Police Scotland has released images of four people officers believe may be able to assist in connection with their investigation into threatening behaviour and damage to a bank.
The incident happened on Princes Street around 1.30am on Thursday, 12 September 2024.
Enquiries are ongoing to trace those responsible and officers believe the three men and one woman pictured may be able to help with their investigation.
The first man is described as white, around 6ft tall, of slim build with black hair worn in a top knot. He may have a moustache and/or goatee beard. He was wearing a headtorch, a two-tone blue waterproof jacket, a yellow t-shirt, grey trousers, navy trainers and carrying a plain black rucksack. He had a black mountain bike with white forks and a solid black chainring guard.
The second man is described as white, also around 6ft and of slim build. He was wearing a surgical face mask, black baseball cap, black hooded top, brown trousers and navy shoes. He had a dark coloured mountain bike with a distinctive green section at the bottom of the front forks.
The third man is described as white, of heavy build, around 6ft, with short dark hair and a short dark beard. He was wearing a black baseball cap with a large symbol on the front, red jacket with black panels on the inside arms and flanks, bottle green jogging bottoms and dark shoes. He had a black electric pedal bike.
The woman is described as white, around 5ft 5ins, of slight build with short dark hair. She was wearing a navy jumper and beige trousers. She had a distinctive white women’s bike with white front and rear mud guards.
Police Constable Callum Johnston said: “I would urge these people or anyone who knows who they are to get in contact with us.
“Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 0211 of Thursday 12 September 2024. Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be given anonymously.”
The winners of the only national awards to celebrate the vital work of councillors across Scotland were revealed last night at the 2024 LGIU and CCLA Cllr Awards.
Winners were announced at a ceremony at Edinburgh’s City Chambers, showcasing the best of local government.
Top prize of the evening, Leader of the Year, went to Cllr Emma Macdonald, Leader of Shetland Islands Council.
Cllr Annette Christie of Glasgow City Council was this year’s Innovator of the Year and Cllr Katie Pragnell from East Renfrewshire Council walked away with Young Councillor of the Year. Another East Renfrewshire councillor, Cllr Betty Cunningham was crowned Lifetime Legend and the coveted Community Champion award went to Glasgow City Council’s Cllr Elaine McSporran.
The five categories reflect the varied contributions made by a wide range of councillors, and winners were chosen from more than 100 nominations. All too often the work of councillors can go unrecognised and the purpose of the Cllr Awards is to champion what councillors do for their local communities.
Winners were chosen by a judging panel comprised of senior councillors and leading stakeholders from across the sector. These important Awards – a staple in the local government calendar – are made possible thanks to the generous support of founding partners CCLA.
Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive, Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) said: “Councillors across Scotland do incredible work day in and day out to support their communities, make local areas better places to live, and ensure the voices of residents are heard across council decision making.
“At LGIU, we are determined to celebrate these remarkable achievements, which genuinely improve residents’ lives and the well-being of our communities. I want to congratulate all of our very worthy Cllr Awards winners this evening.
“Their dedication and service represent the very best of local government.”
Kelly Watson, Head of Public Sector Relationships, CCLA said: “Local councillors are at the heart of communities and nights like this are an opportunity to showcase the contributions and real world impact made by those unsung heroes striving for a better world. The work undertaken by councillors positively impacts people’s lives in countless ways.
“As councils are facing unprecedented challenging times, these Awards remind us of how important and vital the work of local councillors and councils is.”
Police Scotland has released images of a man officers believe may be able to assist with their investigation into an assault in Edinburgh city centre.
The incident took place on George Street around 1.20am on Sunday, 29 September, 2024.
The man is described as of average build, around 5ft 10ins, in his mid-20’s with medium length dark hair and a moustache. He was wearing a black hooded jacket, blue jeans and dark trainers with a brown over-the-shoulder bag.
Detective Sergeant Rob Finch, of Gayfield CID, said: “I would urge the man pictured, or anyone who has information relating to him, to contact the police.
“If you have any information that can assist with our investigation then please call Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 0294 of 29 September 2024. Alternatively, make a call anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
Do you have some research you wish to do concerning the history of Edinburgh? Do you need funds to help you accomplish this goal? Why not apply for a grant from the Old Edinburgh Club?
We have an introductory meeting at The Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, EH1 2JL commencing at 7:30 on the 19th of this month (November) which you can attend by applying to membership@oldedinburghclub.org.uk.
Hundreds of people gathered as a single gunshot fired from Edinburgh Castle today to mark a 2-minute silence at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month to remember those who have fallen in conflicts through the years.
The signing of the Armistice on November 11, 1918, marked the end of the First World War and each year since 1919 the nation has paid tribute to those who have lost their lives in battle.
Preceding the gun fire, at a service within the Garden of Remembrance on Princes Street, Bugler Iona Macfarlane, a medical student at the University of Edinburgh, performed the Last Post.
At the Edinburgh service, wreaths were then laid by the Right Honourable Lord Provost and Lord Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh, Robert Aldridge.
Additional wreaths were laid by the CEO of Legion Scotland, Dr Claire Armstrong OBE, Gordon Michie, Head of Fundraising and Learning at Poppyscotland, Colonel (Retd) Jim Wilson, Veterans Scotland, Maj (Retd) Alasdair Henry Hutton OBE TD OstJ, Edinburgh and Lothian & Borders Area President, Legion Scotland, and Reverend Dr Karen Campbell, the National Chaplain of Legion Scotland.
Piper Lorne McIntyre from George Heriot’s School then completed the day’s service under glorious sunshine in the capital city.
Dr Claire Armstrong, CEO of Legion Scotland, said: “As a country, and as an organisation, we will never forget the sacrifices that have been made for so many, for the sake of so few.
“These sacrifices are made on a daily occurrence by our Armed Forces community, and they are made on our behalf. I wish to thank our Armed Forces community for their continued dedication to our values and our freedoms. “
Thousands of volunteers took to streets, shopping centres and supermarkets for the final weekend of fundraising for the 2024 Scottish Poppy Appeal.
Affectionately known across the country as Poppy Saturday, the day saw an army of volunteer collectors, including veterans themselves and hundreds of young cadets, from Glasgow to Girvan, Edinburgh to Elgin, all make another outstanding effort to raise vital funds to support the Armed Forces community.
Tomorrow the nation will fall silent in sombre reflection and pause for two minutes on Remembrance Sunday, safe in the knowledge that Poppy Saturday across Scotland has once again been a roaring success, with shoppers enthusiastically donating.
Gordon Michie, Head of Fundraising and Learning at Poppyscotland, said: “We cannot thank each and every volunteer and indeed donator enough for their continued support to the Scottish Poppy Appeal.
“The response we have had, not just on Poppy Saturday but throughout the past three weeks, across the length and breadth of our country has been nothing short of phenomenal.
“On behalf of Poppyscotland and the Armed Forces community that we support, I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who gave so generously. Without such support, quite frankly the Scottish Poppy Appeal simply could not happen.”
The Scottish Poppy Appeal is Scotland’s biggest fundraising appeal, with millions of poppies being distributed around the country.
The money raised from the Appeal has enabled Poppyscotland to help countless men, women and families with issues linked to their time in the Armed Forces or with struggles adjusting from military to civilian life.
This winter the City Art Centre presents Through Line, a one floor group show, featuring work by nine artists.
Spanning an array of artistic mediums including ceramics, drawing, jewellery, painting, printmaking, poetry and textiles, the ‘through line’, or common visual thread, of this exhibition is the use and exploration of line in the artists’ diverse practices.
There are hand-drawn and painted lines, lines woven as threads and modelled in wire, and lines that are poetic. They take both geometric and organic forms. Some are bold, expressive lines, which excite and convey movement, others are more delicate and elicit a sense of calm.
There are lines that extend beyond flatness, projecting into our space. There are also implied lines, which we see in our mind’s eye or tell a narrative story. In some artworks line and background are fused, giving significance to the space in between.
A line can separate but also connect; it creates divisions and boundaries, but also generates space. For centuries, the line has been a critical tool for artists, and it remains one of the principal elements of abstraction. Flow I and Flow II by Michael Walton are abstract oil paintings, dealing with pure form.
These works are influenced by the ideas of the Bauhaus, Marcel Duchamp and Jorge Luis Borges. In each composition, green and blue lines have become entangled within a circular shape.
David Connearn’s practice is primarily based in procedural, non-figurative drawing, and deals with themes of experience and temporality. In the two ink studies, Coming Going (I) and Coming Going (II), Connearn has drawn a single line at the top of each page, which has then been retraced repeatedly underneath. Each line sets the new path for the following one, resulting in converging and diverging forms.
Meanwhile, Charles Poulsen’s expressive drawings are made in layers of pencil, wax and gouache on paper, in a square grid-like format. The drawings are abstract, contemplative works without narrative or direct observation, through which he communicates often intuitive ideas about the universe. Poulsen thinks of his drawing as akin to organic geometry.
Encouraged by botanical forms, Lara Scobie’s work also has an organic quality, the lines in her ceramics refuse an exact uniformity. Her pieces relay the spontaneous process of hand-to-paper drawing; responding to how the materials react with the marks. Fascinated by the relationship between form and surface, she allows them both to inform each other as her ceramics develop.
Over her 25-year career, Frances Priest has followed a line through ceramics and drawing, exploring spatial relationships, mark making, languages of ornament, and colour. Priest’s ceramic Cobalt/White Mesh explores her interest in the liminal point between two and three dimensions, while its surface patterns create movement across curved planes of clay.
The physical process of working in metal, such as drawing it by hand into fine lengths of wire, is hugely inspiring for Andrew Lamb. An ingot of gold becomes a thread of wire, a line that offers infinite creative possibilities. Lamb also references visual illusion and optical principles in his jewellery, to echo the perfection found in nature, tempered by the shifting patterns of how we see and perceive the world.
Rhona Taylor’s work is concerned with light and colour; line, pattern and repetition; as well as time, place, mapping and the navigation of space. Her site-specific mixed media installation, Against the Dying of the Light, responds to and physically interacts with the City Art Centre’s gallery space.
Also created specifically for the show, Susan Mowatt’s artwork, Tangle, which draws inspiration from a treasured keepsake and consists of a 33 metre, multicoloured woven line, presented in a tangle on a black wall. Mowatt’s recent works repurpose older ones, with the process of making becoming the most meaningful aspect.
Lastly, Ian Hamilton Finlay’s print suite, The Blue and Brown Poems, focuses on the look and sound of words. The words in the twelve poems have been removed from a standard verse structure and arranged into striking shapes, in which typography and font colours take on equal significance to literal meanings.
Through Line will be accompanied by an illustrated exhibition catalogue with a thoughtful essay by writer Greg Thomas. Alongside the exhibition, the City Art Centre will also offer an extensive events programme for all to enjoy.
City Art Centre Curator, Maeve Toal said: ‘”Through Line’ is the last in a series of four group exhibitions at the City Art Centre spotlighting contemporary art and craft practice in Scotland.
“It showcases artworks from our collection alongside works by artists who are not currently represented. Its focus is the beauty and versatility of the line – from the simplicity of a single stroke to intricate linear patterns – and the impact it can have on our visual experiences.”
Councillor Val Walker, Edinburgh’s Culture and Communities Convener, said: “I am delighted that ‘Through Line’ will be presented at the City Art Centre this winter, showcasing the works of nine exciting artists and an array of artistic mediums including ceramics, drawing, jewellery, painting, printmaking, poetry and textiles.
“There is also a fantastic events programme running alongside the exhibition where some of the artists will take visitors on exclusive tours or give talks on their practice.
“I encourage everyone to take the opportunity to visit our City Art Centre and explore and reflect on the variety of artwork created by the nine impressive artists whose work is being showcased in this exhibition.”
Susan Jack, a shining star at Marks & Spencer’s Princes Street store in Edinburgh is celebrating a half-century of holiday magic this year.
Sales Advisor for Jaeger and Womenswear at Marks & Spencer Princes Street, Susan is celebrating her 50th Christmas working for the high-street retailer and is particularly excited about this year’s range of sparkling dresses and skirts, perfect for any festive occasion.
Susan’s M&S career began just before Christmas in 1974 at the Princes Street store, just in time for the holiday rush in the ‘Ladies Fashions’ department.
With 50 years retail experience now under her belt, Susan has witnessed incredible innovations, from the evolution of tights to the affordability of cashmere and to the sparkle of the modern-day beauty counter, particularly at Christmas. She has always been fascinated by the changing trends in customer shopping habits.
From 1994 to 1999, Susan left the Princes Street store to join the opening team at the Gyle Shopping Centre. Remarked as one of Susan’s proudest moments, she thrived in training the new store team before returning to Princes Street as a Section Manager for Womenswear.
For Susan, the Christmas season is a magical time, she reflected: “Christmas is always special, particularly watching customers come in for their Christmas food shop. It brings so much joy to the store.”
She fondly looks back on the annual ‘turkey trot’, a term the team has coined for when Edinburgh shoppers collected their turkey and cranberry sauce!
The Turkey ordering service was soon introduced in 1982 to enhance convenience for customers.
As for Susan’s favourite turkey, she reveals: “The British Oakham Turkey Breast Joint is my favourite, we get it every year as it carves like a dream!”.
Susan has cherished celebrating Christmas with her colleagues over the years. From being amongst the first to sample the Christmas range as soon as it’s released, to attending January Christmas parties (a retail tradition), she has seen it all.
Reflecting on her five decades working for the retailer, Susan Jack, says: “More than anything over the years, M&S has given me confidence; I was very shy when I started, but my time at M&S has taught me how to be outgoing, reassuring me in my skills.
“I’d like to thank all my colleagues for creating such an enjoyable working environment and M&S for all the opportunities I’ve had over the last 50 years. The friendships I have made over the past five decades are truly irreplaceable and will last a lifetime.
“Watching their children grow up and become parents themselves is something I am forever grateful for.”
Store Manager Jon Cameronadded; “I am immensely proud of the incredible dedication and achievements Susan has made over the past 50 years.Her unwavering commitment, exceptional service, and the positive impact she has on both our team and customers are truly inspiring.
“We are honoured to celebrate this remarkable milestone and look forward to many more years working alongside Susan.”
Scotland’s national celebration of books, Book Week Scotland 2024, returns from 18-24 November to uplift Edinburgh and Lothians with its theme of Hope.
This year’s programme offers unique perspectives on resilience, community, and the landscapes that define the region. Over the years, Book Week Scotland has deepened its impact on Edinburgh and the Lothians, delivering literary events to even the remotest locations and fostering connections in towns and communities.
The 2024 programme spotlights regional authors and local libraries as community cornerstones. 65,000 copies of a new free book, Scotland’s Stories: Hope, will be distributed during the week.
It is made up of real-life stories from people across Scotland, including contributions from people in Edinburgh and Lothians.
Local voices in this year’s Hope book include:
· “A Wee Pocket of Joy” by Rosemary Henderson, East Lothian
· “Dancing for Hope” by Georgia Marlborough, Edinburgh
· “Ribbons and New Socks” by Sheena Mason, Dalkeith
· “Hope and Consolation” by David Pickering, Edinburgh
· “It’s The Hope That Kills You” by Julie Drybrough, Edinburgh
· “Thorin” by Sam Eastop, Edinburgh (also adapted as a comic strip by Mollie Ray)
Each piece reflects the theme of Hope in unique and personal ways, highlighting the power of local stories.
Book Week Scotland event highlights in Edinburgh and the Lothians:
· Landscapes of Hope and Inspiration, Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh, 18 November—This event will bring together visual artist Julie Brook, writer Linda Cracknell, and musician Duncan Chisholm to discuss how Scotland’s landscapes inspire and provide hope.
· The Pleasures of Reading with Jackie Kay, Portobello Bookshop, 20 November – Jackie Kay shares the books that have inspired her, joined by Dr Sarah McGeown to explore the benefits of reading for pleasure.
· Various Author Events Across Edinburgh and East Lothian – Libraries and regional community centres will host readings, discussions, and family events celebrating the joy of reading.
The variety of events this year reflects Edinburgh and Lothians’ longstanding engagement with Book Week Scotland, now in its 13th year and supported by Creative Scotland.
Edinburgh’s Christmas is pleased to announce that book lovers Val McDermid and Nicola Sturgeon will bring a special festive edition of their in-conversation event, In The Company of Books, to Edinburgh’s Christmas this year.
This special edition of In The Company of Books reunites friends and book lovers Val and Nicola to discuss all things literary, following a number of sold-out, acclaimed in-conversation events across the UK in recent years.
Joined by special guests to be revealed, Val and Nicola will explore the joys of reading alongside a few glasses of mulled wine and a lot of festive cheer.
Val McDermid has sold over 19 million books to date across the globe and has been translated into more than 40 languages. She is perhaps best known for her Wire in the Blood series featuring clinical psychologist Dr Tony Hill and DCI Carol Jordan, She is the recipient of six honorary doctorates and is an Honorary Fellow of St Hilda’s College, Oxford.
Nicola Sturgeon is the MSP for Glasgow Southside constituency, and the former First Minister of Scotland – the longest-serving and first woman First Minister.
Val McDermid and Nicola Sturgeon said, “Books are magic. Portable magic, according to Stephen King. And like magic, books build bridges. In our case, an improbable friendship between a passionate politician and Scotland’s queen of crime.
“Our love of books is what first drew us together and it remains the mainstay of that friendship. Every conversation we have eventually meanders round to the books we are reading, what we’ve been enjoying, what has been making us laugh or cry, or keeping us on the edge of our seats.
“And now we want to share the love. First up, festive fun at Edinburgh’s Assembly Rooms with two stellar mystery guests; then off to the Glasgow International Comedy Festival where we’ll be joined by two top names from the comedy world.
“We’ll be interrogating our guests about the books that shaped them and why they love reading. Revelations galore await as we explore the love and laughter between the covers.”
Unique Assembly, producers of Edinburgh’s Christmassaid: “We are thrilled to have Val and Nicola bring their in-conversation event to Edinburgh’s Christmas this year.
“This is sure to be a highlight in the Christmas calendar and we invite everyone to grab a glass of mulled wine and settle in for what will be a witty, warm and insightful event.”
In The Company of Books joins a newly announced stellar line-up of performances taking place at Assembly Hall as part of Edinburgh’s Christmas this year.
These include the enchanting and inspiring children’s show The Bubble Show; brilliantly funny stand-up comedy from Jason Byrne in Jason Byrne: No Show; the award-winning, critically acclaimed burlesque and drag show Swamplesque.
