Author: davepickering

Edinburgh reporter and photographer

200 singers from 25 different nationalities to come together on Usher Hall’s stage

Collaboration between Edinburgh Royal Choral Union and Brussels Choral Society

  • Two masterworks of the choral repertoire will be performed by one of the UK’s oldest and most distinguished choirs, Edinburgh Royal Choral Union, and special guest collaborators, the Brussels Choral Society.
  • The two ensembles consisting of 200 singers from 25 different nationalities will be joined by the Orchestra of Scottish Opera and Sòlas Ensemble, a young vocal quartet formed at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
  • Sunday 15th March – Poulenc’s Glora and Bruckner’s Mass in D Minor, conducted by Michael Bawtree. Tickets on sale now.

The Edinburgh Royal Choral Union (ERCU), one of Scotland’s oldest and most distinguished choirs, will join forces with the Brussels Choral Society for an exciting collaborative concert at the Usher Hall, Edinburgh, on Sunday 15 March 2026 at 3pm.

Bringing together choirs from Scotland and Belgium, this special spring concert promises an afternoon of choral music on a grand scale, performed by 200 singers in one of the city’s most iconic venues.

The collaboration follows a sold‑out performance of the same programme by ERCU and Brussels Choral Society at the renowned Bozar concert hall and arts venue in Brussels in December 2025, which received a rapturous response from the audience.

The concert will be conducted by Michael Bawtree, ERCU’s longstanding Chorus Director, whose musical leadership has shaped the choir’s artistic identity for many years. Widely admired for his clarity, depth, and commitment to choral excellence, Bawtree will direct the combined forces alongside the Orchestra of Scottish Opera, one of the UK’s leading opera orchestras.

Michael Bawtree said: “After a wonderful weekend in Belgium in December, where we were warmly welcomed by our friends in the Brussels Choral Society, we are now delighted to host them in Scotland’s capital and the country’s finest concert hall for this exciting springtime concert.

“I look forward to conducting two incredible choral masterpieces with 200 singers from over 25 countries, alongside four of Scotland’s brightest young soloists and the instrumentalists of Scotland’s national opera company.”

Solo roles will be performed by the Sòlas Ensemble, a young vocal quartet formed at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Their involvement reflects Edinburgh Royal Choral Union’s ongoing commitment to nurturing emerging professional talent and supporting the next generation of performers alongside established ensembles.

The programme offers a striking and emotionally rich pairing of two masterworks from the choral repertoire: Francis Poulenc’s Gloria and Anton Bruckner’s Mass in D minor. Together, the works span contrasting musical worlds while sharing a profound spiritual intensity and expressive breadth.

Poulenc’s Gloria, composed in 1959, is celebrated for its vibrant energy, playful rhythmic drive, and moments of radiant lyricism, combining modern harmonic language with a deep sense of joy and devotion.

In contrast, Bruckner’s Mass in D minor stands as one of the composer’s most powerful sacred works, a monumental setting that reflects his unwavering faith, dramatic orchestration, and architectural musical vision.

Performed side by side, the two pieces offer audiences a compelling journey from exuberant modern vitality to towering Romantic grandeur.

Founded in 1858, Edinburgh Royal Choral Union has played a central role in Scotland’s musical life for over a century and a half. The choir is best known for its annual New Year performance of Handel’s Messiah at the Usher Hall, a tradition established in 1888 and continued without interruption, even through two World Wars, alongside an ambitious programme of large-scale choral works and international collaborations.

This concert marks a major cultural exchange between Scotland and Belgium, celebrating the unifying power of choral music and the shared traditions that transcend national borders.

The collaboration with the Brussels Choral Society brings together singers from two countries in a performance of exceptional scale, ambition, and artistic impact, highlighting the enduring vitality of amateur choral music at the highest level.

Tickets are on sale here, ranging from £17 to £42, with £5 concessions for students and under-16s.

Care Home residents touch the future with new interactive touch pad

Barchester Healthcare care home Strachan House located in Blackhall has added to their services with a new high-tech touch pad at the home (writes Strachan House Care Home’s JANE LONGSTAFF).

A care home which provides expert care to residents with mobility restrictions as well as those living with dementia, the sensory trolley has allowed residents of all capacities and mobilities to enjoy different, sensory experiences without even leaving their rooms.

The specially-adapted, fully-accessible display features immersive technology, which enables users to move shapes, colours and objects through gesture and movement. The touch pad has a number of features designed to help those suffering with with dementia to relax; the cart also helps de-escalate stressful and upsetting situations experienced by those suffering with different forms of the disease.

The unit is designed with a number of key features that include: a 4K screen which allows residents to take immersive voyages anywhere in the world, a variety of dementia-friendly apps which allow multi-sensory experiences, a virtual piano, a 3D chess set and other virtual games, large piece jigsaws and other activities for residents with mobility restrictions.

The 65” screen allows residents with visual difficulties to participate in activities they would otherwise be unable to see.

Scotland at the Crossroads: Net Zero and the Next Parliament

FESTIVAL OF POLITICS EVENT

MONDAY 16 FEBRUARY from 5.15 – 7pm

Join the Centre for Public Policy and the Scottish Parliament on Monday 16 February, for a free event at The Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh – hear from a panel of experts as they explore how the next Parliament could redefine the path to net zero and the implementation of the Climate Change Plan.

Booking essential – book via the Scottish Parliament

About this event

As Scotland heads toward a pivotal Holyrood election in May 2026, join the panel of experts to explore how the next Parliament could redefine the path to net zero and the implementation of the Climate Change Plan.

As MSPs examine the plan ahead of dissolution, this discussion will delve into the political, economic, and social pressures shaping Scotland’s climate future, examine public attitudes to environmental policy in an election year, and highlight the importance of women’s role in driving Scotland’s green energy transition.

Chaired by Edward Mountain MSP, Convener of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Speaker biographies

Dr Hannah Salamon is a Research Associate at the University of Glasgow’s Centre for Public Policy with expertise at the intersection of gender, climate change policy, and equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). Her work brings a gendered and EDI-focused perspective to climate governance and policy, including the role of women’s representation in shaping climate outcomes. As a ClimateXChange Research Fellow, she is currently working with the Scottish Government to investigate the socioeconomic benefits of nature connectivity.

Mark McGeoghegan is a Research Associate at the Centre for Public Policy, Associate Advisory Director at Ipsos, and Associate Member of the Centre on Constitutional Change. He is an expert in Scottish polling and politics who has written for The Herald and a range of other publications.

Professor Jaime Toney is a leading environmental and climate scientist. She is the Sustainable Futures Lead for Glasgow Changing Futures, directs the Centre for Sustainable Solutions at the University of Glasgow and leads GALLANT: Glasgow as a Living Lab. Her recent work focuses on systems approaches for sustainable solutions and puts co-production and partnership working at the core. She is passionate about enabling action and building capacity for change towards sustainable futures. Toney is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce and has held expert roles, such as, Advisor to Scottish Government.

Dr Dominic Hinde is a Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Glasgow, author and climate journalist. He is an expert in transitions and recently completed ‘Drifting North’, an extensive multi-year ‘public sociology’ of climate and energy in Scotland, and works academically on the storytelling aspects of energy transition and climate impacts. He recently released the podcast ‘The Energy That Made Modern Scotland’ bringing alive the story of North Sea energy.

Holyrood Committee calls for urgent national action to improve ADHD and autism assessment and support

The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee published its report today into Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and autism pathways and support.

The Committee calls for urgent action to deliver a national plan that ensures autistic people and people with ADHD can access clear, consistent pathways to support across every health board in Scotland.

The Committee welcomes the Scottish Government’s commitment to accept the recommendations in the National Autism Implementation Team (NAIT) Adult Neurodevelopmental Pathways report.

It also notes the Scottish Government’s intention to review implementation of the National Neurodevelopmental Specification for Children and Young People through its new task force.

The Committee expresses concern that many people wait years for neurodevelopmental assessments and that some health board areas have closed waiting lists. It emphasises that long waits harm individuals and may prevent people from making a full contribution to society.

The unprecedented demand for neurodevelopmental assessment is recognised by the Committee and the need to put certain thresholds in place before a referral is made. But the Committee warns that this approach can be seen as gatekeeping and can cause delays to accessing assessments and support.

The report further highlights evidence that long waiting times can push people into crisis, which can increase complexity of the support needed and put additional pressure on services. It calls on the Scottish Government to work with health boards to deliver a shift towards early, progressive support, in line with the principles of the Population Health Framework.

The Committee also heard evidence that long NHS waiting times can push people towards private diagnosis at significant cost, risking a two-tier system.

The Committee calls for a comprehensive review of assessment processes across all areas, leading to a National Standard that guarantees consistency, responsiveness and support across Scotland.

Given current waiting times, the Committee calls for consistent high-quality communication with people on waiting lists, including accurate, supportive, up-to-date and neuro-affirming information that meets the needs of each individual.

Countering claims that neurodevelopmental conditions are subject to over-diagnosis, the report instead notes evidence that rising demand for assessments reflects historic under-diagnosis and improved understanding of these conditions. The report recognises that diagnosis can validate lived experience and help people access adjustments, support and medication if needed.

While the Committee welcomes the Scottish Government’s commitment that diagnosis should not be a prerequisite for support, it remains concerned that, for many individuals, the lack of a formal diagnosis can create a barrier to accessing support. The Committee calls on the Scottish Government to set out actions to prevent diagnosis status becoming an artificial barrier to receiving support.

To improve fairness and consistency, the Committee calls for a plan to deliver mandatory training for everyone involved in making referrals to neurodevelopmental pathways and all health and social care staff in patient-facing roles.

The Committee supports a whole systems approach across health, social care, education and other sectors to improve awareness, reduce stigma and strengthen support for those with neurodevelopmental conditions.

It calls on the Scottish Government to set out what it is doing to advance whole society action, including workforce planning, funding distribution that supports integration, inclusive education, support for families with multiple neurodivergent members, and stronger collaboration across public services.

On publication of the report, Clare Haughey MSP, Convener of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee said: “Our inquiry has shone a light on the myriad issues those with neurodevelopmental conditions face in accessing and receiving support from Scotland’s NHS.

“We acknowledge the huge rise in demand for assessment and diagnosis and the huge pressure this places on services. But we are concerned that inconsistent care pathways and a lack of support can leave some feeling isolated and unable to access the support they need.

“We are concerned to have heard evidence of long waits for assessments or closed waiting lists, meaning some individuals are unable to access support due to where they live or because they haven’t been diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental condition. It’s clear things need to improve.

“We’re calling for urgent delivery of a national plan so that autistic people and/or people with ADHD are able to access clear, consistent pathways to support regardless of where they live in Scotland.

“We’re also calling on the Scottish Government and health boards to work together to undertake a comprehensive review of the assessment process in order to introduce a National Standard for assessments that guarantees consistency and quality of access throughout Scotland.

“Our Committee wants to see a whole systems and whole society approach to ensure autistic people and/or people with ADHD can access equitable and timely pathways to assessment, treatment and support across Scotland.

“Thank you to all of the individuals who shared their personal experiences of ADHD and autism with us and helped inform our inquiry.”

Other findings in the report:

  • The report also stresses the need for consistent national data on referrals and waiting times. The Committee calls for steps to enable routine quarterly reporting of data on referrals and waiting times for autism and ADHD, underpinned by national guidance, and for longer-term work to culminate in a comprehensive dashboard.
  • The Committee pays tribute to third sector organisations that support people who have not received, or are waiting for, diagnosis. It welcomes ongoing commitments such as the Autistic Adult Support Fund and calls for clearer plans to place third sector funding on a sustainable long-term footing.

Both ADHD and autism are neurodevelopmental conditions.

ADHD is characterised by a group of symptoms that includes difficulty in concentrating, hyperactivity and impulsive behaviour. It affects around 5% of school-aged children, and between 2.5% and 4% of adults.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong developmental condition that affects the way a person communicates, interacts and processes information.

It is often characterised by social and communication difficulties and by repetitive behaviours. Current estimates indicate about 1 in 34 people are autistic, just under 3% of the population.

Appeal for information following Portobello robbery

POLICE are appealing for information following a robbery at a premises in Portobello on Saturday, 31 January.

The incident happened around 4.55pm on Portobello High Street when a woman entered a shop, threatened a staff member and made off with a three-figure sum of money.

The woman is described as white, 30 to 40-years-old, around 5ft 4ins and of thin build. She was wearing a black puffer style jacket with the hood up, dark trousers and a purple headband. She spoke with a local accent.

Detective Constable Luke Wilson said: “Thankfully no one was injured but the staff member was left very shaken and upset by what happened.

“We are asking anyone in the area at the time who can help with our investigation to get in touch. Please check any private CCTV to see if anything has been captured that could assist officers.”

Anyone who can help is asked to call Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 2197 of Saturday, 31 January, 2026, or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Soundtrack your Story theme at Drumbrae Library’s Chatterbooks

TUESDAY 3rd FEBRUARY from 6 – 7pm

🎵Chatterbooks, our P4-7 book group, is on this Tuesday from 6 – 7pm.

As it’s National Storytelling Week we will be looking at the theme of ‘Soundtrack your story‘.

We will be looking at books themed around music, read, chat, play games, craft and have fun! 👩‍🎤👨‍🎤

(We will keep our animal themed session for the following meet up)

Proposed FOI reform plans “not currently workable”, says Committee

Proposed freedom of information (FOI) reforms are not workable, according to a new report published last week by Holyrood’s Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee.

In its Stage 1 report on the Freedom of Information Reform (Scotland) Bill, the Committee has found that while there is a clear need to update FOI law, elements of the Bill have not been sufficiently considered or laid out.

Introduced by Katy Clark MSP, the Bill aims to update the original 2002 Act by introducing a presumption in favour of disclosure and establishing a new duty for public authorities to publish information proactively.

Other proposals include creating a new mechanism to bring more bodies under FOI rules and removing the First Minister’s power to ‘veto’ certain decision of the Scottish Information Commissioner.

The Committee is not persuaded that the Bill in its current form would deliver the intended change. It has particular concerns about how workable the proposals are and the financial and resource implications for public bodies.

Instead, the Committee concludes that the Scottish Government should be taking a lead in bringing forward its own proposals for freedom of information reform.

Speaking as the report was published, Committee Convener Martin Whitfield MSP said:  “Freedom of information is a fundamental part of how our public services in Scotland are delivered. The work done by Katy Clark MSP establishes a clear need to update the law that underpins it. 

“However, our Committee is not convinced that this Bill is the right approach in its current form.

“The Scottish Government should be taking action to develop an updated and forward-looking FOI regime for Scotland. If not, a committee bill may be the most appropriate legislative means to deliver this complex and important reform.”

Elements of the Bill highlighted in the Committee’s report include:

  • Presumption in favour of disclosure: The report makes it clear that the Committee doesn’t think it necessary to legislate for making openness the default in releasing public information. It suggested that efforts to improve culture and practice within organisations is a preferable approach.
  • Proactive publication duty: the Committee is not persuaded that proposals to replace the current scheme with a rule that requires public bodies to publish information more broadly and pro-actively would work in practice.
  • Designation of public bodies: The Committee is unconvinced that the proposal for the Parliament to make bodies subject to FOI rules is workable.
  • There remains significant uncertainty about the financial and resource implications for public bodies.

Positives of pavement parking ban in Edinburgh praised two years on

The benefits of the pavement parking ban have been hailed by Guide Dogs Scotland and Living Streets Edinburgh. The Council previously worked with these organisations to lobby for the introduction of controls in Scotland.

January 29th marks two years since enforcement began against parking on pavements, at dropped kerb crossing points and double parking. Edinburgh was the first local authority in Scotland to enforce these rules.

The City of Edinburgh took this decision to make the capital’s streets safer for pedestrians and road users. Pavement parking particularly impacts people who use wheelchairs and mobility aids, those who are blind or partially sighted and people pushing prams or buggies. It also damages pavements, which are expensive to repair and become a trip hazard for everyone.

From enforcement beginning to date there were a total of 9,467 Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) issued for footway parking. Last year saw an overall reduction of over 700 PCNs; from 5,098 in 2024 to 4,369 in 2025.

Since enforcement began there has been an overall decreasing trend in PCNs being issued for pavement parking.  

There was a total of 3,497 PCNs issued for dropped kerb parking and 4,165 for double parking in the same period.

Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Stephen Jenkinson said: “Since we first introduced these changes two years ago, we’ve seen drivers changing their parking habits accordingly, with the problem of pavement parking disappearing in many streets across Edinburgh.

“We brought the ban in to provide a safe and accessible environment for everyone, especially those with sight impairments, mobility issues or pushing buggies. We’ve also heard from many people who really appreciate clearer, wider pavements and who no longer need to walk on the road to avoid parked cars.

“I’m also grateful for the support we’ve had from groups including Living Streets and Guide Dogs Scotland, which has been key in helping us to deliver this positive change for our city.

“All drivers have a responsibility to park considerately, and where this would not cause an obstruction to the pavement or road. Whilst we ultimately want to see zero fines, the overall gradual decreasing trend shows we’re headed in the right direction.

“I’m proud that we prioritised making our streets as safe and accessible as possible – and that local authorities across Scotland have been looking to Edinburgh’s lead and implemented schemes of their own since.“

Niall Foley, External Affairs Manager at Guide Dogs Scotland, said: “The City of Edinburgh Council led the way on enforcing pavement parking prohibitions two years ago and now the majority of local authorities across Scotland have followed their example. 

“We commend the commitment of the City of Edinburgh Council to keeping pavements clear for pedestrians. People with sight loss tell us they can now get out and about in the capital more safely, without the fear of being forced on to the road by inconsiderate parking.

“We’re pleased to be celebrating two years of boosting the independence and safety of all pedestrians. Congratulations to Edinburgh on reaching this key milestone.”

 Living Streets Edinburgh Group Convener, David Hunter said: “The Council deserves credit not only for being the first in Scotland to apply the national ban on pavement parking, but also for adopting a “no streets exempt” policy.

“It’s encouraging that the Council has been consistent with the no exemptions approach, which ensures a level playing field for everyone – no parking on the pavement means just that. Enforcement has been handled well in general too.

“This been the most significant change to make Edinburgh a safer and more attractive city for pedestrians since the introduction of widespread 20mph speed limits.”