Director of Pleasance venues, Anthony Alderson, wants Edinburgh to do more to welcome the Fringe.

He feels the city is not doing enough to offer a collective welcome to reflect the money it makes from all the Fringe events which Pleasance of course is only one part of.

Alderson said: “We started here in 1985 and London came along 10 years later as a way to keep the staff together and develop work, and as a way of keeping that energy going throughout the year. I think you can go to a theatre anywhere in the world and find someone who has worn a Pleasance t-shirt.

“What we need from the city is an infrastructure that we can build this festival around. I think that it’s sad in a way you come into Edinburgh and there’s no street infrastructure for things like banners, and there seems to be little welcome for people coming.

“The organised postering, which was a response to fly postering. Again it’s been given to one company who have now formed a monopoly. So that has become incredibly expensive. Can we cap the prices of of the costs that go back to these artists? That’s what’s going to kill it ultimately – we’re going to price them out.

“So my ask it’s money for the art, it’s infrastructure for the venues and it’s a welcome from the city. The city benefits so hugely, and you can see the love for it around the city, those huge numbers of people who, after the pandemic, were desperate for it to come back again. And now that it’s back, we’ve got to make sure that it that it survives.”

He is adamant that ticket prices remain affordable, although admits it is expensive for anyone to bring a show to the Fringe, and for it to work properly ticket prices would have to double – something which he says cannot happen as people want to see four or five shows a day.

He said: “I think the challenge with Edinburgh is the city has become so expensive for people to be here. Each show, each venue has to make their investment into this. And it is getting harder and harder to to get that money back. The venues have only got 27 days in which to make that back. The companies hope that their shows will go on and their investment is returned in a different way.

“But what is becoming very, very clear is that the city is earning a huge amount of money from this festival. And it would be nice to see more of it come back the other way to support the very artists who bring the energy and who bring the excitement to it.

“I think the cost of the artists coming is probably somewhere in the region of £50 million. That’s roughly what the collective spend is, it may even be more than that. The ticket revenue that comes back from this festival is only £30 million, I think that was the last figure I saw in 2019, and in 2022, it came down. So there’s a gap and and that’s before you’ve even paid for your accommodation, before you have paid for your food, paid all of those other extras on top.”

The Edinburgh Partnership

Pleasance Theatre Trust is a charity which does a lot to help themselves and help artists. In the last couple of years they have set up a collaboration with nine theatre companies from all over the UK called The Edinburgh Partnership bringing theatre to the Fringe in the hope that the plays will tour afterwards. This is a funding model with help from trusts and foundations in the past two years, but which the Pleasance Theatre Trust funded themselves for the first year.

This includes shows such as Buff from Plymouth, Bitter Lemons from Bristol Old Vic as well as work from the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff, and Pitlochry Theatre.

Alderson said: “It is a proper national partnership.

“Because the touring for theatre companies was very difficult, we decided that with the help of a couple of trusts and foundations, they helped fund it. We put together something called the Edinburgh National Partnership scheme. And the idea is to give them some support to each of the theatres that are part of this scheme, as a way of bringing that work to Edinburgh.”

Pleasance operates at three sites Pleasance Courtyard, Pleasance Dome and Pleasance at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC).

Tickets and information here.

Eva Olid has signed a two-year extension to her contract as manager of Hearts women’s team and she aims to continue the club’s upward path this season.

The Spanish-born coach (pictured right) arrived at Tynecastle in July 2021 and the team showed real progression last term, earning their highest finish, fourth place, and taking points from Rangers for the first time.

Eight new players have arrived during the close season and Olid said: “Everybody knows how happy I am here.”

The key, according to Olid, was a good atmosphere in the dressing-room and the hard work by the staff and she told the Hearts website: “I am so excited with the players that have been here and all the new players and I think this season will be a good season.”

She added: “Hearts have supported us with everything. We feel so important. Of course, we want to improve from last season. I don’t want to say where we are going to finish as so much can happen.”

Lewis Stevenson (pictured) has played 578 games for Hibs and featured in 17 league campaigns for the Easter Road club. He can’t wait to lace on his boots for the opening cinch Premiership game at home to St Mirren on Sunday (15.00).

The 35-year-old told Hibs TV that the dressing-room is positive about the new campaign and he added: “We have a good squad, players who can cover every position.”

He added: “Every game is important. St Mirren are first then we then have a game in Europe and we want to start our season the best we can.”

Focusing on Sunday’s opponents who finished sixth in the table last term, Stevenson said: “They were really good last season. They’re well-organised and a threat.

“We had some tight matches with them last season and I am sure it will be the same again.”

Alex Lowry can’t wait to play for the Jambos after completing a loan move from Scottish rivals Rangers.

The talented 20-year-old is described as a dynamic, attacking midfielder and Lowry is said to have established himself as one of the brightest prospects in Scottish football.

Frankie McAvoy, Hearts’ head coach, told the club’s website that the chance to sign the Scotland under-21 cap came around quickly and he added: “He’s a highly regarded prospect with good experience in Rangers first team.”

Lowry is buzzing about the prospect of playing at Tynecastle and told Hearts TV: “I want to play in front of the fans and repay Steven and Frankie’s faith in bringing me here.

“This was definitely the right place to come, the style of play really suits me. I’m very creative, my first thought is always forward.”

Lowry pledged: “I’ll work hard for the team, and do my bit off the ball, so I can hopefully create chances. There just seems to be a buzz around the place.

“I’ve been at Rangers all my life, so to step out of my comfort zone is something I’m really looking forward to. I’ve played at Tynecastle a few times and it’s always a stadium I love coming to. It’s so tight and there’s so much energy around the place – it’s a great place to play football.”

One person was taken to hospital after a speedway bike cleared the perimeter fence during Stellar Monarchs’ Cab Direct Championship home clash with Poole Pirates.

Both stadium ambulances attended the scene at the fourth bend at Armadale and the match was abandoned.

A Monarchs spokesman said: “The match between the Stellar Monarchs and Poole was abandoned after the first running of Heat Six which was stopped after Craig Cook picked up grip on the fourth bend with his bike clearing the fence.

“Both stadium ambulances attended the scene and one person has been taken to hospital by ambulance. We will provide more details when we have them.”

Poole, the defending champions, were leading 21-9 when the match was abandoned.

Hibs have recalled 18-year-old Murray Johnson from his loan spell at cinch League One side Queen of the South and he slots into the Hibees squad for the cinch Premiership clash opener with St Mirren at Easter Road on Sunday (kick-off 15.00).

This follows injuries to Scottish international goalkeeper David Marshall and newcomer Jojo Wollacott in the 6-1 defeat of Inter Club d’Escaldes at Easter Road in the UEFA Europa Conference League, a victory which takes them into the third qualifying round next Thursday.

Johnson joined Queen of the South on a season-long loan this summer and has featured once for Marvin Bartley’s side, keeping a clean sheet v Elgin City in the League Cup. Bartley (pictured playing for Livingston against Hibs), incidentally, made 92 appearances for Hibs before moving to Livingston FC.

The talented teenager returns initially as emergency goalkeeper cover for seven days. However, the club can extend this on a rolling week-by-week basis, if necessary.

St Mirren had an impressive league campaign last season, finishing sixth, six points behind Hibs, and it was their first finish in the top half of the league since 1985.

However, Hibs beat The Buddies in three of the four league jousts, and manager Stephen Robinson has lost Declan Gallacher to Dundee United and Curtis Main to the Indian Super League.

Meanwhile, the Easter Road club have extended their partnership with IFX Payments, who have corporate and private clients in Britain, Europe, the Middle East and Australasia, and their logo will be displayed across the first team walk-out jackets before kick-off and at various sites around the ground.

Finally, the club’s Premiership fixture at Motherwell in August has been rearranged. It was due on Saturday, August 12 (3pm) but is not on Sunday, August 13 (3pm) and the switch is due to Hibs progressing to the third round of the UEFA Europa Conference League.

Stewart’s Melville are hopeful a new gym will help them with a more successful season when club rugby gets underway at the beginning of next month.

The Inverleith outfit had a disappointing ’22-23 league season and will play in Division Two of the Tennent’s National Leagues after dropping down.

However, re-appointed captain Jamie Sword, pictured in action against Aberdeen Grammar last season, says that rather than sit dwelling on misfortune the club have reacted positively and invested in bricks and mortar as a way forward.

“We have just converted a shed previously used by physios into a gymnasium with extra emphasis placed on strength and conditioning” said the 25-year-old second row.

Stew Mel have always been renowned for sparkling back play but tended to come unstuck when lightweight forward packs were worn down on heavy grounds in winter.

Jamie added: “We could either live in denial (about last season) and say we were unlucky. Or we could be upfront and recognise where we needed to improve.

“Hopefully the gym will help us address an area where the club have long been at a comparative disadvantage and help us remain powerful at the end of games.

“Also when winter arrives and some games are called off we now have somewhere to go to sweat a bit and lift some tin!”

Only scrum half Fraser Strachan has felt obliged to move on due to family reasons leaving Arran Porteous and Charles Burrowes to fight it out for the No 9 shirt but several others are back from long term injury.

These include midfield backs James Ferguson and Jamie McGurk while prolific try scorer Michael Jamieson – “he must have scored 75 per cent of our tries last season” says Sword – is expected to remain to a major strike force on the wing.

And there is more good news with back row Curtis Williams and front row Hayden Hart arriving from New Zealand.

Off the field, too, Andy Kelly, ex-Edinburgh hooker, has returned to the club he served with distinction as a player having gained valuable coaching experience in Hong Kong and at Heriot’s. Andy will lead assisted by Alex Hagart.

Bobbie Viney’s here from Australia to talk about ghosting. 

Ghosting is what happens when someone with whom you thought you had a relationship suddenly stops communicating. You can text/message them all you like, you won’t get anything back.

Or in Bobbie’s own words:

Judging by the response from today’s audience, Bobbie’s not alone in her suffering. Is ghosting a modern phenomenon? Probably not, but it’s definitely getting worse.

Bobbie knew she had to move on from the man she’d thought cared about her, but she couldn’t. So in the end she did two things; she wrote a show about it all, and she (unexpectedly) found closure. And she’s here to tell us that closure was worth it.

Closure at a Self-Serve Checkout is Bobbie’s story of self-delusion, betrayal, heartbreak, misery, and a final settling of scores. It’s a story she illustrates with original songs and a Powerpoint presentation. Some of it’s funny, some of it’s sad; most of it will probably strike a chord with most of us.

Bobbie had ‘a type’ – she thinks we all do. Unfortunately hers was a type with a name unprintable here, but defined by the Urban Dictionary as

I’m sure you can work it out. He had a moustache. But as Bobbie says:

When Bobbie was ghosted, she was devastated, and she wanted to know why it had happened to her. Cue her first song; it’s about moustaches and how putting on a fake one (which she does) can’t cover up the pain.

She continues with another song, this one more critical of herself. In Don’t Fall for a Gemini, she examines the all too common female practice of blaming oneself and trying to change to please an evasive, commitment-phobic, man. Like most of us, Bobbie thought she was too good a feminist to fall prey to all that nonsense. Like most of us, she wasn’t.

The narrative, and the songs, alternate between pathos and humour; a song entitled Post Coital Compliments, for which she’s collated the experiences of several of her friends, is very funny indeed, and certainly does underline that old saying about men and women coming from wildly different planets. One of her friends slept with a man who then asked if he could buy her Lego collection. I like to think she asked him what he planned to do with it.

Bobbie has also written a poem, one that sums up the dilemma in which so many modern women – and no doubt some men as well – find themselves. Why, when relationships are so fraught, do we have such a need to be with someone? And why do the people we want to be with so often want only to be with somebody else?

We try to change ourselves to fit what we think is the template of attractiveness – making ourselves feel silly and compromised in the process – only to find that it isn’t what that other person wants after all. They just don’t want us, whatever form we take. So now we’re dumped and confused, not to mention very cross with ourselves for ever being so un-feminist in the first place.

The Phoebe Bridges’ song Funeral, which Bobbie sings with real emotion, brings some perspective. If someone’s child is dead, is our heartbreak really such a big deal? Though whether knowing that makes it any easier to cope, or simply leaves us feeling like even more of a bad person, is indeed a question.

For Bobbie, what eventually worked was closure. Her friends warned her off, but she knew she needed it. Many of us wouldn’t be as brave as she was; women are generally (and insidiously) taught neither to challenge nor to confront men. Bobbie kicked over the traces, and ultimately, she was able to move on.

Closure at a Self-Serve Checkout is a courageous show; Bobbie bares her heart to us, and she does it all alone, there is no supporting cast. She is truthful, and witty, and speaks from the heart, building an instant empathy with the audience. And if today she occasionally missed a cue, I think we should cut her some slack in what was her first performance at this year’s Fringe. Go along and remind yourself that whatever has happened in your dismal love life has no doubt happened in someone else’s – in fact it may well have been worse. And if Bobbie can see the funny side of what was a very bad time in her life, so can you. You’re still alive; you can still smell the roses.

She’s got another boyfriend now. He’s got a moustache too. Maybe there are a lot more of them in Australia?

Closure at a Self-Serve Checkout is at theSpaceTriplex (Studio), The Prince Philip Building, (entrance in Hill Place) at 11.05am every day until 12 August, then at theSpace@Surgeons Hall (Theatre 2), Nicolson Street, at 11.15am every day from 16 to 26 August (NB no performance on 13, 14 & 15 August.)  

Here are some suggestions for you at theSpace UK (which is really Surgeons Hall by another name).

This is the tip of the iceberg as there are more than 360 shows at this venue with lots of new writing and new companies.

www.thespaceuk.com

There is a nice space in the courtyard to eat outside with benches and a grassy area.

ATTACK OF THE 36 TRIPLE-G WOMAN
Natalie Perlin, America’s most titillating comedian, seeks revenge on every man who wronged her, from summer-camp crushes to historical figures. Get ready for a provocative, kinky, and brilliantly unhinged show that’s definitely more than a handful!

The Quality of Mercy: Concerning the Life and Crimes of Dr Harold Frederick Shipmany
Who hasn’t wondered what goes on in the mind of a serial killer? Follow Dr Harold Shipman’s darkest thoughts and twisted motives as he prepares to take his own life. Told by the grandson of Shipman’s victim Renee Lacy, this chilling drama explores themes of life, death, and justice. (Theatre, 14+)

It Certainly Ain’t their First Rodeo
And Then The Rodeo Burned Down
Two clowns, one criminal. Who burned the rodeo down? Watch as the two clowns fight to accomplish their goals when money is tight but dreaming is limitless. Who knows, they might even find love along the way. (Theatre, 14+)

I Killed My Ex
Prepare for a wild ride in this dark comedy by writer-director Emilie Biason. Join two dear friends, Tina and Lola, on a journey filled with impulsive decisions, as they embark on a mission to get rid of Tina’s ex after he leaves her at the altar. (Theatre, 14+)

Gerard Noir
A world-premiere, sexy-spy singing show for the sophisticated slut within us all. Follow super-spy extraordinaire Gerard Noir as he tries to save the world from a villainous time terrorist! Gerard Noir is the love child of James Bond, South Park and opera! Fringe premiere. uts the ‘dick’ in ridiculous. (Opera, 16+)

theSpaceUK at the Edinburgh Fringe runs from the 4 – 27 August 2023 across 19 venues in 5 sites including: theSpace@Surgeon’s Hall, theSpace@SymposiumHall, theSpace on the Mile, theSpaceTriplex, the Space@Venue45.

Three women on a stage covered in foliage, one dressed in green, one in blue, one in brown. This is the story of Sleeping Beauty, right? So one of them must be the princess who was woken with a kiss and lived happily ever after with her handsome prince.

Well yes and no – but mostly, no.

This is what really happened.

Thorns is a reimagining of the classic fairy tale, based on one of the earliest versions by Giambattista Basile (published 1634.)  We soon learn that Talia (Elinor Chalmers) is the alleged Sleeping Beauty, but who are the other two? Why does the Queen (Kat Harrison) seem so bitter? Why are they both wearing crowns? And who on earth is Moon (Lia Moore)?

This stripped back production by Chaos Collective has the alternative story being told by just the three women, who barely move, at least until late in the play. They speak in fragments, referring to the events that have brought them to where they are now; it is for us to work out their history. This is an effective technique, especially when, at certain points, all three speak in unison; they could be a Greek chorus commenting on their own actions.

it seems that Talia’s story started off much as all of us have been told; she was the longed-for royal child, her parents held a feast to celebrate her birth, twelve Fae Queens were invited – but they forgot to invite the thirteenth, and she was not best pleased. She cursed the child, who would prick her finger on flax (not a needle; flax is in fact the culprit in Basile’s version of the story) and die, but when this does indeed happen, another fae manages to soften the curse so that Talia will sleep for a hundred years.

That fae is now sitting next to Talia; she is the girl in green, she is Sun. How did she end up here?

Kat Harrison, who is also the writer of Thorns, has partly followed Basile’s version of the story. In that, the ‘handsome prince’ of Disney fame is instead a king already. He comes across the sleeping Talia, wakes her up, and ‘gathers the first fruits of love.’

(Words that convey a very different type of relationship from that of two adult lovers. Talia is just sixteen years old.)  

In other words, he rapes her. Basile didn’t dwell on that minor point, so Harrison has given it the oxygen it deserves. Talia ends up pregnant, and when she finally wakes up again she finds she’s the mother of twins. She calls them Sun and Moon – yes that same Moon, the fae, has transformed;

And Sun may be a just mortal boy, but he’s done what the King did not do; he’s removed the flax from Talia’s finger by sucking on it. He’s the one who’s woken her properly, not the rampant rapist.

The rest of the show relates what happens when the King comes back for more, and examines the relationship between the female characters. The person whose story grips us most is the wronged and vengeful Queen. Harrison does an excellent job in the role, conveying all of her misery and fury, and ultimately her madness, as she describes what she did when she found out what her man had been up to.

It’s tragic to see how she feels it’s her lack of ability to conceive an heir that has caused it all to happen; like most women, she blames herself, she blames her would-be replacement, and she blames Moon for failing to protect Talia. But, as the women chant together,

The details the Queen lets drop about her marriage, however, show us who’s the real piece of work here; the King won’t even look the her in the face when they’re in bed;

She’s even forgotten her own name.

The plot she devises to make her husband suffer is a wicked one, but she has been driven over the edge, claiming that she ‘wished them no harm’ while hatching a plan that will do rather more than just harm them. She is deranged.  Without her husband she feels worthless, especially now that he’s fathered an heir elsewhere.

What a nice man.

Harrison’s animated delivery makes us feel her every bit of her pain – and her frustration. The only time she has any power is when her husband is away;

Otherwise she is trapped in a loveless marriage, with no-one in whom to confide, and no outlet for her considerable intelligence.

Talia is an interesting character. At first she seems passive (and Sleeping Beauty has been criticised for this many times over the years – Sonia Saraiya ranked her as Disney’s least feminist princess*, Chelsea Mize said of the Disney version ‘Aurora literally sleeps for like three quarters of the movie…..Aurora just straight-up has no agency, and really isn’t doing much in the way of feminine progress’**), but as the story progresses, we begin to see another side of this woman.

Right at the outset, Talia drops a bit of a bombshell (though we don’t at that stage understand its full import);

An admission instantly shredded by the furious Queen, so much so that we forget it – but it eventually makes some sort of sense.

And later;

But does she? Talia also has a lot to lose in this ‘love’ triangle. Being nice won’t get her far. Chalmers plays Talia as an enigmatic, conflicted woman; this takes a while to show, and could maybe benefit from a little more emphasis, but by the end of the play I found her intriguing. Is she just a pragmatist in a man’s world? Is she a manipulative schemer? Or is she a desperate mother, doing anything she can to save her children, forced to act as she later does by the patriarchal society that surrounds her? Self-preservation is not selfishness.

Lia Moore develops her fae/Moon character well. She’s detached, doing her job, even when she takes human form. She manages to inflict physical punishment on the wayward King (his reaction to that will seal his fate with animal lovers in the audience, though don’t worry, no animal is harmed in this production….)  The King has destroyed her relationship with her mother – she looks too much like him. And she is not without human feelings; in the end she is sorry for the Queen, and protects her from the worst of her fate.

Moon describes her life in the ‘happy family’ once Talia has become Queen in ominous words;

We are left to imagine what those ‘attentions’ may have been.

And when the King himself is on his deathbed, Moon finally gets her revenge in the most satisfying of ways.

I saw Thorns on its first preview night, so it’s understandable that there were a few minor issues with the production. I am not entirely sure whether the beats were part of the play’s soundtrack or were in fact coming from another part of The Three Sisters, but unfortunately the sound production was not great, and I felt the play would have been better off without them.   Noise from the adjacent bar also permeated the room from time to time, and I did wonder if the doors had been properly closed; the cast do not deserve this intrusion.  Both Chalmers and Moore were very occasionally inaudible. I think this came more from speaking too quickly than too quietly; it would be good if they could slow down a little at some points.

Thorns is an interesting and powerful reinterpretation of a classic that most people today know only through its saccharine Disney version. Kat Harrison has not only dug deep into much older versions of this story, she has also considered its implications through the lens of modern feminism. Many other fairy stories could benefit from this treatment, and I look forward to seeing where she goes next.

Thorns is at The Laughing Horse at The Three Sisters (The Live Room), 139 Cowgate at 5.30pm every day until 27 August.

*In A Feminist Guide to Disney Princesses, Jezebel, December 2012
**In A Feminist Guide to All the Disney Princesses, Because Not Every Princess Was Down Waiting For Anyone to Rescue Her, Bustle, July 2015

Chaos Collective is a new production company based in Glasgow, focusing on theatre and film.

This is the up to date list of roadworks in Edinburgh for the next week or so.

All of the newest advice is highlighted in blue for convenience.

Some of the new entries relate to the Men Elite Road Race which takes place on Sunday between Holyrood and The Queensferry Crossing passing down The Mound and through Stockbridge.

Some of this is to advise of changes for the Festival. For example the Lawnmarket is now closed to most traffic except buses – “The road is closed to motor vehicles between 10:30hrs – 17:00hrs (daily) with the exception of buses, cyclists and authorised vehicles. Also no left turn at George IV Bridge and no right turn at Bank Street.”

George Street is now closed between Hanover Street and Frederick Street.

There is also a lot of resurfacing work carrying on. If you see anything which is not on the list then let @EdinTravel know.

If you see anything on the roads which is not on the list then let the travel team know on Twitter @EdinTravel

Updated versions of the listings are posted to the website most weekday afternoons, these can be found by going to https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/edintravel

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He certainly liked a drink, but the long-held belief that Robert Burns was an alcoholic is the result of “fake news” spread first in Edinburgh after his death, according to a leading expert on Scotland’s national bard.

Burns produced songs and poems right up until his death in 1796 at the age of just 37, at the time attributed to alcoholism.

Experts now believe his death is likely to have been due to the effects of a bacterial infection on pre-existing chronic rheumatic heart disease — and his rapid demise may have begun with severe toothache.

Professor David Purdie, a doctor of medicine, Burns expert and co-author of the Burns Encyclopedia, has said the poet was not an alcoholic at all. Professor Purdie is Honorary Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH) of Edinburgh University (where his field is the history and philosophy of the 18th century).

Speaking in Edinburgh, he said on an episode of the National Trust for Scotland’s Love Scotland podcast: “It is a regrettable fact that (Burns) died twice. He died physically at the age of 37 in Dumfries, and then he was assassinated post mortem in an unsigned obituary in what is now the Edinburgh Evening News – the evening newspaper here in Edinburgh – saying he died a hopeless alcoholic, “useless to himself and to his family, being perpetually stimulated by alcohol”.

“This was unsigned and many of us have tried very hard to find out who actually wrote these words because they are simply fake news.

“In brutal summary, the poet was no teetotaller but like all sensible men and women he confined his enjoyment of the grape and the grain to the social and evening hours with his friends, and did not let it intrude on his domestic duties to his wife Jean Armour, the family or to his professional business as an officer of the Scottish Excise Service and for his military duties, because for the last two years of his life he was a soldier in the Royal Dumfries Volunteers.”

Purdie said that after the publication of the obituary, it was repeated in the first biography of Burns by Dr James Currie.

He said Jean Armour protested against the description of Burns as an alcoholic but was ignored, while his brother Gilbert “did not speak up strongly enough about the actuality of the poet’s life and his habits”, possibly because the biography was written to support the family.

He said: “It was picked up – as fake news is picked up – repeated, amplified, and still across the world today you will find people who believe this.”

Purdie said that the disciplinary records of both the excise service and Royal Dumfries Volunteers reveal no record of Burns being “incapable or in any way affected by alcohol”.

And had the poet lived another 18 months he would have been promoted and appointed supervisor of excise at Port Glasgow. He gained “congratulations and approval from his superiors” for his work as an exciseman.

The Reverend James Gray, rector of Dumfries Academy, wrote in a letter published in a subsequent biography: “For the five years that he lived in this town, and where I was educating his sons with others at the academy, I saw him almost every day and never once in that experience did I observe him affected by alcohol.”

Purdie said: “What did kill him came for him very quickly and was merciless.”

Burns fell ill in 1781 when he was 21 and developed what is thought to have been acute rheumatic fever. Before he died, it was noted that he had slowed down, complained repeatedly of joint pains and lost weight remarkably fast.

Purdie said Burns’ rheumatic fever led to a weakened heart, which eventually killed him. But his rapid decline may have begun with toothache.

He told the podcast host, NTS president Jackie Bird: “The problem which occurs through toothache is apical root abscess – a highly infectious and very dangerous condition in the root of a tooth where bacteria spill from the tooth into the bloodstream and if you’ve got a heart which is affected by the long term effects of rheumatic fever then there’s going to be a problem.

“We think that the heart problem was what’s called mitral stenosis – the mitral valve is one of the great valves within the heart itself which propels the blood out from the ventricles into the other chambers of the heart and eventually round the body to supply us with oxygenated blood. If that valve is damaged it is very prone to attack by bacteria if they get into the bloodstream and that is what we think happened with Burns.

“In this damaged heart, the mistral valve damaged and then an apical root abscess or something similar – any other infection delivering bacteria into the bloodstream – it would settle on that valve and begin the process of what we think was the terminal event.

“The terminal event was acute endocarditis – the inner lining of the heart including the valve got infected and led to the terminal events of his life – the rapid loss of weight, the continuing fevers, the pain in the joints…

“It was endocarditis that slew him in the end.”

He added: “The poet was no teetotaller, not at all. Sometimes he overdid it, there is no question of that, in the evening hours with his friends in the taverns of Dumfries or Ayr or wherever but he was no alcoholic.

“His behaviour and what was observed about him do not support that.”

Some classrooms at Preston Lodge High School are now out of commission after some compromised Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) was discovered.

But it is important to note that the school remains open to pupils, with the following arrangements in place:

·         Six temporary units in the school grounds to increase capacity

·         The new S1 intake will be learning in a Home Room environment within their current primary school. The learning will be led by Preston Lodge teachers, and pupils will spend some time within the secondary school. 8 new teachers have been recruited to support Home Rooms. This is a temporary arrangement while the technical options appraisal work to determine the next steps for the confirmed RAAC areas concludes

·         PE provision will take place at Meadowmill Sports Centre in Prestonpans for all year groups

·         Preston Lodge will return on Thursday 17 August (one day after our other schools) to give teachers an extra in-service day to prepare for the new arrangements.

An East Lothian Council spokesperson said: “Inspection works at Preston Lodge confirmed that Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) was used in the construction of some, but not all, parts of the school building. As a result of faults identified in some of the RAAC, it was necessary to close some parts of the building as a precautionary measure. This is until inspections are complete and engineers advise on potential options.

“Additional units have been installed in the school grounds to increase the school’s capacity. Temporary arrangements have been introduced which will see the new S1 year group to learn in Home Rooms based primarily in their current primary schools from the start of the new term. The school has recruited additional teachers for this purpose alongside a number of other supports.

“Our Education service is working closely with the school management team to ensure quality learning and teaching continues while the technical teams continue their work to determine next steps.

“We are grateful for the support of the Preston Lodge school community. Head Teacher Gavin Clark and his team look forward to welcoming pupils back to school for the new term.”

Mr Clark has already advised pupils, parents and carers of the plans before the last term ended, and will keep everyone updated as the new term approaches.

Old Craighall Road set for 12 week closure as new housing development progresses

Alternative routes for buses and motorists during the closure of a busy road have been revealed by housing developers Cala ahead of a public exhibition.

Old Craighall Road, in Midlothian, will see a large section closed for 12 weeks from next month as construction work on a new 620-home housing development at nearby Newton and Wellington farms moves forward.

Midlothian Council said the closure would allow upgrading work which is being planned for the road including creating a bus park-and-ride and new spine road.

However it has sparked anger from some users on social media with one describing new housing developments in the area as a ‘sea of Lego land bland’.

Cala says a meeting announced by Midlothian Council for Danderhall Community Hub on Thursday, August 10, from 6pm to 8pm, will be a public exhibition of its plans for the community, including maps showing the extent of the road closure, alternative routes for local residents and diversions.

Old Craighall Road will close from the ‘Welcome to Midlothian’ sign travelling from East Lothian past Monkton House to the entrance to Millerhill from September 6.

An alternative vehicle route south of the road for local residents and footpath to the north have been outlined in a map which will be shown on the developer’s boards at the exhibition and is available to view here cala.co.uk/newton.

However Cala declined to allow the Local Democracy Reporting Service to share the local alternatives map saying it had been distributed to local residents and was not “relevant to the wider public messaging”.

They have, however, provided alternative route proposals for other motorists heading to the bypass or Edinburgh and the east, as well as the planned diversions for the 151 Millerhill to Musselburgh bus route via Fort Kinnaird with connections to other services.

A spokesperson for Cala said: “As part of our new development, we have planned extensive infrastructure improvements that are set to serve the local community for years to come.

“Alongside Midlothian Council, we will be hosting a public exhibition that will continue that engagement with local people, explaining in detail the road closure proposals, as well as diversion routes that will benefit residents and commuters alike. Information will also regularly be updated on our website.”

by Marie Sharp Local Democracy Reporter

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is a public service news agency. It is funded by the BBC, provided by the local news sector (in Edinburgh that is Reach plc (the publisher behind Edinburgh Live and The Daily Record) and used by many qualifying partners. Local Democracy Reporters cover news about top-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.

This exciting newcomer to the early music scene will celebrate the musical journey of Sir John Clerk of Penicuik on their Grand Tour, which comes to Edinburgh on September 2nd.

Scotland’s dynamic new baroque ensemble, Laudonia, will be performing a ‘Grand Tour’ this September, celebrating the musical journey of Sir John Clerk of Penicuik. Joining them for this remarkable project is one of the leading names on the early music scene, the Croatian-born star violinist Bojan Čičić.

Laudonia, whose name comes from the Latin description for the Lothians, was co-founded by internationally renowned Scottish soprano Susan Hamilton, along with Austrian Arts Manager Christoph Crepaz.

The tour is celebrating the journey of Sir John Clerk of Penicuik, the famous politician, judge and composer who left Penicuik in October 1694 and returned four years later, having experienced some incredible musical adventures across Europe, which created some of the best music of its time to emerge from Scotland. While Sir John is more renowned for his legal and political contributions to Scottish life, he also stands as a significant composer in his own right. Sadly, much of his musical output was lost in a fire that struck Penicuik House in 1899. However, his five vocal cantatas have survived and provide a glimpse into his musical genius.

At a time when political and cultural links are particularly relevant, Laudonia bring together some of Scotland and Europe’s leading musicians to work on this exciting project, inspired by Sir John’s Grand Tour in the 1690s. Following his route through Europe, from Penicuik in Midlothian to Rome, Susan Hamilton has curated a unique program for soprano, trumpet, strings, and bass continuo, featuring compositions that he might have encountered during his travels, written by composers he met, and some he studied with on his journey. This includes Clerk’s emotional cantata Leo Scotiae Irritatus, Corelli’s passionate violin sonata in D minor La Follia and the ethereal concerto for voice, trumpet and strings by Rosenmüller O Felicissimus Paradysi.

Despite being based in Scotland, Laudonia stands out by bringing together leading exponents of early music from both Scotland and Europe. This fusion of diverse experiences and ideas infuses their performances with an exciting vitality and energy.

While their primary focus lies in giving concerts and producing recordings, Laudonia is equally committed to fostering educational and outreach programs within Scotland and beyond. Collaborating with schools, conservatoires, and concert halls, the ensemble aims to create projects that are both educational and stimulating, allowing young people and new audiences to experience, learn from, and be inspired by live music.

Laudonia co-founder, Susan Hamilton’s earliest musical education was as a chorister at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, where she was one of the first girl choristers, and as a pupil at St Mary’s Music School. An award-winning soprano, focussing on baroque music, Susan performs at major international festivals and has worked with conductors such as Sir John Eliot Gardiner. Along with Ben Parry she was co-founder and formerly artistic director of the Dunedin Consort.

Speaking about Laudonia’s Grand Tour, she said: “Sir John Clerk of Penicuik’s Grand Tour is of national importance. We were inspired by his incredible journey and fascinated that music played such a significant role opening doors and offering him wonderful opportunities. Music has always had the power to break down all barriers. It is a language without prejudice.”

TOUR DATES: September 2023

Melrose 1st September 19:30 – Holy Trinity Church, Melrose
Edinburgh 2nd September 19:30 – St Cecilia’s Hall, Edinburgh
Dunkeld 3rd September 19:30 – Dunkeld Cathedral
Inverness 5th September 19:30 – Inverness Cathedral
Aberdeen 6th September 19:30 – Queen’s Cross Church, Aberdeen
London 8th September 19:30 – St Mary Abbot’s Church, Kensington

The former First Minister Alex Salmond is back on the Fringe in a new show called The Ayes Have It! The Ayes Have It!

Appearing at the Palais de Varieté Salmond will spar with David Davis MP, former Brexit minister on important matters such as Brexit, independence, abolishing the monarchy and the House of Lords. The two are friends although from differing political backgrounds. This is your best-ever opportunity to play your part in a feisty parliamentary-style debate on the great issues of the day. Take sides with two top-rate teams of politicians and celebrities, led by Former First Minister, Alex Salmond. Remember, every day your vote will decide whether “The Ayes Have It!”

The things he will not be talking about however include his former protegée and successor, Nicola Sturgeon or her successor, Humza Yousaf. Salmond is happy to talk about the chances for the political party he leads, Alba, and he remains focused and remains positive that there will be an independent Scotland in all of our futures.

He said: “When I was leader in 2011, the support for the SNP was almost half the electorate, and support for independence was at 30%. Now we have almost exactly the reverse support for the SNP is down around 30% and support for independence, the concept, the ideal is up at 50%. So it’s an interesting question, are you closer to independence when the support is much higher, but the party – the leading party of independence is weaker? I think the underlying answer is yes, yes you are. You just have to organise yourself correctly, to bring the supporters of independence into the ballot box to vote for the best independence Party and I’d say that was Alba.

“One of the strengths we had back in the independence referendum was that, regardless of people’s views on independence, most people agreed that the SNP were doing a cracking job of running The Scottish Government. It was very efficient. We had done a lot of good things we’d built bridges and roads and railway lines all over the place. And folks said yes we’ve made education free things that people wanted. We didn’t have inefficiency, we didn’t have any recognisable waste of money. Now, they’ve lost their way on that over the last few years, no question about that. And they have to recover a reputation for good government. In the meantime, we need people who actually argue for independence who want to mobilise independence majority and above all, have some sort of idea about how to get there.”

Asked if he was disappointed in The Scottish Government he replied only that they have “wasted a heaven sent opportunity for independence”.

No matter that he was once a serious politician he says he likes the lighter side of life saying “there is no job, I know, which would be tolerable, sustainable, unless you are prepared where appropriate, to have a bit of fun. And, you know, these subjects that David and I are gonna be debating, we have to be very selective because there’s only so many things we actually disagree on.

“If it came to human rights, internationalism or defending freedom of speech, David and I are of the same mind. But what we expect is a lively boisterous festival crowd at night in the Spiegeltent. And they can be as raucous as they like as long as it is good natured. If people make a good point then give them a clap or if they make a bad point give them a boo. You can still have in my view an entertaining debate.”

David Davis MP said: “Hopefully it’ll be quite quick paced. We’re only getting eight minutes apiece on each main speech, which is quite short when you think what parliamentary speeches are like. But you know, it’ll be fun.”

The full list of those taking part includes:

• Right Honourable Alex Salmond, Former First Minister 
• Right Honourable David Davis MP, Former Secretary of State 
• Right Honourable John Bercow, Former Speaker House of Commons
• Lord Tom Strathclyde, Former Speaker House of Lords 
• Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh OBE, Former MP
• Right Honourable Henry McLeish, Former First Minister 
• Dame Eleanor Laing MP, Deputy Speaker House of Commons 
• Baroness Claire Fox, House of Lords 
• Joanna Cherry KC MP
• Mick Lynch, RMT General Secretary
• Mike Graham, Broadcaster 
• Iain Dale, Broadcaster
• Alex Neil, Former Cabinet Secretary 
• Sir Brian Donohoe, Former MP
• Margaret Mitchell, Former MSP
• Joan McAlpine, Former MSP
• Richard Tice, Leader Reform UK Party
• Fergus Ewing MSP, Former Cabinet Secretary 
• Eilidh Whiteford, Former MP
• Paul Sinclair, Former Spin Doctor to PM Gordon Brown 
• Right Honourable Sir Vince Cable, Former Lib Dem Leader 
• Kenny McAskill MP, Former Cabinet Secretary 
• Bernard Ponsonby, Special Correspondent STV News 
• Kate Forbes MSP, Former Cabinet Secretary 
• Michelle Thomson MSP 
• Neale Hanvey MP
• Pupils from Boroughmuir and Craigmount High Schools

Tickets here.

Hibs forward Dan MacKay has joined Livingston FC on loan for the upcoming 2023/24 campaign, the Easter Road club have confirmed.

The 22-year-old midfielder joins David Martindale’s side on a season-long loan deal with an option to buy at the end of the campaign.

Since joining the Hibees in summer 2021, MacKay (pictured) has made seven competitive appearances, scoring one goal.

The player has spent the majority of his time at Easter Road on loan, initially with Kilmarnock before spending the 2022/23 season at Inverness Caledonian Thistle where he scored five goals in 40 appearances for the cinch Championship side.

Over the summer, MacKay has played several times for the Hibees in pre-season featuring predominantly off the bench and will now join Livingston in the hope of playing more regular first team football.

A new book, Demarco’s Edinburgh, will be launched at an event next week telling tales of the racehorse winnings which paid for seed capital for the first festival, and a scoop interview with David Frost.

This new book is written by the two people who know Edinburgh and the Festival better than anyone else – Richard Demarco, CBE, and journalist Roddy Martine. It is a real treasure trove of their memories and stories about the entire run of the festival since 1947.

Demarco has been at every single festival since the beginning in the post war period, and in the same year Martine was born. Their lives have criss-crossed many times since they first met – and each of them has their own views on the future of the Edinburgh Festival.

Demarco owned a gallery, is an artist and was a teacher.

Martine was 16 when he edited an Edinburgh Festival magazine in 1963. Along with a couple of friends they published a weekly magazine which John Menzies distributed, and had access to the Press Bureau even though none of them was old enough to buy a drink at the bar.

Both were dazzled by the greatest international festival of the arts the world has ever seen and in this book they share their memories.

The Edinburgh Reporter drew up a chair with Mr Martine to find out more about the book:

Hearts fans may have their eye on European football next week, when the club travel to Norway to face Rosenborg BK in the first-leg of the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa Conference League, but the full focus of the players is on earning a road win at struggling St Johnstone in the cinch Premiership on Saturday.

That’s the word from head coach Frankie McAvoy (pictured by Nigel Duncan) who told the pre-match media briefing at The Orium that Beni Baningime and Liam Boyce are both in contention for a place in the side which travels to Perth (kick-off 3pm) in the cinch Premiership.

And he confirmed: “I make the final decision.”

McAvoy said he was looking forward to the games week by week and the start of the competitive season. He added: “We have had five or six weeks of pre-season and the work starts tomorrow (Saturday).”

The 56-year-old also addressed the much-discussed partnership of himself, technical director, Steven Naismith, and first team coach Gordon Forrest, and said: “The club announced this a few months ago and we work closely together.

“If we go through the team selection, if there is a bit of a disagreement and difference of opinion, I make that final decision. It is as simple as that. We worked really well together last season and we are happy with how we did it, and it will continue as it has done this week.

“We prepare as best we can for tomorrow (Saturday) and we concentrate on that. The most important thing for us is to look forward to the matches and that starts tomorrow (Saturday) at St Johnstone.

“We work together as a team, Naisie, myself, Gordon and Paul Gallagher (the goalkeeping coach) and we do what we feel is the best system ahead of the game tomorrow and we are ready to go.”

Bellshill-born McAvoy,  a former head coach at English side, Preston North End, added: “The guys in the dressing-room, they are the most important people and they understand exactly the message that we are trying to put across. They know exactly how we are doing it at the club and I am part of the team and I will decide who is in the starting XI and who is on the bench.”

McAvoy, who joined the Jambos as Academy Director in February 2002, said it had possibly taken longer than anticipated to get players through the door but it is a process. Hearts, he said, worked in the background looking at the character of the players then want.”

That included doing their homework on 24-year-old Japanese striker Kyosuke Tagawa, signed on Thursday for an undisclosed fee ffrom FC Tokyo, and McAvoy added; “We are delighted that we have been able to get him through the door.

“We await international clearance as regards tomorrow (Saturday) but he is an exciting prospect and one who we are looking forward to seeing in action.”

The club hope to get word on another new recruit early next week and he added: “This is another exciting prospect. He can get in behind defenses and we are happy with the business we have done.”  

He admitted that last season’s fourth place finish was disappointing but added: “We are trying to get European football next season. That’s the biggest and most important thing.”

The environment campaigner, Greta Thunberg, who was to appear at the Edinburgh International Book Festival will no longer appear over a spat with sponsors, Baillie Gifford.

The event was to take place at the newly reopened Playhouse on 13 August and would have been streamed online.

Greta Thunberg said: “I am unfortunately unable to attend the Edinburgh Book Festival. As a climate activist I cannot attend an event which receives sponsorship from Baillie Gifford, who invest heavily in the fossil fuel industry. Greenwashing efforts by the fossil fuel industry, including sponsorship of cultural events, allow them to keep the social license to continue operating. I cannot and do not want to be associated with events that accept this kind of sponsorship.”

Nick Barley, Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, said:“While I am disappointed that Greta will not be joining us on the 13 of August, I fully respect her decision. I share Greta’s view that in all areas of society the rate of progress is not enough.

“However, in applauding Greta for standing by her principles, we too must stand by ours. 

“The Book Festival exists to give a platform for debate and discussion around key issues affecting humanity today – including the climate emergency. As a charitable organisation, we would not be in a position to provide that platform without the long-term support of organisations such as Baillie Gifford. 

“We strongly believe that Baillie Gifford are part of the solution to the climate emergency. They are early investors in progressive climate positive companies, providing funds to help them grow. While they acknowledge there is still work to do, we have seen them make rapid progress throughout our 19-year relationship.

“I apologise to all the people who bought tickets and were keen to meet Greta – and especially to the hundreds of young climate campaigners who we had invited to come along because of their hard work to change the system in Scotland. We will of course refund all ticket-buyers in full.”

Baillie Gifford said: “We are not a significant fossil fuel investor. Only 2% of our clients’ money is invested in companies with some business related to fossil fuels. This compares to the market average of 11%. Of those companies, some have already moved most of their business away from fossil fuels, and many are helping to drive the transition to clean energy.

“We are investing on behalf of our clients to grow their savings and retirement funds. When we invest in companies on their behalf, we do so over long time periods – typically 10 years or more – so this has naturally led us away from traditional fossil fuel firms. Currently, 5% of our clients’ money is invested in companies whose sole purpose is to develop clean energy solutions. 

“We believe in open debate and discussion which is why we are long-term supporters of the Edinburgh International Book Festival.”

Produced in association with Edinburgh International Festival the event was sponsored by the Open University in Scotland. 

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo makes its anticipated return with this year’s Show, Stories as performers from across the globe entertain audiences with sensational music, dance, costume, and spectacle. 

Running until 26 August, the Show is a celebration of sagas, myths, and legends, transporting audiences on a journey of ideas – from the earliest campfire stories through to the world stage and showcasing an international cast telling tales that connect us through our unique and shared military and cultural heritages. 

Michael Braithwaite, the Creative Director of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, said: “Stories builds on our Voices show of 2022 and promises a captivating celebration of connection through stories in all their forms. Most of all, Stories is a shared opportunity for audiences and performers to come together and experience an evening of unique and immersive entertainment.  

“Stories is the next chapter in the modern era of the Tattoo, packed with the latest in cutting-edge technology, whilst combining the tradition and precision the Show is known for and loved. It will be a truly memorable event and we are thrilled to be returning to Edinburgh Castle once more. 

“We cannot wait to share with audiences a Show that is, at its heart, a celebration of individuals from many diverse backgrounds, united by common experiences.” 

2023 marks the second year of the Tattoo’s bold new brand proposition, Performance in a New Light, which embraces military tradition and combines it with exciting new innovations and contemporary touches.  

The full line-up for 2023 includes:  The Band of His Majesty’s Royal Marines Scotland, The Central Band of the Royal Air Force, The Band of the Royal Air Force Regiment, The Royal Air Force Salon Orchestra, Royal Air Force Bands, 1st Battalion The Irish Guards Drums and Pipes, The Pipes and Drums of The Royal Highland Fusiliers 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, The Pipes and Drums of 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, Combined Scottish Universities Officers’ Training Corps Pipes and Drums, Royal Air Force Pipes and Drums, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Pipes and Drums, The Scots College Sydney Pipes and Drums, The Scots College Sydney Old Boys Pipes and Drums, The Scots School Albury Pipe Band, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Dancers, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Fiddlers, King’s Colour Squadron Royal Air Force, The Swiss Armed Forces Central Band, His Majesty the King’s Guard Band and Drill Team of Norway, The United States Air Force Band and Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force Steel Orchestra.  

The Tattoo will run from 4 – 26 August 2023. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at edintattoo.co.uk, on the phone on 0131 225 1188 or in person at the Tattoo Box Office at 1 Cockburn Street, Edinburgh. Presenting partner, Innis & Gunn will be offering a bar service at the event. Drinks pre-order is available now from edintattoodrinks.co.uk. 

A clown show that has delighted adults and children from Mexico to China begins its international farewell tour at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe.

Brotipo, by Quebec-based multiple international award-winners Les Foutoukours, is a laughter-filled celebration of life, friendship and the joy of being together.
It’s also starting during International Clown Week (1 to 7 August 2023) and is a great way to celebrate.

Pictured clowning around on Edinburgh’s Salisbury Crags (with a view of Calton Hill) are clown performers / creators Rémi Jacques (top) and Jean-Félix Bélanger.

Brotipo is joyous, with bright costumes, fabulous tricks, superb acrobatics – plus singing and dancing. Brotipo follows what happens when two clown friends plan to put on a show but Dede goes off the idea – can Tibeh get him to change his mind?

• Venue: Assembly George Square Gardens, Piccolo (Venue 3)
• Time: 13:30
• Dates: 3 August preview. 4-13, 15-20, 22-27 August
• Duration: 60 minutes 
• Ticket prices: Full £12.50 and £11.50 concessions  
• Advisory: Age 5+ (6 and older)
• Tickets https://tickets.edfringe.com

Scotland’s leading financial services recruiter has been identified by JP Morgan Private Bank as one of the top 200 women-powered businesses in the UK.

Founded by respected entrepreneur Betsy Williamson in 2005, Core-Asset Consulting receives the accolade shortly after being named a leading trailblazer at the end of 2022.

The firm – which now turns over £26.5m a year – places a strong focus on diversity, equity, inclusion and progressive working practices for both men and women.

Louise Powrie, co-Managing Director of Core-Asset Consulting, said: “This year’s standings perfectly reflect our continually growing upward trajectory which has seen us truly excel as a business.

“We place inclusion at the heart of what we do and have recently launched a new initiative to help improve socio-economic diversity in the sector – this accolade from JP Morgan highlights that we are more than meeting these goals.

“As an Edinburgh-based business that has grown from a start-up into Scotland’s leading financial services recruiter, the report – which celebrates women-powered businesses – should serve as a driver for all companies across the country which are fuelling female ambition and advancing financial equality.

“We are delighted to be a part of underlining the incredibly diverse role that women play in impacting and shaping British businesses and the economy.

“Each and every one of the top 200 businesses deserve their recognition – it’s fantastic high-growth businesses like these that will fuel our future.”

Core-Asset was born out of Betsy’s desire to take the best of her experience of large corporate recruiters, applying the focus on infrastructure and training to a more sector-specialised business.

It ranked 38 out of 200 in the third instalment of the annual JP Morgan report. It analysed over 46,000 companies that together form the UK’s high-growth ecosystem, revealing 13,255 women-powered businesses founded, led, owned, or managed by women.

Charlotte Bobroff and Stephanie Khalef-Wassmer, Co-heads of UK Women & Wealth and Executive Directors at J.P. Morgan Private Bank said: “Investing in the advancement of women is a focus of our firm that we believe is critical.

“Over the years, we have developed and launched a range of resources, networks and tools that enable women to progress in their career journeys as despite their impressive performance, women-powered companies still face the challenge of being underrepresented compared to their male counterparts.”

Core-Asset Consulting is Scotland’s pre-eminent recruitment and headhunting agency dedicated to financial and professional services.

Based in Edinburgh, the firm employs 24 people and works across the entire financial services sector, from the smallest boutiques to the biggest global players.

Initially the firm carved its reputation in Scotland’s globally-renowned asset management sector. However, the success of its model allowed it to expand across the wider financial services market. It now boasts dedicated accounting, investment operations and finance teams and also works in Scotland’s thriving legal sector.

Councillors will hear next week that the progress being made on reviving the Filmhouse will retain the building as a hub of cultural film and film education in Edinburgh, and that this is the core principle on which the council is involved in any discussions.

The council has plans to spread the distribution of film around the city using the cultural hubs which already exist, such as libraries with projection facilities. But all of this will happen after the building is reopened as a cinema under new management.

The Centre for the Moving Image (CMI) which owned Filmhouse and the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) went into liquidation last year. There are claims that it was the Aberdeen side of operations, the Belmont, which dragged Edinburgh under financially, as Filmhouse traded successfully for three decades until the merger with EIFF under the CMI umbrella.

A movement to save the Filmhouse was one of the first responses in the wake of the charity’s collapse leaving around 100 people redundant and the cinema building lying empty.

But the real outpouring of love has been for the building itself at 88 Lothian Road. That has now been bought by Kevin Doyle’s Caledonian Heritable and the latest update to the council on what will happen with the building now will be delivered in a report to the Culture & Communities Committee at their meeting on 10 August. This responds to a demand by Cllr Finlay McFarlane that the council does all it can to ensure the future of Filmhouse.

A small short term group has been set up which includes the council, Creative Scotland, Screen Scotland, The Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise. Their purpose is “preserving the depth of diversity of cultural film provision and film education as the central use of 88 Lothian Road/Filmhouse, for the benefit of both Edinburgh and Scotland’s screen and cultural audiences, filmmakers and creative practitioners”.

A new charity – initially set up as a limited company – has been established called Filmhouse (Edinburgh) Ltd who want to take on a lease of the building. There are links between this company and CMI as some of the directors of the new company, but not all, previously worked at Filmhouse, and although they all have a lot of experience in running a cinema, they were not senior management at CMI.

Filmhouse (Edinburgh) Limited, (FEL) was granted charitable status in June and the body is in exclusive discussions with Caledonian Heritable regarding a long lease on the building at 88 Lothian Road. The model will be that the charity runs the cinema and a café bar would be run under a separate trading company with profits going to the charity.

FEL was formed in late December 2022 by four former Filmhouse colleagues: James Rice, former programme manager and now a cinema strategist at specialist consultancy Mustard Studio, Rod White, former Head of Programming, David Boyd, former Head of Technical, and Ginnie Atkinson, former CEO of Filmhouse and Edinburgh International Film Festival until 2010. 

Director Ginnie Atkinson said: “Being in advanced discussion with Caledonian Heritable is a significant step on the journey towards restoring cultural cinema provision for the city. We anticipate being able to make a further statement after the Festival.” 

A Caledonian Heritable spokesperson said: “Caledonian Heritable have a long-standing appreciation of the vital importance of culture and the arts to the city of Edinburgh and are pleased to be working with Filmhouse (Edinburgh) Ltd in anticipation of a new era at this key cultural venue.”

Cllr Val Walker, Culture and Communities Convener said: “We are clear in our commitment to maintaining 88 Lothian Road as a world-class hub for independent, cultural cinema. We have been working closely with our partners at Creative Scotland/Screen Scotland, the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise on forging a sustainable path forward for this Edinburgh institution, and spiritual home of the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

“The proposed new operators being considered by the building owners are Filmhouse Edinburgh Ltd (FEL) which has recently applied for and been granted charitable status.

“We will continue to support our partners, the building owners, and FEL in our common goal to return 88 Lothian Road to its rightful place in Edinburgh’s cultural landscape.”

COMMERCIAL DEMAND

In negotiating with the owner of the building the group has encountered the usual commercial demand for a long-term rental guarantee. The company is of course new, although the directors previously ran the cinema when it was a successful operation and before it was taken over under the CMI umbrella.

It is clear that the council does not or will not take on the position of guarantor, and probably neither will the government, but while we understand that Caledonian Heritable are giving this possibility their blessing, their position is understandably cautious. The company paid just less than £2 million for the property earlier this year. Some investigation is being made into alternatives to any guarantee which would be acceptable to the landlord.

There is no premises licence to sell alcohol any longer as an application to renew the licence was rejected by the council earlier in the year, leading to Signature Group, a major pub operator in the city pulling out of discussions to buy the premises.

A capsule programme of films has been curated for a small EIFF this year under the banner of the Edinburgh International Festival. Details of the programme are here.

The possible renovation of the Filmhouse is likely to be expensive. It was already noted that the condition of the building was not the best before it was sold by the administrators. Some modernisation costs will fall to be paid for by the tenant, but the owner of the building is at present carrying out considerable repairs to the roof and drains to keep the building in some kind of repair meantime.

The council earmarked £100,000 for Filmhouse this year – exactly the same as last year, and including an underspend of £30,000 from last year’s budget this is the total approved funding for the council’s involvement in the project at present.

Stellar Monarchs have been rocked by the news that Kye Thomson will miss Friday’s home match against Poole Pirates in the Cab Direct Championship (tapes-up 7.30pm).

Thomson rode to an immaculate full maximum last Friday against Berwick Bandits but developed food poisoning-like symptoms by the start of the week which deteriorated. He was admitted to hospital early on Wednesday morning.

The rider remains in hospital undergoing tests and Danyon Hume comes in at No 4.

Elsewhere, matches at Redcar v Glasgow and Scunthorpe v Berwick are postponed because of the weather.

LIBRARY PICTURE

If you travel to Edinburgh with the 100% electric rail operator Lumo then make it easy by adding a PlusBus ticket to get around the city when you get here.

Lumo running between Edinburgh and London with its single class service now offers passengers the option to add on a PlusBus ticket for £4.50 when they buy a train ticket. The PlusBus ticket offers unlimited onwards bus and tram travel in and around the city, allowing visitors to travel around to Fringe venues comfortably and conveniently. 

As well as using PlusBus to visit the Fringe festival venues throughout the city, customers will also be able to use public transport in Edinburgh to attend different tourist attractions. Some examples are:

• The Royal Yacht Britannia

  • Explore each of the five decks of The Royal Yacht Britannia and discover what life was like during Royal service on board Queen Elizabeth II’s former floating palace.

• The National Gallery of Modern Art

  • The National Gallery offers a vibrant programme of artist residencies, commissions, exhibitions, talks, film screenings, and workshops. The collection has been a source of inspiration to artists from all over the world.

• Royal Botanic Gardens

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One of the largest affordable new-build developments in Scotland has been given the seal of approval by Housing Minister, Paul McLennan MSP.

The £80 million new-build project at West Craigs in Edinburgh includes 425 new energy-efficient homes which will be built by Wheatley Group.

Scotland’s leading housing, care and property-management group is building 238 homes for social rent and 187 for mid-market rent within the prime location in the west of the capital.

The homes for social rent will be for Wheatley Homes East, with the mid-market rentals for Lowther – both part of Wheatley Group.

The East Lothian MSP was given a tour of the development, which is Wheatley Group’s largest new-build development to date.

The Minister was joined by Wheatley Group Chair Jo Armstrong, Wheatley Group Chief Executive Steven Henderson, Vice-Chair of Wheatley Homes East, Helen Howden, and Cllr Jane Meagher, the Convener of the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee at the City of Edinburgh Council.

Mr McLennan said: “The right to a warm, safe and affordable home is critical to wellbeing and is a right everyone deserves. Wheatley Group plays a significant role in increasing the range of housing available to rent throughout Scotland.

“The Scottish Government is supporting this new build development with over £41 million. This will enable the Wheatley Group to provide 425 high quality energy-efficient affordable homes here at West Craigs.

“High quality housing is a key pillar of Housing to 2040, whilst also eradicating fuel poverty and homelessness and ensuring everyone has access to green space and essential services, and I welcome the opportunity to see for myself the construction of these much-needed new affordable homes here in Edinburgh.”

The new Wheatley homes at West Craigs will include a mix of two to four-bedroom houses, and one, two and three-bedroom flats, with 19 homes suitable for wheelchair users.

The development will also include 33 Livingwell homes, the Group’s service – provided by Wheatley Care – to support older tenants to live independently, as well as 19 flats provided by Wheatley Care to support people with complex needs.

The £80 million project includes funding from The Scottish Government through The City of Edinburgh Council.

The developer believes that the new properties will help increase the supply of affordable homes in Edinburgh and will include low-carbon features such as solar panels, high levels of insulation, energy-efficient boilers and electric car charging points.

Wheatley Group Chief Executive Steven Henderson said: “We were delighted to welcome the Housing Minister to West Craigs and to see how we are turning of mission of ‘Better Homes, Better Lives’ into reality.

“Working with our partners in Scottish Government and the City of Edinburgh Council, we will be able to create 425 much-needed affordable homes in a highly desirable part of the country.

“These bright, modern, energy-efficient homes will become a key part of a fabulous new community for our tenants and families.”

The new Wheatley homes form part of the wider transformation of West Craigs, which will see up to 1200 new homes for private sale, and the creation of shops, two public parks and a primary school.

The first phase of Wheatley homes at West Craigs is due to complete by the end of 2024.

Cllr Jane Meagher, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “This is one of the biggest projects we have ever supported through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme and a brilliant example of the benefits building affordable housing at scale can bring to Edinburgh.

“The first phase of development is well underway and will deliver 300 homes, plus we have another 125 in the pipeline.

“So many of the homes we’re building here will be for social rent, which the city desperately needs. Building more social rented homes is a priority and demand is only going to increase as Edinburgh grows. Over 50 homes will also be designed for people with complex needs in mind, providing good quality accessible homes.

“Work with Wheatley to deliver this scheme is an example of effective partnership with Registered Social Landlords too, which is essential to providing the homes we need.

“There is so much on the doorstep for West Craigs, from the fantastic woodland and parks in the area to cycle ways connecting it to the rest of the city. It’s a growing community between Barnton and The Gyle and – thanks to this development – hundreds of people will be able to call it home.”

Steven Simpson, Managing Director of The Cruden Group, who are building the new homes said: “It’s a privilege to work on delivering this transformational new development and Wheatley Group’s biggest housing development to date. 

“These high-quality homes are packed with low-energy features, have been designed to suit a variety of differing needs and will create a vibrant new community.

“Throughout this build programme we will be bringing a range of community benefits to this area such as new jobs, apprenticeships, new training opportunities and support for a number of local community initiatives.”

Edinburgh Council has made changes to its short term lets licensing policy after parts of it were ruled unlawful.

Rules which would have made it more difficult for entire homes to be used as holiday lets have now been scrapped.

But the group which brought the legal challenge said there remain “fundamental issues” with the scheme and accused the council of attempting to “shut down the sector”.

Short-term let (STL) operators are still required to apply for a licence in Edinburgh by 1 October if they want to keep taking bookings and welcoming guests whilst their application is considered.

The new regulations have been introduced in response to concerns about the impact of Airbnb-style accommodation on residents and the availability of housing in the capital.

In June, just four months before coming into effect, aspects of the policy, agreed by councillors last year, were found to be unlawful by the Court of Session.

The ruling by Lord Braid came after a two-day hearing in Edinburgh, which went ahead after a group of opponents to the STL scheme including Louise Dickins of Dickins Property raised £300,000.

The case centred on a presumption against allowing entire tenement flats to be used for short-term letting unless their owners could demonstrate why they should be exempt.

The judge said it was “not the function” of the council “to decide that a licence should not be granted because a property is of a particular type or is in a particular area”.

He said a similar presumption against granting temporary licences for secondary lets – any entire property used for holiday letting – was also unlawful, as well as a rule requiring the same type of STLs to have “a suitable floor covering such as a carpet” in bedrooms, living rooms and hallways.

All unlawful elements of the policy have now been removed from the council website and a new version of the guidance has been published online.

The council stressed that the requirement to obtain an STL licence “is unaffected by the court’s judgement” and that there have been no changes in relation to home letting, home sharing or temporary exemptions.

“Existing hosts and operators have until 1 October 2023 to apply for a licence in order to continue operating whilst their application is being considered. You are an existing host or operator if you have already been using your property to provide short term lets prior to 1 October 2022.

“If you were not using your premises to provide short term lets before 1 October 2022, you cannot take bookings or receive guests until you have a licence.”

In a statement, the four petitioners who raised the legal challenge said: “We are happy with the changes made to the revised policy, at least in so far it follows Lord Braid’s judgement and removes the ‘presumption of rebuttal’ entirely from the policy.

“It remains to be seen if the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) will follow Lord Braid’s advice granting a licence to all properties with consideration of the property.

“It is the safety and responsibility of the owner that should be the only factors considered if a certificate of lawfulness or full planning consent has been obtained. Currently CEC have only granted two full time secondary let short term lets for the whole of Edinburgh.”

However they said some of the policy is “still flawed” including the requirement for secondary let hosts to obtain planning permission, or a certificate if lawfulness if the property has been used for holiday letting for more than 10 years.

“This should not be a mandatory requirement for those operating before the control area designation,” the statement added. “For those cases, planning status can be demonstrated through a certificate of lawfulness if requested, but this should not be a condition of applying for a licence.

“This confusion is the main reason why so few responsible and well run operators have applied and remain reluctant to apply for a licence following the outcome of the judicial review.

“We would not at all want to give the impression that we are now happy with the policy as there are still major fundamental issues and concerns with the way CEC is using a combination of planning and licensing policies to shut down the sector.

“Since 1st October 2022 only a handful of properties have been given planning permission (as opposed to a certificate of lawfulness where CEC has no choice if operating over 10 years).

“It is inevitable that many more legal challenges will take place if CEC continues to grant only a handful of secondary let licences through a combination of planning and licensing measures, particularly for businesses that commenced operations before the control area was designated.”

The Association of Scottish Self Caterers – which has equated the new rules to a “de-facto ban on short-term lets in Edinburgh” – said a second judicial review is now planned focusing on “the retrospectivity of applying planning policies”.

The local champions posed on the 18^th green following the Merchants of Edinburgh Golf Club’s annual championships.

Pictured eft to right –  Mike Leitch (club champion), Allan Douglas (gents ‘B’ champion),  Christine Boal (ladies ‘B’ champion), Sarah Stitchbury (ladies champion) and Paul Mortimer (gents ‘C’ champion).

And below Neil Simpson, club captain, presented the junior championship trophy to Rory Allan with runner-up Rory Laird alongside.

The various champions at Craigmillar Park golf club for 2023 proudly display their trophies below.

Left to right:- Alan McAlpine (gents B), Daniel Hogg (junior), Craig Charters (gents A), Fiona Tyrrell (ladies B), Karen Ballantyne (ladies A) and Brian Fairgrieve (gents senior) 

Gilmerton Bowling Club’s Emma Mitchell, 19, is the new Scottish ladies singles bowling champion after winning the national title at Ayr over the weekend.

The teenager received a rousing welcome back at her club and tributes included one from her former football team – Edinburgh City FC.

Midlothian Bowling Association were quick to acclaim their new title holder while also on social media a poster recalled family connections, saying: “All the early bounce games with your dad and brothers have paid off big time – brilliant.”

Emma had to negotiate five ties at Ayr against Julie McDowell (Maxwelltown), Izzy Rogerson (Newton Stewart), Lesley Doig (Strathmiglo), Chloe Stewart (Northern) and in the final Caroline Brown of Motherwell who she defeated 21-17.

Some were streamed at the Gilmerton Club.