Author: davepickering

Edinburgh reporter and photographer

Winter’s tale: Christmas misery for abandoned pets


The Scottish SPCA has warned of the dangers of giving pets as Christmas gifts as the charity prepares for one of its busiest and most heartbreaking times of year. Scotland’s animal welfare charity has also revealed some of the excuses given for young and elderly pets being given up during the festive period.

Chief Superintendent Mike Flynn said, “Sadly, our animal rescue and rehoming centres are full every Christmas. It’s a time of year when many of our centres are asked to take in elderly pets, with dogs being the most common. The excuses our staff have heard have been shocking, with some owners telling us they have suddenly developed an allergy to a pet they’ve had for years. Others have said they’ve simply had enough of their pet because it’s so old and some have even told us they don’t want their dog making their house untidy when they have guests for Christmas.

“We know that in some of these cases the owners have in fact been making space for a new puppy or a younger pet, which is disgusting and extremely callous. Our centres will stop rehoming young animals between 20 December and 3 January because we have to be very careful they aren’t being taken on by anyone who wants a new pet for Christmas and hasn’t fully thought through their decision. Taking on a pet is a commitment for that animal’s lifetime and new owners should ensure they have the time and resources they need and understand their responsibilities.”

Chief Supt. Flynn said the Christmas period continues to have a distressing impact in the New Year.

“It’s another upsetting reality that in the weeks and months after Christmas our centres are often asked to take in puppies, kittens and other pets given as presents once the novelty has worn off,” he said. “Or, even worse, some of these pets are abandoned and left to fend for themselves. Clearly, in these instances the owners hadn’t realised that the young pet which was great fun at Christmas would need to be housetrained and properly socialised and that this would require effort on their part.
Our message is pets are a long-term commitment and responsibility, not presents which can be given on Christmas Day and forgotten about soon afterwards.”

On Christmas Day last year the Scottish SPCA was called to rescue an elderly dog dumped on a remote country road and left for dead. Chief Supt. Flynn said, “It’s almost unthinkable that someone would do something so cruel. Winter could easily have been knocked down and killed and it was clear whoever did this didn’t care what happened to him. While we didn’t receive the information we needed to find Winter’s owner, we can’t rule out the possibility he was abandoned to make way for a Christmas puppy. Thankfully, we were able to rescue Winter before it was too late and soon found him a loving new home.”

City gets set for Christmas

Edinburgh’s Christmas celebration’s will kick off with a stunning Light Night ceremony on the Mound tonight (Thursday). 

A dazzling combination of projection, aerial performance and pyrotechnics will build excitement through a specially commissioned show – Christmas Dream Machine.  Revealing the enchanting dreams of a child at Christmas, the performance will culminate in the lighting of Edinburgh’s Norwegian Christmas Tree; a gift from the people of Hordaland.  An exotic Brazilian Samba Band will lead revellers to St Andrew Square, where the festivities will continue with a live after show, featuring an array of local artists, entertainers and a fire show.

Over the six weeks, the ever popular Traditional German Christmas Market returns to the city along with the Traditional Highland Village Christmas Market, plus a number of bespoke markets will take place across the city centre throughout December.

Commenting on the overall programme, City of Edinburgh Council Lord Provost, Rt Hon Donald Wilson, said: “Edinburgh’s Christmas is one of the most iconic Christmas celebrations in the world and we are pleased to announce a varied programme of events and attractions for 2012.  Whether it’s to catch up with family and friends, or just to relax and soak up the magical atmosphere, we are proud of the fact that so many people make Edinburgh their destination of choice.  With the nativity scene at the heart of the city and carol concerts to attend, visitors and residents will have plenty of opportunity to enjoy the festive season.”

From skating beneath the stars on the Edinburgh Ice Rink to seeing the city from a new perspective on the breathtaking Edinburgh Wheel, there is something for everyone this Christmas. Visitors of all ages will be thrilled to see the return of live reindeer to St Andrew Square on 8 & 9 December, then Friday, Saturday and Sunday on both weekends before Christmas.

For the first time, there will be a 3D cinema in East Princes Street Garden, where children and adults alike will love the award-winning Christmas caper ‘Rocket’s Missing Antler’.  Rocket is usually the fastest of all of Santa’s helpers, but he has lost his antler, meaning Christmas could be cancelled.  The exciting visual feast follows the loveable reindeer, Cheeky Snowman and the Wishfairy as they battle against time to regrow Rocket’s antler and save Christmas.

Nickie Gott, managing director of She’s Gott It!, Edinburgh’s Christmas producers, enthuses: “There is no better place than Edinburgh during the festive period.  With the remarkable Light Night starting things off in style, the city centre will be buzzing with activity and excitement.  The capital is so magical at this time of year and we hope that our programme will amaze and delight the entire family.”

Following the success of last year’s St Andrew’s Day celebrations, Edinburgh’s Christmas will once again present an exciting programme of activity on the Castle esplanade tomorrow (30 November) as part of Scotland’s Winter Festival.  During the day, there will be a chance for visitors to make their own lantern, before a specially commissioned night time spectacular, with fireworks to celebrate Scotland’s patron saint.

Santa will be arriving in the city centre from 5pm on Saturday 8 December in his reindeer-drawn sleigh, and will make daily visits to collect his post and to see who has been naughty and nice. There will be a flurry of red and white on Sunday 9 December, as hundreds of Santas pull on their running shoes for the tenth Great Edinburgh Santa Run, in aid of the When You Wish Upon a Star Foundation. Starting in West Princes Street Gardens, Santas of all ages will be able to run, jog or walk the 1.5km route.

Andy Neal, chief executive of Essential Edinburgh, said: “With Edinburgh’s Christmas bringing thousands of visitors to the city each year, Essential Edinburgh is proud to support some of the fantastic activities, such as Light Night and Santa’s Arrival – key features of the  programme that encourage visitors and residents to come into town during the festive period.  This investment is another example of the city centre’s private businesses, through Essential Edinburgh, investing in the Capital.”

Edinburgh’s Christmas is a highlight in the Winter in Edinburgh marketing campaign and is supported by the City of Edinburgh Council, Essential Edinburgh and Marketing Edinburgh.

Nearly-new market can keep Christmas costs down

NEARLY NEW IS THE “NEW” NEW!

It is reported that the average family can spend up to a whopping £700 at Christmas, while the lowest price expected for a family to pay is £182. The easiest way to save money this Christmas is to shop for quality nearly-new items at your Local Jack & Jill Market.  Thousands of shoppers collectively tell us every month across all our markets about the fantastic savings they have made.

One happy shopper recently told us “This is the sixth Market I have been to, and every time I leave with a bag full of fantastic goodies for my boys which I am putting away for Christmas, I will be all finished soon and will probably have spent under £100”

Our children don’t know or care that an item has been played with and loved before it reaches them, in fact I am sure we can all relate to how they always seem to get more enjoyment playing with toys everywhere else that you go.  If it’s New to them then as far as they are concerned its NEW!

There are lots of reasons why its sensible to shop at The Jack & Jill Market, here are our favourites:

  1. Everything is cheaper – Your money goes a lot further!
  2. Your money stays in the community – You are buying your items from local Families and helping their family budget at the same time as yours!
  3. The Thrill of The Hunt – Scouring the Market for that must have item at an unbeatable price is exciting in a way retail shopping isn’t!
  4. Its Green – Buying nearly new cuts down on the amount going to landfill!
  5. It’s All Under One Roof – Generally you can find everything you might need or want all in the same place and leave with it that very day!

A recent stallholder told us “I am thrilled to have made over £300, that’s money which is going into the Christmas fund and will make a huge difference”

Join us at the very last Jack & Jill Market in 2012 on Sunday 9th December at Meadowbank Stadium from 10:30-1:30.  It’s going to be bursting with bargains to stuff your stockings and treats for under your tree as well as all the rest from start to finish!

Pauline, Jack and Jill Market

High-powered taskforce seeks ways to cut health gap

A new group of experts made up of health professionals and politicians is to seek ways to narrow the health gap between the richest and poorest people in Scotland. The Ministerial Taskforce on Health Inequalities meets for the first time today (Thursday) to examine evidence and to suggest new or better ways to reduce the difference in life expectancy and health among the whole population.

Chaired by Public Health Minister Michael Matheson, the Taskforce includes the Chief Medical Officer, clinicians, health experts, local government representative and other Ministers. The work will build on the Equally Well report of the last Ministerial taskforce in 2008.

Public Health Minister Michael Matheson said:

“While health in Scotland continues to improve and people live longer lives, health inequalities are still worse than in the rest of western Europe. Of all the challenges facing Scotland, the health gap between our richest and poorest communities is among the greatest. Inequality wastes human potential, while reducing inequalities will improve Scotland’s wellbeing, lead to higher productivity and less pressure on public finances.

”The challenge for the Taskforce is to review the effectiveness of current policy, to respond to new information and knowledge about what has worked to narrow inequalities and to hear to community views on the best way ahead.

“While Scotland is rightly seen as a world leader in public health legislation and policy, the main reasons for health inequality are income and power, so addressing these issues will be part of our overall approach. Delivering on this agenda takes leadership at all levels and I am determined to ensure the Scottish Government does what it can in the current political and economic circumstances to narrow the health gap.”

The Taskforce is expected to report in summer 2013.

Membership of the Ministerial Taskforce on Health Inequalities is:

Michael Matheson, Minister for Public Health (Chair)

Aileen Campbell, Minister for Children and Young People

Margaret Burgess, Minister for Housing and Welfare

Angela Constance, Minister for Youth Employment

Derek Mackay, Minister for Local Government and Planning

Roseanna Cunningham, Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs

Paul Wheelhouse, Minister for Environment and Climate Change

Sir Harry Burns, Chief Medical Officer for Scotland

Margaret Burns, Chair of NHS Health Scotland

Dr Charles Winstanley, Chair of NHS Chairs Scotland

Andrew Muirhead, Chief Executive, Inspiring Scotland

Professor Carol Tannahill, Director, Glasgow Centre for Population Health

Cllr Peter Johnston, COSLA Spokesperson for Health and Wellbeing

Top speakers lined up for Craigroyston conference

There are still places available at Saturday’s Anti-Poverty conference at Craigroyston Community High School, and organisers are dleighted with the varied programme of speakers and workshops lined up for the event.
North Edinburgh Fights Back’s Willie Black (pictured above) is one of the conference organisers, and he’s looking forward to a day of debate and discussion with some great speakers lined up.
” We’re delighted that Owen Jones, author of ‘Chavs: The demonisation of the  Working Class’, has agreed to speak at the conference – he recently appeared on BBC’s ‘Question Time and his attendance at Craigroyston is a real coup for us.
“Kezia Dugdale MSP will be speaking about her motion to parliament on pay day loans. It’s coming up for Christmas when money is even more tight, so this will be a topical contribution!”
Food is another topical issue in North Edinburgh – dare I say a ‘hot potato’?
Willie went on: “Mike Small from Fife Diet will be telling the conference about community  gardening, food co-ops and allotments in Fife – how they got started and are now such an influential movement. He will be giving us some ideas to possibly take  forward an ‘Edinburgh Diet’.
“This is especially important as our local Co-op – near the  school where we are holding the conference – is about to be closed. It is the only  place to buy fresh fruit and veg for miles. North Edinburgh Fights Back held a well supported petition and campaign stall outside the Co-op in Pennywell Road today (Wednesday) and people coming out of the shop and passing were shocked that the only large store within walking distance is to be closed. Many petition sheets were filled, and we will be raising this at the conference on Saturday.”
“Andy Wightman, author of ‘Who Owns Scotland’ and ‘The Poor have no  Lawyers’ and who appeared as the expert on land ownership in the documentary  ‘You’ve Been Trumped’ will be speaking to the conference about land ownership  and the rights to common land that are being legislated against by the  government. This legislation could result in local communities having the right to use land for their own use and plans. Locally selling the available land on the foreshore with planning permission to an off shore property company for just over 2 million instead of its original price of 40 million pounds will mean even less democratic control over what is built in our local area. we are not the only community facing this question of how land is bought and sold over our heads.”
Another ‘hot’ topic is fuel prices and fuel poverty. The conference has got this covered too:
“The Edinburgh Tenants’ Federation will be holding a workshop on  fuel  poverty and housing. They are having a ‘Warm-In’ at the east end  of Princes Street at 5pm this Thursday (29 November) to highlight the  horrendous effect that the rise in fuel prices will have on those who are  already struggling to pay their bills and eat (and buy Christmas presents). Latest figures for fuel poverty are to announced tomorrow and the action is part of many protests across Britain.”
So a lot of issues, and a lot to debate – the conference takes place at Craigroyston Community High School this Saturday from 10am – 4pm. See flyer below for details of how to register:

Happy birthday GYC!

Just how do you capture the ten-year history and list all the achievements of Granton Youth Centre in just an hour? That was the tough task set for organisers of the local youth centre’s tenth birthday celebration last Friday – but they passed the test with flying colours. And one young lad managed it in three simple words!

Granton Youth Centre’s special anniversary was marked by a civic reception, requested by Forth councillor Vicki Redpath and hosted at the City Chambers by Lord Provost Cllr Donald Wilson on 23 November.

The Lord Provost congratulated GYC on reaching a significant milestone and said: “As a teacher of thirty years experience I can say that nothing is more important than raising young peoples’ aspirations and self-esteem. It’s vital, and Granton Youth Centre has been delivering this service in an area of high deprivation for ten years – that is a great achievement. Many congratulations, and I’m delighted to welcome you all here today.”

GYC’s chairperson Liz Hair has been with the organisation since the beginning and she was the ideal person to talk about the Centre’s memorable events, progress and achievements – the drama productions, street work, volunteer training and employment support initiatives, the outreach work and counselling services … a programme that continues to offer a wealth of activities and opportunities for young people in North Edinburgh.

Liz also made a surprise presentation to former manager Vicki Ridley, who moved on to pastures new after a very successful ten year career in Granton.

Who better to summarise what GYC means to them than the young people who use the service themselves? Paul Carnie – a young person first attended the centre as a callow youth (!) before moving on to become a volunteer youth worker and then a member of staff – made a short documentary about the Centre, talking to staff, supporters, partners of the organisation and of course the Centre’s young people to neatly capture the essence of what GYC is all about.

Gavin Crosby, Youth Work Strategy Implementation Manager, presented awards to GYC’s successful INIT8 youth work course participants and encouraged more people to get involved in the rewarding world of youth work, and Superintendent David Carradice of Lothian and Borders Police spoke of this pleasure at attending the reception. “The police must be part of the community and so part of the everyday life  of centres like Granton, so I am chuffed to bits to be here. I’m also delighted to see our local community beat officers here today too. Working with children and young people is crucially important to our communities – it can help children change their lives and move forward, so we want both to thank you and support you in the work you do.”

Perhaps the longest remembered words, though, came from young Jake in the documentary. Asked to sum up Granton Youth Centre in three words there was a long pause then … ‘an … amazing, minted, place!’

And that’s it in a nutshell, really – three words to sum up ten successful years!

Congratulations and happy birthday to all at Granton Youth Centre

Bump Start Annual Review

Bump Start is a support service for pregnant women, with two bases in North Edinburgh at Pennywell and Leith. 

The project has two main ways of helping women and their families. A Bump Start worker can work with individual families and help with a whole range of topics, and there is also a weekly group for pregnant women and their partners, parents and supporters called ‘The Pregnancy Café’ where everyone can learn more about being pregnant and preparing to be a parent. Dads – to – be are particularly welcomed at the café.

The team has public health workers from NHS Lothian, the CLD Health Literacy team, and Stepping Stones all working together to deliver the service and the project works very closely with the local midwives. If you are pregnant and think this type of support would help you please contact your midwife and she will then put you in touch with the Bump Start team in your area.

The picture shows the Bump Start team at their annual stakeholders event in Spartans Football Club, where the team was presenting the project’s independent evaluation which was carried out by COMAS.

A number of organisations were represented at the event including Multi-Cultural Family Base, CEC Community Learning and Development, Public Health NHS,  Stepping Stones; CEC Social Work, CEC Early Years, Community Midwifery and Mellow Parenting.

Cathy Wood, North West Local Health Partnership

 

From Glasgow’s mean streets to Muirhouse

Glasgow crime writer Alex Gray received a warm welcome when she visited Muirhouse Library as part of Scottish Book Week events last night. The award-winning author discussed her love of books, how she gets ideas for her stories and read extracts from her latest novel, A Pound of Flesh.

Alex has had a love of books and reading from her earliest years – as a child she was lucky enough to have had an older sister at secondary school, so she grew up with Greek myths and legends, Scheherazade and the Arabian Nights! The author also recalled one particularly prophetic primary school teacher who told Alex – who was then eight years old – she was convinced that she would become a writer when she grew up!

It was actually some years later that the teacher’s prophesy finally came true – Alex turned to writing when illness forced her to quit her job as an English teacher, and decided to write crime novels because she enjoyed reading them! She’s since gone on to write six best-selling novels.

The writer said that she has always been very interested in people and what motivates them, and that the initial inspiration behind her ideas is inquisitiveness and curiosity: wondering ‘what if …?’ Alex remains an enthusiastic member of a local writer’s group and offers advice to aspiring authors when dealing with publishers: ‘Three Ps – politeness, patience and perseverance.’

A Pound of Flesh will be published by Sphere Paperbacks on 6 December

The lost history of St Margaret Mary’s

The Lost History of St Margaret Mary’s RC Church on Boswall Parkway

On Remembrance Sunday 2012 the long-awaited History of St Margaret Mary’s Granton, Edinburgh was published. It covers the period 1937, when the parish was commissioned, through 1939 when it was opened to the present day (writes Harold Hindle).

Much material had been completely lost in a house fire many years ago. To acquire a photo of the original altar looked a far-fetched proposition. However, Fr Daniel Doherty, Parish Priest of the now-twinned St Margaret Mary and Holy Cross Parishes, commissioned a study commencing with an interview of Canon Michael J. Cassidy, Parish Priest of St Margaret Mary from 1976 to 2004. From him a picture began to emerge, particularly aided by the recollections of Robert Nicholson, a parishioner from the start.

As interest mounted it was decided to hold a special social, a Reminiscing Evening in the parish hall so older parishioners could add their memories. Nora Burns our musical director kept an archive of assembled photos and from here the story was spread though families by word of mouth. It was known that ‘ex-patriots’, even those living in Edinburgh (!)  have a love for the church and may well have had some important information to be accessed. This was collated and verified as much as possible.

The final booklet was published with an integral DVD of collected photos and the set sells for £5 or the cost of a couple of birthday cards. Being fairly neat in size in can be quite easily posted abroad to far-flung friends.

It tells the story of the parish in a readable way and contains a splash of photos which will be of nostalgic value to those who knew the parish. Beyond that, it is a gift from this generation to our children’s children because if the history of this parish were not written down now, it would be so much more difficult in the future. In 2039, it can provide the basis for a continual history spanning the centenary of the Parish of St Margaret Mary.

The combined booklet and DVD at £5 can be purchased from The Thrift Shop in the Hall open on Sundays 10 to 1pm and Wednesdays 10 to 1 pm; also from our Piety Shop at the rear of the church on Sundays 12 -12.30pm.  Mail order would require £1 post and packing for a single set. For further details phone 0131-226-6402 or email harold.hindle@btinternet.com

Harold Hindle