01.07.2021 Views

The Edinburgh Reporter July 2021

All the news about Edinburgh

All the news about Edinburgh

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

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

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

A tall order Hidden Doors Tip off No mis-steak Midfield move

Giraffe artwork hits

the high spots

Page 6

Taking a sneak peek at

Granton festival

Page 9

Snapper Tom Duffin

in the frame

Page 12

Food writer Juliet on

Hawksmoor at Home

Page 17

McAlonie swaps

Spartans for Hibs

Page 23

July 2021

EDINBURGH’S FREE LOCAL NEWSPAPER...A CAPITAL READ FROM START TO FINISH

Greg Macvean

Such a

perfect

Saxophonist,

Matt Carmichael

and pianist,

Fergus McCreadie

Tickets

on sale for

Edinburgh

Jazz & Blues

Festival

day

By PHYLLIS STEPHEN

THE EDINBURGH Jazz & Blues Festival

will take place live as well as online from

16 to 25 July.

Fergus McCreadie, and saxophonist,

Matt Carmichael in our cover shot will be

taking centre stage this month. The photo

was taken during a video shoot for a piece

which McCreadie had written and was

releasing as a single. It was a huge effort to

get the piano up to its position inside the

Collective Gallery on Calton Hill.

Photographer, Greg Macvean,

explained: “It was the perfect day.

Fergus and Matt had to keep doing run

throughs, actually playing while being

filmed, although the music had already

been laid on a separate track. People

outside the gallery could hear it and lots

of visitors thought it was a concert and

kept trying to come in. At one stage

two legs were removed from the piano

to move it.”

A festival spokesperson said the

piano was brought up by road before

being carefully pushed the last 100 yards

into position. A piano technician

accompanied the piano and supervised the

move and the tuning.

Matt Carmichael will perform with his

quartet (which includes Fergus) at 2pm on

20 July.

Fergus will appear online only on

20 July at 6pm along with Tim Garland.

edinburghjazzfestival.com


2 NEWS

Coronavirus: The

vaccination story

Editorial

THIS MONTH there is a great deal to look

forward to with the advent of some festival

activity, beginning with the Edinburgh Jazz

& Blues Festival. But it is a difficult time for

both organisers and performers, some of

whom cannot travel to Edinburgh.

The Edinburgh International Festival has

already cancelled the three opening night

shows at the beginning of August as the

creative team behind the fire and light

promenading event cannot travel from

France. There was a travel exemption from

quarantine for artists previously available,

but it appears that the rules have changed.

The French creative team, Carabosse, were

unable to do the preparation work required

about seven weeks before the event.

One person who is extremely creative all

year round is Edinburgh-based

photographer, Tom Duffin, who regularly

stays up all night to capture the wonderful

shots he takes of the capital, often featuring

the sun and the moon. We have some of

his photos on our centre pages for you

to enjoy.

The Edinburgh Art Festival begins right at

the end of the month, offering a glimmer of

hope that life might have a little more in

the way of entertainment to offer us.

The past year has made us change our

ways, with some of us out enjoying a walk

in our neighbourhoods perhaps for the first

time. The council, with funding they won

from The Scottish Government, installed

extra pedestrian spaces on shopping

streets and also 39 km of dedicated cycle

lanes. Moving forward, once the public

health message changes, some of that

infrastructure will be removed, but in line

with the City Mobility Plan and there are

proposals to make Edinburgh net carbon

zero by 2030, and to create a City Centre

Low Emission Zone. A consultation is now

in place for you to contribute your own

views as to whether this is ambitious

enough for the capital city.

I very much hope that you and your

families are well and that you enjoy our

monthly look at the news in Edinburgh.

Phyllis Stephen, Editor

Planning matters

COUNCILLORS on the planning committee agreed by a slim

majority to refer the decision on a planning application for a large

1980s building in the New Town to a hearing.

The building at the foot of Dundas Street is called Centrum

House and BUPA House and is something of an anomaly. It sits 9.5

metres back from the pavement edge and has street trees in front

with a basement car park. The owners propose demolishing it and

replacing it with around 50 flats, including 25 affordable homes,

with 118 cycle parking spaces and reduced car parking.

The plans show a more uniform design for windows

facing Dundas Street which reflects the vertical lines of other

tenements further down the street towards Henderson Row

with sandstone façades.

City centre councillor, Joanna Mowat, said: "This site sits right on

the edge of the New Town and needs particular care and attention

on our part." Cllr Hal Osler supported the move to refer the matter

to a hearing and said: "This is an important site, and there was a

hearing for the site on the other side of the road."

The planning committee heard that Historic Environment

Scotland (HES) do not object to the demolition of the building

which with its mansard roof and horizontal lines make little

contribution to the "built environment". The building lies between

a new development at 120 Dundas Street which sits on the

pavement edge with commercial units below and homes above.

This building is an "uncharacteristic gap in terms of the historic

plan intended for the area". The historic map which was shown

during discussions, shows Canonmills Meadows and the Second

New Town where the intention was to have terraced homes on

Dundas Street with back greens.

In 1893 the building was a carpet cleaning works but was

replaced by Victorian tenements built at the turn of the century.

The site immediately opposite is New Town Quarter which will

use the site of the former RBS building. The council is "minded to

grant" permission for the £250 million development of 350 new

homes with offices.

A date for the hearing will be set in due course.

GET IN

TOUCH

TODAY!

THE SCOTTISH Government has

advised that everyone over 18

now has a scheduled vaccination

appointment. For anyone who has

not received their blue envelope

there is a new appointment

checker page on the NHS Inform

website where anyone can view

the date and time of their own

appointment. This means that

appointments for all over 18s

have been arranged five weeks

ahead of the target which The

Scottish Government had set for

itself. Second doses are also being

scheduled for eight weeks after

the first jag, rather than 12, to

speed up protection against the

Delta variant.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf

said: “I am delighted that we are

on the brink of reaching the major

milestone of having scheduled

first doses for all adults, five weeks

ahead of schedule.

“I want to say a huge thank you

to everyone involved in the

vaccination programme and all

those wo have taken up their offer

of a vaccine for their part in this

remarkable achievement which

For advertising and

editorial enquiries

please email:

editor@the

edinburgh

reporter.co.uk Donate anchor.fm YouTube

has been accomplished in

just over six months since the

roll-out began.

“Anyone who hasn’t received a

letter can visit the appointment

checker at NHS Inform. The

system lets you rebook if the

timing or location is not suitable,

which will be a useful tool for

students and anyone who has

recently moved house.

“Additional capacity has been

secured by NHS Boards to bring

forward all second doses from 12

to 8 weeks, which is important

given the emergence of the Delta

strain as we know greater

protection is provided after the

second dose.

“Again, I want to stress how

important it is that everyone takes

up their offer of a vaccine when

they get it. The emergence of the

Delta variant shows we cannot be

complacent, and the vaccination

programme – along with

restrictions and testing – offers

protection to you, your loved ones

and your community.”

www.nhsinform.scot/

covid19vaccineinvitations

BRINGING THE NEWS TO YOU

THE EDINBURGH Reporter

is distributed through a

network of city outlets

including supermarkets and

the EICC centre which is being

used as a mass vaccination

centre for now. The paper is

also distributed at Leith and

Stockbridge Markets.

If you have had your car in

any branch of Farmer Autocare

then you may have picked up

a free copy of our latest paper

during your visit.

If you can, then please

subscribe to have your copy

delivered to you each month.

It helps us to cover the

overheads of bringing the news

to you in print and online. And if

you have any suggestions as to

places where it could be

distributed from then please let

us know.

ter.ooo/subscribe

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

@EdinReporter

theedinburghreporter.co.uk

07791 406 498

editor@theedinburghreporter.co.uk


3

And all that jazz

Global musicians tune

up for Edinburgh

festival

Clockwise from left to right:

Jed Potts, Davina Lozier,

Ali Affleck and Laura MacDonald

AFTER MOVING online for 2020, Edinburgh Jazz &

Blues Festival (EJBF) is back for 2021 with an exciting

programme showcasing the fabulous music coming

out of Scotland, whilst welcoming audiences online

and in person. EJBF is Scotland’s flagship jazz and

blues event and we are delighted to be able to reengage

with our audiences and feature concerts

livestreamed in front of a small, live audience at

Assembly Roxy in addition to pre-recorded concerts

and online workshops. Additionally, with our digital

content we aim to reach new audiences around the

world. There has been a tremendous amount of work

put in over the last year by the EJBF team to present

high-quality online gigs and notwithstanding the

challenging times in which we operate, the variety of

programming for this year’s EJBF is top class.

We have international artists, Davina & The

Vagabonds playing a concert dreaming of being in

Edinburgh and other friends from across the globe like

Porty’s getting far two deer

PORTOBELLO resident Sandra

Cargill got a pleasant surprise when

she opened the blinds early one

morning to find two deer strolling

near the High Street.

The young animals rooted about

for 10 minutes opposite the police

station and appeared to have

wandered from nearby Rosefield

Park.

Sandra said: “It was about 6.30am

and on opening the blinds as I do

every morning I got a huge shock to

see two deer outside my garden.

Stacy Mitchhart, who love and miss performing in

Edinburgh so much that they were desperate to record

a concert and be part of EJBF 2021. The programme

also celebrates Scottish jazz and blues talent, looking to

the future with brand new commission, in addition to

delving into the past and the early days of jazz with the

Scottish Jazz Archive. Amazing young Scottish

musicians like Fergus McCreadie and Graham Costello

will be among those performing. And, the blues scene

ranges from driving Chicago blues to country delta

blues and all points in between.

Our Festivals are part of Edinburgh and at EJBF we

are excited to be back with performances for you to

enjoy. Concerts will be sold individually, but audiences

can buy a Festival Pass that gives access to all online

content as well as a few exclusives. And, with “Jazz for

Kids” there truly is something for everyone!

Jason Rust, Chair of Edinburgh

Jazz and Blues Festival

Sandra Cargill

Some 20 festival shows will take

place at Edinburgh Roxy in front of

a small audience. All are available

online along with 20 further

concerts which are online only.

Here are the 20 shows that are

available both online and in front of

small audience at Assembly Roxy:

16/07/2021

• 2pm Sandy Tweeddale Band

Unplugged feat. Lyndon Anderson

• 8pm Jacqui Dankworth &

Charlie Wood

17/07/2021

• 2pm Brass Gumbo Play The Beatles

• 8pm Playtime feat. Soweto Kinch

18/07/2021

• 2pm Hamish McGregor Band

play Chris Barber

• 8pm Soweto Kinch Trio

19/07/2021

• 2pm David Milligan solo

19/07/2021

• 8pm Safehouse play

The Allman Brothers

20/07/2021

• 2pm Matt Carmichael Quartet feat.

Charlie Stewart

• 8pm Martin Taylor/Alison Burns duo

• 2pm Brian Kellock's Marty Party

• 8pm Trio HLK

22/07/2021

• 2pm Charlotte Marshall Mama Roux

• 8pm Approx 60 mins Rose Room

feat. Konrad Wiszniewski

23/07/2021

• 2pm Katie Whittaker Sings

Bessie Smith

• 8pm Colin Steele Sextet: Miles Davis

24/07/2021

• 2pm Louise Dodds Quartet

• 8pm Jed Potts & The Hillman

Hunters

25/07/2021

• 2pm Jensen Interceptors

• 8pm Aki Remally

edinburghjazzfestival.com

“They walked around for about 10

minutes, an although they were very

cautious, they did get a fright when

a car drove along the High Street.

Eventually they started walking up

towards Rosefield Park, which I think

is where they came from, and after a

few minutes I lost sight of them.

“I was over the moon that I got to

see them so close up.”

Let there

be LED light

SINCE 2018 Amey’s Edinburgh Street

Lighting team have worked with the

council to upgrade over 64,000 LED

streetlights. The savings over 20 years

will be in excess of £54 million.

Fifty five thousand street lights have

been replaced so far and 1,600 lamp

posts have been replaced.

A dynamic street lighting control

management system has been

installed which allows the lighting to

be managed centrally.

And the maintenance and repair

works have reduced the city’s

emissions.

But the Amey team is also making a

difference in the community to give

back to local people. Social value is

measured on the contract with a points

based system which is achieved by

becoming involved with local events

and community projects. Amey

committed to achieving 720

community benefit points during the

three year contract which comes to an

end this year. So far the company has

achieved 1,764 points. Some of the

team has attended careers fairs,

Christmas gift collections and food

bank collections. Others have

upgraded a play area for children with

both physical and mental disabilities,

and helped by painting a homeless

shelter and upgrading the lighting

at a neighbourhood centre and at a

Scout hall.

Royal Highland

Showcase

THE ROYAL Highland Showcase –

seven days of livestreamed livestock

judging, forestry, equestrian, sheep

shearing, industry talks and Scottish

produce championships – drew to

a close with organisers heralding

the innovative hybrid event a

resounding success.

Judging of over 3,000 cattle, goats,

sheep and horses took place at the

competitor-only event at the Royal

Highland Centre, which was designed

to bridge the gap between a no-Royal

Highland show year in 2020 and the

180th Show taking place in June 2022

and early-bird tickets are now on sale.


4 NEWS

Spaces for

People

The Edinburgh Reporter

Powderhall

path delay

Protests planned as council

offers to rip up cycle lanes

By PHYLLIS STEPHEN

SPACES FOR PEOPLE (SFP)has become a bit

of a political hot potato. While Paris forges

ahead with bold plans to pedestrianise the

Champs-Élysées, councillors in Edinburgh

appear entrenched in political toing and froing,

seeking agreement among the parties.

The Transport Convener, Cllr Lesley

Macinnes, seemed to change direction between

speaking to The Edinburgh Reporter on our

podcast and a day or two later on the eve of the

June Transport and Environment Committee

meeting. The about turn was not inconsiderable.

Until then Cllr Macinnes had appeared to

wholeheartedly support retaining all the

segregated cycling lanes in place in future, but it

appears that political pressure in the face of so

much public comment may have led to a change

of mind.

In the last year the council won £5.2 million

of Scottish Government funding to put new

active travel space on the city’s streets. The

funding was to provide extra space for social

The area shown red

might be demolished

distancing in town centres, and also to make

active travel safer by providing measures such

as segregated cycle lanes.

Council officers who had pored over every

detail of the schemes, the results of the public

consultation and the market research conducted

to find a way forward for the measures,

recommended retaining some of them, even

when the public health message changes.

Largely, this included all of the 39km of

segregated cycle lanes which have just been

installed, including the lanes at Lanark Road.

Twenty or so deputations made

representations to the Transport Committee,

and it is clear there is a breadth of views.

As we were going to press the council had

provisionally agreed - following the

administration’s suggestion - to remove the

cycle lanes on Lanark Road, but campaigners

were planning a mass cycle protest at

Gillespie Crossroads.

Campaign group Better Edinburgh for

Sustainable Transport (BEST) said: “Our

members, and many people we have spoken

Lanark Road cycle lanes

may be removed

with, are deeply disappointed about the

proposal to remove segregated cycle lanes on

Lanark Road.

“Protected cycle lanes on Lanark Road are an

essential part of this sustainable, inclusive

future. We need bold leaps forward now. We

should not be pulling up a scheme on what is in

essence an urban dual carriageway. Relegating

cyclists to the isolated Water of Leith path

would be a retrograde and grossly unfair step.

Many people, particularly women, will not

want to take a chance on that path in the dark.

They will be forced to choose another form

of transport.”

Professor Derryck Reid of Keep Edinburgh

Moving suggested that the council had erred in

dismissing the outcomes of the public

consultation. He set up a petition to oppose the

plans for the Longstone and Lanark Road areas

which attracted over 1500 signatures.

The debate will rumble on, but with Covid

cases rising recently in Edinburgh the public

health message has not yet changed and the

cycle lanes will remain in the interim.

New wave for Ocean Terminal

THE OWNERS of Ocean Terminal,

Ambassador Group, lodged a

proposal suggesting they intend

to demolish a significant part of

the building largely used for car

parking. There is no suggestion

of how the site will be developed.

The first step is to have an

Environmental Impact

Assessment (EIA) Screening

required in terms of the planning

legislation. This applies only to a

particular type of development,

and given the importance of the

Ocean Terminal area with a new

tram stop, residential

developments and new distillery

already underway, this

development could be key.

The shopping centre lies on

the dockside and the screening

process will determine whether

any development has a

significant effect on the

environment, all ahead of the

owners then applying for

permission to develop the site

in whatever way they are

proposing. There are no further

details of any proposals at

this time.

A spokesperson for

Ambassador Group said: “A letter

requesting discussions with

planning officers has been

submitted. This is the very start

of a long process, but these are

exciting times for Leith and

Ocean Terminal.”

By PHYLLIS STEPHEN

LOTHIAN MSP Miles Briggs says he is

disappointed that the project to transform

the Powderhall Railway path into a green

corridor has been delayed apparently due

to the Spaces for People initiative.

In a letter to Mr Briggs from The City of

Edinburgh Council’s Active Travel

Department it was said that : “Progress on

this has been delayed by the need to

re-allocate staff resources to develop and

deliver temporary Spaces for People (SfP)

schemes”.

The feasibility study to change the

disused railway line into a green corridor is

due this summer, and Network Rail (NR)

appear amenable to “repurposing of the

Powderhall spur line into high-quality

urban green corridor for people to walk,

cycle and wheel on”.

NR say the railway line is still classed as

operational, because the track that leads

there remains connected to the wider

rail network.

ONGOING TALKS

Miles Briggs, said: “I am pleased that talks

with Network Rail are going well and they

are open to transforming the Powderhall

spur line into a high quality green corridor.

“It is disappointing that the project team

looking at the Green Corridor

transformation has been delayed due to

working on Spaces for People schemes.

“This is a great opportunity to create a

safe green space to connect Powerhall to

Meadowbank and beyond.

“The new Powderhall Green Corridor will

be excellent for people to walk, cycle and

wheel on, as well as fitting in with

Edinburgh’s Active Travel strategy.”

The Edinburgh Reporter asked

Transport Convener, Cllr Lesley Macinnes

for comment.

She said: “We’re still at the early stages of

exploring the possibility of delivering an

active travel corridor here, including

engaging with Network Rail about land

acquisition and undertaking a feasibility

study for the project.

“Like many schemes around the city,

Covid has impacted progress here.

“Over the last year we’ve had to respond

to an emergency situation and transport

teams have been required to support the

introduction of measures to provide

much-needed space for physical distancing

on our streets – something both the

Scottish and UK Governments have

encouraged local authorities to do.”


5

2

Full and fair

funding plea

Xyyyyyy caption

for in here please

1. Nikki Petrova’s project celebrates neighbourhood parks.

2. Nikita Vora celebrates the beauty of South-Asian people.

3. Sarah Ogilvie’s works combine seventeenth century Dutch

aesthetic with contemporary imagery.

4. Harvey Everson’s project, Memento Mori, is a futuristic exhibit

exploring people’s digital memories.

5. Eilidh Nicoll takes on society’s preoccupation with ageing.

6. Muriel McIntyre’s project uses spaces in her parents’ home

town in France to display her work.

Gordon Munro

Labour Councillor

1

6

3

4

7. Ellen Blair’s portfolio Spectrum, explores the theme of families

within the LGBTQ+ community.

8. Jamie O’Donnell’s stop motion animation explores mental health

and the trans experience.

8

5

EDINBURGH IS being short changed. For three

years in a row it has had the lowest per capita

settlement of Scotland’s major cities. For two

years in a row the flooring mechanism

guarantee of 85% has not been met. The Capital

Coalition in its “Contract with the Capital’”made

a commitment that it “ will always put

Edinburgh First” and to “campaign against

austerity in all its forms” and lobby both

Westminster and Holyrood. In the case of

Holyrood it has failed to fulfil this part of the

contract. If it had then the hard facts above

would be different.

My persistent questions to the Council Leader

over the course of this administration have been

met with obfuscation, avoidance and evasion.

The results of this lack of commitment are felt

not in the City Chambers but in parts of the city

such as my ward of Leith with poverty among

children, those in work and pensioners making

life tough.

Student show-offs

Art students go virtual with online graduate celebration

By OLIVIA THOMAS

ARTWORKS from more than 400 graduating

Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) students are

to be shared with a global audience by means

of a virtual graduate show. The online

experience celebrates the fresh creative talent

of this year’s ECA graduates, showing their

ingenuity and imagination while overcoming

the challenge of the restrictions of the

Covid-19 pandemic.

The student portfolios will appear on

the digital platform and draw on a range

of influences and themes, including climate

change, the digital world, identity and

belonging.

Pandemic restrictions meant that many of

7

the students sought inspiration and value from

everyday objects and their homes and adapted

their practice by experimenting with different

materials and ideas.

The platform builds on the success of last

year’s online show which attracted more than

100,000 views from more than 100 countries.

The Graduate Show website has more than

4,000 pieces of media from 35 degree

programmes from 28 subjects, including

paintings and drawings, architectural plans

and models, animations and digital

visualisations, musical compositions and

performances, film, photography, textiles,

jewellery and interior design.

ECA Principal Professor, Juan Cruz, said:

“The class of 2021 has shown remarkable

tenacity and ingenuity to navigate the extreme

challenges and difficulties of the past year. It is

really extraordinary to see what they have

achieved and how they have responded to

these circumstances, and I know the shows

will enable us all to reflect on our own

experiences of these times. The virtual show

builds on the success of last year’s online event

opening up new possibilities for our graduates

and future degree shows, with the smaller on

campus show providing us with a welcome

opportunity to start carefully to inhabit our

buildings again.”

The online graduate show runs

until 27 August.

eca.ed.ac.uk/graduateshow

MOST DEPRIVED

Last year the Scottish Index of Multiple

Deprivation showed that the Great Junction

Street area was the most deprived part of the

city and the 12th most deprived in Scotland.

This fact combined with the lack of commitment

to its Contract along with the cuts each year

meant that I could not support the Budgets for

2020-21 and 2021-22. I have been disciplined for

two years in a row by the Labour Group part of

the SNP led Coalition for this. This year I have

been suspended from the Group for three

months and removed from Council Committees.

This discipline does not hide the fact that

Edinburgh is still being short changed by the

Scottish Government but also by the Capital

Coalition not fulfilling its contract. Holyrood has

the money but not the political will to fully and

fairly fund Edinburgh. It has money for Revenue

and Capital (it had a record underspend of both

of £778m in 2018/19) and it has nearly £1bn of

unspent Covid monies from Westminster. The

Edinburgh Poverty Commission reported that

77,600 people in this city live in poverty

including 1 in 5 of all children.

Edinburgh needs to be fully and fairly funded

to tackle poverty. to tackle the most acute

housing problems in Scotland, to deliver

services to best effect rather than cuts to health

and social care, education, our libraries and

roads. I will continue to press the case and press

the coalition to keep to keep to its

commitments. If that means getting into trouble

with the Labour Group then so be it.

Gordon Munro

Labour Councillor, Leith


6 NEWS

High art

A colourful tower of giraffes is

heading for the capital

By PHYLLIS STEPHEN

MORE THAN 40 giraffe sculptures will take

to the streets in the capital when Edinburgh

Zoo’s Giraffe About Town trail is staged

next summer.

In partnership with Wild in Art, who

were behind the Oor Wullie Bucket Trail,

the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland

(RZSS) will display a tower of eight-foot-tall

giraffe models, helping to raise much-needed

funds for wildlife conservation. Each sculpture

will be designed and decorated by artists and

communities celebrating Edinburgh’s heritage

and cultural diversity.

David Field, RZSS chief executive, said:

“Following a wonderful welcome for our real-life

giraffes in their new home at Edinburgh Zoo, we

now want to share these majestic giants with the

city of Edinburgh and visitors with a stunning,

family-friendly art trail.

Colourful giraffes

will be dotted

about the city

“After the immense challenges we have all

faced over the last year, Giraffe About Town will

help local people and tourists fall in love with

Edinburgh all over again by encouraging them to

get out about town and explore these beautiful

sculptures, while supporting the recovery of our

wildlife conservation charity.”

The 40 sculptures will be auctioned to raise

funds for RZSS. Field said: “Raising funds to

continue our work is incredibly important and

we have been touched by the support we have

received from animal lovers who are passionate

about protecting wildlife.

“Giraffe About Town is one way we can say

Artist Carolina

Haraki and

Flock Creative

painted giraffe

thank you and bring a feelgood factor back to

Edinburgh with something truly special. It is

also a really exciting opportunity for businesses,

organisations, artists, schools and whole

communities to get involved.”

Charlie Langhorne of Wild in Art said, “We

are delighted to be working with the Royal

Zoological Society of Scotland to create this art

trail for Edinburgh. Our events are designed to

bring the enjoyment of public art to everyone

and we hope that businesses will recognise the

cultural benefits of getting involved and

sponsoring a giraffe as well as the positives for

the local community.”

More join car

sharing clubs

THOUSANDS OF private cars have beeen

taken off the road thanks to more people

signing up to car clubs in Scotland.

A new report has found that the number

of people who joined car-sharing schemes

rose by one fifth in 2020.

The research by shared transport charity

Collaborative Mobility (CoMoUK)

concluded that resulted in 5,177 fewer

cars on Scotland’s roads.

It said: “Our research consistently finds

that car clubs lead to a reduction in private

car ownership and use. For each car club

vehicle in Scotland, around ten private cars

are taken off the road. That’s 5,177 vehicles

taken off the road thanks to Scotland’s 515

car club cars.

“This is based on the number of cars

sold or disposed of since joining the car

club, and those who deferred buying a car

because of joining.”

Lorna Finlayson, Scotland director for

CoMoUK, said: “This research shows

explicitly that car-sharing plays a

significant role in cutting carbon emissions

and reducing the demand for private cars.

“Tens of thousands of people in

Scotland are now signed up to car clubs,

and that is something to be celebrated and

improved upon. We know that for every

car club vehicle on the road, a further ten

private cars are taken off the road.

“This success will assist the Scottish

Government in making real progress

in hitting its ambitious climate

change targets.

“But our report found shared transport

can have a real impact beyond simply

reducing emissions. Those involved in car

clubs are more likely to walk and cycle,

something that is known to improve

physical and mental health.

“And by giving up ownership of a

private car to join a car club, there are

significant financial savings to be

made too.”

More than half of car club members

are aged 25 to 44.

Support for NHS Lothian staff and patients

THE STOCK SHOP, a clothing store

based at the Royal Infirmary

Edinburgh, opened their doors to the

public at the end of April when

restrictions eased. Upon returning to

the store, and in recognition of the

hard work and commitment of NHS

workers, they have launched a

fundraising partnership with

the official charity partner of NHS

Lothian – Edinburgh and Lothians

Health Foundation.

The partnership will result in

in-store fundraisers and their staff take

part in activities to raise money to

benefit NHS Lothian staff and patients.

Louise Wells from The Stock Shop

said: “The Edinburgh Stock Shop team

is delighted to be working with

Edinburgh and Lothians Health

Foundation as they support the

hospital where our store is based.

We are looking forward to

supporting them throughout the

coming year with fundraising

initiatives so that we can help to make

a difference to the wider community

The Stock Shop is

now open again

through the work that they do.”

Tu Edwards, Community and Events

Fundraiser at Edinburgh and Lothians

Health Foundation, said: “We are

heartened that, despite a difficult year

for retail, the team at The Stock Shop

has made a commitment to support

us in this way. The money the team at

The Stock Shop raise will make such

a positive difference to improving the

lives of patients across Edinburgh

and Lothians.”


Reach for

the stars

Monumental change for city site

Sculpture setting

the scene at

Edinburgh Park

Yvonne’s had a

trolley good 40

7

REACH FOR the Stars, the

final and most monumental

work by British sculptor

Kenneth Armitage, has been

craned into its new home at

Edinburgh Park. It is the first of

a collection of notable

artworks that will turn the area

into a new cultural destination

for Scotland’s capital. Several

more sculptures will be

delivered in the coming

months as part of developer

Parabola’s arts strategy for the

area. Edinburgh Park will also

host one of the outdoor arenas

for major performances at this

year’s Edinburgh Festival.

Yorkshire-born Kenneth

Armitage (1916 – 2002) is

recognised as a pioneer of

modern sculpture and is

Volunteers are

invited to join

the dig

THIS SUMMER Scotland Digs 2021 will

shine a spotlight on the world-class

archaeology which is conducted all over the

country. In East Lothian it is hoped that

more fieldwork will uncover Scotland’s first

railway at Cockenzie.

The 1722 Waggonway Heritage Group

hope to complete the final phase of salt pan

excavations in Cockenzie, telling a fuller

story of the region’s 17th-century salt

making industry. Their work was interrupted

by the pandemic last year.

The team will also pick up the search for

Scotland’s first railway where they left off in

2019, opening up a longer stretch of the

Waggonway track with the hope of

establishing exactly how it was constructed,

while adding to the understanding of the

United Kingdom’s early railways. Visitors

and volunteers will be welcome at both

events with no experience required

to participate.

Dr Jeff Sanders, Project Manager at the

Society of Antiquaries of Scotland’s Dig It!

known for his large semiabstract

works characterised

by movement. He was

awarded with a CBE in 1969

and elected Senior RA in 1994.

In 1952 he followed fellow

Yorkshire artist Henry Moore

by earning an international

reputation at the Venice

Biennale, exhibiting in 1952

alongside other young

sculptors representing Britain.

In 1958 he won the Biennale

prize for a sculptor under 45.

Reach for the Stars (2001)

portrays a hand shaped like a

star supported on an arm that

is both human and

architectural.

Parabola’s innovative new

Edinburgh Park Southern

Phase masterplan is one of the

UK’s biggest zero carbon

mixed-use property

developments. The sculpture

by Armitage is one of a series

of cultural initiatives intended

to create a new arts quarter

out of the £500 million

development which includes

Mach1, a new arts and

exhibition centre designed by

Scottish sculptor and

installation artist David Mach,

RA, as well as offices for 10,000

workers in addition to the

some 12,000 already on

the park.

As well as commercial

buildings, there will be 1,800

private residential, Build-to-

Rent and affordable homes.

Digging is on

right track

Archaelogical sites open again to public

project, said: “A summer of discovery is an

exciting prospect and we’re thrilled that

many of these sites are able to open up to the

public again. Whether they’re community or

development led, each one will help add a

new chapter to a bigger story. And as

Scotland’s Archaeology Strategy outlines,

uncovering new stories helps create a

connection to past peoples, gives a sense of

perspective on what it means to be human,

and helps us imagine how the future can

be different.”

Amy Eastwood, Head of Grants at

Historic Environment Scotland, said: “We

are delighted to support Scotland Digs 2021.

This is a fantastic

incentive to get

people of all ages

in Scotland

involved in

archaeology and a

great opportunity

for volunteers to

get hands on fun

with excavations and explore the fascinating

stories of Scotland’s past.”

Ed Bethune, Chairman at the 1722

Waggonway Heritage Group, said: “We’re

excited to finally have the chance to expose

more of the Waggonway and get a full

understanding of how it was constructed,

and hopefully finding some evidence of the

people who operated it. We’ll also be getting

stuck back into a 17th century salt pan

house in Cockenzie where we hope to find

more evidence of the internal structures,

including the furnace. As part of East

Lothian Council Archaeology Fortnight

later in September, we’ll also be running a

public test pit exercise alongside our

main site, where we hope to test

the level of preservation of the

Waggonway track at intervals along

the route.”

The campaign will bring together

live updates and events until 22

September. DigItScotland.com

ASDA EDINBURGH staff member Yvonne

Somerville has just celebrated her 40th year

working in the Jewel store.

Yvonne joined Asda in 1981 as a Counter

Assistant when she was just 17 years old and has

worked in the store ever since.

Yvonne said: “When I started as a counter

assistant all those years ago, I didn’t think I would

still be here 40 years later. The time has gone by so

quickly, it’s crazy. I have worked in a number of

departments across the store, including fresh and

fruit and veg, and I’m now back working on the

counters again.

“I get on well with both the customers and

colleagues and I’ve made a lot of friends during

my time here. I always have time for a chat with

the customers and I really enjoy what I do. I have

got to know and love our regular customers really

well and I always look forward to chatting away

to everyone.”

Fresh Manager of the Asda Edinburgh store,

Donna McFadden, said: “Yvonne’s achievement is

outstanding and the whole store is really proud of

her big work milestone. She is a valued member of

our team, and she always has a smile on her face.

She has a great positive attitude which shines

through in her approach to customer service.

We’d like to thank Yvonne for all her hard work

and dedication.”

Edinburgh Leisure

A PASSPORT to summer fun is on offer this year

from Edinburgh Leisure.

While Covid-19 travel restrictions mean that

many of us will be staying at home this year,

Edinburgh Leisure has their own passport for a

summer of fun for your children and the family.

With the summer holidays approaching, the

city’s biggest sports and leisure provider,

Edinburgh Leisure, is bringing back the

summer fun safely to their centres.

Whether you are looking for a one-off activity

for the family to enjoy, or some fast-track lessons

to help make up for lost time, Edinburgh Leisure

has it covered.

There are many day and week long courses on

offer with gymnastics, swimming, diving and

climbing camps for children of all ages.

edinburghleisure.co.uk


8 FEATURE HIDDEN DOOR AT GRANTON

Spotlight on

Granton

Fabio Scalici

Phyllis Stephen chats with Depute Council Leader, Cammy Day about

his invitation to Hidden Door Festival to come to Granton


9

This year's Hidden Door Festival

remains true to its ethos of bringing

a disused place to public attention,

but the only building on the site

will actually be out of bounds to

the public, and probably also

the performers.

The festival, which takes place

between 15 and 19 September, will be a major happening

in Granton right next to the gasometer. It is an ideal

location - out of doors with plenty of space to allow for

social distancing - while bringing somewhere that is

underused to public attention, which is always part of the

Hidden Door aim.

It was Depute Council Leader and local councillor,

Cllr Cammy Day, who first proposed the idea to festival

organisers, responding to their search on Instagram

earlier this year and saying that he would love the festival

to come to Granton.

Cllr Day told The Edinburgh Reporter: "The festival

that's going to happen at West Granton will be just the

start of it. I've also had recent discussions with the Fly

Festival, which some people might know brings 3,000 to

4,000 young people into the city centre every year. That

event has been a huge success, and organisers may also

be keen to come here. We've had some formal

discussions with the Festival Fringe about whether this

could become a venue of the future for some events that

they host. So yes, it's an absolute up and coming place.

I want to put out a call to the

development world to come to us

with ideas for the tower

Repurposing

Gasometers can

change the

landscape

Martin P McAdam

OPPORTUNITIES

"Some say that we have turned our backs on the

waterfront for many years. It's now time to face up to

that, and do something exciting. Granton is a place for

people to live and work. There is a site for 4,000 homes

here, and we also want to have jobs so that people can live

and work in a 20 Minute Neighbourhood.

"It's the best part of the city for me. It has so much

opportunity to create amazing houses for people, and

jobs, as well as already having Edinburgh College and

major employers like Scottish Gas. I want to encourage

more big employers and I want to put out a call to the

development world in the future to come to us with ideas

for the gas tower. You know there's a park built into a gas

tower in King's Place in London or it could be like

another tower in Dublin which has homes inside. Across

the world there are gas towers which have been

transformed into something amazing and I am confident

the same will happen here.

"Hidden Door Festival is an extremely creative group

of people. They have a track record of opening up sites

like this and making them usable by the public and I am

really looking forward to seeing what they will do."

The festival’s Creative Director, David Martin, says

that the thought of an outdoor festival on this disused

site is exciting, and certainly the initial images from a

photo shoot show what will be a beautiful backdrop.

This site ticks the boxes in more ways than one being

outdoors, and it is a site which needs to be brought

to public attention.

Cllr Cammy Day,

on a visit to the

site, (above)

Granton Gasometer

was lit up with

fireworks (left)

The Gasometer -

equally impressive

during the day

(below)

Hidden Door highs

SOME OF Hidden Door’s highlights: The opening

night will feature Pictish Trail, supported by

Hamish Hawk, as well as MALKA and a reconfiguration

of Esther Swift's The Call. This was a

project inspired by lockdown, bringing musicians

who had been isolated and prevented from

working with one another together on a beach in

Seafield. The festival will start with a reconfiguring

of that project, with a whole range of

musicians gathering together on the site as a

symbolic gesture of musicians and artists getting

together again, with Esther Swift the harpist and

composer, conducting the whole event with large

handmade flags.

This was not the only location that the festival

organisers had in their sights, but they had to cancel

"quite a well-formed plan" at a venue which they may be

able to use in the future, but which David admitted would

certainly not be suitable for 2021.

He said: "There is a fence between us, but the gas tower

looms up at the back of the site in a kind of exciting way.

It's difficult to find an outdoor site that is dominated by a

157 foot high Victorian landmark, so it's a brilliant thing

to have that nobody else is doing.

"It's just a big empty yard, so we have to work quite

hard to kind of turn the site into something which will be

really fun and exciting to be in. I suppose part of the fun

and the pleasure of organising the event is that we can

design it with a really blank canvas. Normally, we have a

building to work with, which dictates the shape of the

event for us. We will make sure this time that if there are

even Level one or Level two social distancing restrictions

in force, Hidden Door will still be able to take place.

“The idea of exploring and finding is very much what

we're really all about.”

Learn more about Hidden Door at: hiddendoorblog.org

New Pennywell

Hub below

A new outlook

for Granton

DEPUTE COUNCIL LEADER Cllr Cammy Day is a

local councillor for the Forth Ward and believes

that Granton could become Edinburgh’s new

cultural quarter.

He said: “Granton is where Scottish Gas built

their HQ - they came here because this was

planned as a place where thousands of people

would want to live and work.

“The tramline should eventually come here,

we've got a brand new Morrison’s supermarket

and a new college located here because of

access to active travel and a possible tram route.

We will build around 4,000 homes for people,

but we also want jobs to link into the council’s

plans for 20 Minute Neighbourhoods. Big

employers like Scottish Gas and all the local

businesses you see setting up around here are

absolutely important to make this the next New

Town for Edinburgh - but even better.”

Cllr Day explained that there are plans not

only for new build homes but also for the

redevelopment of the Granton Station building

at Caroline Park where government funding

from the Levelling Up Fund might be used.

On that site the plans include a new civic square

to create a venue for people to come together,

and the building itself will become a hub for

start up businesses.

These plans, combined with the important

community-based development at Pennywell

Hub as well as the new National Galleries

Collection will, in Cllr Day’s view, make this the

go-to area of the city in years to come.

Listen to the episode of our anchor.fm podcast

recorded during a cycle at Granton with Cllr Day

visiting the festival site.


10 OPINION

Roddy Smith, CEO Essential Edinburgh

Edinburgh evolution

Changing the city fabric is vital in attracting new opportunities

WHEN WE WITNESSED the wrecking balls,

diggers and giant claws attack the out-of-date St

James Centre five years ago, little did we know

that when it reopened in 2021 it would be at

such a time of change, and it wouldn’t

necessarily be the biggest factor in our city

transforming to meet the needs of its residents

and visitors. Much was predictable as trends

change, but no one had a global pandemic on

their radar, or the seismic shock this sent

through city centres across the world.

As the magnificent St James Quarter opens

its doors, it will add immeasurably to the

evolution of our city centre. The fast forward

button has been pressed, more so than any

revolutionary town planner or visionary

developer could have imagined. At a time when

most city centres retail offering is reducing,

Edinburgh’s will emerge larger and more

diverse than before. Of course we’ve lost some

notable and iconic Edinburgh names, but the St

James Quarter has attracted many new brands

to the city. As a retail destination our standing

will increase, hopefully followed by more

residents and visitors frequenting our city

centre shops.

OPPORTUNITY

The loss of retail from some prominent city

centre buildings affords opportunity for further

change, such as The Johnnie Walker Experience

and new mixed-use developments at

Debenhams, BHS and Jenners. Yes, this has and

will change the fabric of our city and disappoint

people who loved these old stores and names,

but it’s vital for the city to manage this

opportunity.

We live in one of the greatest, most attractive

city centres in the world, but to thrive in the

future it must adapt. I firmly believe we have the

collective will of property owners, city council

and developers to make this happen. This is

borne out by many recent announcements and

examples as to how to bring historic buildings

back to life and provide new uses for buildings

as we prepare for the next phase of Edinburgh’s

city centre history.

Our World Heritage status is a fantastic

honour, and we must continue to do a superb

job of protecting this heritage whilst developing

our infrastructure for the years ahead. It’s been

a very welcome feature of the recent past that so

St James Quarter will

strengthen Edinburgh’s

retail offering

many historic buildings have been redeveloped

for modern use whilst retaining the features

that make Edinburgh stand out. The city

planners, Councillors, developers and heritage

bodies deserve praise for this, but we cannot

rest on our laurels.

The St James Quarter is a game changer, but

we cannot be complacent and think Edinburgh’s

recovery will just happen. The rise of online

shopping, the changing work patterns for

office-based businesses, changes to how we all

want to spend our leisure time and the need for

a more “experiential” time when visiting

our city centres – we need to embrace

these changes.

Our cultural offering, festivals, events and

heritage add to our attractiveness. To thrive we

need to welcome investment, and imaginative

and innovative partnerships to foster change,

encourage residents, visitors and tourists to

return, showcase our cultural events, and

promote our city to the world.

Edinburgh’s recovery and future will

depend on it.

Never too old

to get active

THE AWARD-WINNING project Ageing

Well, run by Edinburgh Leisure in

partnership with NHS Lothian, will be

starting two new activities in July to

support people to become and remain

active in later life.

Starting on Thursday, 8 July, there will

be a regular Walk around Saughton Walled

Garden with a volunteer walk leader. The

walk is suitable for people who have not

walked much before, and are looking to be

more active, or are returning from injury or

illness. The walk will take up to 30 minutes

on flat ground or gentle slopes with firm

surfaces and generally no steps. Register

your interest with active@

edinburghleisure.co.uk. Participants

should meet at the Garden Bistro, at

10.50am for an 11am start. A contribution

of £1 is welcomed towards the activity.

There will also be an 11 week long Cycle

Skills Course, starting on Monday, 12 July,

which will meet at Saughton Sports Centre

initially, with a further four weeks on the

cycle paths leaving from Ainslie Park

Leisure Centre and a further four weeks

leaving from Meggetland. Good quality

bikes and helmets are supplied to trainees

so there is no need to have your own.

This course is suitable for those who

wish to take up cycling again after a

lengthy absence but lack confidence. The

course will give participants an

opportunity to improve confidence on a

bike, increase bike-handling skills, put into

practice the skills they are learning, and be

introduced to cycle paths, on the last two

weeks of the course.

The course is very relaxed, sociable and

fun and is based on the Cycling Scotland

Bikeability material adapted for adults. A

contribution of £2 per week is asked from

trainees to help towards the running costs

of the programme.

Pre-booking a slot on the course is essential.

active@edinburghleisure.co.uk


11

EDINBURGH DOG AND CAT HOME

NEWSPAPER SUBSCRIPTION

LEITH WALK POLICE BOX

LOVE YOUR BUSINESS

MAID OF THE FORTH

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

Subscribe today and have your own

copy of The Edinburgh Reporter

delivered in a compostable envelope

to your front door from next month.

Pay just £2.50 a month or £30 a year

and help to support local

independent news.

ter.ooo.subscribe

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

Award-winning 90-minute or 3 hour

long sightseeing cruises from the

Hawes Pier at South Queensferry with

landing trips on Inchcolm Island.

Ideal for families, couples and groups

alike.

Daily sailings throughout the summer.

www.maidoftheforth.co.uk

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

ART & CRAFT COLLECTIVE

ERIC LIDDELL CENTRE

Subscribe today and have your very

own copy of The Edinburgh Reporter

delivered by Royal Mail in a

compostable envelope to your front

door from next month.

Pay just £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

A unique gallery and gift shop in

Edinburgh’s Southside - a cornucopia

of all forms of art. Buy handmade art

and craft from independent artists.

Linsay says: “If we don’t have it, we can

probably find it for you.”

artcraftcollective.co.uk

0131 629 9123

The care charity and community hub

look forward to welcoming all regular

and new customers back . All safety

measures outlined by the Government

are being followed. For the latest

information on room booking, classes

and events, visit their website.

ericliddell.org

ARDGOWAN DISTILLERY

BROUGHTON PLACE HAIR

THE WATERSHED

STOCKBRIDGE MARKET

MANDALA FLOW

Ardgowan Distillery has launched

Shipwright, its second whisky in the

Clydebuilt series. Whiskymaker, Max

McFarlane: “It is a truly sumptuous

dram, made to ignite your

imagination of far-off lands.” Free

shipping and branded nosing glass.

shop.ardgowandistillery.com

A luxurious, elegant salon with a very

happy and friendly atmosphere where

the aim is to make your experience

relaxing, enjoyable and glamorous.

Appointment essential.

0131 556 4478

2a Broughton Place EH1 3RX

www.broughtonplacehair.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 have tables and

chairs now. 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

Voted Best Therapy Practice 2021. The

practice has worked hard over six

years to create client focused sessions

of Reflexology, Energy Medicine,

Reikie, EFT and Talk Energy Sessions.

£55 for one session or £200 for four.

Call Heidi Grillo on 07786 542 315

info@mandalaflow.co.uk


12 FEATURE TOM DUFFIN

in

the

Tom

Duffin

lthough he was born and brought up a Fifer, Tom

Duffin now considers himself from Edinburgh,

possibly born from his love of the cityscape, which

is evident in his beautiful photos.

It is Tom who is responsible for the beautiful

photo of Edinburgh Castle which paints it as a

castle in the clouds that most people will have

seen somewhere. He spends a lot of time creating the

images, and it is little surprise then that he keeps the

locations he uses close to his chest.

Self-employed since the age of about 25, he has been

involved in several businesses including a paragliding

school which he ran for about 12 years. This, more than

anything, has helped him develop the kind of photos he

has become known for.

Tom explained: "I think the paragliding helps me a lot.

When you are on a glider, one of the real skills you have

to develop is perspective, and knowing whether you are

going to reach a certain point in the distance. So you

develop a skill of knowing whether you will make

it on your glide angle. That has given me a pretty

unique skill that I use in photography a fair bit.

For a lot of the photos I take, I get really far

away, looking for a perspective where I have

something on the horizon and maybe

something else just below it, waiting for the

sun to appear behind. I think it is

almost a natural instinct now,

and an example of how

several things come

together in your life to

The Tip Off taken on

top of Salisbury Crags

When you are on a

glider one of the real

skills you have to

develop is perspective

help with whatever you're currently doing."

He then had a spell building a land yacht which folds

into a suitcase and fits in the boot of a car, and which

assembles without the need for any tools. If you need any

land yacht spares, then he may have some - somewhere.

Self taught and with no formal photography training,

he reckons that the best way to learn is just to do it and

keep trying until you get it right.

Now he spends his nights in various lofty locations in

Phyllis Stephen t

paraglider Tom D

puts into his bea

the res

the city - sometimes up on Arthur's Seat in the middle of

the night, waiting for sunrise, to get the shots for which

he has become best known. It does not always work of

course, as his work is totally weather-dependent, and the

cloud cover does not always oblige.

At one point he would get perhaps 20 or 30 people

coming along on his shoots to help create the images, but

it got too complicated and he has now stopped that. For

his famous Salisbury Crags image (above) he did use

models and Tom was situated about 300 metres or so

away from them. The photograph actually involved three

young men, but one of them is lying down, as they were

taking it in turns to reenact a basketbal Tip Off.

The one who is out of shot is radio presenter and

panto villain Grant Stott’s son, Sam, who was one of

about six players who trained at the Crags Sports Centre

and who played for the Scottish national team.

Tom said: “These guys were the Scottish champions in

this year, and it was a bit of a coming of age. They were

all about 18 and would move on to the adult category

afterwards. They had played together for about seven

years and were a particularly tight knit bunch.

“There’s a bit that I call the Royal Box on the Crags

which sticks out. So in this particular case, these guys


13

So I would say 3-2-1

jump. They must have

jumped, I don’t know,

about 200 times

on the Water of Leith and showed her how to work with

a tripod and take a shot. We also went through the

Colinton Tunnel which is fabulous. Otherwise I usually

teach people up on Calton Hill or somewhere down at

the East End of the city. That is a great place to learn how

to take photos of light trails.”

Over the last year he has also spent a bit of time

innovating, firstly teaching himself how to take 360

degree photos with his Nikon DSLR camera and a fisheye

lens and a special tripod mount.

Tom said: “I take about 25 photos in five different

positions and stitch them together with a piece of

software to make high resolution sharp images. I also

have a little camera, but quickly realised it was not going

to work for photos. However it does take really good

video, and you can walk or cycle along with it on a long

pole - and the software then hides the pole. It takes a 360

video seeing everything all around, but you can edit just

the shot that you want. Oh, and then there’s the drone

that I bought at the start of lockdown - I need to do the

training for that sometime...”

You can see the results of Tom’’s sleepless nights on his

Facebook page and website. tomduffin.com

Café Culture

taking hold in

Portobello

Coastal coffee

adds some buzz

alks to photographer and

uffin about the effort he

utiful photos - shot while

t of the city is fast asleep

were taking it in turns to do the jumping. I had this shot

in mind for a couple of years. At the start of a basketball

match the ref throws the ball up, and the players go for it.

When the guys won the Scottish Championships it was

literally the last game they would ever play together.

“I was along at the sports centre and spoke to them,

asking if they would come up the Crags with me that

night for a photo. We took a couple of burst basketballs

and cut a slit wide enough so that they could actually put

a hand inside the ball.

“When they jumped, the ball would come off into the

air. To communicate I had to have my mobile hanging

from my tripod on speaker, and the guy lying down also

had his phone on speaker. So I would say 3-2-1 jump,.

They would jump and I would take a series of shots. They

must have jumped - I don’t know - maybe 200 times.”

As well as taking photographs all over the city, Tom

also teaches others how to do it. He had been teaching

groups before lockdown, but now prefers to teach on a

one-to-one basis. He said: “In a group it is the person

who speaks loudest who gets the most attention, so I

prefer to organise individual tutorials. We go where they

want to go. Recently I took a wee girl and her dad out

and she was really into waterfalls. I took her to a waterfall

Sunset over ice

The Forth Bridge with

blue sky beyond

Edinburgh Castle and

Crags in the air

By STEPHEN RAFFERTY

CAFÉ CULTURE is spreading in

Portobello with the opening of a

number of new outlets, others in the

pipeline and established outlets

prospering as Covid-19 hospitality

restrictions are eased.

Tanifiki is the latest addition to the

town’s coffeescape following the

transition of a former industrial

clothing shop at 44 High Street, and

brings together the expertise of Ben

Murenzi of Rafiki Coffee and

Jonathan Quinton of Tani Modi

brunch house in Hanover Street.

Located next to Portobello

Bookshop, Tanifiki roasts their own

coffee and can call on the experience

of former Napier University student

Ben who has been sourcing green

coffee beans from Rwanda

since 2019.

A few doors along, Greek Artisan

Pastries which opened three years

ago, has fulfilled an ambition to have

a seated area by adding a dog

friendly, disabled access area where

customers can enjoy their authentic

Greek sweet and savoury pastries.

Work is underway at the former

florist shop at 209a Portobello High

Street to convert the premises into

Affogato, believed to be the same

company which operated the coffee/

gelato shop which formerly traded

in Queensferry Road in the city’s

West End.

And likewise, work is ongoing to

transform a long-closed shop unit at

46 Bath Street into Miro’s to Go,

which will serve up gourmet

sandwiches, salads, waffles and

crêpes, desserts and coffees and

is located just around the corner

from its big sister outlet, Miro’s on

the Prom.

Other recent additions to

Portobello’s eating and drinking

scene include Passey’s Coffee

Company and bistro at the east end

of the High Street. The LGBTQ+

friendly bistro is open for breakfast,

lunch and dinner, and their signature

Sunday roasts have proved very

popular with tables hard to come by.

While the bistro is now licensed,

customers are allowed to BYOB until

Covid restrictions are lifted and the

restaurant will then make a decision

on when it will begin selling alcohol.

Specialist pasta maker Aemilia at

44 High Street have also installed a

small “espresso bar” at the rear of the

shop, and while space is limited,

owners Kip and Giada are hoping that

once Covid restrictions are relaxed

that customers will take advantage of

the limited seating or will stand

Italian-style at the bar while enjoying

a morning coffee.

Down on the Promenade, the

Beach House is making the most of

the summer season with increased

outside seating capacity proving

popular with regulars and visitors.

A well-organised queuing system

ensures a decent turnaround for

those waiting for beachside tables or

inside tables in the extensive bistro.


14 BUSINESS

Jon and Esther

Kungu Cooper

of PekoeTea

Bar job for Freddie

Freddie Main

A perfect blend

Two Edinburgh companies form a partnership trading £20,000 of tea

HERITAGE brand Edinburgh Tea & Coffee

Company which dates from 1812, is to sell

specialist tea blender, PekoeTea’s pyramid tea

bags in a new £20,000 deal offering a range of

flavours to their hospitality clients.

Kevin Moore, Managing Director of

Edinburgh Tea & Coffee Company, said: “We

are delighted to be collaborating with our

long-time friends at PekoeTea. We are super

excited to be bringing our customers a range

of high quality teas in pyramid bag format for

the first time.

“The knowledge and experience the

PekoeTea team possesses gives us real

confidence that our customers will see the

benefits of local companies working together

in this way.”

With such a long history Edinburgh Tea &

Coffee Company is one of Scotland’s largest

commercial tea blenders and artisan coffee

roasters. The company is based in Portobello.

Esther Kungu Cooper, co-owner of

PekoeTea, said: “As hospitality has started to

reopen, we’ve seen a resurgence of interest and

strong sales for our premium teas. While

lockdown saw a spike in sales from consumers

looking for really good tea to drink at home,

we’re now seeing interest from a greater range

of hospitality businesses than ever before. This

partnership with Edinburgh Tea & Coffee

Company compounds this and combines

their heritage brand with our uniquely

blended teas.”

PekoeTea began in business in 2010 and

works with tea growers in Sri Lanka, Kenya

and China to source the finest single-estate

teas from which to create hand-crafted blends.

Owners Jon and Esther Kungu Cooper

produce a range of teas from black, white and

green teas, to oolong, fruit and herbal blends.

A selection of five whisky teas have also been

specially blended by hand and flavoured with

real Scotch single malt whisky.

PekoeTea is already stocked in places such

as The Royal Yacht Britannia and the Waldorf

Astoria Edinburgh - The Caledonian.

Recently the firm moved to a tea studio on

Leith Walk which is due to open to the public

this summer.

www.pekoetea.co.uk

FREDDIE MAIN was a Design and Technology

teacher for 20 years, but has made a career

switch during the last year, launching his own

company, Oak & Black. He now specialises in

making bespoke mini bars from old whisky

barrels and counts Outlander's Sam Heughan

and the former Scotland ruby captain Greig

Laidlaw among his customers.

The bar has a smart lighting system, a

magnetic bottle opener and a hand-stamped

personalised metal tag, along with a unique

barrel number tracing its origins.

The career change from Assistant

Headteacher at Merchiston Castle School

resulted from a bout of ill health which led to

Freddie having Post Viral Fatigue. He contracted

an illness while playing for the Scotland Touch

Senior Mixed World Cup team in Malaysia in

2019, and continues to manage his health.

During lockdown his energy improved after

being off work since the beginning of 2020, and

he created a mini bar for one of his friends. It

was such a hit that he left teaching behind for a

new career, and the business now employs a

member of staff under the government's

Kickstart Scheme which helps young people get

into work.

Freddie said: “Creating barrel bars for clients

is a dream come true for me – it is something

I’ve wanted to do for years but didn’t have the

time or energy.

“Lockdown gave me that time to make my

first one and really assess whether it was a

viable business model or not, and I’m delighted

that it’s definitely going in the right direction,

especially securing orders for people like Sam

Heughan, Jim Hamilton and Cask88, and taking

on my first member of staff, which has given me

a real boost."

oakandblack.com

Gold award for Macsween’s gluten free haggis

MACSWEEN of Edinburgh

won the top award at the

National FreeFrom Awards for

its gluten free haggis.

The firm impressed the

judges and won the gold

award for the product which

the panel said had a “good,

well balanced, peppery kick”.

The Coeliac UK-certified

product has proved a

firm favourite since 2017

when it was introduced to

Macsween of Edinburgh’s

core product range.

James Macsween,

Managing Director of

Macsween of Edinburgh, said:

“Achieving Gold and Silver

Medal status in this year’s

FreeFrom Food Awards is an

excellent win for our

dedicated team at Macsween

of Edinburgh. The awards

showcase the highest

standard of foods from a

range of top quality brands, so

we are incredibly proud to be

recognised for our dedication

to producing the best haggis

in the UK.

“Everyone should be able to

enjoy and experiment with

haggis at any time of the year

regardless of their dietary

requirements, so it’s fantastic

to be recognised by the stellar

panel of industry experts.”

The FreeFrom Food Awards,

which celebrate the very best

of British freefrom foods,

are recognised as benchmarks

in the UK food production

industry.

James Macsween,

Managing Director

at Macsween of

Edinburgh


15

City lights

Phase One now open as St James Quarter lights up the east end in spectacular fashion

FOR ST JAMES QUARTER’S debut

photoshoot more than 500 light

fixtures were placed around the

ribbon W Hotel building with

accompanying projections. A

soundtrack featured the work of local

sound designer, Keith Fortune. Senior

Drum Major, Mick Hay from The

Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, took

centre stage 55m metres from the

ground, conducting the soundtrack

with the unmistakable sounds of the

drums, as lasers of light travelled

across the city in all directions.

Rochelle Weir, Brand and

Marketing Director at St James

Quarter, said: “We wanted to bring

this feeling to life, connecting with

other landmarks, businesses, and

partners across the city to mark our

opening and cement our place on

the iconic Edinburgh skyline.

“Our phase one opening is a

significant moment in Edinburgh’s

history, and we’re incredibly excited

for the people of Edinburgh and

beyond to see what lies behind the

Quarter. The light display was just

the beginning.”

The final crane came down only a

month or so before the opening after

five years as part of our city skyline.

There were at one stage 13 cranes

working on the project and the red

lights from the cranes created their

own lightshow before the

development was completed. It took

17,378 tonnes of steel and an

estimated 2.835 million working

hours to create the new destination.

St James Quarter is Edinburgh’s

largest development in a generation.

A new 1.7 million sq ft masterplan in

urban placemaking, it comprises

850,000 square feet of retail space.

The development is designed to

complement the luxury shopping at

Harvey Nichols, on Multrees Walk.

Completing the city centre’s

retail circuit, it will also be home to

John Lewis, Everyman Cinema,

a mix of new restaurants, cafés and

bars, Scotland’s first W Hotel –

W Edinburgh. The hotel has 244

stylish guestrooms, a destination bar,

outdoor terrace, signature restaurant,

chef’s table, and an AWAY® Spa,

luxury aparthotel brand Roomzzz,

with 75 rooms.

New Eidyn residences will

provide 152 premium apartments

with “exceptional amenities”,

by developers Native Land, nine

new public squares and 1,600 car

parking spaces.

Ian Georgeson


16 FOOD

It’s a taste

of Bologna...

In Porty

A window into the world of pasta making

CROSSWORD

Compiled by David Albury

Pasta specialist

Kip Preidys

Stephen Rafferty

By STEPHEN RAFFERTY

PORTOBELLO HAS added to its

growing foodie reputation with the

opening of pasta specialist Aemilia.

Top chef Kip Preidys and Giada

Betti have added a traditional

“pastificio” to the town’s High Street

and in the first week sold out all their

hand-made pastas which they make

daily on the premises.

Pastificie shops are common in

Italian towns where families will often

purchase hand crafted pasta for

cooking at home. Kip and Giada can

be seen most mornings in the

window of the shop at 186 High

Street rolling out and shaping pasta

which are sold with a variety of high

quality sauces and butters.

Future plans include introducing

Giada Betti packing

pasta at Aemilia

freshly baked focaccia bread and

sandwiches, offering artisanal olive

oils, balsamic vinegars and other

traditional Italian goods, and when

Covid restrictions are relaxed coffee

will be served from a small “espresso”

bar at the rear of the shop.

Kip is originally from Lithuania

ACROSS

1 Peruse ox, suffering from

extreme cold (8)

5 Place hams on this cab (6)

9 Its reels twist and turn in endless

manner (8)

10 Co-heir turns out to be very brave (6)

11 Our set, I’m afraid, has been

damaged by dampness (8)

12 Peg I am attaching to this bird (6)

14 From Ohio, emblem identifies this

trailer (6, 4)

18 Watching developments in

motoring? (10)

22 Carve stem to resemble images of

natural objects (6)

23 Rob’s cars damage part of

the goal (8)

24 In the Metro, picture of a parallel

line (6)

25 Made rare concoction with this

sugar (8)

26 Severe problem with these high

officials (6)

27 Link pots using sliding noose (4-4)

DOWN

1 Bury some silent ombudsmen (6)

2 Trip me up over written

permission (6)

3 Show respect as lute is displayed (6)

4 Rivers rose to fill these large,

artificial lakes (10)

6 Scores from Vegas are grouped

around middle ranges (8)

7 No crop is spoilt by this creature (8)

8 Cram leek into this fish (8)

13 From Berlin lend aid in calling

to meals (6, 4)

15 Being a copyist I omit art from

my work (8)

16 Then look through this aperture (8)

17 A pimento, badly cooked causes

food poisoning (8)

19 Peels back a covering whilst

dormant (6)

20 Get hold of boat in trouble (6)

21 Wandering in her rantings (6)

ANSWERS

Across: 1 Exposure, 5 Hansom, 9 Tireless,10 Heroic, 11 Moisture, 12 Magpie, 14 Mobile Home,

18 Monitoring, 22 Totems, 23 Crossbar, 24 Tropic, 25 Demerara, 26 Reeves, 27 Slip -Knot

Down: 1 Entomb, 2 Permit, 3 Salute, 4 Reservoirs, 6 Averages, 7 Scorpion, 8 Mackerel, 13

Dinner Bell, 15 Imitator, 16 Knothole, 17 Ptomaine, 19 Asleep, 20 Obtain, 21 Errant.

and spent time working as a chef in

some of Scotland’s leading

restaurants, while Giada is from

Imola near Bologna, which is revered

as Italy’s food capital.

Aemilia’s biggest seller is the flat

ribbon pasta tagliatelle. Kip said: “We

use local produce as much as we can,

the eggs used in the pasta are from

East Lothian and the beef used in our

shin beef ragu is all local, coming

from MacDuff Beef.

“The most popular pasta is

tagliatelle, probably because it’s the

most affordable and the simplest and

it is so traditional. Bologna and

Emilia Romagna is famous for its

tagliatelle ragu and you can’t really go

wrong with it.”

Giada added: “We wanted to create

something very simple, affordable for

everyone, and to bring to Edinburgh

a part of Italy that you can’t really find

anywhere in the city. When we first

opened many people stopped by to

wish us good luck and groups of

school children and people of all ages

stop in the street to watch us at work.

We feel very welcome and are very

happy to open the shop in Portobello.”

Open Wednesday to Sunday – check

their Instagram @viaaemilia for

opening times. www.aemilia.online


17

Juliet’s food diary

Clockwise: Eddie’s Seafood Platter

perfect for parties. Innis & Gunn

perfect staff. Hawksmoor

perfect for At Home.

ELDERFLOWER

CORDIAL

Daddy of all steaks

Hawksmoor At Home proves to be anything but dire

ONE MEAL that certainly cannot be beaten in

my book is steak and chips, so for Father’s Day

I was delighted to be able to share a

Hawksmoor At Home box with my darling

daddy. And what a feast it was.

We started with Belly Ribs and Pickled Slaw

that were unctuous in their sweet fattiness. The

main event involved a dry aged Porterhouse

steak, garlic mushrooms, creamed spinach and

peppercorn sauce. If the steak was the star of

the show, “Matt Browns Ultimate Oven Chips”

definitely won the best supporting actor gong.

Cooked in beef dripping, I consider them the

tastiest and crispiest chips I’ve ever munched,

and if I’d created them I’d probably name them

after myself too. With a couple of Johnnie

Walker cocktails and a sticky toffee pud to

finish, it was a meal to remember. Although

I value the restaurant experience, our At Home

box meant Dad could listen to as much

Dire Straits as he pleased. It’s only once a

year, after all.

When I heard that Campbell Mickel and his

lovely wife, Giselle, had taken over Eddie’s

Seafood Market in Bruntsfield I was excited to

see what they would do with the business.

Their latest offering is such a damn good idea

it’s a wonder nobody has thought of it before.

Eddies is now offering beautifully presented

seafood platters and lobster cocktail. These

creations look delicious and are perfect for

both intimate dining and parties. It’s

heartwarming to see a couple bring such talent

and initiative to their business.

I’ve been trying to think up a suitable

punishment for people who make bar and

restaurant bookings and don’t turn up. The

Guillotine, the gallows or the chair? None seem

harsh enough. Every day Edinburgh restaurants

are bemoaning the frankly ridiculous amount

of no-shows. These sort of people no doubt

share their special corner of hell with the types

that justify their existence writing their heinous

reviews on Trip Advisor. These amateur

restaurant critics rarely know anything about

food or service and couldn’t organise an orgy

in a brothel never mind run any sort of

hospitality business. Will someone please start

customeradvisor.com? Seriously, why shouldn’t

members of the public have a rating? It might

encourage better behaviour.

Would you like to hear a nice story? I

thought you might. I was recently told about a

Tinder date gone wrong. One minute the

young lady of our tale is sitting in the Innis &

Gunn Brewery Taproom on Lothian Road,

when her date tells her it’s “not happening” for

him and high tails it out. Charming. Sensing

her shock, two of the staff take it upon

themselves to cheer the poor girl up, seat her in

a more private booth and bring her a cocktail

and dessert. Buoyed up by their kindness, the

young woman replies to a message from

another potential suitor who gallantly whisks

her off for a pleasant evening and they are still

dating weeks later. Whoever you are, lovely

Innis & Gunn staff, consider yourselves

Employees of the Month.

Juliet Lawrence Wilson

I really enjoy seasonal cooking when

ingredients have a short shelf life.

Like marmalade oranges and wild

garlic, elderflowers definitely have a

blink-and-you’ll-miss-it window of

opportunity. Like most of the things

I make in big batches, I tend to give

most of it away and although I

might freeze a bottle of Elderflower

Cordial, I’ll more often just enjoy

it at this time of year. Occasionally

I might tip some of it with a glass

of prosecco into my ice cream

maker, which results in a crisp and

boozy sorbet, but more often than

not I’ll simply enjoy it with gin, soda

water and a sprig of mint. It’s best

to pick your elderflowers in the

morning when their fragrance is

at its sweetest.

• 2 kg white sugar

• 3 unwaxed lemons

• 25 fresh elderflower heads

• 80g citric acid

Dissolve the sugar with two

litres of water over a low heat.

Once dissolved bring to the boil

and remove from the heat. With a

potato peeler, peel the skins from

the lemons and roughly chop the

remainder of the fruit. Add to the

liquid with the elderflower heads

and citric acid. Cover and allow

to steep for 24 hours, strain

through a muslin cloth and bottle.

The cordial keeps in the fridge for

up to six weeks.


18 WHAT’S ON

CULTURE • LITERATURE • EVENTS • MUSIC • MUSEUMS • ONLINE LEARNING...

Derek Clark

Tommy

Smith at

St Giles’

Famed saxophonist will realise a long-held

ambition when he plays a solo concert

in the Old Town cathedral

I’m looking forward

to hearing the

notes linger in the

air, particularly

in St Giles’

Martin P McAdam

By ROB ADAMS

Growing up in Wester

Hailes Tommy Smith

was aware of St Giles’

imposing stature from

an early age and after

taking up the saxophone

at eleven the idea of playing in the

cathedral’s acoustics began to take hold.

“I’m not sure when I first stepped

inside the cathedral but it made a big

impression,” said Smith, now 54, who has

toured the world with leading musicians

including vibes virtuoso Gary Burton and

Norwegian bass master Arild Andersen,

as well as his own groups, since his teens.

His desire to play solo in the cathedral

was enhanced when the Scottish National

Jazz Orchestra filmed its Where Rivers

Meet series of streamed performances

there, with no audience, at the end

of April.

“I had the chance to play a few phrases

on my own then and got a real sense of

the wonderful quality of sound these old

stones could help to create,” he says. “I

wanted to share that sound with people

as soon as it became possible to have

public performances again.”

During the pandemic, Smith has kept

busy with the jazz course he founded at

Right: St Giles’

Cathedral on the Royal

Mile Far right: the

tierceron ceiling in

the cathedral

the Royal Conservatoire of

Scotland in Glasgow in 2009. As

the founder and director of the

Scottish National Jazz Orchestra

he was also acutely aware that the

orchestra needed to keep in touch

with its audience. He has

overseen the editing and release

of a set of videos that have

been posted online at regular

Martin P McAdam

intervals. Where Rivers Meet, which saw

the orchestra collaborate with Russianborn,

Edinburgh-based artist Maria Rud,

is the latest of these and remains available

to view on the orchestra’s website until

15 August.

For his solo concert in St Giles’ Smith

plans to play tunes from the jazz, folk and

praise song traditions, letting the music

breathe and develop in the naturally

bright ambience. It’s one of a trio of

concerts he’s giving during July in

venerable places of worship the others

being St Machar’s Cathedral in Aberdeen

and Lichfield Cathedral in Staffordshire.

“I see these concerts as a celebration

of melody,” he said.

“They might also be seen as a chance

for contemplation as people think about

what we’ve been through over the past

fifteen months and enjoy the possibility

of being able to share live music events

again after the enforced silence. I’m really

looking forward to playing and hearing

the notes linger in the air, particularly in

St Giles’, which has such a special

atmosphere.”

The concert will take place on Saturday 17

July. For more details, please visit: www.

stgilescathedral.org.uk/events

Artist Alison Watt at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery

A SIGNIFICANT new body

of work by artist Alison

Watt, (pictured left) who is

widely regarded as one of

the leading painters

working in the UK today, is

to be exhibited for the first

time at the Scottish National

Portrait Gallery (SNPG).

Watt, best known for her

beautiful and intricate

large-scale paintings of

drapery and folds, will

exhibit a series of new

paintings made in response

to the practice of the 18th

century portrait painter

Allan Ramsay (1713-84) in

Alison Watt: A Portrait

without Likeness.

The exhibiton will explore

Watt’s continuing

fascination with Ramsay’s

portraits, and is the fruit of a

long period of study into

paintings, and his drawings

and sketchbooks. Watt has

long been an admirer of

Ramsay’s portraits of

women, in particular the

intensely personal images

of his first and second wives,

Anne Bayne and Margaret

Lindsay of Evelick. Both

portraits will be shown

alongside Watt’s new work.

Watt said: “Looking into

an artist’s archive is to view

the struggle that takes place

to make a work of art. A

painting is a visual record of

the inside of the artist’s

mind. A painting is

something that takes place

over time; it is not static. To

look at a work of art is to

engage with an idea, and

that is not a one sided

activity. It’s more of a

conversation.”


19

Galloway

Hoard

Karla Black was given free

rein at the revamped

Fruitmarket

Ripe & ready

Fruitmarket Gallery blossoms after £4.3m refurb

WHILE EVERYWHERE has been closed, the

Fruitmarket had planned a closure from

September 2019 to allow for a complete £4.3

million renovation and extension project.

The gallery on Market Street has expanded

into the building next door which was once

home to Buster Brown's nightclub.

The transformed building will reopen on 7

July to the public with an exhibition by Scottish

artist, Karla Black, who was given free rein in

the pristine new space.

EXCLUSIVE WORK

Black's work will span all the galleries in an

exhibition which combines a selection of work

made over the last two decades, with new large

scale site-specific work made especially for

Fruitmarket.

Audiences will have the chance to enjoy the

colours, forms and materials of Black's art.

There are sculptures made from plaster powder,

power paint, glass, cellophane, gold leaf and

metallic thread with others made from earth,

Vaseline, cosmetics, over the counter medicines

and pastes and gels. Black was last involved

with the gallery in 2011 for the

Scotland+Venice when the artist was

nominated for the Turner Prize.

Reiach and Hall Architects, based in

Edinburgh, designed the new space prioritising

reuse of the commercial space and

sustainability. On the upper floor the natural

light flooding the space has been retained, but

Exhibition Galleries have been simplified and

material finishes and facilities upgraded. With a

new Learning Studio, a bigger Information

Room, Café and Bookshop, this is going to be a

space for everyone. The new main staircase will

offer an access with other means of accessibility

built in.

The new space is a steel-framed and brick

lined former fruit warehouse, retained as

original as possible while opening it out by

removing an upper floor and reusing joists and

floorboards.The new Warehouse retains its

historic link to the Fruitmarket and will be a

juxtaposition to the revamped space next door.

Culture and Communities Convener, Cllr

Donald Wilson, said: "It’s fantastic news that

the Fruitmarket will soon be reopening its

doors and unveiling its expansion. It shows the

ambition of our cultural institutions is

undimmed by the last 18 months, and keeps

Edinburgh at the forefront of the contemporary

visual arts.

"Culture is at the heart of Edinburgh’s

ongoing success and I believe that investment

in culture is investment in the future health and

well-being of our citizens.

“We are very much looking forward to

the opening."

Fiona Bradley, Director of the Fruitmarket,

said: "We’re proud to have turned the

Fruitmarket’s well-loved, but well-worn,

building into a bold, collaborative cultural

space. Karla Black’s work looks incredible, and

proves the building’s potential to inspire artists

now and into the future. All that’s missing is the

audience that will bring the building back to

life. We can’t wait to welcome people back."

CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

Neil Gillespie, Director, Reiach & Hall

Architects, said: "We were aware of the

formidable cultural significance of the

Fruitmarket both as an agency for excellence

and as a piece of architecture. The organisation’s

two contrasting but complementary ambitions

– renovation and extension – are literally

contained within their two contrasting and

complementary archetypal spaces. We sought

to combine the two very different worlds of the

existing Fruitmarket building and the newly

excavated warehouse next door to create an

ensemble of spaces that is innovative and

courageous, offering incredible opportunities

for interpretation and use.”

Karla Black, Sculptures (2001–2021) details for a

retrospective • 7 July – 24 October 2021 • Open

seven days

Gallery spaces • 11am–6pm • Bookshop and

Café • 10am–6pm • www.fruitmarket.co.uk

Lidded vessel from the Galloway Hoard

©Historic Environment Scotland

Four arm rings and gold objects from

The Galloway Hoard ©NGS

Digging into mystery of Viking treasure

THE GALLOWAY Hoard, Scotland’s earliest

Viking-age hoard, was buried around 900

AD and rediscovered in 2014 on Church of

Scotland land at Balmaghie in

Kirkcudbrightshire by a metal detectorist.

Now the story of the hoard, its contents

and its significance are just beginning to

be told with the opening of a new

exhibition at the National Museum of

Scotland (NMS). The exhibition of the

fascinating find will run until 12

September. A lidded vessel is

perhaps the single biggest

item but others of note

include the cluster of ribbon

arm rings almost

interwoven together. The

thought is that the hoard

is a deliberate deposit

from possibly four owners,

not all of whom were of

equal status, but it was done

with a lot of thought.

Dr Chris Breward, NMS Director said:

“The Galloway Hoard rightly drew

international attention both on its

discovery and its acquisition by NMS

following a successful major fundraising

campaign. I’m sure people will be

fascinated to have this opportunity to see

it now far more clearly, to understand

its importance and to gain an insight

into the amazingly detailed work

that we have done and are

continuing to do with it.”

Sat 29 May to Sun 12 Sept 2021

National Museum of Scotland,

Chambers Street, Edinburgh

(and touring thereafter)

Admission: Free

(pre-booking required to

visit the Museum)

nms.ac.uk/gallowayhoard


20 BEAUTY

Wow factor

Mark wants the salon to

function like a hair salon and

feel like an opulent, comforting

and relaxing space

Pull on a kimono and indulge yourself in a five

star hair treatment at city salon MarkDavid

I

LOVE GOING to the hairdresser and was

delighted to have the opportunity to visit

MarkDavid. As I walked along Henderson

Row I knew instantly where I was going by

the wonderful floral welcoming arch over

the door at No 83.

Abiding by the Covid-19 guidelines, I waited at

the entrance until invited in. The welcome inside

was every bit as lovely - and the stunning interior

design definitely creates a “wow” factor. There is

no doubt that considerable thought has gone into

creating a unique client experience, from the fresh

colour scheme and House of Hackney wallpaper,

Japanese kimono (for female clients) and head

massage, to the luxury products, mini-cupcakes

and the display of fresh flowers.

As part of my hair wash, while lying on the relaxing

massage chair, I was treated to a head massage by

assistant Marina who discussed any special hair

concerns I may have.

Then it was over to salon owner Mark for my

blow dry who selected just the right products for

my style telling me about his thought process

behind his unique salon. MarkDavid was opened

at the end of 2019 and he used the lockdown to

bring his own creative vision to life, blending his

passion for hairdressing with that of interior

design. He explained that he wanted the salon to

function like a hair salon and feel like an opulent,

comforting and relaxing space. Something he has

definitely achieved.

The extensive hair treatment menu includes

luxury treatments to spoil yourself, such as Hair

Treatment Comfort (£55) and Hair Treatment

Purity (£65) and there is a beauty treatment menu

from Holly Rox Beauty. Holly shares the same

ethos of customer care and quality treatments.

Most recently she has added the medical grade

Elim pedicure (£50) which is described as a “facial

for the feet” which clients enjoy while lying on the

relaxing massage chair.

As I left the salon with my fresh blow dry (£35),

and feeling very glam, heading to drinks with a

friend in town, I reflected on a lovely experience

and one that I’ll definitely try again.

Elaine Darling

For further information or book please visit

www.markdavidsalon.com or call 0131 285 0991


21


22 SPORT

Alan Simpson

Busy Hibees

A bustling summer ahead for Hibs boss Jack Ross

Ryan Porteous has been

linked with big money moves.

Hibs coach Jack Ross (inset)

By JOHN HISLOP

AFTER LAST SEASON’S third place finish, Hibs’ fans

are hoping for more of the same although Jack Ross’s

squad is likely to be somewhat different when the

cinch league campaign begins on Sunday 1 August.

Goalkeeper, Ofir Marciano, has already departed

and been replaced by Matt Macey and with Kevin

Dabrowski and teenager Murray Johnson also on the

books it is unclear whether Ross will look to add

another keeper to the squad.

In defence, Ryan Porteous has been linked with a big

money move to Turkish giants Galatasaray whilst

English Championship side Millwall has already had a

bid rejected, whilst Josh Doig continues to attract the

attention of a number of English clubs including

Arsenal, Manchester City, Leeds United and Watford.

Should Porteous leave, Ross will need to find a

replacement with St Johnstone centre-half and Hibs’

fan Jason Kerr thought to be on the Head Coach’s

radar but the left back position could be filled by

veteran Lewis Stevenson or Sean Mackie.

In midfield fans are looking forward to seeing

winger Daniel Mackay in action whilst fans’

favourite Scott Allan will hopefully return to action

after his health scare, and a good pre-season should

get the best from highly-rated Kyle Magennis and

Chris Cadden.

Joe Newell signed a two-year deal so should be

available but question marks remain over Socceroos

Jackson Irvine who is weighing up an offer whilst on

international duty, and team mate Martin Boyle who

has a £500,000 release clause in his contract.

An expected bid for long-term target Allan

Campbell from Motherwell failed when the box-tobox

midfielder signed for Luton Town.

Forgotten duo Fraser Murray and Stevie Mallan,

who both spent the majority of last season on loan to

Dunfermline and Yeni Malatyaspor respectively, may

or may not return, but Melker Hallberg is likely to

leave due to a lack of first-team football.

Up front, Kevin Nisbet will undoubtedly attract

offers after his inclusion in Steve Clarke’s EURO 2020

squad but on-loan strikers Jamie Gullan and Josh

Campbell will return to the club to partner Christian

Doidge with Ryan Shanley heading to Edinburgh City

for the season.

Ross also has high hopes for youngsters Steven

Bradley who was on the fringes of the first team last

season along with highly rated teenagers Ethan

Laidlaw and Josh O’Connor.

Hibs first competitive game will be against either

Mons Calpe or FC Santa Coloma at Easter Road on

22 July in the UEFA Europa Conference League

2nd qualifying round.

Ian Jacobs

Rolling with

the punches

Ken Buchanan, 75 and going strong

THE SCOTTISH boxing legend was just a face in the crowd while out and

about in his home city of Edinburgh.

Yet, around 50 years ago, he was the headline attraction at the iconic

New York arena of Madison Square Garden with celebrated Muhammad

Ali – “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” - on the undercard.

Buchanan won 61 of his 69 professional fights, 27 by knockout, after

launching his paid career on 20 September 1965 in London, knocking out

Brian Tonks in the second round after a glittering amateur career topped

by winning the ABA title at featherweight.

The rest is history. At the peak of his career, Ken Buchanan, MBE, was

the former undisputed world lightweight title holder. Now he lives in a

nursing home in Leith.

Nigel Duncan


23

Moving on up

Live Edinburgh News

Midfield maestro Michaela joins Hibs

Hibernian Women FC

By JOHN HISLOP

SPARTANS’ TALENTED young

midfielder Michaela McAlonie has

joined Hibs Women to “further develop

her career” as a footballer.

The 19-year-old is one of the

brightest young players in Scotland and

has played for her country at both

under-17 and under-19 level, captaining

the latter and made her first appearance

for Spartans as a 15-year-old.

A predominantly right-footed player,

Michaela will add an attacking

dimension to Hibs midfield, being

well-renowned for her energy and

aggressive forward play.

Michaela said: “After three great years

at Spartans, I felt now was the time for

me to take on a new challenge. Every

year I’ve had opportunities, but never

quite felt the time was right - until now.

“After a lot of thought, I chose

Hibernian because I felt I needed a new

challenge, and I feel that Hibs can

Michaela

McAlonie

progress and direct me towards the

right path to further develop my career

as a player. This is a squad with a lot of

talented players, and I know a good few

of them already through the youth

national teams - I’m excited to now play

with them weekly.”

Head Coach, Dean Gibson, said:

“Michaela is a player I have admired for

a long time, and one Hibs have always

been keen to try and bring to the club.

She’s developed really well into a player

that’s regarded as one of the top

prospects in this country.

“At only 19, we are excited to see

where her career takes her, and we are

delighted to be able to play the next part

in her journey. Adding Michaela to the

current group of players we have here is

only going to make us go from strength

to strength. We are excited to see what

she will bring.”

Michaela is the fourth new addition,

joining other signings, Emma Heikkila,

Gabby English and Toni Malone.

Friday night footie

Edinburgh City to play weekend home fixtures

By JOHN HISLOP

AMBITIOUS Edinburgh City aim

to attract Hibs and Hearts fans

after receiving the green light

from the SPFL to play their home

fixtures on Friday nights.

Unfortunately the club’s return

to Meadowbank has been

unavoidably delayed due to the

impact of Covid, however it is

anticipated the ground will be

ready for handover in October.

In the interim they will continue

playing home matches at

Ainslie Park.

City just lost out on promotion

last term finishing in second

place after losing a League Two

play-off final to Dumbarton.

Callum Crane, Ouzy See,

Robbie McIntyre, Liam Brown,

Danny Jardine and Danny

Handling will continue their

careers at City whilst Calum

Antell, Craig Thomson, Kelby

Mason, Marc Laird, Andy Black,

Alex Harris, Dean Beveridge Liam

Henderson and Sam Newman

have all departed. Loan signings

Raffaele De Vita, Jamie

Dishington, Darren Smith, Jordan

Tapping, Sam Denham and Josh

Campbell have all returned to

their parent clubs and Conrad

Balatoni has been made available

for transfer by mutual

agreement.

Manager Gary Naysmith has

so far captured highly rated Ryan

Evening matches

for the Citizens

Shanley on a loan from Hibs,

midfielder Callum Tapping from

Stenhousemuir, versatile Lewis

Kidd from East Kilbride, James

“Jinky” Hilton from Stranraer,

defender Stephen Bronsky

from Elgin City and Livingston

goalkeeper Brian Schwake on

a season-long loan deal.

The Citizens kick off the

campaign on Saturday 31 July at

home to Albion Rovers, and head

north to face Forfar Athletic a

week later. The first Friday night

home fixture is on 13 August

with Stenhousemuir the visitors

for this historic match, then

travelling to newly-promoted

Kelty Hearts on 21 August, before

meeting Elgin City on 28 August.

Hearts and MND strip tribute to Tynie legend Žaliūkas

By JAMIE MCINTOSH

MND SCOTLAND will be shown on the

front of the new Hearts home shirt for the

2021/22 season following a two-year

agreement with Dell Technologies (DT).

The new sponsorship deal is structured

in a similar way, with DT donating on

behalf of MND Scotland and Hearts

donating a percentage of each shirt sold

to the charity.

The deal is seen as a tribute to the

legendary Hearts captain Marius Žaliūkas,

who lost his fight to the disease last

October. Žaliūkas played more than 150

times for Hearts across six seasons, but he

will be most fondly remembered for lifting

the Scottish Cup in 2012, after beating

their Edinburgh rivals Hibs.

A Hearts spokesperson said: “This

landmark sponsorship deal will help to

raise awareness of the work undertaken

by MND charities throughout the UK and

support those living with MND in

Scotland. Funds raised will also enable

pioneering research into MND, such as the

projects taking place at the Euan

MacDonald Centre for MND Research at

University of Edinburgh. Once again, the

club has sought out an innovative way of

securing sponsorship funding whilst

providing a platform for a cause that is

dear to supporters’ hearts.”

Dell Technologies will work with Hearts

over the next two years on a programme

to transform the club’s “digital estate”. Dell

funded the front of the home shirt for

MND Scotland. Hearts will make a

contribution to the charity for every home

shirt sold in the season ahead.

Iain McWhirter, MND Scotland’s Interim

Chief Executive, said: “We are very excited

to be partnering with Heart of Midlothian

FC this season. This opportunity will

honour the memory of former captain

Marius Žaliūkas who passed away last year

after a brave struggle against motor

neurone disease.

“DT has supported our sister charity,

MND Association of England, Wales and

Northern Ireland, for two years, and we are

thrilled to now be working with them to

raise funds and awareness here in

Scotland. We hope this boost will enable

us to speak to more people about our

cause, and that the funds donated

through sales will help us reach our

ultimate goal of finding a cure. Until that

day we will continue supporting families

affected by MND in Scotland, so they do

not have to go through the devastation

alone.

“We’re really looking forward to seeing

the new strips out on the pitch very soon.”


Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!