Author: davepickering

Edinburgh reporter and photographer

Granton Primary to stage their very own musical

Granton Primary School will be staging their first full-length musical this week. Everything about YANOMAMO has been created by the children themselves – from songs and set design to production and choreography.

The musical will be performed at the school on Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 7pm with a matinée on Friday (8th). Tickets are £5.

YANOMAMO is very much a first for the Boswall Parkway school, and tickets are understandably selling out fast. If you want to see a unique performance, call the school office on 552 3987 now!

 

Ferryhill – champion growers!

Ferryhill Primary School children are the city’s champion growers!

Primary pupils from across Edinburgh competed to be crowned the most green fingered of them all in a competition that saw them grow their own country for the Olympic Games. Each school was given the name of a country competing in the 2012 Games and tasked with growing a basket of flowers to represent the nation for the chance to win gold for their school.

The City of Edinburgh Council teamed up with Gardening Scotland for the competition and the winners were crowned champions today by Scottish Environment Minister, Stewart Stevenson MSP. Gold medal was won by Ferryhill Primary , silver by Gylemuir Primary and bronze went to Bruntsfield Primary.

Convener for Children and Families, Cllr Paul Godzik, said: “This is a great, innovative way for pupils to feel a part of the Olympic Games and also learn valuable lessons about the environment and other cultures and countries. The Games are set to be a historic time for the whole of Great Britain, and involving all our schools across the city in a wide variety of Olympic activities will inspire pupils to enjoy taking part in sport and learn about the world they live in.”

Environment Minister, Stewart Stevenson MSP, said: “With Olympic football at Hampden and the torch coming to Scotland, the Country in a Basket competition will help excite pupils about the forthcoming Olympic Games. This schools contest is an excellent way to engage pupils in the inclusive international spirit of the Games, while also helping them learn more about gardening, biodiversity and the natural world. I look forward to seeing the many creative country basket designs that pupils come up with and wish them all the best of luck for a place on the winners podium.”

Martin Dare, organiser of Gardening Scotland 2012, said: “At Gardening Scotland we welcome the participation of gardeners of all ages and we are delighted that this year so many green-fingered youngsters will be taking part through Country in a Basket. They’ll be taking their place alongside top garden designers, some of the UK’s best nurseries and more than 400 exhibitors selling everything for the garden.”

The competition and display will form part of the Gardening Scotland event at Ingliston, which runs until 3 June. More than 50,000 people are expected to attend over the three days, and the schools’ flowers and plants will be on proud display throughout.

The schools were provided with a basket, bag of compost and £50 to spend. Volunteers were also on hand to provide practical growing advice.

This is part of a wider initiative Edinburgh Gets Set for the Games – a series of cultural and sporting events held across the city. The programme includes a concert at the Usher Hall and a major sporting event at Meadowbank Stadium.

Schools have also run a wide range of curriculum based educational projects based on making international links, learning about other Olympic nations, healthy eating, sport, international culture, concerts and events and international twinning.

City of Edinburgh Council

Blackhall kids’ Sports Day Saturday

The 2012 Blackhall Children’s Sports Day takes place at Ravelston park tomorrow (Saturday 2 June) and it’s forecast to be a scorcher!

It’s a real fun family afternoon with kids races (ages 3-16), mum’s and dad’s races, refreshments, go karts, beat the goalie, bouncy castles, slides and lots more too.

Organised by Active Blackhall, gates open at 12:15, race warm up at 1:15pm, with races starting at 1:30pm. Entry is by donation, and money raised from the event goes to supporting sport for children in the Blackhall area.

Remember your sun cream!

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.

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:

Scottish Opera comes to Oaklands

Come with us to a magical, night-time world – take a train ride through the jungle and meet a friendly lion who sleeps under the stars …

Scottish Opera came to Oaklands yesterday – in their pyjamas! The singers were performing SensoryO, a brand new interactive performance rich in sound, rhythm and music – and just ideal for the Oaklands children.

SensoryO’s warm and inviting set introduces young people to live music in a relaxed and intimate environment. The performance features a mix of live and recorded vocal music with percussive sounds, and uses smells, textures and actions along with striking visuals to inspire the imagination and bring the adventure to life.

The performances were hugely enjoyed by Oaklands children, carers and staff, and the SensoryO tour ’s now moved on. As Scottish Opera celebrates it’s 50th birthday this year, here’s hoping that the talented company performs to many more appreciative and enthusiastic audiences over the coming months.