BP CEO's link to Edinburgh University

The man in charge of BP's efforts to stem the flow of oil after the Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico was awarded an honorary degree at Edinburgh University in 2009. Tony Hayward, BP's Group Chief Executive was awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science in June last year shortly after being appointed a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Earlier this year this blog noted that Professor Geoffrey Boulton, Secretary of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and who is based at the School of GeoScience at the King's Buildings, is a controversial member of the enquiry into the climate change emails released from the University of East Anglia.

Tony Hayward, who also has a PhD in geology from Edinburgh University, is subject of speculation here that his link to the university and to Professor Boulton has been influential in composition of the University of East Anglia review.

BP is a funder of the University of East Anglia.

Post war Sciennes street parties

This letter from Robert Veitch in the Evening News recalls the street parties which were a feature of the Southside immediately after the war. Interestingly enough the annual Mentone street party takes place tomorrow afternoon.

Blogging will be light in the next few days as my wife and I are taking a break.

Sciennes student residence sold

Ziggurat has bought a 148 person block in Sciennes from Unite. The residences are contracted to Edinburgh University until 2012. More here.

Blind School challenged by nurses

The Royal College of Nursing has a pop at the Royal Blind School in Craigmillar Park as management there move to reduce nursing cover. Details here.

Asbestos found at Commonwealth Pool

Not surprisingly, given that it was built for the 1970 Commonwealth Games, asbestos has been found in the Commonwealth Pool. Inevitably there is a chance the refurbishment timetable will be lengthened. Details here and the original timetable can be found here.

Mystery of Nicolson Street murder motive

In what I intend to be the last of the series of posts following this story, this report finds no clear motive for last October's murder at 10 Nicolson Street - even after the conclusion of the trial which found Yahya Babiker guilty. Previous posts accessed from here.

Nicolson Street murder accused guilty

Sudanese man Yahya Babiker has been found guilty of the murder of his wife in their flat at 10 Nicolson Street in October last year. More details here. Previous reports here.

Local company launches midge forecast

Advanced Pest Solutions, based at the King's Buildings have launched a phone application which shows a forecast of midges around Scotland.

The peak time for midge hatch is the end of May and the beginning of June and The Midge App is linked to Google Maps and is available free for iPhones. More information here.

Advanced Pest Solutions is based at the Edinburgh Technology Transfer Centre (ETTC) Biospace facility at King's Buildings. Set up in 2005, ETTC is designed to innovate small technology companies.

Back to the Future at the Odeon

The development proposals for the Odeon Cinema in Clerk Street have been turned down. The Scottish Government at long last gave the their reporter's decision yesterday and it can be found here.

The reporter decided that not all the alternatives to partial demolition were fully explored and hence the community is back to the beginning in getting life and vitality into this important site in the Southside community. The full report can be found here.

I will comment in further posts in the next few days on the process and the actual decision. In the meantime, previous posts can be accessed from here.

Nicolson Street trial update

Yahya Babiker, on trial for the murder of his wife in their flat at 10 Nicolson Street, visited Homebase in St Leonard's Street and purchased a claw hammer just hours before his wife's body was found. More details of the trial can be found here and previous reports can be accessed here, here and here.

Closing speeches are expected at the High Court in Perth on Monday.

Meadows Festival volunteers welcomed

The week-end of 5th and 6th June will again see the Meadows Festival take place continuing a long tradition. Volunteers are needed to make it run smoothly. From the Festival website:

You don't need any special skills, just a willingness to muck in and enjoy yourself at the same time! Generally volunteers do multiple things over the weekend so you'll never get bored! Some of the tasks carried out include...

• helping stall holders find their pitch on the Saturday morning
• giving out programmes and answering questions from the public
• litter picking
• general stewarding
• helping with the running of the Kids Tent and Festival Stage
• setting out chairs etc for the audience
• moving things to where they are needed

People are also needed on the Friday before the Festival to help with things like...
setting tents up, erecting fences etc., putting up signs, laying out bins and ... and 101 other things! More details here and on Facebook here.

Grenade found in Buccleuch Place

Buccleuch Place was closed for a time today after workmen uncovered a grenade. Details from the BBC here.

Update 19.5.10: Further detailed information can be found here.

All in a tenement garden

It is amazing what you find in a tenement garden in the centre of Edinburgh. This duck is mothering her 11 ducklings hatched in early May in the Southside.

Thanks to Julian Bukits for the photo - and the garden.

Posts may be few in the next few days as I am out of town on Council business.

Nicolson Street murder trial continues

Here is the latest update in the trial of Yahya Babiker, 45, who is accused of murdering his wife at 10 Nicolson Street in October last year.

Pavement artist

Last week-end this blog highlighted the Celtic weave which has been painted into the roadway at the junction of Middle Meadow Walk and North Meadow Walk.

The pavement artist is Victor Fraser and this picture is courtesy of today's issue of The Scotsman. Further details, including picturers and a radio interview with Victor can be found here. (Hattip to Mike)

Sciennes gardens competition reinstated

After 10 years the the Sciennes and Marchmont gardens competition will take place again this July. Organised by the Marchmont and Sciennes Community Council, inspections of front gardens (and window boxes and hanging baskets) will take place from the street (no access required) during July. Further details to help you prepare here.

Nicolson Street murder trial update

Here is today's BBC update on the trial.

Nicolson Street murder trial under way

The High Court in Perth is hearing the evidence about the murder of Randa Kamblawi around 20th October last year when her body was found in a bath of the flat where she stayed.

On trial is Sudanese Yahya Babiker, 45, for the murder of his wife in their flat at 10 Nicolson Street. The BBC report is here and the original blog report is here.

Union moves to enforce monopoly locally

St Margaret's School a small independent school in East Suffolk Road currently has a pay freeze on its teacher's pay. The EIS teacher's union appears to be seeking to enforce national pay bargaining on the school. The details are here.

Footway resurfacing in Sciennes area

Some footway resurfacing in Sciennes and Melville Terrace is due to begin on Monday 10th May. There will be restrictions on parking!

Pavement artist enhances Meadows

Can you help me solve a mystery?

A rather attractive Celtic weave type design, incorporating the four compass points, has been laid out in paint and chalks at the junction of Middle Meadow Walk and North Meadow Walk. I am not aware of any authorisation or plans for this decoration - but it is, at least to me, rather attractive.

If you know anything of the story behind it I would be pleased to hear from you. Here is what I understand to date:

• Similar designs have appeared in other places (Princes Street, Warrender Park Road etc) in recent days.
• Word is that the artist is a Canadian who had flight problems (volcano!) and chose to spend his enforced time in Edinburgh doing a bit of work!

Do you like it?

Labour hold Edinburgh South

Congratulations to Ian Murray who has held Edinburgh South for Labour with a reduced majority of just 316 over Fred Mackintosh and the Liberal Democrats. On a poor night for the Conservatives in Scotland, Neil Hudson came third. The detailed result can be seen here.

Why I am a Conservative

• The state has no monopoly of wisdom - it has grown rather too much - and especially so in Scotland
• Within limited boundaries, people should be trusted to make decisions and should be held accountable for them
• On ethical and moral questions the Conservatives philosophy comes much closer to my view than the other two main parties
• For the poor and the vulnerable in recent years it is the Conservatives who have led the way - especially through the work of Iain Duncan Smith and the Centre for Social Justice
• The first duty of a government is to defend its people and the Conservatives have a much greater sense of this than the other two main parties
• This country urgently needs to reduce its dependence on oil and develop an energy policy which draws on a range of energy sources - including nuclear. The Conservative energy policy is much more credible
• . . . and many other reasons

Apologies for the lack of daily blogging recently. It has been for obvious reasons; I have met a load of interesting people on the doorstep, delivered many thousands of leaflets and communications and been involved in a bit of time consuming publicity (would those who removed the Conservative posters in Sciennes Road on Tuesday night please tell me where they are.)

The result for Edinburgh South (including any important interim updates from the early hours of Friday morning) can be expected on the twitter feed of this blog.

News backs Neil Hudson for South

Today the Evening News weighed in to support Neil Hudson in Edinburgh South with these words:

". . . the News favours Conservative Neil Hudson in this race. Mr Hudson, a likeable horse vet and lecturer, has the benefit of being a "real" person rather than a machine politician, and the more of them we send to Westminster the better."

You can see the full article here.

Festival Theatre hosts BBC debate

Glenn Campbell will host an Election debate from the Festival Theatre tomorrow. Details here.