Day: July 15, 2012

Bark in the Park to support St Columba's

Bring along your pampered pooch to our sponsored dog walk at Inverleith Park – with a dog show, agility course, doggy manicures and lots more!

BARK IN THE PARK

Sunday 29 July 2012

Inverleith Park

Bring along your pamered pooch to our sponsored dog walk at Inverleith Park – with a dog show, agility course, doggy manicures and lots more!

  • Registration starts at      9.30am
  • Wufts dog show starts at 10.30am
  • Activities run from 10am –      1pm
  • Dog walk starts at 11am

Edinburgh’s four legged friends are invited to put their best paw forward and come along to Bark in the Park on Sunday 29 July – a doggy-themed day out at Inverleith Park in aid of St Columba’s Hospice.

As well as a sponsored dog walk around the park, there will be lots of extra activities guaranteed to get tails wagging. Back again, after its ‘barking’ success last year is the ‘Wufts’ dog show – judged by Fiona McKinlay, a very well regarded and experienced judge and breeder. Owners who think their canine is Crufts material have a chance of walking away with one of five prizes:

Most Handsome Dog – sponsored by Citidogs Creche

Waggiest tail – sponsored by Just for Dogs

Best Six Legs – sponsored by Christine’s Parlour

Best small dog

Best large dog

For playful pups there will also be an agility course to try out, while for more pampered pooches, doggy manicures and grooming will be available.

Entry costs just £7.50 per dog in advance or £10 on the day and St Columba’s requests that all entrants try to raise at least £25 sponsorship. Entry to the Wufts dog show competition is £5 per dog. So come along for a great day out and give your pampered pooch a real treat!

To sign up or contact St Columba’s Hospice fundraising team at fund@stcolumbashospice.org.uk or telephone 0131 551 1381.

Bark in the Park 2012 is kindly sponsored Batchelor, Davidson and Watson Veterinary Surgeons.

Councillors to decide on Silverknowes access

It may not be up there with the Berlin Wall or Northern Ireland’s ‘peace barriers’, but North Edinburgh’s own long-running dispute over local access and antisocial behaviour could soon be over. Members of the city council’s Transport, Infrastructure and Environment (TIE) Committee will decide whether Silverknowes and Muirhouse are to be separated by closed-off barriers at their 13 September meeting. 

Following anti-social behaviour and disturbances in part of the Silverknowes area last autumn, representatives from community organisations in Almond and Forth wards met with local politicians, council and police officials to discuss the possibility of closing off accesses at Silverknowes Eastway.

It proved impossible to reach agreement, however, with community groups and residents in Almond (i.e. Silverknowes) overwhelmingly in favour of closing off the accesses, while Forth community groups and residents are equally vehement in their opposition to closure.  Council officials have also indicated that their policy recommendation must be to keep the accesses open.

Council officials are now compiling a report for the next meeting of the TIE committee, and local groups and individuals have been invited to make submissions for inclusion in the report by 27 July.

Among the options councillors will consider will be the possibility of closing off the pedestrian and cycleway access between Silverknowes and Muirhouse at Silverknowes Eastway/Muirhouse Gardens and Silverknowes Eastway/Muirhouse Drive in the evenings.

Davidsons Mains and Silverknowes Association is one of the Almond groups pressing for closure of the access. The group points to a survey they conducted earlier this year to gauge public opinion on the access issue. In a newsletter to residents DMSA point out:  ‘The DMSA has previously advised residents on the outcomes from the residents opinion survey but it is worth repeating that there were 235 responses from Silverknowes and only 44 from Muirhouse. The Silverknowes return represented a remarkable 40% response and, of those who replied, 65% were in favour of complete closure and 15% wanted some form of restricted access, for example, by closure in the evening and overnight.’

The group is expected to make both formal written submission and to send a deputation to the forthcoming transport committee meeting to argue the case for closure.

Opponents of the proposals, however, argue that closing off and separating communities is not the answer. Roy Douglas, chairman of Muirhouse Salvesen Community Council, confirmed: “We will be making a submission and plan to send a deputation to the TIE meeting. The access must remain open and we will be putting that case strongly to councillors”.

Terror suspect arrested in Leith

A fugitive alleged to be part of the Basque separatist group, Eta, has been arrested in the Leith area – more than 10 years after he went on the run. Lothian and Borders Police arrested Benat Atorrasagasti Ordonez – who has been on Spain’s ‘most wanted’ list since 2008 – in a Friday night raid.

A spokesman for Lothian and Borders Police said: “A 36-year-old man has been arrested in Edinburgh on two European warrants, in connection with historical crimes committed in Spain and France.

“We can confirm that no armed officers were involved and at no time was any member of the public at risk. The man will appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday under the terms of the Extradition Act.”

The Basque separatist organisation ETA was formed in 1959, waging a campaign of terror that has included bombings, shootings and kidnappings costing hundreds of lives. The group declared a ‘permanent ceasefire’ in October last year – but it’s only the latest of many.