Cramond: the last resting place of kings?

Could Cramond hold the secret of Scotland during Dark Ages?

A two-year investigation into the mystery of an Edinburgh crypt has cast important new light on the turbulent history of the Dark Ages.

The mass burial in Cramond, believed to be the oldest occupied village in Scotland, was uncovered in 1975 during an excavation of a Roman Bathhouse found at the site of a car park. Forty years later, a team led by the City of Edinburgh Council has embraced modern science to examine the remains of nine individuals found in the grave with fascinating results.

The evidence has disproved an early theory that the bodies were victims of the bubonic plague, instead dating the individuals back another 800 years to the 6th Century AD. Thanks to state-of-the-art computer programming, researchers were able to create lifelike facial representations for the 1,500 year old skeletons.

By using forensic, isotopic and DNA techniques, the study reveals that the burials belonged to more than one generation of a single family with two of the bodies thought to be warriors due to their multiple healed wounds.

Furthermore, at least one and possibly three family members suffered a violent, murderous end. One female suffered shattering blows to the head and two males bear severe wounds which they survived.

Due to the unique nature of the burial and positioning of bodies, it is thought the victims could be members of a noble family, raising the question of whether Cramond in Edinburgh could be the site of a Royal stronghold.

Councillor Richard Lewis, Edinburgh’s Culture Convener, said: “In 1975, work was under-way to construct a new car park when builders came across a mass burial at what would become one of Scotland’s best preserved Roman buildings, the Bathhouse for Cramond Fort. For decades, the circumstances surrounding the burial were unanswered.

“Thanks to developments in modern science, the Council has been able to revisit the remains and carry out an extensive investigation. The findings have revealed a story even more mysterious than the one we started out with. With theories of ancient warriors, murdered nobles and a lost Royal stronghold – you could be forgiven for mistaking the resulting story for a plot from the Game of Thrones.”

John Lawson, the City of Edinburgh Council archaeologist who led the investigation, added: “Many mysteries remain but thanks to CSI techniques, we’ve managed to make great strides in our understanding of Scotland’s Cramond burials.

“The study has provided important evidence of life during this time of political turmoil and has helped us answer questions about the Dark Ages, but it has also opened up a whole new world of questions. Why did these people migrate to Cramond? What was so special about this area during the dark ages? Why were some of them murdered but given a special burial?

“If this grave was indeed the burial crypt of a noble or Royal family, it suggests Cramond just might be a Royal stronghold of the Gododdin. If this is the case, these findings have a significant impact on what is known about the history of Scotland and Northern Britain during the Dark Ages.”

A free exhibition exploring the discovery will open at the City of Edinburgh Council’s Museum of Edinburgh tomorrow in time for the October school break and Halloween. ‘Dark Goings On In Cramond’, featuring the remains of the Cramond Fort’s warrior and murder victim, will be open until 27 February 2016.

The Museum of Edinburgh is situated on the Royal Mile at 142 Canongate. Please note the Museum will be closed to the public on Tuesday 6 October.

Doesn’t the bloke look a bit like Rhod Gilbert?

Breakthrough? UNISON postpones lobby of crunch finance meeting

‘Our mandate from our members remains. Industrial action remains a real possibility in the event of compulsory redundancies.’ – UNISON lead negotiator Tom Connolly

UNISON has postponed its lobby of Edinburgh Council’s Finance and Resources Committee tomorrow following assurances from senior councillors that privatisation plans will be dropped and redundancies delayed for further talks.

Amanda Kerr, Edinburgh UNISON branch secretary, said: “Following concerted UNISON pressure, we welcome this re-think and the dropping of privatisation plans. We also welcome the delay on redundancies, however we still have a long way to go and we will be building for a lobby of the next Finance and Resources Committee on 29 October.

“Our campaign has brought this to the public eye and that campaign will continue. We warned that the level of cuts envisaged would be devastating for services. After years and years of cut after cut, no council can sustain even more massive cuts.”

Lead negotiator Tom Connolly added: “This is an important victory. The damage privatisation would have caused cannot be overestimated. The union will focus on protecting jobs and conditions, engaging with our members and building towards the lobby on 29 October. Our mandate from our members remains. Industrial action remains a real possibility in the event of compulsory redundancies.”

Last week, UNISON warned that up to 3000 jobs could be lost as the council aims to balance it’s books, and councillors are set to consider a number of key proposals to address a £126m budget shortfall over the next four years at tomorrow’s meeting.

Councillor Alasdair Rankin, Finance Convener, said: “We are very clear about the scale of the financial challenge that the Council is facing. The Council is experiencing greater demand for services than ever before, with a growing population in Edinburgh and increasing numbers of older people and younger people, while our overall budget remains the same.

“We need to take action in order to achieve the necessary savings to meet this demand, and we are making every effort to do this in a way that will safeguard frontline services for the people of Edinburgh.

“We want to invest in the services that are important to the public but must also look to rationalise our spending where appropriate. We recognise that some of these proposals may involve tough decisions, including a reduction in Council jobs, particularly in middle management. But while this won’t to be easy, savings will allow us to prioritise the things that matter most to people.

“Our aim, as ever, is to improve and enhance the city for residents, and this package of measures is the next step to achieving this. Councillors will consider these proposals and we are looking forward to the discussions. ”

Hold Me Dear: Four Cities, [Extra]ordinary Places

It’s Here + Now! Outdoor exhibition, Rodney Street Tunnel

Here + Now launch event: Sunday 27 September, 12 noon – 2pm

An open air photography exhibition, featuring unique pictures and stories of treasured city spaces taken by local people living in Edinburgh, Copenhagen, Hamburg and Istanbul, opens in the Rodney Street railway tunnel in Canonmills this Sunday.

Curated by HERE + NOW, the exhibition provides a unique and exciting opportunity for people to share the places that matter most to them, building up a very personal insight into a residents’ view of their Edinburgh the places that actually matter personally to local people beyond the usual tourist landmarks.

Visit the ‘City Link’ section of www.holdmedear.co.uk to see the submissions.

PUBLIC LAUNCH PARTY- Sunday 27 September 12 noon

the exhibition will formally launch with a picnic event, talks, music performances and art-themed cycle tours around city.

The exhibition is created by HERE + NOW and supported by Sustrans, Edinburgh City Council, Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership and the Friends of King George V Park. The exhibition is free and runs until 20 October.

Leith Walk By-Election tomorrow

The last few doors have been knocked, the final leaflets have been posted through letterboxes … now it’s up to the voters of Leith Walk:

Leith Walk constituents will go to the polls to elect two councillors for the ward tomorrow (Thursday 10 September).

There are 25,526 Leith Walk residents registered to vote in the election, which takes place in one of the most densely populated areas in Scotland.

Under the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system – a form of Proportional Representation – voters use numbers to rank the 10 candidates in order of preference rather than just using a single cross. Voters can express ‘preferences’ for as many or as few of the candidates as they wish.

This will be the first time in Scotland that an STV by-election has been needed to fill two vacancies in the same ward.

Andrew Kerr, Returning Officer for The City of Edinburgh, said: “This by-election will allow the residents of the Leith Walk ward to play a part in Edinburgh’s democracy, choosing two elected members to represent them and their interests on the City Council. I look forward to working with the electorate to make sure the process runs smoothly.

“Voters should remember that STV allows them to vote for as many candidates they like, numbering choices in order of preference.”

Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on 10 September. There are 11 polling places in the ward, details of which can be found on polling cards and the Council website.

Votes will be taken to the Council HQ where the candidates and their agents will watch them counted electronically as soon as the polls close at 10pm.

Full details of candidates are also available on the Council website.

Find out more about the Single Transferable Vote system.

Leith Walk By-Election: In numbers

11 polling places

19 polling stations

3996 postal votes issued

2 councillors to be elected

10 candidates

25,526 eligible voters – about 7% of the city’s electorate

210 books of ballot papers (100 in each)

40 polling staff, including presiding officers and poll clerks.

Capture Edinburgh’s wonderful living landscape

Not too late to enter photography competition

There’s still time to enter the Edinburgh Living Landscape photography competition, but hurry – the deadline for entries is Friday 11 September!

Senior Development Officer Lindsay Grant of the city council’s Parks and Greenspace service explained: “Our first Edinburgh Living Landscape photography competition was launched at the end of July. The idea is to collect images that show off the city’s natural beauty and how they can be enjoyed.

“We’re calling on Edinburgh’s budding photographers to capture our floral meadows in bloom for the chance to win great prizes, including membership to the Scottish Wildlife Trust, exclusive prizes from Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, a professional photography workshop, 6 month membership to Edinburgh Leisure and tickets to the Usher Hall’s Sunday Classics concert series.

“To enter, we are asking the public to submit a photo of one of Edinburgh’s Living Landscapes and the finalists’ images will be posted on the Edinburgh Outdoors Facebook page for a public vote to select the winner.

“The closing date is Friday 11 September at 6pm and then people will be asked to ‘like’ their favourite image between the 16 and 23 September on the Edinburgh Outdoors Facebook page. The photograph with the most ‘likes’ will then be chosen as the winner.”

So there you have it – get snapping!

Edinburgh Living Landscape photography competition

New term, new classrooms

Hundreds of primary school children will start learning in their new classrooms today as the city council continues to tackle the issue of rising school rolls. Local primaries Wardie and Flora Stevenson are among the schools to start the new school year with additional classrooms.

The Council has provided 24 new class spaces, delivered in conjunction with partners Hub South East Scotland Ltd and Morrison Construction, for the start of the 2015/16 school session.

The primary schools where the new class spaces have been provided are: James Gillespie’s (4 classes), Clermiston (4), Flora Stevenson (3), Gilmerton (4), Pentland (3), Ratho (4) and Wardie (2).

In addition South Morningside Primary School now has a significant new temporary annexe which has been created for P1 and P2 pupils at the former Deanbank Resource Centre and extra internal space has been provided at both Brunstfield and Liberton Primary Schools.

Since 2013 the Council has provided 70 new class spaces to accommodate the city’s increasing primary school population, ensuring catchment pupils can get a place at their catchment school. At the start of the 2014/15 school year there were 28,010 primary school pupils but latest estimates show this is anticipated to rise to 31,700 by 2020 and then increase further to 35,400 by 2030.

New classrooms or not, good luck to all the children starting their new school today!

Police Scotland launch annual Festival safety campaign

Love it or loathe it, you just can’t ignore it … yes, it’s Festival time in Edinburgh, and Police Scotland have launched their annual safety campaign

LAUNCH OF FESTIVAL POLICING OPERATION

We have today launched our annual campaign to keep people safe during the Festival.

In the coming weeks, hundreds of thousands of visitors are set to join the Capital’s local residents to enjoy a month of artistic performances and events, culminating in the fireworks display at the end of August.

To ensure the Festival is a secure and welcoming environment for tourists and locals alike, police will have a high-visibility presence throughout the city centre to offer a range of useful advice aimed at preventing the public being targeted by criminals.

All of this information will be available on the Police Scotland website or by following Edinburgh Division’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

Chief Superintendent Mark Williams, Divisional Commander for the City of Edinburgh said: “The Edinburgh Festival is a fantastic spectacle and results in worldwide attention for the city. We will be doing everything we can to prevent crime happening in the first place and I would appeal to the public to help us in that effort.

“By taking a number of simple steps, visitors and locals can ensure their experience of the Festival is memorable for all the right reasons.

“Remember to always keep an eye on your valuables when you’re out enjoying the sights and events within Edinburgh and never leave any belongings unattended. If you are enjoying the nightlife then please make sure you drink responsibly and have a plan to get home.

“This year, for the first time, we have helpful advice for tourists and visitors on-line that they can access before they arrive in the city, so that they can equip themselves with all the information they need to safeguard themselves against opportunistic criminals.

“I would ask that anyone planning on visiting Edinburgh in the coming weeks to visit our tourist and visitors advice page on the Police Scotland website.”

Community Safety Leader, Councillor Cammy Day, said: “Our environmental wardens will be working closely with Police Scotland in the city centre over the Festival period to help keep people safe and offer reassurance through a high visibility presence. I would encourage people to do their bit too, by acting responsibly and taking time to look at the latest safety advice.

“Edinburgh is a safe city and we want to maintain this, ensuring that visitors enjoying the Festival have the best possible experience of the city.”

Edinburgh gets playful!

Children set to invade Grassmarket for fun and games

The Grassmarket will be transformed into a giant children’s playground tomorrow (Wednesday) to promote play in the city.

The enclosed street in the Old Town will be transformed between 12.30pm and 4.30pm for Edinburgh’s Playday where there will be lots of family-friendly activities on offer including junk drumming, a mud kitchen, parachute games, magic potions, a giant sand pit, water play, and a cardboard city.

This will be the 15th year that the event has been held and every year gets bigger and more fun! Thousands of people, both young and old, have come along to join in activities on offer.

Playday is the national day for play, which is being celebrated next week. On Playday thousands of children and their families get out to play at hundreds of community events across the UK.

As well as a celebration of children’s right to play, Playday is a campaign that highlights the importance of play in children’s lives. It’s all about learning for life and showing that play is fun not just for the child but for adults as well.

Councillor Keith Robson, Play Champion for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Play is a massively important part of a child’s development and makes a tremendous contribution to happy and healthy childhoods. Children need freedom to play so they can practice skills, explore the world around them and develop understanding in their own way and in their own time. Real play comes from children’s need to express themselves, to explore, learn about and make sense of their world.

“Playing with your child is one of the most wonderful things about being a parent. It’s a vital part of the way babies and children grown and learn. The time you have fun together brings you closer, makes your child feel loved and secure, helps them develops elf-esteem and social skills.

“Our very popular Playday in the Grassmarket provides a fantastic opportunity to celebrate play and promote its many benefits as well as visiting one of the most picturesque areas of the city. I would recommend everyone comes along for what promises to be a fun-filled afternoon of play!”

Playday is part of the successful City of Edinburgh Council Play Strategy which states:

“Edinburgh aims to be a play friendly city where all children and young people can enjoy their childhood. They will have access to play opportunities in a range of different settings which offer variety, adventure and challenge. They will be able to play freely and safely and make choices about where, how and when they play.”

Other ongoing projects to promote play include the formation of the Edinburgh Play Forum – ‘Playful Edinburgh’, which is a partnership of voluntary groups and other organisations supporting play across the city. The forum were successful in gaining Inspiring Scotland Go2Play funding for Play Ranger projects which will run outdoor play sessions in eight sites across the city. The Edinburgh Play Ranger projects are organised by Smart Play Network, Canongate Youth Project, North Edinburgh Arts and Edinburgh Leisure. EPF members Dads Rock and The Yard will be adding to the exciting activities on offer at Playday.

Access to Edinburgh’s Playday is free but children should be accompanied by an adult.

For more information contact cf.play@edinburgh.gov.uk

The event has been organised by the City of Edinburgh Council, the Edinburgh Play Forum and many volunteers.

Taking Kerr of the city council

New Chief Executive gets down to work

Andrew Kerr, the new Chief Executive of City of Edinburgh Council began work yesterday. Mr Kerr joins from Cornwall Council and succeeds Dame Sue Bruce who retired last week following 40 years of public service.

Councillors unanimously approved a report recommending his appointment during May’s council meeting, following which he has made a number of trips to the Capital to familiarise himself with the role.

Andrew Kerr said: “This is a tremendous opportunity to lead one of the most high profile local authorities in the UK.

“There are undoubtedly major challenges ahead with increasing demands for council services and reducing budgets but I will do my utmost to ensure that the Council continues to work hard for the city and everyone who lives, works, visits and invests here.

“A great deal has been achieved in Edinburgh in recent years, and still much more to aim for, and I am looking forward to working closely with elected members, officers and our partners to ensure that we build on those successes.

“Of course, on a personal level, it is also great to return home, particularly when I still have family, including my parents, based here in Scotland.”

One of Andrew’s achievements in his previous role came earlier this month, successfully negotiating a Devolution Deal for Cornwall – the first rural authority in England to be offered one.

Edinburgh is currently working with its five neighbouring local authorities to pursue a similar deal for the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region.

Council Leader Andrew Burns said: “It was clear from the recruitment process that Andrew had the qualities required to take on the role and I look forward to working closely with him to ensure the continuing prosperity of our city.

“He brings significant experience of leading and delivering change in the public sector and has achieved recent success in securing a Devolution Deal for Cornwall – all of which is very encouraging as he moves into his new role. I’m sure he’ll hit the ground running.”

Andrew Kerr began his career with the District Council in Falkirk, the town of his birth. His 32-year public sector career has since included over three years at Birmingham City Council, where he led the national award-winning Birmingham BEST organisational development programme. From 2005 he led the turnaround of North Tyneside Council as its new CEO.

He was appointed Chief Operating Officer of Cardiff Council in March 2012 where he delivered a £900m joint venture in waste management. He has led transformation programmes in his last three authorities delivering more than £100m worth of savings. In his most recent post with Cornwall Council he led a programme planned to deliver £196m savings in the next four years.

Andrew has also represented Great Britain in international athletics (400m) – so he must know a good deal about running a council (sorry!)

Don’t fall for it: health and safety tips for older people

‘Take Small Steps to Stay on Your Feet’ campaign launched

A new campaign to encourage older people to keep fit and healthy by avoiding falls has been launched by the City of Edinburgh Council and NHS Lothian.

‘Take Small Steps to Stay on your Feet’ gives older people five easy tips to try and prevent falls and also information about what to do if they do suffer one.

Falls are a major problem for older people with more than 30% of over 65’s falling every year, with many more than once.

They can cause physical injuries such as fractures and head injuries and also psychological harm along with longer term problems such as disability, loss of independence and social isolation.

In Scotland the cost of falls by older people living in the community has been estimated to exceed £471m every year.

The new campaign has five top tips for older people:

Get checked out top to toe – have your eyes and hearing tested regularly, wear shoes and slippers that are comfortable and fit properly, and get your GP to regularly review your prescription medications
Calcium keeps bones strong – eat a well balanced diet that contains calcium rich foods like dairy products, green leafy vegetables, bread and fish
Get enough Vitamin D – to help keep your bones strong. Natural sunlight is a good way or take supplements from your GP or pharmacist
Stay active – exercise such as walking, gardening and dancing can strengthen muscles, bones and improve balance
Clear your way at home – make sure there’s nothing that might cause someone to trip or bump into them such as rugs, loose carpets and items lying on the floor
In addition, the campaign advises older people what to do if they have a fall. These include: move to a soft surface, keep warm, call for help and keep moving. There is also information about the best ways to get up after a fall.

Councillor Ricky Henderson, Health and Social Care Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “It’s important people realise that falling is not an inevitable part of getting older as many falls can be prevented. By making a few simple changes, older people can reduce the risk of falling both in and out of the home.

“The consequences of a fall can be devastating but by following these five easy tips we can make a real difference to older people’s lives.”

Lynne Douglas, Corporate Lead for Falls Prevention and Bone Health, NHS Lothian, said: “Preventing falls is vital in helping older people to live well and safely in their communities. This is an excellent initiative which is a result of collaboration between NHS Lothian services and City of Edinburgh Council and we hope that, most importantly, it will make a difference to the lives of older people in Edinburgh.”

Leaflets and posters highlighting the campaign will be issued to surgeries, pharmacists, libraries, care homes and sheltered housing complexes in the coming weeks.

More information about ‘Take Small Steps to Stay on your Feet’ can be found at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/fiveeasysteps or www.nhsinform.co.uk/falls.

Alternatively, phone NHS Inform on 0800 22 44 88

(textphone 18001 0800 22 44 88).