Autumn is truly upon us and with autumn comes tidying up the garden. Here at the Heart, a volunteer team from British Gas worked hard in the grounds last month and seemed to enjoy themselves – they want to come back next year anyway!
Tools were borrowed from the Tool Library and a tremendous amount was achieved: encroaching vegetation on the decking behind the Anchor Building was cut back and part of the decking covered in chicken wire to prevent slips; hedges were trimmed, litter was picked and rotten planters and sheds were demolished or righted as necessary.
A van load of prunings was removed, but there was still a lot of green waste.
Some of this was chopped into rubble bags and the rest was piled out of sight next to the garden shed. Perhaps we can make a bug hotel out of it.
There’s still work to do, of course, including digging out the mugwort and finishing the chicken wire, so if you’d like to get involved, remember that the gardening group meets every Thursday morning, from 10 till 1
.Remember too to dress for the weather! It is autumn, after all.
Halloween ceilidh
Autumn also means that witches, fairies, ghosts and pumpkins were to be found reeling and wheeling at our Halloween Family Ceilidh on Saturday 28thOctober.
Head witch Norma was in charge of proceedings, ably assisted by under-witch Leslie, who looked after the dooking for apples while both children and adults had their faces painted by Ailie, and were fed by loads of spookily decorated biscuits and cakes supplied by Lesley and the Ukrainian Spiders.
There were plenty of other helpers on hand to assist and everyone commented on the warmth of the event and how family-friendly it was. Don’t miss the next one!
Oyster Day Celebration
Around 70 people came along to celebrate the native oyster and took part in Restoration Forth’s marine-themed craft activities on Saturday 21st October.
They were treated to a performance by the Newhaven Choir and were able to learn the fascinating history of oysters in Edinburgh and catch up on what is being done to restore the oyster beds and the health of the river Forth.
Photos: Espen Helland
Coming up:
Fair Saturday, 25th November
Every last Saturday of November, the day after Black Friday, people in different parts of the world join together by supporting a social project of their choice. Here at the Heart we will be joining in and promoting fairness and social equality through our various offerings.
Come along on Saturday 25th and look at the tremendous amount of objects recently made or repaired by the Men’s Shed. They will be for sale at fair prices.
Similarly, the History of Education Centre will be offering many surplus objects from their collection, such as old school posters and books, in return for donations.
There will be plenty of other offerings. Come along, have a cuppa and investigate.
Cyrenian Lunch Club, Mondays
Starting on Monday 6th November, and running weekly thereafter, the Cyrenian Lunch Club will be taking place at the Heart from 12.30 till 2pm. The Cyrenians try to tackle the causes and consequences of homelessness and the launch of the new lunch club is simply one part of that. The lunches are free and open to all.
They’ll be serving a nutritious two-course meal along with tea/coffee. Some weeks there will also be entertainment to enjoy. Simply turn up.
There’s no need to book unless you have specific dietary requirements they need to know of in advance, in which case contact amandasomerville@cyrenians.scot or call 0131 554 3900
New Pilates classes
We have a new offering on Saturdays at the Heart. Kirsty Pollock is offering Community Pilates for beginners/improvers and complete beginners on Saturday mornings. Contact Kirsty at kpollock008@gmail.com or call her on 07842657411. Classes start at 10am and 11am. You can just drop in and try it or sign up for a block of classes.
Folk Club
Leith Folk Club have made their regular home with us and their next gig is coming up on Tuesday 7thNovember. This event is part of a special John Renbourn Project Tour and will feature guitarists Clive Carroll and Dariush Kanani. Doors open at 7.30 for an eight o’clock start and remember it’s not just for members. Anyone is welcome. Tickets on the door. Check their website for more details.
Reminiscence
Come along and share your memories with the Reminiscence group.
Next dates are 23rd November and 21st December, 10.30 – 11.13.
Free to attend, with a different theme each time.
Coffee at the Heart
Join us for a cuppa and biscuits on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, 9 – 12. Remember that on Wednesdays Ace-It will be there with free advice and support for problems with your laptop, phone or tablet.
Ginger
Children’s show at the Heart.
We are looking forward to seeing a performance from partners, Tortoise in a Nutshell.
Saturday 2nd December
Performances at 10.30 – 11.30am and 1.45 – 2.45pm
Cost: ‘Pay what you think’
Ginger tells the tale of a misshapen gingerbread man ,discarded and marked for the bin. We follow Ginger a he tries to find his place in a kitchen where all confectionery looks the same.
Dynamic puppetry, multi-sensory performance and immersive soundscape combine to create an anarchic adventure for families and 3-7year olds.
Wine Tasting Night
Tickets are extremely limited and are online only.
£15 per person (plus Eventbrite booking fee).
Tickets available via this link https://tinyurl.com/4ee4955c
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