Day: June 7, 2012

Success for Spartans u14’s

Hugh Cullen

Spartans Under 14s Whites won the League Cup last Thursday after a season that has seen them go from bottom of the league to cup glory in a matter of months.

The league campaign started poorly with the team losing 10 games in a row, which saw them drop out of most competitions and fall to the bottom of the table. The Head Coach left and a new coaching team took over. Hugh Cullen, Lewis Melee and Greg Atkinson became the youngest coaches in the club at the ages of 16, 17 and 17 respectively.

The team celebrate after winning the trophy.

Soon, the side started scoring goals and their first win came away to Gullane in the League Cup- this gave the boys a huge lift and soon they became more confident in their ability and started to play some good, attractive football. One of the real signs that this team was not to be taken lightly was when Spartans defeated top of the table Dalkieth 4-2 in an entertaining match at Marine Drive.

It has been revealed that the team actually came very close to folding when the team’s goalkeeper decided to leave the club however they were saved when Finlay Kidd boldly volunteered to wear the number one jersey and, in fact, had a great season in between the posts. The side were also helped when, midway through the season, there was a new addition to the side. Samuel Nhamburo scored twelve goals in his first two games and only failed to score on two occasions, both against eventual league champions Fernieside.

Spartans went on to go undefeated in the League cup and finished in top position in their five man group and thrashed Leith Athletic 6-2 to progress to the final (Nhamburo scoring five). In the final they faced Fernieside who are the only team that they lost to in 2012. Spartans took an early lead through a 25-yard goal from Daniel Anderson however Fernieside got back into the game and led going into injury time. Spartans substitute scored in the last minute of the 90 and then with four minutes of injury time played, Gabriel Hill scored the winner, topping off a fantastic season for the boys.

Thanks a million, Elsie!

Sunday 27 May marked a significant milestone in Elsie Moir’s 58 year association with North Edinburgh parents and children. Having reached her 80th birthday, Elsie decided it was time to ‘retire’ from the leadership of the Patch Club at Granton Parish Church.

Elsie started her teaching career atGrantonSchoolin 1954. Following her marriage in 1961, she went to South Africa and worked with husband Ian at a black African High School for 12 years. When Ian became minister of the West Pilton’s Old Kirk in 1983, Elsie asked for a teaching transfer to North Edinburgh. She was appointed toGrantonSchool, but resigned her post after a year in order to work in the Church with the large number of families who were moving into the renovated houses inWest Pilton.

 She started a Parent and Toddler Group and also a group for parents. Elsie believed passionately in giving people of all ages an opportunity to learn together, through the expressive arts (art, music and drama). This led to the formation of the ‘Worship Workshop’. People worked for six weeks around a theme which culminated in an all-age worship presentation in the Church. This approach was very attractive to parents and children, who appreciated being able to learn and work together.

Following Ian’s retirement in 2000 the couple became members of Granton Parish Church. The Patch Club grew out of an existing organisation, the Magic Carpet Club, which Elsie had started as a storytelling club for parents and pre-school children in 2006. In 2008 she started a Sunday version of the club – Patch Club. It has the same elements as the ‘Magic Carpet’ – free-play, storytelling, music and two craft activities.

Of the ten families currently attending, there are two Polish families, two Chinese families and a Czech family as well as local families. It is a very good meeting place for immigrant and Scottish families and warm friendships have grown among the group.

The Patch Club starts again after the summer break on Sunday 2nd September and meets from 11 – 12 noon inGrantonParishChurch,Boswall Parkway. New families are always welcome.

Thanks to Ian Moir and Chas Macintosh

Grierson celebrate Jubilee in style

Grierson Square residents celebrated the Queens Diamond Jubilee in style on Tuesday and even had their own ‘Griersonham Palace’.

VIP’s for the day Ella Thzaker, Margaret Slimon & Jim Slimon. (Pic: Thomas Brown)

The event was organised by locals Janet Munro and Andrina Pickavance, the two local have organised street celebrations in the past and thought that it was important to mark the occasion with their own street party. They told us “We have been planning this event for a few months, we had various meetings with our neighbours to ensure everyone was involved. Its all about the kids and giving them something to enjoy, we have races, prizes and lots of exciting things for them to do.”

Pin the tail on the Corgi with Nicola Spinks, Lucy Pickavance & Mhairi Pickavance. (Pic: Thomas Brown)

They also had there own ‘pin the tail on the Corgi’ this was a favourite among many of the younger children who attended.

They also had VIP’s for the day who were three local residents who had stayed in the Square for a number of years.

Event organisers Janet Munro and Andrina Pickavance. (Pic: Thomas Brown)

All the local people who attended had a great day and it was great to see such a great community spirit.