This spring, The Ivy on the Square is proud to be celebrating the Six Nations Championship with an array of limited-edition cocktails. With the first games taking place in 1883, the Six Nations has spanned over three centuries, making it one of the most-loved events in the sporting calendar.
Created by the restaurant’s talented bar team, each cocktail represents one of the six nations taking part in the championship. Delicious creations include the Scotts on the Rocks (top), (£9.75) featuring Plymouth gin, Chivas 12 year, ginger juice, lemon juice and clear honey, The Emerald Isle, (£9.75) consisting of Jameson, Lillet Rouge, Cointreau, lime juice, and a dash of whiskey barrel bitters (above).
Then there’s The G.O.A.T, (£9.50) a mix of Plymouth gin, Plymouth sloe gin, lemon juice and lavender syrup, garnished with a lavender sprig,
Le Coqs, (£12.75) which includes, Beefeater gin, Lillet Blanc, lemon juice, sugar syrup and topped with The Ivy Champagne,
English Rose, (£9.75) featuring Beefeater gin, Pimm’s and Elderflower cordial, topped with Fever Tree lemonade and garnished with a mint sprig, and finally the Zesty Italian, (£10.95) a tantalising mix of Malfy Aranciata gin, Barolo Chinato, Campari and a dash of whisky barrel bitters.
Agata Lubera, General Manager at The Ivy on the Square, comments:“Now that the Six Nations has officially kicked off, we’re excited for Scotland’s patriotic fans to come together and join us in the heart of the city centre.
“We hope the latest additions to our already extensive cocktail menu will go down a treat as we honour this historical sporting event. We look forward to welcoming guests from all over the world to enjoy the atmosphere the games bring to Edinburgh.”
The Six Nations Championship cocktails are available at The Ivy on the Square from Saturday, 5 February to Saturday, 19 March.
Average annual UK rental growth* has reached a 13 year high, with rents increasing to £969 (+8.3%) in Q4 2021, up £62 per month since the start of the pandemic
The average rent now accounts for 37% of gross income for a single earner – up from a pandemic dip of 34% during most of 2021 but broadly in line with the 10-year average of 36%
Overall, average rents are up nearly 12% over the last five years
Demand for rental properties in January was 76% higher compared to the New Year market between 2018 and 2021
The stock of rental properties currently available across the UK is 39% lower than the five year average around this time of year
Inner city London has seen a rental growth of 11% compared to the same time last year -but the decline in rents during the pandemic means this has translated into an increase of just £18 per month in rent compared to March 2020
Average UK rents are tracking at almost £1000pcm – £62 more than at the start of the pandemic – against a backdrop of increased living costs squeezing households, reports Zoopla, the UK’s leading property portal, in its quarterly Rental Market Report.
UK rents squeeze disposable household income as cost of living rises
The UK’s average rental growth has reached a 13 year high, up 8.3% in Q4 2021, meaning households who agree new lets are now having to pay an additional average annual cost of £744, compared to the start of the pandemic (March 2020).
This increase means that a single earner can now expect to spend 37% of their gross income on rent, which is up from 34% during most of 2021. However, this now brings the figure broadly back in line with the longer term average of 36% as rental growth rises in line with wage growth.
Even with the current sharp rise, the overall increase in UK rents over the last five years totals 12% thanks to the decline in rents seen in some areas during the pandemic.
Rental market shrinks as demand creates fast-paced rental landscape
The New Year has seen heightened demand for rental properties, up +76% compared to the New Year markets between 2018 and 2021. Yet the supply of rental properties recorded in January 2022 in the UK is 39% below levels typically observed at the start of the year. This is creating competition in the market, with the imbalance of supply and demand ultimately spurring rental growth.
As a result, properties are being snapped up. In London, this means renters are having to move quickly to secure the perfect property with the time to let now averaging a fortnight, down from three weeks in late 2020.
This shrinking stock of homes for rent can be attributed to a continued decrease in buy-to-let investment over the last five years.. As rents rise, more renters will be choosing to stay in their properties, limiting stock turnover. With supply squeezed, it’s likely that continued demand will underpin more modest rental growth in the coming months, especially in city centres.
However, as the spike in demand falls back – hampered by the increases in household costs – it will reduce pressure on supply, ultimately driving more local competition to attract renters in local markets.
City centre rents continue upward growth trajectory
Pandemic trends saw strong growth in rental demand in wider commuter zones as renters embraced the ‘search for space’, but demand has now recovered across the central districts of all major cities including Birmingham, Edinburgh, Leeds and Manchester in a reversal of recent behaviour. This is largely driven by pent up demand from office workers, students, and international residents and investors who are looking for city centre living.
This is a normalisation of rental behaviour as demand once again rises in more central zones – seen most prominently in inner London with rental growth of 11% compared to the same time last year. But given the steep fall in London rents during the pandemic, this translates to an increase of just £18 per month in rent compared to March 2020.
Gráinne Gilmore, Head of Research, Zoopla, comments: “Rents have risen sharply in recent months, amid a backdrop of rising living costs. But it is important to point out that in terms of rental affordability, in most markets rents are still close to the 10-year average. As demand continues to outpace supply, there will be further upward pressure on rents, but affordability considerations will act as a brake on large rises.
“In addition, the January peak in rental demand will start to ease in the coming months, putting less severe pressure on supply, which will lead to more local market competition, and more modest rental increases.
“The flooding of rental demand back into city centres thanks to office workers, students and international demand returning to cities means the post-pandemic ‘recalibration’ of the rental market is well underway.”
James Evans, CEO at Douglas & Gordon, comments: “Since the beginning of the year, we have seen a clear trend of people coming back to London and the office. This has contributed to around a 40% increase in new lettings applicants compared to the same month last year.
“As there is also still a very restricted supply of properties, we’re seeing landlords achieve record prices, a high quality of tenant and almost no void periods. With competition for properties at the level it is, there are 35-40 new applicants for every rental property in London and around four offers received per agreed let, so tenants are having to put themselves in the best position possible to get the properties they want.
“Following a strong sales market in 2021, and more confidence in future price increases in London, we are seeing more buy to let investors entering the market. With some of the recent legislation changes, the need for a quality agent is even greater.”
AN EDINBURGH care home has recorded a strong bounce back from the last two years of lockdowns – with record occupancy numbers as it looks to expand its team for 2022.
Despite the challenges brought on the care home sector, Cramond Residence is optimistic for the year ahead with occupancy rates up 65% on this point last year.
The home is set to hire additional members of staff to take its team to more than 100, in response to the continued growing demand.
Located in Cramond, the care home was launched in late 2018 and offers uncompromising nurse-led care, as well as respite and dementia specialist services and offers small group living in nine luxuriously-appointed homes.
Throughout the pandemic it has been able to use its purpose-built layout and cutting-edge air filtration system and laundry facilities to minimise cross-infection.
Christian Daraio, Client Liaison Manager at Cramond Residence said: “After an unprecedented two years for the industry, we finally have positive momentum.
“Our clients and their families are placing their trust in us and we’re thrilled to be reaching record occupancy levels.
“The biggest obstacle we now have to us providing care for more older people is recruitment. We’re hopeful that we can cut through the current workforce crisis by offering some of the highest salaries in Edinburgh, competitive terms and conditions and a great team environment.
“Putting the wellbeing of our residents and staff has been and continues to be our main priority and as we continue on the path to normality, we are looking forward to increasing our offering over the coming months.”
The home is looking for applications from lifestyle coordinators, qualified nurses and catering assistants, with particularly high demand for nursing staff and care assistants.
Included in the home’s current offering for residents is a tailored monthly activity programme, curated by its dedicated lifestyle team, bespoke physiotherapy sessions by boutique physiotherapy experts, Balanced as well as specialist dementia care.
Throughout the duration of the pandemic, the home offered a range of virtual activities, including linking up with the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions to deliver a programme of interactive tours of some of Scottish most famous attractions, to keep residents stimulated and engaged.
Cramond Residence offers high quality care for up to 74 residents offering a small-group living concept in nine houses, with all residents enjoying an exceptional range of amenities and activities, delicious food and bespoke care from a highly-trained team.
Pupils in Aberdeen were joined by special guests on Monday to celebrate the strides they have been making to get more active on the school run and to launch the search for the UK’s best young designers.
Cllr Malik, the Education Convener joined pupils from St Joseph’s Catholic RC Primary School in Aberdeen to hear first-hand the benefits they have experienced from walking to school.
St Joseph’s RC Primary School takes part in WOW – the walk to school challenge from Living Streets Scotland, part of the UK charity for everyday walking.
WOW is a pupil-led initiative where children self-report how they get to school every day using the interactive WOW Travel Tracker. Pupils who walk, wheel, cycle or scoot at least once a week for a month are rewarded with a badge.
Cllr Malik joined Living Streets’ mascot, Strider, to hand out WOW badges to pupils who had travelled actively this month.
Councillor M Tauqeer Malik, Aberdeen City Council’s Education Operational Delivery Convener, said:“It is wonderful to be here today to celebrate the great work that the St Joseph’s pupils and staff are doing in partnership with Living Streets and which really ties in with our priorities as a Council.
“The health and wellbeing of our children and young people is at the heart of everything we do as can be seen from our progress towards becoming a Unicef -recognised Child Friendly City and last year’s unprecedented Summer of Play which saw us provide over 15000 free bookable activity sessions as we celebrated coming out of lockdown.
“Congratulations to everyone involved in making St Joseph’s an even healthier and happier school”.
The school event also marked the launch of Living Streets’ WOW Badge Design Competition 2022. The charity is on the hunt for the UK’s best young designers and is asking children to design the 11 badges to be awarded to pupils next academic year. This year’s theme is ‘Walk Through Time’.
Chris Thompson, School Manager, Living Streets Scotland said:“From Aberdeen to Aberystwyth, the hunt is on for the UK’s best young designers. Winners will have the pride of seeing their creations worn by pupils across Scotland, England and Wales.
“We’re encouraging pupils to stretch their imaginations and depict something from the past that they find really interesting and inspiring. This is an opportunity for originality and diversity to shine.”
Filmmakers taking part in this year’s prestigious Gaelic short film competition FilmG 2022 have been inspired by nature, environmental issues and the great outdoors – with many of the shortlisted films exploring these topics.
Many films followed this year’s competition theme Lorg, which means search, find or trace, it could even be interpreted as footsteps, with some shortlisted films exploring the outdoors, getting closer to nature and appreciating and protecting the environment.
Nominees have now been confirmed across 17 categories and all the shortlisted films are available to watch on the FilmG website.
The competition received 91 entries this year, which covered various different stories and current events, and the judges had a tough job whittling down the entries over multiple days.
On the environmental theme, eponymous Uilleam Uaine (Green William) is in Staffin to help the pupils to make the right choices for the environment, in a film of the same name which was written and produced by pupils at Staffin Primary School on the Isle of Skye. It has been shortlisted as the Best Production (Under 12).
And a film by pupils at Sgoil Bhagh a’ Chaisteil on the Isle of Barra called ‘Cosgais A Churaim’, (The Cost of Caring) which looks into the effects of disposable face masks on our environment, has been nominated for Best Documentary.
Dihaoinean airson Teachd (Fridays of the Future) tells the story of a scientist who wants to save the world with a potion she has invented to create an Eco Superhero. However, the wrong people keep drinking it!
Made by pupils at Craighill Primary School in Tain, this film has also been shortlisted as the Best Production (Under 12).
Gaelic Medium pupils at Oban High School have been nominated for ‘GOP 26’, which is about an environmental conference GOP26 taking place in Glasgow with leaders from all over the world making speeches, but one of the speakers mysteriously goes missing. The film was shortlisted for the quality of the spoken Gaelic throughout.
Several films explore the great outdoors including a film about hillwalking and scrambling as a way to get a new perspective on the world from beyond the cold, dark glens and high above the clouds.
Called ‘Thar Nan Sgòth – Beinn Eighe’ (Above the Clouds – Beinn Eighe) this film, made by Anndra Cuimeanach from Gairloch, has been nominated for Best Documentary and Best Young Filmmaker in the Youth Category (12-17).
Also in the Youth Category a film by Emma Rose Passmore from Harris called ‘Falaichte Ann an Roghdal’ (Hidden in Rodal) which looks at the secret history of Roghdal in Harris, has been nominated for Best Documentary and Best Young Filmmaker.
In the Open category a short documentary called ‘A’ Mhuir’ (The Sea) about wild swimming and the students at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig in the Isle of Skye who take part in the sport, has been nominated for Best Film, Film Duthchais, Best Performance (Somhairle MacIain), Best Student Film and Best Director (Anna Garvin).
‘Am Buaile Dubh’ by Eòghan Stiùbhart from Inverness, which takes a look around Am Buaile Dubh on the outskirts of Inverness, has been nominated for Best Film, Film Duthchais (which translates as best heritage or community film), Best Performance (Eòghan Stiùbhart), Best Director and Best Script.
While a spoof of outdoor programmes called ‘Rachamaid’ by Ross Young from Inverurie has been shortlisted for Best Performance (Ross Young) and Best Student Film.
And ‘Eilean Lois’ (Lois’s Island) by Somhairle MacIain from Glasgow, which follows him and his girlfriend, Lois, as they cycled the Hebridean Way in the summer and he teaches her to speak Gaelic on the trip, has been shortlisted for Best Student Film.
This is just a few of an array of fantastic films by talented filmmakers, schools and community groups from across Scotland that have made it to the shortlists for the FilmG 2022 Short Film Competition.
Karen Elder, a journalist for An Là is a Scottish Gaelic-language news programme broadcast on the Gaelic-language channel, BBC ALBA, was one of the judges this year.She said: “It was a privilege to once again be a part of the judging panel for FilmG. There was a wide variety of films entered, from strong documentaries to comedy. It was no small task.”
You can watch shortlisted films on the FilmG website. FilmG is the Gaelic short film competition, funded by MG ALBA and delivered by Cànan Graphics Studio on the Isle of Skye.
The winners of this year’s prestigious Gaelic Short Film Competition FilmG will be revealed on BBC ALBA from 9pm on Friday, February 25 via a new, specially created, awards programme broadcast from Stornoway.
The show will be hosted by FilmG and BBC ALBA stalwarts Fiona MacKenzie and Niall Iain MacDonald.
Lorden, Bino and Ned have told the dinner ladies at Rockfield Primary School that their food is not good enough and they will make school dinners better.
The Gille Dubh, has lived in the Gairloch area for centuries.But after the laird had hunted him, he was not seen again … until he appeared in our own day
Finlay agus Calum Morrison
Glasgow
An Taigh-Òsta
Best Film (Fluent), Best Performance (Finlay Morrison)
It is the 1,500th anniversary of the birth of St Columba. The Comunn na Gàidhlig team works throughout Scotland and seven of our Iomairtean Cànain (language initiatives) looked for local links with Colmcille
A vision to transform Scotland’s justice sector through the COVID-19 recovery period and beyond has been published.
The new strategy will enshrine key priorities – making sure victims voices are heard, placing women and children at the heart of service delivery and reassessing the role that prisons and the use of imprisonment should play.
Specifically:
Victims will take a more prominent role in cases, experience fewer delays and be supported in their recovery. A Victims’ Commissioner will be appointed and there will be increased use of pre-recorded evidence. Restorative Justice services will also be made available across Scotland by 2023.
As well as an ambition to prevent Violence Against Women and Girls by tackling societal attitudes of misogyny and gender inequality, the vision prioritises systemic changes to improve the experiences of women and children building on the recommendations of Lady Dorrian’s report on the Management of Sexual Offences and ensuring access to Bairns’ Hoose for every child victim or witness who needs it.
Prison will always be needed for the most serious offences to ensure safety, but with evidence demonstrating community interventions are more effective than short prison sentences at reducing reoffending, the strategy seeks to reduce the need for imprisonment through early intervention and providing greater access to community justice alternatives.
The vision will be underpinned by a requirement for the whole sector to ensure people are treated with empathy and kindness, for example by avoiding additional trauma by having to retell their stories.
The plan also enshrines the need for collaborative work across public services to improve outcomes for individuals, focussing on prevention and early intervention.
Justice Secretary Keith Brown said: “This bold new vision will deliver a just, safe, and resilient sector with the needs of victims very firmly at its centre.
“Transforming the way we view and deliver justice in Scotland will ensure we properly support the most vulnerable in our society, creating a fair system that fulfils and meets the human rights of all who use it.
“This strategic blueprint sets out key priority areas including improving the experience of women and girls in a justice system historically designed by men, taking forward reform to address inequalities. It also stresses the need for a fresh look at the use of custody and firmly puts victims and the needs of victims at its centre.
“Underpinning this, the vision makes clear the need for services to be person centred and trauma informed to avoid re-traumatising people as they journey through the system. And, fundamentally, it stresses the importance of holistic early interventions that leverage the whole of government and public services to reduce offending and the causes of offending at the outset.
“I am determined to drive change and deliver better outcomes through our public services and this new framework envisions the best way to do that. We can and will deliver justice services which meet the needs of modern Scottish society.”
Your readers will have seen that our ‘every day’ stamps are changing. We are adding unique barcodes to stamps to pave the way for innovative services for our customers and to enhance the security of the postal service. We are encouraging customers to find and use-up any non-barcoded stamps before 31 January 2023. However, if customers are unable to use them up by then, we will exchange them for barcoded stamps completely free of charge.
Our ‘Swap Out’ scheme will open on 31 March 2022. Customers will be able to print out a form from our website, call our Customer Experience team to ask for one or pick one up from their local Delivery Office’s Customer Service Point.
More details about our ‘Swap Out’ scheme will be announced soon, but in the meantime please be assured that all existing stamps remain valid for postage in the usual way.
Enquiries are continuing following a housebreaking in Silverknowes on Monday evening (7 February, 2022).
Around 8pm, police received a report of a house in Silverknowes Gardens being broken into. Officers attended and the rear door to the property had been smashed. No-one was within the house at the time and an assessment of what has been taken is under way.
Enquiries carried out so far have revealed that following the break-in the suspect(s) got into a beige or gold coloured Nissan Note car. The registration of the car is GF60 XZH but it is possible the registration plate has been changed.
The Nissan Note was stolen from the Davidson Mains area last month and officers are appealing to anyone who may have seen it to contact them.
Door-to-door enquiries are being carried out and officers are gathering and reviewing relevant CCTV footage for any further information on the suspect(s) and the Nissan Note.
Detective Sergeant Steven Dick said: “It appears the Nissan Note is being used by the suspect(s) to leave the scene and transport any stolen items.
“We should all feel protected in our homes, and know that our personal items and objects are safe from thieves. I am asking for the public’s help in trying to locate this vehicle. If anyone has seen it or noticed it parked up somewhere then please do get in touch with us.
“Your information could help us trace whoever is responsible and allow us to return any stolen items to their rightful owners.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Police Scotland via 101, quoting incident number 3026 of 7 February, 2022. Alternatively, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where you can give information anonymously.
The mental health of pregnant women, new mothers and their families, including those affected by miscarriage, stillbirth and the death of an infant, has been highlighted by a Scottish Parliament Committee.
The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee’s inquiry into women’s mental health experiences before, during and after the birth of a child (otherwise referred to as the perinatal period) highlights a number of issues faced by new mothers over the support they have received, particularly during the pandemic.
In particular, the inquiry found there was a sharp rise in birth trauma incidences reported since the pandemic began. The Committee calls on the Scottish Government and NHS Boards to redouble their focus on delivering services that directly address birth trauma.
The Committee also looked into the of support for those suffering from miscarriage, stillbirth or death of an infant. During its inquiry, the Committee received evidence of some women affected by baby loss who reported being treated close to women giving birth to healthy babies, causing additional trauma to the women affected.
The report calls for accelerated action to establish specialist baby loss units and, in the meantime, for new national protocols to be set up “that ensure families affected by baby loss are consistently treated with respect and compassion and in a trauma-informed way”.
Alongside a focus on community care, the Committee also examined access to specialist Mother and Baby Units (MBUs), of which there are currently two in Scotland. The Committee emphasises the benefits of providing wider access to MBUs for new mothers with complex needs and they express support for the creation of a new MBU serving the north of Scotland.
Gillian Martin MSP, Convener of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, said:“Up to 20% of women in Scotland experience negative mental health impacts before, during and after giving birth and the aim of our inquiry was to shine a spotlight on this important issue and to see what more should be done to support these women.
“We heard of concerns in certain health board areas with the support structure in place for parents and families impacted by miscarriage, still birth and the death of an infant, and feel more action is needed to give them appropriate support.
“We had discussions with some new parents affected by baby loss who felt they didn’t receive the standard of care they are entitled to expect. That is why we are calling for every effort to be made to accelerate the establishment of specialist baby loss units
“The evidence we received suggests that during the pandemic, there was a sharp rise in incidences of birth trauma. In many instances this was a direct result of COVID-related restrictions, which limited the support women were able to receive from partners and families before, during and after giving birth.
“Our inquiry heard about the benefits of Mother and Baby Units for women who have complex mental health issues in the perinatal period and the Committee would like to see a concerted effort to widen access to these units in conjunction with the community care offer.
“We think there is a strong case to set up a new Mother and Baby Unit serving the north of Scotland but we also need to focus on issues around staffing, resources and general awareness to maximise the positive impact of perinatal mental health services and third sector organisations who support mothers.”
The Convener added:
“The extensive evidence we have gathered during the course of this inquiry has shown the importance of a preventative and community based approach to perinatal mental health. It is clear that only through accessible, joined up care across both the third sector and statutory services, women and families can get the care they need at this critical time.
“We’d like to put on record our thanks to all of the women who spoke with us and shared their stories.”
Other findings in the report include:
• concern that many women and families are currently having to wait longer than 6 weeks to access perinatal mental health support;
• the increased barriers faced by women and families from minority ethnic backgrounds, or for whom English is not their first language, and those from particularly vulnerable or at risk groups, to access perinatal mental health services;
• the critical role that stigma plays in perinatal mental health and the resulting reluctance for individuals to fully engage with healthcare professionals;
• a call for the Scottish Government to ensure further education institutions deliver perinatal mental health training as core training for all midwifery and nursing students as a priority.
Sisters ad best pals Thelma and Louise are hoping to melt someone’s heart this Valentine’s Day as they search for their forever home together.
The playful, one year old greyhounds have been in Dogs Trust care at the charity’s West Calder Rehoming Centre since October last year. Originally coming from Ireland, not much else is known about their past, except that everything they have gone through in life, they have experienced together.
Like most siblings they have different personality traits, but their strong bond is clear for all to see. Excitable and energetic Louise is more outgoing, enjoying running and playing. Thelma is more laid-back and loves a snooze with her sister.
Centre Manager Susan Tonner said: “It was never in any doubt that Thelma and Louise had to be rehomed together as they are best friends. The super sweet girls are polite and friendly with everyone they meet, whether human or canine.
“The sisters’ confidence has blossomed since arriving at West Calder. They have become more adventurous, enjoying trips to the beach and showing their happy, playful natures. Whether playing with toys or snuggling up in a cosy bed for their afternoon nap, Thelma and Louise always stick together. They quickly form attachments to human friends too, making them very loving companions.”
In their forever home Thelma and Louise could live with children, aged 10 and over, and with another dog, but no cats or small animals due to their desire to chase. They walk well on the lead and are happy wearing a muzzle. A secure garden is required so they can play.
Anyone interested in rehoming the gorgeous greyhounds can call West Calder Rehoming Centre on 01506 873 459.
