few sprigs tarragon for garnish

8 cloves garlic

2 red onions, chopped

4 sticks celery, diced

2 carrots, diced

2lt hot veg stock

1 lemon

salt & pepper

Method:

Roast the celeriac in the oven at 180c for 30mins until golden brown. Meanwhile, sweat the onion and garlic in olive oil. Add the barley and stir for two minutes. Add the celery and carrot, then the hot stock. Simmer for half an hour. In a frying pan flash fry the sliced mushrooms. You may have to do this in two or three batches – don’t over load the pan or the mushrooms will stew. Add to the barley with the celeriac. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

If you’d like to join Spoon’s head chef, Rory, on one of his foraging expeditions, all you have to do is to email info@spoonedinburgh.co.uk for further information.

Spoon is at 6a Nicolson St, Edinburgh, 0131 623 1752, www.spoonedinburgh.co.uk and on Twitter @SpoonEdinburgh

Full-back Greig Tonks and centre Ben Atiga have recovered from injury to make to make their Heineken Cup debuts for  Edinburgh against Munster on Saturday.

The duo are among five changes made by head coach Michael Bradley as his team look to bounce back from last week’s disastrous 45-0 home defeat at the hands of Saracens. Tonks and Atiga replace Tom Brown and Matt Scott, who both drop to the bench, respectively.

The capital side have a point to prove after the Saracens result but Bradley is  acutely aware that a trip to face Munster on their Limerick home turf is a daunting one. Bradley said:- “Thomond Park is a fortress, steeped in the Heineken Cup history. The fans and the players will be fired up for this, so we’ll need to front up to the physical aspects of the game from the outset.”

Bradley’s will be hoping that his changes will give his side both a physical and attacking edge for the vital fixture. Fijian Number 8 Netani Talei  returns to the back row with Stuart McInally moving to open-side flanker in place of Ross Rennie who does not make the match-day squad. Scotland prop Geoff Cross comes back into the pack at tight-head in place of Willem Nel. Club captain Greig Laidlaw has failed to recover from the shoulder injury he sustained in last week’s match  and his place at stand-off goes to Gregor Hunter while second row Sean Cox will skipper the team.

To win the match Bradley insists that Edinburgh must front up against the two-times former European champions and silence the home crowd. He said: “If we match them physically, and are patient and accurate in possession, then we have a chance to impose our game plan and not be dictated to by the Munster players and a Thomond Park crowd that will be desperate for a home win.”

Edinburgh Rugby team to play Munster in round two of the Heineken Cup at Thomond Park, Limerick (kick-off 12.45) – live on SkySports

15 Greig Tonks

14 Lee Jones
13 Nick De Luca
12 Ben Atiga
11 Tim Visser

10 Gregor Hunter
9 Richie Rees

1 John Yapp
2 Ross Ford
3 Geoff Cross
4 Grant Gilchrist
5 Sean Cox CAPTAIN
6 David Denton
7 Stuart McInally
8 Netani Talei

Substitutes
16 Andy Titterrell
17 Robin Hislop
18 Willem Nel
19 Robert McAlpine
20 Dimitri Basilaia
21 Chris Leck
22 Matt Scott
23 Tom Brown

Still room for a new school?

A report due to be discussed at the meeting of the full council next Thursday confirms that The City of Edinburgh Council remains totally committed to replacing the existing Portobello High School as soon as possible and that the preferred option remains to build it on part of Portobello Park.

The recent appeal outcome has shown that there is a significant gap in existing legislation which is preventing the Council from building on the park.  The Council has already written to Scottish Government Ministers in order to seek their support for a change in the legislation.

In order to gain as much support from the community as possible, changes are also being recommended to address what are believed to be the main concerns of some of the local community relating to the loss of open space in the area.

Councillor Paul Godzik, Education, Children and Families Convener said:- “We are committed to delivering these schools and we still believe that the park is the right place to build the new High School.  We have weighed up the different options for achieving this, and consider that a Private Act has the best prospect of success.  We will now pursue this, and consult widely with the local community on our proposals.

”Further to this, I am pleased to announce that we plan to build a new park to help address concerns by some of the local community around the loss of green space. I’m sure this news will be welcomed by all Portobello residents.”

Alison Johnstone, MSP for Lothian and education spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, said:-

“A private act of parliament would require the agreement of the Scottish Government to pass such a bill and also sufficient parliamentary time to be set aside. I believe the council should be pursing this option with the Scottish ministers in order to determine how quickly an Act could be passed. I believe it should apply only to the circumstances of Portobello and not to common good assets more generally.

“There may be alternative sites that will ensure a school can be built as quickly as possible if other approaches are unsuccessful. Any alternative site must be able to provide a high quality learning environment for our young people in the long term. If part of the park is to be built on then the council must abide by its original promise to provide compensatory open space in the area.”

The local community would have a say on what the new park would look like and be given free access to the all weather pitches which are planned to be built beside the new high school on part of Portobello Park when they weren’t in school use.

Further to this, officers are recommending a twin-track approach which would also include a back-up plan should the preferred option of building the new high school on part of Portobello Park ultimately prove to be unsuccessful.

A full review of potential sites in, and around, the area has confirmed yet again that there are very few alternative sites available.  Only three potential options have been identified and all are seen as a significant compromise in comparison to what the Portobello Park site would offer.

Sites under consideration include the former Scottish Power site at Baileyfield, which is currently for sale, and a site on the Brunstane Estate.  The other option would involve using the current high school site but extending it into the site currently occupied by St John’s RC Primary School.

As there is a limited time within which to decide on whether the Baileyfield site should be purchased, a feasibility study is underway to see if it is possible to build either of the schools there.  In addition, views will be sought from the school communities to establish the level of support for this alternative option.  This will inform a further report to Councillors on 22 November regarding whether, or not, consideration should be given to purchasing the Baileyfield site as a fall-back option.

Fifteen-year-old Sam McTannan is a superhero. As See-Thru Sam, he can be assured of a quiet life, passing unobserved and dodging any insults hurled in his direction (writing them all down in a book takes away their power to hurt). But when his parents are suddenly killed in a car crash, he finds his superpowers have deserted him, leaving him plainly visible to all around him – mostly do-gooders wanting to express their concern – but also exposed to the messy teen problems of infatuation, love and casual bullying. And with his blossoming friendship with Violet Morgana developing into something more serious, he needs all the superpowers he can muster to face the wrath of her boyfriend Chunk.

Johnny McKnight both writes and directs the latest offering from Glasgow-based theatre company Random Accomplice, and it’s a tight, pacey show, high on belly laughs but equally unafraid to stray into darker territory.

Performances from the three-strong cast are uniformly compelling. James Mackenzie and Julie Brown (who also produces) have their work cut out playing multiple characters – from block-headed school bully Chunk to bumbling domestic science teacher Mrs Timmins – but they rise to the challenge with relish. And James Young paints a pleasingly complex picture of Sam, sometimes gawky and naive, yet at other times possessed of a determined optimism.

The show’s real impact, though, comes from the seamless integration between the live actors and cartoon-like video animations by Jamie Macdonald, which provide vibrant backdrops and create some visually stunning effects – a poignant dance while the world dissolves into glittering stars brings a tear to the eye.

It’s a mark of the show’s bravery that it doesn’t shy away from difficult subjects, and the play’s surprisingly bleak yet poignant conclusion only serves to reinforce McKnight’s suggestions that all was not well with the apparently idyllic (and superhero-obsessed) family life snatched away from Sam. If it weren’t for McKnight’s gleefully potty-mouthed script, you might be mistake it for a family show (and it’s undeniably teen-friendly), but his subtle refusal to cast things in black and white ensures that it feels like a far more adult affair.

The Incredible Adventures of See-Thru Sam continues at the Traverse Theatre until 20 October

Save City Park – #myhighstreet call to action! – RBS Museum Lates: Behind the Masque – Scottish Storytelling Festival – Ryan’s Bar is 21!

Edinburgh’s City Park is a beautiful green space bounded by Pilton Drive, The Strada, West Winnelstrae and Ferry Road.

It has been a sports ground for decades and the home of Spartans football club since 1951. It is described as campaign organisers Save City Park as a haven for local wildlife, and is bounded by mature trees and meadow plants. It has provided local children a safe place to play for generations, and they say it is a vital part of Edinburgh’s landscape and heritage enhancing the city’s environment. It is one of a number of green “lungs” in the city which Save City Park believe may be used for a residential development.

City Park and meadow land behind West Winnelstrae are  under threat from a significant proposed housing development of affordable dwellings by the Link Group. There is a public meeting on Wednesday 24 October 2012 between 4.30 and 7.30 pm at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre, on Thursday 25 October 2012 at Spartans Community Football Academy between 4.30 and 7.30pm and on Monday 29 October 2012 the Community Council meets at the Royston Wardieburn Community Centre at 7pm.

A campaign group is growing through Twitter and you may also sign the petition to save the football ground here.

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We have been asking all week for people to put Edinburgh on the map by tweeting photos of our city with the hashtag #myhighstreet and either #celebrate or #change and indeed some of our Twitter followers have done just that!  You can read more about the  whole Celebrate the High Street project here and you can see the n0tice board for all four UK cities involved in the project by clicking here. We have copied some of the Tweets for you below so that you can get an idea of what we are asking for.

[<a href=”http://storify.com/edinreporter/myhighstreet-comes-to-edinburgh” target=”_blank”>View the story “#myhighstreet comes to Edinburgh” on Storify</a>]

Please take a photo or two while you are out this weekend!

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Tonight at the Museum 19:00 – 22:30 £10, £8 Concessions and Members.

Combination ticket with entry to Catherine the Great (normally £9) is £18 (£16 concession).
At this contemporary take on a Masquerade, a popular form of courtly entertainment amongst European rulers, visitors will be encouraged to wear masks or take inspiration from the museum’s collections to design their own on the night. The event links in with the Museum’s exhibitionCatherine the Great: An Enlightened Empress, which closes on Sunday 21 October. The Museum will be transformed into a sparkling world where nothing is quite what it seems, featuring a packed programme of bands, installations and performers.

Tickets are on sale now http://www.nms.ac.uk/lates or by phoning 0300 123 6789. Ticket holders can book tables at the Brasserie on 0131 247 4040 or 0131 247 4084.

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The Scottish Storytelling Festival 2012 begins today.

“The Scottish International Storytelling Festival is Scotland’s annual celebration of traditional and contemporary storytelling. The Festival brings together artists and audiences from Scotland and beyond in entertaining and inspiring live storytelling performances, thought-provoking talks, workshops and discussions and fun family activities.”

Here is the full programme:-

Sis f 12 Programme

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Last night Ryan’s Bar & The Cellar Restaurant celebrated their 21st birthday. Over the last two decades they have become a bit of an institution in the West End of Edinburgh, as have some of their regulars!

As part of their 21st Birthday Party, Jason Borthwick and his team at Ryan’s surprised their longest visiting regular, Tommy Hermansen, with a very special birthday cake.

Tommy is part of a group of regulars who have been visiting Ryan’s Bar since its first week of opening and is an expert when it comes to the history of the building. From its past as an upmarket confectioners, to when it was the source of Edinburgh’s food and flowers as Rankin’s Fruitmarket, to the friendly social hub it is today – Tommy has many stories to tell.

Although the staff had been planning it for weeks, Tommy had no idea that he was going to be given the honour of blowing out the candles – and when the whole bar started singing and the cake arrived, tech-savvy Tommy (who regularly posts on the Ryan’s Facebook page) decided to finish what he was doing on his phone before blowing out the twenty-first birthday candles!

Georgia Artus, Marketing Manager, said:-“We couldn’t believe it – the whole bar was standing waiting and good old Tommy decided to play on his phone! We waited twenty-one years, another few minutes didn’t hurt and it’s been a wonderful night.”

As part of the evening, Ryan’s invited around 70 of their friends, old staff and locals to sip prosecco and enjoy canapé versions of the seafood and steak menu in their candlelit Cellar Restaurant, including bringing back their famous Strawberry Cream Cupcakes!

The evening then continued upstairs with live music from Scarlet and sharing stories from over the years. Ryan’s are running a number of promotions in both the main bar and their Cellar Restaurant throughout October to celebrate their birthday and welcome everyone to come and pay them a visit.