Lord Offord, the UK Government Minister for Scotland, arrived in Iceland today to address the Arctic Circle Assembly and to meet key figures in biotech and gaming sectors.

He is representing the UK as one of more than 60 countries participating in the largest gathering of Arctic nations called annually.

Lord Offord is to make the UK address at the Assembly and the government say he will discuss the post-Brexit renewed Arctic Policy Framework due for publication this year. This will set out the commitment to science, environment, climate change and commerce.

The Minister said: “The Arctic is warming four times faster than the rest of the planet and this has profound implications for the UK, in terms of our weather, our environment and our security. We must therefore take action domestically. By reducing our own emissions and showing global leadership, we can encourage others around the world to join the effort.

“Scotland and Iceland have strong economic, academic and cultural links, and we greatly value these important ties. In particular, I’m keen to promote Scotland’s vital role within the United Kingdom and globally in terms of trade, energy and innovation.

“Building our relationship with the Nordic countries – including Iceland – will bring direct benefit to Scottish business and to communities right across the UK.”

As well as having shared environmental goals, the UK and Iceland are significant commerce partners, with trade between the two countries worth around £1.1 billion in the year to March 2022. Scotland exported goods worth £31m to Iceland in 2021.

Icelandic companies have a number of high-tech and asset investments in the UK, and the University of Edinburgh offers a popular foundation course in Icelandic. In addition, both Scotland and Iceland have strong fishing and fish processing industries and tourism between the two countries is bolstered by direct Reykjavik-Glasgow flights.

Plans to open a huge ‘swingers club’ in an Edinburgh industrial estate should be looked at “very closely” a local councillor has said.

If given the go ahead, former offices at Bankhead Industrial Estate will be converted into an adults-only swingers club.

Cornucopia, the Edinburgh-based company behind the plans, said the members-only club will “all be consenting adults” with no sex workers involved in the scheme. 

Permission is being sought for a change of use of former Napier University offices near to a plumbers’ merchants within the industrial park in Sighthill. 

Swingers clubs around the UK exist as venues where couple will meet up and engage in sexual activities. 

Blueprints for the Edinburgh site show renovations would be carried out to subdivide the 6,200 sq feet space into around 20 private rooms. 

The applicant said the venue on Bankhead Terrace would not be open during the day whilst neighbouring businesses are operational, and added it would not cause “undue noise” to nearby properties. 

They also argued that whilst there has previously been “contention” surrounding the permitting of private adult venues within the city centre, the development would be suitable as it is “far more secluded and will not be easily accessible by members of the public or children”.

However, Labour councillor for Sighthill Ross McKenzie said the plans should be looked at “very closely” due to the remote location of the site. 

He said: “Instinctively, I worry about the isolated location.

“If someone changes their mind about being there, and chooses to leave, they’ll be walking out into an empty industrial estate.”

But Cornucopia claimed the operation of sex clubs is “unavoidable,” adding: “Permitting them to legally operate and allowing them to do so in an area that reduces risk to all parties as far as possible is the best option for ensuring this.”

A statement included in the application, which is awaiting a decision from council planners, states: “The club will be for patrons, and does not have any sex workers providing entertainment, and the members will all be consenting adults.

“The tenant wishes to operate the space as a private adult club and wishes to secure this change of use to renovate the space to make it appropriate for this use. This includes the addition of various private rooms and open rooms of varying sizes throughout the 6200sqft floorspace.”

 It comes as Edinburgh City Council has taken action against sexual entertainment venues, with the authority ready to pt a controversial ban on strip clubs and lap dancing bars in place from next year. 

by Donald Turvill, Local Democracy Reporter 

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is a public service news agency: funded by the BBC, provided by the local news sector, and used by qualifying partners. Local Democracy Reporters cover top-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.

The first date on which this talk can be heard – on Wednesday – has already sold out, and so a second date – on Thursday 13 October has been added.

A Scottish Colourist in our Midst – Scottish artist Francis Cadell lived in Ainslie Place in Edinburgh New Town. Alice Strang reveals the influences on his work

F. C. B Cadell – (Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell) (12 April 1883 – 6 December 1937) was a Scottish Colourist painter, renowned for his depictions of the elegant New Town interiors of his native Edinburgh, for portraits and for his work on the Isle of Iona. Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell grew up at 22 Ainslie Place and as an adult lived at 6 Ainslie Place between 1920 and 1931. He is one of the four Scottish Colourists, along with J. D. Fergusson, G. L. Hunter and S. J. Peploe, who are Scotland’s most celebrated twentieth-century artists. Cadell painted the front door of number 6 Ainslie Place bright blue to annoy his neighbours and took great trouble over the stylish decoration of its interiors.

His home became the subject matter and setting for a remarkable series of pictures created during the 1920s. In this talk, Alice Strang will discuss Cadell’s personal and professional links with the Moray Feu. When senior curator at the National Galleries of Scotland, she produced the 2011 retrospective exhibition of Cadell’s work and wrote the accompanying publication. Alice is now a Senior Specialist in Modern and Contemporary Art at Lyon & Turnbull, as well as an independent curator and art historian.

Alice Strang (ex-curator National Galleries of Scotland) will speak about his work and links to the Moray Feu. https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/features/fcb-cadell

The event includes light refreshments 

This is a talk in this year’s series organised by the Moray Feu to mark their bicentenary. Lord Moray’s Feu covers thirteen streets at the west end of Heriot Row including the private gardens there.

Edinburgh whistle blowers who were instrumental in exposing wrongdoing in the city council have called on MSPs to launch a public inquiry into the mishandling of complaints about child protection.

A petition to The Scottish Parliament asks for a national, wide-ranging investigation into allegations that public bodies across Scotland including The City of Edinburgh Council repeatedly failed to address concerns about the safeguarding of children, child abuse and children’s rights.

The move comes after former council staff in the capital who have come forward with allegations said earlier this year a probe into support for whistle blowers in the organisation had been a “whitewash”, and called for a public inquiry to be held.

Petitioner Christine Scott, a former community programme manager at Castlebrae Community High School, told councillors in February the ‘Tanner Inquiry’ was “narrow and restrictive in allowing the truth to surface”.

The review into ‘whistle blowing and organisational culture’ was commissioned by the council on the back of findings of a previous investigation by Susanne Tanner, KC, into former city social worker Sean Bell, who was uncovered as a serious abuser and who died when facing charges in 2020.

Speaking at the meeting where councillors discussed the next steps following the two investigations, Ms Scott, who blew the whistle on a head teacher who allegedly had sex with an under-age pupil in 2014, said she had “serious concerns” after some whistle blowers disclosed to her “heart-wrenching stories about child protection issues”.

She added: “That’s why we’re calling for a public inquiry, because we don’t feel this has touched the surface or even gone below the surface of what’s been happening.”

If MSPs agree to hold an inquiry, allegations from not only Edinburgh, but other public bodies including East Lothian, Borders and Aberdeenshire councils and the General Teaching Council Scotland would also be investigated.

The petition, which has so far gathered 560 signatures, calls for an independent national whistleblowing officer to be appointed to conduct the investigation.

It states: “The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry focuses on historic abuse and is specific to children in care.

“A wider inquiry into safeguarding concerns and enquiries from parents, guardians, carers, professionals and the public, which have been mishandled, is needed. This should consider gaps in the existing inquiry; mainstream and specialised settings; and regulated children’s activities.”

Former Edinburgh councillor Alison Dickie, who assisted over 25 council staff in making complaints about wrongdoing during her time on the council, also helped to draw up the petition.

Ms Dickie said if it goes ahead, the inquiry “should be open to past and present cases of mishandling, allegations of mishandling, existing or new whistle blowers or people who want to share those concerns”.

She said setting up the petition felt like the “natural next step” for whistle blowers and their supporters after calls for a more thorough investigation in February were met with silence.

“There’s growing voices across Scotland on this whole issue and when it was suggested about a national independent inquiry I put my name to it,” she added.

“What could be wrong with greater national scrutiny and more courageous conversations for our children?

“We need to look at this and no one – and I was clear about that in council – should feel intimated for wanting to feel sure about children’s rights issues and safeguarding issues, and I could not be stronger on that point.

“Concerns continue to be raised, there’s people sharing these concerns, there’s people who don’t feel their cases have been resolved and there should be no room for a single doubt when it comes to childrens’ rights or safeguarding.”

by Donald Turvill, Local Democracy Reporter 

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is a public service news agency: funded by the BBC, provided by the local news sector, and used by qualifying partners. Local Democracy Reporters cover top-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.

The panto to know about this winter is Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. And it will be sponsored by McQueens Dairies who are supporting the production, moved from the King’s while it is refurbished, to the Festival Theatre.

Stars Allan Stewart, Grant Stott and Jordan Young with Clare Gray, Liz Ewing, Francesca Ross and Brian James Lees all took delivery of some milk. Even the biggest baddy of them all, Grant Stott could not resist a tea break.

Fiona Gibson, CEO of Capital Theatres said: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with McQueens Dairies, a family business to support our most beloved family show of the year! 

“So many of Capital Theatres’ values chime with McQueens own ethos – personal service, cherishing tradition and prioritising what is local, sustainable and valuable to the community. 

“We are delighted to have them on board for our annual celebration of fun, family and laughter – the panto! This year’s offering, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, will be bigger and better than ever as it fills the Festival Theatre stage while the King’s undergoes a transformational redevelopment.”

Calum McQueen, Commercial Director of McQueens Dairies said: “As a business that is proud to serve families across the UK and to have restored the tradition of milk delivery to the doorstep, we are equally proud to be sponsors of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Festival Theatre in 2022.  

“After all, pantomime is another great British tradition and, like McQueens deliveries, is a staple in the family calendar!   

“We know that kids and parents across Scotland will be excited to see this year’s show just as we are thrilled to be supporting it as a local business.”  

Berwick Bullets look to defend a three-point lead as they bid to end the club’s 26-year knockout final drought. The last Berwick team to reach a final was the Bandits who won the 1995 Conference League Knockout Cup, current day coach Kevin Little captaining the side to victory over Stoke, writes George Dodds.

On Sunday, the Grant Henderson Tankers Bullets travel to Mildenhall in the National Development League play-off semi-final with a slender lead from an incident-packed and bruising first-leg at Shielfield Park.

In the aftermath of a hugely-entertaining encounter, influential heat-leader Greg Blair was forced to step down from racing for the season, suffering from the long-term after-effects of a head injury.

He still plans travel to West Row to support his colleagues with Berwick using rider-replacement – as does the home side – for him, but skipper Kyle Bickley has recovered from the high speed, third bend crash which left him with leg injuries from an eventful heat 13.

Both Berwick riders were excluded but Mildenhall’s Jack Kingston managed to turn what seemed like a mundane 5-0 into an epic race against the clock by falling heavily on the last lap as he followed team-mate Jason Edwards around.

Kingston pushed his bike 300 metres to collect the points which, briefly, put Mildenhall ahead in a meeting in which they had, at one point, trailed by 12 points.

He was then checked out by medical staff and found to be suffering concussion which rules him out of Sunday’s meeting which starts at 3pm.

With James Shanes already missing the Tigers are allowed to cover the Essex-based riders’ absence with a guest and have turned to Armadale’s Danny Phillips.

Sam Bebee, another long-term concussion victim, dropped to reserve on the green sheet averages which came into operation just before the semi-final allowing Mildenhall to call upon unattached three-point guest.

Not surprisingly, 15-year-old Luke Harrison is back in Mildenhall colours on Sunday having scored 11 points on his competitive team debut at Shielfield and it could have been even more but for two spectacular crashes in heats 14 and 15 which, thankfully, the long-time Berwick Academy rider walked away from.

Leicester and Belle Vue have both won at West Row this season while Berwick were missing Luke Crang through injury and lost Pijper in a first heat crash when they were beaten there in the league last month.

Just one point separated the teams at the end of the league programme and at stake on Sunday is a place in the play-off against Leicester, 96-84 aggregate winners over Oxford in the other semi-final.

“Obviously, it’s a blow to not have Greg on-track on Sunday, but it is what it is and he will still have a part to play in the pits,” team manager Gary Flint said.

“The six wearing the Bullets colours on Sunday are the riders whose efforts have got them this far in the first place. They have earned the right to be in the play-off semi-final and are geared up for one more big push.

“We have a lead, albeit a slender one, and we’ll be fighting to defend it. It’s been a long season but no-one in the Berwick camp wants to see it end.”

Tigers: Jason Edwards, Rider-replacement (for James Shanes), Josh Warren, Alex Spooner, Danny Phillips (guest), Luke Harrison (guest), Luke Muff.

GHT Bullets: Kyle Bickley, Rider-replacement (for Greg Blair), Ace Pijper, Ben Rathbone, Luke Crang, Kieran Douglas, Mason Watson

PICTURE: Ace Pijper, aged 16, and 15-year-old Luke Harrison, two teenagers with a role to play in the semi-final. Picture by Keith Hamblin courtesy of Berwick Bandits

Forth Children’s Theatre (FCT) is back in rehearsals and sprinkling stardust over a cast full of fairytale characters in their brand new, musical production of Beauty and The Beast – The Panto.

Written and produced by Lewis C Baird and choreographed by Taylor Doig – the talented team who made FCT’s last production of Oliver! a massive success, they will be joined by vocal coach, Erin Munro.

The theatre was established in 1979 to encourage interest and active participation in theatre and drama among young people.  They normally stage two shows a year, Easter and Fringe shows, and regularly play to sell out houses. They have won a host of Capital Awards and ENDAs. Like many theatre companies, they had to close their doors during Covid-19 so they have decided to make the next 12 months a bumper year, starting with the panto, and to be followed by Cole Porter’s Anything Goes in February.

For their panto, they have taken up residence at the new community hub (called The Wee Hub) in the old Debenhams store in Ocean Terminal. FCT have a team of magicians creating a set as far removed from a former department store as humanly possible.  By December, the hub will be transformed in to a Scottish castle fit for Belle and the Beast.

This traditional family pantomime follows Belle as she travels in to the unknown to save her father, who has been held captive by a hideous beast in the mysterious Dalkeith Castle.  Is the beast as evil as he appears? Oh aye he is …oh no he’s no!  You will have to decide for yourselves.

This promises to be a fun-filled evening full of song, dance and lots and lots of laughs.

Date: 8-10 December 2022

Time: 7:30pm with an additional matinee on Saturday 10 December at 2:30pm

The Wee Hub Old Debenhams, Ocean Terminal, Ocean Drive, Leith, EH6 6JJ

Book tickets here.

School pupils from Royal Mile Primary School were invited to a private viewing of the Castle of Light Trail for which tickets go on sale today.

The colourful illuminations will show off the castle in a new light this winter and will tell the stories of the castle as defender of the nation through various zones all running a different theme.

St Margaret’s Chapel was illuminated with a kaleidoscope pattern as a trailer for the whole walk around the grounds which will take around an hour to complete.

Tickets are now on sale for the event which runs for six weeks from 18 November.

Creative Director Andy McGregor, who is working alongside Double Take Projections, NL Productions and War Productions Ltd, in partnership with Historic Environment Scotland, on this year’s trail, said: “The countdown to Castle of Light is now on as we bring the community together through an fusion of colour and shared love of the country’s history.

“Drawing inspiration from kaleidoscope patterns, this year’s projections include a mix of geometric designs depicting stories from Scotland’s past, transforming the castle with light, sound and wonder like never before.

“Showcasing some of the new projections we have in development for this year’s event to the pupils from Royal Mile Primary School was a great opportunity to get them excited about history. As they ventured through the castle grounds, the children saw a sneak peek of just some of what the wonderous attraction has in store as it returns to the city for the third year.”

Stephen Duncan, Director of Marketing and Engagement at Historic Environment Scotland (HES), which operates Edinburgh Castle, said: “We’re excited to be back for another year but this time we’re bringing together even more storytelling, music and extraordinary displays to build our biggest show to date. 

“We felt it was important that we continued to bring light and joy to the capital during the darker months and while costs continue to rise – with many of us feeling the crunch of the cost of living crisis – we made the decision to cap our ticket prices in line with previous years. We hope that much of the community and visitors to the city are able to experience the wonder of Castle of Light in 2022.”

Standard adult tickets cost £20, with concession rates, family tickets and discounts for Historic Scotland members also available. 

www.CastleofLight.scot  

At First Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Owen Thompson MP invited the Prime Minister to come to the Cost of Living Drop-in which he is holding on Friday along with Christine Grahame MSP.

The Prime Minister, Liz Truss, did not take him up on the invitation as he called on her to apologise to the people of Midlothian for the real-life consequences of their disastrous economic policies.

The MP said it would give the Prime Minister an opportunity to speak directly to constituents who are struggling to make ends meet.

Mr Thompson said: “More and more people are being pushed into poverty by the choices of this Conservative government. Their disastrous policies have caused the cost-of-living to skyrocket and damaged financial stability, threatening people’s incomes, mortgages and pensions. 

“I invite the Prime Minister to come to Midlothian and speak directly to families who are struggling to make ends meet as a direct consequence of their economic incompetence.

“I am co-hosting a cost-of-living event with Christine Grahame MSP, which is a chance for constituents to seek advice and support to get them through this extremely tough time. While I am glad there’s similar mobilisation going on across many communities, it’s grim that it’s needed at all.

“Recent polling by Survation has found that 66% of Midlothian residents are currently cutting back on essential groceries, and a quarter are worried about having to use a food bank. They are struggling to put food on their plates yet the Prime Minister expects them to be grateful for a half-baked cap on energy costs.

“The Prime Minister should come along and speak directly to people who don’t have the cushion of wealth enjoyed by her conservative supporters and donors. It would give her a chance to apologise for the damage that she and her Tory colleagues have done and perhaps to rethink the priorities of this out-ot-touch government.

“They need to stop being cloth-eared to the critics and think again about a chaotic ‘growth plan’ which is only bringing a growth in food insecurity, homelessness,inequality and people stuck in a poverty trap. We cannot allow this Tory government to destroy lives and tear up the fabric of communities across Scotland, for the benefit of a privileged few.”

More details about the Gorebridge drop in on Friday here.

St Mary’s Music School commissioned a new work by multi-award winning Scottish composer, Ailie Robertson, and it is this work which will be played for the first time at this year’s Scottish International Storytelling Festival (SISF) celebrating female composers and their relationship with place.

The piece, Dottyville, for violin and cello will be performed by GAIA Duo musicians Katrina Lee and Alice Allen and was inspired by Edinburgh’s Craiglockhart Hill. 

It is the fifth of seven new music commissions by St Mary’s Music School’s Seven Hills Project which has brought together seven composers with links to the School to write a work inspired by the topography of one of Edinburgh’s seven hills and the corresponding ‘hill’ poem by Alexander McCall Smith. Dottyville draws on Ailie’s distinct blend of traditional and contemporary music to capture the restorative nature of Craiglockhart Hill to the ‘soul-injured’ who recuperated in the nearby veterans’ hospital.  

The concert, Landscapes and Dances, Songs She Scored Out, takes place at Canongate Kirk on Wednesday 26 October at 7.30pm. The one-hour concert has been developed in collaboration between St Mary’s Music School, the Scottish International Storytelling Festival, Robertson and GAIA Duo. In addition to Ailie Robertson’s new work it features music by Rebecca Clark, Elizabeth Maconchy and music by anonymised historical Scottish female composers of the 1850s – the names of these women were often scored out with black pen – which will be performed by junior pupils of St Mary’s Music School. All of the works tell musical stories about surrounding landscapes, geographic and cultural, by female composers, each with a different experience of their ‘place’ in their surrounding musical landscape.  

Ailie Robertson, who has composed works for some of the world’s most prestigious cultural institutions including the BBC Proms and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, was the 2018-21 composer in residence for Sound Scotland and Glyndebourne Opera. Commenting on the premiere of Dottyville, and working in the unique collaboration with Scotland’s national music school and the Storytelling Festival, she said: 

“The idea for entitling my piece ‘Dottyville’ comes from the poet Siegfried Sassoon. Craiglockhart Hospital was one of the most famous shell-shock treatment centres, set up after the battle of the Somme in 1916. Two of the finest war poets were treated there—Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon. It was Sassoon who nicknamed the place ‘Dottyville’ in a letter of 1917.”

Valerie Pearson, Head of Strings at St Mary’s Music School is leading the Seven Hills Project, which celebrates new music composition and performance as part of the build-up to the School’s 50^th anniversary in 2023.

She added: “There was always an idea to bring Ailie’s piece into the SISF but I didn’t imagine how naturally things would develop. It has been wonderful working with Donald Smith (Director of SISF), Ailie Robertson and GAIA Duo to shape this programme together. They share an artistry for connecting tradition to the now – harnessing the qualities and preciousness of the past in refreshing ways that push tradition forward and keep it relevant today and tomorrow.

“It is this blend of the classical and contemporary that I hope to achieve in this event and in the Seven Hills Project as a whole – the core aims of the Seven Hills Project are about celebrating Scotland, the School’s home, and Scottish new music. We deliberately focused on female composers because their voices felt most relevant now. It has been a great opportunity to build partnerships with different areas of the arts world that create new links to classical music, which is very much part of the school’s forward thinking.” 

Landscapes and Dances, Songs She Scored Out tickets £10 full price £8 concessions under 18s free. Available via St Mary’s Music School website. www.stmarysmusicschool.co.uk

www.sisf.org.uk

Two organisations in the city have combined to launch the Keeping Edinburgh Warm Fund this winter.

There are cash grants available for people living in Edinburgh who are struggling to pay bills and heat their homes. Everyone’s Edinburgh and Turn2us Edinburgh Trust will combine forces to provide the support.

The way the Keep Edinburgh Warm Fund is to be funded is by asking 1,250 households who feel they can afford to, to donate their £400 energy grant. This will provide a £500,000 fund enabling grants to be given to more than 600 families this winter. The money will help to keep people who need help most to stay warm.

Patrycja Kupiec, Head of Edinburgh Trust at Turn2us, comments:  ”No one should have to choose between eating or heating. The Edinburgh Trust grants have been a lifeline for many people across the city over the last ten years. Our vision is Edinburgh where no one has to go without the basic essentials they need to eat, stay safe, and warm and where those trapped in poverty have the resources available to move out of poverty and thrive.”  

“This winter many of us in Edinburgh will not be able to afford basic essentials to keep ourselves and our families warm and fed. This isn’t right. We believe that in 2022, no one in our city should have to choose between eating or heating.” 

Ewan Aitken, from Everyone’s Edinburgh, comments: “Edinburgh has always been a generous, compassionate city. This winter these values are ever more needed as many more of our fellow citizens face poverty and hard times.  The great thing about this fund is every penny will go to those most in need in our city and mean they are more able to keep themselves and their families warm and fed as we all want to do.”   

Robert Aldridge, The Rt Hon Lord Provost of Edinburgh, comments: “Many of us in the City are lucky enough not to have to face a cold and hungry winter. We can get by without the £400 energy grant. So, I’m asking 1249 households to join me in donating their grant to make a real difference to those facing the most extreme circumstances this winter.” 

Donate here.

Edinburgh firm Alliance Creative partnered with health specialists Wellness EQ to offer its staff and their families a free wellbeing course to help their workforce readjust following the pandemic.

Running for three months, the nutritional programme is designed to both improve lifestyle habits and boost mental health.

Steve Johnstone, co-founder of the leading Scottish creative collective, looked into the plan to assist his own reset following Covid-19 but then decided to roll it out across the Edinburgh-headquartered firm – at no cost to his employees.

“As a result of the pandemic, I like many others struggled to find the right balance of activity, healthy eating and work,” he said.

“At the beginning of the year, everyone seemed to be reinvigorated, and determined to give it their all and to make up for all that lost time. As I found out by the end of the first quarter, this just wasn’t sustainable physically and mentally.

“Personally, I’d lost structure in my work and home life and as a result my health started suffering through bad dietary and exercise choices. By chance I met a lady from Wellness EQ at a networking event and I was interested to know more, and desperate to make significant changes to my lifestyle.

“What started out as a purely selfish exploration into a better lifestyle, I also started to think about our staff and whether this could benefit them as well.

“While the Alliance has been one of the pioneers of the work-from-home model since 2011, it does still take some readjustment to work in that environment with regards to taking regular breaks from your desks, getting fresh air and exercise and of course making the right informed food choices.

“Having spoken to our team on numerous occasions during lockdowns and the post-pandemic recovery period, it was clear we had all struggled in one way or another to get back some type of balance, so it was a no brainer to see if we could try to address this in some way.

“The 12-week nutrition programme has been offered to our core staff members and their families free of charge, asking only for their commitment to make the plan work for them. It has been a tough ask to change ingrained eating habits but the re-education aspect of what we consume and how it affects our bodies is truly eye-opening, completely changing our perception of what constitutes a healthy diet as advised by government, pharmaceuticals and the food industry.”

Alliance Creative co-founder Dan Hay was one of the first to sign up.

He said: “The main thing I’m looking to take from this is a bit of education on how to better look after my health via what I put into my body.

“Longer term I want to make the things we learn along the way stick and get out of the bad lifestyle habits I have been in for years, stay fit and motivated which will hopefully benefit me personally and professionally.”

This week saw World Mental Health Day help raise awareness of mental health issues around the globe and Issy Warrack of Wellness EQ said: “There is a big opportunity for companies to reduce mental and physical health issues by up to 80% with targeted intervention.

“Industry data shows that FTSE 100 companies who prioritise employee engagement and wellbeing outperform the rest by 10%

“At Wellness EQ, we offer a range of bespoke services helping the workforce understand how they can positively impact their physical and mental health, improving not only their own work performance but also that of their team and the business overall, no matter how busy they are.”

Staff from law firm Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie LLP (WJM) have raised funds as part of the ‘Step Up for SAMH’ campaign run by the Scottish Association of Mental Health charity. 

Team members in the St Andrew Square office took part in 14 days of physical activity logging their achievements on the Strava fitness app to help raise vital funds for the organisation which offers mental health support services to people all over Scotland.

Staff from the firm’s five offices in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness, Dunfermline and Dunblane, ran, swam and cycled their way through the two weeks, clocking up a total of 854.66km and a total of 204 hours and 32 minutes of exercise.

The teams were then given a well-deserved break in the form of a joint coffee morning to help boost their fundraising total to more than £1,600, which was also a prime opportunity to discuss mental health and wellbeing with colleagues.

Alison Marshall, Partner at WJM, said: “We’re delighted to be able to support SAMH in their work across Scotland and in our community, giving support to those that need it. Their knowledge, skill and will to help others is more important than ever. 

“Thankfully, mental health is being taken increasingly more seriously across the board now, and promoting good mental health in the workplace is an incredibly important part of this progress.”

“We know SAMH does wonderful work and it’s a pleasure to support them. I am so grateful to the Edinburgh team for how much effort they’ve put into this campaign.”

samh.org.uk

While it might have been a Monday night in Glasgow, fans of Roxy Music made it feel more like a Saturday.

On the bus from Edinburgh, glamorous fans celebrated the live return of the art rock luminaries with aplomb.

The reissue on vinyl for their back catalogue also celebrates this 50th anniversary tour. It was an opportunity to see one of the most influential groups of all time – and perhaps the last chance. The sense of occasion was palpable during the opener Re-Make/Re-Model which sounds as fresh and imaginative as it did in 1972.

Original drummer Paul Thompson hammers the beat at the centre of it all while Andy McKay’s definitive sax sets the tone for an exhilarating evening. Ladytron also from their self-titled debut and used to great effect in Todd Hayne’s Velvet Goldmine film sounds magnificent.

While some audience members were critical of Bryan Ferry’s voice, I had no problem with the slightly altered register, unlike a Bob Dylan concert recognising songs didn’t turn into a sport. On the contrary, Ferry was in fine form, talking to the Hydro crowd, he seemed genuinely enamoured to be there. Who could contest his smooth brilliance during the triumvirate of Ferry magic Dance Away, More Than This and Avalon?

Over ten years Roxy Music sound like two different bands – if only more acts would follow their template. After a glorious cover of John Lennon’s Jealous Guy, they finished with Do The Strand, while there was no guest appearance from the other Brian (Eno) his spirit was everywhere.

Roxy Music has reminded us (while inviting a new generation) why they are one of the most important bands of the last 50 years. 

Hearts manager Robbie Neilson rued the loss of what he called cheap goals to Italian side Fiorentina as the Jambos skidded to their second defeat in Group A against a side with only one win in their previous ten matches in all competitions.

And he urged his men to be more pro-active rather than re-active in the return n Florence on Thursday when more than 2,000 Jambos are expected to be at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.

They are desperately hoping that the Italians don’t enjoy another whirlwind start to the game.

At Tynecastle, Hearts were on their heels after only four minutes when unmarked Ronaldo Mandragora nodded the visitors, who are currently in 13th position in 20-strong Serie A, in front.

And the Italian side continued to press, forcing Hearts into some dogged defending.

The Tuscan combine emerged with a 3-0 scoreline with further goals from Christian Kouame after 42 minutes, smashing home a loose ball from eight yards, and former Real Madrid striker Laka Jovic with 11 minutes remaining. He finished off a counter-attack from close range.

Neilson, reacting to a move in training at rainy Riccarton early on Wednesday, described the Italians as a fantastic football club and added: “They put in a top, top performance.”

The playcaller admitted that the game had been a real learning curve for the squad and he added: “To compete at this level you have to be on top of your game. We gave away some really sloppy goals, the first two especially.”

And Craig Gordon, Hearts’ captain, and a veteran of international competition with Scotland, sportingly admitted: “Sometimes your have to say they were too good.”

Praise indeed and Hearts know what to expect when they arrive in Italy, another severe test, but the numbers indicate that they need to avoid defeat to have any chance of qualifying for the knockout phase.

That means his men can’t switch off for a second otherwise it could be fatal as the reverse left Hearts third in Group A with three points from the same number of games, one point ahead of RFS from Latvia who prop up the four-strong table.

Fiorentina have four points from their three outings with Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir topping the group with seven points.

It’s a mountain to climb for the Jambos as the winner of the group progresses while the second-placed team will play one of the teams who exit the Europe League by finishing third in their group.

The winner of that moves into the latter stages of the Europa Conference League.

Hearts have advised supporters travelling that a passport is the only valid form of ID to be shown with the match ticket for entry to the stadium.

The match ticket name must match the passport name but a digital version of a match ticket can be shown along with a passport to enter the stadium.

Free shuttle busses, they added, are available to take fans to the stadium from the city centre and Italian public safety authorities request that anybody without a ticket should not travel.

Kieran Mitchell stroked the ball home after a slick passing move, the quicksilver teenager latching on to an inch-perfect through ball and clinically slotting low into the corner of the net, cue joy in the success-hungry crowd.

The pencil-slim, 19-year-old is on loan until the end of the season from Scottish Championship outfit Raith Rovers after making 18 appearances for the Kirkcaldy club, signing as a modern apprentice.

Talented Mitchell, nicknamed Mitch, desperately seeks regular football to develop his game and, after his Man of the Match performance in the 2-0 win over Annan Athletic, he is already a favourite with fans after only three games in the red and white hoops.

Mitchell’s goal came from one of the best moves of an entertaining tussle. The busy player was set up by a superb pass from George Hunter and the strike delighted the majority of the 589 fans on a perfect night for football weather-wise at New Dundas Park.

And it was Hunter who had earlier eased nerves by putting the Rosey Posey in the driving seat with his first of the campaign after 24 minutes, a glancing header after a superb cross from Lee Currie.

It was no more than Rose deserved after a bright opening and it lifted the fans who were anxious to see their favourites snap a four-game losing streak.

There were scares, but not many, mainly because of solid defending with 33-year-old Alan Horne, Rose’s longest serving players with over 300 appearances, a calming influence. Lewis Hunter was just wide for Annan from the edge of the area before Rose boss Horn had to make an enforced change when Dean Brett was forced to leave the field with what looked like a leg injury, Josh Grigor replaced him.

However, Rose continued to press towards the break but Scott Hooper gave home fans a scare, heading over early in the second half, but the Midlothian combine moved back into attack and Hunter fired over after Mitchell and Scott Gray were involved in the build-up.

Mitchell kept busy, popping up in different areas of the pitch, and he was always a danger. His moment came in 65 minutes and it was the icing on the cake for the Fife-based forward.

Rose, to be fair, had a short sticky spell in the second period, but they burst back into life with Callum Connolly denied three times by desperate Annan defending.

Horn replaced Mitchell and Hunter with fresh legs after 83 minutes and the two men left the pitch to an ovation from supporters. Kieran McGachie and Ross Gray came on.

They kept a clean sheet to move to 13 points from ten games and into mid-table, leap-frogging Stranraer who are a point behind. Annan are eighth with nine points followed by Albion Rovers in ninth and Forfar Athletic in tenth. They both have eight points.

Rose take that five-point cushion into Saturday’s league clash with fifth-placed East Fife at New Dundas Park (15.00), a team they beat 3-0 on August 6 on the road in matchday two and who have accumulated 14 points from their ten games.

Mitchell knows two of the East Fife players and believes it will be a close match on Saturday. That is in the future but he left the ground clutching a bottle of bubbly courtesy of the match sponsor, Mark Robertson plumbing and heating (pictured).

He’s enjoying himself at Bonnyrigg and he added: “It was good to get a win and the crowd were great. The boys have been really good with me. I’ve gelled quickly with them and we’ve had a couple of training sessions.

“I can play on the left or right or up-front, whatever. I probably prefer up-front like against Annan. A lot of clubs in this league are physical but me being the size I am they get in about me.”

There is no question that the Galabank boys got in about Mitchell on Tuesday night and he left the ground with an icepack, not for the champagne.

Now, he’s looking forward to Saturday and the visit of East Fife. “Hopefully, we can get a result on Saturday. There is a little pressure off after we got three points against Annan, but we have to take this game by game, getting three points each week. Anything else is not good enough. Momentum is the big thing.

“Coming here (to Bonnyrigg) was always about game time. The manager told me that he wanted me for a while and he’s been very good.”

The winners of the first ever edition of the Saroj Lal Award for City of Edinburgh Schools were announced at a ceremony at the City Chambers on Tuesday.

Award judges, the family of Saroj Lal, student/teacher nominees and their families gathered there along with Council colleagues and other invited guests.

Saroj Lal was one of the first BAME women to teach in a Scottish primary school when she began her role at South Morningside Primary School in 1970. Her many successes included being at the forefront of race relations during a period of immense political and social change, delivering anti-racism training and starting the first local authority interpreting and translating service in Edinburgh. Following her death in 2020, Saroj’s many achievements in equality, women’s rights, education, and community work are being formally recognised.

All City of Edinburgh schools were invited to nominate pupil work relating to any aspect of equalities, in any artform. Headteachers were also invited to nominate staff, whose collaborative work around equalities has taken a creative approach and had an impact. All nominated work will be used to start building a resource bank for schools. There were nine schools who nominated, with 13 pupil/pupil group nominations and four teacher nominations submitted.

All work submitted was considered by a panel of judges, comprising Saroj Lal’s son Vineet Lal, Debora Kayembe (Rector of The University of Edinburgh), Theo Ogbhemhe (teacher in Orkney who was winner of the first GTCS Saroj Lal Award), and young person, Alanah Walker.

The award categories for students were as follows:

Proud to be Me: Communicates the young person’s personal expression of pride their heritage, in their own culture and/or identity.
How Prejudice Makes Me Feel: Expresses young people’s feelings about any form prejudice inflicted on themselves or others.
Artivism: Art expresses their views on social justice and challenges others to change and/or act differently.
All the nominated work was celebrated at the ceremony hosted by Councillor Joan Griffiths, Education, Children and Families Convener.

The winner for the Proud to be Me category was Anum Shezad of The Royal High School.

In the How Prejudice Makes Me Feel category the winner was Freya Wilson of The Flora Stevenson Primary School.

For the Artivism category the winner was the Rights Respecting Schools Group, comprising four senior pupils from Firrhill High School namely Jess Daly, Alisha McLeod, Sara McLeod and Jane Williams.

The staff winner was Rory Murray, again of Firrhill High School, with the special Judges’ Commendation going to Jane O’Thy, of Boroughmuir High School.

Councillor Joan Griffiths, Education, Children and Families Convener said: “I am incredibly proud to oversee the inaugural Saroj Lal Award for City of Edinburgh Schools as Education, Children and Families Convener. These pupils and their achievements are a testament to the rich legacy that Saroj Lal left in her decades of pioneering work in Edinburgh and beyond. This award provides an opportunity to reflect not only on the life on a seminal and inspiring woman in Saroj Lal but an opportunity to look ahead to the future with pupils across the Capital showing their passion for equality, diversity and social justice”

Vineet Lal, son of Saroj Lal, and one of the Award judges said: “I have been blown away by the sheer creativity and depth of thought demonstrated by all those pupils and staff nominated for the inaugural Saroj Lal Award for Schools. I have been truly amazed by the variety and originality with which they have embraced the spirit of equality and diversity and captured that spirit so beautifully in their submissions. Saroj was a pioneering force in the struggle for justice and fairness for all, and I think she would have been very proud indeed that her trailblazing work in the City of Edinburgh and beyond should inspire new generations to champion those same values.”

Award-winning Ignite restaurant, which specialises in Indian and Bengali cuisine, has a new offer suited to people who work from home.

Ignite is offering 10% off the total bill for parties of six and over, so it may be ideal for city-based teams who work from home full time or part time, and who have missed socialising with their colleagues.

And the offer is of course open to everyone else – not just city workers. So, it’s also ideal for anyone who loves to get together with a group of friends and family, in a friendly and relaxed environment, over some of the city’s best Indian food.  It’s available until 30 November.

Some of the dishes that workmates, friends and families can enjoy together include lasooni macchi (whole pan-fried sea bass with onions and tomatoes), baby aubergine pakura and popular Ignite classics such as chicken kurma and lamb madras, to name but a few of the many.

Ignite has been short-listed for the Asian Restaurant Awards in the category of Asian Restaurant of the Year, Edinburgh, with the winner to be announced at the Sheraton Hotel, Edinburgh in early November.

It is also a recent Tripadvisor 2022 Travelers’ Choice Award Winner. This accolade is awarded to restaurants that “consistently deliver amazing experiences” and have earned positive reviews and ratings over the past year.

According to Tripadvisor, Ignite is in the top 10% of restaurants worldwide.

Ignite is at 272-274 Morrison Street (0131 228 5666) and www.igniterestaurant.co.uk

Ignite is open for dinner and takeaways Tuesday to Sundays

The special offer is not available on rugby match days or for takeaways.

The trees in Princes Street Gardens will need more protection than is provided for in the current planning application for Edinburgh’s Christmas, according to a forestry expert.

Previous operators were criticised for their lack of care for the trees in Princes Street Gardens, and The Edinburgh Reporter has been told that as it currently stands, the new producer, Unique Assembly, may not have put the correct level of protection in place in their planning application lodged on 29 September.

Last year Underbelly was taken to task by councillors who questioned their actions at a testy face to face meeting. Our article from November 2021 set out what Underbelly said they had done, and the way in which councillors questioned them. The consensus among elected representatives at that time was that the operators had ridden roughshod over both the planning process and the gardens which then took months to recover.

This is the current proposal lodged on behalf of the newly appointed producers of Edinburgh’s Christmas, Unique Assembly Limited, to protect trees in the gardens this year:

The new producer of Edinburgh’s Christmas drafted up their outline plans with only 72 hours notice to comply with tight deadlines, and the planning application remains open to comment until 28 October 2022.

Andrew Heald forestry consultant said: “I am concerned that the initial plans submitted for Council approval have been apparently developed without seeking professional arboriculture advice. The Council publishes clear guidance on how trees should be protected on development sites, and it’s essential that this is followed.

“These mature trees in Princes Street Gardens are enjoyed by millions of people every year, they have high amenity and environmental value. They are the crown jewels of Princes Street and must be properly protected. I look forward to seeing the revised tree protection plans which are now being developed.

-“The key issue is that the ground around each tree must be protected from compaction. If the soil is compacted it is harder for the tree to access water, oxygen and nutrients from the soil. This protection needs to be properly planned by an arboriculture professional in conjunction with Council tree officers. It is essential that lessons are learnt from previous Christmas Markets.”

A spokesperson for Unique Assembly Limited said: ““We have engaged with our own in-house arborist and the Council Parks team to give advice and best practice with regards tree protection.

“We agree that elements of the current application do not suitably account for the root zone and will be applying learnings from years of working in urban landscapes to ensure the event does not have any long term impacts on the green spaces as proposed.”

Cllr Ben Parker said: “The markets in Princes Street Gardens are something many residents and visitors look forward to each year, but we have a responsibility to ensure that their presence doesn’t cause long term stress and harm to the environment there. 

“I share the concerns of residents and experts about the plans for protecting trees in Princes Street Gardens this Winter. The Council has guidance on how trees should be maintained and protected, and this guidance follows the British Standard. I will be keenly following developments to ensure that these guidelines are adhered to. If they are not, then I will be picking this up with relevant officers and contractors.

“Our trees are so valuable and it’s important that we treat them with the right level of respect and care to keep them healthy for generations to come.”

Unique Assembly is a new company formed by Unique Events Limited and Assembly Festivals Limited to produce Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, and in a new contract to produce Edinburgh’s Christmas which will begin on 25 November 2022. The programme, which will preserve the core festive attractions for the city this year, includes the popular Christmas Market and funfair attractions in East and West Princes Street Gardens and on the Mound; an ice rink on George Street; new lighting and projections on George Street; charity installation Festival of Kindness in St Andrew Square; and a selection of free festive events and shows for families at the Ross Bandstand, such as the traditional Nativity Carol Concert.

For both events, and in line with the consultation responses received by the council last year, the demands on the producer of Edinburgh’s Christmas are to:

• Continue to provide high quality Christmas and Hogmanay celebrations which will be valued by residents and visitors, and continue to enhance Edinburgh’s reputation
• Extend celebrations to other parts of the city
• Deliver and evidence the environmental sustainability of the winter festivals, including through the local sourcing of products and minimising use of greenspace
• Improve access for those previously less able to participate, including through physical accessibility, the design of activities for those with a range of needs, and for people on lower incomes and from deprived areas
• Focus on making the celebrations family friendly
• Maximise engagement with small and independent businesses to establish local market growth, including giving priority to existing and new local businesses and creatives

Also the council has stated in response to the public’s feedback, that the producer will be required to minimise any use of greenspaces, introduce alcohol-free times and/or areas within Christmas celebrations, avoid overcrowding and improve access by distributing celebrations more widely throughout the city centre.

PHOTOS FROM PREVIOUS YEAR SHOW DAMAGE TO PRINCES STREET GARDENS

Opposition councillors lodged an emergency motion on Tuesday asking that a full investigation is carried out of the circumstances which led to the collapse of a major council contract.

As reported on Monday the council had entered into a deal in June 2022 with Angels Event Experience (AEE) Limited to deliver Edinburgh’s Christmas – the rides, the markets and all that it entails – in exchange for the company paying the council £1 million per year for five years. That arrangement fell apart a couple of weeks ago when AEE withdrew from the deal.

Now opposition councillors want to get full details of what went wrong and whether there was any inaccuracy in the information given to the Finance & Resources Committee which agreed to grant the contract.

The SNP, Green and Liberal Democrat councillors also demand that council officers look at whether the council complied with The Scottish Government’s procurement guidelines. Much of the public discussion at the Finance and Resources Committee on Monday appeared to suggest that the failure came down to the procurement process used.

Other discussion on Monday lasting several hours was then held in private as it referred to commercially sensitive details.

But pointing the finger of blame at the council leader, Labour’s Cllr Cammy Day, Cllr McVey asked at the F&R meeting whether the Council Leader had discussed any of this at the weekly meeting he has with the Chief Executive of the council, Andrew Kerr.

Cllr McVey said on Monday: “When the last committee in June agreed the contract, briefing of councillors was key. There was a need to keep a watching brief on this – and opposition councillors were not briefed on any ongoing issues with this contract.”

In proposing the motion today he said it would be useful to further investigate the matter both for the council and the public. Cllr McVey said: “I hope it gets us to a next step in the conversation in trying to flesh out some of why it went so badly wrong.

“Yesterday’s F&R meeting agreed to refer their report to this committee and I think the report that this emergency motion is asking for works very well in tandem with reading the source report. Hopefully by taking them both together this committee is in a very good position to try and scrutinise what went so badly wrong in this instance. I hope it also finds answers to some of the questions that are in the public interest, and essential for making sure that we, as an organisation, minimise the chance of anything like this happening again.”

Cllr Lewis Younie (LibDem) seconded the motion saying: “It is embarrassing, deeply embarrassing, that we are in a position where a cultural and social staple of Edinburgh wasn’t certain to occur. It is scarcely conceivable what the scale of the reputational damage would have been if it had actually fallen through. Mistakes can happen and things can go wrong, and those we contract may not be able to meet their obligations. In short disasters can be unforeseen. However what is intolerable about this situation is that most councillors were only informed of the oncoming disaster at practically the last moment. I know officers have acknowledged their error over this which is very welcome. What will be even more welcome is if it does not happen again.

“What worries me is that delivering the Christmas Market has been challenging before with the last administration struggling with similar issues. This begs the question of why the lessons were not learned then, and fills me with doubt that they will be learned this time.”

Today the Governance, Risk and Best Value Committee under the Convener Cllr Kate Campbell agreed to obtain an in depth report by their next meeting.

After the meeting Cllr McVey said: “It’s heartening that we now have a way forward for Christmas this year, after the Finance committee backed SNP plans to try and make the process as robust as possible.
“However there are a number of questions outstanding. These focus on the opportunities Labour had to deal with issues or alert other councillors to problems and yet failed to act. Labour’s refusal to adhere to decisions have already resulted in the Finance Committee declaring them in contempt of council. Now we also need to know exactly what they knew and when. 
“What’s certain is that the failures that led us to this position have cost the Council significantly and we will continue to push to make sure lessons which should have learned already are learned. We hope Labour – asleep at the wheel yet again – have not cost the city our Christmas celebrations as well as the significant public resources their incompetence has already cost.”

This is the emergency motion below. The Conservatives added a small amendment to it asking that this is added to the 2023/24 audit plan. Cllr Joanna Mowat said: “I think there has been a theme coming through that procurement is important. 

“This is about a failure of procurement.”

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Police officer in Edinburgh are appealing for witnesses after a car was seen travelling the wrong way on the A720 Edinburgh City bypass and later refused to stop.

Around 1.10am on Tuesday 11 October 2022, officers received a report of the movements of a blue Vauxhall Astra car.

Police officers from the road policing unit took up pursuit of the car, using tactics to bring the car to a stop on the M9 between Junction 1A and 2.

The M9 was closed at 2am and reopened shortly after 5.30am.

Three police officers were taken to Forth Valley Hospital to be checked over.

Inspector Stephen Quinn said: “Our enquiries into the circumstances surrounding the vehicle which failed to stop are ongoing. 

“I would urge anyone who may have witnessed this vehicle’s movements or was in the area around the time of the pursuit to contact police.

“Also, anyone with dash-cam footage which could assist our investigation should get in touch.” 

Anyone with information can contact police on 101, quoting incident number 0115 of 11 October.

The Church of Scotland, and the congregation at St Margaret’s Parish Church Restalrig have joined forces with local firefighters to find a place for a defibrillator which is now sited at Marionville Community Fire Station.

The public access device has been officially registered and the formal launch event offered the ideal opportunity for Lynn Cleal Area Chair of the Edinburgh committee of St John Scotland to explain how important a defibrillator can be.

Lynn explained: “About 2015 we decided to do something about the lack of defibrillators in Edinburgh. Imagine filling up a double decker bus every week, and everybody on that bus has a cardiac arrest. Six years ago only two people would come off that bus alive. Over the last three to five years we have put 350 of these defibrillators out in and around Edinburgh and now we can say that four people come off that bus alive.

“We continue to strive to get that number increased. Another part of what we do is to offer free CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation) training and defibrillator awareness to the surrounding areas. We think the best way to do this for the community is to make partnerships. So we get organisations such as churches, police, fire stations and we get them all on board. Some people donate defibrillators and others – such as the fire station here – host the machine. It is then available to anybody. This is a great location where many people will see it. They then have to phone 999 and are then given the code to release the defibrillator.

“We are honoured to be a partner in this project here.

“Even during the pandemic we did face to face videos with the planning department and got permission for 45 projects in Edinburgh and the Church got permission for another five interfaith projects.”

Alex Dickson Property Manager at St Margaret’s outlined the history of the project. He said: “In 2019 St John Scotland with the Church of Scotland undertook a bold initiative to increase the coverage of public access defibrillators around Scotland. They purchased 49 of these devices including the heated cabinets which was a total of £83,000. The plan was that congregations throughout Scotland could apply to get one of these devices. St Margaret’s Parish Church did so and were fortunate enough to be successful. Unfortunately the pandemic came along, but recently Joan Griffiths the local councillor and Session Clerk at St Margaret’s met with Red Watch Commander Michael Goodman at Marionville Community Fire Station was very much on board with the idea of the local partnership. This is very much a focal point of the community, as everyone knows where this place is. It is now live, and fortunately has not been used yet.”

The location for the new device was initially suggested by Bill Johnson an Elder at St Margaret’s who raised the idea at the Kirk Session.

Commander of Red Watch Michael Goodman did the honours cutting the ribbon with Cllr Joan Griffiths who is local councillor and also Session Clerk at the church. 

Commander Goodman said he was honoured and proud to help unveil the defibrillator along with Cllr Griffiths. He explained: “This is the first public access defibrillator to be installed at a fire station within the city of Edinburgh. There are seven fire stations in Edinburgh and I will be bringing this up as an example whenever I can. Having this here especially on this roundabout is fantastic. And there is more to this as you don’t have to be specifically trained on a defibrillator to use this – it tells you what to do. The more fundamental part of course is doing CPR on a patient. It is important to know that you cannot leave a patient, but at least now someone would be able to come and pick this up, and potentially save someone’s life.”

The site for the defibrillator is key. It sits on the external wall of the fire station facing the roundabout where it is easy to access, and it is also easy to use offering verbal as well as written instructions.

St John’s have worked in partnership with Church of Scotland to install these devices in churches but of course many of these are listed buildings making planning permission difficult to obtain. Nobody needs to be trained to use a defibrillator but the very existence of the machine might help someone go from having a cardiac arrest to survival with the use of lifesaving such as CPR.

It was in 2019 that ambitious plans were launched by the church to install the life saving equipment in every Church of Scotland parish in Edinburgh. The Presbytery of Edinburgh as it was then invested £83,000 to fund 49 fully-automated defibrillators for the outside of buildings.

A Church of Scotland spokesman said: “The former Presbytery of Edinburgh has funded an ambitious project to install life-saving equipment at Church buildings throughout Edinburgh.

“It has partnered with the St John Edinburgh in an initiative that is a demonstration of mission and commitment to have a presence at the heart of communities where everyone matters.

“The project is a clear sign and symbol that the Church continues to fulfil the example and teachings of Jesus as he offered to give life in all its fullness.”

If you would like to find out more about becoming a Donor or Host with the St John and the City defibrillator project, contact the St John volunteers at edinburgh@stjohnscotland.org.uk

Three former Scottish Open Champions have joined the field for the 2022 event on Saturday (tapes-up 6.30pm), completing a strong line up to bring down the curtain on speedway racing at Armadale Stadium.

Monarchs No 1 Sam Masters (pictured) will aim to add his name to the Jack Young Memorial Trophy for a second time.

Craig Cook, Glasgow Tigers’ heat leader and the 2013 Scottish Open champion is also in the field. Cook is the current track record holder and reigning Scottish Open champion, Richie Worrall, defends the title.

Monarchs star Kye Thomson has enjoyed a strong 2022 season, cementing his place in British Speedway and boosting his average. Kye makes his Scottish Open debut and will look to make an impression.

One of the form men in British Speedway posting double figure scores everywhere he goes, Richard Lawson joins the line up. Richard has been a leading light in the march of Poole Pirates to the Championship Knockout Cup and play-off finals.

2008 league winning Monarch Aaron Summers is sure to receive a warm reception as he says farewell to Armadale but also farewell to British Speedway as he is set to retire at the end of this season and return home to Australia after a fine career.

Monarchs number 6 James Sarjeant has shown his ever-present potential to win any race around Armadale and will look to mix things up in the 2022 Open.

Another league winning Mon arch completes the field, a 2015 team member – Max Clegg completes the field. Max is in the 2022 Leicester team seeking title glory and was a key component in the Lions Play Off Semi Final success over Monarchs.

The 2022 Ratho Coaches Scottish Open Speedway Championship with say Farewell to Armadale on Saturday 15th October at Armadale Stadium. Gates open 5pm, action starts 6:30pm. Enjoy 22 heats of speedway and a sensational firework display!

Line up (in order of announcement): Dan Bewley, Josh Pickering, Justin Sedgmen, Chris Harris, Leon Flint, Theo Pijper, Lasse Fredriksen, Jacob Hook, Sam Masters, Craig Cook, Richie Worrall, Kye Thomson, Richard Lawson, Aaron Summers, James Sarjeant, Max Clegg. Riding order to be announced soon.

The 2022 Ratho Coaches Scottish Open Speedway Championship will say Farewell to Armadale on Saturday 15th October, marking the final meeting at Armadale Stadium with the stadium closing for redevelopment ther eafter. Gates open 5pm, action starts 6:30pm. The event will feature 22 heats of speedway and a sensational firework display.

The Scottish Open is sponsored by Ratho Coaches and supported by EventScotland.

Two chefs who both work at the Balmoral are in the running for what is regarded as the ‘ultimate scholarship’ in the industry.

Taraya Boyes, 23, Commis Chef at The Balmoral’s Brasserie Prince and Rachel Bremner, 33, who is also a Commis Chef at The Balmoral are both named in the final six who will compete to become Andrew Fairlie scholars. This will take place at Perth College UHI where there will be a skills test and judging. The announcement of the winner will take place at Gleneagles where the late Andrew Fairlie worked.

A teenage Andrew, encouraged by mentor Keith Podmore, enrolled in a City & Guilds course at Perth College UHI before following Podmore to London members club, Boodles, and eventually winning the first ever Roux Scholarship. 

Other finalists include Lee Christie, 23, Commis Chef at Gleneagles, Sean Currie, 34, Head Chef at Kimpton Blythswood Square Hotel’s iasg restaurant in Glasgow, two of the team from The Carnegie Club at Skibo Castle in Dornoch, Eddie Brown, 30, Sous Chef, and Halil Can Durmaz, 29, Chef de Partie. 

The chosen winner will gain industry-wide recognition as an Andrew Fairlie Scholar and experience once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, such as a practical stage in an international kitchen and at Michelin-starred restaurants Restaurant Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles and Core by Clare Smyth in London. 

Stephen McLaughlin, Restaurant Andrew Fairlie Head Chef and lead judge, said:  “The calibre of chefs who applied this year was strong. We have chosen six very deserving chefs who all submitted immaculate recipes and well-thought-out paper answers to the questions set out in front of them – questions that Chef Andrew would no doubt have asked them himself. 
  
“Our line-up for finals day contains male and female chefs from a broad range of age groups, and they also show a real wealth of experience from within Scotland’s culinary industry. 
  
“I cannot wait to taste their dishes on the day and I’m hugely energised to be spending finals day with them all!” 

Sponsored by HIT Scotland and The Gleneagles Hotel, and supported by Restaurant Andrew Fairlie and Perth College UHI, the Andrew Fairlie Scholarship is now in its third year.

Judges for the finals include some of the country’s finest chefs, all of whom knew Andrew Fairlie well.  Joining Stephen McLaughlin, (Head Chef at two Michelin-starred Restaurant Andrew Fairlie), is two Michelin-starred Tom Kerridge (Chef Patron, Hand & Flowers), Gary Maclean (National Chef of Scotland & MasterChef: The Professionals Winner), Michelin-starred Lorna McNee (Head Chef at Cail Bruich), and Andrew’s former mentor, Keith Podmore (former Chef de Cuisine at Boodles). 

“Significant issues” have been exposed around how the council awards and manages contracts, opposition councillors have said following an emergency meeting held mainly in private to save the festive period events.

The capital’s winter attractions will go ahead despite plans being thrown into chaos in recent weeks by the first contractor’s decision to walk away.

The council said Angels Event Experience (AEE) asked to be released from the £5.5million contract when it became apparent they were unable to follow through with a commitment to bring in some new Christmas attractions – including a zip wire on George Street and a Christmas show in George Square.

Council leader Cammy Day said that there will be a “full review into why this happened”.

AEE will have ‘limited invovement’ to ‘ensure the 70 stallholders and local businesses who had been expecting to trade can still do so’ – and it’s been reported the firm could still stand to make a “substantial profit” despite not fulfilling the contract they had entered into with the council.

At crunch talks on Monday councillors on the Finance & Resources committee agreed to award the contract to Unique Assembly, a local firm which is already involved in producing the city’s Hogmanay celebrations, and who have pledged to deliver the ‘core’ elements of the festival, including the Princes Street markets, free events at Ross Bandstand and an ice rink on George Street.

But councillors said the frantic events of the last two weeks have raised serious questions about the council’s procurement processes, whilst there was anger about elected members being kept out of the loop.

At the emergency meeting, Edinburgh City Council’s Director of Place, Paul Lawrence, presented a report which has not been made publicly available, but he apologised for not updating councillors about the situation sooner.

Mr Lawrence explained that “differences of opinion” and “matters of contention” about what would be delivered led to the original plans falling through.

Following the collapse of this contract the Conservatives have called for more information to be given to elected members on how procurement systems work around big projects like the city’s Christmas festival.

Tory group leader Iain Whyte said after the meeting: “It’s pretty clear that the procurement here hasn’t served us well and hasn’t delivered what was hoped for.

“Councillors really do need to scrutinise this more closely going forward to ensure that any future contracts really deliver for the city.”

Cllr Whyte said while he felt most councillors were “kept in the dark,” but he didn’t necessarily agree with others that the blame lay at the council leader’s door.

“I think officers were trying to solve problems here and it obvioulsy got to the stage where it all blew up and things weren’t going to deliver,” he added. “Perhaps officers should have alerted councillors earlier that there were difficulties.”

The Green Group’s Alys Mumford, also a member of the Finance & Resources Committee, said: “This has revealed significant issues with how the council procurement processes operate, which will need to be examined in the coming months.

“We’re grateful to council staff for jumping into action to find a solution which still honours the principles which the people of Edinburgh highlighted as being important in our Christmas celebrations, but there are serious questions to be asked about how much the administration knew, and how they allowed this to go on for so long without other parties, local councillors, and the finance and resources committee being updated.”

Meanwhile, the SNP launched a scathing attack on the Labour administration for what they describe as “incompetence” which they said “may cost the city millions of pounds”. In terms of the original contract the council was to receive income of around £1 million per year over five years. The terms of the new contract are not known.

The group’s finance spokesperson Cllr Lesley Macinnes said: “We learned that the council leader was aware of issues with the delivery of the contract and failed to act, and kept information from councillors. This was directly contrary to the agreement of councillors in June that demanded regular information to monitor progress.

“The big lesson learned from previous years is that this contract needs to be closely monitored. It’s now clear Labour were again asleep at the wheel.

“Committee agreed the administration has shown contempt for council and, in their failure to do their job and unwillingness to take responsibility, have failed the Edinburgh public.”

Cllr Lewis Younie said Liberal Democrat councillors “are relieved that a contract has been agreed which will deliver Christmas in Edinburgh”.

However, he added: “We are deeply concerned that disaster was only narrowly averted, and so we will be pressing for sustained and forensic scrutiny over the entire process that nearly cancelled Christmas.”

by Donald Turvill, Local Democracy Reporter 

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is a public service news agency: funded by the BBC, provided by the local news sector, and used by qualifying partners. Local Democracy Reporters cover top-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.

by Marie Sharp Local Democracy Reporter

A cost of living taskforce set up to deal with a winter crisis may have to continue longer term after some ‘catastrophic’ decisions by the UK Government, a council leader has warned.

Midlothian Council established the taskforce at its first meeting after May’s local authority election with new council leader Kelly Parry at the helm.

The cross party group has already established a ‘Heat and Eat Fund’ of £279,000 to help families not eligible for Scottish Welfare supports and pledged just under £1million to help low income households as part of the Live Well Locally project.

With funding from the council’s share of a national Covid Recovery Fund, local food banks will be given £100,000 to make sure those most in need can feed their families while £400,000 will go to expanding the council’s ‘trusted partners’ – a network of local organisations offering practical help and support to those most in need.

And a meeting of the full council has also supported plans to introduce a free laundry service and re-heatable meals for the county’s most vulnerable families.

But while Cllr Parry said the task force, believed to be the first established by a local authority in Scotland, had initially been seen as a winter support scheme, it may now have to continue.

She said the effect of the Westminster mini-budget announced by Chancellor Kwasi Karteng had made the situation worse.

She said: “The things that have happened in the last few weeks have had an absolutely catastrophic impact. I do not know what the UK government is going to do next.

“I do fear now that we are going to need the taskforce for a much longer period of time.”

As well as supporting vulnerable families, Councillor Parry said there was a ‘new anxiety’ for people who had not had to ask for help before.

She said: “People are getting anxious at the moment, it is getting colder and people do not want to put their heating on.

“People are having to make really difficult choices and there is a new anxiety for those who have a mortgage and have seen their payments go up as well as energy payments.

“We have people coming for help who have never had to ask for help.”

The council leader urged anyone needing support to get in touch with the local authority and find out what help is available.

She said: “We recognise our own employees will be in positions where they may need help and support and are working hard to help.

“We are also encouraging people to get in touch so we can signpost them to where they can get help and support from us.”

www.midlothian.gov.uk

North Berwick won a gold medal and also headed up the Coastal category at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) finals of Britain in Bloom.

Libby Morris, Chair of North Berwick in Bloom, was one of 11 Community Champion Award winners in recognition of her commitment and dedication in the town.

North Berwick in Bloom and Burgh Beautiful Linlithgow were the two Scottish entrants selected as Britain in Bloom finalists, following their success at the Beautiful Scotland Awards last year. 

Beautiful Scotland, which is run by Keep Scotland Beautiful in partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), brings communities together to help clean up and beautify the places that matter to them. It recognises the efforts of volunteers across Scotland as they work to enhance their own community, creating more sustainable neighbourhoods for people, places and wildlife.

Juliette Camburn, Community Projects Officer at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “We are delighted that North Berwick in Bloom has scooped the Coastal Category Award in the 2022 Britain in Bloom finals. This announcement provides another opportunity to celebrate the outstanding achievements of the volunteers who make a significant contribution towards helping to improve their local environment in partnership with the local authority. We love their commitment to keeping their part of Scotland beautiful and would like to thank them for all they do.”

Libby Morris, Chair of North Berwick in Bloom, said: “We were delighted to be one of two Scottish entries into the RHS Britain in Bloom competition for 2022 – but to win our category is very special. The challenges of the last two years brought out the best in our community, and many different organisations worked together to make our town look beautiful and cared for. It was a huge privilege to be chosen to represent Scotland.”

North Berwick in Scotland (Coastal) who planted perennial shrubs to cope with harsh maritime conditions, removed bags of invasive cineraria from the sand dunes and installed 15 troughs of herbs and vegetables for the community to pick.

Brayden Sherbinin earned the Man of the Match accolade as the Kirkcaldy club thrashed Glasgow Clan 7-2 to earn a slot in the knockout stages of the Challenge Cup, the 29-year-old defenceman claiming a glory double in the emphatic victory, Fife’s first home win so far this season.

And it was a perfect end to a maximum point weekend sparked by a fine 3-1 road win at big budget Nottingham Panthers in the Premier Sports Elite League.

Flyers’ coaching team are looking to continue the winning run when Dundee Stars visit Kirkcaldy next Saturday (19.15) in a key, early-season game, and Fife then travel to Sheffield Steelers, one of the heavyweights in the Premier Sports Elite League, on Sunday (16.00).

Sherbinin claims the four-point weekend was a perfect way to prepare for what he called “the train coming” next weekend and the 6ft 1in blue-liner felt the Clan fixture was a great game and he believes Fife are now firing on all cylinders. 

He added: “Personally, I’ve been shooting the puck a lot and they just have not been going in so it is nice to see the going in. It is a numbers game, the more pucks you shoot then the puck must go in sooner or later. It did a couple of times for me (against Clan).”

Overall, he added: “It just goes to show what we (Fife) can do with extra bodies in the line-up. Guys have the legs and we took it to them (Clan).

“Extra bodies, particularly up-front, makes a big difference as the guys have extra energy up-there and it helps us too as defencemen.

“We also elevated our practice last week, the coaches were on us upping the intensity levels and it shows in games this weekend. We performed really well.”

Fife kept the pressure on in the final stages against Clan and Sherbinin said: “That is super important in hockey.

“Being up three or four goals is always a very dangerous lead because, if you take your foot off the gas, that can give the other team momentum and they can get back in the game.

“We snuffed them out quickly when they got one. We got one back soon after and we put out that fire.”

Looking forward to the visit of Dundee followed by the trip to third-placed Steelers who shutout Dundee Stars 5-0 on Tayside on Sunday Sherbinin said: “We have a lot of momentum going for us. Guys will be riding some highs, but it is important that we stick to it and we don’t take our foot off the gas.

“We must keep that momentum rolling and be ready for that train coming next weekend.”

Clan’s coach Malcolm Cameron revealed that his squad have a number of injuries and added: “We are a pretty wounded animal.

“We have a lot of guys out of the line-up and there are guys playing because of the situation we are in. If we were healthy would not be playing. 

“We have a couple of forwards playing on the back end and a couple of young defencemen playing too many minutes. That’s hockey, you can only play with what you have.”

He was pleased with the club’s effort in the third period, particularly when they killed off a five-on-three, power play situation.

The straight-talking Canadian added: “That shows we have a lot of character. They (Fife) have a good power play and we did not quit. It would have been easy to mail it in.

“We have to get healthy and reinforced and we have got to have a couple of saves. It is a deflater when the long ones (shots) go in and that puts you on your heels.”

He switched his netminder, removing regular No 1 Zach Driscoll after 12min 23sec and replacing him with back-up Ty Taylor.

Clan’s next game is on Saturday when league pace-setters Guildford Flames visit Braehead (19.00).

PICTURE: Fife Flyers v Glasgow Clan last Sunday at Kirkcaldy, picture from Premier Sports Elite League taken by Al Goold

Taiwan Film Festival Edinburgh has announced the full programme for its third edition, featuring a packed line-up of Taiwanese films that will be screening between 15 and 20 October in both Summerhall and Everyman Edinburgh cinemas.

This year’s programme offers a unique glimpse into the country’s rich film heritage: from short films to documentaries as well as classics both old and new, many of which will be having their UK premiere as part of this year’s festival. 

This year’s six features and five shorts are united under the theme of the (un)Usuals, seeking to shine a light on the people, events, relationships that usually fall outside of the mainstream experience.

Tickets are now available to book on taiwanfilmfestival.org.uk. All screenings are priced at £8 and £6 concession. 

In recent years, there has been a tangible upsurge in attention towards Taiwanese cinema throughout global film communities. This growing but still nascent interest served as a reminder that much of Taiwanese film is still overlooked in contemporary film discussions, and thus Taiwan Film Festival Edinburgh was created with the purpose of championing this often under-appreciated yet meaningful film culture.  

The first of three strands that make up this year’s programme is Shorts: Being Alone Together, a programme inspired by the famous quote from British poet John Donne, “no man is an island”.  This collation of shorts questions that assertion, diving into the distance between people that can be felt in many ways, and how connections can be reforged despite that.  The strand features two shorts from Taiwan such as the beautiful stop-motion animation Where Am I Going and the deeply emotional Can You Hear Me? following a person witnessing his family dealing with his death.  The strand also features films from outside Taiwan including Siren from Japanese director Nobuyuki Miyake and A Taxi of Coldness from South Korean director Joonha Kim.

The second strand Doc Replay: Portraits presents two documentaries, each charting one person’s life as they navigate their goals and struggles. When The Dawn Comes shines a light on the story of Chi Chia-Wei, the first person in Taiwan to publicly come out as gay and who also dedicated his life to raising awareness around AIDS.  The Catch is a fascinating portrait of the camaraderie and hardship experienced by indigenous nomadic eel-catching fishermen, as they set up camp along Taiwan’s Lanyang River.

The third and final strand of this year’s programme is a retrospective of the complex and hugely influential career of Chen Yi-Wen. Chen played many a supporting role in Taiwanese films and TV before and went on to become a celebrated playwright, screenwriter and director in his own right.  The retrospective features a hand-picked selection of films from Chen’s acting career including The Man From Island West, Growing Pains, Increasing Echo and Treat or Trick. Audiences can also look forward to enjoying The Cabbie (2000), directed by Chen which won him the Grand Jury Award at the Golden Horse Awards. 

Liu Kuan-Ping, Chief Curator at the Festival, said: “Although streaming at home is a comfortable and convenient way to enjoy cinema, I still prefer sitting in the dark with other people, people who enjoy the big screen experience as much as I do. I am so glad that we can meet our audiences in person this year.”

Talking about this year’s theme, Kuan-Ping reflected: “People think of Asian cultures as collective cultures. You are told not to stand out, not to be different, since childhood. We want to show people that being unusual is not all that bad.” 

Head of Taipei Representative Office UK Cultural Division, Dr Chen Pin-Chuan said: “It is great to see Taiwan Film Festival Edinburgh coming back with once again a well selected programme that showcases the diverse and thriving cinematography of Taiwan. We bring the films back to cinemas this year and encourage audiences in Edinburgh to join us as we celebrate this first edition of fully in-person Taiwan Film Festival Edinburgh.”

2022 TAIWAN FILM FESTIVAL EDINBURGH PROGRAMME 

STRAND – SHORTS: BEING ALONE TOGETHER

Where Am I Going? | Huang, Yun-sian and Tsai, Yi-chin | 2018 | 15 mins 

In-person screening on 15 October, 20:45 at Summerhall; tickets here

An old man lives alone in a small hut by the railway which is soon to be demolished. He spends his days cycling and looking for work mending windows until one day his routine is interrupted by figures that appear to be different to everyone else.

Can You Hear Me? | Li Nien-Hsiu | 2021 | 36 mins 

In-person screening on 15 October, 20:45 at Summerhall; tickets here

Jhong wakes up and finds himself dead. He watches his family dealing with his death over breakfast. Although his wife can’t hear him, she can somehow comprehend what is on his mind. 

Director Li follows her debut documentary film ‘Hebei, Taipei’, which focuses on her father, with this short film inspired by her family and real-life conversations they had following her father’s death.

Siren | Nobuyuki Miyake | 2017 | 17 mins 

In-person screening on 15 October, 20:45 at Summerhall; tickets here

Sirens are blaring outside, Abbas breaks into the room of an old Japanese man named Toyoshige. He lifts Toyoshige and carries him out the door. As they go down the stairs, the last few days of bias and misjudgement become clear.

A Taxi of Coldness | Joonha Kim | 2017 | 20 mins 

In-person screening on 15 October, 20:45 at Summerhall; tickets here

Late at night, a taxi passenger is offered chewing gum by the driver. As he reminds himself of the ‘drugged gum’ story told him by his mother, the driver asks whether he heard about all those criminal taxi drivers… after several persistent offers, the man reluctantly accepts the chewing gum.

STRAND – DOC REPLAY: PORTRAITS

When The Dawn Comes | Zhang, Hong – jie | 2021 | 60 mins 

In-person screening on 16 October, 14:00 at Summerhall; tickets here

Chi Chia-wei devoted his life to educating people about AIDS: he gave out condoms in the 80s while dressed as Snow White, Jesus or a mummy. At a press conference, he came out as gay and became the first person in Taiwan to do so publicly. His activism garnered a lot of media attention as well abuse from the public. In 2017, a constitutional ruling made him a hero in the LGBTQ+ community – a 30-year-long struggle seemed to have reached its final destination and a new starting point.

The Catch | Hsu, Che-chia | 2021 | 54 mins 

In-person screening on 16 October, 15:30 at Summerhall; tickets here

From every November to the following February, Indigenous migrant fishermen set up camp along Taiwan’s Lanyang River to catch the season’s first eel. Camaraderie and bonds are forged as they face the hardship together.

STRAND – Chen Yi–Wen Retrospective

The Man From Island West | Huang, Ming-chuan | 1991 | 90 mins 

In-person screening on 17 October, 19:30 at Everyman; tickets here

Contemporary Taiwan. An aboriginal man, Ah-ming, attempts to take his own life but is saved by an old miner. This life-changing moment spurs him to journey back to his origins. Meanwhile, the miner’s son, Ah-Chuan, meets a fugitive prostitute who has returned from the lowlands… Ah-Chuan desperately tries to fit into the mainstream society but those around him seem to have different intentions.

Growing Pains | Lin, Po-yu | 2020 | 25 mins 

In-person screening on 18 October, 19:30 at Everyman; tickets here

Fourteen-year-old Yao is sick of his worn-out shoes which his debt-ridden father cannot replace. One day, following a confrontation with debt collectors, he suddenly buys Yao a pair of expensive sneakers which turns out to be the start of a tragic series of events…

Increasing Echo | Chienn, Hsiang | 2021 | 85 mins 

In-person screening on 18 October, 19:30 at Everyman; tickets here

Mr. Yan’s mistress suffers from dementia and lives in a nursing home. Upon learning about her husband’s infidelity, Mrs. Yan plans her revenge and takes her husband to visit the mistress. After seeing her, Mr. Yan runs away, but Mrs. Yan must get him back for their son’s wedding…

Treat or Trick | Hsu, Fu-HSIANG | 2021 | 106 mins 

In-person screening on 19 October, 19:30 at Everyman; tickets here

During a police raid led by a bent cop Feng, Feng’s buddy Chiang decides to keep the offenders’ prized possessions and hides in a remote village. Feng has no choice but to call on his men, Monk and Yang, to retrieve the diamonds.

The Cabbie | ChEN, Yi, wen, CHANG, Hwa-kun | 2000 | 94 mins 

In-person screening on 20 October, 19:30 at Everyman; tickets here

Ah Quan enjoys his life of a taxi driver. One day he meets and falls in love with a policewoman. And the only way to get her attention is to get as many parking tickets as possible…

Following the success of last year’s recruitment fair, St James Quarter has partnered with retail and hospitality recruitment service FUSE to provide a new programme of career opportunities for the sector across Scotland. 

The recruitment fair will be held on Level 1 at St James Quarter in the unit beside Next from 10:00 – 17:00 on Tuesday 11 October and those interested are encouraged to sign up now.  

In 2021, the recruitment fair attracted 300 local applicants attend on the day with 150 successful candidates invited for paid trial shifts and second interviews with many offered a job on the same day. The joint initiative is intended to provide a much needed boost for the local economy by creating new job opportunities across Edinburgh’s retail and hospitality industry.  

St James Quarter is on track to sustain the target of 3,000 new job roles for the local economy with an additional 1,500 vacancies set to be created following continual expansion plans within The Quarter and the development of W Hotel. FUSE has already successfully placed 2,000 candidates within The Quarter since its opening.  

This year at the recruitment fair, FUSE will be recruiting for 300 vacancies with a variety of positions from Christmas temp seasonal staff through to full and part time roles in a range of levels in retail, restaurant management, customer service and maintenance. Brands from across the Quarter such as Stradivarius, Bonnie and Wild, John Lewis & Partners, Coach, NEOM Organics and Duck & Waffle will all be looking for their newest team members. 

 In a commitment to support the future of retail in Scotland, St James Quarter and FUSE are continuing to work together to help boost employment in the capital after 62% of those working at The Quarter revealed in a staff survey that their previous job was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving them unemployed and struggling to find work. 

Kitti Hovarth, Sales Assistant at Pull & Bear, who found work at St James Quarter through FUSE shares her experience. She said: “During the pandemic, and like many others, I was left unemployed. I was unsure where I wanted to take my career and what opportunities were available to me at such an uncertain time. After finding out about FUSE and the recruitment fair, I was able to land a job at St James Quarter as a Sales Assistant. This opportunity has allowed me to not only gain experience and expand my skillset in customer service and teamwork, but it’s also boosted my confidence and taken a huge worry off my shoulders” 

Jennifer Laseen, Hospitality and F&B Director, St James Quarter said: “We are delighted to be working with FUSE again to find the right candidates for some amazing roles we have across the Quarter. The team at St James Quarter are proud to continue to support our team members and nurture new talent and we are encouraging all those who are interested to sign up to the recruitment fair now to avoid any disappointment.” 

Niamh Murphy, FUSE Manager, added: “The FUSE team are passionate about supporting St James Quarter and the local Edinburgh communities match employees to the right role within the Quarter.  

“Our expert knowledge of the industry allows us to provide a tailored approach to recruitment and continue to support team members and employers with further training, accredited qualifications, and ongoing networking opportunities”   

FUSE is a free recruitment support service within Edinburgh, it specialises in retail and hospitality. FUSE is funded through the Growth Accelerator Model (GAM) agreement between St James Quarter, The City of Edinburgh Council and the Scottish Government.