Police in Edinburgh are appealing for help to trace an elderly man reported missing in the city. 

Walter Anderson (84), was seen in the Clovenstone Drive area around 11pm on Thursday, 2 September, 2021. He was then spotted walking on Bavelaw Road in Balerno around 7am on Friday 3 September. Anyone with information should call Police Scotland on 101.

There is growing concern for his welfare.  He is described as 5ft 10in tall, of medium build, with brown hair which is partially balding and wears glasses. He is possibly wearing a short navy blue jacket. He is known to frequent the west side of Edinburgh. 

Inspector Claire Masterton, of Edinburgh Drylaw Station, said: “Walter has Alzheimers so he may appear confused or lost. We are becoming increasingly concerned for his welfare and are keen to find him as soon as possible.  “I would urge anyone who may have seen Walter to contact us as soon as possible.” 

Contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident 1204 of 3 September. 

The Edinburgh derby returns to the city this month after another season of competing in different divisions and it will be a massive game, not just for the fans but particularly for both managers.

Jack Ross has rightly won plaudits for taking the Easter Road team to third place in the Premiership table as well as a Scottish Cup final, but his reputation is probably higher amongst the neutrals than the Hibs fans, some of whom still question his ability to win games that “matter”. 

Despite winning his first derby thanks to a Martin Boyle double at Tynecastle, a 3-1 defeat coupled with a dreadful performance in the corresponding fixture at Easter Road infuriated the supporters. 

Add that to the Scottish Cup semi-final defeat at Hampden last October and Ross is now in “negative equity” as far as derbies are concerned – and another ex St Mirren manager Alex Miller knows how popular that makes you.

Add that to the League Cup semi-final defeat and Scottish Cup final defeat, both to St Johnstone, then the jury is still out for a significant number of the Hibs’ faithful, although to be fair, Ross has the backing of the majority.

Counterpart Robbie Neilson will take charge for his seventh derby and his record of two wins, three draws and two defeats is not one that the Hearts fans take any pride in. Many Hearts fans still blame him for conceding two late goals at Tynecastle in the Scottish Cup five years ago and his comments of a “big pay day” in the replay. He may have got what he hoped for, but Hibs went on to win that match and subsequently the Scottish Cup for the first time in 114 years.

Despite him leading Hearts to runners-up of the top-flight in his first term, some fans paid for a plane and banner calling for his dismissal. He led the club back to the Premiership at the first time of asking last year but that was expected and anything less would have been a disaster.

Both sides started this campaign with two victories, Hearts beating Celtic at home and St Mirren away, whilst Hibs returned with all three points from Fir Park and disposed of Ross County to top the table.

Ross added to his squad Matt Macey and Jamie Murphy, both of whom had been on loan last season from Arsenal and Rangers respectively, Dan McKay from Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Irishman Jake Doyle Hayes from St Mirren, whilst losing popular Ofir Marciano, veteran captain David Gray, Stevie Mallan, Fraser Murray, Jackson Irvine, and Tom James.

Neilson signed Ross Stewart and Josh Ginnelly – both on loan last term from Livingston and Preston North End respectively, Alex Cochrane from Brighton & Hove Albion on loan and highly rated midfielder Beni Baningime from Everton, whilst eleven players left the club including former captain Christophe Berra, Loic Damour, Olly Lee, Harry Cochrane, Andy Irvine, Craig Wighton and Aidy White.

Perhaps a draw would be acceptable to both coaches?

Growing up watching Hibs in the late 60s, early 70s, the Edinburgh derby was a virtually a guaranteed two points.

In fact, if memory serves, Hearts only won twice in the first 15 years of my Hibs supporting life. Celtic were Hibs main rivals, and in a five year period the pair met six times in cup finals, with both winning three.

Tynecastle though was always a nice day out and I was there that glorious day on New Year’s Day 1973 when the wonderful Turnbull’s Tornadoes scored seven times without reply in what the Hibs fans still describe as “The greatest game in history.”

Hibs had to win by six clear goals to overtake Celtic at the top of the table and did just that.

At that time Hibs held the Drybrough Cup, a much under appreciated trophy, the League Cup, and were also in the quarter-final of the European Cup Winners’ Cup waiting to face Yugoslavian side Hajduk Split, with Chairman Tom Hart publicly declaring that trophy was also heading to the Easter Road boardroom.

Sadly, injuries and suspensions meant that there would be no more open-topped buses for almost 20 years and the derby pendulum would swing the other way, but every time I walk through Gorgie  and dream of “bygone days” I think of Jim Herriot, John Brownlie, Shades, Pat Stanton, “Sloop” John Blackley, Alex Edwards, Jimmy O’Rourke, Alan Gordon, Alex “Sodjer” Cropley and Arthur “Nijinsky” Duncan playing “the best brand of football the world’s ever seen.”

The former Royal High School at the foot of Calton Hill has been the subject of legal and planning wrangles for some years, and has been empty for more than half a century. It remains on the Buildings at Risk register.

Most recently the council decided to put the building back on the open market, seeking a development proposal which will ensure a sustainable long term future for the Greek Revival building. The Council insisted on proposals of the highest quality, and that any potential tenants take account of the Reporter’s comments at the public inquiry. The closing date for offers from prospective tenants was on Friday.

With plans for a luxury hotel scuppered by planners, the Royal High School Preservation Trust has again put forward a proposal designed by Richard Murphy Architects that the Thomas Hamilton building is used for music education.

The trust has lodged plans for the restoration of the building to turn it into a “world-class centre for music education and public performance for the benefit of the whole of Scotland”.

The plans show spaces for classical music education, community access, engagement and performance. This would allow St Mary’s Music School to move from their large West End home to a newly developed centre. The music school idea was approved by council planners previously, but at the time they had no legal right to occupy the building as it was held under a 125 year lease between the council who own it and Duddingston House Properties (DHP).

DHP proposed plans for a luxury hotel devised by the late Gareth Hoskins architect but these were refused by the council in 2015 and 2017. An appeal to the Scottish Ministers was unsuccessful.

The new plans can be viewed in full here.

The proposal is backed by a donation of £55 million from the Dunard Fund and philanthropist Carol Colburn Grigor, (who are also the main backers of the proposed concert hall next to St James Quarter). This funding will cover the capital costs and future maintenance.

St Mary’s Music School also plan to collaborate with other organisations such as the Benedetti Foundation, and IMPACT (International Music and Performing Arts Charitable Trust).

William Gray Muir, Chairman of The Royal High School Preservation Trust said:  “The restoration of the old Royal High remains one of the most exciting and important cultural developments in Edinburgh and indeed the whole of Scotland. Our goal is that as well as providing an exemplary use for the building, excellence in accessibility and inclusion will be absolutely central to the ethos of how the Royal High School is used.  

“The passage of time from 2016 to 2021 has allowed us to consult on and revise some aspects of our design proposal and to evolve our ambitions for the building to create a vision for a new National Centre for Music. In doing so we have brought in new partners in IMPACT Scotland and the Benedetti Foundation, who with us and St Mary’s Music School see this project as a means to create an entirely new way for everyone to engage with and enjoy classical music and the arts. It has the potential to show Scotland and Edinburgh at a new vanguard of classical music education and cultural inclusion.

“To facilitate this expanded vision and lock in the economic sustainability of the plans, the Trust has received increased funding now totalling £55 million. We are enormously grateful to Dunard Fund and Carol Colburn Grigor for their unfailing generosity toward not just the RHSPT but other arts projects across Scotland. Their positive legacy will leave an indelible mark in Scotland’s cultural and economic landscape for generations to come.” 

Dr Kenneth Taylor, Headteacher at St Mary’s Music School, Scotland’s national music school, said: “As partners of the project for the past six years, we have worked closely with the RHSPT to help evolve the vision for a National Centre for Music which will build strongly on our expertise formusic education for the widest number of young people in Scotland. To be at the heart of the Trust’s proposals, with a specially designed school building, performance and rehearsal spaces, as well as new opportunities for our pupils to engage with the wider community is simply exhilarating. The school is energised by the prospect of a new centre for music on Calton Hill.”

Joanna Baker, Executive Director, IMPACT Scotland said:”The National Centre for Music is genuinely world-class in ambition, excellence and access and allows Edinburgh to continue to assert itself on the world stage. We’re particularly excited that new ways of collaborating with St Mary’s Music School educationalists at the former Royal High School building also opens out very interesting possibilities and links with Dunard Centre’s partners.”

What the Fork Monarchs don’t have their troubles to seek at the moment and there were plenty of problems in the important match against Birmingham Brummies, writes the club’s press team.

With Richie Worrall (pictured) still unfit, no suitable guest available, and No 7 Nathan Greaves retiring from the sport the night before, Monarchs were depleted at the start and even more so after a crash while leading Heat 9 ruled Kye Thomson out with shoulder and rib injuries.

At that point with Birmingham leading by ten points you would have received extremely long odds on Monarchs getting anything out of the match – and yet they nearly won it.

Alex Harkess, Monarchs’ team manager, prised new signing and debutant Drew Kemp for playing a major part in bringing the home side back into the match, taking four rides on the trot between Heats 11 and 13.

Kemp won two and collected a paid win during that sequence and Harkess believes Anders Rowe will come good and Archie Freeman could have made a major contribution in his third ride but for his bike spluttering.

The team boss added: “I wasn’t happy with the ragged start t o Heat 13 but I’m not complaining about the decision to exclude Erik Riss in the last heat. I expected all four. If we had got a decision like that against us I’d be fizzing mad.”

Lochend Football Academy (LFA) is in the game for a new 3G astroturf pitch. 

The club has kicked off a crowdfunder where more than £2,000 has been raised towards their £90,000 goal. The OneCity Trust has also just awarded the club a grant of £3,000.

Committee member and team coach, David Pollacchi, said LFA has been in its current location for about 12 years at Lochend Road, after initially receiving monies from the Proceeds of Crime Act funding scheme to put in the facility. 

David said: “Like many Scottish grassroots clubs they didn’t have much foresight in putting money aside to replace the pitch later, so the inevitable has happened. We have about £25,000 in reserves, but a new pitch will cost around £90,000. 

“Many kids have played here over the years, but it is now almost unplayable. 

“If we can replace the pitch, it would be in place for the next ten years and would allow us to start to expand different elements. We plan to set up a girls’ football centre for a mix of age groups. With the Women’s Euros next year it would be excellent timing to get some more young girls involved in the game.”

The academy has a track record of producing good players such as Emma Watson who is the current Rangers captain and the Scotland Women under-16 captain. Lily Graham is another graduate of Lochend and she now plays at Hibs. Both women are delighted that the academy is planning more coaching for girls. 

Our photos show the pitch and some of the young players training hard on a Saturday morning. Also photographed David Pollacchi top and Jimmy Urquhart centre. Photos Martin P McAdam

Emma Watson said: “It was great to hear that Lochend are planning on starting a girls’ team. I would strongly recommend any girl who strives to improve their footballing ability to join Lochend. I joined when I was five years old and the quality of coaching I received from a young age along, with the appropriate individual player pathway, has provided me with the skills to captain and represent my country at several age groups. 

“I had full support and encouragement from all Lochend coaches to go outside my comfort zone, which I think strongly highlights that Lochend is a club that supports players to maximise their potential and to reach their dreams. Lochend has also helped me become a better person as they create such a brilliant environment, along with instilling some excellent traits into their young players such as manners and respect.”

The club is looking to maximise their income from the advertising opportunities which they have around the pitch, and have put out a call for new advertisers. Currently only open until 4pm, a move to expand into off-peak hours would extend the facility to more groups and increase the club’s income. There have also been discussions with charity Social Bite to offer a session for the homeless in Edinburgh, possibly starting this month. 

Head coach, Jimmy Urquhart, added: “We would have started fundraising sooner except for Covid and for the last two years we have not been able to raise funds. It really does need replaced now. Now the extent of repairs needed will cost a lot of money and it would be more economic to get it replaced.

“There have been a lot of players who have gone on from here – probably around 30 or so who are playing at Hibs, Hearts, Celtic and Rangers at various levels.”

Rudi Molotnikov, who also began his career at Lochend, has just started playing with the Scotland 16s. He said: Lochend Football Academy gave me the foundation to be the best I can be.”

https://www.gofundme.com/f/lochend-childrens-football-pitch-replacement

Go Fund Me page here.

The redevelopment of the A720 Sheriffhall roundabout, which is part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, will not be complete until 2027.

The Sheriffhall roundabout is currently the only junction on the Edinburgh bypass which is not grade-separated, meaning the city bypass is at the same level as the A7 and A6106 local approach roads.

This six-way junction often causes congestion and delays for motorists, especially during peak hours.

And despite years of planning, the latest timetable for the work has suggested the changes will not be operational until ‘late 2027’- with the assumption that objections to the scheme will lead to a public inquiry next year and the tender process not expected to start until 2024.

The project will cost £120m as part of the City Region Deal.

The leader of The City of Edinburgh Council, Cllr Adam McVey, said: “While the project isn’t directly in Edinburgh’s boundary it obviously is of significant interest to people in the capital.

“We need a bypass that works for the region and Sheriffhall is an important part of that.

“Over recent years we’ve made strong representations on active travel and public transport and have spoken in detail with Transport Scotland, public transport operators, including Lothian Buses, active travel groups and community representatives on these plans.

“Many issues have been addressed and it’s clear the project will improve active travel, relieve congestion and encourage traffic onto the by-pass and out of residential areas of Edinburgh.

“We will continue to work together as a region with neighbouring local authorities, SEStrans and Transport Scotland throughout its development, and to monitor its impact once in place.

“One key element of this agreement is to ensure that all partners work together to minimise traffic travelling across boundaries in the region and support public transport and active travel alternatives.”

A report, authored by the City Region Deal and Transport Scotland, and which was presented to a City Region Deal committee meeting on Friday, stated: “The proposed scheme is expected to deliver significant benefits by providing high quality active travel facilities to address severance challenges and deliver a step change in accessibility for walking and cycling.

“It will also improve road safety and will relieve the significant congestion as well as journey times and journey time reliability for all road users (including bus services) due to the improved traffic conditions on local roads resulting from the separation between strategic and local traffic.

“Overall the proposed scheme is expected to reduce journey times and improve journey time reliability for A7 and A6106 traffic together with the A720.

“The design of the proposed scheme, together with the wider active travel and public transport benefits, should not lead to significant additional congestion on the local road network.”

According to the timetable in the report, a public enquiry would begin in early 2022, “subject to ongoing negotiation with objectors”, and will form the basis of a public consultation.

Ministers are then expected to make a decision in late 2022 as to whether the project will go ahead.

The tender process will begin in Spring 2024, and is set to be concluded within a year, before construction commences in Summer 2025, with a view to the scheme becoming operational in late 2027.

by Joseph Anderson, Local Democracy Reporter.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service 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.

Art lovers can take a walk around Portobello’s creative spaces with the return today of the Art Walk Porty Festival, which runs until next Sunday, 12 September.

Thirty commercial premises and private homes will play host to a wide range of contemporary installations, exhibitions and live art.

Local business supporting the event and hosting artists include Velvet Easel Gallery, Tanifiki coffee shop, Miro’s Pantry and Miro’s Prom, Skylark bar and bistro and tapas hotspot Malvarosa.

Most of the private “art houses” are open over the two weekends but times vary and some are also by appointment during the week. A guided walk with Alexander Champion, a ceramics postcard participatory project with Rebecca Stuart, artist talk with Sarah Knox, performance poetry with Robin Baillie, and an outdoor children’s workshop with Peter Jones, are some of the other highlights.

Iranian artist, Iman Tajik, will instal three public works on Portobello Beach and Promenade that centre around the geographic border and relate to his own crossing of borders to Scotland. The installations bring into focus Portobello’s own

geographical location and its position to the city centre.

An artist/choreographer collaboration with local participants, Future Value, brings movement and gesture to many public spaces in and around Portobello’s historic brick kilns, inviting the question of how we relate to, and are shaped by, the city that surrounds us.

Art Walk Porty curator and director, Rosy Naylor, said: “The festival is back, renewed and ready to bring contemporary installations, exhibitions and live art to Edinburgh’s Seaside.

“This year’s Assemble programme draws upon an increased sense of art as a means for social change, of artivism that seems so relevant in relation to recent times living through the pandemic, and also to what lies ahead, when we consider climate change.

“As ever the Art Walk opens up new ways of seeing and embracing local spaces. It invites audiences into many artist spaces, cafes and studios as part of its Art Houses & Art Cafes programme. Thirty venues host local and visiting artists work, which celebrates the cultural creativity of Portobello.”

Maps, guides and other festival information can be picked up at the Art Walk Hub at 189 Portobello High Street and walkers can download a Walksy App to record the places they visit. For information and programme details visit here

To football fans the world over there is one game that ranks above all others – the local derby – and the first Edinburgh contest of the season at Tynecastle will be relished by both sets of fans.

Robbie Neilson came in for fierce criticism for his derby record during his first spell as Hearts head coach and his two wins, three draws and two defeats, was arguably the reason some fans wanted him sacked.

The most notorious match saw Hearts throw away a 2-0 home advantage in the final 10 minutes of a Scottish Cup fifth round tie against Hibs in 2016. Hearts lost the replay 1-0 at Easter Road and then had to watch their city rivals go on to lift the trophy for the first time since 1902.

Many people blame Neilson for Hibs escaping their Scottish Cup hoodoo and few shed a tear when he left Tynecastle nine months later, however, while Neilson’s football wasn’t attractive, it was effective, and Hearts struggled after his departure.

Since his return to Gorgie in June 2020, Hearts have won promotion back to the Premiership and have made some shrewd signings in the transfer window. The return of Craig Gordon (now club captain) was a massive coup for Hearts. Now aged 38, Gordon remains one of the best goalkeepers in the country and if he performs as well as he has in previous derbies, there’s every chance Hearts will come out on top.

Liam Boyce spearheads the Hearts attack and after picking up the Championship’s Golden Boot award last season with a total of 14 goals, he is a man the Hibs defence will need to be very wary of.

Two new additions in the Hearts midfield to watch out for are Josh Ginnelly, signed from Preston North End after an impressive season on loan, and former Everton starlet Beni Baningime, who penned a three year deal and impressed on his debut against Celtic, picking up Man of the Match in the 2-1 victory.

Ginnelly has the ability to provide moments of magic out of nothing and Hearts will have a much stronger chance of winning if he is on his game, while Baningime’s ball winning skills are crucial in any game, but particularly in an Edinburgh derby where the action tends to be frantic in the middle of the park.

Despite Hearts and Hibs competing in different leagues last season, the pair met in the delayed Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden in October, and it was Hearts who came out 2-1 on top after extra time, with Boyce netting the winner from the penalty spot.

Hibs’ record at Tynecastle is embarrassing to say the least – aside from wins on their last two visits, prior to that Hibs had won only four of their previous 34 trips to Tynecastle.

Many Hearts fans still harbour doubts on Robbie Neilson’s ability to take the club forward. He knows he will once again be judged on his derby record and a Hearts defeat on 12 September could be the beginning of the end for the Hearts boss.

Like any Hearts fan, the Edinburgh derby is a match I always look forward to. Our club has an excellent record against city rivals Hibs, with 143 wins to Hibs’ 86 in competitive fixtures, and 286 wins to Hibs’ 206 in all fixtures. 

I’d struggle to choose just one favourite Edinburgh derby moment. Mark De Vries’ four goal debut in 2002 in a rain soaked 5-1 drubbing of the Easter Road side, or Wayne Foster entering Hearts folklore with his late Scottish Cup 4^th round winner followed by his famed celebration on the fence? Or it might be the 2014 “relegation derby”, where Hibs came to Tynecastle to relegate Hearts and lost 2-0. But it could easily be the biggest derby of them all, the 5-1 Scottish Cup Final victory in 2012.

The Edinburgh derby is the domestic highlight of the season for both Hearts and Hibs fans and it’s easy to see why. I can’t speak for others, but coming from a family that is half Hearts and half Hibs, the rivalry is solidly built on who gets to own the bragging rights.

The Edinburgh derby is very much a “local derby” and with the majority of both sets of supporters anchored in Edinburgh (or just outside the city), it doesn’t suffer from negative influences which a certain other Scottish derby game attracts.

It is without doubt one of the biggest derbies in the country and with the return of supporters after a long 17 months, the atmosphere at Tynecastle on 12 September creates the potential to be one of the best ever.

Play-off chasing Edinburgh Monarchs battled back from six points behind with two races remaining to snatch a 45-45 draw with lowly Birmingham Brummies at Armadale.

The home side trailed 42-36 after Heat 13 but Josh Pickering and new signing Drew Kemp collected a 5-1 in Heat 14 and skipper Sam Masters (pictured) won the final race with Pickering third for 4-2 to level.

Aussie-born Masters top scored for the home side with 15 points from six outings while ex-Glasgow Tigers racer Chris Harris and Reserve Jack Thomas both scored ten points.

Monarchs were also dealt a new blow in their bid to claim a slot in the end-of-season play-offs when 23-year-old Nathan Greaves confirmed he was retiring from the sport with immediate effect.

The Sheffield-born racer was replaced by Archie Freeman in the SGB Championship fixture against Birmingham Brummies.

Elsewhere, Steve Worrall and Danny King powered to 12 points each as Glasgow Tigers’ SGB Championship hopes suffered a blow.

The pair helped league pace-setters Poole Pirates to a 56-34 victory with Craig Cook top scoring for Tigers with eight points.

RESULTS: SGB Championship: Edinburgh Monarchs 45, Birmingham Brummies 45; Poole Pirates 56, Glasgow Tigers 34

One of the last residents of a West Lothian ghost estate has admitted there will be tears of sadness and joy as she finally looks forward to moving out after 18 years. 

Kerry Mackintosh explained her struggle to the Local Democracy reporting service.

Go to Livingston’s ghost estate today and the crumbling shells of empty homes stand still. 

But the tarred street and pavement disappears into dust, and a new path appears.

It curves away from the line of the old road, and carves the way to a new neighbourhood.

Almost 20 years after  the Deans South houses were condemned because of flawed concrete roofing a new community has started to rise.

Springfield Homes is now on site  and plans to clear the  land at  Easter. Work has already started  on the council’s 29 new homes .

The foundations are visible just across from Kerry Mackintosh’s garden fence.

It’s  the fence which marks her 17-year fight for a new home.  The fence will get one last lick of paint – the number 18 added – before she moves out. 

It’s been a long and hard road for the families who bought  the former council homes on the estate in the days when Deans South was once the future. 

Last year the Local Democracy Reporting Service highlighted life in lockdown on the ghost estate, and the determination of those fighting for the right to  win a home for a home rather than  poor compensation.

As Kerry pointed out at the time: ” I couldn’t afford a caravan with what the council offered me- never mind a three bedroom family home.”

Now Kerry knows she is moving in the Spring – so do her kids.

She said: “It will be Easter. I remember seeing it in the Bulletin, which is West Lothian Council’s newsletter on the same page as there was the story about the council’s new homes.   And I thought ‘Yes. it is in the paper. It’s definitely going to happen.”

While the move is another winter away, it’s there. It’s a date ringed on a calendar for the first time in a long time.

Winters have been the hardest, The porous concrete – Siporex – roofs cause multiple leaks into Kerry’s home when it snows or rains. It’s not helped that buildings on either side are boarded, empty and crumbling.

Kerry continued:  “We’ve got one more winter. One more winter of keeping the weather out, but now we know we are moving. We’ll be in a temporary home from Easter but then we’ll be in our new home from home.”

 The garden has been a sanctuary from the endless arguments and from the hostile boarded up houses that surround her own home.

 It’s a well-kept garden, and filled with birds. Bamboo chimes knock out a hollow, irregular rhythm in the late summer breeze. That, and the statue of the Buddha, offer a Zen-like tranquillity compared to the ugliness over the fence. 

She said: “I’ve  made it a sanctuary and it’s kept me grounded through all of this.”

She plans to take cuttings when she moves, to transplant into the garden of her new home , which will probably be only around 100 yards up the road. 

Springfield Homes and West Lothian Council signed a deal last winter to redevelop the estate. Kerry and her neighbours had campaigned for years for a home for a home deal. Springfield made that offer and finally won their deal late last year. 

Kerry and her elderly neighbours – the Baxters- will remain as neighbours in their new homes.

Asked about street names and Kerry reckons Springfield Square or Springfield Crescent would be her favourites. Springfield deserves the tribute, she says.

There’s already been changes. Regular security patrols tour Deans South at night since Springfield took over the site.

Kerry admits: “It makes us feel a lot safer.”

How will she feel when she finally pulls the door shut on a house she has physically worked to maintain, and keep happy, for so long?

 The fence, emblazoned with combative slogans, will be burned, she declares.

She admits: “I’ll be in tears. Tears of happiness, but also tears of sadness. As a family we have very happy memories inside this home. My kids grew up in this house- it’s the only home they’ve known.

“Happy memories we can take with us to our new home.”

by Stuart Somerville 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 report below is produced by The City of Edinburgh Council’s EdinTravel team and will show you what to look out for on the roads in the capital in the next week.

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

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A night of Rat Pack-style favourites – with an Italian-esque twist – is on offer when La Dolce Vita Swing Collective plays its first concert in Edinburgh later this month.

The five-piece swing/jazz band – featuring piano, bass, sax, drums and vocals with specially designed new arrangements – pays homage to likes of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Tony Bennett.

Vocalist Tony Delicata put together the band with a collection of musicians from Edinburgh and Blairgowrie whose previous talents range from West End musicals to the Jools Holland Band.

Tony, from Edinburgh, said: “Our repertoire will be full of the songs of the Rat Pack and Friends. The aim is to not only perform the standards but also to use my Italian roots and perform Italianesque songs with a swing/jazz feel.

“We’re very excited to be playing our first concert in Edinburgh – we think this is the kind of band and music that everyone will love. We’ve got big ambitions for the band to really take off.”

La Dolce Vita Swing Collective will be playing at The Dirty Martini in Le Monde Hotel on Sunday, 19 September 2021.

Tickets priced £15 – which include an opening performance by young Edinburgh magician, Dan Bastianelli  – are available online from Eventbrite

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/la-dolce-vita-swing-collective-tickets-167713582841?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Sustainable transport campaigners say that this week’s work – removing the cycle lanes and other infrastructure introduced under the Spaces for People programme on George IV Bridge – is a sign of the legal loopholes involved in transport matters.

The cycle lanes will be reintroduced at a later date under a different, and previously approved, scheme but complex transport procedures mean the bollards have to first of all be removed.

The campaigners say that this infrastructure “Hokey Cokey” must be stopped and have written to Transport Minister, Graham Dey, and Michael Matheson, Minister for Net Zero, Energy and Transport, and other local politicians seeking urgent action.

At George IV Bridge the segregated cycle lanes may not have been the prettiest in the city, but they helped cyclists to stay safe during the pandemic and in recent months when traffic increased again. The council already has a transport scheme in place with enhanced pedestrian spaces and protected cycle lanes, but as a result of the legal loopholes, it is not possible to leave or amend what is already on the ground. Instead the Spaces for People measures must be removed and will then be replaced by the approved scheme in due course, wasting the public money which was spent on the Spaces for People scheme.

In answer to a recent question by Cllr Jason Rust on the amount of funding from Spaces for People spent on Forrest Road and George IV Bridge, the council confirmed that these measures had cost £33,863.78 and £118,389.63 respectively. The amount spent on The Mound is the highest relating to any one scheme and amounts to £148,088.37

The campaigners say that the tortuous Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) processes are “unfit to support the rapid decarbonisation of the transport system”. They claim the way the measures are introduced pays too much attention to the views of objectors, and do not support government policies such as the achievement of net zero carbon by 2030.

The cycle lanes are being ripped out this week as you can see from the photos below. The fencing is in place after the fire last month which gutted the shops at Elephant House and Patisserie Valerie, and which has possibly meant the segregated lanes have been removed more quickly than they might have been.

BEST: Better Edinburgh for Sustainable Travel is a campaigning group made up of other community groups and businesses from all over Edinburgh who would like Edinburgh to become a city where everyone can travel easily by sustainable means, whoever they are and wherever they need to go.

The group has written to Scottish Ministers and other local politicians demanding urgent action and attention to the legislative structure under which road improvements are introduced. The letter is shown below.

We asked Transport Convener Cllr Lesley Macinnes, Transport and Environment Convener, about the removal of the cycle lanes and walking spaces.

She said: “We’re in the process of restoring the original road layout on George IV Bridge, as approved by Transport and Environment Committee in August. I recognise the frustration felt by those who want to see improved, safer infrastructure retained for the benefit of all those choosing sustainable ways of getting about.

“Long term we are working towards ambitious, permanent plans for the street as part of the Meadows to George Street project. This will transform walking and cycling facilities along the route, significantly improving public spaces and accessibility for everyone and bringing back some of the benefits felt by people who have enjoyed using the temporary  cycle segregation, for example. Retention of the temporary measures could, unfortunately, impact on the processes required to deliver the wider permanent scheme.”

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Morrisons Market Street Pizza Counters are offering freshly made pizzas with the The Dirty Burger Pizza at the top of the menu.

Morrisons new Dirty Burger Pizza brings together the best bits of a truly indulgent burger on a 10 inch stonebaked pizza base. 

Priced at just £2.89, the new Dirty Burger Pizza is perfect for sharing with friends as a treat on a night in. 

It is topped with onion rings, smoky bacon, Monterey jack cheese, spicy beef, jalapeños, dollops of Red’s dirty burger sauce and finished with a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese. 

Priced at £2.89 it is available as takeaway for this weekend.

Leanne Cory, Pizza Buyer at Morrisons, said: “We know our customers love both burgers and pizzas and we’ve had loads of fun coming up with this new limited edition on our Market Street counter. At less than three pounds, all our customers can enjoy this delicious treat, even on a budget.” 

The Dirty Burger Pizza is available now from Morrisons Market Street Pizza Counter and will be made fresh in store by Morrisons foodmakers every day until Sunday 19th September. 

The Dirty Burger Pizza is also included in Morrisons upcoming Big Night In meal deal where any two 10-inch pizzas and two sides are £6. The offer will be running from 6-20 September. Sides included in the deal are:

• Morrisons Coleslaw 300g
• 10″ Cheesy Garlic Bread
• Morrisons Breaded Chicken Goujons 270g
• Vegan Beetroot Slaw 300g.

Hilarious and heart-breaking, five girls from Fort William take Edinburgh by storm and return more in tune with themselves than the singing competition they went there for in the first place.

Set 25 years ago, our ladies stand at the banks of the river, shoulder to shoulder in white dresses, facing away from us towards the Scottish Highlands to create a scene purity, serenity and innocence. But that’s boring. And our ladies know it, being far more interested in creating scenes of a sexual nature in rebellion of their repressed surroundings.

With the Statue of the Virgin Mary guarding the entrance to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour High School, Fort William, no wonder the spice lassies’ excitement for a forthcoming trip to Edinburgh (for a singing competition, but who cares about that anyway) is palpable.

We follow Orla (Tallulah Greive), Finnoula (Abigail Lawrie), Kayla (Marli Siu), Manda (Sally Messham) and Chell (Rona Morison) as well as Kay (Eve Austin) on a rollercoaster ride of self-discovery and acceptance as much as breaking bad habits and making new ones. Greive is wonderful as Orla, a cancer survivor who wants to shake off the pity or sacredness others place on her for a life less burdensome. She is the emotional centre but to say she has the leading role would be a disservice to the core five part ensemble. She isn’t the leader of the pack (nor is anyone else) but she does come first among equals.

Finnoula, the mother hen, and Manda, the free spirit, best friends since childhood, have their strongest of bonds tested by the adventure of city life, opportunities of adulthood and divergence in identity, events that were bound to come sooner or later with this trip proving to be the catalyst for change. Kayla, the singer, wants to break free of the band (whose new name she hates with a passion) and go solo while Chell, the lost child, is trying to find her way after the loss of her father.

All of them hold a grudge against Kay, the posh one, for her wealthy, well-connected life now and probably forever, except this is only a perception due to the secret she is keeping, as Finnoula, despite her initial hostility as the most protective, comes to realise after making the time and effort to get to know her properly. While there will always be five, a sixth member of the pack becomes a welcome addition.

With a smart screenplay by Alan Sharp and Michael Caton-Jones (whom also directs), ‘Our Ladies’ juggles multiple narratives across three acts, home and away and home again, with each gathering more depth as they progress while maintaining a high gag rate. Happily, the story doesn’t finish with their time in Auld Reekie. It enters its most bittersweet act due to what our heroines take with them as they return home to their ‘real’ lives having been able to escape its cloisteredness for even just a short while.

Adapted from the 1998 novel ‘The Sopranos’ by Alan Warner, ‘Our Ladies’ does for the girls’ coming-of-age what the 2020 black comedy ‘Get Duked’ did for the boys’; through the prism of a unique experience of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expedition whose originality alone demands a standing ovation. As does this.

Coincidentally, both films feature Dickie (again, only too briefly) as the straight (wo)man in a position of authority whose characters deserve greater development and freedom from their two dimensions. From the point of view of the young, however, she will barely register in their mind’s eye as a person worth caring about. And yet, despite this, Dickie makes us care.

If her haunting glare and ominous put downs in her never-ending quest for discipline are anything to go by, her Sister Condron (or condom, courtesy of our ladies, both funny on its own and symbolic of her restrictiveness) may have as much anger inside of her as The Nun from The Conjuring Universe. She worships at the altar of law and order and our ladies are her criminals that must be cleansed of impure thoughts. Spin off!

From the Gaelic Psalms of the sweeping, swirling mountain vistas to the gritty rock and smoke filled halls, clubs and flats, teenage angst, riots and free loving and never far away. Gloriously unheavenly and joyfully unfiltered, ‘Our Ladies’ is as much a tender and romantic comedy as an abrasive and scandalous one. Nobody should be having this much fun on Staurts Coaches.

While the sun is shining on our ladies in the prime of their youth, however brief, they’re loving every minute. And so are we.

“Forgive me Lord for being a lying wee cow.”

‘Our Ladies’ is in cinemas now.

In December 2018, Hearts agreed to an annual six-figure investment in their women’s team, as they began a work-in-progress to build a side that could eventually compete with their successful rivals across the city, Hibernian Ladies. 

After the departure of former boss, Andy Kirk, Hearts have now appointed the “standout candidate” Eva Olid. 

The Spaniard most recently spent 14 months as the head coach at the Catalan Football Association and prior to that, spent time coaching Houston Dynamo’s women’s side. 

Hearts kick off their 2021/22 SWPL campaign against Hamilton Accies on Sunday and the new boss can’t wait to get started.

“I’m so happy to be here,” Eva said. 

“I arrived two weeks ago and the first week has been about trying to organise everything but this week I am able to focus more on football things.”

Olid has previous experience of the SWPL having previously came over prior to the Covid-19 pandemic to learn about the Scottish game.

“I knew this league because Celtic have a Spanish coach and I came here to see how the football works here. The methodology of Celtic and the teams who play football here and the Scottish league. That was two years ago, and I continued to follow but then last year because of COVID, they didn’t play much.”

Having coached in both Spain and the U.S., Olid believes the different styles of play in both countries will benefit her in Scotland. 

“When I knew that hearts needed a coach, I saw this as a good challenge for me. I like to coach abroad and have a challenge away from my own country. 

“I was working in the United States because by going abroad is a way I can improve so much as a coach.  It lets me live new experiences and I think I can help with my philosophy and the style of play and to bring that together with the philosophy and styles of other countries. “We can use the philosophy I have from Spain and together I think we can get a good performance from the team.

“I like the challenge. In America the football is so physical and when I arrived there they found it strange that my style of play was all with the ball. They wanted it to be more physical, more analytical and athletic. They wanted to run, run, run, run. But I don’t want to just run, run, run. I see that as old, maybe what was happening 20 years ago. 

“Now football is more about possession and what you do with the ball, it is more technical and about all these things. I think that here I can work as I would want more than I could in the United States.”

Having grown up watching Spanish football, which she believes is now improving, Olid states the importance of doing something with the ball, if you adopt a possession-based style.

“In Spain we have the philosophy of Barcelona, which is the possession game. 

“The good thing is to combine this possession game with a vertical game, because Barcelona plays so much side-to-side and it’s a slow game, so keep the possession but also the players need to decide when to play vertical, because the main goal in a match is to score.

“The first tier in Spain, and it is improving so much, the level of the teams, now they are professional, I try to watch all the games that I can, both here and in Spain.”

There is a changing dynamic in women’s football in Scotland just now, Glasgow City’s dominance is under threat after investment from Rangers and Celtic, and Olid believes this is happening in the women’s game across many leagues but believes Hearts will succeed if they work hard enough. 

“I think this is happening in many leagues. There are always some clubs that have more money, they have professionals that others don’t have and that is a big difference when you go to compete in a match. 

“We have to work with our resources, so when we play the match, this big difference doesn’t exist, so that means we need to work hard. 

“When you don’t have all the resources that you want, you need to work hard, motivate the players and just work, work and work. That is the only way.”

Hearts are very much the ‘new kids on the block’ in Edinburgh with Spartans and Hibernian having had very successful women’s sides for many years.

There is no guarantee Olid will make an instant impact, but with a very young side at her disposal and a possession-based style of play, Hearts Women should be an exciting side to watch out for this season and beyond.

“We are a young team. Our goal is to blood this young talent and improve the performance of the team. We will work to compete every week, we want to get the three points every week, for that we train. 

“Our intention is to finish in the highest position we can, but we will work to get the points every week.”

Young footballer Ryan Shanley has left Hibs and signed for Edinburgh City. 

The 20-year-old striker was on loan to the League Two club but it has been confirmed he has joined Gary Naysmith’s side permanently.

Yesterday the City boss said “I am delighted that we have been able to turn Ryan’s loan deal into a permanent transfer.

“I think this will really help Ryan settle down and blossom as a player as he now knows where his future lies.

“In the few games that he has played for us this season, he has shown that he can have a real impact. What we need to do now is to try and make sure he is fit and available on a regular basis and his season so far has been a bit stop start.

“If we can do that then I’m sure he will score goals for the club.”

Shanley, who scored the only goal of the game in a 1-0 victory over Stenhousemuir last month, was delighted to turn the move into a permanent deal and said “It’s part of football that sometimes things don’t work out at a certain club, but when I got the offer to make my loan move at Edinburgh City permanent it was a fantastic opportunity. 

“I’ve enjoyed my time at the club so far and am looking forward to kicking on for the rest of the season, it’s going to be exciting, especially with the move back to Meadowbank getting closer now.”

Shanley previously spent time on loan at Kelty Hearts, Finn Harps, Forfar Athletic and CivilService Strollers during his Easter Road career.

Coming to a cinema near you (with much fanfare) there are three major franchises from Marvel Studios, Columbia Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

On 3 September 2021, “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” the 25th instalment in the unstoppable Marvel Cinematic Universe, will debut. Simu Liu (Blood and Water) plays the eponymous superhero, which makes this the first Marvel Studios film whose lead actor is of Asian descent, while Awkwafina (The Farewell), Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange) and Michelle Yeoh (Crazy Rich Asians) provide support.

Directed by Andy Serkis (Breathe), “Venom: Let Their Be Carnage” will be released on 15 September 2021 featuring Tom Hardy as the eponymous (also a Marvel Comics) superhero character with Michelle Williams (The Greatest Showman), Stephen Graham (The Irishman) and Woody Harrelson (Solo: A Star Wars Story) rounding out the cast. Despite negative reviews, the 2018 film “Venom” became a huge box office success grossing over $850million on a circa $100million production budget so, of course, a sequel was ordered. And here it is.

After almost 18 months of waiting, “No Time To Die”, the 25th James Bond film, will finally make its grand entrance on 30 September 2021 with Daniel Craig (Knives Out) reprising his role as the iconic (and, ironically, most famous) secret agent of the title for the fifth and final time. An ensemble cast featuring Léa Seydoux (Blue Is the Warmest Colour), Ben Wishaw (Mary Poppins Returns), Naomie Harris (Moonlight), Christoph Waltz (Big Eyes), Rory Kinnear (Peterloo) and Ralph Fiennes (The Dig) also all return.  

Watch this space for film reviews!

The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) have named three Edinburgh buildings as winners in the national architecture awards.

The three buildings are Edinburgh Printmakers by Page/Park Architects, King’s Stables Road by Fletcher Joseph Associates and the Bayes Centre by Bennetts Associates.

There are fourteen awards announced with housing, education and healthcare among the winners which include a moveable micro home on Skye.

The RIAS Awards intend to show the quality and breadth of architectural endeavour in Scotland. All types and sizes of architectural projects can win a RIAS Award, as the list of 2021 awards winners demonstrates. Buildings are assessed by an expert jury who look at each project’s architectural integrity, usability and context, delivery and execution, and sustainability.

The winners of the RIAS Awards will become the ‘longlist’ for the RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award. The shortlist for the 2021 Andrew Doolan Award Prize will be announced on 30 September, with the winner announced on 30 November. 

RIAS President Christina Gaiger said:“I am delighted to see these fantastic Edinburgh buildings winning RIAS Awards. They are each terrific projects and great examples of how architecture can make a real difference to places and people’s lives. My congratulations to Page Park Architects, Fletcher Joseph Associates and Bennetts Associates – as well as their clients and the local communities who played such important roles in helping these outstanding new buildings take shape.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of our built environment to individuals and communities, and the RIAS Awards are a moment to pause and celebrate the incredible difference that architects are making across the country. This year’s RIAS Awards demonstrate the critical role architecture can play – whether that is delivering better homes and public services, addressing climate change, celebrating our shared culture and heritage, or simply giving moments of real delight. There is a real breadth in this year’s clutch of RIAS Awards, demonstrating the versatility of the profession, and each of them is a very worthy winner.”

Edinburgh Printmakers by Page\Park Architects

The only surviving structure from the Castle Mills industrial complex – where almost 2 million pairs of rubber boots were made for the British Army in World War One – is now a new creative hub, thanks the redevelopment of a derelict listed building into a welcoming multi-use arts complex. Judges particularly praised the opening up of the top floor to create a wonderful naturally-lit printing studio where artists now work together.

King’s Stables Road by Fletcher Joseph Associates

This mix of private and rented accommodation (including student flats and a hotel) transforms a former council depot into a lively, attractive environment. Its muted palette of traditional materials blends into the existing fabric of the Old Town, and the improved public realm is now linked to historic closes with views to and from Edinburgh Castle. The judges described King’s Stables Road as “a unique and successful development carefully tailored to the site.”

Bayes Centre by Bennetts Associates

Edinburgh University’s new building, the final phase of a redevelopment programme commenced in 2003. This is a building for research, business and learning, designed to enable collaboration between different users in the data industry, and a place to linger and exchange ideas. The awards judges described the Bayes Centre as “a rigorous and adaptable design that should robustly meet the changing requirements of the University.”

For more information about the winners of the 2021 RIAS Awards visit www.rias.org.uk

Disclaimer: Not based on the song of the same name by Christina Aguilera. Not sweet. Not sugar. A very different Candyman with a much more meaningful aftertaste. In this regard – what an improvement.

Yahya Abdul Mateen II commands the silver screen as the sickly slick killer of the title. His descent from reality into the madness of the eponymous character transpires to be far closer to home than he realises. Was his future always set in stone? Did he have an option to change his fate? I’m being deliberately opaque here, my apologies.

Co-written and produced by Jordan Peele, the creative behind the horror films ‘Get Out’, of 2017, and ‘Us’, of 2019, ‘Candyman’ continues the reinvigoration of the horror genre as a conduit for prestige drama whose horrifying themes have a lot to say about society today (class, poverty, discrimination) and are very much alive in the public sphere. Rather than slasher garbage, which traditional horror fare has a tendency to descend to for cheap thrills, ‘Candyman’ holds its nerve.

Masquerading as a horror, it holds its cards close to its chest, keeping its jump scares to a mimumum in favour of developing a believability which makes its moments of true horror even more threatening. Watch the 2019 film ‘Hereditary’ for the pinnacle of this horrifying constructed reality, the peak of the mountain which this film also approaches.

Tension is heightened by an occultist invoking techno infused score courtesy of Robert A. A. Lowe (in the bloody vein of a Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross/David Fincher collaboration) and traditional ghost story sequences delivered in chillingly effective shadows from lamps cast by paper cut outs of people (operated with strings by a puppet master always just out of shot). Think the explanation of the deathly hallows in the seventh Harry Potter film, of 2010.

Other excellent scenes come in the form of a mirrored elevator, high school toilet and police raid with racial tension highlighted in conversations within the (already elitist and insular) art world, its critics and dealers. Suffice to say, their ends aren’t short and sweet.

Who is Candyman really? What is Candyman really? A coping mechanism for black communities, scarred by the trauma of police brutality, to place a name with a horrifying reality? Especially when the hallowed idea of the police, symbolic of order and protection, is corrupted by the evil of individual men, the benign idea of a man who gives candy is similarly threatening.

A weapon, perhaps, to combat the fear of placing trust in those purporting to help, but whose real agenda is to hurt, control and overpower, giving rise to false hope in apparently safe environments. Just as the murder of innocent black lives continues, the Candyman rises and falls in a cycle of violence in response. Or, possibly, in revenge.

Affordable housing in the shape of the projects has a bad reputation for more than one reason with the Candyman their best defence. An attack on the mind through the power of storytelling, maybe. Cinematic to a fault.

“Say my name.”

‘Candyman’ is in cinemas now.

It was an important window for Hearts’ sporting director Joe Savage, both on a personal level and for the team.

It was Savage’s first summer transfer window at the club, and it was an important one for Hearts, as they tried to lower the average age of the squad and offload players who were surplus to requirements. 

Hearts have added Taylor Moore, Alex Cochrane, Cameron Devlin, Beni Baningime and Ben Woodburn to their squad, whilst also securing the permanent signings of Ross Stewart and Josh Ginnelly, who both spent last season on loan at Tynecastle.

“We’re pleased with the transfer window and we’re still trying to bring in another attacker,” Savage explained. 

“We were close with two from the Premier League in England, one decided to stay and the other went to another club. The biggest thing for us is that we had to move a lot of the players out and had to streamline the squad. We managed to do that and bring in the players we wanted to. 

Many of the Hearts signings in this window have been in the mid-to-low twenties and Savage explained that the plan was always to lower the age of the squad and target youngsters with points to prove.

“That’s the type we want, young hungry players who wanted to go again. Certainly, in Beni’s case I had known about him for years because I had worked down in England and when we heard something could be done we were desperate to do it.

“I’ll tell you a wee story, when I was speaking to Beni when he signed he said: “Joe you don’t need to worry”. I said: “What do you mean?” And he said: “I’ve got a point to prove, I’ll make this club money.” That’s exactly what you want to hear. Cammy, who we’ve brought in from Australia, he’s really, really enthusiastic and keen to do well. That’s the type we wanted and targeted. We made sure it was quality over quantity and that’s the message we wanted to send out and we’ve strengthened the squad as we could.

“Nobody wants to say they’re a selling club and we certainly don’t want to say we just want to bring guys in to sell them but it’s a market that all the best clubs use in the world. They bring in players that are a decent age, develop them for 18 months-two years and then flip them, sell them. We need that message to be getting out that that’s what we’re doing. 

“Certainly, with the young English boys, when you’re bringing them up, you’re saying, ‘come up here and play in front of the 20,000 at Tynecastle in the derby matches, Rangers and Celtic matches – you’re live on Sky Sports. These are all our selling points but it’s ‘we won’t stand in your way if something comes up – if there is a bigger move, better money, we know it’s a short career, we’re here to give you that platform and if you can come up and make us successful we’ll see you.”

Savage went on to explain that Hearts recently made up a welcome pack and a recruitment video to show players and agents the facilities, stadium and City of Edinburgh.

“We’ve created a welcome pack that we send to the players and their agents. We’ve created a recruitment video, it’s about the history, the tradition of the club, the fans. For example, there was a lot of interest in Alex Cochrane, and Robbie and I invited him up…

“We specifically took him for lunch in the city centre, so he could overlook the castle. Then we showed him around the stadium and the training ground. And when he left we knew we had him, that the other clubs interested weren’t going to get him. He believed in what we were doing.

“So, we’re not having to sell it too hard, and the one we have missed out on have went for more money or they’ve wanted to stay down south.

“Robbie [Neilson] is very good. You put Robbie on the phone to them and he sells this club better than anyone.He played here long enough, he managed the club before and is manager again. So, he’s my secret weapon. 

“It’s good me telling them I rate them, but I don’t pick the team, I’m not training them. He has to believe in them and buy into it, and he is brilliant in that sense. He speaks to them in a way that the boys want to hear, and they understand. He tells them how we’re going to play, how they fit into the system.”

Savage was keen to point out the recent successes of the current crop of Hearts youth, singling out Finlay Pollock, who broke into the first team towards the end of last season. 

“The age of the group was too old, we had too many older players, we just felt we had to lower that. Now we have 21, 22, 23-year-olds who are hungry and desperate to do well. They’re all at similar pathways in their careers.

“We also have a good academy, so we have to get that right as well. Our 13s, 14s, 15s and 16s are all in semi-finals and finals. We’re pleased with what is going on behind the scenes. We are pleased with how these players are being developed.

“But we need to bridge that and get them into the first team as quickly as we can. We’ve got a few in just now, Finlay Pollock being the main one. He’s 17 and we feel he has a really good chance to become a top, top Hearts player. But he needs time.”

John Souttar is one of Hearts’ most prized assets and if able to stay fit, a big move beckons for the defender who is currently negotiating on a new Hearts deal, but with his current one expiring at the end of the season, Savage remains confident Souttar will put pen to paper.

“We’re trying to negotiate with John and get him to sign a new contract, but John’s a sensible lad with a good family behind him and he understands exactly what he’s looking for. 

“We did knock back two offers from a Championship club that didn’t meet our valuation in any way whatsoever. From speaking to John, Ann, Andrew and Robbie, we all felt that we would rather keep John here for the rest of the season rather than sell him for a fee that we don’t think he’s worth. 

“If that means he leaves next summer on a free transfer then so be it.  Hopefully we’ve either persuaded him to stay or we’ve finished, first, second, third or fourth in the league or we’ve done well in the cup, and he’ll leave with our best wishes. 

“We don’t want him to leave and we’re trying our best to keep him here but we’re not ones to hold grudges. If John gets an offer he feels he can’t turn down then sometimes there’s nothing you can do.”

“We’ll try and we’ll try, and we’ll try, and we won’t stop until he tells us to leave him alone. He’s not done that yet and I don’t think he will because he’s not that type of character. He’s enjoying himself here and is doing really well. But we all have to understand that he has just returned from a big injury, and he has to make sure he’s doing the right thing for him and his family.”

Now that the summer window has closed, Savage explained that Souttar isn’t allowed to speak to other clubs until December and is hoping between now and then an agreement can be reached. 

“John’s a Rolls-Royce of a centre back isn’t he?” Savage said. 

“John’s a top, top player. If he’d played another ten or 15 games he probably would’ve been in the Scotland squad. We value and rate him that highly which is why we knocked back the Championship offer. We didn’t feel it was anywhere near his value. We feel he’s better kept here, playing the way he’s playing than selling him on the cheap if you want to call it that.

“I don’t want to be disrespectful to the team that made the bid, but it was nowhere near what we thought and we’re happy to keep him in. He can’t do anything; he can’t talk to anyone about a pre-contract until the first of December. It’s now up to Robbie and me over the next two or three months to absolutely batter him – not physically – to get him to sign a new contract.”

Hearts have previously lost players like Callum Paterson and Aaron Hickey for less than they would’ve liked due to contract issues and despite not being at the club at that time, Savage insists that Hearts will be in the driving seat when clubs are trying to sign their star players. 

“We’ll make sure that our assets are tied down and that if anyone does want to come in for them then we’re in the driving seat. We can turn round and say we expect x-amount to sell them and we’re doing that with John, even though he’s in the final year of his contract.

“I wasn’t here with the Callum Patterson and Aaron Hickeys of this world but it’s easier said than done. People will be speaking to them, telling them they can get big moves and I’ve been on that side of it. You try and try and try but whatever information they’re getting elsewhere can kill you.  We’ll offer him the best contract we can but if he decides not to take it then you have to accept he’s getting more money elsewhere or he feels he wants a new challenge. Hopefully that’s not the case. 

“It’s up to us to try and persuade John this is where his future lies. We aren’t the type of club to sign John down and that’s him jailed so he can’t go anywhere. If he signed a new contract and something came up that was beneficial to him and us, obviously we would look at it.

“If he signs a new deal it protects us and him, then if somebody comes in with an offer we think John is worth then we would absolutely look at it.”

The red berries on the rowan trees on my daily walk are, for me, the first sign of autumn. 

Soon the fieldfare and redwings will fly in from Scandinavia to feed on them. The air is turning cooler. Mornings are clouded with sea haar. It’s September, we can see Jupiter in the darkening evening sky.

The harvest is almost in. It’s been a good one this year.  Now, we are hunkering down for the winter storms and we’re wondering what climate change will throw at us this year. 

Among those going back to work after the summer holidays are the joint leaders of the Green Party, Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater. They were voted in as government ministers in the new SNP/Green administration in parliament on Tuesday.  There’s been much debate over this arrangement, pundits  weighing up which party stands to gain most. Certainly “Greens in government for the first time” cuts a dash in the run-up to the UN climate change conference in Glasgow in just four weeks’ time. 

It hasn’t unfortunately impressed Greta Thunberg.  The schoolgirl campaigner scolded the Scottish government for doing no better than any other government in cutting CO₂ emissions, despite its world-leading targets. “The targets come nowhere near what’s needed,” she said. She’s still wondering whether it’s worth coming to Glasgow for the conference or not. 

If she does, she will be met by 10,000 police officers. They’ve been staging rather strange exercises, battle scenes between T-shirt “protesters” and officers dressed as Ninja warriors.  The police seem to be asking for trouble, and at great public expense (over £200 million). 

Contrast this with the much less costly efforts by all British governments to help the refugees fleeing Afghanistan.  Only 5,000 are being accepted this year – the other 15,000 will just have to wait.  The Scottish government says that doesn’t go far enough but it is willing to play its part. It’s so far announced £250,000 in funding. Local councils have done rather better, over half of the 32 councils have offered to take refugees. The first families have already arrived in Aberdeenshire.

On the Covid front, we are still recording high numbers of cases, over 6,000 a day and 600 in hospital, many of them young and unvaccinated.  There are about 6 deaths a day, taking the running total to 10,554.  There’s a concerted government drive to get young adults vaccinated and, as part of it, there are plans to introduce vaccine passports for entry to night clubs and football matches.  The passport idea is causing protests from leaders of the “night-time economy” who say they are being discriminated against and from those who think medical ID cards are too big an intrusion by the state into private lives.

The real discrimination though is in the way Covid is affecting the poor, more than the rich.  An analysis by the National Records Office has found that the death rate from Covid in deprived areas is 2.4 times higher than in other areas. And the difference has become worse since the start of the pandemic.  The reason, of course, is that more people in deprived areas are suffering from diabetes, obesity, lung disease etc, the cankers of poverty in lockdown.  It’s the reason why we have to “build back better” and “level up” and “do things differently” as we come out of lockdown.  

Doing things differently is also the slogan coming out of the Edinburgh festivals as they ended last weekend.  Organisers are thinking that the  slimmed-down, hybrid festival and fringe were not such a bad idea and that constant growth is not sustainable or desirable. 520,000 tickets were sold over the three weeks, 400,000 of them for fringe shows. 25,000 people attended the book festival. 12,000 went to the film festival.  It’s estimated a third of festival goers lived in Edinburgh, a fifth came from the rest of Scotland.

Finally, Heart of Midlothian Football Club has become the first major club in Britain to be majority-owned by its fans.  The Edinburgh businesswoman Ann Budge, who made her fortune in computer software and rescued the club in 2014, has passed her 75 percent shareholding to the Foundation of Hearts.  It’s made up of 8,000 fans who contribute £1.6m every year to the club through monthly payments.  She has not only rebuilt the club but is staying for two more years as chairwoman to finish the £22m refurbishment of the Tynecastle stadium. She’s also determined to make sure Hearts continue to play in the upper reaches the Premier League and, hopefully, in the European Conference League.

This is certainly building back better and doing things differently. It’s a pity governments aren’t doing the same.

ONE of Scotland’s top interior designers has given access to her trade-secret tips, favoured suppliers and inspirations at one of Edinburgh’s most stylish showhomes.

In a walkthrough video, inspired by the famed Architecture Digest Open Door series, Eileen Kesson, founder of Envision, gives viewers a full tour of the latest showhome by CALA Homes (East).

The video tour takes viewers around the expansive five-bedroom Waverley, part of the Avenue at Ravelrig Heights in Balerno.

With more than 3700 square feet of living space, The Waverley is the largest ever showhome launched by CALA in the region.

Philip Hogg, Sales and Marketing Director for CALA Homes (East), said: “I’m sure anyone with an interest in design will gain something from watching Eileen’s tour.

“Eileen’s expertise simply cannot be overlooked. It’s a rare treat to be able to get these direct insights from such an expert.

Eileen explains how she’s used symmetry to create added interest in a classically shaped square lounge, as well as advice on colour choices and where to source furniture and accessories.

Welcoming viewers into the main hall, Eileen describes her stylistic choices when designing the grand staircase with an Italian wall covering featuring an ebony and ivory silk design to compliment the double height hall with a contemporary touch.

Eileen progresses through the home, explaining the current trend of mixing and matching kitchen cabinet finishes, to create a less clinical and more furnished feel.

She also describes how the space can be used to fit a variety of needs, showcasing the double detached garage with accommodation above.

Eileen said: “It’s a pleasure to work with CALA Homes and to be given such an incredible canvas to work with.

“This is a “forever” home – our team really enjoyed the challenge of working on such an amazing space.”

Starting at £810,000, homes at Ravelrig Heights offer five double bedrooms with expansive and adaptable family space, open plan living and high specification fixtures and fittings throughout.

https://www.cala.co.uk/theavenue

Olympic hero Duncan Scott is inspiring the biggest drive ever to encourage Scots of all ages and abilities to learn to swim.

As part of his role as Learn to Swim Ambassador, Duncan is supporting the September-long celebration to help both children and adults of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to become safe and confident swimmers – especially with pools reopening after lockdown restrictions were lifted.

The existing Learn to Swim framework for children – a partnership between Scottish Swimming and Scottish Water – has already seen more than 100,000 young people participate in regular swimming lessons since it launched four years ago.

The 36 Leisure Trusts and Aquatic Providers, who are delivering lessons in 170 pools, are now welcoming children back after the summer holidays – and the drive is to grow numbers to full capacity.

This Learn to Swim month will focus on encouraging older children to return to lessons if they haven’t completed their course to ensure they have the skills to be safe swimmers, as well as appealing for adults of all abilities to seek out lessons and additionally inspiring more people to become swimming teachers.

Duncan has been an ambassador for the Learn to Swim framework for four years and alongside Paralympic medallist and fellow Learn to Swim ambassador Toni Shaw, has played a vital role in continuing to inspire, develop and motivate the next generation of swimmers.

Duncan, Britain’s most decorated Olympian in a single games, said: “I hope everyone gets behind Learn to Swim Month. I know people that because of Covid haven’t been able to get in a pool for a very long time so this might encourage them to take their kids at a weekend.

“Learning to swim is a life skill and it’s so important for everyone to learn how to be safe and confident in the water. I’ve always enjoyed swimming and while not everyone will have ambitions to be an Olympic athlete, it’s an essential skill to have and fun to learn too.”

Euan Lowe, Scottish Swimming chief executive officer, said: “Due to various restrictions over the last 18 months, swimming lessons were put on pause or disrupted. So now that pools are opening up again we want to see lessons full once more with kids excited to be back in the water.

“We are particularly keen to get older children to return to the pool to finish training that would have been halted or affected during lockdown. And we have always ensured that disability is no barrier, so no child should ever miss out.

“Learn to Swim month is the biggest drive we’ve had to focus on all that’s good about swimming. It also should be highlighted that, regardless of age, it is a lifelong skill. Core skills such as floating, treading water and sculling could even save your life.”

Brian Lironi, Director of Corporate Affairs with Scottish Water, said: “Scotland is known for its coasts, waterways, lochs and reservoirs and being able to enjoy these places safely and with confidence is at the heart of the programme.

“There should be no barriers to any child learning to swim so we’re delighted to have a month dedicated to the initiative.

“Beyond the safety benefits of learning to swim, it’s also a great way to show how water is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle, from keeping hydrated with the clear, fresh drinking water at your taps, to taking the plunge in your local pool as the ideal form of exercise.”

A Learn to Swim month digital toolkit has been sent to all providers and a series of promotional videos are being created by Scottish Swimming to help encourage more children into the programme.

Scottish Swimming Learn to Swim programme providers are also recruiting swimming teachers and can offer training opportunities through the Scottish Swimming Teacher Qualification.

The Learn to Swim partnership – which was extended for a fourth year in 2020 – provides consistently high-quality teaching for youngsters from birth upwards, which progresses through a series of lessons and levels over a number of years.

Duncan Scott – a double relay Silver medalist at the 2016 Rio Olympics – initially entered his name into the record books in Tokyo as he, alongside Tom Dean, became the first British pair to win Gold and Silver in the same swimming event since 1908.

His Silver in that 200m freestyle was quickly followed by Gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay. He made it three in the pool with Silver in the 200m individual medley before winning his record-breaking fourth, a Silver, in the 4x100m medley relay.

More information on the Learn to Swim Framework can be found on the dedicated website: www.learntoswim.scot

Despite the transfer window being at an end, the free agent market remains open, and a player Hearts have shown interest in is ex-Rangers star Barrie McKay.

The 26-year-old winger is a free agent after departing Swansea City at the expiration of his contract.

Hearts’ Sporting Director, Joe Savage confirmed that Hearts have held initial talks with McKay, but will need to fend off interest from England to secure his signature.

“Barrie someone we have had initial discussions with to see where he is at,” he said.

“We all think Barrie is a very good footballer. If we can do something on that then we will try to do something. I know he’s got interest in England so it’s just a matter of trying to negotiate to see if you can do something.

“We feel that’s the type we want. We want quality players like Barrie McKay and if we can get him then brilliant. If not, I’d like to think it shows the standard and the quality we are trying to bring to the club. 

“We could take players from other leagues who might not come in and make an impact, but we look at Barrie McKay and think he will come in and impact the starting 11. That puts more pressure on the boys there just now and that’s the quality we need to get to where we want to go.

“So, he is someone we have spoken about. There’s nothing done, no contract has been put in front of him. He wants to see his options and then come back to us.

Edinburgh businessman Mark Glasgow plans to invest £3 million into a series of energy training centres around Scotland to improve the industry’s skills shortage in the country.

Construction is already underway on the first Energy Training Academy in the capital, with further sites earmarked for Glasgow and the north-east.

The Edinburgh facility is due to be completed in November.

“This is a vision I have had for some time and given the speed at which our industry is changing towards more sustainable heating technologies, I felt now was the time to really push my plans forward,” said Mr Glasgow, owner of the Edinburgh Boiler Company and Glasgow Boiler Company.

“The next few years are going to be critical in our industry.

“The skills shortage we are currently facing as an industry is concerning and I thought it important to provide a modern training centre with a focus on renewables.

“Initially this will be in Edinburgh and the plan is to then extend that education offering around Scotland by establishing regional training centres.

“We have recently added heat pumps to our list of installation services and more developments are in the pipeline. The academy will be used by engineers looking to upskill to renewables and to give our current installation and repair staff a place to learn ‘in-house’ as we look to continue leading the way in home heating in Scotland.

“There will also be adult learning programmes, which will be ideal for the gas/renewable engineer of tomorrow who is looking to get into this growing sector.

“We will have a range of courses focusing on renewables, and we will be using some of the best lecturers and trainers in the business. We will be a one-stop shop for theory and practical allowing new starts to train at our academy and then do the all-important on-site portfolio work in the company of our experienced engineers.”

One of the industry’s most progressive businesses, the Edinburgh Boiler Company was established in 2015 and is the city’s largest boiler installers.

“There is a real need for a local company like ours which people can rely on,” added Mr Glasgow.

“The significant investment we are putting into the Energy Training Academy underlines our commitment to providing not only the best possible training for our employees but the best service to our customers.”

Residents at Edinburgh care homes have had the opportunity to experience their first organised outdoors activity after a year of lockdown, with a visit to Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Garden and Saughton Park.

Apart from the short trips to the end of the garden and stints in the home’s purpose-built outdoor seating area, residents at Mansfield Care’s Eildon House and Belleville Lodge have not been on a day out in more than a year.

Before lockdown, trips out were a regular staple for residents, with visits to the Royal Yacht Britannia, the National Museum and the Zoo.

Now with all residents and staff fully vaccinated and restrictions easing, carers at the homes organised garden outings outing as a special treat for the residents.

Staff from each care home planned and assisted the residents to travel to and from the Botanic and Saughton Gardens, which is only a short walk away.

Fiona Shale, Activities coordinator at Eildon House said: “While some of our residents do still feel more comfortable remaining indoors for the time being, the vast majority have been very excited to get out and about again.

“The Botanic Gardens were very accommodating with our visit and it all went off without a hitch, although we made sure the residents were well wrapped up for the unpredictable weather.

“We spent the majority of the time in the Garden of Tranquillity which is a new area of the Botanic Gardens that has been created specifically for people with dementia. As the name suggests, it’s a lot quieter than some of the other areas, with beautiful landscaping and water features giving visitors a peaceful and safe space to enjoy.”

Residents from Belleville Lodge took a trip to Saughton Gardens enjoying the rose and herb garden in the sun.

Margaret Russell, Manager at Belleville Lodge said: “The residents really enjoyed looking at all the flowers. The herb garden was a resident favourite and we even tasted some of the different herbs.

“One of our residents, Heather Salzen, is a Botanist so she really enjoyed her day out and was telling us all about the plants.

“It was a great day out. We ended our tour of the garden with a cup of tea and refreshments in the garden café and sat outdoors as the weather was lovely.”

With activities requested, led and coordinated around the interests of the residents, Mansfield Care staff are dedicated to creating a homely, supportive and exciting environment, putting the needs of its residents at the forefront of everything they do.

Fiona added: “Our priority is keeping the lives of our residents as enriched as possible.

“It’s been a very tough year not being able to do the range of activities we normally would, but we’ve been keeping residents entertained through the likes of craft activities such as painting, physical seated exercise and also reminiscence story telling.

“Following on from our Botanic Gardens trip, we’ve got some excellent stuff in the pipeline for later this year and look forward to resuming our regular frequency of outings.”

Mansfield Care operates 11 small, friendly and residential care homes in Edinburgh, the Borders and the west of Scotland.

https://www.mansfieldcare.co.uk/

The What the Fork Monarchs and Birmingham Brummies are both in contention for play-off places and both are in desperate need of points.

But Monarchs will be minus Richie Worrall (cracked finger) following his crash last month. Richard Lawson was picked as a guest but he pulled out for reasons that the club accept. So it will be rider replacement once again with the lack of other suitable guests.

Birmingham also use rider replacement for Valentin Grobauer and Monarchs track their two new teenage signings, Anders Rowe and Drew Kemp.

They are expected to strengthen the bottom end of the team and Kemp, who failed to score on his guest appearance against Poole last week, said: “I felt I learnt a lot riding Armadale last week and it’s a track that I can definitely improve on. It’s good to go to a team which could win something this year and I hope I can add something to the team.”

Brummies’ top two of Erik Riss (pictured in the Armadale pits), who is a former Monarchs captain, and ex-Glasgow Tigers star, Chris Harris, are a threat but Monarchs’ team manager, Alex Harkess, said: “If we get a good contribution from everyone we will be fine.”

Friday’s match will be live streamed, however the stream will be available only to those out with a 25 mile radius of the track. Anyone within that limit but unable to attend should email info@edinburghmonarchs.co.uk

WHAT THE FORK MONARCHS: Sam Masters (capt), Anders Rowe, Kye Thomson, Josh Pickering, Rider replacement for Richie Worrall, Drew Kemp, Nathan Greaves.

EDWARDS PLUMBING BRUMMIES: Chris Harris (capt), rider replacement for Valentin Grobauer, James Shanes, Ashley Morris, Erik Riss, Paco Castagna, Jack Thomas.