Day: June 4, 2023

Johnnie Walker Princes Street launch collab with two Michelin-starred team

Johnnie Walker Princes Street is set to serve up a new culinary sensation for Scotland with STIR – a ground-breaking cocktail and cuisine concept in partnership with two Michelin-starred team Chef James Close and his wife, Head of Pastry, Maria Close, owners of the renowned global experience restaurant, Raby Hunt.

James and Maria’s unique menu of stunningly innovative small-bite plates are served alongside meticulously curated cocktails from Johnnie Walker Princes Street Head Bartender, Miran Chauhan, in a collaboration that aims to completely redefine the concept of whisky and food pairing.

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Each cocktail offers a unique story with a focus on flavour, that will be shared with the guests during their experience.

From a Hedgerow Aquavit, created from foraging for berries nearby the Glenkinchie distillery, to a Cliff Edge Vermouth, using botanicals from the Four Corners of Scotland distilleries, Miran has embraced new techniques to capture each guest’s attention by bringing the whiskies into a new light.

Known for their new age approach to fine dining and storytelling through micro dishes, Chefs James and Maria Close have created six small bites, to match the cocktails, with layers of luminous flavour and textures to delight.

Guests can expect a culinary showcase of unexplored food combinations, from rich, umami intensity within the Aguachile Oyster bite, to soft, sweet indulgence within the Green Apple.

STIR features three flights:

  • The Four Corners Cocktail Flight takes guests on a beautiful journey exploring the Four Corners of Scotland distilleries, Glenkinchie (Lowlands), Cardhu (Speyside), Clynelish (Highlands) and Caol Ila (Islands), with each one integral to blending Johnnie Walker whisky. The combination is a complete experience carefully curated to highlight the landscape of the distillery, with locally grown and foraged ingredients from the naturally occurring flora and fauna.
  • The Seasonal Cocktail Flight allows guests to take a short trip, experiencing a rotation of exclusive whiskies and seasonal ingredients, selected by the Johnnie Walker Princes Street team. The Spring Season highlights the unique Johnnie Walker Princes Street Spring blend.
  • The Johnnie Walker Blue Label Cocktail Flight is an opportunity to savour this iconic whisky in an unexpected way. The cocktail is paired with the most exquisite small bite, a luxurious moment of indulgence for Johnnie Walker Blue Label connoisseurs.

Miran Chauhan, Head Bartender at Johnnie Walker Princes Street, said: ‘We see STIR as the portal to a new world of whisky and food combinations, in the heart of Edinburgh at Johnnie Walker Princes Street.

“James and I have a shared obsession for flavours and techniques and together we’ve created an enticing and highly original taste experience for everyone to enjoy.”

James Close, two Michelin-starred-Chef of Raby Hunt Restaurant, said: “We approached this challenge with the same energy and enthusiasm as we always do, creating a set of signature dishes that derive from a single ingredient, inspired by a global adventure.

“And then just like Miran does with his cocktails, we bring layers and textures together to tell a unique story through taste.”

Back in Edinburgh for the collaboration, James is returning to the capital after living in Scotland as a young man, when he worked in the menswear department of House of Fraser, in the very building that is now Johnnie Walker Princes Street Edinburgh.

Reservations for STIR are available now and can be made online at johnniewalkerprincesstreet.com from 17:30PM, Wednesday – Saturday.

Multi-award winning, Johnnie Walker Princes Street, is the centrepiece of Diageo’s £185million pound investment in Scotch whisky tourism in Scotland – the largest single investment programme of its kind ever seen in Scotch whisky tourism.

Offering more than 800 flavour combinations, unique immersive tours and breath-taking views of the Edinburgh skyline, one person could visit Johnnie Walker Princes Street every day for more than two years still and not have the same experience twice.

Committed to delivering new experiences for guests, every season STIR will evolve the menu to suit the season, with a twist on the Seasonal Cocktail Flight, as the cocktail and small bite influenced by the limited-edition Johnnie Walker Princes Street blend of whisky, changes with the time of year.

Jurica Gojevic, Food and Beverage Manager at Johnnie Walker Princes Street, says: “What makes James’ success so remarkable is that he is completely self-taught and has a curiosity for international ingredients.

“I knew his innovative approach would perfectly match Miran’s unorthodox methods to mixology and give us an opportunity to truly push the boundaries of flavour and fun with a one-of-a-kind menu.

“Through STIR we’re creating something totally unexpected and delivering an unforgettable experience for our guests at Johnnie Walker Princes Street.”

Healthy Heart Tip: Check your Cheese!

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK

Healthy Heart Tip: Check your Cheese

Here in the UK, the 4th of June is National Cheese Day, a day dedicated to celebrating cheese. Cheese can form part of a healthy, balance diet as it is rich in protein and calcium which are both important nutrients to get from our diet. However, cheese is also a source of saturated fat and can be high in salt.

If we consume too much it can contribute to weight gain and poor cholesterol levels which can contribute to heart diseases. In this week’s healthy tip we look at the saturated fat content of cheeses, and suggest heart healthier alternatives for you to try.

How much cheese?

Including some cheese in your diet has health benefits, but it’s worth being mindful about the amount we consume. A 30g portion of cheese provides around 7% of your daily calories.

The trouble is we can very easily eat much more than this in one sitting. It’s a good idea to weigh your portions to make sure you don’t consume too much, particularly if you are consuming full fat varieties or are trying to lose weight. Try not to consume more than three 30g portions each day.

Low fat & fat free cheeses

Choosing low fat and fat free cheese options is a great way to reduce our saturated fat consumption whilst still enjoying the flavour and benefiting from the protein and calcium cheese has to offer.

Opt for fat free cottage cheese and reduced fat soft cheeses and hard cheeses like cheddar. Quark is a great option as its high in protein and much lower in fat than other soft cheeses.

Watch out for the salt

Some cheeses such as halloumi and feta can be very high in salt. It’s fine to consume these in moderation but try to find lower salt versions if possible, some supermarkets sell them.

Try to limit your consumption of these saltier cheeses to maybe one or two times a week.

For more tips on how to stay healthy, sign up for weekly healthy tips at:

www.heartresearch.org.uk/health-tips.

Edinburgh-based VPZ to launch UK-wide public vape recycling service

VPZ, the UK’s largest vaping retailer, has teamed up with WasteCare to launch a nationwide recycling service for vaping devices and e-cigarettes.

Vapes contain lithium batteries and plastic and when littered they can cause harm to the local environment.

VPZ in partnership with WasteCare is committed to tackling the problem head-on and has announced ambitions to responsibly recycle all kinds of vaping devices during 2023.

Doug Mutter, VPZ Director, said: “We believe this innovative service and intervention is vital in responding to an emerging environmental problem whilst educating vapers on the benefits of using reusable and more sustainable products.”

VPZ, the UK’s largest vaping retailer, has teamed up with the leading waste management provider, WasteCare, to launch a nationwide recycling service for vapes and e-cigarettes.

Vapes contain lithium batteries and plastic and when littered they can cause harm to the local environment.

Now, VPZ in partnership with WasteCare has announced ambitions to responsibly recycle all kinds of vaping devices during 2023.

The service is now live in the whole VPZ’s network of over 150 stores throughout the UK. The service is open to all vapers, as anyone can visit a store and dispose safely of their vaping devices or e-cigarettes. All recycling processes will be handled by WasteCare which will be responsible for safely collecting, treating, and recovering disposable vapes and reusable hardware devices from within its plant in Elland, West Yorkshire.

VPZ is the UK’s largest vaping specialist with over 150 stores throughout the country. The Edinburgh-based retailer and manufacturer has already helped over 700k smokers in the UK quit since it was established in 2012.

Director, Doug Mutter, believes the innovative recycling service will help clean up local environments throughout the country whilst educating vapers on being responsible and using more sustainable vaping products.

He said: “We are excited to be launching this ground-breaking service with WasteCare to respond to an emerging environmental issue.

“Any form of littering is unacceptable however the proliferation of disposable vape use has led to single-use devices being discarded in local environments.

“Our partnership with WasteCare responds to this challenge head on and vapers can come into our network of over 150 stores throughout the
country to recycle their vape devices, both disposable and reusable, in a safe and responsible way.

“Our service will also help us engage with adult smokers and vapers to educate them on the sustainable and environmental benefits of using
reusable products,” he added.

The WasteCare Group was established in 1980.  Employing over 500 personnel across 17 regional Service Centres, the company is the UK’s largest independent recycling company specialising in recovering value from hazardous and challenging waste streams.

“With the growing demand for vapes and e-cigarettes, we are delighted that VPZ is leading the way in providing a safe and environmentally sound way to tackle what is becoming a major challenge,” explains Peter Hunt, Managing Director of Wastecare.

“WasteCare is the UK’s only permitted recycler of portable batteries.Every vape contains a lithium battery and our plant is designed to safely recover the precious material from the vaping device, as well as the metal and plastic components in it.”

VPZ continues to call on both the UK and Scottish Governments to introduce tighter controls and licensing for selling vaping products.

Director, Doug Mutter, said: “At the moment we have a challenge in the industry where many imported, unregulated, disposable vaping products are readily available from local convenience stores, supermarkets and several other general retailers with no age verification checks or control in place.

“This is an emerging problem that threatens the huge progress of vaping in transforming the health of the nation and helping the country meet it’s smoke-free targets.

“We are urging the UK Government to act now and follow best practices from countries like New Zealand, where flavoured products can only be sold from specialist licensed vaping stores. Thus, ensuring that an appropriate challenge 25 policy is in place and consultation is aimed towards adult smokers and vapers.”

Scottish Parliament creche reopens

This week the doors reopened to Holyrood’s crèche facility.

The crèche offers pre-school childcare provision for MSPs and staff who work in the building. It is also available to people with childcare responsibilities who are engaging with parliamentary business or with their MSPs, or who are visiting Holyrood, giving them the opportunity to have their children looked after in a safe and fun environment.

The Presiding Officer, the Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP, visited the crèche to meet staff and children.

The Presiding Officer said: “The Scottish Parliament was one of the first parliaments in Europe to offer childcare facilities of this kind for young children and I’m delighted that we’re once again able to offer this.

“The crèche is there to provide childcare to MSPs carrying out their duties, to all staff working in the Parliament, and to visitors giving evidence to our committees, touring the building or meeting their MSP.

“It’s important that the Parliament challenges itself to do all that we can to enable those with childcare responsibilities to work in, engage with and visit the Parliament.”

Hospital at Home: Home is where the heart is for doctor Latana Munang

A West Lothian doctor is leading the way in helping to build services across Scotland that allow people to be treated at home rather than hospital.

And with a strong sense of family firmly at the heart of Dr Latana Munang’s ethos, her role at Healthcare Improvement Scotland as National Clinical Lead for Hospital at Home, has given her a job with purpose.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland is supporting the development of Hospital at Home services which reduce hospital admissions for elderly patients by providing acute care in the comfort and familiarity of their own home. Latana brings her wealth of clinical experience to the role, supporting Hospital at Home services across the country to be established and to grow. Hospital at Home services now cover nearly every NHS board and health and social care partnership in Scotland.

Latana was born in Malaysia and came to the UK on a sixth form scholarship before gaining a place at Edinburgh University to study medicine. She spent a year in Singapore as part of her registrar training before returning to Scotland where she has remained ever since.

The mum-of-two began working at St John’s Hospital in Livingston in 2011 and has remained there since. She is currently a consultant working in general medicine and medicine of the elderly.

Latana said: “Growing up in Malaysia the family structure in Asian communities was very strong. When my granny became ill she moved in with us to be cared for and that was the norm.

“Differences in society and different pressures mean that’s not possible everywhere but I do think most people are happiest being at home with family when they are ill, if it’s an option, and I really enjoy being involved in how we can make that happen.”

Ten years ago Latana was a key figure in setting up Hospital at Home in West Lothian and she remains as committed today as then to “push the boundaries in providing the best possible care for the frail and elderly”.

Latest figures show the Hospital at Home programme has seen an increase of 68% in the number of patients. The amount of areas where Hospital at Home is an option for patients has also more than doubled.

Latana said: “Sometimes people are admitted to hospital as they feel there’s no other safe alternative, but actually for older and frail patients if it’s possible to stay in the security and familiarity of home that can be best for them.

“With Hospital at Home we have a visit at the beginning to see what needs to be organised for each patient. In many cases we are able to cut out unnecessary procedures that would have been done routinely in hospital when we consider how much more complicated it would be to do from home, as we sometimes realise they’re not needed. 

“Hospital at Home is a true generalist service where on occasion we’ve had nurses change a lightbulb to prevent someone falling or check for out of date food in patient’s homes.

“Seeing people in their own homes gives us a different perspective and empowers them to feel their wishes and choices are being fully respected.”

For Latana and her husband Phil Buchan, whom she met at university, and their two children Leo (11) and Zola (9) home is Linlithgow. Latana said: “It’s a great place to live, it’s really family friendly with a strong sense of community.

“Spending time in other countries has made me appreciate the NHS and I’m lucky to be in a role that I feel so passionate about.”

Scottish Government ‘back-sliding’ on oil and gas, says FoE Scotland

Environmental campaigners have warned the Scottish Government that it risks ‘back-sliding’ on oil and gas after comments by the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero Màiri McAllan.

The Scottish Government is currently consulting on taking a position to oppose all new licences and phase out existing licences ahead of their economic life, in the draft Energy Strategy.

Previously Màiri McAllan said the Scottish Government did not agree with new oil and gas licences, and yet in recent comments attributed to the Cabinet Secretary said it would be “wrong” to stop future activity in the North Sea.

In a move that has been widely welcomed by climate groups, UK Labour this week said that if it was to lead the next UK Government it would block new all new oil and gas developments.

The International Energy Agency, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the UN Secretary-General and the Governments of Denmark, France, Sweden, Wales and Ireland have all agreed with the need to end new oil and gas to secure a safe climate future.

Friends of the Earth Scotland’s head of campaigns Mary Church said: “Scotland is literally burning, with what may be the UK’s biggest wildfire on record, and yet the Scottish Government appears to be back-sliding on its commitment to phasing out oil and gas to protect the climate.

“In November last year, Màiri McAllan said the Government didn’t agree with the UK handing out new oil and gas licences. In the intervening months the climate crisis has only got worse with more extreme weather and ever greater human cost, yet now the Cabinet Secretary seems to be talking up future activity in the North Sea.

“Every new barrel of oil worsens the crisis and fuels the fire whilst taking us further away from a fair and fast transition to renewable energy. Standing up to greedy oil companies and setting an end date for oil and gas extraction this decade is an essential part of planning for a just transition for workers and communities currently dependent on the industry.

“It will provide certainty for the sector, making it clear that investing in renewables is the only choice for our energy future, and enabling workforce planning.”

Is the Scottish economy really growing at FOUR times the rate of the UK?

The big political news of the week in Scotland was undoubtedly the further disputes about the Scottish Government’s troubled Deposit Return Scheme (writes Fraser of Allander Institute’s MAIRI SPOWAGE).

This followed the decision by the UK Government to allow the scheme in Scotland to proceed, granting a “temporary and limited” exemption from the Internal Market Act, but only if the Scottish scheme excluded glass – and therefore include PET plastic, aluminium and steel cans only.

The justification from the UK government’s point of view is that the exemption is temporary only until UK-wide schemes are introduced (planned to be in 2025); and that the exemption does not include glass because the scheme that the UK Government are planning to introduce does not include glass.

The Scottish Government have made it clear, through a statement by the responsible Minister Lorna Slater on Tuesday, that this may mean that the scheme as designed in Scotland is not viable. The SG are now examining the implications of how and if the scheme can proceed on this basis.

If the decision by the SG was to scrap the scheme, or even to proceed without glass, there are likely to be calls for significant compensation for the businesses who have invested money to comply with the scheme, including the glass elements.

This is not just an issue about DRS, or actually about Scotland. Wales had also planned to introduce a similar scheme, also including glass, and Mark Drakeford intervened yesterday to say that he would “dispute the use of the internal market for these purposes”, flagging that the UK Government had also initially planned to include glass in their scheme.

This row is now firmly in the area of constitutional grievance, with both the Welsh and Scottish Governments accusing the UK Government of meddling in devolved areas. We await to see how the Scottish Government will respond, but it is likely to include significant condemnation of the UK government no matter which course of action is chosen.

More questions over the cost of the National Care Service

While the fate of the National Care Service overall is uncertain, despite the new First Minister reiterating his commitment to the idea in recent weeks, there have been further exchanges between the Finance and Public Administration Committee at Holyrood and the Minister responsible Maree Todd.

In a letter published on Tuesday, the acting convener Michael Marra MSP has outlined the displeasure of the committee at not being given any more details of the costs of the scheme, given the formal role that this Committee has in scrutinising Financial Memorandums which accompany legislation and the fact they had formally requested more information after what they saw as an inadequate first draft.

A deadline of 21st June for the Minister to respond – watch this space for updates!

Scotland’s economy growing faster than the UK in recent months

This week the Scottish Government published monthly data for March, which also meant they published the first estimate of quarterly growth for Scotland. This showed that Scotland had grown 0.4% in the four months to March, compared to 0.1% for the UK as a whole.

This led to headlines saying “Scottish economy grows at four times rate of the UK” and the like.

As folks who comment a lot on this sort of data, our heart sinks a little when seeing the growth figures being described like this. Yes, 0.4 is 4 times the size of 0.1. (Although to be technical, the figures are actually 0.13 and 0.36 – so not quite). But headlines like this somewhat exaggerate the meaning of such a difference in a quarterly figure and what it tells us about economic performance in Scotland vs the UK.

Digging under the data, the differences mainly come from the figures from March itself, where we see a contraction in the UK figure – driven by a contraction in consumer-facing services. It is really interesting to see these services in Scotland holding up a bit better, at least according to this first estimate of monthly growth.

 ScotlandUK
Monthly growth to March0.0%-0.3%
Quarterly growth to March0.4%0.1%
Annual Growth to March2.1%1.9%
Growth since pre-pandemic level (Feb 2020)1.2%0.1%
Growth over the last 5 years1.6%2.6%
Growth over the last 10 years9.8%15.5%

If we look over the last year, Scotland still performs better – growing at 2.1% compared to 1.9% at the UK level. Although, we should all be aware that such differences could change as data get revised.

Over the longer term, we can see that growth in Scotland has been more muted – driven partly by the oil price shock in 2015/16, and also over the medium term in the differences in population growth in Scotland compared to the UK average.

We’ll continue to dig under these data to understand more about differential economic performance in Scotland and the UK!

Summer has definitely arrived over the last week, and I’m sure we won’t be the only ones cracking out the barbeque this weekend. Enjoy the sunshine (with the factor 50 on, of course)!

Majority of Scotland now affected by water scarcity

  • Businesses extracting water urged to manage water wisely as the country continues to experience warm, dry weather.
  • The risk of water scarcity in the Loch Maree area has increased to Moderate Scarcity.
  • 12 areas in the Northwest and Southern Central region have been raised to Alert.
  • Most of the rest of Scotland is now at Early Warning for Water Scarcity.
  • Businesses extracting water are being urged to put their water scarcity plans into action now to reduce pressure on the environment and preserve water resources.
  • Little rain is forecast for the next few weeks, and the water scarcity situation is expected to escalate quickly.
  • The public can help to monitor impact on the environment.

Below average rainfall for May has led to a deteriorating water scarcity situation across Scotland, with the Loch Maree area in the Highlands moving from Alert level to Moderate Scarcity.

The area has now reached the second highest risk level, as shown in the weekly report published by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) on Thursday 1st June 2023.

In addition, the lack of rain and increasingly dry ground conditions means 12 areas in the Northwest and Southern Central region are now experiencing in Alert level.

Most of the rest of the country is now at Early Warning, with North Aberdeenshire the only area that remains at Normal Conditions for the time being.

The risk of water scarcity is categorised in four levels – Early Warning, Alert, Moderate Scarcity and Significant Scarcity.

Low rainfall and more dry weather to come

Scotland received only 44% of the long-term average rainfall across the country in May. With little rainfall forecast in the next week across Scotland, in the coming weeks the situation could escalate quickly, and extend across a much wider area.

The Loch Maree area in the Highlands has recorded prolonged extremely low river flows. The surrounding areas of the Northwest Highlands, extending down to Loch Ness, are also experiencing very low river levels so have moved to Alert level.

Areas in the Southern Central region that have increased to Alert level include the Clyde, parts of Dumfries and Galloway, and South Lanarkshire.

Head of Water and Planning at SEPA, Nathan Critchlow-Watton, said: “The water scarcity picture in Scotland is just one of the consequences of climate change the country faces, and its frequency and severity is only likely to increase in the future. This is a crucial time of year for water demand, but with no rain in the forecast we cannot rule out needing to impose restrictions over the summer.

“Abstractors must manage water wisely in the coming weeks and months and should already have contingency plans in place in case restrictions are needed to avoid long-term damage to the environment and fish populations

“All of us have a responsibility in managing our water environment, this summer and beyond. By using water efficiently, businesses can increase their resilience to the impacts of prolonged dry conditions and save money.”

Advice for abstractors to manage water wisely

  • Check SEPA’s website and regular water scarcity reports so you are aware of the water situation in your area.
  • Regularly check your abstraction equipment to make sure it’s in good condition and fix any leaks straight away.
  • Where possible, reduce the volume and rate of your abstractions.
  • Have a contingency plan if suspensions are put in place:

Have you any stored water available? 

Can you switch to an alternative source, if available within your current authorisation? 

Can you temporarily switch to ground water? 

Work together with neighbours and stagger abstractions to make best use of available water.

Nathan Critchlow-Watton added: “We want to work with businesses to plan their water usage long-term so that we can preserve this vital resource as effectively as possible. Not only will that protect Scotland’s rivers and lochs, but it will minimise business risks as well.

“In the meantime, by taking the right steps now, abstractors can help make water supplies last as long as possible through this period.”

Further advice and support is available at www.sepa.org.uk/waterscarcity.

Help SEPA assess water scarcity stress

SEPA continually assess the impacts of prolonged periods of drier than average weather on our environment, but with many people out enjoying good weather there are opportunities for the public to help. If dry weather continues, as it is expected to, the areas affected will grow.

People can help by reporting dry private water supplies and rivers and burns in their area – especially if there are photographs that will help show the conditions. Distressed or dead fish or invertebrates, large numbers of dead plants on parts of the riverbed that are rarely exposed and a lot of exposed algae over 100s of metres, combined with very low flows are also important to know about.

This will help provide the best possible understanding of the impacts of dry weather.

Information can be sent to lowflowimpacts@sepa.org.uk

More information about what is helpful, as well as an explanation of how SEPA may use photographs is available on the agency’s website at Water scarcity in your area | Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)

News from Heart of Newhaven

Welcome to your June newsletter

Visit by Danish politicians

The Heart has recently played host to three Danish politicians who visited us to find out about community-led dementia projects. About Dementia was contacted by representatives from the Municipality of Odense in Denmark, specifically the Department of the Elderly and Disabled and their original enquiry, about how we provide help and support to people with dementia and their carers was followed by a visit to the Heart to see how community-led activities can help and how they could learn from what we do.

“The visit went very well,” says Heart Chair Judy Crabb. “They do not have anything like the community-led provision we have at the Heart and were very impressed. 

“They also reminded us of the connection with Odense as the birthplace of Hans Christian Anderson and the fact that he visited the Trinity area in 1847.”

And talking about Dementia, we have also welcomed a new, part-time dementia worker, Valeria Lembo, who will be seen about the site two days a week for the next six months.

She will be organising local projects in collaboration with Meeting Centres. Meeting Centres are social clubs where people living with dementia and their family carers can get help, support, and advice to adapt to the life-changes dementia brings, and were first set up in the Netherlands. The position is funded by Age Scotland.

Valeria is a PhD researcher in Health in Social Science, with a strong interest in community development and social inclusion through art, learning, and cultural engagement. She is passionate about building a fairer society that is dementia-inclusive.

Gala Day

We also hosted the Newhaven Gala last month when the playground was filled with what seemed like hundreds of excited fishwives and pirates.

The Gala has always been run by Victoria Primary School and this was the last one to be organised by Laura Thomson, the outgoing head teacher. As such, she was happy to announce that she is handing over the reins to the Heart to organise from now on, and we are very happy to run with them.

Apart from all the activities going on outside organised by the PTA, inside the Heart some of our partners including Ink on Mesh, The Victorian Schoolroom and Cass the bookbinder, were joined in running stalls by Newhaven Heritage, MacMillan Cancer Research, Newhaven Church and Scottish Women’s Institute.

There were also new heritage displays for visitors to see. So now that we’ve all returned to normal after the frenetic activity, we can look forward to another such successful Gala next year.

We were also pleased that one of our visitors on Gala Day recognised a photo of a past head teacher at Victoria Primary School.

Nancy Pryde was visiting as one of her grandsons, Thom, was Gala King and she immediately recognised Thomas Butcher who had been Head Teacher at VPS from 1941-1948 before he moved to Murrayburn School which is where Nancy knew him.

The photo brought back many memories of school days, including the day of Mr Butcher’s retirement.

News on new partners

We have two new partners at the Heart and almost all the spaces in the Victoria Building are now taken.

Vintage Vibes, who are still in the process of moving in, is a service tackling isolation and loneliness among over-60s in Edinburgh and they are setting up shop on the first floor.

They’re reaching out across the city, offering companionship, support and the chance to be more socially connected. Sometimes all it takes is a cup of tea and a natter.

They put volunteers and VIPs with shared interests together, to tackle loneliness by creating long-lasting friendships and fit perfectly with our themes of Learning & Enterprise contributing to Well-Being.

Tortoise in a Nutshell is an Edinburgh-based theatre charity that is already working in partnership on local projects with us. Their unique blend of puppetry, performance and innovation provides exciting visual theatre and thought-provoking experiences for audiences of all ages.

They are also based on the first floor and just a peek through the door at their theatre props, can fire up the imagination.

Environmental

Work on landscaping the grounds of the heart is pushing ahead. We’ve had tremendous help from Hayley from Homestart and a few volunteers who have been clearing the area and planting fruit bushes and small trees in the space beyond the Creel Building as well as growing new flowers and vegetables from seed inside, preparatory to moving them outside into the colourful receptacles provided by the Men’s Shed.

(If you like the plant holders, contact the Men’s Shed and they can make one for you.)

There are plans too for moving and painting the current sheds as well as creating compost and wormery bins. Future plans, including the creation of a pond and landscaped seating areas are being discussed but it all takes time and money!

If you’re interested in joining the green team, contact Lucy Metcalfe at Lucy.Metcalfe@heartofnewhaven.co.uk

Volunteering with us and our partners

Our partner the Victorian Schoolroom (History of Education Centre) has received over 600 appreciative visitors since they opened in January but they need more role-play teachers. Most visits are from primary schools, but they have also welcomed Alzheimers groups and carers as well as two overseas adult groups.

If you would like to get involved, contact either admin@histedcentre.org.uk or Heart Trustee Christine McDerment for more information. And by the way, you don’t need to have been a teacher!

The Heart is also still on the lookout for more volunteers. We need help manning the welcome and information desk especially on Wednesday and Saturday mornings and when the Heart is open for events.

Contact Kim or Roger at admin@heartofnewhaven.co.uk or drop in and have a chat with them.

As we head into summer, do remember that our open mornings on Wednesdays and Saturdays are still running. Even if it is less necessary to be “warm” these days, we are still “welcoming”. Drop in for a cup of coffee and a chat, or bring your internet or technology woes to be assisted by the experts from ACE-IT. There are also new heritage displays to study.

Remember too that our reminiscence volunteers will be at the Heart on14th June and 12th July. Come along and share your stories.

The Board of Trustees is still on the lookout for new members, particularly someone with financial skills. We would be delighted to chat with anyone who would like to know more. Contact judy.crabb@heartofnewhaven.co.uk

AGM 2023

We’re planning ahead. This year’s AGM will take place in September. Make sure you have signed up for membership (not just for receiving the newsletter). If you haven’t, check out the website and sign up now so that you can have your say in decision-making.

Trams to Newhaven

You must have heard, read and seen that the new city trams are about to start operating on the new extension that ends right at our doorstep. Getting to the Heart has never been easier.

Watch out for the first passenger trams running from 7th June and remember to cross the road and visit the Heart. We’re planning a special open event to celebrate on the afternoon of Friday 23rd June.

Finally, some special visitors

You can’t have helped but notice that it’s cruise time again and some visitors from the States have already found their way to the Heart.

We’ve had visitors from both Washington and Massachusetts, among other places, who enjoyed a chat and a tour around the building before they headed off to the centre of Edinburgh on their coach trips.

Lothian MSPs opens up about father’s alcohol use as part of new campaign 

Miles Briggs MSP has opened up for the first time about his father’s alcohol use, as he backs a campaign to alcohol and drugs.

In a candid and moving letter to his father as part of the See Beyond – See the Lives – Scotland campaign, Miles shares his experiences as the son of a single parent who drank; he lost his mother to breast cancer at an early age.

The Lothians MSP also talks of the loss and pain he feels due to his deceased father missing spending time with his children and grandchildren.

“We all miss you but also know the pain watching you try to deal with and hide your drink problem from family and friends – from bottles hidden in the garden and around the house, the difficulty in holding down a job and for the family the worry and concerns we all felt over what would come next,” writes Miles, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party MSP for Lothian.

He continues: “We probably don’t speak enough about you as a family – that’s partly because it can often return to what was a difficult few final years of your life. Dad, you know you weren’t perfect, but then which one of us is?”

Also backing See Beyond – See the Lives – Scotland is Monica Lennon, Scottish Labour MSP for Central Scotland. A long-time campaigner against the stigma surrounding substance use, Monica lost her father to alcohol in 2015.

Miles’ and Monica’s letters to their fathers are included with 14 others who share letters to their loved ones on the campaign’s website.

The two MSPs will front a Scottish Parliament reception this week in Holyrood where those who helped to create the website campaign will talk about their experiences. They will stress the importance of showing kindness and offering support to everyone affected.

‘Everyone knows someone’ is the message behind See Beyond – See the Lives – Scotland, launched last month by the University of Stirling, Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs, Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP), and The Salvation Army.

As well as hard-hitting stories and videos from family members and friends of people who have died, the website includes resources and advice for those harmed by substance use, whether for themselves or a family member or friend.

Since its launch, the campaign has gained national attention and support for its mission to shatter myths surrounding drug and alcohol use and deaths, and to encourage the public to showcompassion for those experiencing problems with substance useand the people left behind when a loved one dies.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “The important message with See Beyond – See the Lives – Scotland is that there is still stigma attached to alcohol and drug use, from how people talk about it to the judgements they bring to it. 

“Each of these letters is a rallying cry to make a change. 

“Everyone knows someone, and we can all help steer each other towards more of an understanding of substance use and its effects on people’s lives.”