Join us next Monday for an inspiring Walk & Talk around Lauriston Farm with nature expert Leonie Alexander!
Explore this regenerative community farm—a stunning 100-acre haven in North West Edinburgh, overlooking the beautiful Firth of Forth. Since winter 2021, EAC has been transforming Lauriston into a vibrant space teeming with food production, biodiversity, and community spirit.
Date: Next Monday
Time: 10 AM – 2 PM
Meeting Point: DRYLAW NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE
Bus to Toby Carvery entrance to Lauriston Farm at 10:30 AM
The Besties is a new series of awards celebrating the best across Edinburgh’s August Festivals. The Award is a partnership between The Skinny & Fest, Capital Theatres and Premier Scotland
The Skinny and Fest, Capital Theatres and Premier Scotland are delighted to announce the winners of the first of the weekly new Festival Awards, The Besties, in the following categories:
The Outwith Award (for best international artist/production) for Lou Wall’s The Bisexual Lament at Pleasance Courtyard (Edinburgh Festival Fringe)
The award ceremony took place on Saturday 10th August at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh, hosted by Australian comedian Michelle Brasier whose show Legacy is at the Gilded Balloon, with performances from the cast of A History of Paper, a Dundee Rep and Traverse Theatre co-production being staged at the Traverse.
The Besties award, designed by artist Camillo Feuchter who has recently graduated from Interior & Environmental Design at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in Dundee, uses recyclable plastics gathered at the Festival Theatre Café and leftover wood sourced locally.
Reflecting the broad and diverse coverage both magazines produce every summer and responding to the need for a pan-festivals award, The Besties span all the festival activity taking place in the city over the month of August, including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Edinburgh International Festival, Edinburgh Art Festival which started on the 9th, Edinburgh International Book Festival which opens today and the Edinburgh International Film Festival starting next week, and others, making them the only awards to celebrate the full spectrum of culture in the city.
Winners of The Besties are chosen each week by the editorial teams of The Skinny and Fest, drawing on their cross-festival expertise to celebrate the best work happening anywhere in the festivals. The categories will reflect the diversity of the magazines’ coverage and might be different every week.
Next two ceremonies will take place on Saturday 17th and 24th August.
One of the acts dazzling crowds at this year’s Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo has taken its performance to another unique location – the rooftop of the W Edinburgh hotel in the heart of the City.
Swiss drumming group, Majesticks Drum Corps, are bringing precision drill to the capital, showcasing the extraordinary skills of around 30 drummers, entertaining audiences with incredible timing, showmanship, and a touch of humour.
With Official Tattoo Supporters W Edinburgh, set against the stunning backdrop of Edinburgh Castle, Majesticks Drums Corps drummers took to the panoramic W Deck to showcase their intricate routine.
Every evening at The Edinburgh Castle Arena, Majesticks Drum Corps deliver a blend of traditional and contemporary drumming techniques, dazzling the audience with their synchronised movements and powerful rhythms.
Their performance is a visual and auditory marvel bringing together light, fire and precision drill, designed to leave a lasting impression on audiences who’ve gathered from around the world.
For your chance to catch Majesticks in action and stay at the iconic W Edinburgh, head to the Tattoo social channels for your chance to win tickets and an overnight stay. Majesticks Drum Corps will be on show at this year’s Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which runs from 2 – 24 August 2024.
One of the most celebrated paintings by world-renowned artist John Singer Sargent (1856 –1925) – Lady Agnew of Lochnaw (1864 – 32) – is welcomed home to National Galleries Scotland: National. The much-loved painting is back on display and free to visit now.
With the painting’s exciting arrival back in Edinburgh also comes a name change for this landmark portrait. The painting was on a major international tour as one of the star attractions of the Sargent and Fashion exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston and Tate Britain, London.
Following its return, the portrait has been given a fuller name – Gertrude Vernon, Lady Agnew of Lochnaw (1864 – 1932). By including her first name, this fascinating sitter can finally be recognised as an individual in her own right, beyond her status as the wife of Baronet Andrew Noel Agnew of Lochnaw.
Sargent’s dazzling and unforgettable image of Gertrude Vernon is one of the most instantly recognisable portraits of fashionable London society.
For both the artist and his sitter, the painting was an instant success, reviving Sargent’s reputation as the portrait painter of choice for the London elite and immediately transforming the newly elevated Gertrude Vernon into a society celebrity.
Sargent’s image of Gertrude Vernon helped her to become a leading light in fashionable circles, holding lavish salons in her London home. Ironically, the high costs of this hospitality meant that she was eventually forced to sell some family pictures including this portrait which was purchased by National Galleries of Scotland, after Sargent’s death, in 1925.
The confident gaze and relaxed posture of Gertrude Vernon was unusual in contemporary portraiture. The spontaneous feel of the image was enhanced further by the fluid and sweeping brushwork.
More conventional portraits of respectable women had the sitters gazing downward, off to the side, or upon another person or object in the painting. To have a lady sit and stare at the viewer was unconventional, but it was enthusiastically received as bold and beautiful.
Gertrude Vernon was around 26 at the time of the painting and is believed to have walked into the studio one day and slumped herself down in the chair. Sargent liked to capture the most naturalistic pose for his sitters and so he decided to paint her portrait exactly as she appeared that day.
The exact circumstances behind the commission are not known, but the Agnews may have met the artist through mutual American friends. According to notes in her husband’s diary, work on the portrait progressed swiftly, and Sargent later recalled that it was painted in just 6 sittings.
Gertrude Vernon is shown seated in a Louis XVI chair against the backdrop of a Chinese silk hanging, both of which were standard props in Sargent’s studio.
She is reported to have been of frail health; she recovered slowly from a severe bout of influenza in 1890 and was apparently still suffering from exhaustion when she sat for Sargent. There are brilliant passages of painting in the highlights, reflections and coloured shadows that show Sargent at his best as a painter of surfaces and textures.
Sargent was born in Florence and spent his childhood travelling across Europe with his wealthy American parents who restlessly followed the changing social seasons. In 1874 he entered the Paris studio of the stylish French portraitist, Carolus-Duran.
The young Sargent combined the flamboyant style of his teacher with his study of old masters such as Rembrandt and Velázquez but was also influenced by Monet and Impressionism.
His provocative and unconventional Portrait of Madame X caused a scandal at the Paris Salon exhibition in 1884; and, when Sargent settled in London in 1886, he initially found it difficult to find clients. However, his dashing technical mastery and confident manner were ideally suited for aristocratic patronage, and he soon won over his critics with his elegant, flattering portraits.
When his portrait of Gertrude Vernon was shown at the Royal Academy in 1893, one contemporary observed: ‘London is at his feet … he has had a cracking success.’
Dr Patricia Allerston, Deputy Director & Chief Curator of European & Scottish Art, National Galleries of Scotland said: “This fascinating painting is a favourite for many visitors, and we are delighted to have it back on display at the National.
“Sargent’s compelling portrait presents Lady Agnew as a real person with a very distinctive personality. Our aim in adjusting the portrait’s title is to give visitors a bit more information about this intriguing sitter.’
VPZ, the UK’s largest vaping retailer, will be attending Party At The Palace and plans to reward environmentally conscious festivalgoers who recycle their disposable vapes at the event.
The festival, which takes place on August 10 -11th at Linlithgow Palace, will be attended by the vaping retailer who alongside offering smoking cessation tools and advice will be debuting their innovative recycling service on the go.
Festivalgoers will be able to recycle any disposable vapes in VPZ’s bins at their stand and be rewarded with £1 off a reusable alternative.
Doug Mutter, Director at VPZ, said: “We are looking forward to bringing along our own innovative recycling services to Party At The Place to tackle the environmental problem of disposable vaping alongside offering incentives to those recycling to access reusable alternatives.”
VPZ, the UK’s largest vaping retailer, will be rewarding eco-friendly revellers during 2024’s Party At The Palace.
Festivalgoers are set to benefit from the vaping retailer’s one year anniversary of its partnership with WasteCare which saw VPZ launch a recycling service for vaping devices and e-cigarettes across all its UK stores.
Disposable vapes contain lithium batteries and plastic and when littered they can cause harm to the local environment.
This vape recycling service will be debuting in a mobile form at Linlithgow Palace and will be open to all vapers throughout the festival, as anyone can visit the stand and dispose safely of their vaping devices or e-cigarettes.
VPZ will have two recycling bins throughout the weekend at Party At The Palace, both located at the seating area at its stand with one for batteries and one for disposables.
For their eco-friendly efforts, for every disposable vape recycled at the Party At The Palace, VPZ are offering festivalgoers £1 off the purchase of any reusable AEQ vape at the event.
VPZ Director Doug Mutter said: “At VPZ, we are pioneering in the battle against waste and are proud to have launched our vape recycling service across all stores and now debuting it on the go.
“Our appearance at Party At The Palace will be a great chance to tackle this burgeoning environmental issue head on and aid people to safely dispose of disposable vapes throughout the event.
“We strongly believe this innovative service and intervention is vital in responding to an emerging environmental problem whilst educating vapers on the long-term financial benefits of using reusable products.”
Alongside being in attendance to educate on the environmental impact of vaping, VPZ will also be offering a dedicated one-to-one service to help smokers quit. VPZ specialists are trained and have expert knowledge, engaging with smokers to educate them on the health and financial benefits of switching to vaping.
To reflect VPZ’s full commitment to helping UK smokers on their stop-smoking journey, the vape specialist is also introducing a 30-day switch guarantee. This guarantee offers a full refund to anyone who doesn’t make a complete switch to vaping in 30 days, supporting VPZ’s confidence in the role of vaping for a Smoke-Free 2030 national goal.
By introducing this policy, VPZ is not only investing in the well-being of people trying to stop smoking but also educating them on the financial benefits of vaping.
VPZ Director Doug Mutter added:“VPZ is the UK’s leading vaping specialist, and we are spearheading the fight against the nation’s number one killer – smoking.
“At VPZ, we are much more than a vaping retailer, as our new 30-day guarantee provides a solution to Smoke-Free targets and stands by our promise to support all smokers on their own quit-smoking journey.
“Our approach gives adult smokers the help and advice they need at a time when local stop-smoking services across the country are under threat whilst supporting the country’s ambitions to become a smoke-free nation by 2030.
“We are fully supportive of the UK government’s ban on disposable vaping products and it is positive progress that we have a proposed enforcement date for April 1 next year but it’s critical that they take on board advice and guidance to regain much-needed momentum and help the country meet its 2030 ambitions.
“VPZ has been calling on the UK Government to introduce licencing and controls for selling vaping products for the past two years and it’s hugely important a ban operates alongside a licencing scheme where there are proper punishments and policing in place to enforce the ban and tackle the growth of the existing black market.”
Researchers at King’s College London found vaping to be a more effective treatment than nicotine replacement therapy for stopping smoking.
A further report from the Royal College of Physicians Tobacco Advisory Group backs vaping as an effective treatment for tobacco dependency and recommends that it should be included and encouraged in all treatment pathways. The report also found that the long-term impact of vaping is 95 per cent less harmful than smoking cigarettes.
To date, Edinburgh-based VPZ has already helped over 700k smokers in the UK quit since it was established in 2012.
Information on the UK Government’s Smoke-Free by 2030 plans can be found here:
Following a special meeting of Council Leaders yesterday to discuss Local Government Pay, COSLA has made a ‘significantly improved’ formal offer to the trade unions.
Scotland’s council leaders welcomed that Scottish Government had provided funding to take a pay offer beyond the 3.2% previously offered by COSLA, recognising the financial position facing councils while also providing firm assurances around any recurring additional funding.
This additional funding means that the revised offer is better than the offer made to Local Government workers in the rest of the UK.
If the offer is accepted everyone will receive at least 3.6% and for the first pay point on our pay scales, there will be an increase of £1292 (or 5.63%), The overall offer value is 4.27%.
In making this improved offer, COSLA is requesting that strike action is suspended while it is considered by the unions, who have been made aware of Leaders’ concerns that the additional funding may be at risk if strikes go ahead.
COSLA’s Resources Spokespeople Cllr Katie Hagmann said:“Having worked hard over the last week with Scottish Government to increase and guarantee additional funding, Leaders are now in a position to make this improved offer to our trade unions.
“This offer reflects what trade unions have asked for and we hope that they will now be prepared to call off the strikes while they put that offer to their members.”
First Minister John Swinney held further talks with Police Scotland yesterday to receive a further update on preparedness should any disorder emerge in Scotland over the weekend.
Throughout the week the First Minister has remained in regular contact with Police Scotland to discuss the ongoing situation and support work to promote community cohesion across the country.
Earlier this week he brought faith and refugee community leaders together and held talks with leaders of political parties and Police Scotland to unequivocally condemn all forms of violence, prejudice and Islamophobia.
The First Minister has also written to X, Meta and TikTok to ask what action they are taking to combat the spread of misinformation, and to address racist and hateful material on their platforms.
The First Minister said: “The last few days have been a challenging and worrying time for many with the scenes of violence unfolding in other parts of the United Kingdom.
“I would like to thank Police Scotland for their continued work to protect our communities. Their ongoing engagement across Scotland and enhanced patrols are vital to support community cohesion and ensure public safety.
“We remain vigilant to the potential for disorder in Scotland and I have been reassured by Police Scotland that it has the capability and resources in place to respond should we face similar challenges, and that plans and preparations are in place to ensure everybody is kept safe.
“While officers and staff are doing their part to keep us all safe – there is no place in Scotland for hatred of any kind, and each of us has a responsibility to confront racism and religious prejudice, including islamaphobia, wherever and whenever it appears, and do all we can to strengthen community cohesion.”
Assistant Chief Constable Gary Ritchie said: “Officers right across Scotland continue to provide reassurance to communities across the country through enhanced patrols and direct engagement.
“You may see more officers in our towns and cities and we are closely monitoring the situation to ensure any potential for violence or disorder in Scotland is identified quickly and responded to immediately.”
John Swinney says action is needed to address misinformation, racism and hateful online material
Following disorder in parts of the UK, First Minister John Swinney has written to X, Meta and TikTok to ask what action they are taking to combat the spread of misinformation, and to address racist and hateful material on their platforms:
From: First Minister John Swinney
To: X, Meta and TikTok
This week I met with representatives of faith and refugees groups to show solidarity with communities around the country. They were clear to me about the impact of social media in spreading misinformation, raising alarm and the sense of threat in their communities.
I also met with Scottish political party leaders and Police Scotland representatives to discuss the situation in Scotland and the rest of the UK.
Police Scotland described social media posts that contain deliberate misinformation, with provocative and incendiary language with some potentially meeting the threshold for charge under Scotland’s hate crime legislation that came into effect in April this year.
It is clear to me that social media platforms have a duty to take action to ensure that individuals in our society are not subjected to hate and threatening behaviour, and that communities are protected from violent disorder.
I was struck by the communication from Ofcom this week reminding social media companies of their obligation to remove material that incites hatred or violence.
All political parties in Scotland stand together in resisting the prejudice and islamophobia that we have seen on the street in parts of the UK and online.
Everyone has a role in stopping the spread of misinformation. You and your platform have a specific responsibility to do so.
I would therefore be grateful if you could outline the action you are taking to combat the spread of misinformation on your platform and what steps being taken to address racist/hateful speech across your platform. Given the seriousness of the situation action needs to be immediate and decisive.
Police Scotland has specifically raised with me concerns about the time it takes for problematic posts to be removed when these are identified by law enforcement agencies. This increases the risk of spread of malicious content. I would wish to understand the steps you are taking to address this, particularly for content that police identify as illegal or harmful.
I am copying this letter to Peter Kyle MP, the Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport.
Climate justice campaigners have condemned the Lothian Pension Fund for increasing its investments in fossil fuels despite the worsening climate emergency.
The latest investment holdings list from the Lothian Pension Fund reveals that the fund’s investments in oil and gas companies have risen in value to £208m in 2024 from £166m in 2022. This increase is driven by the purchase of additional shares rather than changes in the market value of existing holdings and has arisen despite Edinburgh and East Lothian councils passing motions in 2022 calling on the fund to divest from fossil fuels in order to tackle the climate crisis.
The Lothian Pension Fund is the second biggest fossil fuel investor of all the council pension funds in Scotland. It invests in some of the world’s biggest climate polluters, including TotalEnergies, Exxon Mobil, Eni, Equinor, Shell and BP.
TotalEnergies, now Lothian Pension Fund’s largest fossil fuel investment following a recent significant purchase of additional shares, is currently developing the East African Crude Oil Pipeline. If completed, the pipeline will stretch 1,444km across Uganda and Tanzania, to pump oil out of new oil fields in Uganda to be exported on the international market. It would produce 379m tonnes of carbon emissions if it goes ahead.
Joan Forehand from campaign group Divest Lothian said:“It is appalling that the Lothian Pension Fund is choosing to invest even more of its members’ pensions in companies that, despite responsible investors’ efforts over many years to get them to change course, are doubling down on oil and gas expansion plans.
“The science is clear: we need to rapidly transition away from fossil fuels to avoid catastrophic climate breakdown, and the economic collapse that would bring. Increasing investment in the fossil fuel industry highlights the failure of the Lothian Pension Fund to adequately assess climate change risk in its financial modelling.”
Sally Clark, divestment campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said:“It’s unbelievable that despite the worsening climate crisis and clear support for ending fossil fuel investments from councillors in Edinburgh and East Lothian, Lothian Pension Fund has actually increased investments in fossil fuels.
“These fossil fuel companies are driving climate breakdown and the pension fund’s managers have a responsibility to act in the best interests of their members and future generations.
“The money moved away from fossil fuels could instead be invested in ways that support local communities and protect the planet for everyone, like renewable energy. As skyrocketing energy bills are plunging millions of people into fuel poverty across the UK, this transition is more important than ever.”
Jane Herbstritt, climate campaigner at Global Justice Now added: “Despite the certainty of the climate emergency, TotalEnergies is pressing ahead with its climate-wrecking development of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline – displacing local communities and destroying the environment in order to profit from pumping out more new oil than can be safely burned.
“It is wholly irresponsible for the Lothian Pension Fund to give its backing to this by increasing its investment in TotalEnergies, particularly when councillors in Edinburgh and East Lothian have voted for the pension fund to divest from oil and gas.”
Divest Lothian is calling on the pension fund’s managers to stop investing in fossil fuels and to instead invest in renewable energy and social housing in order to prioritise the long-term health and well-being of its members and of communities around the world.
EXCITING EVENT ALERT !!! 
Date: Next Monday
Time: 10 AM – 2 PM
Meeting Point: DRYLAW NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE
Bus to Toby Carvery entrance to Lauriston Farm at 10:30 AM
Vegetarian picnic provided!
A rucksack/bag
Good walking shoes
Waterproof jacket
