24/05/2024 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Unleash your creativity and tastebuds

Dobbies’ Edinburgh store adds dates for its Afternoon Tea and Planting Experience

Back by popular demand, Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre, is inviting plant enthusiasts and foodies alike to its Afternoon Tea and Planting Experience at its Edinburgh store, giving each attendee a planter worth £30, that’s created during the event, to take home.

The offering was initially launched for two dates in April, and due to an increased interest, Dobbies has rolled out additional dates. Customers in Edinburgh can now book the 90 minute event on Saturday 1 or Saturday 8 June, at 3pm, which will combine the joy of hands-on creativity with the indulgence of a delicious afternoon tea.

Guests can enjoy three tiers of sweet and savoury delights, accompanied by unlimited tea and coffee refills, and the option to upgrade the drink to a latte, cappuccino, mocha, hot chocolate or speciality tea at a small additional cost.

The first tier will include a variety of freshly made finger sandwiches such as smoked salmon and cream cheese; egg mayonnaise and watercress; and ham, rocket and wholegrain mustard. The second tier includes Dobbies’ famed scones, served with Cornish clotted cream and a pot of jam, and the third tier will feature a delightful array of sweet treats, including a rainbow meringue kiss and lemon mousse.

After enjoying the afternoon tea, guests in Edinburgh will take part in an interactive workshop led by a member of Dobbies’ gardening team. They will offer top tips and answer questions on how to plant up a container from scratch, and each attendee will have the chance to plant up their own, with a terracotta pot and seasonal bedding plants, hederas and heathers.

Dobbies’ Brand Ambassador, Michael Griffiths, aka @the_mediterranean_gardener on Instagram, attended the first event in April and thoroughly enjoyed the offering with his family. He said: “Dobbies Afternoon Tea and Planting Experience was fantastic. I went with my family and had a thoroughly fun day out.

“The afternoon tea was lovely and then we headed out into the planting area where the Dobbies’ horti team guided us through the planting activity, where everyone created the container with plants that appealed to them. Top tips were then shared on plants that complement one another and aftercare to keep it all thriving. I especially loved this part of the day, seeing everyone’s creativity.”

Tickets for this Afternoon Tea and Planting Experience in Edinburgh are priced at £40 per person (with the planter valued at £30).

To making a booking visit: www.dobbies.com/events

Come Dine With Me comes to Edinburgh featuring Divino

Channel 4’s ‘Come Dine With Me: The Professionals’ ventures to Edinburgh this week to experience some of the Scottish capital’s finest establishments. Italian restaurant Divino, part of the family-owned Vittoria group joined foraged food eatery Bijou Bistro and modern fine dining establishment Aurora to represent the capital in the hit show.

The long-awaited episode airs as the 11^th instalment of series two, showcasing the camaraderie between Edinburgh’s dining establishments and the level of quality characteristic of the city’s food scene.

The episode airs following a year of great successes for Divino with triple wins at the Scottish Italian Awards, and recognition from Italy’s Ospitalita Italiana tourism certification for quality as ambassadors of Italian cuisine.

These accolades follow a full refurbishment of the restaurant with an improved food and drink offering that has drawn in esteemed guests and celebrities like Gerard Butler and Prince Albert of Monaco in the past year. Vittoria Group has also recently opened their newest venue, Brunswick Book Club, on Leith Walk offering a lively venue for all-day dining and local entertainment.

Divino’s ethos of serving authentic, modern Italian cuisine was reflected within the menu curated for ‘Come Dine With Me’, developed by Head Chef Andrea Calistro. Calistro justified his recent win of ‘Scotland’s Best Pasta Chef’ at the Scottish Italian Awards with a flavourful starter of spaghetti with king prawns and courgette, followed by a stand-out main course featuring beer-braised beef cheek and oyster mushrooms, and a Piccola Caprese Cake with orange and strawberries for dessert.

The menu from Bijou featured a starter of pan-fried scallops with black pudding ‘soil’ and, in direct competition with Divino, a similar beef cheeks main with polenta and seasonal vegetables before a lemon meringue pie for dessert. Aurora showcased vegan cuisine through a salad of heritage tomato and broad beans to begin, a cashew ricotta stuffed courgette flower main, and cherry tasting plate with red wine ice cream for dessert.

After each team had presented their feast in a tight competition, Bijou Bistro took home the win with 30 points, with Aurora and Divino following closely behind with 29 and 26 points respectively. Filmed in September 2022, Edinburgh’s dining scene has transformed since the show’s recording, with a blow to the city as Aurora shut its doors in 2023, and Bijou changing hands in the time since.

Co-owner Alberto Crolla said of the experience: “After keeping the secret for 18 months, we’re over the moon to see Divino and our friends in Edinburgh hospitality on the screen. It was such a joy to film alongside local restaurants in the dining scene and learn the techniques and ethos that make them special.

“It’s been quite an exciting time for Divino and the Vittoria Group, with a few new award wins, new openings, and exciting milestones under our belt since the time of filming – we’re looking forward to welcoming in the guests that liked what they saw on the show to experience our unique brand of Scottish-Italian hospitality.”

After airing live on 20^th May at 5pm, the episode is now available to stream online at: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/come-dine-with-me-the-professionals/on-demand/

For more information on Divino, visit https://divinoedinburgh.com

Ticket sales up at Edinburgh Tradfest

Julie Fowlis and a stage packed with some of the finest musicians in folk, brought this year’s Edinburgh Tradfest to a close on Monday 13 May with an outstanding rendition of Runrig’s ‘Fuaim A Bhlair’.

The 11 day festival of traditional live music, talks, folk film and storytelling, saw over 80% of tickets sold for the music programme and multiple sell-out shows at the Traverse Theatre, Cameo and the Scottish Storytelling Centre.

The festival enjoyed a massive jump in trad fans coming out in support of live music, with sell-out shows and packed houses on both weekends (Triptic, Martin Simpson Daimh, Rachel Newton, Nordic Fiddlers Bloc, and VALTOS).

There was also a full audience for this year’s new commission Everyone’s Welcome to Edinburgh curated by renowned fiddler Robbie Greig and performed by Robbie and a stellar line-up of musicians including Hannah Rarity, Jenn Butterworth, Signy Jakobsdottir, Duncan Lyall and Megan MacDonald. Plus, there was not a seat to be had for Malin Lewis’ debut album launch Halocline.

The second weekend’s workshops also saw great attendance and 92% of places sold, with Bruce Ncube’s Zimbabwean singing workshop bringing home an abundance of joy-felt harmonies from an amazing standard of participants.

, over at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, Svend-Erik Engh’s improve your patter session for musicians was an early sell out, as was Shona Cowie and Neil Sutcliffe’s premiere of their new show Rickle O Stanes which galloped through the story of Scotland, from its geological formation right up to its present socio-economic condition told through stories and song.

Another big hit at the Scottish Storytelling Centre was an emotional Hearth Fire Session which saw an incredible blend of live storytelling from Traveller Jess Smith, folk musician Sam Gillespie and basket-weaver Katie Warner, all guided by host Dougie Mackay who gifted Jess with a willow basket full of the stories and songs of the evening, to acknowledge her contribution to storytelling.

Further afield the Folk Film Gathering celebrated its 10^th anniversary with a popular programme of Scottish and international films, many accompanied by live scores or introductory talks. Screen premieres included the sold out Scottish premiere of Songlines – a new documentary from Pat Collins celebrating the songs and singers at the heart of the Irish traveller community; and Itu Ninu set in a dystopian ‘smart city’ from Edinburgh-based Mexican director Itandehui Jansen.

Plus, to close this year’s folk film gathering, musician Aly Bain introduced a screening of Mike Alexander’s film Down Home with some great chat and tremendous tunes.

Douglas Robertson and Jane-Ann Purdy, co-producers of Edinburgh Tradfest said: “This year’s festival was just brilliant, we took a chance and top and tailed the music programme with two big gigs at the Queen’s Hall and the Assembly Rooms and it really paid off, with audiences returning again and again to hear more great music and support the musicians.

“The buzz around the venues was fantastic and our thanks goes to everyone who has supported us in making the festival possible. Next year we are back 2-12 May – and we can’t wait!”

Jamie Chambers producer of the Folk Film Gathering said: “2024 was a banner year for us. It was great to be back in synch with our friends at Tradfest and to be working again with Cameo Picturehouse.

“Programme highlights for us included the combined voices of Jess Smith and Joss Cameron at the Scottish premiere of Pat Collin’s SONGLINES, celebrating the links between Scottish and Irish traveller culture; the sublime, emotionally overwhelming new score composed by Luke Sutherland and Semay Wu for Alexander Dovzhenko’s EARTH; the chance to host Finnish master musicians Lau Nau and Pekko Kappi, for the premiere of Katja Gauriloff’s moving JE’VIDA; and the powerful words of Palestinian-Scottish poet Nada Shawa at our screening of Michel Khleifi TALE OF THE THREE JEWELS.”

Daniel Abercrombie, Head of Programming, Scottish Storytelling Centre, said: “Tradfest continues to enhance our programme, it is a wonderful time of year!

“We were especially delighted that so many families and young people were involved in our song and story sessions, as well as joining together to celebrate the traditions of Beltane as May arrives. Looking forward to next year already!”

Edinburgh Tradfest is supported by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland and the William Grant Foundation.

Edinburgh Tradfest will return from 2 to 12 May 2025.

www.edinburghtradfest.com

Trussell Trust sets out general election manifesto

Our manifesto sets out the actions we want the next UK government to take to build a future without the need for food banks.

It’s 2024, and we’re facing historic food bank need.

More than 3.1 million emergency food parcels were provided by food banks in the Trussell Trust network to people facing hardship across the UK in the past 12 months – the most parcels the network has ever distributed in a single year.

Urgent reform of our social security system, which isn’t even providing enough support for people to afford the essentials, is critical.

That’s why, as we approach the next UK general election, we’re setting out our manifesto to end the need for food banks.

These are the actions we urge all political parties to support, and our priorities for the next UK Government, so they can lead us into a more hopeful future.

We know what needs to change to help people who can’t afford the essentials.

Download manifesto

manifesto_2024_exec_summary Download

What we’re asking for

We want all political parties to commit to building a future where no one needs a food bank to survive.

This requires a social security system that is fit for purpose, with cross-government action to ensure everyone has enough for the essentials.

Our manifesto asks:

Introduce an Essentials Guarantee into Universal Credit.
Make debt deductions from social security payments more affordable.
A long-term strategy and funding for local crisis support.
Ensure people on low incomes can access affordable credit and advice on money matters.
Swift and accurate decisions about disability social security support.
An overhauled employment support offer.
Scrap the two-child limit.
New workers’ rights legislation.
Invest in building 90,000 new social homes every year in England.
Empower communities with places, spaces, and public transport which build connection.

How can this be achieved?

We know what’s pushing people to food banks, so we know the building blocks needed to end hunger for good.

Explore all the policy areas and recommendations covered in the manifesto and find out how to end the need for food banks.

As part of our manifesto, we’re calling for an essentials guarantee to ensure everyone has enough income to afford the essentials.

Find out more

manifesto_2024 Download

Royal recognition for Edinburgh School Uniform Bank

Royal recognition for ESUB!

Our Trustee Julia was honoured to go to Buckingham Palace this week on behalf of all our hardworking volunteers and staff.

Julia & husband John got dressed up to the nines (then soaked to the bone!) at the event hosted by the Prince of Wales.

But what if they had worn their pyjamas instead? Would they have fitted in and enjoyed the occasion?

Clothes really matter, whether it’s a royal event or a wet Wednesday at school. Some children in Edinburgh have gone to school in their pyjamas because that’s all they had.

We work hard to ensure that every child has what they need to fit in and stay warm & dry.

It’s an honour to have our work recognised at the highest level.

Edinburgh Cup under starter’s orders at Musselburgh

Musselburgh Racecourse is gearing up for one of its biggest events of the year, The Edinburgh Cup, sponsored by Edinburgh Gin, on Saturday 1 June.

With more than £150,000 in total prize money up for grabs across seven races, in addition to the highly anticipated £50,000 The Edinburgh Cup Handicap Stakes feature race over 1m 1 furlong, racegoers can look forward to the seven furlong £40,000 The Edinburgh Gin Queen of Scots Listed Handicap.

With top class action on the turf guaranteed, the Edinburgh Cup is also a social event where guests are encouraged to dress to impress, and a fashion competition will celebrate the most stylish racegoers.

Following the final race (provisionally 5.20pm), Forth One favourite Boogie in the Morning will host the After-Racing Party, which includes a surprise guest appearance.

Aisling Johnston, Head of Marketing and Business Development at Musselburgh Racecourse, said: “The Edinburgh Cup sponsored by Edinburgh Gin is undoubtedly one of our premier racedays, attracting strong crowds eager to soak up the party atmosphere and excitement of the races, and this has been confirmed by very positive ticket sales which points to an expected record attendance.”

Musselburgh Racecourse is also partnering with The Scottish Open golf tournament, held at North Berwick’s The Renaissance Club from 11-14 July, to celebrate another prominent East Lothian sporting event, and on-course activations and a competition is planned.

And for racing fans who want to catch the famous Epsom Derby, the 4.30pm race will be shown on screens throughout the racecourse.

Hospitality packages are already sold out, but a limited number of Edinburgh Gin Lawn experiences are still available. These exclusive packages, bookable in multiples of four, offer dedicated tables and chairs with parasols close to the parade ring action, an Ibiza chill vibe with a private DJ, and access to the Edinburgh Gin bar.

To make the day even more convenient and accessible, a special bus service will operate, offering a £10 return fare from Waterloo Place in Edinburgh departing at 11.15am and returning from the racecourse at 6pm.

“The Edinburgh Cup promises to be a day filled with excitement, fashion, and entertainment, and we would urge those still to obtain tickets not to leave it too late,” added Aisling Johnston.

Book your raceday ticket before midnight on the 31 May and save £5 per person.

For more information and to secure your Edinburgh Gin Lawn experience, visit the Musselburgh Racecourse website www.musselburgh-racecourse.co.uk

Gretna Rail Disaster Memorial Service

Commemorating those Royal Scots who perished in Britain’s worst rail disaster

On Saturday 25 May 2024, The Royal Scots Regimental Association will hold its annual Memorial Service at Rosebank Cemetery, Pilrig Street, Edinburgh, to remember all those who lost their lives in the Gretna Rail Disaster in May 1915, the worst rail disaster in the country’s history.

At approximately 06:49 on the morning of Saturday 22 May 1915 a troop-train carrying half (498 all ranks) of the 7^th (Leith) Battalion, The Royal Scots (The Lothian Regiment) (7RS), who had been deployed to Gallipoli and were heading south, collided head on with a local passenger train.

The passenger train had been ‘parked’, facing north, on the south-bound main line at Quintinshill, just North of Gretna, to allow a following express to overtake it. The troop train overturned, mostly onto the neighbouring north-bound mainline track and, a minute later, the Glasgow-bound express ploughed into the wreckage causing the troop train to burst into flames.

16. (7.16) The funeral procession of the 7th Battalion passing through Leith, 1915.

Three officers, 31 NCOs and 182 soldiers of 7^th Battalion The Royal Scots, the driver and fireman on the troop-train, and 10 others, mostly from the express train, died and many more were injured in what was the worst rail disaster in the country’s history.

Led by their Pipe Band and the Association Standard Party, The Royal Scots Regimental Association will parade from the cemetery entrance on Pilrig Street at 10:45 on Saturday 25 May 2024.

The service will be conducted by Rev Stephen Blakey, formerly padre of 1^st Battalion, The Royal Scots, commencing at 10:55 at the Gretna Memorial which stands in the western corner of the cemetery. All are most welcome to attend.

Brigadier George Lowder, President of The Royal Scots Regimental Association, said: “Amidst all the sacrifices and loss of The First World War, the tragic loss of 216 Members of 7 RS in the Quintinshill Rail Disaster in the early morning of 22 May 2015 en route to embarking for Gallipoli was a huge blow to The Regiment, to Leith, and to Edinburgh.

“Leith marked their passing in a way that highlighted the close links between the Battalion and the Community. It was believed that every family in Leith was touched by the disaster and the Community continued to suffer as others injured in the crash subsequently died of their injuries.

“Our commemoration remembers not only those of 7RS who lost their lives but also the close tie between The Regiment and Leith that still endures today”.

Nine years for serial domestic abuser

A man has been sentenced to nine years in prison after being convicted of a series of domestic abuse offences in the Edinburgh area.

Brian Taylor, aged 54, committed these crimes over a period of 15 years.

He was previously found guilty of eight charges following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh and returned for sentencing yesterday – Thursday, 23 May, 2024.

Detective Inspector Mhairi Cooper of the Edinburgh Domestic Abuse Investigation Unit said: “Taylor is an abusive individual who showed no remorse for his violent and abusive behaviour.

“It is incredibly difficult for someone to confront their abuser and I would like to commend the women for their bravery in coming forward during the investigation. Their information was crucial in helping us build the case against him, and I hope this outcome provides them with some sense of closure.

“If anyone is experiencing, or has experienced domestic abuse, please do not hesitate to contact us directly or through one of our partner agencies.”

Paid COPD Workshop at PCHP

Next Tuesday 28th of May at 1pm Pilton Community Health Project (PCHP) will be hosting a COPD workshop. If you have COPD, researchers from NHS Lothian and The University of Edinburgh, want to hear about your experience of having COPD, so they can design their research to meet you needs.

You can expect nice and welcoming atmosphere, a warm cup of tea and £20 voucher for you time.

If you are struggling to get to PCHP, transport can be provided too.

To sign up for workshop please fill in a form https://bit.ly/3WS3VCZ or use a QR code on a poster or Call Sammy Waite Patient and Community involvement in research officer 07385347040

For more information please visit Edinburgh and Lothians Public Involvement in Research

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University of Edinburgh research receives £5 million funding boost from the British Heart Foundation

~ Funding will support world-leading cardiovascular research at the university ~

The British Heart Foundation has awarded the University of Edinburgh £5 million funding to support its world-class cardiovascular disease research over the next five years, the charity has announced today.

Researchers at the University welcomed the announcement.

Professor David Newby, BHF Duke of Edinburgh Professor of Cardiology at the University of Edinburgh, said: “We are delighted to be the recipient of this prestigious award which will enable us to deliver a step-change in our research into heart and circulatory diseases, stroke, vascular dementia and diabetes.

“The award will accelerate our drive to identify new discoveries across disciplines and to establish the next generation of science and scientific researchers with the ultimate aim of improving the lives of our patients.”

The funding will support the University of Edinburgh to cultivate a world-class research environment that encourages collaboration, inclusion and innovation, and where visionary scientists can drive lifesaving breakthroughs.

The Edinburgh award is part of a much needed £35 million boost to UK cardiovascular disease research from the British Heart Foundation.

The funding comes from the charity’s highly competitive Research Excellence Awards funding scheme.

The £5 million award to the University of Edinburgh will support researchers to:

Investigate how hardening of the major arteries develops throughout the body to cause heart attacks, strokes and circulatory problems, and how this interacts with the body’s immune and nervous systems.
Discover how small blood vessel disease in the brain causes strokes and vascular dementia so that we can develop and test new ways to prevent and to treat these major health problems.
Accelerate our understanding of how the body’s metabolism in fat, immune and kidney tissue causes heart and circulatory problems throughout life: from the womb through to old age.
Deliver new ways of using routinely collected health data with DataLoch to identify those at risk of heart attacks or strokes, and to embed this into health records systems to prevent diseases before they occur.

Professor Bryan Williams, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at the British Heart Foundation, said: “We’re delighted to continue to support research at the University of Edinburgh addressing the biggest challenges in cardiovascular disease. This funding recognises the incredible research happening at Edinburgh and will help to further its reputation as a global leader in the field.

“With generous donations from our supporters, this funding will attract the brightest talent, power cutting-edge science, and unlock lifesaving discoveries that can turn the tide on the devastation caused by heart and circulatory diseases.”

David McColgan, Head of BHF Scotland, said: “It is great news that the University of Edinburgh has once again been recognised as a centre of research excellence. Scotland has a strong tradition of leading the way in cardiovascular research and today’s announcement will further reinforce this for years to come.”

Research Excellence Awards offer researchers greater flexibility than traditional research funding, allowing scientists to quickly launch ambitious projects that can act as a springboard for larger, transformative funding applications.

The funding also aims to break down the silos that have traditionally existed in research, encouraging collaboration between experts from diverse fields.

From clinicians to data scientists, biologists to engineers, the funding will support universities to attract the brightest minds, nurture new talent and foster collaboration to tackle the biggest questions in heart and circulatory disease research.

First launched in 2008, the University of Edinburgh has previously received nearly £14 million funding through the BHF’s Research Excellence Awards funding scheme to date.

This funding has supported research that will lay the foundations for future breakthroughs, including:

A trial that showed that a simple scan could save thousands of lives every year by improving the diagnosis of people coming to hospital with chest pain. The scan is now recommended as a first-line diagnostic tool in NICE guidelines for people presenting at hospital with chest pain.
Development of an artificial intelligence tool that can improve diagnosis of acute heart failure. The tool uses AI to combine routinely collected patient information with results from a blood test for the protein NT-proBNP, which is made by the heart. The researchers are now investigating how it could be implemented into routine care.
Over the last 5 years, investing in the training and development of 12 doctors to become researchers who are increasing knowledge today and developing new life-saving treatments for tomorrow.