Day: July 6, 2019

So, what IS a Citizens’ Assembly?

The Scottish Government has proposed a Citizens’ Assembly of Scotland, but what IS a citizens’ assembly? 

The University of Edinburgh and Electoral Reform Society Scotland have organised a panel discussion on Monday (July 8th) from 6pm – 8pm with speakers including:

  • Joanna Cherry MP QC (SNP Justice and Home Affairs spokesperson)
  • Dr Jess Garland (Electoral Reform Society)
  • Dr Oliver Escobar (University of Edinburgh)
  • Professor David Farrell (Research leader of the Irish Citizens’ Assembly)
  • Louise Caldwell (Irish Citizens’ Assembly member)
  • Lesley Riddoch (Journalist)
  • David Martin (Citizens’ Assembly Convener Designate)

The event has been incredibly popular, and is oversubscribed so we will be live streaming it at https://livestream.com/DemocracyTV/ers-citizens-assembly

We are collecting suggestions for questions for the panel. You can submit your questions here https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/M9WZCLN

Bookmark the link now and add the event to your calendar – don’t forget to tweet along with the stream with the hashtag #ShapingScotland

View the live stream link

Phil Connor,

Campaigns Officer,
ERS Scotland

New hotel opening creates affordable Edinburgh Fringe stays

Point A Hotels has released rooms for sale in its newest hotel in Edinburgh, meaning that nearly 4000 hotel nights will be newly available over the busy Edinburgh Fringe period, August 2nd – August 25th.

The Point A Hotel Edinburgh, will open on Monday (8th July) and as a special offer upon opening, the hotel will be offering a 20% discount for direct bookings on PointAHotels.com*.

The latest addition to the Point A Hotels budget boutique brand, Point A Edinburgh, will bring low-priced stylish rooms to the centre of the Scottish capital – the most visited destination in the UK outside of London – in time for the 2019 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Point A Edinburgh is located close to Haymarket Station, with 149 guest rooms (including 8 accessible rooms) and some featuring breath-taking views over Edinburgh’s iconic buildings.

It will feature a spacious, 24-hour hosted reception and a lobby lounge, where Point A’s signature Brekkie will be served daily, and refreshments will be available 24/7. It will also have an extended food and beverage offering that includes pre-mixed alcoholic drinks and miniatures offered for sale at the bar and hot food in the lounge including a selection of pizzas and chicken wings.

Within the new Edinburgh property, there will be free, superfast WiFi throughout the public areas and the guest rooms, which also feature luxury Hypnos beds with fabric headboards and throws from the Isle of Bute, power showers, mood lighting and a 43-inch Samsung Smart TV, with Google Chromecast which allows customers to watch their own content on the hotel TV, providing a home from home experience.

“Our Edinburgh hotel will be beautifully designed offering our guests a sense of style without a huge price tag,” commented Nic Wenn, Managing Director, Point A Hotels. “It is located centrally and will give those wishing to attend the Edinburgh Fringe easy access to catch one of the many great performances across the city.”

Guests of Point A Edinburgh will be able to take advantage of extra-value offers and deals at local bars and restaurants through Point A Hotels’ free-to-join signature loyalty programme, the A-List. Guests can sign up to the A-List at pointahotels.com to also receive a permanent 10% off all future bookings at any Point A Hotel.

The newest hotel will join Point A Hotels’ existing portfolio of seven modern, centrally-located UK hotels offering guests exceptional service and comfort at affordable prices. Six of the Point A Hotels are in London – Shoreditch, Liverpool Street, King’s Cross St Pancras, Paddington, Westminster and Canary Wharf – and one is in Glasgow, Scotland. A further hotel in London is due to open this summer in Kensington, located on West Cromwell Road.

* 20% discount applies to bookings for stays in July and August 2019 at Point A Edinburgh only with the discount code LAUNCH and made viawww.PointAHotels.com 

GOOGLE now tells you how busy your bus is likely to be

On days when everything runs smoothly, taking public transit is one of the best ways to get around town. Not only is it cost-effective and efficient, but it also lets you stay hands-free so you can sit back, relax and maybe even read a few chapters of your favorite book.

However unexpected delays or overcrowded vehicles can quickly turn your ride from enjoyable to stressful – but Google Maps is rolling out two new features to help you better plan for your transit ride and stay more comfortable along the way.

 Edinburgh is one of 18 towns and cities included in the roll out to have access to this new feature: Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Coventry, Crawley, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford, Reading, Sheffield and Southampton.

Live traffic delays for buses

When you have an important meeting, a date with a friend, or a doctor’s appointment, often the first thing you’ll do is check the transit schedule to make sure you can make it on time. Unfortunately, transit schedules don’t always reflect real-time traffic conditions that impact your ride, which can cause a lot of unnecessary stress when you end up arriving later than you thought you would. 

To solve for this, Google Maps is launching live traffic delays for buses in places where we don’t already have real-time information direct from local transit agencies. You’ll now be able to see if your bus will be late, how long the delay will be, and more accurate travel times based on live traffic conditions along your route. You’ll also see exactly where the delays are on the map so you know what to expect before you even hop on your bus.  

Crowdedness predictions

There’s nothing more uncomfortable than being packed like a can of sardines on a hot, sweaty train. We’re introducing transit crowdedness predictions so you can see how crowded your bus, train or subway is likely to be based on past rides. Now you can make an informed decision about whether or not you want to squeeze on, or wait a few more minutes for a vehicle where you’re more likely to grab a seat.

These features are now being rolled out on Google Maps in nearly 200 cities around the globe on both Android and iOS.

Leith Victoria pool to close for six months

Iconic Victorian swimming pool, Leith Victoria Swim Centre, is being  refurbished  from Monday 12 August and will be out of use until February next year. 

Due to the unique layout of the centre, it will be a phased refurbishment, starting with the closure of the pool and studio 2, with these areas reopening in February 2020. Continue reading Leith Victoria pool to close for six months

New Sick Kids fiasco: NHS Lothian says sorry

 

NHS Lothian has announced that measures have been put in place to help patients and their families following the cancellation of the opening of the new Sick Kids hospital. The health board has also issued an apology to those affected. Continue reading New Sick Kids fiasco: NHS Lothian says sorry