Steam across the iconic Forth Bridge in vintage carriages pulled by Mayflower, one of only two surviving B1 Class steam locomotives this June whilst enjoying a lunch or dinner service on one of two circular tours of the coast and countryside from Edinburgh Waverley.
Dining passengers are welcomed with a glass of champagne followed by a waiter-served 3 course lunch or 4 course dinner in either Pullman Style or Premier Dining carriages. A Premium Standard class offers tea and coffee to be purchased and picnics are most welcome.
Only available Friday 17th June, the lunchtime tour departs 11.15, crossing the World Heritage bridge with magnificent views extending some 20 miles on clear days. Then onto Fife, along the coast passing Burntisland and Kinghorn beaches before turning inland via Dunfermline and back across the Forth Bridge to Edinburgh, arriving at 14.30.
The evening train leaves Waverley at 17.30 for a 4-hour journey which crosses the Forth Bridge towards Fife, takes a rarely used freight line along 5 miles of coast, passing Culross and the Torry Bay local nature reserve then on to Alloa and along the reopened route to Stirling, through Falkirk and back to Edinburgh before the sun sets.
Prices are from £239 per person in Pullman Style Dining, £189 in Premier Dining and £89 in Premium Standard.
To book call Steam Dreams Rail Co. departure on 01483 209888 or visit www.steamdreams.co.uk
Hamilton & Inches today launched its Craft Academy, which will teach and foster talent amongst the next generation of craftspeople.
Already home to exceptional silversmiths, goldsmiths, polishers, hand-engravers and watchmakers, Hamilton & Inches will help to support and develop the future of craftsmanship in Scotland by continuing to invest in crucial apprenticeships and training.
The Hamilton & Inches Craft Academy is offering two silversmithing internships for 3rd year university students, and one 4-year polishing apprenticeship.
The placements will be undertaken at the Hamilton & Inches workshops, which are located above the recently refurbished showroom in the heart of Edinburgh.
The successful candidates will gain experience to create elaborate pieces that Hamilton & Inches is renowned for, such as Scottish Rugby’s Cuttitta Cup, which will be contested annually between Scotland and Italy in the Six Nations Championship and which was unveiled earlier this month.
The launch is part of the ongoing support Hamilton & Inches has provided to talented young artisans. Trainee silversmith Ruth Page joined the Hamilton & Inches team in 2019 following a 3-month placement as part of her BA (Hons) Degree at the Edinburgh College of Art.
Since then, Ruth has created numerous collections and pieces, including the intricate Gingko light installation which is a focal point in the Hamilton & Inches showroom.
As part of the Craft Academy, there are two openings for the paid silversmithing internships, one which is open to 3rd year students studying jewellery and silversmithing courses across Scotland and the second is open to 3rd year Edinburgh College of Art jewellery and silversmithing students.
As well as being trained by expert artisans who are some of the finest craftspeople in the UK, successful applicants will be awarded with a £1,500 grant on completion of the internship to support with 4th year studies.
During this time, the silversmithing interns will be expertly trained by the Hamilton & Inches silversmith team and will develop the techniques needed to excel in this ancient craft. They will have the opportunity to create a range of silverware in traditional and contemporary designs, including christening items and silverware collections.
Further, the 4-year polishing apprenticeship will provide the opportunity to be part of the Hamilton & Inches award-winning polishing department, which is responsible for the polishing and restoration of varying precious items, including world renowned trophies.
Victoria Houghton, Hamilton & Inches CEO, said: “We are continuing our quest to support the future of craft in Scotland and beyond with the launch of the Hamilton & Inches Craft Academy, which provides invaluable opportunities for budding artisans.
“Thanks to our talented team and our recently refurbished workshops, we have the optimum foundation in place to train the next generation of craftspeople. We look forward to inspiring the next generation of talent”.
David Ramsay, Senior Silversmith at Hamilton & Inches, said:“After joining Hamilton & Inches as a modern-day apprentice and learning from some of the best craftspeople in the country, I know first-hand the brilliant opportunity this presents.
“There is nothing more important than the passing on of skills to ensure we continue to protect our industry into the future and I’m excited to welcome the new additions to our team”.
Jurassic Encounter follows sell-out tour with visit to Musselburgh in July
NEWHAILES House has stood firm through four centuries by the Musselburgh Coast, but this July its Gardens will experience something completely new: An invasion of DINOSAURS, as the UK’s most roarsome family event thunders into town.
Jurassic Encounter will see 50+ animatronic creatures from the Jurassic, Triassic and Cretaceous periods resurface in parks in London, Buxton, Edinburgh and Bristol, as well as making their way across the sea for a stint in Rotterdam.
Roaring into Musselburgh on July 2nd, the event will feature TWO, life-sized T-Rex beasts, which roar and snarl at passers by. Other family favourites include Pterosaurs that shriek from the trees and a 15m tall Brachiosaurus guarding her eggs.
The event will be open every day from July 2 – 17 and makes for the perfect family day out, just a few miles along from the ever popular Portobello Beach.
Naz Kabir, spokesperson for Jurassic Encounter, says: “Last year, thousands of visitors all over the UK enjoyed a day out with our prehistoric beasts, and we’re delighted to return for another tour in 2022.
“This year we’ll have new dinosaurs, even more interactive exhibits including a VR experience and an education cinema where families will be able to learn more about these incredible creatures.”
The animatronic installations will feature information panels, containing interesting facts about each dinosaur, ensuring a visit to Jurassic Encounter will be as educational as it is exciting. And guests will be invited to watch documentaries about the period in the Education Cinema Marquee along the route, bringing the beasts to life and showing how they roamed the earth.
An excavation sand pit will allow children to dig for their dinosaur skeletons and fossils, and learn how archaeologists discovered the extinct species of past eras. And a VR experience will offer the chance to escape into a different world.
Food and refreshments will be available along the route and a merchandise trailer at the end of the route for children to purchase a souvenir. Guests are free to roam the park as they wish, and discover the animals lurking behind bushes and creeping through the undergrowth.
Tickets start at £9.50 and earlybird tickets are available now for the Newhailes event. For a 20% discount, visit www.jurassicencounters.uk and use the code EARLYBIRD20.
The UK’s leading cat charity Cats Protection has backed plans to restrict the use of fireworks across Scotland.
The proposals – under the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Bill – would mean members of the public purchasing or using fireworks would need a license, and public displays would be restricted to certain days of the year, such as Bonfire Night, Hogmanay, Diwali and Chinese New Year.
Cats Protection’s Advocacy & Government Relations Officer for Scotland Alice Palombo said the proposals would help reduce stress for pet cats, give owners the chance to ensure their pets are indoors during displays, and help protect stray and feral cats which may have no indoor refuge from fireworks.
She said: “Fireworks are incredibly stressful for cats and other animals, especially if their owner has not had the chance to ensure that their cat is indoors and safe. They are also stressful to cats that do not live indoors such as stray and feral cats.
“Cats associate sudden loud noises and flashes of light with imminent threat, and their natural instinct is to flee. However, as cats struggle to locate the source of noise, this often means that they will bolt in an unfavourable direction which may not provide protection. In busy cities, cats are in danger of running into traffic, or becoming lost in an unknown territory.
“We would also like to see a reduction in the maximum noise level of fireworks. Cats have sensitive hearing, having one of the widest ranges of hearing in mammals. The current maximum permitted firework noise level of 120 decibels can cause damage to cats’ hearing, even if there is only brief exposure.”
Cats Protection, the UK’s largest feline welfare charity, has a Scottish network of 22 volunteer-run branches, four adoption centres, and nine charity shops which also offer advice on cat care.
The charity’s Cats and their Stats (CATS) Scotland Report 2021 found 53% of cat owners in Scotland reported that their cat showed signs of stress because of fireworks.
As well as a licensing system, Cats Protection supports the introduction of Firework Control Zones, where the use of fireworks would be temporarily prohibited, but the charity says these zones need to ban fireworks all year round to be effective. Cats Protection says Firework Control Zones should include areas near animal rehoming centres, or in other areas where there are known to be a high number of animals, such as an outdoor feral cat colony.
Cats Protection’s Glasgow Adoption Centre Manager Kim MacKrell said: “Many cats that come into our care find fireworks very stressful. Designating areas close to animal shelters and rehoming centres as Firework Control Zones will protect the health of cats and other animals and potentially reduce their stress.
“It is important that Firework Control Zones operate throughout the year to protect cats from the fear and stress caused by the sudden loud noises and flashes of light from fireworks.”
Cats Protection recommends cats are kept indoors with the TV or radio on and with the curtains drawn overnight while fireworks are being used, however, they are still at risk of suffering from stress due to the sounds.
If cats experience chronic stress this often has a negative effect over time on their physical health, such as cystitis, or leads to behavioural problems such as house soiling, redirected aggression to owners and destructive behaviour around the household.
Pioneering new technology enables The Royal Mint to recover precious metals from discarded electronic devices such as mobile phones and laptops
The first of its kind plant will provide a source of high-quality precious metals while offering a solution to significant and growing environmental challenges
Forms part of The Royal Mint’s reinvention and helps secure a future as a leader in sustainably sourced precious metals
The Royal Mint has announced plans to build a world first plant in South Wales to recover gold from UK electronic waste. The pioneering facility will help address a growing environmental issue, support jobs and skills in Britain, and create a new source of high quality precious metals for the business.
The Royal Mint is using patented new chemistry – created by Canadian based Excir – to recover gold within the circuit boards of laptops and mobile phones. The unique chemistry is capable of recovering over 99% of the precious metals contained within electronic waste – selectively targeting the metal in seconds.
Construction of the plant begins this month, and it will be located within The Royal Mint’s highly secure site to provide a stream of gold directly into the business. When fully operational in 2023, The Royal Mint expects to process up to 90 tonnes of UK-sourced circuit boards per week – generating hundreds of kilograms of gold per year.
In addition, the new business venture will support around 40 jobs, helping existing employees to reskill as well as recruiting new chemists and engineers.
Each year, more than 50 million tonnes of electronic waste is produced globally, with less than 20% currently being recycled. If nothing is done, this is set to reach 74 million tonnes by 2030.
Instead of electronic waste leaving UK shores to be processed at high temperatures in smelters, the approach will see precious metals recovered at room temperature at The Royal Mint’s plant in South Wales.
Embracing the principles of a circular economy, the plant will be able to process the entire circuit board – preserving natural resources for longer, helping to reduce the environmental impact of electronic waste and fostering new skills and employment in the UK.
Anne Jessopp, Chief Executive of The Royal Mint, said:“We are transforming our business for the future – expanding into areas which complement our expertise in precious metals, champion sustainability and support employment.
“Our investment in a new plant will see The Royal Mint become a leader in sustainably sourced precious metals and provide the UK with a much-needed domestic solution to the growing problem of electronic waste.”
Sean Millard, Chief Growth Officer at The Royal Mint said: “Working with our partners Excir, we have introduced world first technology to the UK capable of recovering precious metals from electronic waste in seconds.
“This approach is revolutionary and offers huge potential to reuse our planet’s precious resources, reduce the environmental footprint of electronic waste and create new jobs.
“We estimate that 99% of the UK’s circuit boards are currently shipped overseas to be processed at high temperatures in smelters. As the volume of electronic waste increases each year, this problem is only set to become bigger.
“When fully operational our plant will be the first of its kind in the world – processing tonnes of electronic waste each week, and providing a new source of high quality gold direct to The Royal Mint.”
Ten pupils from Currie Primary School met fellow social entrepreneurs, Social Bite to gather top tips to help them set up their very own enterprise café in their school to support their local community.
The session, which was set up through the Social Enterprise Academy, allowed the pupils to ask questions and hear from a real local social enterprise.
Currie Primary School has been involved in the Social Enterprise Schools programme for the past six months and following a presentation from other schools in Scotland and Malaysia, who are also taking part in the programme, pupils from Currie Primary in Edinburgh decided to start their own social enterprise café with the aim of giving all the profits to children dealing with cancer.
As this was set to be Currie Primary’s first social enterprise café, the pupils were looking for professional guidance from local social enterprise veterans, Social Bite.
Neil Mackenzie, teacher, Currie Primary, said: “We are so grateful to both the Social Enterprise Academy and Social Bite for meeting with our pupils to give them the experience and guidance to succeed when setting up our café.
“Running a social enterprise gives them such invaluable skills and knowledge – not only of finance but also practical skills and they were really excited to hear first-hand what it’s like to be involved in such successful enterprise like Social Bite.
“Getting a flavour of what it’s like running a business at an early age makes them both driven and proud of their work and having this experience could open up opportunities for employment later in life as well.
“Our social enterprise is still in very early stages, but the pupils are so excited to get started and the ideas they come up with are amazing. It’s been a privilege to watch them think about what kind of change they want to see in their community.”
The Social Enterprise Schools programme has already reached more than 50,000 pupils at 938 schools across Scotland’s 32 local authorities and The Social Enterprise Academy aims to roll out to every school in Scotland by 2024.
Neil McLean, CEO, Social Enterprise Academy, said: “We were delighted to welcome Currie Primary School to the Social Enterprise Academy and deliver this session together with Social Bite.
“Seeing the creativity and ingenuity from young people when they come up with their social enterprises is really inspiring and the pupils were so engaged which was fantastic to see! Social Enterprise plays a vital role in our society – through running their own social enterprise, these young people are developing the essential skills that they need to succeed in life and work and be positive assets in their communities.”
The pupils from Currie Primary used the session to conduct market research, listen to advice on managing money and sourcing equipment for their café.
Cindy Cosgrove, Social Bite, said: “Currie Primary have supported Social Bite for a number of years and we were thrilled to participate and share our experience to help the pupils with their social enterprise project.
“Being able to inspire and guide others to make a difference is essential to our work. We know real and sustained positive change requires everyone to get involved; young people are not only the future, but they are changing the world today. We will be watching on in anticipation and look forward to visiting when it opens.”
A North Edinburgh care home has shown its commitment to helping nurture Scotland’s future rugby stars by taking out a year long sponsorship with a local team.
Helping to subsidise travel costs, pitch maintenance and equipment costs, Cramond Residence’s contribution to Stewart’s Melville RFC comes at an exciting time as the club resumes regular matches following more than a year of restrictions.
The club currently has three XV squads, with the first and second XVs playing in competitive national leagues and has produced 15 international players since being founded in 1973. The first XV are geared up to play in the Tennent’s National League, Division 2 for 2021/2022.
Christian Daraio, Client Liaison Manager and Registered Nurse at the 74-bedroom home, said: “Residents, past and present, have been sport enthusiasts, players in their lifetime or have children or grandchildren involved in the game now.
“We’ve already had one of our residents attend a complimentary whisky tasting and are looking to get those that are interested down to watch a few games in the better weather and experience the game day atmosphere.
“We’re delighted to support Stewart’s Melville as they progress into an exciting 2021/22 season and are looking forward to the year ahead.”
With the biggest feeder system in the country, the club’s Mini section, the Stew Mel Lions, is one of the largest, with 340 boys and girls turning out at Inverleith every Sunday.
Simon Breeze, President of Stewart’s Melville RFC, said “We are extremely thankful to Cramond Residence for sponsoring Stewart’s Melville.Without such good quality local sponsors, amateur clubs like ourselves would struggle to survive.
“We hope this is the beginning of a long and mutually beneficial relationship with Cramond Residence. One of the residents has already attended a whisky tasting at the club and we look forward to welcoming many more to enjoy the rugby and hospitality at Inverleith.”
Cramond Residence provides a combination of luxury accommodation and the highest quality of care, with all residents enjoying a wide range of amenities and activities, delicious food and bespoke care.
The home provides a range of activities specially designed to give those living with dementia a richer and more satisfying life, with specialist facilities and trained staff on hand to provide support & relief.
Morrisons has revealed a new ‘Pocket Money Menu’ in all of our cafés to allow kids to treat their mums on their special day this year.
No need to worry about burnt toast in bed, every item on our ‘Pocket Money Menu’ is 99p or less meaning kids can treat their mum to a meal out without breaking the piggy bank.
The menu has been inspired by our youngest shoppers and includes mums’ favourites including tea, coffee, toasted teacakes and crumpets for just 99p. Plus, Morrisons famous doughnuts are also on the menu for just 35p, so kids will be able to enjoy one too.
According to RoosterMoney, the average pocket money for 4-10 year olds is £4.12 per week*, making the new pocket friendly café menu affordable for little shoppers to spoil their mum.
Ali Lyons, Head of Café at Morrisons, says, “Mums are always finding ways to brighten our day. We hope that our 99p Pocket Money Menu will help sons and daughters to show mum their appreciation and spend some quality time together.”
We’ve also brought back our ‘Feed the Family’ offer for just £10 in our cafés nationwide this week – just in time for Mother’s Day.
Adults can choose from a range of café favourites including hand-battered fish and chips, lasagne, jacket potatoes and burgers as well as drinks such as soft drinks or coffee. For the kids, the offer includes smaller portions of chicken nuggets or macaroni cheese along with drinks such as Tropicana or milk. Children will also receive a piece of fruit alongside their main meals.
Tea and coffee will remain at just 99p, making them one of the cheapest places to pick up a hot drink on the high street.
Backing for TrueDeploy and Trustd from the CyberASAP programme
TWO projects from Edinburgh Napier’s School of Computing have won funding from a programme which develops innovative cyber security ideas for the commercial market.
TrueDeploy and Trustd are being supported by CyberASAP, which is itself funded by the UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport working with Innovate UK.
CyberASAP creates a pipeline to commercialise innovations from university labs, providing academics with the expertise, knowledge and training needed to convert their research into technologies, products and services.
The University’s TrueDeploy project, which is developing innovative technology to bring trust and transparency to the software supply chain, has already received backing from Scottish Enterprise as part of its High Growth Spin-out Programme. Now it has been awarded £31,973 for the next four months as part of CyberASAP phase one.
The dominance of open-source software and the interconnectedness of software between organisations has raised cybersecurity risks in the software supply chain.
Potentially ruinous attacks can occur when a threat actor infiltrates and compromises software being developed by a software vendor in the long chain that exists from code being written to it being distributed to a customer.
TrueDeploy aims to bring trust to the software supply chain with a novel combination of blockchain, credential management and access control technologies.
Research student Pavlos Papadopoulos, who leads the TrueDeploy technical team, said: “We greatly appreciate Innovate UK’s support and the opportunity to participate in the Cyber security Academic Startup Accelerator Programme 2022-23.
“In the next few months, during this programme, we will investigate more deeply TrueDeploy’s value proposition, validate our chosen market, and develop our novel solution further in combination with the Scottish Enterprise High Growth Spin-out Programme’s continuous support.”
Web3 is an idea for a new iteration of the World Wide Web based on blockchain technology, which incorporates concepts including token-based economics and decentralised applications (DApps).
While an effective way for users to control their own data and digital assets, Web3 has not been widely adopted yet due to the complexity of managing users’ wallets which allows them to access these DApps.
The “Trustd: Decentralised, trustworthy, and reliable digital assets custody solution” project is working to address the inherent challenges in establishing security protection for users’ wallets, and has been awarded £29,365 as part of CyberASAP phase one.
School of Computing lecturer Dr Zakwan Jaroucheh said: “Participation in CyberASAP is a great opportunity. It will allow us to validate our value proposition and the market need for a decentralised digital assets custodial solution to advance Web3 mass adoption.”
This Easter, Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre, partners with The World of Peter Rabbit™ to celebrate the iconic bunny’s 120th birthday with an exclusive Peter Rabbit™ Easter Breakfast.
Tickets are now on sale for this exciting, themed celebratory breakfast in Edinburgh between 14-18 April, bringing friends and family together to explore gardening fun. Attendees will take part in a wide range of family-friendly gardening activities plus receive a Peter Rabbit gift to take home.
In addition, there will be a great range of breakfast options, including a traditional cooked breakfast or a vegetarian cooked breakfast. For an alternative option, children can enjoy a portion of cheesy beans on toast.
Dobbies’ Partnership and Events Manager Sarah Murray said: “We’re excited to be the official garden centre partner for The World of Peter Rabbit this year. Peter is synonymous with gardening and outdoor adventures and so he is the perfect fit for our family audience at Dobbies.
“We’re really looking forward to welcoming Peter Rabbit fans to our themed breakfast to learn more about his story and gardening during this celebratory year.”
Izzy Richardson, Global Brand Director, Penguin Random House Children’s, said: “We’re delighted to have launched this partnership with Dobbies Garden Centres during Peter Rabbit’s 120th birthday year.
“Dobbies are a perfect partner to help us celebrate Peter’s connection to nature. At the same time, the breadth of locations of Dobbies Garden Centres, helps us continue to make The World of Peter Rabbit accessible and enjoyable to a wider, and more diverse audience of families and communities across the country. The themed Easter breakfast is a wonderful way to bring friends and families together to celebrate with Peter, and learn more about gardening and spending time in nature too.”
Children can enjoy A Peter Rabbit™ Easter Breakfast for £9.99, and adult tickets start from £6.99. The series of events will be taking place between 14-18 April across 66 selected Dobbies’ stores including Edinburgh. To find out how to get involved and book your slot, visit dobbies.com/events
Attendees are invited to get involved in the conversation by tagging @DobbiesGardenCentres and @OfficialPeterRabbit, as well as using the hashtag #PeterRabbit120.
In addition to this children’s event, Peter Rabbit will continue his work with Dobbies as a Little Seedlings Ambassador. There will be updates on what Peter has been up to with the Little Seedlings Club on the dedicated Ambassadors blog at dobbies.com
