davepickering

Trinity CC talks parking tonight

Trinity Community Council meets tonight at St Serf’s Church at 7pm. The main item for discussion is local parking.

Is it really a problem in Trinity or simply confined to a few streets?
If it is a problem, what might be done about it?
More yellow lines?
The introduction of a Priority Parking Area in some or all of Trinity?
Should we mount a survey of residents through Trinity Spotlight?

Local residents are invited to come along and have their say tonight

agenda-february-2015

visit trinitycommunitycouncil.wordpress.com for more information

Romance? Give a card or a kiss – not a cold sore!

PEOPLE in Scotland are being reminded to take some time to think of their health this Valentine’s Day …

As people’s thoughts turn to celebrating love and romance (Eh? – Ed), Scotland’s national telehealth and telecare service is urging people to take some simple steps to avoid passing on any unwanted gifts on February 14th.

Professor George Crooks, NHS 24 Medical Director, said: “Many people mark Valentine’s Day by exchanging cards with their loved ones. Make sure the only thing you share with your partner this Valentine’s Day are these type of romantic moments and not a cold sore or other infection.

“If you have a cold sore, it is important to avoid kissing until they have completely healed and always wash your hands before or after touching the affected area. The online health library at NHS inform also includes helpful advice and tips about preventing halitosis or bad breath. Practising good hand hygiene will also ensure that you don’t pass on any unwanted germs to your loved one.

“You could also give your partner the gift of stopping smoking this Valentine’s Day. As well as preventing bad breath, there are many benefits to quitting, from lowering the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases to saving money which you could use to buy flowers or chocolates for that someone special in your life.

“Take some time to think about your health this Valentine’s Day and remember there is a wealth of health advice and information available at your fingertips at www.nhsinform.co.uk”

Find us at www.twitter.com/nhs24 and www.facebook.com/nhs24

Creative Leith collaborates on ‘Love Leith’ bruncheon

LEITH CREATIVE Project Launch

Saturday 14 February 2015, 11.30 – 3.00pm

It’s been a quiet start of the year for Citizen Curator but we are back this month with some interesting new collaborations …

In partnership with LeithLate we are launching Leith Creative at a very special ‘Love Leith’ Creative Bruncheon in conjunction with Out of Blue Drill Hall.

Leith Creative is a research project investigating the cultural resources and creative industries that make up the wider area. As part of this we have been talking to some of the creative hubs that inhabit Leith, but to find out more we want to hear from individual artists and organisations living, or working, in the area. What are the success you have had or challenges that you face?

To find out more …

Join us at the Drill Hall on Dalmeny Street for informal networking, where a host of family friendly Bruncheon treats will be available from the OOTB café, as well as live music from local Leith musicians, curated by William Douglas.

This is a free event but booking is appreciated.

If you can’t make it on the day, remember to fill out and share this online survey.

Also remember to check out our new Leith Creative facebook page for future events.

For further details contact

Citizen Curator

Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop

21 Hawthornvale, Edinburgh, EH6 4JT

44+(0)7812167130

info@citizencurator.com

www.citizencurator.com

‘like’ us on Facebook

Citizen Curator is a contemporary arts organisation working with the history and identity of Leith and North Edinburgh. This project is supported by Creative Scotland, the City of Edinburgh Council and the Leith Benevolent Society

Our Leith Creative logo, and soon to come interactive map, is by artist/designer David Lemm. David also has work on display at the Edinburgh Printmakers, until 7 March.

Local groups unite to say: NO CUTS!

POWER TO THE PEOPLE

Edinburgh Council is planning to cut millions from its budget over the next three years. These cuts will affect all our public services.

We say

NO CUTS

to our schools, nurseries, community centres, youth services, libraries, museums, social and day care services.

Join local groups and communities from across Edinburgh to save our services on budget day.

Thursday 12 February 2015

8.30 am – 9.45 am

City Chambers, High Street.

For transport to and from the Chambers call Royston/Wardieburn Community Centre on 552 5700.

Stop the cuts. Save our Services. Defend public sector jobs.

North Edinburgh is standing together and fighting back.

P2TP CUTS LEAFLET 2015 5

Womens International Group

Power to the People Group

Royston Wardieburn Community Centre

Battling Spartans leave it late

… but the Hibs go marching on!

Ally MacKinnon is – The Equaliser!

Two Edinburgh teams will go into Monday’s Scottish Cup quarter-final draw – just. A late, late show at Ainslie Park saw Spartans strike deep into injury time to force a replay at Berwick, while Hibs safely negotiated a potential banana-skin when they comfortably saw off Arbroath at Easter Road. Shock of the round was Rangers tame surrender to Raith Rovers at Ibrox.

Spartans fell behind to an early Berwick goal and were often second-best during a stirring encounter played in front of a full house at Ainslie Park. Just as in the last round, however, the Lowland League saved the best ’til last. Deep into stoppage time Ally MacKinnon fired home a equaliser that sent the crowd into raptures and ensured wee Spartans live to fight another day. The replay will take place on Tuesday 17 February, and it will take another never-say-die performance to see the local lads progress.

Easter Road couldn’t match Ainslie Park for drama on Saturday, although Hibs did have to come from a goal down to dispose of fourth-tier league leaders Arbroath. A well-worked move saw Kieran Stewart open the scoring for the visitors, but Hibs fans’ nerves were soothed when Djedje equalised with a sweetly struck volley just before half-time.

Hibs continued to dominate after the break, although there was a lot of huffing and puffing to little effect. The introduction of McGeogh brought a sense of purpose to Hibs’ already dominant midfield, however, and it was no surprise when the Easter Road men immediately capitalised on their superiority.

Hibs’ second had more than a touch of good fortune about it – a Cummings shot that wasn’t going to trouble the ‘keeper took a wicked deflection off defender Liam Gordon on the hour mark – and the Easter Road men quickly followed up to seal their place in the quarter finals with a Dylan McGeoch strike in 68 minutes. More workmanlike than spectacular, this was a case of ‘job done’; sterner tests await.

It will be Rangers, however, that will make all the Monday headlines – but once again it will be for all the wrong reasons.

Just when you think it really can’t get any worse for Rangers, it gets worse. This Rangers ‘team’ – I use the term loosely – simply couldn’t match an honest Raith Rovers side for determination, energy, effort or endeavour. Barely 11,000 diehard Rangers fans turned up to watch the debacle – these are dreadful times indeed for a once-great club. It’s not funny anymore – even when the coup de grace, the final indignity, is delivered by the oft-ridiculed figure of fun that is Christian Nade.

After today’s showing, the Ibrox Board might consider relocating their Extraordinary General Meeting from the London’s sumptuous Dorchester Hotel to somewhere more fitting with their current status.

Suggestions welcome …

Elsewhere, there were few surprises. Hot favourites Celtic scored early and were never in any danger against Dundee, Falkirk beat Brechin 2-1 and Inverness CT edged a narrow victory at Partick Thistle. Result of the day was Championship side Queen of the South’s 2-0 victory over Scottish Cup holders St Johnstone with second half goals by Lyle (48) and Reilly (90). On Sunday, Dundee United made short work of Stranraer. Three up at half-time, the Tangerines coasted to an easy victory.

Darts supremo Gary Anderson will help make the draw for the quarter-finals of the William Hill Scottish Cup on Monday afternoon. The current PDC World Champion will be joined by the Scottish FA First Vice-President, Alan McRae and Joe McCallum from competition sponsors William Hill. The draw takes place at 2pm and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports News. You can also follow the draw on the @ScottishFA Twitter feed.

Teams going into the hat are:

Berwick Rangers or Spartans

Celtic

Dundee United

Falkirk

Hibernian

Inverness CT

Queen of the South

Raith Rovers

Man in hospital following Telford Road collision

A man was taken to hospital following a two-car collision on Telford Road last night.

The accident happened at about 22:40. The man was cut from the wreckage by fire crews and taken by ambulance to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. The hospital’s Medic One team was also in attendance at the scene.

No-one else was injured in the collision.

#StrongerNorth: Working together for the community

FACENorth is working for the community … in all weathers!

Over the last three months FACENorth (Focussing on Alternatives to Crime Edinburgh North), in partnership with POP (Preventative Opportunities Programme) have been working with a core group of eight to ten young people running a series of work parties at Towford Outdoor Centre, the bothy owned and managed by Muirhouse Youth Development Group and MYAdventure. As well as working at Towford the group has painted the café in PYCP and bag-packed at Sainsbury’s in Craigleith to raise money for MYDG.

This group of young people has been helping get Towford ready for use by the wider community whilst gaining real work experience, working as part of a team, following instructions, preparing and cooking their own meals, preparing a dinner table, washing up after themselves, showing respect for themselves, their environment and for others, planning and implementing ideas, conservation training, learning about their own and a new environment and most importantly putting something back into their own Community.

When we started, there was no heating or hot water in the bothy, few lights downstairs and very basic cooking facilities, so with some nights dropping to below freezing the warmth of sleeping bags at night with a meal and hot drink were very welcome!

So far the group has removed an unsafe, old mouldy shed which had stood unused for a number of years and turned the space left into to a temporary car parking space. They have also planted trees, removed old wood from around the site, cleared work areas, helped to create a temporary road surface at the entrance to the Centre, dug out trenches to create a drainage system to stop the access road from flooding, removed root systems around the trenches and carried out general labouring work.

With the Centre being surrounded by over 17 acres of ground including hills, forest and a large pond, the group intends to return to dig more trenches and create a proper road drainage system using underground pipes etc., create a new access road to the centre with an asphalt/concrete surface, clear an old deforested area to help create a football pitch/camp area, assist in the planning and creation of a bike and walking track, clear and drain the pond area and re-route part of a river to run through the pond to allow this to be used for fishing, canoeing and wildlife area!

Once plans are finalised for the remembrance area for Mikaeel Kular the group is keen to contribute to getting this ready so that whole community of North Edinburgh has somewhere to spend some quiet reflection time.

At Pilton Youth and Children’s Project the group has painted the café area (above), creating a brighter more user friendly area for centre users to enjoy and the group will shortly be taking part in a conservation project based on the local cycle paths.

Two face Court following Telford drug seizure

Two people have been charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act after police recovered Class B drugs at a property on Telford Road on Thursday. Amphetamine with a street value of around £3,500 and a substantial quantity of cannabis were recovered by officers during the intelligence-led raid.

A 28-year-old man and 22-year-old woman have been reported to the Procurator Fiscal and will appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in due course.

Inspector David Happs said: “Crucial intelligence and proactive policing has resulted in the removal of a significant quantity of drugs from the streets of Edinburgh. We will continue to use all the resources at our disposal to remove drugs from our communities.”

Anyone with information that can help police with their enquiries is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101 or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

#StrongerNorth: latest update

Click on the link below for the latest #StrongerNorth progress report:

Stronger North Update Feb 15

Dancing in the streets of Sparta tonight?

Scottish Cup weekend again, and for many neutrals the tastiest tie of the round is the Spartans v Berwick Rangers game at Ainslie Park. Spartans go into the game as underdogs, but playing in front of a packed full house it would be absolutely no surprise to see the North Edinburgh community club progress to the quarter-finals for the first time in their history.

While it would be a notable victory, on the giant-killing scale Spartans beating Berwick Rangers would barely register a slight tremor. Their visitors, however, know all about cup upsets: Berwick featured in the greatest giant-killing story of them all.

On a cold January afternoon in 1967, 13,365 packed into Berwick’s Shielfield Park to watch a mighty Rangers team, packed with internationals, hammer the ‘wee Rangers’. That was the expectation, but nobody told the Berwick men!

Rangers pummelled away at their hosts from kick-off and forced ten corners in the opening half hour. A goal seemed inevitable, but when it came it shook Scottish football to it’s foundations – in the 32nd minute Sammy Reid hammered the ball past Rangers keeper Norrie Martin to put the minnows ahead!

Rangers battered away at Big Jock Wallace in the Berwick goal – yes, that big Jock Wallace – but they couldn’t break the defiant borderers down. The story goes that, with the game well into injury time and the Ibrox club facing cup exit, Rangers skipper and club legend John Greig had a word with referee Eddie Thomson and asked for another couple of minutes – but was told: “I’ve already given you four!” Berwick Rangers held on to create the greatest shock in Scottish Cup history.

The result was announced on TV and radio in the sombre tones usually reserved for royal funerals and rail disasters. I was a wee laddie at the time, but I remember it like yesterday. What I can’t recall is whether the announcers wore black ties – but I suppose back in those days it was all black and white anyway!

We won’t get shocks of that magnitude this weekend – not if Hibs were humbled by Arbroath, Stranraer stun Dundee United or wee Spartans shock Berwick.

But will there be dancing in the streets of Sparta tonight? I really do think there will be – take your partners!

Scottish Cup Fifth Round ties:

Today:

Dundee v Celtic 12:30pm

Falkirk v Brechin 3pm

Hibernian v Arbroath 3pm

Partick Thistle v Inverness CT 3pm

Queen of South v St Johnstone 3pm

Spartans FC v Berwick 3pm

Tomorrow:

Stranraer v Dundee United 12.30pm

Rangers v Raith Rovers 3pm