The Edinburgh Reporter May 2021
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Bellissima Empowered Northfield Lift off Edinburgh City
Pasta specialist in
Porty opening
Page 3
Bruntsfield church bought
by community
Page 4
A century of homes
fit for heroes
Page 12
Riga-Edinburgh flights
twice weekly
Page 15
Citizens prepare for
play-off showdown
Page 22
May 2021
EDINBURGH’S FREE LOCAL NEWSPAPER...A CAPITAL READ FROM START TO FINISH
Spring
back to
life
THE FRIENDS of Starbank Park
meet every week in the park on
Laverockbank Road, with its
stunning views across the Forth.
While the gardens are owned by
the council, the group tends the
various beds and community
greenhouses, ensuring that there
is a riot of colour all year round.
In May, the “must-see” is the
blossom which will be out in the
early part of the month, when
some visitors have a Japanese
hanami tea party under the trees.
The group has weekly
gardening sessions and sell mugs,
plants and jams to raise funds.
Chair of the Friends, Janet
McArthur, said: “May is a
smashing month in the park.
We have alliums which are
about to flower. The peonies
are breathtaking and are
absolutely gorgeous. We also
have tulip displays that we have
planted with love and care.” If
you wish to become a volunteer
gardener then contact the group,
either by going to the park or
through Facebook.
Martin P McAdam
2 NEWS
Letters to the editor
Fundraising for Childline
Editorial
THIS LAST MONTH has been a little more
unusual than most. First, there has been an
election campaign. Politicians have found
innovative ways to get their message across
with virtual hustings and Town Hall
meetings on Zoom.
Second, we are finding a way, a cautious
one, out of lockdown. The coronavirus
restrictions have been eased quite a lot,
and now we may travel anywhere in
Scotland, and even go to England for
non-essential purposes.
It is accepted that the vaccines have
made all the difference to our lives, and the
fact that over 60% of the adult population
in Scotland have received their first dose,
is one of the most significant steps yet.
The number of cases, deaths from Covid-19
and patients in hospital and ICU have
tumbled downwards.
Now that we have a bit more freedom,
some semblance of the Edinburgh
International Festival will return. We have
illustrations of what that will look like on
page 20. The performances will be outdoors,
but will be live.
HEALTHY LEGACY
Jupiter Artland is to unveil an important new
work by Edinburgh College of Art graduate,
Rachel Maclean. The sculpture park at
Wilkieston is a lovely place for a walk with
the benefit of having something to look at,
and a café of course. The Museum of Flight
in East Lothian has a huge LEGO® exhibition
to tempt you out of the city.
Our centre spread is about Northfield, an
important housing area in the city which
celebrated its centenary in 2020, but without
any real live celebration.
We have set out a few suggestions on
Page 16 of where you can go and eat.
We have recorded a few chats on our
podcast channel on anchor.fm and hope you
might have time to listen to some of these as
you continue to get out for a daily walk.
Perhaps that is one of the legacies of this
year that would be most welcome - a
healthier, fitter way of life, but coupled with
a little less stress to enjoy it.
I hope this finds you well and that you
enjoy our monthly look at the news.
Phyllis Stephen, Editor
Dear Editor,
Children’s lives have been turned
upside over the last year due to
challenges posed by the
coronavirus pandemic, with
extended periods of time out of
school and behind closed doors.
The NSPCC’s Childline service
has heard from thousands of
children who have found this time
really challenging. Some have felt
overwhelmed with home
schooling and struggled to access
their learning due to a lack of
technology, and others have
missed friends and family. Many
have seen their mental health
deteriorate.
The NSPCC and Childline
adapted so that our frontline staff
could continue to be a vital source
of support for those children who
felt like they had nowhere else
to turn.
Even though many children in
Scotland are now back at school, it
remains vital that we support those
who are still struggling.
We are encouraging schools
across the country to get involved
Stamps for heroes
Dear Editor,
I hope parents will encourage
their children to take part in
Royal Mail’s stamp design
competition, to honour the heroes
of the pandemic. The competition
is open to children, aged 4 to 14.
Eight designs will be chosen to
become stamps which will be on
sale across the UK.
Children may choose to
illustrate frontline workers in
health or social care. They may
want to celebrate other key
workers who have kept the
country going, such as refuse
collectors, cleaners, teachers,
supermarket workers, public
transport staff, delivery drivers or,
indeed, postmen and postwomen.
Or they might highlight the
volunteers who have helped in
their local communities or raised
money for charity, such as
GET IN
TOUCH
TODAY!
in the NSPCC’s Number Day.
This annual fundraising day,
which is based around fun maths
activities, will take place in
primary and secondary schools
across the country on 7 May in aid
of the children’s charity.
As part of the day, schools can
sign up to enjoy puzzles, games
and challenges to raise vital funds.
There is a range of activities for
different age groups, and teachers
will also be provided with
resources including information
on supporting their school’s
safeguarding.
It’s now more essential than
ever that children aren’t left alone,
isolated and unsupported with
their worries, and the money
raised from Number Day will help
the NSPCC in its mission to make
2021 a better year for children.
To sign up, visit the NSPCC’s
website and search for Number
Day and fill in your school’s details
using the registration form.
Alan Stewart
Schools Service Manager
NSPCC Scotland
Captain Sir Tom Moore.
The competition is open until
Friday 28 May. A special panel of
judges will select the winners. As
with all Special Stamps, the final
eight designs will be sent to The
Queen before they can be printed
and issued as stamps. The winners
will be announced in the Autumn.
We cannot wait to see who
children choose to honour on
their stamp. The past year has
been very difficult for everyone,
so let’s show the heroes of the
pandemic just how much we
appreciate what they have
done for us.
David Gold
Royal Mail
Director of External
Affairs & Policy
Full details can be found at www.
royalmail.com/stampcompetition
Coronavirus Statistics
THE NUMBER OF cases of Covid-19 reported in Scotland is now almost
250,000 in one year. With the advent of the vaccine, the biggest mass
vaccination programme ever run in the country has now given 60% of
the adult population their first dose. The number of those who have
received their second dose is now over one million.
The National Records of Scotland report that those who have died
number more than 10,000. The number of cases in Edinburgh is now
deemed to be under control with the seven day positive rate per 100,000
population down to 26.1 across the city.
The test positivity rate is key - the World Health Organisation deem the
pandemic under control if this sits below 5%. In Edinburgh the seven day
test positivity rate is now 1.3%. Many areas of the city on the Public
Health Scotland map have turned white, indicating no cases there,
although there are small pockets where the rate remains higher.
HOW TO GET YOUR COPY
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If you can, then please
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About us...
We write about news relating to the Edinburgh area. If you
have any news, or if you would like to submit an article or
photograph for publication then please contact us
Editor: Phyllis Stephen
Designer: Felipe Perez
Photos: Martin P McAdam
/EdinReporter
edinburghreporter
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07791 406 498
editor@theedinburghreporter.co.uk
3
Pasta perfection
Portobello’s foodie reputation grows with addition of pastificio
By STEPHEN RAFFERTY
A POP-UP PASTA specialist is opening a
permanent place in Portobello.
Kip Preidys and Giada Betti are taking over
the former Bross Bagels shop in the town’s High
Street and plan to open Aemilia, a traditional
“pastificio”, in early June.
The couple earned a reputation for producing
high quality handmade pasta during the
Covid-19 lockdown, and sold a range of Italian
pasta and sauces at food markets and pop-up
restaurant events.
Now Kip, originally from Lithuania, and
Giada, from Imola near Bologna in the north
of Italy, will open a deli-style shop where
visitors and passers-by can watch them making
pasta daily.
Customers will be able to pick up a coffee
while deciding on what pasta to buy for dinner
and all products, from bread to dessert, will be
made on the premises. In time Kip and Giada
hope to widen the retail offering to balsamic
vinegar, olive oil and other traditional produce
from Giada’s home region of Emilia Romagna,
which is known as the food capital of Italy.
AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCE
Kip said: “Our vision is based on life in Italy
where people come in to buy fresh pasta each day
and customers can watch us making pasta in the
Portobello shop each morning. Hopefully, as we
progress, we will offer a lunch dish or a dish of
the week, as well as focaccia sandwiches. It will
be a deli-style shop but the most important thing
is that everything for sale will be produced by us.”
Portobello is gaining a reputation for its varied
food offerings, with recently opened Civerinos
Slice setting up on the Promenade next to
high-end BBQ outlet The Little Chartroom
on the Prom, while Bross Bagels have
relocated to larger premises with an
in-store bakery in the seaside town’s
High Street.
Giada added: “We live in East
Lothian and originally planned to
open somewhere like North Berwick
but when our surveyor asked if we
were interested in Portobello and we
saw the space, we knew it was the right
location and we really had a vision of what
we could do. There are already some
great names in the town,
Chris refuses to be beaten by bin graffiti
RETIRED TEACHER Chris Cowie
is on a roll in his campaign to
spruce up large refuse bins
positioned along Portobello
Promenade.
With the popular beach
destination attracting thousands
of visitors, extra refuse containers
have been put in place at
several key points.
Some of the bins were
plastered with unsightly
messages or have been targeted
by vandals, so Chris asked the
council if he could do something
about it.
The council donated paint and
along with several volunteers,
Chris has spent his spare time
with a roller and tray, working
including Roberta Hall and Civerinos,
and it is an up and coming place as
a foodie destination, so we are
really looking forward to being
part of that.”
Kip, who was shocked to
discover that major supermarkets
sell ravioli in tins, has worked as a
chef in some of Scotland’s best
restaurants. Aemilia’s best-selling
pasta remains tagliatelle
con ragu, one of
Giada Betti
along the beach front tidying
up the bins.
Chris, 60, said: “I was just
conscious that those bins are so
ugly on our beautiful promenade
and I wanted to see if we could
get them covered up. People
seem to be pleased that the
graffiti is being removed and
that we are making an effort to
Kip Preidys
Bologna’s most traditional dishes.
He added: “We want to bring a bit of Bologna
to Portobello and create a place where people
can come and have a coffee and a chat, and I’ve
been inspired by many trips to Italy and to
Giada’s home town of Imola. We love what we
do, it will be like performing every day and we
will try to put on our best act.”
Opening times have to be confirmed but it is
likely Aemilia will be open Wednesday to
Sunday 9am to 5pm.
www.aemilia.online
make the place look nice.”
Chris, a teacher at Gracemount
Primary for 29 years before
retirement, has been supported
in his anti-graffiti painting
initiative by other local residents
including Anne Stevenson,
Emily and Maisie Wood and
Colin Cornwall.
Stephen Rafferty
Aemilia
Probationer of
the Year
By JOHN HISLOP
AN EDINBURGH police officer has been
named Police Scotland’s Probationer
of the Year.
Constable Amy Ritchie, a Response
Officer based at Craigmillar Police Station,
was honoured at the Chief Constable’s
Bravery and Excellence Awards.
She joined Police Scotland in March
2019 and excelled in her probationer
training.
According to the force, Amy is a highly
motivated proactive officer who tackles all
aspects of policing with professionalism
and enthusiasm, providing the community
with an exceptional level of service.
She has a keen interest in investigating
complex enquiries, as demonstrated
in her first week of policing when she
volunteered to assist with a serious
incident.
Amy is the first to help colleagues, uses
her innate initiative to solve problems and
can always be depended upon to complete
her work to the highest standard.
She has continually performed at a level
which far exceeds every standard expected
of an officer of her service.
Chief Constable Iain Livingston said:
“I extend my heartfelt congratulations
to all our winners and nominees and
thank them for their commitment to
public service.”
Cabinet Secretary for Justice Humza
Yousaf added: “I want to thank all the
officers, staff and members of the
public, who were nominated for awards,
for their service and support in these
challenging times.
“I have always been proud of the
dedication shown by our police officers
and police staff, to keep us all safe, and the
current pandemic has highlighted that the
police workforce is highly adaptable in its
response to new challenges.”
Chris Cowie
4 NEWS
Buyout in
The Edinburgh Reporter
Bruntsfield
Community empowered to convert
church for benefit of young and old
Bruntsfield St Oswald’s
- former school annexe
Chair David Urch, Fayaz
Alibhai, Fundraiser, and
Katie Hayne Secretary
The Edinburgh Reporter
AN EDINBURGH community has taken
ownership of historic city church
Bruntsfield St Oswald’s.
David Urch heads up a five-strong team
working on the community asset transfer of
the Montpelier building from the council.
They have now completed the first stage
of the project and will now look to obtain
planning permission and listed building
consent before renovation works begin.
The purchase made under the
Community Empowerment Act 2015 was
supported by a grant from the Scottish Land
Fund. The building is expected to open to
the public in 2022 after extensive works.
David has spent most of his career in
fund management but this new venture is
taking up a good deal of his time.
He said: "I was originally chair of the
parent council at Bruntsfield Primary
School, when St Oswald's was being vacated.
It was formerly the annexe to Boroughmuir
High School. Being in such close proximity,
immediately next door to the primary
school, it seemed far too good an
opportunity to let pass by without at
least exploring.
“There are a number of clear options for
the building. One of the key motivations is
the overcrowded school next door, so there
is an opportunity for wraparound childcare
with breakfast clubs and after school care.
At Bruntsfield Primary there are only 90
places available on a roll of over 600, so it
seems that there is demand, and there may
even be a way of joining both buildings by
an access through a mutual boundary wall.”
The school has lost a lot of general
purpose space and Bruntsfield St Oswald’s
will offer opportunities for drama and
music, and other extra-curricular clubs
which the primary school cannot host
at present.
He added: "We originally put together a
working group to assess the feasibility of
trying to get involved with building. We
became aware of the legislation and its
ability to allow community asset transfers.
And that really kick-started what has been a
two and a half year process, which
culminated in us taking ownership of the
building at the end of March."
David explained there is a process - not
necessarily quick and easy but clearly set
out. He said: "Part of it is obtaining a market
value for the building. Once you've
established it is surplus to requirements,
it's then permissible for a community
asset transfer. A joint survey gauges the
market value, and is carried out by an
independent surveyor."
In the case of Bruntsfield St Oswald’s the
market value was £465,000, but the price
paid was around £200,000 based on a
number of factors, such as condition of the
premises after being vacant for three years,
and reflecting that the building needs
considerable repair.
David said: "It needs quite a lot of
refurbishment but we were able to bring
to bear a lot of social and community
benefits. We tried to put a value to them
as best we could and that resulted in a
significant discount.”
David also explained there are bodies
which support these initiatives, like the
Scottish Land Fund, who looked favourably
on their application.
He said: "There is a clear, but arduous two
stage process of assessment. And we were
fortunate that they saw fit to support all of
the acquisition cost."
As part of both funding applications, the
group had to show evidence of a sustainable
long term business plan for the building.
They detailed the remedial works they plan
to carry out and a 10 year programme
costed at around £1.5 million. That has been
broken down into three phases, immediate,
medium and long term. Over the first 18
months the group will spend around
£500,000 on opening the building to the
public to generate revenue.
At the other end of the age spectrum the
building will also be opened up to older
people in the shape of clients from The Eric
Liddell Centre overseen by Chief Executive,
John Macmillan. David said there is a
natural dovetail between St Oswald’s and
Eric Liddell. He said: "John's been a fantastic
supporter through this whole process and
there's a real synergy here because they
obviously have lots of history of running a
charitable business or activity in a very old
church, and maintaining that building, and
how to manage it. John's focus is on the
whole community, but I think everyone
recognises they're very well known for their
work with the elderly, with dementia and
their carers in particular."
St. Oswald’s Church and Hall was
designated a Category B listing (buildings of
special architectural or historic interest
which are major examples of a particular
period, style or building type) by Historic
Scotland in 1993.
Until closure in February 2018 it was used
as the Annexe for the former Boroughmuir
High School and occasionally as a venue
for performances during the Edinburgh
Festival Fringe.
5
Public loos for Porty Pong
Councillors agree plan to install temporary toilets in city hotspots
By STEPHEN RAFFERTY
THE SO-CALLED Seafield Stench from
Edinburgh’s sewerage works was replaced
during lockdown with the Portobello Pong, as
record numbers of visitors headed to the beach
but found limited toilet facilities.
Residents were disgusted to find back lanes
and side streets awash in urine and the only
facility which remained open was the outdated
public toilets at Pipe Street, which closed at 6pm
leaving beach visitors high and not-so-dry.
More than 400 people have signed a petition
launched by Alastair Hearsum to have public
loos reopened, after his daughter photographed
a man who “left a massive loch sized puddle of
urine” inside his garden gate one evening.
Now a solution appears on the horizon after
city councillors agreed a plan to install
temporary public toilets in busy parks and other
“hotspot” areas including the Meadows and
Portobello, with an extra £450,000 of Covid
funds expected to fund the project.
The council’s Public Convenience Strategy
also highlights the town’s Bath Street toilets as a
facility which should be maintained but does
not require further investment.
Portobello Cllr Maureen Child said: “The
pandemic rules meant none of the usual public,
leisure or commercial premises’ toilets have
been open to customers or public except the
inadequate council-run Pipe Street toilets.
“To meet the pandemic regulations, these had
to be staffed and nowhere else was available to
meet the public demand. There is no statutory
obligation in Councils to provide public toilets,
although I strongly believe there ought to be.
“Councils are not fairly or adequately funded
by Scottish Government to do all we would
desperately want and expect to do. Frustrating
and infuriating as that is, I have no instant fixes.
I do wish I had. As and when we are all advised
it is safe to do so, the Council will reopen the
already inadequate Bath Street toilets but we
need a longer term properly funded solution.
“The Scottish Government have a primary
role to play here both in setting the legal
obligations in the interests of public health and
properly funding the sustainable solutions. The
Council’s transport and environment committee
have discussed a public convenience strategy
identifying options for the future of public
toilets across the city.”
The Edinburgh Reporter asked other
Portobello councillors, Kate Campbell, Callum
Laidlaw and Mary Campbell to comment on the
town’s toilet fiasco, but they failed to respond.
Proving that good
things take time
AN AWARD-WINNING artisan bakery is
marking a decade since first opening in
Edinburgh with the release of a series of
specially-commissioned illustrations from
local artists.
Bakery Andante began when owner Jon
Wood was made redundant as a manager
in a telecoms company. Ready for change,
he made a decision to follow his passion
and trained as an artisan baker, with
encouragement and advice from industry
leaders such as Scottish Bakers.
Jon’s vision was to create a
neighbourhood bakery that sold real
bread - authentic sourdoughs, focaccia,
baguettes, croissants and more, all made
using traditional techniques and without
additives, enhancers or improvers. While
much has changed, the original
sourdough starter that gives Bakery
Andante’s bread its flavour and texture is
now 21 years old and still going strong.
6 NEWS
Comiston Farmhouse bid
COHOUSING IN Southern Scotland
(CHOISS) is to make a bid for Comiston
Farmhouse, owned by The CIty of
Edinburgh Council, and which is currently
on the market for sale.
If they are successful, then this could
be one of the first ever cohousing projects
in Scotland.
This is a type of home ownership where
people want to become neighbours, usually
within an environmentally friendly setting,
and involves a sharing culture such as a
common building with a shared kitchen and
dining room. It is commonplace in
Scandinavia and in North America.
It is not communal living, but there are
shared resources including a laundry,
garden space, tools and cars.
Comiston Farmhouse sits within an acre
of land between Fairmilehead and Oxgangs.
A spokesperson for CHOISS said:
"Comiston Cohousing hopes the cohesion
and resilience of everyone involved,
working together as a group, will achieve
our vision.
“Our plan is to establish a legal entity,
such as a co-operative, a company limited
by guarantee or a ‘Mutual Home Ownership
Society’ which has been piloted by Low
Impact Living Affordable Community
(LILAC) Cohousing in Leeds.
“We are in conversation with a building
society and other sources of potential
funding while individual ‘pioneers’ are
totting up their savings or getting their
homes valued.”
It is expected the council will be setting a
closing date for bids around the end of May.
Sandy and Maisie Wood (11)
love the cycle lanes
BEST has its say
Coalition wants to retain Spaces for People
BETTER EDINBURGH for Sustainable Travel,
the BEST coalition of Edinburgh community
groups and organisations, is calling on the
council to do its best for public health by
supporting the retention of the Spaces for People
schemes across the city.
The Transport and Environment Committee
will meet on 17 June to decide whether or not to
support the continuation of the schemes.
BEST, in its support for healthier, safer, more
inclusive streets, believes that the schemes,
developed in response to the pandemic have
benefitted children and adults alike, from the
closure of Links Gardens in Leith to through
traffic, to protected cycle infrastructure on major
arterial routes such as Lanark Road and Comiston
Road. School schemes have been particularly
popular, with schools across Edinburgh benefiting
from lower pollution and safer streets at drop off
and pick up times. For example, Corstorphine
Primary has had a package of measures
implemented, including roads closed to through
traffic, widened pavements, narrowed junctions,
and double yellow lines.
Twins, Maisie and Sandy Wood, aged 11, who
live near the Spaces for People cycle lanes on
Duddingston Road, cycle regularly with their
parents and their wee brother, and are thrilled
with the new infrastructure. Sandy says he loves
the cycle lanes because he can cycle to places he
couldn’t cycle before. Maisie thinks the same, and
says that the lanes are great because she can get
to places much easier.
Charlotte Maddix, from Newington Safe
Routes, a member of BEST said: “Active travel is
critical for our public health. The ability to move
around the city without using a car has never
been as important as it is now. It is vital that the
city continues to provide safe, convenient
infrastructure for those who want to walk, wheel
and cycle for both leisure and functional trips
wherever they are in the city. This means
retaining wider clutter-free pavements, protected
cycle infrastructure, routes that are genuinely
quiet and or traffic free, and junction and
crossings improvements. Many of the new
schemes have been game changing for
communities, with people now able for the first
time to cycle safely with their children to school,
or to the shops, or into the city centre, or to parks
for a game of football. Ripping out these schemes
would not only be a backward step in terms of air
quality, climate change, and public health, it
would also be inequitable for those without
access to cars, and particularly those on low
incomes who should have travel choices beyond
public transport.”
Shelagh Sharp, who lives in Midmar, said:
“I am afraid to cycle in traffic so I have been
cycling locally so much more because of Spaces
for People. I completed the consultation asking
for the measures to be retained permanently and
I hope the council decides to retain the schemes.
I have cycled some of the Quiet Route to the
Meadows, and also up Braid Road when it was
still closed to traffic, to get to Braid Hills Drive,
which I hear will have a protected lane too.
I welcome this because it is opening up new
places I could reach by bike. Unfortunately Braid
Road has reopened to traffic and I feel more
anxious about cycling from my house.”
BEST believes the Council must retain the
Spaces for People schemes and says that many
people across the city depend on these schemes
for day to day journeys. Returning to the status
quo of pre-Covid, where there was hardly any
protected on-road cycle infrastructure, is neither
safe nor equitable, they claim.
LNER Collector series posters
THE NEW AZUMA was launched in Edinburgh on 1 August 2019. To commemorate
the new train, LNER has published a collectors series of posters celebrating
the route, including Edinburgh, where the train was welcomed with a piper or two.
You can buy them at www.lnermerchandise.co.uk
7
George Street plans
It’s time to put the clock back
LAST YEAR the London Road
clock, originally cast at the
Caledonian Foundry in Leith,
was taken to specialist
clockmaker Smiths of Derby for
refurbishment. The Tram to
Newhaven team say work on
the clock is now almost
complete. This has included
applying a top coat of black
gloss paint to all of the
decorative metalwork, to the
pillar, clock drum and the base.
The new aluminium deer
were hand-painted, as well as
the Coat of Arms at the top. All
the details such as the leaf
motifs and ornate features were
also refreshed by hand. The
clock dials and hands were
restored with new glazing and
paintwork. Inside the clock new
internal brackets were
manufactured for the clock
lighting and the movements,
before reinstalling them.
The London Road clock will
find its way home later this year.
It has been greatly missed since
it was removed from the centre
of the roundabout in 2007. It
was moved from its original
position on Waverley Bridge, to
outside Binns at the West End
before being sited on London
Road in 1955.
THE COUNCIL'S plans to transform George
Street have been welcomed by two thirds of
those who responded to a survey.
Only 13% said they would drive into the city
centre and 58% said they would take the bus.
Those who responded (650 people) also
commented on the way the street’s open spaces
might be used for public art, community events
and small markets.
One of the key issues raised during
discussions is the need for more trees, and the
council is to look at this again. Feedback also
drew attention to possible changes to delivery
times for businesses, and also possible evening
access for taxis.
The council also consulted organisations such
as Living Streets, Edinburgh World Heritage and
Edinburgh Access Panel who have been broadly
supportive of the plans to radically alter the
main city centre street with wider pavements
and landscaped areas for play and relaxation.
The plan is to largely remove any vehicular
traffic, making the street people friendly.
Vaccination costs
IN REPLY TO our Freedom of Information request, NHS Lothian
confirmed the costs of renting space to conduct the mass
vaccination programme. The organisation took up space in five
non NHS Lothian venues:
• Edinburgh International Conference Centres (EICC),
Morrison Street, Edinburgh
• Pyramids Business Park, Bathgate
• Queen Margaret University Campus , University Way,
Musselburgh
• Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston
• Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), Younger Building, Gyle
• Gorebridge Leisure Centre, Huntersfied Road, Gorebridge ,
• The cost of rent and rates for all of these sites is £3.9m.
• The total cost of providing sites for the vaccination
programme is estimated at £9m.
• The additional costs include preparation works, equipment and
fitting out, facilities management costs and legal costs.
All costs will be met by The Scottish Government.
Mapping workshop
NORTH EDINBURGH Arts (NEA) have
partnered with The Culture & Communities
Mapping Project for a new community-led
project in which you will be able to express
your dreams for the city as well as the
local community.
NEA will hold a workshop in May asking
you about the places you value across the city
and your neighbourhood, along with ideas for
future arts and culture events in your area.
You’ll be asked to take photographs of
places that you normally visit or feel
comfortable with – places you go to dream, to
meet with family and friends, to get inspired,
to go for a walk or destress. People will work
with large paper maps to point out spaces
they care about and use the maps to think
about arts and culture events and
neighbourhood opportunities. NEA will
provide further details about how to get
involved in the project soon.
If you're interested in taking part, email them
at admin@northedinburgharts.co.uk
Johnnie Walker keeps on walking
JOHNNIE WALKER Princes
Street has released artist’s
impressions of the
“experiential whisky retail
concept” which
will liven up the capital’s
famous shopping street.
The Johnnie Walker retail
store will be located on the
ground floor of the eightfloor
visitor experience,
with a shop front on Binns’
Corner at Princes Street and
Hope Street.
With limited edition
bottlings, “exclusive liquids”,
merchandise and a
personalisation custom
studio, the space will use
visual theatre and
storytelling to take shoppers
on an immersive journey into
the world of Johnnie Walker
and whisky.
8 DUKE OF EDINBURGH
Allan Warren
Capital city
fit for a duke
PRINCE PHILIP DUKE OF EDINBURGH 1921 - 2021
HRH PRINCE PHILIP, Duke of Edinburgh, died at Windsor Castle on 9 April. His association
with the capital was long and important, evident in the quadrant of his personal Standard which
bore an illustration of Edinburgh Castle. He married Princess Elizabeth on 20 November 1947,
when he was granted the style His Royal Highness and the title Duke of Edinburgh was recreated.
Ceremony of the Keys
THERE ARE MANY
people across the
world whose lives were
touched by the Duke
of Edinburgh. Cllr
Gavin Barrie
remembered while
attending the
Ceremony of the Keys
in 2018, that the last
time he had met the Duke was 43 years earlier when he had
been invited to the Palace of Holyroodhouse to receive his Duke
of Edinburgh Gold Award.
Cllr Barrie said: “To me that award is of great significance,
because two years later in 1977, aged 20, I was one of 600
applicants to apply to join Tayside Fire Brigade, as it was known
at that time.
“Of the 600 hundred applicants ten of us made it through to
the final interview with the Firemaster, where two were selected
for employment. My abiding memory of that interview was the
only thing the Firemaster asked me about was what I did to
achieve the Gold DofE Award. And there started a career for me
that lasted 34 years.”
41 Gun Salute
ON 10 APRIL there was a Death
Gun Salute from Edinburgh Castle
to commemorate His Royal
Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of
Edinburgh. Gun salutes were also
fired in other cities in the UK, in
Gibraltar and from Her Majesty’s
Ships at sea. The 41 rounds were
fired at one per minute for 40
minutes. While the public had been
advised to stay at home and watch
on TV, many hundreds gathered in
Princes Street Gardens to watch
and listen on this solemn occasion.
© The Scottish Gallery
POLITICIANS OF ALL parties
remembered Prince Philip during
consideration of Motions of Condolence.
In Edinburgh the council’s motion was laid
down by The Rt Hon Lord Provost, Frank
Ross, who is also The Queen’s royal
representative in Scotland and Lord
Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh.
“On behalf of this council, and the
citizens of Edinburgh, I want to offer my
deep condolences to Her Majesty The
Queen and Members of the Royal Family
on news of the death of His Royal Highness
The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
“Made Duke of Edinburgh on the day of
his wedding to Princess Elizabeth in 1947,
His Royal Highness has made an immense
contribution to the civic life and
international reputation of Edinburgh
throughout an extraordinary life of
public service.
“He demonstrated great appreciation of
and support for Scotland’s capital city and
its citizens. Quite simply, he took the name
of our Capital across the world and put
Edinburgh on the map in so many ways.
“Our strong relationship with the Duke
was consolidated at a very early stage
when he was presented with the Freedom
of the City in March 1949, in recognition
of his distinguished role and effort in
supporting Edinburgh.
“In 1953, the year of the Coronation, the
Duke was appointed Chancellor of the
University of Edinburgh and held this
position for nearly 60 years until 2010.
“His Royal Highness’s great interest in
the benefits of education and belief in
opportunities to transform young people’s
lives was also reflected in the setting up of
the inspirational Duke of Edinburgh
Awards Scheme in 1956.
“We know of course that The Duke
himself had, following a life of public
service, retired finally from his official
Royal duties in 2017, aged 96.
“It was particularly significant therefore
that the Depute Lord Provost, Cllr Joan
Griffiths, and I had the pleasure
of welcoming both The Queen and The
Prince Philip visiting
The Scottish Gallery
Celebrity New York
photographer Inge Morath
Duke of Edinburgh to the Opening of
the new Queensferry Crossing on the
Edinburgh side of the new Bridge on
4 September 2017.
This was indeed the last time that the
Duke undertook a formal engagement in
the city and a highly significant one at that,
enhancing transport links and economic
development opportunities across the Firth
of Forth and the East of Scotland.
His Royal Highness remained Patron,
President or member of some 30
Edinburgh-based organisations and won a
special place in the hearts of local people.
It has been my privilege and honour to
serve as Lord Lieutenant for Edinburgh, a
city where Prince Philip’s legacy will be
outstanding and enduring.”
Scottish Gallery
PRINCE PHILIP was a great friend
of the landscape and subject
painter, The Earl Haig. The image
here capture a visit to The Scottish
Gallery in 1981, (when the gallery
was in Castle Street) to see his
friend’s latest exhibition.
The Duke enjoyed an extensive
tour of the gallery which also
included an exhibition by the
British ceramicist Jennifer Lee.
Prince Philip was a great patron
of the arts and acquired emerging
talent regularly from the Royal
Scottish Academy Summer Show.
NEWS
9
Prince Philip
in photos
during his
many visits to
Edinburgh
Old dogs cop a leg up
Police officers’ best friend charity in £10,000 cash boost
By JOHN HISLOP
A TEAM OF police dog handlers from
Scotland have raised almost £10,000 for
a charity that helps support retired
police dogs in their new homes.
Lisa Mitchell has worked as a dog
handler for Police Scotland for seven
years. She is based in Edinburgh with
her two dogs, German Shepherd,
Harper and Springer Spaniel, Digby.
“I found out about the Thin Blue Paw
Foundation in 2020, shortly after it had
launched, and I knew I wanted to do
something to help raise money for the
cause,” she said.
“Harper is eight and will retire next
year. Her care will then be my
responsibility. I also have to consider
Digby and my five-month-old German
Shepherd, Kaiser, who will eventually
take over from Harper when she retires.
“I wanted to help the charity as
much as possible - one day I might
need their help.”
Lisa and eight of her fellow dog
handlers – six from Edinburgh, one
from Glasgow, one from Larbert
and one from Glenrothes – decided
to set themselves challenges
throughout January.
Lisa added: “I decided I needed
something positive to focus on in
January and Covid restrictions made
fundraising difficult so I came up with
the idea to run, walk or cycle 10k a day.
Some other police officers, friends and
family also got involved and, between
us, we managed to raise £9,650.”
The team presented their donation to
the Thin Blue Paw Foundation in
February with a giant cheque, although
Covid restrictions meant they couldn’t
deliver it in person.
The Thin Blue Paw Foundation was
founded in August 2020 and is a
national dog welfare charity which
protects, celebrates and rehabilitates
both serving and retired police dogs
from across the UK.
Charity trustee, Kieran Stanbridge,
said: “Many people are unaware that
retired police dogs do not receive
financial support in their retirement,
meaning the responsibility for
their care and vet bills fall solely to their
Police officers and their dogs
ex-handler or new owner.
“It can be incredibly difficult to get
insurance for an ex-working dog and
they can face injuries or health
problems as a result of their working
life, leaving many owners facing
ongoing and expensive vet bills.
“The Thin Blue Paw Foundation
provides much-needed financial
support to over 200 unsung canine
heroes and their owners to enable them
to have a long and happy retirement.”
Lisa and the team have decided to
launch a charity challenge each year to
help support the charity.
Lisa added: “I want to raise awareness
of the charity and the
work they do. Not a lot of people
realise that retired police dogs don’t
receive support from the force they
once served.”
© Robert Blomfield photography
PRINCE PHILIP was Rector of the University of Edinburgh for 57
years. On one visit in 1958, celebrated street photographer
Robert Blomfield, took several images of the waiting crowd,
including celebrity photographer, Inge Morath, who was visiting
from New York and photographing the Duke’s visit. Blomfield,
who became a doctor, took photos such as this over three
decades until the 1970s.
We are very grateful to the Blomfield family for their kind
permission to use the images.
Students waiting
to see the Duke
Growing food in the city
A NEW interactive map
shows places in Edinburgh
where food is, or could
be grown by local
communities. This last
year has drawn increased
attention to food poverty
faced by many people.
The Edinburgh Food
Growing and Projects Map
has lots of detail of
community growing
projects, allotments and
community gardens for
people who want to
become involved.
The aim of the Food
Growing Strategy is to
offer more opportunity to
people for growing food
locally, and in particular to
look at setting up an
indoor local food market
and distribution hub.
Cllr George Gordon,
City of Edinburgh
Sustainability Champion
and Chair of Edible
Edinburgh, said: "I am
delighted to publish the
first food growing strategy
for The City of Edinburgh
Council. We have faced
difficult times over the last
year when the importance
of food to our physical
health and our emotional
and mental wellbeing
have been evident for all
to see.
"By working closely
with the Poverty
Commission, Growing
Locally seeks to address
food insecurity in the city
and improve people’s
access to fresh food, as
well as supporting and
promoting food growing
across the city.
"It also celebrates the
role that food plays in our
lives – from bringing
people and communities
together, to improving
biodiversity and
mitigating against the
effects of climate change
by providing access to
locally produced, low
carbon food.
"Along with the map,
the strategy brings
together our proposed
approach to encouraging
more local production,
more sustainable
management of food
growing and perhaps
most importantly of all, an
ongoing discussion as a
city about what a diverse
and vibrant food economy
looks like, so that the
benefits of local food
growing can be realised
by as many of our citizens
as possible."
Cats charity
THE CATS Protection charity
shop on Dalry Road has reopened
and has introduced safety
measures to keep everyone safe,
such as sanitising gel, and a
reduction in customers allowed
in the shop.
Area Retail Manager Ian Trotter
said: “We can’t wait to welcome
back customers after such a long
time but the safety of our staff,
volunteers and customers is our
highest priority and previously
introduced safety measures will
continue to be observed to help
prevent the spread of
coronavirus. It is great to know
that we will once again be able to
support the work of our network
of volunteers in helping cats and
kittens in need.”
Cats Protection is a national
network of around 230 volunteerrun
branches, 37 centres and 109
shops, helping around 200,000
cats and kittens every year.
10 NEWS
Markets bounce back
Rosslyn
Chapel
Craft stalls back in fashion after Covid restrictions lifted
WHILE IT’S BEEN a hard year for everyone,
some market traders have at least managed to
keep a presence at both Stockbridge and Leith
Markets which has helped them to stay afloat.
The markets made the difficult decision to
have only essential food stalls when they
reopened last July after the first lockdown.
This meant that all craft stalls were suspended
to comply with the restrictions, but were
allowed back in August when restrictions were
once again eased.
Beth Berry, who runs the markets, said:
“Some traders had an online presence, but it’s
just not the same as meeting your customer and
offering advice on their purchase.
“We followed advice and took non-essential
stalls out at the start of this year but following
the latest government advice, the market has
decided to slowly reintroduce craft stalls from
the first weekend in May.
“We will still be observing supervised entry
and exit, a one way system, hand sanitising and
social distancing.
“To begin with there will only be one or two
craft stalls at each market. In May in Stockbridge
we welcome back jewellery stalls Alexis
Southam, Templetree Silver and All Fired Up.
“There will also be craft stalls including local
artists Als Couzins and Liam Dobson, and
popular children's clothing and art stall -
Cahoots, our own special Indian artefact stall
Gecko Gallery, and Green Earth Beads which
specialises in hand made goods, including bags
and jewellery, JoJo candles and leather specialist,
Workshop After Six.
“Due to all the Covid restrictions we really
have to limit the number of stalls and it’s been
very hard to decide who gets a place.
Perks of Pentland
pedal for Gavin
CLLR GAVIN CORBETT is a keen
cyclist and often posts photos from
his various cycle rides. He points
out that it is possible to take the
family with you. He said: “One of the
benefits of being in South West
Edinburgh is just how easy it is to
get out of the city into open
AIlan from Alexis Southam Jewellery
at Stockbridge Market
“All of our traders are desperate to return to
the market and start their businesses up again.
“As things hopefully slowly return to
“normal” we will be keeping a very careful eye
on the situation.
“You can see who is at the market by looking
at the website where each Monday afternoon we
update the list of who will be present the
following weekend.
“In Leith we welcome back Amaranthine and
Estia, both doing fabulous soaps and lotions,
also Blue Kitty Jewellery and Green Earth Beads.
Long awaited by the dog friendly community we
welcome back Collared By Mark with his tweed
countryside. The new allocated bike
space on Lanark Road has made it
more attractive for commuters and
faster cyclists, leaving the Water of
Leith shared path less pressured.
“When my two sons were
smaller, ten years ago and more,
a favourite short ride was up to
creations for humans and dogs, and also
Rosstic Woodcraft.”
For the moment the weekly market in the
Grassmarket remains closed.
Beth says she will be watching what happens
there with outside hospitality and general
footfall. As soon as they deem it safe they
will open again.
Beth said: “Please support small local
independents, we are here for you all year
round, and we help our city to be alive and
individual.”
www.stockbridgemarket.com
Gavin
Corbett
Bonaly and round Torduff and
Clubbiedean reservoirs, all the way
past Kinleith to Harlaw and back
down to Balerno via Malleny Mills
and onto the Water of Leith path.
About 15 miles all in all, from the
Harrison Park area, almost all of it
on paths and tracks.
“On a summer’s evening or a
Sunday afternoon you feel high
above the city and the Forth
Estuary, with the Pentlands on
one side. And while it is a bit of an
ascent up to Clubbiedean you
have the satisfaction of knowing
it is going to be downhill all the
way home.”
Taking a cycle
back in time
By JOHN KNOX
A ROUND TRIP from Edinburgh city centre
to the 15th century Rosslyn Chapel in
Midlothian gives a wonderful day out on
the bicycle and will cost you nothing,
except 24 miles of not very hard work and
a possible coffee and cake in the visitor
centre café.
Mind you, it starts with a bit of grind
uphill to Gilmerton, four miles out on the
south side of town (A772). But before you
get to the City Bypass, you’ll be much
relieved to find a brand new cycle route,
heading south-west, which will take you
safely under the traffic and out to Straiton
Pond nature reserve. Pause here to get
your breath, admire the swans and leave
the busy 21st century behind.
Soon after that you will be flying across
the Bilston Glen Viaduct, built for the
Loanhead and Roslin Railway in 1874 .
(Roslin is how everyone, except the chapel
people, spell Rosslyn). It’s a “box lattice
girder” bridge and a fine example of
Victorian engineering.
By now you are enjoying the open fields
where Dolly the Sheep once roamed at the
agriculture research centre. Up a slight hill,
on the right is a memorial to the Battle of
Roslin, a Scottish victory against the
English in the First War of Independence in
1303. Cycling into the village itself, you
pass the lovely old Manse (1837) on the
right and then, at the first crossroads, you
see signs for Rosslyn Chapel. Perched on
the edge of the dramatic North Esk Glen,
this fantasy in stone was built by the Earl of
Rosslyn and Prince of Orkney in 1446. Dan
Brown’s Da Vinci Code has added extra
tourism interest and there’s a fine visitor
centre. You’ve been away for a day and
time-travelled for 700 years. Time for a
well-deserved, socially-distanced High Tea.
Midlothian Cycle Map available from the
cycling campaign Spokes and all good
bookshops
11
EDINBURGH DOG AND CAT HOME
FLAT TO RENT
LEITH WALK POLICE BOX
LOVE YOUR BUSINESS
GIOVANNI’S
Rescue, reunite, rehome. Edinburgh
Dog and Cat Home accepts any
animal which reaches its door in
need, and works tirelessly to secure
happy and loving forever homes.
They need donations.
26 Seafield Road East EH15 1EH
0131 669 5331
86/1 West Ferryfield EH5 2PU
Virtual viewing available for this
modern two bedroom flat located
next to Ferry Road. Living room,
kitchen two bedrooms and bathroom.
Landscaped grounds and parking
space. Rent £850 pcm.
flat2rentedinburgh@gmail.com
Very reasonable rates allow start-ups
to use this small pop-up space as the
first rung on the ladder. From food to
political parties and all manner of
organisations in between. Have a look
at their pop-up garden when you visit.
Croall Place EH7 4LT
hello@leithwalkpolicebox.com
Love Your Business networking club is
relaxed informal and good fun, and is
now online on the last Thursday of the
month with a host of inspiring
speakers sharing their entrepreneurial
journeys and invaluable business tips.
www.lybnetworking.com
Facebook/howtolyb
Edinburgh’s best fish and chip shop
has been in the same family for half a
century. Pizzas, kebabs and burgers for
delivery or collection. Open 4.00pm to
12am daily.
94 Northfield Broadway EH8 7RU
giovannisonline.co.uk
0131 669 0462
PAPER TIGER
DI GIORGIO’S CAFFE & BAR
SCHOP
CRAIG BANKS TAILORING
FRANK BOYLE ART
This year the shop celebrates their
40th birthday with an amazing diverse
range of cards, stationery gifts
supporting local makers,
manufacturers and illustrators Now
open and all stock is also available
online or for local bike delivery!
www.papertiger.co.uk
Di Giorgio’s have lots of cakes and
slices, coffee with a smile and pasta
and lasagne to go.
Morning rolls and ciabattas are also
available, but this is brownie heaven
and do ask about their birthday cakes.
Open 7 days 10-4pm
1 Brandon Terrace EH3 5EA
This is an easy, convenient and
eco-friendly alternative to a supermarket
shop. Working in partnership
with independent retailers, Tim at
Schop offers to deliver a huge range of
great quality food and drink straight to
your door - saving you a journey.
schop.co
Bespoke tailoring for men. Craig’s
focus is on making the highest quality
personally tailored attire that others
will aspire to. His pyjamas and dressing
gowns will make your video calls
so stylish!
0131 226 7775 • 45 Thistle Street
EH2 1DY • craigbankstailoring.com
From the award-winning cartoonist, a
gift for fans of either capital team.
A print of the first recorded Edinburgh
Derby football match on Christmas
Day 1875. Available in two sizes A3
and A2.
boylecartoon@gmail.com
frankboyleart.bigcartel.com
NEWSPAPER SUBSCRIPTION
INDEPENDENT WINE COMPANY
SOMETHING FISHY
BIG HEARTS COMMUNITY TRUST
DADS ROCK
Subscribe today to have your very
own copy of The Edinburgh Reporter
delivered by Royal Mail to your front
door from next month.
Pay £2.50 a month to support local
independent news.
ter.ooo.subscribe
A specialist importer of boutique fine
wines from Italy. Carefully hand-picked
award-winning wines of premium
quality sourced direct from the
winemakers. Oleg and Elvira visit every
vineyard personally. Free UK delivery
- same day delivery to Edinburgh
available. www.independent.wine
Independent fishmonger , Daniel,
provides quality fresh and cured fish.
At the beginning of lockdown there
was some question over availability -
but this wee shop has kept going. Use
Schop to have your fish delivered.
16a Broughton Street EH1 3RH
0131 556 7614
Using the power of football to create
positive social outcomes, the charity
will be on the road delivering
Christmas essentials. Hearts fans or not
get involved by volunteering with Big
Hearts and their fundraising appeal.
www.bighearts.org.uk
0131 603 4926
A fabulous charity which provides
support for dads, and support for
families. They help men under- stand
the important role they play in their
children’s upbringing. They do this
with activities like Dads in the Wood
- when they take dads and children
outside to play. dadsrock.org
ARDGOWAN DISTILLERY
BOYES BOTANICSCOMPANY
THE WATERSHED
STOCKBRIDGE MARKET
NEWSPAPER SUBSCRIPTION
Enjoy the award-winning limited
edition Clydebuilt Coppersmith. A
wonderful first fill sherry cask blended
malt. Free shipping and nosing glasses
available. The perfect gift at any time
of the year. £49.99. Now limited stock
ahead of new release
shop.ardgowandistillery.com
Botanical design studio run by Kirsty,
creating floral designs for weddings,
events and businesses. Find a selection
of dried flower bouquets, wreaths, gift
boxes and the dried flower cloche
collection online. Local Edinburgh
delivery each Wednesday and UK by
post. www.boyesbotanics.com
The floating café is owned and run by
Lindsay and sits just next to the
Leamington Lift Bridge on the canal.
With their range of smoothies and
coffees accompanied by macarons
and a host of other treats, it is not to
be missed. They will have tables and
chairs soon. EH3 9PD
You may know about Leith (Saturdays)
and Stockbridge (Sundays) Markets
but did you know that you can order
online and pick up all of your shopping
at once? Using the NeighbourFood
site you simply choose what you want
pay and then collect.
www.neighbourfood.co.uk/markets
Subscribe today to have your very
own copy of The Edinburgh Reporter
delivered by Royal Mail to your front
door from next month.
Pay £2.50 a month to support local
independent news.
ter.ooo.subscribe
12 FEATURE NORTHFIELD LEGACY
Celebrating a...
Centenary
Phyllis Stephen meets residents of Northfield, first established
100 years ago as a model housing scheme fit for heroes
T
he original houses built by the
council in Northfield in east
Edinburgh are 100 years old.
And while no celebrations could
mark the centenary, due to
Covid, there are plans afoot.
In Gifford - Buildings of Scotland, the
housing is described as: “To the N of
Willowbrae Road two large areas of housing.
First NORTHFIELD, mainly three-storey
blocks designed and laid out for the City by
Fairlie, Reid & Forbes after a competition held
in 1919. The neutral colour of harled walls is
relieved with red brick and red tiles. Rubble
walls here and there, e.g.at Northfield Gardens
and Nos. 53-57 Northfield Broadway, where
both design and composition are outstanding.”
Steven Robb, Deputy Head of Historic
Buildings at Historic Environment Scotland,
has written extensively on the subject of
housing, from the 19th century slum clearances
of the Old Town and the Southside with the
help of town planner, Patrick Geddes, to the
inter-war work of City Architect, Ebenezer
MacRae, (also responsible for designing the
city’s police boxes). We spoke to Mr Robb
about his personal research relating to
Northfield - a
characterful plan for
homes fit for heroes
Steven Robb,
pictured, right
Northfield, where the development
“successfully mixed tenements, flatted blocks
and cottages together in a meandering
characterful plan”.
The Housing (Scotland) Act 1919 was
introduced to deal with overcrowding and
housing shortages. He said: “The government
used the act to kickstart the housing industry,
and they gave out generous subsidies to
councils so that they did not have to put
their rates up.”
The Act was known as “Homes fit for
Heroes”, to give those returning from war
somewhere to live, and also to improve public
health following the mantra a “healthy family
in a healthy home”.
The 1911 census proved that Edinburgh had
a housing problem. Over 110,000 people lived
in either one or two room houses, accounting
for 41% of the city’s housing stock, and some
40,000 people lived three to a room.
Mr Robb said that the first housing built after
the 1919 Act was the result of an architectural
competition for private Midlothian architects,
offering four new sites including Northfield
with the first families housed in October 1920.
The council had bought 40 acres from the
Duke of Abercorn at £300 per acre.
In June 1920 architects Fairlie, Reid & Forbes
publicly exhibited their “admirable housing
scheme” for 322 houses. These three architects
only collaborated for the purposes of the
competition, but went on to design other
notable buildings in the city. Fairlie designed
many Catholic churches and the National
Library of Scotland on George IV Bridge, while
Reid and Forbes were involved in the design of
many Edinburgh schools.
Ironically the trio did not even win the
competition for Northfield. Other architects,
AK Robertson and Thomas Aikman Swan,
won the competition for all four sites, but it
had already been decided that no one firm
would be allowed to design more than two.
Robertson and Swan were awarded the sites
at Wardie and Craigleith, and Charles
Tweedie was awarded Saughtonhall.
The latter two were later abandoned.
AVOIDING URBAN SPRAWL
Mr Robb said that the council started by
building low density schemes with cottages,
but then owing to the high cost had to
resort to constructing four in a block, or
flatted tenements. He pointed out that
Edinburgh wanted to avoid “urban sprawl”
so they built houses quite close to the
city centre and where people worked.
Building costs were high after the
war simply because of high demand,
but at one time building in brick or
stone had cost roughly the same.
Steven believes that some of the stone
tenements built in Northfield Gardens
are the only 1919 Act houses to be
categorised as listed. He said: “It’s quite
rare to be listed but they were of such
high quality, and it was down to the
architects who were really good. There
is such a variety of housing in Northfield,
the architects seem to have really
enjoyed themselves.”
From the valuation rolls, Robb discovered
a lot of middle class professions represented
among residents in the 1920s, rather than
any poor people from the slums who needed
better housing.
Mr Robb likes the area very much,
particularly the fact that it is very green with
lots of garden space and open spaces. He said:
“I think it is a really good plan, for example it
has been designed with cut through lanes. I
don’t really like the fact that gardens have been
paved over, as it was originally planned as a
very green development.”
Depute Lord
Provost Cllr Joan
Griffiths, MBE
13
Northfield is quite
a distinct wee area,
and from a council
housing point of
view it was a
much soughtafter
area
ACTOR, WENDY BARRETT and her
family have lived in their Northfield
Avenue home for 26 years. One of the
original dwellings, unusually for
Edinburgh and indeed Scotland, it is
built of red brick. She said that the thing
she likes about the house is that it feels
very solid, and that moving from a top
floor flat in Easter Road it felt like “a
proper house”. Red brick is considered
more of an English style. Although it is a
“cottage style”, the house has high
ceilings and “decent sized rooms” and a
large garden. Wendy said: “People
wanting to live in the area originally had
to meet certain criteria, and many were
typically white collar workers. My family
is only the third to live in this house.”
THE DEPUTE Lord Provost, Joan Griffiths, MBE, is
ward councillor for Craigentinny/ Duddingston.
She told us that she has a photo which hangs in
her rooms in the City Chambers, which she
received from one of her constituents. It shows
Northfield Farm as the area used to be before
housing was built.
Cllr Griffiths said: "Lorna Frost contacted
me about marking the centenary, and I told
her I thought it was a great idea. Northfield
is quite a distinct wee area, and from a
council housing point of view it was one
of the most sought-after areas for a long
time. People wanted to live in Northfield.
It is a great idea to celebrate it."
FIONA CLARK, a member of the
Northfield & Willowbrae Community
Council, has lived in Northfield for much
of her life. Her parents and two brothers
moved in when the house was brand
new in June 1967. They had lived in the
prefabs in Mountcastle and had to move
as these - a form of post-war temporary
housing - were being pulled down and
residents had to move to Northfield
Drive. Her father Duncan, now 90, is the
only remaining resident who has lived
there since the houses were built. These
newer blocks have balconies where
Fiona grows herbs. She said that some
people don't realise that there are 100
year-old houses in the area. Although
she does not live in the older part she
explained it was still a sought after area
in the 1960s. She said: "You can say the
same about the houses built in the
sixties - the council had a points system,
and you needed lots of points to get a
house in Northfield. It was a lovely area
when I was growing up - we all played
together out in the street from the
Grove and the Drive. While my parents
bought their house under Right to Buy,
it is perhaps one of the worst things that
happened to the area. If it was still solely
council homes, then I think this area
would be nicer."
The council had a points system,
and you needed lots of points to
get a house in Northfield
DAVE ARMSTRONG is a member of Northfield & Willowbrae
Community Council. He explained that it was one of our
contributors, Lorna Frost, who first mentioned the centenary
at one of their recent virtual meetings. He said: "In the past
we would have done something at Northfield Community
Centre. Fiona Menzies, who is a graphic designer, plans to
turn old Northfield photos into postcards, and the
community council is looking at ways of helping with
that. We will be discussing it at our next meeting."
Anyone who would like to help in any way can contact
Dave at: darmstrong52@yahoo.co.uk
14 BUSINESS
Fighting against
Helen Carlin
homelessness
Unique funding model is Scottish housing first
HELEN CARLIN is attacking homelessness in
Edinburgh with a brand new funding approach.
She has established a community benefit
society, Common Ground Against
Homelessness (CGAH), to buy a property
which will become home for nine men when it
is refurbished. With a background in housing
policy, and sheltered housing she set up charity,
Rowan Alba, 23 years ago and the intention is
for both organisations to work in tandem.
Shares up to £700,000 were offered in CGAH
on a commercial basis with a return for
investors. Unlike other charitable bodies dealing
with homelessness, this funding is not in the
manner of a loan, and it is not charity. It is a
sustainable commercial investment and there
is a commercial return for those who bought
the shares.
This is where the arrangement is unique in
Scotland, and Helen hopes that the innovative
funding model can be used again to purchase
more properties until street homelessness
comes to an end. Initially a property in
Peffermill was purchased for £415,000. The
renovations to create nine self-contained flats
will cost a further £990,000. Helen says she has
done little else the last three years but look for a
suitable building.
CGAH will fund the acquisition and
renovation of the building, which will become
the second "homes for life" development run
by sister organisation, Rowan Alba.
Helen said: "I used to work for Age Concern
Scotland in housing policy and got research
funding to examine the reasons behind
homelessness. It was as you would expect,
relationship breakdown, alcohol, people
leaving the armed forces, so I was determined
to do something about that."
And do it she has. Glasgow-born Helen
admits she is a wee bit embarrassed by her
recent award from Edinburgh Chamber of
Commerce who recognised her as Director of
the Year. She clearly prefers to just get on with
the job at hand.
Rowan Alba supports people who are
homeless, and who often have addiction issues,
with a broad range of support services. This is
also a unique set up, as individual flats are
rented on Scottish secure tenancies in
partnership with Bield Housing Association.
Bield organise the tenancies and Rowan Alba
steps in and provides the tenants with a stable
home as well as ongoing care. At present the
charity run a self-contained block at Thorntree
Street in Leith which is a home for life for its
residents, most of whom stay for around seven
years on average. There has been just one
eviction from Thorntree since it was set
up in 2004.
The 24/7 support includes preparing three
meals a day and residents gather to eat together
in a common area. The same facilities will be
offered at Peffermill, which is set to be complete
by 2022.
The charity has recently evaluated its work
and found that for every £1 spent on supporting
the men in these flats they save the public purse
£3. Although the share issue has ended, there is
still an opportunity for anyone wishing to
donate to Rowan Alba which will help them
with their continuing work.
The success of the project means that as soon
as a person becomes a tenant, they are no longer
designated as homeless. At present, Helen says
there are about 50 people who are regularly on
and off the city's streets according to council
figures, but when we spoke to her she estimated
that number had reduced to around nine.
Admitting to being a self-confessed housing
policy geek, Helen said: "We need to get them
off the streets, and we need a landing point that
is right for them and they need to know that
they will have a home for life. Most of our
tenants at Thorntree are 50 plus. I would like the
public to understand that there are a certain
number of folk who just cannot live
independently. CGAH and Rowan Alba are a
bit more pragmatic about it all."
To relax, Helen is sitting her Grade One piano
exam this summer, practising as much as time
allows on her electronic keyboard. She said:
"I had a very bossy mum who had played the
violin. So I had to play violin too and my
brother got to play the piano. Now I have a very
patient piano teacher."
We are sure that she will do more than just
achieve a pass.
New card range
Jackie Conkie
Robert Smail’s
printing works
TO CELEBRATE Paper Tiger’s 40th
birthday, the cards and stationery
shop on Stafford Street, has
commissioned a brand new range
of cards from a traditional printing
press protected by National Trust
for Scotland.
Partnering with Robert Smail's
Printing Works in Innerleithen, the
oldest working commercial
letterpress printer in the UK, 10
unique designs were printed and
typeset using old methods dating
back to Queen Victoria.
Robert Smail’s Printing Works is
cared for by the National Trust for
Scotland, and is an example of
Scotland’s industrial heritage,
while continuing to take on
commercial jobs. The expert team
at Smails hand-crafted the two
colour prints featured on the cards.
Michael Apter, owner of Paper
Tiger, said: “We’re delighted to
have partnered up with Smail’s to
bring our customers an exclusive
range of letterpress cards. This is
something we’ve been planning
since March last year, and we’re
excited to see this come to fruition
after such a difficult year with the
pandemic. This partnership
combines retail and market
knowledge with design, print and
typeset skills – the cards are a true
artform from start to finish.
“The original process at Smail’s
is truly unique, and the quality of
these cards has exceeded our
expectations.”
HSBC branch
The HSBC UK Hanover Street branch
in Edinburgh has just reopened
following a fundamental facelift
carried out during lockdown.
15
Baltic hotspot takes off
Two weekly flights to
Latvian capital Riga
Meander shop is
good for gander
THE SUSTAINABLE outdoor clothing brand,
Meander, started as a pop-up store on
George Street last year. The company has
experienced such an increase in trade
owing to their city centre presence, that
they have decided to extend their lease for
another year.
Meander co-founder, Jill Henry, said: “We
are delighted to extend our lease on the
George Street store. The pop-up has proven
that there is still a strong demand for a
physical presence as well as an online
offering. We were thrilled to see so many
people coming out to support local
businesses despite the pandemic last year.”
The concept store houses the full Meander
collection of sustainable, technical clothing
as well as showcasing a selection of
likeminded premium Scottish brands
including, Shand Cycles, Ooni, Tens and
Instrmnt.
The shop is open seven days a week.
www.meanderapparel.com
AIRBALTIC WILL fly to
Edinburgh Airport this summer
with flights between the
Scottish capital and Riga
from June.
It’s the Latvian airline’s first
route from Edinburgh and there
will be two flights per week on
an Airbus A220-300 aircraft. The
route is scheduled to begin on 4
June and will operate on
Mondays and Fridays.
Gordon Dewar, Chief
Executive of Edinburgh Airport
said: “We’re always looking to
add new routes and we are
excited to be welcoming
airBaltic to Edinburgh Airport
and connecting the capital
cities of Scotland and Latvia.
“We know people are eager
to travel when conditions allow
and we want to be able to offer
some excitement through new
destinations, and Riga is
definitely one for people to
check out and experience one
of the finest cities in the Baltics.”
Martin Gauss, Chief Executive
Officer of airBaltic,said: “We are
delighted to announce our
second destination in Scotland,
thus expanding connectivity
between Latvia and the UK.
In addition to the new route,
airBaltic also continues to
offer convenient and safe
connections between Riga
and London, Aberdeen and
Manchester in the UK.”
Business Woman of the Year
September deadline for brightest
female corporate stars
THIS YEAR’S Business Women Scotland awards have just opened and
entries must be submitted by 3 September. The online awards ceremony
will be held on 19 November.
The themes this year have expanded to include collaboration and
sustainability and entires are sought from businesswomen in start-ups
and established businesses.
Lynne Kennedy, MBE, founder of Business Women Scotland, said:
“We want to showcase some of the most enterprising and successful
women from around Scotland women who’ve had the courage to follow
their dreams, whether that be starting their own business, making it to
the top in their career, or using their expertise and knowledge to help
other women be the best they can be.
“We have always wanted to shine a light on the great work women are
doing across Scotland while being role models for the next generation.”
Last year’s Business Woman of the Year Award winner, Sarra Beajoui of
SmartPA, said: “One of the aspects of SmartPA’s growth I’m immensely
proud of is that, in addition to building a company that provides
impactful support services to thousands of businesses of all sizes in over
15 countries, we’ve also empowered thousands of females globally to
start their own businesses, get back to work and find a career where
they’re rewarded and valued.”
She added it was lovely to have her work recognised.
Sarra Beajoui
New appointment
LOCAL BUSINESSMAN, Peter McLean,
has been appointed to head up the
Young Enterprise Scotland (YES) team
in Edinburgh and the Lothians and
drive forward the charity’s mission to
give all local school children access to
enterprise learning.
As Chair of the volunteer group, Peter
will co-ordinate efforts to introduce more
schools and students to entrepreneurial
skills development through the YES
Company Programme. With his team of
business advisers, as well as fundraising
and organising events, the role includes
working directly with senior school
students who set up their own
commercial ventures as part of the
Company Programme.
16 FOOD
CROSSWORD
Compiled by David Albury
Dinner is served
...take a seat
COVID-19 restrictions on eating out
are being relaxed, and restaurants
are beginning to emerge chrysalislike
from the enforced closure.
Where will you try first? Here is a
handy list of some city centre spots
which you can book - and then dress
up and eat out if you feel able to.
APEROL GARDEN AT THE REFINERY
5 St Andrew Square Edinburgh
EH2 2BH
Kitted out with an abundance of
beautiful flowers, bright orange
parasols, bunting and fairy lights, the
new Aperol Garden Terrace is a place
to relax with an aperitivo in hand, or if
you’re with a group you can try an
Aperol Tree with four Aperol Spritz
cocktails for £32.95. Catch up with
friends for breakfast and brunch
through to supper and Sunday Lunch,
celebrate a special occasion with a
beautiful afternoon tea, or pop in for
quick bite after a day of shopping.
Following government guidelines,
the strictest health and safety
protocols will be in place, with indoor
dining closed at 8pm and outdoor
dining at 10pm. Alcohol will be served
on the terrace only.
T: 0333 210 0017
www.drakeandmorgan.co.uk/
the-refinery-st-andrew-square
PRESTONFIELD HOUSE AND
THE WITCHERY
Priestfield Rd, Edinburgh
EH16 5UT and 352 Castlehill,
Edinburgh EH1 2NF
Owned by James Thomson, the
five-star Prestonfield House Hotel has
reopened in line with Scottish
Government guidelines. James was
born and bred in Edinburgh and has
been a restaurateur and hotelier in the
city for over 40 years. He’s also an
active ambassador for Scottish tourism
and his home city of Edinburgh as a
world class visitor destination.
Just five minutes from Edinburgh
city centre, unique bedrooms, notable
heritage and excellent food and drink
await at Prestonfield, which is
family-friendly and dog-friendly.
Prestonfield has reopened for lunch,
afternoon tea and dinner from
12pm-8pm, and overnight stays.
James Thomson also owns The
Witchery by the Castle on Edinburgh’s
Castlehill, which is one of Scotland’s
most spectacularly atmospheric
dining destinations. Now in its fifth
decade, James Thomson bought The
Witchery over 42 years ago and has
transformed it into a much-loved
Edinburgh institution, with nine
extravagant suites, stunning décor
and food and an award-winning
wine list.
The Witchery is now open for lunch
and dinner, from 12pm-8pm, as well
as overnight stays.
L’ESCARGOT BLEU
56, Broughton Street EH1 3SA
Tel 0131 557 1600
Put the date in your diaries, l’escargot
is opening the door for a few selected
dates and with limited numbers
for now.
The Broughton Street Restaurant
will be open for dinner on Fridays
and lunch on Saturdays. As per
government guidelines, they are
unable to serve alcohol during
this time.
From the week beginning 17 May,
they will extend the opening times
from Wednesday to Saturday.
All times will be confirmed when
they open the reservation system.
Fred Berkmiller, the chef-patron,
said: “Our menu will be on the
blackboard ‘bistro-style’ featuring our
classics dishes, and the restaurant will
be set to make people feel safe, as it
was last autumn, with hand sanitizer
on every table. Please be aware of a
few rules when joining us, like wearing
a mask when moving around, and
temperature checks when you arrive.
“L’escargot At Home will continue
as long as there are orders are coming
in. We have no intension of stopping
and we are very happy to continue
with our Friday collection and
deliveries. It now feels like we have
been doing them for years.”
www.lescargotbleu.co.uk/takeaway
HOLYROOD DISTILLERY
19 St Leonard’s Lane, Edinburgh
EH8 9SH
Holyrood Distillery’s Courtyard Bar will
open again with a range of carefully
selected drinks from local
independent brewers and distillers
and food by Hickory.
The Courtyard Bar, which ran for
the first time over the summer of
2020, has reopened at Holyrood
Distillery:the first single malt distillery
in Edinburgh for almost 100 years. The
area outside the distillery, just off St
Leonard’s Lane, will be transformed
into a relaxed al fresco bar and bistro
space for a summer social.
Visitors to the bar will be first in line
to try new drinks from the distillery,
including their latest release,
HolyXXXX Gin, which celebrates the
end of lockdown.
Designed by Distillery Manager
Marc Watson, HolyXXXX Gin is pared
back to just one botanical and two
other unusual ingredients, to deliver a
very distinctive, daring and delicious
flavour profile – and one that the
distillery is inviting you to describe in
your own words on the bottle.
ACROSS
4 How a paper might turn up (6)
6 Pure logo printed in introduction
to book (8)
9 Discharge cargo on dual-sided
quay (6)
10 Hides gin in small rowing boats (8)
11 Place to which I am heading is
where I donate tins (11)
15 Move coat ‘til bird is revealed (4-3)
17 Moving near it I suffer from lack
of action (7)
18 Clean, old fur is not required (8-3)
22 In Muscat, a combined operation
discovers an underground
cemetery (8)
23 Della and I have joined forces (6)
24 Alkaloid is not nice, I decide (8)
25 In Ealing, Eric might hang
around (6)
DOWN
1 Mails a sample of sausage (6)
2 If I tail car, it will seem to be
false (10)
3 Gee ! Clean objects display
ornateness (8)
4 Water channel laid across cute
quad (8)
5 Distribute pearls to demonstrate
this heavenly body (8)
7 Network found in wrong ridge (4)
8 Direction for fresh teas (4)
12 Match a tent with its means of
fastening (10)
13 Filling with strange, fun gifts (8)
14 Arab lord selects this breed
of dog (8)
16 Elements aren’t cut out, but are
cut short (8)
19 I clear away remains of this cake (6)
20 Broken coin provides an image (4)
21 Part of clot I can remove, relating
to the ear (4)
ANSWERS
Across: 4 Appear, 6 Prologue, 9 Unload, 10 Dinghies, 11 Destination, 15 Coal-tit, 17 Inertia, 18
Uncalled-for, 22 Catacomb, 23 Allied, 24 Nicotine, 25 Linger.
Down: 1 Salami, 2 Artificial, 3 Elegance, 4 Aqueduct, 5 Polestar, 7 Grid, 8 East, 12 Attachment,
13 Stuffing, 14 Labrador, 16 Truncate, 19 Eclair, 20 Icon, 21 Otic.
Alongside drinks from Holyrood
Distillery, the bar will also support
other local businesses emerging from
lockdown by showcasing the best in
independent brewing and distilling:
including draught pints by Pilot,
Barneys and Crossborders, gin from
Electric Spirit Co and Port of Leith, and
some of the best new whiskies from
across Scotland, including Kilchoman
and Nc’Nean.
Award-winning Edinburgh caterer
Hickory will be providing a unique
menu with dishes including Hickory’s
signature sandwich and salad, chicken
tenders, and chili cheese fries, as well
as hot drinks. An ice-cream tricycle
will also be serving up scoops.
A covered and heated seating area
will also be available.
Children will be welcome with their
family group until 7pm. The bar will
be open daily from 1pm to 8pm in the
first week, and then on Thursdays to
Saturdays from 1pm to 9pm, and on
Sundays 12pm-6pm. Service will
initially be table-service only, with
contactless orders via an online app.
Tables will seat a maximum of six
people, with an overall capacity of
up to 120.
Pre-booking is highly recommended,
details can be found at:
www.holyrooddistillery.co.uk
alongside full opening hours.
17
Juliet’s food diary
Dining out
Italian style
Stefano
Pieraccini
REMIND ME, HOW MANY people from various households are
allowed to meet outside, do bubbles count as one? I’m confused. It
surprises me that outdoor drinking is in any way safer than being
policed at a covid spaced indoor table. Stepping off the bus at The
Shore last week it was nigh on impossible to walk along the pavement,
such was the throng of outdoor drinkers stripping the booze fridges of
Sainsbury’s Local. The Number 22 nearly ran over a couple of
pensioners and a Jack Russell, forced to brave the cobbles. The allure of
the river bank is all very well but couldn’t the police guide the masses
to the vast space that is Leith Links? You can bevvy to your hearts
content down there, get the disposable BBQ out, and enjoy a free
lungful of marijuana while you’re at it. With such delights on offer the
council could charge an entry fee.
My own thoughts have turned to outdoor dining, in the sector now
known as “Street Food”. Watch any travel blogs and the adventurers
rightfully delight in street food - home made from scratch, tasty fare
that’s dirt cheap because, well, you have to eat in on the street. Scottish
street food was once a chippy or kebab in a bus stop after a night on
the lash, but has sadly evolved into artisan venison burgers for which
you get little change from a tenner. So for your street, garden or
kitchen eating delights I’ve come up with a street food type recipe and
am so pleased with the results I’ve been looking up the cost of catering
vans on Facebook Marketplace.
I know Pulled Pork is no new thing. I’m seldom a fan because the
pork is often not just pulled but given a night of passion and breakfast
in bed the next morning. It shouldn’t be mush, but unctuous and juicy.
For this recipe I’ve used a smoked gammon for an extra punch of
flavour. If you’re not as keen on saltiness as I am it’s a good idea to soak
your gammon overnight before cooking. Accompanied by a zingy,
nutty Satay Slaw, this recipe has a low, pleasant heat with a contrast of
crunchy freshness.
Juliet Lawrence Wilson
PULLED SRIRACHA GAMMON WITH
SATAY SLAW (makes a generous six portions)
• 1 750g Gammon Joint
• 1 Onion
• 4 tablespoons Sriracha
• 2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons Dark Soy Sauce
• 1 tin Cherry Tomatoes
• 2 whole chillies
• 2 cloves garlic
• 250ml water
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
Pre heat the oven to 130°C. Cut the
onion into wedges and place in
the centre of a crock pot or oven
proof dish with a tight lid.
Sit the gammon joint on the onions
and pour over all the other
ingredients, with 250ml water,
leaving the chillies and garlic cloves
whole. Cover and bake for 4 hours.
It’s a good idea to check after
three and a half hours. The
gammon should show some
resistance when you pull it apart.
Remove the gammon from the
sauce and shred into chunks.
Remove the chillies from the sauce
(or keep them in if you want a
super fiery version) and either
blitz the sauce with a hand or
table top blender or pass through
a sieve, finely chopping the onions
and garlic.
Add two tablespoons of light
brown sugar and reduce the sauce
over a low heat until thickened to
the coating the back of a spoon
consistency.
Put two thirds of the sauce onto
the gammon and mix well,
reserving the other third for extra
to pour on when serving.
SATAY SLAW
• 300g stir fry mix (or a mixture of
beansprouts, shredded cabbage,
onions, apples and carrots)
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Mix the mayonnaise, peanut
butter and vinegar and season to
taste. Mix into the vegetables.
Serve the slaw and pulled
gammon in a bun or wrap,
alternatively serve with sticky rice.
THERE ARE MANY things I’m grateful to
my parents for and one of them is their
enthusiasm for taking me to lovely
restaurants from the age of five. Dressed in
a fashion that could put European royalty
to shame and on my very best behaviour, I
loved the occasion of fine dining. There was
no such thing as children’s menus so I was
allowed to choose anything I wanted, with
my father offering to swap if I didn’t like it.
My parents would engage me in
conversation and were far from being
in the “children should be seen and not
heard” camp, just not heard to fellow
diners. Sadly I’m now the source of much
frustration and am regularly told that after
a couple of glasses of vino I can be heard
in the kitchens.
One of my favourite places was Cosmos
on Castle Street because although fancy,
it had a sense of fun and Italian flare.
The dessert trolley was a real treat, my
favourites being the Crème Caramel
and profiteroles.
My one regret from my own stint in the
restaurant business was not reviving the
joy of the dessert trolley. Cosmos sadly
came to an end and was eventually
replaced with Martin Wishart’s The
Honours, and is now set to become Rico’s,
the latest venture by Stefano Pieraccini.
At the tender age of 25, Stefano has
brought his family’s Italian style and vigour
to The Broughton and The Seafood
Ristorante in St Andrews, both
establishments that benefit from
atmosphere as well as great food. The
moment my daughter is old enough to
dine there, I’ll be taking her in to show her
what the joys of eating out are all about.
18 WHAT’S ON
CULTURE • LITERATURE • EVENTS • MUSIC • MUSEUMS • ONLINE LEARNING...
Mimi’s all
topsy turvy
Jupiter Artland welcomes Maclean exhibition
Another
fantastical
creation
By PHYLLIS STEPHEN
I
visited an exhibition of Rachel Maclean’s
work at the National Gallery in London a
couple of years ago, and in the way of
what is impactful, it stayed with me.
The film in the satirical work, The Lion
and the Unicorn, was set to a soundtrack
of speeches by Jeremy Paxman and Alex
Salmond, and featured garishly dressed figures
speaking about Scottish independence and the
farce of politics.
Visitors will be able to see the work at Jupiter
Artland in an exhibition of Maclean’s four main
works from the last decade, but the star of the
show will be Mimi.
Satire and fantasy are both parts of Rachel
Maclean’s work and she has a very distinctive
creative voice. Based in Glasgow, Maclean is an
Edinburgh College of Art graduate. In 2017 she
represented Scotland at the 57th Venice Biennale.
Now the artist will introduce us to Mimi, a
creation combining animation and architecture,
and her first permanent outdoor artwork.
The abandoned high street shop will be sited
in the woods at Jupiter Artland, and is the
upside down world of cartoon princess, Mimi.
This is Maclean’s first fully animated heroine,
but she is darkly arch and invites us to see the
world of end-game capitalism from her topsy
turvy perspective.
To create the figure, Maclean spoke to
teenagers from all over Scotland who were
recruited by Jupiter Artland. She talked with
them about the pressures they faced during the
pandemic, online culture, and the decline of
real-life spaces on our high streets for young
people to express and discover their own
identities. Eventually it is hoped to take an
iteration of the installation on tour into
Scotland’s high streets.
Using colourful make-up and extravagant
self-designed costumes, Maclean plays all the
characters in the films herself, borrowing from
fairy tales, children’s television, product
advertising, and internet pop videos. Employing
computer technology to generate her locations
and appropriating voices from popular television,
the internet, and cartoons, she deftly constructs
super-saturated, cinematic alter-worlds
populated by cautiously psychotic characters.
Founder Director of Jupiter Artland
Foundation, Nicky Wilson, said: “We have
watched Rachel Maclean’s career develop for
many years and have always admired her fresh
and frank approach to issues that surround us.
Although these are always relevant to the present,
they provoke timeless questions about identity,
power and social context. At Jupiter we have
encouraged Rachel, and are delighted to see, her
create a new fantasy world in the grounds of
Jupiter Artland. Not all is what it seems and it’s
this jeopardy that makes it such an exciting
permanent installation. We hope we can provoke
discussions and debate about issues that affect us
all but most particularly after the time of Covid.
As one of the Scotland’s most celebrated
contemporary artists, Maclean’s work challenges
audiences, and in its production challenges
Maclean as a filmmaker.
“Mimi will continue to stretch our
imaginations through a film that is comical
and charged.”
Artist Rachel Maclean said: “Working with
Jupiter Artland on this new commission has
been incredible. It’s my first foray into outdoor
art, and my most ambitious project to date,
combining architecture, sculpture and
animation. The upside-down world of Mimi has
taken years of planning and hard work, so I’m
really excited for folk to see it. I hope that the
feeling of the world turned on its head resonates
Digital video
stills taken
from Spite
Your Face
with audiences in these topsy turvy times and
offers a surrealist and darkly humorous escape
from lockdown life.”
Rachel Maclean’s exhibition runs from 8 May
to 18 July. Jupiter Artland’s permanent collection
of sculptures is already open for the general
public to connect with art, nature and the
outdoors. Further details and booking for the
springtime walks can be found on the Jupiter
Artland website.
Location: Jupiter Artland, Wilkieston,
Edinburgh EH27 8BY
Website: www.jupiterartland.org
Season Dates: 8 May – 26 September
Opening Hours: 10am – 5pm daily
Rachel Maclean: Mimi on permanent display
from 8 May 2021
Exhibition: 08 May – 18 July 2021
Fall in line for Drill Hall
OUT OF THE Blue Drill Hall Café will be open from the
end of April, Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm. They remind
everyone that it is airy and spacious, with lots of room for
social distancing.
Their spaces can be booked for use by small numbers
of people as outlined on their website - look for the Book a
Space page. Their creative spaces are available to enable
people to meet, teach, learn, rehearse, record, and plan
within the current restrictions. They hope to help you get
back to appropriately socially distanced activity.
Contact telephone number: 0131 555 7100
Scottish Arts Club - virtual Fridays
AT THE SCOTTISH Arts Club (SAC) they
have gone online and invite people to tune
in for “Virtual Fridays - arts happenings
that can be enjoyed from the comfort of
your home. On Fridays at 6.30pm SAC
provide members and the public with a
musical event or an online art exhibition.
This could be a photo-film or in a more
traditional gallery style. Links to the events
are on their website and on their social
media platforms like Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram and their Vimeo Channel.
You might also be inclined to donate to
SAC’s Performers’ Fund
If you like what they provide then they
ask you to think of the performers.
The Covid-19 lockdown has left many
artists without any income due to closed
venues and cancelled performances. To
make a donation to support the performers
participating in the “Virtual Fridays’”series,
you can donate on their JustGiving page or
email administrator@scottishartsclub.com
for details on how you can help.
19
Jock McFadyen
fêted at Dovecot
Exhibition marks 70th birthday with 20 works
ARTIST JOCK MCFADYEN is in his 70th year
and the big birthday is being celebrated with an
exhibition of his recent paintings in a collection
of over 20 works.
The show at Dovecot Studios, Infirmary
Street, in partnership with The Scottish Gallery,
is also part of the Edinburgh Art Festival
2021 programme.
These paintings show the romance and
grandeur of Scotland, as well as the urban
dystopia for which McFadyen is known.
The artist was taught by a generation of
abstract painters, so it is little surprise that
paintings such as Mallaig and Estuary Music are
almost minimalist. All of them have no human
presence, except one which has a half-inch tall
tiny figure.
Christina Jansen, director of The Scottish
Gallery, said: "McFadyen paints the exterior
world with a cool detachment that carries an
emotional punch, and Lost Boat Party perfectly
STEPHANIE KERR, Programmes
Adviser at People’s Postcode
Lottery, welcomes aboard a
special visitor at the National
Museum of Flight at East
Fortune.
Tickets are on sale now for the
Museum. Visitors will be taken
describes his approach – floating through the
landscape to find and show the strange
enigmatic portion only seen when looking
for something else.
"The painting Lost Boat Party is a monumental
work, depicting a seaside funfair which appears
to have detached itself from the land and is
slowly drifting out to sea. The metaphor for the
human condition is unavoidable, and many of
the paintings in the exhibition describe the sea
with all its implications of threat and
indifference, as well as painterly possibility."
During the last seven months Dovecot has
collaborated with McFadyen to make a new
artwork inspired by his painting, in the same
way as they have with other artists such as
Barbara Rae and Chris Ofill. The Mallaig
Commission will be unveiled at the exhibition.
Naomi Robertson, Master Weaver at Dovecot
Studios, said: "Our initial aim was to explore the
beauty in the paintings. We have experimented
New arrivals at
Museum of Flight
around the globe with Brick
Wonders, a display supported
by players of People’s Postcode
Lottery, which explores the
wonders of the world in more
than 500,000 LEGO® bricks.
Warren Elsmore and his team
have created the Egyptian
pyramids, the Great Barrier Reef
and the Matterhorn, along with
more than 30 other intricate
models. But the best of all must
be the six metre long Concorde,
made of over 60,000 bricks,
which you can then compare
with the real thing.
with how to amplify the complex undertones
in Jock's use of paint through the blending of
yarn as well as the innate sensuality of the
textile surface.
"The way in which the final work absorbs light
emphasises a depth of colour that is just not
possible with paint."
Jock McFadyen - Lost Boat Party
at Dovecot 10 Infirmary Street EH1 1LT
Friday 11 June – Saturday 25 September
Monday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm
www.dovecotstudios.com
www.scottish-gallery.co.uk
Artist Jock
McFadyen
Stephanie Kerr
on the tarmac
He said: “Concorde is such an
iconic aircraft with its unique
shape and silhouette, and it is
great fun to create a model like
this that is so recognisable.”
Until 27 June free with admission.
www.nms.ac.uk
Podcasts...
MEET ME AT THE MUSEUM
Jackie Kay and Hollie McNish visit Glasgow
Women’s Library in one of the most recent
episodes of the Art Fund podcast, Meet Me
at the Museum. The Art Fund podcast
features well-known faces taking someone
they love to a favourite museum or gallery,
to explore what's on offer, have a chat about
what they find, and generally muse on life.
WIRED THE PODCAST
From the award-winning team at WIRED UK
comes a look at the week in tech, culture,
science and politics. Every week, they discuss
the most interesting stories on WIRED, share
their favourite random facts and offer a
catch up on the world of technology.
RENEGADES
This is an informal longform podcast
featuring President Barack Obama and
Bruce Springsteen talking about everything
from being a father to income inequality.
It was recorded in Springsteen’s converted
farmhouse studio where he also
makes music.
THE FOOD CHAIN
As part of this BBC World Service podcast
there is a sub series of My Life in Five Dishes
featuring among others Nigella Lawson,
Yotam Ottolenghi and Madhur Jaffrey, who
introduced us in the UK to real Indian
food. This is a kind of Desert Island Discs
for foodies.
Hidden Door
Festival returns
HIDDEN DOOR will return this summer for
an outdoor festival of music, visual art,
theatre, dance and spoken word, organisers
have announced. Over the five days,
Hidden Door will stage a series of specially
commissioned collaborations with Scottish
musicians and artists, creating visually
stunning multimedia shows and immersive
experiences.
The location of the festival remains a
secret for now, but organisers have spent
the past year exploring potential sites
for staging a safe, physically distanced
outdoor event.
David Martin, Creative Director of Hidden
Door, said: “This event is going to be a great
opportunity to get back together with
friends and celebrate the return of live
events and the amazing creativity that is
still very much alive in this city, if hidden
for the last year.
“We are going to create something
special in a large outdoor space that will
have enough room to spread out and feel
free, yet at the same time give everyone
something to share together. While there
has been lots of arts happening online, we
are crying out to share experiences
together and create new memories. We will
throw 18-months worth of pent up creative
energy at this and create something truly
memorable for the city.”
Tickets are available now at:
www.hiddendoorblog.org/tickets
20 THE ARTS
JL Preece
Children’s
Festival
Connecting children with art from 25 May to 6 June
By JOHN PREECE
THE EDINBURGH International Children’s Festival
has announced its 2021 hybrid programme of online
and outdoor theatre and dance for young people
following months of planning (and re-planning).
The digital programme will include streamed
performances such as Removed (the gripping story
of a young man’s experience of the care system) and
innovative “live” digital interactions such as The
University of Wonder & Imagination (a live magic
show over Zoom).
To complement the online offer, the Festival
programme includes Family Encounters, a series of
free pop-up performances happening in outdoor
spaces across Edinburgh in the first and last
weekend of the Festival.
Festival Director Noel Jordan said: “There are so
many things to celebrate about this year’s Children’s
Festival. We are proud to be able to offer paid work to
so many Scottish artists, freelancers and companies,
from an industry that has almost been at a standstill
for over a year.
"Most importantly, we are appreciative and inspired
by the opportunity to be able to present much need arts
and culture to children, young people and their families
at this time of need. As our community re-emerges from
lockdown, now is the time to enjoy the world of wonder,
curiosity and connectedness that the arts can offer us.”
www.imaginate.org.uk
Lift off for student opera
The unicorn by
Nudge Puppets
with Rosa
Festival pops up in new format
This summer Edinburgh International Festival will go under canvas in three
locations such as that featured above in the Old Quad at the University of
Edinburgh. Live performances will be shorter and there will be no intervals.
By DAVID LEWIS
LOCAL STUDENT ensemble,
Edinburgh Studio Opera,
managed little short of a miracle
by putting on an entire
performance recorded using
their singers’ webcams amid the
heights of lockdown. The
production, The Remarkable
Rocket, was an adaptation of the
Oscar Wilde short story of the
same name, with various “best
hits” from classic operas woven
around the plot.
Student music groups have
been hard-hit amid the
pandemic, subject to often two
or more sets of restrictions yet
lacking the ample online
resources of professional
ensembles. But ESO made the
best of some rudimentary
technology to give the
performance a flamboyant, if
low-budget, aesthetic that
strangely suited the zany
sentiment of Wilde’s prose – a
tongue-in-cheek moralising
fable about a precocious
anthropomorphised firework
(yes, really!).
There were plenty of good
performances and some
exceptional ones, both from the
more experienced soloists and
the up-and-coming singers who
performed duets or trios. The
best singers leant into the
strengths of their youthful voices
with keen attention to not just
the musical expression but also
the textual detail.
If you’re looking for something
with high production values then
The Remarkable Rocket
definitely isn’t for you. But if
you’re willing to part with the
modest sum of £5 (plus a small
booking fee, or even less if you’re
a student) to help aspiring
singers keep doing what they
love, you might find yourself
charmed by this exuberant, if
slightly make-do-and-mend
performance.
To purchase your viewing of the
online performance please visit:
edinburghstudioopera.org
BOOKS
21
Ian and Anne Pilbeam with
children Roonagh and Rory
ARE WE THERE YET?
By Ian Pilbeam
THE BACKGROUND to the book
has taken several years, but Ian
Pilbeam has finally committed a
year long family trip to paper. The
result is Are We There Yet? which
he has self-published.
The trip took about 360 days and included Ian,
now the owner of an HR and health and safety
company, his wife, Anne, who is a dietician, and two
children, Rory, then aged nine and Roonagh, then
aged seven. The Bruntsfield family visited several
continents but not Europe or North America. It came
about because of serendipity according to Ian, but
there was also spontaneity and tragedy involved.
The spontaneity came at the end of a family
holiday in Turkey when he idly asked the children
where they might like to go next. The answer came
the next night at dinner with a list embellished with
drawings of animals which lived in each destination.
And the next question was whether you could buy a
round-the-world trip for families. You could, and so
the adventure began. The serendipity was that the
children were at the correct age to go away from
home for a year, essentially skipping school, but
receiving an education through travel.
Ian said: "They could read and write, they had
basic maths, so they could then go out into the world
which became their classroom. They just absorbed all
the lessons of geography, history and biology and
everything else."
The tragedy arose as Anne's father had been
diagnosed with vascular dementia, and he went
to live in a care home. Anne's mother had died
of cancer, leaving them an inheritance of the
money she had saved for her retirement.
The double-edged sword of this situation meant that
the Pilbeams were free to travel.
The family visited 20 countries and stayed in 100
different places using 50 different forms of transport
to travel between them all. A lot of the time they
were on the go but they also built in some longer
stops. Ian said: "In the 360 days, 100 of them were
stand out days when we went to a named place or did
a special thing. But the other 260 days were probably
more important because they were just the down
days when you would do the laundry or write the
blog or just play. The children kept daily diaries and
some of the best are in the book. I had to sanitise my
blogs a bit as they were being read by people back
Are we
there
yet?
Ian Pilbeam's
lockdown project
was to publish
a book...
and he has
home who were worried about us, notably my
parents. So some of the things that happened did not
go in the blog immediately, but could be included in
the book with abandon."
On their return, Ian spent a year out of work (it was
just after a recession) and for the last seven years he
has been building a business, so that is his excuse for
not writing the book until now, when the children are
in their twenties. Anne helped to remind Ian of some
of the parts he had perhaps forgotten about, and the
children did help by commenting on the draft.
The financial wherewithal came from an
inheritance and having their house rented out to a
minister while they travelled. So knowing the rent
was pretty secure helped with the costs of the year
away, but the family came home broke and needing
to get back to work. The dream of flying over their
final destination of Rio de Janeiro in a helicopter was
shelved in favour of knowing they would have some
weeks of food shopping from Asda in reserve. They
decided that they needed the Asda shopping more at
that stage, and they had already done a lot of
"amazing stuff " by then anyway.
Are We There Yet? by Ian Pilbeam is available
to buy on Amazon.
Two siblings,
one crime
EMBERS
Josephine
Greenland
Two siblings,
one crime.
One longburied
secret.
Seventeen-year-old Ellen
never wanted a holiday.
What is there to do in a
mining town in the
northernmost corner of the
country, with no one but her
brother Simon – a boy with
Asperger’s and obsessed
with detective stories – for
company?
Nothing, until they stumble
upon a horrifying crime scene
that brings them into a
generations-long conflict
between the townspeople
and the native Sami. When
the police dismiss Simon’s
findings, he decides to track
down the perpetrator himself.
Ellen reluctantly helps, drawn
in by a link between the crime
and the siblings’ own past.
What started off as a tedious
holiday soon escalates into a
dangerous journey through
hatred, lies and self-discovery
that makes Ellen question
not only the relationship to
her parents, but also her
own identity.
Greenland is a Swedish-
English writer who now lives
in Edinburgh.
She has an MA in Creative
Writing from the University
of Birmingham and a BA in
English from the University of
Exeter. In 2019 she began a
PGDE course at the University
of Edinburgh to become a
Secondary school English
teacher. Embers is her
first novel.
Scottish Book Trust – It’s a Celebration
DOUGLAS STUART, winner of the
Booker Prize for his wonderful
Shuggie Bain, has teamed up with
Scottish Book Trust (SBT) to ask
Scots to submit their real-life stories.
The Your Stories initiative is open
to everyone and this year’s theme is
Celebration. The hope is to focus on
some positive stories in what is, and
has been, a difficult year.
Your Story could be about
yourself, a loved one or
sharing ways in which
you celebrate.
Douglas Stuart said: “As
someone who grew up in a
home without books, I
understand the importance of
stories. They bring together families,
friends and communities. Your
Stories is an opportunity for the
people of Scotland to pick up their
pen and share their experiences
from the small steps to the bigger
milestones. Our nation is rich with
culture, language and traditions,
and this is the perfect time to
celebrate and treasure them.”
Marc Lambert, CEO of SBT,
said: “Sharing stories is a great
Scottish tradition whether over
a drink or around the dinner
table, we have a longestablished
culture of telling
tales for comfort or entertainment.
For many, Your Stories has been the
tentative first step of sharing their
writing. At Scottish Book Trust, we
look forward to hearing about what
you have celebrated over the last
year, from the small successes to the
bigger milestones.”
Alison Lang, Director of the Gaelic
Books Council, said: “This year’s
theme challenges us to find reasons
for celebration in the midst of
adversity. We hope Gaelic speakers
will embrace the invitation to
celebrate their language and tell
their own stories. We are delighted
once again to be working with
Scottish Book Trust to encourage
everyone to love reading and try
their hand at writing.”
Your Story of up to 1,000 words
can be written in English, Scots or
Gaelic in any form - a story, poem,
comic strip, play or letter. It must
be submitted online or by post
by 22 June. Every entry will
be published on the
SBT website.
Some will appear in
a book to be
distributed free to
libraries and schools
during Book Week
Scotland.
Douglas
Stuart
22 SPORT
Ross touts
Paul Hanlon in
action for Hibs
Hanlon for
Scots squad
Hibs gaffer backs stopper for Euro finals
By JOHN HISLOP
HIBS’ HEAD COACH Jack Ross has backed Paul
Hanlon’s claim for a place in Scotland’s Euro 2020
squad following his consistency of performances
for the club this season.
The 31-year-old defender won his one and
only cap against the Czech Republic back in
October, although he was an unused substitute
for a friendly against the Netherlands under
interim manager Malky Mackay in 2017.
He was overlooked by the national team boss
as the Scots kicked off their World Cup qualifiers
last month but he has been a rock in the heart of
the Hibs’ defence, helping the club to third place
in the table.
He is hoping to end the season with another
Scottish Cup medal to add to the one he picked
up five-years ago. He hopes it will bring him to
the attention of Scotland boss Steve Clarke.
Ross said: “Paul earning his cap this season
and being involved in the Scotland squad was a
well-deserved reward for his performances, not
just this season but throughout his time at Hibs.
He’s a player that I only really appreciated how
good an all-round footballer he is when I get to
work with him every day.
“His temperament, attitude and
professionalism are outstanding, not just his
qualities as a player.
“He is a really good player and I think
his consistency of performance this season,
on the back of being involved in the national
team squad, has meant that should any
opportunities arise that he is still very much
in the manager’s thoughts.
“I think he understands that there are
players who are maybe ahead of him at the
moment within the squad but maintaining
that performance level gives him the best
possible chance should it arise.”
Hanlon has put such thoughts to the back of
his mind however and is just determined to end
the season in style.
He said: “It’s always been an ambition of
mine to play for my country and luckily enough
with the form I’ve had this season, it brought me
that last year.
“I’m delighted to get that cap and to know that
you are in or around the manager’s thoughts.
“Every player says the same but it is really
all about performing well for Hibs and Hibs
being successful.
“Being part of a successful Hibs team will
undoubtedly help my chances so that’s my main
Ian Jacobs
focus, to try and finish the season strongly,
cement third place and see how far we can go in
the cup, and if that leads to anything else in
terms of international recognition that I’d be
absolutely over the moon, but I know first and
foremost that I need to be doing it for Hibs.”
Scotland start off the tournament on Monday
14 June with a match against the Czech Republic
at Hampden.
Four days later they will travel to Wembley to
face the auld enemy England.
On Tuesday 22 June they return to Hampden
to face Croatia.
The top two teams from each group will qualify
along with the four best third-placed teams.
Gary hits the ground running
Walking footie in
West Edinburgh
CORSTORPHINE DYNAMO FC are
launching walking football in West
Edinburgh in late May. Sessions will be on
Wednesday afternoons at the Gyle Park in
Corstorphine.
Walking Football is exactly what it sounds
like – a standard game of football where
players walk instead of run. It’s designed to
help people get fit or maintain an active
lifestyle no matter what their age and
fitness, as well as support people getting
back into football they have given it up due
to age or injury.
www.corstorphinedynamo.co.uk
Edinburgh City boss Naysmith takes Citizens squad to play-offs
By JOHN HISLOP
EXCITING TIMES are ahead for
Edinburgh City whose recently
appointed manager, Gary
Naysmith, has hit the ground
running. Now only the play-offs
will determine in what division the
Citizens will play next season.
High-flying Queen’s Park were
always the favourite to gain
automatic promotion, but City
have spent the season competing
with Stirling Albion and Elgin City
for second place. Now they have a
squad more than capable of
playing at a higher level, although
not at Ainslie Park.
Last month City announced that
they will be returning to their
traditional home of Meadowbank
Stadium for the start of season
2021/22.
Gone is the old, brutalist
grandstand and terracing, the
nostalgic scoreboard that came all
the way from the 1984 Los Angeles
Olympics, and the imposing
old-school floodlight towers. In
their place are modern, world-class
facilities including a state-of-theart
sports centre with a 500 seat
stand in its shadow, alongside a
brand new 4G pitch.
An agreement has been reached
that may allow the club to build a
second stand on the north side of
the pitch, subject to obtaining
planning permission.
The proposed structure will have
both seated and safe standing
sections, and will accommodate up
to 1500 supporters.
Naysmith took over from James
McDonaugh (who has taken the
role of Sporting Director), and led
the club to six wins and a draw in
his first seven League Two matches.
The 42-year-old started with
Hearts, where he lifted the 1998
Scottish Cup, before signing for
English Premier League giants
Everton for £1.7m in 2000.
This move added more than 130
Premier League appearances to his
46 Scotland international caps.
Despite several serious injuries
during his time at Goodison Park,
Gary made a £1 million move to
Sheffield United in 2007, becoming
their regular full back in the English
Championship, before latterly
agreeing moves to Huddersfield
Town and Aberdeen.
In the twilight of his playing
career he joined East Fife, which
developed into a player-manager
role, and he went on to lead the
Methil men to the League 2 title
in 2016.
Following this success, he took
over at Championship side Queen
of the South later that year, a
position he held until May 2019.
Prior to joining City, he enjoyed
the role of Loan Manager at Hearts
where he has overseen the
development of the young players.
23
Who’s on the
Hearts midfielder,
Andy Irving
way out at
Tynecastle?
Premiership will demand new faces
By DUNCAN ROBERTSON
WHATEVER YOU think of the 2020/21 season, those
at the club will be swift to point out that, at the end of
the day, Hearts is making its return to the Premiership
at the first time of asking.
The fact that this has played out in a rather plodding
nature, peppered with some truly embarrassing cup
results along the way, paints a reality that leaves the
summer break and pre-season one of real poignance
for those of a maroon persuasion.
Noises are already being made at the club around
enhancements and changes to the playing squad.
This, to many fans, sounds all too familiar –
especially given the 94 players who have arrived under
the ownership of Ann Budge. But clearly there is a
need to at least tweak a squad that arguably has
performed to a Premiership standard on occasions
you could only count on one hand, in the
Championship and cup competitions this season.
BIG QUESTIONS
But what would the big changes be? The Jambos have
eight out-of-contract players at the end of the season.
The on-loan Gervane Kastaneer and crocked Josh
Ginnelly will head back to their parent clubs whilst
back-up goalkeeper Ross Stewart may make a
permanent switch from Livingston as Bobby Zlamal’s
contract expires.
Final loanee, Shay Logan, despite the negativity
surrounding his arrival from Aberdeen, has made a
decent enough start but has faded of late.
The biggest notable departure is surely midfielder
and youth graduate Andy Irving, who has failed to
accept the contract on offer from the club.
Irving has been a mainstay in the starting XI,
nearing 30 appearances, and has played a pivotal role
in orchestrating the Hearts centre with his range of
passing and cool head. His exit is a sore one for the
support. Aidy White and Elliott Frear will likely make
quiet exits when their contracts end.
So what of the broader squad and those that
could and should make room for Hearts’ tilt at the
Premiership?
Top of many lists amongst fans are Jamie Walker
and Andy Halliday. The former certainly divides
opinion with the latter’s fandom of Rangers, and
ongoing podcast appearances, causing irritation.
Whilst capable professionals, their current wage
demands probably don’t justify their contributions
so far, as they enter the last year of their contracts.
MORE IS EXPECTED
Also in the midfield, heralded at the time of his
January arrival, Gary Mackay-Steven has been an
all-out dud in Gorgie.
For a player who has represented his country and
won silverware with Celtic, much more is expected of
the 30-year-old.
Whilst a pre-season may see his energy and
dynamism return, as may the backing (and heat) of a
Tynecastle crowd, it’s his apparent attitude that is
getting many Jambos angry. GMS is under contract in
maroon until the summer of 2023.
What of others?
Fees or early contract terminations would be
needed with centre back Mihai Popescu’s days at
Hearts surely numbered. His fellow defensive
colleague Craig Halkett is also feeling the pressure,
having regressed since his arrival from Livingston and
the early promise shown.
The less said about Loic Damour the better.
Of course, who arrives over the summer to bolster
Robbie Neilson’s charges is the bigger question as the
manager seeks the fast start he needs to stand any
chance of saviour in the eyes of the Hearts support.
Ian Jacobs
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