The Edinburgh Reporter January 2020

January 2020

@EdinReporter /EdinReporter edinburghreporter theedinburghreporter.co.uk

A new decade dawns

NEWS

Fixing the roads and pavements

Read more on Page 6

FOOD

Juliet is resorting to tea this New

Year Read more on page 25

PHOTO © Martin P McAdam

WHAT'S ON

Burns&Beyond celebrates both

Burns and Chinese New Year

Read more on page 16

This month will mark the end of

one decade and we can move on to

the Twenties. Will they be anything

like the Roaring Twenties of the

20th century? Who knows!

Our photo shows the two faces

of the most photographed building

in Edinburgh - The Rocco Forte

owned The Balmoral. So first we

have to look back...

The end of last year was a busy

one mainly due to the six week

General Election campaign and

then the fallout of that just before

the Christmas holidays.

Then we can look forward.

Now the UK Government seems

set on steering a course to life

outside the EU, while The Scottish

Government is constitutionally

opposed to that and calling for a

second independence referendum.

There is no doubt that there will

be more politicking to come in the

year ahead.

To start things off you have the

Johnnie Walker Burns&Beyond

Festival to look forward to from

21 January to 9 February 2020.

There will be a feast of Scottish

and Chinese culture to enjoy as

the Chinese New Year falls on

Burns Night for once.There are

still tickets for the OneCity Trust

Burns Supper, a black tie event

being held on Friday 24 January at

Prestonfield House.

The council's Finance and

Resources Committee meets on

23 January 2020 for a special

meeting to discuss its budget for

the next financial year. This will be

preceded by The Scottish Budget

when Finance Secretary Derek

Mackay will set out his spending

plans for the country. This was

delayed from early December and

will be delivered in a shortened

timescale. What seems clear is

that there is never enough money

for government at any level.

Happy New Year!

FEATURE

Birch Tree Gallery welcomes

Peter Davis from Shetland

Reader more on page 15

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at the biggest club in town this winter.

Join online today at

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Terms and conditions apply. Offer ends 31st January.

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2

NEWS

The Edinburgh Reporter

ABOUT US

Thank you very much for

reading The Edinburgh Reporter

newspaper this January.

Another year and another decade

begins!

I wish prosperity and good health

to you and yours in 2020 and

beyond.

Please have a look at our website

and the multimedia content we

produce on Facebook, Twitter and

Instagram as well as our podcasts

on Anchor.FMm and videos on

YouTube and Vimeo.

All of this content is brought to

you free of charge, but it costs

real money to produce all of this

content.

If you can, then could we ask

you to consider making a regular

donation? The price of a cup of

coffee every now and then helps

us a lot!

Scan the QR code below which

directs you to the donations page

on our website.

Your kind assistance helps us

to maintain all of our content as

free to access for the foreseeable

future. We are very grateful to all

of you who already do.

But if you would like to advertise

with us and support us that way

then do get in touch. editor@

theedinburghreporter.co.uk

You can also read The Edinburgh

Reporter on PressReader. This app

fallows you to download copies of

whole newspapers and magazines

from across the world rather than

reading stories online. You can

use your library card to get free

copies- ask at your local library

how it works!

And if you have any stories for us

please get in touch. We are really

interested in getting our teeth into

local stories that need to be told

Phyllis Stephen Editor

Scan here!

Letters to the Editor

From the Rt Hon Lord Provost

of the City of Edinburgh Frank

Ross Councillor Corstorphine

Murrayfield.

The citizens of Corstorphine

Murrayfield have been sent a very

clear message by the Council.

You don’t matter.

You’re not important.

And how was that message

communicated?

At the recent Finance and

Resources committee meeting

an amendment was unanimously

agreed that has been viewed by

the community as ending any

prospect of Council funding to

support the rebuilding of the

Corstorphine Community Centre.

This despite assurances, over

the last 12 months, from several

political groups, the Leader and

Depute leader of the Council and

previous committee positions,

arrived at unanimously, that led

us to believe funding would be

forthcoming.

Those volunteers who have

committed thousands of hours

raising funds, developing designs

and business plans will feel

absolutely gutted by this decision.

As will all the community

volunteers who opened and

ran the Hub on St John’s Road

maintaining contact with the

groups that had used the old

community centre and ensuring

community services were still

available to local citizens.

Indeed although the Hub

facilities are not suitable for all

the existing groups the volunteers

have worked hard to develop new

activities catering for vulnerable

groups within the community.

The Hub’s existence is at risk

from the proposed redevelopment

of the site and the there were great

community hopes based on the

rebuilt centre.

Those councillors who opposed

supporting the community are

happy to benefit from the not

insignificant amount of council

tax raised from Corstorphine

Murrayfield but were unwilling

to reinvest £750k back into the

rebuild for the benefit of the

community.

This is a large amount of money

but has already been matched

by over £2 million pounds

committed to this project by the

wider Corstorphine Murrayfield

community.

Additionally matched funding in

excess of £100,000 may now be

at risk.

Despite assurances that the

funding could be secured against

the land value thereby securing

the Council’s money if it ceased

to operate as a community centre

the committee decided to leave

Corstorphine Murrayfield as the

only ward in the City with no

council community facility.

There will be widespread dismay

in Corstorphine Murrayfield

over this decision and many will

wonder what motivated those

councillors who blocked progress

on this

It is perhaps of great concern

that none of the Councillors on the

F&R committee have ever visited

the area or the Hub to see the

great work being carried out by

community volunteers.

However the Chairperson has

written to all Group leaders

inviting them and their respective

Finance representatives to visit

the Hub and see first hand what is

happening in the community.

I would urge them all to take up

this offer.

Dear Editor,

LED digital advertising screens

and signs in city shop windows are

spreading like a wildfire. Is there

no limit to how large, disturbing or

distracting they can be? Shouldn't

they need planning permission

from the Council before being

installed?

Presumably they're meant to

attract customers, but those that

are over-bright or have constantly

flashing or moving images put

me right off. I spend my money

elsewhere! I urge others who

prefer a calmer, more tranquil

environment to boycott these

businesses.

Yours sincerely,

R M Atkinson

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What’s in a name?

According to National Records

of Scotland there is no change in

the most popular babies names in

Scotland this year.

Jack and Olivia were the most

popular first names for babies

whose births were registered in

2019 and as we have already

reported in previous years Jack

has been the most popular boys’

name for 12 years in a row and

Olivia is the top girls’ name for a

fourth consecutive year.

In Edinburgh the number one

choice last year, in 2018, was

James closely followed by

Alexander at number 2 and Oliver

at number 3. At fourth equal Harris

Jack and Leo, Rory at 7th and then

NEWS IN BRIEF

The Speaker newspaper

published in Restalrig, Lochend

and Craigentinny since 2002

is to be cut back to quarterly

from Spring 2020 due to lack of

funding. The editor Liz Ferguson

is retiring and the newspaper will

be edited by someone new in the

New Year.

Childhood Immunisation

Statistics, Public Health Minister

Joe FitzPatrick said: “Childhood

immunisation rates across

Scotland remain very high. Uptake

rates of the MMR vaccine have

continued to exceed the 95%

target and there is no evidence

of significant transmission of

measles in Scotland among

infants or children in primary or

secondary school.

“This reflects both the hard work

and commitment of those working

in the NHS and the recognition

Please support our

stockists!

All Farmers Autocare outlets

across the city

194 Queensferry Road, 225

St John's Road, 34 Hillhouse

Road, 111 Piersfield Place, 19c

Strathearn Road and 108B Market

Street Musselburgh.

All city libraries.

Avalanche Gapinski Waverley

Mall Princes Street EH1 1BQ

Bonhams 22 Queen St EH2 1JX

Boardwalk Beach Club

50 Marine Drive EH4 5ES

Broughton Place Hair & Beauty

2a Broughton Pl EH1 3RX

Café Lowdown

40 George St EH2 2LE

Candersons Sweet Shop

102 Leith Walk EH6 5DT

Close Gallery

4B Howe St EH3 6TD

The Doo’cot

731-733 Ferry Rd EH4 2UA

Oscar, Thomas and Daniel tied

for 8th place with Daniel, Finlay,

Hamish, Lucas and Max all tied at

number 10.

As for the girls registered in

Edinburgh in 2018, the number one

name was Isla with Olivia, Emily,

Ella, Amelia, Sophie, Sophia, Ava,

Charlotte, Lily and Mia in the top

ten.

of the benefits of vaccination.

However, we are not complacent

and will continue to make every

effort to promote and encourage

childhood vaccinations.”

Gordon Macdonald MSP said to

Holyrood that despite the council

having their own Fair Trade City

signage at the city boundary on

the A71, they prevented Balerno

from putting up their own signs.

Minister Michael Matheson

replied it was a matter for councill

who have the power over such

signage.

The Edinburgh Wellbeing Festival

is on from 1 – 2 February 2020

at Assembly Rooms. It brings

together some of the biggest

names in the wellness industry to

deliver a weekend of talks, classes

and workshops to help us all lead

healthier and happier lives.

edinburghwellbeingfestival.com

ESPC Showroom

107 George St EH2 3ES

Grassmarket Community Project

86 Candlemaker Row EH1 2QA

Henderson's 94 Hanover St EH2

1DB and Holyrood Rd

The Hideout Cafe 40-42 Queen

Charlotte St EH6 6AT

Leith Walk Police Box Pop Up

Croall Pl EH7 4LT

Maialino 34 William St EH3 7LJ

Milk & Honey

78 Queen Street EH2 4NF

Scottish Arts Club

24 Rutland Sq EH1 2BW

St Bride’s Community Centre

10 Orwell Terrace EH11 2DZ

Strumpets

35 William Street EH3 7LW

Summerhall

1Summerhall EH9 1PL

The Queen's Hall Box Office

Clerk St EH8 9JG

The Royal Scots Club

29-31 Abercromby Pl EH3 6QE

C

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Editor: Phyllis Stephen

editor@theedinburghreporter.co.uk

07791 406 498

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

We welcome contributions to our website and newspaper.

@EdinReporter


/EdinReporter

edinburghreporter

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

4

NEWS


Rotarians hear firsthand about

their help

In December the members of the

Currie Balerno Rotary Club were

able to see for themselves an

example of the benefit that their

intervention can bring.

The Club was contacted by Janet

Walker, Deputy Head Teacher

at the Wester Hailes Education

Centre (WHEC), seeking funding

for a four-day residential course

for three students with speech

impediments. The funding was

agreed and the students - Tyler

Carrol, Ainslie MacKinnon and

Brandon Hogg – were able to

benefit from the course.

It was then arranged that Pupil

Support Leader Gavin Ellis should

come to the Club, along with Tyler,

Ainslie and Brandon, to receive the

Club’s cheque on behalf of WHEC.

Sadly Tyler was unable to attend

but the others are in the photo

below.

After the presentation of the

cheque Ainslie said a few words

on behalf of himself, Brandon and

Tyler expressing their thanks for

the support the Club had given.

He spoke carefully and

remarkably well, saying that the

course had not only enabled

him to do much to overcome

his speech impediment but also

given him the confidence to

Tracey Smith, Operations

Director at Edinburgh-based GTS

Solutions CIC, has been named

one of the country's most inspiring

business women.

She was recognised for her work

in the social enterprise sector and

was included in the Women in

Social Enterprise 100 (WISE100)

2019 run by NatWest Social and

Community Capital.

Tracey was also nominated in

the One To Watch category just

under a year after becoming GTS

Solutions' first female operations

director.

A glittering awards ceremony

was held at NatWest's conference

centre in Bishopsgate, central

London, and Tracey admits the

achievement has taken a while to

sink in.

"I was surprised but also

delighted when I heard the news,"

said Tracey, the only WISE100

person who is a director of a

company currently in the NatWest

SE100 Index.

"I don't think the realisation has

dawned on me yet but obviously

it's a very proud moment.

"GTS Solutions has been

refocusing on public safety in

the last year and this is great

recognition for us and for what we

are trying to do.

"From a personal perspective it's

great to be recognised as a female

in the security industry as it has

generally been a male-dominated

From left Ainslie, Gavin, Brandon and Club President Lindsay Craig.

speak publicly as he did on this

occasion.

The Club members were

both impressed and moved by

Ainslie’s words of thanks and

were delighted to have this rare

opportunity to see at first hand

what their help had achieved.

This intervention was financed

partly by the Rotary Club’s charity

account but primarily by the

Community Chest, set up by the

Currie Balerno Rotary Club in 2016

and now funded equally by the

Rotary Club, the Balerno Village

Trust and CALA Homes.

For more information about the

Community Chest or the Rotary

Club go to www.cbrotary.org or

Mike Rowe on 0131 449 5701.

National recognition for Tracey

sector."

GTS Solutions is the only

gold standard social enterprise

operating in private security in the

UK and is recognised for paying

the living wage to all employees.

Tracey has helped the company

attain Disability Confident

employer status for the first time.

This is awarded by the

Department of Work and Pensions.

She has also supported more

than 40 people from a range of

backgrounds into employment.

She said: "I believe there is only

a barrier if you allow that barrier to

be there.

"It is such a good feeling to help

people by nurturing their abilities

and seeing them grow as people."

Rotary International

Rotary’s governing body, Rotary

International, likes mottos and

themes!

Most months of the year have

designated themes: not widely

publicised, these are primarily to

remind Rotarians of important

aspects of their “Service above

self” – that is, helping people less

fortunate than themselves.

January is “Vocational Service”

month.

This can be summed up no

better than in the words of

Rotary’s founder, Paul Harris: “Of

all the hundred and one ways in

which men can make themselves

useful to society, undoubtedly the

most available and often the most

effective are within the spheres of

their own occupations”.

Self-evident? Possibly. Confined

to Rotary? Certainly not: other

voluntary organisations also make

use of their members’ talents,

Researchers at the University

of Edinburgh have made new

discoveries about damaging

proteins which build up in the

brains of people with Alzheimer’s

disease.

A study in mice reveals how

two proteins – amyloid beta and

tau – work together to disrupt

communication between brain

cells. Clumps of the proteins were

found in the mouse model and

in brain tissue from people with

Alzheimer’s.

Scientists observed how the

proteins team up to hamper

key genes responsible for brain

messaging.

By changing how genes are

expressed in the brain, the proteins

can affect its normal function.

These changes in brain function

were completely reversed when

vocational or otherwise, and why

not?

In Rotary Clubs in and around the

city, there are numerous examples

of “Vocational Service” performed

by their members: builders build;

painters paint; drivers drive;

nurses and doctors help at events

such as “Stroke Prevention Days”;

fund-raisers raise funds! The

breadth of vocational backgrounds

needed to help under-privileged

people is so large that Rotary

Clubs are always looking to attract

new members, especially those

with special talents or skills.

So, don’t hide your light under a

bushel. If you think that you could

use your talents to help others,

why not consider joining Rotary?

For more information on Rotary

contact secretary@rotary1020.org.

Many local Clubs also have

Facebook pages, where further

information can be found.

Dementia study into

damaging proteins

genetic tools were used to reduce

the presence of tau.

The study focused on the

connection points between brain

cells – known as synapses – that

allow chemical and electrical

messages to flow and are vital to

healthy brain function.

Stopping the damage that the

two proteins cause to synapses

could help scientists prevent or

reverse dementia symptoms, the

researchers say.

Lead researcher, Professor

Tara-Spires Jones works at the UK

Dementia Research Institute at the

University of Edinburgh.

She said: “More work is needed

to take what we’ve learned in this

study and find therapeutics – but

this is a step in the right direction,

giving us new targets to work

towards."

EIF residency at Leith

Academy

Edinburgh International Festival

celebrated its residency at Leith

Academy with cake last month.

The pupils also unveiled their new

branding all developed with the

EIF marketing team and using the

well known EIF yellow within the

design.

Caroline Donald Head of Learning

and Engagement at EIF said

:“We’ve been working in the school

since 2019 and we’re running a

three year residency in partnership

with the school, bringing the EIF

together to enrich the life of the

school, but also to enrich the work

of the Festival.

"We’re working creatively looking

at creativity skills, but also looking

at the skills that are needed by

our festival team to make the

festival. Our yellow brand is well

known across the world. During

the festival, they will be coming to

see work.

"They’ll be helping us with some

of the talks and events and we’ll

have workshops from some of

the artists coming to the festival

happening in the school.”

Watch the video by scanning the

QR code here.

CULTURE TRAIL

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Whisky Tasting with Johnnie Walker & Scott Capurro &

DJ Ashley Beedle & out of the ordinary & DJ Davie Miller

& Jo Wallace & Ramrock Records & Kevin Williamson &

easter road northern soul band & Michael Pedersen &

Silent Adventures & Chinese Lanterns at St. Giles’ Cathedral

& The Kixx Collective & The Bum Clocks & much more…


6 NEWS


NEWS 7

Plans for Peffermill

The University of Edinburgh has

published artist impressions of

its planned new sports village at

Peffermill Playing Fields.

There will be a sports centre

designed to complement the

landscape in the area which will

increase the facilities students

can use.

About half of the bookings at

Peffermill are made by the wider

public and they will enjoy the

enhanced facilities of the world

class sports village too.

The University’s sports facilities

across the city are used by

numerous teams and members of

the public on a daily basis.

This will include a 12-court multipurpose

sports hall, four-court

indoor tennis hall, strength and

The Royal Highland and

Agricultural Society of Scotland

(RHASS) has just completed its

third year of investment in the

showground at Ingliston, with

record attendance at the show and

welcoming over one million people

at over 200 events at The Royal

Highland Centre.

A planned three-year £15

million investment programme

into the Society’s 120-acre

site was announced in 2017.

Now that programme is almost

conditioning gym, fitness gym, and

social and conference spaces.

The tennis facilities are

supported by Tennis Scotland’s

Transforming Scottish Indoor

Tennis Fund – in recognition of

the shortage of easy access to

indoor courts in the local area.

Basketball, futsal, korfball,

netball and volleyball will also be

added to the sports available at

Peffermill, along with improved

facilities for hockey and archery.

Plans include a 573-bed

residence on existing

University land, which will offer

accommodation for students

during term time.

These will then be made

available for athletes and event

attendees during summer months.

complete. There has been

significant modernisation to

utilities, upgrading of existing

event facilities and a £5 million

conference and membership

facility has been built which will be

launched in Spring this year,

The 180th Royal Highland

Show in 2020 looks like the most

sustainable to date. RHASS

Directors also gave their support

to a root and branch review of

transport and travel to the RHS

following the successful pilot of

its public transport plan in 2019

when over 40,000 visitors left the

car at home and travelled to the

show by bus, tram and train.

New for the 2020 Show is a

comprehensive bus travel plan

which will transport those coming

to the show from major towns

and cities throughout Scotland,

providing a realistic alternative to

car journeys.

Alan explained the approach:

“The RHS has an ongoing

commitment to improving its

sustainability and environmental

credentials and we will continue

to promote its excellent public

transport links as the ‘Best Way to

Getting the roads fixed

Shane Carter has lived in East

Claremont Street for about three

years and for at least two of those

he has been trying to get the

council to do something about the

state of the road and pavements

there.

He explained to us that it is

particularly the footpaths which

concern him.

Mr Carter said : "My complaint

with the council is is that the

highways department is reactive

and not proactive, that it's a

service in crisis. They are not

proactively managing their

work. They're not engaging with

residents.

"And they're just very arrogant

about when they'll do work if they'll

do them at all, and about actually

not putting works out to tender

in time and making sure that

what needs to be done is done

in a timely manner. That's really

my essential complaint with the

council.

"The pavements in East

Claremont Street and the

get to the Show’. Our aim is to set

the standard in sustainable travel

for the event and would welcome

all our visitors to ‘enjoy a dram and

take the tram’, ‘let the train take

the strain’ or ‘avoid any fuss and

take the bus!’”

Last year over 50,000 day visitors

parked at the showground during

the four days and according to

Chief Executive Alan Laidlaw,

this level of parking is simply not

sustainable as the Show grows.

He said: “We have invested

significantly in ensuring the Show

is as sustainable as possible

through recycling, reduced energy

and water consumption as well as

reducing food miles by sourcing

local produce. The final piece

in the jigsaw is to reduce the

environmental impact of travelling

to and from the showground and

the time has now come to take

bold steps to actively discourage

the use of cars as the primary

mode of travel.

“Without doubt the biggest

source of frustration amongst

visitors is around travel time. The

reality is that these roads are

already congested due to heavy

road membrane - the cobbled

membrane - is in a parlous state.

It's extremely dangerous. What if

an old person, a disabled person

or a visually impaired person came

along here and tripped? They

have less wherewithal to protect

themselves than other members of

the public. That would put a huge

pressure on our hard pressed NHS

and it's the fault of the council - it's

a dereliction of duty on the part

of the council. Any defences that

are available to the council in the

Highways Act will be defeated if

someone is injured, I'm certain of

it."

He has taken his complaint to

the very top. He continued : "I have

written to Councillor McVey the

leader of the council about this

matter, I get all sorts of promises

and assurances back. I've written

to the City Engineers' Department,

who had the effrontery 12 months

ago to tell me they might do

the works in the financial year

2019/2020 but there again, they

might not. Everything is as long as

a piece of string. How dare anyone

Highland Show bosses promote public transport

traffic coming to and from the

city and the airport every day

and it is not realistic to expect an

additional 12,500 cars per day not

to have a significant impact.”

He added: “We have allocated

significant resources to

collaborate with public transport

operators to streamline getting

to the showground by bus, train

or tram. Feedback from users

who have used this service has

write to a member of the public

that pays council tax and say

something in those terms?

"Now, I would like these works

prioritised. They say that they'll

start on 6 January. Quite frankly,

I'm not holding my breath. I'd

like to see the documents where

these works were tendered back

in September. I don't believe it was

the case."

The Edinburgh Reporter asked

the council what they were doing

about the state of the pavements

in this area. They confirmed that

they had put the works out to

tender but that no tenders had

been received.

Transport and Environment

Convener Councillor Lesley

Macinnes said: “As has already

been discussed with Mr Carter,

it is necessary that we carefully

prioritise road and footway

improvement projects across the

city to allow us to focus limited

resources on the areas that are

most in need and where we can

create the greatest benefit.

“We do appreciate concerns

around this area in particular

though, which is already

listed as one of the footway

renewal projects to be carried out

this financial year. I’d like to thank

the community for their patience

in the meantime.”

The council approved works on

the footpaths in East Claremont

Street in March 2019, but SGN

have been conducting extensive

gas works in the area throughout

this year. Bellevue was closed in

autumn and so work could not

have been carried out then. But

the council do plan to start this

remedial work before the end of

the financial year.

We are sure Mr Carter will keep

us updated on any progress.

been overwhelmingly positive so

we will build on this for the 2020

show and beyond. However, for

those who absolutely need to

take the car, then advance parking

tickets are available via the Show’s

website.

Alan concluded: “By incentivising

public transport we can support

a change in behaviour that will

secure the sustainability of the

show.”

Bereavement support

Tom Gordon

Of course losing someone is not

easy, but Edinburgh-based funeral

directors, William Purves, has a

way of helping - even after they

have dealt with the practicalities

of a funeral.

They offer Acorns Bereavement

Support to anyone whether they

Andrew Purves is the fifth generation

of the family to run the firm

Comment - Planning

ahead

by Cliff Hague of the Cockburn

Association

As we welcome 2020, what

will Edinburgh be like in 2030?

The City Council’s ideas for

CityPlan2030, its 10-year

Development Plan, go public

this month. In anticipation, the

Cockburn Association produced

five discussion documents last

summer and shared them with the

public at three soapbox sessions,

and with Community Councils at

the Edinburgh Civic Forum. From

2007-17 Edinburgh’s population

increased by 57,000 – that’s

12.5% - mainly from national and

international migration. Further

growth is predicted: the same rate

of increase would mean another

64,000 before 2030. Student

housing completions numbered

1380 in 2010-11, but 4,050 were

built during 2016-17. The number

of Edinburgh University students

are a client of the family firm or

not.

This is a six week programme

which is open to you if you are

living with a loss. There is no

charge and it is a useful way of

meeting experts who can help, as

well as others who might have had

the same experience.

It is the idea of Tom Gordon who

works with the firm. Tom used

to be the chaplain at Marie Curie

Hospice.

He explained the ethos around

Acorns: “As the company

expanded with more and more

people going through their

hands, there was a concern

that they had nowhere that they

could refer people on to. There's

plenty of good agencies who

do support, but there wasn't

anything short life, a starter for ten

Weightwatchers for the bereaved

whatever you want to call it, where

people could come together, learn

from each other, with our guiding

hand and with good professional

input.”

www.williampurves.co.uk

here increased 29% 2008-18. Run

that rate forward, add in similar

growth at Edinburgh’s three other

universities and you have another

18,000 students by 2028. Tourist

numbers grew from 3.27m in 2012

to approaching 4.8m today. Hotel

rooms completed? 630 in 2010-11,

but 1575 in 2016-17. Short-term

lets, almost unheard of 10 years

ago, now account for one in six

flats in the city centre. Traffic has

increased too – up 7.5% 2012-17.

Over the past decade these steep

increases have impacted most

on the city centre and Leith, and

squeezed out affordable housing.

Continued to 2030 they will

change Edinburgh for ever. Growth

promises more GDP and jobs.

But 80,000 people in Edinburgh

live in relative poverty, in several

wards they amount to more than

one in four, and one child in five

in Edinburgh grows up in poverty.

CityPlan2030 should prioritise

well-being and inclusion, not just

growth.

More people die and fewer babies

born in Scotland in autumn 2019

There were 13,155 births and

13,585 deaths registered in

Scotland between 1 July and 30

September 2019, according to

provisional figures released last

month by National Records of

Scotland. Compared to the quarter

three average for the previous five

years, births have fallen by 7.0 per

cent and deaths have risen by 4.4

per cent.

The number of births was the

second lowest quarter three total

since civil registration began in

1855 (only 2018 was lower).

There is no single reason for the

downward trend in the number

of births, but possible causes

may include the postponement of

childbearing until later in life; and

economic uncertainty influencing

decisions around childbearing, as

the beginning of the recent fall

coincided with the financial crash

a decade ago.

The public spending watchdog

said important questions about

the delay to the opening of the

Royal Hospital for Children and

Young People remain unanswered.

The Auditor General for Scotland

said that the reviews to date have

been unable to establish a number

of issues, including:

· why specifications in the

hospital's 2012 tender papers

were inconsistent with national

ventilation guidelines for critical

care areas - an error that led to

confusion - and why a series of

opportunities to spot the error

- which caused the delay to the

2019 opening of the hospital -

were missed.

The report sets out the facts

At 13,585, the number of deaths

registered was the highest quarter

three total since 1998 (13,812).

Compared with the third quarter

average over the previous five

years, 2014-2018:

• The number of cancer deaths

rose by 5.0 per cent to 4,157;

• The number of deaths from

dementia and Alzheimer’s disease

rose by 18.2 per cent to 1,473;

• The number of deaths from

coronary heart disease fell by 3.6

per cent to 1,462;

• Deaths from respiratory

diseases fell by 11.7 per cent to

1,222;

• There were 843 deaths from

cerebrovascular disease (a

decrease of 7.0 per cent).

The provisional figures also show

there were 9,512 marriages in

total. This is 13.1 per cent lower

than the average number of third

as they are known and draws on

the reviews already carried out by

KPMG and NHS National Services

Scotland, as well as NHS Lothian's

annual audit report.

It comes ahead of a public

inquiry into the hospital project

and raises broader issues for

consideration, including:

· the clarity and application of the

national ventilation guidelines, and

how they were managed

· the effectiveness of the

oversight and scrutiny of the

project

· the role of all the parties

involved, including project

company IHSL's construction arm,

Brookfield Multiplex, who also built

the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in

quarter marriages for the previous

five years, and the lowest quarter

three marriage figure since 1932.

There were 352 same-sex

marriages, 20 fewer than in 2018

quarter three.

There were 22 civil partnerships

(10 male and 12 female), ten more

than in the third quarter of 2018.

Paul Lowe, the Registrar General

for Scotland, said:

“The number of deaths was 4.4

per cent higher than the five year

average for this time of year, and

represented the highest quarter

three deaths total in 21 years.

“The number of births in

Scotland rose very slightly

compared with the third quarter of

last year, but was still the second

lowest level of quarter three births

since civil registration began in

1855 and was down 7.0 per cent

on the five year average.”

Sick Kids questions remain unanswered

Tiny Changes partners with The Centre

Glasgow.

Caroline Gardner is Auditor

General for Scotland, She

commented : "It's clear that the

checks and balances around the

construction of the new children's

hospital didn't work, and the public

inquiry may want to consider why

that happened after similar issues

had emerged around the building

of schools in Edinburgh.

"It would also be beneficial to

understand the role played by all

the parties involved, and to explore

why the issues that emerged

at Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth

hospital didn’t prompt greater

scrutiny in Edinburgh."

The Sick Kids was due to open

in July 2019, but was already late.

The Centre, Livingston, one of Scotland’s largest shopping centres which attracts over 16m shoppers a year, has announced its new

charity partner as Tiny Changes, a mental health charity started in memory of Frightened Rabbit frontman Scott Hutchison. The

charity was founded by Scott’s two brothers, Neil and Grant and mum Marion, to raise awareness about children and young people’s

mental health, following the passing of Scott in 2018.

The charity’s aim is to promote initiatives that provide help for children and young people impacted by mental health issues and

support for their families and carers and also to give youngsters a voice to help influence mental health policy and practice.

Grant Hutchison, Patrick Robbertze and Neil Hutchison

8 POLITICS


POLITICS 9

Visit to Hangzhou

China

by Cllr Gavin Barrie

Having been honoured to witness

the signing of an MOU supporting

teacher training between Moray

House College and the Education

Department of China’s Zhejiang

Province (population 56 million)

in November, I was delighted to

spend a week in the Province

further supporting all kinds of

exchanges between Edinburgh,

Scotland, Hangzhou and beyond.

Chinese led and Edinburgh

based, the Asian Association for

Culture Commerce Education

in Europe (AACCEE), and their

associated companies, are a

multi-faceted organisation that

does much to promote Edinburgh

and Scotland to China. I have

supported them for a number of

years now and this is my second

trip to China doing just that.

Whether acting as promoter for

the Edinburgh Chinese New Year

concert, bringing acts from China

to appear at the Fringe, or Chinese

school students visiting Scotland

for education and cultural

purposes, all of this and more, is

assisted by AACCEE.

My time with them in China

was spent visiting, engaging

Back to London

by Deidre Brock MP

I’m on a train, heading back

to London, four days after the

election. The UK Government will

soon be cracking the whip to get

its Brexit Bill through.

If it succeeds then Brexit will

move to the next stage after

January.

That’s the transition period

while negotiations on the future

relationship begin. It looks like

those negotiations will grind on

and it’s safe to assume that there

and encouraging individuals and

organisations who are considering

the big step of coming to

Edinburgh and Scotland to take

that step. And it is organisations

such as AACCEE who have

assisted in seeing Edinburgh as

a place of choice for education,

investment and residence for our

growing Chinese community.

The MOU will allow Moray House

staff to hold a teacher training

course in Hangzhou during March

2020, where previously these

courses only permitted Senior

Teachers to attend Scotland for

this training.

The wide exchange of theoretical,

practical and cultural knowledge

should nurture enhancements for

all parties.

I am confident that AACCEE,

with the appropriate support, will

continue to enhance relationships

between the Chinese community

and Scots at home and abroad.

will be extensions to the transition

period to accommodate them.

We’ll still be in the EU but won’t be

a Member State.The huge majority

the Conservatives got across

England for their Brexit manifesto

– 345 seats to Labour’s 180, Lib

Dems’ 7 and 1 Green – means the

rest of us will be dragged along

with it. I’ll fight every single step

of the way to improve Scotland’s

prospects and that includes trying

to keep us in the EU.

Scotland deserves better than

this.

Local Politicians

have their say


Proportional representation paints

Westminster in different colours

The Electoral Reform Society

reported that researchers

modelled the General Election

result under a form of proportional

representation, rather than first

past the post which is currently

used.

Modelled under the voting

system used in the European

Parliament election (d’Hondt

list PR), the new total gives the

Conservatives 45.6% of seats, far

Party

% Votes

closer to their 43.6% vote share

and down 12 points from the seats

they received under First Past the

Post.

The SNP – who will also be over

represented in the next Parliament

because of the current voting

system – could see their seat

share move to 4.4% of seats under

d’Hondt, closer to their actual

3.9% vote share. (The SNP back a

move a more proportional voting

Seats

under FPTP

% Seats

under FPTP

Seats under

d’Hondt

system).

Other parties would have

benefited from a fairer system –

Labour gaining 14 seats, the Lib

Dems 59, the Brexit Party 10 and

the Greens 11.

In Northern Ireland the DUP (-3)

and Sinn Fein (-2) would both

leave seats with the SDLP (+1) and

Alliance (+2) parties both making

gains.

% Seats

under d’Hondt

Difference

in Seats

Labour 32.20% 202 32.00% 216 34.20% 14

Conservatives 43.60% 365 57.80% 288 45.60% -77

LibDems 11.50% 11 1.70% 70 11.10% 59

Brexit Party 2.00% 0 0.00% 10 1.60% 10

Greens 2.70% 1 0.20% 12 1.90% 11

SNP 3.90% 48 7.60% 28 4.40% -20

Plaid 0.50% 4 0.60% 4 0.60% 0

Others (includes

Speaker)

4% 1 0.20% 4 0.60% 3

New Year to sort Brexit

by Gordon Lindhurst MSP

It is hard to believe we are

embarking on another new year

already! I hope everyone across

Edinburgh and the Lothians had

a peaceful and happy time over

Christmas.

The closing weeks of 2019 saw

the focus being on a General

Election and nationally I was

delighted to see a Conservative

majority Government elected,

meaning we can get Brexit sorted

and finally deliver on the 2016

democratic vote to leave the EU,

and look forward to the benefits

this can bring to Scotland in

particular.

It was of course disappointing

to see many colleagues lose

their seats after serving their

constituencies so well over the

last two years, but the fact that

Working together

by Christine Jardine MP

Last month I got my Christmas

present early. It was an absolute

honour to be re-elected as the MP

for Edinburgh West.

But my win was bittersweet. The

loss of my friend Jo Swinson as

Liberal Democrat leader has been

hard. She may have been the first

woman leader of our party, but

thanks to her she won’t be the last.

I will now continue to work first

and foremost for my constituents

and their interests, whether they

voted for me or not.

And I refuse to stand by and

watch as the Conservatives use

their majority to close us off from

the world and inflict yet more

hardship on families that are

already struggling to get by.

We must now all work

six colleagues were returned on

a tricky night is testament to the

fact the Scottish Conservatives

remain the main opposition to

the SNP and we will continue to

stand against Nicola Sturgeon’s

obsession with another

independence referendum.

I am looking forward to another

busy Parliamentary term and as

always I am here to help on any

issue if you contact my office on

0131 348 5948 or e-mail Gordon.

lindhurst.msp@parliament.scot

together to ensure that people

who find themselves in tough

circumstances have the support

they need and are not ignored by

the political machines who survive

on power and division.

To do that, our political system

needs to be more consensual, and

focussed on the well-being of the

population.

The election result may make

that more difficult and longer to

achieve, but it must not stop us

altogether.

Unexpected victory

by Tommy Sheppard MP

Well, that was… emotional.

Surprising. Unexpected. And quite

stupendous. That was the SNP’s

victory in Scotland last month.

Nowhere more so than here in the

capital where SNP majorities are

now bigger than the tsunami of

2015.

This was a rejection of Brexit

and Boris. But more it was an

assertion of the right to choose

better. I met many fair-minded

people on the doorstep not yet

convinced about independence

but who agreed that it’s a choice

that should be made here.

by Joanna Cherry QC MP

Can I thank all those voters

in Edinburgh South West who

returned me as MP for the

Constituency, and can I assure

everyone who lives in the

Constituency that as your MP I am

there to represent you whichever

way you voted.

I am returning to Westminster

where the Conservatives have a

dominant majority. Unfortunately,

they can push through Johnson’s

Brexit. Any possibility of a People’s

Vote on the UK’s EU membership

is now dead.

During the election campaign I

met many people who had voted

against Scottish independence

in 2014 but had changed their

And if further proof were needed

that this election was about our

constitutional future just look at

the Tory campaign. They ran this

on a single issue – no to indyref2.

They asked the people to reject the

choice of independence – instead

the people rejected them.

So now as a hard-right wing

government prepares to take

Britain out of Europe we will

press that claim of right like never

before. And if Johnson refuses

to listen, he will become the best

recruiting sergeant the cause of

self-government could ever wish

for

Right to decide is ours

position. Some because they

want to remain in the EU, some

because they want to escape from

Boris and some because they are

appalled at the chaos we saw at

Westminster over Brexit.

Obviously, myself and the

strengthened SNP Group at

Westminster will do all we can to

achieve a second referendum, but

I would ask all democrats to now

support the right of the Scottish

Parliament to decide on that, with

no veto from Downing Street. The

Conservatives have now lost in

16 General Elections in Scotland.

They have no mandate to block

a referendum if the Scottish

Parliament votes for it, as it has. It

is our right to decide not Boris’s.

Getting back to the

day job after Xmas

by Daniel Johnson MSP

At this time of year, it is hard not

to reflect on the past 12 months.

I was elated to see Ian Murray

returned as MP for Edinburgh

South but incredibly disheartened

at the Labour losses across the

country. It’s clear a change in

direction is needed to win back the

trust of voters.

Throughout 2019 I was proud

to challenge The Scottish

Government on its record,

especially on health. Edinburgh

readers will not need to be

reminded of the ongoing Sick Kids

Hospital fiasco and questioning

Ministers on their record here is

a cause I will take with me into

2020.

It is also more important than

ever now to look to the future.

The Christmas break will

provide some rest bite, but

January will see me return to the

Scottish Parliament refreshed

and energised to challenge the

damaging prospects of Brexit and

another Scottish independence

referendum.

Pentland Hills reflections

by Cllr Susan Webber

Looking back on 2019 I do

have to admit that it was not as

turbulent as my first two years as

the local councillor for Pentland

Hills but nonetheless each day I

strive to support the local needs of

my Ward.

The state of the school estate

is still very much a priority and

although the threat over the

futures of the three High Schools

has somewhat been put to bed,

there is still much concern. It

was very much welcome news

to eventually hear that there was

funding for a new school in Currie

and the anticipated opening in

2024 now has created a deal of

energy in that community.

However, the pace of change

for the plans at WHEC have been

by Miles Briggs MSP

As Health Secretaries have come

and gone each has been content

to stand by and allow NHS Lothian

to remain the lowest funded

NHS board per head in Scotland

receiving less money per person to

deliver health care services, than

patients in other parts of Scotland.

Under the controversial NHS

Miles Briggs MSP

0131 348 5946

Miles.Briggs.msp@parliament.scot

Milesbriggsedinburgh

MilesBriggsMSP

www.milesbriggs.scot

M2.15,

The Scottish

Parliament, Edinburgh,

EH99 1SP

glacial, with not even the name

change to Wester Hailes High

School coming to fruition. There

may be activity going on but there

is very little physical evidence of

the much-needed improvements

that gained committee approval

back in June 2018.

Resource Allocation Committee

(NRAC), last year NHS Lothian

received £11 million less than it

should have under this approach.

I know from conversations

with NHS Lothian that this is

impacting on decisions and the

ability to meet the health needs of

communities across Lothian. That

has to change and we need to see

SNP Ministers deliver fairness.

And following a recent visit to

Balerno High School the reality

of the circumstances this school

and its pupils face is stark. With

funding not even in the pipeline

until 2028, it is looking as if the

current building will have to serve

as the school now well into 2032.

I was particularly shocked with the

state of the science department

and I heard first hand about some

of the teaching choices that must

be made to compensate for the

lack of basics such as sinks.

The fight to save our local

schools has taken on a new form,

and I will continue to strive to

ensure our pupils across my ward

and in the other Wave 4 schools

have the very best learning

environment. They are, after all,

our future.

Time to stop NHS underfunding

Time for bold action

by Alison Johnstone MSP

The election result was

terrible news for the poor and

disenfranchised, for disabled

people, for EU citizens and

refugees.

But we can’t simply say our

hands are tied until independence

comes along.

Time to build bridges

by Ian Murray MP

It was a privilege to be

re-elected by the people of

Edinburgh South to be their MP.

I will always put the people

of this constituency first, and I

pledge to work tirelessly on your

behalf. But the election result

was bittersweet. It delivered a

We need to continue to be bold

and progressive with the powers

we already have in Scotland so

that we can defend our rights

and support our most vulnerable

through the hard times.

That means being bold within

the current framework - rebuilding

our public sector, giving councils

the powers they need to support

Conservative majority government

with the worst Prime Minister this

country has ever seen.

The Labour Party let down

millions of people across the UK.

For the sake of the country, we

need not just a new leader but a

new direction as well.

We are now facing the prospect

At a UK Government level,

Scottish Conservative MPs have

delivered record levels of funding

for our Scottish NHS. However,

over the last 12 years SNP

Ministers have short changed

NHS Boards across Scotland. It’s

time for that to end and for SNP

Ministers to end the underfunding

of NHS Lothian.

the vulnerable and protecting

Scotland’s NHS from market

forces.

It means taking radical action to

cut our greenhouse gas emissions

from heating and transport so that

by the time the COP26 summit

comes to Glasgow next year Boris

Johnson and his government will

be embarrassed by their inaction

and the comparison to what is

happening in Scotland. We can’t

lose hope.

of a hard Brexit, which will hurt the

poorest the hardest.

And we face renewed calls from

the SNP for a divisive second

independence referendum, which

is the very last thing this country

needs.

I will continue to fight against

nationalism in all its forms.

Unlike Boris Johnson and Nicola

Sturgeon, I believe in building

bridges, not borders.

10 POLITICS


POLITICS 11

Spotlight on Sarah Boyack

Sarah Boyack was first elected at

the very beginning of The Scottish

Parliament in 1999, then she lost

her seat and has come back ready

to deal with housing and planning

matters which is where her

specialism lies.

She was formerly Minister for

Transport and Environment and

then Minister for Transport and

Planning introducing one of

Scottish Labour's best known

policies - free travel for those

over 60. She has represented

both the Edinburgh Central

constituency and has been a list

MSP. She is now spokesperson

for Communities and Local

Government. Sarah spoke to us

during a busy day at Holyrood

a few weeks ago and we had

to leave the interview to the

side while the General Election

campaign diverted our attention.

We asked what she had been

doing in the two years away from

Holyrood. She replied : “Well, the

first few months, I went in and

started working at Heriot-Watt

University where I used to be a

lecturer before I got elected in

1999. I taught town planning

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students architects chartered

surveyors building engineers. And

what really struck me was how

far things have moved on in terms

of young people's awareness

of climate change, and how we

re-engineer our towns and cities

so I did that up until the April of

2017.

"And then I got a job with The

Scottish Federation of Housing

Associations, which was fantastic

because for somebody who

has campaigned for affordable

housing for all my adult life to be

able to go in and lobby for that

was great.

"And the way I describe it as


when I was in the parliament first

off, I used to get complaints and

used to deal with constituents'

issues going directly to housing

associations or private landlords

or the council, then I got to see the

best of housing associations for

two and a half years. And now I'm

back - I'm back dealing with where

things have gone wrong, antisocial

behaviour, getting people the right

tenancy or accessible housing.

So it's a really useful experience

to have.

"And I kind of feel I'm back in

the thick of it now back in the

parliament."

My hopes for the year ahead…

by Jeremy Balfour MSP

As my family sat round the

dinner table discussing our new

year’s resolutions, it made me

think about what my hopes are for

Scotland over the next year, a few

of which I would like to with you.

Firstly, in light of the recent

election, it is my hope that Brexit

will be delivered and that we can

get back to the issues that really

matter. For too long debates

around Brexit have distracted from

the day-to-day issues that our

parliaments are here to deal with.

It is time to get the job done and

put it behind us.

Secondly, last year the Scottish

Government adopted a bill that I

introduced to ensure that more

regulations were placed on pet

shops. It is my hope that animals

in pet shops will have better

protection by the end of 2020.

Lastly, and on a slightly more

personal note, I hope that this

year my beloved football team,

Hearts, win the Scottish Cup. You

may think that I am a dreamer, but

after last year’s close final I am

confident that it can be achieved.

Remember the

manifestos

Now that the dust has settled,

it is perhaps time to reflect on

the General Election results and

remember what the political

manifestos promised.

There are 650 elected MPs

at Westminster, 365 are

Conservatives and 47 are SNP

MPs. (48 if you count Neale

Hanvey who stood as an SNP

candidate in Kirkcaldy, but lost

the backing of the party over

anti-Semitic posts. He will begin

by sitting as an independent MP

he but after due process he could

be welcomed back to the SNP in

future.)

There is one Labour MP in

Scotland, Ian Murray who

represents Edinburgh South.

Murray has been in that position

before in 2015 and issued a stark

warning to the Labour party who

had a disastrous election.

Alyn Smith has been elected to

Westminster to represent Stirling,

having been a Scottish MEP for 15

years.

There are 11 Liberal Democrat

MPs, of whom four are Scottish

including Christine Jardine who

represents Edinburgh West.

The Conservative government

has an overall majority which

should be enough to see through

Mr Johnson's Brexit plans.

It appears to us that the two

manifestos which need to

be re-examined are both the

Conservative and the SNP pledges

to the nation made only a few

weeks before the election.

Even if you don't agree with the

political beliefs on which either

one is based, these documents

will map the political landscape

from 2020 onwards.

You can read both of the

manifestos on our website by

scanning the QR code here.

Community Council

Election

Eleven members were elected

to Leith Links Community

Council in late October 2019.

They are : Gail Clapton , Abby

Cunningham Angus Hardie, David

Igoe, Rafiqul Islam, Sally Millar,

Andrew MacKenzie, Christine

Reid, Jim Scanlon – Chair, Eileen

Simpson and Michael Traill.

There are now eleven elected

Community Councillors out of

a possible twelve and there are

also six vacancies for nominated

representatives of local interest

groups.

Edinburgh South

Murray is sole Labour MP in

Scotland (again)

Ian Murray had a very strong

message to Jeremy Corbyn, the

Prime Minister and the people who

voted for him. He said : ““Tonight’s

been a difficult night for the

Labour Party. I’m sick of standing

at lecterns during general election

campaigns and saying it’s been a

difficult night for the Labour Party.

“This party must listen and this

party must respond or this party

will die. The saddest indictment

of this General Election campaign

is the delivery of the Conservative

majority government with the

worst Prime Minister this country

has ever seen. That is a sad

indictment.”

Murray won a majority of 11,095

which was down a few thousand

on his 2017 margin. The turnout in

Edinburgh South was 75.3%.

The results were as follows :

Alan Beal Scottish Liberal

Democrats 3,819 votes

Edinburgh East

The SNP’s Tommy Sheppard

returned to Westminster with an

increased majority of 10,417.

The votes were as follows :

Sheila Gilmore Scottish Labour

Party 12,748 votes

Claire Miller Scottish Green Party

2,064 votes

Eleanor Price Scottish

Conservative and Unionist 6,549

votes

Jill Reilly Scottish Liberal


Tommy Sheppard SNP 23,165

votes

In his speech Mr Sheppard

warned Boris Johnson to start

listening to Scotland. He said :

Edinburgh West

Nick Cook Scottish Conservative

and Unionist 8,161 votes

Catriona MacDonald 12,650

votes

Ian Murray Scottish Labour Party

23,745 votes

Kate Nevens Scottish Green

Party 1,357 votes

“It has been a remarkable result

and I very much want to thank

the people of Edinburgh East

for putting their faith in me and

returning me to parliament for a

third time.”

He recognised that some of the

people who voted for him were

not naturally SNP voters, and

might not even agree with Scottish

independence at this time. But

he explained that they agree that

this decision should be made in

Scotland and nowhere else.

“We have a mandate for the third

time since 2014 to oppose Boris

Johnson’s government, to try and

oppose even at these final hours

the Brexit the United Kingdom is

contemplating and to assert the

principle that the people here have

the right to choose a better form

of government should they so

wish. From Monday morning we

will prosecute that and fight for

that mandate.

“Boris Johnson had better start

listening to the people of Scotland,

because if he doesn’t the people

will take matters into their own

hands, and decide their own future

whether he likes it or not.”

Election numbers in Edinburgh

Edinburgh’s population: 519,000

(2018)

Scotland’s population: 5.44m

(2018)

Number of people registered to

vote in Edinburgh: 362,956

Around 20,000 residents

registered to vote between the

notice of election on 8 November

Brock returned for third time.

Deidre Brock said she will

continue to represent the views

of the people of Edinburgh North

and Leith and will continue to hold

the Conservative government to

account.

With a majority of 12,808 votes

Brock was favourite by far over her

nearest rival and former councillor

colleague Gordon Munro of the

Labour and Cooperative Party.

The results in Edinburgh West

were decisive with a 75.4%

turnout, a small increase on 2017.

Craig Bolton Scottish Labour

Party 4,460 votes

Elaine Gunn Scottish Green Party

1,027 votes

Graham Hutchison Scottish

Conservative and Unionist 9,283

votes

Christine Jardine Scottish Liberal

Democrats 21,766 votes (majority

of 3,769)

Sarah Masson SNP 17,997 votes

Jardine made her victory speech

from the stage at Ingliston

and the registration deadline of 26

November

Number of people registered for

postal votes: 72,664

Number of postal votes returned

as of 11/12/19: 52,636 (72%)

Number of polling places in

Edinburgh: 141

Edinburgh South West

Cherry returned to Westminster

with improved majority

Joanna Cherry QC has been

both vocal and high profile during

Brexit so far. She has been at the

forefront of several court actions

in the Court of Session and the

Supreme Court in London, trying

every way possible to stop it from

happening.

Ms Cherry improved her majority

in 2019 and was returned with a

margin of 11,982 votes.

The votes cast in Edinburgh

South West were as follows :

David Ballantine Brexit Party 625

votes

Mev Brown Social Democratic

Party Scotland 114 votes

Joanna Cherry SNP 24,830 votes

Sophie Cooke Scottish Labour

Party 7,478 votes

Tom Inglis Scottish Liberal

Democrats 4,971

Callum Laidlaw Scottish

Conservative and Unionist Party

12,848 votes

Ben Parker Scottish Green Party

1,265 votes

The turnout in this constituency

was 71% which is marginally up

on 2017.

The results were as follows :

Heather Astbury Renew Party

138 votes

Deidre Brock SNP 25,925 votes

Steve Burgess Scottish Green

Party 1,971 votes

Iain McGill Scottish Conservative

and Unionist Party 11,000 votes

Gordon Munro Labour and

Cooperative Party 13,117 votes

Robert Speirs Brexit Party 558

votes

when she lamented that Liberal

Democrat leader Jo Swinson had

lost her seat.

She explained that it was

Swinson had encouraged her to

get into politics saying : “For those

of us in the Liberal Democrats who

believe in the United Kingdom and

the EU we have a bit of a battle

on our hands on both sides of the

border.

"We will hold this government

to account on climate change,

education, health and attacking

the poverty that has become such

a growing ill in British society.”

Number of polling stations in

Edinburgh: 298

Number of ballot boxes: 423

Number of people working as

polling staff: 629

Number of count staff working

at Edinburgh’s UK Parliamentary

General Election count: 600

Edinburgh North and Leith

Bruce Wilson Scottish Liberal


Ms Brock said that the result

showed that Scotland has rejected

Brexit and Tory austerity.

She said : “Well. what a

wonderful result for a wonderful

team. But this result tonight

shows that Scotland has

overwhelmingly rejected Brexit

and Tory austerity.

“England sadly is in a different

position.

“Scotland is walking a different

path.

“The people have spoken and

made clear Scotland’s future

is their decision. Now from the

SNP’s point of view, it is of course

tremendous for us to win in

Scotland.

“It is a crying shame to see what

is happening south of the border.

I invite everyone who believes in

a European Scotland to come and

join us, help build a better future.

The door is open.”

Get in touch today!

For editorial and advertising

enquiries please email

editor@


@EdinReporter

/EdinReporter

edinburghreporter



12 BUSINESS


BUSINESS 13

Usquabae Whisky Bar - newest

bar at Edinburgh Airport now open

Passengers at Edinburgh Airport

will be able to sample some of

Scotland’s finest drams after the

opening of the all new Usquabae

Whisky Bar and Larder.

Located in the departures area,

the venue features a hand-crafted

oak bar and a wide selection

of whiskies from celebrated

distilleries across Scotland.

The bar will also offer a variety

of premium beers, wines and

spirits as well as light food dishes

using ingredients from Scottish

producers.

The original Usquabae owned by

Kevin Doyle's Caledonian Hertiable

in the heart of Edinburgh’s West

End has become a hugely popular

whisky bar since it first opened

in 2015. It bills itself as the best

whisky bar in town and offers a

seven course tasting menu as well

as a wide range of malts offered

as flights as well as by the glass.

This is the first addition to the

brand.

Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of

Edinburgh Airport said: “Promoting

Scotland and everything it has

to offer is something we do

every day, so having a bar which

showcases one of our most

famous products is a perfect fit.

“We’re excited to be working

with Usquabae and we hope

passengers from all over the world

take the opportunity to sample

excellent Scottish produce, some

of our finest whiskies and raise a

glass to Edinburgh and Scotland

before they go.”

Simon Watson, Area Manager of

Caledonian Heritable Ltd, the firm

that owns Usquabae, said: “We are

delighted to announce the arrival

of Usquabae Whisky Bar & Larder

to Edinburgh Airport.

“Having been based in

Edinburgh’s West End for the past

four years, Usquabae has been

an ever-popular destination for

whisky enthusiasts and foodies

from all over the world.

With a uniquely Scottish appeal

and an unwavering commitment

to showcasing local suppliers,

we look forward to offering a

true taste of Scotland for those

departing from Edinburgh Airport.

“Expect great fare, rare whisky

and a celebration of the best of

Scotland.”

The Converge

KickStart Challenge

by Nigel Duncan

Mark Dorris, a Research

Associate from Edinburgh Napier

University, is creating sustainable

alternatives to the petrochemicalderived

ingredients found in many

personal care products.

Using nanomaterials derived

from a sustainable seaweed

source, Mark’s formulations are

fully biodegradable, ingestible and

free of harsh chemicals and it is

one of the ground-breaking ideas

emerging from this year’s pool of

KickStart semi-finalists.

A total of 32 trail-blazing

entrepreneurs are through to

the next stage of the Converge

KickStart Challenge.

It is an early-stage

entrepreneurial development

programme for university staff,

students and recent graduates

across Scotland.

It is aimed at innovative projects

embarking on the first steps of the

commercialisation journey.

The 2014 KickStart winner,

Chris McCann, CEO of Current

Health, has announced a $11.5m

investment round.

Technology and engineering,

life sciences and the creative

industries are the most

represented sectors this year with

a significant proportion of projects

focused on solving critical

environmental problems such

as pollution, climate change and

waste reduction.

Dr Claudia Cavalluzzo, Director

of Converge, said: “Every year we

wait for the application deadline

with trepidation, not knowing how

many or what type of projects will

come through.

"The breadth and creativity of

applications that the challenge

attracts never fail to disappoint

and this year is no exception.

Semi-finalists will now be

invited to take part in two days

of intensive business training

designed specifically for academic

entrepreneurs.

They will then be asked to submit

a business case with the best

invited to pitch at an awards final

in February when the winner takes

home a £10,000 prize and the

runner-up £5,000.

Old Town BID fails for now

The votes were cast last month,

but despite high hopes, there

will be no Business Improvement

District set up in the Old Town any

time soon.

The business leaders involved in

the Original Edinburgh BID told

of their disappointment at the

narrow defeat of the proposal but

said they remained positive for the

future of the Old Town.

The proposal won on three of the

four criteria including the two

turnout criteria. It also won a

majority by share of the rateable

value of all voting properties by a

margin of 10%.

However, it fell short of the

majority of ballots cast by 8 votes,

a margin of 2%. There were 18

spoiled ballots.

Chair of Original Edinburgh and

owner of the Royal McGregor

Whisky Bar and Restaurant, James

McGregor, said: “A lot of hard

work has gone into developing

these proposals which we believe

would have had a transformational

impact on the Old Town, improving

the area for businesses and

residents alike. We are obviously

very disappointed. We would

like to thank everyone who has

given up their time and worked

hard on the project and to those

businesses who supported the

proposal.

“However, despite the result,

engaging with local businesses

about the issues that impact them

has been an incredibly worthwhile

and rewarding experience.

We’re confident that there is an

appetite for a vehicle to represent

businesses here in the future.”

Garry Clark, Development Manager

for the Federation of Small

Businesses in Edinburgh, said:

“The Original Edinburgh Business

Improvement District proposal

brought together a diverse group

of businesses across the Old

Town and produced some very

interesting ideas. Whilst the BID

may not be going ahead, it is

important that the momentum that

was built up is not lost.

“What is clear is that Old Town

businesses will need their voices

to be heard on the upcoming

issues that will affect them,

including the Low Emissions

Zone, City Centre Transformation

and improving the quality of

experience in the area. The work

already done by the BID team must

not be allowed to go to waste.”

Original Edinburgh was set up

to be a collaborative business

improvement project to empower

business in taking a leading role in

the success of Edinburgh’s iconic

Old Town.

They were to work together

to deliver a varied package of

investment to create a unique

cultural, retail and hospitality

experience, which would have

optimised the use of our public

space, for workers, the local

community and visitors.

An improvement district

is an innovative business

partnership model which

allows businesses to pool their

resources and collectively invest

in improvements to the local

economy. The return on this

investment, beyond what can be

provided by government or local

authorities, is realised through

better business outcomes.

Evidence from elsewhere in

Scotland and the UK shows

that BIDs can have a positive

impact on the local economy. For

example, Essential Edinburgh

has generated £23.7 million of

economic benefit over the last five

years, and significantly reduced

theft. Falkirk has invested £2.6

million in the town centre, and

given out £100,000 in small

business grants. In Bath, they have

achieved 75% fewer trade waste

fines and reduced trade waste

costs by 25%.

Gorgie City Farm may

reopen in 2020

There have been murmurings

about Gorgie City Farm reopening

in 2020 in a different form. The

farm went bust and a liquidator

was appointed late last year.

The BBC reported that three

charities have been shortlisted

to take over the site and that

the result of that bid will be

announced in mid-January.

However that news seems to be

just a little premature.

Cyrenians CEO Ewan Aitken said,

"We are working alongside Royal

Highland Agriculture Society of

Scotland, Penumbra, the Corra

Foundation, Thrive Edinburgh

Assembly (NHS Lothian), Aberlour

and SAOS (Scottish Agriculture

Organisation Society) and other

individuals to help find a way

forward for Gorgie City Farm.

“Working together as a coalition

will not only give us access to

a range of expertise and skills,

but will help ensure resilience,

keeping Gorgie City Farm at the

heart of the community, providing

opportunities and services to

those who need them most.

“We are hopeful that together,

we can find a way forward that

ensures Gorgie City Farm can

reopen to all whilst allowing us

to build on the support the farm

provided, creating a multi-faceted

space for the local community.”

Sarah Boyack Lothians MSP has

had a close relationship with the

farm over the years.

She said : “First of all I want

to welcome the fundraising

campaign which has generated

over £100,000.

"This demonstrated the support

and affection with which the farm

is held. It has served the local

community for many years and

provides a fantastic resource for

the city, and I hope that we get

the good news that staff and

supporters deserve.”

She added : “We are still no

closer to understanding what

went wrong in the first place and

how the situation became so

financially untenable. Lessons

must be learned from the previous

failure, and I want reassurances

that Edinburgh City Council will

take all possible measures to

ensure the farm’s future will not be

jeopardised again.”

However Council Leader, Adam

McVey urged a little caution. On

Twitter he said : "Let's keep the

heid folks. Hugely grateful to

those working for a positive long

term future for Gorgie City Farm

but we've got some way to go.

"I look forward to seeing what

submissions come forward in the

New Year. "

Lord Justice Clerk portrait on order

A young artist says she is

“thrilled” to be commissioned to

paint a portrait of the foremost

woman in Scottish legal history,

Lady Dorrian, the Lord Justice

Clerk.

The Faculty of Advocates wanted

to honour Lady Dorrian, one of its

members, on her achievement of

becoming Lord Justice Clerk, the

highest post ever held by a woman

in Scotland, and has chosen Grace

Payne-Kumar, 20, for the work.

Hong Kong-born Grace is an

English student at Edinburgh

University who spent two years

honing her artistic talent at

Leith Walk Police Box Pop up space

www.leithwalkpolicebox.com

Charles Cecil Studios in Florence

before coming to Scotland. She

won a commendation in the Young

Fine Artist section of the Scottish

Portrait Awards 2019, and her

entry was voted the most popular

in the exhibition by members of

the Scottish Arts Club.

“I am thrilled to have been

chosen for this commission,” she

said.

“This is definitely the most

prestigious achievement of my

career so far. To receive this

commission in my first term at

Edinburgh University is beyond

what I could have imagined for my

aspirations for this year.

“I am especially looking forward

to this work as Lady Dorrian has

agreed to sit for me so I can paint

her from life. This is central to

my practice as the flow of light

is the most important element in

visually describing the figure. This

is also an exciting achievement

as my grandma's family are from

Dunbartonshire so are especially

proud of this commission!”

Lady Dorrian commented: “I

am delighted and proud that the

Faculty have done me this honour,

and I am very excited that they

have chosen Grace, whose talent

is obvious from the awards she

has won, to paint the portrait.

“The Faculty was keen to

promote the work of a young,

talented artist working in Scotland,

and showing such talent at the

age of 20, Grace obviously fills the

bill.”

Gordon Mitchell, Director,

Scottish Portrait Awards, said:

“Apart from her outstanding

painting in the Awards, I am

privileged to have seen her

working first hand. Grace is a

formidable talent. Amazing in one

so young.“

Roddy Dunlop, QC, Treasurer

of Faculty, stated: “Faculty are

delighted to have been able

to arrange this very exciting

commission. Grace is an incredibly

talented young artist, and we look

forward to the unveiling of her

tribute to the achievements of our

first female Lord Justice Clerk.”

The Lord Justice Clerk is the

second most senior position in the

Scottish judiciary, after the Lord

President/Lord Justice General,

currently Lord Carloway.

Lady Dorrian’s portrait will join

those of two other women in

Parliament Hall, Parliament House,

Edinburgh, home of Scotland’s

supreme courts - Dame Margaret

Kidd, QC, the first woman called to

the Scottish Bar (1923), and Lady

Cosgrove, the first woman to be

appointed a Court of Session/High

Court judge (1996).

Leith Walk Police Box will be closed for most of January but is open for

bookings to anyone who would like to use the space for their pop

up business. Reasonable rates.

Contact Monty hello@leithwalkpolicebox.com

Leonardo Hotel

Edinburgh Murrayfield has

been transformed!

To exceed the expectations of

our guests we have invested £2.6 million

to upgrade all hotel facilities.

You must come and see what we have done.

For the best rates book direct on leonardohotels.co.uk or call 0131 535 9988

187 Clermiston Road, Edinburgh EH12 6UG

14 THE BEST OF...


The Edinburgh Reporter Best Of...

WHAT’S ON IN JANUARY

Theatre Art Music Shows Festivals

Broughton Place Hair & Beauty

A luxurious, elegant salon

with a very happy and friendly

atmosphere. They aim to make

your experience a relaxing,

enjoyable and glamorous one!

0131 556 4478

2a Broughton Place EH1 3RX

www.broughtonplacehair.com

21st Century Kilts

Designer boutique for quirky, off

the peg and bespoke kilts made

from tartan and contemporary

textiles. Howie Nicholsby

redefined the kilt that you need.

Strictly by appointment.

07774757222

48 Thistle Street EH2 1EN

21stcenturykilts.com

Open Eye Gallery

Since 1982 the New Town gallery

is one of Scotland’s leading

contemporary private art galleries.

The Open Eye shows a wide

variety of Scottish art.

0131 557 1020

34 Abercromby Pl EH3 6QE

www.openeyegallery.co.uk

Ardgowan Distillery

Enjoy the newly released

Clydebuilt Coppersmith - a limited

edition blend of malts matured in

first fill Oloroso sherry casks. “…a

super balance of sweet and spicy,

heather honey, sultanas and very

dark chocolate...”

£49.99

shop.ardgowandistillery.com

Little White Pig

Combines the comfortable,

unpretentious environment of a

Scottish pub with tasty, local &

seasonal food. Family friendly, dog

friendly, foodie friendly place to

bring friends and make new ones.

0131 556 3036

26B Dublin Street EH3 6NN

littlewhitepig.co.uk/

Serap Couture

Serap makes individually designed,

made to measure wedding gowns,

bridesmaid dresses and mother

of the bride outfits. ask about the

shoes!

51 William Street EH3 7LW

T 07582 601818

Facebook Serapcouture/

Royal Scots Club

The Royal Scots Club is one of

the finest members’ Clubs in the

country. It is now 100 years old

and has an open membership

policy. Join today!

0131 556 4270

29 Abercromby Pl EH3 6QE

www.royalscotsclub.com

Mind Generating Success –

Hypnotherapy Practice

A helping hand to rid yourself

of unwanted habits. Contact

me today to arrange an initial

consultation. Evening/weekend

appointments and home visits

available.

07521 353 787

mgs-hypnotherapy-services.co.uk

Cairngorm Coffee

Robbie and his staff serve great

coffee and even better grilled

cheese and toasted bacon to

keep you going. Two city centre

locations. Free wifi and funky

seating. Buy some threads!

1 Melville Place EH3 7PR

41a Frederick Street EH2 1EP

www.cairngormcoffee.com

Torrance Gallery

Edinburgh's longest established

contemporary art gallery. Scottish

artists. Paintings, sculpture,

glassware and jewellery Join the

mailing list to get invitations to

their Opening Events.

0131 556 6366

36 Dundas Street EH3 6JN

www.torrancegallery.co.uk

Candersons Sweet Shop

Debbie Anderson invites you

to take yourself back to your

childhood with all the traditional

sweets in the jars at her shop.

0131 554 1401

102 Leith Walk EH6 5DT

candersons-sweetshop.

com

Meet Gilbert at Stewart Christie

One of the best ideas in town in

2019. Gilbert is the phone box

outside 63 Queen Street named

after Sir Giles Gilbert Scott the

designer of the red phone box.Pop

into Stewart Christie get the key

for the box and take your selfies.

All for a donation of £3 which will

go to the charity Save the Children.

Mimi's Bakehouse

Mimi's Bakehouse is an awardwinning

family-owned bakery in

Edinburgh with stores across the

city and they currently hold the

Scottish Bakers award for Bakery

Café of the Year 2019.

0131 555 5908

63 Shore EH6 6RA

mimisbakehouse.com

Joy Rides Edinburgh

Lissa will take you for a hurl on

Betsy the trishaw bringing joy,

exhilaration and fun for all whether

it is through The Meadows or

along the foreshore.

07834 916 230

joyridesedinburgh@gmail.com

Facebook joyridesedinburgh/

Teddy's Dog Grooming

Teddy's grooming salon provides

modern dog grooming with

natural, ethical products. Mark

has now opened his new doggy

emporium two doors up from the

original shop.

07842 482382

6 Montagu Terrace EH3 5QX

www.Teddysdoggrooming.com

Double bill at Edinburgh Festival Theatre

Collaborating with a range of

leading artists in dance, music

and performance, Scottish Dance

Theatre brings their productions

Process Day by award-winning

duo Sharon Eyal & Gai Behar

and the critically acclaimed The

Circle by internationally renowned

choreographer Emanuel Gat to

Edinburgh Festival Theatre’s stage

as part of a striking new double

bill.

Scottish Dance Theatre’s Artistic

Director Joan Clevillé said: “This

programme brings together the

work of three contemporary

masters at the top of their

game and is a testimony to the

company’s artistic calibre. Bold,

original and unapologetic, these

works invite us not to be afraid in

a time of widespread uncertainty,

and encourage us to celebrate

otherness and re-negotiate our

individuality within the collective.

Our audiences may well find

themselves at the edge of their

seats as they watch the dancers

take split second decisions in

The Circle, and then instantly

transported by the hypnotic

Process Day into a land of myth

and desire”.

Process Day is a sensory

experience that transforms

dancers into sleek, androgynous,

January at Birch Tree Gallery

nocturnal beings guided through

shadows by a futuristic techno

soundtrack. Pulsating movements

bond bodies into clusters of

shared ecstasy and capture the

universal drive of striving for

fulfilment and release. This darkly

delightful combination of cuttingedge

choreography and club

culture leaves the audience feeling

its grip long after the piece is over.

Focusing on the dancers'

acute relationship with each

other, The Circle tells the story

of 11 individuals, creating a

visually striking and emotional

performance. Each show is

never quite the same as dancers

In January 2020, National

Galleries of Scotland will exhibit

JMW Turner, RSW will present

the 139th Open Annual exhibition

at the RSA (on the Mound) and

at the same time the Birch Tree

Gallery on Dundas Street will bring

back Shetland watercolour painter

Peter Davis.

Peter’s watercolours reveal

themselves slowly.

The transparency of layers and

clearly visible edges of each wash

give a feeling of them being ‘easy

to read’ and understand (almost to

the level of being able to ‘count’).

Perhaps that simplicity, the

respond to each other and make

real time decisions expressing

their individual movement

languages. Responding to

Gat's highly distinctive practice,

The Circle literally emerges in

front of the audience’s eyes

every night as 11 outstanding

dancers collectively weave

together intricate and ephemeral

choreographic patterns. The

work is set to a hypnotic score

by electronic guru Squarepusher,

and features stunning sculptural

wearable art pieces by Australian

designer, Thomas Bradley.

Emanuel Gat said: “It's been a

pleasure to make work for such a

talented hard working company.

The Circle celebrates each

dancer as an individual and their

own unique dance language

whilst also telling the story of this

collective and the relationships

contained within it.

I'm excited for audiences to see

these dancers in a new light and

for the work to breathe as it feeds

from their energy.”

Wednesday 29 January 2020

Process Day by Sharon Eyal

& Gai Behar and The Circle by

Emanuel Gat

7.30pm | £25-£15 (full) / £10

(student)

Festival Theatre, 13-29 Nicolson

St, EH8 9FT

www.capitaltheatres.com

absence of unnecessary detail,

gives a great sense of comfort.

After all, our lives are full

of ‘noise’, complexity and

distractions, and there is none of

that in these watercolours.

There is nothing complicated

or ‘muddled’ in Peter’s work –

they truly represent Shetland’s

landscape, raw and simple,

composed in limited palette and

defined by intersecting edges on a

large scale.

Birch Tree Gallery, 23A Dundas

Street, EH3 6QQ

art@birchtreegallery.co.uk Tel

0131 556 4000

Instant access

with the library

Get free instant access to ebooks

and audiobooks from Edinburgh

Libraries this New Year! Thousands

of best-selling books for adults,

teens and children are available

through the OverDrive service

to read on your phone, tablet or

computer.

It’s a fantastic way to make the

most of your electronic Christmas

presents and to save money.

No library card? No problem!

If you are over 13 years old you

can sign up for an “Instant Digital

Card” in seconds. All you need is

a mobile phone number and the

access code – Library2go.

To find out how to get started go

to - www.edinburgh.gov.uk/IDC.

This access option will be available

from 7 January – 7 February 2020.

The Instant Digital Card gives

you access to OverDrive for three

months. However, you can keep

on using the service for free by

joining the library and receiving a

permanent membership card.

Join online through www.

edinburgh.gov.uk/joinourlibrary

Twilight Talk

about Design

The latest series of inspiring

free Twilight Talks about Design

focuses on Scotland in Europe:

Sharing Culture by Design,

18.30hrs, Thursday 16th January

2020, Edinburgh’s Dovecot

Studios. Led by curator John

Ennis, four expert panellists

explore routes that nourish our

design links with Europe. Scottish

Diaspora tapestry panels will be

on display.

The talk also marks the

start of a ‘creative cluster’ of

free activities at Dovecot and

Summerhall, including Wild

Weaving Workshops, Weaver’s

Tales, Exhibition Highlights Tour

and a guided Saturday Stroll,

all bookable in advance via

Eventbrite.

Panelists: Mary V Mullin; Mark

Watson; Emma Bond; Stacey

Hunter

The Haven

A great cosy café for breakfast

lunch and coffee. Free wifi.

They don't take table bookings.

Fabulous cakes and happy friendly

staff.

0131 467 7513

9 Anchorfield, EH6 4JG

Facebook TheHavenCafe/

Skin & Beauty Therapy

Specialists in anti-ageing

treatments by Guinot. Waxing,

nails and LVL lashes. Little gem

run by Lisa and Heather both with

over 20 years of experience in the

beauty world.

0131 332 1099

25 Hamilton Place EH3 5BA

Epitomé of Edinburgh

Independent ladieswear boutique

and concept store. Brands

including APC and Common

Projects. Run by cashmere

designer Lisa Taylor with products

from her Cameron Taylor range.

0131 556 5554

35 Dundas Street EH3 6QQ

www.epitomeofedinburgh.com

Craig Banks Tailoring

Specialising in bespoke tailoring

for men. The focus is on making

the highest quality personally

tailored attire that others will

aspire to.

0131 226 7775

45 Thistle Street EH2 1DY

www.craigbankstailoring.com

The Hideout Café

A cosy hideout in Edinburgh

serving speciality coffee, tea,

treats and brunch. Open daily. And

you can pick up The Edinburgh

Reporter there too! Also at 5 Upper

Bow EH1 2JN

0131 555 5289

40-42 Queen Charlotte St EH6 6AT

www.thehideoutcafe.co.uk

Got an event to share?

Email editor@theedinburghreporter.co.uk with the details!

16

WHAT'S ON

Theatre Art Music Shows Festivals @EdinReporter /EdinReporter edinburghreporter theedinburghreporter.co.uk WHAT'S ON 17

Schools Writer in Residence

appointed for Citizen

The Edinburgh International

Book Festival has announced

that Leyla Josephine has been

appointed as the new Schools

Writer in Residence for Citizen,

the next phase of its year-round

programme taking the Book

Festival On The Road.

Citizen is a long-term creative

programme working in partnership

with organisations in and around

Edinburgh, listening to people’s

views about the communities in

which they live. Led by Scottishbased

writers-in-residence, Citizen

aims to provide a platform for

communities to explore their

connection to each other and their

relationship to their local area,

looking at how local conversations

are heard or echoed on a national

or global level.

Leyla, a poet and award-winning

theatre maker from Glasgow, will

work with a host of fellow writers,

musicians, illustrators and other

artists to inspire community

members and school pupils to

tell their stories of life in their

areas, and share their views

on community, home and their

relationship to the wider world.

Leyla spends most of her time

teaching poetry workshops in

which she encourages others

to find their voice. She works

in various different social

contexts to create original,

autobiographical performance

and poetry collaboratively with

all ages and backgrounds. In her

work she attempts to present

new narratives and asks difficult

questions to challenge the social

structures we find ourselves

within.

A mini Book Festival will be

held in North Edinburgh Arts

and the Brunton Theatre in May

2020, which brings together

the ideas developed across the

previous eighteen months of the

programme. Citizen will continue

until August 2021 and will draw

in communities in and around

Musselburgh with the support

of the Brunton Theatre. The

Book Festival will share regular

updates from these community

conversations on social media and

at ontheroad.edbookfest.co.uk,

enabling more people from the city

and beyond to get involved in the

discussions.

Citizen is part of Edinburgh

International Book Festival On

The Road, a series of events

and activities around Scotland

throughout the year, and is

supported by players of People’s

Postcode Lottery and through

the PLACE Programme (funded

by the Scottish Government,

City of Edinburgh Council, and

the Edinburgh Festivals, and

supported and administered by

Creative Scotland).

Burns&Beyond in January 2020

Another great idea from Unique

Events which took place first in

2019. Over 30,000 people enjoyed

the entertainment then. The 2020

event will celebrate Burns on 25

January and also the Chinese New

Year which falls on the same day -

that only happens every 76 years

so it is unlikely many of us will be

around for the next one!

The programme of traditional

and modern arts and culture runs

from 21 January to 9 February

2020.

Chinese New Year in Edinburgh is

the largest celebration of its kind

in Scotland when you can explore

the ever-growing links between

Scotland and China.

China celebrates the New Year

according to the lunar calendar,

sharing similarities with Christmas

and Hogmanay traditions. Each

year is attributed to an animal

from a 12-year cycle of the

Chinese Zodiac and 2020 is the

Year of the Rat.

Highlights include : 400 Chinese

Lanterns at St Giles with a

soundtrack and performances

during the day and evening.

Concert featuring the Edinburgh

Symphony Orchestra at Usher

Hall.

Burns&Beyond Festival Club at

Assembly Rooms with concerts

by Edwin Collins and Rachel

Sermanni and many others

A Waltz Across the Carpet

celebrates the life of Scott

Hutchison of Frightened Rabbit

The B&B Culture Crawl on

25 January takes place in the

Old Town and the New Town.

burnsandbeyond.com www.

chinesenewyear.scot

The Official Chinese New Year

Edinburgh’s Lord Provost, Frank Ross, said : “This January, join us as we showcase Scots-Chinese

culture like never before and celebrate our traditions with a contemporary twist."

Women in Science

Exhibition

If you are passing through

Edinburgh Airport between now

and the end of the month you

will be able to have a look at the

photographic exhibition of some

of Scotland’s most prominent

female scientists. The exhibition

of photos by Ian Georgeson is in

the departure lounge.

There are 26 fellows celebrated

and they are all women who are

pioneers in their fields, including

the RSE President Professor

Dame Anne Glover. In each photo

the women hold an object which

is important to them and which

represents their inspiration for

their career choice.

RSE Chief Executive, Dr Rebekah

Widdowfield said: “Through

bringing this exhibition to

Edinburgh Airport, we are raising

the profile of some of the best

and most brilliant scientists in

Scotland and showcasing some

of the nation’s fantastic talent to

the wider world. Our thanks to

the Airport for their willingness

to join in our celebration of these

incredible women”.

Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive

of Edinburgh Airport said: “STEM

is such a big part of what we do at

the airport and is something that

Scotland excels at so it’s only right

that we promote the expertise of

these incredibly talented women

to the millions of people that come

through our doors every year. We

have an incredible story to tell and

this exhibition will be the first or

final chapter for people travelling

out of Scotland’s busiest airport.”

Mid-Century Modern

Conran to Quant

An exciting exhibition is coming

to Dovecot Studios. Exploring

the origins of the enduring

Mid-Century Modern style in the

UK, and how artists and designers

disrupted established ideas of

British youth and lifestyle

Furniture, fashion, textiles,

ceramics, jewellery and printed

material, the exhibition celebrates

the work of design pioneers

Mary Quant, Terence Conran, and

Bernard and Laura Ashley.

Mid-Century Modern highlights

the impact of Scottish artists

and designers on the lifestyle

revolution, including Eduardo

Paolozzi, who as a founder of

the Independent Group in 1952

helped anticipate the British and

American Pop Art movements.

Oor Wullie preview

by Richard Purden

Once you’ve had a bucketful of

the festive season what better

way to start your year than with

Scotland’s favourite rascal Oor

Wullie.

Almost 84 years on since the

DC Thomson comic strip was

first created, Wullie is brought

to life for a brand new musical

touring across Scotland. It was

impossible to escape the spikyhaired

character last year in the

capital and across Scotland during

Oor Wullie’s BIG Bucket Trail

2019 raising money for children’s

charities.

Critics so far have been positive

including a 4-star review in

the Guardian which suggested

nationhood and division are part

of the milieu. Directed by Andrew

Panton, who brought Wullie’s

Sunday Post stablemates The

Broons to life for a musical in

2016 suggests Our Wullie is

a "contemporary musical for

Scotland.

“The challenge is how do you

bring that two-dimensional

illustrated character into 3D and

how does he sound, what does he

speak like. He adds that it’s also

about “people's expectations. So

we're observing where the ideas

came from 80 years ago, but also

trying to find that contemporary

resonance and why are we telling

this story now.”

Oor Wullie is at Edinburgh King's

Theatre Tuesday 28th January-

Saturday 1st February 2020

At the Traverse this spring - seeds

Shortlisted for the Alfred Fagon

Award, seeds embarks on a UK

tour in 2020. Sensitively written

by Mel Pennant, it tells the story

of two mothers united in sorrow,

unable to escape the tragedy and

violence of knife crime.

Together, they try to face the

hardship of protecting their sons -

one in life, and one in death.

On Michael Thomas’ birthday,

his cake sits in his mother’s

living room, its candles burning

undisturbed. Jackie wants to clear

her conscience, while Evelyn’s

got a big speech to deliver on the

15th anniversary of Michael’s fatal

stabbing. Are some things better

left unsaid?

In our divided Britain, crimes

fuelled by racism still happen;

according to figures released

in October 2019, knife crime

offences in England and Wales

have reached a record high. Hate

crimes have more than doubled

over a seven-year period with a

spike following the EU referendum;

January 2020 at The Queen’s Hall

Sat 11 January, 7.30pm

Southside of the Tracks

Following 2019’s sell out

anniversary show, John McCusker,

Scotland’s foremost fiddle player,

gathers a who’s who of singer

songwriters and traditional

musicians for one night only

on The Queen’s Hall stage with

House band: John McCusker,

James Mackintosh, Ian Carr, Ewen

Vernal, Michael McGoldrick, Louis

Abbott (Admiral Fallow), Phil

Cunningham.

Thu 16 January, 7.30pm

Scottish Chamber Orchestra

Telemann: ‘Alster’ Overture Suite

Bach: Suite No 4 in D, BWV 1069

Lully: Suite, Le Bourgeois

gentilhomme

Rameau: Suite from Les Indes

Galantes

Maxim Emelyanychev: Director /

Harpsichord

Sat 18 January, 7.30pm

Dunedin Consort: The

Brandenburgs

John Butt: Director

So named because they were

dedicated to the Margrave

of Brandenburg, Bach’s six

Brandenburg Concertos contain

some of the most sumptuous and

virtuosic instrumental writing in all

of his output.

racial hate crimes make up more

than three-quarters of offences.

Directed by Anastasia

Osei-Kuffour (Typical, Soho

Theatre), seeds looks to tell the,

often unexplored, stories of those

who fight to keep their children

safe from the world in which they

grow up. This compelling piece

is about motherhood, loss, the

lengths that a parent may go to

protect their child and what is

left after tragedy hits. It brings

Each is composed for a different

line-up, from the intimacy of

concertos 3 and 6, composed for

strings alone, to the bombastic

splendour of Nos. 1 and 2, with

their blazing trumpet and horns.

Pre-concert talk with John Butt &

Kate Molleson at 6.30pm

Mon 27 January, 7.45pm

Nash Ensemble with Victoria

Simmonds: mezzo-soprano

Mozart: Piano Quartet in G minor

K478

David Matthews: ‘White Flame’

– a setting of Muriel Spark poems

for mezzo-soprano, piano and

string quartet

Brahms: Two songs Op 91 for

voice, viola & piano

Schumann: Piano Quintet in E

flat Op 44

Pre-concert talk 6.30pm by

composer David Matthews and

Alan Taylor, past Chairman of The

Muriel Spark Society, on the work

of the Society to celebrate her

writings.

Fri 31 January, doors 7.00pm

Counterflows: Joe McPhee with

DECOY plus support from Elaine

Mitchener

Now 80, Joe McPhee brings his

insidious issues of race and gang

mentality to the fore provoking

dialogue in the hope they aren’t

allowed to fester and infect a new

generation.

Osei-Kuffour comments, Finding,

developing and directing groundbreaking

new plays is my passion.

I’m interested in how new writing

can respond to current events

and resonate with audiences, the

way they explore the human story

behind injustices in the hope of

bringing about change, or at least

starting a dialogue to kickstart

action. I want to bring the people

the world doesn’t see or care

about to the centre of a story

where they can be engaged with. I

feel that seeds by Mel Pennant is

a play very much in line with the

work I want to create.

seeds is generously supported

by Arts Council England, The Foyle

Foundation and The Carne Trust.

At the Traverse Theatre 10

Cambridge Street, EH1 2ED 20-21

March 2020 www.traverse.co.uk

best group, DECOY to Scotland for

the first time, made up of Steve

Noble (drums), John Edwards

(double bass) and Alexander

Hawkins (organ). Expect soul and

funk infused deep experimental

jazz from some of the best

players around. Elaine Mitchener

is an experimental vocalist and

movement artist whose work

melds different vocal styles

encompassing free-improvisation,

contemporary new music, sound

art, music theatre and dance.

The Queen’s Hall Clerk Street,

EH8 9JG | Box Office: 0131 668

2019 | www.thequeenshall.net

18

WHAT'S ON

Theatre Art Music Shows Festivals @EdinReporter /EdinReporter edinburghreporter theedinburghreporter.co.uk WHAT'S ON 19

RLS Fellowship is open for

applications until end January

Scottish Book Trust, the national

charity changing lives through

reading and writing, tells us that

the Robert Louis Stevenson

Fellowship for professional writers

is open for applications until the

end of January.

Previous fellows include novelist

Bernard MacLaverty, Makar Liz

Lochhead, author and journalist

Phil Miller, and poet and performer

Michael Pedersen.

Writers based in Scotland are

encouraged to apply, and the

Fellowship awards successful

applicants with a retreat to

Grez-sur-Loing in France, a village

that Robert Louis Stevenson

himself visited frequently.

The Fellowship was initiated in

1994 by Franki Fewkes, a Scottish

RLS enthusiast then living in

France, and is supported by

Creative Scotland.

It provides residencies for four

fellows for one month each, in a

self-catering studio apartment at

the Hôtel Chevillon International

Arts Centre at Grez-sur-Loing.

Travel and accommodation are

paid for, and there is a grant of

£300 per week to cover living

expenses.

Grez-sur-Loing is situated

at the edge of the Forest of

Fontainebleau, France, and was

first visited by Robert Louis

Stevenson in 1875.

He also met his future wife,

Fanny Osbourne, at the Hôtel

Chevillon. Grez-sur-Loing was

attractive to Stevenson due to its

well-established community of

writers and artists, and he spent

three happy summers there.

Marc Lambert, CEO of

Scottish Book Trust, said: “This

is a wonderful opportunity for

established writers to gain some

time away in a beautiful location

to focus on their writing.

"The roll call of Fellows is a

prestigious list and shows the

variety of work we have supported.

We hope many more Scotlandbased

writers will apply for the

chance to write at this iconic and

inspirational place, which had

such an impact on Robert Louis

Stevenson's own life.”

Bernard MacLaverty, a 2019

Robert Louis Stevenson Fellow,

said: "Grez-sur-Loing is a

wonderful place to write.

"This year I spent the month

of June there, thanks to the

Fellowship from Scottish Book

Trust, working on a book of short

stories.

"John Lavery’s bridge and river

are at the bottom of the garden.

The wonderful Fontainebleu forest

is a bus ride away. I also found

myself catching up on Robert

Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island,

Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, Kidnapped –

what a superb writer he is.

"And what a great time I had."

Mairi Kidd, Head of Literature,

Languages & Publishing,

commented: “Writers are vital to

Scotland’s creative and social

landscape here in Scotland.

"We know that many writers

struggle to find and to fund time

to write and the Robert Louis

Stevenson Fellowship offers

precisely that, in a peaceful and

inspiring location linked to the

life of one of our greatest literary

talents.

"We look forward to welcoming

the new recipients of the

Fellowship to the stellar list of

previous writers.”

For details of how to apply

for the Robert Louis Stevenson

Fellowship, and for full eligibility

criteria, please visit the website

https://www.scottishbooktrust.

com/

The closing date for Robert

Louis Stevenson Fellowship 2020

applications is Wednesday 29

January 2020 (noon).

At the National

Museum of Scotland

David Ramsay, the King’s Chief

Clockmaker

Monday 13 January

18:00–19:00

Free

Curator Dr Tacye Phillipson and

Dr John C Taylor OBE explore the

life and works of David Ramsay,

Chief Clockmaker to James VI & I.

Discover the stories behind these

innovative masterpieces and the

history of clockmaking between

1550–1750.

nms.ac.uk/clockstalk

Tyrannosaurs

Thu 23 Jan – Mon 4 May 2020

Exhibition Gallery 1, Level 3

Meet the most feared and

revered of all dinosaurs in this

cutting-edge exhibition, bringing

the latest palaeontological

discoveries to life. Explore the

tyrannosaur family tree with

life-size cast skeletons, rare fossils

and incredible models.

Through an augmented

reality experience and largescale

projections, interact with

dinosaurs in real time inside the

gallery, and even walk alongside

them as they explore Edinburgh.

nms.ac.uk/tyrannosaurs

Museum Socials

Friday 24 January

10:30–12:00

Free, including refreshments

(call 0300 123 6789 or visit nms.

ac.uk/museumsocials to book

your place)

Museum Socials are events

for anyone affected by dementia

and their relatives, friends and

supporters.

The sessions are relaxed and

informal, start with tea and cake,

and feature a range of activities

inspired by our collections. In

January, explore treasures from

the Scottish Life Archive.

nms.ac.uk/museumsocials

Chinese New Year

Saturday 25 January

11:00–16:00

Free

Drop in for a fun selection of

traditional activities to celebrate

the Year of the Rat. See a

spectacular traditional lion dance,

try your hand at calligraphy, make

a lucky red envelope, dress up in

traditional costume and discover

Chinese zodiac animals around

the museum.

nms.ac.uk/chinesenewyear

Bigger and better Fruitmarket

Gallery opening in Summer 2020

There is work being carried out

at Fruitmarket Gallery to expand

the display space and turn this

into the newest contemporary arts

venue in the country.

The £3.75m development

will refresh the galleries and

incorporate what was live music

venue Electric Circus (and for

those of you with a longer memory

Buster Browns) into the new

space. This part - which used to be

a fruit and vegetable warehouse

will be used by artists as an

inspirational space.

The reopening in the summer will

feature work by one of Scotland’s

most renowned sculptors, Turner

prize nominated Karla Black.

Black’s work was featured by the

Fruitmarket in 2011 when they

curated her solo presentation for

the Venice Biennale, but this will

be the first time they feature her

work in Edinburgh. The exhibition

will allow Black to spread a carpet

of coloured powder across the

floor in the light and airy upper

gallery and, playing with the height

of the new warehouse space she

will hang painted and powdered

cellophane off the beams. The

floor there will be coated with

reflective Vaseline to bounce light

around the space.

It is hoped that the new

Fruitmarket will offer a space for

partnerships to develop with other

local cultural organisations and it

will allow other arts such as dance

and music to take place there.

Edinburgh based architects

Reiach and Hall are in charge of

the redevelopment.

Fiona Bradley, Fruitmarket

Gallery Director, said, “This is an

exciting year for us, as we work

towards opening an inspirational

new space for creative,

collaborative working and our

refreshed and renovated existing

building. We can’t wait to work

with Karla Black. There is a defiant

force to her work - it is demanding

and disruptive as well as beautiful

and inspiring. It is because of

this that we invited her to be the

first artist to work in the newly

reopened Fruitmarket: we value

artistic experiment and we want

her to really challenge the new

space. We look forward to sharing

her insights with our audience.

As we work towards the

reopening of the Fruitmarket we

are using poetry, drawing, dance,

film and performance to reflect

on the spaces of the gallery from

the beginning of the development

through the refurbishment,

marking the transition into the

new and renewed spaces.”

January Film preview

by Adam Zawadzki

A selection of awards season

nominees is coming to a cinema

near you this month.

Released on New Year’s Day

2020 is the satirical black

comedy ‘Jo Jo Rabbit’ written,

directed, produced and featuring

Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnaork).

Nominated for two Golden Globe

Awards, including Best Motion

Picture – Musical or Comedy,

and seven Critics’ Choice Movie

Awards, including Best Picture,

the cast of ‘Jo Jo Rabbit’ includes

Scarlett Johansson (Lost In

Translation), Sam Rockwell (Vice)

and Rebel Wilson (Pitch Perfect).

Nominated for three Golden

Globe Awards, including Best

Motion Picture – Drama, and eight

Critics’ Choice Movie Awards,

including Best Picture, is the First

World War film ‘1917’, directed by

Sam Mendes (American Beauty),

which opens on 10 January 2020.

An almost two hours film shot

with the effect of one continuous

take, the expansive ensemble cast

includes Andrew Scott (Spectre),

Richard Madden (Cinderella), Colin

Firth (A Single Man) and Benedict

Cumberbatch (The Current War).

In contention for two Golden

Globes and four Critics’ Choice

Movie Awards is ‘Bombshell’,

directed by Jay Roach (Trumbo).

Charlize Theron (Young Adult),

Nicole Kidman (Lion) and Margot

Robbie (Once Upon A Time In

Hollywood) have received critical

acclaim for their performances

in this drama, released on 17

January 2020, on the exposure

of Fox News CEO Roger Ailes of

sexual harassment.

Tom Hanks (Castaway)

receives his tenth acting Golden

Globe nomination for his

portrayal of Fred Rogers in the

drama ‘A Beautiful Day in the

Neighborhood’, opening on 31

January 2020.

Temples To Tenements

PHOTOGRAPHS OF

ARCHITECTURE

25 July 2020 – 10 January 2021

Scottish National Portrait Gallery

1 Queen Street, EH2 1JD

0131 624 6200 Following the

successful launch of Scotland’s

Photograph Album: The

MacKinnon Collection this winter,

NGS will continue to explore the

rich history of photography in

a new exhibition dedicated to

architecture. nationalgalleries.org

Membership Offer

Queen's Hall

The

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@EdinReporter /EdinReporter edinburghreporter theedinburghreporter.co.uk TRAVEL 21

Loganair adds two

new Edinburgh routes

Loganair, Scotland’s Airline

has just announced two new

international routes from

Edinburgh – linking Scotland’s

Capital to Hanover, the largest

city in the Lower Saxony region

of Germany and to the western

Danish city of Esbjerg.

The new flights are on sale now

at www.loganair.co.uk Flights

to Hanover will take off from

Edinburgh on Friday 17 April 2020,

just in time for the Hanover Messe,

one of Europe’s largest trade

fairs which attracts over 6,500

exhibitors and 250,000 visitors.

There will be up to five non-stop jet

flights per week from Edinburgh,

with core services on Mondays,

Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays

and an additional Saturday flight

operating between June and

September.

Later in the year, Hanover

plays host to the second largest

Oktoberfest in the world, with

nearly a million visitors each year.

Together with year-round business

potential in the automotive and

transport and logistics sectors,

incoming tourism potential for

German visitors to Scotland and

Scottish visitors to the Lower

Saxony region, Loganair is

targeting over 12,000 passengers

on the new route in its first year.

Flights from Edinburgh to the

Danish city of Esbjerg – already

served by Loganair from Aberdeen

– will take off from Thursday

7 May 2020. It’s an important

centre for the offshore industry

– oil and gas, and renewable

energies – and a major export port

in western Denmark. Flights will

operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays

and Sundays, with the weekend

schedules specifically arranged

to meet the demands of leisure

travellers heading from Denmark

to Scotland for weekend golfing

breaks.

“We’re delighted to be growing

our operation at Edinburgh with

the introduction of these two new

international links,” said Loganair’s

Chief Executive Jonathan Hinkles.

“Hannover and Esbjerg will

both be excellent additions for

Edinburgh’s business community,

for leisure travellers and to attract

new incoming visitors taking

advantage of all that Scotland has

to offer.”

Leave it to the experts

Moira Scott of Connoisseur

Travel suggests that you take a

trip on the high seas this year -

and says that by booking ahead

you will have your pick of the

best cabins and hotels of your

choosing.

The Silverknowes based

independent travel agency has

over 30 years of experience in

matching people to holidays

whether it is a tailor-made trip

of a lifetime or the annual family

holiday.

For 2020 Moira suggests trying

out a far flung destination like

a cruise through the islands off

mainland Japan.

She explained that a cruise

is the perfect way of trying out

somewhere new that you may

want to visit again, without initially

committing to spending too long

in one place.

Moira said : "Far East cruising is

becoming more popular and with

a couple of weeks holiday you

have time to take a flight and have

a night in a hotel at either end of

your cruise. There are seven night

cruises but a couple of weeks

is the ideal length of time for

enjoying a taste of the orient.”

Another top tip from the

Silverknowes based travel expert

is to book a holiday to Greece

which continues to be very

popular, whether your trip takes

you to the ancient ruins or an

island cruise.

The reason to use a travel

agent is simple. Apart from the

expert knowledge and choice

of operators and destinations,

if anything goes wrong they are

on hand to help you out with

the backing of ATOL and ABTA

licences too.

Oh - and there is no additional

cost to using their services either!

Tel Moira and her team on 0800

1707 233 to book your next trip.

FREE

Home

Transfers

within

30 miles*

11 days

from

£1,649

pp

6 days

from

£749

pp

Scenic Scotland &

Norway Cruise

Departs 23 May 2020

Tour highlights

5 nights on board MS Balmoral

sailing from Rosyth

Home to fascinating birdlife including Puffins

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FURTHER INFORMATION

Gavin G Scott

07982 716 633

gavin@cuthbertwhite.com

Neil McConnachie

07818 062 736

nmcconnnachie@eyco.co.uk

Donald Gillies

0131 285 5566

donald.gillies@eskmills.com

@eskmills

@eskmillsbusiness

eskmills.com

The Eskmills community is made up of 400 people, across more

than 50 companies, from a diverse range of sectors including

technology, creative, finance, charity, education and more.

We’d be delighted to introduce you to some of the organisations

that have chosen to make Eskmills their home and give you a

flavour of all that Eskmills can offer.

The Agents for themselves and for the vendors and lessors of

this property whose agents they are, give notice that: 1. The

particulars are produced in good faith, are set out as a general

guide only and do not constitute part of a contract, 2. No person

in the employment of The Agents has any authority to make or

give any representation or warranty whatsoever in relation to this

property, 3. The images are correct as at the date of publication

and 4. All floor areas and site areas quoted will be subject to final

verification upon completion. Date of publication October 2017.

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FEATURE


Some bars for you to try this winter

Kaleidoscope Whisky Bar

There’s no better time of the

year for warming whisky than the

festive period, and there’s no-one

that does it better than The Scotch

Malt Whisky Society (hyperlink).

You can cosy up in their wonderful

ground floor bar, Kaleidoscope,

which offers an exceptional range

of the finest single cask whiskies

money can buy.

Choosing whisky can often seem

overwhelming, but at the Society

all the bottles are characterised

in one of their 12 flavour profiles,

making it much easier to find your

favourite dram.

Throughout the festive period

they have a calendar of colourful

events and intriguing whisky

experiences, so be sure to get

along and catch-up with other

like-minded whisky lovers.

28 Queen Street, EH2 1JX

https://www.smws.com/about/

venues/kaleidoscope-edinburgh

Whiski Rooms

Continuing on the winter whisky

theme, here’s another bar that

knows a thing or two about the

nation’s favourite tipple. Perfect

if you find yourself wandering

around the Royal Mile, and not

far from Edinburgh’s Christmas

markets, the famous bar,

restaurant and shop offers more

than 300 varieties of whisky.

The relaxed environment plays

host to whisky lovers and tourists

alike, so whether you’re a malt

aficionado or a dram novice

you’re bound to find something

memorable.

4-7 North Bank Street, EH1 2LP

http://www.whiskirooms.co.uk/

Bramble

If you really want to feel like

you’re escaping the crowds

(and the winter conditions)

then consider settling into the

dark and intimate surroundings

of this notorious underground

bar. Recently crowned ‘Best

bar in the UK’ (https://www.

edinburghnews.scotsman.com/

news/edinburgh-cocktail-barnamed-best-in-the-uk-1-4749911),

Bramble really is a cocktail haven.

However, you’ll need to do a bit

of exploring first, just look for the

Queen Street venue’s mysterious

staircase to discover something

unlike anything you’ve experienced

before.

16A Queen Street EH2 1JE

http://www.bramblebar.co.uk/

Nightcap

This cosy, intimate underground

bar feels like a local secret. With a

wealth of interesting cocktails and

spirits, you’ll be spoilt for choice

and the friendly staff can guide

you to finding your perfect tipple.

With levels of cellars, candlelight

and a tasty American food menu,

it’s a place you can happily lose an

afternoon (or evening) in.

3 York Place, EH1 3EB

http://nightcapbar.co.uk/

The Bow Bar

This iconic bar sits in the heart of

the Old Town and is definitely one

of the best whisky destinations

in the city. They often stock

more than 300 bottles of single

malt, from fan favourites to real

rare finds. Their selection is

ever-changing as new releases

are brought in, ensuring there is

something for everybody

The traditional pub is simply

furnished with wooden fixtures

and fittings, a beautiful mahogany

gantry displaying their collection

and old memorabilia on the walls,

making it the ultimate authentic

Edinburgh watering hole.

80 West Bow, EH1 2HH

https://www.thebowbar.co.uk/

ESPC says house prices held

steady in last quarter of 2019

Over the last three months of

2019, the average property price in

Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and

the Borders stayed fairly steady

compared to last year, with it now

sitting at £248,235 compared to

£248,320 last year.

In Edinburgh, the average selling

price of a house or flat also

stayed steady, sitting at £268,325

compared to £268,404 last year.

Within the city, the greatest

growth in average selling price

was seen in the north west with

properties selling for £273,583

on average, a 7.8% increase

compared to last year. In the south

of the city there was the greatest

decrease, with properties selling

for £293,169 on average, a 7.6%

decrease compared to last year.

Three bedroom houses in South

Queensferry and Dalmeny enjoyed

the greatest year-on-year increase

in average selling price of any

property type, with an average

selling price of £333,829, a 46.8%

increase compared to last year.

This is due to a much greater

proportion of higher value homes

being sold this year.

There was a significant year-onyear

increase in the average

selling price in the price of three

bedroom houses in Cramond,

Barnton and Cammo, rising by

38.6%.

This is again due to an increase

in the number of higher-value

homes being sold this year.

However, the average selling

price dropped by 20.4% year-onyear

of three bedroom houses in

Blackhall, Davidsons Mains and

Silverknowes.

This is due to a greater

proportion of lower value

properties being sold this year.

www.espc.com

A good night’s sleep

by Nigel Duncan

YOTEL, said the promotional

blurb, offers guests a completely

new hotel experience. The idea

is to take essential elements of

luxury hotels and turning them

into a compact, but smart space.

Bosses aim to deliver a sense

of community with areas for

co-working, social gatherings and

exercise.Edinburgh is the brand’s

first city centre hotel in Europe and

the 270-plus bed hotel is centrally

located on Queen Street, rubbing

shoulders with the capital’s

UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Well, what is it like? Check-in is

automated by touch screen but

there is a bod at Mission Control

(reception) nearby if you get stuck.

Signs throughout are clear and

your choice is from a Premium

Queen Cabin (YOTEL speak for

hotel room), perfect for two

guests, to a VIP Suite for those

extra special occasions.

Cabins all feature luxury bedding

– believe me it is – rejuvenating

rain showers, relaxing mood

lights (you can switch to different

colours), numerous charging

points and a huge smart TV –

great picture – that can easily

be connected to guests’ own

devices. Our cabin was compact

and spotlessly clean.The bed was

one of the most comfortable I’ve

ever slept in and you sink into the

pillows. I enjoyed a great night’s

sleep after lowering top of the

bed by use of a convenientlypositioned

button. There is

ample hanger space and hair

dryer and an iron are conveniently

stored in that area. The ironing

board is at the back of the open

wardrobe. The easy-to-work,

overhead shower was augmented

by a hand-held. There was no

shower cap, a point mentioned

by Mrs D, but the soft, white fluffy

towels were a real bonus. Soap,

shampoo and conditioner were

well-positioned at the shower

and sink and the toilet cabin –

separated from the shower by

glass – was fine for me but I felt it

could be cramped for a big guy.

Heating controls were beside the

door and were no problem to work.

The rooms didn’t have a huge

amount of available space and

they lacked a desk area if you were

using it as a business base.

The hotel has, incidentally, two

interconnecting meeting rooms

that can be booked for groups of

between six and 50 delegates,

depending on set up. The wi-fi

worked and the room was ideal for

our one-night requirement.

The social komyuniti – breakfast

area – had bags of room. The

offering – for an extra charge –

was substantial and the menu

included soya and almond milk,

porridge (in a pot), cereal, pastries

and a selection of cooked food.

The sausages were delicious and

the bacon was lusciously smokey.

Scrambled eggs, hash brown and

beans were also there. Apricot jam

and orange marmalade (Essexbased

Wilkin and Sons, deliciously

orange taste) plus crusty bread or

sliced with pats of Anchor butter

made this a most satisfying start

to the day.

Drinks machines – tea and

coffee – are touch screen and

above your head are displayed

scenes of Edinburgh. A giraffe did,

however, walk across the screen at

St Andrew Square, a talking point.

Guests who do not want a

full breakfast can adjourn to

the coffee bar where there are

morning rolls with bacon or

sausage available along with

muffins, yoghurt and granola pot.

There is a spacious basement

gym – well equipped with cycling

and walking machines – plus

weights.

Our reaction? We’d have no

hesitation in recommending

YOTEL for a good night’s sleep. It

was wonderfully quiet and the bed

so comfy.

Catch the bus

this New Year

A resolution that

is sustainable

www.lothianbuses.co.uk

Join us on

24 FOOD


FOOD 25

Recipe of the month

Passion fruit Cheesecake,

Cucumber Sorbet & Italian

Meringue

This month’s recipe is by Glenn

Roach, Executive Chef of the Surf

& Turf Restaurants in Macdonald

Holyrood Hotel in Edinburgh.

Passion fruit Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• 600g of mascarpone

• 250g of cream cheese

• 150ml of double cream

• 75g of icing sugar

• 1 large orange, zested

• 1 lemon, zested

• 1 vanilla pod

• 3 1/2 bronze gelatine leaves

• 10 digestive biscuits

• 50g of butter, melted

Method:

• To begin, prepare your mould

for the cheesecake. Place a 20cm

x 20cm x 4cm pastry frame on a

very flat baking tray so that the

bottom sits flush against the tray.

Set aside

• To make this vanilla

cheesecake recipe start by

creaming the mascarpone and

cream cheese in a mixing bowl. In

a heavy based saucepan bring the

double cream, sugar, lemon and

orange zests and vanilla to the

boil. Remove from the heat, strain

into a clean pan and allow to cool

slightly

• Add the gelatine to the pan

with the cream and stir well

while heating through. When the

gelatine has melted, remove from

the heat and save for later

• Crush the biscuits in a food

processor or put them in a plastic

bag and bash with a rolling pin.

Stir the butter into the food

processor bowl and then press the

mixture into the mould

• Fold the cream mix into the

mascarpone mix and combine

thoroughly. Pour onto the

biscuit base in the mould. Leave

approximately 5mm from the top

for the jelly and allow to set

Passion fruit Jelly

• 200g of passion fruit purée

• 50ml of water

• 50g of sugar

• 3 bronze gelatine leaves

• To make the jelly, soak the

gelatine in cold water for about


5 minutes, until soft and pliable.

Heat the purée, sugar and water

in a pan. Add the drained gelatine

and let it melt into the mix. Turn

off the heat and allow the mixture

to settle to room temperature

• Once cool but not set, pour

the passion fruit jelly over the set

cheesecake to fill the remaining

5mm. Allow to set in the fridge for

a couple of hours

Italian Meringue

• 100g of caster sugar

• 25ml of water

Cutting a dash to the Indian

by Juliet Lawrence Wilson

We can’t be far off the day when

it’s announced that Edinburgh’s

reached restaurant capacity.

Who in their right mind would

want to enter the fray and compete

with all the predictably busy but

disappointing franchises with their

enviable bulk buying ability? No

siree.

So it was with some trepidation

I kept my eye on the new Indian

restaurant being fitted out in my

‘hood.

Replacing the rather bizarre

but not unattractive Elbe Room

on Salamander Street, Cutting

Chaii looked smarter by the day.

Every time I passed I sucked air

through my teeth and shook my

head. What fools and their money,

I thought!

As there’s a rally cry in Leith

to support local businesses,

now more than ever with the

tramworks, the family Wilson

decided to give our new

neighbours a try. Cutting Chaii is a

charming and cosy space and a lot

of thought has gone into making it

•50g of egg white

• Put the sugar and water into

a small saucepan over a medium

heat with a thermometer resting in

the liquid

• Start to slowly whisk the egg

whites either in a stand mixer or

with a hand-held electric whisk

until just starting to foam

• Heat the sugar until it reaches

121°C then slowly pour into the

egg whites whilst still whisking

• Turn the whisk up to full speed

and whisk until cooled to room

temperature – the meringue is

now ready to use

Cucumber Sorbet

• 6 cucumbers, peeled

• 600g of sugar

• 600ml of water

• 100g of glucose

• 1 lemon, juiced

• Begin with the cucumber

sorbet. In a saucepan, bring the

sugar, water and glucose to the

boil. Once boiling, add the lemon

juice

• Once the sugar has dissolved,

remove the saucepan from the

heat and leave the syrup to chill in

the fridge

• Juice the cucumbers in a juicer

then combine with the chilled

sorbet base. Churn in an ice cream

maker then store in the freezer

until needed

Dish Assembly

• Take the cheesecake out of the

mould and place on to a plate,

• Add the Italian meringue to a

piping bag and pipe on to the plate

• Using a blow torch scorch

the Italian meringue until golden

brown

• Using a hot spoon Rocher the

cucumber sorbet and place on

the plate on top of some crushed

biscuits of your choice.

Juliet's Food Diary

by Juliet Lawrence Wilson

Thank the Lord that’s all over. Let

us pray the grass in Princes Street

Gardens recovers in line with our

livers and head to the gym. New

year’s resolutions?

I’ll come to that later but in the

meantime if you’re looking for a

healthier way of life it might be

time to partake of loose leaf tea

rather than mulled wine. Eteaket,

the popular Edinburgh tea shop

and retailer on Frederick and Rose

Street have thoughtfully stocked

up on some detox health teas,

such as their Green Yerba Mate.

Apparently it energises you as well

as having a lovely smokey flavour

without a caffeine hit hangover.

Eteaket is a lovely tea shop with

super cakes and all their teas are

plastic free. Sobriety and Greta

friendly, it’s a sip to virtuosity.

I never refuse an invitation to

the luxurious and friendly Bonham

Hotel, especially when they

promised a new art installation

courtesy of and handpicked by

their wealthy American owner

Richard H. Driehaus. (I could

tell this gentleman had enjoyed

much success in life partly

because if you haven’t, you’ve

no right having an initial in the

middle of your name and also

he had an entourage with him.

How glamorous!) With paintings

by Henry Singleton and Emma

Stewart Wood among others, the

new additions give the public

rooms in the exquisite boutique

hotel a note of added opulence.

There’s also a beautiful Tiffany

floor lamp to be admired, thought

to be the only one in Scotland. I

attended with an entourage of one,

my school mum chum Sara. We

quaffed champagne and oysters,

enjoyed the lovely music, doled

out some relationship advice

to the musician then ended the

evening with too much wine in

Harry’s Bar, sadly no longer the

‘grab a granny’ joint it used to be

known as. Delicate heads featured

at school drop off the next day

but at least we’d has some much

needed culture.

My first turkey dinner of the

festive season was at Contini‘s

Cannonball on the Royal Mile.

Situated just below the Castle

this bar and restaurant is utterly

charming and well away from

the tartan end of Edinburgh’s

most historic street. Especially

if you have friends visiting from

out of town be sure to dine here.

The food is locally sourced and

is a tribute to Scotland and

their suppliers. To read about

my other experiences on my

Contini Food Safari, visit www.

edinburghreporter.co.uk.

Most embarrassing dining

moment of the year: knackered

and high heeled I skipped the

stairs and sneakily used a disabled

toilet. I’m a terrible person, I know.

Not a believer in any form of ‘woo’

I did consider Karma was coming

for me when the lock stuck and I

resorted to pulling the emergency

cord to herald the rescue party.

My dining companions hadn't

even noticed I’d been missing,

either that or they agreed to keep

shtum. Perhaps they thought I’d

fallen asleep in there, (apparently

otherwise known as a ‘Half Elvis’).

On a more serious note, while

I do believe the trams will bring

more business to the restaurants

and bars of Leith, it’s going to be

a long time coming and there’s no

doubt that businesses, particularly

on Constitution, Bernard and

Assembly Streets are suffering

greatly. From all the sports at The

Fly Half, Leith heritage at Noble’s

and fabulous Pizzas at La Riva to

Café Marmalade with their bizarre

display of shoes in their window,

there are so many fantastic places

to go in this area.

Please consider it for your next

night out or Sunday brunch.

And also, only use lavatories

you’re entitled to.

I embarrassed myself so you

don’t have to…

modern and relaxed. It was warm

too. I'm so fed up with having to

keep my coat on in restaurants.

Even the lavatory had a heater in

it.

What luxury.

The service here couldn’t be

friendlier and a big fuss was made

of my eight year-old daughter.

I found the food to be excellent

and as the restaurant’s tapas style

in their menu it’s great for sharing.

We tried some mini poppadoms

to begin then a Royale Nawabi

Chicken, which was like a slightly

more aromatic Korma.

The Lamb Karahi was rich and

spicy but the winner was the

Railway Lamb, a meat and potato

dish traditionally served on India’s

first class train carriages.

I loved the subtle sweetness

of this dish and its evident this

restaurant are using great quality

produce.

You don't have to come here for

a full on meal, its also open for

drinks and smaller snacks. For a

small restaurant they have a pretty

decent drinks menu.

One of the best things about the

evening was that the restaurant

was full and from what I hear

they’re doing very well on the

takeaway front.

If they’re open on Boxing Day I’ll

order one myself and enjoy some

top Indian cuisine in my Jim Jams.

Cutting Chaii

18 Salamander Street

EH6 7HR

0131 553 1000

cuttingchaii.co.uk

We’re social!



26 FEATURE


FEATURE 27

Drinking in the pub around New Year, c1956, The Inn at Kirknewton, shared by the Living Memory Association.

https://www.edinburghcollected.org/memories/5604

Edinburgh Collected is an online community photo archive managed by Edinburgh Libraries. You can add your own photos to help preserve

the city’s history for the future.

It is also a good way for organisations to preserve their archives in scrapbooks online. www.edinburghcollected.org

Coming home

by Richard Moon

I have worked in the Middle

East for the past six months

and it is lovely to return home to

Edinburgh. As a relative newcomer

here, I am torn by regret that

appreciation of the city came to

me so late in life but also by the

buzz of exploring everywhere

for the first time, meeting new

people and learning about my

new, adopted homeland. I have

travelled a lot and always like

Across

1. In Crewe, renovate this water

jug (4)

4. In front of shop, awning conceals

chess piece (4)

9. Tell sub to fire these projectiles (7)

10. Sound can be heard from others a

distance away (7)

12. Round the waist belt can be

wound (9)

13. New angle for divine

messenger (5)

14. Does this constitute a portion of

medicine ? (4)

15. Lend heroes new pair of short

trousers (10)

17. Initial source of energy might

push MEP over rim (5, 5)

20. From Fife, form of land held on

certain conditions (4)

22. In the grid I omit words in

dialect (5)

23. I read text and hand it over for

trial by a foreign power (9)

25. Go back to select cash-register

without a chit (7)

26. Dee in TV show ? That is

obvious (7)

27. Land surrounded by water lies

over there (4)

28. Got a new robe ? (4)

the challenge of finding my feet

somewhere new and finding ways

to make the time special and

important. That’s not difficult in

Edinburgh, where I am charmed by

its charms and fascinated by its

history and culture. It is a great

time to return to the city, thrust

as I was straight into Edinburgh’s

festive season. I am an autumn/

winter person and so prefer

the lashing rain and wind (and

the occasional but magnificent

January Crossword

Down

2. In Macaw he attends to this crop

(5)

3. Inclined to laugh about bile, sir ? (7)

4. In this trip recede, or rather go in

front (7)

5. Wrap hats away during military

expeditions (8)

6. Ate bad mixture and subsided (6)

7. Nailing pails should be an easy

task ! (5, 7)

8. Nicked from the Solent ? (6)

11. Energetic and lively, hid their pigs

(4, 8)

16. Sal seems to make these without

a join (8)

17. I pry or try to join a convent (6)

18. Eve sore about arrangement to

superintend (7)

19. Beg to be included in teen art

display (7)

21. Wonders if a set is arranged for

the holiday (6)

24. Egyptian not yet ready to be

imitating thus (5)

Crossword by David Albury

Answers on page 28

glimpse of a watery sun) to the

summer heat, beating down like

a remorseless hammer on a

defenceless anvil. The argument

for Brexit seems to break into

dust with any serious attempt to

analyse its consequences for the

country’s politics and economy.

And I long gave up hope of

Remaining, disgusted as I am at

those who sold the argument so

disastrously in 2016 and at the

inability of the Remain parties

to prioritise working together to

stay in the EU for the national

interest over temporary electoral

expediency.

I exclude, easily and honourably,

Nicola Sturgeon from that grubby

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8

9 10 11

12 13

14 15

16

17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24

25 26

27 28

list of political failures. She alone

and again has cemented her

position as the country’s most

impressive politician. Her personal

standing brings credibility to the

case she presents to the voter.

From London originally, I had an

instinctive but entirely unthinking

political and sentimental

attachment to keeping Scotland

within the Union. As a diplomat,

furthermore, I can see the damage

that losing Scotland would do

the UK’s global status. It would

confirm the perceived slide in our

national fortunes on a long-term

basis rather than – as our friends

had tried to hope, charitably – the

country simply going through a

bad patch. But in Edinburgh, I now

see the argument the other way

around and better understand the

frustration Scots have with being

ruled – and usually over-ruled – by

a centralising authority hundreds

of miles away. Whether Brexit gets

Done or not, we are about to face

the next national trauma as we

consider the implications for the

future fabric of the country of the

past three and a half years’ lies,

betrayals and the false dawns. It is

not a pretty way to start the next

decade of the century.

Although I always tell my

diplomatic colleagues that hope is

not a policy, we should give it a try.

Get in

touch

today!

For editorial and

advertising enquiries

please email

editor@


@EdinReporter

/EdinReporter

edinburghreporter


Inclusive not Exclusive

For adults living with a disability,

finding the motivation to exercise

can be challenging as there

are many additional barriers.

The Edinburgh Reporter hears

from Phil Trodden, an Active

Communities Development Officer

with Edinburgh Leisure how as an

organisation they like to consider

their offering as inclusive, not

exclusive.

You may have seen that ‘dreich’

was recently voted the most

popular Scots word. Sadly, it

perfectly describes the weather

here of late – grey, damp and

altogether miserable. Gone are the

long summer evenings when I’d go

cycling, work in the garden or play

on the beach with my wee boy. I’m

sure I’m not the only one who now

finishes work fighting the urge to

go home, change into joggers and

eat something warm and stodgy.

Luckily for me, I’m fit and healthy

and the only thing stopping me

from being physically active at

this time of year is a serious

lack of motivation. Through my

work with Edinburgh Leisure’s

Active Communities Team, I

know that people with protected

characteristics under the Equality

Act 2010, such as age, disability,

gender reassignment and religion,

often have a lot more to contend

with when it comes to getting

active.

Recently I met with Jane, a

wheelchair user, who explained

some of the accessibility issues

she faces in her day to day life.

“Accessibility of venues is a

major issue for me as a wheelchair

TG010783 Edinbrugh Reporter v2_PRINTFILES.pdf 1 18/12/2019 11:58

user. There are so many things

I need to think about when I’m

going out, such as planning my

journey in advance and phoning

ahead to ask about disability

access if I’m going somewhere

new. When I’m out and about in

Edinburgh, where there are so

many old buildings that weren’t

designed for people with physical

disabilities, I often find myself

relying on the kindness and

goodwill of strangers to help me.”

At Edinburgh Leisure, a charity

on a mission to help everyone

in Edinburgh to lead happier,

healthier and more active lives,

we recognise the assistance that

individuals need to access our

venues can vary greatly and we

pride ourselves in striving to make

people of all ages, abilities and

backgrounds feel welcome and

valued. We already deliver our

Active Communities programme,

which makes it easier for people

to incorporate physical activity

into their lives. We hope that by

making our venues as accessible

as possible, ensuring our staff

are trained to support people

with a range of needs, equipping

our staff with the confidence and

knowledge to approach people

who need assistance and offering

a wide range of accessible

activities, everyone will be able

to escape the dreich conditions

and enjoy getting active with us.If

you would like more information

on inclusive access at Edinburgh

Leisure, contact Phil Trodden at

philtrodden@edinburghleisure.

co.uk or 0131 548 2100.

Reap the rewards by

booking holiday clubs

Be an early bird and book by 31

January 2020 to receive a 10%

discount on weekly Holiday Club

places at Edinburgh Leisure for the

February 2020 half term.

Enrol your kids in the biggest

club in town for reliable and fun

holiday activities. Edinburgh

Leisure’s Holiday Clubs run

Monday to Friday from 9 am to

5 pm during the main school

holidays – with early drop off from

8 am and late pick up until 6 pm –

perfect for working parents.

Kids in P1 to P7 can look forward

to games, the opportunity to

try different sports, arts, crafts,

drama, challenges and educational

activities such as learning about

healthy food.

Holiday Clubs cost £182.50 a

week per child but for those who

book early, will cost just £164.25.

Daily bookings are also available

at £36.50 per day but the discount

does not apply.

Holiday Clubs can be booked

directly with each centre or by

telephoning the individual venue

and take place at Craiglockhart

Leisure and Tennis Centre; and

Royal Commonwealth Pool.

edinburghleisure.bookinglive.

com/home/holiday-club/

PHOTO Phil WIlkinson

28

PHOTO OF THE MONTH


@EdinReporter /EdinReporter edinburghreporter theedinburghreporter.co.uk FEATURE 29

At the top table

by Nigel Duncan

Ron Kitchin explained how a

short message from his son Tom

has turned into a £12m business

employing around 250 staff.

The chairman of The Kitchin

Group said the story goes back

over 13 years and it followed Tom

working in London, then Paris,

Monaco and Dubai.

On his travels, Tom had met

Michaela who originates from

Sweden and is now his wife.

She became hospitality manager

at the Burj Al Arab, what is claimed

to be the world’s most luxurious

hotel, in Dubai.

The couple talked and Tom

messaged his father saying: “Do

you think you could find me a little

restaurant in Leith?”

Ron takes up the story. He

said: “I found what was known

as the graveyard of Edinburgh

restaurants.

“There was two years rent free

with it and we investigated and

discovered why. Five different

restauranteurs had gone bust in

the past year.

“It was very difficult (at first) as

we had a very well qualified chef in

Tom and a very well qualified frontof-house

manager in Michaela.

“Nobody knew about us and I

had helped Michaele in writing

the business plan and put down

the cash flow, but nobody was

coming.”

Ron revealed that he was in the

street and in the surrounding area

encouraging anybody people to try

Tom’s food.

He added: “Six months later, to

be exact, the phone rang and there

was a Michelin Star.

“People started to come and the

restaurant was good and it filled

and it filled and it filled.

“It became so busy we could

hardly keep up with the demand.”

He added: “Now, some 13-plus

years later, instead of the seven

people we started with there are

250-something and there are five

businesses including the hotel

(The Bonnie Badger) in Gullane

and about a £12m turnover.

“That’s all from a small business,

but a heck of a lot of work.”

Historically, Tom and Michaela

opened their restaurant, The

Kitchin on Edinburgh’s Leith

waterfront in 2006.

The restaurant was awarded a

Michelin star in 2007 followed

by numerous prestigious awards

including Best UK Restaurant, Best

Restaurant in Scotland and Best

Restaurant Experience in 2015.

It presents modern British

seasonal cuisine influenced by

French cooking techniques using

ingredients from Scotland's

natural larder.

The group, whose food

philosophy is from nature to plate,

also has other venues.

They include Castle Terrace in

Edinburgh’s city centre and The

Scran and Scallie in the Capital’s

up-market Stockbridge.

They have also opened a

restaurant in a former sports shop

in Bruntsfield, another fashionable

part of the Capital.

Finally, Ron praised their staff

saying: “We can make nice hotels

and lovely food but, without the

wonderful staff that we have, we

are nothing.”

A view of Calton Hill and a deserted Waterloo Place after an overnight Snowfall. Our photo is by Walter McGillivray a member of

Leith Probus Club who likes nothing better than walking in the city with his camera. He is a keen amateur photographer taking

photos of landscapes, people and what he calls unusual subjects.

Crossword Answers

Across: 1 Ewer, 4 Pawn, 9 Bullets, 10 Earshot, 12 Twistable, 13 Angel,

14 Dose, 15 Lederhosen, 17 Prime mover, 20 Fief, 22 Idiom, 23 Extradite,

25 Regress, 26 Evident, 27 Isle, 28 Toga.

Down: 2 Wheat, 3 Risible, 4 Precede, 5 Warpaths, 6 Abated, 7 Plain

sailing, 8 Stolen, 11 High spirited, 16 Seamless, 17 Priory, 18 Oversee,

19 Entreat, 21 Fiesta, 24 Aping.

The Sketcher at your wedding

The Edinburgh Sketcher can be

hired to capture your wedding day

in ink and watercolours.

Attending the event Mark will

sketch the location, ceremony,

your guests arriving, plus any

special details of the day which

catch his eye. Sketching around

ten drawings through the day

these will then be printed into a

book for you to keep.

Want your photo featured here?

Email your photo to editor@theedinburghreporter.co.uk

Drop Mark an email at contact@

edinburghsketcher.com to see

more examples like this one from a

wedding at Hopetoun House, and

to discuss details for your special

day.

Care Crew are here to provide a quality

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Get in touch today!

For editorial and advertising

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@EdinReporter /EdinReporter edinburghreporter


Call us on:

07738 625 021

www.carecrew.co.uk


30 SPORT


SPORT 31

Historic plaque marks the spot

by John Hislop

A plaque to commemorate the

first ever international women’s

football match between Scotland

and England was unveiled recently

by Joe Fitzpatrick MSP, Minister

for Health, Sport and Wellbeing.

The fixture which Scotland won

3-0 took place on May 7, 1881 at

what was then Hibernian Park but

is now the club rooms and car

park of the Hibernian Supporters'

Association in Sunnyside.

The Scotland women’s team

head coach Shelley Kerr, and

Hibernian Ladies’ captain Joelle

Murray attended the event along

with Ian Young, Chairman of

Hibernian Historic Trust and Tom

Wright the Hibernian curator and

club historian.

Mr Fitzpatrick said: “I’m so

pleased to be able to join everyone

here today to celebrate the first

international women’s football

match here in Edinburgh.

“Our women’s football team

have come on so far in recent

years and they did really well in

the World Cup and they are doing

really well to progress to the

next championships in 2121 in

England.

Joelle Murray said: “It’s

absolutely massive, and with

women’s football growing so fast

at the moment there’s no better

time to have a plaque.

“It’s great to see the club

supporting this and so many

people going along as well.

“I’m proud of the women who

played that day - they were

pioneers of the women’s game

and their passion, dedication

and commitment at a time when

women’s football was widely

looked down upon is admirable.

“There were a lot of hurdles and

challenges that those women

faced back then."

FOSROC SRU Super6 League

Ian Jacobs sent us photos from

the match played between Heriot's

Rugby and Southern Knights in the

middle of December which you can

see here.

The eventual score was Heriot’s

22 Southern Knights 16.

This is part of the FOSROC

Super6 tournament which is

played by six franchise teams with

part-time professionals. It is the

new top tier of domestic rugby in

Scotland and the hope is that it

will improve playing standards.

By developing Scottish players,

coaches and match officials the

talent should then trickle into the

full-time professional game.

Jamie-Lee moves on

by John Hislop

SWPL player of the year

Jamie-Lee Napier has left Hibs to

join Chelsea.

The 19-year-old midfielder signed

for Hibs from Celtic in January

2018 and helped them win two

SWPL Cups, the Scottish Cup, and

reach the last 32 of this season's

Women's Champions League.

She has been in superb form this

season, scoring an incredible 22

goals in 33 games..

"It feels amazing to be a Chelsea

player and I'm delighted to sign

my first professional contract," she

told Chelsea's website.

"From a young girl, it's been a

dream and an aspiration of mine,

so I'm delighted that I've finally

done it with such a successful

club like Chelsea."

Chelsea manager Emma Hayes

was "delighted" to sign Napier,

who could make her debut against

Reading in the Women's Super

League on 5 January.

"She is a really bright prospect,"

she said. "Her personality, her

hard-working spirit and quality will

add something to our squad. She

is one we have identified for the

future."

Coach quits Hibernian

Ladies

by John Hislop

Head Coach Grant Scott has

left Hibernian Ladies by mutual

consent due to a change in his

personal circumstances.

He told Hibernian Media

“I’m devastated to be leaving

Hibernian.

“I’ve enjoyed my most

memorable moments in football

with these players and it was a

very difficult decision.

“My life away from football has

changed in the last year and it

would be difficult for me to give

the required commitment, time

and effort to these players for

another season.

“The very least the players

deserve is a manager who can

give them full support.

“I have life-long memories to take

with me.”

Scott leaves having helped

steer Hibernian Ladies to another

successful season – both

domestically and in European

competition.

Initially stepping into the Head

Coach role on an interim basis,

he enjoyed an early triumph

with the 9-0 Scottish Women’s

Premier League Cup Final win in

2018, which was followed by his

permanent appointment in the

position.

His work was recognised by his

peers, as he was named Scottish

Women’s Football’s Coach of the

Year.

During his time at the club he

brought both the SSE Scottish

Women’s Cup and a second SWPL

Cup back to Easter Road as well

as guiding the team through the

qualifying stages of the UEFA

Women’s Champions League

qualifiers last season.

Captain Joelle Murray will step

in on a short-term basis to lead

the team until Scott’s successor is

named – working in tandem with

the existing backroom staff.

The club have thanked Grant

for everything he has done for

Hibernian Ladies and women’s

football in Scotland over the years

and wish him every success for

the future.

New signing for Strollers

by Thomas Brown

John Dunn has signed with Civil

Service Strollers after leaving

Edinburgh City last month.

Dunn was the last player still

playing with Edinburgh City's

following their promotion to the

senior league in 2016.

Strollers boss, Gary Jardine, was

the man who lead City to SPFL and

he is now in charge at the Strollers

so knows John very well.

Dunn missed the entire

campaign last season due

to injury but believes he has

found the perfect fit at the north

Edinburgh outfit.

He said "I had a few options, to

be honest, but I've got a loyalty to

Gary from my time at City and Civil

seemed the perfect fit.

"Guys like Mark McConnell and

Ross Guthrie are there too, so the

changing room has a familiar look

to it.

"I had a lot of good times at

Edinburgh City, but it got to the

stage where I decided I needed to

be playing more."

Dunn has fitted in well at the

Strollers and already opened his

goal-scoring account.

You can watch it on Scottish

Rugby TV and the BBC Sport

Scotland website. Each team will

have at least three live broadcast

matches with highlights from

other fixtures available online

at scottishrugby.org/ The

six teams are Ayrshire Bulls,

Southern Knights,Stirling County,

Boroughmuir Bears, Watsonians

Rugby and Heriots Rugby.

Hope is a good thing

by Mike Smith

The Scottish Cup can be likened

to Christmas as it’s the time of

the year when even fans of lower

league teams can get carried away,

their usually realistic approach to

their team’s position in the league

suddenly being engulfed by a wave

of optimism, a feeling of ‘anything

can happen in the cup’.

Edinburgh City are jostling

with Cove Rangers at the top of

Ladbrokes League Two and there

will be those who say that getting

promotion to League One is the

club’s priority this coming season.

For other clubs, however, the

William Hill Scottish Cup is a

means of escape from a mundane

season of mediocrity. An abject

performance against Brechin City

or a dire showing against Stirling

Albion can be forgotten if your

team manages a great win in the

cup.

Hope enables fans to dare to

dream. Clubs much bigger than

Edinburgh City have endured more

than a century of Scottish Cup

failure. Supporters of Hibernian

never stopped dreaming of seeing

their team lift the famous old

The January fixtures are :

18 January 2020 Stirling County

v Heriot’s Rugby

19 January 2020 Watsonians

v Ayrshire Bulls and Southern

Knights v Boroughmuir Bears

25 January 2020 Heriot’s Rugby

v Boroughmuir Bears

26 January 2010 Stirling County

v Watsonians and Ayrshire Bulls v

Southern Knights

trophy even if, until 2016, they

hadn’t won it since 1902.

Their win over Rangers three

and a half years ago finally saw

their dreams come true and, while

I say this through gritted Jambo

teeth, I was genuinely happy for

some of my Hibee pals of decades

acquaintance who had nearly

given up on seeing their team win

the cup (It would be churlish of me

to point out that while Hibs have

won the Scottish Cup once in the

last 100 years, Hearts legend Rudi

Skacel won it twice in the space of

six years…)Who’s to say Edinburgh

City can’t pull off a cup shock by

knocking Hamilton Accies out of

the cup?

After all, in that season when

Hibs won the trophy Accies were

trounced 4-1 at Annan Athletic.

Who knows what will happen on

18th January? To quote Andy

Dufresne, the lead character in

that brilliant film The Shawshank

Redemption : “Hope is a good

thing, maybe the best of things

and no good thing ever dies.” So

long as the City players don’t dwell

on another quote from the film –

“There's not a day goes by I don't

feel regret".

We’re social!

PHOTO North Edinburgh Community News


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