If you are a fan of Alan Partridge – or, rather, if you are a fan of his long-suffering and put-upon assistant Lynn Benfield, do we have a job for you!
This weekend, on Sunday 4th of August, at 12pm, playwright Laura Horton is calling out for people to be part of a mass group photoshoot of Lynns on the Royal Mile.
At 12pm (lunchtime), join Laura Horton, author of new Fringe play ‘Lynn Faces’, and wear a mask of Lynn’s iconic “fed-up face”, for a photo op.
Up to 300 Lynns will smile (or rather grimace) for the camera, and the mass Lynn-army will then become a flashmob who will collectively stride the streets for a short lap chanting “Liberate Lynn.”
Anyone willing to don the face of the iconic Lynn Benfield is asked to meet Laura outside St Giles Cathedral at 12pm on Sunday 4th. On the right of the entrance to the Cathedral (as you face it from the Royal Mile). For the specific location, you can find it at this google maps link.
Lynn Faces will be performed at Summerhall, in the main hall from 1-26th August.
Police in Edinburgh have today launched their annual campaign to keep people safe throughout the Edinburgh International Festival 2024.
Operation Summer City launches on Friday, 2 August, to coincide with the beginning of The Festival and will be in effect for the duration of the four-week event, which includes the Fringe, Book Festival, Art Festival and Film Festival.
Edinburgh’s population is expected to double to around one million people throughout August and an enhanced policing resource will be in place to engage with
As part of Operation Summer City, local officers from Edinburgh will be supported by colleagues from neighbouring divisions. National and specialist departments within Police Scotland will also be deployed to provide additional support and assistance.
Throughout Operation Summer City, Edinburgh Division’s social media channels will be used to offer a range of advice and guidance aimed at keeping people safe. The public should follow Police Scotland Edinburgh Division on Facebook and @PSOSEdinburgh on Twitter to view these messages.
Chief Inspector Paul Gillespie discusses the launch of #OpSummerCity and how the public can help us keep them safe over the coming month.
— Police Scotland Edinburgh (@PSOSEdinburgh) August 2, 2024
Chief Inspector Paul Gillespie from Edinburgh Division said: “Edinburgh during the Festival is one of the most exciting places in the entire world and we want to ensure all of those enjoying the festivities remain safe throughout.
“Over one million people will be within the Capital throughout August and those visiting the city-centre can expect to see a high-visibility police presence who are happy to speak with the public to address any issues they may have, as well as to respond to any reports of crime arising.
“To enhance our presence and ability to respond to any incidents occurring, we will have our mobile police station set up in Cockburn Street and anyone wishing to speak face-to-face with an officer is welcome to drop-in during the station’s opening hours.
“We want everyone to have an enjoyable, memorable and safe Festival and rest assured, we are doing everything we can to maintain Edinburgh’s status as one of Europe’s safest cities to live, work and visit.”
Benefits for victims, police, prosecutors, defence lawyers and courts
A world-leading £33 million Scottish Government initiative for sharing digital evidence from crime scene to court room is being rolled out across Scotland.
Digital Evidence Sharing Capability (DESC) allows police officers, prosecutors, defence lawyers, court staff and judges to access a secure, unified system to collect, store, process and manage evidence digitally.
Benefits include fewer victims and witnesses having to attend court, cases coming to court and concluding quicker, and valuable police time being saved.
During a pilot of the programme in Dundee, around 19,500 pieces of evidence were handled through DESC, with almost 550 hours of police officers’ time freed up.
DESC handles evidence including CCTV footage, photographs, and data and other materials from computers and mobile devices. This will be expanded to include documents and recordings of police interviews.
The system means members of the public and businesses can submit digital evidence – such as material recorded on mobile phones – more easily by email when sent a link by a police officer. DESC also saves on transport costs and cuts CO2 emissions by reducing the need for physical evidence to be collected in person and stored.
DESC’s expansion across Tayside and Forth Valley marks the start of a phased national roll-out that is expected to be completed by autumn 2025.
Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: “This is a world first for Scotland – a truly transformational programme where digital evidence is managed securely from crime scene to court room, benefitting victims, police officers, prosecutors, defence lawyers, court staff and judges.
“During the successful pilot in Dundee, DESC allowed justice system partners to collect, manage and share digital evidence in a streamlined and efficient way, helping to get cases resolved more quickly. It has also freed up a significant amount of time for police officers, creating additional capacity for frontline policing.”
Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs said: “The national roll-out of DESC is a significant step forward in modernising the collection, management and secure storage of digital evidence.
“Until now, police officers have relied on transferring digital evidence such as mobile phone images or CCTV onto USB sticks or discs, before delivering them to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
“Through DESC, officers can obtain and share digital evidence securely and efficiently, saving them time and reducing delays. This supports victims and witnesses to achieve faster justice outcomes. The national roll-out will also provide the groundwork for further modernisation of the criminal justice process including supporting the introduction of body worn video for frontline police officers.”
Andrew Laing, Deputy Head of Local Court, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said: “Being able to see CCTV evidence of an assault or shoplifting taking place, or Ring doorbell footage of a person committing an act of domestic abuse as soon as the matter is reported by police has allowed prosecutors to make better and quicker decisions and faster sharing with the defence to enable the early resolution of cases.
“COPFS and criminal justice partners in Police Scotland, the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, the defence community and judiciary will continue to work to transform the justice system and ensure cases move through the system as efficiently as possible, with speedier outcomes and significantly less inconvenience to victims and witnesses.“
Sheriff Principal Gillian Wade KC said: “DESC facilitates easier sharing of digital evidence which can be crucial for determining the strength of a case at an early stage and allowing for more informed decisions about allegations against an accused person.
“This dovetails well with other initiatives currently being implemented such as the Summary Case Management pilots. Both have at their core the importance of early disclosure and engagement alongside multi-agency co-operation. This approach leads to fewer unnecessary hearings, fewer witness citations and a reduction in the number of outstanding trials.
“While DESC will initially be utilised for Summary cases only, it is envisaged that its capability will be expanded to include Solemn business at a later stage.”
The Scottish Government will invest £33 million in DESC over 10 years.
A P7 pupil from Trinity Primary School has won a national award from leading Armed Forces charity Poppyscotland.
Every year, Poppyscotland runs a competition for schools across Scotland, encouraging learners to explore a different theme. The challenge for this academic year was ‘The Path of the Poppy’, to design a leaflet or poster telling the unique story of the history of the Scottish poppy, from the establishment of Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory in 1926 to the development of the new plastic-free poppy.
Trinity’s winner in the Primary School category was Katla Longworth, whose colourful poster design was chosen from more than 140 entries to the competition, winning her school £250 in Amazon vouchers. The competition was judged by representatives from charities Poppyscotland, Legion Scotland and Fares for Free.
Connor McKay, Katla’s class teacher, said: “All the children in Primary 7 were fascinated by the history of the poppy and loved having the opportunity to be creative by producing a visual representation of its path through time.
“Katla was very proud of her finished poster, blending an eye-catching design with informative facts about the poppy’s development over the years and she’s thrilled to have won this competition.”
The winning poster and leaflet designs have now been printed and are available at Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory in Edinburgh, where the new plastic-free Scottish poppy is produced, and where disabled veterans make tens of thousands of Remembrance symbols every year.
For full details of the competition winners and more information about Poppyscotland’s resources for schools, visit www.poppyscotland.org.uk/learning
Despite leaving North Edinburgh for the bright lights in London when she was only 17, Linda never forgot where she came from and was very proud of North Edinburgh , its people and the community’s long history of fighting injustice (writes LYNN McCABE).
She felt very strongly about inequality and social justice and although she had a comfortable life and could have spent her retirement years with her feet up, she chose to get involved in her old community and do what she could to try to improve things.
She was passionate about education and was a great advocate for lifelong learning and signed up for a variety of courses which covered some of the topics she was interested in including Scottish history, politics, the Scots language and the arts. Even when she wasn’t attending a class, she was always researching something and was keen to share her learning with others.
She joined the Power to the People group in 2012, a new project developed by local activists who wanted to study the history of protest in Scotland through the arts. It was a perfect fit for Linda with her passion for politics, Scottish history and the arts.
The class ran for a number of years and brought together people who were new to activism as well as people who had been involved in community politics and the trade unions.
Linda was really interested in listening to everyone’s views but was more than capable of holding her own during the many heated debates that took place each week!
Through the years, the focus of the class moved from studying the history of protest to actually taking part in protests! Members of the Power to the People group got involved in many local issues including cuts to local services and the campaign to stop the eviction of local families from their homes.
Linda was at the heart of these protests helping to design placards and banners and was actively involved in a sit-in at the local housing office and a protest that ended up taking over Ruth Davidson’s constituency office. She also took part in numerous protests outside the city chambers every year in response to proposals to cut vital local services.
Having exhausted the subject of the history of protest in Scotland over a 2 year period, Linda and her class mates from the Power to the People group decided it was time to undertake another research project where the focus was closer to home.
This project was going to focus on North Edinburgh’s history and would cover some of the big industrial, housing and political changes in the area over the last century. It turned out that there was too many interesting things which they felt could not be missed out so the history timeline began with the Roman encampment in Cramond!
The information the group unearthed was fascinating and highlighted how central North Edinburgh was to Scotland’s history.
On the completion of this research, Linda and a few other folk from the group decided their next priority would be to promote North Edinburgh’s hidden history and over a number of years they developed heritage walks, a history hub down at Madelvic and led a successful campaign to protect and restore the Granton Castle Walled Garden.
Linda remained actively involved in all these projects even as her health deteriorated and was instrumental in helping to preserve the area’s cultural heritage.
Another passion of Linda’s was arts and culture. She felt strongly about the need for the arts to be accessible to everyone. She was a regular visitor at the city’s art galleries and kept her eye out for new exhibitions and cultural events which were heading to Edinburgh.
She was quick to share this information with all the groups and projects she was connected with which ensured that local folk from didn’t miss out.
Linda was very good with her hands and was one of the stitchers involved in creating the Prestonpans tapestry, The Diaspora Tapestry for the Homecoming and the Great Tapestry of Scotland.
She almost succeeded in convincing her friends from North Edinburgh to embark on a new project called the Great Tapestry of North Edinburgh which was going to cover key historical events and famous people associated with North Edinburgh. Everyone was really excited about the idea of this project, until they realised that they were going to have to be involved in doing the stitching!
Despite a really positive meeting with Andrew Crummy who had designed the other tapestries, the consensus amongst the group was that it was a good idea but none of them were likely to be alive to see the tapestry completed so sadly that project didn’t come to pass!
Another passion of Linda’s was womens’ rights and so on Wednesday afternoons she would catch up with her pals from the Women’s International Group (WIG) who ran a programme of informal learning opportunities for local women.
The group also organised numerous events including womens’ health and well-being days, hustings, and public meetings on local issues and made history when they became the first singing deputation at a full council meeting.
Being local women, the Women’s International Group were well aware of all the strong North Edinburgh women who had came before them and made a point of celebrating their achievements and the achievements of inspirational women from around the world at their annual international womens day events.
Linda was always at the heart of these gatherings and did presentations, took her turn at chairing the event, read poetry but was equally happy to do the register or make the tea and coffee.
Linda’s passion for her community continued through the last few years of her life. She would regularly email me funding information or links to materials which she thought would be useful.
Despite her health issues, she remained interested in what was happening in North Edinburgh and regularly shared words of support and encouragement to the friends she had made in the community over the years.
Linda was most definitely a North Edinburgh ‘wummin’ through and through and will be missed by all who knew her.
Ian Murray thanks the hard work of people behind the scenes who make the festivals a success
The Secretary of State for Scotland, Ian Murray, hosted a reception as the Edinburgh Festivals get underway this week.
The event, which was hosted in Queen Elizabeth House, the UK Government’s flagship building in Edinburgh, was attended by representatives from Edinburgh’s 11 Festivals. Scotland Office Minister Kirsty McNeill also attended.
There was a performance from Ryan Corbett, a classical accordionist from Glasgow.
The UK Government is supporting artists bringing work to the Fringe Festival through its ‘Keep it Fringe’ fund, an initiative launched in 2023. Supported by £1 million from the UK Government over two years (2024 and 2025), there are 180 recipients of £2,500 bursaries this year.
The UK Government is also helping to fund a central premises for the Edinburgh Fringe Society to house staff and provide a venue for visitors throughout the year.
Speaking at the event, Mr Murray said: “For three weeks in August, the city of Edinburgh becomes the global epicentre of culture as we welcome an explosion of creative energy. Artists and performers take to hundreds of stages all over the city to present shows for every taste.
“It is of course not only a cultural and social asset, but a huge contributor to our economy, generating around £360m and supporting around 7000 jobs each year. The creative industries are the fastest growing part of our economy and we should nourish and support this growth.
“They are all a key part of Brand Scotland, and I am determined the Edinburgh festivals form part of our plan to attract international investment to Scotland, so that they can be enjoyed by future generations.
“I would like to thank everyone involved in the festivals whose hard work helps make this success story possible.”
The Edinburgh 900 programme launch took place at the City Chambers yesterday evening, where successful applicants to the civic and community funds were officially announced.
Edinburgh 900 represents almost a millennium of shared history, and the full programme will examine how Edinburgh came to be over the centuries, from commerce to conflict and from faith to finance. The programme will also celebrate Edinburgh in the present day and look ahead to our future ambitions and aspirations.
The Lord Provost congratulated recipients and expressed his appreciation to those who took the time to apply to take part in the Edinburgh 900 programme.
The Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh, Robert Aldridge said: “We are celebrating nine centuries of history, traditions and stories and we have a real opportunity to shine a light on Edinburgh’s local communities.
“These two funds represent a great opportunity to showcase these stories to our city and the wider world.
“We had an overwhelming response in terms of applications, which shows how 900 years is resonating with so many in the city.
“We sincerely thank everyone who took the time to submit a funding request. There were so many excellent applications, that we’re disappointed that we are unable to fund each one of them.
“It is imperative that our communities play a central role in these celebrations, from discovering stories of local heritage to events programmes alongside our partners across the city, I’m really excited to see the programme come to life.”
As part of the Edinburgh 900 budget, £100,000 was allocated to a community fund and a further £100,000 to a civic fund.
The community strand will feature local events run by community groups across the city over 2024-25 promoting local heritage and initiatives, designed to engage with new local audiences and to showcase the diversity of Edinburgh.
The civic strand is an opportunity for our cultural and heritage organisations to exhibit Edinburgh and it’s illustrious past like never before.
Successful Community Fund applications:
Citadel Arts Group Leith Customs: £5,000.00
Ukraine at Margaret’s Saturday School & St Cuthbert’s Parish Church 900 Artworks
Exhibition for the 900th Anniversary: £3,000.00
The Living Memory Association Our Working City: £4,860.00
Art and Spirituality CIC “International South West Community Project”: £3,466.00
THE MELTING POT Innovation: Past and Present: £4,750.00
Passion4Fusion Black History Month Gala: £5,000.00
Abbeyhill Colony of Artists Colony of Artists 20th Anniversary Celebrations: £5,000.00
Leith walk polisbox Outside the (polis)box: £5,000.00
POLICE are appealing for the assistance of the public in tracing 20 year old Rory Dowling-Clarke, who has been reported missing from Granton, Edinburgh.
Rory was last seen at 2pm on Monday 29th July, 2024 in the Granton area and is thought to have since been in Leith and the City centre.
If you have any information please contact 101 and quote police incident 2038 31/07/24.
Criminals intent on causing violence and unrest on our streets will be stopped in their tracks thanks to a new National Violent Disorder Programme, the Prime Minister has announced today.
At a meeting of police chiefs in Downing Street this afternoon, he offered his clear backing to forces up and down the country – pledging that the government will work in direct partnership with them to stamp out the violent disorder seen in recent weeks.
Following the meeting, he has announced the immediate creation of the new programme, which will bring together the best policing capabilities from across the country to share intelligence on the activity of violent groups so the authorities can swiftly intervene to arrest them.
Local insight and data will be used to gain a national understanding of where these criminals are operating, including the British Transport Police alerting where they see a spike in train ticket sales that could be linked to organised violent disorder.
It will also consider how we can deploy facial recognition technology, which is already used by some forces, more widely across the country. This will mean criminals can be targeted, found and brought to justice quickly.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said this afternoon: “I’ve just held a meeting with senior police and law enforcement leaders where we’ve resolved to show who we are. A country that will not allow understandable fear to curdle into division and hate in our communities and that will not permit, under any circumstances a breakdown in law and order on our streets.
“Because let’s be very clear about this. It’s not protest. It’s not legitimate. It’s crime and violent disorder. An assault on the rule of law and the execution of justice.
“And so, on behalf of the British people who expect their values and their security to be upheld, we will put a stop to it.”
The programme will also support the swift deployment of surge teams to forces who need them, for example, when they’re faced with intelligence that suggests organised violence in a particular area.
The tragic events in Southport on Monday shone a light on the heroism of our emergency services and the work they do to keep the public safe. However, this was exploited by a criminal minority who directly targeted the police in a shocking display of aggression later that day which left fifty officers injured.
The Prime Minister was clear that criminals will never be allowed to hide behind the legitimate right to protest in order to wreak havoc and intimidation in our communities.
The plans form part of the government’s mission to take back our streets by halving serious violent crime and raising confidence in the police and criminal justice system.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Southport suffered a horrific attack that no community should ever have to face. But instead of being shown respect for their grief, the community had to endure violent disorder and thuggery.
“For the emergency services who responded with bravery to save lives on Monday to then face attack themselves on Tuesday is disgraceful and it only adds to the trauma when we should be thinking of the families of the little girls, and making sure they can get justice.
“Communities have a right to feel safe without deliberate organised violence or thuggery in our streets. Criminals need to face the full force of the law and today we made clear that the police have our strong support in keeping the streets safe. We will work with senior police officers across the country to make sure there is rapid intelligence sharing and swift action to stop violent disorder and make sure criminals pay the price.”
Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, NPCC Chair said: “I would like to thank all the officers and first responders involved for their bravery and unity. At times like these it is encouraging to see the way forces come together to support each other, as well as the wider public.
“All of us in public leadership or in positions of influence have a responsibility to use our platform to help bring people together. It is more important than ever for us to call out disinformation, highlight harmful practices, report and condemn criminal and work together for a better society.”
“We welcome any support which helps us to strengthen our policing capability to deal with these types of incidents. We look forward to working with government and receiving more details on the creation of a National Violent Disorder Programme and further work on tools such as Live Facial Recognition.”
Chief Constable Sir Andy Marsh, CEO at the College of Policing, said: “My thoughts remain firmly with the families of the little girls killed in Southport and the other people who are still recovering. I cannot begin to comprehend the extent of their grief and trauma at this time.
“This violence, from thugs who are hijacking the terrible grief felt across the country, is despicable, unacceptable and will not be tolerated. The same police officers who run towards harm to protect us are now being pelted with bricks, bins and fireworks. I’m grateful to the prime minister for extending his support to my colleagues as they deal with this criminality.
“Tonight, and over the weekend, police officers will be out in large numbers to protect us and our families. The College of Policing is making sure public order commanders have the support and guidance to utilise the full extent of the law and the tactics available to us.
“I say clearly to anyone who is seeking to bring further violence to our streets that your thuggish behaviour is not acceptable and not welcome in our communities. Police are already tracking down those involved in violence and anyone else thinking of joining in should know they will face the full force of the law.”
EARLIER this afternoon, Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivered a statement in Downing Street:
This week – we are a nation in shock.
A country coming to terms with an attack so inexplicably vile…
That fear is an understandable reaction.
Our first thoughts of course are with the families at the heart of this…
Their pain is unimaginable.
And so I call on everyone to give them and indeed the wider community at Southport…
The space to grieve.
And time for the authorities in Merseyside…
To do their job.
There will be a time for questions.
And we will make sure that the victims and families in Southport…
Are at the heart of that process…
That’s the very least that we owe these families.
But we also owe them justice.
So while there’s a prosecution that must not be prejudiced…
For them to receive the justice that they deserve…
The time for answering those questions is not now.
And I remind everyone that the price for a trial that is prejudiced…
Is ultimately paid by the victims and their families.
Who are deprived of the justice that they deserve.
Let me turn now to the actions of a tiny, mindless minority in our society.
Because in the aftermath of this attack
The community of Southport had to suffer twice.
A gang of thugs, got on trains and busses…
Went to a community that is not their own…
A community grieving the most horrific tragedy…
And then proceeded to throw bricks at police officers.
Police officers who just 24 hours earlier…
Had been having to deal with an attack on children in their community.
Their community.
And make no mistake…
Whether it’s in Southport, London – or Hartlepool…
These people are showing our country exactly who they are.
Mosques targeted because they are Mosques.
Flares thrown at the statue of Winston Churchill.
A Nazi salute at the Cenotaph.
And so I’ve just held a meeting with senior police and law enforcement leaders…
Where we’ve resolved to show who we are.
A country – that will not allow understandable fear…
To curdle into division and hate in our communities.
And that will not permit, under any circumstances…
A breakdown in law and order on our streets.
Because let’s be very clear about this.
It’s not protest.
It’s not legitimate.
It’s crime…
Violent disorder.
An assault on the rule of law and the execution of justice.
And so on behalf of the British people…
Who expect their values and their security to be upheld…
We will put a stop to it.
I want to thank all of the police officers, across the country…
Who have already, as they so often do…
Stood up to intimidation and violence in the past few days…
And indeed, throughout the summer.
And let me be clear – the meeting this afternoon was not about pointing the finger of blame…
That is not how this Government of Service conducts its business…
Because it doesn’t work.
Rather – this was a meeting to pull together our response…
A response both to the immediate challenge…
Which is clearly driven by far-right hatred.
But also – all violent disorder that flares up.
Whatever the apparent cause or motivation – we make no distinction…
Crime is crime.
And so – to that end…
I can announce today, that following this meeting…
we will establish a national capability, across police forces…
To tackle violent disorder.
These thugs are mobile…
They move from community to community…
And we must have a policing response that can do the same.
Shared intelligence…
Wider deployment of facial recognition technology…
And preventive action – criminal behaviour orders…
To restrict their movements…
Before they can even board a train…
In just the same way we do with football hooligans.
And let me also say to large social media companies and those who run them…
Violent disorder clearly whipped up online…
That is also a crime.
It’s happening on your premises.
And the law must be upheld everywhere.
That is the single most important duty of Government…
As part of the UK Government’s review of the Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, has today [01 August 2024] extended the current backdating period deadline by two years from 31 August 2024 to 31 August 2026.
The scheme was opened in August 2021 to provide acknowledgement payments to individuals who were permanently injured in Troubles-related incidents.
Following concerns raised by a number of individuals and organisations, including groups who represent victims and survivors of the Troubles, that some potential applicants could lose out on backdated payments, the Secretary of State has moved to ensure all potential beneficiaries of the scheme have sufficient time to consider making an application.
This extension will allow anyone deemed eligible in the five-year lifespan of the scheme to avail of a payment backdated to 2014.
Explaining his decision to extend the backdating period of the scheme, Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland said: “Approximately 40,000 people were injured during the Troubles, and it is essential that we recognise the great hurt that was caused during this dark period in our history.
“The Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme, overseen by the Victims Payments Board, has made progress in making acknowledgement payments to permanently injured victims of the Troubles.
“But with the deadline approaching, there was a risk that some potential applicants would miss out on backdated payments. I have therefore decided to extend the period for which backdated payments are available by a further two years.
“I hope this will assist both those who have suffered and are applying to the scheme, and those who are supporting applicants.”
