The Edinburgh Reporter April 2021

3
Entering the fold
Porty deckchairs set to return to beach as Civerinos take slice of prom action
By STEPHEN RAFFERTY
RENTAL DECKCHAIRS could be on the way
back to Portobello Beach after an absence of
more than 30 years in an initiative by new pizza
specialist Civerinos Slice.
City parks officials are considering a proposal
by Civerinos owner, Michele Civiera, to hire out
up to 60 deckchairs on the beach directly in
front of his soon-to-open outlet located at
Noble’s Arcade.
Income from the deckchairs would be used to
pay staff to manage and maintain the furniture,
and keep the immediate beach and Promenade
area clean, with any profits being distributed to
three local Portobello charities.
The Deck Chairs That Care plan would see
between 40 and 60 deckchairs available for hire
to the general public, not only Civerinos
customers, and 100 per cent of proceeds would
be donated to Portobello Toddlers Hut,
Portobello Beach Wheelchairs and Edinburgh
Dog & Cat Home.
Michele explained: “Ranks of deckchairs
were a common sight on Portobello sands for
most of the last century and local families had
concessions to rent out the chairs to visitors
during the summer months. We would be
reintroducing a long-established seaside
tradition which would add a new dimension
to the beachside environment and benefit
local charities.
“The deckchairs will be placed to ensure there
is enough room for dog walkers during high
tide and will be brought in every night and
stored securely. We will employ a dedicated
beach litter patroller, who will keep the beach
clear of discarded food and packaging.
Pizza on
the beach
Michele Civiera ready to
open on Porty Prom
“Our staff will have it written into their
contracts that they will be expected to monitor
the local environment and to maintain a tidy
walkway and beach, setting an example for
visitors and other local businesses, and we will
cover the cost of any additional general waste
and recycling bins that are needed.”
Civerinos is already well established
in the city with other outlets at
Forrest Road, Hunter Square
and St John’s Road in
Corstorphine and Michele hopes
to open for business at Prom Slice
around 8 April in an initiative
which will create up to 26 jobs.
As a Portobello resident who
swims daily in the Forth,
Michele said the deckchair
venture was not focused on profit but about
putting something back into the local
community on his doorstep.
He added: “I love Portobello and its unique
atmosphere and this is more a personal project
than generating revenue. I am really excited
about opening Prom Slice but if we can add
benefit to the local community and increase
environmental awareness, then that is a
big win for me.”
The new outlet will have indoor seating for
about 20 people but the focus will be on
takeaway and collection and is expected to
be open from 11am to 11pm daily, serving
New York-style pizza, meatballs,
fries, salads and a selection of
non-alcoholic drinks and beers.
www.civerinosslice.com
Hot Slice Studio
Dalriada plans
move up a gear
MILLIONAIRE GAMES developer Leslie
Benzies has been granted approval to
convert the former Dalriada Hotel in
Portobello into a single home.
Benzies, who made his fortune as a
creator on the Grand Theft Auto series,
purchased the popular beachside watering
hole in September for £1.3 million after it
was placed on the market by owners Terry
and Alison Magill at offers over £950,000.
A number of prominent licenced trade
operators were interested in acquiring the
property but any lingering hopes that the
Dalriada would remain as a pub ended on
18 March when the city council granted
planning permission for a change of use.
The proposals, lodged by agent Jennifer
Dinwoodie of Pendant Interiors on behalf
of Mariah Ventures Ltd, is for a six
bedroom home, with extensive living and
dining areas and kitchens on the ground
and first floors, two bathrooms, an ensuite
shower room and ensuite bathroom, and
an oval office on the top floor overlooking
the beach.
Benzies made his reputation as the lead
developer of the global gaming success
story Grand Theft Auto series which is
estimated to have sold one quarter of a
billion copies and grossed more than $6
billion. In 2005 he and Rockstar Games
president Sam Houser, were awarded a
BAFTA Special Award, followed in 2015 by
a BAFTA Fellowship, which celebrates
outstanding artistic achievements in
movies, television and video games.
He departed Rockstar in 2016 and
launched a legal case claiming he was due
$150 million in unpaid royalties which was
settled in 2019. Last September, The
Telegraph reported that Mr Benzies had
raised £32 million from investors to
develop his new science fiction game
Everywhere, which is being created by his
company Build a Rocket Boy, which
employs 400 staff working on the project
at studios in Leith and Budapest.
University of Edinburgh Covid-19 research
THE UNIVERSITY of
Edinburgh will lead research
on the impact of Covid-19 on
children and young people
with intellectual disabilities.
Researchers hope to build a
picture of what has happened
to make it easier to support
families when lockdown eases,
as they think this group of
young people has been
significantly impacted.
The researchers say the main
factors are limited access to
education, respite care and
specialist services which along
with restrictions on family
support could result in
unknown consequences.
Intellectual Disability (ID) is a
recognised term meaning
those who have certain
limitations including
communication and it has
been reported recently that
those with ID are more
susceptible to mental health
issues from Covid.
Lead researcher Karri
Gillespie-Smith, of the
University of Edinburgh’s
School of Health in Social
Science, said: “The experiences
of young people with ID, and
their caregivers, has so far
been unexplored – yet this will
be crucial to help us
understand how families can
be supported in the transition
back to normality.”
The University
of Edinburgh
Martin P McAdam