Author: davepickering

Edinburgh reporter and photographer

Dare you attempt tomorrow's Postcode Cycle Challenge?

Following the huge success of the Innertube Postcode Challenge event last year, the Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust and The Bike Station are organising this event for the second year running.

The Innertube Postcode Challenge is a ‘Treasure Hunt on Wheels’- and this year there will also be a ‘Treasure Hunt on Foot’ for all you walkers out there! It is a community cycling event, aimed at all ages and abilities, on Edinburgh’s Innnertube Map (below).

As a participant in the event, the aim is to cycle to all ten stands that will be dotted about on the North Edinburgh Innertube Cycle Path Network and collect a postcode stamp at each stand. Everyone has until 4pm to collect all ten postcode stamps (for walkers, the aim is to collect 5 stamps) and hand them in at Fiveways Junction where participants will be entered into a prize draw.

A Challenge Card to collect your stamps will be given to you on the day with a map, or you can download it here and start planning your route!

All participants have the opportunity to win: (more prizes to come!)

  • ·         1 of 32 bike themed Goody Bags from The Bike Station
  • ·         2 Tickets to see a film of your choice at The Filmhouse
  • ·         2 Vouchers for Greenyonder Tours
  • ·         A prize of lunch for two at Hula Juice Bar
  • ·         Grow your own veg & wildflower seed packets from ELGT
  • ·         1 of 4 cycling maps of in and around Edinburgh and the Lothians from Spokes
  • ·         Herb planters, bird nests & nectar feeders from ELGT
  • ·         An assortment of prizes from the Postcode Lottery
  • ·         A £50 Alpine Bikes gift voucher donated by State Street

Supported by players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, the main aim is to raise awareness of the paths and their potential as a means of travel across the North of Edinburgh, as well as to get people active in a fun and community fuelled way.

The event takes place tomorrow (Sunday 1 July 1) from 11am to 4pm.

This event is one of several activities that ELGT and The Bike Station have delivered to work towards ‘Inflating the Innertube’.

Dare you attempt tomorrow’s Postcode Cycle Challenge?

Following the huge success of the Innertube Postcode Challenge event last year, the Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust and The Bike Station are organising this event for the second year running.

The Innertube Postcode Challenge is a ‘Treasure Hunt on Wheels’- and this year there will also be a ‘Treasure Hunt on Foot’ for all you walkers out there! It is a community cycling event, aimed at all ages and abilities, on Edinburgh’s Innnertube Map (below).

As a participant in the event, the aim is to cycle to all ten stands that will be dotted about on the North Edinburgh Innertube Cycle Path Network and collect a postcode stamp at each stand. Everyone has until 4pm to collect all ten postcode stamps (for walkers, the aim is to collect 5 stamps) and hand them in at Fiveways Junction where participants will be entered into a prize draw.

A Challenge Card to collect your stamps will be given to you on the day with a map, or you can download it here and start planning your route!

All participants have the opportunity to win: (more prizes to come!)

  • ·         1 of 32 bike themed Goody Bags from The Bike Station
  • ·         2 Tickets to see a film of your choice at The Filmhouse
  • ·         2 Vouchers for Greenyonder Tours
  • ·         A prize of lunch for two at Hula Juice Bar
  • ·         Grow your own veg & wildflower seed packets from ELGT
  • ·         1 of 4 cycling maps of in and around Edinburgh and the Lothians from Spokes
  • ·         Herb planters, bird nests & nectar feeders from ELGT
  • ·         An assortment of prizes from the Postcode Lottery
  • ·         A £50 Alpine Bikes gift voucher donated by State Street

Supported by players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, the main aim is to raise awareness of the paths and their potential as a means of travel across the North of Edinburgh, as well as to get people active in a fun and community fuelled way.

The event takes place tomorrow (Sunday 1 July 1) from 11am to 4pm.

This event is one of several activities that ELGT and The Bike Station have delivered to work towards ‘Inflating the Innertube’.

Park life gets Inverleith Summer Programme under way

A whole host of agencies have got together to organise and support Inverleith’s Youth and Children’s Summer Park Events, and the programme kicks off at Ravleston Park on Monday (2 July) from 1 – 3pm with a portable football pitch, games, music, sports activities and more.

Further park events are planned at Ravelston again (Monday 16 July,1 -3pm), King George V (Monday 30 July 1- 4pm) and Inverleith Park (Friday 10 August 1- 4pm).

For more information contact Anne Brown at Inverleith CLD at Broughton High School, telephone 332 6316 or email anne.brown@ea.edin.sch.uk or check out the website www.joininedinburgh.org/holidayprogramme

And the agencies who have made the Summer Programme possible? In no particular order: Edinburgh Leisure, Glenogle Swim Centre, Fet Lor Youth Centre, Scotmid Co-operative, Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership, CLD Inverleith, Library2go, Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, sportscotland active schools Edinburgh & Lothian and Borders Police.

PYCP summer programme unveiled

Pilton Youth and Children’s Project’s Summer Programme is hot off the press and it’s packed with fun activities for the holidays.

From barbecues and fun clubs to movie clubs and summer snowboarding (!) – and trips to the Fringe, Blair Drummond and Laser Quest, too – there should be something to keep children and young people happy over the summer.

Spaces for trips are limited and priority will be given to existing service users; sign up day is Friday 6 July from 10am – 3pm.

For further information telephone 332 9815, visit PYCP’s website at www.pycp.co.uk or email summer@pycp.co.uk

 

 

Youth Music Initiative to launch at North Edinburgh Arts

On Thursday 28th June 7-8.30pm, North Edinburgh Arts is hosting an urban music event for young  people 12 and over. This will launch the Youth Music Initiative (YMI) Demo Fund  projects and highlight other music opportunities happening in the centre. The  scheme will give young musicians and bands the chance to record demos in the  studio absolutely free.

Creative Scotland’s YMI Demo Fund, supported by the Cashback for Communities proceeds  from crime money helps young musicians working independently by giving them  access to professional sound recording facilities enabling them to record a  professional demo. This is North Edinburgh Arts second Demo Fund project and we  hope to build on the successes of last year by engaging a whole new group of  budding musicians and songwriters.

From 7 – 7.30pm, Muirhouse Youth Development Group (MYDG) will host the first part  of the evening with drinks and refreshments served by our young café volunteers.  There will be lots of activities on offer and a live performance by South  African singer/songwriter Rosita Rhodes. From 7.30pm the internationally  acclaimed Tiako Drummers, Patrick Walker (Forward Strategy Group) Jay Cash  (Grime & Dub-step) and Danny Ladwa (Beat Boxer) will perform. All of these  musicians will be involved with aspects of the Demo Fund and other music  projects in North Edinburgh Arts. We hope this dynamic line-up will inspire and  encourage our local young people to get involved.

David McDonald, Youth Arts Manager at Creative Scotland, said; ‘The  creative strand of the CashBack programme has allowed eighteen recording studios  across the country to open their doors to our young musicians, giving them  access to professional standard recording facilities. Creative Identities also  supports high quality dance and film projects throughout the country.  The  Cashback for Communities initiative has enabled us to re-invests the proceeds of  crime back into communities to make a real difference to the lives of our young  people’.

For more information on this or other projects please go to our  website at www.northedinburgharts.co.uk or email marketing@northedinburgharts.co.uk

GYC's Fame Academy needs YOU!

Granton Youth Centre have been developing their arts provision over the last couple of years and have created two successful pieces of theatre – Split Second and Just Like Everyone Else. Fame Academy is the latest opportunity for local young people to create their own piece of theatre that could potentially become as successful as previous productions.

The project offers young people aged 12+ the chance to try out various art forms including drama, music, film and set and costume design.

Heather Marshall explained: “GYC needs you! We’re looking for young people aged 12+ who would like to create their own show. Rehearsals will take place at GYC and will include: 

Theatre

Music

Movement

Film Set

Costume design 

You can sign up to perform or help backstage:

Monday 2 July 1-4pm Thurs 5 July 1-4pm

Monday 9 July 1-4pm Thursday 12 July 1-4pm

Monday 16 July 1-4pm Thursday 19 July 1-4pm

Monday 23 July 1-4pm Thursday 26 July 1-4pm. 

This is your opportunity to create a brand new show!”

i@grantonyouth.com

GYC’s Fame Academy needs YOU!

Granton Youth Centre have been developing their arts provision over the last couple of years and have created two successful pieces of theatre – Split Second and Just Like Everyone Else. Fame Academy is the latest opportunity for local young people to create their own piece of theatre that could potentially become as successful as previous productions.

The project offers young people aged 12+ the chance to try out various art forms including drama, music, film and set and costume design.

Heather Marshall explained: “GYC needs you! We’re looking for young people aged 12+ who would like to create their own show. Rehearsals will take place at GYC and will include: 

Theatre

Music

Movement

Film Set

Costume design 

You can sign up to perform or help backstage:

Monday 2 July 1-4pm Thurs 5 July 1-4pm

Monday 9 July 1-4pm Thursday 12 July 1-4pm

Monday 16 July 1-4pm Thursday 19 July 1-4pm

Monday 23 July 1-4pm Thursday 26 July 1-4pm. 

This is your opportunity to create a brand new show!”

i@grantonyouth.com

Letter: Better Together?

Dear Editor

I do not vote for any of the major political parties. It was interesting to read about the Scottish Labour MSPs joining up with the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats to promote the “Better Together” campaign about the Independence vote due to take place in 2014. Here we have the main leaders of political parties in Scotland – Johann Lamont, Willie Rennie and Ruth Davidson spearheaded by Alistair Darling – trying to convince the Scottish electorate that Scotland would be better as part of the UK Union.

We are all aware that Scotland has only one Tory MP who sits in the Westminster Government, so do the Conservatives really have a mandate in Scotland? Are we “Better Together” while the Tories make their immoral and unfair cuts to welfare reforms, pensions and the health service? Are we “Better Together” when the English governments lead us into illegal wars?

We have an English chancellor who has made so many u turns in his budget since it was announced. George Osbourne has also threatened Scotland that, should they vote for independence, we will not be able to use the pound sterling. Then again he may do yet another u turn on that decision!

At the launch of the “Better Together” campaign we saw around forty Scots who have little to do with politics support the campaign. Does this handful of people speak for the whole Scottish nation?

The SNP have informed the nation that the Queen would still be head of state should Scotland vote for independence. If this occurs, should there not be a vote by the Scottish people who we should have as head of state? The Queen’s title is Elizabeth II of England – not Scotland, Ireland or Great Britain.

Do not forget the terrible Poll Tax that the English Tories endorsed in Scotland during the Thatcher years and was only withdrawn when it was imposed in England after riots on the streets of London. How can the Scots forget the closure of all the industries in Scotland due to Tory rule? During that time Labour and other political parties were urging our nation never to trust them (the Tories) again. Now here we have the Scottish Labour Party trying to convince the electorate that we are “Better Together” in the United Kingdom! Better for who? Their own political careers!

Do not underestimate the Scottish electorate by trying to pull the wool over their eyes. Remember the SNP were elected by a big majority at the last Scottish Election. The LibDems were annihilated at the recent council elections due to their national policy of “jumping into bed with the Tories”. I await the forthcoming debates with bated breath.

Anna Hutchison

What do you think? Better together or apart? Would it make any difference? Do you care? Will you vote in the referendum? Let us know!