Police in Edinburgh are appealing for information following an armed robbery in the city centre.
The incident happened around 2.45am yesterday (Thursday, 6 August, 2020) when a man entered the Costcutter Store on Lothian Road and threatened a member of staff with a knife.
He then demanded money from the till drawer before leaving on foot in the direction of Princes Street with a small quantity of cash.
The suspect is described as a white man, around 5ft 8in tall and of a slim build. At the time of the incident he was wearing a black hooded top, black tracksuit bottoms, grey woollen gloves and his face was covered with black sunglasses and a red scarf.
Detective Sergeant Keith Taylor, of Edinburgh CID, said: “Thankfully nobody has been injured as a result of this incident but the member of staff has been left evidently shaken.
“Although this happened in the early hours of the morning, I would ask that if anyone noticed a man matching this description or anyone acting suspicious in the area to get in contact with police.
“I would also ask if anyone has any dashcam or CCTV footage of the surrounding area and may have information that could assist with our investigation to come forward.
“Police can be contacted on 101 quoting incident number 0400 of Thursday, 6 August, 2020. Alternatively, the charity Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
AN EDINBURGH hotel chef who fed thousands of NHS workers during the Coronavirus pandemic reveals how they helped fuel frontline medics.
Alan Dickson, Executive Chef at Surgeons Quarter, was part of the star hospitality team which kept Ten Hill Place Hotel open to accommodate NHS workers for free in March and April.
At the beginning, Alan took the decision to strip the usual menus back, focusing on ensuring the team had enough tinned goods, flour, and yeast to last them six weeks.
Alan, who lives in Edinburgh, said: “Working in the kitchen was instantly different – there were three chefs on rotation with only one working at a time. We brought in new health and safety precautions immediately, we couldn’t take any risks with the NHS staff who were staying with us.
“Like most people, we didn’t really know what we were about to face at the start of the pandemic. We knew fresh fish and meats would be a little more difficult to get, so we redesigned the menu around what we had available.
“As we got to know NHS workers by name and regularly caught up with them after their hectic shifts, we began to appreciate how much many of them were missing their home comforts, so we changed our menus accordingly.
“We served lots of chicken curry, lasagnes – the type of home cooked meals you’d have with your family. It meant a lot to us to be able to provide some sort of support to the people at the very front of this pandemic.”
The Hotel, which is owned by Surgeons Quarter, the commercial arm of The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, took the decision to provide more than 2,000 nights of free accommodation and meals for frontline medics working at Edinburgh’s hospitals.
Alan was thrilled with the small part Ten Hill Place staff played in providing respite to hardworking frontline staff.
He continuued: “There wasn’t much we could do, but like everyone else we wanted to help in the one way we could – with our food and expertise. Our guests were fantastic, they were so grateful for the opportunity to stay nearby the hospitals between shifts.
“Our suppliers were also brilliant at communicating with us. We worked with one amazing butcher and one fruit and veg supplier – Campbells Prime Meat and Mark Murphy Fruit and Veg – who were able to source what we needed.
“We ended up sourcing around 200kg of sausages, and 200kg of bacon for cooked breakfasts – as well as providing healthy packs our medics could take to work, with fruit, yoghurt and water bottles.”
Alan joined Ten Hill Place in 2014 and was awarded Hotel Chef of the Year 2017 at the Scottish Hotel Awards.
The hotel reopened on 15 July in accordance with Scottish Government guidance.
Cafe 1505 and Drinks & Dining at Ten Hill Place Hotel are both taking part in the Eat Out to Dine Out scheme for the duration of August.
Guests can receive 50% off their bill in the cafe or the restaurant, to a maximum value of £10, at any time from Monday – Wednesday.
Profits from the Hotel go towards the College’s charitable objectives of improving access to surgery and saving lives worldwide.
Ten Hill Place Hotel gave a total of 2,137 free room nights to NHS staff working in Edinburgh’s hospitals between March – May this year.
Police renewing their appeal for information in respect of an assault which occurred on Saturday, 4 January, 2020 at around 2.25am inside Garibaldis nightclub in Hanover Street.
Police have released new images of a male they would like to speak to as they believe he may have information that will assist their ongoing investigation.
The male in the image is described as white, in his early twenties, around 5ft 10ins tall, with mousey brown hair that is longer on the top and shorter at the sides. He is seen in the image to be wearing a light grey or blue top and a black coat.
Those with information can contact Police Scotland via 101, quoting incident number 0424 of 4 January, 2020. Alternatively, information can be reported anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
New discounts have been unveiled at the Laura Ashley closing down sale in Edinburgh, with all fabric and wallpaper 70% off, plus all womenswear and fashion accessories 60% off.
Snap up a homeware bargain with 60% off ready-made curtains and 50% off furniture, bedding, lighting and rugs. Everything in the store is reduced in all departments and everything must go!
All Laura Ashley stores are ‘COVID secure’ and adhere to a strict policy of social distancing with a limited number of shoppers allowed in-store at any time. Card payments are encouraged.
Laura Ashley stores will continue to trade until further notice.
A spokesman for Laura Ashley said, “There are some amazing bargains to be found in-store, especially with these new discounts. Popular items are selling fast and customers are advised to take advantage of these discounts while stock lasts.”
Police in Edinburgh are appealing for information following an assault in the Meadows. The incident happened around 8.30pm last night (Friday 24 July) when an 18-year-old man was assaulted by four other men.
The man was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for treatment of his injuries which are not thought to be serious.
The four suspects are described as males aged between 15 to 17-years-old with brown and blonde short hair. At the time of the incident, one was wearing black shorts and a black top, another with black trousers and one wearing a white hooded top.
Sergeant Grant Robertson, of Howdenhall Community Policing, said: “We believe this incident to be a targeted attack and would like to reassure the public that there is no threat to the wider community.
“This incident happened at a time when the park was busy with other people and I would ask that if anyone witnessed this to contact police, in particular if anyone is in possession of any mobile phone footage.
“Officers will be actively patrolling the area and engaging with the local residents and people that use the park, and as ever, we encourage anyone who witnesses anti-social behaviour to report it to us.
“Police can be contacted on 101 quoting incident number 3785 of Friday, 24 July, 2020.”
Controversial Edinburgh’s Hogmanay festival organisers Underbelly have halted ticket sales for this year’s event – just hours after announcing ‘exciting plans’ for the New Year celebrations.
Tickets for the Hogmanay Street party were still on sale on the Edinburgh’s Hogmanay 2020 website yesterday afternoon, but sales were halted and information updated on the site last night.
A statement issued by Underbelly last night said: “As has been reported, exciting and positive discussions are taking place between City of Edinburgh Council and Underbelly in relation to the Hogmanay programme for 2020.
“However, it is clear to all parties that the famous Street Party cannot take place in its current form in 2020 and tickets are today being taken off sale.
“Customers who have booked tickets will be contacted in the next 14 days to be offered a full refund.”
Yesterday afternoon, BBC Scotland had reported:
Tickets for Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party have gone on sale with organisers saying it “will be a pivotal moment for the world”.
It follows a meeting on Tuesday looking into how the Edinburgh’s Christmas and Hogmanay could be celebrated at the end of the year.
Organiser Underbelly said it was “excited by the events being discussed”.
A final decision on this year’s activities is expected in late August.
Charlie Wood and Ed Bartlam, directors of Underbelly, said: “We’re working closely and positively with City of Edinburgh Council and other partners on plans for Edinburgh’s Christmas and Hogmanay.
“This will be a pivotal moment for the world both to reflect on 2020 and to look to the future, and the safety of Edinburgh’s residents and visitors is critical to how these plans evolve.
“We’re excited by the events being discussed and look forward to sharing the details in the coming weeks.”
‘Positive discussions’
Adam McVey, City of Edinburgh council leader, said: “The council is having positive discussions on how Edinburgh’s Christmas and Hogmanay could be celebrated this year.
“All involved recognise the uncertainty of the current situation and the significant requirements for anything Edinburgh hosts to meet public health guidance.
“It’s clear that if our 2020 winter festivals go ahead they will look very different from recent years, using different locations across the city.
“It is also important to think more creatively about how to better support our local businesses who have been impacted by the lockdown.”
Initial discussions exploring potential revised plans for how both Edinburgh’s Christmas and Hogmanay could be celebrated in 2020 began yesterday with the Council All Party Oversight Group.
A final decision on this year’s activities is expected in late August.
Representatives from all political parties met with senior officers and Winter Festivals’ producers, Underbelly, to discuss a range of proposals, which take account of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic and associated health and safety considerations.
Following the positive informal discussions, the proposals will be developed further before being reported to the Council’s Policy and Sustainability Committee in late August for a decision.
Council Leader Adam McVey said: “The Council is having positive discussions on how Edinburgh’s Christmas and Hogmanay could be celebrated this year. All involved recognise the uncertainty of the current situation and the significant requirements for anything Edinburgh hosts to meet public health guidance.
“It’s clear that if our 2020 Winter Festivals go ahead they will look very different from recent years, using different locations across the City. It is also important to think more creatively about how to better support our local businesses who have been impacted by the lockdown.
“Any events will need to give our residents a truly Edinburgh experience that helps discover more of our fantastic businesses that operate all year round. Work is underway with our partners to further investigate the feasibility of these new proposals and Councillors will agree the way forward in the coming weeks.
Depute Leader Cammy Day added: “We’re the proud hosts to what are well established and internationally renowned winter festivals and, in light of the ongoing global pandemic, we’re looking at alternative ways to mark them in a meaningful, workable and safe way.
“I feel positive that our Edinburgh will be able to celebrate Christmas and Hogmanay this year. However, the safety of residents and visitors remains paramount and we need some time to develop and check feasibility of proposals before a final plan can be brought forward for a final decision in August.”
The green light for hotels reopening came at the perfect time for one couple as they celebrate their 15th anniversary back at their wedding venue.
Steven and Sarah Hicks got married at DoubleTree by Hilton Edinburgh City Centre on 15th July 2005 – now 15 years on, the happy couple were the hotel’s first returning guests as doors reopen to the public.
To celebrate the milestone anniversary – traditionally marked with crystal – Mr and Mrs Hicks hired the same vintage car they travelled in 15 years ago for the journey to the hotel, where they were welcomed by a lone piper for a complimentary stay.
Sarah said: “We always try to stay at the hotel to mark our anniversary each year and the fact the hotel is reopening again today, just adds to the special day and makes another amazing memory at the hotel for us.”
Work has finished to complete this year’s design on the world’s oldest Floral Clock in Edinburgh’s West Princes Street Gardens.
In a change to plans for the clock’s 2020 design, the hugely popular landmark carries a message of thanks from the city to NHS and key workers and as a tribute to those working so hard through the Covid-19 outbreak. The colourful design is in honour of those who have kept the city moving as well as their counterparts across the country.
A team of three gardeners took six weeks to plant the 35,000-plus flowers and plants used to create the clock, which will be in bloom until October. There are over 20 different plants included in this year’s design including numerous Echeverias, Sedums, Saxifrages and Pyrethrum. The design states that Edinburgh thanks all key workers and includes the NHS logo and encourages everyone to stay safe.
Edinburgh’s Lord Provost Frank Ross, who spoke at the official dedication said:“This year our legendary floral clock will be paying tribute to the ongoing hard work of the NHS and key workers who we are all so proud of.
“It is an honour to be able to support the invaluable work carried out by the NHS and key workers. Doctors, nurses and other health workers have been and should continue to be appreciated by us all. This year’s clock is a poignant symbol of our response to the pandemic I hope all NHS employees and key workers in Edinburgh will be able to visit and enjoy the floral tribute.
“It is also my hope that key workers in other areas know of our appreciation – there have been so many who have gone above and beyond that we can’t list them all but I hope all will be seen in a more appreciative light that they so thoroughly deserve. And to my colleagues in the Council who have continued to work in these most trying of circumstances to keep the city and its vital services running for the people of Edinburgh – I thank you.
“As always, I am delighted to officially unveil this striking and much-loved creation, which is a source of enjoyment and fascination for so many people every day, and I’d like to congratulate our dedicated and creative parks team who have put together the design and we can all now enjoy their realised vision.”
Professor Alex McMahon, Nurse Director, NHS Lothian, said:“We are so incredibly proud of all of our teams across NHS Lothian and grateful for the way they have worked so heroically over recent months in the face of such sustained adversity.
“This is a lovely gesture that I know will touch the hearts of many people and will help serve as a lasting tribute to the hard work and dedication of NHS staff and key workers throughout Lothian.”
Judith Proctor, Chief Officer of the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership said:“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, staff in the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership, and those working with us in the third and independent sectors, have gone the extra mile to care for those who are most vulnerable.
“My heartfelt thanks goes out to each of them every day and it is a real honour that Edinburgh’s legendary floral clock will be dedicated to thanking them for their resilience during the pandemic. The clock’s beautiful design, and the hard work that has gone into creating it, is a fitting reflection of the hard work and excellent care our health and social care staff demonstrate every day.”
The Floral Clock was first created in 1903 by then Edinburgh Parks Superintendent, John McHattie, and is the oldest of its kind in the world. It initially operated with just an hour hand, with a minute hand added in 1904, followed by a cuckoo clock in 1952. Until 1972 the clock was operated mechanically and had to be wound daily.
Since 1946 it has been designed in honour of various organisations and individuals, including the Girl Guides Association, Robert Louis Stevenson and the Queen, for her Golden Jubilee. In the clock’s centenary year in 2003 it won a Gold medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Unfortunately, this year it will not be a fully functioning floral clock at first as important parts, due to the ongoing pandemic, are not immediately available.
Floral Clock fact file – did you know?
The clock was created in 1903 and is the oldest floral clock in the world
It is housed in the plinth of the Allan Ramsay Monument at the north-east corner of West Princes Street Gardens
Planting begins in May each year
Up to 40,000 plants are used in the design each year (compared to 13,000 in the 1930s; 25,000 in the 1950s)
1952 – a cuckoo clock was added and still chimes every 15 minutes
1973 – when the clock began being operated electrically
In 1946 the clock began celebrating a different event or anniversary each year
2003 – the clock won a Gold medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Clock circumference: 36 ft
Clock width: 11 ft 10 ins
Weight of large hand (when filled with plants): 80lbs
Weight of small hand (when filled with plants): 50lbs
Floral clocks are now distributed worldwide and many were made in Edinburgh, where the idea originated.
They can be found in India, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, South America, United States of America, Canada and many other European countries.
~ Leading charity says crisis could cut its income in half this year, and urges public to support Britain’s best loved charities in months ahead ~
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is reopening the first of its shops across Scotland, as it seeks to recover from the devastating impact of the Covid-19 crisis on its income.
The charity planned a phased reopening to ensure it could create a safe working environment for its staff and volunteers, many of whom are living with heart and circulatory diseases.
Ten stores across Edinburgh and the Lothians will open today (Saturday 18th July) with all 76 shops in Scotland due to reopen by the end of July.
BHF shops in Lothian Road, Edinburgh and Leith, Dalry, Bathgate, Craigmillar, Dalkeith, Westside, Shandwick, Musselburgh and Stockbridge open at 10am Saturday 18th July.
As the doors reopen, the charity is urging the public to support it by donating good quality items, or by popping in to snap up a bargain. Every item donated or sold will aid the BHF in its recovery from the crisis, which it predicts will cut its net income in half this year.
James Jopling, Head of BHF Scotland, said: “Our shops fund a huge proportion of cardiovascular research, so the reopening of doors is welcome news for our scientists, the 720,000 people living in Scotland with heart and circulatory diseases, as well as our shoppers.
This moment was difficult to imagine just a few weeks ago, and is testament to the incredible commitment of our BHF team of colleagues and volunteers that we’ll be trading in every corner of the country within two weeks.
“But the coronavirus crisis will unfortunately have a long-lasting and devastating impact on charities like ours, with our funding for new research falling by a shocking £50m this year alone. That’s why, not only do we need urgent help from our loyal supporters, we’re also urging the UK Government to ensure funding for vital research charities. For us, it will mean we can protect the progress we have made so far and continue to transform the lives of those with heart and circulatory diseases. It’s ultimately patients who will suffer if this doesn’t happen.
“Our charity shops run purely on the support of the public, which is why we treasure every person who shops with us or hands in a donation. Every item we sell helps fund our vital research and we are so looking forward to welcoming everyone back.”
The BHF says its shops and stores will have new measures in place to keep staff, volunteers and customers safe. This includes social distancing on the shop floor, protective equipment for staff and volunteers, and facilitating contact free collection and processing of donated items.
In line with Government advice and to keep customers safe, all donations given to the BHF will now be rested for 72 hours before being placed on the shop floor. Customers will also be able to donate at new contact-free donation points set up at every BHF shop entrance.
For larger donations to BHF home stores, donors will be able to book a free collection service online from Monday 27th July. All pick-ups will be contact-free. For smaller donations, the BHF has launched a new postal donation service, making it even easier to donate without hitting the high street.
Just £16 worth of donations can support an early career scientist in carrying out an hour’s research and £25 gives a researcher an hour’s access to equipment. If donations raise £100, this would fund a DNA extraction kit to identify genes linked to heart and circulatory diseases.
To find your local BHF shop and details on when it is reopening visit: www.bhf.org.uk/shop
Giant new artwork – Justice for Sheku Bayoh – at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall joins the rapidly expanding Mural Trail as Scotland’s artists and arts organisations combine their voices to support Black Lives Matter
Scotland’s Black Lives Matter Mural Trail is expanding rapidly. The addition this week of 5 new artworks at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall takes the total to 24 (across Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness) with over a dozen more planned in the coming weeks, in Stirling and Dundee, as well as Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The latest additions are by Kirkcaldy artist Abigail Mills aka Abz including an impressive 5.5 meter x 6.5 meter print on the Usher Hall’s Glass Wing, and a further 4 images next to Lothian Road.
Striking, colourful and thought provoking, Abz’s work reflects her regular job as a tattoo artist, but goes far beyond that, reflecting her Scottish/Jamaican heritage and self identifcation as a “queer artist”.
The Glass Wing artwork – Justice for Sheku Bayoh – is inspired by the death in 2015, in police custody in Kirkcaldy, of Sheku Bayoh (now the subject of a recently announced public enquiry).
Aamer Anwar, lawyer for the Bayoh family, said: “The family of Sheku Bayoh & his partner Collette are deeply grateful to the artist for this mural which encapsulates for them their long struggle for justice & truth.
“It’s time that those who fly the banner of #BlackLivesMatter realised that there are also many George Floyds in the UK and their families need your support”
Abz’s work joins The Neon Requiem’s 3 portraits of female inspirations in his life – The Healer, The Nurturer and the Teacher, on display at the Lyceum Theatre, text contributions by Annie George at The Traverse Theatre, and a further 6 posters featuring words by some of Scotland’s leading BAME musicians including Emili Sande, Young Fathers and Findlay Quaye, making a remarkable cluster of creative activity by BAME artists/writers, at Edinburgh’s “theatre hub”.
“This is hugely significant, and not just for art and culture” – Cllr Donald Wilson, Culture Convenor, City of Edinburgh Council
