St James Quarter celebrates a milestone moment in Edinburgh history as construction workers secure the final flourish on the highest point of the W Edinburgh – the new centrepiece of the £1bn city centre development.
The topping out of the 1.7 million sq ft development in the heart of the Scottish capital signals the most significant transformation Edinburgh has seen in a generation. Set to open in phases, the shopping, dining and leisure elements will open in spring 2021 and the W Edinburgh will mark the final completion in 2022.
Set to employ 3,000 people, St James Quarter will be a destination like no other – bringing together brands from global to local, and convenience to luxury.
It features a shopping galleria with 80 different brands, 30 restaurants, Scotland’s first W Edinburgh hotel, a boutique Everyman Cinema, a Roomzzz Aparthotel, residential apartments and an unrivalled guest experience providing customers with an enviable events programme in a range of new and attractive public spaces.
UPDATE: Police are pleased to report that 35 year old Lauren Weeks, who was reported missing from Edinburgh has been FOUND. Thanks to everyone who shared the appeal.
Police are re-appealing for the public’s help as part of their efforts to trace Lauren Weeks (35) who has been reported missing in Edinburgh.
Enquires have now revealed that Lauren was in the York Place vicinity on Thursday (12 November).
New images are being released as Lauren’s hair may now appear to be darker than originally posted.
She is described as a white female, 5’7” tall, slim build, long blonde/brown hair. She is believed to be dressed all in black wearing a high quality windproof jacket, skirt and ankle boots. She is believed to be carrying a large grey mountaineering style backpack, a dark green duffle bag and a dark green sleeping bag.
Anyone who may have seen Lauren, or who has any information on her whereabouts, is urged to contact Police Scotland via 101 quoting incident number 1155 of 12/11/2020
Police in Edinburgh are appealing for information following a hit and run yesterday ( Friday, 6 November, 2020).
At around 4:40pm, a six-year-old boy was struck by a grey Skoda Fabia car while crossing the road at a pedestrian crossing on the West Approach Road: the driver failed to stop.
Emergency services attended and the boy was taken to hospital, where he is being treated for facial injuries.
Sergeant Peter Scott, of Edinburgh Road Policing Unit, said: “We’re appealing to anyone who witnessed this incident, or has relevant dash cam footage, to get in touch.
“I would also appeal directly to the driver of the car involved, to come forward.
“The grey Skoda Fabia sustained damage to the nearside fog lamp and nearside mirror. If anyone has information which could help to identify this car, then please get in touch.”
Anyone with information should contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 2629 of 6 November, 2020.
Conifox accepts no imitations as it supplies homegrown Christmas tree for The Mound
Family run, for family fun, Conifox Adventure Park has marked the launch of its yearly Christmas tree market by supplying a Scottish grown Christmas tree for The Mound.
Standing at a majestic 60ft tall, the Edinburgh Mound spruce will be supplied directly from Scotland, promoting the festive feeling of ‘shop local’ this Christmastime, with Conifox Christmas Trees hoping to encourage other Edinburgh residents to source their tree locally, reducing their carbon footprint.
With installation scheduled for 8am on Saturday (7th November), Conifox Adventure Park director, James Gammell, will be there to witness the yearly event.
James said: “From its origins in 1949 when the traditional gifted tree came from Scandinavia, through to 2008 and beyond when it’s been sourced directly from Scotland, the tree on The Mound has always been the starting beacon for Christmas in the capital.
“Seeing the community come together to marvel at the thousands of twinkling lights on a spruce that has united Scotland and Norway for over 70 years, is incredibly heart-warming. Although this year we will all be celebrating Christmas a little differently, we will still feel at home when we look up and see this symbol that is the spirit of Christmas.”
Edinburgh based company Bernard Hunter Cranes and Field and Lawn Christmas lights and city dressing, are both involved in erecting and decorating the Sitka Spruce, which was sourced from a forest in Kintyre.
Although grown in Scotland and supplied by Conifox Christmas Trees, the tree continues to be a gift from the citizens of Hordaland to mark the help given by the Scots to Norway during WWII.
James Gammell added: “As always we will be offering a little magic at Conifox Adventure Park, with our annual Christmas tree market, where we will have hundreds of beautiful firs ready to take home and enjoy.
“Remember to stop by and pick yours after your trip through our Christmas Drive-Thru Experience.”
Available from late November 4, 14ft Nordmann Firs, Norway Spruces and Fraser Firs will be stocked and displayed at Conifox Adventure Park ready to be netted and taken away, or delivered in Edinburgh, South Queensferry, West Lothian and more.
Potted Christmas trees and wreaths are also available, with commercial venues able to take advantage of this local supplier, bagging themselves a Christmas tree up to a 60ft. Email us christmastrees@conifox.co.uk or Tel. 0131 333 2288
Those with tickets to the park’s Christmas Drive-thru will be enticed to shop their at-home range of real trees before or after their visit, to further experience the magic.
Tickets available now for the Christmas Drive-thru and are subject to additional government guidelines. A full refund guarantee is in place in case of event cancellation due to local lockdowns or restrictions.
VIRGIN MONEY INVESTS IN NEW FLAGSHIP STORE IN SCOTLAND’S CAPITAL
New store first of its kind in Scotland
55 Clydesdale Bank branches will rebrand to Virgin Money Stores
Entire nationwide network of stores will operate under the new Virgin Money brand by spring 2021
Virgin Money has opened its state-of-the-art flagship Store in Edinburgh as part of its UK wide store rebrand programme.
The new flagship store located at 83 George Street, is the latest example of Virgin Money’s innovative approach to what a bank branch can offer. Once Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted, customers will be able to experience the full range of the new store’s features, including a space for entrepreneurs to co-work and create, a venue for events and much more as Virgin Money invests in UK high streets as part of its nation-wide rebrand.
The multi-million-pound rebranding of its national network of Clydesdale Bank, Yorkshire Bank and Virgin Money sites to the new Virgin Money branding will be completed by spring 2021, bringing all stores under a single brand.
Each rebranded store will offer full banking services to all 6.6 million customers in the Virgin Money Group, vastly increasing the network of available stores to existing Clydesdale Bank, Yorkshire Bank and Virgin Money customers. Over the coming months customers will also begin to see credit cards, banking apps and account statements change to Virgin Money as part of its wider rebrand activity.
Customers will continue to benefit from the same friendly and knowledgeable teams, providing excellent customer service and access to a wide range of Virgin Money products and services from current account to mortgages and credit cards. Customers will also have access to exclusive products and services from the wider Virgin Group of businesses.
Paul Titterton, Head of Personal Distribution at Virgin Money said: “These are exciting times for Virgin Money as we invest in our stores and move to a single brand for all customers.
“The new George Street store brings together the very best of digital banking with a unique offering on the high street. It’s a new chapter for our history, and our new approach to stores proves that a bank branch can be a buzzing creative space where businesses and people can come together.
“We can’t wait for the Covid restrictions to lift so customers can enjoy the full Virgin experience in our new Edinburgh store.”
As part of the programme 55 Clydesdale Bank branches will be rebranded to Virgin Money Stores across Scotland.
Virgin Money are in communication with its customers in advance of their own branch being rebranded to let them know about when they can expect the changes to be made.
Aberdeen saw the biggest fall in job vacancies, followed by Edinburgh and Belfast
Covid restrictions and rise in remote work dragging down jobs recovery in cities across the country
Deserted high streets and city centres are hampering Britain’s jobs recovery with urban areas in Scotland and south England bearing the steepest declines in vacancies.
New research by the Centre for Cities think tank and global job site Indeed found that seven months after the nationwide lockdown was imposed, job vacancies have failed to return to pre-Covid levels in all 63 towns and cities they analysed.
The rise in people working from home has dried up demand for local services in big cities, with London, Manchester and Edinburgh – cities where remote work has been most feasible during the pandemic – among the places with the slowest recovery in job postings in local services businesses compared with last year.
In London 10.7% of job postings mention ‘remote work’ and in large cities with a population of over 600,000 the rate is 9.7%.
While no place or sector has escaped the labour market crisis, those where high street footfall returned to normal more quickly – Birkenhead, Chatham and Hull – have seen a faster recovery in posted job vacancies. Public sector jobs have also been relatively sheltered from the crisis compared to private sector ones.
Andrew Carter, Centre for Cities’ Chief Executive, said:“While unemployment continues to rise, the number of jobs available to people who find themselves out of work is far below its level last year in every single large city and town in the UK. This could have potentially catastrophic long-term consequences for people and the economy.
“The Government has told us to expect a tough winter and, while local lockdowns are necessary to protect lives, it is vital that ministers continue to listen and reassess the level of support given to help people and places to cope with the months ahead.
“The Chancellor made welcome amendments to the JSS which should help save jobs, but many places across the country didn’t have enough jobs before the pandemic hit so creating more will be vital to prevent long-term economic damage to their local economies.”
Pawel Adrjan, EMEA head of research at the global job site Indeed, said:“The timid recovery in job vacancies is a portent of the distress towns and cities could face if restrictions continue to spring up in parts of the country already reeling from imposed lockdowns and reduced footfall.
“With the remote work trend showing no sign of abating – and entire regions being placed under stricter control – service jobs in large towns and cities could become scarcer still and pull the UK into a jobs spiral. That could mean a very long winter ahead for the millions of people currently unemployed.”
A national service of remembrance in Edinburgh has been cancelled due to the ongoing coronavirus restrictions. The dedication and wreath laying service at the Garden of Remembrance in the capital’s Princes Street Gardens will instead be broadcast online for the first time.
The annual service normally attracts hundreds of spectators who stand shoulder to shoulder beneath the Scott Monument to pay their respects to the fallen of the First and Second World Wars, and all conflicts since.
Due to the ban on outdoor events across central belt health board areas, and the risk it would pose to the public, Legion Scotland have been forced to adapt. They will be broadcasting a special service of remembrance live on their Facebook page from 1050 on Monday, ensuring the public can still join together in paying their respects.
Dr Claire Armstrong, Chief Executive of Legion Scotland, said: “We are very disappointed that the opening of the Garden of Remembrance cannot proceed as planned, but we are determined to ensure that the public can still come together in remembrance of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Coronavirus must not be allowed to cancel remembrance, but public safety is paramount.
“Unfortunately, this is not the first time that we have had to adapt our plans this year. We undertook three major commemorations in the 75th anniversary of VE and VJ Days in May and August respectively, and the 80th anniversary of St Valery in June, with considerable success. The virtual programme of events reached millions and were arguably even more successful as a result of being taken online.
“We hope that everyone who would have joined us in Princes Street Gardens for the Service, and thousands of others, will be able to view the virtual service, which will begin around 1050 on our Facebook page. Poppyscotland will be broadcasting the virtual service live through their YouTube channel and Facebook page as well.”
The service will be hosted by Legion Scotland National Padre Rev Dr Karen Campbell and will include a two minute silence at 1100. The Rt Hon Lord Provost and Lord Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh Frank Ross would normally be amongst the wreath laying party. Instead, a wreath was laid at the Garden of Remembrance on behalf of the City of Edinburgh by Deputy Lord Provost Joan Griffiths in private on Friday.
The Lord Provost said: “While it is disappointing that we can’t come together as planned to open the Garden of Remembrance this year, our priority has to be public safety. By adhering to the guidelines we are all playing our part in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
“Although physically not together, as with many areas of our lives, we can join in virtually and watch the poignant service online and my thanks to Legion Scotland and Poppyscotland for their work to make this possible.
“I urge residents to embrace new ways to donate to this year’s Scottish Poppy Appeal and embrace the opportunity to observe the season of remembrance. Taking a moment to pause, reflect, remember and show our gratitude and appreciation for the enormous sacrifices that have been made – and continue to be made every day on our behalf – by courageous men and women.”
The current Scottish Government guidelines on outdoor last until 2nd November and further details on what will be permitted on Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day are expected later this week.
Dr Armstrong continued: “While we await clarity on how new guidelines will impact on Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day, it is safe to say that these events, both at a national and local level, cannot proceed as they normally would.
“We are therefore urging all Legion Scotland branches, and other organisations who have responsibility for remembrance events in their local area, to take note of the guidelines and only to stage events that are safe and fully compliant.”
She added: “It is important to note that the Edinburgh Garden and Field of Remembrance is open to the public. While mass gatherings are not permitted, we would very much encourage the public to visit on an individual basis.
“I also urge everyone to support this year’s Scottish Poppy Appeal. Thousands of Poppyscotland volunteers and Legion Scotland members are unable to collect as they normally would. Nevertheless, our Armed Forces community rely on the vital, life-changing support provided by Poppyscotland and they can only continue to deliver that through the funds raised during the Poppy Appeal.”
The virtual service of remembrance can be viewed at any of the following links:
Museums & Galleries Edinburgh officially launch Auld Reekie Retold, the largest collections inventory project ever undertaken in the organisation’s history.
Over the course of three years, the ambitious project will see the recording and cataloguing of the collection of over 200,000 objects which are housed in stores and venues across the City, in preparation for a move to a new store where those objects can be safely stored and effectively managed.
Auld Reekie Retold isn’t solely based on collection management. It will also connect objects in the collection, which has been growing steadily since the 1870’s, with people and places in the City, uncovering new stories from Edinburgh and its residents.
The project will harness that public and professional knowledge about objects in the collection to share it with visitors, both in person at the museums and digitally throughout the project.
That gathered knowledge and data will also be used to develop exhibitions and displays in the future – with all work designed to consolidate Museums & Galleries Edinburgh’s position as a leading Scottish cultural institution and to help better serve the people of Edinburgh and visitors from across the world.
Earlier this year, Museums & Galleries Edinburgh stood in solidarity with the #BlackLivesMatter movement and pledged to play an active role in standing up to racism. Auld Reekie Retold is an important opportunity for greater understanding of the origins of the collections and the way they have been catalogued.
Throughout the lifecycle of the project, the impact of Colonialism will be highlighted, seeking to educate and bring new perspectives and hidden stories to light. Future phases of the project will involve working with diverse communities across Edinburgh to record objects in new ways that better reflect today’s world.
Permanent museum staff have been joined for the project by three dedicated Collections Assistants whose work focuses on matching objects with any existing records, updating the information currently held and carrying out research.
Prior to Covid-19 restrictions being in place, work was underway in object stores across the city and although some of this work is now paused, team members are very much continuing to work through digital records.
Below are a few examples of some fascinating stories and objects that have already come to light, as part of work carried out prior to lockdown, with many more future stories and news of new discoveries and calls for public input being shared across the duration of the project:
Consider for instance a tiny round metal stamp used for impressing on to wax, with the name and Trinity address of William Flockhart. Flockhart and his partner Duncan were surgeon apothecaries who produced a number of drugs and medicines in the 1840s. Among the customers on their books were James Young Simpson, the inventor of anaesthetics, and Florence Nightingale.
Or a playbill printed on a 100,000 Deutschmark note for a play at the Lyceum Theatre entitled “Tons of Money”, staged in 1925, a time when hyper-inflation in Germany had reached a point where money was no longer worth the paper it was printed on. While people were paying for loaves of bread with wheelbarrows of cash, in Edinburgh, the bank note was used to advertise the ironically titled play.
The project will create a web of connections across the collections held by Museums & Galleries Edinburgh, from archaeology to social history. An example of this is the rediscovery of a small silver pendant of the Six Feet Club from the 1830s.
There were a surprising number of secret and not-so-secret societies in Edinburgh at this time, each with its own particular niche interest or membership rule. This club was dedicated to athleticism, and to be a member you had to be a man and oddly enough six foot tall. Sir Walter Scott was made an honorary member despite not being six-foot-tall and left with a limp by a bout of childhood polio.
Sometimes the finds are a little closer to home, like the Ronson Escort 2000 Hairdryer.
A “portable” hairdryer from the 1970’s, designed to be used at home and worn like a satchel with a tube that connected to a shower cap style hood which would allow you to go about your day as you dried and set your hair; as long as your day was only two feet from a plug. This was aimed at the modern women leaving her hands free to get on with her day, but from anecdotes from users it seems to imply it had varying results.
Once lockdown restrictions have eased and the museums reopen, Auld Reekie Retold will continue at pace.
There will be a series of exhibitions hosted across the collection including Museum of Edinburgh, The Writers’ Museum and the Museum of Childhood, allowing visitors the opportunity to learn more about the various processes involved in maintaining the collection and to connect with objects, bringing them to life in the process.
Thanks to a grant from Museums Galleries Scotland Museums Development Fund, the project will also feature a programme of public events and tours to enable visitors and special interest groups to engage with the collection and to share in the discoveries made.
While restrictions are in place, these events will be online, but when visitors are welcomed back in to the museums, they will be able to see and handle real objects themselves.
Information will also be made available digitally with regular updates, news and behind the scenes blogs and podcasts shared via www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk,
Museums & Galleries Edinburgh’s collections belong to the City, and Auld Reekie Retold aims to give every citizen of Edinburgh a sense of ownership of and connection to its objects and their stories as the organisation moves into a new dynamic phase of museums development with people, past and present at its heart.
Project Manager Nico Tyack said:“Auld Reekie Retold is a truly unique opportunity for Museums & Galleries Edinburgh to catch all the stories our collections can tell us about Edinburgh.
“From Jacobite muskets to life in tenements, Edinburgh Rock to Pride, medieval St. Giles to the Festival Fringe, we hope to spark conversations about our amazing collections and their hidden histories, gathering new insights for future generations to enjoy.”
Councillor Donald Wilson, Culture and Communities Convener, said: “Our world class collections are a powerful record of our journey to the present day as well as a window to the past where we can discover links to the Edinburgh and Scotland of yesterday.
“We are lucky as a city to have this resource but at the moment much of it is hidden and inaccessible. This is very important behind the scenes work as we review how we currently meet the needs of our citizens and how we can better use our collections.
“I have long believed there is untapped potential in our collections and Auld Reekie Retold is allowing us to develop and gain a fuller understanding of what we have. By recording and cataloguing the collection of over 200,000 objects, it will also highlight those items that can be used for online resources and future exhibitions”.
Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, Culture and Communities Vice Convenor, added: “This project will help to broaden participation with our Museums & Galleries and ensure their long-term relevance.
“This is the story of our city and it needs to be told. It is only by understanding how we got to where we are now that we can know where we want to go in the future.”
Sex worker charity Umbrella Lane has been advocating in the media and the community to fight The Equally Safe Consultation put forward by Ash Denham and published by the Scottish Government.
Having worked to build trust and support sex workers in Scotland since 2015, Umbrella Lane has seen the lack of awareness about the realities of Sex Work and the stigma Workers face.
Therefore, taking a holistic approach, Umbrella Lane have decided to take the voices of their community to the streets of Glasgow on the 23rd October and Edinburgh on the 24thOctober to raise awareness around #TakingBackOurVoice campaign.
The campaign aims to humanise the people affected by the consultation and will highlight the devastating effects the consultation will have on the safety, health and human rights of the Sex Worker community, should it be passed.
While the Equally Safe Consultation is based on misinformation and over generalisations; Umbrella Lane and Sex Workers have fact on our side, with numerous studies showing the dangerous effects of criminalisation, and the benefits of full decriminalisation as a solution.
Join Umbrella Lane to hear what sex workers have to say about the consultation and how you can support us in submitting a response.
*We will be wearing face masks and practicing mandatory social distancing, track and trace is recommended for participating in the event.*
As developers come forward with plans for Princes Street/Waverley Valley (Eh? Me neither, but Cllr Maureen Child explains below – Ed.), a proposal to prepare a new vision to conserve and manage change within Edinburgh’s historic townscape is to be considered.
Councillors on the Planning Committee will discuss a report on Wednesday (14 October). If the go ahead is given the ‘vision’ would also inform future development and management of the area and the quality of its public realm.
The guidance would sit in the context of the future City Plan 2030 as non-statutory planning guidance and complement the delivery of the Edinburgh City Centre Transformation programme (ECCT) and World Heritage Site Management Plan.
The vision, if approved, is to be developed over the next 12 months and would cover three strands:
The first strand (The Waverley Valley Conservation and Access Plan) would address issues such as preserving Edinburgh’s iconic skyline, impacts of climate change and ‘maximising the value of the gardens to enhance physical and mental wellbeing while ensuring the continued potential to accommodate events and activities‘.
The second strand (Princes Street Framework: Buildings and Uses) would review the blocks on Princes Street with a view to creating opportunities for investment, growth and jobs while also enhancing the overall lived environment of Princes Street and the Waverley Valley.
Finally, the third strand (Princes Street Public Realm Design Code) would seek to improve Princes Street’s public realm to create a more attractive, people friendly street environment for everyone to enjoy the unrivalled views to the Castle and Old Town, and to support retail and leisure.
Planning Convener Cllr Neil Gardiner said: An important reason why Edinburgh is recognised across the world as an outstanding city is because of the Waverley Valley between the Old and New Towns, with gardens and superb views.
“One impact of the coronavirus pandemic is that many of us are now questioning how we live, our priorities and how we’re going about our daily lives. The Waverley Valley Strategy, which is much needed regardless of the these changes is now even more important to help us shape Edinburgh’s unique city centre with its combination of beautiful built heritage and world-famous architecture.
“I would like our vision to be for a welcoming, relaxing and people-friendly environment. Through the ongoing City Centre Transformation, we’re making moves toward strengthening and enhancing these characteristics in the heart of Edinburgh.
“At the beginning of this year we also changed our supplementary planning guidance for retail in the city centre, recognising changing trends amongst shoppers and other people who spend time in the city centre. In connecting all of this together, we aim to put guidance in place to make sure we create a healthy balance of uses on Princes Street and in the Waverley Valley in the future.”
Cllr Maureen Child Vice Planning Convener said: “The Waverley Valley plays a defining role in establishing contrast between the medieval Old Town and Georgian New Town and this forms a key part of why the area is part of a World Heritage Site.
“The valley is a fantastic space and plays a huge part in for the city’s wellbeing, civic and cultural life. It has gardens, many listed buildings, scheduled monuments, art collections, exhibition spaces and cultural attractions.
“Its transport infrastructure including Waverley Station allows people from across Edinburgh and beyond to pass through and experience the city’s strong sense of identity and this something I hope the guidance will continue to preserve in the future.”
If preparation of a vision is approved next week, a further report will be brought to the Planning Committee early in 2021 ahead of a public consultation on the draft proposals, with the final strategy due by next autumn for approval.
