Police Scotland have confirmed the arrest of a 52-year-old woman on Sunday as part of Operation Branchform.

Most media outlets are reporting that it is Nicola Sturgeon MSP, the former First Minister who has been arrested, apparently at a police station. This suggests that Ms Sturgeon knew an arrest was imminent and did not want the spectacle of being arrested at her home, as her husband Peter Murrell, former Chief Executive of the SNP was a few weeks ago.

The former Treasurer of the SNP, Midlothian MSP, Colin Beattie was also arrested at home. Both men were released later without charge.

A spokesperson said that Ms Sturgeon was cooperating with the investigation.

Scottish Conservative Chairman Craig Hoy MSP, said: “Nicola Sturgeon and other senior SNP figures – including Humza Yousaf – must cooperate fully with this police investigation and commit to full transparency surrounding it.

“The SNP continue to be engulfed in murkiness and chaos. Humza Yousaf must now show some leadership and suspend his predecessor from the SNP.

“The SNP set that precedent when politicians such as Michelle Thomson and Natalie McGarry were under investigation and must do so again here.

“This extremely serious matter is continuing to escalate and the result is that the SNP are totally distracted at the worst possible time. This is the time they should be focused on the real priorities facing the people of Scotland, such as the cost-of-living crisis, fixing our NHS and strengthening our economy.”

Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland Ian Murray MP said: “This is a deeply concerning development and the Police Scotland investigation must be allowed to proceed without interference.

“For too long, a culture of secrecy and cover-up has been allowed to fester at the heart of the SNP.

“The same culture that leads to police tents in front gardens created the deeply dysfunctional government that is currently failing Scots.

“Humza Yousaf must urgently come clean on what he knows – the people of Scotland deserve answers.” 

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “Obviously we can’t comment on a live police investigation and justice must be allowed to take its course.

“It’s fair to say that today’s events will have huge ramifications both for the SNP and the future of Scottish politics.”

The council has advised that Magdala Crescent will be closed next week to allow Scottish Water to carry out works to repair a broken main.

This is currently affecting works on the City Centre West to East Link project (CCWEL).

Haymarket Terrace is already closed to traffic because of the major roads project, and on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 June, traffic will be diverted by way of Ravelston Dykes and Queensferry Street.

There will be no eastbound bus services on the A8 between Murrayfield Road and Haymarket while the works are taking place. It is best to check with Lothian before taking the bus.

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Craig Duncan took these fabulous drone shots of George Street on Saturday in the sunshine.

When we visited the street in the early afternoon hundreds of people were there to catch a glimpse of the supercars taking part in Gumball 3000.

As you can see things had started to get busy at around 3.30pm when the first shot below was photographed, but activity had calmed by 7.30pm when the second was taken and the shadows were beginning to fall over the street.

Craig is a fully qualified commercial drone pilot and all shots were taken under all CAA rules.

The city centre was full of petrolheads on Saturday attracted by the sight of the 100 supercars which are setting off from the capital on Sunday morning.

First setting a heading for London the drivers then head to Amsterdam, through the Alps, Venice, Budapest and then Porto Montenegro.

Today in George Street parts of the parking areas were cordoned off to allow the cars to be parked in a secure area and also allow the public to have a good look at them. Lots of other supercar owners had brought their own souped up vehicles into the city centre but were being ushered gently away from the street by security staff who were citing reasons of safety. It is clear that the organisers have issued instructions to the Gumball drivers about safety while they are in the city. A dinner is being held at Edinburgh Castle on Saturday night ahead of the start.

One of the cars which photographer Ross Nixon spotted is that belonging to Maxmillion Cooper who founded Gumball 3000. (see below).

Superstars will participate in the 24th Annual Gumball 3000 Rally to raise money for the Gumball 3000 Foundation (non-profit) to support a variety of youth-based projects in low-income communities. Driving from Edinburgh to Montenegro in just 6 days, the spectacular entry grid of over 100 vehicles includes custom classics to futuristic hypercars – from Bugattis to Beetles.

Hundreds of people had gathered in the sunshine in the city centre and many of the restaurants looked extremely busy. Welcome custom indeed.

https://gumball3000.com/pages/edinburgh

Mildenhall skipper Lee Complin is confident of a strong showing from the Fen Tigers when they visit his former club Berwick (Saturday, 7pm) in the National Development League.

The Fen Tigers ended a busy period of NDL matches with defeat at Oxford on Tuesday, but have already been successful on the road this season at Workington.

Meanwhile the Bullets were edged out at home by Oxford last week and have Mickie Simpson coming in to guest at reserve with Lee Complin ruled out.

Complin (pictured) said: “I’ve seen what needs to be done to win at Berwick this year, and with an all-round team showing there is no reason why we can’t do it too.

“We had a lot of issues on Tuesday which cost us, and we are putting that behind us and all is good to go on Saturday.”

Edinburgh-based bottler, Tri Carragh, has launched its second independent release of single-malt Scotch whisky and the trio of bottles are available on the Tri Carragh website and through selected stockists. The release includes whisky from Glen Garioch, Jura and Ardmore distilleries.
 
Glen Garioch (RRP: £99.50) includes an aroma of sweet cherry drops, vanilla, and Victoria sponge cake with subtle herbal undertones. Its taste includes pepper, wood spices, orchard fruits, and tinned sweets. Region: Highland; age: 14 years; distil date: 19.02.2009; strength: 53.4%; cask type: first fill bourbon barrel; one of 246 bottles

Ardmore (RRP: £107.50): This whisky has an aroma of sweet tobacco, toasted oak, sweet herbal peat, and creme brûlée. Expect to taste sweet and chewy notes with smoky embers. 
Region: Highland; age: 17 years; distil date: 11.01.2006; strength: 55.3%; cask type: refill bourbon hogshead; one of 312 bottles

Jura (RRP: £325.00): The aroma of this single-malt is fruity and floral, and the taste mirrors this, with an addition of cinnamon and cloves. 
Region: Highland; age: 31 years; distil date: 17.04.1992; strength: 47.8%; cask rype: refill Bourbon barrel; one of 62 bottles.

UK Retailers include Aberdeen Whisky Shop, Hard to Find Whiskies, Good Spirits Co, Billingtons, Tyndrum Whisky (Green Welly Stop), Fairview Wines, Jeffery Street and St Andrews Wine Company, along with new stockist, Dunkeld Whisky Box. 
 
The Edinburgh spirits company has a large percentage of bottles heading to an importer in Alberta, Canada and Japan retailer, the Reiwa Whisky Company. 
 
Ryan McCafferty, co-founder of Tri Carragh, said: “We’ve launched our second independent release of authentic, single-malt Scotch whisky. The first release was incredibly well received and it’s been a joy to see the response from customers and stockists. 
 
“With this second release, we’ve gone even further in our quest to find exceptional casks that showcase the best of Scotch whisky. This release contains whisky produced at different distilleries and of different ages compared to the first release. In addition, the bottles are all from the same region, Highland, but are unique.” 
 

Glasgow Tigers’ manager Cami Brown hailed the “professional job” his side produced to win at Edinburgh after his men secured a 51-39 victory at Armadale against Stellar Monarchs in their opening Championship clash. 

Mr Brown’s boys were always in control against a depleted home side who were missing their top two, Josh Pickering and Craig Cook but the manager said: “They had two very good replacements in Richie Worrall and Lewis Kerr who did a very good job for them.”

He added: “I was really pleased with the way our boys rode. They all got stuck in and produced vital race wins at vital times. It was a very professional job. We were solid right the way through, that pleases me the most. We have so much strength in depth. 

“We had to dig in at times, but Chris Harris and Tom Brennan both delivered when it really counted. I’d go as far to say as it was one of Tom’s best displays for the club. 

“Even Marcin Nowak, who has struggled at Armadale in the past, produced three outstanding rides right out of the top drawer. Lee Complin also delivered big time while Claus Vissing only dropped one point, which is sensational.”

Brennan top scored with paid 14 for the Allied Vehicle Tigers while Harris picked up 13 and Brown added: “Ace Pijper fell while leading Heat 2. If he’d stayed on it would have been a different night for him. 

“However, it’s the perfect start to our away league campaign. It’s also very sweet to win at our rivals for the fans and it was so good to see a huge amount of travelling support. That definitely lifted the boys.”

Tigers 51: Tom Brennan 12+2, Chris Harris 12+1, Claus Vissing 9+2, Ben Basso 7, Marcin Nowak 6+1, Lee Complin 5+2, Ace Pijper 0. 

Edinburgh 39: Richie Worrall 15, Lewis Kerr 6+1, Kye Thomson 5, Paco Castagna 4, Lasse Fredriksen 4, Bastian Borke 3+1, Dayle Wood 2+1. 

PICTURE: Tigers celebrate courtesy of Glasgow Tigers and Phil Lanning

Berwick Bandits losing streak to Redcar Bears now stands at nine. Bandits did get off to a flyer in Cleveland but any hopes of a win quickly evaporated and the Borders men eventually lost 57-33.

One plus point was the former of Reserve Jake Mulford. He averaged less than half a point from his three previous Championship outings but matched Berwick’s top scorers point for point on the night. There were precious few other bright spots for the Borders’ team.

Midweek signing Jacob Hook from Stellar Monarchs made a solid start to his career at Berwick and there individual moments of satisfaction for Jonas Knudsen, Rory Schlein and Thomas Jorgensen.

Generally, Bandits found themselves beaten from the gate and into the first turns on a night when gating was all-important.

It all started so well as Knudsen (pictured by Taz McDougall) beat Danny King in Heat one, Schlein slipping inside Danyon Hume for a 4-2.

Hook then held off a spirited challenge from Connor Bailey by a tyre width before back-to-back 5-1s put the home side ahead and in the driving seat.

A second fine ride by Knudsen, roaring past the returning Erik Riss, backed by Schlein passing Jason Edwards saw a second 4-2 for the pairing which cut the gap to four points.

Two more ended with an eventful heat eight, Knudsen left adrift by a terrible first turn while Hume moved Hook out to the fence opening a huge gap for Mulford to drive through.

Jorgensen inflicted the first defeat of the night on Riss but with Schlein passed by Edwards it proved to be a disappointing tactical substitution gamble by the Berwick management.

Any lingering hopes the visitors had disappeared in Heat 11 as Hume clattered into Jye Etheridge and Leon Flint, taking the Berwick pair out of contention.

Schlein ended Wright’s maximum hopes with a tapes to flag win in heat 11 and Flint came to life in 12 chasing the German hard for all four laps.

Etheridge was fast off the line in the penultimate race but, in taking Bailey wide, he allowed a gap for Edwards to turn inside and win the race, a miserable night for the visitors ending as King and Riss left the Danish pairing of Knudsen and Jorgensen well adrift in Heat 15.

Berwick co-owner Scott Courtney said: “To be honest, Redcar have bashed us up and, on a night when gating was vital, we have not managed to get heat results even when we had the favourable gates.

“Jonas Knudsen began the night superbly and was in the mix all night, Jacob Hook made a promising debut while Jye did well enough in what was his first meeting following his big crash in Poland but, overall, it was a tough night. The boys need to go away and come back swinging against Oxford next week.”

Bears: DannyKing13+1, Danyon Hume 4+2, Erik Riss 12+1, Jason Edwards 6+2, Charles Wright 11, Connor Bailey 4+1, Jake Mulford 7+2

Bandits: RorySchlein 5, Jonas Knudsen 7, Leon Flint 4+1, Jye Etheridge 5, Thomas Jorgensen 7, Jacob Hook 5+1, Connor Coles 0

Stellar Monarchs bosses woke on Saturday to criticism on social media from fans disappointed with the performance of their team in the 51-39 home defeat to arch rivals Glasgow Tigers.

Alex Harkess, Monarchs’ team manager, admitted: “We let too many points slip away.”

It was Monarchs’ third straight home league loss to the Ashfield men, sponsored by Allied Vehicles, but misfiring Monarchs went into Heat 14 with a possible chance of taking something from the match.

Lasse Fredriksen came down when in close proximity with Claus Vissing for the lead and referee Seth Perkin’s decision to exclude the Norwegian ended the home hopes.

Harkess added: “We haven’t been good enough. I didn’t think that the referee made a very good decision in Heat 14.”

The standout Monarch was guest Richie Worrall and his only defeat was to Chris Harris in Heat 11 and the other guest, Lewis Kerr, won Heat 4 and put in plenty of effort all night.

A Monarchs spokesman said: “Tigers all performed well and showed a toughness as well as quality which was lacking in most of the home men. Harris, Brennan, Vissing, Basso and Complin all had as good meetings.”

One bright moment for Monarchs’ fans came when Josh Pickering (pictured) confirmed he is now on the road to fitness and might be back in action soon.

The council has plans to introduce new machinery and crew to maintain the paths and cycleways in Edinburgh all year round.

This is in response to a demand for a new approach, and also to the budget agreed earlier this year which includes the necessary funding with £2.74 million allocated to the cleansing improvements.

The electric “walk behind” machines or compact sweepers will be used in any weather either to clear weeds and pick up leaves or to grit the pathways.

The report states: “These machines come equipped with a vacuum attachment to tackle problematic issues such as cigarette litter and also have a spray lance. Two of these sweepers have already been received and will be deployed initially in the city centre and further machines will be brought in over the course of 2023.”

Trials were undertaken in the north west of Edinburgh with a dedicated maintenance team on the off road pathways. The machines were used to provide additional coverage of paths and cycleways.

The additional crew and machinery will allow for more formalised scheduling and routing to ensure a more proactive approach. In addition as the machines have weed removal capability. This will not in itself solve the weed problem but the council confirms in the report for this meeting that it does want to reduce using chemicals and will discuss this in September.

Recruitment is due to begin this month and the teams and new machinery should be in place before the autumn.

Notwithstanding this the council will continue to work with volunteer groups to maintain any of the network of footpaths in the city where possible.

The council’s Transport and Environment Committee will meet on Thursday 15 June at 10am.

All papers are here with details of how to watch the meeting live or after the event.

Former Conservative Prime Minister, Boris Johnson MP has published his resignation honours list after approval from current Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak.

There are rewards for those faithful to him such as former Home Secretary Priti Patel who receives a damehood and Simon Clarke and Jacob Rees-Mogg are given knighthoods. (full list is below)

He has also awarded seven peerages to Shaun Stephen Bailey, Benjamin Gascoigne, Benjamin Houchen, Ross John Kempsell, Charlotte Kathering Tranter Owen, Kulveer Sing Ranger, and Daniel Robert Rosenfield many of whom worked with him when he was Mayor of London.

As well as these there is the usual list of lesser honours such as OBE and CBE with Guto Harri and Jack Doyle former directors of communications each receiving the OBE.

Nadine Dorries stood down with immediate effect as an MP earlier today causing a by election in Mid Bedfordshire saying it is time for someone younger to take the reins, but we cannot find her name on the list, and some commentators say she and Alok Sharma were removed from it.

The SNP has called on Rishi Sunak to scrap Boris Johnson’s honours list, labelling the entire system “outdated and unfit for purpose”.
 
It follows reports Johnson’s initial list included Nadine Dorries, Alister Jack and his own father, Stanley Johnson.
 
Tommy Sheppard MP said: “Boris Johnson has made a complete mockery of the honours system, just like he a made a complete mockery of British politics. 
 
“His attempt to nominate charlatans like Nadine Dorries, Alister Jack – and even his own father – to the House of Lords sums up the arrogance of the man – and highlights in no uncertain terms how corrupt the system is.
 
“Rishi Sunak must scrap Boris Johnson’s entire honours list – and do so without delay. 
 
“This corrupt, crony-ridden Westminster system – including the honours system – is completely outdated and unfit for purpose. 
 
“And with pro-Brexit Labour U-turning on their pledge to overhaul the system, there is no sign of any radical changes happening in the future.
 
“Only the SNP are offering voters real change through independence, which would rid Scotland of undemocratic institutions like the House of Lords for good.”

SCOTTISH GREENS

The party says that Boris Johnson’s honours list is beyond satire. The party’s constitutional spokesperson, Ross Greer, has said that it exposes a totally rotten system.

Mr Greer said: “It is hard to think of people who have done more damage and are less worthy of recognition and reward than those on this sorry list. It is beyond satire.

“People will see this for what it is. Mogg led the campaign of lies and disinformation that delivered a disastrous Brexit while Patel introduced some of the most brutal, racist and anti-refugee policies in decades.

“This is a roll of dishonour, which is no surprise considering it came from Boris Johnson, a man so shameless that he reportedly tried to give a knighthood to his own dad.

“The whole preposterous saga only goes to emphasise how broken, shameful and morally bankrupt our so-called ‘honours’ system is.

“Whether it is their dodgy donors, crooked cronies or the endless taint of sleaze that goes to the heart of their party, the Tories have shown that they view government as a private club run purely for themselves and their wealthy friends.

“One of the biggest opportunities of independence is Scotland would replace this rotten system with a real democracy.

“We can be a fairer and more equal country where real power lies with people and communities, rather than being passed around a tiny elite as a reward for constant failure.”

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

Liberal Democrat Scottish affairs spokesperson Christine Jardine MP said: “Boris Johnson has been allowed to hand out gongs to his partygate pals, and Rishi Sunak has just waved it through. 

“The sorry saga of his long goodbye has dragged on for far too long. 

“Rishi Sunak must stick by his pledge to govern with integrity, but giving the green light to Boris’ blusters doesn’t inspire confidence.”

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The council’s plans for George Street and First New Town have advanced a little further with the council making some concessions to feedback – and one of these is that contrary to previous plans there will now be trees planted at either end of George Street.

Sixteen trees, or eight at either end will help to define the formal structure of the street. No details of the species of trees has yet been confirmed but it is important they are not so high that they obscure the important buildings in the street.

The trees will be mature and will be placed in the planting areas, not just in tubs as other street trees across the city have been planted and abandoned.

In addition there will be more parking for blue badge holders on George Street than there is at present with provision for 27 spaces. Car drivers with a blue badge will be able to ensure there is a space before driving onto the otherwise pedestrianised area. Dial-a-Ride which transports disabled passengers will also be able to access the area 24/7.The council’s Transport Convener Scott Arthur is hopeful that the Business Improvement District, Essential Edinburgh will help to regulate this kind of arrangement.

There are possibly going to be mobility scooters available at a mobility hub in much the same way as there is at The Gyle Shopping Centre for example.

But this must be regarded as a win for those who spoke up for trees in this renewed landscape – which will in any event not begin until 2025/26 with a fair wind behind all the Traffic Regulation Orders and other planning necessities.

Cllr Arthur said: “It is an interesting discussion. We spent quite a lot of time in the workshop talking in almost ideological terms about whether or not there should be trees. People did adopt quite strongly held positions. But then we moved on to look at some of the options and some of the illustrations for the street. And I think that was the thing that actually brought people together. I think you can see it could add a bit of value.”

The workshop included bodies such as Historic Environment Scotland and the Cockburn Association.

Although cubic trees have already been given short shrift, there is no definition as yet on the species which will be introduced, and that will come later when the plans are developed further.

And finally the council is now planning to open the street to licensed taxis after 10 pm in a bid to make the area safer – particularly for women, but actually for anyone who is out enjoying the evening and nighttime bars and restaurants. The area will be secured with a “bollard-based enforcement system”.

Councillors will hear about the progress next Thursday at the Transport and Environment committee meeting. The papers for that meeting are here.

The George Street First New Town plans have already been approved in principle, but the council must now progress its plans through the glacially slow planning process.

Andrew Heald Forestry Consultant has suggested some alternatives depending on the size of the planting position. Andrew said: “The trees could be maybe another Norway Maple (that’s the tree outside St Andrew’s & St George’s Church). And some medium sized trees ideas – Silver Birch is always good – Field Maple wouldn’t get too big – Laburnum (yellow flowers) – and some Ginkgos (maiden air tree) and lastly some Wheatley Elms (they do get big) and you can see them in Braidburn Valley Park.”

We hope the council listens to some of these suggestions.

Milestone project to bridge generational gap in LGBTQ+ community

A pioneering youth charity will embark on a first-of-a-kind archiving project with the National Library of Scotland that will record the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ young people for future generations.

LGBT Youth Scotland has launched (Un)Seen, (Un)Heard, a social history project to capture young people’s lived experience and preserve it in the national archives.

The organisation is encouraging people to take part in the project, at local pride events across the country throughout the summer – adding their own lived experience and becoming part of history at their ‘Past, Present & Proud’ workshops – asking older people to write a message of hope to their younger self, and younger people to write a message to their future selves.

(Un)Seen, (Un)Heard will compile these messages and other stories gathered from young people across Scotland and share them through a national exhibition that will then be professionally archived as a resource for future generations to access.

Ali Kerr, Head of Partnerships at LGBT Youth Scotland believes that this project is an important way for young people to be a valuable part of history in the making.

She said: “It has never been more important to give LGBTQ+ young people hope and a sense of pride in who they are. Writing a message to their past or future self will allow them to communicate their lived experiences on a national level and feel like an equal part of Scotland’s heritage.

“Bridging the past and present through stories will not only place LGBTQ+ experiences at the heart of local communities, it will help us all  make Scotland a place where all young people can flourish and thrive.

“Our hope is that this project will not only connect with a new audience, but will also inspire not-so-young people to get involved and foster inter-generational relationships within Scotland’s LGBTQ+ community.”

This year marks LGBT Youth Scotland’s 20^th anniversary as an independent charity, priding itself in playing a leading role in the provision of quality youth work to LGBTQ+ young people, promoting health and wellbeing.

The campaign will have presence at five pride events in Scotland; Pride Edinburgh, Portobello, Mardi Gla (Glasgow), Highland Pride (Inverness) and Pride Outside (Glasgow). Each with stalls and opportunities to engage with the archive project.

Along with collating stories from these pride events, the charity has launched a campaign video on 1st June that showcases conversations between young and older members of the community, reflecting on what has changed and what we could still do better.

LGBT Youth Scotland is Scotland’s national charity for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer & Questioning and Intersex (LGBTQ+) young people aged 13-25. LGBTQ+ young people face unique and additional barriers to realising their potential and that is why LGBT Youth Scotland exists. They believe Scotland can be a place where all young people can thrive and flourish, and they work alongside young people to remove those barriers; working with young people individually, and amplifying their collective voices to influence change.

If you are interested in submitting your story to the (Un)seen, (Un)heard archive or would like to know more about the project, email unseenunheard@lgbtyouth.org.uk

https://www.lgbtyouth.org.uk/

Edinburgh Central MSP Angus Robertson and Inverleith Ward Councillor, Vicky Nicolson visited the newly completed bridge crossing the Water of Leith at Bell Place, which can be raised during high water periods.

The bridge was completed recently by the City of Edinburgh Council flood prevention team.

Increased incidences of high water in recent years have caused stress for residents and damage along the Water of Leith, including to the old bridge. The new rising bridge forms one part of the flood prevention team’s work to bolster defences.

Levels in the Water of Leith can rise from ankle-deep to five metres in a matter of hours. 

Along with the rising footbridge, Edinburgh Council’s flood prevention team have been installing removable flood barriers that can be inserted on top of existing walls to prevent water breaching. 

Angus Robertson MSP said: “The work City of Edinburgh Council flood prevention team are doing is really impressive. The rising footbridge means water will not be caught and diverted over the side by the bridge and, having spoken to a constituent on our visit, I know the insertable walls are giving peace of mind to residents. 

“Councillor Nicolson and I have been working hard with locals, the council and other groups to ensure the risk of flooding is reduced all along the Water of Leith in our constituencies and I am very thankful we have such an expert and dedicated flood prevention team to help tackle the issue.”

Cllr Nicolson said: “We are seeing more and more bouts of heavy rain and, consequently, there is an increased risk of flooding in many areas along the Water of Leith. Gordon McOmish and the whole flood prevention team are doing a brilliant job making sure the City is better prepared for these events, and I can’t thank them enough for the work they do. 

“Angus Robertson and I remain available to constituents who are concerned about water level risk and we will continue to work with all to ensure no one has to go through the awful experience of being flooded and our public areas are better protected from damage.”

Taxis will be heading to Archerfield on Tuesday as the group of Edinburgh taxi drivers who forego fares for the day take children with special needs, life-limiting conditions and terminal illness out for a day of fun.

The taxis assemble at the Zoo at 9am before heading for the coast under police escort and turning for home about 4pm.

There are water pistols in the taxis so beware as they are used to great effect.

Joining the event the taxi drivers welcome the Depute Lord Provost, Lezley Marion Cameron, the Cab Inspector, The Calcutta Cup and the Doddie Weir Cup, boxer Josh Taylor and his World Championship belts (Josh is fighting in Madison Square Garden this weekend and so a lot depends on the outcome of the fight).

Procession Route

Timings are approximate

Edinburgh Zoo 10.00am
Costorphine Road 10.05
Roseburn 10.10
Haymarket 10.15
Princes St 10.20
The Mound
High St 10.25
Canongate 10.35
Abbeyhill 10.40
London Rd 10.43
Portobello Rd 10.46
Portobello High St 10.50
Joppa 10.55
Musselbugh (stopping for ice cream at Luca’s) arriving 11.10  departing 11.40

then following the coast road through

Prestonpans 11.50

Cockenzie 12.00
Port Seton 12.10
Aberlady 12.25
Gullane 12.35
Dirleton 12.45

Porty Pride is Back in 2023 on 8 and 9 July.

A spokesperson for Porty Pride said: “LGBTQ+ people enrich Portobello life, and we want to celebrate this within our communities. Our ethos is to provide a safe, celebratory, political and educational Pride weekend for the whole LGBTQ+ community and our allies. We aim to bring Porty together to mark Pride and support everyone in our community to be themselves.

“Building on last year’s success we have a bigger and more vibrant Porty Pride. We are proud to have following events in the diary… a Saturday Night Ball at the newly reopened Portobelllo Town Hall, the Porty Pride Dog Walk / March is back again, an LGBTQ film night and the Loud and Proud Choir will be performing amongst many other events.

“We are also so pleased that our friends at Velvet Easel, Tribe Porty, Portobello Tap, the Mouse Hole, Bross Bagels, Civerinos and Portobello Town Hall are on board this year as well as Soul Water Sauna.
“We are excited to have more volunteers this year which is fantastic given the programme of events.

“Go to our website www.portypride.com to get your tickets for as much as you can, as they are being snapped up.

“And lastly, Porty Pride is an entirely community-funded organisation and we are reliant on donations to help make our events schedule so varied – our fundraiser is at www.gofundme.com/f/porty-pride-2023“

Contact portypride@protonmail.com

The High Constabulary of the Port of Leith formed the guard of honour for the new tram service down Leith Walk to Newhaven which took its first fare-paying passengers this week. 

The famous tongue-twisting “Leith Police” were formed in 1611 to bring order to the streets and dignity to Edinburgh’s sea port with their smart uniforms, top hats and black batons.

We can laugh at the slightly Gilbert and Sullivan scenes on Leith Walk, but the plot of the transport opera in Scotland in recent years is no laughing matter. In fact the Transport Minister Kevin Stewart resigned this week, saying the job was just too much for his mental health.  

The City of Edinburgh Council says the new tram line to Newhaven has been completed on time and on budget. But it started out costing £165m and has ended up at £207m. It was supposed to be part of the original plan to build a tram line right across Edinburgh, from the airport to Granton. That ran into a quagmire of problems, resulting in a delay of six years, a bill of £776 million (twice the estimate) and only half the line completed. The Hardie inquiry into what went wrong has still not reported, after spending nine years and £13 million wading through the paperwork.

Then there are “the ferries”. This is a long sea shanty of issues. The latest crisis concerns the islanders of South Uist. Their ferry, the “Lord of the Isles”, which normally sails between Mallaig and Lochboisdale, has been diverted to serve other routes, leaving South Uist without a direct ferry service for most of  June.

The problem is that Caledonian MacBrayne just don’t have enough ships to service all of their 50 routes. Although the government says it’s invested £2 billion in ferries since 2007, much of the fleet of 30 ships is old and subject to breakdowns. Two new ferries being built at Ferguson’s shipyard on the Clyde are six years late and three times over-budget.  Four ferries ordered from a yard in Turkey have only just started to be built. 

Then there are the roads. Everyone is talking about potholes, especially politicians with no solutions for how we should pay to have them repaired. There is talk of duelling the whole of the A9 between Perth and Inverness – in fact that saga has been going on for years. This week, we were talking about the A83, the “Rest and Be Thankful” hill road from Loch Lomond to Argyll. A government plan has been announced to build a shelter covering a troublesome mile of the road where there have been  landslides in recent years.  That will cost an estimated £470 million.  I can’t understand why it wouldn’t be cheaper to resurface the parallel road built in the 18^th century by General Wade who had the sense not to build it on a slithery hillside.

The basic problem is that governments, north and south of the border, have been unwilling to raise enough taxes to ensure we have decent public services. Transport is just this week’s example.  

But there is the subsidiary issue of how public money is spent.  Yes, there are shocking inefficiencies, as we’ve seen with the trams and the ferries, but there are strategic errors as well. In transport there’s not enough progress to meet our climate change targets. In health, we’re spending a lot on repairs and not enough on prevention. In education, we spend lavishly on academic achievement and not enough on practical skills. And in sport, there’s a lot spent on elite sportsmanship and not enough on general health, fitness and enjoyment. 

As for the environment, the issue this week, as last week, is The Scottish Government’s Deposit Return Scheme for those drink containers we just throw away in the street or on beautiful country roadsides. On Wednesday, Lorna Slater, the Minister for the Circular Economy was forced to turn full-circle and announce that the return scheme was being put on hold till at least 2025.

It follows the UK government’s intervention, insisting that glass bottles be taken out of the scheme. There are several reasons. One is that glass is already widely recycled. Another is that the producers and retailers would rather wait till a UK wide scheme is rolled out. And the third is that the Tories really don’t care for devolution and don’t want The Scottish Parliament or government doing things on their own.

All in all, this has been an expensive week for The Scottish Government. They’ve promised another £700 million for new ferries and perhaps compensation for the islanders of South Uist and the businesses who have bought equipment to handle the plastic bottles that won’t now be returned till 2025.

In these tax-averse times, the government will have to make cuts elsewhere. But please, let’s spare the High Constabulary of the Port of Leith.

Scotland will mark the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and Her Majesty Queen Camilla during Royal Week in Edinburgh on Wednesday 5 July. 

The King will be presented with the Honours of Scotland at a National Service of Thanksgiving at St Giles’ Cathedral following processions on the Royal Mile. Their Royal Highnesses, The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay will also attend events.

The Honours will be collected from Edinburgh Castle by a People’s Procession, involving around 100 people representing aspects of Scottish life. 

It will be escorted by The Royal Regiment of Scotland , Shetland pony mascot Corporal Cruachan IV and supported by  cadet musicians from the Combined Cadet Force Pipes and Drums, 51 Brigade Cadet Military Band.

The Royal Procession will travel from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to the Cathedral. There will be opportunities for the public to view the People’s Procession and the Royal Procession along the Royal Mile.

A 21-Gun Salute will fire from Edinburgh Castle at the end of the St Giles’ Service, before the Royal Procession travels back to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. 

First Minister Humza Yousaf said:“Scotland will welcome the new King and Queen in July with a series of events to mark the Coronation. A People’s Procession, a Royal Procession, a National Service of Thanksgiving and a Gun Salute will take place in Edinburgh. 

“Representatives from many different communities and organisations in Scotland will take part in these historic events.

“People who wish to mark this historic occasion can get involved by watching broadcast coverage or viewing events in person. We will issue more information confirming how members of the public can access events in the coming weeks.”

The results of the annual Director of the Year Awards was announced at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre on Thursday evening.

The CEO of Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home was among the winners of the awards sponsored by Turcan Connell, Zero Waste Scotland, Wheatley Group, SCVO, Scottish Government, Insights, Prosperity and transACT Technology Solutions.

Lindsay Fyffe-Jardine, CEO at Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home took the award for Director of the Year 2023 in the Third Sector. She won the award in part for her determination to implement a vision which recognised that when a pet is in crisis, there is often a person in crisis, including establishing outreach support programmes such as pet foodbanks. Judges also commented she not only showed excellent leadership within her own organisation but showed “leadership across the third sector in addressing key strategic issues.”

Catherine McWilliam, Nations Director at the Institute of Directors Scotland, said: “It has been a real privilege tonight to celebrate the leaders who are examples of the very best from Scotland’s boardrooms.

“Over the last few years, the Scottish business landscape has been tumultuous to say the least, and while we hope to see some stability ahead, there will always be challenges to face. An authentic, driven and focused leader is vital in navigating an organisation through difficult times, as well as motivating staff and driving strategic decisions.

“Our Director of the Year Awards are a fantastic way to recognise those who have demonstrated these attributes, and   I hope this year’s winners offer inspiration and a source of pride for the business community across Scotland.”

Theresa Shearer FRSE, CEO at Enable, received the Director of the Year 2023 Chair’s Award for her life-long commitment to leadership pushing for human rights-driven public services securing significant policy change in Scotland and internationally. Other winners are set out in full below.

The result of a petition for judicial review was made known yesterday when Lord Braid decided that the Edinburgh version of the short term let policy was in some respects unlawful.

His Lordship said that the policy is “unlawful” in respect of the rebuttable presumption against granting licences for secondary letting in tenements, the lack of any system for temporary licences to be granted and a requirement for all secondary lets to have carpets fitted in bedrooms, living rooms and hallways.

The petition was raised at the Court of Session by Peter Averbuch, Dickins Edinburgh Limited, Reserve Travel Limited and Edinburgh SC (Self Catering) Limited who had crowdfunded £300,000 to fund the case. This is said to be the largest ever legal crowdfunder.

The written decision can be read in full here.

The Alchemist, known for its dark arts and “molecular mixology”, opens its second Edinburgh venue, in the heart of George Street.

Offering a playful dining experience, accompanied by an expertly crafted drinks menu, The Alchemist tries to captivate guests with its immersive atmosphere and innovative cocktails. 

The new bar and restaurant space extends to 7,051 square feet with room for 90 guests, and the latest addition to The Alchemist family will open its doors daily, from breakfast through to dinner and late-night drinks.  

Designed by the Blacksheep, The Alchemist George Street promises to “transport visitors to another dimension of the brand experience. Drawing inspiration from earthly and cosmic realms, the venue features celestial artwork, sculpted accents, and a sumptuous palette of burnt orange, black, and aged brass. A double-height cocktail bar takes centre stage, exuding an enchanting glow and showcasing the alchemy and craftsmanship for which The Alchemist is renowned”. 

Notable additions to the must-try menu include the ‘Cosmic Oyster’ shots, adorned with caviar, and the ‘Pick Your Poison,’ an ‘assassins teapot’ featuring two separate compartments, allowing guests to pour from either one depending on how they hold it. DJs will provide a vibrant soundtrack every weekend.

The opening of this venue will create 50 new jobs, which adds to The Alchemist’s commitment to employment opportunities in Scotland. This marks The Alchemist’s third Scottish venue, joining the ranks of its 20 locations across the UK. 

Simon Potts, CEO, The Alchemist said: “Our St James Quarter venue has been so well received since opening in 2021, so we’re looking forward to welcoming the city to The Alchemist George Street. The two venues will complement each other perfectly, with the focus of the George Street venue being on the late-night drinking experience. We’re incredibly proud of the space which enhances the period features of the listed building and is the ideal setting for the dash of theatre we’re known for serving.” 

The Alchemist, at number 51 George Street, Edinburgh, is now open daily and available for bookings.

thealchemist.uk.com 

Two Korean-born but now Edinburgh-based foodies, Seoyoung and Seoyoung, are opening a pop-up restaurant for one weekend only, from Friday, June 16 to Sunday, June 18, in Marchmont, Edinburgh.

It’s an exciting prospect for them and a mouth-watering prospect for diners having been given a sneak preview of their extensive menu.

Dam Da Kitchen will showcase a spread of dishes built around the duo’s home-cooked favourites, introducing inspirations from the international cuisines that have had the greatest influence on their cooking.

Diners can expect a wide selection of meat and kimchi dumplings and wraps – lunchbox staples in Korea – alongside great bowls of Bibimbap, a revered East Asian comfort food.
 
Tagliatelle with mushroom and creamy soybean sauce and the beef and kimchi ragu are two specials which demonstrate the flexibility and awareness which Seoyoung and Seoyoung bring to their  culinary creations. And, of course, there are a number of carefully crafted vegan and gluten free options.

As an added attraction, Tea with Teikō, will take place on the Sunday afternoon of the pop up and guests can sample Korean tea and sweet snacks while jazz/classical pianist and zen monk Luke Cunningham plays as part of a one-hour meditation session.

For the takeaway menu click here.

The address is 15 Roseneath Street, Marchmont, Edinburgh EH9 1JH. The kitchen is inside a cafe called Delightfully Delicious and the pop up opening times are Friday 16 June: 18.00 to 22.00; Saturday 17 June: 12.00 to 15.00 (last order 14.00) and 18.00 to 22.00; Sunday 18 June: 12.00 to 15.00 (last order 14.00) plus 17.30 to 20.30
 
There is also a takeaway option and a reduced menu is available for delivery via the Foodstuff app and for collection from Roseneath Street Kitchen but the takeaway and collection is unavailable during the weekend of the pop-up kitchen.

Fringe 2023 and accommodation

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe launched its programme on Thursday with 3,013 shows at 248 venues over the three weeks in August when Edinburgh becomes truly the Festival City.

There will be 45,182 performances, with 798 Scottish shows and 535 of those from Edinburgh. There will be cabaret and variety, children’s shows, comedy, dance physical theatre and circus, events, exhibitions, music, musicals and opera, spoken word and theatre.

The Fringe and many of the bigger producers of Fringe shows have been critical of the way that The City of Edinburgh Council has implemented the Short Term Lets (STLs) legislation in the city. The council has interpreted the licensing regime brought in to regulate STLs strictly meaning that there is a smaller number of properties available for Fringe performers or members of the audience to rent for a short period.

That may now change after the ruling by Lord Braid in the Outer House of the Court of Session handed down on Thursday. His Lordship decided the petition for Judicial Review brought by four bodies representing the letting sector and landlords in the city in favour of the petitioners. He declared that the implementation of the Short Term Lets legislation by the City of Edinburgh Council was unlawful.

The Council Leader, Cammy Day said: “I’ve received today’s judgement and am pleased that we’ve been successful in defending large parts of our policy.

“While I’m obviously disappointed that the court didn’t find in favour of our policy on secondary lets, I make absolutely no apology for seeking to protect our residents.

“It’s no secret that we face unique housing pressures here in Edinburgh, with a small but densely populated city centre and fast growing population, and it’s crucial for us to strike the right balance between promoting our visitor economy while looking after the people that live here all year round.

“Our residents have told us that, in many cases, STLs are hollowing out their communities, reducing housing supply and increasing housing costs. We can’t forget that many have endured years of disturbance and anti-social behaviour and we will continue to work hard to get this right.

“The court acknowledged our intention to find a solution to this and agreed that it was legitimate to use both planning and licensing policy. We welcome the clarity His Lordship provided and will now consider our next steps in more detail.

“We remain committed to ensuring the whole city benefits from our thriving visitor economy but it has to be managed and it has to be sustainable – and I continue to believe that fair and effective STL controls would be an important step in the right direction.”

Residents had complained about the impact of STLs in tenements where those accessing stairs changed repeatedly to the detriment of the permanent owners and tenants.

Leith Gala Day on Saturday

Join the gala day, which opens the week long Leith Festival, at Lochend Park for the pageant on Saturday starting at 10am.

Events will then continue all week long until 18 June.

The full programme for the week with all the details you will need about joining in can be found on the Leith Festival website.

Gumball 3000

The Gumball Rally comes to town on Saturday when George Street is largely closed to allow 100 sportscars to be parked and examined by the public while drivers have a rest day before heading off early on Sunday morning.

This is the third time the rally has visited the capital during their nine day rally across Europe which will finish in Porto Montenegro, but the first time the capital is the start of the 3,000 mile route.

The organiser of the event Maximillion Cooper told the city’s licensing committee that the drivers were under strict instructions to drive carefully on the city streets. He also said they want to return to Edinburgh in future years, but that must depend on the plans for turning George Street into a pedestrian area, and also the implementation of the Low Emission Zone rules.

George Street will be closed to traffic from Charlotte Square on Saturday and then from Hanover Street as the cars line up for their procession up the Mound and Market Street to head for London.

Read more about road closures and road works elsewhere in the city here.

Interim council Director quits over criticism

After the Director of Health and Social Care quit her role in May, following a damning report by the Care Inspectorate, the council moved quickly to find an interim replacement to deal with part of the remit. Alan Adams was appointed to the post only a month ago and has quit after criticism of the level of salary he was earning.

This leaves the council in a position where significant changes have to be made to a part of their services where costs are exceeding the allocated budget by a considerable margin.

Read more here.

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A fresh approach to delivering Edinburgh’s Christmas and Edinburgh’s Hogmanay has been agreed which the council says will avoid the contract chaos of previous years.

The new model will make more room for negotiations with contractors before deals are finalised.

It comes after the company responsible for organising festive stalls and amusements around the city centre last year, Angels Events Experience, in a coalition with Taylors Leisure Limited, said their joint venture company Visionar was unable to follow through on parts of the agreement – including a commitment to install a zip line on George Street – and walked away with just weeks to go until the winter festival kicked off.

Councillors debated how the event could be better planned and managed in future at the Culture and Communities committee on Thursday.

Elected members followed advice from council officers that it would be inadvisable for the council to run Edinburgh’s Christmas itself. Officers said the authority didn’t currently have the money or “skills or expertise” to take on this project.

Members also voted against an SNP plan to set up a new arms-length organisation in partnership with an existing commercial operator to oversee delivery of events in the capital, including the Christmas markets on a joint venture basis.

David Waddell, senior culture and events officer, said whilst running the events in-house – the model used in Edinburgh until 2010 – would give the council “full control” it would come with “significant set up costs”.

He said: “We’re not currently set up to deliver that so we would need to make sure that that’s suitably resourced and it also means that the council would be responsible for all the financial risks.”

The alternative procurement approach supported by officials, he added, would bring “significant operational and financial benefits” and allow negotiations to take place between the council and potential contract bidders which are not possible under the existing tender process.

He said: “There’s a period of negotiation and a process that allows us through the development of the final offer that’s come into us to shape that and arrive at a point that we set out to achieve.”

Mr Waddell said this would “transfer some of that element of control” to contractors however added with “careful contract management” this could be mitigated.

He told the committee that time was the “single biggest lesson learned” from last year’s fiasco and said it was crucial to not rush the process and “get what we set out to achieve”.

The SNP group had tabled a plan for the winter festivals to be run as a joint venture between the council and an external events operator with both parties holding equal shares in a new company to “maximise benefit while delivering viable, sustainable events”. SNP Group Leader Adam McVey told The Edinburgh Reporter that the plan was to run a company where both parties received equal return, but the set up would be “a seconded model between a creative company and the council”.

But Paul Lawrence, executive Director of Place, said this would bring financial risk to the council at a time when it is “so strapped for cash”.

He said: “Our professional advice is if we can get the outcomes without importing the risk to the council, our recommendation is that’s what we do.”

SNP councillor Finlay McFarlane remarked the council could appear “toothless” when it came to ensuring contractors met their commitments.

He said: “When we set very clear expectations and goals, what we end up with never seems to be quite right. Why do we end up with plastic trees and crash barriers on the High Street?

“Can we not be more bullish as a council?  We have a historic UNESCO World Heritage Site city that we’re allowing a commercial company to come in and, presumably, make quite a lot of money off of.”

Mr Lawrence replied: “It may be if we are overly bullish the amount of people who will be interested will be limited and that will limit our choice, that’s a good thing and bad thing.”

He said the negotiated procurement model would give the council the chance to “strongly set out our stall out and then talk to providers and challenge them creatively and then have a detailed product”.

The Labour administration’s 2022 council manifesto promised to “end contracts with large scale events organisations for events such as the Christmas Market and Hogmanay” which culture and communities convener Val Walker said she still supported.

However, she said the council was “not in a position right now to take that decision,” adding: “We are cutting services.

“I don’t want us to incur any extra cost at a time at a time where we could provide to the cultural sector and to the wider Edinburgh community.”

by Donald Turvill, 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.

On Thursday MSPs gathered in the Garden Lobby at The Scottish Parliament to celebrate National Carers’ Week.

Scotland’s First Minister, Humza Yousaf MSP, was joined by opposition leaders and MSPs from across the Parliament to mark this years Carers Week in a photograph at the Scottish Parliament following FMQs on 8 June.
Carers’ Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, and to highlight the challenges Scotland’s nearly 800,000 unpaid carers face, as well as recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK, not to mention our health and social care system.
Every year there is a different theme and this year the theme is around identifying carers, and the important role we can all play in identifying carers and helping them to get the support they need and are entitled to. A carer is someone who provides unpaid care and support to a family member or friend who has a disability, illness, mental health condition or who needs extra help as they grow older. It is also about helping those many people who are caring, who don’t see themselves as a carer, and as a result can see them missing out on much needed support.
Richard Meade, Director of Carers Scotland, said: “It is great to see the whole Parliament get behind this year’s Carers Week and I would urge all MSPs to make sure that they do everything they can to ensure that carers get the support they need and are entitled to”.

Running from 5 June to 11 June, the charities supporting Carers Week 2023 are Carers Scotland’ Age Scotland, Carers Trust Scotland, MND Scotland, Oxfam Scotland and The Lewy Body Society. Together, they are calling for better recognition of unpaid carers across society so that they can access the vital support they need to carry out their caring role.

• https://www.edenprojectcommunities.com/month-of-community

An interim Edinburgh Council boss is to leave his job less than a month after he started, after councillors criticised his £160,000 salary.

Alan Adams was brought in to lead the city’s adult social care services following the sudden resignation of Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership chief, Judith Proctor, in May.

Last week a report was presented at a full council meeting which confirmed Mr Adams’ temporary appointment – but his six-figure salary came in for criticism.

SNP councillors dubbed the sum “indefensible” at a time when social care services are struggling due to a £47 million budget gap. The elected members said that since it is a six-month, part time role the salary worked out at the full time equivalent of £403,000 – making it the highest-paid public sector role in Scotland.

Others said this comparison was “inappropriate” and that it was the “going rate” for senior officials hired externally.

An email sent to councillors by The City of Edinburgh Council chief executive Andrew Kerr on Thursday said that following discussions, Mr Adams’ contract would now be ending – less than a month after he accepted the role – for “a number of both professional and personal reasons”.

Mr Kerr said: “I am working with Alan in respect of closing down the main diagnostic task he has been undertaking to ensure that this is finalised before he leaves.

“Part of that consideration will consider how we facilitate the appropriate leadership for the social work aspects of this work and an appropriate response to the inspection report received recently on Adult Protection and Adult Social Work practice.”

An update on progress in finding a replacement for both Mr Adams and Ms Proctor will be given to the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board on Tuesday. The papers for that committee meeting are published here.

by Donald Turvill, 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.

Revamped Berwick Bandits are back on track for the first time in a month when they travel to Redcar Bears while the club’s development side, Bullets, entertain high-flying Mildenhall Tigers.

Rory Schlein (pictured) takes over the No 1 spot on Friday night when Bandits bid to make it third time lucky against Bears having lost home and away to the Teesside team in the Knockout Cup.

Berwick have new signing Jacob Hook in the reserve berth alongside Connor Coles who is in the form of his life.

This is Redcar’s first Championship outing of the season while Bandits won their only fixture so far, at home to Scunthorpe.

Berwick skipper Leon Flint was hampered by a leg injury sustained during the pre-meeting warm-up session at Redcar in April but he is raring to get back on track with the Bandits.

Flint said: “Rory is so experienced that he is unlikely to be phased by taking over the No 1 spot while the signing of Jacob Hook in midweek is a good move by the management.

“We now have a run of fixtures – Oxford at home and Birmingham away – where we will be looking to pick up the points with a view to qualifying for the play-offs.”

“So far the league has shown that there is not much between the teams. On their day everyone seems capable of beating anyone.”

Bullets entertain Mildenhall Tigers on Saturday and skippers Greg Blair and Lee Complin will be going head-to-head for the third time this season.

When the teams met at West Row last month it was Connor Coles, Danny Phillips and an inspired Jamie Halder who took the fight to Complin and Alfie Bowtell, going into heat 15 with the chance of a draw.

Josh Embleton is sidelined by a chipped wrist and knee ligament damage sustained in a high speed crash against Workington and former Edinburgh and Leicester teenager Mickie Simpson guests.

The Tigers enjoyed back-to-back victories at Workington and at home to Belle Vue last weekend but lost a bruising top of the table encounter at Oxford on Tuesday.

Missing at Cowley was teenage sensation Ben Trigger who was on Championship duty with Plymouth but the 17-year-old will be back on Sunday.

Blair said: “Having ridden against everyone other that Monarchs’ Academy, I would say that Oxford are my favourites to go on and win the league.

“Mildenhall are a good team too and, from a personal point of view I’m looking forward to facing Lee (Complin) again. He’s a good mate and I know he’s keen to get one over me after Workington.

“Both teams are packed with talent and the meetings have been so tight around the National League this year that the battle for the minor places is as important as race wins.

“With the season over halfway through we didn’t plan to be sat at the bottom of the table but, despite everything, I don’t think our performances have been reflected by our points’ tally.

“Against Oxford, Mason (Watson) looked back to his old self after a tricky start to the season and a firing reserve is always going to be an advantage when the scores are tight.”

Tickets are available from berwickspeedway.com/tickets and the meeting will be livestreamed by BanditsTV! tv.berwickspeedway.com

Bears: Danny King, Danyon Hume, Erik Riss, Connor Bailey, Charles Wright, Jason Edwards, Jake Mulford

Bandits: Rory Schlein, Jonas Knudsen, Leon Flint, Jye Etheridge, Thomas Jorgensen, Jacob Hook, Connor Coles

Bullets: Danny Phillips, Ben Rathbone, Connor Coles, Jamie Halder, Greg Blair, Mickie Simpson, Mason Watson

Some city centre streets closed in the next day or two to allow cars in the Gumball Rally to park on George Street while drivers rest up before the next stage.

Melville Street is closed from the Queensferry Street end while the cycleways are completed and the road resurfaced. The option is to go via Alva Street or Drumsheugh Place.

Heriot Row is closed all week for resurfacing between Howe Street and Dundas Street, and a warning that Russell Road at Murrayfield is closing overnight for a couple of nights next week.

There are a few roads which will get the council’s micro-asphalt treatment however – see the entries in blue in the list below.

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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Stellar Monarchs face a full-strength Glasgow Tigers outfit on Friday (7.30pm) missing their top two riders, Josh Pickering and Craig Cook, as neither is fit to return to action.

Richie Worrall will guest again for Pickering and Lewis Kerr steps in for Cook but Monarchs’ fans will get their first look at new Danish rider Bastian Borke who makes his debut.

The 20-year-old scored five points in a Danish Super League match in midweek and said: “I know it is a big local rivalry and it means a lot for the club that wins to say they are better than their biggest rivals.

“I am really looking forward to it (the match). I hope it is a packed stadium and it is a great meeting. I can’t wait to get started and what a way to start.”

There is also a debut at Championship level for Dayle Wood who had his best meeting last week for the Monarchs Academy and Kye Thomson (pictured) captains the home side.

STELLAR MONARCHS: Richie Worrall (guest), Paco Castagna, Kye Thomson (captain), Bastian Borke, Lewis Kerr (guest), Lasse Fredriksen, Dayle Wood.

ALLIED VEHICLES TIGERS: Chris Harris, Marcin Nowak, Benjamin Basso, Claus Vissing, Tom Brennan (captain), Lee Complin, Ace Pijper.

A councillor for the city centre ward was ‘shouted and pointed at’ by a coach driver after he pulled them up for parking in one of the city’s busiest pedestrian spaces to pick up tourists.

Cllr Finlay McFarlane was left “so aghast” as a bus mounted the pavement outside Registrar House at the east end of Princes Street before reversing while people crossed the road on Wednesday morning.

He said the driver argued he “had no choice” but to park there to collect hotel guests – but added his actions could have left someone “very seriously hurt”.

The councillor said he would be in touch with the Germany-based coach operator – which he remarked had “ironically” been given an ‘operator of the year’ award – to “ensure that people’s safety is never endangered in this way again”.

He said: “I thought it was important to speak to the driver myself and ask them if they were aware that what they had done was incredibly dangerous and that reversing out of the pavement could seriously risk peoples public safety”.

However, Cllr McFarlane said the driver “responded by shouting and pointing in my face that it was ‘no problem at all, he would only be there five minutes’”.

He pointed out the council had put enhancements on Regent Road precisely to give tour buses and coaches better facilities – just minutes away.

“Someone could have been very seriously hurt,” he added. “Imagine if someone with visual impairment crossed at the signal directly into the reversing coach. It is utterly unacceptable.

“Alongside other pedestrians crossing I was so aghast at the entitlement of the coach driver and what I was witnessing.

“The irony of ‘coach operator of the year 2014’ being emblazoned across the side of the vehicle as it reversed backwards into pedestrians crossing at the green man and oncoming traffic was not lost on me.”

Coach operator Jürgens Reisen was contacted for comment.

by Donald Turvill, 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.