The Edinburgh Reporter May 2019

May 2019 

@EdinReporter /EdinReporter /edinburghreporter 

Tartan Day 

SEE MORE ON PAGE 14 

www.theedinburghreporter.co.uk 

SNP win Leith Walk 

byelection 

Rob Munn was elected as a 

councillor for the third time at the 

recent by-election 

Extinction Rebellion 

AROUND 300 people all part 

of the climate change protest 

Extinction Rebellion blocked 

North Bridge for around six 

hours one Tuesday afternoon in 

April. 

The campaigners were 

peaceful though noisy and 

erected temporary tents where 

they handed out free food. 

We spoke to two campaigners, 

one of whom said she was 

there to protest on behalf of her 

grandchildren. She said :”For 

decades scientists have told 

us what we are doing to the 

planet. We have not been paying 

attention and our politicians 

have not been paying attention. 

Now the young people are 

standing up and telling us we 

have to do something. Unless 

we do we are leaving them with 

an awful problem.” 

Another campaigner told us 

that she was there to pressure 

the government about climate 

change. She explained : “We 

have three demands, one is 

to get the government to tell 

the truth about the climate 

emergency we are in, to cut 

carbon emissions and to get 

together a citizens' assembly 

who will decide what to do in 

future.” 

Sir Billy Connolly along with his wife Lady Pamela Stephenson walked the length of Sixth 

Avenue as Grand Marshal at the NYC Tartan Day Parade 2019 

THE SNP group in the council 

acquired another councillor 

in the recent Leith Walk 

by-election bringing their 

numbers back up to 17 to equal 

the Conservative group in size. 

Rob Munn was elected for the 

third time in a contest that 

relegated the Greens to second 

place. 

Political commentators 

noted that all parties in the top 

three places are against Brexit, 

pro Scottish independence 

and pro Trams to Newhaven. 

Whether or not that would 

be reflected in any General 

Election is always open to 

question, but it that the people 

of Leith - or at least the who 

voted, have had their say. 

The ward is now represented 

by Lewis Ritchie (Independent), 

Susan Rae (Scottish 

Greens), Amy McNeese- 

Mechan (SNP) and Rob Munn 

(SNP). With the tram extension 

to begin later this year these 

four councillors will no doubt 

have a lot of work to do to 

keep their constituents happy 

during the proposed 18 month 

closure of three lanes of traffic 

on Leith Walk.

2 NEWS The Edinburgh Reporter 

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Scan here! 

Edinburgh College 

film success 

TWO students from Edinburgh 

College have won a competition 

organised by The Scottish Parliament 

to celebrate 20 years since 

devolution. 

The paid produced a one minute 

film to encapsulate the theme of 

what the last 20 years have meant 

for their region. 

Lewis Gillespie and Robbie 

Crawford, from Livingston and 

Edinburgh respectively, are both 

HND Television students and they 

created a range of local stories 

about the impact of making 

decisions and laws in Scotland. 

Lewis Gillespie and Robbie 

Crawford the two students 

presented their proposal at the 

Scottish Parliament in front of 

an industry panel. They will now 

work alongside media profes- 

Lewis Gillespie and Robbie Crawford will make 

their film later this year 

sionals to develop the ideas and 

produce the film. 

This is one of twenty commissioned 

throughout the year by the 

parliament and will possibly form 

part of a permanent exhibition at 

Holyrood. 

Lewis Gillespie said: “Taking 

part in this initiative has been 

an amazing experience and I’m 

really proud of the work Robbie 

and I have produced so far. I 

can’t wait to start developing our 

ideas further as we work towards 

creating the final film.” 

Robbie Crawford said: “It feels 

fantastic to get to the point where 

our project has been commissioned. 

We’ve worked really hard 

putting our proposal together and 

it feels great to have all that hard 

work rewarded.” 

Our stockists 

All city libraries and Farmers Autocare Henderson's 

outlets across the city at 194 Queensferry 94 Hanover St EH2 1DB and Holyrood Rd 

Road, 225 St John's Road, 34 Hillhouse The Hideout Cafe 

Road, 111 Piersfield Place, 19c Strathearn 

Road and 108B Market Street Leith Walk Police Box Pop Up 

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Grassmarket Community Project 

Like to become a stockist? 

86 Candlemaker Row EH1 2QA 

Then contact us! 

Napier gets funding 

for health research 

Dr Paul Hutton of 

Edinburgh Napier University 

A TOTAL of £772,000 has been 

awarded to Edinburgh Napier 

University for three key health 

projects. 

The grants from the Chief 

Scientist Office part of the 

Scottish Government have been 

awarded to treat psychosis, 

abnormal heart rhythm and 

hepatitis C. 

The funding for treatment 

of psychosis is particularly 

important. In the last decade 

DOG owners across Edinburgh 

and the Lothians are invited to 

join a sponsored walk uniting 

thousands of paws across six 

countries next month. 

The Agria Dog Walk 2019 will 

take place on 25 May 2019 in 

Stockholm, Oslo, Helsinki, Copenhagen, 

Paris and several locations 

in the UK, from Edinburgh to 

Devon, to raise money for local 

animal rescue centres, with Agria 

Pet Insurance donating £5 for 

every dog walked. 

Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home 

is hosting Scotland’s only event, 

and all money raised will go 

patients have been judged as 

lacking capacity to weigh up 

their medical treatment on 22,000 

occasions. The trials which can 

now be run will help those with 

schizophrenia or other disorders 

to have their say. 

The School’s Dr Paul Hutton 

said: “We are delighted the CSO 

is supporting this project, which 

will mark the first attempt to 

use innovative 'Umbrella' trial 

methodology in mental health 

research. 

“This approach, which essentially 

involves running multiple 

trials at the same time, thus 

saving time and money, has had 

remarkable success in accelerating 

interventions for cancer and 

other health conditions, but it has 

never before been used in mental 

health research. 

“If it works, we hope other 

researchers will be able to use it 

to speed up the development of 

effective interventions for other 

mental health conditions." 

Walking the dog 

EDCH Kennel Assistant Lucy Sullivan and Lulu at 

Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home 

to helping rescue, reunite and 

rehome lost, stray and abandoned 

dogs and cats, and providing 

them with food, shelter and vital 

veterinary care while they await 

their forever home. 

The Dog Walk also aims to 

highlight the positive physical 

and mental benefits dogs and 

their owners have on each 

another — from tackling dog and 

human obesity, to the significant 

mental health benefits gained by 

exercising with your four leggedfriend. 

https://www.edch.org.uk/agriadog-walk 

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 

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Social Media 

@EdinReporter 

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@EdinReporter /EdinReporter /edinburghreporter NEWS 3 

Year of Coasts and Waters 2020 

NEXT 

year 2020 will 

be awash with 

events to entertain 

you. It will be the Year 

of Coasts and Waters and 

it will involve Edinburgh 

International Film Festival 

who will present Scotland’s 

Shores. 

This programme will 

celebrate coasts and 

waterways through unique 

events, classic film screenings 

and a special outdoor 

coastal experience. Mark 

Adams, Artistic Director 

Edinburgh International 

Film Festival said: "We are 

so delighted to be part of the 

Year of Coasts & Waters and 

to be able to show off some 

of the greatest moments 

in Scottish film history 

through their use of, and 

association with, some 

spectacular and evocative 

coasts and waterways.” 

“Audiences will get to dip 

their toes into a selection of 

classic Scottish films, and we'll 

take people behind the cinema 

screen with amazing Q&As 

with filmmakers and location 

managers sharing their stories of 

filming on Scotland’s lochs, seas 

and waterways. We'll also have 

exciting events to inspire young 

filmmakers and established 

industry professionals.” 

Other events include : 

Ferry Tales from the 

National Theatre of Scotland - an 

imaginative and impactful 

performance and community 

project, with the support of 

Caledonian MacBrayne and their 

ferries, celebrating the waters 

surrounding Scotland’s waters 

and the journeys over them made 

by thousands of residents and 

visitors. 

Clydebuilt Festival – 2020 will 

be the event’s fourth year, the 

event will significantly expand 

their existing offering across the 

festival bringing art, music, crafts, 

boats, dancing, sea shanties and 

more to the Riverside Plaza. 

The Fife Regatta 2020 – last 

seen in their home waters off 

Fairlie in 2013, the regatta will 

start and finish in Largs, taking 

in various locations around 

the Clyde including Holy Loch 

Marina, Dunoon, Rothesay, Isle of 

Bute and Tighnabruaich, Argyll. 

River of Light - Scotland’s Boat 

Show and Kip Marina will make a 

splash in 2020 with a brand-new 

event that will see Scotland’s 

biggest boat show’s programme 

extended into the evening on the 

10 October. 

RSPB Scotland’s DolphinFest 

2020 - DolphinFest 2020 will help 

Aberdeen become recognised as a 

must-visit destination for dolphin 

watching and will provide 

pop-up activities across the city 

that will celebrate Aberdeen’s 

dolphins; from interactive games, 

to conservation talks and citizen 

science projects. 

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop 

said:“Following on from the 

success of our previous themed 

years, I am pleased to see 

Scotland’s natural assets take 

centre stage as we celebrate 

Scotland’s Year of Coasts and 

Waters in 2020.” 

“Delivered by our skilled and 

passionate industry these six 

initial events, taking place right 

across Scotland, will help to 

promote the upcoming year-long 

celebration and encourage participation 

not only from Scotland’s 

communities but also our visitors 

from near and far.” 

Scotland’s Year of Coasts and 

Waters 2020 will begin on 1 

January 2020 and run until 31 

December 2020. For more information, 

visitvisitscotland.com/ 

ycw2020 Join the conversation 

#YCW2020. 

Mermaidens and Jacob Cunningham (aged 8) making a splash ahead 

of Scotland's Year of Coasts and Waters 2020 | PHOTO Stewart Attwood


Bright Red Sparks Awards 

Edinburgh Collected 

EDINBURGH NAPIER UNIVER- 

SITY'S Bright Red Sparks 

awards recognise innovation 

and services by start-ups and 

fledgling companies. 

There are six winners chosen 

from a shortlist of 16, with two 

judging rounds one of which 

was by external judges. 

The winners will share £10,000 

It’s Barry at 

the British 

Embassy! 

in prize money, and winners in 

the Going for Growth, Bright Ideas 

and Business for Good categories 

will share £14,000 of in kind legal 

support from law firm Shepherd 

and Wedderburn. 

John Morrison of award sponsor 

Shepherd and Wedderburn, 

said: “The quality of Bright Red 

Sparks entries was once again 

All Bright Red Sparks award winners and judges. 

very impressive, demonstrating 

the innovative thinking and 

drive needed to build successful 

businesses and charitable 

ventures. 

“We wish all of the winners, and 

indeed all of the finalists, the very 

best of luck for the future.” 

RENA & WILMA MCNEILL photographed in Bingham Crescent in 1950. 

Edinburgh Collected is a place to share, explore and discuss your 

memories of Edinburgh. Everyone can browse, or you can sign up to 

upload your own memories or save your favourite memories in a 

scrapbook. 

Edinburgh Collected is managed and maintained by Edinburgh 

Libraries, part of the City of Edinburgh Council. 

All the material added will expand the City’s digital heritage collections, 

adding to the material held in the Central Library, already the 

most extensive collection about Edinburgh in existence. 

Edinburgh Science Festival 

talk about climate change 

Chef Barry Bryson travelled over 6,000 miles to cook in Uruguay 

EDINBURGH chef, Barry Bryson, 

represented Scotland in a series 

of mouth-watering events 

hosted by the British Embassy in 

Uruguay, South America. 

Barry, who is owner of private 

event catering company, Cater 

Edinburgh, travelled over 6,000 

miles to showcase his culinary 

creativity in front of an audience 

of over 100 people, including a 

number of Uruguay’s celebrity 

chefs and the judges from the 

Uruguayan edition of TV’s 

MasterChef. 

The British Embassy selected 

Barry for his unique cooking style 

and commitment to excellence 

using seasonal and sustainable 

ingredients. 

Barry is cooking up a storm 

in the kitchen by serving up a 

variety of dishes designed to 

showcase the best of British 

produce with a twist. These 

dishes include carpaccio of 

Aberdeen Angus beef with dried 

lemon, gin-cured salmon, dill- 

crusted sea bass with beetroot 

crumble and treacle tart with an 

orange and basil salad. 

The British Ambassador in 

Uruguay, Ian Duddy, said: “We’re 

delighted that Barry has been 

able to showcase his culinary 

creativity as part of our latest 

events series in Uruguay. Our aim 

is to showcase the best of British 

produce in a modern and innovative 

way, as well as increase 

the positive perceptions of 

British food and drink. Barry has 

definitely risen to the challenge to 

deliver just that. 

“We believe that Barry is a great 

ambassador for Scotland and 

the rest of the UK. His cooking, 

passion for produce and commitment 

to excellence by using 

seasonal and sustainable ingredients 

perfectly matches our 

work with the ‘Food is GREAT’ 

campaign. His impressive dishes 

helped create an unforgettable 

experience for each of our guests.” 

The round-table participants; Christiana Figueres bottom centre| PHOTO Ian Georgeson 

JUST before she was presented 

with The Edinburgh Medal 

Christina Figueres took part in 

a roundtable discussion about 

climate change. 

This is something she is 

particularly well-versed in. Miss 

Figueres was former Executive 

Secretary at the UN Convention 

on Climate Change from 2010-16. 

In that role she drove through the 

Paris climate change agreement. 

Those involved in the discussion 

included leading academics 

and representatives from 

business and charity organisations 

in Scotland. 

Dr Simon Gage OBE the CEO of 

Edinburgh Science chaired the 

meeting and Dr Martin Valenti 

Head of Strategic Partnership at 

SEPA was the facilitator. 

Ms Figueres observed Scotland 

is in a great position to transform 

our way of life and deliver a better 

world, one that works with the 

environment and not against 

it. She emphasised the need to 

inject optimism into the narrative 

of tackling climate change and 

spoke of the outrage of young 

people we are currently witnessing 

and how the older generation 

need to respond to it with energy 

and determination. 

Ms Figueres impressed upon 

the group the need to accept no 

more than 1.5°C temperature 

increase which means getting 

to net zero carbon emissions by 

2050 or earlier. 

The topics discussed by the 

group included assuming the 

responsibility for leading the fight 

against the climate change as 

well as examples of best practice, 

among others.


ASK ALEXA! 

FOR the past six months, a small for people who need to access 

team of experts from the UK information about government 

Government Digital Service has services. And with millions now 

been working on a trial project to using smart speakers, I want 

allow people to access information 

from GOV.UK without having smarter too.” 

government to keep up and work 

to touch a computer keyboard. People can ask Alexa questions 

Their work means people can such as: 

now ask their home speakers like ‘When is the next bank holiday?’ 

Alexa or Google Home questions ‘What is the national minimum 

ranging from ‘How do I apply for wage?’ 

a passport?’ to ‘What age can I Or ask Google Home questions 

retire?’ 

such as: 

Minister for Implementation, 

Oliver Dowden, said: “This passport?’ 

‘How do I apply for a new 

is all about making life easier ‘How do I get free childcare?’ 

Council gets cycle 

friendly award 

Basil Brush on the Fringe 

MORE than 2,500 people work at 

the council HQ Waverley Court 

where we photographed the 

Transport Convener Councillor 

Lesley Macinnes receiving 

a Cycling Scotland certificate 

recognising the council as a cycle 

friendly employer. 

She was joined by council 

employees Mark Symonds, Phil 

Noble, Sean Webster and Clare 

McTigue. 

The council has promoted cycle 

parking and changing facilities 

as well as offering a cycling 

mileage to staff who get on their 

bikes. 

The Bike Station will offer 

guidance and one-to-one support 

The council got an award from Cycling Scotland. 

to employees in the council’s 

efforts to increase cycling as a 

healthy and environmentally 

friendly mode of transport. 

Cllr Macinnes, said: “I am 

delighted that Waverley Court 

has become the latest Council 

workplace to receive this award. 

I know how hard the team have 

worked to make cycling an easy 

and attractive option for travel to 

work here and this recognition is 

testament to that. 

“As a Council we are committed 

to encouraging cycling as a 

healthy and environmentallyfriendly 

transport choice across 

the city, so it makes sense that 

our offices share this ethos too.” 

Basil Brush is doing an adults show at the Fringe 

BUT don’t expect this to be all about children. 

He is doing an evening show at Underbelly’s Cowbarn called Basil Brush Unleashed when the air might 

be just a little blue. His trademark anarchy will allow him to take on everything from Love Island to 

Westminster. Tickets on sale now www.edfringe.com 

Charity Cycle 

THE Two Bridges Six Provinces 

annual charity cycle is organised 

by the Freemasons of Edinburgh 

to raise funds for Motor Neurone 

Disease Scotland (MND Scotland). 

You don’t need to be either a 

mason or a veteran cyclist to take 

part – as there are three set-off 

times for varying abilities. There 

are motorbike road marshalls 

and support vehicles, and anyone 

between 12 and 17 years-old must 

be accompanied by a participating 

adult. 

The route is 38 miles long 

starting in South Queensferry 

and using cycle route 76 or main 

roads which are less busy on 

Sundays, along the southern 

edge of the Firth of Forth through 

Grangemouth and then over the 

Kincardine Bridge, coming back 

along the Fife Coastal Route, and 

returning over the Forth Road 

Bridge to the finishing line. No 

entry fee is payable. All they ask 

is that you raise as much as you 

can for MND Scotland. 

Entries close a fortnight before 

the run on 21 July 2019 and you 

can sign up on Eventbrite 

James Glancy in Edinburgh 

ADVENTURE Activist and 

Discovery Channel host James 

Glancy is coming to Edinburgh to 

share tales from his epic life of 

adventure. 

James is a passionate wildlife 

conservationist and presenter on 

Discovery Channel. James has 

spent his life outdoors in wild and 

hostile places. He served as an 

officer in the elite British Royal 

Marines and Special Boat Service, 

deploying on multiple tours 

around the world, including three 

combat tours of Afghanistan. In 

2012, he was awarded the prestigious 

Conspicuous Gallantry Cross 

(CGC) for leadership and bravery 

on the frontline. 

In 2018, James took part in the 

most dangerous experiment ever 

to be performed on Shark Week - 

spending 43 hours in the Pacific 

Ocean surrounded by deadly 

sharks, all in the name of Shark 

Nevermore 

Agency 

Proudly suporting 

local businesses with 

their design needs 

conservation. 

James will be sharing tales 

from his adventures as part of 

the Kendal Mountain Festival 

Tour. For 2019, the tour is taking 

in 20 destination across the UK. 

Festival Director Steve Scott says: 

‘We’re excited to be hitting the 

road again following a great Tour 

last year. We’ve increased the 

number of venues all around the 

UK and we’ll be sharing some of 

the best curated content for our 

audiences who are in for a treat. 

See you there!’ 

The Edinburgh tour date will 

be held at Assembly Roxy on 

Sunday 19th May. Alongside 

James’s talk, the evening tour 

event will feature a collection of 

incredible adventure films from 

across the globe - stories of talent, 

endurance and excitement to take 

your breath away and rouse your 

wanderlust!. 

Find us on Facebook, 

twitter and instagram: 

@nevermoreagency 

Or online at: 

nevermoreagency.co.uk


Police appeal for information in 

Bradley Welsh murder investigation 

48 YEAR-OLD Bradley Welsh was 

shot dead at the top of the stairs 

to his basement flat on Chester 

Street last month. The Trainspotting 

2 actor and owner of 

Holyrood Boxing Gym died at the 

scene. 

A murder investigation is 

underway led by Police Scotland’s 

Major Investigations Team. 

The suspect is described as 

20 -30 years old and about 5ft 

10ins to 6ft tall. He was wearing a 

baseball cap and was dressed in 

casual clothes. 

Detective Superintendent Allan 

Burton from the Major Investigation 

Team said: "I want to once 

again convey my deepest sympathies 

to the family and friends of 

Bradley Welsh and reiterate my 

commitment to bringing those 

responsible for his murder to 

justice. 

"Someone out there will know 

who committed this crime 

and I want you to search your 

conscience and do the right thing. 

A family are grieving for the loss 

of their son, brother, partner and 

father and they need answers. 

"If you can help with this inves- 

Get connected: 

Social Media 



/edinburghreporter 


Many have left tributes to Bradley Welsh who died at the scene 

tigation then please contact us 

immediately. 

"I also want to emphasise to the 

communities of Edinburgh that 

this incident is being treated as 

a targeted attack and murders, 

especially those involving a 

firearm remain extremely rare. 

"The Capital remains a safe 

place to live, work and visit 

and while this investigation 

continues, uniformed officers 

will maintain a high-visibility 

presence in the Chester Street 

and the West End to offer reassurance 

and engage with local 

residents and business staff.” 

Bradley Welsh was well known 

in Edinburgh. He was a founding 

member of Edinburgh Helping 

Hands which runs football and 

boxing sessions for young people 

to to help them be the best they 

could be. He acknowledged his 

own past and hoped to help 

young people avoid any involvement 

with crime. 

Many have left messages on 

social media but this is from 

Edinburgh Helping Hands 

Facebook Page: 

“Every day Brad used his various 

life experiences and skills to 

offer a helping hand to others. 

His drive to create opportunities 

for others was unmatched. 

Brad was proud to be a son of 

Edinburgh and loved Edinburgh 

and its people. He also recognised 

that although one of the wealthiest 

cities in one of the wealthiest 

countries on earth Edinburgh 

remained a deeply unequal city. 

Brad sought to change that. 

“His leadership and example 

has transformed the lives of 

many people in Scotland's capital 

city. Through Helping Hands 

food collections and distribution 

programme, our physical 

activities groups and in particular 

through our access to sport 

initiative that has seen thousands 

of children in housing schemes 

throughout Edinburgh gain free 

structured training in sports. 

Encouraging young people, by 

positive reinforcement, to be 

not just the best they could be 

at sports but to be the very best 

citizens they could be.” 

Contact Police on 101 with any 

information or Crimestoppers on 

0800 555 111. 

Borders Railway 

disruption 

THE Federation of Small 

Businesses has warned that 

ongoing high profile disruption to 

services on the Borders Railway 

risks putting off visitors to the 

area as we approach the holiday 

season. 

Borders FSB Member, Hans 

Waltl, said: “The Borders has 

big tourism ambitions but poor 

service on the Borders Railway 

is putting these at risk. Rarely 

a day goes by now when we are 

not seeing reports of serious 

overcrowding and disruption 

affecting the line. These problems 

are bad enough for commuters 

using the line on a daily basis 

but the negative stories also risk 

putting off potential visitors to 

the Borders, hoping to use the 

railway to access local businesses 

and attractions. 

“Bringing Galashiels and 

Tweedbank to within an hour’s 

rail journey from the centre of 

Edinburgh is devalued if visitors 

can’t get on a crowded train 

or if the service is cancelled 

altogether. 

“Longer term, the hope held 

out by the Borderlands Inclusive 

Growth Deal of extending the 

Borders Railway via Hawick to 

Carlisle will be strengthened 

by the delivery of a popular and 

reliable service on the existing 

line. 

“It is high time that Abellio 

ScotRail got its act together and 

delivered the kind of service 

that local people and businesses 

deserve. The economic potential 

offered by the railway will only 

be fulfilled when trains run 

when they are supposed to and 

with enough seating to match 

demand.” 

NEWS IN BRIEF 

SCOUTS TEA 

THE 42nd Pentland Scouts are holding a fundraising Afternoon Tea 

with a glass of Prosecco on 12 May 2019 at the Scout Hall on Forthview 

Crescent from 2.00 to 4.00pm. They are raising funds for their proposed 

trip to Kandersteg, Switzerland next year. Adults £10 Child £5 

VOLUNTEER FAIR 

LEITH Community Centre are holding a Volunteer Fair on 7 June 2019 

from 1.00pm to 3.00pm at 12a Newkirkgate to encourage and support 

members of the community to access local volunteering opportunities. 

DOGS VOLUNTEERS 

DOGS TRUST West Calder is hosting a volunteer recruitment event on 

Saturday 19th May 2019 open to anyone wishing to help make a difference 

to the lives and welfare of dogs. 

Volunteers are highly valued and a vital part of the team; and the event 

will provide the perfect opportunity to learn more about Dogs Trust’s 

work; what goes on at the centre, the various responsibilities and tasks 

available for volunteers to undertake. There will also be a chance to get 

a tour of the rehoming centre. 

The event will take place between 2.00 – 3.00pm and the team are 

inviting anyone along who might be able to spare a few hours on a 

regular basis to help out around the local rehoming centre. 

PLANNING 

A PLANNING application has been submitted for a new communitycentred 

building for The Thistle at 13 Queen’s Walk, EH16 4EAA. 

The building includes a multi-purpose activity space, a yoga / tai 

chi studio, workshop and a meditation/mindfulness area. This will 

be a replacement for the garden suite. The application reference is 

19/01433/FUL. All details of this and other planning applications on the 

Council’s website 

TOP CARE HOME 

RESIDENTS rated Salvation Army’s Eagle Lodge as one of the Top 20 

care homes in Scotland 

Eagle Lodge Care Home, has been chosen by residents and their 

families as one of the Top 20 care homes in Scotland. 

There are over a thousand care homes in Scotland, with the top 20 

receiving an award from the leading reviews guide to care homes, 

carehome.co.uk. The award is based on reviews of the care home 

written by their residents, as well as their friends and relatives. 

CROHN’S FUNDING 

A MASSIVE £1.8million research grant has been awarded by the Leona 

M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to University of Edinburgh 

to examine the currently incurable Crohn's disease. 

This award will assist experts assess and monitor outcomes for 

inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that affects 120,000 people in the UK. 

Many who have the disease undergo repeated surgery to correct some 

of the effects. The research will concentrate on mitochondria which 

give off danger signals that immune cells confuse with bacteria. It will 

also try to develop a simple non-invasive test to determine whether the 

inflamed bowel wall is healed. 

POPPY FACTORY CLOSURE 

THE Poppy Factory is closed for refurbishment. The staff have moved 

to Redford Barracks during the two year upgrade. 

Scottish National Portrait Gallery 

acquire new painting 

Pictured: James Adam, 1732 - 

1794. Architect and designer, 1763 

by Antonio Zucchi (1726-1795). 

Oil on canvas, 172.8 x 123.2cm. 

PHOTO | Roberto Ricciuti 

THE National Galleries of 

Scotland (NGS) and the V&A have 

jointly acquired a portrait of 

James Adam of the 18th century 

architectural dynasty. 

This portrait by Italian Antonio 

Zucchi (1726-95) is the third 

time that the two organisations 

have joined together to secure 

an outstanding artwork. The first 

two pieces of art were sculptures, 

the Three Graces and then The 

Campbell Sisters. This purchase 

has been made possible by a 

major grant from national charity 

Art Fund.


Dance like no-one 

is watching 

International Nurses Day 

SCOTLAND’S Learning Disability 

Week 2019 runs from 13 – 19 May. 

This year’s theme is ‘community’ 

- whoever we are and wherever 

in Scotland we live, we can all be 

part of a community. 

Communities can mean 

different things to different 

people but they all have one 

thing in common - a thriving 

community is one in which 

everyone feels connected, 

included and able to contribute. 

They play an important role 

in preventing us from feeling 

lonely or isolated by bringing us 

together with friends, neighbours 

and people with shared interests, 

helping us to build a support 

network, and creating a sense of 

belonging. 

We are all aware of the health 

benefits that sport and physical 

activity brings, from helping to 

prevent and manage a range of 

health conditions, to strengthening 

muscles and bones, to helping 

to maintain a healthy weight. But 

did you know that being physically 

active is also a great way to 

feel part of a community? 

Sadly, people with learning 

disabilities often face significant 

barriers to physical activity, 

including a lack of confidence, 

feeling unwelcome, feeling 

unsafe, and local venues and 

activities not being accessible. 

Although the national physical 

activity guidelines are the same 

for adults with a learning disability 

as adults without, recent 

studies show that adults with a 

learning disability are twice as 

likely to be inactive. 

At Edinburgh Leisure, a charity 

dedicated to creating opportunities 

for everyone in Edinburgh to 

lead happier, healthier and more 

active lives, they are proud to 

provide support to people in the 

community who face the greatest 

barriers to being active, including 

people affected by physical, 

sensory and learning disabilities, 

through a range of projects and 

classes designed to protect their 

health and wellbeing. 

Learning Disability week logo 

They believe that people with 

learning disabilities make a 

valuable contribution to the 

communities they live in and 

should enjoy equal opportunity 

to be physically active. That’s 

why they launched Danceability, 

an inclusive dance class for 

adults with additional support 

needs to explore movement and 

dance to music, at the Royal 

Commonwealth Pool in April 

2018. The classes proved to be 

so popular with the community 

that they now have three running 

across the city each week - at 

the Royal Commonwealth Pool, 

Leith Victoria Swim Centre and 

Gracemount Leisure Centre. 

Danceability focusses on 

inspiring and empowering people 

with additional support needs 

to be active through dance by 

giving everyone the chance to 

participate and contribute to the 

choreography. It helps them to 

improve their fitness, balance and 

mobility, as well as supporting 

them to create social connections 

and feel part of a community. 

Friends Stacey and Jessie, who 

both have learning disabilities, 

take part in Edinburgh Leisure's 

Leith class with instructor Roz. 

Earlier this year Edinburgh 

Leisure supported them to gain 

a Zumba instructor qualification 

and recently they’ve been 

working with Roz to put together 

some choreography and teach a 

few tracks in class. Stacey loves 

being on stage teaching the most 

whereas Jessie likes to work on 

her technique and get the choreography 

just right. The change 

in the girls since they started 

playing such an active role in 

the class has been stark – their 

confidence has improved, they are 

more active than ever and they’ve 

really started to come out of their 

shells. 

If you or someone you know 

would like more information on 

Edinburgh Leisure's Danceability 

classes, contact Sara Kemp 

at sarakemp@edinburghleisure. 

co.uk 

ON 8 May 2019 Lothian Health 

Services Archive are hosting an 

event to celebrate International 

Nurses’ Day. 

LHSA holds many records 

relating to nursing in Edinburgh, 

from letters and certificates to 

training registers from hospital 

nursing schools. At this event 

you can learn about the history 

of nursing in the region. There is 

also a rare chance to see historic 

collections items including a lace 

cap belonging to ‘the lady with 

the lamp’, Florence Nightingale. 

She is known as the founder of 

modern nursing and opened the 

Nightingale Training School for 

Nurses at St Thomas’ Hospital in 

London in 1860. She introduced a 

greater degree of professionalism 

to nursing making it a career for 

educated women. 

In Edinburgh the Royal 

Infirmary was inspired by these 

developments and the managers 

began a probationary period of 

training and a higher wage to 

attract “a better class of woman” 

to the profession. 

A Lady Superintendent of 

Nurses, Elizabeth Barclay, was 

Lace cap owned by Florence Nightingale 

appointed in 1872, and the RIE 

Nurse Training School was 

founded in the same year. 

On display alongside her lace 

cap will be a selection of letters 

written by Nightingale. These 

were presented to the Royal 

Infirmary of Edinburgh in 1951 by 

Miss Angelique Lucille Pringle, 

who had trained with her. There 

will also be training records, 

copies of the RIE Nurses' Training 

School magazine ‘The Pelican’, 

and a host of other records that 

help to shed light on individual 

nurses’ experiences. 

Follow us 

online: 

Social Media 



/edinburghreporter

8 POLITICS The Edinburgh Reporter 

Ash Denham MSP 

Ben Macpherson MSP 

Christine Jardine MP 

Daniel Johnson MSP 

Deidre Brock MP 

Gordon Lindhurst MSP 

Gordon Macdonald MSP 

Ian Murray MP 

Declining numbers of music 

teachers 

by Jeremy Balfour MSP 

THE number of dedicated 

music teachers working in 

Scotland’s primary schools has 

plummeted by 42 per cent in the 

past seven years. Latest figures 

have revealed there were just 

62 teachers across the country 

whose main job in primaries was 

to teach music last year. 

That compares to 108 in 2011, 

and signals a year-on-year drop 

under the SNP government. We’re 

not talking about a statistical blip 

here – it’s a 42 per cent decrease 

in the space of seven years. 

It’s a thoroughly depressing 

statistic, which highlights the 

neglect of the SNP government 

in this area, despite high-profile 

campaigns to increase the 

number of young people being 

taught an instrument. 

The cost of Trident 

by Deidre Brock MP 

THE UK Government doesn’t excel 

at many things, but one trick it is 

very good at pulling is balancing 

the books on the backs of the poor 

while carelessly frittering billions 

of pounds on pet vanity projects. 

Perhaps the most grotesque 

waste of money, worse even 

than that miserable act of 

self-harm known as Brexit, is the 

billions blown on maintaining 

nuclear weapons on the Clyde. 

For fifty years we’ve had the 

dangerous obscenity of Trident 

on our shores, serving no purpose 

beyond indulging the fantasy of 

British imperialists that we’re 

still big boys at the table. The 

spiralling cost of maintaining this 

myth is money which should be 

better invested in health, housing, 

education, pensions and welfare 

support for vulnerable citizens. 

The argument that weapons of 

mass destruction bring peace is 

a nonsense; it’s the flawed logic 

used by Trump and the US gun 

lobby, that carrying weapons 

Universal Credit 

by Joanna Cherry QC MP 

DESPITE the ongoing Brexit 

madness, I have continued to 

pursue the DWP on behalf of 

constituents who have been left 

in dire circumstances by the 

failings of Universal Credit. 

At Westminster, I raised the case 

of a working mum who was struggling 

to pay for childcare because 

– although we all know nurseries 

in the real world must be paid in 

advance – the childcare element 

of Universal Credit is still paid in 

Numerous studies have shown 

learning a musical instrument 

not only helps a child across 

other subject areas, but improves 

their overall wellbeing. Yet, 

according to the official Scottish 

Government statistics, there 

are now 10 local authority areas 

which have no dedicated music 

teachers working in primary 

schools at all. 

That will mean a significantly 

reduced experience for primary 

school children all over Scotland. 

The SNP has been warned for 

years about how important it is 

for young children to be given the 

opportunity to learn a musical 

instrument. Yet it’s allowed 

teacher numbers in this area to 

completely collapse. 

If this doesn’t change soon, 

thousands more youngsters will 

miss out on opportunities which 

could shape and influence their 

entire lives. 

makes everyone safer. As the 

UN’s Canberra Commission 

on the Elimination of Nuclear 

Weapons said: “So long as any 

state has nuclear weapons, others 

will want them. So long as any 

such weapons remain, it defies 

credibility that they will not one 

day be used, by accident, miscalculation 

or design… It is sheer 

luck that the world has escaped 

such catastrophe until now.” It is 

also sheer luck we have not had 

any major incident at Faslane 

so far. Parliamentary questions 

I’ve asked have revealed more 

than 500 safety mishaps on the 

nuclear submarines since 2006, 

with more than half of them in 

the last four years. We’ve got the 

world’s most dangerous weapons 

but they seem to be under the 

control of the Keystone Cops. We 

can’t wait for catastrophe before 

taking action, we need to get rid 

of these atrocities now. Seventy 

countries have already signed 

the UN treaty to prohibit nuclear 

weapons – why isn’t the UK one 

of them? 

arrears. Recently, my team also 

met the fantastic team at Broomhouse 

Community One Stop 

Shop to discuss the effects these 

fundamental issues are having 

on constituents. We heard some 

shocking stories of vulnerable 

people being let down again and 

again by a system that they feel is 

geared against them. Broomhouse 

COSS does invaluable work in the 

constituency and I look forward 

to continuing to work with the 

inspiring women we met this 

week and their dedicated team of 

volunteers. 

Local Politicians 

have their say 

Trust me I’m a politician! 

by Ash Denham MSP 

YOU can trust some politicians, 

we are not all the same. This is 

suggested by the extreme right 

to stop ordinary folk from voting. 

It makes politics an elite subject 

and destroys any chance of true 

equality in representation. 

Expenses scandals, free bars, 

huge wage rises are used to 

diminish your trust. 

Holyrood does not have a free 

bar, nor a subsidised bar. There is 

a bar, it is open to all staff, not just 

MSPs, the charges are similar to 

other bars in the High Street. 

I certainly did not become an 

MSP for the salary. All the SNP 

Social care needs cash 

by Kezia Dugdale MSP 

LAST year I held 36 public advice 

surgeries across the city giving 

constituents an opportunity to 

meet with one of their regional 

MSPs face to face and discuss any 

of the issues that they wanted 

with me. 

The majority of the cases 

last year were about housing, 

health and concerns over Brexit; 

however, the first half of this year 

has been dominated by social 

care casework. 

Research from my office 

revealed figures that show around 

160 people in Edinburgh today 

are receiving incomplete care 

packages, over 600 people are 

waiting for a package to start and 

a staggering 1,200 people are still 

waiting just to be assessed. 

Not only are we seeing a rise 

in people stuck in hospital, 

unable to get home due to an 

inability of local authorities to 

provide adequate social care 

The way out of Brexit 

by Christine Jardine MP 

BEFORE recess, the dominant 

emotions at Westminster were 

frustration and fear. 

Fear that we would crash out of 

the EU without a deal – a scenario 

which all but the most ardent 

and committed Brexiteers admit 

would be bad for the country. 

Frustration that so many of 

us are agreed that we need to 

find a way forward out of this, 

but unable to overcome the 

trench warfare that has come to 

dominate Parliament. 

Calling for a public vote 

by Daniel Johnson MSP 

THE fallout of the 2016 EU referendum 

continues to rumble on. 

To say that the Brexit process 

has been shambolic to date is a 

massive understatement. 

As a representative of a constituency 

that voted 80% remain in 

that vote, I imagine that many of 

my constituents will be holding 

their heads in their hands having 

watched the negotiations and the 

voting that took place in the UK 

parliament in the last month. 

Ministers and Cabinet secretaries 

take a salary, only at the 2007 

level. The remainder is donated 

back into the Scottish budget 

to support the Scottish Government, 

in their ambition for a fairer 

Scotland. Our MSP salaries are 

linked to public sector pay. We do 

not award ourselves inflated pay 

rises like Westminster. Of course, 

my SNP Westminster colleagues 

have donated their pay rise to 

charity. 

We are not all the same. I am 

here to represent my constituents. 

I am here to fight injustice. I 

am here to make Scotland fairer. I 

am here as your voice. 

packages, the funding black hole 

facing Edinburgh means hugely 

damaging cuts could soon be 

made to crucial mental health 

and drug and alcohol services 

across the city. 

The services being provided in 

Edinburgh are at breaking point, 

and without the SNP Government 

stepping in to provide essential 

funding, how will the thousands 

of people waiting for suitable care 

packages and vulnerable people 

who rely on outreach services get 

help they desperately need? 

Until we see a cash injection 

into social care services, it’s likely 

this will be the top issue constituents 

coming to see me over the 

coming months continue to raise 

with me. 

If I can be of any assistance to 

you or anyone you know, don’t 

hesitate to contact my office by 

calling 0131 348 6894 or email 

Kezia.Dugdale.MSP@Parliament. 

Scot 

Now that the EU extension has 

given us a little breathing space 

and time to find the solution 

the country craves I hope that 

the Conservatives will use it to 

consider two vital factors. 

First, that a referendum on the 

deal has the momentum, of both 

public opinion and parliamentary 

support. 

And second that it is the only 

way forward. Potentially their 

way out. 

It’s time to end this mess and do 

what’s best for the country. 

The idea that is still being 

perpetuated, that somehow we 

will all be better off once we leave 

in some way shape or form, is 

to completely ignore the cost in 

human terms. With our universities, 

financial sector, and jobs 

across Edinburgh reliant on the 

EU I see no real benefit to putting 

that at risk. 

As time goes on increasingly the 

only way forward is to take this 

back to a public vote, because the 

only way this will be settled is by 

the public having their say.

y Gordon Lindhurst MSP 

@EdinReporter /EdinReporter /edinburghreporter GENERAL POLITICS NEWS 

9 

Maintaining skills for the future 

SOME of you may have noticed 

the recent news that the St Mary’s 

Cathedral Workshop in Edinburgh 

has closed following funding 

difficulties. 

The workshops operated for over 

thirty years, taking the opportunity 

of extensively repairing the 

19th century cathedral to train 

generations of master stonemasons. 

I have been lucky enough to 

meet some of the apprentices and 

witness their skills since being 

elected as an MSP. 

Stonemasons are vital to 

repairing and maintaining 

Edinburgh’s stone built heritage 

by Gordon Macdonald MSP 

AS WE continue to see the chaos 

of Brexit unfold, it is so important 

to make clear that EU citizens 

will always remain welcome in 

Edinburgh, and I will continue to 

do all I can to help people stay in 

Scotland. 

I was delighted to see the 

First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, 

recently make a commitment 

to EU citizens that Scotland 

remains their home - promising to 

continue making a strong case for 

their rights to be protected in any 

EU exit scenario. 

The SNP leader has written 

an open letter to EU citizens to 

confirm a new ‘Stay in Scotland’ 

which is integral to our UNESCO 

World Heritage Site. Without St 

Mary’s Cathedral Workshops 

shared apprenticeship scheme, 

stonemasonry apprenticeship 

opportunities will significantly 

reduce. 

I am pleased that alternative 

employers have been found 

for the apprentices wishing to 

continue their career in the trade. 

However, I hope a sustainable 

funding model can be found for 

a stonemasonry shared apprenticeship 

scheme to operate out 

of St Mary’s Workshop, which 

would ensure future generations 

of stonemasons to maintain 

Edinburgh’s stone built heritage. 

EU citizens are welcome here 

Welcoming EU citizens 

by Ben Macpherson MSP 

THE Scottish Government’s Stay 

in Scotland support package has 

been launched to help thousands 

of EU nationals living in 

Edinburgh and across Scotland. 

Our friends, neighbours and 

colleagues from elsewhere in the 

EU who have made their homes 

in Scotland contribute so much 

to our communities, our economy 

and our society. We want them to 

stay and should all work together 

to help them to stay. In principle, 

I oppose the UK government’s 

insulting settled status scheme 

- because there should be no 

question as to whether people 

who’ve made Scotland their home 

be ‘allowed’ to stay. However, 

while the UK government’s 

settled status scheme remains in 

More Brexit 

by Ian Murray MP 

I HOPE all readers had an 

enjoyable and relaxing Easter 

break. 

It has been a busy time for MPs 

as a result of the Brexit crisis, 

which continues to rumble on. 

The good news, however, is that 

a people’s vote is now closer than 

ever before. 

There is time to hold a confirmatory 

referendum before the 

current Brexit deadline of October 

31. 

This proposal received the 

package that will consist of: 

£250,000 for community based 

support across Scotland 

a support and advice service for 

EU citizens with more complex 

needs or particular challenges 

a toolkit for employers, 

including posters, factsheets, 

digital content and guide 

directing EU citizens to further 

guidance 

With absolutely no clarity from 

Westminster, this announcement 

from the First Minister provides 

welcome support for EU citizens 

in across Scotland. 

I’d like to urge anyone who has 

issues or concerns they would 

like to discuss with me to please 

get in touch. 

place, the Scottish Government’s 

Stay in Scotland support package 

will provide additional information 

to EU nationals, employers 

and communities, many of whom 

have been left without sufficient 

guidance and advice from the UK 

government. 

With funding for community 

based support, a support and 

advice service for more complex 

queries delivered by Citizens 

Advice Scotland, and a toolkit 

for employers (including posters, 

factsheets, and a guide to 

further assistance), the support 

package is there to help EU 

nationals to stay in Scotland, 

and I encourage everyone to use 

these free materials in order 

assist their friends, neighbours 

and colleagues to stay. Together 

#WeAreScotland. 

highest level of support twice 

among MPs in the rounds of 

indicative votes in Parliament, 

and it is the policy agreed by 

Labour Party members. 

To achieve this, MPs are going 

to have to work together in the 

national interest. 

The EU has given us a lifeline to 

avoid the calamity of Brexit, and 

the economic hardship it would 

cause in Edinburgh and across 

the UK. 

There is a democratic solution 

to this crisis. We must seize 

it with both hands and have a 

confirmatory vote on any deal 

that Parliament agrees on. 

Leith Walk by-election an 

interesting straw in the wind 

by Tommy Sheppard MP 

SO after two and a half months of 

hard campaigning in Leith Walk 

ward, the votes have been cast 

and counted and the SNP’s Rob 

Munn is deservedly Edinburgh’s 

newest councillor. With twelve 

years previous experience, Rob’s 

hardly wet behind the ears and 

I know that he will be a superb 

local representative. 

Voters clearly recognised that 

too and he comfortably topped 

the first preferences. 

But beyond that headline news, 

what else can we glean? Well, 

most obviously, this was a great 

night for pro-independence, 

pro-EU parties, with SNP and 

Greens both increasing their vote 

share and collectively getting 

61.2% of first preferences. Rob ran 

a great campaign and benefitted 

from the SNP’s record in 

the two years of leading its first 

ever administration – dynamic, 

ambitious and unmistakably 

progressive. Voters responded 

positively. 

Correspondingly, it was an 

atrocious night for unionist, 

pro-Brexit parties who barely 

scraped over a quarter of votes 

combined. The Tories ran a 

Thoughts from a 

candidate 

by John Scott 

AS A candidate in the recent Leith 

Walk by election I am disappointed 

by both the campaign and 

the post election comments from 

all the main parties. 

If you followed them on social 

media all you saw was pictures 

of them out delivering leaflets 

alongside other Councillors or 

even MSPs from their own party 

suggesting that they all had great 

support. If that was the case, why 

was there only a turnout of 30.3%. 

They will claim it’s only a by 

election, it’s always been like that, 

etc etc. Just because it’s always 

been that way doesn’t make it 

acceptable. 

Contrary to what you may think, 

I don’t blame the people of the 

ward for not voting - I blame the 

politicians who have failed to 

engage properly with them. The 

fact that none of them mentioned 

the turnout and that the winning 

candidate got 35.7% first preference 

votes (or 10.7% of the eligible 

voters) is nothing short of a 

disgrace. 

In my opinion, the only way 

to change this apathy at a local 

level is for the communities 

within each council ward to work 

together and put forward an 

Independent candidate to stand 

on issues that are important to 

them. It doesn’t cost anything 

and I am sure with crowdfunding 

they could get enough to cover the 

costs of promotional material. The 

change needs to start at a local 

level and it needs to start from 

within the community itself. 

dismal negative campaign and 

lost a quarter of their support. 

Their materials prominently 

featured Ruth Davidson. Voters 

evidently weren’t keen. 

But most disappointed at 

the end of night was Labour. 

Despite a well-liked, wellknown 

local candidate, they 

struggled to a calamitous 15.5% 

in this former stronghold. Their 

smarter thinkers will identify 

that the blame lies in large part 

with Labour’s shameful Brexit 

stance which panders to their 

Leave-voting Northern English 

heartlands but is woefully 

mismatched to opinion in 

Scotland where two thirds voted 

to Remain in the EU. No surprises 

maybe that diverse, cosmopolitan 

Leith Walk resoundingly rejected 

them. But this result follows 

closely behind one in small 

town Clackmannanshire where 

again the SNP vote went up and 

Labour’s slumped. 

Council by-elections are 

straws in the wind in terms 

of national politics but these 

results are intriguing nonetheless. 

Judgments are being made 

by voters, not just on local issues. 

And they are continuing to put 

their trust in the SNP. 

John Scott stood in the recent 

by-election as an independent 

candidate 

European elections 2019 

ALL candidates for the European 

Elections must be submitted to 

the relevant Electoral Registration 

Officer by 25 April 2019. 

Polling for this election will be 

held on Thursday 23 May 2019 

with votes counted on Sunday 26 

May 2019. Candidates must lodge 

a deposit of £5,000. 

Certain Edinburgh schools 

will be closed on the day of the 

election. 

The European elections will be 

held on 23 May 2019 and Scotland 

will field candidates for all main 

political parties unless the UK 

Government manages to get its 

withdrawal agreement passed by 

Parliament. 

Conservative Baroness Mobarik, 

SNP MEPs Alyn Smith and Ian 

Hudghton, Labour’s David Martin 

and former UKIP member David 

Coburn are the current MEPs. 

David Coburn has already said he 

will not stand again. 

Candidates are listed in order of 

preference, and the voting system 

used is one of proportional representation. 

Jeremy Balfour MSP 

Joanna Cherry QC MP 

Kezia Dugdale MSP 

Tommy Sheppard MP 

The Edinburgh Reporter 

Liberal Democrat candidates : 

1. Sheila Ritchie 

3. 2. Fred Mackintosh 

4. Catriona Bhatia 

5. Vita Zaporozcenko 

6. John Edward 

7. Clive Sneddon 

Scottish Conservative candidates 

: 

1. Baroness Nosheena Mobari 

2. Iain McGill 

3. Shona Haslam 

4. Iain Whyte 

5. Andrea Gee 

6. Michael Kusznir 

Scottish Green candidates to be 

announced 

Scottish Labour candidates 

1. David Martin (He has been an 

MEP since 1984) 

2. Jayne Baxter 

3. Craig Miller 

4. Amy Lee Fraioli 

5. Callum O’Dwyer 

6. Angela Bretherton 

SNP candidates were to be 

announced at their Spring 

Conference during the last 

weekend of April.

10 GENERAL BUSINESS NEWS The Edinburgh Reporter 

Ken joins Gilson Gray 

GILSON GRAY have again 

highlighted their commitment 

to growth by cherry-picking the 

best legal talent from across the 

country with the appointment of 

a personal injury expert. 

Ken Lauder joins the rapidly 

growing firm as a Legal Director 

in the Litigation and Dispute 

Resolution Team. 

With over 30 years’ experience 

in many areas of civil court 

Ken is also a qualified Solicitor 

Advocate. 

Specialising in high value 

personal injury, medical negligence 

and other professional 

negligence cases Ken also acts in 

wider litigation. 

Career highlights have included 

successfully acting for several 

victims of the Clutha Vaults 

accident in November 2013 and 

obtaining substantial damages 

for members of a German family 

following a fatal road traffic 

accident in Scotland. 

Ken said: “I was approached by 

Gilson Gray with the idea that 

I would be able to add a further 

area of expertise to the firm’s 

existing offering. It’s a really 

exciting opportunity for me and I 

feel very fortunate to be here. 

“Many of my cases involve 

acting for people who have 

been affected by life changing 

incidents. 

“I’ve always felt that it’s 

important that my clients then 

have as much support as possible 

from me, rather than feeling 

trapped in an unwanted litigation 

process on top of everything else. 

“I believe that providing that 

human service to my clients fits 

in many of the values of Gilson 

Gray which is another reason that 

Potterrow 

student flats 

ready for 

occupation 

The building was constructed with stone cladding to blend in with 

the surrounding buildings. 

52 NEW student flats at 22-24 Potterrow have been completed by Clark 

Contracts on behalf of Curlew Property. 

Each flat has a work area, storage and a double bed. Shared apartments 

have a fully fitted kitchen complete with dishwasher and high 

spec bathroom. Studio apartments have a mini kitchen and en-suite 

shower room. The bathrooms were created offsite and fitted as pods to 

save construction time on site. The architects were Yeoman McAllister 

and the project was shortlisted for Student Accommodation of the Year 

Award at the 2019 Scottish property awards. 

LEITH WALK POLICE BOX POP UP SPACE 

Pop up space 

Flexible and 

affordable 

www.leithwalkpolicebox.com 

the opportunity to join the firm is 

so attractive. 

“To be at a company that 

believes in doing things a little 

differently is a chance that 

doesn’t come along very often 

and I’m really looking forward to 

joining in with that too.” 

Within the area of clinical 

negligence he has a particular 

interest in birth injury claims 

and his most recent success was 

based on a structured settlement 

involving a seven figure lump 

sum payment together with an 

index linked annual sum. 

Ken is also a member of the 

Pursuers’ Panel of the Law 

Society of Scotland which deals 

with negligence claims against 

other lawyers. 

Outside the office, he serves on 

the Insurance Committee of the 

Law Society of Scotland, whose 

functions include negotiating 

professional indemnity insurance 

arrangements for solicitors in 

private practice in Scotland and 

putting in place an annual risk 

management programme for 

Scottish solicitors. 

Glen Gilson, Managing Partner 

at Gilson Gray, said: “We’re in the 

fortunate position of being one of 

the fastest growing law firms in 

the country which allows us to 

attract talent like Ken. 

“Our success has been down 

to many factors but a prevalent 

theme has been our ability to hire 

the best people. 

“With Ken this is exactly what 

we’re getting. Not only one of the 

top personal injury lawyers in 

Scotland but also an experienced 

individual who can help guide 

clients through what can be a 

stressful and confusing situation.” 

• 11 May 2019 Bikes for 

Refugees is a charity that 

welcomes refugees to 

Edinburgh and helps them 

get mobile by providing 

refurbished bikes. Donate 

a bike or volunteer. 

• 17 May 2019 Firstport 

Savills launches new 

Residential Lettings service 

Charles McCosh Head of Savills Lettings| PHOTO Chris Watt 

CHARLES MCCOSH has been 

appointed head of the new team, 

specialising in the letting and 

management of flats, townhouses 

and family homes. 

Born and educated in 

Edinburgh, Charles pursued his 

passion for property down south 

where he enjoyed seven years 

running offices in London with 

Marsh & Parsons. He returned to 

Edinburgh in 2017 to join Rettie & 

Co and he is ARLA registered on 

both sides of the border. 

New appointments 

THOMAS & ADAMSON, the 

international construction and 

property consultancy, has made 

three new appointments to its 

senior management team. 

Heather Holbrook will become 

Regional Director within the 

company’s Cost Management 

division. She has considerable 

experience working in both 

Information stall. Thinking 

of starting your own 

business. Do you know 

about social enterprises? 

Come along and find out 

whether a social enterprise 

model could work for your 

business idea. 

• 25 May 2019 Last Saturday 

of the month Invisible 

Edinburgh provide 

Jane Cronwright-Brown Head 

of UK Residential Lettings said: “ 

The opening of our first Scottish 

city lettings operation is an 

exciting addition to our Savills 

UK Lettings business. 

Charles has a strong track 

record in the sector, and we look 

forward to strengthening our 

service to our existing Scottish 

clients and welcoming new ones.” 

Craig Timney, Head of Savills 

Edinburgh said: “We are delighted 

to welcome Charles McCosh on 

Greig Fenton is one of three new appointments at property consultancy, 

Thomas & Adamson. 

commercial and public sectors, 

and with her dedicated approach 

she has delivered many complex 

projects. 

John McGuinness has become 

Associate Director, Building 

Surveying. John has been 

an important member of the 

Building Surveying team since 

May 2007 and he provides 

Street Barber and QMU 

podiatry services to people 

who have encountered 

homelessness. 

• 1 June 2019 12-5.00pm 

Vegan Pie stall 

• Wednesdays & Fridays 

and on 5,19 and 26 

May 11.00am -6.00pm 

Tipico quality nuts, 

almonds and roasted 

board, who has the calibre and 

experience to bring a new, high 

quality lettings service to the 

Edinburgh market. 

“Savills Lettings will complement 

our Residential business 

and Charles will also be working 

closely with our Private Rented 

Sector (PRS)/Build to Rent 

and Residential Development 

colleagues. His skills make him 

a perfect fit for Savills business 

here in Edinburgh”. 

Charles McCosh, Head of Savills 

Lettings in Edinburgh, said: “It’s 

great to bring Lettings to Savills 

Edinburgh, a business with an 

enviable reputation for delivering 

high quality property services. 

Savills UK has a network of 

successful lettings businesses, all 

of which benefit from the support 

of tried and tested systems and 

procedures. With this support in 

place, I aim to bring a comprehensive, 

proactive and fresh 

approach to Edinburgh’s burgeoning 

rental market, on behalf of 

landlords and tenants alike.” 

expert input across all facets 

of Building Surveying, Quality 

Monitoring and Project Management. 

He has built a reputation 

for providing a unique blend 

of practical and professional 

advice. 

Greig Fenton becomes 

Associate Director, Building 

Surveying. 

Greig joined Thomas & 

Adamson in 2014 and has a 

broad range of expertise in 

construction projects. A dilapidations 

expert with extensive 

experience in project management, 

contract administration 

and traditional survey work, he 

is involved in a wide variety of 

projects in the retail, commercial 

and public sectors, acting 

on behalf of both landlords and 

tenants. 

Alastair Wallace, Senior 

Partner at Thomas & Adamson, 

said; “These promotions reflect 

the hard work of Heather, 

Greig and John and the service 

excellence they provide to 

our clients. Recognising and 

rewarding talent like theirs is 

key to sustaining the consistent 

growth achieved at Thomas 

and Adamson over the last few 

years.” 

• pistachios plus delicious 

Sicilian confectionery - 

caramelised nuts, brittles 

and tarrone (Italian 

nougat). 

• Saturday mornings 

Edinburgh Tool Library 10.30 

to 1.00pm Pay what you 

can to join and borrow 

tools for DIY, gardening 

and sewing.

@EdinReporter /EdinReporter /edinburghreporter WHAT’S ON 11 

What’s on in May 

Theatre | Art | Music | Shows | Festivals 

AT THE GALLERIES 

THE INGLEBY GALLERY 33 BARONY STREET 

27 April to 13 July 2019 

The Gates of Onomatopoeia Charles Avery has focused on a fictional 

island since 2005 and here he describes the inhabitants, architecture, 

philosophies, customs and idiosyncrasies of the imagined world. 

This exhibition includes several new drawings and a large sculpture. 

The Union Tree will be sited in the centre of the gallery towering over 

the space in a rebuke of nature. Charles Avery’s installation (Untitled) 

Dihedra is part of NOW at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art 

from 1 June to 22 September 2019. 

THE UNION GALLERY, 4 DRUMSHEUGH PLACE, 

JOYCE GUNN CAIRNS AND ALASDAIR GRAY 

25 April – 25 May 2019 

Daily except Sunday, from 10.30am until 5.00pm. 

www.uniongallery.co.uk 

OPEN EYE GALLERY 34 ABERCROMBY PLACE, EH3 6QE 

Brita Granström: Rhubarb & 

Rock Pools In her new exhibition 

of works on canvas, Brita 

Granström is doing what she does 

best; showing us delicious interior 

views as well as dealing with the 

wild all-weather landscapes near her 

seaside home. Granström’s life experience 

in the Borders, shared with her 

husband, children and two lurcher 

pups, informs every brushstroke of her 

Looking for Crabs 

by Brita Granström 

work; and as she says: 

‘I love setting out across the dunes 

with an empty canvas under my arm, 

my Sami birchbark rucksack on my back and my lurcher pups Hilda 

and Nelly. The phrase ‘a blank canvas’ is exactly the right description 

as I can never be sure what painting I will bring back. I often start out 

with a composition in mind, a place I know that I want to paint; but 

on the magical North East coast anything can happen. I was painting 

recently and a Merlin flew into my picture startled by Hilda and 

Nelly once sent a flock of white sanderlings flying across one of my 

seascapes like confetti.’ 

First there is a mountain 

16 June: The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh (Portobello Beach), plus 

talk event with the artist Artist Katie Paterson launches First There 

is a Mountain a new participatory artwork travelling the UK throughout 

summer 2019. new artwork that connects the public to the world’s 

diverse mountains. Launching on 31 March at Leysdown Beach, Isle of 

Sheppey, and touring the UK until 27 October 2019, the project involves 

the creation of ‘buckets and spades’ with which the public are invited 

to build mountains of sand across the UK coastline and play out the 

world’s natural geography against a series of tidal times. The five 

pails are scale models of five of Earth’s mountains: Mount Kilimanjaro 

(Africa), Mount Shasta (USA), Mount Fuji (Asia), Stromboli (Europe), and 

Uluru (Oceania) nested together. 

Lost At Sea 

Perth Theatre’s world premiere production of Morna Young’s epic 

fishing drama comes to the King's Theatre from 20 to 22 May 2019. 

A storm is brewing in a small fishing village. A young woman returns 

home, searching for answers about her father's death. But as she 

begins to weave together the strands of her past, a mysterious force 

unravels family secrets. Lost at Sea journeys through a labyrinth of 

myth and memory in an epic tale spanning forty years of the fishing 

industry. 

Inspired by the loss of her fisherman father, Morna Young’s personal 

tribute to the fishing communities of Scotland is director by Ian Brown, 

former artistic director of Tag Theatre Company, the Traverse Theatre 

and the West Yorkshire Playhouse. 

Share your 

event with us! 

At Stills Gallery 

Zahara Michael V, 

© 2018 Kieran Dodds 

FEATURING work by: Kieran 

Dodds, Brittonie Fletcher, Alex 

Hall, Morwenna Kearsley, Mhairi 

Law and Frances Scott 

AMBIT is an exhibition of work 

celebrating new and diverse 

approaches to photographic 

image making in Scotland. The 

participating artists demonstrate 

wide-ranging thematic interests 

and employ varied techniques and 

processes, from drone photography 

to black & white darkroom 

printing and camera-less photography. 

The exhibited works have 

been made in 2018 and 2019 

in a broad range of locations, 

from Glasgow and Edinburgh to 

Ethiopia, Orkney and the Isle of 

Lewis. Several of the artists are 

exhibiting new work or work in 

progress for the exhibition. 

AMBIT is a partnership between 

Stills and Street Level Photoworks, 

Glasgow, Scotland’s public 

venues dedicated to photography. 

The exhibition will be presented 

across both venues and is a joint 

venture aimed at showcasing 

some of the current tendencies 

and innovative talent from the 

photography sector in Scotland. 

Scottish Opera on 

the small screen 

Anthropocene, the acclaimed 

new work commissioned by 

Scottish Opera from composer 

Stuart MacRae and librettist 

Louise Welsh, will be available to 

watch on OperaVision from May. 

Directed by Matthew Richardson, 

designed by Samal Blak and 

conducted by Scottish Opera 

Music Director Stuart Stratford, 

the work had its world premiere 

in January at Theatre Royal 

Glasgow, and tells the story of an 

expeditionary team of scientists 

who become trapped in the frozen 

Arctic wastelands. 

The film of Anthropocene, 

directed for OperaVision by 

Jonathan Haswell and produced 

by Andrew Lockyer, was made 

at a performance at London’s 

Hackney Empire in February. The 

full performance will be available 

to view worldwide on the free 

streaming platform from 17 May 

to 17 November, and is the first 

time a Scottish Opera production 

has been featured on 

OperaVision. 

Iain Dale will be All Talk 

on the Fringe 

LBC RADIO presenter and 

political commentator Iain Dale 

is putting on a Fringe show this 

year when he will sit down with 

the likes of First Minister Nicola 

Sturgeon, shadow chancellor 

John McDonnell, London Mayor 

Sadiq Khan among others. 

Dale is one of the country's 

leading broadcasters, known for 

his forthright style. 

Iain Dale said: “There’s a real 

appetite for live political debate 

by Adam Zadawzdki 

and conversation and that’s why 

I’m delighted to be bringing a 

live political interview show to 

the Fringe. 

"We’ve been deliberately 

ambitious in our line-up of 

guests and it’s testament to 

the status of the Fringe that 

they’ve all said yes! We might 

even occasionally get away with 

mentioning the ‘B’(rexit) word 

but we intend to have a lot of 

laughs too.” 

At the cinema 

COMING to a cinema near you this month are the first films of the 

summer. 

Released on 3 May 2019, much has already been made about ‘Extremely 

Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile’ with Zac Efron (The Greatest 

Showman) portraying notorious serial killer Ted Bundy. 

Directed by Guy Ritchie (Sherlock Holmes), ‘Aladdin’ is the second 

Disney live action remake this year, following Tim Burton’s ‘Dumbo’ 

and preceding Jon Favreau’s ‘The Lion King’, arriving in cinemas on 22 

May 2019. Robin Williams (Mrs Doubtfire) well and truly laid down the 

comedy gauntlet with his iconic vocal performance as the Genie in the 

animated 1992 masterpiece and taking over the role in this version is 

Will Smith (Ali) whom you may have already seen to blue effect in the 

trailers released so far. 

Despite a mixed critical reception, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, the story of 

Freddie Mercury and the rock band Queen, was a massive box office 

and awards season success. Somewhat unsurprisingly then, comes the 

story of Elton John as played by Taron Egerton (Kingsman: The Secret 

Service) in ‘Rocketman’, the latest biographical film of a major recording 

artist. It will fly onto the silver screen on 24 May 2019. 

Unleashed on 29 May 2019 is ‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters’, the third 

film in Legendary Entertainment’s MonsterVerse after Godzilla (2014) 

and Kong: Skull Island (2017). Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things 

television series) makes her film debut while a sequel entitled ‘Godzilla 

vs. Kong’, in which she also appears, has just finished filming in 

preparation for release next year.

12 GENERAL WHAT’S NEWS ON 

The Edinburgh Reporter 


BOOK AHEAD 

for Brahms 

Sunday 26 May 2019 at 7.45pm at 

St Cuthbert’s Parish Church 

Brahms Festival: 

Variations on a Theme by Haydn, 

opus 56 

Double Concerto for Violin and 

Cello, opus 103 

soloists: Claire Sterling and 

Robin Michael 

Symphony No 2 in D major, 

opus 73 

Scottish born 'cellist Robin 

Michael appeared last season in 

a superb pair of performances 

(both here and in Linlithgow) of 

Dvořák's beautiful concerto; a 

return invitation was immediate! 

This time he is joined by Claire 

Sterling in a husband and 

wife collaboration performing 

the Brahms Double Concerto. 

Harmony of every variety is sure 

to reign! The Second Symphony 

is the sunniest of the four, and 

contrasts perfectly with the 

autumnal concerto. 

At the Patrick 

Geddes Centre 

Early Edinburgh Photography 

Sunday 12 May 10.00am-4.00pm 

Roddy Simpson, photography 

historian and academic, presents 

this unique talk, and walking 

tour of Edinburgh's Old Town. He 

will explore the photographs of 

notable Edinburgh based photographer, 

Archibald Burns (1831-80), 

in context, focussing on those 

published in 'Picturesque Bits 

from Old Edinburgh' and Burns' 

extraordinary survey images 

following the Improvement Act 

of 1867. 

GED Talks: The Roots of 

Environmentalism 

Thursday 30 May, 6.30pm-8.00pm. 

An expert panel will present 

a series of short punchy talks 

highlighting the roots and 

resonance of a variety of environmental 

causes and campaigns. 

With support from the audience, 

they will consider the current 

direction and whether important 

lessons fro the past could better 

influence our future. 

Tickets from the Patrick 

Geddes Centre Riddle’s Court 322 

Lawnmarket EH1 2PG 

t 0131 510 8789 

Edinburgh Folk Club 

To celebrate the Hamish 

Henderson Centenary during 

Edinburgh Tradfest there is ‘A 

Ceilidh Come All Ye’ on Sunday 5 

May at 7:30pm co-hosted by Tracs, 

Edinburgh FC and the MayDay 

Committee at STC. The line-up 

includes, so far, Margaret Bennet, 

Lori Watson, Alison MacMorland 

with Geordie Macintyre, and 

Nancy Nicolson. A full-throated 

evening of song is expected with 

music and stories interwoven. 

Hidden Door 2019 

2019 30 May to 2 June 2019 

THIS is a shorter leaner festival 

than before but the team are 

working hard on a full line 

up for next year. This long 

weekend will feature loads of 

music with an opening night 

which tries to address the 

gender imbalance at most UK 

Festivals. 

Thursday 30 May 

Will be presented in partnership 

with The List, offering an 

eclectic opening night that 

once again makes a strong 

statement of intent to address 

the gender imbalance rife in 

UK music festival lineups, 

with a female-led roster of 

acts including the groundbreaking 

R&B star Ray BLK, 

winner of BBC Sound of 2017, 

and the universally acclaimed 

experimental pop duo Let’s Eat 

Grandma. Bass-heavy hip hop 

direct from the East Coast (of 

Scotland) is provided by the 

all-female rhyme-masters The 

Honey Farm, with Edinburgh’s 

underground, electronic duo 

Chuchoter and notorious 

Glasgow DJ Sarra Wild 

Hidden Door 2017 at Leith Theatre | photo credit Chris Scott 

bookending the celebratory bill. 

Friday 31 May 

Hidden Door will offer its first 

ever nine-hour show of seamless 

music from 6pm - 3am, bringing 

together some of the finest 

electronica currently being made 

in the UK with a live set from 

London-based George Fitzgerald 

fresh from his BBC Radio 

1 residency, and Ninja Tune’s 

Nathan Fake taking us through til 

3am alongside local duo Maranta 

and acclaimed producer and 

singer Kelly Lee Owens. 

Saturday 1 June 

Crystal Fighters, darlings of 

the alternative dance scene and 

widely adored for their catchy 

songwriting, live energy and 

penchant for glitter. The 

group’s arsenal of feel-good 

anthems have made them a 

magnificent live proposition, 

helping them to forge a reputation 

for creating a celebratory 

party atmosphere wherever 

they play. 

Late night on Saturday 1 June 

Welcomes one of the UK’s 

best known electronic artists, 

as Maya Jane Coles presents 

Nocturnal Sunshine. Maya has 

toured and performed around 

the world almost constantly 

since 2010. In addition to 

her DJ sets, she’s a skilled 

producer having released on 

Mobilee, Fabric or DJ-Kicks, 

as well as LPs under her own 

name. 

Sunday 2 June 

The hugely popular US 

phenomenon Cigarettes After 

Sex will light up the main 

auditorium of Leith Theatre 

for one final night with their 

distinct brand of euphoric and 

atmospheric crafted 

songwriting. 

Scottish Opera 

bring The Magic Flute to Festival 

Theatre, 13–29 Nicolson Street, 

EH8 9FT next month 

Performances at 7.15pm on 5,11,13 

and 15 June 

Performances at 3.00pm on 

7 June (Dementia Friendly 

Performance) and 9 June 

The Magic Flute Unwrapped 

Thu 6 Jun, 6pm 

The Magic Flute Pre-show talk 

Sat 15 Jun, 6pm 

The Magic Flute Touch Tour 

Sun 9 Jun, 1.45pm 

The Magic Flute Audio-described 

performance Sun 9 Jun, 3pm 

EDINBURGH SUMMER 

SESSIONS 2019 

Florence and The Machine are 

one of the acts this summer. 

Dates: 7 – 18 August 2019 

Where: Princes Street Gardens, 

Edinburgh 

Headliners: Florence 

+ The Machine, Primal 

Scream, CHVRCHES, Lewis 

Capaldi, James, Courteeners, 

Madness Additional acts: Johnny 

Marr , We Were Promised 

Jetpacks, The Lightning Seeds 

Tickets : www.smmrsessions.com 

RSNO announce 

their 2019-20 

season 

The Royal Scottish National 

Orchestra has a varied and 

eclectic line up for you in 2019-20. 

Thomas Søndergård has chosen 

the music for his second season 

from a wide variety of composers. 

The RSNO will be marking the 

250th anniversary of Beethoven's 

birth with performances of his 

symphonic, chamber and sonata 

works. 

The new season will reflect on 

the Golden Age of Vienna during 

the 1900s when the city was home 

to many involved in the arts. 

There will be three programmes 

of music pairing the tone poems 

of Richard Strauss with three of 

Gustav Mahler's greatest works. 

This will allow Søndergård to 

continue his exploration of 

Mahler's symphonies which he 

began last season. 

The Edinburgh Reporter sat 

down with the music director for 

a chat about his musical taste 

and the forthcoming season. You 

can listen to that on anchor.fm/ 

edinburgh-reporter 

Don’t miss our monthly What’s on Section

@EdinReporter /EdinReporter /edinburghreporter 

WHAT’S ON 

13 


At The Queen’s 

Hall in May 

2 May 2019 7.30pm 

SCO: Dove Accordion Concerto 


Tradfest: Talisk + The Adam 

Sutherland Band 


Heidi Talbot: Väsen; Floriane 

Blancke; Inge Thomson 

4 May 7.30pm 

Gretchen Peters: Strings Attached 


Patty Griffin 


Tim Garland: Weather Walker Trio 

11 May 20197.30pm 

Neu! Reekie! 


Dunedin Consort: Bach: The Last 

Resort 

15 May 2019 doors 7.00pm 

Glenn Hughes Performs Classic 

Deep Purple Live 


The Kevock Choir 


Frigg 


Danny Baker 


The Fureys 


Erland Cooper 


Scottish Ensemble: Dance Music 

with Malin Broman 


Edinburgh Quartet: Conflicting 

Places 


Leah MacRae: My Big Fat Fabulous 

Diary 

31 May 2019 doors 7.00pm 

Howard Jones 

At the City Art Centre - Victoria Crowe - 50 

years of painting 18 May to 13 October 2019 

This is part of Edinburgh 

Art Festival 2019. 

THE work of one of the UK’s 

most distinguished artists 

will be shown here in a 

major exhibition of over 150 

paintings. Crowe is an exceptional 

artist and there are early 

paintings which show the 

promise of her more recent work. 

The paintings are drawn from 

public and private collections 

both home and abroad. The works 

will be scattered over the four 

Speaking to Howard Jones 

Howard Jones comes to The 

Queen’s Hall on 31 May. PHOTO 

Simon Fowler 

HIS new album ‘Transform’ 

touches on the everyday 

struggles of personal identity in 

an ever switched-on and mobile 

modern society. 

Howard references the possibility 

of becoming a “YouTube 

Trendsetter” or having “40 million 

twitter followers” but it will still 

be “the same old me.” Yet unlike 

bleaker albums that strike similar 

Sheep, Sheperdess and 

Harbour Craig 1975 

themes (think Radiohead’s OK 

Computer or Bowie’s Diamond 

Dogs), Howard’s aim with this new 

record is to encourage. 

“We can actually affect change 

ourselves,” he says passionately. 

“We can take the lead and become 

active and engaged. I think that 

I was very much aware of that 

with this album, everyone needs 

a boost. Whatever situation we’re 

in in the world nobody else is 

going to change it or do it for us, 

we have to take the lead.” Howard 

has been practising Buddhism for 

26 years now, and I ask if that has 

influenced not only his thought 

process but also his musical one. 

“I think so yeah,” he nods, “I’m up 

at six and chant for an hour and I 

engage in this battle with my own 

negativity every day. Buddhism 

has really helped me with that 

and helped me realise that every 

single person has this amazing 

potential inside of them.” 

Sonically, ‘Transform’ is Howard 

“returning to [his] electronic 

roots,” well-crafted pop songs 

Blue Snow and Fiery Trees, 2011 

enriched with his signature synth 

laden arrangement. “I’ve done 

lots of albums that have been 

experimenting with new things,” 

Howard says, referencing 2009’s 

‘Ordinary Heroes’ which focuses 

heavily on piano and strings, “but 

it feels very comfortable to be 

back with synths. There’s a desire 

from my fans to do a real synth 

album again so I think I subconsciously 

responded to that and 

I’ve had brilliant fun doing it,” he 

smiles. The album opens with a 

sucker-punch of positivity ‘The 

One To Love You’, ‘Take Us Higher’ 

and fantastically titled ‘Beating 

Mr. Neg’ kick off ‘Transform’ 

with pounding synths, “loud and 

proud” riffs and uplifting lyrics, 

“I wanted the album to be very 

upbeat and there’s only really two 

ballady type tempos in there,” he 

explains. One is the beautifully 

lush ‘Mother’, the other is ‘At The 

Speed Of Love’, both which really 

explores Howard’s range as a 

vocalist, Howard Jones is at the 

Queen’s Hall on 31 May 2019. 

The last portrait of 

Jenny Armstrong, 1986-7 

floors of the gallery with a 

distinctive colour key complementing 

the content of the 

work on each floor. A new film 

has been commissioned and 

this will be shown as part of 

the exhibition to give you a 

glimpse into her practice. 

At the National 

Museum of Scotland 

Chambers Street, EH1 1JF Open 

10:00–17:00 daily 

Ancient Egypt Rediscovered, 

Exploring East Asia and The Art 

of Ceramics Free 

The National Museum of 

Scotland has opened three new 

permanent galleries dedicated 

to Ancient Egypt, East Asia and 

the Art of Ceramics in the final 

part of a 15-year journey, restoring 

one of the UK’s finest Victorian 

buildings revealing remarkable 

treasures and creating inspiring 

learning experiences. 

Visit nms.ac.uk/seethewholestory 

The Art of African Metalwork Fri 

22 Feb–Sun 25 Aug 2019 

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. 

Visit nms.ac.uk/africanmetalwork 

Microscopes: Nature Revealed Fri 

29 Mar–Sun 15 Sep 2019 

Exhibition Gallery, Level 1 

This display will tell the 

stories of the makers and users 

of an instrument that has been 

fundamental in improving our 

understanding of the natural 

world. Using examples from our 

significant collection, we will see 

how optical improvements saw a 

change in the public perception 

of the microscope from being a 

simple optical toy to a reliable 

instrument of science. 

Visit nms.ac.uk/whatson 

Japanese Tea Ceremony Sun 5 

May 

11:00–12:30 & 14:00–15:30 

£10, £8 Members & Concessions 

Booking essential. Call 0300 123 

6789 to book your place or book 

online. 

Age 14+ 

Also known as The Way of Tea, 

the tea ceremony is the art of 

preparing and presenting matcha, 

powdered green tea. Join us to 

learn about this cultural tradition 

and experience traditional 

Japanese hospitality with Mio 

Shudo, Urasenke Japanese Tea 

Master. 

Visit nms.ac.uk/teaceremony 

Nations United 

at St Bride’s 

BE United will once again be 

celebrating cultural unity in 

Scotland with the annual Nations 

United Festival. 

A one-day festival on Saturday 4 

May 2019 from 12pm to 7pm at St 

Brides Centre, 10 Orwell Terrace, 

Edinburgh, EH11 2DZ showcasing 

the cultures of Scotland, Greece, 

Ghana and Ecuador. For the first 

time the event will host food 

and craft stalls from all over the 

world. There will be a schedule 

of workshops, talks and performances 

aimed at promoting: 

Culture, Conversation, Connection. 

For one day St Brides Centre 

will turn into a multicultural 

hub, welcoming all audiences 

to explore the multitude of 

activities in various rooms of the 

centre. Entry is free with just the 

workshops being ticketed. 

YOUR EVENT 

HERE 

Don’t miss our monthly What’s on Section

14 WHAT’S ON The Edinburgh Reporter 


TARTAN DAY 2019 IN PHOTOS 

THE sun shone for the 21st New 

York City Tartan Day Parade 

led by Grand Marshal Sir Billy 

Connolly. 

The day itself has a certain 

shape by now. It starts with the 

Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan, billed as a 

pan- denominational Christian 

blessing organised by the St 

Andrew’s Society of NY. That 

is followed by the Pipes and 

Drums on the Fountain Terrace 

at Bryant Park, where there is 

also singing and speeches. 

Many performers travel from 

Scotland to be a part of the 

parade and the assortment 

of events which lead up to it, 

and there were Canadian and 

American pipe bands too. 

At Carnegie Hall Rose 

Museum - Andrew Carnegie 

The Andrew Carnegie exhibition is the first to feature the man himself 

in the Rose Museum’s history | PHOTO Chris Lee 

by Phyllis Stephen 

WHEN in New York for Tartan 

Day, I met up with Gino Francesconi 

who is the Director of 

Archives at Carnegie Hall. Of 

Italian descent himself he knows 

all about people who came to 

America from elsewhere. His 

research into Andrew Carnegie 

has this year resulted in a 

fascinating display about the 

philanthropist which you can see 

for free if you get a ticket for a 

concert there. 

We may know Andrew Carnegie 

as the wealthy man who has 

spread his Let There Be Light 

motto by funding public libraries. 

He began his love of reading by 

trying to access Colonel James 

Anderson's private library of 

400 books but was told that as 

a bobbin boy earning only $1.20 

a week, he was 'not respectable 

enough'. After writing a letter to 

the Pittsburgh Dispatch at age 14 

he persuaded the Colonel to open 

his library to all boys. One of the 

first books he read was The Magic 

of Kindness and the book is on 

display in the Rose Museum. 

He later moved on to work with 

the telegraph company memorising 

Morse Code by sound and 

interpreting messages by ear. This 

job meant he doubled his salary. 

There are photos of Carnegie, 

his younger brother Tom, the 

manifest from the passenger of 

the Wiscasset in 1848 showing 

the names of all four members of 

the family travelling across the 

Atlantic in search of a new life. 

In the exhibition you can see 

for yourself more about him. It 

is unusual for Carnegie Hall to 

concentrate on the man, rather 

than what goes on in the fabulous 

surroundings of the venue. 

This is the story of a man who 

made lots of money but whose 

life was not untouched by tragedy, 

losing his younger brother at a 

relatively young age in the same 

year as his mother. 

I asked Mr Francesconi about 

the reason for that and he told me: 

"Normally our permanent exhibition 

consists of performance 

history and the building history 

of the hall itself. People can 

usually see more than 300 items 

related to the hall including items 

like Benny Goodman's clarinet. 

But this year is the centenary 

of Andrew Carnegie's death we 

decided to do a temporary exhibition 

on the man himself. It's the 

first time we've ever done this. 

It was a little intimidating as it 

is an enormous story, but when I 

started writing I thought we could 

fit it all in." 

Carnegie and his parents 

and brother emigrated from 

Dunfermline, taking a long ten 

weeks to get to Pittsburgh where 

his two maternal aunts already 

lived. 

Some of the items have been 

borrowed from the Andrew 

Carnegie Birthplace Museum in 

Dunfermline. 

Read More Online

@EdinReporter /EdinReporter /edinburghreporter WHAT'S ON 15 

Theatre | Art | Music | 

There’s Been a Murder! 

by John HIslop 

CANCER charity FACE, (Fighting 

Against Cancer in Edinburgh) 

have arranged a fundraising 

dinner with acclaimed crime 

writers Ian Rankin, Peter 

Ritchie, Tom Wood and Dr Ralph 

Bouhaider. 

The event will take place on 

Friday 14 June 2019 at Wolfson 

Hall, Royal College of Surgeons, 

Nicholson Street with tickets 

available for £45.00. FACE is a 

cancer fund established in 1990 

and is based at the Edinburgh 

Cancer Centre of the Western 

General Hospital in Edinburgh. 

The funds raised through FACE 

provide the “little things” that 

make a difference to patients and 

families who have been affected 

by cancer. 

As well as providing supporting 

for initiatives within the 

Edinburgh Cancer Centre, FACE 

also supports peripheral oncology 

clinics across Scotland and aims 

to make the time in hospital more 

comfortable, not just for patients 

but also their family and friends. 

Ian Rankin is a highly successful 

writer, best known for his 

Inspector Rebus novels. 

His first Rebus novel, Knots & 

Crosses, was published in 1987 

and the series is now translated 

into twenty-two languages and 

the books are bestsellers on 

several continents. Peter Ritchie 

took up writing after a 30-year 

police career with Lothian and 

Borders Police where served 

in uniform, CID, Serious Crime 

Squad before moving to manage 

the Organised Crime Unit in the 

National Criminal Intelligence 

Service in London. He was later 

appointed as the UK Liaison 

Officer to Europol. 

His books on the career of 

Detective Chief Inspector Grace 

Macallan have proved to be 

hugely popular with readers. 

Host and former Deputy Chief 

Constable Tom Wood also served 

with Lothian and Borders Police 

and ran the investigation into the 

murders of Angus Sinclair. He 

subsequently wrote ‘The World’s 

End Murders- The Final Verdict’ 

on the case. 

Dr Ralph Bouhaidar is a 

renowned forensic pathologist 

who has worked on many highprofile 

murder cases. 

FACE is run entirely by 

volunteers, who have directly 

or indirectly been impacted 

by cancer. There are no paid 

members of staff and no offices to 

maintain. 

Tickets can be obtained via 

johnmac1790@sky.com or 

jim.pryde@tiscali.co.uk 

Danny MacAskill Drop and 

Roll Tour at the Fringe 

Danny MacAskill is returning to Edinburgh a decade after 

the first film of his cycling went viral. 

INTERVIEWING Danny MacAskill 

is a very easy affair. He really is 

as laid back as he makes all the 

stunts look on his videos, and he 

has lots to say. 

It may only have been last night 

that he flew in from California, but 

there was just a tiny hint of jet lag 

- and none at all when he offered 

to perform a couple of stunts for 

me! He is still part of the Red Bull 

family as he has been for the last 

ten years. 

He said Red Bull have given 

him lots of support over the 

last decade since his first video 

showing off his cycling skills 

was published on YouTube. He 

used places like Edinburgh Castle 

as a playground for some of the 

spectacular stunts. Since then it 

has had over 38 million views. 

To celebrate the key milestone 

Danny and his colleague Duncan 

Shaw will return to Edinburgh 

this summer with a family 

friendly show with an element 

of audience participation.He is 

bringing his Drop and Roll Tour 

to the capital this year in a debut 

Edinburgh Festival Fringe show. 

Edinburgh still feels like home 

although he did admit that Bristo 

Square has changed a bit since 

he used it as a backdrop to his 

cycling videos. 

Danny said : "That video 

certainly kicked off a career that I 

could not have imagined having. 

It's amazing what the internet can 

do and the opportunities it can 

open up." 

Prior to that Danny had worked 

in a bike shop in Aviemore for 

a few years after leaving school 

and his home base of Skye. He 

explained why he moved to 

Edinburgh. He said :"Once I had 

ridden all the places in Aviemore 

I fancied moving to a city and 

Edinburgh was the first port of 

call. I saw it as not too big, more 

like a big town. 

"It is a perfect backdrop for a 

video. My focus was very much 

about trying to find the coolest 

riding I could find. I had lived 

in the city for maybe about four 

years and I had these dream 

tricks that I thought about trying. 

It wasn't until my flatmate offered 

to make a video that I started 

looking at these tricks seriously." 

All of that is now in the past and 

since hitting the road in 2014 the 

Drop and Roll Tour street trials 

display team have performed 

shows in Scotland, England, 

Germany, The Netherlands, 

Switzerland, Czech Republic, 

Poland, South Africa, Philippines, 

Indonesia and the USA. 

Watch out for him cycling on the 

streets of Edinburgh in August 

as he thinks he will have enough 

energy left to have a bit of fun on 

a bike around the city. 

Danny MacAskill’s Drop and 

Roll Live, with an exceptionally 

talented team of riders including 

Drop and Roll’s co-founder and 

fellow Scot, Duncan Shaw, will be 

performed at The Lafayette. 

Shows | Festivals 

Day by Day Guide 

SUNDAY 5 MAY 2019 at 7.30pm The Scarlet Pimpernel 

Assembly Roxy, Roxburgh Place. Tickets are £10 and available online 

A mysterious, impudent spy. An ambitious, ruthless, spy hunter. And 

the woman they both love. Let us transport you from the gaming tables 

of Georgian London to the prisons of Revolutionary Paris for a deadly 

game of cat and mouse in the shadow of the guillotine. 

THURSDAY 9 and SATURDAY 11 MAY 2019 Citizen at North Edinburgh 

Arts. 

Edinburgh International Book Festival is continuing its Citizen 

programme with two days of events and activities at North Edinburgh 

Arts. One day will involve young people from Liberton Hish School , 

Broughton High School and Craigroyston Community High School in 

activities creating flags with students from Edinburgh College to reflect 

their sense of belonging, home and sense of self which are all core 

values in Citizen. Both days are open to all and free. 

SATURDAY 11 MAY 2019 1.00pm 

At Holyrood Park Go along for Arthur’s Amble, a gentle guided walk 

around Hunter’s Bog and St Margaret’s Loch. Organised by Historic 

Environment Scotland 

t 0131 652 8150 to book a free place. 

SUNDAY 12 MAY 2019 12 noon. 

The Madelvic History Group will escort their Curious Edinburgh walk 

for about 2 hours. The highlights will include Granton Harbour and 

Granton Walled Garden. If you are interested then contact w.black@ 

blueyonder.co.uk at Madelvic House Granton Park Avenue EH5 1HS. 

TUESDAY 14 MAY at 11.00am and 15 MAY 2019 at 2.00pm Silver Cinema 

- Mary Poppins Returns both audio described performances at ODEON 

Fort Kinnaird. 

SUNDAY 19 MAY 2019 at 1.00pm 

Spring Wildlife Walk at Holyrood Park with Historic Environment 

Scotland Free but book a place t 0131 652 8150 

Every Tuesday at 1.00pm and Wednesday at 9.30am at Liberton Kirk 

Halls 28-30 Kirkgate EH16 6RY Beginners/Intermediate Pilates Classes. 

t 07968 86275 

The Edinburgh Reporter


Top areas in West Lothian 

for first time buyers 

First time buyers could look to the west for better prices 

WITH high demand for one and 

two bedroom flats in the city 

of Edinburgh, it can be worth 

looking at buying your first 

home out of the city. 

West Lothian offers a number 

of towns, benefiting from easy 

commuter access to Edinburgh, 

as well as Glasgow, making it 

ideal for those who work in 

either city. These are some of 

the best areas for first time 

buyers in West Lothian. 

Broxburn - Located just to the 

west of Edinburgh, one of the 

main draws of this lovely town 

is the ease of access to the city 

of Edinburgh, with great road 

and rail links. The Union Canal 

cuts through the town, providing 

excellent walking, cycling and 

running routes for those who 

like spending time outdoors. 

Livingston - Positioned in the 

Almond Valley, 13 miles west 

of Edinburgh, Livingston offers 

a great array of local eateries, 

leisure facilities and shops, 

including a popular Designer 

Outlet. The town benefits from 

two train stations which both 

provide regular rail services to 

Edinburgh and Glasgow. 

Linlithgow - The historic burgh 

of Linlithgow is the county town 

of West Lothian and is famous 

for its palace which was the 

birthplace of Mary Queen of 

Scots. The grounds of the palace 

offer lovely walking and running 

routes as well, and the high street 

is brimming with independent 

shops and cafes. Linlithgow 

also provides a fast and regular 

rail service to Edinburgh and 

Glasgow. 

Winchburgh - Ideal for those 

who regularly have to travel 

to London or further afield for 

work, this lovely town is just six 

miles from Edinburgh Airport. 

Positioned on the banks of the 

Union Canal, this village is set to 

be developed in a town over the 

next 15 years, with more homes, 

new school buildings, improved 

transport links, a 75-acre park 

and employment land all in the 

works. 

Bathgate - Located 18 miles 

south-west of Edinburgh and 

Glasgow, Bathgate is a bustling 

town with plenty of shops, cafes 

and pubs. The town also benefits 

from great road and rail links to 

both Edinburgh and Glasgow. 

Places to go - Cold Town House 

Cold Town House has been created out of a former church 

SIGNATURE Pubs has just opened 

Cold Town House, a new bar and 

brewery opening in Edinburgh’s 

Grassmarket. 

Following a £4m investment, 

the former site of the Robertson 

Memorial Church has been transformed 

to create a 21st century 

brewery, bar, restaurant and 

rooftop terrace. 

Cold Town Beer brings brewing 

back to the Grassmarket 

The interior has been revamped 

with what is called 'experiential 

entertainment and excitement' 

in mind. The venue is planned as 

a place for socialising, enjoying 

live entertainment and relaxing 

to watch live sport with local beer, 

poured fresh from the 

onsite brewery. 

As the official home of Cold 

Town Beer, the opening of the 

new bar also marks the return 

of brewing to the Grassmarket, a 

tradition dating back to the 16th 

century. Taking pride of place on 

arrival to the venue are the eight 

500l beer tanks that house the 

Cold Town Beer brewed there. 

All the brewing magic happens 

on the first floor with the process 

displayed for all to see thanks to 

floor-ceiling glass walls. Booth 

seating and rotating windows 

that open into the brewery allow 

for a fully immersive, sensory 

experience incorporating all 

the sights, sounds, smells and, 

ultimately, flavours of the Cold 

Town Beer brewing process. 

Cold Town House visitors can 

sample Edinburgh’s freshest 

local pint, relax by an open fire 

pit, snap a selfie in the photo 

booth and be regaled by an 

entertainment roster featuring 

performances from comedians 

and musicians. 

As well as fresh beer, the pub 

will pride itself on its authentic, 

artisan, stone baked Neapolitan 

pizza which will be baked 

to perfection in a pizza oven 

custom made in Naples. The 

dough is fermented using Cold 

Town Beer for 24 hours, creating a 

light, airy pizza base. The pizzas 

are the jewel in the crown of 

an all-day food menu offering 

locally sourced dishes, including 

vegetarian and vegan options. 

The roof terrace at Cold Town 

House is one of the highlights. 

It enjoys uninterrupted views 

towards Edinburgh Castle making 

it a unique space that will be the 

most sought-after seat in the 

heart of the city. Drinks will be 

served from a vintage Cold Town 

branded Citroen van and guests 

can enjoy them snuggled in their 

very own ski gondola. 

Nic Wood, Owner of Signature 

Pubs said: “This project has been 

a long time in the making and 

we’re delighted to finally have 

an opening date for Cold Town 

House. We launched Cold Town 

Beer in 2018 and it has gained a 

loyal following; we’re thrilled with 

the progress. 

"We’re looking forward to being 

able to share the Cold Town magic 

with everyone in this incredible 

new venue. Cold Town House is 

something completely new for 

Edinburgh and we’re excited to 

bring this iconic building back 

to life, as well as restoring the 

Grassmarket’s history of brewing 

beer.” 

Cold Town House is open now at 

4 Grassmarket, EH1 2JU. The bar 

and restaurant will be open from 

9.00am until late every day of 

the week offering locally sourced 

food, drinks and live 

entertainment. 

The rooftop terrace will undoubtedly be popular in the summer

y Nigel Duncan 

@EdinReporter /EdinReporter /edinburghreporter 17 

FEATURES 

Southampton is not just for cruising 

THE lights in Southampton 

quayside flickered in the darkness 

as the flybe plane from Edinburgh 

made its approach over the 

extensive dock area. 

The South Coast port is, of 

course, synonymous with cruising 

with two million passengers 

going through the city every year. 

Many cruisers sadly never see 

this port city, jetting in and sailing 

immediately out, but Southampton 

is undergoing an ambitious 

regeneration scheme which 

has attracted over £2 million of 

investment. 

The city is also using its 

heritage to pitch for more tourism 

business from the Lothians as 

it is only 90 minutes by air from 

Scotland’s Capital – there are up 

to five direct flights every day. 

It makes this interesting and 

historic city, which has 50 parks 

and green open spaces and over 

3,000 hotel beds in the city and 

surrounding area, so accessible. 

However, beware of the new 

luggage rules with flybe which 

are stringent and rigidly applied 

to every passenger at the gate. If 

your case does not fit then cough 

up £50. 

On arrival, it was a swift 15 

minutes by cab – you can take 

the train to Southampton Central 

from the terminal only 99 steps 

away and it takes seven minutes 

(£3.90) and then walk around 20 

minutes (mostly downhill) or take 

a bus - to the city centre, four-star, 

99-room, dog-friendly – there are 

lead hooks in the foyer - Mercure 

Southampton Centre Dolphin 

Hotel. 

It is Southampton’s oldest hotel 

having been on site for more than 

500 years. 

Jane Austen held her 18th 

birthday here and Lord Nelson 

Interior of West Quay 

Mayflower Memorial 

and Queen Victoria have stayed. It 

enjoyed a £4m facelift in 2010 and 

is used regularly by cruisers. 

Why? Because it is minutes from 

the cruise terminal. The staff are 

obliging and my spacious room 

was comfortable. It housed a 

deep bath, ideal after hours spent 

walking around the city. 

There are six resident ghosts, by 

the way, an attraction for some, 

and Dan Wilson, the general 

manager, said the hotel is ideally 

placed for those who wish to 

explore the city and surrounding 

area including the New Forest. 

Breakfast is buffet-style or 

specially-cooked and the ham, 

cheese and tomato omelette 

was well-filled. Also try the local 

sausages. 

Our bar meal of fish and chips 

and a classic burger and fries 

came beautifully presented and 

was excellent pub grub. 

However, what about the city? 

Read More 

Online 

Go to the Isle of May 

ISLE OF MAY reserve manager, 

David Steel, shares his top 10 

reasons to visit this spectacular 

island. 

Enjoy a boat trip! The trip over 

to the May is rollicking good fun, 

led by knowledgeable guides, and 

will warm you up with a few bird 

sightings before you even reach 

the island. 

Experience the feeling of being 

inside a puffin snow globe. In 

spring, over 40,000 pairs of 

puffins return from the open 

sea where they have been since 

August. Birds bond for life and 

will use the same underground 

nest burrow, so watch out for 

adults ‘spring cleaning’ and pair 

bonding. 

Walk in the footsteps of the 

famous Robert Stevenson, the 

engineer who designed and built 

the impressive main lighthouse 

on the island in 1816. Climb to 

the highest point of the island to 

gain free entry to the lighthouse 

(weekends only) and enjoy the 

story of this magnificent building. 

Watch out for endearing eiders. 

Spring is the best time to see 

the largest nesting duck in the 

British Isles, with over 1,200 

females nesting across the island. 

This loveable duck will sit tight 

on four to five eggs and will not 

move throughout her four-week 

incubation. Many will nest on the 

footpaths which criss-cross the 

island, so watch where you step! 

See the Isle of May in bloom. 

Following the long cold winter 

months, the island springs to life 

as the dormant season gives way 

to spring. Take in the display of 

the white sea campion which 

carpets the island, and the thrift 

(known as sea pink) which grows 

in the crevices of stone walls and 

the cracks of the rocks. 

VISITSCOTLAND has given its 

highest award to a sculpture 

garden just outside Edinburgh. 

Jupiter Artland is about to open 

for its 11th season and now the art 

attraction set in 100 acres has the 

prestigious 5 star Visitor Attraction 

award. 

The location is used for films, 

tours and events as well as being 

home to 35 permanent artworks. 

Chairman of VisitScotland Lord 

John Thurso visited the attrac- 

Take in the sights, sounds and 

smells of the seabird city. Don’t 

miss the spectacle of thousands 

of cliff-nesting seabirds, 

including guillemots, razorbills, 

shags and kittiwakes on the high 

west cliffs of the island. Watch 

and listen to the buzz of activity 

and throng of birds as they return 

from the open sea, display with 

partners and squabble for nest 

sites. 

See seals hauled out on 

seaweed-covered rocks as they 

enjoy the spring warmth. The 

Isle of May is home to one of the 

largest grey seal colonies in the 

UK, with thousands giving birth 

in the autumn months. However, 

spring is also a good time to see 

the animals hauled out on the 

rocks. 

Enjoy the freedom of an island, 

breathing in the sea air and 

escaping the hustle and bustle of 

daily life. The island’s walks offer 

breath-taking views and if clear, 

there are views of the Forth Road 

Bridges out to the west, St. Abb’s 

Head to the south and the mighty 

Bell Rock lighthouse to the north. 

Experience the spiritual atmosphere 

of this special, historical 

place. Wander around the ruins 

of the medieval monastery. Learn 

about the significant role the 

island played in the history of 

early Christianity and about the 

hermits and monks who lived on 

the island from the 7th century. 

Learn more about the fascinating 

life of a modern-day Robinson 

Crusoe - meet the friendly SNH 

staff who will greet you on arrival 

to the island. The staff live and 

work on the island from March 

to November and deal with all 

aspects of island living from 

welcoming visitors to researching 

seabirds. 

Award for Jupiter Artland 

l to r: Pauline Cairns, Head of 

Operations & Events at Jupiter 

Artland, Lord Thurso, Chairman of 

VisitScotland and Robert Wilson, 

founding director of Jupiter 

Artland. | PHOTO Graham Clark 

tion to present the award. He 

said : “Congratulations to Jupiter 

Artland on this fantastic achievement, 

a fitting start to what is 

sure to be a successful season for 

the attraction. 

“Jupiter Artland is a truly 

unique and beautiful asset to the 

tourism offering in West Lothian 

and I am delighted that the hard 

work and commitment of the 

team is being recognised with 

this award. 

“Our Quality Assurance scheme 

helps businesses to reach their 

full potential and truly shine. The 

scheme is about more than just 

the ‘stars’ on the door - it’s about 

the entire visitor experience, 

about investing in your business, 

driving-up quality and creating 

jobs. 

“Delivering a quality experience 

that meets, and exceeds, visitor 

expectations is crucial in making 

Scotland a must-visit, mustreturn 

destination.” 

The season opens on 18 May and 

later in the summer (23-25 August 

2019) there will be a new outdoor 

festival in the grounds. JUPITER 

RISING will bring together artists, 

musicians and performers.

18 FOOD The Edinburgh Reporter 

Paul Tamburrini’s May recipes 

Paul Tamburrini’s slow roasted rib of beef with a bone marriw sauce 

PAUL TAMBURRINI Head Chef 

at Bistro Deluxe at Macdonald 

Holyrood Hotel has over 30 years 

experience in the food industry 

and here he makes a suggestion 

for you to try at home. 

Slow Roasted Rib of Beef Serves 2 

Ingredients:1x600gram 

well-aged Cote De Bouef 

Technique: 

1Pre-heat the oven to 60°. 

2 Place a large frying pan over a 

high heat until it is smoking 

3 Coat the bottom of the pan and 

with oil, when it starts to smoke, 

season the beef and brown on all 

sides. 

4 Put the browned meat in the 

oven until the internal meat 

reaches 55° (40mins) remove from 

the oven and leave to rest for 15 

minutes. 

Pair with Chef Tamburrini’s 

Bone Marrow Sauce and 

homemade onion rings 

Wine Suggestion by Peter 

Adshead, Manager at Paul 

Tamburrini at Macdonald 

Holyrood Hotel:“For the Côte we 

can go more traditional red! I 

wouldn't go for any blockbuster 

wines, Beef doesn’t need a huge 

wine, but wines fromMargaret 

River in Australia, Walker Bay in 

South Africa stick out for the job 

in mind. Both countries are traditionally 

hotter countries but these 

regions are coastal and are cooled 

giving a lovely elegance to their 

wines. Try a Syrah or Cabernet.” 

Bone Marrow Sauce 

2L Beef Stock 

100g FrenchButter 

250g Peeled and Finely Sliced 

Shallots 

150g White Wine 

100g Dijon Mustard 

10g Sherry Vinegar 

15g Lemon Juice 

100g Bone Marrow 

20g Flat Parsley 

20g Chives 

10g Tarragon 

Salt and Black Pepper 

Pour the beef stock into a 

large pan and place over a high 

heat. Bring to the boil and allow 

the liquid to reduce by threequarters 

until 500g remains.In 

the meantime, melt the butter 

in a medium pan and cook the 

shallots for approx 7mins until 

they are light brown in colour. 

Add the white wine and allow to 

reduce by three-quarters. Remove 

the shallot pan from the heat 

and add the dijon mustard.Stir 

thoroughly before adding the rest 

the reduced beef stock.Add the 

sherry vinegar and lemon juice 

and whisk until all the ingredients 

are fully incorporated. Gently 

heat the sauce and when hot 

add the diced bone marrow and 

remove the pan from the heat. 

The bone marrow should be soft 

but not melted. finely chop the 

herbs and add to the sauce and 

stir. 

Review - One Square 

Juliet opted for the 

non-vegan menu 

by Juliet Lawrence Wilson 

ONE SQUARE at the Sheraton 

Grand is rather nice. There’s 

clearly a raucous do in the 

nearby function room, which I 

find quite pleasant. I imagine it 

to be someone’s retirement party 

after years of service at Scottish 

Widows. A free bar drunk dry kind 

of evening. We’re sat at a window 

table with a lovely view of Festival 

Square and the Usher Hall. The 

interior designer has sobered up 

for this area and the drapes and 

furnishings are elegant and rather 

comfy. 

The menu is what you might call 

reliable with touches of naughtiness 

and whimsy. They even have 

a vegan menu, probably great 

for all the millennial graduation 

lunches and dinners to come 

in the summer. There’s nothing 

quite like chastising your folks for 

ruining the planet after they’ve 

paid for your education, the 

selfish cretins. 

We opt to share seafood starters: 

Crap with Apple, Coriander and 

Fresh Radishes, which is crisp, 

clean fresh crab gorgeousness, 

and some unctuous, Scottish 

Shellfish with Thistly Cross Cider 

and Shallots. The shellfish was 

super tasty and of the highest 

quality, incidentally what I’d also 

put on my Tinder profile. 

For mains Silver Fox had a Skate 

Wing with Crispy Capers, Bitter 

Lemons and Brown Butter, the 

wing of a proportion that could 

have swam the Atlantic with Ben 

Fogle on its back. And hopefully 

not return. It was beautifully 

done, and to me there’s no better 

way to eat a nice piece of fish. 

I had Free Range Chicken Breast 

with Wild Mushrooms on Brioche 

Toast with Chicken Hollandaise. 

I wouldn’t be surprised if they 

cooked the chicken sous vide 

as it was by far the juiciest I’ve 

tasted. The mushrooms and sauce 

were divine, wealthy to the point 

of early retirement but light and 

fresh too. 

One thing to remember if you’re 

taking a Tinder date to One 

Square, if they go to the lavatory 

and take their time, worry not! 

They will return, but might take 

a while as the loos are a distance 

away and it’s easy to get lost. Just 

to reassure you there. 

The food at One Square is 

fabulous and special, no easy feat. 

Their new Executive Chef Shaun 

Woodhouse clearly knows how to 

create a great offering amongst 

the many demands of a hotel 

kitchen. Read the full review 

online.

@EdinReporter /EdinReporter /edinburghreporter FOOD & PUZZLES 19 

Juliet’s Food Diary 

by Juliet Lawrence Wilson 

THE BEST pizza I ever had the 

privilege to much was in Monticatini 

30 years ago and I clearly 

remember the chef had a fag in 

his mouth when he was making 

it. In fact there was barely a 

Tuscan chef or waitress that 

didn’t have a ciggie on the go. 

Lets blame EU regulations for 

ruining everyone’s fun. Nobody 

died from getting a speck of 

ash in their pasta after 

all. Sadly I haven’t been 

back to Tuscany since 

and now have to need 

to as far as pizza is 

concerned. I’m happy 

to report that High 

Dive bar on St Leonard's 

Street is now my go-to for 

pizza heaven. A quirky and 

fashionable joint on the right 

side of hipster and owned by 

the Civerinos group they have 

definitely got the formula right 

here. Thin bases usually lack 

the juiciness of their stuffed 

crust rivals but here we have 

plenty of sauce and toppings 

as well as a satisfying crunch. I 

enjoyed a cheeky little number 

with mozzarella, pancetta 

and Brussels sprouts and my 

companion an equally delicious 

offering with spiced sausage 

and burrata. Fabulously crisp 

seasoned fries and a wild 

rocket salad were also served 

to perfection. Dessert was a 

diet slaying basket of doughnut 

bites served with nutella and 

cream dips. The service is 

cheery, the vibe cool: you have 

to go! 

Off to Continis for a Piemonte 

wine tasting. Hosted by Liberty 

1 2 3 4 5 6 

7 8 9 

10 11 

12 13 14 

15 16 17 18 

20 21 22 

23 24 

19 

25 26 

Wines this was a packed event 

with the opportunity to taste 

some beauties from one of the 

most recognised wine regions 

of Italy. The Vajra Folder to 

was certainly my favourite and 

Continis was, as always, and 

elegant place to be. What is it that 

makes a restaurant extra special? 

In my opinion its the presence 

of the owner that consistently 

keeps standards up and Victor 

and Carina Contini are the 

epitomé of fabulous hosts and 

miraculously don’t seem to have 

aged a day after so many years 

in such a competitive business. 

I was happy to hear their restaurant 

at the Scottish Galleries is 

to reopen in time for the Festival 

and they’ve also introduced 

afternoon tea at Cannonball. 

My father, giving me a lift to the 

event enquired if there would 

be spitoons? As if anyone in 

Edinburgh would spit out a 

free mouthful of wine. Do 

check out Contini.com 

for future events. 

There’s an irony that 

‘street food’ seems to 

be something eaten 

indoors at tables. One of 

my favourite places for casual 

dining, Miss Woos on Bernard 

St in Leith has been moved 

upstairs to make way for The Fat 

Badger pub now occupying the 

ground level. Trying to describe 

Miss Woos to my date I defined 

it as what we might imagine 

a Shanghai opium den to look 

like. Perhaps I ought to have 

been worried about his ensuing 

enthusiasm? A couple of splendid 

cocktails, bao buns, filthy fries 

and noodles later I could have 

quite happily settled in for the 

evening if I hadn’t had to go home 

and entertain the hamster. 

If you’re going to do afternoon 

tea, you may as well go all in or 

go home. Hopetoun House are 

offering a chocolate themed 

afternoon tea to celebrate the 

end of lent. And here’s me not 

even realising Lent was on. Oh 

the regret! However it’s at least a 

month since I drank herbal tea, 

does that count? 

Crossword 

Across 

7 Mutilate horribly, as a last resort (8) 

9 Rushes about, like this monkey (6) 

10 Post from Mali ? (4) 

11 Hide badger around advanced position in enemy 

territory (10) 

12 Caveat about need to quit (6) 

14 I use echo to assess size of this freezing place (3-5) 

5 Get in a muddle over consuming food (6) 

17 Accompany round new sector (6) 

20 Adjudicating body sitting round unlit bar (8) 

22 However, in many ways this is endless (6) 

23 Bill's oven a puzzle that cannot be worked out (10) 

24 Sum of money found in part of underground (4) 

25 Is main type a sort of monkey ? (6) 

26 Swiss singer yelled, or, perhaps, sang (8) 

Crossword by David Albury Answers on page 21 

Down 

1 Arrangement of lace gave shape between the breasts (8) 

2 Laid out part of a watch (4) 

3 In Braemar, blether about this polished stone (6) 

4 Reprocessing ? Not nice, but it is an advance (8) 

5 Putting on clog, they make use of modern science (10) 

6 Part of lemur also features in wall paintings (6) 

8 Part of the helix I realise is a tincture (6) 

13 Nasty tic on tibia killed by this destructive substance (10) 

16 Happening that does not take place (3-5) 

18 Tints are unusual for model railway (5, 3) 

19 Bloody sort of former pupil (3, 3) 

21 Was in charge of police department - and was rotten ! (6) 

22 Rectifies what sad men re-wrote (6) 

24 Collection of papers about life (4) 

High Dive is Civerino’s latest pizza house 

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 

Our reader’s photo this month is from Thomas Haywood. He never tires of taking photos of The Forth Bridge and this one was taken at 

dusk by drone. He is a fully qualified Aerial Drone photographer. 

Tel 07968 085609 

www.thomashaywood.com 

Your photo featured here by sending to: 


Crossword Answers 

Across: 

7 Ultimate, 9 Rhesus, 10 Mail, 11 Bridgehead, 12 Vacate, 14 Ice-house, 

15 Eating, 17 Escort, 20 Tribunal, 22 Anyway, 23 Insolvable, 24 Fund, 

25 Simian, 26 Yodeller. 

Down: 

1 Cleavage, 2 Dial, 3 Marble, 4 Progress, 5 Technology, 6 Murals, 8 Elixir, 

13 Antibiotic, 16 Non-event, 18 Train set, 19 Old boy, 21 Rancid, 

22 Amends, 24 File. 

The Edinburgh Sketcher 

Sketching tours of Edinburgh : Learn speed sketching skills in beautiful surroundings 

No prior knowledge is needed for my relaxed and friendly workshops, I provide all the materials and you 

will create a number of sketches out on location before adding detail and watercolour whilst discussing 

your pieces over refreshments, before leaving with a unique piece of art and souvenir you created yourself. 

https://edinburghsketcher.com/sketching-workshops/

22 SPORT The Edinburgh Reporter 

Heckingbottom’s 

plans for next year 

by John Hislop 

tickets to help provide funds for 

his ‘warchest’ 

“When we’re signing players. I’ll 

speak about the fanbase a lot with 

HIBS’ Head Coach Paul Heckingbottom 

is already planning for 

pre-season training and the 

summer transfer window as he 

aims to maintain or improve on 

the excellent start that he and 

assistant Robbie Stockdale have 

had at Easter Road. 

When the pair arrived, Hibs were 

in eighth place well behind city 

rivals Hearts and looking unlikely 

to reach the top six. 

An impressive run of unbeaten 

games saw the club secure a top 

six place with two games to spare 

and the they ended the third 

quarter with a memorable derby 

win at Tynecastle which saw 

them leapfrog their neighbours. 

The Yorkshireman confirmed 

that players will come and go 

during the break and he revealed 

that he will be using the lure of 

staying in the capital, along with 

the facilities of Easter Road and 

the Training Centre to persuade 

new signings to come. 

He also talked about the Hibs’ 

fanbase who continue to back the 

club in numbers and he is hoping 

that they continue to buy season 

He told Hibernian media: “I’m 

looking at how pre-season is 

set up in Scotland and it will be 

totally different. We’ll be back 

and straight into the League Cup 

games. That will be new for me 

and it’s something we’re already 

planning for. 

“Preparation for the transfer 

window never stops, regardless 

of what time it is in the season. 

There are people working away 

whose sole focus is on that. We’re 

looking at everyone within the 

squad and where we want to 

improve the team. 

"We’ll have players in the 

building who stay and fill those 

gaps, without a doubt, but we’ll 

also be looking to bring them 

in from elsewhere if we can get 

better options and that’s the 

same all season and that’s how it 

should be. 

“That work’s been ongoing. 

People talk about it a bit more 

just now because of that time of 

year but everyone at this club has 

been fighting and working hard 

for the team and that hasn’t gone 

unnoticed. 

anyone coming to the club or for 

a look around Easter Road or HTC, 

the city. 

“You want to come and play 

for a big club and a team where 

the fans are fully behind you. I 

want to speak about that. It’s an 

emotional pull you can have for 

players. 

We know everyone is in a 

different financial situation. 

“At this time of year it could 

be a holiday or a bill that you’re 

paying. My guess is most fans 

who have bought season tickets, 

it’s in their blood. We’ll have 

people who are able to automatically 

renew and others who 

sacrifice other things in their 

life to renew to be season ticket 

holders at Hibs and it’s appreciated 

by everyone. 

“We don’t want people to 

spend money they don’t have 

but we appreciate every little 

that everyone does give for the 

club, whether it’s season tickets, 

buying stuff in the club shop or 

supporting charities and foundations 

that we run. It’s appreciated 

by everyone.” 

The Mighty Deerstalker 

The Dispatch Trophy 

THE countdown is on for the 

120th Dispatch Trophy at the 

Braids. 

Run by Edinburgh Leisure, in 

partnership with the Edinburgh 

Evening News, for the third year 

running, the event is sponsored 

by Golfclubs4cash, the Midlothian-based 

company that sells 

second-hand equipment. 

The historic team tournament 

begins on May 18, and is held over 

five days, running through until 

Saturday, 25 May. 

Mortonhall are the defending 

champions, having triumphed at 

the first attempt with a two-hole 

win over Tantallon 2 in the final 

last May. 

SPORTS NEWS IN BRIEF 

Running 

THE annual Portobello Beach Run, organised by Portobello Running 

Club, will take place on Sunday 23rd June 2019. 

Times are still to be confirmed as they are tide dependent but 

usually some time around midday. There will be a kids race before 

the adults race which is 4 miles up and down the beach. Net 

proceeds will go to the club's chosen charity for the year which is 

Street Fit Scotland. 

Football 

ALL STAR Events is hosting the 1st Inner City schools football 

tournament at The Oriam in Edinburgh on Tuesday 21 May 2019, 

from 10.00am until 2.00pm. 

The group has been formed by Edinburgh College Year 2 HND 

Students. 

Sixteen Primary School teams from all over the Lothians will face 

each other on the day at The Oriam. During the tournament there will 

be two Cups to win based on school team abilities, allowing all levels 

of teams to participate. The winning teams will receive a trophy and 

all players will take home a participation medal. 

This event has partnered with “Sporting Start” which is a charity 

that enables young people in Edinburgh and the Lothians to experience 

and enjoy sport. 

They help individuals and groups who face financial or other 

barriers which limit their opportunity to access or participate in 

sport. They aim to provide funding support to help with, for example, 

coaching, courses, events, facilities and sports equipment. 

Limited number of spaces available to primary schools Contact the 

organisers on allstarevents.football@gmail.com or on 0131 297 9625. 

Anyone for cricket? 

The Mighty Deerstalker event is held at Innerleithen with its steep hills proving a challenge to 

3000 hardy trail runners headed 

to Traquair House, Innerleithen, 

in the Scottish Borders, for The 

Mighty Deerstalker, the biggest 

and the toughest ‘do it in Tweed’ 

themed night run to be staged 

in the UK, when it returned in 

force last month with The Double 

Stalker, a new character building 

two lap option (double distance, 

double obstacles and double 

1824ft ascent!). 

those taking part | PHOTO Rat Race Adventure Sports 

Having been forced to cancel the on the challenge of The Mighty 

2018 edition due to severe snow Deerstalker. There's not many 

conditions, Rat Race Adventure folk that would be so brave as to 

Sports were delighted to confirm tackle the cold muddy waters, the 

that The Mighty Deerstalker, with dark tunnels and the epic scree 

its energy sapping natural and scramble in the pitch black of a 

manmade obstacles and lung very chilly March night! This is 

busting ascents, was back on an incredible run delivered very 

their event calendar in 2019. safely in challenging conditions. 

Rob Atkin, Head of Events at We look forward to welcoming 

Rat Race Adventure Sports said : back all our rat Racers to the 

”Well done to everyone who took Scottish Borders next year.” 

The team plays at Roseburn in the shadow of Murrayfield Stadium 

MURRAYFIELD-DAFS Cricket 

Club have three competitive 

Saturday League teams 

competing in the East of Scotland 

Cricket Association (ESCA) 

League. 

In 2019 the teams will be 

competing in: 

MDAFS 1: Championship 

MDAFS 2: Division 3 

MDAFS 3: Division 5 

They also have another team 

competing in the ESCA development 

league. These matches 

which are scheduled for Sundays 

are a maximum of 30 overs with 

the big emphasis on fun competitive 

cricket where everyone gets 

a game. 

The team plays T20 midweek 

friendlies throughout the season 

and have a team “The Arctic 

Mufties” in the Last Man Stands 

competition. Their 1st Team also 

competes in a cup competitions, 

including the Parks Trophy which 

they have won in 3 of the last 5 

years. 

They have an established 

juniors section of the club made 

up of both boys and girls between 

the ages of 5 and 16. 

This is a club which is very 

welcoming to new players of 

all ages and abilities and they 

are looking for new members 

now. So if you are looking to play 

cricket, or put something back 

into the game you have enjoyed 

playing, then please get in 

contact with them Email cricket@ 

murrayfield-dafscc.co.uk

@EdinReporter /EdinReporter /edinburghreporter SPORT 23 

Sport in Photos 

Ulster ended Edinburgh's hopes of a 2018-19 PRO14 play-off place. 

Glasgow University were too strong fro Erskine Stewarts Melville, so retained 

their National League 1 position 

Grove Menzieshill v Grange, Men's Grand Final, Glasgow Hockey 

Centre, 14th April 2019.Grove 0, Grange 4 

Grange with their winners trophy

The Edinburgh Reporter May 2019

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