The Edinburgh Reporter June 2019

June 2019 

@EdinReporter /EdinReporter edinburghreporter theedinburghreporter.co.uk 

Edinburgh linked with Shenzhen 

The Rt Hon Lord Provost of 

the City of Edinburgh Frank 

Ross visited Shenzhen last 

month to formalise the twinning 

arrangement that the two cities 

have now entered into. He gave 

a keynote speech at The 2019 

Shenzhen Smart City Forum held 

in the middle of last month. 

Accompanied by the council’s 

Chief Executive Andrew Kerr 

he visited the 15th (Shenzhen) 

International Cultural Industries 

Fair where new companies are 

introduced to China. He told the 

Shenzhen Daily that he hoped 

there would soon be a direct 

flight between Edinburgh and the 

city. This builds on a relationship 

fostered over recent years during 

which the two cities have forged 

links with technology businesses. 

The Lord Provost said : “Shenzen 

is the centre for the high tech 

and creative sectors in China. 

Additionally as a UNESCO City of 

Design it shares many of the core 

values we have in Edinburgh. 

“The signing of a sister city 

agreement builds on our work 

under the creative MOU for the last 

five years and provides a fantastic 

platform for all organisations to 

take advantage of this market. 

“Edinburgh University has already 

begun this process and I would 

encourage others to follow and The 

office of the Lord Provost is happy 

to support those who wish to take 

the next step.” 

One of our Edinburgh schools, 

Merchiston Castle School has 

established the 1200 pupil 

Merchiston Castle International 

School which opened in September 

2018 to offer the same education 

in China as in Colinton. 

European Parliamentary Election 2019 

WHAT'S ON 

The Edinburgh Jazz and Blues 

Festival begins this month - 

Story on Page 12 

FEATURE 

Teddy Bears were invited to 

sleep over at the Children’s 

Library - Story on page 16 

Three SNP MEPs were elected 

last month along with one 

from each of the Brexit Party, 

Conservatives and the Liberal 

Democrats. 

This means that Alyn Smith who 

has been an MEP for 15 years 

returns to Brussels with fellow SNP 

MEPs Christian Allard and Aileen 

McLeod, Louis Stedman-Bryce for 

the Brexit Party (which is now the 

biggest party in the EU Parliament), 

Conservative Baroness Nosheena 

Mobarik and Liberal Democrat 

Sheila Ritchie. 

Hailed by the First Minister Nicola 

Sturgeon as a ‘historic victory’ 

the SNP won 590, 947 votes were 

cast for the SNP out of 1,568,241 

across the country. This anti Brexit 

stance, if that is what you can take 

from the EU election results, bucks 

the UK trend where the Brexit party 

won most votes and seats. 

Labour appear to have suffered 

from the lack of direction on Brexit 

given by Labour leader Jeremy 

Corbyn, and the fallout from the 

Brexit delays also affected the 

Conservative vote in Scotland. 

The results of 31 council areas 

were known on Sunday evening 

but it took until Monday lunchtime 

before the official announcement 

came as the Western Isles do not 

count votes on Sundays. 

When the six new MEPs were 

announced here is what they said 

: Alyn Smith SNP MEP said :"We 

have had a real endorsement from 

the people of Scotland not just 

for the SNP but also for Remain. 

Scotland's clearly got a different 

sense of our place in the world, a 

different sense of what we want 

out of the future. We don't know 

what that is, but I know I have two 

great colleagues who will work 

really hard for it, so I am absolutely 

delighted." 

Sheila Ritchie Liberal Democrat 

MEP said : "My first job is going to 

be working out how on earth we 

manage to stop Brexit given the 

continuing clear division of votes 

announced yesterday. I think it's 

clear that Remain won, not by a big 

margin and that society is pretty 

divided on this topic. Brexit is the 

catalyst for that division and we 

have to find a way to stop it." 

Louis Stedman-Bryce Brexit Party 

MEP said : "I think what we have 

seen here is that a party which 

started from nowhere just five 

weeks ago has now come second 

place in the European election here 

in Scotland, and first place across 

the UK. 

"We feel that that give us the 

mandate to demand basically 

that our MEPs are involved in the 

negotiations in Brussels." 

We pointed out to Mr Stedman- 

Bryce that the party has no elected 

MPs or other elected officials in 

the country to which he replied : 

"We don't, but a lot of people have 

looked at this election and thought 

'What is this telling us?' I think the 

amount of people that have come 

out to vote for the Brexit Party - a 

party that didn't exist five weeks 

ago - gives us a strong enough 

mandate to say there are people 

in the UK who want us to leave 

- and we need to be part of that 

negotiating team." 

Christian Allard SNP MEP is 

an anomaly. He is a Frenchman 

living in Scotland and was an 

MSP until 2016, since when he 

has been a councillor in Aberdeen 

City Council. His election will 

create a vacancy on the council, 

perhaps causing a by-election. He 

is genuinely happy to be elected to 

the European Parliament. He said : 

"It is fantastic. First of all you know 

to be in The Scottish Parliament 

and now to be in the European 

Parliament. I think the people of 

Scotland are really showing what 

an incredible nation we are. Fit 

for the 21st century - a modern 

Scotland." 

Aileen McLeod SNP MEP said : "I 

am absolutely over the moon. We 

have had a fantastic result. This 

has been the best ever European 

election win for the SNP. I think 

it has been very clear from the 

results that the people of Scotland 

have sent a very clear message 

that Scotland rejects Brexit. 

Baroness Nosheena Mubarik 

Conservative MEP said : "From 

now until October there is probably 

not much legislative work to be 

done, so our real interest is really 

in what happens after we leave." 

We asked if there was not perhaps 

a possibility that she would still be 

in a job after the end of October. 

She replied : "I think from my 

perspective we have to remain 

focussed on our intention is. Our 

intention is to leave on 31 October 

and to do that in the best way 

possible for Scotland and for the 

rest of the United Kingdom." 

FOOD 

This month Juliet visited 

Merienda in Stockbridge - Story 

on Page 18 

FEATURE 

Gormley statues are back - 

Read story on Page 14

2 

NEWS 

ABOUT US 

Thank you for reading this 

month's print issue of The 

Edinburgh Reporter. We enjoy 

producing it each month. It is 

meant to be a different product 

from our website. 

You can also have a look at 

our other multimedia content on 

Facebook, Twitter and Instagram 

as well as podcasts on Anchor.FM, 

Podbean and videos on YouTube 

and Vimeo. You can find links to 

those on the front page of our 

website. 

All of this content is brought to 

you free of charge. But it costs 

money to produce all of it. 

If you have a little spare cash 

then could we ask you to consider 

making a regular donation? The 

price of a cup of coffee helps us 

a lot! 

www.theedinburghreporter.co.uk/ 

donate/ 

Or scan the QR code here which 

directs you to the correct page on 

our website. 

It would help us to maintain all 

of our content as free to access 

for the foreseeable future. We are 

very grateful to those of you who 

already donate in this way. 

Alternatively if you would like to 

advertise with us and support us 

that way then do get in touch. 

editor@theedinburghreporter.co.uk 

You can now also read us on 

PressReader. This is an app for 

your phone and you can download 

copies of whole newspapers 

from across the world rather than 

looking at stories online. 

You can get free newspapers 

this way by using your library 

card - ask at your local library 

how it works! 

Phyllis Stephen Editor 

Scan here! 

Editor: Phyllis Stephen 


07791 406 498 

The council has announced 

plans to resurface certain streets 

in the city centre and surrounding 

the tram route to Newhaven with 

works beginning on 27 May. 

The work will start in Abercromby 

Place and will include resurfacing 

the carriageway, pedestrian access 

and public realm improvements as 

well as traffic signal upgrades. 

Traffic lights will be installed 

at the junction at Easter Road/ 

Lochend Road and Duke Street. 

This is part of the council's plan 

to spend £125m on city roads and 

footpaths over five years and has 

been brought forward from next 

year. 

Various sections of Easter Road 

We write about news relating to 

Edinburgh and the immediate area. We 

welcome contributions to our website 

and newspaper. 

The Edinburgh Reporter 

Road resurfacing 

programme 

will be included in the planned 

resurfacing works. 

All local residents and 

businesses in the area should by 

now have received information 

about the projects ahead of the 

work beginning. 

Thanks to Leith Community 

Council for turning this information 

into a table. 

Follow @EdinTravel for news 

about local diversions on Twitter 

and traffic news in the capital. (or 

follow @EdinReporter of course!) 

Street Month Treatment Proposed Traffic Mgmt 

Abercromby Place May Fully resurfaced Road closure Local diversion 

North Leith Sands May Fully resurfaced Road closure Local diversion 

Albany Street June Fully resurfaced Road closure Local diversion 

Lindsay Road 

June Fully resurfaced from North 

Leith Sands to Portland Street 

One-way closure Local 

diversion 

Broughton Street June Fully resurfaced Northbound road closure 

Ocean Drive 

East London Street 

Annandale Street 

Great Junction St 

Dalmeny Street 

June Fully resurfaced both 

Road closure Local diversion 

northbound lanes from Lindsay 

Road to roundabout and 

southbound bus stop at Holiday 

Inn 

June Fully resurfaced from 

roundabout to Cochran Terrace 

June Fully resurfaced from 

Haddington Place to 

roundabout and from 

roundabout to Hopetoun Street 

June Fully resurfaced from Cables 

Wynd to Henderson Street 

July Overlay setts in centre of 

carriageway (retain setts in 

parking areas) 

Lane closures 

Road closures in three 

phases. Local diversion 

Lane closures or eastbound 

closure with local diversion 


Hopetoun Street July Various sections resurfaced Full road closure Local 

diversion 

Gordon Street 

McDonald Road 

Broughton Road 

July Fully resurfaced and overlay 

setts on Manderston Street 

July Resurface eastbound bus stop 

at Papermill Wynd 

July Fully resurfaced from Broughton 

Primary School to Bonnington 

Road 


Lane closure or southbound 

closure with local diversion 

Road closure in 2 phases 

with local diversion 

Links Place July Fully resurfaced Road closure Local diversion 

Duncan Place July Fully resurfaced Road closure Local diversion 

Bonnington Road 

Academy Street 

Newhaven Road 

East Hermitage / 

Restalrig Rd 

Junction 

Duke Street/Easter 

Road Junction 

Pilrig Street 

Road resurfacing 

July Fully resurfaced from Broughton 

Road to Corunna PLace 

July Overlay setts in running lanes 

(retain setts in parking areas) 

August Fully resurfaced from Pilrig Street 

to Pitt Street 

August Fully resurfaced Junction area 

August Fully resurfaced roundabout and 

approaches 

August Fully resurfaced from Spey 

Street to Newhaven Road 

Road closures in three 

phases. Local diversion 




Temporary traffic lights and 

closure of Links Gardens 

Local diversions 

Temporary traffic lights 



Easter Road August Various sections resurfaced Various lane closures and 

temporary traffic lights. 

Possible road closure required 

at Albion Road with local 

diversion 

@EdinReporter 

1 

/EdinReporter 

edinburghreporter 

theedinburghreporter.co.uk 

Debate Night 

Each week a panel of politicians 

and people in public life joins 

the panel of BBC SCotland’s new 

discussion programme and tries to 

answer your questions. 

The show, hosted by Stephen 

Jardine, is looking for you to 

be part of the audience and put 

your questions to the people in 

power. And there are two dates in 

Edinburgh to finish the first series. 

2nd June 

Edinburgh, Napier University, 

Craiglockhart Campus 

9th June 

Edinburgh, Napier University, 

Craiglockhart Campus 

Tilly the Tram 

As part of their fifth birthday 

celebrations Edinburgh Trams 

have released a charity children’s 

book called “Tilly the Tram’s Noisy 

Birthday”. The book was written 

and illustrated by the staff of 

Edinburgh Trams. 

An exclusive number of books 

went on sale on 14 May on the 

company’s website, and so far a 

large number have already been 

sold. 

£3 from each book sold will 

be donated to Edinburgh Trams’ 

charity of the year, The Edinburgh 

Children’s Hospital Charity. 

Our stockists 

All Farmers Autocare outlets 

across the city 194 Queensferry 

Road, 225 St John's Road, 34 

Hillhouse Road, 111 Piersfield 

Place, 19c Strathearn Road and 

108B Market Street Musselburgh. 

All city libraries. 

Bonhams 22 Queen St EH2 1JX 

Boardwalk Beach Club 

50 Marine Drive EH4 5ES 

Broughton Place Hair & Beauty 

2a Broughton Pl EH1 3RX 

Café Lowdown 

40 George St EH2 2LE 

Candersons Sweet Shop 

102 Leith Walk EH6 5DT 

Close Gallery 

4B Howe St EH3 6TD 

The Doo’cot 

731-733 Ferry Rd EH4 2UA 

ESPC Showroom 

107 George St EH2 3ES 

Stephen Jardine said : “We could 

not have chosen a better time to 

launch a debate show for Scotland. 

This is a vital period in the life of 

our nation and we are delighted by 

the warm reaction Debate Night 

has received. When we return after 

the summer the political landscape 

is likely to look very different so 

our final shows in Edinburgh before 

then are a last chance to join the 

audience have your say on what 

really matters to you.” 

https://bbc.co.uk/debatenight 

The book has also been created 

to help little tram fans keep safe, 

helping them to understand what 

sounds to listen out for when they 

are exploring the city. 

Grassmarket Community Project 

86 Candlemaker Row EH1 2QA 

Henderson's 94 Hanover St EH2 

1DB and Holyrood Rd 

The Hideout Cafe 40-42 Queen 

Charlotte St EH6 6AT 

Leith Walk Police Box Pop Up 

Croall Pl EH7 4LT 

Maialino 34 William St EH3 7LJ 

Scottish Arts Club 

24 Rutland Sq EH1 2BW 

St Bride’s Community Centre 

10 Orwell Terrace EH11 2DZ 

Strumpets 

35 William Street EH3 7LW 

Summerhall 

1Summerhall EH9 1PL 

The Queen's Hall Clerk St EH8 

9JG 

The Royal Scots Club 

29-31 Abercromby Pl EH3 6QE 

Like to become a stockist? 

Then contact us!

@EdinReporter /EdinReporter edinburghreporter theedinburghreporter.co.uk NEWS 3 

Mimi’s in the City 

The Flying Scotsman travels across the Forth Bridge on 19 

May 2019 when it was steaming round the Forth Circle. 

The train is owned by The National Railway Museum who announced : "After a £4.2 million refurbishment, 

Flying Scotsman has returned to the UK’s mainline. One of the jewels in the crown of the National Railway 

Museum’s Collection, it is being presented to a new generation of Scotsman fans. PHOTO | Thomas Brown 

Free week of city cycling sparks 

chain reaction 

During the week when Just Eat 

Cycles were free over 5,000 trips 

were made. 

Between Sunday 5 May and 

Saturday 11 May 5,045 trips were 

made by 3,344 new users who 

signed up to the free deal. 

5,327 miles were covered with 

the bikes in seven days - the 

equivalent of 409 times along 

Edinburgh’s 13 mile long city 

bypass, or 57 return trips to 

Glasgow. 

The free week was planned to 

coincide with Edinburgh hosting 

the UK’s first ever Open Streets 

event which took place on Sunday 

5 May 2019. Future events are 

planned on the first Sunday of both 

June and July. 

As part of a three month pilot a 

number of city centre streets will 

continue to close to traffic on the 

first Sunday of each month for 

residents to enjoy walking, cycling 

and local attractions in a relaxed 

and car-free environment. 

The scheme’s operators say that 

the free week was the busiest to 

date since the scheme launched in 

September last year and expects 

usage rates to rise as a result of 

introducing more people to the 

bikes. 

Charles Graham, Serco’s General 

Manager for Just Eat Cycles, said: 

“We’re really pleased that so many 

people jumped at the chance to try 

out the bikes during the free week. 

It’s our hope that usage rates will 

continue to grow, especially as the 

The 'climb of your life' 

Network Rail plan to take you to 

the top of the iconic bridge and 

give you the 'climb of your life'. 

A proposal of application notice 

has been lodged with the council 

on behalf of Network Rail. 

This relates to the property 

known as The Forts which lies 

between Hawes Brae and Station 

Road in South Queensferry. 

The plans cover development of a 

reception centre and bridge access 

system. They will also form a car 

parking area with landscaping and 

servicing, and will make alterations 

to the existing pedestrian and 

vehicular access. 

There is a possibility of a new 

visitor centre around the UNESCO 

World Heritage site. 

This could be one of these 

options: it could be under the 

north tower with a lift system to 

a viewing platform on top of the 

Fife cantilever or it could be a 

coordination hub in the town to 

take thrill seekers on a bridge walk 

to the top of the south cantilever, 

110 metres above the Forth. 

There is a drop in event on 11 

June 2019 from 3.00pm to 7.00pm 

at Orocco Pier 17 The High Street 

South Queensferry. 

There is then another public event 

at the same place and time on 18 

July 2019 when proposals and 

options will be on display. 

weather begins to improve and 

more people uncover the benefits 

of cycling in the city.” 

500 bikes are strategically 

positioned around the city’s 

network which is made up of 80 

hire points, with yet more set to 

come over the summer. 

The following streets are closed 

to cars and other vehicles between 

12pm and 5pm on the first Sunday 

in June and July : 

Grassmarket, West Bow, 

Victoria St, Lawnmarket, 

High St, St Giles’ St, 

Cockburn St, Niddry St, 

Blackfriars St, Canongate, 

Cranston Street, New Street 

and Old Tolbooth Wynd 

Rankin’s archive 

The UK’s biggest-selling crime 

novelist, Ian Rankin, has donated 

his literary archive to the National 

Library of Scotland. We know 

he was moving house recently, 

and may need some room in his 

new pad, but seriously, this is an 

important gift of material from 

which he has created his novels 

over the years. 

Totalling around 50 boxes 

of material, which in shelving 

terms is more than 21 feet, the 

archive includes typescripts of 

manuscripts with handwritten 

annotations and notes by 

the author. Also included is 

correspondence with literary 

figures such as J.K. Rowling, Iain 

Banks, Ruth Rendell, Val McDermid 

Mimi's Bakehouse is already a 

fixture in town with cafés in Leith, 

Corstorphine and on The Royal 

Mile. Recently they were resident 

in the City Art Centre for six 

months and now, they have signed 

a lease to make the arrangement a 

permanent one. 

The café has undergone an 

extensive refurbishment to create a 

recognisable Mimi’s, and it opened 

last month. 

Michelle Philips (otherwise 

Mimi) cut the ribbon and there 

were free cupcakes for the first 25 

customers and an exclusive revisit 

discount voucher for the first 100 

customers. The café was certainly 

busy when we visited! 

Mimi’s Bakehouse is an awardwinning 

family-owned bakery 

based in Edinburgh. Established 

in 2010, Mimi’s currently holds the 

Scottish Baker award for Bakery 

Café of the Year 2018/19. 

The newly-refurbished café brings 

the full Mimi’s experience to the art 

centre. The refurbishment of the 

café was carried out by popular 

interior design studio, Splintr and 

the look modernises Mimi’s quirky 

aesthetic while keeping its familiar 

warm and welcoming atmosphere. 

This is a dog friendly space and 

it can cater for up to 75 covers. 

They will serve an all day brunch 

menu and hot lunches, including 

Mimi’s popular French toast. The 

new café will also have an outdoor 

seating area and be fully licensed, 

and Jilly Cooper, as well as figures 

from across the political and 

cultural spectrum. Not surprisingly, 

police officers feature regularly 

in correspondence. Described 

serving prosecco, wine and beer 

alongside a handpicked selection 

of Eteaket tea and locally roasted 

coffee. As always, Mimi’s is all 

about the cake, which is displayed 

in a custom cake cabinet alongside 

traybakes, brownies, biscuits 

and freshly-baked award-winning 

scones. 

During refurbishment, Mimi’s 

Bakehouse worked closely with 

Edinburgh Council and the City Art 

Centre’s Collections Care team 

to ensure that an existing William 

Crosbie mural was preserved 

behind a protective wall, which is 

designed to prevent any further 

damage incurring from a busy café 

environment. 

Mimi’s chose to leave a section of 

the mural uncovered and the City 

Art Centre have installed a plaque 

celebrating William Crosbie’s work. 

This means that the mural can still 

be appreciated by customers of 

the café and visitors to the City Art 

Centre. 

by Rankin as “a pretty complete 

author’s life, late-20th centurystyle”, 

the archive material dates 

from 1972–2018. 

Photo Neil Hanna

4 

NEWS 


Work in Edinburgh may help fix the polar ice caps 

Cambridge University announced 

that they are creating The Centre 

for Climate Repair, a centre for 

research which will find ways 

to repair climate change, global 

warming, call it what you will. The 

aim is to ensure that any future 

damage to Earth is arrested. One 

of the ideas which it has chosen to 

examine is being worked on here 

in Edinburgh. 

The deceptively simple idea is 

to make the clouds whiter and so 

more reflective, sending all the 

sun's rays back to space. This will 

have the effect of cooling the earth 

beneath, and may lead to complete 

reversal of the melting polar ice 

caps and other aspects of global 

warming. 

The initial idea is attributed to 

John Latham, but the way that it 

will actually work in practice is the 

result of almost 20 years' work by 

Professor Stephen Salter. 

Professor Salter is Emeritus 

Professor of Engineering Design 

at University of Edinburgh. He has 

invented many things (some of 

which you can see in the National 

Museum of Scotland such as the 

Salter Duck used as a model in the 

wave energy industry). 

This is not the work of a moment, 

but rather the work of many years 

with complex computer modelling 

and mathematical calculations. 

Professor Salter explained to 

us what he has worked on over 

the last two decades: "Cambridge 

University are setting up a group 

to repair the climate and they have 

been saying quite nice things about 

the work I have been doing. 

"I am hoping that this might at 

last get us a bit of money. 

"They said that they thought 

this is one of the better ways of 

repairing the climate and I hope 

that when they look into it a bit 

more closely they will agree. 

"I want to reflect more solar 

energy back out to space and 

I want to do this using John 

Latham's idea. The solar energy 

would not reach ground level. 

Instead it would be reflected back 

Raeburn Place development now visible 

The development at Raeburn 

Place is making progress with 

the installation of the first steel 

carried out early last month. 

Raeburn Place Foundation report 

that the groundworks are complete 

and now anyone passing by can 

see the progress above ground. 

This development includes sport 

facilities principally for rugby 

and cricket but also including 

a sprint track and a purpose 

out to space where it does not do 

us any harm. 

"We need to reflect about 0.5% 

of what is coming in. It's a tiny 

amount and you would not be able 

to see this by looking at the cloud 

from above. This will change the 

reflectivity of clouds by changing 

the size distribution of the drops 

in the clouds by increasing the 

number of 'condensation nuclei' 

that you need to form a drop." 

Professor Salter confirmed that 

this can be done anywhere in the 

world where there is fairly clean 

air and some sunshine and some 

wind. The energy comes from the 

wind and it is used to move the 

ships through the water to make 

energy to filter the water and pump 

it out. It is distributed by turbulence 

- by the wind blowing over the sea. 

He explained that the spray 

vessels could be used fairly near 

the Arctic because there is more 

energy (or sunlight) going in there 

during the couple of months 

around mid summer than there is 

in the Equator. He said:"We need 

to choose where and when to do 

this and by making the correct 

choice we might be able to get the 

best combination of cooling and 

changes to rainfall.” 

What is the idea? 

John Latham's idea is to brighten 

the clouds above the earth by 

spraying sea water at them. (The 

sea water would be 'cleaned up' 

before being distributed into the 

air, but it is the sodium chloride 

which is key.) Using the correct 

size of water droplets would 

mean that more of them attach to 

aerosol particles - and they would 

be smaller and whiter. We all know 

that dark clouds mean a storm is 

coming - and usually with large 

raindrops. This is the opposite 

- whiter clouds with smaller 

droplets. 

How will it work? 

Unmanned hydrofoil ships or 

spray vessels will be deployed 

around the world anywhere there 

is fairly clean air and some wind - 

the energy comes from the wind. 

They will be powered by renewable 

built gym. There will be a stand 

to accommodate around 2,500 

people and it will be home to the 

Museum of International Rugby. 

Along Raeburn Place there will be 

commercial units for restaurants 

and shops set back in line with 

the Raeburn House Hotel. Milk 

& Honey will be one of the new 

businesses to take up residence 

there in autumn this year with what 

they call an upmarket gelateria. 

City hairdressers Charlie Miller 

energy and by Flettner rotors 

instead of sails. The nozzles will 

spray water at the grey clouds, 

turning them white. 

The resultant cold air will fall to 

the sea surface. Estimates used in 

Professor Salter's research show 

that 300 such vessels could save 

Arctic ice, coral and moderate 

hurricanes all over the world. 

What will the outcome be? 

The clouds become more 

reflective. It is acknowledged that 

although it may be highly effective 

this is an emergency treatment of 

the problem and could be reduced 

if carbon emissions are reduced 

across the world, otherwise it 

would continue to be used as a 

'sticking plaster'. 

Professor Salter told The 

Edinburgh Reporter : "The end 

result would be that we would 

be going back to the climate that 

we had in pre-industrial times. 

We could moderate hurricanes 

making them less aggressive, save 

the coral in the Barrier Reef, stop 

sea levels rising and stop losing 

the Arctic ice. That is probably 

the most important thing to do in 

the short term because if we lose 

the ice we warm up the seabed 

and we warm up the permafrost 

around the Arctic. That releases 

methane which is a very much 

nastier greenhouse gas than 

carbon dioxide. We could get a 

very unpleasant positive feedback 

where warmer seas make more 

methane and more methane 

makes warmer seas. That could be 

very dangerous indeed." 

At the beginning of the month 

climate scientists Dr Emily 

Shuckburgh was appointed as 

the first director of the Cambridge 

Carbon Neutral Futures Initiative, 

and The Centre for Climate Repair 

is part of that. At the time of 

her appointment Dr Shuckburgh 

said : "Climate change is one 

of the most pressing problems 

facing humanity. The University 

of Cambridge has an opportunity 

to use its position as one of 

the world’s foremost academic 

institutions to take a leading role in 

also signed up for one of the units 

last June. 

Josh Miller, Joint Managing 

Director, Charlie Miller, said at the 

time: “Charlie Miller’s essence has 

always been evolution and we are 

excited to announce this next step 

in our journey. Stockbridge is a key 

location in Edinburgh and one we 

have had an eye on for a while. 

The new development at Raeburn 

Place will provide us with a 

salon that meets our stringent 

requirements, in a popular part 

of the city. We look forward to 

finding ambitious solutions to this 

complex issue. 

“Cambridge already has many 

groups working on climate-related 

research. This Initiative aims 

to bring together these groups 

to tackle this urgent global 

challenge holistically. This is 

about addressing every aspect of 

a sustainable future - the impact 

it will have on our lives, our work, 

our society and our economy - and 

ensuring decisions are based on 

the best available knowledge.” 

So it comes down (at least 

partly) to the work of one scientist 

in Edinburgh who may be able 

to contribute to that knowledge. 

He says that to make this 

idea commercial and build the 

flotillas needed it would need an 

investment of around £100 million 

a year to finance the total cost of 

around £1billion. 

There are some other 

'showstoppers' according to 

Professor Salter. He concluded : 

"We need to remove a few of the 

possible showstoppers. One of 

them is whether we can filter the 

water well enough so that it does 

not clog the nozzles. 

"We want to understand all the 

side effects whether we would 

make climate change that we don't 

want. There is some very exciting 

and encouraging work coming 

from Norway which shows that we 

make dry places a bit wetter and 

wet places a bit drier. The effect is 

biggest in the Arctic but we need to 

be quite sure about that and quite 

sure about the size of drops being 

opening our doors in 2019.” 

Other tenants include Marks & 

sprayed - and that they are all the 

same size. That is very important." 

Even the design of the ships 

which may be used as spray 

vessels has something to do 

with Edinburgh. Professor Salter 

explained to us that they will not 

have textile sails like a normal 

sailboat but something called 

Flettner rotors to power them. 

The cylinders spinning about their 

axes with air blowing across them 

will act exactly like an aeroplane 

wing. Anton Flettner first came up 

with that design in the early 20th 

century and sailed a ship which he 

had converted from the Baltic to 

Leith. He won the race against a 

normal ship with sails and took it 

to New York. Sadly his order book 

was left unfulfilled as a result of 

the 1929 Depression. 

Listen to our talk with Professor 

Salter on Anchor.fm 

Listen to our full interview here 

Spencer Simply Food. 

Editor: Phyllis Stephen 


07791 406 498 

We write about news relating to Edinburgh and the immediate area. 

We welcome contributions to our website and newspaper. 




edinburghreporter

@EdinReporter /EdinReporter edinburghreporter theedinburghreporter.co.uk NEWS 5 

Remembering the moon landing 

The UK Government has 

announced that it is looking for 

people across all four nations to 

share their memories of the Apollo 

11 moon landing in 1969. 

A selection of the submissions to 

the crowd-sourced campaign, led 

by the UK Space Agency and Arts 

and Humanities Research Council 

(AHRC) , will be shared with the 

public on 20 July 2019, marking 

50 years since Neil Armstrong and 

Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon. 

The campaign is intended 

not only to discover first-hand 

memories but also to explore how 

the moon landings touched almost 

every aspect of popular culture, 

from cinema and art, to literature 

and music. 

For anyone who may not have 

watched the footage live, there is 

an opportunity to get involved by 

sharing their stories about how 

space exploration has inspired 

them or led to a career in the 

sector. 

Entries could include a grainy 

photograph of a family huddled 

around an early television to watch 

this iconic moment; a scrapbook 

of newspaper cuttings from July 

1969; or a personal account of 

how the Moon landing has shaped 

a work of art or led to a lifelong 

passion for science fiction. 

Science Minister Chris 

Skidmore said: "Ahead of the 50th 

Anniversary of the Moon landing, I 

hope people across the UK share 

their Moon memories, ranging from 

photos to diary entries, to help give 

us a unique and fascinating insight 

into one of the most celebrated 

moments in our history. 

"Landing on the Moon was 

unthinkable at the beginning of the 

twentieth century, so when Neil 

Armstrong heralded the moment 

as, ‘one giant leap for mankind’ 

those words rightly have echoed 

through the ages. 

"Through our modern Industrial 

Strategy, we are backing the UK’s 

thriving space sector so that 

the young people inspired by 

this great event of the past will 

have opportunities to work in the 

industry’s highly skilled, well-paid 

jobs of the future. 

Tim Peake, astronaut at the 

European Space Agency (ESA) 

said: "The 1969 Apollo 11 Moon 

landing was not just a pivotal 

moment in space exploration, but 

a defining moment for humanity. 

Whether you were too young to 

witness the first footsteps on the 

Moon, or old enough to see it for 

yourself, the Moon landing has 

inspired so many people over the 

past fifty years. 

"I hope that this campaign from 

the Arts & Humanities Research 

Council and UK Space Agency 

will not only help people to reflect 

on the historic and cultural 

significance of this anniversary, 

but also inspire the next generation 

of scientists, engineers and 

astronauts." 

You can submit your 

memories and personal stories 

via moonlandingmemories. 

com and you are encouraged to 

share them with social media using 

the hashtag #MoonMemories. 

Memories and stories can be 

uploaded over the next month, with 

the submission deadline falling on 

Tuesday 18 June 2019. 

Cashback for 

Communities works 

More than £18 million seized 

from criminals funds projects 

helping to divert disadvantaged 

young people away from crime. 

The Cashback for Communities 

scheme reinvests criminal assets 

into community projects which 

support young people into positive 

destinations, diverting some 

away from potentially criminal or 

antisocial behaviour. 

The next phase of funding 

means that total investment in the 

programme, unique to Scotland, 

reaches almost £110 million since 

it began in 2008. 

CashBack has funded a 

variety of projects in the past 

11 years including the Celtic FC 

Foundation, the National Autistic 

Society and Impact Arts which 

all provide opportunities to raise 

the attainment, ambition and 

aspirations of young people from 

areas of deprivation. 

Minister for Community Safety 

Ash Denham said: “We want 

every young person growing up 

in Scotland to have an equal 

chance of success no matter their 

circumstances – CashBack has 

a vital part to play in expanding 

young people’s horizons and 

helping them reach their full 

potential. 

“Since Cashback for 

Communities began in 2008 

we have delivered nearly two 

and a half million activities and 

opportunities for young people 

across all local authorities in 

Scotland. 

“The next stage of CashBack will 

have particular focus on projects 

that support young people and 

communities most affected by 

crime. I’m pleased to say that we 

have increased funding for this 

latest phase by £1 million – taking 

the total amount available over 

three years to £18 million. 

“The numbers of children 

referred to the Children’s 

Reporter on offence grounds or 

prosecuted in the courts have 

fallen substantially over the 

last decade and our Cashback 

programme supports that 

progress by giving many of 

Scotland’s most disadvantaged 

young people a wide range of 

positive opportunities to challenge 

themselves and inspire those 

around them.” 

Phase 5 of the CashBack for 

Communities programme is now 

open for applications running until 

28 June 2019. 

Now in Scotland! 

• Convenient, 

central locations 

• Spacious, comfortable 

bedrooms 

• Complimentary 

high-speed WiFi 

• Meeting & Events Suites 

• Wedding Venues 

• Onsite Parking* 

• Leisure Centre* 

*Select hotels 

6 HOTELS IN 4 CONVENIENT LOCATIONS 

To book, call 0845 3000 165 or visit leonardohotels.co.uk 

Calls cost 12p per minute from UK landlines. Call charges from mobiles may be higher, based on your plan and service provider.

6 

NEWS 

City Centre Transformation 

Have your say on Edinburgh’s 

transformation 

The people of Edinburgh are 

being urged to have their say on a 

radical programme to transform 

the city centre. 

The draft Edinburgh City Centre 

Transformation strategy highlights 

how the Council and its partners 

propose addressing the challenges 

facing the city. 

Edinburgh is one of the fastest 

growing cities in the UK and is 

expected to have a population of 

600,000 by 2040, which calls for 

careful management to protect and 

enhance the current quality of life. 

The strategy sets out how 

transformational change can 

prepare Edinburgh for the future 

while improving public spaces and 

prioritising movement on foot, by 

bike and by public transport. This 

is also designed to make the city 

centre safer, healthier and more 

accessible for everyone. 

Proposals detail the key 

infrastructure, policy and 

management interventions to 

transform the city centre in a 

phased approach over the next 

ten years. Included in the plans 

are pedestrian priority zones, a 

network of car-free streets, a free 

city centre hopper bus and new 

segregated and safe cycle routes. 

These proposals interlink with 

The City of Edinburgh Council’s 

broader plans to develop 

sustainability and connectivity 

across the city, which includes 


plans for Low Emission Zones 

(LEZ) and the City Mobility Plan. 

You can find out more and have 

your say on the proposals by 

visiting www.edinburghcitycentre. 

info and completing the 

questionnaire by 28 June 2019. 

There will also be two public 

events at the National Museum 

of Scotland on Friday 7 June and 

Saturday 15 June, from 10.00am to 

5.00pm on both days. 

Fruitmarket Gallery - 

closing for renovation 

The Fruitmarket Gallery at 45 

Market Street is already a large 

building, but it has now taken over 

the space next door and plans 

have been submitted to merge the 

two. 

The architects appointed are 

Edinburgh firm Reiach and Hall. 

Their plans aim to refresh the 

existing spaces and bringing 

the former fruit and vegetable 

warehouse next door (latterly the 

Electric Circus) into what is called 

‘active cultural use’. 

The existing steel frame is the 

basis for an industrial look and 

feel which will create a double 

height space offering new 

opportunities for art installations 

and performance. 

Accessibility is key in the new 

development with a programme 

of general upgrading. There will 

also be some dedicated spaces 

for engagement as well as back 

of house, storage and workshop 

facilities. 

In July 2019 The Fruitmarket 

Gallery will close for refurbishment 

for a year. During the time it is 

closed staff from the gallery will 

work with artists in the community. 

In August people can go on a 

Night Walk for Edinburgh. This 

is a brand new video walk from 

Canadian artists Janet Cardiff and 

George Bures Miller commissions 

by the Fruitmarket and presented 

in partnership with Edinburgh 

International Festival and in 

association with Edinburgh Art 

Festival. 

Fiona Bradley, Director of The 

Fruitmarket Gallery, said: ‘This 

project has opportunities for 

artists and audiences at its heart. It 

delivers an inspirational new space 

for creative, collaborative working 

and renovates the Fruitmarket’s 

existing spaces, ensuring that we 

can continue to operate at the 

forefront of contemporary culture 

for decades to come’. 

Neil Gillespie, Director, Reiach 

and Hall Architects, said: ‘The new 

warehouse spaces are designed 

enter into a critical and dynamic 

dialogue with the original galleries. 

As an ensemble, they offer 

artists, curators and audiences 

remarkable, contrasting and 

complementary spaces.’ 

Edinburgh 

City Centre 

Transformation 

We want to create a city centre 

that puts people first – 

do you agree? 

Have your say on ambitious 

plans to improve the city centre. 

Visit www.edinburghcitycentre.info 

from 20 May – 28 June 2019 

to find out more and 

complete the questionnaire. 

Public information events: 

Gallery 4 room at the City Art Centre 

(2 Market St, Edinburgh EH1 1DE) 

• Thursday 30 May – 10am to 7pm 

Hawthornden Court at the 

National Museum of Scotland 

(Chambers St, Edinburgh EH1 1JF) 

• Friday 7 June – 10am to 5pm 

• Saturday 15 June – 10am to 5pm 

News in Brief 

OPEN DAY 

Edinburgh College are holding 

an Open Day on 1 June 2019 from 

12noon to 3.00pm at the Granton 

Campus.This year focuses on 

food as a way of bringing the 

community together. 

ONE TICKET 

ScotRail has teamed up with 

Borders Buses to bring integrated 

travel to the Borders Railway by 

offering a new all-in-one rail and 

bus ticket. 

The new Borders Explorer ticket 

allows customers to travel to the 

Borders from Edinburgh by train or 

bus on one ticket. 

The all-in-one ticket includes 

ScotRail travel to / from Edinburgh 

Waverley and any Borders Bus 

from Galashiels Transport 

Interchange to towns and villages 

throughout the region. 

Customers can only leave or 

board the train at either Galashiels 

or Tweedbank to board the 

connecting Borders Bus service. 

The Borders Explorer ticket 

is available for both peak and 

off-peak journeys, making it the 

perfect all-inclusive ticket for 

residents and visitors staying in 

Edinburgh and the Borders. 

VOLUNTEER FAIR 

Remember the Volunteer Fair 

is being held at Leith Community 

Centre 12a Newkirkgate on Friday 

7 June 2019 from 1.00p to 3.00pm. 

BARNTON ROAD WORKS 

Road works began on 20 

May 2019 in the Cramond and 

Davidson’s Mains area as part of 

major gas replacement works. 

The various phases started 

around Cramond Road North and 

the junction with Cramond Glebe 

Road with subsequent phases 

affecting Cramond Place and 

Gamekeepers Road, Cramond 

Road South and up to Davidson’s 

Mains covering junctions with 

Lauriston Farm Road and Main 

Street/Quality Street. 

The phases will run until early 

November. 

BIKE BREAKFAST 

EDFOC - Bike Breakfast on 11 

June 2019 at City Chambers 

where you can get your bike chain 

cleaned and hear Councillor Lesley 

Macinnes the Transport and 

Environment Convener speaking 

with Andy Wightman MSP. 

Edinburgh Police will be there 

doing bike security marking and 

other stalls will give information 

on all things cycling related. Many 

more events listed on the website 

https://edfoc.org.uk/ 

ROLLING THUNDER 

Protesters will take to the streets 

on 7 June 2019 to show what they 

call their disgust at the treatment 

of veterans being prosecuted for 

doing the job politicians sent them 

to do. 

Thousands of Bikers, supporters, 

military vehicles are all due to 

storm the streets and they will 

form up once again at Morrisons 

30 New Swanston, EH10 7JA, 


NEW VISIT SCOTLAND OFFICE 

Cutting edge information 

and inspiration is available as 

VisitScotland opened a brand neiw 

iCentre for the capital city last 

month 

The national tourism organisation 

unveiled its new visitor information 

centre within the City Chambers on 

the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. 

Located in the heart of the 

historic Old Town, close to 

Edinburgh Castle, the national 

tourism organisation has invested 

£400,000 to provide a ‘welcoming 

and attractive’ experience, offering 

information through a wide 

variety of tools to ensure visitors 

experience the best of the city and 

Scotland as a whole. 

The new iCentre will replace the 

current site operating at the top of 

Waverley Mall Shopping Centre and 

will offer high quality face-to-face, 

printed and digital information 

to showcase the very best of the 

city, and the whole of Scotland, to 

visitors.

Buying in Edinburgh? A mortgage from 

the Scottish could be right up your street 

At the Scottish, we’ve been helping people in Edinburgh and 

the Lothians buy their homes since 1848. As Scotland’s only 

independent building society and a mutual organisation, 

we’re committed to giving all our customers a more 

personalised service. We underwrite every case individually 

and offer a wide range of mortgages so you can get the 

one that’s right for you. 

Residential & Self-Build Mortgages 

Guarantor Mortgages for First Time Buyers 

Professional Mortgages 

Guest House Mortgages 

Retirement Interest-Only Mortgages 

To find out more about our range of mortgages, 

call now on 0345 600 4085 or visit scottishbs.co.uk 

Rewarding Membership 

Scottish Building Society is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (Register No. 206034). 

Member of the Building Societies Association and UK Finance. Scottish Building Society, SBS House, 193 Dalry Rd, Edinburgh EH11 2EF. 

YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE.

8 

POLITICS 

Ash Denham MSP 

Ben Macpherson MSP 

Christine Jardine MP 

Daniel Johnson MSP 

Deidre Brock MP 

Gordon Lindhurst MSP 

Gordon Macdonald MSP 

Ian Murray MP 

Short term lets 

by Ben Macpherson MSP 

Short-term letting, through 

platforms such as Airbnb, is 

increasingly causing concern in 

Leith, with the consequences 

becoming more and more evident. 

I know from speaking to many 

local people that there is growing 

worry and anxiety about the 

damage that an over-concentration 

and excessive number of shortterm 

let properties can cause. And 

that’s why I was delighted to hear 

the First Minister's announcement 

at the SNP conference in 

Edinburgh in April that there will 

be a new public consultation to 

control the number of short-term 

lets and ensure that the owners of 


these properties contribute to the 

services they use. 

The Scottish Government are 

proposing a national framework 

that provides a menu of 

discretionary powers. This way 

City of Edinburgh Council will 

be able to implement measures 

appropriate to our city, to respond 

to our local conditions and 

concerns. This online consultation 

runs until 19 July 2019 and can be 

found online by searching ‘Scot 

Gov short term lets consultation’. 

I would encourage anyone who 

has concerns about short-term 

letting to please respond to this 

consultation. 

A decade of Edinburgh 

Street Pastors 

by Jeremy Balfour MSP 

This year, Edinburgh Street 

Pastors are celebrating their 

10-year anniversary. Beginning 

with 4 churches back in 2009, 

the Street Pastors were seeking 

to address the need of providing 

support and care for people on 

Edinburgh’s streets on Friday, and 

now Saturday, nights. Edinburgh 

undoubtedly has a rich nightlife 

experience and it’s rightly enjoyed 

by many. However, as with any 

city’s nightlife, issues can arise. A 

night out can soon take a turn for 

the worse and leave a club goer in 

distress. 

Similarly, Edinburgh has a serious 

problem with homelessness and 

many of those who are sleeping on 

the streets are often left the fend 

for themselves. These are just a 

couple of issues that come to mind 

when thinking about this city’s 

nightlife and culture, and often 

folks have very little help readily 

available to them, particularly as 

our emergency services are already 

stretched serving our city. 

This was why Edinburgh Street 

Pastors was established. They 

want to be a practical solution 

to the problems that arise within 

EU Settlement 

Scheme 

by Joanna Cherry QC MP 

Are you an EU citizen living here 

or do you have family or friends 

who are? 

Can I thank you for your 

contribution to our country and to 

our city. It was precisely because 

of that that I oppose Brexit, was so 

pleased Scotland voted to Remain 

and that we do not face the same 

toxic debate on migration as in 

England and Wales. 

But we have now reached the 

tragic situation where EU citizens 

living here have to apply to the 

UK Government’s EU Settlement 

Scheme, if you have lived here 

Edinburgh’s nightlife. Since 2009, 

the organisation has gone from 

strength to strength. It now 

partners with 20 churches across 

the city and engages with over 50 

volunteers, who go out on Friday 

and Saturday nights to serve the 

city. 

The Street Pastors go out each 

week because of their Christian 

faith, seeking to share it practically 

with others through caring for, 

helping and simply listening to 

those on Edinburgh’s streets. Each 

night is completely different. 

The Street Pastors have helped 

those who are suicidal, have 

assisted the homeless in finding 

somewhere safe to eat and sleep 

and have been able to provide care 

for anyone facing difficulty along 

the course of their night out. Why 

do they do this? Because they 

believe every life has value. 

Edinburgh Street Pastors provide 

an invaluable service to this 

city and indeed have impacted 

countless people’s lives. I want 

to congratulate them again in 

marking a decade of serving and I 

encourage you to check them out 

for yourself. 

more than five years or pre-settled 

status under five years to ensure 

you can work, study and travel. 

The deadline for applying is 30 

June 2021, if the Conservative 

Government can reach a deal or 21 

December 2020 if we leave without 

a deal. 

I would encourage everyone to 

apply now at https://www.gov.uk/ 

settled-status-eu-citizens-families 

The Scottish Government has 

allocated considerable resources 

to help EU citizens including a help 

line on 0800 916 9847 and come to 

my surgeries if you need help. 

Irresponsible parking 

by Gordon Macdonald MSP 

The Scottish Parliament has, 

for a number of years, tried to 

introduce legislation to tackle 

irresponsible parking through a 

Private Members Bill. However, 

due to most traffic regulations 

being reserved to Westminster this 

was proving to be difficult. 

Recently, many people have been 

speaking to me about the impact 

of irresponsible parking, especially 

on pavements. Obstructive 

parking can and does cause 

serious problems for everyone, 

and puts the safety of pedestrians 

(particularly vulnerable people, 

including the elderly and disabled) 

and other motorists in jeopardy. 

Similarly, vehicles parking on 

pavements can also cause damage 

to our pavements resulting in trip 

hazards and repair costs. 

The SNP Government are 

U-turn on Air 

Passenger Duty 

by Gordon Lindhurst MSP 

The SNP Government have made 

a U-Turn and will now not cut 

air passenger duty on long haul 

fights. 

As a result, their commitment 

to boosting their environmental 

credentials is questionable – rather 

than flying direct to Scotland, the 

SNP decision increases the risk 

of environmentally damaging 

multiple short haul flights to reach 

Scotland. Additionally, we have 

to ensure that the right balance 

is struck between a desire to cut 

emissions and boost our economy. 

Edinburgh Airport has heavily 

criticised the decision, highlighting 

the support for elsewhere, 

including Inverness, which enjoys 

Question Time 

by Christine Jardine MP 

Last month, I made my nervewracking 

debut on Question Time, 

and the subject which provoked 

my most passionate response was 

the environment. 

I appreciate that this is a topic I 

keep coming back to, but I believe 

it is one pudding that’s impossible 

to over-egg. Clean air is one of the 

most precious commodities we 

have, and it’s only becoming more 

precious. 

In Edinburgh, I still find it 

astonishing that breathing the 

air here can often feel as bad – if 

not worse – as being in central 

London. Hence my disappointment 

over the long-awaited Low 

Emissions Zone (LEZ) plans 

revealed by the city council. 

As it stands the proposals 

would introduce a full LEZ in the 

committed to making Scotland’s 

streets safer for everyone and 

The Transport (Scotland) Bill will 

make parking on pavements an 

enforceable offence. 

The Bill will deliver an automatic 

ban on pavement parking as well 

as double parking (to ensure 

access for emergency service 

vehicles), making it easier for 

local authorities to ensure our 

pavements and roads safer and 

more accessible to all. Councils 

will also be given the powers for 

exemptions but there will be strict 

criteria that they must meet. 

This piece of legislation will have 

life changing impacts across the 

country and, after the issue being 

raised for several years, I am 

delighted to see it making its way 

through the parliament. 

cuts in APD and commitments 

were made for a number of years 

on cutting duty for passengers. 

The cut had the potential to boost 

our economy, bring further tourism 

opportunities and offer passengers 

greater options when travelling 

from Edinburgh. 

We must all do our bit to protect 

the environment but this is a policy 

that has been ditched in a matter 

of weeks. 

I hope the SNP Government can 

outline what measures they will 

take to ensure Edinburgh Airport 

has a bright future as soon as 

possible. 

city centre only, where the most 

polluting cars will be charged a 

levy to enter. Another city-wide 

zone which would only apply to 

buses, coaches and commercial 

vehicles. 

Some of the worst-affected areas 

of the city would be in the second 

category. For those who live 

along and around St John’s Road, 

Queensferry Road there would still 

be queues of cars belching out 

toxic fumes. 

Here there was a chance to 

take bold steps towards solving 

a decades-old problem, but 

somehow, I have the horrible 

feeling it has fallen short. 

But the consultation is now open 

so at least we will all have the 

chance to air our views, and I’m 

hopeful that readers will. 

Local Politicians have their say

@EdinReporter /EdinReporter edinburghreporter theedinburghreporter.co.uk POLITICS 9 

Welcome action on 

short term lets 

by Tommy Sheppard MP 

Latest figures show that 

Edinburgh’s Airbnb boom may be 

slowing down – maybe reaching 

saturation point? 

But more properties in Edinburgh 

city centre are now in the 

commercial short-term lets sector 

than are available for conventional 

rent. 

In short, there are more whole 

flats permanently available on 

sites like Airbnb in areas like the 

Grassmarket than are being rented 

as a home. 

This is gutting out our city centre 

communities. 

Too many residents are living 

alone in a stair full of stag and 

hen revellers. Too many people 

can’t afford to live in Edinburgh 

because house prices and rents 

are rocketing as landlords and 

investors turn homes into lucrative 

mini-hotels. 

This is about full-on unregulated 

commercial activities, not folk 

renting out their spare room. 

We wouldn’t think it was a good 

idea for nearly every shop on a 

street to be a pub or a betting 

Brexit encore 

By Ian Murray MP 

Our politics is more polarised 

than at any point in modern times. 

The Brexit divide has split the 

country, and the divisions are 

worse in Scotland as a result of the 

SNP’s continued obsession with 

leaving the UK. 

While the SNP and Nigel Farage 

want to erect barriers between 

people, I believe we should be 

breaking down those barriers. 

It’s time to prove that politics is 

still a force for good. 

There were two significant 

anniversaries last month: the 

20th anniversary of the Scottish 

Parliament and the 25th 

anniversary of the untimely death 

of former Labour leader John 

Smith. 

John’s last public words were 

‘The opportunity to serve our 

country - that is all we ask’. 

His politics were based on 

persuasion and taking people with 

him by force of argument to do 

what was in the national interest. 

I believe our politics has lost that 

principle and needs to urgently find 

it once again. 

shop. We welcome visitors to 

our beautiful capital city and the 

economic boost tourism gives but 

this cannot go unaddressed. 

And so I’m delighted that 

the Scottish government has 

announced a far-reaching 

consultation on how best to control 

the impact of short-term lets. 

Edinburgh Council has been clear 

that the way to control and manage 

the short-term letting problem 

would be to have a licensing 

system – if you’re letting a whole 

property on a short-term basis for 

more than a few weeks each year 

without a licence, you’d get fined. 

The Council would decide not 

to grant a licence if there are too 

many holiday flats in a particular 

area. This makes sense to me. 

We need a system that protects 

communities and safeguards 

houses as homes. 

The Scottish government’s 

consultation is now live until 19th 

July – take your opportunity to 

make your views known: 

bit.ly/2GWSD8e 

Cheerio from 

Kezia 

by Kezia Dugdale MSP 

I have always been committed 

to public service and have 

enjoyed the experiences my role 

as MSP has given me in fighting 

Edinburgh’s corner these past 8 

years. 

Representing and serving the 

people of this great, international 

city has been an honour and 

allowed me to meet so many 

diverse individuals who live and 

work here. 

In July, I will be leaving the 

Scottish Parliament and am thrilled 

to be joining the John Smith Centre 

for Public Service as its new 

Director this summer. My mission 

will be to rebuild trust and faith in a 

political process that has become 

discredited in recent years.The 

solution to so many of the political 

and social problems that plague us 

is to restore faith in public service, 

politics and the political process. 

As I stand down as MSP and 

look to the future, no matter what 

happens, nothing will compare to 

genuinely helping people in need to 

rebuild and transform their lives. 

Most enthusiastic 

new MEP award... 

If we were giving an award 

for the most enthusiastic of the 

new MEPs it would have to go to 

Christian Allard who smiled more 

broadly than any of the others as 

the announcement of the vote was 

made. 

Mr Allard is a Frenchman who 

came to live in Scotland some time 

ago. He worked in the Scottish 

fishing industry for over 30 years 

and that Scotland will now have a 

strong voice in Brussels. 

Building a 

better system 

for Scotland 

by Deidre Brock MP 

I remember the days when the 

UK was proud to have a welfare 

system that protected people 

when they fell on hard times. 

It was part-and-parcel of a 

fair-minded, modern society that 

nobody would be left hungry, cold 

or sick for the sin of being poor. 

Yet under the cover of austerity, 

and now the straw man of Europe, 

this promise to our citizens has 

been broken. The Tories have 

been quietly hacking away at the 

welfare safety net and more and 

more people have been falling right 

through it. 

Austerity may have applied to 

all aspects of government spend, 

but the poor have borne the brunt 

of the burden. We’ve had wave 

after wave of cuts, caps, sanctions 

and welfare ‘reforms’ enshrining 

unfairness into the legislation. 

A Human Rights Watch report 

ound the budget for the welfare of 

children and families was cut by a 

whopping 44 per cent since 2010, 

compared to just seven per cent 

for defence. How else can this be 

explained other than an ideological 

decision to dismantle support for 

the poor? Bombs are very much 

higher on the Tory agenda than 

bairns. 

No wonder the UN’s independent 

expert on poverty Prof Alston 

concluded “much of the glue that 

has held British society together 

since the Second World War has 

been deliberately removed and 

replaced with a harsh and uncaring 

ethos." 

He is spot on. Mrs Thatcher 

may have hankered for Victorian 

times but even she would not have 

dreamed they could get away with 

it as much as they have. It’s time 

to send that lot packing and build a 

better Scotland. 

We need to get out of this broken 

system before Boris or Nigel take it 

to the next level. 

Dealing with 

local issues 

by Daniel Johnson MSP 

Over the past few months 

I have held public meetings 

on local issues like tenement 

maintenance, shared repairs, 

and the redevelopment of the 

Astley Ainslie Hospital. It has 

been great to see so many local 

residents engaging on these 

important issues that affect the 

constituency.Ultimately it is my 

job to work with local residents 

and take their views back into the 

Parliament. 

Over the past 3 years I have also 

held several meetings on Brexit 

with my colleague Ian Murray 

MP. Constituents have made it 

crystal clear to me what their 

position is on this. Which is why 

I have consistently spoken out 

about the prospect of leaving the 

EU and the damaging effect that 

pulling away from those close 

cultural and economic ties will 

have on Edinburgh. The people 

of South Edinburgh understand 

that the EU may have its faults 

but that we need to work together 

if we are going to tackle some of 

the big issues that we face, from 

poor economic growth to climate 

change. We can’t afford to stand 

still when tackling these issues. 

If we stand still then we fail to 

move forward, and we fall back on 

any sort of progress that has been 

made. 

Pension changes 

by Ash Denham MSP 

Last month, the UK Government 

changed the eligibility criteria for 

Pension Credit, an entitlement 

for people on the lowest levels of 

State Pension. 

These changes mean that people 

with a partner under pensionable 

age will not be able to claim 

Pension Credit until the younger 

partner is of pensionable age. 

This policy change will have a 

devastating impact on some of 

Scotland’s poorest pensioners 

and will mean that people would 

Jeremy Balfour MSP 

Joanna Cherry QC MP 

Kezia Dugdale MSP 

Tommy Sheppard MP 

need to live apart to be better off 

financially. This is one of many 

examples of the Tories penalising 

the poor. But it has particular 

resonance for Scots, who in 2014 

saw the Tories and Labour tell 

pensioners that they must vote no 

to independence to protect their 

pensions.The shamelessness of 

those lies is now exposed. Now our 

pensions are being stripped away 

anyway. It’s time to make Scotland 

a fairer country for our pensioners. 

It’s time for independence. 

EU Parliamentary Election 2019 

by Phyllis Stephen 

So you’ll have had your say in 

the latest political weathervane. 

This time the SNP claimed victory 

in Scotland with three new MEPs, 

Alyn Smith continuing his fifteen 

year tenure will be accompanied 

to Brussels by Christian Allard 

and Aileen McLeod both former 

MSPs, one Brexit Party MEP, one 

Conservative and one Liberal 

Democrat. 

The Brexit Party led by Nigel 

Farage swept the boards in the rest 

of the UK and claimed 31.7% of the 

vote with the Liberal Democrats 

in second place. Voters chose to 

ignore the two main parties who 

can’t seem to agree on what Brexit 

means anyway. The delays and 

uncertainty have cost Theresa 

May her post as Prime Minister in 

common with other Conservative 

leaders, Cameron, Major and 

Thatcher. Now the six Scottish 

MEPs go off to Brussels believing 

that they may be in work until 31 

October 2019, but nobody can 

guarantee that since the UK could 

have a new Conservative Prime 

Minister sometime this summer - 

and who knows what will happen 

to Brexit then. An outside chance 

of a General Election must also be 

on the cards. 

Alyn Smith told us : “This was 

sold on a false premise. We need 

to go back into this and I feel 

entirely justified in fighting it. 

We can revoke Article 50 - I and 

others took the UK Government 

to the European Court of Justice 

to establish that we can revoke 

Article 50 - unilaterally and without 

consequences. 

“There is also the idea of a 

second EU Referendum on the 

question, so there are ways out of 

this. None of this is inevitable.” 

“That won’t stop the 

conversation. The UK and 

Scotland needs to have a proper 

conversation about where we fit 

in the world and how we want to 

interact with the wider continent, 

but we need to get rid of the vague 

airy promises.” 

Conservative leader Ruth 

Davidson told me : “We knew 

before this election that the 

Conservatives were going to get a 

kicking, primarily because we said 

that we would take the country 

out of the EU and we haven’t done 

it. We worked hard to keep a seat 

here in Scotland and I am thankful 

that Nosheena Mubarak is heading 

to Brussels."

10 

BUSINESS 

On the Oor Wullie Trail 

Top Scot singer Lewis 

Capaldi teamed up with Coulters 

to sign their sponsored Oor Wullie 

sculpture for the Oor Wullie’s Big 

Bucket Trail at Edinburgh’s Assai 

Records in Grindlay Street. 

The ‘Aff Yir Rocker’ sculpture 

creative was designed by local 

Edinburgh artist Wendy Helliwell. 

It recognises Scottish music 

and the importance of recycling. 

Wendy collected clothes previously 

belonging to Scottish artists 

including The Skids, Fish, Midge 

Ure and The Wendys and her 

design incorporates their clothing 

and signatures. 

Lewis’s signature is the latest 

to be added to the sculpture, 

sponsored by Coulters, a 

residential estate agency and 

conveyancing firm based in the 

capital. 

LendingCrowd in 

funding deal 

LendingCrowd, Scotland’s only 

fintech lending platform, has 

brought together the governmentbacked 

Scottish Investment Bank 

(SIB) – the investment arm of 

Scottish Enterprise – and Dutch 

entrepreneurial bank NIBC to 

form a unique funding deal to 

provide small and medium-sized 

businesses with the finances they 

need to grow. 

NIBC and SIB have agreed to 

lend a combined £18.75 million 

across LendingCrowd’s platform. 

This is the second lending deal 

that the platform has agreed with 

SIB, the first being the £2.75 million 

commitment it made in October 

2016. 

The funding will be made 

available as business loans to 

SMEs across Scotland and the 

rest of Britain, with LendingCrowd 

fulfilling the increasing demand 

for small business finance. 

Active citizens 

Standard Life Aberdeen (SLA) 

is empowering more than 7500 

pupils at 20 secondary schools in 

Edinburgh to make a difference 

in their communities through the 

Youth and Philanthropy Initiative 

(YPI). 

SLA, which is Principal Funder 

of YPI in Edinburgh, is committed 

to a three-year partnership with 

the active citizenship programme 

which develops a host of life, 

learning and employment skills 

Ken Ireland, CEO of Coulters, said: 

“We are very excited to be involved 

with the Oor Wullie Big Bucket 

Trail, and absolutely delighted to 

unveil the Coulters’ Sponsored 

Statue with a final signature from 

Lewis Capaldi being added to 

those of Fish, Midge Ure and many 


Lewis Capaldi in the centre with Denise McKenzie, Amanda Kerley, 

Tara Willis, Ken Ireland (CEO), Ben Di Rollo, Craig Barrie and 

Joanne Cruickshank all of Coulters. 

LendingCrowd will be marketing 

these funds to British businesses, 

assessing applications and 

distributing the finance via its 

leading edge proprietary online 

platform, which can provide SMEs 

with a decision in the same day 

and access to the funds within 10 

days. Businesses from Dundee to 

Dorset have benefitted from loans 

of up to £500,000. 

This new investment comes 

after LendingCrowd was selected 

this year by government-backed 

Tech Nation for its Upscale 4.0 

programme for high-growth UK 

tech companies. 

LendingCrowd provides funding 

to almost all sectors, and a few of 

the companies to have benefitted 

from the platform’s loans include 

Summerhall Distillery, producer of 

Pickering’s Gin, Tag Games and 

Umega Lettings. 

while raising awareness of social 

issues and channelling grants to 

local, grassroots charities. 

Sandy McDonald, Head of 

Sustainability at SLA was a judge 

at Craigmount High School’s final 

where Ruby, Cara, Heather and 

Olivia secured the £3000 grant for 

Health in Mind. The funding will be 

used to enhance the provision of 

the anxiety and depression support 

groups in the city. 

other Scottish Pop legends. The 

Coulters statue has been created 

by upcoming local Edinburgh artist 

Wendy Helliwell and incorporates 

several genuine pieces of Scottish 

Pop Memorabilia - in her own 

unique collage form. 

Sir Sandy Crombie is someone 

who is quite well known in 

Edinburgh. He had a long career 

with Standard Life, rising to Group 

Chief Executive. Knighted for his 

services to the insurance industry 

in 2009 when he retired from 

Standard Life he went on to work 

on the RBS board. 

Sir Sandy photographed after our 

interview in The Registers, itself a 

place with great banking history. 

He stepped down from the RBS 

Group at the end of 2017 and now 

serves as Chairman of Amiqus 

Resolution, Edinburgh Alternative 

Finance (Lending Crowd) and 

Cameron Hume. 

We met him to talk about his 

involvement with Cameron 

Hume which flags itself up 

as providing 'fixed income 

investment management services 

to institutional clients'. This is a 

shorthand for a company which 

oversees the investment of other 

people's money, but the difference 

is that they are a small Edinburghbased 

investment management 

firm focussing on the importance 

of environmental, social and 

governance factors. 

Sir Sandy began his career as an 

actuary and is now Chairman of 

the board at the young firm where 

he hopes that his experience can 

help. He explained that after 50 

plus years in big board rooms he is 

happy to be involved with smaller 

companies. He said : "I wanted to 

be much more involved in business 

and the opportunity for that exists 

much more obviously in small 

Leith Walk Police Box Pop up space 

•Wednesdays and Fridays and 2 and 16 June 11.00am to 

6.00pm TIpico quality nuts with delicious Sicilian confectionery 

Lloyds creating 500 

jobs in Edinburgh 

Lloyds Banking Group has 

unveiled plans to create a new 

tech hub in Edinburgh to help 

transform the digital experience 

for Bank of Scotland, Lloyds Bank, 

Halifax and Scottish Widows 

customers. 

As part of a £3bn investment 

programme, the hub will offer 500 

new software engineering roles 

in the capital. This is all part of a 

wider drive to promote technology 

careers in financial services. 

The bank said it was responding 

to a shift in customer behaviour 

towards digital services. 

Philip Grant, Chair of Lloyds 

Banking Group’s Scottish Executive 

Committee, said: "We’re working 

with the industry to strengthen 

Meeting Sir Sandy Crombie 

early stage business like Cameron 

Hume. This is one of three that I 

am involved with." 

He explained a bit more about 

his past career : "I suppose that 

my best time at Standard Life I felt 

was the ten years I spent creating 

Standard Life Investments. I had a 

very rare opportunity which was to 

create something rather than just 

grow it. It was a rare privilege." 

Outside of business, it appears 

that Sir Sandy is often found in the 

kitchen creating a new gluten free 

cake for his family. 

His own interests include 

arts, education and heritage. 

He is a board member of the 

Edinburgh Business School, the 

Ross Development Trust, and 

is President of the Cockburn 

Association. His previous roles 

included Chairman of Edinburgh 

World City of Literature Trust, 

Chairman of Creative Scotland 

•6 June 3.00pm to 6.00pm Leith Festival 

our tech-based talent pool in 

Scotland, which will not only 

benefit customers of Lloyds 

Banking Group, but support the 

development of technology, skills 

and talent in the fastest growing 

digital economy outside London. 

"People’s expectations are rising 

rapidly as they want the same 

experience they’re used to with 

established digital brands. In our 

tech labs, we are designing what 

customers will need in the future, 

making products and services that 

can adapt to their lives and making 

it easier for them to connect with 

their finances." 

New technology developed at the 

hub will be for Bank of Scotland, 

Lloyds Bank, Halifax and Scottish 

Widows customers. 

and Vice Chairman of the Royal 

Conservatoire of Scotland. 

Sandy is a Fellow of the Royal 

Society of Edinburgh and chairs 

the Society’s Audit Committee. He 

was off there for one of his regular 

meetings after our interview. 

Listen to our full interview here 

•15 June 11.00am to 5.00pm Leith Teeny Tiny Animal Sanctuary 

fundraising Homebaking and crafts 

www.leithwalkpolicebox.com 

•Saturdays Edinburgh Tool Library 10.30am to 1.00pm. Join 

up and borrow tools. Workshop space and classes. Gift 

memberships. 

•1 June 12noon to 4.00pm Food without a Face - vegan pies 

•29 June 2.00pm to 5.00pm Invisible Street Barber, Socks for 

the Streets and QMU podiatry services for people encountering 

homelessness. 

•30 June 11.30am to 2.30pm Lazy Lettuce vegan burgers.

Edinburgh Festival 

Fringe 2019 

From wide-eyed drama school 

graduates to brattish divas I Wish 

My Life Were Like A Musical is 

a comic exposé of the big 

personalities and turbulent lives in 

musical theatre. 

This award-winning musical 

revue has been created by 

acknowledged genius in comic 

songwriting (Cabaret Scenes) 

and iTunes comedy album charttopper 

Alexander S. Bermange, 

who has spent a lifetime working in 

the industry. 

A cast of West End regulars 

reveal the innermost secrets of 

their world embracing everything 

from the off-stage feuds to the 

on-stage smooches, and from the 

by Adam Zawadzki 

This month’s films come from 

major studios. 

‘Dark Phoenix’ rises onto screens 

on 5 June 2019 as the twelfth 

instalment of the X-Men film series 

with an expansive ensemble cast 

including Michael Fassbender 

(Steve Jobs), Jessica Chastain 

(Zero Dark Thirty), James McAvoy 

(Split), Jennifer Lawrence (Silver 

Linings Playbook), Nicholas Hoult 

(The Favourite) and Sophie Turner 

(Game of Thrones television 

series) among many others. It is 

the first film in a planned trilogy 

adapted from The Dark Phoenix 

Saga so expect more sequels on 

this particular story. 

Arriving on 14 June 2019 is ‘Men 

In Black: International’, a spin-off 

to the main trilogy, with Chris 

Hemsworth (Thor) and Tessa 

Thompson (Thor: Ragnarok) in the 

leading roles. 

Beloved by critics and audiences 

alike, ‘Toy Story 4’ will be 

WHAT’S ON IN JUNE 

Theatre Art Music Shows Festivals 

limb-spraining high kicks to the 

voice-straining high notes. 

Edinburgh Festival Fringe 

audiences can enjoy this delightful 

blend of wit, whimsy and warmth 

at the Underbelly, Bristo Square 

(The Dairy Room, Venue 302) from 

31 July to 26 August. 

released on 21 June 2019 (but 

remember that a very special 

pre Edinburgh International Film 

Festival screening will take place 

in Edinburgh on 16 June). Tom 

Hanks (Philadelphia) and Tim Allen 

(Home Improvement television 

series) reprise their iconic voice 

roles of Sheriff Woodie and Buzz 

Lightyear, respectively, for the 

fourth entry of this animated film 

series that has already grossed 

almost $2 billion worldwide. 

Written by Richard Curtis (Notting 

Hill) and directed by Danny Boyle 

(Slumdog Millionaire), ‘Yesterday’ 

opens on 28 June with Himesh 

Patel (EastEnders television 

series) as a musician who takes 

credit for writing and performing 

The Beatles’ music after waking 

from an accident to find he is the 

only person that knows who they 

are. Lily James (Cinderella), Kate 

McKinnon (Ghostbusters) and 

Ed Sheeran also feature in this 

musical comedy. 

Lauren MacColl At The 

Queen’s Hall 

Fiddler and composer Lauren 

MacColl is coming to the Queen's 

Hall this month with music from 

her album The Seer. 

This was commissioned by 

the Highland arts organisation 

Fèis Rois and premiered at Celtic 

Connections earlier in the year. It 

is a 45 minute long composition 

based on the life and prophecies 

of the 17th century Brahan Seer, a 

highland prophet. 

She will be joined on stage 

by folk luminaries Mairearad 

Green (The Poozies), Rachel 

Newton (The Shee), Anna 

Massie (Blazin’ Fiddles), Megan 

Henderson (Breabach) and Signy 

Jakobsdottir. 

Lauren said: “I’m delighted to 

be playing this string of dates in 

venues across the country this 

summer and to be able to share 

new material alongside my work 

‘The Seer’ with audiences across 

Scotland. I’m thrilled to present 

the album with the full line-up of 

wonderful musicians and to share 

the legacy of the Brahan Seer in 

a compelling performance for 

everyone that comes along.” 

The Queen’s Hall 26 June 2019 

Box Office 0131 668 2019 

At the National 

Museum of Scotland 

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 

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 

Sunday 

Classics at 

Usher Hall 

The Planets: An HD Odyssey, 

with the Royal Scottish National 

Orchestra 

3:00pm 16 June 2019 

£35, £29, £24, £18, £13.50 

RSNO 

Ben Palmer - Conductor 

The Planets: An HD Odyssey 

Richard Strauss - Also sprach 

Zarathustra (opening) 

Johann Strauss II - The Blue 

Danube 

JS Bach (orch. Stokowski) - 

Toccata and Fugue in D minor 

Beethoven - Symphony No. 7 

(second movement) 

Williams - Main theme from Star 

Wars 

Holst - The Planets 

Tickets available at: 

www.usherhall.co.uk 

0131 228 1155 

At the cinema this month TUE 04 JUN 2019 

Art at Blackhall Library 

Richard A Clohessy creates art 

and designs using bright bold 

colours and strong shapes. He 

works in MS Paint. net and Paint 

3D. The designs are printed on 

canvas or paper. and are available 

in a range of different sizes. He 

is showing his work at the Library 

from 28 May to 18 June 2019. 

This is his first public exhibition. 

Born in Coventry in 1960 he moved 

to Edinburgh in 1986 as a deputy 

hotel manager. Some 23 years later 

he had some mental health issues 

and was introduced to MS Paint as 

a way of dealing with stress. www. 

artrac.co.uk 

Childhood Disrupted 

The children of South Sudan 

have faced it all. Conflict, hunger 

and for some, an unimaginable 

journey to safety. Childhood 

Disrupted, a powerful new 

photography exhibition from global 

children’s charity Plan International 

UK and supported by the People’s 

Postcode Lottery, shares stories 

of survival, hope and incredible 

resilience from children who have 

fled fighting in their home country. 

It will also offer a unique chance to 

see what a child-friendly space in a 

refugee camp looks and feels like, 

and how these safe spaces help 

children adapt to their situation. 

31st May to 2nd June 2019 


Ceilidh Club 

Edinburgh Ceilidh Club with the 

John Carmichael ceilidh band 

8:00pm Summerhall 

www.edinburghceilidhclub.com 

TUE 11 JUN 2019 

Edinburgh Ceilidh Club with the Tay 

ceilidh band 



FRI 14 JUN 2019 Edinburgh 

Ceilidh Club with Teannaich 

7:30pm Assembly Roxy 



Edinburgh Ceilidh Club with the 

Jimi Shandix Experience 




Edinburgh Ceilidh Club with Deoch 

n' Dorus 



The photography exhibition will highlight 

lives of children in South Sudan. 

10.00am - 6.00pm at Assembly 

Rooms, Edinburgh

12 

WHAT'S ON 

Theatre Art Music Shows Festivals 

Day by day guide - What’s on in June 

1 June Happy Birthday 

Typewronger Books 4a Haddington 

Place EH7 7AE 

2 Hidden Door Weekender ends 

today with Cigarettes After Sex at 

Leith Theatre EH6 4AE 

Family Funday at St Bride’s Centre 

with games and craft making. Make 

your own Carnival headband 

3 Honeyblood at Summerhall 

Glasgow based grunge rock Ticket 

£13.75 

4 Neither Wolf Nor Dog Film by 

Scottish director Steven Lewis 

Simpson Screening with Director 

Q&A at Dominion Cinema 18 

Newbattle Terrace EH10 4RT 

Yoga Tuesdays at St Bride’s 

Community Centre and the Linten 

Adie Community Choir meet for 

rehearsals Or you can try your hand 

at Egyptian Belly Dancing 

5 Scottish Opera The Magic Flute 

produced by Sir Thomas Allen 

Festival Theatre EH8 9FT Tickets 

from £47.50 Until 15 June 2019 

6 Edinburgh International Book 

Festival programme will be 

launched today 

Edinburgh Festival of Cycling 

EDFOC begins until 16 June HSBC 

Breeze ride for women Russell Road 

zigzags to Stockbridge 

7 Art in Healthcare exhibition until 

16 June at the Botanics 

RSPB Fun weekend starts at 

Secret Herb Garden 32a Pentland 

Road EH10 7EA 

8 Leith Festival A week of 

community events with music, 

theatre, dance and tours. 

Americana in Leith, Leith Depot 

138-140 Leith Walk. FREE 

The Spice Girls BT Murrayfield 

Stadium Tickets from £56 upwards 

The Moonwalk takes place 

tonight 

9 Edinburgh Academy Choir and 

Choral Society Usher Hall 

EDFOC SPOKES Family cycle and 

picnic from 11.00am on Middle 

Meadow Walk cycling along the 

Innocent Railway track 

10 University of Edinburgh 

Undergraduate Open Day - all 

departments will be open 

11 EDFOC SPOKES Bike Breakfast 

at City Chambers 7.45am 

An Evening with The Church - 

Starfish 30th anniversary La Belle 

Angele 11 Hastie’s Close EH1 1HJ 

Ticket £25.25 

12 Graeme Easton’s playlist with 

Stuart Cosgrove and Tam Cowan 

Live podcast show where Graeme 

talks to sporting personalities and 

find what music they listen to. 

Audience can ask questions! 

13 Phoenix Community Choir 

Summer Concert at Leith theatre 

Café Voices Storytelling Centre 

Relaxed session oral storytelling 

and poetry Ticket £4.50 

14 Film Fest in the CIty begins at 

4.30pm with Groundhog Day. Films 

free all weekend. 

At the Palace of Holyroodhouse 

A Royal Wedding : The Duke and 

Duchess of Sussex opens. Display 

of wedding outfits Tickets from £15 

EDFOC SPOKES Public meeting 

Edinburgh Connecting our City 

Transforming our Places with Daisy 

Narayanan Deputy Director of 

Sustrans 

Fringe Preview Assembly Roxy 

EH8 9SU Stephen Buchanan and 

Andy Field Ticket £5 

Leith Festival 2019 

From 8-16 June get on down 

to Leith where they are having a 

pageant, gala day and a festival. 

The Leith Festival is a true 

community event. 

The new event this year will be 

Leith’s Official Dog Show run by 

Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home in 

front of their marquee at 2.30pm 

on Saturday 8 June at 2.30pm at 

Leith Links. LeithLate will take 

over the main stage with a cutting 

edge selection of bands and young 

people from local schools will 

entertain with Scottish country 

dancing. 

There are 66 events in 37 

venues - 50 events are totally 

free to attend. The 2019 Pageant 

theme is ‘Leith’s Maritime 

Heritage: Across the Seas’. Expect 

colourful costumes, pirates, sea 

creatures and Pulse of the Place 

samba band, comprised of local 

schoolchildren, at the front, with 

the Mock Lord Provost Sandy 

Campbell (who will be wearing the 

traditional Provost gown). 

The procession departs Pilrig 

Park at 12noon on 8 June 

processing along Balfour Street, 

down Leith Walk, Constitution 

Street, Queen Charlotte, and onto 

Leith Links. 

Roads will be closed only when 

the parade is passing. 

Off the beaten track join The 

Living Memory Association 

THELMA at the Little Shop of 

Memory in Ocean Terminal where 

they would love you to share your 

memories on the specially set up 

radio station set up for the Festival. 

15 Scottish Fiddle Orchestra 

Summer Fling Usher Hall EH1 2EA 

Funny Women Awards Beehive Inn 

18 Grassmarket 

Edinburgh Whisky Festival 

Assembly Rooms EH2 2LR 

Masterclasses and tasting Tickets 

from £20 

16 Dads Rock Family takeover 

at Tynecastle for the sixth year in 

a row the dads charity will run an 

event with music, baby massage, 

yoga and stadium tours 

Sunday Classics The Planets : An 

HD Odyssey with the RSNO 

At the Botanics - Communities 

Growing Health. Drop in cooking, art 

and gardening event 

EDFOC Leith Links to Portobello 

Family Ride Begins at 10.00am at 

Crops in Pots Community Croft 57 

Queen Charlotte Street EH6 &EY 5 

mile round trip Take a picnic. 

Toy Story 4 at 3.00pm at Festival 

Theatre -part of Edinburgh 

International Film Festival EIFF 

17 At The Stand Red Raw at 

7.00pm Open mic night when you 

can see up to ten new acts. This is 

where everyone starts! 

18 Shane Koyczan Teviot Bristo 

Square EH 8 9AJ Canadian spoken 

word artist Ticket £20 

19 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin 

King’s Theatre EH Tickets from 

£25.75 

Edinburgh International Film 

Festival begins today until 30 June 

2019 

20 Royal Highland Show until 23 

June at the Royal Highland Centre 

Ingliston. 

21 Southern Exposure 2 day 

festival at Summerhall with Pictish 

The Lark 

By Jean Anouilh, contemporary 

translation by Gill Taylor 

Performances 4th - 8th June, 

7:30pm Bellfield, Portobello 

Tickets £12 advance, £15 on the 

door www.theegtg.com 

Joan of Arc. Saint, saviour or 

someone who heard voices? 

Against the backdrop of the one 

of the world's longest wars, a 17 

year old peasant girl led an army 

of men into battle and carved a 

victory that defined France. She 

claimed God told her to do it; the 

church says she’s a witch and 

should be burnt alive. 

Jean Anouilh's classic play tells 

the tale of how Joan convinced 

the church, the state – and her 

dad - to let her tackle an apparently 

impossible feat. And then plays 

witness at her trial: a nineteen year 

old uneducated woman held to 

account for her successes by the 

world’s most educated men. 

Anouilh published the script 

in 1953, having lived through 

the occupation of France by the 

German army during the Second 

World War. His observations about 

how the French sense of identity 

was squeezed provide a poignant 

context to this story. But he makes 

“no attempt to explain the mystery 

Trail, Piroshka, Be Charlotte and 

others 

22 Conversations with Nick Cave 

Usher Hall 

23 Storytime with Morag Hood 

Waterstones Kinnaird Park FREE 

New Town walking tour starting 

at the Scottish National Portrait 

Gallery 2.00pm Tickets £12 

24 Songbirds and Troubadours 

Usher Hall EH1FREE 

25 Chapter and Verse Opium 71 

Cowgate London based Alt rock 

quartet Ticket £7.70 

26 Wild and Majestic : Romantic 

Visions of Scotland opens at 

National Museum of Scotland 

Tickets £10 

27 At the National Library of 

Scotland at 2.00pm Golf’s first 

celebrity superstar was young Tom 

Morris, son of the legendary golf 

pioneer, Tom Morris. In this talk, 

Florida-based journalist and avid 

golfer Stephen Proctor presents 

a stirring and evocative history of 

Tommy's life. 

28 EIFF presents Tommy Smith 

and the Scottish National Jazz 

Orchestra, Sketches of Spain at 

7.30pm at Queen’s Hall 

29 Ride the Night Women v 

Cancer night ride. Cycle 100k, 

through the city at night to support 

charity. Start is at Queen Margaret 

University. Circular route around 

Edinburgh landmarks. 

30 Great Scottish Walk and Run 

Festival The 10K walk travels 

through Cramond Village, River 

Almond Walkway, Dalmeny Estate, 

Lauriston Castle and along the 

Silverknowes foreshore. 

of Joan”. That’s up to the audience. 

EGTG is staging the Scottish 

premiere of a new script 

translation. Gill Taylor translated 

Anouilh’s French script for 

performance by her own theatre 

group in East London ten years ago 

– wishing to find words that bring 

to life the spirit, vitality and fire of 

Joan in a way that’s meaningful for 

modern day audiences. 

Message from 

Jazz Festival 

Chair 

by Councillor Jason Rust 

Among the myriad of festivals 

there is the Edinburgh Jazz and 

Blues Festival (EJBF) from 12 

July 2019. EJBF offers an annual 

snapshot on the Scottish jazz 

and blues scenes, and also gives 

a perspective on an international 

world – this year from Asia and 

Australasia, to North and South 

America to Europe. There is a 

special welcome for our partners 

in Oslo and Brussels, and, for the 

first time, in 2019, from Piemonte. 

The opening concert of our 

Festival celebrates the man who 

started it all; the music he loved; 

and the spirit of those early 

Festivals he created. Mike Hart, 

the Festival’s founder, died late last 

year, and we mark his passing with 

a Memorial concert, and dedicate 

this year’s programme to him. 

Jools Holland, Davina And The 

Vagabonds, Hamish McGregor, 

Rumba de Bodas, Red Stripe Band, 

New Orleans Swamp Donkeys, Tim 

Elliott, and many more regulars are 

back. 

We’ve got a host of new guests, 

coming for the first time: Melvin 

Taylor, Papa Chubby, Meschiya 

Lake, Donny McCaslin, Kenny 

Wayne Shepherd, Zac Harmon, 

Jamison Ross amongst a host 

more. There’s also a wider range 

of venues than ever before from 

Oxgangs to Granton. 

The current Scottish jazz and 

blues scenes are so dynamic that 

whatever you thought last time, 

there’s something new happening 

now. 

We’re especially blessed with 

young talent. There’s never been 

such quality in such quantity as 

there is right now. This is the 

most exciting time to hear AKU, 

Mark Hendry, Matt Carmichael, 

Bernadette Kellerman, Liam 

Shortall, Jed Potts, Georgia Cecile, 

Fergus McCreadie, STRATA, Nicole 

Smit… 

Dress as you like, but be ready 

to enjoy some of the most 

exhilarating music and atmosphere 

you will experience all year. 

Share your event! 

Email editor@theedinburghreporter.co.uk

@EdinReporter /EdinReporter edinburghreporter theedinburghreporter.co.uk WHAT'S ON 13 

Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2019 

A Womb of One's Own | Theatre 

Funny, clever and politically 

challenging, A Womb of One's 

Own follows a young woman 

on her journey of self and 

sexual discovery, exploring the 

emotional rollercoaster of an 

unwanted pregnancy, an abortion 

and the surrounding taboos. A 

semi-autobiographical piece, 

A Womb of One’s Own uses 

humour and sensitivity to explore 

controversial issues such as 

abortion, sexuality and religion. 

Pleasance Dome (10 Dome) from 

31st July (not 13th, 22nd) at 14:50. 

Bobby & Amy | Theatre 

From Fringe First award-winner 

Emily Jenkins comes the world 

premiere of Bobby & Amy, a new 

dark comedy about friendship, 

heartache and the repercussions 

of foot-and-mouth disease. 

Starring Will Howard (The Archers, 

BBC Radio 4) and Kimberley 

Jarvis, this powerful new play asks 

what happens when our way of 

life is threatened by those who 

don’t understand it. Pleasance 

Courtyard (Upstairs) from 31st July 

(not 12th) at 12:45. 

Ogg ‘n’ Ugg ‘n’ Dogg | Childrens 

Theatre Fideri Fidera present their 

new comic play for all ages which 

takes on the amazing evolutionary 

process that transformed wolf 

into man’s best friend. Using their 

characteristic rich mix of theatrical 

forms including physical comedy, 

clowning, puppetry, music and 

song, Ogg ‘n’ Ugg ‘n’ Dogg is the 

show for families and dog lovers, 

old and young. Gilded Balloon 

Teviot (Dining Room) from 31st 

July (not 7th, 14th, 21st) at 12:30. 

Paradise Lodge | Theatre 

A musical comedy set in a care 

home, Paradise Lodge is based on 

writer Steve Cooper’s experience 

of caring for his mother-in-law in 

her final years as she lived with 

dementia. One in three people will 

develop dementia and Paradise 

Lodge encourages people to 

think about the person behind 

the condition. Underbelly Bristo 

Square (Dairy Room) from 31st 

July (not 12th) at 13:15. 

This Time by Ockham’s Razor | 

Circus 

After the success of Tipping 

Point, Total Theatre award-winning 

Ockham's Razor return with their 

new show This Time. Featuring 

acrobatics and a series of aerial 

frames which raise from floor to 

ceiling the four performers, ranging 

in age from 13 to 60, carry, throw 

and cradle each other in a show 

about time, age and the stories we 

tell ourselves. Saint Stephens from 

1st August (not 6th, 13th, 20th) at 

15:00. 

Wireless Operator | Theatre 

Told against a backdrop of 

an extraordinary and dynamic 

soundscape, Wireless Operator 

reveals the emotional trauma of 

one single night in a Lancaster 

Bomber, during World War II, 

as a young crew hurtle through 

a terrifying frenzy of violence. 

Wireless Operator is the alarming 

new production which reveals 

the impact on the airmen who 

survived, and the lifelong legacy 

felt by their families. Pleasance 

Courtyard (Below) from 31st July 

(not 12th) at 12:40. 

Share your event! 

Email editor@theedinburghreporter.co.uk 

So You Think You Know About 

Dinosaurs 

When David Attenborough needs 

to know more about dinosaurs he 

turns to one man - Dr Ben Garrod. 

Do you want to know if 

a Triceratops lived in the Jurassic 

period or what a Stegosaurus 

had for breakfast or just be 

more dino-savy? Then come and 

meet the TV presenter, author 

and all-round dinosaur aficionado, 

appearing for the first time at 

the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. 

So You Think You Know About 

Dinosaurs is the hit stage show 

taking the audience on an exciting 

pre-historic adventure as Dr Ben 

talks about the deadliest predators 

that ever roamed the planet. Yes, 

dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus 

Rex, Allosaurus and Spinosaurus 

would have walked or swam right 

where you are now. Age guidance - 

primarily ages 5-11. 

Pleasance Beyond, The 

Pleasance 

10.30am 9-17 August 

T 0131 556 6550 

Sunday Classics at Usher Hall 

The Planets: An HD Odyssey, 

with the Royal Scottish National 

Orchestra 

3:00pm 16 June 2019 

Ben Palmer - Conductor 

The Planets: An HD Odyssey 

includes Richard Strauss - Also 

sprach Zarathustra (opening) 

Williams - Main theme from Star 

Wars 

Holst - The Planets 

Tickets available at: 

www.usherhall.co.uk 

0131 228 1155 

Harpies 

Fechters and 

Quines Festival 

Harpies Fechters and Quines 

Festival 3-14 June 2019 The 

theme this year is Aftermath - 

women picking up the pieces. 

World War One. Women’s lives 

were changed when men returned 

from war. 

What was the legacy of the 

aftermath? Edinburgh Libraries 

is again working with local group 

the Bonnie Fechters, the Glasgow 

Women’s Library, Scottish Poetry 

Library and a host of individuals to 

deliver a diverse programme. 

On offer there are talks from 

experts, readings, poetry, music, 

creative writing, discussion and 

a chance to meet and chat with 

other women on relevant issues. 

Book tickets online or at Edinburgh 

Central Library. 

All events are FREE 

Film Fest in the City 

Edinburgh International Film 

Festival and Essential Edinburgh’s 

popular free open-air cinema 

event, Film Fest in the City 

with Edinburgh Live, will return 

to St Andrew Square Garden 

this summer, with the Festival 

announcing free screenings 

running from 14 to 16 June 2019. 

This year’s special outdoor 

cinema experience will give 

audiences the chance to catch 

some of the best releases both 

new and old, including the Oscarwinning 

Bohemian Rhapsody, Mary 

Poppins Returns starring Emily 

Blunt as the iconic magical nanny 

and the unforgettable The Greatest 

Showman, back by popular 

demand. Audiences will also be 

treated to a double bill of Mamma 

Mia! and Mamma Mia 2. 

There is something for all 

audiences from much-loved 

classics including When Harry 

met Sally, cult titles Xanadu 

and Groundhog Day alongside 

family favourites The Iron Giant, 

Brave and Spider-Man: Into the 

Spiderverse. Audiences will be 

able to enjoy a range of premium 

refreshments from a host of 

special pop-up bars over the 

weekend, including Edinburgh Gin, 

Innis & Gunn and Poco Prosecco. 

Once again, all of this year’s 

screenings will be free with no 

ticket required, just turn up and join 

in the fun! 

Mark Adams, EIFF Artistic 

Director said: ““The annual outdoor 

screenings make for the perfect 

taster before the festival proper 

begins a few days later. Watching 

a film outdoors is such a special 

experience and it is always 

gratifying to see film fans arriving 

at beautiful St Andrew Square 

Garden for this wonderful social 

event. We have a lovely blend of 

old and new, and some musical 

pleasures alongside animated 

classics.” 

Roddy Smith, Chief Executive 

of Essential Edinburgh said: 

“Essential Edinburgh is delighted 

to be able to continue to fund this 

fantastic event for the 8th time 

and we are pleased to welcome 

Edinburgh Live as our new headline 

sponsor. Film Fest in the City is 

only possible thanks to the superb 

partnership between Essential 

Edinburgh, EIFF and the production 

team at Unique Events. Essential 

Edinburgh is solely funded by city 

centre businesses who invest 

£1 million a year into projects, 

initiatives and events, such as Film 

Fest in the City. As always it is a 

fantastic mix of movies that can 

be enjoyed for free in the beautiful 

St Andrew Square Garden, we are 

looking forward to welcoming you 

to what is one of the best free 

events of the year.”

14 

NEWS 

GORMLEY 6 Times is back! 

Turner Prize-winning artist Sir 

Antony Gormley’s installation 6 

TIMES is back. 

The multi-part sculptural 

project was installed in 2010 

then removed in 2012. Having 

resolved the complications the 

National Galleries of Scotland 

(NGS) has now reinstalled four 

of the sculptures in their original 

locations. 

6 TIMES comprises six life-sized 

figures positioned between the 

Scottish National Gallery of 

Modern Art (SNGMA) and the sea. 

Four of the figures are placed in 

the Water of Leith itself, acting 

as gauges for the height of the 

river as it swells and recedes. The 

work is enigmatic, provocative and 

stimulating and conveys a sense of 

mystery and quiet monumentality, 

drawing attention to the natural 

environment of the Water of Leith. 

The first figure is located within 

the grounds of the Scottish 

National Gallery of Modern Art 

(SNGMA). Although a full-length 

cast, it is buried in the ground up 

to neck-level. The next figure is 

situated within a basin of the river 

behind the gallery, where it gazes 

down into the water. A further three 

figures are placed at separate 

points downstream in Stockbridge, 

Powderhall and Bonnington, 

looking progressively up, right and 

left. 

The final figure, situated at the 

end of an abandoned pier in Leith 

Docks, looks out to the point where 

the river course finally meets the 

sea. 

The National Galleries of 

Scotland worked with the council 

to resolve the issues relating to 

the figures and has permission 

to reinstall four sculptures at 

Cauldron Weir, Stockbridge, 

Powderhall and Bonnington. 

Modifications were made to the 

fixings and the sculptures are now 

permanently fixed to their mounts. 

The original design allowed them 

to tilt and submerge when the river 

level rose. Caldive Ltd, marine 

contractors, are in charge of the 

work which will be completed by 

early summer 2019. 

Scottish Natural Heritage, 

Scottish Environmental Protection 

Agency, Local Wildlife Crime 

Officers, City of Edinburgh Council, 

The Honorary Water Bailiffs of the 

Water of Leith and the Water of 

Leith Conservation Trust were all 

consulted to ensure that works 

caused as little disruption to the 

environment as possible. 

An anonymous supporter who 

recognises the Work’s importance 


to the city of Edinburgh made 

the reinstallation possible. NGS 

covered costs of conservation and 

debris maintenance. 

Sir Antony Gormley said: “It 

was a privilege to make these 

works for Edinburgh and now they 

are coming back to stay — I’m 

delighted.” 

Simon Groom, Director of 

Modern and Contemporary 

Art at the National Galleries of 

Scotland said: “We are thrilled 

to announce the reinstallation of 

Antony Gormley’s 6 TIMES, which 

captured the imagination of so 

many locals and visitors alike when 

it was first installed in 2010. We 

are extremely grateful to Antony, 

his studio, Edinburgh City Council 

and everyone else who has played 

such an active part in ensuring 

the success of the project. This is 

a meditative and reflective work, 

which brings art out into the wider 

community along Edinburgh’s 

beautiful Water of Leith.” 

Selling a home - where to start? 

The thought of selling your 

house or flat can be exciting but 

also a daunting prospect. In this 

article, we’ll walk you through the 

initial steps of the selling process, 

with a focus on choosing the right 

selling agent and how to get a 

property valuation. 

Choosing a selling agent 

The first step is to choose a 

selling agent who will value your 

home and subsequently represent 

you through the entire selling 

process. There are many agents 

out there and it’s important to 

choose one that’s right for your 

situation. 

An ESPC solicitor estate agent 

can handle all aspects of your 

sale from the property marketing, 

through to the legal process, so 

if you want to only deal with one 

company, it’s important to take 

that into consideration. 

Agents can specialise in several 

different areas including selling by 

geographical area, speed of selling 

and the percentage achieved 

above Home Report valuation. 

It’s therefore important to take 

the time to consider your specific 

requirements before selecting an 

agent. 

What is a property valuation? 

Once you’ve selected your 

preferred agent, they will conduct 

a valuation of your property. 

This is the process of estimating 

the current market value of the 

property, with reference to several 

key factors. 

These include (but are not 

limited to) property size, condition, 

fittings, age, fixtures, layout and 

design. External factors are also 

be included, such as parking, ease 

of vehicle access and proximity to 

schools. 

How to get a property valuation 

The good news is ESPC agents 

provide free property valuations. 

Plus, we have created a free 

valuation tool which does the hard 

work of finding an agent for you. 

Simply complete the free 

valuation form with your 

requirements and we’ll contact an 

appropriate agent on your behalf 

for a free valuation according to 

your needs – it’s that simple! 

Go to espc.com/valuations to 

request a free home valuation now. 

David Albury’s Book 

review 

Only In Edinburgh A Guide to 

Unique Locations, Hidden Corners 

and Unusual Objects by Duncan J 

D Smith 

As a former tour guide I consider 

myself quite well acquainted with 

most of Edinburgh’s popular tourist 

attractions, all of which are, of 

course, covered in this publication. 

However, the charm of this book 

is that it takes one away from 

the – inevitably overcrowded – 

traditional sites and into some of 

the more esoteric and delightful. 

Often just a sideways step away 

from the main thoroughfares. 

For example, Scotland’s oldest 

concert hall, St Cecilia’s, tucked 

away at the foot of Niddry Street, 

between the Royal Mile and 

the Cowgate. which contains a 

world-class collection of musical 

instruments. Or stroll around the 

elegance of The New Town, pop 

into the Royal Bank of Scotland 

branch on St Andrew’s Square and 

see the stunning domed cupola 

ceiling. 

A little tip – when walking around 

Edinburgh, look up at the cornices 

of the buildings to see some 

magnificent statues and carvings, 

so often missed by people walking 

along, eyes glued to their mobile 

phones ! 

The layout of the book is easy to 

follow, with short chapters devoted 

to each entry, and copiously crossreferenced 

(even to the extent of 

one extreme example of self-crossreferencing 

in chapter 72 where 

the third paragraph includes “(see 

no. 72” !) A very welcome inclusion 

is a list of bus routes to each venue 

(buy a day-ticket to get the best 

value for this). 

Essentially, this book caters for 

everyone, from casual shoppers to 

fervent historians, from bibliophiles 

to imbibers, and is lavishly 

illustrated with some stunning 

photographs. 

This is the home of Sherlock 

Holmes, Inspector Rebus, Harry 

Potter and Trainspotting, Gin at the 

Dick Vet, and Cock Fights and (until 

recently) Jamie Oliver, Deep-Fried 

Haggis and Irn Bru. But probably 

the most thumbed chapter will be 

62 – An Historic Pub Crawl: an 

open invitation to participate in a 

popular game – The Rose Street 

Challenge ? What does this entail ? 

Well, buy the book and find out! 

Price £16.95 

Publisher Only in Guides; 2nd 

edition ISBN 978-3-9504218-3-5 

Books Books Books 

At the British Book Awards, 

Golden Hare Books in Stockbridge 

won the title of Independent 

Bookshop of the Year and 

Jonathan Taylor one of their staff 

was on the shortlist in a separate 

category. 

Golden Hare stood out for the 

beauty of its boutique style store, 

its sharp growth in sales and its 

eagerness to try new things in the 

pursuit of customers. 

As well as events the shop 

has a book subscription service, 

collaborations with local 

businesses like their Wine and 

Cheese Book Club and LitFix 

reading clinics with booksellers. 

There is a Golden Hare Friends 

membership scheme too and their 

monthly Bibliophile podcast. 

The Edinburgh Bookshop 

was highly commended in the 

Children’s Bookseller of the Year 

category—and Noor Hemani of the 

Lighthouse Bookshop was named 

the Individual Bookseller of the 

Year. 

Spikes in the shop’s sales 

can often be correlated to her 

recommendations and hand 

selling. “She’s the human 

embodiment of sunshine,” added a 

colleague. 

Events at Golden Hare in June T 

0131 629 1396 

4 June Small Press Book 

Group - new voices from small 

independent presses 

5 June The Reach of a Root with 

authors Micaela Maftei and Laura 

Tansley 

12 June The Rapture : Cult, 

Obsession and Dreams with Claire 

McGlasson

eporter back page.pdf 1 17/04/2019 09:31 

C 

M 

Y 

CM 

MY 

CY 

CMY 

K 

edinburghtrams.com

16 

FEATURE 

Teddy Bears Sleepover 

Five years ago the Children's 

Library moved into its new 

location beside the Central Library. 

It is a lovely bright space specially 

designed for young people to sit 

and enjoy reading. To celebrate 

the birthday some guests came 

along to spend the night there. 

Children arrived with their teddies 

and had storytime. There was time 

for some bear crafts, making teddy 

bear bookmarks and then a snack 

before bedtime 

Night night Twilight Sparkle! 

Night night Rabbie 

Night night Tigger and night night 

Spiky 

Night night Slinky and sweet 

dreams Mimmy 

Night night and sleep tight Bear. 

We’ll come and get you in the 

morning. 

The teddies settled down for a 

sleep and then the children went 

home. But then.... the teddies got 

up and started playing snakes and 

ladders and dominoes! They tried 

out some painting and listened to 

audio books. They had a late night 

picnic with their Bookbug friends, 

and they all tried climbing as high 

as they could go... 

Then they got sleepy and were 

ready for bed, so they went back 


to the tent where they snuggled 

down with one final bedtime story. 

After a good night’s sleep they 

had breakfast in the morning and 

then waited by the front desk to be 

collected by their owners. 

With thanks to the Digital team 

at the Central Library who looked 

after the teddies during their stay. 

The Caley celebrates 

100 years of Hospitality 

The Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh 

– The Caledonian, recently joined 

in the global celebrations to mark 

100 years of Hilton hospitality. The 

hotel stepped back in time for one 

night only and was transformed 

into the Gatsby era. 

Over 200 guests were 

entertained by flapper girls, a 

champagne tower, ice sculptures 

and live music - including a jazz 

band and saxophonist, harking 

back to the last century. 

Flavours from around the 

world provided an array of food 

experiences, from ceviche, which 

was created by head chef, Dan 

Ashmore at The Pompadour to 

BBQ shiitake mushrooms from 

Mark Greenaway, one of his new 

sharing dishes at Grazing. Guests 

were also taken on a trip down 

memory lane sampling the various 

food and cocktail inventions from 

Hilton over the last 100 years, 

including Waldorf Salad, Red Velvet 

cake, Eggs Benedict and Pina 

Colada. 

Having started out in 1919 by 

Conrad Hilton, this month Hilton 

Hotels & Resorts across the 

world are individually marking the 

milestone with a series of events. 

Dale MacPhee, General Manager 

of the Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh – 

The Caledonian, said: “Ever since 

Conrad Hilton created the brand, 

we’ve led the industry with our 

innovative approach to products, 

amenities and service – we were 

the first hotel to be listed on the 

Stock Exchange and the first to 

install TV’s in bedrooms. 

“Today, Hilton Hotels & Resorts 

stands as the stylish, forward 

thinking global leader of hospitality 

and Hilton UK was ranked third - in 

all the UK industries - as one of the 

best places to work, which is an 

absolute credit to the brand on its 

centenary.” 

Cringletie A perfect break in the Borders 

by Robin Gauldie 

Looking for a perfect weekend 

break on Edinburgh's doorstep? 

Look no further than this fabulous 

Borders mansion. Cringletie House 

offers elegant dining, cosy nooks 

and 14 roomy, stylish rooms, with 

country walks and a sprinkling of 

heritage attractions nearby. 

I was charmed by Cringletie 

House. 

As we roll up the drive to 

Cringletie House, sunning itself 

in its lushly floral setting above 

Eddleston Water, a deer bounds 

through the field nearby and two 

plump cock pheasants strut on the 

tree-shaded lawn. The makings 

of a nice pie, I suggest to general 

manager Jeremy Osborne, who's 

there to greet us. He tells me the 

story of a bygone owner, James 

Wolfe Murray, who used to take 

pot-shots at rabbits from his 

bedroom window - after luring 

them from their burrows with his 

silver flute. 

Just north of Peebles, a half-hour 

drive from Edinburgh in summer, 

Cringletie is a lovely place for a 

cosy short break at any time of 

year, but it was just about perfect 

in spring on my visit, when its leafy 

grounds were bursting into bud 

and the surrounding lawns were 

splashed with daffodils. 

And there's a fabulous Tasty 

Sunday package on offer which will 

allow you to extend your weekend. 

David Bryce, doyen of Scots 

Baronial, rebuilt the dilapidated 

17th century pile in the 1860s, 

turning it into a turreted, 

red-sandstone Borders mansion 

that delights fans of romantic 

historical fiction.Â In its 

19th-century heyday the estate 

spanned several thousand acres 

of pastures, moors and riverbank. 

Its domain has dwindled, but the 

gardens are a lovely place for a 

pre-dinner stroll. Appetite duly 

whetted, the Sutherland Restaurant 

awaits on the first floor, reached 

by a grand, softly-carpeted walnut 

staircase. 

Originally the house's ballroom, 

this is fine space, with a ceiling 

graced by Italianate frescoes and 

bears the interlinked initials of 

George Sutherland and heiress 

Elizabeth Wolfe Murray, who 

married in 1904 and promptly had 

the house done up in the latest 

style. 

Potting bunnies from your 

bedroom window is not the done 

thing these days, but Cringletie's 

menu is often bursting with locallysourced 

game - including rabbit, 

grouse, pheasant venison from 

suppliers like Tweed Valley, in 

nearby Peebles, along with rabbit, 

grouse and pheasant. 

The 17th century walled 

garden supplies the kitchen with 

home-grown produce vegetables, 

fruit and herbs and flowers that 

dress up the restaurant's tables. 

You'll also find locally sourced 

treats like seafood from nearby 

Eyemouth, and Pentland brie and 

other cheeses from Clarks of 

Penicuik, and Border lamb from 

Braehead in Selkirk.Â 

From the other side of Scotland 

come Atlantic cod and the 

Stornoway black pudding that 

makes an appearance in my amuse 

bouche topped with a perfect coin 

of crunchy beetroot and a tart 

sliver of grapefruit. The wine list is 

curated by Villeneuve Wines, the 

long-established Peebles vintner, 

and has a strong New World 

accent. 

It's back to Scotland for afterdinner 

drinks in the bar, where 

you'll find an elegant sufficiency of 

malt whiskies - including innovative 

offerings from some of Scotland's 

upstart distilleries alongside 

artisan ales from the pioneering 

Traquair House and Broughton 

breweries, not far away. 

And so to bed, in a room that is a 

veritable cocoon of softly-coloured 

tartans and snow-white linen. So 

cosy, in fact, that getting up next 

morning is a challenge but the 

lure of Cringletie's full Scottish is 

irresistible. 

You could easily spend all 

weekend pottering around the 

grounds and playing a game 

of croquet or a round of pitchand-putt. 

If you're feeling more 

adventurous, you can wet a 

line in the Tweed, go riding, 

or rent a bike at Alpine Bikes 

(tweedvalleybikehire.com from 

£25 a day) to ride through miles 

of woodland trails at Glentress 

Forest. Richard Hannay fans 

can discover the life story of his 

creator at the John Buchan Story in 

Peebles. 

It's hard to fault Cringletie: good 

food, home comforts, beautiful 

surroundings and unobtrusively 

excellent: staff don't hover, but 

materialise at the push of a bell. All 

in all, this pocket-sized mansion is 

a find. 

Cringletie House Hotel 

Edinburgh Road 

Peebles 

EH45 8PL 

Tel: 01721 725 750 

www.cringletie.com 

Getting there: Cringletie is around 

20 miles (around 30 minutes drive) 

south of Edinburgh on the A703. 

Robin Gauldie is a freelance 

journalist and author of numerous 

travel guides including the new 

Eyewitness Guide to Scotland, 

published by Dorling Kindersley. He 

lives in Leith.

Edinburgh’s Finest Care Home 

We offer the highest quality, personalised nursing, 

dementia and respite care 

For more information or to arrange a tour, get in touch on 

0131 336 1064 | enquiries@cramondresidence.co.uk

18 

FOOD 


Paul Tamburrini's June recipe 

Paul Tamburrini's suggestion this month is for a mouthwatering dessert 

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. 

Apple Tarte Tatin 

Serves 6 

Ingredients 

•125g french butter 

•125g sugar 

•1kg apples best to peel and 

quarter 1-2 days in advance 

•Crème fraiche (to serve 

•4x125g (discs) good quality puff 

pastry (or if you fancy creating your 

own, please see the pastry recipe 

online) 

Paul suggests using Pink Lady 

apples to create a smooth, sweet 

apple tarte tatin. 

•Preheat your oven to 220c 

•Dice the butter and sprinkle 

evenly over the base of a tatin pan, 

and cover with a 1cm deep layer 

of sugar 

•Carefully peel, quarter and 

core the apples. Stand the apple 

quarters on their sides in the sugar, 

leaving a small space between 

them 

•Place the cake pan on a very low 

heat, cover and simmer gently for 

about 35 minutes until the apples 

are translucent and bathed in a 

melted butter and sugar mixture. 

•Increase the heat under the 

pan and cook until the juices 

caramelise – it should be a lovely 

caramel brown colour. Please do 

not touch or taste at this time as 

can burn really badly. 

•Roll out the pastry into a thin 

round, large enough to cover the 

pan 

•Place it over the apples and trim 

any excess from around the edges 

•Bake in a 220C oven for about 

25-30 minutes, until the pastry is 

golden 

•To make it look like a traditional 

tart tatin you need to turn it out, 

which is easy but watch the 

delicious caramel. Put on your 

oven gloves to protect your arms, 

place the serving dish on top 

of the pan, then carefully and 

confidentially turn it out. Then you 

leave the tatin to cool. 

•Paul Tamburrini recommends 

serving this dish with any caramel 

left over and some crème fraiche. 

For the pastry recipe and wine 

suggestion read this recipe online 

in our Food and Drink section. 

Review - Merienda 

by Juliet Lawrence WIlson 

There are very few people in the 

world who have a better nature 

than my dear Daddy. Had my dad 

a pound coin for every, lift, diy 

demand or selfish errand request 

on my part, he’d be a wealthy 

man indeed. And yet he’s a pretty 

cheerful and happy fellow who has 

endured the whims and fancies of 

me and my mother with stoic good 

humour and rare complaint. 

So it felt fitting to treat dad to 

an extra special pre Fathers Day 

lunch. Merienda is a small but well 

laid out dining room with the tiniest 

of kitchens and even a mini indoor 

garden where they grow their own 

microherbs. Although were the first 

to arrive for a lunchtime sitting the 

music is relaxing and it feels like 

there is an energy about the place. 

Sections of the menu are 

divided into Merienda Staples, 

Farms and Pastures, Rivers and 

Seas, Field and Gardens and 

Sweetness. Staples aside, main 

dishes range from £5-8.50 and its 

suggested we would get through 

eight between us. If a menu ever 

read like food porn, this is it. For a 

small and intimate establishment 

there’s a generous amount of 

choice. The menu changes with 

the seasons too so it wouldn't be 

difficult to frequent regularly and 

have a different dining experience 

each time. The idea is you have 

a ‘tasting menu' but choose the 

courses yourself. However we 

fancied a surprise so asked our 

host and chef Campbell Mickel 

to do the honours and he assured 

us ‘dealer’s choice' was a popular 

option. Read the whole review of 

our lovely lunch online. 

To sum up the food and feel 

of Merienda: top quality, great 

to look at and with not a whiff of 

pretension. I could be describing 

my dear old dad himself.

@EdinReporter /EdinReporter edinburghreporter theedinburghreporter.co.uk FOOD 19 

Juliet's Food Diary 

by Juliet Lawrence Wilson 

I’ve no time for the Trip Advisor 

crew banging on about ‘value for 

money’ (VFM) Nothing can better 

expose a keyboard warrior as 

knowing next to nothing about the 

restaurant business and even less 

when it comes to cooking. 

What most amateur food critics 

desire is much for little. Diners in 

the West have always been willing 

to flash the cash for good quality 

and our East Coast thriftiness 

would be easy to blame on the 

extortionate and rapidly rising cost 

of living here, but yet Edinburgh 

folks have long been a tad on 

the tight side. Every Edinburgher 

seems to have their favourite BYOB 

haunt ('cos its cheap) which has 

resulted in many an eye roll from 

me. But if you can’t beat ‘em… 

DESI PAKWAN 

I pass Desi Pakwan, advertising 

‘Live Punjabi Cooking', on Leith 

Walk almost every day but when a 

trusted source recommended it I 

decided to give the BYOB (and no 

corkage, TYVM) place a go and 

never have I been more reluctant 

to recommend a good VFM 

restaurant. Because of the food, 

you say? Yes indeed, the food was 

possibly the best Indian cooking 

I’ve ever tasted. 

My lamb shank curry was beyond 

excellence and the Peshwari Naan 

fresh, tasty and generous. Peering 

into the open kitchen, a plethora 

of pans, spices and meats makes 

me wonder how the chef manages 

it all. The interior is casual but 

the atmosphere vibrant. This is a 

restaurant clearly well supported 

by the Indian community. 

So why am I reluctant to give 

such a good offering a plug? 

Because the whole experience is 

such a bargain I don’t want the 

two coats of paint crew to know 

about it. I recently tried another 

Indian restaurant at the opposite 

end of the economic scale but 

Desi Pakwan remains the one for 

me, not because it’s good VFM 

but simply because I enjoyed it 

more. I asked the waitress if the 

(clearly in charge) chef in the 

kitchen was Desi Pakwan himself? 

Desi is not a chap but the word 

for ‘village’ and Pakwan means 

food. I made a fool of myself so 

you don’t have to. You’re welcome. 

desipakwanonline.com 

BONHAM HOTEL 

From Leith Walk fun to West 

End elegance. Hair brushed and 

parted, the Silver Fox and I headed 

to the splendid Bonham Hotel to 

celebrate this elegant townhouse 

hotel having had a facelift, which 

is a bit like saying De Beers might 

want to make their products more 

sparkly. They’ve not stinted on the 

sumptuousness, that’s for sure. 

Super comfy teal velvet cocktail 

chairs? Oh yes please. Not only did 

they invite many local residents to 

their grand reopening they even ran 

a bus through from Glasgow. Being 

half weegie myself I felt quite at 

home, especially when presented 

with the ‘wall of champagne’. The 

new menu at the Bonham is what 

you might call good VFM and it’s 

definitely on my leisurely Sunday 

lunch wish list. 

SF asked :“Do you ever see any 

famous people at these fancy dos 

you go to?” “Remember Darius 

from Pop Idol,” I proudly replied, 

“Well I once went to something 

where his brother was a guest.” 

I’m confident SF was suitably 

impressed. thebonham.com 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 

9 10 

12 

11 

13 14 15 

16 

17 18 

20 21 

23 24 

25 26 

19 

22 

June Crossword Clues 

Across 

1. Ramble round polished stone(6) 

5. Plan to put away seed as it is sur 

plus to requirements(3- 5) 

9. Troops I'm sorting out, looking for a 

fraudulent person(8) 

10. In Europe raise funds for this 

dramatic presentation(5) 

11. Entice Lee or others to campaign 

for candidate(11) 

13. In Thurso Dad finds some crystal 

line compound(4) 

14. Over one gym he exercises form 

of leadership(8) 

17. Absolute cad upsets girl - Beth, 

in fact(8) 

18. Employs some spouses in this work(4) 

20. Re-elect an MP as a 

substitute(11) 

23. Initially get round a problem, 

having to draw a symbolic 

diagram(5) 

24. Rid Scala of those advocating 

reform?(8) 

25 Director turns out to be owed 

money(8) 

26 In this novel, even pages match 

this number(6) 

Down 

2. Some harm you might suffer from 

fighting force (4) 

3. Embargo on this weapon returning ? (9) 

4. One of two, not three, I declare (6) 

5. Her Bert re-traces career in 

ambulance service (9, 6) (9, 6) 

6. Rough, hot and not superficial (8) 

7. Closeness, without loss, in this part 

of the play (5) 

8. Regarded in other respects as a 

spitting image (4-6) 

12. Gory jell or cross-bones on this 

flag (5, 5) (5, 5) 

15. Came south, displaying facial hair (9) 

16. What star might wear such 

summer headgear ? (5, 3) (5, 3) 

19. Could lead be replaced by church 

officer ? (6) 

21. Long piece of tartan cloth 

displayed without dyes (5) 

22. Guide looks under envelope 

initially for adhesive (4) 

Crossword by David Albury 

Answers on page 21 

Get in 

touch 

today! 

For editorial and 

advertising enquiries 

please email 

editor@ 





theedinburghreporter.co.uk

20 

NEWS 

Glenturret - oldest 

working distillery 

When it comes to tradition, it 

doesn’t get much more traditional 

than Glenturret Distillery! 

Being the oldest working distillery 

in Scotland sees them put an 

emphasis on the craftmanship 

involved in making their Single Malt 

Whisky. 

From being one of only a handful 

of distilleries to still cut their spirit 

by hand and by eye, hand mashing 

the grist and water in their open 

mash tun, and even employing 

two distillery cats as mousers, at 

Glenturret you get a true sense 

of how whisky would have been 

produced in years gone by! 

When you have a true hand in 

the outcome and an abundance of 

provenance it makes the finished 

product all that more exceptional. 

Established in 1775, Glenturret’s 

rich and colourful history means 

they are brimming with tales from 

over the years. 

Whether you want to hear about 

the days of illicit distilling, and the 

smugglers who would cleverly 

outwit the tax man, our “aheadof-her-time” 

female stillwoman 

Gracie Gow, or our record-breaking 

Mouser, there’s a story to intrigue 

everyone! 

While celebrating tradition and 

heritage, The Glenturret Distillery 

also has one foot in the future and 

recently launched an exciting new 

tour; APERTOUR! While it has long 

been forbidden among whisky 

distilleries to take pictures inside 

the distillery walls, The Glenturret 

has invested in state-of-the-art 

monitoring technology that allows 

you to snap away and take those 

images you have always wanted. 

Whether you’ve been craving 

a selfie by the stills, hoping 

to capture the cask filling, or 

looking to get that perfect filter 

on the washbacks, their specially 

designed tour has a lower capacity 

to allow you more time to get the 

snap you want! 

So get your filters at the ready, 

zoom right in, and get ready for 

your perfect shot! 


Recovery, Rehabilitation, 

Recuperation and Reablement at 

Cramond Residence 

If you or a loved one needs to 

spend time in hospital, due to 

surgery or debilitating illness, the 

thought of recovering at home 

without medical and nursing 

assistance may feel daunting. 

Cramond Residence, Edinburgh’s 

finest care home, can offer 

care and support which is 

complimentary to the recovery 

strategy prepared for you by your 

hospital doctors. 

If you are in need of some time to 

recover, you may wish to consider 

a temporary stay at the Residence, 

where you can relax in the 

knowledge that support is on hand 

24 hours a day. 

We provide the highest quality, 

person-centred care and offer both 

respite and post-operative care 

packages for a short-term period, 

from one week up to three months. 

Our dedicated and friendly team 

understands that recuperating 

in comfortable surroundings, 

designed to support care is an 

excellent way to recover after 

an operation. We aim to help 

people return home as strong and 

independent as possible. 

Respite stays are tailored to 

each person’s individual needs. 

We have an exclusive partnership 

with Balanced – Edinburgh’s 

premier physiotherapists – who 

offer a range of health and 

wellbeing services. Upon arrival, 

each individual is offered a full 

assessment by the Balanced team. 

Cramond Residence comprises 

nine small houses, each with 

eight or nine generous en-suite 

bedrooms, and shared lounges 

and dining areas, creating a real 

home-from-home feel. Its design 

helps to promote small community 

living. 

There is something to suit 

everyone, including a private 

cinema room for watching the 

latest blockbusters or classic 

movies, a hairdressing and beauty 

salon for a spot of pampering and 

a café to share a cup of tea with 

friends. 

If you are considering respite 

or post-operative care and are 

aged over 50, please phone 

Dorothy Brown, Client Relationship 

Manager, on 0131 336 1064 to 

discuss your needs and arrange a 

private appointment.

@EdinReporter /EdinReporter edinburghreporter theedinburghreporter.co.uk READER'S PHOTO 21 

Reader's Photo 

This month’s photo is called Castle and Crags and is by Tom Duffin. “Haar presents rare gifts and magical moments for a photographer. If you can get above it at just the right time the scene 

can be breathtakingly beautiful. Last May I walked up Arthur’s Seat through the cloud in the dark, and my heart raced a little faster as this scene of Edinburgh Castle, The Hub spire and 

haar-swept crags opened up in front of me. Only thirty seconds later the whole city had disappeared back underneath the chilly blanket.” Tom Duffin is an Edinburgh photographer who also 

teaches workshops and One-to-One sessions for budding photographers - www.tomduffin.com 

Your photo featured here by sending to: 


Crossword Answers 

Across: 1 Marble, 5 Set-aside, 9 Impostor, 10 Opera, 11 Electioneer, 

13 Soda, 14 Hegemony, 17 Blighter, 18 Uses, 20 Replacement, 23 Graph, 

24 Radicals, 25 Creditor, 26 Eleven. 

Down: 2 Army, 3 Boomerang, 4 Either, 5 Stretcher bearer, 6 Thorough, 

7 Scene, 8 Dead-ringer, 12 Jolly roger, 15 Moustache, 16 Straw hat, 

19 Beadle, 21 Plaid, 22 Glue. 

The Edinburgh Sketcher captures 

a wedding 

Mark Kirkham is the Edinburgh 

Sketcher. 

Sometimes Mark is invited to 

weddings as a guest - and at other 

times he is asked to capture a 

flavour of the day in a sketch or 

two. 

Mark explained how it works : 

"As a wedding sketcher I attend 

the event and move around in the 

background drawing the details 

which catch my eye, like the 

flower arrangements, personal 

decorations, architectural details 

and colourful guests! 

"Soon I have a sketch book full 

of original pen and watercolour 

illustrations which capture the day 

perfectly. 

"A Wedding Sketcher package 

creates a personal, original 

memory of your special day, and 

also can be a perfect present for 

the bride and groom who have 

everything!" 

To discuss booking Mark to 

capture your day email contact@ 

edinburghsketcher.com 

He will send you more details and 

some recent examples. 

https://edinburghsketcher.com/ 

sketching-workshops/

22 

EDINBURGH POLITICIANS 


LOTS 

OF FUN FOR 

EVERYONE! 

CLIP ’N 

CLIMB 

For ages 4 and up. 

Book now on 0131 333 6333 

eica-ratho.co.uk 

BOOK 

NOW!

@EdinReporter /EdinReporter edinburghreporter theedinburghreporter.co.uk SPORT 23 

Running with 

Helen 

A student’s powerfully honest 

account of how she lives with 

multiple sclerosis and continues 

to embrace her passion for 

running took centre stage at 

Edinburgh Napier’s Degree Show 

last month. 

MA Motion Graphics student 

Kate Charter produced a short 

film called ‘Running with Helen’ in 

which the 29-year-old reflects on 

her own diagnosis and speaks to 

others about their own experiences 

with the condition. 

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a 

condition that can affect the brain 

and spinal cord, causing a wide 

range of potential symptoms, 

including problems with vision, 

arm or leg movement, sensation or 

balance. 

Despite this – as the title of the 

film suggests – Kate has continued 

to embrace her passion for running 

and has even formed an Edinburgh 

MS Runners group which meets 

regularly for casual runs at various 

locations across the city. 

Kate started running when she 

moved to Edinburgh in 2008 to 

commence her university studies 

and soon caught the running bug. 

She completed her first marathon 

in 2009 along with half marathons, 

10ks and mud runs in between. 

Get in 

touch today! 

For editorial and 

advertising enquiries 

email editor@ 






Hibs Ladies hold on to SWPL cup 

by Thomas Brown 

Hibs Ladies lifted the SWPL Cup 

for the fourth consecutive year 

after beating Glasgow City 4-2 on 

penalties last month. 

Siobhan Hunter, Rachael Small, 

Shannon McGregor and Cailin 

Michie all scored from the penalty 

spot to ensure Hibs side retained 

the trophy. 

by Thomas Brown 

Spartans FC Women’s player 

Michaela McAlonie was voted 

winner of The Scottish Building 

Society SWPL Player of the Month 

for April. 

The 17-year-old is the first 

Spartans player to win the award. 

McAlonie said: I’m over the 

moon to receive this honour. I was 

nominated last season and while 

it was great to be nominated, you 

always want to win this award. 

“I’m happy playing in defence 

or in midfield. I want success for 

the team and I’m happy to play 

Manager Grant Scott said: "It's 

some achievement. What an effort 

that was from the players and to 

win it for a fourth year in a row is 

quite incredible. It's a tough cup 

to win. 

“The Scottish Cup you can play a 

few of the lower league teams but 

in this one it's the top teams in the 

country. 

SWPL Player is a Spartan 

my part, wherever that might be. 

Whether it’s defence or midfield 

though, I’ll be sure to battle 

hard and also try and create 

opportunities going forward. 

“Things are much more positive 

this season. 

“Having Debbi McCulloch return 

as manager in 2018 was a huge 

boost and that has carried on into 

the new season. 

“We’re harder to beat and we’re 

winning games that I’d expect us to 

get three points in. 

“We’re not going to be 

complacent but we’re certainly 

looking up the table and not down.” 

"I thought it was a very tight 

game. 

At the tail end of extra time City 

looked very threatening but we 

held firm. 

"I thought Jenna had an 

outstanding game and she's 

managed to get down and guess a 

couple. We're thrilled to bits." 

McAlonie, who has played in 

midfield during her career, has 

started to play in a deeper role at 

centre-back in recent games. 

This is her second season at 

Spartans after joining from Hearts 

Ladies when she was just 15 yearsold. 

Robyn Emerson, Digitial 

Marketing Executive for Scottish 

Building Society, who sponsor the 

league, said: “A huge well done to 

Michaela and Spartans. They’ve 

both had a strong start to the 2019 

season and I’m sure there is more 

to come.” 

Hibs eight 

goal drama 

by John Hislop 

Liverpool’s 4-0 victory over 

Barcelona last month sent shockwaves 

throughout Europe. 

Not many teams have scored 

four against the Catalan giants 

but a Scottish team did, almost 

60 years ago and they did it on 

Spanish soil.The Inter Cities Fairs 

Cup was the idea of Swiss pools 

supremo Ernst Thommen, Ottorino 

Barassi from Italy and English 

FA Secretary Stanley Rouss to 

promote international trade fairs. 

During the 1960/61 season Hibs 

were going through a transitional 

period following the break-up of 

the Famous Five, and few outside 

Scotland gave them any chance of 

progressing when they were drawn 

against one of the giants of world 

football in the quarter finals. 

The first leg took place at the 

newly opened Gran Estadio which 

been constructed at a cost of over 

£1,750,000 and would soon change 

its name to the Camp Nou. 

Over 50,000 fans were inside the 

stadium, the majority expecting 

to see a home victory, but Hibs 

started brightly and almost took 

the lead in the opening minutes 

when Joe Baker just failed to get 

on the end of a through ball from 

Sammy Baird. 

Joe, in particular was causing the 

Spaniards problems and he opened 

the scoring in the 10th minute 

after a mistake by keeper Antoni 

Ramallets. 

This annoyed the home fans who 

made their displeasure know by 

aiming a barrage of jeers in the 

direction of their own players. 

Their mood wasn’t helped 

eleven minutes later when Johnny 

McLeod made it 2-0 with a superb 

strike from 20 yards. 

Barcelona started to dominate 

possession and Sandor Kocsis 

pulled one back with a fine header 

from an Enric Gensana free kick 

but the Edinburgh side went in at 

the break with a 2-1 lead. 

After the restart, Barcelona upped 

the tempo and Hibernian had to 

endure a 10 minute period of back 

to the wall pressure before Kocsis 

equalised with his second goal of 

the night. 

The partisan home crowd 

expected a goal blitz however 

Hibernian fought back bravely and 

were denied a certain penalty when 

McLeod was brought down inside 

the area but the Italian referee 

waved play on. 

Barcelona missed several good 

chances before Hibernian silenced 

the home supporters when Tommy 

Preston fired home a superb left 

foot shot which went in off the 

post in the 72nd minute. 

Three minutes later Baker lost his 

marker in the middle of the park 

and hammered in a tremendous 

25 yard shot which flew past 

Ramallets into the net. Read more 

of this story online 

www.theedinburghreporter.co.uk

eporter full page advert.pdf 1 22/05/2019 09:35 

CITY ZONE TRAM ONLY 

RETURN TICKET 

ADULT £3.20 

CHILD £1.60 

C 

M 

Y 

CM 

MY 

CY 

CMY 

K 

edinburghtrams.com

The Edinburgh Reporter June 2019

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?