The Edinburgh Reporter March 2019

March 2019 

@EdinReporter /EdinReporter /edinburghreporter 

www.theedinburghreporter.co.uk 

All change this time round? 

How the street currently looks 

COUNCIL’S bold plans for city 

centre unveiled. 

An update on the plans to 

make 'radical' changes to how 

we get about the city centre 

was presented to the council's 

Transport and Environment 

committee just as we went to 

press. 

The illustration here shows 

what might happen on Lothian 

Road where the Usher Hall and 

Festival Square are separated 

by a four lane roadway. This 

would be reduced to two lanes, 

and a dedicated (and segregated) 

cycle lane would be added. 

The raised platform would be 

built to encourage strolling and 

perambulating - not something 

you would contemplate in that 

particular space right now, and 

traffic might be encouraged to 

obey the 20mph limit. This is 

just one part of plans to shake up 

how we get about the city centre 

which will be finalised this year. 

TRANSFORMATION 

The work is being carried out 

under the leadership of the 

Deputy Director of Sustrans, the 

walking and cycling body. Daisy 

Narayanan is seconded to the 

council for a year, and her remit 

is to bring back plans to the T&E 

committee in May with a city 

centre strategy and action plan. 

After a consultation period over 

the summer a final business case 

will be considered in August. 

The recent consultation found 

that 51% of respondents wanted 

a radical change and 75% wanted 

less traffic in the city and town 

centres. 

The population of the capital 

will rise by a fifth in the next 

twenty years - that is 100,000 

more people - and, as the 

Transport Convener Lesley 

Macinnes has said many times, 

"The status quo is not an option." 

There are three projects all 

being considered at the same 

time - City Centre Transformation, 

Low Emission Zone and City 

Mobility Plan. Ms Narayanan 

explained : "We recognised 

early on that you can't just 

do Edinburgh city centre as a 

fortress. The timing worked very 

well as the Local Development 

Plan 2030 was also going out to 

consultation." 

READ MORE ON PAGE 16 

This is just one plan for how the city centre might look in years to come 

Open Streets - Aspiration 

Read our ideas for treating your mum 

this Mother’s Day inside 

READ MORE ON PAGES 6-8

2 NEWS The Edinburgh Reporter 

Charity auction of 

designer wedding dresses 

Edinburgh Collected 

EDINBURGH Collected is an online community photo archive managed by Edinburgh Libraries. 

You can add your own photos to help preserve the city's history for future generations. This is a good way 

for organisations to preserve their own archives in scrapbooks online. 

This is a photograph uploaded by 'CV' of Charlie Taylor, with his wife and two sons, being presented with a 

TV (black and white!) won in a Nescafé prize draw in the Cash & Carry in Slateford in 1970. Mr Taylor was 

owner of James Thomson & Sons Ltd 

www.edinburghcollected.org 

All welcome at The Positive Future lunch group 

THIS is a small friendly group 

of people over 60 that meets at 

Priestfield Parish Church on 

Dalkeith Road. 

Nila Joshi from the group 

explained : "We provide a three 

course, freshly cooked, traditional 

South Asian lunch for 

our members. The lunch club 

provides the service to people 

One of the members recently celebrated her 80th birthday 

living in the Southside of 

Edinburgh who are disadvantaged 

through isolation, age, ethnicity 

and range of other barriers. 

"We work with isolated senior 

citizens from South Asian 

communities, but the Positive 

Future lunch group is open 

to anyone living in the city of 

Edinburgh. 

"We also organise day trips to 

local places of interest, and in 

summer months we organise 

short woodland walks as well. 

"In addition, we offer 

gentle exercise, health talks 

and speakers from other professional 

bodies to the group.” 

The group meets every Monday 

from 12 noon - 2.30 pm at 

Priestfield Parish Church. 

Dresses like this one by Sassi Holford are up for auction 

EDINBURGH bridal boutique, clothes and interview training. 

Rachel Scott Couture will 

Many of the dresses due to go 

sell off more than 20 couture under the hammer will have 

wedding dresses and will donate no reserve, allowing bidders 

all proceeds to Smart Works to maybe snap up their dream 


designer dress at a fraction of the 

The Duchess of Sussex is patron original price. 

of the charity which helps to The event will take place on 

support women return to the Thursday 14 March 2019 at The 

workplace by providing styling Rachel Scott Couture boutique on 

advice, high-quality interview Dundas Street. 

International Women’s Day 

Heroic Women of The Scottish Hospitals 

SURGEONS’ HALL Museums 

will be celebrating International 

Women’s Day by staging a brand 

new play written by Christopher 

Silver. 

The play was inspired by 

material held in the Royal College 

of Surgeons of Edinburgh’s 

Archives. 

It draws on journal entries 

and letters written by women 

deployed to the Balkans during 

WWI. It explores the seldom-told 

story of a group of pioneering 

women who defied the military 

and medical establishment of 

their day. 

‘Go Home and Sit Still’ is a 

moving and timely interpretation 

of a remarkable humanitarian 

journey, undertaken at great 

personal risk by thousands of 

female members of the Scottish 

Women’s Hospitals who were 

determined not to stay at home. 

The hospitals were formed by 

Elsie Inglis after her offer of a 

ready-made medical unit staffed 

by women was turned down by 

the British War Office with the 

response ‘My good lady, go home 

and sit still.’ After the French 

government accepted her offer, 

14 units of women volunteers 

left the safety of their homes to 

help on the front line of allied 

countries during the First World 

War. 

7-9 March 2019 

Surgeons’ Hall Museums 

Tickets from £10 on Eventbrite. 

Editor: Phyllis Stephen 

editor@theedinburghreporter.co.uk 

07791 406 498 

We write about news relating to 

Edinburgh and the immediate area. 

We welcome contributions to our 

website and newspaper. 

Social Media 

@EdinReporter 

/EdinReporter 

/edinburghreporter

y David Bol 

@EdinReporter /EdinReporter /edinburghreporter NEWS 3 

Leith Walk 

byelection 

VOTERS will go to the polls in 

April to elect a new councillor for 

Leith Walk. 

A by-election for the Leith Walk 

ward will be held on Thursday, 11 

April, following the resignation 

of Labour Cllr Marion Donaldson. 

Only members of the public on 

the electoral register and living in 

the Leith Walk ward will be able 

to cast a vote. 

Cllr Donaldson quit as a councillor 

last month amid allegations 

of internal party tensions over 

the budget negotiations. She was 

also the vice-convener of finance 

and resources – with Labour 

Cllr Maureen Child stepping in at 

last month’s committee meeting 

in her place. 

The by-election must be called 

within three months of the 

vacancy occurring. The date has 

been chosen by the returning 

officer “in the light of the Easter 

recess and forthcoming council 

meetings”. 

On election day, polls will 

be open from 7am until 10pm. 

The votes will be counted 

electronically when the polls 

close – meaning the successful 

candidate will be able to attend 

the full council meeting on 

Thursday 2 May after the Easter 

recess. 

Nominations for candidates will 

close at 4pm on Monday 11 March 

Winners of 4th Scottish Knowledge 

Exchange Awards announced 

Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards 2019 – pictured with some of the finalist entries in tonight’s awards are Siobhán Jordan (Director of 

Interface), Professor Alan Wolstenholme (Chair of Scottish Distillers Association) and Rachel Mirfattahi (Sector Engagement Executive at 

Interface). 

THE people and partnerships at the heart of the most ground-breaking, potentially life-changing innovations developed by businesses and 

academics have been unveiled at the Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards 2019. 

Winners included a smart irrigation system aiming to revolutionise smallholder farming in developing countries by dramatically reducing 

the amount of water and energy used by 70%, increasing crop yield by 30% and reducing labour by 10%. 

Organised by Interface, the awards recognise, reward and celebrate impacts achieved through collaborative business and academic 

partnerships. 

Car drop and go 

at the airport 

NEW innovative parking product 

coming to Edinburgh Airport. 

An innovative new service 

which uses the latest technology 

will put valet parking at the heart 

of Edinburgh Airport’s parking 

approach to use its space more 

efficiently. 

The airport is investing £12 

million in the new service 

creating a dedicated facility on 

the current surface car park and 

an additional 5000 car parking 

spaces being provided by 2021. 

Selection of illustrations showing what the new parking initiative will look like 

The new service, which will 

begin this summer, has been 

designed to be as straightforward 

as possible for customers: 

Passengers drive their cars 

through the new dedicated 

entrance where HD cameras will 

take 360-degree images of the 

vehicle 

Cars proceed to and park in 

one of the spacious ferry lanes, 

passengers then have a short 

walk to purpose-built reception 

area 

At the kiosks, passengers scan 

their digital ticket from the 

app, email or type in booking 

reference. They then check 

their car in, tag their keys before 

dropping them through a secure 

chute. 

Passengers then walk to 

check-in and head off on holiday. 

On return, passengers scan 

their QR code and retrieve their 

key from a locker and receive 

information on where their car is 

parked and ready to go.


Charity fund 

open for 

applications 

SCOTMID CO-OPERATIVE’S 

£25,000 Community Connect 

initiative is open for applications 

from East of Scotland charities. 

A panel will shortlist entrants 

to three applicants who will then 

be invited to attend a Scotmid 

Member Meeting and present 

their idea. The winning group will 

receive an investment of £15,000, 

and the runners-up will each 

receive £5,000. 

The community can cast their 

vote by using their Scotmid 

Co-operative Community Connect 

card. Votes will also be cast 

for the final three applicants 

at the Member Region’s AGM 

in April and the Annual General 

Meeting in October. 

Since the initiative was 

launched in 2017, over £155,000 

has been awarded to 18 good 

cause groups enabling key 

projects to come to life in local 

areas. 

Applications should be made via 

the Scotmid website by Friday 22 

March. 

Chief Executive, John Brodie, 

said: “Our core purpose is to 

serve our local communities 

and improve people’s everyday 

lives and Community Connect 

helps not only bring communities 

together but brings projects 

to life that are at the heart of 

those communities. We look 

forward to introducing the next 

cycle of short-listed groups to our 

members.” 

Last year’s winners 

included Blood Bikes Scotland, 

who were awarded £15,000 of 

funding, Prestonpans-based 

Harlawhill Day Care Centre and 

West Lothian’s Broxburn Family 

Centre, who were awarded £7,500 

and £2,500 respectively. 

The Edinburgh 

Medal 2019 

THE prestigious Edinburgh Medal 

is awarded to Christiana Figueres, 

executive secretary of the UN 

framework convention on climate 

change (UNFCCC) 

Ms Figueres was instrumental 

in the successful conclusion of 

the Paris talks. 

At the summit all the world’s 

nations agreed for the first time 

to a binding commitment to 

avoid dangerous levels of global 

warming. 

Figueres also served as the UN’s 

climate chief from 2010 until 

2016. 

She will deliver The Edinburgh 

Medal Address entitled Climate 

Change Where are We? at The 

Signet Library on Friday 5 April 

2019 at 7.00pm. The lecture is 

aimed at 14+ and will last for 

an hour. 

Volunteers up for an award 

Volunteers Linda and Gill 

co-founded All in Diary 

Edinburgh Medal winner Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of 

the UN framework convention on climate change 

LINDA RICHARDSON, a volunteer 

from Edinburgh, has been 

shortlisted to win a coveted 

humanitarian honor. 

Linda is nominated alongside 

her co-founder Gill Price for their 

tireless work creating All in Diary, 

a guide for aid workers in disaster 

situations. The handy A5 book is 

packed with up-to-date information 

for humanitarian workers. It 

covers everything from technical 

advice on water and sanitation, 

shelter and logistics to addressing 

health issues and emergency 

project management. 

The special event will allow Ms 

Figueres to discuss the international 

picture in respect of action 

to halt climate change. The 

international cooperation which 

led to the historic 2015 Paris 

Agreement has not continued 

interrupted. 

The Edinburgh Medal was instituted 

by the City of Edinburgh 

Council in 1988. Each year this 

prestigious award is given to 

men and women of science and 

technology whose professional 

achievements are judged to have 

made a significant contribution 

to the understanding and wellbeing 

of humanity. 

Previous recipients include Prof 

Jane Goodall, Prof Peter Higgs 

and Sir David Attenborough. This 

year’s Edinburgh Medal address 

is supported by Artemis. 

News in Brief 

Spring Statement 

THE Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, announced that 

the government will respond to the forecast from the Office for Budget 

Responsibility (OBR) in a Spring Statement on 13 March 2019. The 

Chancellor announced at Autumn Statement 2016 that there will now 

only be one major fiscal event each year. 

NHS 

A NEW self-help guide to help people with winter coughs has been 

launched on Scotland’s health information website NHS inform. 

The step-by-step guide, which can be found at nhsinform.scot, is 

designed to help people assess their symptoms online and find out 

what they should do next. 

Coughs are one of the most common reasons people call NHS 24's 111 

service, with staff handling around 25,000 calls related to coughs, cold 

and flu symptoms in January alone this year. 

Plastic 

SCOTLAND is leading the way in tackling marine litter, First Minister 

Nicola Sturgeon told international delegates attending Scotland’s 

International Marine Conference recently in Glasgow. 

The First Minister announced a £175,200 campaign promoting the 

use of re-usable sanitary products to reduce the more than 100 billion 

pieces of sanitary waste disposed of every year. 

In the coming weeks the Scottish Government will also publish 

proposals to make it an offence to throw litter overboard from all 

Scottish fishing vessels while at sea. 

Meal Makers 

KNOW an older person who would appreciate a weekly home cooked 

meal and some company? 

Cooks are looking for Diners in your area. 

If you know an elderly person (55+ years) who could benefit from a 

home cooked meal and some company once a week then call Meal 

Makers on 0800 783 7770 or visit www.mealmakers.org.uk 

Meet the Funders 

21 March 2019 2.00 - 4.00pm 

LOCAL community projects in North Edinburgh are invited to speak to 

the funders and get some application forms or chat about project ideas. 

There will be a range of funders available including The Robertson 

Trust, The National Lottery Community Fund, Climate Challenge Fund, 

Edinburgh Airport Community Fund and Heritage Lottery. 

Tel 0131 529 5270 for information. 

Eagle keeps on growing 

SCOTLAND’S largest independent 

courier firm has continued its 

investment drive – as it eyes up 

further expansion south of the 

border. 

Eagle Couriers has taken a 

50% share in Surrey-based Wey 

Group International, specialists 

in UK same day and overnight 

Eagle Couriers expanding to England 

deliveries as well as international 

shipments. 

The move comes just months 

after Eagle’s full takeover of 

THS Couriers, the UK’s leading 

baggage repatriation provider – 

which has depots from Heathrow 

to Inverness. 

By adding Wey Group’s fleet 

of 45 drivers, it means that the 

Scottish firm will now be able to 

call on a combined fleet of more 

than 185 vehicles throughout the 

country. 

Fiona Deas, Co-Director with 

Eagle Couriers, is optimistic that 

the firm can continue with its 

growth ambitions. She said: “This 

is an industry that has suffered a 

poor reputation in recent years, 

where customer service has 

declined. 

“We’ve grown by keeping the 

same ethos that we had in day 

one – with a close-knit team that 

knows the importance of being 

pro-active and efficient. 

“The addition of Wey Group is 

a big boost in terms of what we 

can manage ourselves south of 

the border – ensuring that level of 

service is offered throughout, 

instead of relying on third 

parties.We’re really excited for the 

future here and looking forward 

to seeing how things develop in 

the coming year.”

@EdinReporter /EdinReporter /edinburghreporter NEWS 5 

Abseil for Parkinson’s UK 

You need a head for heights to do 

this abseil challenge 

THERE are just a few places left 

on the Parkinson’s UK 2019 abseil 

at the iconic Forth Rail Bridge. 

The event, on Sunday 7 July 

2019, is almost fully subscribed 

but if you are quick you can still 

sign up to be part of this amazing 

day. The fundraising daredevils 

will abseil SAS-style (freefall) 

165ft off the iconic Forth Rail 

Bridge onto the beach below. 

Parkinson’s UK in Scotland 

wants people to sign up now. 

Fundraiser Emma Hall said: “No 

experience is necessary - just 

loads of courage! Our work - 

whether it be world-leading 

research or providing local 

support for people with Parkinson’s 

- is entirely dependent on 

donations and fundraising events 

like this. There’s always a great 

team spirit at the abseil and it is 

sure to be a fun day.” 

Faster broadband 

VODAFONE UK customers on Technology Officer Scott Petty 

Edinburgh’s Royal Mile can said: “Mobile connectivity plays 

now enjoy faster 4G mobile data a vital role in supporting the 

speeds as well as more reliable economy and keeping communities 

in touch. That is why we’ve 

3G voice signal, thanks to recent 

network improvements in the invested billions in our UK 

area. 

network and services since 2014, 

The improvements are part of and expect to spend around a 

the largest ever UK network and further £2 billion over the next 

services investment programme few years. We are committed to 

which has led to over 99% of the continuing with our improvements 

across the country so more 

City of Edinburgh’s population 

now receiving 4G coverage. customers can enjoy our network 

Vodafone UK’s Chief 

wherever they go.” 

Bags of Help Centenary 

Grants deliver funding boost 

Community organisations across Edinburgh are being invited to share in the funding during two special 

Bags of Help voting rounds 

TESCO is marking its centenary 

year by offering community 

projects in Edinburgh the chance 

to bag their share of a huge 

£100,000 funding pot. 

There will be two special Bags 

of Help voting rounds run in 

partnership with Groundwork, 

awarding funds to thousands of 

local community projects. So far 

in Edinburgh, Bags of Help has 

awarded more than £400,000 to 

135 local projects. 

In July and August the first 

round will concentrate on groups 

delivering health and wellbeing 

benefits, and particularly groups 

tackling cancer, heart disease and 

diabetes. 

Applications are open to all 

community projects bringing 

benefits across a region, with 

Tesco colleagues involved in 

shortlisting three applications in 

each area. Customers can then 

vote for the group they would 

like to receive grants of £25,000, 

£15,000 and £10,000, casting their 

votes using blue tokens handed 

out at checkout points. 

Another voting round will 

launch in November. The funding 

will reach over 30 regions during 

each round, with £3.3 million on 

offer. 

Alec Brown, Tesco’s Head of 

Community, said: “In 2019 we 

are celebrating a century of 

delivering great value for our 

customers – and what better way 

to celebrate this occasion than 

by using our flagship community 

grant scheme Bags of Help to 

support even more groups and 

organisations who are helping 

to make a difference across 

Britain.” 

Groundwork’s National Chief 

Executive, Graham Duxbury, 

said: “This is an exciting time 

for Bags of Help, with many 

more communities given the 

opportunity to apply for larger 

amounts of funding that can 

make a positive, long-lasting 

legacy where they live. We look 

forward to seeing a wide-range 

of innovative projects that boost 

the health and wellbeing of 

our communities spring to life 

across Britain.” 

Anyone can nominate a project 

for Bags of Help and Bags of 

Help Centenary Grants on the 

Tesco website.

6 MOTHER'S DAY The Edinburgh Reporter

@EdinReporter /EdinReporter /edinburghreporter MOTHER'S DAY 7 

Sunday 31st March 2019 

Mother’s Day concert 

for St Columba’s 

SINGER-SONGWRITER and 

Edinburgh's Got Talent winner, 

Gavin Blackie, has released his 

new album 1983 and one of the 

tracks will support the work of St 

Columba's Hospice. 

Gavin Blackie 

Gavin recently witnessed their 

work and was so impressed that 

he decided to help with their 

fundraising. He said : “Having 

seen how vital this place is 

to helping patients and their 

Thoughts from a mother… 

by Juliet Lawrence Wilson 

Mother’s Day, forget it once and 

have the date tattooed on your 

forehead for ever more. I used to 

think Mother’s Day was rather 

overrated, and then I incubated a 

child for a sober and smoke-free 

nine months and boy, did I change 

my tune. 

You must remember that to 

bring you into the world your 

mother has been in some embarrassing 

positions, and that’s 

before we even get to the birth. 

Then welcome to a lifetime of 

worry, anxiousness and the soppy 

kind of love that makes others 

want to heave. Goodness knows 

it’s a privilege. 

So whatever your budget, try 

to do something special for your 

dear old mama on 31 March. Even 

though you’ll be paying, you’re 

still her baby - truth! Here's 

suggestions for three and more 

different kinds of mums. 

Old Ma Booze Hound 

Rhubarb & Ginger Gin Fizz 

Sweet, sour and with a hint of 

spice, the Edinburgh Gin Rhubarb 

& Ginger Liqueur comes alive in a 

chilled glass of bubbles. 

Ingredients 

25ml Edinburgh Gin's Rhubarb & 

Ginger Liqueur 

100ml Prosecco 

Method 

• Add the Rhubarb & Ginger 

Liqueur to a chilled champagne 

flute or coupette. 

• Top with Prosecco and serve 

your mum a wee sparkly start to 

the da. 

The ceased caring about the 

waistline mother 

Does anyone else remember the 

days before afternoon tea? It was 

only for elderly matrons from 

Morningside as their monthly 

treat after a wild spree in the twin 

set section of Jenners. From what 

I recall, afternoon tea in those 

families through the toughest and 

saddest point in their lives, I had 

to try and do something – even if 

it’s not much, every little helps. I 

can only hope people who might 

have been through this experience 

and seen the value of St 

Columba’s, will buy the single…I 

also hope they like the song too! 

“I’m so grateful for all the 

wonderful opportunities I have 

had and the people I’ve been 

privileged to meet along the way. 

Hopefully, this is my chance 

to repay everyone’s faith in me 

and give something back to the 

community.” 

This will be a special performance 

for Mother's Day with 

guests Carrie Mac and Nicola 

Caldwell 

Church Hill Theatre, Edinburgh 

on Sunday 31 March 2019 

Doors 7:30 pm 

Tickets £20 plus booking fee 

from www.ticketline.co.uk 

days tended to be dainty and 

light, not the scone, cake and pie 

fests of today. Mimi's Bakehouse, 

the Balmoral, the possibilities 

are almost endless . I’m reliably 

informed that afternoon tea is 

the highest selling voucher on 

sites like Groupon and Itison. But 

for mum’s sake don’t be a cheapskate, 

pay full price. Or you could 

go all out and take your mum 

straight to Whighams where they 

will treat your Mama like royalty 

with quality local meat, game, 

fruit, vegetables, cheese and of 

course, their speciality, seafood. 

Oh dammit, I'm skint on Mother’s 

Day 

No excuse, pal! If you visit a 

budget supermarket you can 

purchase some pretty great 

quality brunch ingredients and a 

decent bottle of fizz for way under 

£15. And all your mummy wants 

you to do is make an effort, so get 

the frying pan out along with 

the excuses! 

What to do with your 

mother on Mother’s Day? 

AFTERNOON Tea has become the 

new High Tea with sandwiches 

and cakes and perhaps even a 

little prosecco. 

A search online will take you 

to many of our Edinburgh cafés 

offering something special on the 

day. Café Portrait are doing just 

that in the Snug at the Portrait 

Gallery. 

Perhaps you might follow 

this by a walk. Whether it’s 

hills you are looking for or 

beaches then we have it all on 

our doorstep. Take a walk up 

Arthur's Seat. This is not for you 

unless you are reasonably fit, but 

if getting to the top is too much 

then have a stroll around the 

paths. Since the Collective Gallery 

reopened recently, you can take 

a taxi to the top of Calton Hill to 

visit the gallery and restaurant 

there and perhaps wander back 

down the hill. 

Mum’s got your back! 

THIS young koala joey started to 

peek out of its mother’s pouch 

for the first time at the Royal 

Zoological Society of Scotland’s 

Edinburgh Zoo in January. 

The very sleepy looking Queensland 

koala which was born in 

July to mum Alinga will take 

Take your mum for a cycle on 

the Just Eat bikes. It is as easy 

as pie to pick up a bike from any 

of the city centre locations. Just 

download the app on your phone 

and it will tell you where there 

are bikes available and where 

there are spaces to drop them off. 

You could do worse than cycle 

to Portobello and have brunch in 

any of the cafés there. Or lunch 

if you don’t get up early enough 

- with ice cream on the prom - 

nothing to beat it! 

To make her feel a bit special 

you could always take her to 

any of our Historic Environment 

Scotland attractions including 

Edinburgh Castle where over 2 

million people visited last year. 

A Historic Environment Scotland 

membership will get you in here 

and also Craigmillar Castle and 

their other 300 heritage sites 

across the country. 

Baby koala born at Edinburgh Zoo last July 

another month or two to grow big 

enough to move onto her back. 

As well as being members of 

a worldwide koala breeding 

programme, RZSS also supports 

conservation projects in Australia 

that help to rehabilitate sick and 

injured koalas and release them 

back into the wild.

8 MOTHER'S DAY The Edinburgh Reporter

@EdinReporter /EdinReporter /edinburghreporter BUSINESS NEWS 9 

The Big Declutter 

EDINBURGH ZOO asks local 

authorities, businesses and 

organisations to get involved in 

The Big Declutter. 

This is part of Zero Waste 

Scotland's £73 million 

investment programme into 

encouraging the circular 

economy. Pass It on Week takes 

place between 9 - 17 March 2019. 

Decluttering is more than just a 

clear out - it is a way of passing 

your unwanted items on to 

someone who might love them. 

Edinburgh Zoo is involved with Pass it On Week 

Photo | Paul Chappells 

It encourages sustainability 

rather than adding to the waste 

mountain. 

Edinburgh Zoo’s Green Team 

welcomed a large donation with 

many items being passed on the 

Highland Wildlife Park. 

Gemma Mudie, head of sustainability 

at Edinburgh Zoo, said: “As 

a wildlife conservation charity, 

our goal is to connect people with 

nature and protect species from 

extinction and we know this is 

only possible when we’re also 

Edinburgh law firm 

appoints new partner 

FULL-SERVICE law firm 

Ledingham Chalmers has 

appointed a renowned employment 

law specialist to join its 

team in Edinburgh bringing the 

number of partners up to 32 

across Scotland. 

In a move to expand its client 

offering in the capital, John Lee 

joins from Lindsays. 

The University of Strathclyde 

graduate is qualified to practise 

in Scotland, England and Wales 

and has worked in London and 

Edinburgh advising clients from 

a wide range of sectors including 

energy and utilities, defence, food 

and drink, healthcare and social 

care. 

He has extended rights of 

audience in the Court of Session 

and the UK Supreme Court 

and has regularly represented 

employers in employment and 

employment appeal tribunals 

throughout a career spanning 

nearly two decades. 

Mr Lee is one of only three 

solicitor advocates in the 

country to be accredited by the 

Law Society of Scotland in both 

employment and discrimination 

law. 

Chairman Jennifer Young 

said: “We already have a strong 

foothold in the capital with our 

insurance and public sector work. 

“That said, it’s important for 

sustainable growth that we 

continue to adapt and diversify 

our business, already strong in 

areas including litigation, dispute 

resolution and other corporate 

and commercial matters, into 

complementary areas where we 

see the best opportunities and the 

greatest demand. 

“John was a natural choice 

for us. Not only is he a skilled 

employment lawyer with an 

excellent reputation and considerable 

network, he’s also an ideal 

fit for our team.” 

Mr Lee said: “At a time when 

the commercial landscape for 

employers is changing, their risks 

are increasing and future uncertainty 

is unparalleled, businesses 

need high quality, trusted advice 

more than ever. 

“Ledingham Chalmers’ national 

presence, full service range and 

reputation is a compelling, clientfocussed 

combination meeting 

those demands. It is an exciting 

time for me and for the firm as we 

build upon and extend the firm’s 

excellent service delivery in 

Edinburgh and beyond. I am very 

much looking forward to working 

closely with my new colleagues.” 

LEITH WALK POLICE BOX POP UP SPACE 

Pop up space 

Flexible and affordable 

www.leithwalkpolicebox.com 

working to protect the environment. 

“Sustainability is very 

important to us and, as well as 

welcoming donations of items we 

can use to make enrichment for 

our animals, we also work with 

a number of other charities and 

partners to ensure that nothing in 

good condition goes to waste." 

Catherine Bozec, Consumer 

Campaigns Manager at Zero 

Waste Scotland, said: “Passing an 

item on after a declutter can help 

good causes, as well as reducing 

the number of items ending up 

as waste. Having a good clear 

out reminds us what we really 

need instead of buying more and 

this helps to preserve natural 

resources. Edinburgh Zoo is the 

perfect example of an organisation 

that benefits from many of 

the things that businesses and 

individuals would likely throw 

away.” 

More details on 

www.passitonweek.com 

Local 

Dentist 

wins 

award 

DR. ELAINE HALLEY of Cherrybank 

Dental Spa on Dundas Street 

and Perth, won the prestigious 

Outstanding Contribution to 

Dentistry 2018 Award at the recent 

annual Dentistry Scotland Awards 

presented by FMC Professional. 

The awards formally recognise 

excellent dentistry being carried 

out by teams and individuals 

throughout Scotland, recognising 

progress, effort and enterprise in 

general practice dentistry. The 

winning individuals and team 

members represent the rising 

standards in Scottish dentistry 

and the tremendous efforts to 

provide a higher calibre of patient 

experience. 

Dr. Elaine Halley, said : “I am 

thrilled and honoured to receive 

this award and look forward 

to continuing the hard work 

and dedication in achieving 

outstanding results in dentistry. 

This award is a testament to 

the excellent work of our team 

at Cherrybank, and I would 

like to thank our patients and 

community.” 

• Wednesdays and 

Fridays 11.00am to 

6.00pm - Tipico quality 

nuts, almonds and roasted 

pistachios plus delicious 

Sicilian confectionery 

• Saturdays Edinburgh Tool 

Library 10.30am to 1.00pm 

Dalmahoy gets 

a makeover 

DALMAHOY HOTEL is out of the 

way enough to be called a country 

hotel, but it is also within easy 

distance from the city centre. 

Now it is an even more attractive 

destination as it has just 

undergone a major refurbishment. 

The project has taken three 

months to complete and is part 

of a two year long major upgrade. 

The Scottish design firm 10 

Design has been in overall charge 

of the works designed not to 

cause too much disruption to 

guests, allowing them to fully 

enjoy their stay at the leisure 

resort. The facilities include a 

swimming pool, two golf courses 

and nature walks. 

The work completes upgrading 

EDINBURGH law firm Morton 

Fraser has said they will raise 

£10,000 for homelessness charity 

Social Bite. 

They are also going to work with 

the charity on a social media 

campaign to get points of clarity 

out to the general public. 

Some of the fundraising activity 

Morton Fraser staff will take 

part in over the year include the 

‘Gung Ho’ 5km inflatable obstacle 

course, The Kiltwalk, and Rough 

Runner obstacle course as well as 

in-office activities such as bake 

sales and raffles. Morton Fraser 

staff will also take part in Social 

All bedrooms at Dalmahoy have now been refurbished 

to all bedrooms as the seven 

manor house rooms and suites 

in the main building were all 

recently refurbished. 

Announcing the refurbishment 

of the 215 bedroom hotel, Alistair 

Kinchin, General Manager of 

Dalmahoy said: “This is a very 

exciting time for Dalmahoy. In 

the two years since we began 

operating as an independent 

property, we have already 

upgraded a number of the public 

areas of the property much to the 

delight of our guests. This latest 

restyle is integral to ensuring 

that the entire hotel exceeds 

the expectations of the modern, 

discerning traveller whilst 

celebrating the building’s 

incredible past.” 

Morton Fraser teams 

up with Social Bite 

• 2 March 2019 12- 4 Fairtrade 

pop up 

• 9 March 2019 1.30pm to 

3.30pm Drop in event. 

Free family activities 

with Woodcraft Folk. 

• 21 March 2019 10.00am to 

4.00pm Woodland Trust 

Charity 

Maggie Moodie (Chairman) and 

Josh Littejohn MBE (Co-founder of Social Bite) 

Bite’s official organised fundraiser 

in December. 

Maggie Moodie, Chairman 

at Morton Fraser, said: “We’re 

thrilled to take part in Social 

Bite’s mission to end homelessness 

across Scotland, not only 

through a year of activities and 

events, but also by using the 

expertise of both organisations to 

collaborate on a shared message. 

“When we were choosing our 

charity partner for this year, 

it became clear that we all felt 

passionately about supporting 

our local community, and that’s 

exactly what Social Bite does.” 

• 23 March 2019 2.00pm to 

5.00pm Invisible Edinburgh 

Street Barber, Socks for the 

Streets and QMU podiatry 

services for people encountering 

homelessness. 

• 31 March 2019 Scottish Green 

Party Persevere (Leith and 

Leith Walk branch)

10 POLITICS The Edinburgh Reporter 

Ash Denham MSP 

Ben Macpherson MSP 

Christine Jardine MP 

by Daniel Johnson MSP 

Deidre Brock MP 

Ian Murray MP 

Joanna Cherry QC MP 

Kezia Dugdale MSP 

Kezia backs a People’s Vote 

by Kezia Dugdale MSP 

AT THE end of this month, the 

U.K. is set to leave the European 

Union. 

I have long campaigned to give 

the public the final say on Brexit 

through a People’s Vote, giving 

the people the opportunity to 

either accept Theresa May’s 

Brexit deal or remain in the E.U. 

Westminster has been tearing 

itself apart over the type of Brexit 

deal they want with no success 

in finding a consensus. When it 

finally becomes clear that there 

is no Parliamentary majority for 

any Brexit option, the only way 

forward will be a People’s Vote. 

The economic forecasts are 

unanimous: Brexit will cause 

considerable and long-term 

economic damage to Edinburgh 

and will be felt by all who live and 

work here. 

Despite the clock ticking down 

to the final moments, I am still 

hopeful that we can seek an 

extension of Article 50 to allow 

time for a People’s Vote to be held 

which will offer a solution out of 

the sorry mess that is Brexit. 

On the budget and taxation 

by Ben Macpherson MSP 

IN THE 2019 Budget, the SNP 

Scottish Government continues to 

use the limited taxation powers of 

the Scottish Parliament to protect 

Scotland from the worst impacts 

of the Tories’ ideological austerity 

agenda. 

Our progressive income tax 

decisions mean that higher 

earners, who can afford to, 

contribute more to running our 

public services than those on 

lower incomes, making Scotland 

the fairest taxed part of the 

UK. We are empowering local 

government by giving Councils 

flexibility to seek to raise extra 

revenue from tourism and 

workplace parking if they want 

to, in order to help invest more in 

culture, communities and public 

transport. 

In housing, the Budget sees 

a record investment of £826 

million into building more affordable 

homes, and helps level the 

playing field for first-time buyers 

by increasing the Additional 

Dwelling Supplement from 3% 

to 4%. Despite ongoing cuts to 

Scotland’s block grant of £2bn, 

and the UK government's reckless 

mismanagement of Brexit, the 

Scottish Budget protects our 

communities as much as it is 

able to, and stands up for our 

values of fairness and equality by 

supporting inclusive growth, local 

democracy and sustainability for 

current and future generations. 

Brexit…. and a people’s vote 

By Ian Murray MP 

AT THE time of writing, we are 

around 800 hours away from 

Brexit. 

Three years have passed since 

David Cameron announced the 

EU referendum campaign, and 

still we have no idea what leaving 

the EU will look like. 

But we do know one thing: there 

is no such thing as a good Brexit. 

It will decimate jobs and cause 

further austerity, with areas like 

Edinburgh South among the 

hardest hit. 

Crusade for clean air 

by Christine Jardine MP 

MANY of you will know that clean 

air is something of a crusade for 

me. It is one of the most precious 

commodities we have. 

A child health study has found 

that children living within 75 

metres of a major road had a 29% 

increased risk of lifetime asthma 

and my constituency contains 

two of Scotland’s most polluted 

roads. 

Children tend to be exposed to 

higher levels of pollution than 

adults, and a child living within 

That’s why I have been fighting 

for a people’s vote with the option 

of keeping the best deal we 

currently have – as a member of 

the EU. 

It’s something I have been 

campaigning for for over a year, 

both publicly and within my own 

party. 

British politics is in chaos and 

party structures are breaking 

down, but one thing will never 

change: I will always stand up 

for the people I represent in 


75 metres of a major road had 

a 29% increased risk of lifetime 

asthma. 

Devolution doesn’t make a 

difference, air doesn’t stop at 

borders and take in the rest of the 

sentence. 

This is why I’m running a 

campaign calling for the city 

council to create a Low Emissions 

Zone in the west of Edinburgh 

and I’m pushing the UK and 

Scottish Governments at every 

opportunity to take action. 

Our children deserve better. 

Local Politicians 

have their say 

On Brexit 

by Deidre Brock MP 

FOOD production and food 

security might be about to 

become a couple of the biggest 

issues in politics. 

After years of denial Brexiteers 

are finally admitting how much 

damage it will do. Farmers have 

been warning about this for a 

while. Access to EU markets is 

vital for our high-quality food and 

drink sector - and the protections 

that we currently have. Brexit 

threatens all of that. 

Some folk seem to think that it'll 

be fine, that we'll simply eat what 

our farmers produce instead of it 

being exported. That doesn't take 

into account that animal feed, 

fertilisers, and other products 

that farmers use are imported – 

mainly from the EU or under EU 

trade deals. 

Seeds - we import about a tenth 

Universal Credit 

by Joanna Cherry QC MP 

WITH Universal Credit really 

starting to bite in Edinburgh 

South West, I am seeing more and 

more people experiencing serious 

hardship. 

It is not unusual for me to see 

constituents who have been left 

effectively destitute. Many of 

them are citing issues like the 

harsh sanctions regime or the 

five-week initial assessment 

period where any other benefits 

are stopped – both problems that 

the SNP have been raising at 

Westminster for months. 

Last week, my team met with 

Off the Brexit cliff 

by Ash Denham MSP 

AS WE are pushed closer to the 

edge of the Brexit cliff, I am often 

asked what the EU has done for 

my constituents. The answer 

is – a lot. Funding research into 

endometriosis and allergies, 

language courses for teachers and 

pupils, tackling social isolation 

and poverty and enhancing 

employment opportunities. 

Schools like Craigentinny, 

Royal High Primary, Portobello 

High, Craigour Park, Liberton 

and Castlebrae Community High 

have all received EU funding. The 

by Daniel Johnson MSP 

AT A time when our local authorities 

are already struggling, the 

Scottish Government has ripped 

£230million in real terms from 

our councils in its latest budget, 

£33million from Edinburgh alone. 

Communities will bear the brunt 

of this vicious attack on local 

services. Bins will continue to be 

left uncollected. Housing waiting 

lists will skyrocket. The quality of 

our roads will deteriorate. Library 

and school funding will remain 

under threat. 

Our cash strapped councils 

of the seeds that farmers use, 

but all of the forage maize seed 

is imported and much of the 

vegetable, herbage and oilseed 

rape. If we can't import easily in 

the next few months it's going to 

be hard for farmers to produce 

much at all. 

Then you get into the thing 

about EU citizens - get rid of 

freedom of movement and you 

lose an awful lot of the workforce 

–the fruit pickers, the farm 

workers, the vets, the processing 

workers and the drivers who 

make sure food gets to our shops. 

Take away the access to the 

world's biggest single market as 

well, or have those huge tariffs 

imposed, and Scotland's food and 

drink sector faces some pretty 

big challenges. Anyone living in 

a city who thinks that farming 

and fishing are someone else's 

problems is about to find out that 

they're very much problems for 

all of us. 

Barbara Swan MBE and her team 

of advisers at the Gorgie/Dalry 

Citizens Advice Bureau to discuss 

how we can work together to help 

people who have been affected by 

Universal Credit. I will be having 

similar meetings with other 

third-sector organisations and 

community groups who are also 

dealing with the fallout over the 

coming weeks. 

The experiences that my 

constituents have described to 

me show that it is time for the UK 

Government to follow the Scottish 

Government’s lead and devise 

a social security system with 

dignity and fairness at its heart. 

Jack Kane Centre in Niddrie was 

involved in two projects which 

promoted inclusion and equality 

as well as overcoming obstacles. 

Our most disadvantaged 

communities desperately need 

this EU funding. Will the Tories 

at Westminster replace this? If 

the Prime Minister’s plan is to 

run down the clock, which will 

virtually ensure a ‘no deal’ hard 

Brexit that will damage Scotland’s 

economy, then they have a duty 

to ensure that my constituency of 

Edinburgh Eastern does not lose 

out. 

https://www.myeu.uk/area/EH 

Cuts to Edinburgh budget 

are struggling to provide these 

basic local services, yet they are 

spending millions on keeping 

patients in hospital who do not 

need to be there. Our hospitals 

are filled with people waiting for 

social care packages to facilitate 

their return home. 

Proper investment in social care 

is urgently required. The Scottish 

Government must act now so that 

people can return home to their 

families sooner, and so that our 

local councils can start to claw 

back some of the £120million 

spent per year on delayed 

hospital discharges.

@EdinReporter /EdinReporter /edinburghreporter WHAT’S ON 11 

What’s on in March 

Theatre | Art | Music | Shows | Festivals 

On the film scene 

by Adam Zawadzki 

RELEASED on 1 March ‘The 

Aftermath’ features Keira 

Knightley (Pride and Prejudice), 

Alexander Skarsgård (Big Little 

Lies television series) and Jason 

Clarke (Zero Dark Thirty). 

Based on the Rhidian Brook 

novel of the same name, the film 

is set in Hamburg, Germany in the 

aftermath of the Second World 

War where, during that bitter 

winter, a love triangle is ignited. 

One week later, an entirely 

different film will hit the big 

screen. After the DC Extended 

Universe delivered ‘Wonder 

Woman’ in 2017, witness the 

arrival of ‘Captain Marvel’ into the 

all-conquering Marvel Cinematic 

Universe. Brie Larson (Room) is 

the former U.S. Air Force pilot 

Carol Danvers who becomes the 

superhero Captain Marvel while 

Samuel L. Jackson makes his 

ninth appearance as Nick Fury. 

Directed by Peter Hedges, ‘Ben 

Is Back’ opens on 15 March and 

features his son, Lucas Hedges 

(Lady Bird) as the eponymous 

character with Julia Roberts 

(Pretty Woman) as his mother. 

Similarly to ‘Beautiful Boy’, we 

follow a parent as they try to 

help their child overcome their 

substance addictions 

Winner of the Volpi Cup Award 

for Best Actor at the Venice 

International Film Festival last 

year and nominated for an Oscar 

and Golden Globe in the same 

category, Willem Dafoe portrays 

the Dutch painter Vincent van 

Gogh in ‘At Eternity’s Gate’. 

Opening on 29 March, the film is 

set in the south of France during 

van Gogh’s final years. 

At the National 

Library of Scotland 

George IV Bridge, EH1 1EW 

All events Free Tel 0131 623 3734 

to reserve a place. 

Airships steamships and Spitfires 

6 March 2019 2.00pm. 

A talk about 100 years of women 

in engineering. Dr Nina Baker 

shares some of the terrific stories 

about women she has met during 

her years of research. 

World Book Day 2019 Biographical 

Dictionary of Scottish Women. 

7 March 2019 2.00pm Free Tel 0131 

623 3734 to reserve a place. 

Latest edition contains stories of 

hundreds of Scottish women from 

the distant past to the present. 

Over 180 additional entries on 

women who died before 2018. 

Petticoats and Pinnacles 

8 March 2019 2.00pm 

Women and climbing are often 

overlooked. As artists writers 

explorers and climbers they have 

pushed frontiers. 

PIONEERING Scottish musician 

Mairi Campbell is taking to the 

road this spring and will come 

home to Edinburgh at the end of 

the month. 

This show is the story of 

Scotland’s most famous song 

and the life of one of the nation’s 

most celebrated musicians. This 

follows her hugely successful 

solo theatre show Pulse bringing 

audiences on a new adventure 

taking in singing for US 

President Bill Clinton, a starring 

role in Sex and the City and a 

Mairi Campbell returns to the capital this month Photo | Neil Hanna 

Mairi Campbell: Auld Lang Syne 

Forth and Clyde Canal 

12 March 2019 2.00pm 

The canal spans the country to 

link the east and west coasts. This 

illustrated talk explores some of 

the stories of the canal. 

Isle of May uncovered 

14 March 2.00pm 

David Steel describes the 

island’s history and wildlife and 

shares what it is like to live and 

work there. 

Scotland her Story 


This talk by acclaimed novelist 

and journalist Rosemary Goring 

will shine a light on the women 

who have made Scotland’s history 

rich robust and fascinating. 

The care and conservation of 

shared Georgian gardens 


John Byrom architect and 

landscaper will explain the 

relationship of these gardens to 

the planning wellbeing and future 

of a greener Edinburgh. 

reinterpretation of the Robert 

Burns classic that changed her 

life. 

Speaking ahead of the tour 

launch Mairi said; “Ever since 

I started working on this show 

I wanted to take this story 

of Auld Lang Syne as far as 

possible across Scotland. When 

Burn’s discovered the music 

his words transformed it into 

one of Scotland’s most famous 

songs. When I recorded it with 

David Francis I realised how 

little I and most Scots knew 

Whistle stop tour of the library’s 

printed special collections. 


Part of Rare Books Week. 

Graham Hogg explains about the 

library and how it acquires printed 

collections. He will talk about 300 

years of collecting history from 

the Advocates Library in the 17th 

century to the NLS today. 

Mother a Human Love Story 


Matt Hopwood presents a 

selection of storied told to him 

by mothers on his world travels. 

The perfect event just ahead of 

Mother’s Day. 

John Buchan the Scottish 

polymath 


Author of the Thirty Nine Steps 

remembered in this talk by his 

granddaughter Ursula Buchan 

revealing him to be a remarkable 

man who amazed his contemporaries 

with his versatility 

and range. 

about its meaning. The song 

had such a profound affect on 

my life I wanted to tell this 

story of friendship, change and 

adventure through songs and 

performance. Like Burns I’m 

keen to see the reactions to my 

interpretation and hear stories 

from Scots across the country so 

I can’t wait to to hit the road.” 

23 March 2019 

Scottish Storytelling Centre, 

Edinburgh 7.30pm 

+44 (0)131 556 9579 

The Architectural 

Heritage Society of 

Scotland lecture series 

Collections and Interpretation 

Manager of the Abbotsford Trust, 

Kirsty Archer-Thompson will 

deliver a lecture on Sir Walter 

Scott's Abbotsford. 

Kirsty will be talking about 

Scott's aims when it came to 

the Abbotsford design. She will 

showcase how Scott created such 

a great place for storytelling and 

celebration. 

The lecture at St Andrew's 

and St George's West Church 

on George Street takes place on 

Monday 1 April at 6.30pm. Tickets 

£5. Students can attend for free 

and non members are welcome. 

The lecture on 4 March at the 

same venue is about the Glasgow 

School of Art Restoration after 

the devastating fires. It will be 

delivered by Liz Davidson senior 

project manager. 

At National 

Museum of Scotland 

www.nms.ac.uk 

Robots 

to Sun 5 May 2019 

Exhibition Gallery 1, Level 3 

Members: Free, Adult: £10, 

Concession: £8, Child (Under 16): 

free, National Art Pass holders: 

50% discount 

From early mechanised human 

forms to today’s cutting-edge 

technology, this major exhibition 

reveals our 500-year quest to 

make machines human. Featuring 

more than 100 objects – from 

automatons to science fiction film 

stars and the creations of modern 

research labs – this is your 

chance to see the most significant 

collection of humanoid robots 

ever assembled. 

The Art of African Metalwork 

to Sun 25 Aug 

Exhibition Gallery 3, Level 1 

Discover how brass and copper 

once featured as mediums of 

exchange, status and power in 

Africa through highlights of the 

museum’s 19th and early 20th 

century collections from west and 

central Africa. 

Museum Social 

Fri 15 Mar 2019 

10:30–12:00 

Free, including refreshments - 

call 0300 123 6789 

Museum Socials are events for 

anyone affected by Dementia 

and their relatives, friends and 

supporters. The sessions are 

relaxed and informal, start with 

tea and cake, and feature a range 

of activities inspired by our collections. 

March’s Museum Social 

theme is ‘Robots’ explore the 

wonderful world of robotics. 

Pioneers: Women in Egyptology 

Sat 9 Mar 14:00–15:30 

Adult £10, Members & Concessions 

£8 

To mark International Women’s 

Day celebrate the achievements 

of women in Egyptology past and 

present. 

Join TV presenter Margaret 

Mountford, researcher Lee Young 

and academic Heba Abd el Gawad 

as they tell the stories of the 

talented and tenacious women 

whose work has left a lasting 

legacy in this field. Part of International 

Women’s Day 2019 

Lauriston 

Lectures 2019 

Lecture mornings at Lauriston 

cost £9 and include a friendly 

lecture with a guest lecturer, have 

coffee and cakes and get a special 

tour. 

Special offer, book 10 lectures 

for £80 - enter discount code 

LAURISTON10 to get your discount 

on Eventbrite

12 GENERAL WHAT’S NEWS ON 

The Edinburgh Reporter 


At the Studio - 

Get a Life! 

by John Kennedy 

SKULLDUGGERY? This Is Deadly 

Serious. 

A wig, a cap a stetson? Splinters 

Productions present a not 

altogether crazy look at a crazy 

world. 

Acclaimed Scottish actors John 

Shedden and Finlay McLean 

(plus skeleton) perform a series 

of weird and wonderful sketches. 

You’ll meet a variety of hilarious 

characters from the land of the 

living (and the dead). 

Judge the judge, be starstruck 

by the astronomer, eavesdrop 

on the Prime Minister and the 

President, witness two extraordinary 

interviews as Hamlet and 

Shylock return to rewrite their 

stories! You can even throw your 

undies at Wolf (the heartthrob) 

Humperhoven! 

Out of this kaleidoscope of 

theatre, social satire, politics and 

parody, emerges a startling view 

of the crazy world we live in! 

GET A LIFE! The Studio 

Thursday 28 – Saturday 30 

March 2019 

The Scottish 

Ornithologists' Club 

A GROUP of printmakers: Carry 

Akroyd, Babs Pease, Kelly Stewart 

and Susie Wright combine in 

a group exhibition inspired by 

wildlife from 2 March to 11 April 

2019. 

For some, Carry Akroyd in 

particular, wildlife is a central 

concern and the focus of their art 

practice. For others it is a rich 

source of inspiration to which 

they return frequently alongside 

other interests. All share the 

language of printmaking (screenprints 

and linocuts in particular) 

as their main medium. 

Each has a very personal and 

distinctive approach: from bold 

shapes to subtle lines, paired 

down compositions to overlapping 

transparencies. The result is 

a contrasting and joyful exhibition 

and a perfect spring display! 

Open daily, 10am to 4pm, at The 

Scottish Ornithologists’ Club, 

Aberlady, East Lothian, EH32 0PY 

Hidden Door will make Leith Theatre its home again in 2019. PHOTO | Chris Scott 

Hidden Door Festival 2019 

AS we were delighted to tell 

you in January, Hidden Door 

are running a long weekend 

festival from 30 May to 2 June. 

They will be back at Leith 

Theatre where there will 

be a special opening night 

presented in partnership with 

The List. 

The festival’s core team 

of volunteers are now busy 

pulling together the full 

programme, with more 

announcements due soon. 

David Martin, Creative 

Director of Hidden Door, said: 

“We believe Hidden Door is 

making a real difference to 

artists and creative people in 

Scotland. It is creating accessible, 

engaging experiences 

for audiences, and is leaving a 

legacy, both to the communities 

we invest in and the fabric 

of the city itself, such as with 

the Leith Theatre. It’s hugely 

exciting to be returning to 

that glorious venue for a long 

weekend of fun, and we’re also 

proud to again be working with 

The List”. 

It was in 2017 when Hidden 

Door first used Leith Theatre 

bringing it back from a rather 

sorry state to become a usable 

space once more. The volunteers 

worked hard to tidy the theatre 

up and used it in 2018 with over 

13,000 people attending shows, 

including the sell-out that was 

Young Fathers there. 

During the Fringe they used the 

space during the Edinburgh International 

Festival with The Jesus 

and Mary Chain. 

Showing that the space was 

once again usable made it 

possible for shows like the fab 

Alan Cumming who used it for 

a one night only Club Cumming, 

and also for a week in November 

that really got people talking with 

The Last Days of Mankind, by Karl 

Kraus, featuring The Tiger Lillies. 

Jack Hunter, chair of the Leith 

Theatre Trust, said: “We are 

thrilled that Hidden Door has 

both secured enough funding 

to continue and also that it 

returns to Leith Theatre in 2019 

in a fantastic, packed weekend 

programme. Hidden Door has 

been instrumental in putting 

Leith Theatre on the map and 

generous in its time and support 

of our campaign to save the 

theatre. The campaign to reopen 

the full complex at Leith Theatre 

continues to make progress and 

we are in positive conversations 

to support the building and 

its role within the community 

of Leith, and for the city of 

Edinburgh. Watch this space!” 

In 2017, Hidden Door 

collaborated with The List 

on two nights of live music - 

bringing Scottish Album of 

the Year (SAY) award winner 

Anna Meredith and Scottish 

indie legends Idlewild to the 

Leith Theatre main stage. The 

partnership continued last 

year, with a powerful all-female 

lineup including Honeyblood’s 

Stina Tweeddale, Dream Wife 

and Mercury Prize nominee 

Nadine Shah. 

Arusa Qureshi, Editor at The 

List, said: “We're thrilled to be 

partnering with Hidden Door 

again this year and delighted 

to see the festival heading back 

to the Leith Theatre. Hidden 

Door is one of the city's most 

inspiring and truly unique 

events, proving every year 

that Edinburgh has plenty 

to offer year-round. The List 

are pleased to support such 

a fantastic festival and we 

can't wait to present another 

cracking opening night with 

some of our favourite acts.” 

hiddendoorblog.org 

Rootsbase 

THIS is a programme of folk, trad 

and roots-based music at Gilded 

Balloon Basement every Tuesday 

night at 7.30pm until June. 

The room was packed on the 

opening night for The Jellyman's 

Daughter, a duo, (although there 

were four of them on stage at 

some points....). 

This is a very talented pair 

indeed, and the audience were 

most appreciative of their truly 

unique vocals and music. 

Gilded Balloon is confident the 

former Charlotte Baptist Chapel 

in the west end corner of Rose 

Street will become a regular draw 

for fans of all things folk-music 

related. The new music venture 

is overseen by Gilded Balloon 

Artistic Director, Katy Koren. 

The reason for expanding the 

company's activities into folk and 

roots-based music, she says, is 

to put the cream of Scottish folk 

music in the spotlight, in the heart 

of Edinburgh. 

Katy said:"We are incredibly 

excited to be expanding our music 

programme at the Basement. As a 

local Edinburgh company, Gilded 

Balloon are passionate about 

showcasing the greatest artists 

that this city, and Scotland, has 

to offer. It's important to the team 

here at Gilded Balloon to have 

as diverse a programme as we 

possibly can, encouraging fans of 

all different kinds of entertainment 

to come down to the new 

venue and see what we're about. 

Scottish traditional music couldn't 

be more healthier and more 

vibrant just now, and we're thrilled 

to open The Basement's doors to 

some of the best it has to offer." 

With many live music venues in 

the Capital having disappeared in 

recent years, Koren believes the 

emergence of the Gilded Balloon 

Basement’s RootsBase can 

reinvigorate the city's live music 

scene. 

She said: "Like everyone else, 

we have been saddened and 

surprised by the rapid and wideranging 

closure of live music 

venues across Edinburgh. We 

hope that our new weekly night, 

RootsBase, will inspire more 

and more people to support and 

involve themselves in the revitalisation 

of Edinburgh’s music 

scene." 

Other artists also due to 

appear at the new club include 

classical-jazz-folk duo Twelfth 

Day; soul-blues outfit Charlotte 

Marshall & The 45s, trad 

jazz award-winner Fergus 

McCreadie, Blue Rose Code's Lyle 

Watt and singer-songwriter Kim 

Edgar. 

As well as Rootsbase there is a 

full schedule of comedy, cabaret 

and music in The Basement. 

https://gildedballoon.co.uk/ 

programme/ 

Don’t miss our monthly What’s on Section

@EdinReporter /EdinReporter /edinburghreporter 

WHAT’S ON 

13 


Edinburgh Iranian Festival 


Celebrating its tenth year the 

festival returns jam-packed 

with the best of Middle Eastern 

culture including music, food, 

fashion, dance, art and poetry, and 

cinema. The festival which aims 

to address misconceptions around 

the culture will also encourage 

collaborations across cultures 

including a free bagpipe concert 

featuring both Scottish and 

Iranian musicians at the National 

Museum on 2 March 2019. 

Edinburgh International Festival 

of Middle Eastern Spirituality and 

Peace 2-29 March 

Drawing together people from a 

variety of spiritual backgrounds, 

cultures, traditions and communities 

this international festival 

celebrates peace and mutual 

understanding through a variety 

of events. This will be delivered 

through a number of educational, 

artistic and cultural events 

including a wellbeing workshop 

with Gillian Allan. 

Edinburgh Yarn Festival 

21 -23 March 2019 

Edinburgh Corn Exchange The 

festival for ‘yarn-enthusiasts of 

all flavours’ has arrived featuring 

a selection of over 100 vendors, 

classes and workshops. The 

marketplace will run from the 21 

to 23 and Fringe events will run 

from 20 to 24. 

Edinburgh West End Gin Festival 


Over 30 West End bars and 

restaurants will be offering £5 gin 

cocktails and £4 perfect serves, 

as well as exclusive workshops 

throughout the festival including 

flower arranging and cocktail 

making. The festival’s mission 

is to bring bars, brands and gin 

lovers together to celebrate the 

very finest Scottish gins. 

At St Cuthbert’s Parish Church 

King Stables Road 

Saturday 23rd March at 7.30pm 

Alexander's Feast by George 

Frideric Handel 

This oratorio, composed in 

January 1736, was a great success 

when first performed, and 

encouraged Handel to make the 

transition from writing Italianstyle 

operas to large choral works 

such as Messiah. The libretto is 

by Newburgh Hamilton adapted 

from John Dryden's ode “Alexander's 

Feast, or the Power of Music” 

(1697) which had been written to 

celebrate Saint Cecilia's Day. 

The 60 strong Garleton Singers 

will be joined by professional 

soloists and instrumentalists. 

Their conductor, Stephen Doughty, 

has been Musical Director since 

1994. He is also Chorus Master 

of Belfast Philharmonic Choir 

and the Musical Director of the 

Edinburgh Bach Choir. 

Tickets : £15 adults, £10 students, 

£5 children of school age 

Speaking to Jack Lukeman 

JACK is an award-winning 

musician from Ireland and he 

is playing at the Voodoo Rooms 

on 10 March 2019. 

Here we asked him what we 

can expect when he comes to 


Hi Jack, tell us a little bit 

about your style of music and 

musical influences? 

I’ve always been pretty 

much influenced by all music. 

Growing up the radio was 

always on. I remember hearing 

Tom Waits “The Piano Has 

Been Drinking’ as a kid and it 

blew my head up. 

My Mum was into to the 

Beatles and 60s stuff, while my 

dad was as into Sinatra and the 

old crooners, while my brother 

was into Pink Floyd and my 

sister was into Abba. So I ended 

up with a rather large musical 

palette. 

Your latest album ‘Magic 

Days’ has an impressive list 

of musical contributors, how 

did Golden Globe composer 

Brian Byrne (Katy Perry/ Chaka 

Khan) come to play on the 

album? 

Brian is a great musical friend 

At Edinburgh Folk Club Tannara 

6 March 2019 Bold, creative and 

original, Tannara (Owen Sinclair, 

Robbie Greig, Becca Skeoch and 

Joseph Peach) have established 

themselves as one of the UK’s 

most interesting and unique 

contemporary folk groups. 

Unafraid to experiment, their 

music is an electrifying meeting 

place for a world of sounds: 

punchy and clean, riotous and 

gritty, tender and honest. On 

fiddle, harp, guitar, accordion 

and vocals, Tannara make an 

Jack Lukeman will play Edinburgh’s Voodoo Rooms on 10 March 

of mine and I’ve been lucky to 

sing on many of his various 

projects over the years. Most 

recently he put James Joyce’s 

love letters to music. I sang a 

sweet song called ‘The Year is 

Gathering’. At the latter end of 

making my album ‘Magic Days’ 

I asked him if he could score a 

couple of string arrangement on 

‘Magic Day and Magic Ways’ and 

‘Sweet as Freedom’ which were 

both greatly enhanced by his 

talents. 

What is your proudest moment 

in your career to date? 

I recently had a plaque erected 

in my old home town of Athy 

Co.Kildare honouring my contribution 

to music. 

I had written a song about a 

laneway in the town called ‘Garter 

Lane’ so they put it up in the 

actual lane way which is in the 

centre of the town 

I’ve been lucky to win awards 

around the world for things but 

that probably meant the most. 

Interestingly the town also 

erected plaques for Johnny Marr 

of The Smiths and Mani from The 

Stone Roses also as their parents 

came from the locality too. 

What is your favourite thing 

intensely considered musical 

world which is uniquely theirs. 

Their 2016 debut album Trig, 

produced by Rachel Newton, 

was received to great acclaim. 

Living Tradition Magazine rated 

it as simply outstanding, and 

t was longlisted for Album of 

the Year at the 2016 Scots Trad 

Music Awards, (when the band 

were also nominated for Up and 

Coming Artist of the Year). At 

the Pleasance Cabaret Bar 60 

Pleasance EH8 9TJ Tickets on the 

door. 

about Edinburgh? 

The old historical streets and 

the fact you can see mountains 

and the sea from various 

points. It’s similar to Dublin 

in that way. The people are 

also great fun and with all the 

various festivals it’s spoilt for 

entertainment. 

Have you played Voodoo 

Rooms before? 

Yes it’s a truly beautiful 

venue. I had a cracker of a gig 

there last time. I’m looking 

forward to rattling the rafters 

again 

What can audiences expect 

from a live show? 

A feast of songs, a musical 

adventure , short stories, exotic 

travel. Men and women of 

loose morals and happy and 

sad endings 

It’s a pretty eclectic evening 

with a fair bit of spontaneity 

and the audience are the 

choir… 

Jack Lukeman will be playing 

Voodoo Rooms on 10 March 

Tickets can be purchased 

here 

www.seetickets.com 

Share your 

event with us! 

At the Patrick 

Geddes Centre 

7 March 2019 12-15-3.00pm 

and 6.00pm to 6.45pm A beginner's 

guide to Geddes. Who was 

he? Join the Centre under the 

stunning ceiling in the Geddes 

Room to learn about the life and 

legacy of this important Scot. 

Folk & Roots The Ambrose Music 

Club 26 March 2019 7.30pm 

£14.50 includes a simple bowl 

supper. The duelling fiddles of 

The Ambrose house Band return 

with a relaxed evening of special 

guests, music, song, chat and 

stories. Tickets on Eventbrite. 

27 March 2019 10.00am to 4.00pm 

£30 includes lunch Study Day 

- Mackie and the Evergreens A 

special day exploring the recently 

acquired first editions looking at 

their context, ideas and traditional 

handcraft production. 

27 March 2019 4.00pm to 6.00pm 

Evening Walk and Talk Women 

and Geddes. Walking tour 

visiting some of the 19th century 

sites where women led social 

movements and Patrick Geddes' 

sociological experiments began. 

28 March 2019 9.30am to 4.30 pm 

£35 Symposium - Women Led 

Social Change 

Dr Darling, a reader in Architectural 

History at Oxford Brookes 

University, will draw on her 

research into women reformers 

in late Victorian and Edwardian 

Edinburgh to consider how gender 

informed the practice of urban 

and social reform in Edinburgh’s 

Old Town. Dr Reid’s research 

concerns Scottish gardening 

women (1800-1903) and their 

impact on social change. 

Edinburgh’s 

Festival of 

Ireland 

15 - 23 March 2019. Celebrate 

the rich culture of the Emerald 

Isle as a bit of Ireland comes to 

Edinburgh around St Patrick's 

Day! Edinburgh's Festival of 

Ireland is a celebration of the 

links between Edinburgh and 

Ireland, with music, comedy, 

dance, talks and a family-friendly 

community pageant along Portobello 

Promenade on Sunday 17th 

March, St Patrick's Day itself. 

Other highlights are a performance 

by a 30-strong choir 

visiting from Cork at St Patrick's 

Church in the Cowgate, an 

Irish Dance Spectacular with 

Edinburgh-based Siamsoir Irish 

Dancers, an evening of traditional 

Irish music at Edinburgh Folk 

Club and a Grand Charity Ball at 

the Sheraton Grand Hotel to end it 

all off. All this with lots of music 

sessions around Edinburgh pubs. 

www.edinburghsfestivalofireland. 

org 

Don’t miss our monthly What’s on Section

14 WHAT’S ON The Edinburgh Reporter 


HippFest 2019 


The UK premiere of the 1922 Hound of the Baskervilles 

features in a packed programme 

THE 9th Hippodrome Silent 

Film Festival, otherwise known 

affectionately as HippFest will 

run over five days next month 

in Bo’ness at Scotland's oldest 

purpose-built cinema. 

HippFest the annual 

event produced by Falkirk 

Community Trust will run from 

20 to 24 March 2019 and is the 

only festival dedicated to silent 

film in Scotland. 

One of the main highlights 

this year is the UK premiere of 

the restored 90 year-old feature 

'Hound of the Baskervilles' - the 

final Sherlock Holmes silent 

ever made. Until only 10 years 

ago, the film was missing and 

believed lost. It has an international 

cast with six leads from 

six different countries. 

Pianist Mike Nolan will play 

for many of the films but here 

in our photograph he is posing 

as Sherlock Holmes 

Found in the basement of 

a Polish priest, this feature 

was the holy grail of the silent 

film world and this surviving 

print had only Czech intertitles. 

After a full restoration by 

the San Francisco Silent Film 

Festival and Poland's National 

Film Archive last year, new 

English intertitles and minor 

missing scenes were bridged 

with a series of stills. 

Alison Strauss, Festival 

Director, said: "We're so excited 

to be launching the 9th Hippodrome 

Silent Film Festival. 

We've come a long way and 

now we're just heading towards 

these five days of fantastic 

premieres of restorations, 

musicians coming from all 

over the world and audiences 

coming from all over Scotland." 

"The music for many people 

is the highlight. When you add 

the live music element to the 

silent films everything's lifted." 

"Accompanying all our films, 

including the Sherlock Holmes 

film, will be musicians many of 

whom are improvising or using 

semi notated scores or new 

commissions. The music for 

many people is the highlight. 

When you add the live music 

element to the silent films 

everything's lifted, and it's 

extraordinary to witness 

musicians unrolling this other 

level of story." 

"The opening screening 

which is going to be 'Rob Roy' 

was filmed in 1922, on location 

not far from here and with 

hundreds of soldiers from 

the Argyll Regiment. It's just 

wonderful to see a Scottish 

story and Scottish intertitles 

upon the screen in Scotland's 

oldest cinema." 

"This wasn’t the first film 

version of the subject but it is 

certainly the most epic, and it 

hasn’t been screened since it 

took Scottish picture houses 

by storm in 1922. Now, and 

with the added wow-factor of 

David Allison’s new score, we 

are sure people will experience 

all the thrill and excitement of 

seeing this significant Scottish 

production on the big screen, 

just like the audiences one 

hundred years ago." 

Musician David Allison 

said: "I'm really looking 

forward to coming back to 

this wonderful festival at the 

Hippodrome which is truly 

an extraordinary venue. ‘Rob 

Roy’ is an ambitiously staged 

tale of romance and nationalist 

pride and it’s an honour to get 

to write and perform music to 

one of Scotland’s most iconic 

figures." 

For our interview 

scan here 

Your Day by Day guide 

1 March 2019 is World Day 

of Prayer 

There will be prayer services 

prepared by the Christian Women 

of Slovenia at St Fillans Episcopal 

on Buckstone Drive, Duddingston 

Kirk, Morningside Parish Church, 

Augustine United Reformed 

Church, St Andrew’s and St 

George’s West in the morning and 

a variety of other churches in the 

afternoon. Details: 

wdpscotland.org.uk 

Collabro at The Queen’s Hall 1 

March 

The group are known for their 

spectacular covers of songs from 

the world of musical theatre, as 

well as by popular artists. On 

their third album, Home, they 

tackled songs from the likes 

of Les Miserables and Beauty And 

The Beast. 

The Fantastical Chocolate 

Festival 2 March 

2 March £17.00 at Assembly 

Rooms – 11.30am-8.30pm to book 

tickets phone: 0131 220 4348 

Wee Treasures 

ages 2-5 drop in event at Scottish 

National Portrait Gallery 2 March, 

10:30am & 11:30am – admission 

free – no tickets, sign-up on 

the day 

Edinburgh Quartet 

Island Verses is a new commission 

by up and coming, but 

already critically acclaimed, 

composer Peter Longworth. The 

piece is a combination of music 

and spoken word, featuring texts 

written by school students from 

the Scottish Isles exploring island 

life and sense of place, devised by 

Ron Butlin. At The Queen’s Hall on 

3 March 2019 at 3.00pm. 

Jessie Cave : Sunrise The Stand 

3 March 2019 

Jessie Cave brings her tales 

of her recent break-up and the 

attempts to get her life back in 

order to Edinburgh 

Edinburgh Quartet 

will play Exile for the first time 

ever in public. The new piece, 

titled Island Verses, has been 

written specifically to engage with 

young people on the Quartet’s tour 

of some of Scotland’s remotest 

islands. Through workshops with 

author Ron Butlin, students across 

Scotland will develop unique texts 

exploring their sense of island 

life and sense of place, which 

will be woven into the piece and 

performed, creating a unique 

performance at every stage of the 

tour. 

The premiere performance will 

take place at The Queen’s Hall on 

3 March 2019 at 3.00pm. Tickets 

available from the venue, 

BYOB (bring your own baby/ 

bump) 

Tour of Scottish National Portrait 

Gallery – 4 March, 10:15am, 

11:00am, 11:30am – admission free 

4 March 2019 Liz Davidson 

will deliver a lecture on the 

restoration of Glasgow School of 

Art building following the second 

fire there. The AHSS lecture will 

take place at St Andrew's and St 

George's West Church, 13 George 

Street at 6.30pm. 

5 March 2019 Open Studio: 

Make an Impression – Scottish 

National Portrait Gallery 

Let the Kids go wild at this 

month’s messy art making 

mornings in the Farmer Studio 

for children one to three. Taking 

along a change of clothes is 

highly advised. 

Lecture/Talk at Scottish National 

Portrait Gallery - International 

Women’s Day 

-: Gerda Stevenson 5 March, 12:45- 

1:30pm – admission free 

Swan Lake at Edinburgh 

Playhouse on 8 - 9 March 

Tickets cost £13-£38.90 book 

online at: https://www.atgtickets. 

com/ or phone: 08448713014 

The Scottish Motorcycle Show 

is on at the Royal Highland 

Centre on 9 March 2019. 

The event will be jam-packed 

with lots of different shows and 

demonstrations. Timetables and 

schedules for the Scottish Stunt 

Freestyle section of the event is 

already looking busy for both days 

so it is sure to keep 

you entertained. 

Chamber Music Concert, 

3.00pm, Sunday 10th March 

2019 Stockbridge Church, 7b Saxe 

Coburg Street, EH5 3BN 

The Drawing Room 

Adult course at the Scottish 

National Gallery of Modern 

Art – 14 March, 5:30-6:45pm – 

admission free “The Drawing 

Room examines the range of 

possibilities within contemporary 

drawing practice and explores 

how mark-making can also be 

conceived as sculpture, installation, 

video, performance, writing, 

sound, textiles and animation. 

All materials are supplied and no 

experience necessary.” 

Springtime Sensory Storytelling 

disabled access day 2019 at the 

Scottish National Gallery of 

Modern Art (modern two) on 

Saturday 16 March, 2pm & 3pm – 

admission free places are limited, 

booking essential. To book phone: 

0131 624 6428 

Shakin’ Stevens at The Queen’s 

Hall 

16 March 2019 7.30pm The 

eighties icon will be making a 

stop at The Queen's Hall on his 

biggest ever UK tour. The Welsh 

singer will be treating audiences 

his old hits including ‘This Ole 

House’ and ‘Green Door’ as well 

as a few surprises. With 33 hit 

singles and four UK top hits to 

his repertoire the performer has 

plenty older material to delight 

fans with. Additionally, he will be 

treating fans to new tracks from 

‘Echoes From Our Time’. 

The Georgian Concert Society 

16 March 2019, 7.30pm - St 

Andrew’s & St George’s West 

Church Theatre of the Ayre - 

Nicholas Mulroy, tenor; Matthew 

Brook, bass; Elizabeth Kenny, 

lutes and Alison McGillivray, 

viola da gamba and lyra viol 

A quiet revolution: English vocal 

music during the interregnum 

Tickets £20 (£18) Students £5.00 

Tickets - The Queen’s Hall. 

2019 Cordis Prize for Tapestry 

Exhibition 

Inverleith House Gallery, Royal 

Botanic Gardens 

16 March to 27 May, 2019 

FREE Admission 

www.thetapestryprize.org 

Ravel Le Tombeau de Couperin 

directed and played by Pekka 

Kuusisto 21 March 2019 at The 

Queen’s Hall 

Dubbed ‘the David Bowie of the 

fiddle’, Finnish violinist Pekka 

Kuuisisto will be teaming up with 

the Scottish Chamber Orchestra 

taking audiences on a journey 

through the music of the past 

four centuries. 

St Columba’s Hospice Ladies 

Lunch 

With an astrology theme at The 

Hub in Edinburgh on Friday 22 

March 12pm-5pm in support of St 

Columba’s Hospice - £60 (Table of 

ten £600) phone 0131 551 1381 

Al Murray at The Stand 

Edinburgh on 27 March 2019 – 

tickets £15 

The Bowie Experience 

at the Usher Hall 29 March – 

tickets £27.50 

Scots Music Group Ceilidh 

at St Brides Centre in Edinburgh 

– Matthew MacLennan Ceilidh 

Band Saturday 30 March from 

7.30pm-11.30pm – 

tickets £9/£7 concession 

An Evening of Opera Classics 

31 March 2019 7.30pm at 

The Grand Synagogue on 

Salisbury Road. Option to book 

a pre-concert supper Bookings - 

The Queen’s Hall. 

The Stand t 0131 558 7272 

Queen’s Hall Box Office - 

t 0131-668 2019 

Usher Hall Box Office - 

t 0131 228 1155

@EdinReporter /EdinReporter /edinburghreporter WHAT'S ON 15 


Going Native in Prague 

Kevin Gore and Bobby Nicholson play regularly in Edinburgh during the Fringe and now they are taking 

their Going Native show to Prague 

IF YOU are planning to go to the 

Prague Fringe Festival then look 

out for Edinburgh's own Kevin 

Gore and Bobby Nicholson who 

have been accepted to perform. 

Kevin Gore, hailed as one of the 

best songwriters in Scotland has 

recently written a song for Ken 

Buchanan and both musicians 

are fierce independence 

campaigners. 

Their songs make good use 

of their harmonious voices 

and cover Scottish politics and 

a range of social justice (or 

injustice) topics. 

Recently Kevin played solo at 

the Lord Provost's Burns Supper 

at Prestonfield, showing his 

versatility and appreciation for all 

things Scottish, including a depth 

of knowledge about Burns. 

They have played at The Royal 

Oak during the Edinburgh 

Festival Fringe in recent years, 

always to enthusiastic and 

sympathetic audiences who pack 

the room under the bar to hear 

their original music. (Quite what 

Nicholson will do with his Panda 

song now that Yuang Guang has 

had testicular cancer one can 

only imagine....) 

Accompanying their own 

material with a range of Celtic 

songs their songs of freedom are 

bound to get the Fringe audiences 

up out of their seats.


Choose East Lothian 

EAST LOTHIAN is a great place 

for a family to live. Claire Flynn 

of Edinburgh Solicitors Property 

Centre explains why… 

Choice of properties 

Many East Lothian towns 

have a great selection of homes 

suited to a family, with multiple 

bedrooms and often with their 

own private gardens. Plus, while 

it is a highly desirable area for 

families, prices for family homes 

are generally a bit lower in 

many of the East Lothian towns 

in comparison to the capital. 

ESPC data indicates that 

between November 2018 and 

January 2019, the average price 

of a three bedroom house in East 

Lothian was £235,113 compared 

to £312,190 in Edinburgh. 

Easy access to the outdoors 

Whether you choose to live 

in a coastal town like North 

Berwick or Dunbar or would 

prefer to be nestled amongst 

rolling countryside in the likes 

of Haddington, there is no doubt 

that the towns and villages of 

East Lothian offer great access 

to the outdoors. Whether it’s a 

bike ride to the beach or a walk 

in the hills and countryside, it’s 

a great place to live if you want 

your family to spend their time 

outdoors. 

Family-friendly activities 

The towns of East Lothian 

offer a great range of familyfriendly 

activities. Dunbar is 

home to Scotland’s first wake 

park, Foxlake, which as well 

as wakeboarding, offers Ringo 

rides, a zip line obstacle course 

The beach at North Berwick is a massive playground 

for those who live there 

over water and Segway tours. 

Dunbar is also home to East Links 

Family Park, which features 

animal enclosures, train rides, 

go-karts, bouncy castle and 

trampolines, making it perfect for 

a family day out. 

Archerfield Walled Garden 

is another fantastic place for 

family activities, with a range 

of amazing trails, including a 

Willow Walk and a magical Fairy 

Trail. Plus, don’t forget about the 

museum of flight in East Fortune, 

which offers a host of aviationthemed 

activities for the whole 

family. 

Great schools 

East Lothian is home to number 

of highly renowned state schools 

and Loretto, a private school, 

is also located in Musselburgh. 

There are many private schools 

in Edinburgh, which are easily 

accessible from many of the 

towns in East Lothian. 

Excellent transport links 

Commuting from many of the 

East Lothian towns to Edinburgh 

is a breeze, making it an ideal 

place to live if you work in 

Edinburgh. There is a regular and 

fast rail service from Waverley out 

to several of the towns, including 

Musselburgh, Prestonpans, 

Longniddry, North Berwick and 

Dunbar. There are also excellent 

bus links to Edinburgh as well as 

between the different towns in 

East Lothian. 

If you’re interested in finding 

your dream family home in East 

Lothian, head to www.espc.com 

All change this time round? 

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 

THE council wants to establish 

ways that transport could be 

an enabler in overcoming the 

problems in the city associated 

with traffic congestion. 

Ms Narayanan continued : "We 

drew up ideas from talking with 

about 300 or more stakeholders 

and then using European Best 

Practice we came up with some 

we wanted to explore further. 

" We have taken a place-based 

approach from the beginning and 

worked with a cross-party group 

from all disciplines including 

important matters like housing 

and planning." 

This consultation got the second 

highest response to any run by 

the council. It reached between 

5,000 and 6,000 people, and of 

those three quarters thought 

more people would walk if it was 

safer, more attractive and more 

accessible. Some of the responses 

show that many residents believe 

that something needs to really 

change : 

87% thought that the transport 

system needs to be extended. 

75% think that vehicles should 

be restricted to improve air 

quality. 

91% wanted the impact of large 

delivery vehicles reduced. 

Cllr Macinnes said : "There 

are a number of aspects to the 

project which I think will deliver 

a much better quality experience 

for residents and visitors alike. 

We recognise that to live in a 

city brings stresses and strains, 

and we want to look at ways of 

improving the quality of life for 

those who live and work here and 

those who visit." 

The report states that the 

overarching principle is to give 

priority to those walking, cycling 

and using public transport. New 

green routes, planted trees, wider 

pavements, cycle lanes might 

all be ways of achieving that 

objective. 

OPEN STREETS 

One of the most immediate 

projects is to have Open Streets. 

On the first Sunday of each 

month, beginning in May 2019, 

the council plans to divert 

vehicular traffic away from some 

streets which will remain open to 

pedestrians and cyclists. Eventually 

a loop of the Old Town will 

be proposed, including Castle 

Terrace, West Port, Cowgate and 

the High Street, but it will start 

with only one or two streets when 

approved. The route builds on 

the closure of the High Street 

during events and Queen’s Drive 

on Sundays, but the final design 

will involve locals and encourage 

events to be held on the streets. 

Living Streets Edinburgh Group, 

which campaigns for better 

facilities for ‘everyday walking’, 

says that the new plans create 

an opportunity to put walking 

‘at the heart of a sustainable 

vision for the city’s future’. But 

the group warns that the Council 

must avoid its past failure to 

put walking at the top of local 

transport priorities in line with 

national guidance. 

The group’s Convener, Don 

McKee commented: "It won’t 

be the first time that a radical 

decision and change of direction 

has been taken to improve life 

for the people of Edinburgh 

and allow the city to prosper. 

The 18th century saw the city 

fathers embark on the New 

Town development in response 

to overcrowding, poor quality 

buildings and insanitary conditions. 

"Having created one of the most 

outstandingly beautiful cities 

in the world we have, since the 

advent of motorised transport, 

increasingly eroded the ability 

and opportunity for people to 

enjoy it. Not only that, we have 

created an environment that is 

crowded, unsafe and unhealthy." 

TRAM TO NEWHAVEN 

Another part of the transport 

jigsaw is the Tram to Newhaven 

extension and councillors will 

decide on proceeding with that 

at a full council meeting on 14 

March 2019. The case is based on 

a special dividend of £20 million 

paid by Lothian to their owner 

the council. From that, and based 

on future passenger revenues, 

the council will borrow to pay the 

£207million which the tramline 

from York Place to Newhaven will 

cost. The Transport Convener was 

emphatic that this is affordable 

for the council without affecting 

other services that the council 

has to provide. Only the Conservative 

group at the City Chambers 

seem to oppose the extension 

which they wanted to ditch in 

favour of spending on schools in 

their recent budget plans. They 

said that using the £20 million 

from Lothian would release £90 

million from the council coffers, 

but did not quite fully explain 

how that would come about. That 

amendment was defeated. 

DÉJÀ VU 

Part of the problem is that we 

have been here before with big 

plans to alter our street layouts. 

Remember David Begg? He helped 

get rid of cars from Princes Street 

when he was Transport Convener 

all those decades ago. Now he is 

a transport expert, running an 

industry publication. Jan Gehl 

is often quoted too. He is the 

Danish architect who drew up 

plans to turn Princes Street into 

a boulevard of outdoor cafés. 

Around 60% of respondents to 

the recent consultation said they 

wanted fewer buses to use the 

street, which might yet make that 

possible. 

But in 2019 we have several 

women in charge of these 

large scale transport projects 

- Cllr Lesley Macinnes who is 

Transport and Environment 

Convener, Cllr Karen Doran the 

Vice-Convener, Daisy Narayanan 

Director of City Centre Transformation 

and Deputy Director of 

Sustrans, the walking and cycling 

charity and Hannah Ross who is 

the Senior Responsible Officer for 

the tram extension to Newhaven. 

The business case for the tram 

extension has also just been 

published and the administration 

is keen that it goes ahead, 

opening up the north of the city 

to housing developments and 

allowing people living there 

to travel to employment areas 

like Edinburgh Park. One of the 

suggestions in the transformation 

plans is to build a cross-city tram 

route too. 

So will these women in charge 

of getting around Edinburgh 

deliver the changes that many in 

the city want? Well of course, time 

will tell, but certainly the desire 

for change has never been higher. 

Scan here to listen 

to our chat with the 

Transport Convener

@EdinReporter /EdinReporter /edinburghreporter 17 

FEATURES 

Comment - Edinburgh will positively 

benefit from new Meadowbank 

THE NEW Meadowbank will be a 

place for participating rather than 

spectating, argues Edinburgh 

Leisure Chief Executive, June 

Peebles. 

The claims by Save Meadowbank 

campaigners that Edinburgh 

Leisure has steamrollered 

Edinburgh Council for the sake of 

its own vanity project, and their 

implication that the destruction 

of over 60 trees on the site follows 

from the decision to house our 

office on the new site, is misleading 

and untrue. 

Incorporating office space into 

the new Meadowbank was taken 

forward on the premise that 

there would be no compromise 

to the activity areas; the project 

architects incorporated an office 

into what would otherwise be 

What the new Meadowbank will look like 

a ‘dead space’. Given the high 

ceiling height required for indoor 

athletics, a mezzanine will be 

built between the changing rooms 

on the ground floor and level one. 

This area would have limited use 

for sports given its dimensions, 

so this is where the Edinburgh 

Leisure office will be contained. 

What Save Meadowbank 

campaigners seem to be holding 

onto is a nostalgic vision of 

something that was, rather than 

looking forward to a place serving 

its community. It’s not progressive 

to harp back on the glory 

days of the old Meadowbank and 

it also lacks the insight of usage 

and participation trends and the 

needs of customers now and in 

the future 

The new building will be an 

inclusive, accessible venue with a 

fantastic range of state-of-the-art 

facilities, serving its community, 

and this will increase participation 

in physical activity and sport 

in Edinburgh. 

Its usage will reflect the 

changes in sport and the physical 

activity landscape. Throughout 

each of the design stages, users, 

clubs, sports governing bodies 

and sportscotland, have been 

involved in the new facility 

mix for Meadowbank. The new 

venue has been designed on 

this feedback and the demand 

which exists in Edinburgh. It will 

offer enhanced access to quality 

facilities, which will be used 

more often, by greater numbers of 

people, and importantly by users 

of all different ages and abilities. 

Save Meadowbank’s argument 

seems to constantly undermine 

the positive benefits the new 

Meadowbank will bring to the 

community and the positive 

part Edinburgh Leisure plays 

in improving the health and 

wellbeing of the city. 

With the completion of the new 

Meadowbank, we look forward to 

creating even more opportunities 

for people of all ages and stages 

to be active and healthy. The new 

Meadowbank will be a fantastic 

asset for our city. 

In the words of George Bernard 

Shaw: “Progress is impossible 

without change, and those who 

cannot change their minds 

cannot change anything.” 

Rona Brown wins William Y Darling Award 

The Rosebery Jewel 

This is the fabulous jewel which 

the Lady Provost wears at evening 

events - either on a chain or 

as a brooch 

by Heather Ferguson 

THE Rosebery Pendant, worn 

by Edinburgh's Lady Provost, 

has little known royal connections. 

Prince Albert presented a 

similar piece to Queen Victoria on 

their wedding day, and the gift, 

which became a Royal heirloom, 

remained one of The Queen’s 

most prized possessions throughout 

her life. 

The design of the piece reflected 

the simplicity of the early 

nineteenth-century jewellery 

design and gained a lot of 

attention. Further copies were 

made by nobility of the time, 

including by the Rosebery family, 

hence the Rosebery Jewel. 

The necklace, worn by the Lady 

Provost on evening occasions 

consists of a very large sapphire 

surrounded by diamonds from 

which is suspended a pearl drop. 

The pendant was gifted to the City 

on in 1956, by the Earl of Rosebery, 

Lord Lieutenant of the County of 

Midlothian. It was reported in the 

Edinburgh Evening News on 23 

November1956 that it gave Lord 

Rosebery 'particular pleasure' to 

hand over the jewel to his friend, 

Sir John Banks who was then 

the Rt Hon Lord Provost. Lord 

Rosebery explained his father 

had bought the jewel in Ceylon 

and gave it to his wife who passed 

it on to her daughter Lady Sybil 

Grant who then bequeathed it to 

her nephew in her will. 

The Rt Hon Lord Provost Frank Ross with Rona Brown the recipient of the William Y Darling Award 


RONA BROWN who is such a 

stalwart in the Gorgie/Dalry area 

was recently feted with a civic 

reception as she was presented 

with this award. 

The Rt Hon Lord Provost Frank 

Ross said as he presented the 

award to Rona Brown : “Rona is a 

pillar of that community. Indeed 

many of what are now traditional 

civic events or similar 

events there have been established 

due to Rona and others, 

and their determination and 

substantial efforts to improve the 

well-being and heritage of those 

living and working in the Gorgie/ 

Dalry area. 

Rona replied in her usual 

modest way : “I do feel very 

honoured in being given 

this award. I also feel a bit 

embarrassed as what I do is 

replicated by many others all 

over Edinburgh. And most of 

the folk in this room are in that 

category, working away to benefit 

our communities, so it feels a bit 

strange to be singled out.” 

Sir William Young Darling was 

the city's 235th Lord Provost of 

Edinburgh, holding the position 

during the challenging time of 

Word War Two from 1941 until 

1944. And Sir William was keen 

to have a lasting legacy and 

therefore created a bequest for 

good citizenship.

18 FOOD The Edinburgh Reporter 

Recipe Feature 

Speaking with Virginie Brouard 

CHEF Director, Paul Tamburrini 

has over 30 years’ experience in 

the industry, and he now runs 

Bistro Deluxe by Paul Tamburrini 

at Macdonald Holyrood Hotel 

in Edinburgh. With uniquely 

sourced Scottish ingredients and 

fresh local produce, Paul offers 

a repertoire of French classics 

influenced by his passion for 

exceptional dishes and the 

Master Chefs with whom he has 

trained. Here he begins his new 

recipe column for readers of 

The Edinburgh Reporter to try at 

home. 

KEY LIME PIE SERVES 8 

For the lime meringue; 

120g Free range egg whites (4 

eggs-approx) 

120g Caster sugar 

120g Icing Sugar, sifted 

Zest of one unwaxed lemon 

Plus a little extra to serve 

FOR THE LIME CURD; 

150G Caster sugar 

1.5g Agar Agar 

150g free range eggs 

150ml freshly squeezed lime 

juice 

200g cold unsalted French 

butter cubed, plus extra for 

greasing 

FOR THE RYE BISCUIT; 

200G RYE FLOUR 

100G Unsalted French butter 

100g caster sugar 

300g cocoa butter, melted 

MAKE THE LIME MERINGUE 

Line 2 baking trays with baking 

parchment paper. Place the egg 

whites in a spotlessly clean, 

grease-free bowl and whisk until 

its light and frothy, then add the 

caster sugar a little at a time, until 

its incorporated, continuing to 

whisk until still peaks. Fold in 

the icing sugar and spread the 

meringue mixture over the lined 

trays until its 5mm thick, then 

scatter the lime zest over the top. 

Dehydrate in a low 

oven about 45c-60c until crisp, 

about 45 minutes. Then turn off 

the oven and leave the meringue 

overnight to dry. 

MAKE THE CURD; 

Mix the caster sugar and agar 

agar together in a mixing bowl. 

Place the eggs and lime juice in 

a medium pan, add the caster 

sugar and agar agar and slowly 

bring to the boil over a low heat, 

whisking continuously to ensure 

the mixture doesn’t catch on 

the bottom of the pan, until the 

flakes have dissolved. As soon 

as it reaches the boiling point, 

remove the pan from the heat and 

add the cold dicedFrench butter 

a piece at a time, emulsifying the 

mixture with a stick blender. Pass 

the curd through a fine sieve into 

a heat proof container, cover the 

surface, of the curd with a piece 

of cling film, leave to cool. 

FREEZE THE LIME CURD. 

Grease the moulds and line a 

baking tray with baking paper. 

When the curd is cool, transfer 

it into a piping bag fitted with a 

medium nozzle and pipe 80g per 

greased 

mould. Place the filled mousse 

in the freezer then, once the curd 

Make your own Key Lime Pie at home 

is frozen solid (3 hours approx.) 

pop out the moulds & re freeze, 

get ready to start dipping them. 

MAKE THE RYE BISCUIT; 

Pre-heat the oven to 160c/300f/ 

Gas mark 2 and line a baking 

sheet with baking paper. Mix the 

flour, butter and sugar together in 

a bowl to form a crumbly dough, 

then scatter the dough onto a 

lined baking sheet. Bake for 25 

minutes until it’s golden brown. 

Remove from the oven and allow 

to cool slightly & then transfer 

into the food processor or blender 

and pulse until you have a fine 

mixture. Add the 

melted cocoa butter and 

continue blending until to form a 

smooth liquid biscuit mix. Pour 

the biscuit mixture into a sauce 

pan and keep it warm. Ideally 

around 40c, whisk it regularly to 

ensure the mixture is emulsified. 

Line another baking sheet with 

parchment paper. Remove the 

curds from the freezer and dip 

them, one by one into the liquid 

biscuit mix, making sure they are 

completely covered. 

Allow any excess mixture to run 

off, dip them in the mixture again. 

Return the coated lime curds 

to the freezer for 10 minutes to 

harden. 

SERVE- transfer the lime curds 

to the fridge for at least one hour 

before serving. The biscuit shell 

will remain hard while the curd 

will become soft and oozy. Dress 

with shards of meringue and 

grated lime zest 

Advertise 

with us! 

Editor: Phyllis Stephen 

editor@theedinburghreporter. 

co.uk 

07791 406 498 


VIRGINIE BROUARD, owner of La 

P’tite Folie and Le Di-Vin tells us 

about her iconic Edinburgh establishments 

and inspiring charity 

work. Virginie Brouard, French 

born, Mother of three and Owner 

of both Le Di-Vin Wine Bar and 

La P’tite Folie French restaurant 

situated in the West End area of 


Virginie, your restaurant 

and wine bar are both iconic 

Edinburgh institutions and have 

fabulous food and wine, how do 

you maintain your standards of 

cuisine and service? 

Thank you. We always try to 

listen to our customers and 

work with them to create a nice 

place to enjoy your favourite 

wine, small plates and tapas. 

We encourage feedback from 

our customers and receive a 

lot through our social media 

channels etc. We also have a very 

close working team throughout 

the wine bar and restaurant, some 

who have been with us for many 

years. It is so important for me 

to look after them and work as a 

team together but also to change 

with the times and we have a lot 

of new exciting projects coming 

up that I am excited to share with 

you all when we can. 

How did you come to be in the 

restaurant business? 

I arrived in Edinburgh in 

1991 aged 19, with £90 in my 

pocket. I gave up University 

in France and came to live in 

Edinburgh. I started working in 

Pierre Victoire (Famous French 

Bistrot) as a Waitress and after 5 

years there an opportunity came 

up that I couldn’t turn down and I 

bought Frederick Street, my first 

ever restaurant in 1996. Milan my 

first son was just 5 months old 

at the time. In 2003, I opened the 

second branch (Randolph Place). 

Both places were successful. 

Then, in 2008, I opened the Wine 

Bar, with my second son, Pierre 

aged 6 months! 

Your sommelier Luke is quite a 

character, what does he bring to 

Le Di-Vin? 

He certainly is! Luke brings 

so much to the wine bar. He 

has an amazing background as 

Virginie in her bar in Edinburgh’s West End 

PHOTO | Derek Anderson Photography 

a Sommelier and he has such 

amazing knowledge and love 

for wine, it is just incredible. He 

is very good with people and 

everyone takes a liking to him 

that meets him. He always goes 

out of his way to let customers 

taste and try the wine to ensure 

that they find something that 

they love. He is currently very 

busy working on our latest wine 

list which will be out in April so 

we are very excited about that. 

Together with Barbara, the restaurant 

Manageress who works very 

closely with Luke, both are very 

motivated to get the business 

working well and both of them 

are doing a 

great job 

You do some interesting things, 

oysters and raclette! Any future 

ideas? 

Yes, everyone loves our oyster 

evenings and our raclette! They 

always go down so well. We 

always try to do something a bit 

different and what the customers 

want too. We have some very 

exciting food and drink plans for 

2019 but it is top secret just now. 

We will let you know more when 

we can! 

And lastly I'd love you to tell me 

about your charity work and 

connection with Ethiopia. 

Because the Businesses are 

successful, I decided to start 

Humanitarian work which is how 

I began travelling to Ethiopia to 

volunteer there. 

I started my work in Ethiopia by 

sponsoring a feeding program for 

orphans and very poor children. 

In the last year, I have managed 

to get renowned Mary's Meals to 

start feeding school children in 

Ethiopia. 

This new collaboration with 

Mary’s Meals will benefit 

thousands of children and 

initially we will be working with 3 

or 4 local schools before hopefully 

helping even more. My main aim 

this year through the charity 

work is to raise enough money for 

a water well for the children. 

I now work very closely together 

with Mary’s Meals. We now feed 

12 schools, nearly 8000 children 

per day and more is planned for 

2019. Ethiopia will always be very 

close to my heart.

@EdinReporter /EdinReporter /edinburghreporter FOOD & PUZZLES 19 

Juliet’s Food Diary 


WHILST there are plenty of 

places for a good brunch in 

Edinburgh, Loudons certainly 

takes it to another level. 

I was lucky enough to attend 

their ‘soft opening’ when the 

very wise owners packed their 

new venue at Waverly to the 

rafters, or rather industrial 

ventilation, the idea being to 

test the waters with reliable 

feedback before opening their 

doors to paying customers 

with their saddo Trip Advisor 

accounts. The food was truly 

out of this world. I ordered 

a Mediterranean version of 

avocado and poached eggs 

on toast, which was on point 

with the garlic oil and a super 

fresh herb, olive and feta 

salad. Seriously one of the best 

breakfasts I’ve ever had and 

there are so many variations on 

traditional themes on this menu 

I’d never get bored. The service 

was charming and cheery and 

the space utilitarian but with 

some comfy spots here and 

there. I just hope the owners 

have invested some cash in an 

avocado farm because sweet 

Jesus they were getting through 

crates of the blighters when I 

was there. 

L'Escargot Blanc 

Off to L’Escargot Blanc, the 

most gorgeous of French restaurants, 

and I was certainly saying 

ooh la la a few times that night. 

We were treated to some rare 

breed Hebridean lamb raised 

by Jack and Morna Cuthbert 

on the edge if the Ochil Hills 

and rare breed Shetland Kye 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 

9 10 

12 

11 

13 14 15 

16 

17 18 

20 21 

23 24 

25 26 

19 

from Jacob Eunson of Uradale 

Farm. Bizarrely the Taste of 

Shetland website doesn’t have a 

picture of young Jacob on their 

website, for he is by far the best 

looking farmer I’ve ever seen, and 

could surely persuade teenage 

girls to try his grass fed beef. 

Anyway, chef Fred Berkmiller 

treated us to Hebridean hoggets 

caillette with mogettes coulis and 

haricots, lamb jus and Newton 

Garden winter purslane, Roast 

Native Shetland kye, red & white 

cabbages (from Newton Garden), 

Shetland black potatoes. You can 

buy lamb direct from the farmer 

at Ardochhebrideansheep.co.uk, 

or if you're feeling brave, a starter 

flock! 

Le Di-Vin 

Despite being an on the large 

side venue, Le Di-Vin is almost a 

charming secret. The entrance is 

tucked beside the ‘Tudor house' 

on Randolph Place, and funnily 

enough, when you mention 

that, just about everyone knows 

where it is. I took along my good 

chum Susie who was eager for 

a sophisticated night out and as 

we’re both mums we were even 

more delighted to know that this 

establishment doesn’t admit 

children after six o'clock. Perfect! 

There’s nothing worse than being 

lumbered with other people’s 

brats when your own ‘angels’ are 

at home. 

We had a date with the 

sommelier Luke, whose first 

question was, “Are either of you 

driving?” Very amusing, Luke, 

would we be so daft? He gives 

us the thumbs up and starts our 

evening off with a Loire Valley NV 

Saumur Brut, a light but impressive 

fizz made in the Champers 

method. 

The food offering in Le Di-Vin 

is what I want from a wine 

bar. Through the day you can 

get some light French classics 

like Croque Monsieur, Tartine 

and various fish dishes but the 

evening is mainly cheese and 

charcuterie, however if interesting 

dreams are what you’re after, a 

22 

Crossword 

Across 

1 Being repressed, put pen away (4-2) 

5 Unskilled re-construction of next pier (8) 

9 A coir mat can be fragrant (8) 

10 Travelling at 100mph from Luton up the motorway 

(3-2) 

11 Snared crowd, by one performing traditional Scottish 

entertainment (5-6) 

13 In Dunbar everyone is naked ! (4) 

14 Fails to look after glens etc. (8) 

17 Hate a man: he becomes an object of abhorrence (8) 

18 Change tone about this school (4) 

20 Man put equal effort into a sudden, spectacular 

advance (7, 4) 

23 Got in a mass of silver (5) 

24 Nails now designed by male relative (3-2-3) 

table of four can order a Raclette. 

The interior is impressive to say 

the least. Formerly the Oratory 

of St Ann, it features a majestic 

bar with a tempting selection of 

wines on display. The seating, 

divided between a grand street 

level floor and mezzanine, you 

can be open or cosy and indeed 

there are a few spots that could be 

utilised if you happen to be with 

someone you ought not to. 

Luke furnishes us with a 

fantastic array of cheeses and 

cured meats and a South African 

Wolftrap White. We then go on a 

tour of German Pinot Noir, which 

happened to be from a bottle Luke 

found, ‘through the back'. I really 

Crossword by David Albury Answers on page 21 

25 Tie score, in a mysterious way (8) 

26 Arrange children as term is organised (6) 

Down 

2 Nobleman upset Lear (4) 

3 I met these requirements, showing how long I worked (9) 

4 Option to change dose of medicine (6) 

5 Tina sliced cumin, with tunes playing in the background 

(10, 5) 

6 Alienate a regent's substitute (8) 

7 In Japan I cause fear (5) 

8 Compensation for damaged ornate pair (10) 

12 Quinn names various dummies (10) 

15 Watch first batsman - it is a revelation (3-6) 

16 One who leaves a will is also an attestor (8) 

19 Set up nets in preparation for this game (6) 

21 In Wells Fargo, this is used as slang (5) 

22 In Donegal, a sporting occasion (4) 

Loudons is on another level when it comes to brunch 

get the feeling Luke is someone 

I ought to befriend. He’s the sort 

of sommelier who loves engaging 

with the clientele and delights in 

recommending something you 

might like that’s just popped into 

his head. You could call him a 

true eccentric, in the sense that 

he’s probably got no idea. He tells 

me that one of his heroes is Keith 

Floyd and indeed he could be the 

love child of the late great chef, 

albeit far more sweet natured. 

And off we go again with various 

tasters of as one of my own 

heroes would put it, “The best 

wines known to humanity!” 

Luke is a happy sommelier as 

he loves the new approach that 

treats clients as equals and has 

no lament for the old school 

‘talk down to the customers’ 

tradition. If you know lots or sod 

all about wine then Le Di-Vin is 

a good place to frequent or begin 

a tremendously fun education. 

We finish off with a creme 

brulee and sticky toffee pud, 

accompanied by a Jurancon, 

Chateau Jolys. 

A perfect end to a fun evening. 

Susie catches her train by the 

skin of her teeth and I taxi 

home. I fear there might be a 

slight hangover to be had on the 

school run in the morning but it 

was certainly worth it. 

Advertise 

with us! 

Please send any copy 

or advertising to 

editor@theedinburghreporter.co.uk

20 EDINBURGH POLITICIANS The Edinburgh Reporter 

Tommy Sheppard SNP MP 

for Edinburgh East 

Ian Murray Labour MP 

for Edinburgh South 

Ruth Davidson Conservative MSP 

for Edinburgh Central 

Daniel Johnson Labour MSP 

Edinburgh Southern 

Ben Macpherson SNP MSP 

for Edinburgh North & Leith 

Christine Jardine LibDem MP 

for Edinburgh West 

Jeremy Balfour Conservative MSP 

Lothians 

Kezia Dugdale Labour MSP 

for Lothians 

Alison Johnstone Green MSP 

Lothians 

Andy Wightman Green MSP 

for Lothians 

Deidre Brock SNP MP 

for Edinburgh North and Leith 

Miles Briggs Conservative MSP 

Lothians 

Ash Denham SNP MSP 

for Edinburgh Eastern 

Gordon Lindhurst Conservative 

MSP for Lothians 

Joanna Cherry SNP MP 

for Edinburgh South West 

Alex Cole-Hamilton LibDem MSP 

for Edinburgh Western 

Neil Findlay Labour MSP 

for Lothian 

Gordon Macdonald SNP MSP 

for Edinburgh Pentlands

@EdinReporter /EdinReporter /edinburghreporter READER’S PHOTO 21 

Reader’s Photo 

A VIEW of Edinburgh Castle with Princes Street Gardens in the foreground taken after an overnight snowfall. The photo was taken 

by a keen amateur photographer who photographs a variety of landscapes, people, buildings and what he calls unusual photographs - 

we may have to get one of those for later in the year! PHOTO | Walter McGillivray 

The Edinburgh 

Reporter stockists 

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Reporter newspaper each month. It is 

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Autocare city centre businesses, hotels 

and coffee shops across the city centre. 

If you would like some delivered to your 

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STOCKISTS include : 

Boardwalk Beach Club 

50 Marine Dr, Edinburgh EH4 5ES 

Broughton Place Hair & Beauty 

2a Broughton Pl EH1 3RX 

Café Lowdown 

40 George St EH2 2LE 

Candersons Sweet Shop 

102 Leith Walk EH6 5DT 

Close Gallery 

4B Howe St EH3 6TD 

The Doo’cot 

731-733 Ferry Rd EH4 2UA 

ESPC Showroom 

107 George St EH2 3ES 

Grassmarket Community Project 

86 Candlemaker Row EH1 2QA 

Henderson's 

94 Hanover St EH2 1DB and Holyrood Rd 

The Hideout Cafe 

40-42 Queen Charlotte St EH6 6AT 

Leith Walk Police Box Pop Up Space 

Croall Pl EH7 4LT 

Maialino 

34 William St EH3 7LJ 

Scottish Arts Club 

24 Rutland Sq EH1 2BW 

St Bride’s Community Centre 

10 Orwell Terrace EH11 2DZ 

Summerhall 

1 Summerhall EH9 1PL 

The Queen's Hall 

85-89 Clerk Street EH8 9JG. 

The Royal Scots Club 

29-31 Abercromby Pl EH3 6QE 

Crossword Answers 

Across: 

1 Pent-up, 5 Inexpert, 9 Aromatic, 

10 Ton-up, 11 Sword-dancer, 13 Bare, 

14 Neglects, 17 Anathema, 18 Eton, 

20 Quantum leap, 23 Ingot, 

24 Son-in-law, 25 Esoteric, 26 Stream. 

Down: 

2 Earl, 3 Timesheet, 4 Potion, 

5 Incidental music, 6 Estrange, 

7 Panic, 8 Reparation, 12 Mannequins, 

15 Eye-opener, 16 Testator, 19 Tennis, 

21 Argot, 22 Gala. 

Your photo featured here by sending to: 

editor@theedinburghreporter.co.uk 

The Edinburgh Sketcher 

The Edinburgh Sketcher can be commissioned to create ink and watercolour sketches of your favourite view 

or location around Edinburgh. Have a personal painting of your house or special place in the city, drawn just 

for you. Drop Mark an email at contact@edinburghsketcher.com to see more examples like this one and to 

discuss details about your personal artwork.

22 SPORT The Edinburgh Reporter 

Edinburgh students compete 

in Boat Race 

EDINBURGH students, Sarah 

Cameron and Jenny McCormick, 

have been selected for the 

Aberdeen Standard Investments 

Boat Race 2019. 

After months of intense 

preparation, the final crews were 

announced today for the 24th 

annual race, which takes place 

on Saturday 23 March 2019. 

Sarah, representing Robert 

Gordon University, and Jenny, 

representing the University of 

Aberdeen, will be rowing against 

each other on the day, as they 

compete for the coveted trophy. 

The 18 crew members were 

chosen by president of Robert 

Gordon University Boat Club, 

Erin Wyness and Anne-Sophie 

Tirre, president of the Aberdeen 

University Boat Club after careful 

consideration and assessment 

of each rower’s performance and 

technical ability in races held in 

Robert Gordon University 

the last five months. 

Erin and Anna-Sophie have 

formed the strongest crews, 

selecting highly experienced 

rowers and handpicking the best 

talent – both local and international. 

The crews will clash 

oars over a 3.5km course on the 

River Dee this March, in the race 

sponsored by Aberdeen Standard 

Investments. 

Representing Robert Gordon 

University are: 

Lauren Amner (19) from 

Glasgow; Sophie Telfer (19) from 

Kinross; Elizabeth Buchan (19) 

and Sarah Cameron (19) both from 

Edinburgh; Gregor Pittendreigh 

(21) and Gary Wilson (26) both 

from Aberdeen; Ingus Lismanis 

(21) from Riga, Latvia; Ethan 

Rebert (20) from Val D’Isère, 

France. The cox is Rosie Payne 

(18) from Hamilton. 

Rowing for the University of 

Crew members from the University of Aberdeen 

Aberdeen are: 

Jenny McCormick (22) from 

Edinburgh; Christy Cook (19) from 

Inverness; Cameron Grant (23) 

from Glasgow; Katie Sugden (19) 

from Aboyne; Ruth Grant (22) 

from Stonehaven; Lachlan Cowie 

(23) from North Kessock; Andrew 

Dunse (19) from Dumfries; Alex 

Zabala (20) La Coruña, Spain. 

The cox is Alliott Irvine (18) from 

Wallingford. 

Martin Gilbert, Co-CEO of 

Aberdeen Standard Investments, 

said : “The Aberdeen Boat 

Race has earned its place as one 

of the city’s annual highlights. 

Whether in rain or snow, day or 

night, the crews have endured 

intense training in preparation 

for the challenging race. 

Aberdeen Standard Investments 

remains a proud sponsor of 

this event that supports both 

domestic and international talent. 

Ahead of the race, we would like 

to congratulate both crews for 

their unshakeable determination 

and effort to be part of this event." 

In last year’s race, RGU’s mixed 

crew of eight lifted the trophy, as 

they emerged triumphant by 6.1 

seconds against their rivals. The 

University of Aberdeen crew last 

won the race in 2017, breaking 

RGU’s five-year winning streak. 

Professor John Harper, Principal 

of RGU, said: “Every year is an 

opportunity for both university 

crews to showcase their talent 

and remarkable team effort. The 

two crews undoubtedly put their 

heart and soul into this competition, 

which never fails to excite 

the north east public. I look 

forward to witnessing another 

exciting race whilst, of course, 

also wishing RGU make it to the 

finishing line first.” 

Professor George Boyne, 

Principal and Vice-Chancellor 

of the University of 

Aberdeen, said: “AUBC has been 

training very hard and the crew 

members are all geared up for 

this year’s race. I encourage our 

students to line the banks of the 

River Dee in support of our crew’s 

determination to win. I’m sure 

both crews will give their best 

performance in this race but I do 

hope the University of Aberdeen 

can reclaim the trophy.” 

For all the latest updates on 

the crews and their training, 

follow the Aberdeen Boat Race 

on Twitter @2019boatrace, 

Instagram @abdnboatrace and on 

Facebook at www.facebook.com/ 

abdnboatrace 

Edinburgh International 

Swim Meet 

SOME of the best swimmers from 

the UK and abroad will compete at 

the Edinburgh International Swim 

Meet (EISM) next month (15-17 

March 2019). 

Reintroduced to the UK swim 

calendar five years ago, the 

annual meet now regularly 

hosts the best in GB swimming, 

challenged this year by the 

Danish and Spanish national 

teams and top individual and 

club swimmers from Norway, 

Denmark, Austria, Sweden, 

Germany and France – to name 

but a few. 

Breaststroke interest will 

undoubtedly centre on World 

record holder, Adam Peaty, 

by John Hislop 

THE Yorkshireman was appointed 

as Lennon’s replacement as coach 

at His in February. But who is he? 

Heckingbottom was born in 

Barnsley on 17 July 1977 and grew 

up in nearby Royston. 

He started his football career at 

Manchester United as a trainee 

under Eric Harrison but joined 

Sunderland in 1995 after failing to 

gain a professional contract. 

Loan spells at Scarborough, 

Hartlepool United and Darlington 

followed before he joined Darlington 

permanently in 1999. 

He made 126 appearances for 

the club scoring 6 goals, before 

moving to First Division side 

Norwich City on a three-year 

contract. Heckingbottom made 

just 16 appearances for Norwich, 

before cancelling his contract 

who, along with his Loughborough 

National Centre team 

mate, James Wilby, will hope to 

keep Stirling University’s Ross 

Murdoch behind them. 

Other leading Brits attending 

from Bath and Loughborough 

National Centre’s include James 

Guy, Siobhan Marie O’Connor, 

Sarah Vasey, Tom Dean, Molly 

Renshaw and Luke Greenbank. 

Adding local interest are 

Edinburgh University’s Commonwealth 

and European Games 

swimmers, Lucy Hope, Kathryn 

Greenslade and David Cumberlidge, 

Aberdeen’s Hannah Miley 

and Stirling’s Duncan Scott, 

Aimee Willmott and Murdoch. 

Who is Paul Heckingbottom? 

A NEW Buddy Swim session, is 

now taking place at Edinburgh 

Leisure's Ainslie Park Leisure 

Centre, every Thursday, from 

1-2pm (during school term) 

in addition to those currently 

running at Leith Victoria 

(Mondays), Glenogle Swim Centre 

(Tuesday), Drumbrae Swim Centre 

and the Royal Commonwealth 

Pool (Thursdays). 

The Buddy Swim programme 

is part of Edinburgh Leisure's 

Ageing Well offering and is aimed 

with the club by mutual consent 

after one year. He then signed for 

Bradford City in July 2003, where 

he was named their Player of the 

Year at the end of his first season. 

Heckingbottom then left to join 

Sheffield Wednesday who were 

promoted to the Championship 

via the League One play-off final. 

In 2006 he went to Bradford 

City again, then on to Mansfield 

Town and finished his playing 

career at Gateshead. After 

retiring Heckingbottom took the 

opportunity to gain an academic 

understanding of football 

coaching, to set his CV apart 

from other managers competing 

for jobs. He completed his BSc 

(Hons) Sports Coaching in 2013, 

followed by an MSc in Sport 

Coaching in 2016. He has coached 

at Barnsley, Leeds United and 

now Hibs. 

Buddy Swim at 

Ainslie Park 

at those people who have lost 

confidence in the water, who are 

supported by volunteers. 

It’s an opportunity to go 

swimming, meet new people and 

have fun and a social cup of tea 

or coffee, after the event. There's 

no need to sign up, just turn up 

on the day and pay the price of a 

normal swim session. 

Contact Edinburgh Leisure’s 

Active Communities Team – 

0131 458 2260 

active@edinburghleisure.co.uk 

Nevermore 

Agency 

Branding, Print, Web, 

Display, Social Media 

Contact us: 

www.nevermoreagency.co.uk 

Design@nevermoreagency.co.uk 

0131 202 1873 

Find us on Facebook, twitter 

and instagram: 

@nevermoreagency

@EdinReporter /EdinReporter /edinburghreporter SPORT 23 

March rugby fixtures 

Edinburgh Rugby - the season so far 

'Big Bill' Mata making himself known to ERCC opponents, Montpelier. Photo | John Preece 

2 March Watsonians v Ayr, Myreside 

2 March Boroughmuir v Melrose, Meggetland 

2 March Currie v Edinburgh Accies, Malleny Park 

8 March Scotland U20 v Wales U20, Meggetlan 

8 March Scotland Women v Wales Women, Scotstoun 

9 March Scotland v Wales, BT Murrayfield 

22 March Edinburgh Rugby v Leinster Rugby, BT Murrayfield 

Ladies Football - Hibs v Hearts 

South African, Duhan van der Merwe is proving to be a big hit with 

the home support. Photo | John Preece 

by John Preece 

EDINBURGH Rugby's 2018/19 

Guinness PRO14 season 

didn't produce the start they were 

hoping for, with three losses in 

their first four matches, leading 

to a lot of murmuring from the 

'experts'. 

However, their fourth 

place finish in last year's 

campaign meant they added 

European Rugby Champions 

Cup qualification into this 

season's mix for the first time in a 

few years. 

Currently, Edinburgh are lying 

second in their PRO14 Conference 

and fifth in the overall qualification 

race, but seem to be having 

difficulty in winning away. Home 

performance, on the other hand is 

looking good, with a 100% record 

in all competitions so far, with, 

possibly, their PRO14 highlight 

being the 1872 Cup retention over 

Glasgow Warriors. 

With the return of European 

Cup rugby to BT Murrayfield, 

given the quality 

of opposition they were drawn 

against, the coaching squad were 

playing down the home side's 

chances, labelling this one a 

'learning year'. 

This turned out to be prophetic 

in the extreme. But it was a 

learning year, not so much for 

Edinburgh, but for European 

rugby. Just missing out on a win 

away to Montpelier in their first 

match, Edinburgh went on the 

win all of their other five matches, 

including a double-header 

against star-studded, multiple 

Champions, Toulon. 

Having qualified for the 

quarter-finals, they now face 

another multi-Championship 

side at the end of March. Let's 

hope that Munster are a wee bit 

concerned. 

As for the PRO14... 

That marches on. 

Scottish Parliament RFC v Dáil 

and Seanad February 2019 

Kirsten Reilly (left) celebrates after scoring the only goal of 

last month's SWPL first round tie against Hearts. Photo | NORTH 

EDINBURGH COMMUNITY NEWS 

HIBS ladies booked their place 

in the second round of the SWPL 

cup with a win in the recent 

Edinburgh derby after beating 

Hearts 1-0 at Ainslie Park. 

Kirsten Reilly scored the only 

goal of the game with a terrific 

strike from a full twenty five yards 

out saw the ball rocketed into the 

top corner, just on the stroke of 

half time. 

Hibs had the best of the chances 

and the majority of the possession 

in the second half and go 

into the draw for the next round. 

Elsewhere Spartans cruised 

through to the next round of the 

same cup with a comfortable 4-0 

win over Hamilton away from 

home. 

Goals from Tegan Reynolds, 

Louise Mason and a Beth McKay 

double ensured Debbie McCulloch’s 

team will be in the draw for 

round two. 

CAPTION Scottish Government Minister, Maree Todd, a member of Scottish Parliament RFC, tackles a 

member of the Dail and Seanad XV during the Scotland v Ireland international weekend last month. The 

visitors ran out comfortable winners on the day. Photo | THOMAS BROWN

The Edinburgh Reporter March 2019

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