Billy the Mime

Venue 88, Just the Tonic at the Caves

If you believe some subjects are too serious to joke about, then Billy the Mime is probably best avoided. The show involves a number of  brief scenarios illustrating some of the more contentious news events of recent years including a potted biography of Michael Jackson, 9/11, sexual abuse in the Catholic church, and more. There’s even a spectacularly politically incorrect mime of WWII. The audience are visibly uncomfortable for much of the show -there are audible gasps of  disbelief at some material. Some people hiss, several more walk out. Billy serves his sacred cows rare with a side of fries.

But on closer examination, the material is hardly more shocking than any of the usual political satire one finds on mainstream television. The power, it seems, is all in the mime. Turns out it’s one thing to make jokes about Charles and Diana’s misjudged marriage, but act it out and suddenly it hits uncomfortably close to the bone.

There are a few less controversial sketches thrown in for good measure (a History of Art from cave- to pop- is a particular high point) and often the humour of these surpasses the more controversial material, where so many of the laughs are derived largely from Billy’s audacity in presenting them at all.

The laughs may result from shock or discomfort, from Billy’s mastery of physical comedy, or from his irreverent take on everything from relationships to pop culture, but if you have there are plenty of jokes if you have the stomach for them.

Edinburgh Fringe website has booking information here

Macbeth: Who is That Bloodied Man?, Teatr Biuro Podrozy

Venue 311, Old College Quad

No venue in Edinburgh is better suited to epic-scale physical theatre than the Old College Quad, and Eastern Europe has a tradition of arresting, highly visual productions. So the combination of one of Edinburgh’s most dramatic venues and the award-winning Polish company Teatr Biuro Podrozy is a perfect match.

One for Shakespeare purists this is not. Key characters have disappeared. Much of the dialogue has been removed, and what remains is sometimes difficult to understand due to the echoey venue and booming audio system. The setting has been updated to a quasi 20th Century, the characters menacing in Nazi-style regalia. But the overall sensory effect is impossible to deny – the witches teeter on stilts, taunting Macbeth with eerie shrieks and ghostly wails. Shadowy characters in leather masks and sweeping black coats pursue a child through a stark woodland. Macbeth clambers over a castle of scaffolding as flames flicker around him. Voices echo and hiss, music alternates between ethereal vocals and menacing rhythms.

Come to this production expecting anything resembling traditional Shakespeare and you may leave disappointed, but those seeking a visual feast and stimulation for all the senses will be well rewarded.

Edinburgh Fringe website has booking information here

Police in Midlothian are appealing for witnesses after a woman was subjected to a serious sexual assault in Dalkeith at the weekend.

The incident happened within her home in Allan Terrace in the early hours of Sunday morning 5 August 2012.

The victim, who is in her 20s, had visited licensed premises in the area of Newmills Road just before midnight, and had returned home around 00.20am.  The suspect entered her house a short time later, and attacked her.

He is described as white, in his mid 20s, tanned complexion, 6ft tall, with a muscular build, and short dark hair.  He was wearing dark coloured jeans, a short sleeved top, and had a number of tattoos, including one on his left arm of an animal with distinctive red eyes.

Detective Chief Inspector Kenny Gray, from Lothian and Borders Police, said: “The victim has suffered a terrifying ordeal at the hands of the suspect, and she is currently being cared for by family.

“At this time we are appealing to anyone who was in the vicinity of Allan Terrace between 12 midnight and 2am on Sunday morning, who saw anyone acting suspiciously in the area, to contact police.

“We also want anyone who may have noticed a lone female walking in the area of Newmills Road, Gibraltar Road, or Allan Terrace just after midnight to get in touch.  The victim, who is described as 5ft 2ins tall with brown hair, was wearing black leggings, a cream top with elbow-length sleeves, and white flat shoes.

“We know that the victim struggled with the suspect, and he may have visible injuries to his face as a result.  We are appealing to anyone who recognises his description to contact us immediately.”

DCI Gray continued: “At this time I want to reassure people that crimes of this nature are extremely rare in Midlothian, and that we are devoting our full resources towards identifying the suspect.

“An inquiry team has been established at Dalkeith Police Station in order to investigate this crime, and we are increasing our patrols in the local community in order to provide reassurance to residents.”

NHS Lothian is warning people about the dangers of using unlicensed tattooists.

It comes following the arrest of a 28 year-old man in Edinburgh for allegedly carrying out tattoo work without the proper qualifications and licences.

Dr Duncan McCormick, Consultant in Public Health Medicine, NHS Lothian, said:- “Unhygienic tattoo equipment carries a risk of infection of blood-borne viruses including Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV.   We would advise anyone who has recently had a tattoo that was not from a licensed tattoo parlour to contact the NHS Lothian Health Protection Team on 0131 465 5420 from Monday to Friday between the hours of 9am and 5pm. The Health Protection Team will be able to provide initial advice and give information on testing and support if required.”

Lothian and Borders Police and Environmental Wardens from the City of Edinburgh Council carried out a joint investigation following intelligence that members of the public in the Capital and Midlothian were paying for tattoo sessions from an individual without the appropriate qualifications or permissions.

In each case the tattoo artist would visit their homes to carry out the work.

A police spokesman said: “It is likely that only a small number of people have been affected. However, we are keen to make sure anyone who received a tattoo at home from an individual they met in Edinburgh seeks the appropriate medical advice from NHS Lothian.

“Tattooing requires a licence, which guarantees customers safe and hygienic practices by the artist.”

New traffic management plans were announced today following discussions with local residents and businesses affected by the city centre tram works, some of which took place as recently as last night at the New Town Community Council meeting which we brought to you live.

The Council has been consulting with the local community in recent months to decide the best way to manage traffic while tram works are carried out in York Place.  Many residents have complained about the apparent increase in volume and speed of traffic in certain New Town streets such as the corridor from Heriot Row to Broughton Street, but council staff were on hand last night to show off their traffic modelling. They claimed that this would mean less traffic in the New Town if the primary route through the city centre was opened up to two lanes on Princes Street at the East End next to the Balmoral Hotel.

The following arrangements have now been confirmed:

• Princes Street reopened to general traffic between south St David Street and the east end from the end of November after this was identified as a key priority for road users and local businesses.

• The Albany / Broughton Street junction will be open to all traffic from mid-September but signalised pedestrian crossings will be installed

Transport Convener, Councillor Lesley Hinds, said:- “The tram works are making good progress and I am very pleased that we are now in a position to plan the traffic management around the next phase of work.

“We are committed to listening to the people that are most affected by the works, with the aim of minimising the impact as much as we can. We have taken the views local residents and businesses into account and they have helped shape the new arrangements. Their input has been invaluable and we will continue to liaise with them as we focus on the delivery of Edinburgh trams.”

A feasibility study will also consider reopening Shandwick Place to pedestrians, and later buses, from Lothian Road to Canning Street. The study will look at the impact this would have on the Council’s completion targets and measure it against the benefits of improving access while the works are carried out.

Cyclist killed – Policy and Strategy Committee – New Town Community Council – Exam results today! – London 2012

Police are appealing for help identifying a cyclist involved in a fatal road collision in the Scottish Borders yesterday.

The incident happened at around 4.20pm on Monday 6 August 2012 on the A703 Edinburgh to Peebles Road, approximately 300 metres north of Peebles.

The cyclist, who was travelling north, appears to have lost control of the bicycle, veered into the southbound carriageway and collided with a Fiat Panda.

Witnesses at the locus administered first aid until emergency services arrived, however he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The cyclist is described as being a male between 40 – 50 years old using a blue and white Peugeot racing bike. He was wearing a yellow jacket, blue and yellow cycle top, and black cycling shorts.

The road was closed for around three and a half hours while collision investigation and vehicle recovery took place.

Officers are following a number of lines of enquiry, however it is believed the cyclist may have become medically unwell immediately prior to the collision.

Sergeant Brian Jones from Lothian and Borders Police Road Policing Branch said: “This was a terribly sad incident which has left a man dead and a number of witnesses greatly affected.

“There may be someone out there who recognises the description of this cyclist and I would appeal to them to come forward as a matter of urgency.

“Similarly I would appeal to anyone who may have witnessed the incident to come forward – they may have vital information that could greatly assist us in establishing the full circumstances.”

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Galashiels Police Station on 01896 664545 or the Force Communication Centre on 0131 311 3131.

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The council’s Policy and Strategy Committee meets this morning. One of the items on the agenda will be an update to the council on the Property Conservation Service and an “update on how the outstanding issues are being addressed.” This is the department which is subject to an ongoing police investigation, following allegations of corruption and wrongdoing. According to the report before the meeting today the internal disciplinary investigations are almost at an end. It shows that 2 members of staff have been dismissed but have appealed against dismissal, 2 have been dismissed and have not appealed, 1 is proceeding to a disciplinary hearing, 2 have retired or resigned and 2 are still under investigation. There is to be a new service put in place and a separate report has been produced about that. The bottom line is that this results in a loss of revenue for the council while there are investigations into suspended statutory notices, which are said to total around £5.9m.

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A meeting of the New Town Community Council last night heard that there will be changes to traffic diversions by the end of November which are designed to take traffic away from New Town streets such as Abercromby Place and Albany Street. The modelling system shown off by the council estimates that this will reduce the increased traffic in the New Town area, and Councillor Lesley Hinds, the transport convenor, explained that the changes were a response from the tram team to her challenge to them to find an answer which will be acceptable to the city centre residents. Traffic will be routed along two lanes each way outside the Balmoral Hotel and will be encouraged to travel

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Thousands of pupils across Edinburgh will today receive the exam results they have been working and waiting for.

So another six days of Olympics 2012 to go and already we have a gold post box to commemorate Sir Chris Hoy’s gold medal. Will he win another one today? Does that mean another gold postbox? We shall have to see!  Have you used the gold postbox on Hanover Street yet?

The New Town Community Council is meeting to discuss one topic tonight at Broughton St Mary’s Parish Church on Bellevue Crescent:- Trams and road diversions through the City Centre and the New Town in particular.

The Reporter is at the meeting and we hope that the liveblog will bring you the flavour of discussion, who is here and who is saying what. If you would like to comment you can do so either by adding a comment to the Cover it Live screen or by adding a comment to our article below.

The group had been given until tomorrow 7 August 2012 to put together a bid for the former Leith Waterworld premises. They required to organise funding for the lease, the refurbishment of the premises as well as the running costs going forward.

The community bid, which comprises a detailed business case and offer letter, will be handed in in person by campaign representatives to the CEC headquarters at Waverley Court tomorrow morning, just ahead of the closing date at 12 noon.

Campaigner Johnny Gailey said:- “We’re taking our community bid to the Council, handing over the torch to them. It is only fitting that, during this exciting Olympic time, the future of such a well-loved and accessible pool is secured for the people of Leith, all of Edinburgh and beyond. We are providing a proposal, a springboard, for a new beginning for Waterworld, and we hope the Council will take a leap of faith and dive in.”

Fellow campaigner Ida Maspero said: “We believe our business case and supporting documents demonstrate that best value – in the broadest sense, not simply financial – will be achieved by giving the community a chance to re-open this unique and much-loved leisure pool.”

The business case draws heavily on the results of an extensive user survey run by Splashback between mid-May and end-July.  The survey, which saw over 800 responses, is part impact study and part market research. It reveals the damaging impact of the closure in January, with 74% of respondents saying that they are now swimming less since Leith Waterworld closed.

Maspero continued: “Waterworld’s unique features – particularly its warmer water temperature and shallow beach area – made it particularly popular with parents of young children to gain early water confidence, and for those with disabilities to enjoy the freedom of water. The survey has seen a good number of responses from people with disabilities or their carers, identified by respondents as a user group for whom Waterworld was particularly important.”

One respondent wrote: I attended Leith Waterworld almost every saturday and sunday for the last 5 years.  I am a carer for a young man with Down Syndrome and we loved coming along every weekend, sometimes both days.  Then I had my daughter 2 years ago and brought her every weekend too.  It is very badly missed!

The council passed a motion in June instigated by the Leisure Convenor Richard Lewis to try and assist the group with the information they will need from council officers to finalise their paperwork.

You can access this and all of our other articles when you are out and about in Edinburgh by using the Wikitude App on your smartphone. This allows you to search for The Edinburgh Reporter and. using technology called Augmented Reality, you will find the articles which are written about the area of Edinburgh where you are at the time.  All of our articles are geotagged with an appropriate location. So for example if you want to read all of our Hibs related articles then when you are at Easter Road you can find them by using the app.

Firefighters rescued a woman in her forties and her springer spaniel from the River Esk at Wedderburn Terrace, Musselburgh yesterday lunchtime.

Two fire engines and an incident support unit attended the incident after receiving the call at 11.47am. Specialist water rescue teams found the lady and her dog stuck in the water up to waist height. Crews used water rescue lines, harnesses and a short extension ladder to rescue the trapped casualty. The woman and her dog were rescued by 12.15pm.

An ambulance crew was at the scene but it is not believed that the lady or her dog, Ollie, were injured.

Goals by Johnny Russell, Jon Daly and substitute Michael Gardyne were enough to secure all three points for Dundee United against a disappointing Hibs side at Tannadice yesterday.

Pat Fenlon kicked off the campaign with one change from the eleven who started last week’s friendly against Huddersfield, with summer signing Paul Cairney replacing Honduran international Jorge Claros in midfield. Dundee United kept faith the team who drew 2-2 against Dynamo Moscow in midweek.

Goalkeeper Ben Williams made his competitive debut in Scotland and found himself up against a familiar face in John Rankin. Both were at Manchester United together and have remained friends ever since.

Surprise package David Stephens who hardly figured in the team last year partnered captain James McPake in the centre of the defence, leaving Paul Hanlon at left back and new signing Tim Clancy on the right.

Ivan Sproule, David Wotherspoon, Lewis Stevenson, Paul Cairney and Eoin Doyle completed a five man midfield with Leigh Griffiths up front on his own.

Youngsters Ross Caldwell and Danny Handling who both scored during the pre-season tour had to be content with a place on the bench.

Manager Pat Fenlon was missing from the dugout after being suspended following a gesture made at the cup final and his place was taken by his assistant Liam O’Brien. .New signing Gary Deegan was ineligible for the game and will join his new team-mates on Monday at the East Mains Training Ground and should feature in the derby against Hearts next Saturday.

During the warm up, referee Craig Thompson wisely kept away from the large Hibs travelling support who continued to subject him to abuse throughout the game following his performance in the cup final when he wrongly awarded a penalty following a dive by Hearts winger Santana.

United started brightly and had a penalty claim turned down in the first minute when Johnny Russell latched onto a poor header by Stephens but Williams cleared the danger.

Two minutes later, United took the lead as the Hibs defence failed to deal with a Barry Douglas cross. Jon Daly won the header which fell to Rankin. The ex Hibs man nodded the ball to Russell on the edge of the six yards box and the striker made no mistake and smashed the pall into the net. The visitors protested that Rankin had blocked Clancy in the run up to the goal, but Thompson ignored the appeals.

On eight minutes, Russell went close again with a long range shot was well saved by Williams, and Hibs struggled to get a foothold in the game.

Young winger Gary McKay Stevens was causing problems down the left wing, and the former Airdrie star went close with a long range effort which went narrowly past the post.

Wotherspoon did well to win a corner which fell to Griffiths but the strikers shot was blocked as Hibs fought back. Doyle then latched onto a long ball from Hanlon which he controlled on his chest his well struck shot went just past the upright. Wotherspoon sent Sproule clear, but no-one was in the box to meet the flying wingers cross.

Williams then showed why Pat Fenlon has so much confidence in his ability with a superb save from a Jon Daly header, turning the ball round the post for a corner.

Good work between Griffiths and Wotherspoon found Sproule free on the wing, but once again the wingers cross failed to find a green jersey.

Peter Houston was the happier manager when the half time whistle blew although he would have wondered why his team were only one ahead given their dominance. The touch line ban for Fenlon extended to the dressing room and it was left to O’Brien to give the half time team talk.

United replaced the injured Sean Dillon with former Preston player Brian McLean whilst Hibs kept the same eleven.

Johnny Russell should have doubled the home side’s lead shortly after the break when a great run and pass from McKay-Steven found the youngster unmarked in the box, but he rushed his shop and Williams was relieved to see the ball whistle past the post. Daly then went close with a shot which Williams did well to hold.

Mackay-Steven then showed some neat touches to dribble past Stephens but his cross failed to find the target.

Hibs fought back with some good interplay between Griffiths and Doyle but the Irishman’s through ball to Cairney was cleared for a corner. Despite the odd counter attack from Hibs, United continued to dominate possession. On 58 minutes youngster Danny Handling replaced Lewis Stevenson as Hibs changed to a more traditional 4-4-2 system with Handling joining Griffiths up front.

Griffiths was booked for a trip on Mackay-Steven, before United secured the points on 73 minutes with a Jon Daly header. Hanlon cleared a United free kick, but his header fell to the man of the match Mackay-Steven, and his cross was met by the giant Dubliner who nodded the ball into the net.

Mackay-Steven left the field to a standing ovation with ten minutes remaining and United claimed top spot in the league table when substitute Michael Gardyne found himself one on one with the keeper and calmly slotted the ball into the net.

Afterwards a dejected Pat Fenlon told BBC Scotland: -“I’m disappointed more than angry. We’ll make changes after that performance, but there’s key areas in the team that we need to strengthen.”

“You spend days preparing your team and organising and you concede a goal after two or three minutes, It gives you a mountain to climb. I’m disappointed that they didn’t carry out what I asked them to carry out. That’s the major disappointment.

“The frustration of not being on the bench doesn’t help as well. We’ve released a lot of players since the end of last season and we need to bring players in. We’re a little bit short. .If you look at the striker options we had on the bench. We were able to bring on two kids and that’s really it. You need competition for places within your squad as well.”

Overall, a disappointing ninety minutes for Pat Fenlon’s men with only Williams, Cairney and Doyle gaining pass marks.

Hibs next fixture is against city rivals Hearts next Saturday, and judging by today’s performance Pat Fenlon will be a busy man this week,

Dundee United: Gierzniak, Watson, Dillon, Douglas, Flood, Rankin, Ryan, MacKay-Stevens, Russell, Daly. Subs Banks, McLean, Robertson, Millar, Armstrong, Gardyne, Dow

Hibs: Williams, Clancy, McPake, Stephens, Hanlon, Cairney, Stevenson, Sproule, Wotherspoon, Doyle, Griffiths. Subs: Antell, Caldwell, O’Hanlon, Booth, Pa Kujabi, Cairney, Handling.

Attendance 7267

Cuckoo’s Bakery have a scrumptious range of summer cupcakes

While Summer 2012 in the UK probably won’t be remembered for scorching hot weather (certainly not in Edinburgh!) it will be the setting for many iconic events in the British calendar.  Cuckoo’s Bakery on Dundas Street have devised a range of seasonal specials guaranteed to keep customers happy all summer long.

Even if it raining cats and dogs outside, these summery and uplifting treats will make you feel like you have just had two weeks of perfect sun!

Strawberries and Cream – a cupcake homage to the classic Wimbledon fare.  Delicious fresh strawberry sponge topped with vanilla buttercream, fresh strawberries and meringue.

Summer Fruit Smoothie  – classic vanilla sponge filled with a raspberry and kiwi coulis, topped with banana buttercream – with all this fruit, surely this cupcake is athlete endorsed?!

Pimm’s – a royal union of orange, peppermint  & Pimm’s sponge with a lime and Pimm’s jelly filling, crowned with a strawberry cucumber buttercream.

Lemon & Blueberry Cheesecake – a summertime favourite with a Cuckoo’s twist. Lemon, blueberry and white choc chip cheesecake sponge with lemon cream cheese frosting.

Lychee and Lime – take your taste buds on an exotic vacation with a lime sponge cupcake filled with lime and lychee curd, topped with lychee buttercream.

Pistachio, Lime and Basil – pistachio and basil sponge with a zingy lime and basil buttercream.

Replacing some of Cuckoo’s regular flavours, all six summer cupcakes will be available every day until August 26^th.  So you will have all summer long to sample each and every one!

Police in Edinburgh are appealing for witnesses following an alleged serious sexual assault that happened within the grounds of a church in the city centre at the weekend.

The 45-year-old female victim was assaulted in the area of the graveyard at St Cuthbert’s Church, by Lothian Road.

The incident happened between 11pm on Saturday (August 4) and 00.30am the following day.

Police have arrested and charged a 43-year-old man in connection with the assault, and he is expected to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today.

A Lothian and Borders Police spokesman said: “The graveyard is located close to Lothian Road, and we are appealing to anyone who was in the area at the time, who noticed the victim and the suspect there, or saw or heard anything suspicious, to contact police immediately.”

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

Man dies in city park – Fringe by the Sea starts today! – Community Council meetings tonight – Evelyn Glennie tickets – Street Soccer

A 27 year-old is reported to have died in Balgreen Park at the weekend. The Edinburgh Evening News has full details and Lothian and Borders Police are seeking help from two people  who went to his aid, but did not speak to the police before leaving.

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Fringe by the Sea runs in North Berwick. Not that this should make it difficult for you. There are plenty of transport options available to get to and from the alternative event with late trains running back into Edinburgh.

Once again Fringe by the Sea in North Berwick will be trailblazing this August. Proudly boasting the only Spiegeltent to feature in the whole Edinburgh Festival in 2009, this remarkable little jewel of an event – now in its fifth year – will be the only place you can find TWO Spiegeltents during the August mayhem that is ‘festival time’.

This afternoon between 3 & 5 you can watch (and perhaps join in) the Samba on the High Street performed by Samba Commotion an all-women band from Edinburgh.

Not content with a rapid growth through the various sizes to the ‘daddy of them all’ last year, [the fantastic 600-seater direct from the Classens family in Belgium – now in the 7^th generation of Spiegeltent makers and suppliers], in a few weeks time the harbour area in North Berwick will be bulging with wood, mirrors and canvas as it is joined by a second mere 350-seater little brother.

With the entire event offering some 70 performances over the seven days from 6^th-12^thAugust, there needed to be more capacity for the audience of over 7,000 to fully enjoy the unique atmosphere and varied entertainment on offer. There will be six performance spaces throughout the town, with the harbour ‘hub’ involving both tents plus the Scottish Seabird Centre for formal as well as informal events.

Check out the website www.fringebythesea.com or pick up a programme brochure to see the full details of what is on offer.

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The West End Community Council meets tonight at  7.30pm at Ashfield, 61 Melville Street, Edinburgh. The New Town and Broughton Community Council meets this evening at Broughton St Mary’s Church at 7.30 pm. We understand that Transport Convenor Councillor Lesley Hinds is attending this meeting to try and listen to some of the local residents’ worries over increased traffic on New Town streets. THe meeting is billed as  a single issue meeting about York Place Tramworks. If that concerns you then either try to make it along or follow our liveblog of the event.

We took our own little mini video the other week of traffic in Abercromby Place one evening at about 5, showing 62 vehicles passing along the street in 2 minutes 39 seconds. It seems clear that traffic is heavier, but what is perhaps worse is the fact that the traffic seems to be moving more quickly along Heriot Row to Broughton Street, only stopping to allow many cars to do U-turns on Albany Street and Heriot Row to get round the no left or right turn signs. Are we heading for serious incidents on our city streets as tempers fray? Should we have lower speed limits to deal with the traffic? The New Town CC meeting may discuss this and more.

Gorgie/Dalry Community Council also meet tonight at 7.00pm at Church Hall of  St. Martin’s Church, 232 Dalry Rd 

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Dame Evelyn Glennie – tickets on sale today for her October show in Edinburgh which will take place on Thursday 11 October 2012, 7.30pm at the National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh

Fresh from drumming for the Queen at last week’s Olympic Games opening ceremony, Dame Evelyn Glennie has another royal appointment, this time performing in the shadow of Catherine the Great at the National Museum of Scotland this autumn.

Tickets go on sale today for her first Edinburgh performance in Edinburgh since 2007. Glennie will join forces with Russian visual artist Maria Rud, cellist Philip Sheppard and vocal consort Canty for a spectacular AniMotion performance in the Museum’s Grand Gallery, which promises to bring together music and painting, and Scotland and Russia.

The performance will feature the world premiere of music composed by Glennie and Sheppard especially for the show.

The programme reflects the creative spirit of Catherine’s court and to the deep symbiosis between art and music in Russian culture, incorporating early Russian sacred music and work by Bartiyansky who composed for Catherine herself, as well as contemporary pieces. The audience will be free to move around and enjoy the spectacle from different positions within the Grand Gallery’s spectacular architecture creating a night that will be utterly unforgettable.

AniMotion is a concept developed by acclaimed Russian artist Maria Rud over the last two years in collaboration with a host of musicians across a range of genres. While the musicians perform, Maria paints a narrative piece on a lightbox, which is projected onto a large screen in real time for the audience to behold. Collaborators thus far include folk artist Nuala Kennedy, punk icon Fay Fife and downtempo DJ Dolphinboy. Venues have ranged from abandoned office blocks to St. Giles Cathedral. The National Museum of Scotland AniMotion will be the first in a series of collaborations between Maria and Evelyn.

Dame Evelyn Glennie said:

“The AniMotion project is very exciting and pushes the boundaries of all the participants, including myself. Our aim is to bring art and music together in an extremely new and unique way, almost theatrical, in that the players are all artists of notoriety in their own right, the auditorium teeming with art works and eclectic musical instruments. To premiere this new work in the amazing setting of the Grand Gallery of the National Museum of Scotland will be a thrilling experience for us and, we trust, for the audience.”

Maria Rud said:

“The visual works reveal themselves to me. They are not the results of deliberation. With AniMotion, a visual narrative comes in response to a particular composition. The imagery is provoked by the music but is not intended to illustrate it. The relation between image and sound is one of resonant co-existence, of chemistry across the senses, a subtle formula that gives audiences the freedom to become engrossed in the totality of the performance without feeling that there is something to ‘get’. I am looking forward very much to performing in the Museum, with Evelyn, Philip and Canty, and the creative spirit of the court of Catherine the Great.”

Stephen Allen, Head of Learning and Programmes at National Museums Scotland, said:

“We are very excited to be hosting this fabulous event. The National Museum of Scotland and its fantastic collections and setting inspire creativity in all its forms. This performance, combining music, visual art and the inspiration of our Catherine the Great exhibition promises to be a fantastic expression of that, and a truly memorable occasion for all who attend.”

The event is supported by Balfour and Manson LLP and Amati Global Investors Ltd, with additional funding from Arts & Business Scotland (A&BS), the national charity dedicated to encouraging new and sustainable arts and business relationships.

The event will take place at the National Museum of Scotland on Thursday 11 October 2012 at 19.30 (ends 21.30). Tickets are £18 (£16 concessions and Museum members).

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Lothian and Borders Police have been working in partnership with Street Soccer (Scotland) to develop a youth diversionary programme to be run throughout the summer holidays in a bid to engage with local youths.

Street Soccer (Scotland) is a non-profit social enterprise that delivers a range of football related services, inspired by personal experience of how sport can create real positive change, whilst developing individuals into making positive choices in their lives.  Young people will be provided with an opportunity to meet new people, improve their physical and mental health and increase their confidence.

Youth Community Officers, PC Kathryn Johnstone and PC Lynne Cochrane have been working with David Duke, CEO Street Soccer (Scotland) to organise this summer initiative, which will take place at the following locations in order to encourage a wide range of young people to attend.

Street workers and local youth groups as well as members from Lothian and Borders Community Policing Team will all be involved to provide support and encouragement.

The programme is free and participants can attend as many sessions as they want in either location.  Males and females are both welcome between the ages of 12 – 18 years.

The sessions will include

• Fun Games
• Skills sessions
• Careers Advice
• Cup Tournaments and Prizes

We were actually sitting at a rectangular table upstairs in Hemma on Holyrood Road, but the idea was to discuss what we had seen and heard over the few days and look forward to the next weeks of Fringe madness….

The Reporter editor, Phyllis, was joined by Bob Doherty, Lilly Lyle and Stewart Lochhead, along with director Lee Gershuny of the Elements World Theatre. Sit back relax and let us tell you about our Fringe so far.

We are meeting at Hemma next Sunday 12 August 2012 at 12 noon so come along and join us then!

Young people from City of Edinburgh’s schools and colleges will be among 160,000 students in Scotland who will get their exam results on Tuesday, August 7.

Whether they are thinking about university or college, training, getting a job or need another option, help is at hand with a free call to the Skills Development Scotland (SDS) Exam Results Helpline on 0808 100 8000.

SDS Chief Executive Damien Yeates said: “The Exam Results Helpline will be live from 8am on August 7 as people begin to receive their SQA qualifications. It’s there to give advice and support to students and their parents whether they are thinking about going to college or university, getting a job or a Modern Apprenticeship.”

This year students will enjoy more support than ever before thanks to the newly launched SDS Facebook page. Offering answers to common problems, handy hints for making the best career move and practical tools and advice from the My World of Work website, it also features useful links to other relevant bodies such as UCAS, SAAS and the SQA.

Mr Yeates added: “As always our advice is not to panic – making the call is the vital first move in finding out what options are available. Often parents or carers call on behalf of their children and that can enable family discussions on the best way ahead. The helpline is about finding the right path for the individual and we have a wide range of services to help people identify and build successful careers.”

Advisers will be on hand to give unique access to information on UCAS course vacancies at colleges and universities across the UK, Confirmation and Clearing, advice about employment, training opportunities and exam re-sits.

The Exam Results Helpline will run from 8am to 8pm on August 7 and 8, then from 9am to 5pm until August 15.

Further information is available on the Skills Development Scotland website – www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk

York Place closed to all traffic – Edinburgh Festival Fringe – Edinburgh Reporter Radio – Burke and Hare – Brave

It has been reported to us that York Place may be closed to all traffic this afternoon due to subsidence. We have not been able to get any photos yet but hope to do so in a while. If you have any then please send them and we will share them with our readers. A manhole cover has been removed and replaced with a metal sheet, but there is a one metre deep hole in the road due to the subsidence,  and Lothian and Borders Police say that there will be no access to the road for some time.

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Difficult to believe there is anything else going on in Edinburgh other than the Fringe. Some had predicted that it would be eclipsed by the London Olympics, although others have differing opinions on that. But if you are still not sure what to go and see then we recommend using the official Fringe Site or a Fringe App to find out last minute news of shows that are on around you.

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The gown worn by the presiding judge at the Burke and Hare trial has popped up according to the story in Scotland on Sunday. The robe was worn by David Boyle who is an ancestor of the Earls of Glasgow who live at Kelburn Castle where the relic was found.

Today we have recorded our first Edinburgh Reporter Radio Round Table event at Hemma on Holyrood Road when we had a couple of guests who told us what they had seen or what they were looking forward to. You will be able to listen to it here later this afternoon. You can join us next week at noon at Hemma again, or you can send us your Festival sounds by using Soundcloud and tagging them with Edinburghreporterradio.

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Since the weather has taken a turn for the worse maybe it is time to go to the cinema. Brave is on at the Filmhouse and other Edinburgh cinemas this afternoon. Listen to our interview with the stars of the movie, and the director here. 

Teenage heart throb Ollie Garland, visited Edinburgh’s Sick Kids Hospital last night as part of his promotional tour which will see him play live and meet children in nine UK hospitals.

The Bristol born singer / songwriter is donating the proceeds of his new single ‘Dry Your Eyes’ to children’s hospital charity Radio Lollipop. Ollie has over 35,000 followers on Twitter, and his debut single “It’s all about you” was a smash when it was launched on ITunes back in April.

Ollie is thrilled to be taking part in promoting and fund-raising for Radio Lollipop – a charity established 33 years ago to bring care, comfort, play and entertainment to sick children in hospital.  He believes Radio Lollipop to be a great cause and it is near to his heart as his cousin regularly receives treatment and care at Bristol’s children’s hospital.

Prior to visiting the hospital, Ollie met some of his fans, and treated them to a few songs in the Hilton Hotel in Grosvenor Crescent.

Taking a break from signing his autograph on photos, phones and CDs, the 17 year old spoke exclusively to the Edinburgh Reporter to explain why the charity means so much to him.

“My cousin Lulu is only seven years old and she has brain damage. Radio Lollipop have been really good to her and having visited the Hospital and seen the work that Radio Lollipop does, I felt that I wanted to do something in return.

“My single “Dry Your Eyes” that I wrote especially to do this, puts across the feelings that children go through when they’re in hospital and the support that they get from Radio Lollipop’s volunteers. I’m honoured to be able to do it.

“I recorded it in Nashville which was an amazing experience. I will be visiting nine hospitals, and doing seven ‘meet and greets.’

“I flew into Edinburgh this morning and will be performing tomorrow at the Edinburgh Festival before travelling to Newcastle then back up the road to Glasgow. The tour ends with a VIP Party where celebrities such as Peter Andre and Joey Essex will be there.”

Hedley Finn MBE, Chairman of Radio Lollipop UK said: “We are happy and proud to have such a talented young artist supporting our sick children.  It will be an excellent promotional activity for our cause alongside fund-raising for much needed play materials and to help develop our ambition of providing our Radio Lollipop service in more of the UK’s specialist children’s hospitals.  Ollie G will be visiting our hospitals in Bristol, Southampton, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Glasgow (with a link to Dundee), Manchester, Birmingham, Evelina in Westminster and concluding at Great Ormond Street Hospital.  The children, their families and our volunteers are all looking forward to meeting Ollie and listening to his special Radio Lollipop inspired song”.

With Ollie’s career going from strength to strength, the unassuming youngster also spoke of his ambitions and immediate future once this tour is over. He said: “My ambition is to be a successful artist, travel the world and have a number one single. Headlining Wembley would be great as well. I am hopeful that this song will get into the charts and Christian Beadle is supporting it on twitter. After the Radio Lollipop tour, I will be performing in front of 40,000 fans in Swansea supporting ‘Steps’ which will be crazy.”

Today Ollie will be performing at Burdiehouse Community Centre.

Ollie’s tour of Radio Lollipop hospitals is being supported by Great Western Railway and Holiday Inn – to ensure costs are kept to a minimum and that the maximum amount is available for Radio Lollipop causes.

Radio Lollipop provides care, comfort, play and entertainment for children and young people, primarily in hospitals. The service to children and young people is provided entirely by volunteers who have been selected, and trained to make a child’s stay in hospital more fun

Radio Lollipop is currently in 26 hospitals around the world in the UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand. The charity is in the process of expanding into other countries, including to Cape Town, South Africa – home of the only dedicated children’s hospital in sub-Saharan Africa.

Most of the hospitals where a Radio Lollipop service is provided have a radio studio, providing a unique child‐orientated programme of interactive competitions, music, stories and games.

Modern trains with old fashioned service!

As the train operator of the main line service between Edinburgh and London, East Coast come in for a fair amount of flack, so we want to share with you some news about a great service which they are offering right now during August, and which we benefitted from over last weekend.

When you get to King’s Cross station, they will take your bags in the guard’s van (which is situated at the very back of the train) thus saving you all the bother and harassment of carrying and stowing your cases at either end of the carriage. It is old style service and it is free. They give you a ticket for your case and you simply pick it up from the back of the train at Waverley.

The Reporter spoke to the East Coast Media Office and their spokesman explained that they know when a train is going to be busy from the online bookings. So they have taken on about 100 temporary staff and about 100 volunteers who are working in all stations but especially at King’s Cross this August. ” The travel patterns are a lot different because of the Olympic Games and we have extra staff to try and help customers with their luggage. We help with that where we have the means and the people to do it. We have organised this service in previous years for the Edinburgh Festival when the trains are particularly busy. It really helps the trains to run on time.”

They have guidelines on their website as to how much luggage you can take on a train with you, and that is also mostly free of charge, except for really large items. Sadly the luggage service may only be available during the Olympics and the Edinburgh Festival which is one of their busiest times, unless of course we like the service and tell them so!

East Coast operates on routes totalling 920 miles, from Inverness and Aberdeen to London with 43 trains; 30 electric trains, called Mallards, and 13 diesel trains, known as HSTs (High Speed Trains). They run 136 services per weekday and around 90 services on Saturdays and Sundays.

Glowing minerals, fluorescing fossils and glimmering uranium glass bottles are lighting up the dark in the first UK solo exhibition by acclaimed Dutch artist Melvin Moti at the National Museum of Scotland.

One Thousand Points of Light features a new film focusing on light reactive minerals and objects chosen by Melvin Moti from National Museums Scotland’s collections. Working behind the scenes, Moti was immediately drawn to National Museums Scotland’s collection of fluorescent minerals. These rocks absorb UV light and emit visible light – glowing with a spectrum of vibrant colours. His new film Eigenlicht, meaning ‘intrinsic light’, takes these rocks as its subject, capturing their changing colours as they float through a vacuum of dark space.

The film will be shown alongside selected objects, including a scientific demonstration once owned by photography pioneer Henry Fox Talbot, a fluorescing scorpion and a glowing jellyfish.

One Thousand Points of Light, part of the Edinburgh Art Festival 2012, is supported by Creative Scotland with additional support from the Mondriaan Fund. It is part of the Edinburgh Art Festival which has just begun.

There are several events surrounding the exhibition and you can get more details here on the Museum website. 

You can access this and all of our other articles when you are out and about in Edinburgh by using the Wikitude App on your smartphone. This allows you to search for The Edinburgh Reporter and. using technology called Augmented Reality, you will find the articles which are written about the area of Edinburgh where you are at the time.  All of our articles are geotagged with an appropriate location. So for example if you want to read all of our Hibs related articles then when you are at Easter Road you can find them by using the app.

Royal Mail today revealed that it will be painting some of its iconic and much-loved red post boxes gold to celebrate every Team GB and ParalympicsGB gold medal win during the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

This will be a unique, highly visible and fitting way to recognise the successes of Team GB and ParalympicsGB during this summer’s global sporting events.  The UK is believed to be the first country to paint its post boxes gold to celebrate Olympic and Paralympic gold medal wins.

A dedicated team will be on standby to transform the specially selected post boxes within days of a win.  The post boxes chosen will, wherever possible, be in the home-town of the winning athlete, or both home-towns for teams of two.  To celebrate a gold medal win by teams of more than two competitors, the post box chosen to be painted gold will be in a location relevant to all team members.

Royal Mail’s post boxes are a much-loved part of the UK landscape. The UK was among the first countries to erect post boxes.  Anthony Trollope, the famous nineteenth century author and former Chief Secretary to the Postmaster General, is credited with introducing pillar boxes to the UK, having seen them in France and Belgium.

Many of the first UK post boxes were painted green to blend in with the landscape. However, to make them more visible to the public, bright red was introduced in 1874.  Red has remained the standard colour for UK boxes from then on, with few exceptions.

The gold boxes will remain in use and customers will be able to post mail in these boxes as normal.  Mail collections from the boxes will also be unaffected.  The boxes will be repainted in Royal Mail’s traditional red in due course.

Royal Mail demonstrated how the boxes will change from red to gold by painting a box in near to Westminster Abbey, London.

Post boxes will not be the only things turning gold this summer.  Royal Mail will issue special stamps to celebrate each Team GB gold medal win at the London 2012 Games.  Team GB Gold Medal stamps will be produced capturing an action image of each Team GB member or team that wins gold this summer.

These stamps will go on sale at over 500 Post Office branches within 24 hours of a Team GB gold medal win.  All of these branches will open on Sundays, many for the first time, during the Games to allow customers to buy the stamps as soon as they become available.  A further 4,700 branches will be selling the Gold Medal stamps within a week of a win.

Royal Mail will also be the first postal administration to commemorate the gold medal wins of the national Paralympic team by featuring them on a set of six special stamps.  Each stamp will feature a different group of ParalympicsGB gold medal winners. These stamps will be available for sale in over 5.200 Post Office branches from 27 September 2012.

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As well as having a post box painted gold in his honour, Olympic cyclist, Sir Chris Hoy, may be getting the Freedom of the City too. STV Edinburgh appear to have been first with the story that Councillor Steve Cardownie has “set the wheels in motion” and that Sir Chris

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Fringe by the Sea gets going this week. We are told there will be More talent, more choice, more fun…………The 2012 Fringe by the Sea Programme has a fresh feel and some brilliant talent. Running from 6^th-12^th August, and counting on the weather being kinder than last year, the organisers are confidently predicting a ‘best ever’ result. And looking at the performers and events planned, who would argue with that. The Spiegeltent, with its capacity of 600, will again be the iconic venue – representing the hub of the action and taking over the harbour area. Names like The Manfreds, Fat Sam’s, Sharon Shannon, Neil Innes, Kate Rusby, Phil Cunningham & Aly Bain will immediately be recognised by those in the know as being giants in the respective genres.

Elsewhere there is a mix of music, comedy, theatre, film, authors-in-conversation – plus the usual strong children’s programme. The Seabird Centre will feature acoustic-style concerts – The Carrivick Sisters and Dave Vernon & Dick Lee visiting for the first time, The Alleycats and A Fyne Pear on return tickets!

St Andrew Blackadder hosts Fringe by the Sea’s first foray into Gilbert & Sullivan with The Mikado, as well as the award-winning Lothian & Borders Police Choir and the truly amazing young talent that is Emily Smith. There are a number of diehard fans in North Berwick of the Yorkshire band Waking the Witch – and it is great to welcome two of the Witches to the Masonic Hall, Becky Mills & Patsy Matheson. Being an Olympic year, the film season will be a ‘great sporting films’ retrospective –  In the afternoons, the Authors-in-Conversation events return – and already ‘booked’ to appear are Iain Banks, Tm Dalyell, Mary Contini, Sara Sheridan and Sally Magnusson – something for everyone! And who knows who will appear on the three nights of Stand-Up Comedy – maybe another Kevin Bridges? [The Festival claims him as an ‘emerging talent’ in 2008!]

As the rain threatened to spoil last year’s fun, a very strong children’s programme is always essential – and this year sees the return of The Singing Kettle, Mr Boom, Jo Jingles and Fischy Music. All hugely popular over the last few FBTS events.

Mix in some Irish Dancing, Jazz at The Glen, Dave Berry’s walks and a Sunday lunchtime Gospel concert, and you start realising the mammoth task in putting together such a fantastic display of entertainment! It really deserves your support – so please give it!

Tickets are NOW on sale either online at www.fringebythesea.com or from the Ticket Office in North Berwick at 43E Melbourne Place.   Check out the website for all the details or call our info line: 01620 890787.

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You would be forgiven for thinking that there is no other news apart from Fringe and Festival. However some of that is good news apparently. The Herald says that VisitScotland claim the economic advantage of the Festival is worth about £140m to Edinburgh.

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We are meeting tomorrow at Hemma on Holyrood Road to record reviews and previews of some Fringe shows. If you have seen something great then come along and tell us about it anytime from 12 till 2. If you are a performer then feel free to come along too! We are then putting the audio from all of these interviews up on Soundcloud using the tag edinburghreporterradio. And you will be able to read them here under our Radio section. If you want to know more then read this article here. You can also add your sounds to our library by tagging them with edinburghreporterradio too.

You can access this and all of our other articles when you are out and about in Edinburgh by using the Wikitude App on your smartphone. This allows you to search for The Edinburgh Reporter and. using technology called Augmented Reality, you will find the articles which are written about the area of Edinburgh where you are at the time. All of our articles are geotagged with an appropriate location. So for example if you want to read all of our Hibs related articles then when you are at Easter Road you can find them by using the app.

At The Edinburgh Reporter we are always looking to use technology in innovative ways. This summer we are launching a project to use audio to bring you instant updates from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh International Book Festival and sounds from the streets of Edinburgh during August.

We will also hold round table discussions with our own reporters to be used in longer broadcasts when we shall take the time to discuss what we have seen and what we are about to go and see whether it is comedy, music or theatre. the first of these is to be held at Hemma on Holyrood Road at 12 noon on Sunday 5 August 2012. Please come along and listen live or contribute to our reviews and previews!

We will be interviewing as many performers as we can get our hands on too. If you are bringing a show to the Fringe then do get in touch with us and we will interview you about your show. If you are running a venue at this year’s Fringe then please get in touch to help us organise interviews with acts performing there.

If you are planning to be only a member of the audience during the Festival then you can still help!

If you would like to record a review of a show on Soundcloud then you can tag it with EdinburghReporterRadio and so long as it does not contain anything defamatory, any swearing or bad language then we may use it on the website. By tagging your audio in this way we will assume that you have consented to our free use of it on The Edinburgh Reporter website. we need your help and feedback to make this project work so if you would like to be involved then please tell us now.

So use your smart phone and get the Soundcloud App to take part!

If you need tickets for the Fringe then you can buy these on your phone by downloading the Fringe App.

Hibs star Paul Hanlon is determined to get the season off to a good start against Dundee United this weekend to encourage the Hibs fans to return to Easter Road after a disastrous campaign last year. Speaking at the weekly press conference, the Scotland Under-21 captain said:- “We just want to get the season underway. It’s a tough game coming up at Tannadice but we are all looking forward to the season starting and we just want to get off to a good start. I’m feeling good. Pre-season went well for us

“We need to get the fans behind us and turn out in numbers  which will be all the better for us, but we have two tough games coming up at the start of the season and if we can get good results in them hopefully we can push off from there. We don’t go into games fearing anyone so we need to go there full of confidence and try and get the win.

“The main thing for Hibs is to improve on last year. We can’t be in the same position again at the end of the season. So first and foremost we have to try and push into the top six. Every season is a big season and at the start you think you need to do better than the last one. I’m happy enough with the number of games I played last year but everyone is determined to put things right.

This week, Hibs fans from the ‘Let’s Work Together’ initiative have been at the club telephoning fellow supporters trying to establish why they had not renewed their season tickets and Paul is aware of the importance of large vocal crowds at Easter Road are to the players.

He continued; “The last game against Dunfermline where the fans turned out in their numbers, it was great to run out for that game. It shows the potential that the club’s got if we can put a run of wins together and get a decent side on the pitch, we’ve got everything here to be a massive club, but we need to get the wins on a Saturday to get them back through the door to fulfil the potential that the club’s got.”

There could be a change of position on the cards this season, with Paul moving from his normal role in the centre of the defence alongside captain James McPake to left back where he made his name at the club after being given his debut as a 17 year old against Rangers by then manager Mixu Paatelainen.

“For the pre-season I’ve been playing left back for most of the games. I’d rather be at centre half but we’ve a tighter squad this year and if the manager needs me at left back or wherever else I’m more than happy to do that.”

Meanwhile Hibs manager Pat Fenlon is still working hard to try and bring in the players who can help the club improve on last season’s campaign, but admits that his efforts have been hampered by a lack of finance. He also defended the number of loan signings from last season and hit back at pundits who criticised his tactics.

Fenlon said:  “I expect and hope that we will get more players in. We need to strengthen the squad. Sixteen players have left since the end of the season so it’s not rocket science to see that we are short in certain areas. We’re working away in that. We know what we’ve got to do. We are fairly close on one and there are a couple of others we are looking into.

“People accused us of having too many loans last year but I asked the question where else are we going to get the players. It’s all right them sitting on TV screens saying we’ve signed too many players on loan, but if people who can do that say ‘here’s eight players we can get for nothing’ I’ll go and get them, so I’m disappointed in  people in the game making comments like that about us.

“We’ve spoken to three or four real quality players but they have gone elsewhere form more money and I can understand that as well. It’s a short career, so it’s not as if we’ve been sitting not doing anything, we’ve been working our boiler off. We lost out because clubs can outbid us ad that’s the way it is. I’d love to sign both Alan Maybury and Mark Kerr if I could but at the moment I’m not sure, it’s just down to finance. They’ve both been in training and are both great lads. We have to live within our means and I understand that but we have to make sure that the people here coming through the turnstiles get what they deserve.”

Fenlon, like Hanlon is well aware of the importance of the fans and is determined to pit a smile back on their faces.

“We’ve lost a lot of support here in the last two seasons and it’s how to get them back. People can talk all they like but the only way to get people back through the door is to win football matches. Last year was not acceptable for a club like this but we are trying hard to change that. The supporters have been tremendous in the way they’ve backed the club this season

Hibs kick off their campaign with a tough away fixture against Dundee United at Tannadice on Sunday with a 1pm kick off.

Yesterday, Hibs boss Pat Fenlon explained that he was close to bringing in a new face to add to his squad for the coming season. The identity of the mystery player has now been revealed as  Coventry City midfielder Gary Deegan who has signed a one year deal with Hibs to join up with his former boss at Easter Road.

The twenty-four year old previously played under Fenlon while with Bohemians where they won two League of Ireland championships together. Deegan says that he is thrilled to be reunited with his old boss and he is looking forward to linking up with some other familiar faces at Easter Road.

Deegan told Hibs TV:- “I’m absolutely delighted to have signed for Hibs – it is a perfect move for me and I’m excited about what we can achieve in the season ahead. Pat is a manager, who gets the best out of me. When I played for him at Bohemians, I felt he improved me as a player and we enjoyed a lot of success before I earned my move to England. I’m also looking forward to learning off Liam O’Brien again – he is a really good coach, who I know from my time at Bohs.

“I know some of the players, especially James McPake. He has told me all about the club, its supporters and the massive potential that exists at the club. I can’t wait to get started and to get stuck into the challenge of helping Hibernian to improve on last season.”

Boss Fenlon revealed that Deegan had been on his shopping list ever since he was appointed Hibs’ manager in November 2011.

Fenlon said: “Gary is a player I’ve wanted to bring to Hibernian ever since I first came here to the football club. He is exactly the type of player and character, who will help to move the team forward. Gary is an honest, committed player, who is technically very good, but who also won’t get bullied in the middle of the park. He is a strong boy who will offer us something different in our midfield and he’s the type of player our supporters will take to.

“Gary knows exactly what I expect from him and he is the type of character, who won’t let you down.”

Deegan will be ineligible  for tomorrow’ s SPL opener at Dundee United but  will be available for the Edinburgh Derby and has been handed the number seven shirt.

Following on from July’s Meursault and Withered Hand gig, the Haven Café on Newhaven Road will be welcoming Gullane-based singer Holly Wilson on Monday 6 August 2012.

Edinburgh Reporter Radio spoke to Haven owner Natalie Kwek, who told us that mixing music and muffins was part of her plan when she opened the café in November 2011.

You can hear further tracks by Holly Wilson on SoundCloud, and see her for free at the Haven at 7.30pm on Monday 6 August.

To receive updates about future events at the café, follow the Haven on Twitter or like it on Facebook .

You can access this and all of our other articles when you are out and about in Edinburgh by using the Wikitude App on your smartphone. This allows you to search for The Edinburgh Reporter and. using technology called Augmented Reality, you will find the articles which are written about the area of Edinburgh where you are at the time. All of our articles are geotagged with an appropriate location. So for example if you want to read all of our Hibs related articles then when you are at Easter Road you can find them by using the app.

With all eyes on the Olympic Games in London, The Edinburgh Reporter today visited a group of budding stars of the future as they were put through their paces at the Play2learn football camp in Barnton.

This week, 46 children aged from 3-13 took part in the camp which was held within the grounds of the Royal High School.

Maintaining the Olympic theme, the kids were divided into teams including the UK, Jamaica, Germany and the USA, and there was no less determination to win amongst the youngsters as there is in London this week.

The camps take place every week of the school holidays, and during term times the coaches also work with schools and youth teams at clubs such as Civil Service Strollers, Currie Star and Edinburgh City.

Play2learn was founded by Dave Upton and Shane McCreevy in 2005. The pair met while coaching football in New Jersey, USA and both love football and favour short passing, high tempo, fast flowing, attacking football starting from the keeper….. Barca style!

The company have been coaching Edinburgh’s youngsters for seven years. They were previously based in Clermiston before moving to the excellent facilities at their current base. So far, several of the youngsters who have received coaching have gone on to make a name for themselves in the professional game, and after witnessing some of the skills on display, it would not be surprising to see more going down that route.

Dave, who holds a UEFA ‘B’ coaching licence, told The Edinburgh Reporter:- “We have kids from 3-5 playing petite football, kids from 6-8 playing youth football and the seniors are between 9 and 13. The younger kids’ games are geared toward their imagination and are suitable for boys and girls in Pre-School or Nursery aged 3-5yrs who love running about, laughing loads, role-playing and most importantly having lots of fun. We use imaginary story-based games linking the world of superheroes and cartoon characters to sport based fun games. These games are ideal for the kids in the early stages of their sporting life.

“We play games such as Shrek, Power Rangers and my personal favourite Sponge Bob Square Pants. The older kids play Diamond Football which is a fast flowing small sided 4-a-side game. It develops positional play by teaching width, length, depth & support play and players get more touches of the ball.  It also sharpens their first touch.

“Today our tournament is an Olympic Fun Day and the players are all dressed in the countries’ colours with face paint and hair dye. Sometimes we base the tournament on the World Cup or Champion’s League teams.

“Another important aspect is teaching the children that positive competition is good and they have to accept that they can’t win all the time. Everyone has fun, but we can be quite strict when we have to.

“An unexpected bonus from the camps has been the number of former players who have returned to coach the current players. Three of the coaches today, Steve, Louise and Aiden previously attended the camp, and are all in various stages of gaining coaching qualifications.

“We used to have a connection with Hutchie Vale and have coached established professional players such as Paul Hanlon, Leigh Griffiths and Danny Galbraith. Paul sometimes presents our prizes and was due to do so today but he was required for the Hibs press conference.

“At the end of the week, everyone is presented with a certificate, at a ceremony in front of the excited parents. Trophies are awarded for Most Improved Player and Most Valuable Player, whilst the winning team all get medals and are photographed with the cup. We also hand out free gifts such as boot bags, so no-one leaves empty handed.”

The camp runs from Monday to Friday from 9.30 until 3pm for the older children and 9.30 until 12.30 for the under-fives. Full time costs £75 per week and half days cost £35.

Monday, the coaches concentrate on dribbling, Tuesday is passing, Wednesday is control and defending, Thursday is goalkeeping and goal scoring, and Friday is the tournament.

Any parent wishing to book a week’s camp can do so at http://www.play2learn.info/Bookings.html

The week ended with a victory for Team GB and judging by the faces of the winning players, the medals meant as much to them as they will do to their more famous counterparts should they manage to do likewise.

My one and only previous Fringe show was going to Tynecastle to watch a Hibs / Hearts select play Bayern Munich in the eighties, and before anyone argues, the game was advertised as a Festival event.  I can’t recollect the score, but I do remember the fans booing the Edinburgh players who happened to play for the wrong team.

All that changed a few years ago, when I decided that I should make the effort and check out a few shows during the Festival. On the whole, most have been good, including my favourite, Moira’s Monologues with the excellent Alan Bennett which ran in the National Library of Scotland last year.

On the other hand, I would only go back to certain shows if they allowed animals into the venue as it would take wild horses to drag me there.

When the envelope from the ticket office dropped through the letterbox, I had hoped that my better half had discovered Moira’s Monologues 2, but instead they were for Susan Calman at the Underbelly.

To be honest, I had no idea who Susan Calman was, although when I Googled her, I did recognise her face from ‘Have I got News for You’, where she had been funny alongside Ian Hislop. Call me a cynic however; I wouldn’t have been surprised to learn that, in the words of Rod Stewart, some of ‘her adlib lines were well rehearsed.’

After my brief “You do realise that Chris Hoy is on at the same time?” it became clear that subtle attempt to get out of going to the show was countered, (Damn You Sky Plus), and we headed off to the show. Surprisingly, parking nearby was easy to find so this allowed for refreshments beforehand.

The Dairy Room was smaller than I had anticipated, given Susan’s new found fame, and was full to bursting. Thankfully, I wasn’t the only man in the audience although we would have had problems forming a five-a-side football team.

When Susan appeared from behind the curtain, I was surprised to discover how small she was. I initially thought that Jimmy Krankie was doing the warm up but I quickly realised my mistake as Jimmy would not have cracked some of the jokes that the former Glasgow lawyer did.

I did not know that Susan was a lesbian until she announced it within the first couple of minutes before her hilarious routine about coming out in Glasgow twenty years ago. Her relationship with her mother was another discussion point which seemed to register with a few of the women in the hall.

Susan explained to the audience that she had recently married or ‘civil partnered’, as marriage in church remains outlawed at present.

She then read out a list of reasons why she believed that no-one would want to marry her, which included a guest appearance from Dame Helen Mirren, some cats dressed as policemen during Prime Suspect Day and what she wants on her gravestone.

The show ended with a thought-provoking monologue from Susan on how she would like to marry in a church like her brother and sister, and there was not a dry eye in the house.

The show lasted one hour, in common with most Fringe shows, and was thoroughly enjoyable, even if a few of the jokes went over my head…. Now where’s the remote?

Edinburgh band The Asps warmed up for their appearance at BT London Live this Saturday by playing a semi-electric gig at Edinburgh’s Hard Rock Cafe on George Street. A stripped back set performed by four out of the six band members was well received by a very sizeable crowd, some of whom were dining in Hard Rock and others who just happened to be passing by.

At one point a gentleman who hails from Florida and runs a music magazine took the band’s details and has said he will do an article on the band when he gets back to the US.

The set comprised of songs like Keep, Littleman, All The Wrong Idols and Microchip the audience lapped the whole hours set up and were certainly disappointed when the band finished.

Next up for The Asps are the weekend’s gigs in London where they play three gigs in one day and are then back in Edinburgh to play The Ross Bandstand in Princes Street Gardens from 16-23 August 2012.

Police in Edinburgh can confirm that they are treating a fire that broke out in a block of flats in the south of the city last night as suspicious.

The fire broke out in the stairwell of the block of flats in Captain’s Drive, in the Graecemount area, around 9.10pm.

Firefighters attended and tackled the blaze, which had forced a number of residents to flee their properties. While all of the occupants escaped unharmed, a dog which could not be rescued died as a result of smoke inhalation.

Detective Sergeant John Graham said: “The fire broke out on the top floor landing and spread to threaten properties in the stair.

“Some of the occupants were forced to jump from a first floor window to safety, while another resident was rescued via ladder by the fire service.

“At this time we are appealing for any information that can assist our inquiries, in particular anyone who noticed any suspicious activity in or around the building prior to the fire breaking out.

“Anyone else with any other information that can assist our inquiries should also get in touch.”

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

We sent our reluctant Fringe goer Barry out on the streets to see if he might be tempted to like the Fringe…

Today saw the official start of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and as an Edinburgh resident and a self confessed un-liker (my mum always told me not to use the word hate) I bit the bullet as it were, and took my two children aged 7 & 10 to the High Street to have a look at what was going on. I was pleasantly surprised at what was on offer.

Jugglers, magicians, comedians, artists and musicians all over the place all vying for your attention and hoping you want to see their show.  The children were hoping to see a “flying Yoda” as I had heard that there was such a character situated outside the City Chambers, but alas he was not there. Undeterred we walked around among locals and tourists alike, everyone apparently enjoying all that was on offer.

One act caught our attention more than the others. It was an Australian man on a very high unicycle juggling fire sticks. This impressed not only the children but their cynical father too.  The man was a total delight to watch and his interaction with the crowd was very well done. Many, many people who had watched him rushed forward to put money into his hat and others were clamouring to get photographs and a chat with the performer, so we left to see what else was happening.

We watched a few more performers including a sword juggler and some acrobats and had a great time doing so. The children had a great time and at one point as a man dressed as a “devil” appeared my son ran over and asked if he could have his picture taken with him, this seemed bizarrely to be his favourite part of the day.

Normally I tend to avoid the Fringe and Festival but this year i decided i would see what all the fuss is about, and if the shows on the High Street are anything to go by, then I have missed out for many years.  As often happens with locals, if it’s on your doorstep you don’t go to see it.

The children and I  had a brilliant time and I am sure there are many visits to come.

A plan to bring 90% of Edinburgh residents and businesses high speed broadband by 2015 was submitted to the UK Government today.

Estimated funding for this as well as enhanced wireless zones in key streets, squares and parks, initially focused in the city centre, was announced in March as part of the £100m of Urban Broadband funding set up by the Westminster government for their Super-Connected Cities Initiative.

The final ‘Connected Capital’ plan for Edinburgh was submitted by the City of Edinburgh Council today ahead of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s final funding announcement expected in September. Edinburgh is due to receive between £8-11 million for the project.

The Council also agreed to commit £1.9m of revenue funding to deliver the programme at a meeting in April this year. Further funding and revenue streams will be sought to allow specific programme activities.

The plan for ‘Connected Capital’ submitted includes two key infrastructure investments.

• Enhanced wireless zones in key streets, squares and parks, initially focused in the city centre, with the potential to extend to key cultural and community locations across Edinburgh.

• Connecting those areas of the city with high speed broadband where commercial roll-out was not planned in the next three years.

Underpinning these infrastructure investments is the need to stimulate demand for high speed broadband across the city among residents and businesses and develop educational and social opportunities to ensure that Edinburgh is a digitally inclusive city. Creation of digital infrastructure will also support a vibrant tourist sector and stable economic growth.

Cllr Alasdair Rankin, Convener of the Finance and Resources Committee, said: “This project is a great example of the Capital Coalition’s pledge to provide for Edinburgh’s economic growth and prosperity. Edinburgh is fast moving towards becoming a super-connected city, which will enable us to compete with the world’s top digital cities. The capital is already a world class visitor destination and a great place in which to live, work, study and invest.  This funding will help the city to attract new jobs and investment, help unemployed people into work or learning and will greatly enhance our offering as a digitally inclusive city.”

The Council is working with stakeholders across Edinburgh to develop the project. Residents and businesses who would like more information or to be kept informed of progress can complete an online form.