Month: July 2017

Scotland’s National Building Conservation Centre opens tomorrow

The Engine Shed is inviting people to come and find out what the new national building conservation centre has to offer as it opens its doors to the public for the first time tomorrow (Monday 3 July).

Based at Forthside Way, Stirling, the new learning and visitor resource will serve as the national conservation hub, using world-leading innovation to bring Scotland’s built heritage to life through technology and hands-on activities.

Open six days a week, from Monday to Saturday, the centrepiece of the free visitor experience is a large-scale map of Scotland compiled from hi-resolution satellite images, from which additional information can be accessed using an iPad as an augmented reality device, providing people with the opportunity to explore Scotland’s buildings, plus the chance to discover how the Engine Shed is digitally documenting Scotland’s heritage.

To celebrate the opening, from Monday 3 July, visitors can enjoy a suite of activities and workshops, including joining a tour of the building to find out more about its purpose and what it will offer the public, getting creative by carving a masterpiece from soap, or signing up to a talk from Historic Environment Scotland’s Head of Technical Education and Training to hear more about the building’s development from former MOD munitions shed to pioneering learning hub.

Dorothy Hoskins, Technical Outreach and Education Manager at the Engine Shed, said: “We are absolutely delighted to open the doors and welcome the public into the Engine Shed. We have so much planned for the opening with lots of activities and workshops on offer throughout the summer, we really want people to come down and experience the Engine Shed first-hand and get involved in the different activities that are on and find out more about what will be coming up later in the year too.”

People from across Scotland are invited to visit the Engine Shed to find out more about its summer programme of events designed to encourage a greater understanding of Scotland’s historic buildings and traditional craft skills, as part of Scotland’s Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology.

Every week during the summer, the Engine Shed will host different building-related themed activity sessions, talks and demonstrations. Workshops will include creating pieces inspired by Mackintosh’s designs currently on temporary display at the Engine Shed, which were recovered from the fire that affected the Glasgow School of Art’s Mackintosh building in 2014.

Dorothy continued: “Our summer programme is designed to inspire people and demonstrate the range of skills, materials and technologies that are used in preserving our traditional buildings across Scotland. The Engine Shed is an inclusive space where everyone can come along and discover more about our historic environment through workshops, exhibitions, events, tutorials and training. We hope the public will be really impressed with what we have done with the space and what will be on offer.”

The Engine Shed has also launched eight internship opportunities centred around the new learning and visitor resource. Applicants are being encouraged to apply for the range of internships, covering subjects such as conservation science, climate change, collections management, traditional materials, digital visualisation and conservation architecture.

Each internship will last between 12 – 18 months and will provide students with the chance to learn within its specialist science, digital or climate change teams, studying the impact of climate change on Scotland’s historic environment and the adaptation of traditional buildings.

For more information on the Engine Shed and its summer programme or internship opportunities, please visit www.engineshed.org.

Michty me! It’s oor Harry … in Scots!

Last week marked the 20th anniversary of the first publication of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. It also marked Leith-based Itchy Coo / Black & White Publishing’s 15 years in the book trade, and they plan to celebrate by publishing a Scots version of Rowling’s classic  – Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stane – in October. Continue reading Michty me! It’s oor Harry … in Scots!

CCTV appeal following assault in Cowgate

Police are investigating a serious assault in the city centre and have released images of a man that they believe may be able to assist them with their enquiries.

The incident happened at around 3.10 a.m. on Sunday 4th June near to the Espionage nightclub at the Cowgate. A 27-year-old man was attacked and sustained serious injuries.Officers would like to speak to the man shown in the image and would appeal to him or any members of the public who recognise him to contact them as soon as possible.

The male is described as white, mid-twenties, 5ft 11ins tall with a medium build, clean shaven face and short fair hair. He was wearing a pink checked shirt, blue jeans and white trainers. He was last seen leaving the Grassmarket in the company of other men and headed towards the West Port area.

Detective Constable Sheila Silvagni from the Violence Reduction Unit at Gayfield Police Station said, “This appears to have been a totally random and unprovoked attack, which left the victim with a painful injury to the back of his head.”

Anyone with information can contact the Violence Reduction Unit via 101 and quote incident number 934 of the 4th June. Alternatively, an anonymous report can be made through the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

What’s On at The Playhouse?

The digital version of the new Edinburgh Playhouse What’s On July-December 2017 brochure is online now.

Highlights include Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tony Award winning Sunset Boulevard with Ria Jones and Danny Mac (pictured) this October and Cabaret featuring Will Young and Louise Redknapp in November, while December will see the Broadway and West End smash hit Beautiful – The Carole King Musical come to the Scottish capital as part of its first ever UK tour.

And helping mark seven decades of Edinburgh as a festival city, August will see  The Playhouse on the Fringe showcase the works of five international performers across a programme of 56 shows.

You can also keep up to date with the Playhouse on social media.

Facebook | @edinplayhouse | Instagram

July’s plant of the month: Potted summer bulbs

 
Colourful, impressive, summery bulbs 
Most people are familiar with spring-flowering bulbs but there are also a various range of bulbs sold in pots in the summer months that can bring colour and atmosphere to the patio. We have selected three summer-flowering potted bulbs as the Garden Plant of the Month for July: the Calla, the Lily and the Star of Bethlehem. Varied, colourful and impressive, both on their own and combined together or with other garden plants.
Potted summer bulbs: Calla, Lily and Star of Bethlehem 
Zantedeschia is often known as the Calla or Arum Lily. In the past, we were only really familiar with the flowers of the white Zantedeschia aethiopica – it has large white calyxes and can grow quite big in the garden. There are now more compact varieties, in many different colours from white to orange and dark purple to yellow. The flowers are smaller, the plants also have attractive markings on the leaves in the form of silver spots.
Potted Lilies are all hybrids – many original species originate from Japan, China and Korea. The name LA (Longiflorum x Asiatic hybrids) is an old Latin plant name for the Lily. The plant is characterized by the many buds on the stem and the leaf that extends the full length of the stem. The larger the bulb that is used, the more buds there will be on the stem. The most common potted Lilies have large flowers with a strong scent, and the LA Group usually comes in pastel shades. The range of colours varies from yellow, orange and red through to pink and white. Many bicoloured lilies also have flowers with an extra spot in the Calix.
Ornithogalum, as the Star of Bethlehem is officially known, grows from beautiful leaf rosettes from which a leafless stem emerges with the flower on the end. The name Ornithogalum derives from an old Greek plant name which means ‘bird milk’ (‘ornithos’ = bird, ‘gala’ = milk). There are three most common species. O. Saundersiae has long stems over a metre in length bearing a composite white flower. Every separate flower has an eye-catching black dot at its heart. O. dubium is much shorter, often just 10 to 30 centimetres and is available in orange and yellow. O. thyrsoides has white composite flowers in the shape of plumes.
Caring for Calla, Lily and Star of Bethlehem
The summer-flowering bulbs are very easy to care for, and will give weeks of pleasure.
  • The plants are undemanding and can be placed in both the shade and the sun. The temperature does need to remain above at least 5-8 °C, but that won’t pose a problem in the summer.
  • Make sure that the soil never dries out, so water regularly, particularly when the plants are placed in pots or containers. The bulbs and tubers mean that the plants can survive through a slightly drier period, which is handy when you go on holiday for a week.
  • Give plant food once a fortnight to ensure lavish flowering. Remember, the plants are only for decoration and not for consumption.
Tips for keeping potted summer bulbs
Summer-flowering potted bulb plants can be kept by bringing them indoors after flowering in October or November. That gives them a hibernation period whereby the plant remains dry and the foliage dies back. The bulbs and tubers will then produce plenty of new flowers during the next growing season. You can plant them outside again from April onwards. The plants will then produce the fabulous flowers again in the summer.
More information about potted summer bulbs and other garden plants can be found at Thejoyofplants.co.uk.

Rankin joins the greats at Edinburgh’s Writers’ Museum

Ian Rankin has joined the ranks of Sir Walter Scott, Robert Burns and Robert Louis Stevenson today as his work is is celebrated in a new exhibition at Edinburgh’s Writers’ Museum. A rare selection of personal items, manuscripts and images belonging to the best-selling writer are displayed in a new exhibition celebrating the 30th anniversary of his much-loved Edinburgh sleuth, Detective Inspector Rebus. Continue reading Rankin joins the greats at Edinburgh’s Writers’ Museum

Circle receives cash boost from Morrisons Foundation

Local charity Circle has received a £950 donation to develop the outdoor area at their West Pilton base, where high school volunteers team up with primary school children to provide mentoring and support. The donation, awarded by the Morrisons Foundation, will be used to renovate the garden area and purchase equipment, picnic benches and raised beds. Continue reading Circle receives cash boost from Morrisons Foundation