Ban on pavement parking to be enforced this month

After a long delay of more than a decade the necessary legislation to prevent pavement parking is now in place and Edinburgh will be the first city in Scotland to enforce the rules from 29 January.

Read more here.

Paolozzi

It is almost 100 years since Sir Eduardo Paolozzi was born in Leith and the National Galleries of Scotland will commemorate the centenary with a birthday party at Modern Two which will last from 27 January until 21 April 2024.

Meantime you can watch a 2017 film made by Phil Jupitus about the artist.

5K Journey over the Forth Road Bridge

On the evening of 2 November 2024 the Forth Road Bridge will be open for everyone to take their own 5K journey. The bridge will be closed to all traffic and everyone is invited to walk, jog or run across the bridge to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the bridge opening on 4 September 1964.

The occasion will be an opportunity for charity fundraisers to be sponsored for their efforts – while enjoying the bridge in all its bus-free glory.

Anyone interested has to sign up to the ballot here. There is an entry fee of £38.50 which includes transport to and from the bridge. The successful applicants will be notified by 8 April.

Useful information

If you are struggling to make ends meet then this is a handy list of places you can go to get a free meal in Edinburgh. There is no need to register – just go along.

Buy a subscription to the Edinburgh Reporter – the gift that lasts all year

Our January issue is out today so here is a timely gift suggestion – buy someone a subscription to our monthly newspaper – we deliver by mail in compostable envelopes, and the subscription helps us to keep on publishing the news on a free to access basis. Click on the image below to sign up for yourself or as a present.

So far this year we have produced twelve issues and have already produced the January 2024 edition.

And if you have any stories then do get in touch. editor@theedinburghreporter.co.uk

Gilmerton Primary School’s P6 and P7 boys and girls football teams have received additional strips from local housebuilder Taylor Wimpey East Scotland.

Head Teacher, Mrs Annand said: “We now have more children interested in playing football, including more girls which is great news.

“Taylor Wimpey is our strip sponsor and we are thrilled to have received this support from them for additional strips to ensure our teams represent our school in matching kits. We are so grateful for their support for initiatives like ours in the local community.

“Our young teams are bursting with talent, and they are doing well in their regular matches. We’re delighted to see them looking smart and professional as they approach every game.”

Kirsty McGill, Sales and Marketing Director for Taylor Wimpey East Scotland added: “We are proud to be supporting school football in this way and to extend our partnership with Gilmerton Primary School.

“This sponsorship allows us to play our part in continuing our support in the local community, and it also allows us to underpin our commitment to create a fantastic range of family homes at our Farrier Fields development in nearby South Gilmerton.”

Forgive me for making a less than bold prediction for what’s to come in local Edinburgh politics in the year ahead: the public provision of long-term care will come under assault, with attempts to remove NHS and council beds, on the flawed assumption that the private sector will pick up the slack. 

New Year predictions of this kind could have been made and proved correct in every year since 1979, so I’m not exactly going out on a limb here, but Edinburgh in 2024 promises to be an extreme case in the continuing creep of health and social care privatisation. 

In September 2021, the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (The EIJB, which governs the Health and Social Care Partnership) agreed a ‘Bed Based Care – Phase 1 Strategy’ (aka ‘Bed Based Review’), claiming that it would better meet the care needs of the population in response to changing demographics and delayed discharges from acute hospital beds. 

The strategy started falling apart before it had even been agreed when proposals to close four council-run care homes (Ferrylee, Ford’s Road, Clovenstone and Jewel House) were stopped at the last minute following a trade union-led campaign to save the homes. 

That September 2021 agreement did close one care home though – Drumbrae Care Home, a modern 60-bed facility that was to be reprovisioned as Hospital Based Complex Clinical Care (HBCCC). The conversion was botched, and the care home now sits empty, decaying over two years now while the Council picks up the tab for Non-Domestic Rates. It is a scandalous waste of public resources for which nobody has been held to account.  

The reprovisioning of Drumbrae was the cornerstone of the Bed Based Review, which involved a convoluted shifting around of resources that appeared to be designed to meet the need to vacate Liberton Hospital (which the NHS has sold to the Council and is earmarked for housing) rather than to meet the changing care needs of Edinburgh’s population, as its authors claimed.

The failure to convert Drumbrae left the whole strategy in tatters, and senior clinicians began publicly questioning its underlying logic. Last February, Dr Emma Reynish, a Consultant in Geriatric Medicine who sits as a non-voting member of the EIJB, said at a meeting:

“I’m concerned about our Bed Based Review – it was based on population data from 2019, pre-pandemic, and the needs of our population have changed quite a lot since then. We need to know the numbers that sit behind the Bed Based Review are fit for purpose for the current population and the population predictions going forward. I think we might find that it’s changed since 2019.”

The Chief Officer of the EIJB, Judith Proctor, resigned in May, following the publication of a Care Inspectorate Report on Edinburgh’s adult social work and social care services that found “significant weaknesses in the design, structure, implementation and oversight of key processes, including the assessment of people’s needs and in their case management”.

The following month, the EIJB announced a review of the Bed Based Review, saying then: “a commissioning exercise would cover validation of the work completed to date, expanding the bed modelling to all older people’s bed-based services in both hospital and community settings and incorporate the assumptions based on emerging trends. Senior clinical teams have requested that this exercise is completed before any reconfiguration of existing beds is undertaken.”

The ‘commissioning exercise’ is due to report back in February, but I understand that preparations are already underway for a so-called ‘reconfiguration of existing beds’ based on the flawed logic of the discredited 2021 Bed Based Review.

Hospital Based Complex Clinical Care (HBCCC)

The beds that are under the most immediate threat from ‘reconfiguration’ (let’s just call them cuts from here on because that’s what they are) are HBCCC beds. The slogan used by campaigners in 2021 was ‘Save Our Care Homes’, but ‘Save Our HBCCC’ doesn’t quite have the same ring to it because most people, understandably, don’t have a clue what HBCCC means. 

HBCCC was previously known as ‘NHS Continuing Healthcare’ and eligibility is determined by clinicians tasked with answering a single question: “Can this individual’s care needs be properly met in any setting other than a hospital?”. The term ‘hospital’ is a bit of a misnomer here, as the facilities in which HBCCC is delivered are much more like care homes than hospitals and residents/patients often stay in them for months and years. 

There are many reasons why clinicians may answer ‘no’ to the eligibility question and recommend admission to HBCCC. Chief among them, is the lack specialist dementia provision in the city. In my experience of working in these units as a Bank Nurse, many of the residents suffer from advanced dementia and require a level of care of that Edinburgh’s profit-driven long-term care sector is not willing to provide. 

End-of-life care is another labour-intensive area which is not well provisioned outside of the NHS. Edinburgh’s Hospice capacity reduced drastically during the pandemic, something that has not been factored into the cuts that are planned for 2024. 

The table below shows HBCCC provision in Edinburgh in 2019 and is taken from the Bed Based Review.

The male dementia ward at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital has now closed ‘on a recurring basis’, and it is my understanding that piecemeal reductions in other units after the pandemic mean that there are now just 124 HBCCC beds in Edinburgh, with significant further reductions planned for 2024. 

These reductions contravene this crucial line from the Bed Based Review:

“Any move to redesign our HBCCC estate needs to occur in sequence with other changes proposed, particularly in relation to intermediate care and our care home estate”.

Those who intend to implement these cuts in 2024 may point to the September 2021 agreement, but I would argue that this agreement has been completely invalidated by the failure to implement other aspects of the strategy. There is no mandate for further cuts to HBCCC beds, and answers are needed about the 20-bed reduction that has already occurred. 

Intermediate Care  

The Scottish Government defines bed based Intermediate Care as “a time limited episode of care…[that] can be provided as an alternative to admission to hospital (step-up) or to provide further assessment and rehabilitation, following discharge from hospital (step-down)”.

The Bed Based Review highlights the increased demand for Intermediate Care and consequent need for a larger proportion of Intermediate Care beds than Edinburgh currently has. Part of the justification for the reduction in HBCCC beds was that some of these would be reprovisioned as Intermediate Care beds, however, between the failure to convert Drumbrae and the rush to vacate Liberton Hospital (where most of the city’s Intermediate Care currently sits) it is unclear how this can be achieved. 

Facilities that previously delivered the types of care that are now defined as HBCCC and Intermediate Care have been decimated over the past 25 years or so.

When I first started working for the NHS in 2005, Liberton Hospital, the Royal Victoria Hospital, Corstorphine Hospital, Astley Ainslie Hospital and the Eastern General Hospital provided hundreds of beds that would now fall into these categories. Those with slightly longer memories will recall the Northern General Hospital, the Princess Margaret Rose Hospital and the City Hospital. While many of the services that were provided from these hospitals have been reprovisioned in more modern facilities and are better for it, much of the rehabilitation, end-of-life care and long-term care capacity that they provided was never replaced. 

In East Lothian and Midlothian, new community hospitals have been built during this period. This hasn’t happened in Edinburgh, and now we are being told that further reductions in long-term care beds are required to make up for what has been lost.  

Care Homes

When the original proposal to close five council-run care homes (Drumbrae, Ferrylee, Ford’s Road, Clovenstone and Jewel House) came forward in June 2019, councillors from across the political spectrum were keen to validate the assumptions that supposedly underpinned the strategy. Their argument was that older people didn’t want to live in care homes anymore, and that technology was allowing people to stay in their homes where they would previously have been admitted to long-term care. Statistics were presented that showed a decline in the number of care home places, and it was presumed that was the result of a reduction in demand. 

Indeed, the annual Scottish Care Home Census shows an overall 4% reduction in care home beds over the past decade, decreasing from 32,888 to 31,459. However, this reduction has taken place exclusively in the public and third sectors, with private, profit-making care home beds increasing by 2%, while third sector beds reduced by 33% and Council/NHS beds by 20%.

That leaves the 2023 breakdown of Scottish care homes beds for older people as follows: 83% private, 10% Council/NHS and 7% third sector. 

Even if you don’t agree with me that the pursuit of profit is generally incompatible with the delivery of decent care, there are obvious and immediate practical concerns about long-term care being so dominated by private interests. It’s simply far more difficult to generate profit from people who require high levels of care, such as those with advanced dementia. While demand for care home places may have reduced slightly, the demand for specialist dementia care is definitely increasing, and demographic changes mean that it will continue to do so. 

To a limited extent, the Bed Based Review recognises this fact.

Proposals to employ registered nurses in three council-run homes (Royston Court, Marionville Court and Inch View) thus allowing them to provide more specialist dementia care, were welcome. However, there has been no feedback on the effectiveness of this move, and no confirmation that it has even taken place. 

Meanwhile, the four homes that were saved from closure in 2021 continue to operate with low occupancy at great cost to the EIJB. When the closures were stopped, it was agreed that the issue would be revisited in the form of a ‘public consultation on the future provision of older people’s care’ and it was hoped that this would allow for a conversation about how they could be adapted or replaced so that the EIJB could better meet the growing demand for specialist dementia care.

But just six months after the remit of the consultation was published, it was revealed that a secret decision had been made to narrow its scope to focus only on when and how the four homes would close, with any discussion about replacement and adaption of services removed.

UNISON official David Harrold said the consultation had been reduced to a “sham to justify the outcome certain individuals wish for” and described the alleged move to change its scope as “not only undemocratic but sly and underhand”. A subsequent investigation by Council Chief Executive Andrew Kerr found that “a breakdown in communications…..occurred through a combination of officer error and a lack of communication”. 

All of the evidence suggests that there will be a fresh attempt to close the homes this year. The point has been made repeatedly by those campaigning against the closures that we are not attached to the bricks and mortar of existing homes. But we will not countenance the closure of these homes while there is no plan or commitment to invest in adaptions or replacements. We will not consent to any further withdrawal from public provision of long-term care. 

Enough is Enough

Taken on the whole, the episode around the Bed Based Review must be seen in the context of the 45-year period during which responsibility for long-term care has been almost entirely removed from the public sector and handed over to multinational corporations. 

I expect any proposals coming forward in 2024 will follow the same trajectory, and the privatisation playbook will be utilised to full effect. Those making proposals to cut long-term care beds will first attempt to argue that the changes will improve the service. When that argument fails, they will point to an urgent need to make ‘savings’ and present alternative social care cuts that would have to be made if the cuts to long-term care aren’t implemented. 

Nobody ever suggests closing an acute hospital or a school without detailing how it will be replaced. The money is always found.

Yet, for some reason, caring for people at the end of their lives is considered something that can be cast off to the private, profit-making sector. The little public provision of long-term care that remains in Edinburgh supports many people who require a level of care that the private sector is just not willing to provide.

We can’t let them down. 

Maybe you spent today at the shops or on the sofa, but there was some serious surfing action to be had down at Granton.

Photographer Alan Simpson was there to see what was happening just as the light was fading.

Hibs drew 2-2 with Motherwell in their final game before the winter break thanks to an Elie Youan double.

The Leith side went into the game without some key personnel due to international duty.

Martin Boyle, Lewis Miller and Rocky Bushiri were among those to drop out and in came Paul Hanlon, Rory Whittaker, Elie Youan and Christian Doidge.

Hibs started the brighter, for the first 30 minutes they were rampant, Jair Tavares was a constant threat down the left and academy graduate Whittaker was unlucky not to grab an assist after a couple of dangerous crosses.

Just before the half hour mark they finally got their reward thanks to Elie Youan, after some initial link up with Whittaker the Frenchman cut inside, beat a Motherwell defender, and finished into the bottom left-hand corner with his left foot.

Despite the home side’s domination, minutes later Motherwell found themselves level, Theo Baird capitalised on a sleeping Hibs defence from a throw in and finished well past David Marshall.

The sides went into the break on level terms, with Hibs likely scratching their heads as to how.

They had put in one of their best performances of the season in the first half hour but after finally grabbing their goal and Motherwell equalising minutes after the wind had knocked out their sails. 

The second half began slowly, Hibs looked like a different team from the one that had started the game and 14 minutes into the half they found themselves a goal down.

Hibs failed to clear their lines from a Motherwell free kick and after the ball pinged across their box, Bevis Mugabi got his head on it and scored past Marshall in front of the travelling away support.

The goal was checked for offside by VAR and, after a lengthy period of time, it was eventually awarded.

Motherwell sat on their lead, looking to travel home with all three points, and for a while it looked like they were going to do just that.

The away side sat deep, and Hibs failed to muster any real chances, the closest they came was through a Lewis Stevenson long range effort hitting the crossbar.

Hibs remained patient and in additional time they got their goal, after Motherwell failed to clear a cross into the box, the ball fell at Youan’s feet.

His strike deflected off Motherwell goalscorer Mugabi, past the helpless Liam Kelly and into the net, to the sheer relief of the home support. 

Hibs had managed to claw back a point, in a game they likely should have won, but for the second home game in a row they had failed to take their chances.

It will feel like dropped points for the side, who are now three games without a win and sitting sixth in the table heading into the winter break.

Only a day after their 2-1 defeat at home to Hearts, cinch Premiership bottom-markers Livingston have announced that defender Luiyi de Lucas has left the club.

The Dominican Republic international, who has made 14 appearances for his country, played on 22 occasions for the West Lothian combine after joining in January last year and was listed as one of nine substitutes against the Jam Tarts. He was not used.

The 29-year-old defender, who is 6ft 3in tall, also scored one goal during his stay but is a free agent and also holds Spanish citizenship

Lions manager David Martindale said: “Luiyi came and spoke to me a few weeks back and stressed that he was struggling with homesickness and was missing being with his family.

“We agreed that Luiyi would continue until the winter break as to not leave us short in the last few weeks before agreeing to terminate his contract to allow him to return closer to home and family.

“I wish Luiyi well wherever his next move is and thank him for his time at the club.”

MAIN PICTURE: David Martindale in the Livingston dugout during the Hearts fixture. Picture David Mollison

General view of a section of the support for Hearts at The Tony Macaroni Arena. Picture Nigel Duncan

Edinburgh will begin enforcement of the new laws on banning pavement parking from 29 January.

The Scottish Government introduced new legislation in December and the capital will be the first city in Scotland to enforce the new rules.

Anyone found to be parked on a pavement, double parked, parked at a crossing point or parked on a verge between roads and pavements could be subject to a £100 fine, reduced to £50 if paid within the first 14 days. There are no exemptions in place.

Find out more about the new parking rules, and report incorrectly parked vehicles, on the Council website.

Cllr Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “These new rules are about making our streets safer and more accessible for everyone, in particular those with visual impairments or mobility issues.

“I’ve heard from many people who say the change will make their day-to-day life much easier. I have also been pleased to hear that, as a result of our publicity campaign, pavement parking is already reducing in some areas.

“Officers have been working hard over recent months to prepare for the changes coming into force and have been in contact with residents on streets where pavement parking is a real problem. I am proud that Edinburgh is leading the way on enforcing the ban, and that all political parties here agree that no street should be exempt.

“I would expect everyone to adhere to the new prohibitions once in place, but we’ll continue to monitor streets across the city to make sure the impacts on the wider network are minimal.”

Following an assessment of more than 5,000 roads in Edinburgh Council officers have identified a small number of streets where there is significant pavement parking and have written to these properties to help them prepare for the measures.

Once the ban is in place monitoring will continue to establish whether any of these streets require mitigation measures, such as double-yellow lines, to minimise potential negative impacts on the wider road network.

Iain Veitch has posted a third win in the annual Edinburgh New Year Triathlon based on a swim in the Commonwealth Pool followed by laps of Holyrood Park on both bike and foot.

Here the 41-year-old who, in 2023, won a trilogy of races featuring the highest peaks in Scotland, Wales and England, tells, in his own words, the story of his triumph in the 27th instalment of an iconic sporting event.

“The New Year’s Day triathlon is a real bucket list event in the Scottish/British racing calendar.

“With around a third of competitors being first time triathletes it has served as a gateway for a lot athletes, including myself.

“It also serves as a great test event for the more serious athletes looking to see where their winter training has taken them – or as a kick up the backside to shake off festive indulgences!

“The swim is over 400 metres and athletes start one at a time based on their predicted swim time. The slowest start first and the fastest last.

“I was number 391 which meant I had about an hour to wait from the race starting and had approximately nine competitors starting after me.

“The facilities are fantastic and its actually good fun sitting around the pool deck taking in the atmosphere.

“I had been swimming reasonably well recently but managed to fluff the short 400m swim (so) by the end all nine who started behind me had gone by and I knew I had my work cut out.

“The bikes and running kit are kept outside and while the weather was better than could have been the cold was still a slap in the face after the warmth of the pool.

“I opted for speed over putting on additional layers and hoped I wouldn’t regret it.

“The route goes downhill in the park and then takes in three clockwise loops of Arthur’s Seat. It’s almost all up or down with a couple of short, flat sections.

“Soaking wet and heading downhill in a skimpy triathlon suit at approximately 60 kph towards Holyrood Palace there was some serious questioning going on in my mind as I was already freezing.

“After the first uphill section I started to defrost and it was here I caught sight of the fast guys including a couple of pre-race favourites (one a GB under-23 internationalist) so was able to focus on catching them instead of the cold.

“I passed the guys I thought I needed to on the first main hill but due to the format of the start I was never totally sure who was ahead or behind so had to keep a reasonably honest pace throughout.

“One of the great things about the Edinburgh New Year triathlon is that number of vocal spectators which definitely added a buzz.

“Completing the bike section I was reasonably sure I had a lead so didn’t need to rush things which is just as well as it is amazing how complicated a bike helmet buckle and putting (running) shoes on can be with frozen fingers!

“I wanted to enjoy the one lap run of a hilly 5.8 k distance but also didn’t want to throw the race by being complacent.

“(So) I kept a decent pace while taking in the sites and sounds, the stunning backdrop.

“As a venue the Edinburgh course is hard to beat.

“Another positive is that you are never alone and whether the fastest or slowest there are always other athletes pushing themselves often wheezing encouragement or sharing suffering.

“Overall, it is a brilliant event and highly recommended.

“Recently, though, the rising cost of hiring the venue and road closures have put pressure on the organisers to actually break even.

“This year with the help of Rockstar Games it went ahead and I hope they can find a way to continue what is an annual tradition for some and a stepping stone into triathlon for many.”

Alan Forrest set up two goals at in Hearts’ 2-1 win in the cinch Premiership at Livingston while Kenneth Vargas opened the scoring with a well-taken strike, his second in two games after the counter against Ross County. Both players earned praise from head coach, Stephen Naismith.

The former Scotland international said: “I thought the two of them were really good. For me, Alan was Man of the Match. He is somebody who has had to be patient, somebody who has really good attributes.

“I questioned his final moments, can we get them more consistent? He has worked as hard as anybody in the squad to get his opportunity. He has done it and hopefully he will sign a new contract soon. He is a big player for us.

“Kenneth is a player who has suffered by being used a lot and doing a lot of hard yards and people were probably expecting a bit more but he has real quality and, in the last two games, he has impacted them. Really good overall.”

Naismith argued: “When I have said he (Kenneth) has great attributes it is very natural. You can teach somebody to be a bit better at finishing but when you see so many going through on goals and hitting the goalie or putting it wide he has a calmness.

“He has an understanding about how to use his body and he has got really good attributes. He is young, he is inconsistent, but he will be a really good player.”

Naismith revealed that the way the deal with Vargas is structured in such a way that there is rush to sign the player on a permanent deal and club bosses are in touch with his representatives and the club he came from. 

The player is comfortable with the situation, said Naismith, and he added: “I think he is somebody we would need to look at potentially keeping.”

The coach said that Lawrence Shankland is “raging” that he missed two penalties recently but he said the skipper had “a calmness” and the penalty miss at Livingston did not put him off his game. Shankland scored the winner with a superb goal with the outside of his foot after 64 minutes.

Naismith also said that he has needed his squad in the last month and added: “Overall, we are on a really good run. So the boys have a well-earned break.”

PICTURE: Alan Forrest arriving at Livingston by David Mollison

Kenneth Vargas celebrating his goal at Livingston by David Mollison

Frankie Kent under real pressure v Livingston at the Tony Macaroni by David Mollison

Hearts under pressure at Livingston by David Mollison

Alison Hawkins who owns and runs Wester Coates Nursery School which she set up 34 years ago, has graduated with a Masters degree from the University of Edinburgh.

This is the second graduation for the early years’ education expert as she first graduated in 1971 from Moray House Teacher Training College as it was then known. She better than anyone understands the need for learning at all stages of life, and has always undertaken continuing professional development learning throughout her career.

The need for learning led her to Froebelian practice which she first studied in 2010, meeting a group of like-minded educators who have learned together and supported each other. The first cohort signed up in 2019 for the MSc in Education, Early Childhood and Froebel course from which Alison has just graduated.

Alison said: “The catalyst was firstly to support the course, and get its name ‘out there’; secondly to challenge myself and pull together a lot of threads – and thirdly to use the learning and experience to further spread knowledge of child development and appropriate early learning  techniques.

“Through our studies we have had positive impacts on children through our collective and individual work. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my tutor Dr Lynn McNair – herself a knowledgeable and committed Froebelian whose interest in all her students is vast.”

But on both occasions Alison has outshone her classmates winning first the Dickson Prize for best outgoing student and most recently achieving the MSc with merit.

Throughout the decades of running her own nursery “Mrs Hawkins” has campaigned for kindergarten education. She lobbied Edinburgh Council until they voted to fund all children who were eligible for a further year at nursery stage, something which has since become law in Scotland. As well as running a nursery somehow she found time to have five children of her own – all of whom were at the party after the graduation ceremony.

At Wester Coates Nursery School the ethos is to nurture, care for, challenge and support little ones on their first steps away from home and into education. With a staff to pupil ratio of one adult for every five or six children the aim is to “ensure a happy and confident transfer from home to nursery”.

Alison said: “This is achieved by a strong belief in the principles of Friedrich Froebel, regarding children as being competent, unique, curious and active…hence our focus on starting where the child is and taking their lead mostly through play, and often outdoors.

“Believing in the many benefits of fresh air, exercise and ‘space to be’ we spend most of our time outdoors where excellent facilities and equipment complement our indoor spaces, and provide motivating and challenging opportunities to develop skills, to explore and wonder, to grow in confidence and to socialise.”

Scotland’s national Froebelian hub is the council run nursery at Cowgate Under 5s which is an indoor/outdoor space in the heart of the city just off the Royal Mile. Friedrich Froebel was the pioneer of the kindergarten movement where learning is not predefined into compartmentalised goals or narrow boundaries. The key principle which he embraced was “freedom with guidance”, believing that everything in the universe is connected and that this is to be fostered in children to deepen their understanding of themselves and others as well as the wider world.

Watch a short film about the Froebelian leadership here where Alison talks about the way she uses the principles at her nursery.

Five Scots walking for health as charity calls for more to join.

A new report has found that nearly one in five people are not walking enough as a leading walking charity has urged Scots to take the next steps in making walking part of their New Year’s Resolutions

The 2023 National Survey of Attitudes to Walking and Wheeling in Scotland – commissioned by Paths for All – found that 85% of adults walk several times per week or daily, with more than half (59%) walking for leisure or exercise.

While 84% said they enjoy walking because it is good for their health, a significant increase from 78% in 2019, only just under a quarter (24%) had heard or seen messages on the health benefits of walking.

Fiona Bull, Head of Physical Activity at the World Health Organisation, presented evidence at a recent lecture held by Paths for All on how walking can save lives, and how Scotland is leading the charge.

Dr Bull said: “Walking more regularly can contribute to saving lives and brings so many health benefits; but too often, walking is not being promoted enough.

“The work Paths for All has been doing to get more people active is incredible, bringing communities together and ensuring all have access to walking groups, as well as upgrading infrastructure, and educating the public.

“According to data released from Scotland, the country is bucking the trend, with collective action there has been a 7% increase in physical activity, and to see that nearly all Scots are walking for health benefits is commendable.”

Having led the development of the WHO Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018-2030, the new Global guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviours 2020 and the recent 1st Global Status Report on Physical Activity 2022, Dr Bull shared significant insight in making the health, social and economic case for all countries to do more to promote walking.

In particular, Dr Bull shared the alarming health impact of physical inactivity accounting for between 3.2 – 5.1 million deaths a year and this is a conservative estimate. She also highlighted new data providing a global “price tag” for not acting to promote more people being more active – estimated at US$27 billion per year – totalling US$300 billion by 2030.

Dr Bull reinforced to the audience that walking is the best way to get more people of all ages doing more physical activity both in Scotland and globally. Examples of how cities are making communities more walkable were shared including the example of Vienna which created a Year of Walking – Dr Bull suggested Scotland would be well placed to borrow this idea.

According to the National Survey of Attitudes to Walking and Wheeling in Scotland, People with a long term physical or mental health condition or illness were also significantly more likely to have encountered cars parked on the pavement, roads that were difficult to cross or poor maintained pavements (53%, 34% and 54% respectively).

Of those walking for short journeys, Paths for All found a desire to get fit, relax and unwind, and enjoyment to be the main motivations for people to get out and about.

Louise Bursle, Communications & Marketing Manager at Paths for All, said more Scots clearly recognise walking’s physical and mental benefits: “The fact that so many people walk for exercise and relaxation highlights this. We’re keen to eliminate barriers to make frequent walking possible for everyone in Scotland to reap wellbeing rewards.

“As we enter a new year, many people will be setting resolutions to be more active, but you don’t need to make big commitments to see the benefits. Just adding a short walk to your daily routine will have an impact.”

To boost regular walking, over 7 in 10 Scottish adults also voiced support for 20-minute neighbourhoods, ensuring services are nearby. Delivering these communities could help more than 30% of Scots who currently do not walk to places like shops and public transport stops because distances are too far.

Louise said the findings reveal clear priorities for Scotland’s health: “By making streets more welcoming through improved lighting, seating, better surfaces, and amenities within reach, we can help fulfil people’s desire to integrate walking into their days – ultimately getting Scots moving together.”

Paths for All facilitates over 850 Health Walks across Scotland, with more than 14,000 dedicated volunteers leading and assisting the groups.

Established in 1996, Paths for All work in partnership with 30 national organisations with a shared vision of a healthier, happier, greener Scotland, where everyone can be active every day.

To watch Fiona Bulls full lecture, visit: https://www.pathsforall.org.uk/news/news-post/walking-saves-lives—who-expert-dr-fiona-bull-presents-our-expert-lecture

https://www.pathsforall.org.uk/

Justin Sedgmen, who won two league titles with Edinburgh Monarchs, is the sixth man announced for the club’s 2024 line-up for their Cab Direct Championship campaign.

Nicknamed Sedgy, the rider said there was little to think about when a return to Armadale was on the cards, a track where he scores well.

The popular Aussie (pictured) said: “I wanted to come back as I really feel I can get dialled into Armadale quickly again and make it a dominant home track for me. I didn’t really have that at Birmingham as the away riders seemed to ride it as well as the home guys so it was difficult to get the big points.

“Your home track should be where you score the most of your points and make the most of your money but that wasn’t the case last year, My away average was higher than at home so if I can become dominant at Armadale and score as I was away then my average will go up so it made lot of sense to come back.

“The management let you know what is expected but they aren’t at you constantly so it is another reason I wanted to come back.”

The 31-year-old rider from Mildura added: “Last year I wasn’t going to do the Australian titles and I ended up doing them and, by the end of the European season in 2023, I was pretty burnt out.

“I probably took on too many guest bookings as well as having Birmingham and Leicester, I also picked up some rides in Poland. There was a spell where I was riding six nights a week most weeks or even doing spells of six meetings in five days. With all the travel and prep time I got burnt out and it fell apart a little bit.

“This winter I have decided to take a bit of a break, not to do the full Aussie Champs and as many meetings in Oz so that I can focus on my European commitments.”

Murder investigation continues

Police officers investigating the murder of a man in Granton on Hogmanay have issued details of a red car. The driver of the car is believed to have stopped, got out and then used a gun to shoot the two victims outside a pub, one of whom remains in a serious condition in hospital.

Read more here

Little Shop of Horrors

At the Church Hill Theatre from 23 to 27 January Edinburgh University Savoy Opera Group are staging the musical Little Shop of Horrors.

Amy Stinton, Co-Director said:“Under the surface, Little Shop of Horrors is a critique of the capitalist mindset and a cautionary tale of giving up your morals in order to achieve fortune and fame. We’ve tried to highlight the tempting lure of wealth through a dazzling and vibrant Audrey II, that soon drops their facade and transforms into an unbearable and scary botanical demon.”

Tom Beazley, Co-Director said: “Little Shop of Horrors is an extraordinary but fast paced musical, so we were keen to create a variety of engaging characters through which the audiences can experience the story. In particular, we were excited to reimagine the character of Audrey as an intelligent and empathetic voice who does not falter under the insanity around her.”

EUSOG presents ‘Little Shop of Horrors’
January 23-27 7:30pm
+ 2:30pm matinée performance on January 27th.
Church Hill Theatre, Edinburgh 

Tickets from £9

Get your tickets:
https://fienta.com/s/little-shop-of-horrors

Camera Obscura & World of Illusions is celebrating

Camera Obscura has welcomed its one millionth visitor since the pandemic

Camera Obscura & World of Illusions, Edinburgh’s oldest purpose-built visitor attraction, has announced that it has welcomed one million visitors since reopening its doors in July 2020 following the first Covid-19 lockdown. This achievement not only signifies a triumphant recovery for the tourism industry but also reflects the enduring appeal of one of the city’s best loved attractions.

Want to be a train driver?

ScotRail is recruiting to fill scores of vacancies with the first part of its biggest recruitment drive in years.

The train operator has already recruited more than 200 new members of staff since August, with the human resources team working hard to keep the business on track to fill vacancies.

New and improved catering services have been boosted with an additional 34 catering staff hired across the network.

Almost 30 new conductors have passed through training to support service reliability, over 30 engineers recruited, and 100 new frontline staff members to offer enhanced customer service and support revenue protection.

The new year will see that activity continue, with a focus on more conductors in January, and many other exciting roles that will help to improve services and reliability for customers.

ScotRail expects to recruit a further 160 people before the end of March 2024, with roles such as drivers, conductors, ticket examiners, and engineers. Those interested in a career with ScotRail are encouraged to check the company’s website as vacancies are advertised regularly.

Read more here.

Buy a subscription to the Edinburgh Reporter – the gift that lasts all year

Our January issue is out today so here is a timely gift suggestion – buy someone a subscription to our monthly newspaper – we deliver by mail in compostable envelopes, and the subscription helps us to keep on publishing the news on a free to access basis. Click on the image below to sign up for yourself or as a present.

So far this year we have produced twelve issues and have already produced the January 2024 edition.

And if you have any stories then do get in touch. editor@theedinburghreporter.co.uk

A scheme to encourage members of the local community to “get chatting” in cafés will begin at local charity LifeCare Edinburgh’s community café, CaféLife, in early 2024. 

This initiative is one way of tackling loneliness and social isolation and is part of the Chatty Café Scheme. The “chat and natter” tables offer a designated space in CaféLife where customers of all ages can get together meeting new people and having a chat.

The scheme is set to turn “Blue Monday” to “Brew Monday” as customers will enjoy free tea and coffee between 11am and 2pm, as well as the opportunity to meet lots of new and friendly faces, at the launch on Monday 15 January. 

LifeCare Chief Executive, Sarah Van Putten, said: “Our community hub and café is a unique space, embedded in the local community, that brings together generations for activities, classes, and groups. Signing up to be part of the Chatty Café Scheme with the addition of our “Chat and Natter” table will further enhance our already significant social value.

“Around 100,000 older people in Scotland feel lonely all or most of the time, with Edinburgh named recently as one of the loneliest cities in the UK. Loneliness is an epidemic that can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, race or background. Something as simple as a regular conversation could change a person’s life.

“We’re delighted to be turning Blue Monday to Brew Monday by offering free tea and coffee on the day of the launch, and we hope it will make the start of 2024 a little bit brighter for those in our local community who need it.” 

LifeCare Edinburgh is a local charity with a long history of providing uplifting, positive and practical support for older people. Their vision is of a society where no older person is alone or isolated, and their professional and high-quality support is delivered to the most vulnerable members of the community – including those living with dementia and unpaid (often older themselves) carers – both at home and out and about. Demand for the charity’s services have risen at an unprecedented rate through the cost-of-living crisis, and they recently launched an urgent appeal to raise funds so they can continue to provide vital support during the difficult winter months. 

The charity’s community Cafe, CaféLife, has become a vital lifeline for many loyal customers.

David,71, who has lived in Stockbridge all his life, has been coming to the Café for almost 10 years. He said: “I stay in sheltered housing in the local area, and they don’t offer meals there. We can come, eat, and get a blether, we’re made so welcome and it’s a fabulous place with fabulous staff. It gets you out and about.”

The Café also holds a special place in the heart of Sofiya and her friends. She said: “We’ve been coming to the café every Wednesday for over 10 years. In the beginning there were four of us, one person sadly died, the other person is now living with dementia and is about to go into a home so there’s now only two of us left. We think the staff are exceptional. We’ve got to know them all very well over the years and we have a good laugh every week.”

The “chat and natter” tables will be a permanent addition to CaféLife following on from the launch, with two-hour sessions, supported by volunteers, taking place on a weekly basis. All proceeds from CaféLife help to fund the charity’s vital services. 

Jenny Bimpson, Volunteer Manager at Chatty Café, said: “The Chatty Café Scheme, launched in 2017, helps reduce loneliness via the use of Chatter & Natter tables. Designating a few tables in a café, pub or community centre creates a space for people to connect, have conversations and meet new people.  The sessions are supported by Chatty Café volunteers, welcoming people to the table and helping to create a friendly atmosphere.”

The Chatty Café scheme is a brainchild of Alexandra Hoskyn, who founded it after a miserable day at a supermarket café with her infant son, where she noticed that no one was talking to each other. She found that by simply putting ‘Chatter and Natter’ signs on tables in cafes it created a space for people to talk. She said: “Anyone can join the table, and if you’re on your own, in a couple, with a friend, if you’re a carer you can sit there with the person you care for, mums and babies, dads and babies, grandparents and babies, young people, older people and anyone in between. It’s a great way to meet new people in your community.”

Attempts by former Bross Bagels owner Larah Bross to “phoenix” her failed sandwich company has suffered another blow with the closure of a second outlet.

Now trading as Hot Mama Bagels Ltd, but using the same outlets and branding as the former Bross Bagels Ltd, the company’s Stockbridge shop has closed without notice.

The unit in affluent St Stephen Street has been cleared out with just a few items of equipment left behind and no explanation or notice to alert customers of the closure. It follows the same fate as the firm’s flagship store in St James Quarter, which closed just two months after Bross Bagels entered liquidation with debts of £1 million.

It now means “Bross Bagels” has just two units in operation at Bruntsfield and Portobello and the latest closure is a significant blow to Ms Bross’s promise to “grow Hot Mama Bagels into a thriving business” and to repay crowdfunders and suppliers who have been left high and dry.

At the time of the St James Quarter closure a spokesman for Hot Mama Bagels Ltd said: “The Stockbridge site remains our outlet and will be reopening soon. It goes without saying that losing our St James site is regrettable and we are sorry to all the loyal customers who used it regularly. However, we feel it’s the best decision going forward and we will continue to serve our customers in our community outlets in Bruntsfield, Stockbridge and Portobello.”

Bross Bagels was placed into liquidation on 3 August but not before

Ms Bross had sold the physical and IP assets of the business to her new start-up company Hot Mama Bagels Ltd for just £18,000.

The transaction will feature in the report of official liquidators Interpath Ltd which is investigating the conduct of Bross Bagels directors, while attempting to claw back more than £60,000 due to the business by Larah Bross and her co-director Marc Millar which was classified as “directors loans”.

The two existing units are said to be run by business turnaround specialists, Bar Restaurant Solutions, while Larah Bross claims to be focusing on “brand and marketing”.

In a separate development, Bross Holesale Ltd – a company in which Ms Bross and Bross Bagels Ltd were shareholders – has applied to Companies House to be dissolved and struck off the register. The business appears to have never traded or filed company accounts.

After Bross Bagels folded the liquidators’ interim report revealed debts of £970,000, with His Majesty’s Inland Revenue due the largest amount of £635,000. Included in the list of creditors was £144,000 due to so-called Shareholers, people who had contributed £1,000 each in two rounds of crowdfunding to apparently support the growth of the business.

The Edinburgh Reporter revealed how Lara Bross told Shareholers in emails that honouring her commitment to crowdfunders was her priority – but that appears increasingly unlikely with the closure of another outlet.

One crowdfunder previously said: “We felt we were supporting a local business to grow and thrive and it sounded like a fun investment, and of course you got your money back after four years. It is a shoddy state of affairs, the poor suppliers were taken for a ride and the fact Bross Bagels did not pay student loan obligations is really scummy.”

A spokesman for Hot Mama Bagels Ltd said: “We decided to shift our energies on our two performing shops. We loved being in Stockbridge and hope in the future we can reassess.”

After ninety minutes a goal scored in stoppage time meant the home fixture ended in a draw for Hibernian.

Elie Youan scored from a Georgie Gent cross and Hibs retain their sixth place as the winter break begins.

After the match manager Nick Montgomery said: “I thought we showed big character. We’ve got three 16/17 year-olds on the pitch and Harry McKirdy who has come back from a life-threatening situation [heart surgery].

“I thought first 30 minutes we were superb and could have gone in a couple of goals to the good at half-time. The stats tell you – 70% possession, 500 passes to 250. But ultimately it’s moments in the game.

“I’ve said to the lads at the end, we can play as well as that but we’ve conceded from a throw-in, a poor goal to concede from. And it’s a free kick where possibly the boy’s offside as it’s played back in.”

Hibernian v Motherwell Scottish Premiership Full time 2-2.

ScotRail is recruiting to fill around 160 vacancies in one of its biggest recruitment drives in years.

The train operator has already recruited more than 200 new members of staff since August, with the human resources team working hard to keep the business on track to fill vacancies.

New and improved catering services have been boosted with an additional 34 catering staff hired across the network.

Almost 30 new conductors have passed through training to support service reliability, over 30 engineers recruited, and 100 new frontline staff members to offer enhanced customer service and support revenue protection.

The new year will see that activity continue, with a focus on more conductors in January, and many other exciting roles that will help to improve services and reliability for customers.

ScotRail expects to recruit a further 160 people before the end of March 2024, with roles such as drivers, conductors, ticket examiners, and engineers. Those interested in a career with ScotRail are encouraged to check the company’s website as vacancies are advertised regularly.

Julie Dale, ScotRail HR Director, said: “This is a very exciting time for ScotRail and we are looking forward to building on a fantastic few months of recruitment, by filling even more roles in the New Year.

“Our team has been working flat-out to recruit candidates for some of the best jobs in Scotland.

“But we won’t be stopping there, and we will be providing more people with the fantastic opportunity to secure a career in the railway industry in the weeks and months ahead.

“These high-value jobs, ranging from train drivers, to travel-safe officers tackling anti-social behaviour, boost the Scottish economy and provide an overall higher quality of service to our customers.”

Detectives are appealing for information regarding the murder of a man during a firearms incident in Granton on the evening of Sunday, 31 December, 2023.

Police were called to Granton Crescent around 11.50pm after a firearm was discharged, seriously injuring two men.

Emergency services attended and the two men were taken to hospital, where a 38-year-old man was pronounced dead a short time later.

A 39-year-old man remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition.

From enquiries carried out so far, it is understood a red Hyundai Tucson pulled up beside the men in West Granton Road.

The driver exited the vehicle and discharged the firearm before returning to the vehicle and making off travelling eastwards towards Leith.

Detectives believe there was at least one other person within the vehicle at the time of the incident.

Road closures remain in place on West Granton Road and Granton Crescent while police enquiries continue.

Detective Superintendent Graham Grant said: “An extensive police investigation is ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding this incident and we are doing everything we possibly can to identify and trace whoever is responsible.

“We would like to thank members of the public who have assisted our enquiries so far and would continue to ask anyone with information who hasn’t yet spoken to us to please come forward.

“In particular, we are appealing for any information or footage of the suspect vehicle and it’s movements before and after the incident happened. If you saw this vehicle in the surrounding area late on Sunday evening, we would like to hear from you.

“Our thoughts and condolences remain with the family and friends of both men involved.”

Superintendent Sam Ainslie said: “We completely understand local community concern following this shocking incident and would like to reassure members of the public that this is believed to have been an isolated targeted attack.

“Police Scotland takes incidents of this nature extremely seriously, this type of reckless criminality will not be tolerated, and we will do everything in our power to bring the perpetrators to justice.

“Officers continue to carry out extra patrols in the area to provide reassurance and we would urge anyone with concerns or information to contact us via 101 quoting reference 3819 of 31 December. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111”.

An online portal has been set up to allow members of the public to send information directly to the police. This can be accessed here:Public Portal (mipp.police.uk

The Bass Rock Shore Angling League were due to host Round 8 of their Winter League in East Lothian on Wednesday night, but the forecast is grim.

So, they have postponed the leg in the interests of safety.

Secretary James Ogilvie said: “A huge North-Easterly swell of between 12ft and 15ft is due in the North Berwick and Dunbar area and we consider it will be unfishable.

“So, in the interests of safety, the committee have decided to cancel the match on Wednesday night. Safety comes first.”

PICTURE: Belhaven Beach. Contributed

Lawrence Shankland once again stood out as in-form Hearts edged a battling Livingston side 2-1 at The Tony Macaroni Arena and he also became the first Scottish player to score in six consecutive Premiership games since Leigh Griffiths in 2015. 

The highly-rated striker (pictured arriving at Livingston by David Mollison) shone in the gloom at a venue where the Jambos have not enjoyed the best of fortune, winning there only once since the Lions were promoted in 2018.

The 28-year-old, Glasgow-born marksman kept his composure despite missing a second straight penalty in the second-half with the score deadlocked at 0-0.

That could have thrown a lesser mortal but minutes later the skipper latched onto a pass from the right from hard-working Alan Forrest to slot home with the outside of his foot. Pure class. 

That goal added to the opener from lively Costa Rica-born striker Kenneth Vargas who was fed by a driving run by Forrest down the left. He kept his cool to advance on goal and send the ball past Livi goalkeeeper Jack Hamilton. Vargas celebrated as the ball nestled in the back of the net.  

No wonder then that Hearts’ head coach, Steven Naismith, was full of praise for Shankland, but he also focused on Forrest, a former Livingston player, and Vargas. 

Livingston’s manager, David Martindale, believes Shankland is better than former Rangers star, Alfredo Morelos, claiming the Scottish international was the difference between the sides.

He did, however, complement his men. Martindale admitted he was critical of his troops recently and challenged them to be up for the fight to save the West Lothian club from the drop. He even told them that if they were not prepared to dig deep they should phone their agent and get him to call Martindale.

Yes, his troops failed to earn any points from their joust with Hearts but there were positives, he argued. 

They certainly showed their fans that they were up for the fight and prepared to work for their straight-talking manager who hopes to bring in two or three new players to assist their bid to beat the drop.

It’s a big ask. The Lions have now lost 11 of their last 13 games and prop up the 12-strong table with 12 points from 21 games and have the worst goal difference in the league, minus 20. 

Their next league game is against Dundee on January 27 (15.00) at Livingston and manager Martindale has some time to bed in new players, if he can source them, but games are running out.

The club’s latest recruit, Tete Yengi, was a second-half substitute, and the Australian, who has recently played in Finland, showed some nice touches. He also got an earful from the manager about not being aggressive enough in a challenge. Welcome to Scottish football.

But, back to Hearts and Naismith was delighted with the win which he described as a positive start to the New Year. it came on a difficult pitch against a hard-working team in a brusing battle in which both sides had ten shots.

And Livingston shaded possession, 53 per cent against 47 per cent, but two moments of quality settled this game. Impish Vargas netted after 53 minutes – two minutes after Hamilton’s legs prevented Shankland scoring from the spot – and then Hearts’ skipper took centre stage after 64 minutes with a sublime finish.

Andrew Shinnie scored for the home side from the penalty spot with 11 minutes of regulation time remaining after Frankie Kent was adjudged to have handled in the box. VAR officials took ages to make a decision, much to the annoyance of the fans.

And there were a few scares for the Men in Maroon during the 90 regulation minutes plus nine minutes of injury time in the second-half. The Lions roared early on and Kurtis Guthrie had the ball in the net from a close-in header, but this was ruled off after an extended wait for VAR.

Hearts however settled once they became used to the physicality of the opposition and the artificial pitch and they started to impose themselves on the game, but the Lions were always dangerous and substitute Michael Nottingham had an effort cleared by Hearts’ goalkeeper Zander Clark’s leg late in the game and Guthrie sent a header just wide in injury time.  

Alan Forrest who was one of the outstanding Hearts players against Livingston. Picture by David Mollison

Kenneth Vargas opens the scoring against Livingston. Picture David Mollison

It is often said that Britain is far too London-centric. However, in terms of specialty coffee, there’s little doubt that many areas of London offer something special.

Specialty coffee has grown massively in London – from about 50 independent coffee shops in 2010 to more than 500 in 2020. The number means that competition is high and this seems to be one factor driving standards.  

On a recent trip to London, I visited some highly rated specialty coffee places including Origin, Ozone and Redemption. I was served truly excellent coffee, beyond what is generally available in Edinburgh. Many of the coffees I had provided a warm glow, with their rich flavours seeping into the body rather than smacking me in the face. For 10 or 15 minutes after, the flavours were still in my mouth, still memorable. 

Some in the specialty coffee scene do believe that Edinburgh is ‘a contender’. Saf, one of the co-owners of the excellent Beatnik in Tollcross, believes that “No doubt London has some great places but Edinburgh is right up there, not far behind”. There are undoubtedly several top class places in Edinburgh  but only a handful currently match what I was served on my London trip. Why do standards seem to be higher?

What was striking was just how busy the cafés were. In Edinburgh, busyness tends to come in irregular waves. Undoubtedly there are more young professionals with disposable income (the typical target of specialty coffee places) in London, while population density is considerably higher. This means that the cafés require larger teams. To cope with the flow of customers such places need a good division of labour, as you would see in a professional kitchen. 

High Ground (Islington) had a constant queue of customers. To cope with this, they had four people working in a small café. The first was greeting the customers and taking the orders, the second was at the coffee machine, making the espresso, the third was at the end of the espresso machine, heating and texturing the milk. A fourth was assisting. This division of labour allows the baristas to really focus, and a rushed approach can ruin good beans. This is particularly pronounced in the chains, but is also evident in some independent cafés when staff members have to fulfil several roles. Such places just can’t produce high quality coffee consistently.

We’ve seen cafés such as Artisan Roast, Fortitude and Machina expand into larger premises. Fortitude have recently opened in Abbeyhill (while closing their original York Place café). Such specialists are starting to get the intensity of business you might find in London. The test will be whether they can maintain the standards. This may mean they have to invest by employing more staff, to allow the necessary division of labour. This is most apparent at one of Edinburgh’s busiest – Brew Lab – generally buzzing all day. At Brew Lab, there is a clear divide between those dealing with customers and those pulling the shots. Such a labour intensive approach can only be justified by places which are busy for several hours a day. 

In London I also saw evidence of the further mainstreaming of specialty coffee. Something we also see in Edinburgh. It’s now very common to see phrases such as ‘specialty coffee’, ‘artisanal’ on café windows. However, those places which emphasised these terms most fully didn’t seem to have a clear commitment to specialty coffee culture, merely borrowing some of the aesthetics and language of the scene.

The best coffee I had in London was at hōm in Dalston. All it had on the window was the name of the café. It’s clearly the type of place which believes that building an excellent reputation will draw people towards it and it doesn’t need to make a splash. In short, we need to be discerning if we want to really get the best. 

The centenary of one of Scotland’s greatest Olympic triumphs is to be marked with a special sporting event in Edinburgh on Saturday, 20 January.

While many eyes will be on commemorating the centenary of Scottish athlete Eric Liddell’s Olympic gold on the track in 2024 not to be overlooked is the achievement of WK Jackson’s rink who won the curling gold medal at the inaugural Winter Olympics in Chamonix, France, in January of that  year.

CurlEdinburgh, who operate out of the Murrayfield rink, organise the Jackson Trophy annually but the 2024 instalment will be bigger and better according to Ian Keron, club president, who says: “On January 20 Edinburgh Curling Club is running the Jackson Trophy Bonspiel, involving 14 invited teams to play a three game Bonspiel.

“We will also have invited guests, from each of the three families that made up the WK Jackson team, plus the 2002 women’s team that won Olympic gold in Salt Lake City.”

They are Rhona Martin, Debbie Knox, Fiona MacDonald, and Janice Rankin.

It is understood Bruce Mouat’s rink, who recently won the European title in Aberdeen were invited but will be competing in Canada at the same time as the Capital bonspiel.

Mr Keron added: “The Jackson team was made up of William Kilgour Jackson, his son, Laurence Jackson, Tom Murray and Robin Welsh. The first three named were from Biggar with Welsh from Edinburgh.”

Other events have either taken place or are in the process of commemorating the Jackson rink achievement.

 In September a blue plaque was unveiled at the original home of WK Jackson. This was organised by the current owner of the house, Lorraine Noble-Thompson. 

And, from November 2023 until March, the Biggar Museum is holding an exhibition to celebrate the gold medal success called “From Biggar to Olympic Gold”.

Advertising the exhibition in a flyer, the museum state: “Curling was initially an outdoor game, played on natural lochs or stretches of standing water. The game grew in the Scottish countryside, the sport of farmers – outdoor work being impossible during the time when, as curlers put it, ‘the ice is bearing’.

“Upper Clydesdale was ideal country for the game where there were a large number of ponds in use for curling in the 19th century.

“In the early 20th century the sport started to move indoors to ice rinks such as that at Haymarket in Edinburgh which opened in 1912.

“The famous story of the 1924 Olympics is the one of Eric Liddell. It is less known that four Scots had already won Olympic gold medals that year – the curling team, in the

first Winter Olympics at Chamonix. Scotland’s Willie Jackson, the finest curler of the period, and two men he played with regularly (his son Laurence and Tom Murray), were selected, plus another well-known curler, Robin Welsh.

Britain beat both France and Sweden, and so became Olympic champions and the four Scots were awarded gold medals. However, curling was dropped from the Olympics after 1924 and did not return as an official event until 1998.”

This exhibition at Biggar Museum displays some of the Jacksons’ medals and albums in which Tom Murray recorded his travels and victories.

Roads around Granton Crescent and West Granton Road remain closed as Police Scotland continues a murder investigation following a shooting on Hogmanay.

Emergency services were called just before midnight after reports of two men being seriously injured outside a pub.

One man has died and another is in a serious but stable condition in hospital.

The man who died has been named locally as 38-year-old Mark Webley, who previously spent time in prison after shooting a gang rival. Police enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances.

Detective Superintendent Graham Grant said: “This is believed to have been a targeted incident and our thoughts and condolences are with the family and friends of both men involved.

“Enquiries are at a very early stage to establish the full circumstances surrounding what happened, and while officers have already gathered CCTV and spoken to various people who were in the area at the time, I’d urge anyone with information who hasn’t yet spoken to us to come forward.

“In particular if anyone has private CCTV, doorbell footage or dashcam of the Granton Crescent/Road area around the time of the incident, please bring it to our attention.

“This incident will undoubtedly have caused concern in the local community and officers will be carrying out extra patrols of the area and I’d like to reassure the public that everything possible is being done to trace whoever is responsible.”

Anyone with information is urged to call 101 quoting reference 3819 of 31 December. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111. 

Loony Dook

Although there was no official Loony Dook as there has been in past years, locals donned swimming costumes and dressed up to take to the sea in Portobello, South Queensferry and at Kinghorn in Fife.

Our photos of the Loony Dook are all on Facebook and also here.

Ambulance service busy on Hogmanay

Scottish Ambulance Service has advised that they dealt with 2,006 calls between 7pm on Hogmanay and 7am on New Year’s Day.

The most intense period was between 1:30am – 2:45am where staff handled 328 calls – around a call every 15 seconds.

Julie Carter, On-call Executive Director with the Scottish Ambulance Service, said: “The overall level of demand for our service over the festive period has exceeded previous years and Hogmanay was one of our busiest nights of the year. Yet again, our staff in our Control Centres, on the frontline and support staff showed what an incredible group of dedicated professionals they are. They are a true credit to the SAS.

“This winter we continue to face significant challenges as a result of the time of year and continuing long hospital turnaround times at some hospitals which are stopping our staff from getting back out on the road to help other patients in need.

“To help our staff, we’d like to remind people to please only call 999 in a life-threatening emergency. If you need urgent care, but it’s not life-threatening, you can call NHS 24 on 111, day or night, or your GP during opening hours.”

Shooting in Granton

Police Scotland have reported that the shooting in Granton on Hogmanay has resulted in one death and has left another man in serious condition in hospital.

Read more here.

Time for changes and resolutions

If you have not done so before then 2024 could be the year when you respond to council consultations. Responses to these are usually woefully thin on the ground – if everyone who has something to say about the council (good or bad) on social media took part then perhaps changes might be made.

The consultation at this link is the workplace parking levy and the consultation ends on 6 February 2024.

Read more about the workplace parking levy in a variety of articles here.

Buy a subscription to the Edinburgh Reporter – the gift that lasts all year

Our January issue is out today so here is a timely gift suggestion – buy someone a subscription to our monthly newspaper – we deliver by mail in compostable envelopes, and the subscription helps us to keep on publishing the news on a free to access basis. Click on the image below to sign up for yourself or as a present.

So far this year we have produced twelve issues and have already produced the January 2024 edition.

And if you have any stories then do get in touch. editor@theedinburghreporter.co.uk

Barrhead Travel has reported its best ever year at its Cameron Toll branch as demand for travel is on the up.

Since January 2023 the firm has recorded 11 consecutive record-breaking months and December just ended with record sales. The group’s vest ever year in 2019 has been exceeded in 2023 with bookings up by just over a quarter.

Victoria Dodds, Manager at Barrhead Travel Cameron Toll said: “Over the last year, we prioritised smart and sustainable growth, which has seen us deliver record breaking results. This year, we will have recorded our highest ever sales and we expect to continue that pace in 2024. 

“Holidays remain a spending priority for consumers of all ages. The demand for a reputable travel agent is at an all-time high which is why we believe that now is the time to move ahead with further expansion throughout the UK.

“Retail travel is thriving, and communities across the country are benefiting from busy travel agency stores. Our commitment to investing in retail has never wavered and we’re excited to be bringing new jobs and opportunities as our expansion progresses over the coming 12 months. 

“We are in the process of reviewing our new locations and we expect to announce details in the first quarter of 2024.” 

A man has died in an apparent murder on Hogmanay after what police describe as a “firearms incident” in Granton.

Around 11.50pm on Sunday evening, police were called to reports of two men being seriously injured after a firearm was discharged in Granton Crescent.

Emergency services were called and the two men were taken to hospital.

A 38-year-old man, named locally as Mark Webley, was pronounced dead a short time later and a 39-year-old man remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition.

Road closures remain in place on Granton Road and Granton Crescent while police enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances. 

Detective Superintendent Graham Grant said: “This is believed to have been a targeted incident and our thoughts and condolences are with the family and friends of both men involved.

“Enquiries are at a very early stage to establish the full circumstances surrounding what happened, and while officers have already gathered CCTV and spoken to various people who were in the area at the time, I’d urge anyone with information who hasn’t yet spoken to us to come forward.

“In particular if anyone has private CCTV, doorbell footage or dashcam of the Granton Crescent/Road area around the time of the incident, please bring it to our attention.

“This incident will undoubtedly have caused concern in the local community and officers will be carrying out extra patrols of the area and I’d like to reassure the public that everything possible is being done to trace whoever is responsible.”

Anyone with information is urged to call 101 quoting reference 3819 of 31 December. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111. 

Another sea angling competition in the first week of the New Year. East Fife Sea Angling Club are hosts for the cod open sweep on Sunday January 7.

Boundaries are from Carnoustie to Ferryden Light and registration is at the Victoria Park, Arbroath, from 9.30am to 10am with fishing from 11am to 4pm.

Weigh-in is back at the Victoria Park and scales close at 5pm. Entry is £15 and there is a 100 per cent payout with prizes for first, second and third plus the heaviest bag and heaviest cod.

Scottish Federation of Sea Anglers (SFSA) rules apply including minimum landing limits and it is one rod with a maximum of three hooks.

For more information call or message Alan Combe on 07872 899791 or Chris Horn on 07872 944807.

The federation have also confirmed dates for shore matches this year and they are: January 27, Newhaven, Edinburgh; April 7, Riverside Drive, Dundee; May 12, Elliot Beach, Arbroath; June 9, Riverside Drive, Dundee; July 14, East Fife Open; August 11, Individual members; August 25, Clyde and West; September 29, Erskine; October 26, Ayrshire; November 9/10, Ian Reid Memorial in Fife.

Ian Campbell, organiser of the Edinburgh New Year Shore League, has confirmed a seven match schedule starting on January 12 at Newhaven and followed by January 19 at Seafield, January 26 at Portobello (Joppa end), February 9 at Newhaven; February 23 at Portobello (west end); March 8, Newhaven; March 22, Newhaven.

Sponsors are The Edinburgh Angling Centre, The Fishing Megastore and Cox and Rawle and Falkirk-based Campbell said: “After the success of the last two winter shore leagues I’ll be running a New Year League. I will be posting for names and providing full details before each match.”

PICTURE: Ian Campbell at The Edinburgh Angling Centre. Contributed

Popular racer Jye Etheridge returns for his seventh season at Shielfield Park and Berwick’s new team manager, Stewart Dickson, believes the 28-year-old is capable of regular double-figure scores around the Borders shale.

The 28-year-old from Newcastle, New South Wales, first signed for Bandits in 2017 after spells at Edinburgh Monarchs and Redcar Bears and proved an instant hit.

Indeed, Etheridge was voted the club’s Rider of the Year in each of his first three seasons and he has consistently averaged over six points with some match-winning contributions around Berwick.

The Aussie has also tasted success in the top league, lifting the Premiership title with Belle Vue in 2022 and as a guest for Sheffield last season he produced a match-winning nine plus one bonus in the second-leg of the final.

He will team up with Rory Schlein, Drew Kemp, Danyon Hume, and Lewis Kerr plus Freddy Hodder when he returns to Britain for the Cab Direct Championship.

Dickson (pictured) commented: “Everyone knows that Jye is capable of regular double-figure returns around Shielfield. Making our home a fortress will be the key to success in 2024 and he has a leading role to play in that. Jye also grabbed vital points on the road last year and we will be looking for that to continue.”

Season passes for the 12 home meetings are £199 adults, £189 concessions, accompanied under-16s free, and they are available from the club website berwickspeedway.com/store

As the world ushers in another year, the mantra “New Year, New You” rings out, and fitness enthusiasts anticipate the trends that will shape their wellness journeys in 2024.

With unlimited access to their 12 pools, 17 gyms, indoor climbing and more than 750 fitness classes each week, Edinburgh Leisure has a new membership promotion that runs from 1 to 31 January 2024 offering new members who join in January a no-joining-fee offer.

Edinburgh Leisure provides a diverse array of fitness options, catering to individual preferences and goals for all ages.

Here’s what Ally Strachan Fitness Development Manager at Edinburgh Leisure believes is set to dominate the scene in 2024.

1. Wearable Tech Takes the Lead
Wearable technology is not a fleeting trend. It’s here to stay. Devices like Apple Watches and Fitbits continue to empower users by tracking exercise and activity data. Myzone, with its focus on specific exercise bouts and intensity levels, offers a more targeted approach. It’s also great for those who don’t want to be consumed by 24 hours’ worth of data.

2. Studio Strength and Toning
For those who shy away from the free weights area in the gym, studio strength and toning sessions are gaining popularity. You get all the benefits of group-based training and still get to develop a sweat. This January, Edinburgh Leisure introduces two new Les Mills classes—Shapes, a mind and body fusion of Power Yoga, Pilates, and Barre, and Strength Development, a sequence of 12 progressive workouts designed to build muscle and enhance lifting techniques.

3. Embracing LISS (Low Intensity Steady State)
In contrast to the high-intensity (HIIT) craze, which can be very taxing and requires more recovery, Low Intensity Steady State (LISS) training seems to be on more people’s lips than in previous years.

Ally said: “I wouldn’t replace all of your high-intensity training with LISS, but I would supplement LISS with a current exercise plan. By keeping it low intensity (60-65% max HR or low blue zone on your Myzone), this is something that can be done every day, by getting in more steps and increasing non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) to burn body fat. Take the stairs where possible or take a small walk every day.

4. Rise of Hybrid Training
Hybrid training is a growing trend with the likes of HYROX competitions taking place across the world. Combining cardiovascular and resistance-based methods in a single session, is gaining traction. Ally advises caution due to its intensity, suggesting consultation with Edinburgh Leisure’s knowledgeable gym staff to programme a workout effectively and safely according to individual fitness levels.

5. Body Composition Takes Centre Stage
While the fitness industry has long advocated for ignoring the number on a set of scales and more traditional metrics like BMI, newer technology allows for more accurate body composition testing. With Boditrax kiosks at The Royal Commonwealth Pool, Meadowbank, Drumbrae Leisure Centre, Leith Victoria Swim Centre and Glenogle Leisure Centre, this console offers customers the ability to track their progress conveniently via an app. There’s no better time to do this than in January when you’re already super motivated to make some great progress in your health and wellbeing.

6. Strength and Resistance Training Soars
The benefits of strength and resistance training extend beyond a sculpted physique. Improved posture, metabolism, bone density, joint strength, injury risk reduction, balance, and enhanced body composition are just a few of the advantages. Edinburgh Leisure’s gym team is ready to assist in creating personalised plans for optimal results.

7. Mind and Body Workouts for Holistic Wellness
Mind and body workouts such as Yoga, Pilates, and the new Les Mills Shapes class focus on both mental and physical well-being. These classes provide relaxation, stress relief, and mindfulness, catering to beginners and seasoned group fitness enthusiasts alike. In 2024 with an Edinburgh Leisure membership, you can enjoy the choice of over 300 Pilates, Yoga, Les Mills Shapes and Bodybalance classes – the best variety, choice and cost-effective mind and body classes in Edinburgh.

8. Functional Training for Everyday Life
Functional training mimics daily activities to build a stronger body and mind for everyday life. Think shoulder presses mimicking lifting something heavy onto a shelf, or weighted squats allowing you to get low to the floor with ease to play with your children or pets. Workouts such as Les Mills Strength Development, L1FT, Bodypump and Gym Blast classes use weight plates, barbells, dumbbells, and your own body weight to improve performance, mobility, strength, and stamina not just in your fitness classes, but in everyday life.

9. Get Fit For Surgery Programme
Acknowledging the ageing process, Edinburgh Leisure introduced a pilot referral “Get Fit For Surgery” programme in 2023. This 16-week initiative supports individuals awaiting hip and knee surgeries, enhancing overall health and well-being through fitness, strength building, and increased confidence.

10. Employee Wellbeing Initiatives
Investing in employee wellbeing yields significant rewards. Edinburgh Leisure not only prioritises customer health but also supports staff with access to facilities as a job perk. One of the roles of their dedicated Director of Wellbeing is focusing on corporate initiatives to support staff’s mental and physical wellbeing.

If you want to invest in your staff’s wellbeing, get in touch to discuss their Corporate Membership, which provides unlimited access to our gyms, swimming pools, and fitness classes at discounted prices.

Edinburgh Leisure provides a diverse array of fitness options, catering to individual preferences and goals. Whether you’re a tech-savvy tracker, a studio enthusiast, or someone embracing a holistic wellness approach, the fitness trends of the year promise exciting and transformative experiences. Embrace the New Year and let your fitness journey unfold with the guidance and support of Edinburgh Leisure. #januREADY.

www.edinburghleisure.co.uk

Congratulations to Iona Senew and Ben Carter on winning the mixed doubles title at Joppa Tennis Club.

The pair, who defeated Heriot Philbrick-Smith and Poppy Thomas in the final are pictured being congratulated by coach Finn McLean.

Ben captains Joppa’s veteran men’s team.

The competition was organised by club member David Greig.