Dick Vet now Fringe Venue 26

The shape of Edinburgh's Fringe continues to change. This year the centre of gravity has moved decisively south - with extended venues in George Square and Bristo Square.

And as trailed in a post earlier in July the former Dick Vet at Summerhall is now up and running as a Fringe venue and Arts Centre.  You can find the shows on the Summerhall website.

Extreme Unicycling display marathon

Jason Auld is in the white tee shirt

The UK's only Extreme Unicycling Display Team are under way in a 24 hour marathon in the Mound precinct.  With three display teams working non stop from noon today through to noon tomorrow.

The display teams feature extreme unicyclist Jason Auld who lives in the Southside. They are raising money for the charity UNICEF.

More details here.

South Sub saves the day

Newington Station

After the Waverley derailment this week, trains were able to use the South Suburban Railway to avoid the blockage.  The South Sub runs through the ward from West Savile Terrace, Newington Station, Cameron Toll to Peffermill.

Here is one article of the many on the derailment.

Festival Theatre hosts recovery awards

I attended the Access to Industry awards in the Festival Theatre today.  Through the Transition and Passport projects, the organisation give training and courses for those fighting a range of barriers to get back onto an even keel and into work.

Phil, now completely tee total, is an outstanding and successful graduate of the process and has benefited immensely from the help and training.  Do you know someone who needs the support and training this orgainsation give?

It has hitherto been funded by The Big Lottery, Edinburgh Council amongst others.

Phil

New book tells Buttercup Dairy Co story

£9.95

Yesterday I referred to the story behind the history and decor of the Meadows Lamp Gallery in Warrender Park Road.

Andrew Ewing, the man behind the remarkable Buttercup Dairy Company was a remarkable man.  He was a philanthropist, giving away much of the fortune he made through his company.

Bill Scott has recently published a book which charts the origins and history of Ewing and the Buttercup Dairy Company.  It includes pictures of some of the Edinburgh shops where the distinctive Buttercup features remain to be seen (Warrender Park Road, Raeburn Place, Comiston Road, Elm Row and Glanville Place).

You can buy the book here.  More information at this website.  Or ask someone in the area old enough to remember the shops. I note Amazon are out of stock.  The Meadows Lamp Gallery might  have a few copies and the publisher supplies direct.

Sick Kids Burns Unit gets upgrade

This report records the investment of £145,000 in an upgrade of facilities at the Burns Unit at the Sick Kids Hospital in Sciennes.

More details here.

Local history: Buttercup Dairy Company

Entrance to 48 Warrender Park Road

Invariably, posts are confined to events and issues within the ward - but this, the first of two on the subject, telling the remarkable story of the Buttercup Dairy Company, strays to Warrender Park Road.

Earlier today I was calling on local businesses (in pursuit of the Meadows Jawbone Appeal) when I arrived at the lamp shop at Warrender Park Road.  The distinctive tiled mural (pictured right) and the historic decor tell a story of which I had no idea before the proprietor Scott Robertson unveiled it to me.

The account is of the remarkable Andrew Ewing who founded a chain of grocery shops with the green and white themed tiling creating a 'fresh clean and beautiful' image.  The company was founded in 1904 and at one stage ran 250 shops, including what is now the Meadows Lamp Gallery at 48 Warrender Park Road.

More on the remarkable man and this part of our local history later.

20mph speed limit likely to go ahead

A street which may remain at 30

. . . but most of the proposals introduced at a later stage, to extend the 20 mph restriction to feeder roads and bus routes, are now recommended to be dropped following objections from police and Lothian Buses.

The 20 mph zone extends from the Meadows across to Bruntsfield Place and Morningside Road, extending back east along Cluny Gardens by Blackford Hill to West Mains Road and Esslemont Road.  To the east the boundary is Peffermill Road and the boundary of Prestonfield with Holyrood Park and St Leonards up to Bernard Terrace.  You can see a map in the full report which can be found here.

However main routes and feeder routes within that area will remain at a 30 mph limit. These include the Marchmont Road to Blackford Avenue corridor, and the Church Hill - Strathearn - Grange Road route.  The Ratcliffe Terrace, Causewayside route is still proposed to have a 20 mph limit.

The above are recommendations for consideration by the Transport Committee, which meets next Tuesday (2nd August) at 10am in the City Chambers. (It is a public meeting.)

Addition 27.07/11:-  If approved work is likely to be undertaken in the January to March period next year.

Local care home in Southern Cross link.

Robert Kilgour

The Renaissance care home in Chalmers Crescent is linked with a plan to rescue 11 care homes from the troubled Southern Cross group.

Robert Kilgour, and Edinburgh born businessman, opened the Renaissance luxury home in 2009, and is now in negotiations with the landlords of Southern Cross premises to take on 11 (and possibly more) care homes.

Further details here. 

West Mains Allotments Open Day

Arthur's Seat from the allotment

West Mains Allotment Association, Blackford Avenue, is holding its annual Open Day on 31 July between 2pm and 4pm. It was awarded 'Most Improved Site' prize in last year's Edinburgh in Bloom.

More details here.  The allotment is between West Savile Terrace and Blackford Avenue and access is via Blackford Avenue, between Observatory Road and the Reid Memorial Church.

Blackford Hill wins Green Flag Award

Hermitage of Braid

Edinburgh has made a concerted effort to use the Green Flag Awards as a means of improving its parks.

In the announcement today (noted here by the BBC) 20 of the 34 Green Flags awarded in Scotland go to Edinburgh.  The Hermitage of Braid and Blackford Hill Local Nature Reserve is among them.

More background details form the Keep Britain Tidy organisation.

Nicolson Square church revamp

The Methodist Church in Nicolson Square is set for a substantial makeover in the next two years.

Four Edinburgh Methodist congregations merged in 2008.  Having now sold the Methodist Central Halls at Tollcross, the 1816 Nicolson Square building is due to undergo changes to the tune of £2.4m beginning in September.

Register: Ruby Player dies

Pictured (left) with Nellie Gembles (107)

At the age of 93, Ruby Player died yesterday.  A Southside stalwart with an irrepressible spirit, Ruby was involved in many organisations and activities and saw much of the history of the area unfold over almost a hundred years.  She was a regular attender at Kirk 'O Field church until recently.

In the early nineteen thirties she attended the first screening in the New Victoria cinema in Clerk Street  and she was later invited to the final screening (now known as the Odeon) in 2003.  I recall Ruby telling of her 'acquaintance' with Sean Connery and other stars from the gala premieres held in the cinema opposite her flat in Clerk Street.

NB  A picture always helps and apologies that the only one I have to hand is not of great quality.  It was taken at the birthday party for her great friend Nellie Gembles in January 2009.  Nellie passed away later that year.

Early morning teenage robbery

About 6.55 am near the underpass at Potterrow on Thursday, three youths threatened a man and demanded money.  The culprits then ran off towards Lauriston Place with their victim's money.

They are described in the police press release and there is an appeal out for witnesses or anyone who can provide information which might identify those responsible.

Jazz and Blues in George Sq, Queen's Hall

The Speigelgardens and the Queen's Hall are amongst the venues for events in the Edinburgh Jazz Festival beginning this Friday (22nd).

This year's programme can be found here.

More on Grange/Sciennes crimes

On Saturday I noted the jail term of three years and 8 months given to Kenneth MacLennan for preying on elderly women in the ward and other crimes.

The Evening News later pointed out that the culprit was previously arrested last year for housebreakings and other offences when he was given a ten month sentence.  He was released after only five months in February this year and the more recent offences followed his release.

The incidents last year will doubtless include the occasions when my wife disturbed a man exiting our neighbour's house after a break in.
 
Unfortunate man he may be, but public policy should prioritise the protection of people from crime.  Forty two months may be a long time to pay to keep him in prison (of course forty two months doesn't really mean forty two months) but there is a very significant cost in releasing him in terms of crimes committed and the loss of confidence in the justice system.

The later Evening News report is here.

South Clerk St recovery of valuable guitar

The alert owner of a South Clerk Street music store recognised a guitar offered to him as being of substantial value.  Enquiries showed it have been stolen from the Raddisson Blu Hotel in the High Street where it belonged to Les Blonde Dames, a Californian Rock Group who were playing at T in the Park.

Details from the police press release here.

Jail for handbag thief

A robber who grabbed handbags from elderly ladies in Sciennes Road and Grange Loan earlier this year has been jailed.  Kenneth MacLennan or Wood robbed women aged 84 and 79 in Sciennes Road and Grange Loan and was also responsible for a housebreaking in Potterrow.

He was sentenced to three years and eight months in prison.

Details from STV and the Evening News.

Council tax and benefits round the clock

Well, we are only talking about the helpline which is now available 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.  But there is a surprising amount you can do on the automated system now available out of office hours. 

As well as being a cure for insomniacs, the idea is to reduce the queuing at peak times and make things more efficient both for customers and for council staff.

You can progress your business on a line which does not have those annoying extra 'local call' charges when you call from a mobile of on a free calls tariff.  And you can do it at a time more convenient to you.

If you wish to try it, the number is 01314695000. Council office hours are 08:30 to 5:00 Mondays to Thursdays and 8:30 to 3:40 on Fridays and at all other times you will get the entirely automated system.  More details on the Council website here.

And to assist you when you have dialled the above number, here are the keys to press to choose the nature of your enquiry:

1. To set up a direct debit for Council Tax
2. To make a payment by debit card.  For general advice on payments. If you are unable to make the required payments
3. If you have received a reminder letter or a summary warrant.
4. To make a claim for benefit
5. To check the progress of a benefit claim
6. If you receive housing or council tax benefit and want to notify a change of circumstances
7. If you are a landlord and have a tenant who claims housing benefit
8. To notify a change of address relating to Council Tax
9. Information regarding Council Tax discounts and exemptions including information for students

Available for you to choose. . .

I plan to stand for election as councillor for the Southside & Newington ward in the council election on May 3rd next year.  I was selected by the good Conservative people of the constituency association last month.


A selection of current councillors are announcing their continued candidacy eg here and here.  I thought it time to let you know my intentions.  If you want to help out - or join the Conservatives contact Nick at the office.

New course record at Prestonfield

Scott Johnston has set a new course record at Prestonfield Golf Course with a round of 63.

The previous record had stood for 5 years.

Details here.

Parking bays for the disabled

The Council is currently consulting, through the formal Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) process, on a rationalisation of the enforcement of disabled parking bays.  In other words, the bays in the following streets are being checked to see if they are still required and if so, signing will be confirmed to a certain standard and enforcement will be by traffic wardens (up to now enforcement was via police and police wardens only).

The consultation closes on 19th July and you can see (and comment on) the details of  TRO/10/40F here and here.  There are bays under consideration in the following streets in the Southside & Newington ward:

• Cameron Park
• Cameron House Avenue
• Clearburn Gradens
• Cobden Crescent
• Dick Place
• Findhorn Place
• Gordon Terrace
• Grange Terrace
• Granby Road
• Kilmaurs Road
• Hallhead Road
• Langton Road
• Lussielaw Road
• Lygon Road
• Macdowall Road
• McLaren Road
• Mentone Terrace
• Moston Terrace
• Peffermill Road
• Prestonfield Avenue, Gardens & Terrace
• Queen's Crescent
• Rankin Avenue & Drive
• Relugas Road
• Ross Road
• Savile Terrace
• Tantallon Place
• Priestfield Crescent

Assault near Tescos, Nicolson Street

At 11am on Monday (11th) a Tesco customer was walking through Haddon's Court when he was slashed in the face by an assailant with a knife.

For the description of the culprit, who made off into Howden Street and Gilmour Street, see the police press release - with further media coverage here and here.

The moon: on show at Dynamic Earth

Dynamic Earth is showing off samples of rock collected from the moon between now and 21st August.  The samples were collected by NASA expeditions during the era (now past) of moon walks.

In addition, marking the  polar conference noted in a post yesterday, there is a feature on living in the extreme cold of Antarctica from today until Thursday.

More details here.

Dynamic Earth is at the eastern extreme of the Southside & Newington ward.

St Catherine's Argyle Church takes stand

St Catherine's Argyle church in Grange Road is one of a number of Edinburgh churches which could leave the Church of Scotland. The church was represented last month at a conference in Glasgow of church leaders expressing concern about the current direction of the Church of Scotland. 

More details here.

Robin Sydserff was appointed minister at St Catherine's in January 2009.  The church has a growing congregation with a large body of students.

Dick Vet to be arts venue

With Edinburgh University having vacated its Summerhall buildings, plans are now progressing to make it an arts centre.  Events are already being lined up for the Fringe this year.

In a June post I reported the sale, and although legal transfer to the new buyer is not expected until near the end of the year,  there will be a range of events there from August onwards such as this one reported today.

Pollock Halls hosts polar conference

This week the 11th International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences is taking place centred at Edinburgh University's John McIntyre Centre in the Pollock Halls.

Around 500 delegates from around the world are attending and the conference lasts from 11th to 15th July.  The programme is here.

Here is the conference press release and here is how the BBC are reporting it.

Fed - the precursor of Ted

The Inspace building

TedGlobal is an international conference this week in Edinburgh's International Conference Centre devoted to innovative thinking about the stuff of life.  Running from Monday to Friday this coming week I was too late to register (!) but I note that TedGlobal 2012 is also being held in Edinburgh and we can all book now for a cool $6,000.

With that in mind I though it might be worth attending the FED - Ideas to Sustain event at the Inspace building in Potterrow this afternoon.  After all it was free. It was sponsored by New Media Scotland which describes itself as a national development agency fostering artist and audience engagement in new media practice.

Unable to stay for the whole afternoon, I can nonetheless give the event some publicity by reporting on the two talks I managed to take in (Inspace is in the ward).  The plea of one speaker for democracy to engage with the new media, using the internet and smartphones to vote on a range of issues was engaging and stimulating, if underdeveloped.

Alas the talk on the 'lack of 'real' thinking and ideas in current Scottish society was especially tedious, not in presentation - which was passionate enough - but in its presuppositions, narrow outlook and partisan narrative. I am afraid the 'thinking' lacked intellectual rigour and originality.

I am sure the meeting improved after I left - but perhaps the EICC will offer more value!

Brought down by heavy rain

BBC weather predicts "light rain showers" between 4 and 7 pm

It is not just the BBC weather prediction above which has been confounded by the heavy rain,.  Prior to 4pm today the BBC weather was predicting 'light rain showers' instead of the continuous heavy rain which transpired.. The rain seems to have brought down a heavy bough in the Meadows.

I was in Middle Meadow Walk when I heard the bough breaking and was in time to the very sizable branch crash to the ground.

It was from an ash, described in the 2009 Meadows tree survey as semi-mature with a hight of between 15 and 20 metres and a spread of over 12 metres.  There was no sign of it being struck by lightning (and no wind) and in any case at that time there was no lightning seen.  The tree's identification can be traced in the spreadsheet here on the  Friends of the Meadows website.

Most Meadows trees have ID

New Pyjamas Sick Kids arrest

The lengthy saga of the Sick Kids New Pyjamas fund raising charity moved on to a new stage today with the arrest and charging of a 47 year old woman.

She is thought to be Elaine McGonigle, formerly the director of the charity, set up by the Sick Kids Friends Foundation to raise £15m for the additional facilities at the new hospital at Little France.

The Charity was based in one of the hospital buildings in Millerfield Place.  The woman who has been charged is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on 3rd August.

Here is the BBC report and here are previous posts on the charity.

Missing person: last sighting West Mains Rd

Christopher Knights (STV pic)

24 year old Christopher Knights from Buckstone was last seen on Monday 27th June when he was dropped off in West Mains Road by his father at 12:15pm.

Christopher's description:

Around 5'10", medium build, short dark hair, blue eyes, glasses, wearing a black suit-jacket, long sleeved white shirt, black trousers, black/gray tie.  His left arm was in a plaster cast.

The police press release includes contact details if you can help.

Tidy up by volunteers and local business

See the paint glisten

Volunteers, a local business and Mike Shields, the Council's parks officer for the Meadows, have worked together to do a tidy up in the Meadows. 

Alan Thomson, owner of Victor Hugo's in Melville Terrace on the edge of the Meadows contacted me some months ago about overhanging branches and the condition of the railings near his cafe.  After I contacted Mike Shields to see what could be done, I learned he had been contacted by the Community Church Edinburgh (South Clerk Street offering some of their young folk for volunteering opportunities.

Mike arranged for tools and paint for a couple of days and in due course they repainted the fence and did some tree pruning.  In support of the work Victor Hugo's plied the volunteers with tea, coffee and bacon rolls.

Liz Dixon at the Community Church organised the volunteering - which included conservation work in Holyrood Park, stewarding at the Meadows Festival and singing in care homes.

Last word to Mike Shields:  "There's always work to do and scope for any keen volunteers.  Working with businesses and volunteers is something we would like to encourage . 

Final last word from me: Bravo!

Scottish Community Council body to close

The Association of Scottish Community Councils has announced it is to close down following a reduction in public funding from the Scottish Government.

The ASCC was seen by many as abrasive and not serving the interests of local community councils and it had certainly lost the confidence of a significant proportion of its members.  Some community councils, including Southside Community Council had withdrawn their membership.


In this case the reduction of funding by John Swinney is likely to be a response to the complaints which have been made to him.  The closure is excellent news. 

Perhaps, in time, some community councillors will look to set up a more responsive representative national body.

Hot days bring rubbish ways

After the tidy up

Yesterday's Evening News carried an article about the rubbish left on the Meadows after Sunday's hot day.

The story underlines the popularity of the Meadows.  Although the Council have extra large bins out for the summer, they just could not cope, and the normally prompt early morning refuse crews took until about 11am on Monday to clear the unsightly mess.

More of the large bins are needed on hot days but there is no excuse for those of leave their rubbish all over the grass.

Peffermill caravan fire suspicious

Caravan fire (not Peffermill)

In June I reported on a caravan fire in Peffermill Road.  Police have now declared it a suspicious fire and are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.

See here for brief details.

Prestonfield pensioner's pigeons killed

Brian O'Neill

Brian O'Neill of Prestonfield Road has lost 52 of his champion flock of pigeons to a cruel attack on them at their pigeon loft in Old Dalkeith Road.  The destruction took place last Friday/Saturday. And to make matters worse Brian had two prize pigeons stolen just weeks earlier.

The police press release is here.  More details at the BBC and Evening News.

Grange Post Office gives superb service

Sub-postmaster Javid Rafiq took a train to Durham on behalf of a customer to ensure she received her passport on time.  Having made an error in checking the required documents when local resident and longtime customer Karin Froebel submitted her passport application, Mr Rafik took responsibility for correcting the error.  He took a train to the Passport Office in Durham to ensure the passport was issued in time.  And it was.

Great story.  Read the full account and see pictures here.

Can you fund a world record event?

Corporate sponsors, as well as those who wish to donate to a charitable cause, are invited to support and/or attend a 24 hour Extreme Unicycle demonstration event later this month.

Jason Auld, local to the Southside and familiar to the readers of this blog, is spearheading the world record attempt on 30th and 31st July at the Mound between the Galleries.

Corporate sponsors are sought to cover the cost of equipment, transport and set up costs.  And the event itself will be in aid of UNICEF.  You can donate to the cause here.  Sponsors should contact Voodoo Unicycle here.

More details on the record attempt can be found here and here. 

I'll be there to see it, Jason.

Harry Potter found in local charity shop

A rare copy of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets has turned up in the Oxfam charity shop at 116 Nicolson Street.  The copy, handed in as a donation, is a first edition published in 1998 and is to be auctioned on July 17th.

More details at the BBC here.

Prestonfield nursery building for sale

The Princess Elizabeth Nursery in Clearburn Crescent closed for the last time yesterday.

Over the next few days the 'For Sale' sign will be erected at the Prestonfield building and details of the sale will appear in the property press.

The two storey former nursery school building was constructed circa 1930 and was originally known as the Princess Elizabeth Child Garden. It operated as a children’s nursery for over 80 years and closed on 1st July
2011.

Breaking: major Meadows cocaine haul

Crack cocaine

Two men linked to the supply of crack cocaine in the Meadows area were arrested yesterday.  A major haul of crack cocaine valued at £150,000 was also seized along with a large sum of cash.

This major police success comes after they had identified the supply of the drug in the Meadows/Tollcross area of Edinburgh and instigated an operation to arrest those concerned.  Yesterday's arrests and seizures of cocaine  and cash were also associated with two houses locally which were searched on warrant.

Update 1700hrs:  Police have now issued a press release which includes more details.

Royal Regiment Colours

The Regiment was formed in 2006 - here is its band

The Royal Regiment of Scotland Presentation of Colours will take place in Holyrood Park on Saturday (2nd July). This will involve parking restrictions on Holyrood Park Road (and road closures in the Park) between 7am and 6pm.

Some more details here and here.