Author: davepickering

Edinburgh reporter and photographer

It's Jubilee party time!

The Bank Holiday weekend will see Diamond Jubilee parties across the country and you won’t have to travel too far to join in the celebrations.

Granton Baptist Church are having a barbecue, fun and games at Crewe Road West on Sunday from 11 – 4pm, all welcome

Also on Sunday, Holy Cross Church in Davidson’s Mains is holding a picnic with music and games from 12.15pm – again all welcome, bring your own picnic but no dogs please!

Next weekend, St Serf’s on Clark Road are holding a Jubilee Fete on Saturday (9 June) from 2 – 4pm. Games with the Air Cadets, Stockbridge Pipe Band, many stalls and afternoon teas are all on offer along at Goldenacre.

Seems like North Edinburgh’s going Jubilee crazy!

If you know of any other Diamond Jubilee celebrations, or would like to publicise your own event, let us know!

It’s Jubilee party time!

The Bank Holiday weekend will see Diamond Jubilee parties across the country and you won’t have to travel too far to join in the celebrations.

Granton Baptist Church are having a barbecue, fun and games at Crewe Road West on Sunday from 11 – 4pm, all welcome

Also on Sunday, Holy Cross Church in Davidson’s Mains is holding a picnic with music and games from 12.15pm – again all welcome, bring your own picnic but no dogs please!

Next weekend, St Serf’s on Clark Road are holding a Jubilee Fete on Saturday (9 June) from 2 – 4pm. Games with the Air Cadets, Stockbridge Pipe Band, many stalls and afternoon teas are all on offer along at Goldenacre.

Seems like North Edinburgh’s going Jubilee crazy!

If you know of any other Diamond Jubilee celebrations, or would like to publicise your own event, let us know!

Mike moves on and Alex takes the chair

Alex Dale is the new chairman of Drylaw Telford Community Council. The Wester Drylaw man was elected unopposed at last night’s annual general meeting held in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre.

Alex (above left) takes over from Mike Clark (right), who was chair of the community council for three years. Choking back the tears (!), Mike explained that he now had just too many other commitments and that he felt it necessary not only to step down as Chair, but also to resign from the community council.

Thanking Mike for his sterling service, Jackie Brown said: “Mike has been a very popular chair and we’ll miss him. We all wish Mike all the very best and hope he’ll come back to join us for the occasional meeting”.

Following the election process – conducted by new Inverleith SNP councillor Gavin Barrie – the other office-bearers remain in place: Jackie Brown (treasurer), Dave Pickering (vice-chair) and Ian Greenhalgh (secretary).

Guest speaker at the meeting was local historian Ian Moore (pictured below), who gave an entertaining talk on the history of the area, in particular Drylaw House.

Drylaw House was built in 1718, and perhaps it’s most infamous inhabitant was James Loch, who was born there in 1780. Loch is best known for his role in the Highland Clearances, and during research for the North Edinburgh Social History project Ian was so incensed by Loch’s actions that he wrote a song about him.

Ian sang the song at last night’s meeting, and in the process made his own piece of local history – by being the first man ever to sing at a Drylaw Telford Community Council meeting in it’s long and august history!

Ian Moore guest speaker at Drylaw Telford AGM

The history of Drylaw in fifteen minutes! Local historian Ian Moore is making a quick return to Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre as guest speaker at Drylaw Telford Community Council’s annual general meeting tomorrow evening.

An enthusiastic member of North Edinburgh Social History Group, Ian was presented with DTCC’s annual Thomas Tierney Award just last month. He’s a real character and his contribution should make a refreshing change from the usual old balance sheets and dull reports!

The annual general meeting starts at 7pm – all welcome.

Fire crews tackle Muirhouse blaze

Firefighters spent two hours battling a fire in a derelict building in Muirhouse Avenue last night.

Three fire appliances from Crewe Toll attended the incident after the alarm was raised at 9.20pm. Crews discovered a fire in the ground floor of the derelict domestic property and two firefighters in breathing apparatus used high-pressure hose reels to tackle the blaze.

The fire spread to the first floor, but was put out with a high-pressure hose reel and crews using a short extension ladder. Following further safety inspections and damping down fire crews  left at 11pm.

The Muirhouse Avenue building is one of two due for demolition as part of the Muirhouse Pennywell regeneration programme.

Royal Victoria Building Open Day today

The new Royal Victoria Building is holding an open day this afternoon to give local people, patients and relatives the chance to look around the new building at the Western General Hospital. It’s an opportunity to see Edinburgh’s state-of-the-art facility before it swings into operation next month.

The RVB, which has been built on the Western General Hospital site, has been designed to provide the highest quality healthcare services in a modern setting for older people, dermatology and rheumatology patients. It will become a landmark in healthcare history when it opens, as the first of its kind in Scotland to 100 per cent single en-suite rooms.

Along with the rest of the team, project director Dave King will be on hand to take guided tours of the building and point out some of the innovative features and designs. He said: “We are really proud of this facility and we are looking forward to taking people around the building and letting them see it for themselves. The open day will give our neighbours, locals, patients and relatives the chance to see the future of healthcare services for the elderly on Scotland”.

You can see the future for yourself today from 1 – 4pm.

The open day follows the recent handover ceremony from the contractor to NHS Lothian, when NHS Lothian Chairman Dr Charles Winstanley, joined by children from St David’s Primary School, sunk a time capsule in the grounds of the new facility to mark the occasion.

The new Royal Victoria Building was commissioned following a review of older people’s services in January 2002 and an extensive public consultation two years later. Approval was granted in early 2010 for medical services for patients over 65 years of age to be moved and provided in a new facility.

Dianne seeks sponsors for Diabetes walk

West Granton Road woman Dianne Vanderster is taking part in a sponsored walk on behalf of Diabetes UK on 17 June and she’s looking for NEN readers to sponsor her.

Dianne, who is 73, has had diabetes for ‘eight or nine’ years and believes that the charity’s ‘Walk for Diabetes’ events are worth supporting, so she’s decided to take part in the Edinburgh and Lothians event which starts from Linlithgow Palace on 17 June.

Although Dianne and husband Jack have lived in West Granton Road for many years, many of her friends and neighbours have moved on and it’s not quite so easy for Dianne to get round the doors to look for sponsors – so she’s asked the NEN to help.

No sooner said than done – if you’d like to support Dianne in her sponsored walk to raise funds for Diabetes UK, contact Scottish organiser Susan Williamson on 0141 245 6380 or email Scotland@diabetes.org.uk

Good luck with the walk, Dianne!

North Edinburgh hosts 'International' sports carnival

Forthview and Granton Primary Schools became Australia and China for the day when they took part in a Sports Carnival organised by facilities management giant ISS at The Spartans Community Football Academy yesterday.

The local schools were joined by Bannockburn’s St Mary’s School and each took part in three different elements on the day – the themes being education, fun and competition.

The event was supported by a wide range of agencies: British Heart Foundation and Coca Cola sponsored the event, while Lothian and Borders Police, Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service and Lothian Buses were all there, providing information and advice at the education section. SELEX Galileo apprentices were among the volunteers who staffed the popular fun section which included inflatables and mini-football.

Highlight of the day was a series of sports challenges and competitive races – sprints, hurdles, relays and fun runs – all enthusiastically supported by cheering supporters.

And continuing the theme in the finest Olympic tradition there were also award presentations and a closing ceremony to bring a memorable day to perfect end.

Some images:

North Edinburgh hosts ‘International’ sports carnival

Forthview and Granton Primary Schools became Australia and China for the day when they took part in a Sports Carnival organised by facilities management giant ISS at The Spartans Community Football Academy yesterday.

The local schools were joined by Bannockburn’s St Mary’s School and each took part in three different elements on the day – the themes being education, fun and competition.

The event was supported by a wide range of agencies: British Heart Foundation and Coca Cola sponsored the event, while Lothian and Borders Police, Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service and Lothian Buses were all there, providing information and advice at the education section. SELEX Galileo apprentices were among the volunteers who staffed the popular fun section which included inflatables and mini-football.

Highlight of the day was a series of sports challenges and competitive races – sprints, hurdles, relays and fun runs – all enthusiastically supported by cheering supporters.

And continuing the theme in the finest Olympic tradition there were also award presentations and a closing ceremony to bring a memorable day to perfect end.

Some images: