Police are appealing for information after a man was found seriously injured yesterday (Tuesday, 11 July). The 30-year-old was found around 2.20pm on Albert Street.
He was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment.
Enquiries have established a group of around six men wearing dark clothing were seen in the area at the time.
Detective Inspector Martin Smith said: “Our enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances and we are appealing to anyone who was in the area at the time to contact officers.
“Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 quoting incident 1853 of 11 July, 2023.
“Alternatively, details can be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
LS Productions – a global production company that started life on a kitchen table by a former air stewardess – is officially recognised as one of the UK’s fastest growing private companies
Set up in Edinburgh by Marie Owen – with 3 kids under the age of 5 – the company has gone from strength to strength being named on two prestigious lists of fastest growing UK private companies
LS Productions was Grammy-nominated for its work on its second Harry Styles music video (‘Adore You’) and works with high profile celebrities including Zendaya, Ed Sheeran and Cristiano Ronaldo
With ambition to become a £40 million turnover business in the next two years, the company provides production services to clients for commercials, fashion, sport, music videos and film and TV projects working across the globe.
LS Productions – whose headquarters are in Leith – is celebrating appearances on The Sunday Times 100 and FEBE Growth 100 lists – which recognise the UK’s fastest growing private companies.
Both lists celebrate British business at its best – highlighting founders that are driving their companies to deliver significant sales, revenue and profit, against a backdrop of unprecedented economic challenges.
With their headquarters in Edinburgh, LS Productions are the UK’s largest production service company with additional offices in London and Manchester.
LS’s recent growth is down in part to the expansion of their services into the international film & TV sectors, taking on global TV and film production service projects over the last 18 months, with recent projects including Ghosted (Skydance / Apple TV),episodes of the Bachelor (NZK Productions / Warner Bros Entertainment / ABC) and a Kind of Spark (CBBC / BYUtv America).
As part of this growth they have also added a warm water production and location facility in Malta to further bolster their international offering.
In conjunction with this expansion, the LS growth can also be directly attributed to a commitment to invest in and recruit talent in the LS’s core production specialisms, including commercials, fashion, music and sport.
Mimi Webb, Aviemore, Scotland, 5th April 2023
The diversification of these business streams was a deliberate move to weather the storm faced by the production industry in a post Covid landscape.
Across this period LS has worked on a succession of high profile service production projects ranging from Ed Sheeran’s latest album Subtract (Freenjoy / Directed by Mia Barnes), Harry Styles ‘Adore You (Freenjoy / Directed by Dave Meyers), Valentino’s Pink Dreams starring Zendaya (Marcell Rev / Michael Bailey Gates) and ‘You’re Up’ featuring Cristiano Ronaldo for Nike (Wieden & Kennedy/ Directed by Megaforce).
Not only this but Covid also provided cause for reflection about where the business saw itself creatively in the long term and how they could look to continue to stay true to their values of being ‘creative at heart’ which drove further diversification with the arrival of an original content arm in the form of LS Films.
Thanks to this successful business strategy, LS has seen a two year growth of 273% and boasts sales of £20 million.
Speaking about the recognition, CEO and Founder Marie Owen – who has lived in Edinburgh her whole life, said: “I’m beyond thrilled to see LS Productions name appear on such prestigious lists, in fact I can’t quite believe it!
“If you could have told me that we’d be appearing on lists like these when I started the business back in 2006 from my kitchen table I’d probably have laughed and said ‘are you joking’! I
“t’s such a fantastic achievement and so rewarding to see all the incredible hard work and dedication that myself and the team have put in to get recognised.
“Both in terms of growing a world-class global production company, but also a business that people genuinely love working for that is firmly rooted in the values of kindness, hard work and learning.”
Marie continued: “”Post Covid we had to completely re-evaluate where we wanted to go – not just professionally but personally. So we went, quite literally back to our roots – which meant investing heavily in specialised expertise to develop focused business streams; Fashion, Sport, Commercial, Music Videos, Film & TV Service and an original content division called LS Films.
“This robust diversification gives LS a solid foundation in an industry that is notorious for huge highs and steep lows because we’re not overly dependent on one particular stream and it also allows us to explore our creative passion with LS Films.”
The Leith Collective launches free school uniform exchange to help worried parents this summer
School’s out for summer but far from signalling the start of a care-free holiday, many Edinburgh parents are already worrying about how they will afford new school uniforms when the holiday is over and the new academic year begins.
That’s according to one local Community Interest Company, The Leith Collective, who are reporting a higher level of anxiety than ever amongst Edinburgh parents, many of whom have said they will be cutting back on summer holiday treats this year to meet the rising cost of essentials such as school uniforms.
And so, The Leith Collective is acting now to help alleviate some of that anxiety with the launch of their free school uniform exchange.
Taking place at The Leith Collective stores in Edinburgh’s Ocean Terminal and Fort Kinnaird as well as the Glasgow’s St Enoch Centre, this initiative will see locals donate good quality uniforms, schoolbags, pencil cases and school essentials to those in need. Items will be available for anyone to collect completely free of charge, no questions asked.
Speaking ahead of the launch, The Leith Collective founder, Sara Thomson said; “Demand for our free school uniform exchange last year was high. Sadly, due to the ongoing cost of living crisis, there is an increasing number of families from all walks of life who are genuinely anxious about how they will kit out their kids again this year.
“So, we felt it was essential that we launch our free school uniform exchange as soon as possible – so that parents have at least one less thing to worry about throughout the school holidays.”
This summer’s free school uniform exchange follows The Leith Collective’s winter coat exchange which received an overwhelming response, with over 7,000 coats donated and collected by locals.
People can donate and collect items at The Leith Collective in Ocean Terminal, Fort Kinnaird, and the St Enoch Centre during opening hours. No tights or socks can be accepted but all other good quality school items are welcome.
The Leith Collective at Ocean Terminal Ocean Drive, Edinburgh EH6 6JJ Opening hours: Monday – Saturday 11am – 6pm, and Sunday 11am – 5pm.
Residents at an Edinburgh care home are developing their digital dexterity thanks to the generous donation of 15 new Amazon Fire 7 tablets from a national construction firm.
The home sits close to Leith, where McAleer & Rushe will be based on a major long-term project delivering much needed new homes at the Dockside. The firm has also pledged to build tall planters and a seating area in the care home’s manicured garden, allowing residents to enjoy the warm summer days in comfortable surroundings.
Elizabeth Griffiths, aged 91, resident at Mathieson House said: “This was a lovely gift for everyone to receive.
“Tablet meant something very different when I was younger, so these types of things are all a bit new to us at the home, but the staff have been great at showing us how they work.”
Mathieson House is part of Renaissance Care group which currently owns and operates 16 homes across Scotland, including Letham Park, which sits on the same site in Ferry Road.
Across the group there is a strong focus on enhancing the physical and mental wellbeing of residents. Each home has a dedicated activities team, which delivers a variety of events that bring fun, laughter and wellbeing benefits to residents.
This includes the group’s digital exercise programme, danceSing, which encourages residents to take part in fun physical exercises suited to their capabilities.
“I’m excited to get to know the team at Mathieson House who take great care to provide a nurturing and comfortable home to their residents and look forward to returning to help elevate their garden space.
“We hope the donation of these tablets will help the residents embrace technology to stay connected with their loved ones and provide access to the digital world at their fingertips.”
Mathieson House Care Home is a warm and welcoming, purpose-built care home situated in the Trinity area of Edinburgh. The care home has 20 rooms and offers supported living to residents within a stylish boutique hotel style environment.
From Monday (26 June) new controlled parking zones will become operational in some streets in Leith, meaning you’ll need a permit or pay and display ticket to park.
Zones N7 (Leith Walk / Pilrig) and N8 (Leith and North Leith)
Zones N7 (Leith Walk / Pilrig) and N8 (Leith and North Leith) will be operational from 26 June 2023. Parking permits will be available for sale from 5 June.
The new controls will mean that, during the controlled hours Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm, all parking is controlled. During those hours all kerbside space will be managed by yellow lines or parking places. Some restrictions such as double yellow lines and some parking places llike disabled bays and car club bays operate 24 hours a day.
Most parking places will be a mix of permit holder only, shared use which can be used by permit holders and visitors paying to park and pay and display bays, with signage situated at each parking place confirming the restrictions that apply.
Pay and display
The parking charge for pay and display parking in Zones 7 and 8 will be £3.10 per hour.
The signage at the pay and display and shared use parking places will indicate the maximum stay period for paying customers.
Maximum stay periods do not apply to resident permit holders in shared parking places and the relevant RingGo parking code for that location.
Payment for parking can be made using the available pay and display ticket machines, or through the RingGo cashless parking service.
Please note that the new pay and display ticket machines will only accept contactless payments and will not be able to accept cash.
Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “New controlled Parking Zones which will soon become operational in some streets in Leith have been designed to protect residents’ parking.
“Controls aim to address issues like commuter parking, which people across the city have told us is a problem in their neighbourhoods.
“We’ve been writing to residents and businesses to keep them up to date on when the changes but I would also encourage anyone who lives in or visits the area to visit our website to find out more about the changes and to purchase a permit, if they need one.
“As part of our Strategic Parking Review officers have spent a great deal of time speaking to residents and gathering information on each area. Once in place, they’ll also be monitoring the impact of the changes to make sure they work for everyone.
“Parking controls don’t only help to maintain priority for residents, but protect against vehicle dominance, encouraging alternative modes of transport, while improving the safety and efficiency of the city’s streets.”
Detectives in Edinburgh are appealing for information and witnesses following a fire near to a property and a vehicle in Leith.
The incident took place on Jane Street, at around 10.35pm on Sunday, 11 June, 2023.
Officers assisted their partners at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service at the scene. Whilst significant damage was caused, no injuries have been reported.
Enquiries to establish the cause of the fire are ongoing.
Detective Sergeant Christina Yeoman, from Gayfield CID, said: “We can be thankful that no one was hurt as a result of this fire.
“As our investigation continues, we are keen to hear from anyone who may have information, or potential CCTV or dashcam footage from the area.
“If you believe you can assist our enquiries, please call police on 101, quoting incident 4183 of 11 June, 2023.”
Aspiring home hunters looking to make one of Edinburgh’s most exciting destinations their home, will be pleased to know about the latest incentive launching at The Engine Yard.
Set within the heart of vibrant Leith where the city’s new tram line launched on Wednesday 7th June, this stunning selection of homes form part of a superb regeneration story and offer the perfect city pad with an outstanding range of amenities and transport links on their doorstep.
Buyers who reserve one of the stylish new apartments before the 30th June 2023, will receive £10,000 cashback, plus an Edinburgh Ridacard for five years free tram and bus travel.*
Elegantly combining old and new in one place, The Engine Yard is set amongst a network of pedestrian pathways and gardens; boasting rich industrial architecture, with tram sheds, a chimney, a boundary wall and gables, all sensitively restored to create a unique development of 377 apartments, duplexes and penthouses, breathing new life into a once neglected area of the city.
The Engine Yard offers buyers an exceptional selection of apartments situated less than a 10-minute walk from St James Centre, and well connected to some of Edinburgh’s popular local highlights and unrivalled transport links.
Enjoying a highly desirable location, the homes at The Engine Yard are ideal for those wanting to reap the rewards of a city lifestyle. All apartments feature thoughtful streamlined layouts, with selected homes benefitting from a private garden or balcony, anchored around landscaped communal gardens with access to secure underground parking.
The contemporary apartments feature a high-quality specification, open plan living and communal bike storage. Ample storage space ensures the home is kept clutter free and a combined heat and power system and efficient utilities aim help keep residents energy bills low.
Additional, selected properties enjoy far reaching cityscape views across Edinburgh’s historic skyline.
Leith’s food and drink scene is a stone’s throw from The Engine Yard; from Michelin-starred restaurants, award-winning street food markets, lively riverside bars, cosy pubs and vegan delicatessens – residents will not be short of places to eat, drink and relax.
Michelin-starred The Kitchin offers a fine dining experience of the highest quality, The Pitt is an independent street food market that serves up an award-winning selection of tasty cuisine.
The popular pubs, Bonnington Leith or The Bullfinch are a great option for after-work drinks, while Teuchters Landing offers a beer garden on Leith’s shoreside, great for a sunny weekend. A string of excellent cafés is also nearby, with a selection of artisan bakeries and vegan coffee shops providing a variety of tasty sweet treats.
Nearby, Green Flag Awarded King George V Park offers a tranquil green space to enjoy some downtime and the Links and the Shore is a lively community with plenty to choose from.
Speaking about the local area, first time buyer Chris purchased a one-bedroom apartment at The Engine Yard after relocating from London says: “It has everything I could ever need on my doorstep.
“Pilrig Park, bars, pubs and restaurants; walkable department stores; Asian, Polish and Turkish supermarkets; good transport links and – for such a busy part of town – a real community feel.”
Allison Sutherland, Regional Sales and Marketing Director – Scotland, Places for People comments: “The Engine Yard is a truly unique development, offering an exceptional choice of homes and amenities all within one place.
“We are thrilled to be able to offer this exclusive incentive in celebration of Leith’s new tram line opening. The development has been extremely popular, not just amongst first time buyers but also home movers wanting to live in a location that offers everything on the doorstep.
“We expect there to be high demand for the new homes and encourage prospective purchasers to book a viewing as soon as possible.”
Prices at The Engine Yard start from £267,500 for a one-bedroom apartment.
For more information or to book a viewing please call 07919 381278 or visit:
A man has been arrested and charged in connection with the death of a 59-year-old man in the Primrose Street area.
Officers were called to a report of a man injured within a flat around 2.30pm on Tuesday, 6 June, 2023.
Emergency services attended and local man Garry O’Neill was pronounced dead at the scene.
A 54-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with the death and due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today – Thursday, 8 June.
Detective Inspector Kevin Tait said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Mr O’Neill at what is a very difficult time for them and they are being provided with support by specialist officers.
“I would like to reassure the community that this was an isolated incident and there was no threat to the wider public. Thank you to those who assisted with our enquiries.”
Mr O’Neill’s family have provided a photograph (above) and the following statement:
“He was a much loved dad and we ask for privacy at this difficult time.”
Creation of new digital platform to provide a space to share this important part of Scottish social history
Over the next two years, the South Georgia Heritage Trust and the South Georgia Museum, with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, will be working alongside a number of former whaling communities in Scotland to create The Whalers’ Memory Bank.
The Memory Bank will create a living, growing digital time capsule where veterans of the whaling industry, their families and communities can come together to contribute and share their stories with a wider audience.
The story of modern whaling in the Southern Hemisphere is a controversial one with British companies playing a key role in the industry. These companies had a largely Scottish workforce and attracted many working-class men with the promise of adventure and competitive wages.
Now, only a dwindling number of men survive that have first-hand memories of this industry, an integral part of Scottish social history. They are the last generation to be able to share their stories, knowledge and personal collections before they are lost forever.
Kicking off in July 2023, the project will run for two years and throughout this time the project team will work alongside former whaling communities to capture memories that will help create The Whalers’ Memory Bank.
At the heart of this will be a series of community events to gather stories and help shape the Memory Bank that those communities want to see and will value. It will also make the connection between why whaling happened, where it happened (a great deal of it on South Georgia), and where most of the whalers came from in Scotland.
Jayne Pierce, Project Director and Curator at the South Georgia Museumsaid: “Our aim is to create a digital portal that captures memories with photographs, oral histories, film and sounds, alongside a Virtual Reality tour of the whaling station on South Georgia. This work will be done using the existing collections held by the South Georgia Museum and will also link into several Scottish museums that are partners in this project.
“It is really going to be a joint effort, bringing together the former whalers and their communities to hear their stories and let them help shape the Memory Bank they really want to see. We know from the contact we already have with the former whaling communities that families are eager to share their personal collections – artefacts and photographs stored in attics, cupboards and drawers – each with a story to tell.
“We really hope the project will connect communities across local, national and international boundaries and dispel some of the myths around whaling. It will create a richer experience than a simple online database – dynamic rather than static – uplifting and celebratory.”
Gibbie Fraser, Chair of the Shetland ex-Whalers Association(SeA) hasstruggled to access archive material which can be restricted by charges and copyright. On the launch of the Whalers’ Memory Bank, he said: “The idea that the South Georgia Museum has about a shared archive to preserve what we can together is exactly what we were trying to do and welcome it with open arms!”
Caroline Clark, Heritage Fund Director for Scotland, said: “Thanks to the support of National Lottery players , we are pleased to be able to give funding to former whaling communities to capture their stories and explore this important untold story.
“We look forward to seeing the project develop as communities come together to share their memories and personal collections with each other and the wider world.”
The project is also a great opportunity to work with a small network of partner museums including the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther, the Scottish Maritime Museum in Irvine, and Dundee Heritage Trust’s Verdant Works, all of which hold hidden whaling archives and collections that are enlightening, inspiring, and engaging.
As well as supporting with access to collections and stories, some of these organisations will also be involved in the community events the project will be developing for Spring 2024. The Shetland Maritime Heritage Society, Salvesen Ex-Whalers Club and the Shetland ex-Whalers Association will also be collaborating on the project.
Anyone interested in finding out more or getting involved with the project should email memorybank@sght.org
In-person event: Thursday 15th June, 6pm-7.30pm, Duncan Place Community Hub
Online event: Tuesday 20th June, 6pm-7.30pm – this will be on Microsoft Teams (link sent to attendees)
Booking is essential: email 
