Author: davepickering

Edinburgh reporter and photographer

City copes with latest deluge

With weather warnings now lifted, and today’s forecast showing signs of improvement, it looks like the worst of the weather is over – for the timebeing at least.

The city council was well-prepared for Wednesday’s deluge. Speaking yesterday, city transport convener Councillor Lesley  Hinds (pictured above) said: “Our roads  teams have been fully prepared to deal with predicted heavy rainfall and we are keeping in regular touch with partner organisations. A Flood Control  Coordination Centre  has been set up as part of the Council’s Emergency Flood Plan. Drains and  waterways have been cleared of debris, while river levels and hot spot areas  have been continually monitored throughout the day. Around 7,000  sandbags were ready to be deployed, some of which were delivered to households  in response to residents’ concerns. Residents can be  assured that the situation will continue to be monitored over the next 18 hours  while the amber alert is still in place.”

Some local scenes yesterday:

While today’s forecast is for improving weather, it may be prudent to keep those wellies handy just in case …!

 

Full house for Accies Stockbridge meeting

At least 200 people – and probably more – crammed into LifeCare House in Cheyne Street this evening to hear plans for the redevelopment of Edinburgh Academicals’ Raeburn Place site. A BBC film crew was also in attendance.

At least twenty more people were unable to get into the main hall to hear speakers or to pass comment on proposals (pictured below). The meeting was arranged by Stockbridge and Inverleith Community Council to enable local residents to get more details on the controversial plans.

More to follow

Water of Leith cleanup and family picnic

 The Water of Leith Conservation Trust, in conjunction with the Inverleith Coordinated Summer Programme, is organising a cleanup and family picnic on Sunday 29 July from 10am.

Organiser Callum McLeod of Inverleith’s Community Learning and Development team (pictured below) said: “This is an annual event and we’re concentrating on the stretch between Canonmills and Dean Village. There should be something for everyone –litter picking, some tending of culture garden areas, clearing out invasive plant species along the banks or even clearing log jams after the floods for the more adventurous – all depending on folk’s skills and abilities of course! We quite a good turnout last year despite the rain and so I’m looking forward to it!”

Participants are encouraged to bring along some food, too. After all, all work and no play …

“If people and maybe even bring along a packed lunch and or picnic things we can sit and enjoy some friendly company in pleasant surroundings after all the hard work of the clean up. We’re hoping for some decent weather, of course!”

Interested? Meet by the bridge at Saunders Street at 10am, or for further information call Callum McLeod on 332 6316 or email callum.mcleod@ea.edin.sch.uk

 

 

Family plea for return of Elizabeth's bench

Elizabeth Maginnis memorial bench stolen

A bench dedicated to the memory of local councillor Elizabeth Maginnis has been stolen from Elizabeth Maginnis Court in Royston Mains, and the Maginnis family have issued a plea for information that could lead to it’s return.

Dunedin Canmore Housing Association opened the new care home complex in Royston Mains Crescent last November, and the building was named after the late Granton councillor who died in September 2008. The Maginnis family sited the engraved hardwood bench there, where it provided both a quiet and peaceful pspot for residents and visitors and also a place where Maginnis family members could remember a much-loved wife, daughter and mum.

However the bench was stolen last weekend and the family are now desperate for it’s return.

Elizabeth’s husband Michael said: “On Saturday morning Elizabeth’s mother Betty received a call from her friend Ella, who is a resident at Elizabeth Maginnis Court, to say that the bench had gone. She said the bench was definitely there at 10pm on Friday night but it had gone by 8am on Saturday morning”.

He continued: “It’s absolutely awful for the family, deeply upsetting and we’d like to hear from anyone who has any information that could lead to it’s recovery. It’s a unique bench, heavily engraved, and really it’s of no use to anyone other than our family. For us, the bench has been a focus for our family – it was touching when Elizabeth Maginnis Court was named after Elizabeth, but that’s not quite so intimate as having the bench itself. We’re devastated”.

Among the engravings on the bench are the words: ‘In loving memory of Elizabeth Maginnis. A wonderful wife,fantastic mum and great Councilllor’.

There are some indications of how the bench was removed and there are CCTV cameras in the area, but Michael hopes that local people will also come forward with information.

“We are not really interested in who took it or why, we just want the bench back and would be so grateful if local residents would get in touch if they have any information at all. Many local people knew Elizabeth and I think many people will be disgusted with what has happened. If anyone knows anything, however small, please come forward”.

If you have any information that could lead to the recovery of the bench, please telephone Drylaw Police Station on 343 3171, Fettes HQ on 311 3131 or the concierge at Dunedin Canmore on 478 8888. Alternatively you can also call Crimestoppers in complete anonymity on 0800 555 111.

Colleges come together to showcase Best of the Fest

 Over 4,000 people attended a series of events, designed to showcase student talent and success, as part of Edinburgh’s biggest student led festival. The Edinburgh Colleges Festival brought together the collective student talent present at Edinburgh’s Telford College, Jewel & Esk College and Stevenson College Edinburgh ahead of the proposed merger set to take place later this year.

Proving they can work together to offer the very best in student focused further education across a variety of sectors, the event featured the work and performances of over 1,000 students from all three colleges.

Showcasing sporting, arts and design, music, performing arts and hospitality achievements as well as many others, the festival programme featured an impressive 43 events over six weeks.

Brian Lister, Interim Principal for Edinburgh College, said: “This year’s festival has been a huge success, not only in terms of its size and scale, but the fact that it demonstrates the potential of the Edinburgh College, for offering one of the biggest and best further education facilities. The merger of the three colleges has the interest of the students at its heart and so it made sense that we brought together the collective talent of the combined student body for the Festival.”

He continued: “I attended several of the events myself and it was a great pleasure to see the hard work and talent of all the students involved. There are definitely a few future stars out there and we wish every single student the very best of luck in their future careers. We look forward to building upon the success of this year’s vent in years to come and not only make next year’s event even bigger and better, but ensure that the positive and collective hard work of all three colleges is taken forward under the Edinburgh College brand.”

Feedback about the festival from an online survey was extremely positive and revealed that 100% of people would like to see an Edinburgh Colleges Festival in 2013 – 34% of these being members of the local communities surrounding the colleges.

Highlights of the festival included a Celebration of Achievement event at Jewel & Esk College, which recognised and celebrated the talent of its FE students, as well as the ‘Exposed’ photography exhibition, featuring work from Stevenson’s final year photography students which was attended by over 300 people.

A final highlight was the Gala Launch dinner hosted by hospitality and catering students at Edinburgh’s Telford College, with music and performances by students from across the three colleges. The event was also attended by Mike Russell, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning.

The new Edinburgh College will be formed later this year when Telford, Jewel & Esk and Stevenson Colleges merge. The merger will bring together around 35,000 students across four main campuses.

SELEX celebrates sixty years of success

SELEX Galileo marked 60 years involvement in airborne fire control radar with a unique celebration event and the publication of a fully illustrated book at last week’s Farnborough Airshow.

It was in 1952 that Ferranti – one of the corporate antecedents to what is today SELEX Galileo – began initial engineering studies and technology development work at its site in Crewe Toll, Edinburgh, for the airborne intercept radar that would eventually equip the RAF’s Lightning interceptor.

Paying tribute to its rich UK-Italian heritage in air-to-air and air-to-surface radar technology, the company exhibited 17 radar sets – ranging from the AI.23 system equipping the RAF’s Lightning fighter to its latest solid-state active electronic scanning array (AESA) products – at a reception to launch ‘Looking Forward: 60 Years of Fire Control Radar’.

Entering RAF service in 1960, the AI.23 was the world’s first high-power fighter radar to employ the monopulse technique. Its development was a huge engineering challenge, made doubly difficult by the absence of any established component supply base. Virtually everything from the smallest piece parts upwards had to be designed and built from scratch. Engineers pioneered the use of numerically-controlled milling techniques to machine the precisely matched waveguide system from a solid block of aluminium.

AI.23 laid the foundations for a high technology business that came to excel in the realm of fire control radar. Products such as Blue Parrot, Blue Fox and Blue Vixen went on to become part of the lexicon of British post-war military aviation.

In Italy, the story unfolded in the 1960s when FIAR – another of SELEX Galileo’s forebears – undertook the license build of the North American Autonetics NASARR radar to equip the Italian Air Force’s F-104G Starfighter interceptor. The company later produced the much evolved R-21G/M1 Setter radar, a solid-state evolution of NASARR conferring the updated F-104 ASA with a true look-down/shoot-down capability.

Later, FIAR had the vision to invest in the development of a family of lightweight pulse- multi-mode fire control radars, identifying the growing worldwide demand for fighter avionics upgrades. This gave rise to the best-selling GRIFO family, still a leader in its market with more than 450 systems sold and in operations on many different platforms.

Building on this heritage of success, SELEX Galileo has gone on to develop the modular Vixen family of affordable, high performance multi-mode AESA radars. It is also part of the multinational Euro radar consortium developing the next-generation CAPTOR-E radar for the Eurofighter Typhoon.

Speaking at the Farnborough event, Fabrizio Giulianini, CEO of SELEX Galileo said: “I am honoured to be here today representing years of outstanding individual, industrial and technological excellence. For many years armed forces around the world have relied on our radar to support airborne missions and come home safe. The United Kingdom and Italy have looked at SELEX Galileo, and all its previous incarnations, as the trusted partner to deliver the capability edge to counter enemies and threats.”

“Building on a continuous evolution of technology and techniques, SELEX Galileo today stands as the cornerstone of Europe’s sovereign capability in airborne fire control radar,” said Alastair Morrison, SVP Radar and Advanced Targeting. “The company has brought together the complementary experience, knowledge and lines of business from Italy and the UK to create a world-class airborne radar capability uniquely positioned to meet the needs of a diverse and demanding global customer base.”

SELEX Galileo

 

 

Bark in the Park to support St Columba's

Bring along your pampered pooch to our sponsored dog walk at Inverleith Park – with a dog show, agility course, doggy manicures and lots more!

BARK IN THE PARK

Sunday 29 July 2012

Inverleith Park

Bring along your pamered pooch to our sponsored dog walk at Inverleith Park – with a dog show, agility course, doggy manicures and lots more!

  • Registration starts at      9.30am
  • Wufts dog show starts at 10.30am
  • Activities run from 10am –      1pm
  • Dog walk starts at 11am

Edinburgh’s four legged friends are invited to put their best paw forward and come along to Bark in the Park on Sunday 29 July – a doggy-themed day out at Inverleith Park in aid of St Columba’s Hospice.

As well as a sponsored dog walk around the park, there will be lots of extra activities guaranteed to get tails wagging. Back again, after its ‘barking’ success last year is the ‘Wufts’ dog show – judged by Fiona McKinlay, a very well regarded and experienced judge and breeder. Owners who think their canine is Crufts material have a chance of walking away with one of five prizes:

Most Handsome Dog – sponsored by Citidogs Creche

Waggiest tail – sponsored by Just for Dogs

Best Six Legs – sponsored by Christine’s Parlour

Best small dog

Best large dog

For playful pups there will also be an agility course to try out, while for more pampered pooches, doggy manicures and grooming will be available.

Entry costs just £7.50 per dog in advance or £10 on the day and St Columba’s requests that all entrants try to raise at least £25 sponsorship. Entry to the Wufts dog show competition is £5 per dog. So come along for a great day out and give your pampered pooch a real treat!

To sign up or contact St Columba’s Hospice fundraising team at fund@stcolumbashospice.org.uk or telephone 0131 551 1381.

Bark in the Park 2012 is kindly sponsored Batchelor, Davidson and Watson Veterinary Surgeons.

Councillors to decide on Silverknowes access

It may not be up there with the Berlin Wall or Northern Ireland’s ‘peace barriers’, but North Edinburgh’s own long-running dispute over local access and antisocial behaviour could soon be over. Members of the city council’s Transport, Infrastructure and Environment (TIE) Committee will decide whether Silverknowes and Muirhouse are to be separated by closed-off barriers at their 13 September meeting. 

Following anti-social behaviour and disturbances in part of the Silverknowes area last autumn, representatives from community organisations in Almond and Forth wards met with local politicians, council and police officials to discuss the possibility of closing off accesses at Silverknowes Eastway.

It proved impossible to reach agreement, however, with community groups and residents in Almond (i.e. Silverknowes) overwhelmingly in favour of closing off the accesses, while Forth community groups and residents are equally vehement in their opposition to closure.  Council officials have also indicated that their policy recommendation must be to keep the accesses open.

Council officials are now compiling a report for the next meeting of the TIE committee, and local groups and individuals have been invited to make submissions for inclusion in the report by 27 July.

Among the options councillors will consider will be the possibility of closing off the pedestrian and cycleway access between Silverknowes and Muirhouse at Silverknowes Eastway/Muirhouse Gardens and Silverknowes Eastway/Muirhouse Drive in the evenings.

Davidsons Mains and Silverknowes Association is one of the Almond groups pressing for closure of the access. The group points to a survey they conducted earlier this year to gauge public opinion on the access issue. In a newsletter to residents DMSA point out:  ‘The DMSA has previously advised residents on the outcomes from the residents opinion survey but it is worth repeating that there were 235 responses from Silverknowes and only 44 from Muirhouse. The Silverknowes return represented a remarkable 40% response and, of those who replied, 65% were in favour of complete closure and 15% wanted some form of restricted access, for example, by closure in the evening and overnight.’

The group is expected to make both formal written submission and to send a deputation to the forthcoming transport committee meeting to argue the case for closure.

Opponents of the proposals, however, argue that closing off and separating communities is not the answer. Roy Douglas, chairman of Muirhouse Salvesen Community Council, confirmed: “We will be making a submission and plan to send a deputation to the TIE meeting. The access must remain open and we will be putting that case strongly to councillors”.