Leith – Page 147 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Fiveways to have a wheely good weekend!

It’s all happening on our local cycle paths on Sunday

Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust is running an event on the cycle paths in North Edinburgh this coming Sunday (writes ELGT’s Mark Sydenham).

Over the past few months we have been working at Fiveways Junction on some landscaping improvements to make Fiveways a landmark on the cycle paths.

Volunteers from Pilton Equalities Project and MYDG have been hard at work carrying out some woodland management and undergrowth clearance in the surrounding woodlands, opening the area up and cutting back overhanging ivy and branches to make the paths brighter and safer.

Royston Wardieburn Community Centre have been working on a six week project on the cycle paths with one of their groups, which has included learning about the paths and their history, and planting some fruit bushes.

This coming Sunday, we are inviting everyone to come along and take part. We have fruit and other bushes to plant, as well as other activities. We will have prizes and goodies to give away too!.

To win one of the prizes, we have a little quiz/treasure hunt – to get the questions, turn up to either the Crewe Toll bridge (over Ferry Road) or King George V Park (Canonmills) between 1pm and 1.30pm and then search out the answers on your way to Fiveways (make sure you get there by 1.30!).

Or just come along to Fiveways and join in the activities between 1pm and 4pm.

There is more information here:

http://www.innertubemap.com/2015/04/26-april-fiveways-junction-makeover-day/

and we will be putting more things up on our Facebook page too

(https://www.facebook.com/pages/Edinburgh-Lothians-Greenspace-Trust/192106231309?ref=hl)

We hope to see some of you on Sunday!

Mark Sydenham, Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust

Telephone 445 4025

www.elgt.org.uk

Happy birthday, Roberta!

A very Happy Birthday to Royston Wardieburn stalwart Roberta Blaikie, who celebrates her 70th birthday today.

Roberta has been at the heart of community activities across North Edinburgh for many years and friends, family and colleagues from over the years joined Roberta for a surprise party at a packed Royston Wardieburn Community Centre on Sunday.

Last call: register to vote!

Deadline for registration is MIDNIGHT TONIGHT

Alex Robertson, Director of Communications at the Electoral Commission, said: “If you aren’t registered by 20 April then you simply won’t be able to vote on 7 May so do it now at www.gov.uk/registertovote. It takes just a few minutes and is far easier than the old, paper based process. There’s been a great response so far and we don’t want anyone to miss out on having their say on polling day.”

The Electoral Commission said recent applications included almost 470,000 online applications from 16 to 24-year-olds but added that its research also suggested there may be as many as 7.5 million unregistered voters.

The deadline to register to vote is midnight on Monday 20 April. Register now at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

Other important dates:

The deadline for receiving new postal vote and postal proxy applications is 5pm on Tuesday 21 April 2015 and the deadline for proxy vote applications is 5pm on Tuesday 28 April 2015.

www.gov.uk/registertovote.

Use it ot lose it – adult education classes resume at Craigroyston

Craigroyston Classes poster April 2015

Our adult education classes at Craigroyston Community High School start back from 27 April and if we do not have enough numbers, the council will cancel classes, so please do encourage people to sign up -use it or lose it!

Also some Lone Parent Scotland cookery classes ongoing at the moment :

Cookery class at Craigroyston Community High School
67 Pennywell Road, Edinburgh EH4 4NL
Run by Lone Parent Scotland

Wednesday 15 April 10am-12.30pm
Making healthy burgers and coleslaw (ingredients all provided) for vegetarians and beef burgers

Thursday 16 April 10am -12.30pm
Making chocolate birthday cake (ingredients all provided)

All lone parents welcome with their children

Fiona Henderson

North Edinburgh Arts AGM next week

NORTH EDINBURGH ARTS

Annual General Meeting

To be held at North Edinburgh Arts, 15a Pennywell Court

Wednesday 22 April at 12 noon

Soup and sandwiches will be served at 12.30

Creche available on request

Come and hear about the work of NEA and plans for the next three years, followed by the opportunity to put your ideas forward.

To RSVP and reserve a creche space call Sandra on 315 2151 or email admin@northedinburgharts.co.uk by Wednesday 15 April.

Live Well in Later Life

Drop-in event for older people at Broughton High School next week

Come along to our free drop-in event between

11am -3pm on Thursday 16 April

at Broughton High School, East Fettes Avenue.

Tea, coffee and cake will be served.

Free transport is available if booked in advance.

Call 0131 529 6552 or email rachel.howe@edinburgh.gov.uk

Live Well Inverleith Flyer

Show them you care: public meeting to discuss Granton Marina plans

‘We are fed up being ignored’ – Granton & District Community Council

Following the last community council meeting that was well attended by groups and residents in the area we were asked to organise a public meeting to get our views heard on this development.

We are fed up being ignored. Our wishes discarded. No longer. We have an opportunity to really make a noise about this. Please come along and make your voice heard.

The meeting is on Thursday 9 April

at Royston & Wardieburn Community Centre – 7pm.

Please tell as many people as you know. The developer was invited and said no. Show them you do care!

Granton & District Community Council

Science hits the streets this Easter

Spectacular street science is expected to attract large crowds to locations across Edinburgh during the Easter holidays.

The ‘Busking Bikes’ project is part of the Edinburgh International Science Festival and the City of Edinburgh Council is supporting six performances from 4-14 April.

Each trike carries a box full to the brim with impressive, explosive, messy, and down-right weird science experiments. From the power of water to finding out how carbon capture could save the planet, each demo will explain some of the most interesting science happening today.

As well as watching expert performers do some unforgettable demonstrations, the audience can get stuck in too and learn their own science tricks, from skewering a balloon to launching a rocket.

Councillor Frank Ross, the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “This is a really exciting project as we expect the bikes to draw large crowds to each area creating a vibrant atmosphere, colour and life where ever they go. The ‘Busking Bikes’ project is being funded as part of the Council’s Town Centre Strategy to build stronger town centres by driving up footfall to support local businesses.”

Programme:

Saturday April 4 – Portobello Market

Sunday April 5 – Gorgie City Farm

Friday April 10 – Stockbridge Library

Friday April 10 – Morningside Library

Friday April 10 – Costorphine Library

Tuesday April 14 – McDonald Road Library

‘Bomb maker’ doctor jailed

A former doctor from Syria has been jailed for 40 months for possessing a hoard of explosive ingredients, and instructions on how to prepare bombs, in two North Edinburgh flats.

Last month Faris al-Khori, who is 62, admitted a breach of the 1883 Explosives Substances Act and pled guilty to possessing the explosives at flats at Fidra Court and Persevere Court between 27 December 2007 and 27 April last year.

Passing sentence at Edinburgh’s High Court this morning, Judge Lady Wolffe told al-Khori: “The number and nature of the explosive substances and the places you chose to store them lead me to conclude there is no alternative to a custodial sentence. The sentence is one of five years but in light of your early plea I reduce it to 40 months. It will be backdated and I shall also impose a supervised release order for a period of 12 months.”

Firefighters discovered the potentially lethal ingredients when they were called to tackle a fire in a rubbish chute in Fidra Court. Fire crews forced entry to flats in the high-rise block to check no-one was inside, but when they entered al-Khori’s property they found items that gave cause for concern. The building was evacuated and the find sparked off a further search of a property in Leith’s Persevere Court, where more explosive materials were found.

Despite a subsequent in-depth investigation, police have been unable find any evidence that al-Khori was connected to any terrorist organisation and his reason for stockpiling the explosive components remains a mystery .

Easter Holiday Programme

With the holidays almost upon us the Total Craigroyston team has produced a useful guide to what’s on for children and families across North Edinburgh during the Easter break.

To find out what’s on, where and when, click on the link below:

Easter-Programme-2015