Police are continuing to investigate a serious assault in Leith. Officers have released images of a man that they wish to speak to as they believe he may have information that can assist their enquiries.
The incident happened around 11:30pm on Tuesday, 7 September, 2021 outside the Mousetrap pub on Leith Walk.
A 30-year-old man was attacked and sustained injuries to his face, which required treatment at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
Officers believe that the man shown in the image may have information that could assist them and would appeal to him or anyone who recognises him to contact them.
The man shown in the image is described as 20 to 30 years old, between 5’10 and 6 foot, of thin build with a short, shaved haircut. He is shown in the images wearing a two-tone The North Face jacket with a black upper section and a light blue lower section.
Detective Constable Gary Lipscombe, of Gayfield CID, said: “This was a frightening experience for the victim and our inquiries have been ongoing.
“If you have any information about this incident or can identify this man, please contact us on 101 quoting incident number 3440 of 8th September 2021 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
CITADEL ARTS GROUP present a performed reading of new Scottish comedy
NAN & RITA and the DEAR DEPARTED
By Edinburgh writer Carolyn Lincoln
Top actors Lynne McCallum (Still Game, Taggart) and Estrid Barton (Howard’s End, Still Game, Theodosia) will once again team up for the new Scottish comedy Nan & Rita and the Dear Departed by Edinburgh writer Carolyn Lincoln.
Directed by Adam Tomkins, this is the pandemic-postponed follow-up to Nan & Rita and the Holy Grail which won great feedback in 2018:
“Entertaining dialogue…very clever and genuine use of Scots… fine satirical touches.” “A breath of fresh air and a bloody good laugh.” “Full of energy…well performed… excellent timing… lovely warm performances.”
This lunchtime performance will be in the popular PLAY, PIE AND DOCKERS PINT format. Arrive at Leith Dockers Club at 12:30 for your pie and drink and the performance starts at 1pm. Make sure you allow for extra travelling time because of the current tram works.
Carolyn Lincoln is a former Glasgow Herald staff journalist, radio ‘soap’ writer and occasional contributor to The Scotsman.
Over the years Leith based registered charity Citadel Arts Group has sought to encourage older writers and creatives to take professionally-produced drama and new writing to places and people other Scottish drama doesn’t usually reach.
Performance details
Wednesday 27th April 2022.
Leith Dockers Club, 17 Academy Street, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 7EE.
People should arrive at 12.30 to collect their drink and pie (meat or veg).
Starting Monday 25th April. If you live in Leith, have at least one child under the age of 5 you can sign up to some of our fantastic groups. If you would like to know more information or sign up, please drop us an email at info@dbfc.org.uk
Our new programme is live Starting Monday 25th April. If you live in Leith, have at least one child under the age of 5 you can sign up to some of our fantastic groups.
If you would like to know more information or sign up, please drop us an email at info@dbfc.org.uk
A BRAND NEW four-bedroom townhouse on the capital’s enviable waterfront has transformed a man hailing from the west of Wales into a Leith local.
John Evans, stumbled across the Waterfront Plaza development by Cala Homes (East) when out on a walk and decided it was the best location for him to start a new chapter.
John moved to Edinburgh more than 25 years ago and has since fallen in love with Leith and everything it has to offer. He made the move to the highly desired Waterfront Plaza from his previous home in Trinity last year.
The Welshman has grown a close affinity to Leith, starting the charity LeithGives during the first lockdown with the aim of providing support to those in need during the pandemic – through local business, charity and community partnerships.
John said: “I love spending every day in the heart of Leith. I have everything I need around me and wouldn’t change it for the world. It’s so sought after for a reason.
“To now live exactly where I want to live and in the perfect home has been absolutely brilliant. I knew about Waterfront Plaza from my work on the board of the Leith Trust, however I never considered it as a potential home until I stumbled across it on a walk one day.”
November 2021 saw John make the switch from a five-bedroom Victorian house in Trinity to one of Waterfront Plaza’s modern four-bedroom townhouses. The townhouses at the development feature an expansive terrace, well designed interiors and Cala’s signature high specification and contemporary style.
One of the bedrooms in the four-bedroom property has been converted by John to a study from where he works from home and he is also in the midst of transforming his garden space into a bee-friendly area.
John says: “The home has been so easy to change and adapt to exactly what I am after. It’s been ideal to have my own study whilst the world gets used to hybrid working. I’m also keen to start my own bee-friendly garden and Cala were very helpful with all of that.
“There have been loads of other nice touches from Cala along the way. The team on site have gone above and beyond to help us transition into our new home.”
John has two sons who have also been enjoying their new home. Rhys, 21 works at the local pub, The Malt and Hops when he’s home from university and Bryn, 17, has been making full use of Leith’s transport routes to school and the city centre.
The family of three have been making the most of having Leith’s vibrant food and drink scene on their doorstep too – regularly visiting the range of local bars, cafes and restaurants.
John added: “I’m surrounded by options which makes daily life so much better. As well as great food spots like Café Domenico’s and everything Leith Shore has to offer, I’ve become a keen local of The Malt and Hops which has great music during the Leith Jazz and Blues Festival.
“It is a great feeling to be part of such a thriving, vibrant community.”
Ranging from £305,000 — £540,000, there are still a host of different home types available at Cala’s Waterfront Plaza development for homebuyers seeking both life by the water and the hustle and bustle of the city centre.
Ranging from stylishly designed two and three-bedroom apartments to penthouses and spacious townhouses, Waterfront Plaza has a number of options available for homebuyers seeking a capital life in Leith.
To watch John talk about his new townhouse, click here.
To watch John talk about life at Waterfront Plaza, click here.
For more information on Waterfront Plaza please visit:
The majority of track has been laid to take the tram to Newhaven as the scheme enters the final phase of construction works.
More than 3km of track – 70% of the total to be laid – is now in the ground as part of the Trams to Newhaven project, which remains on schedule to begin revenue services in spring 2023, delivered within the £207.3m budget.
The main construction work on three of the eight new tram stops is also complete, while over 3km of drainage (66% of the total) and almost 4km of communications ducting (82% of the total) serving the tram and wider area has been installed.
Construction is ‘largely finished’ on several key sections of the route, other than some localised works, including Constitution Street, between Constitution Place and Queen Charlotte Street, and Ocean Terminal to Rennie’s Isle.
Next week, operational tram stops on Princes Street and St Andrew Square will reopen following their temporary closure. These were closed to allow for the removal of the York Place tram stop and installation of new infrastructure there connecting the existing line to the new one.
As we enter the final year of major civil work ahead of testing and commissioning this winter, a review of the specific completion dates for remaining sections has been carried out.
This has resulted in some changes affecting certain sections due to various unavoidable factors such as complex utilities diversions, archaeological finds and an industry wide shortage of materials, though this is not expected to affect the final completion date.
Full details of the updated programme are available on the Trams to Newhaven website.
Councillor Lesley Macinnes, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “It’s clear that the Trams to Newhaven project is well on its way to completion, as these figures show, and before long we’ll be testing trams on the streets of Leith.
“Next week, we’ll also see the return of the existing service to the city centre, which I’m sure will be great news for many.
“Of course, while this project will bring significant benefits to the area, we know that its construction has impacted all those who live and work nearby, and I’d like to thank them for their patience during the last two years.
“As we enter the final year of work to deliver the tram line, we’ve had to make some changes to the programme due to issues outwith our control.
“I want to assure communities along the route that we’re doing everything we can to mitigate the impacts of this, and that we’re still on track to begin providing the service by spring next year.”
Councillor Karen Doran, Transport and Environment Vice Convener, said: “This project will be transformative for the north of the city and it’s really exciting to see it take shape already.
“Once complete, it will play a key role in the future growth and development of the city. Delivering the tram line to Leith will unlock a large area of the city for housing and economic development, while providing a low-carbon, clean mode of transport to densely populated communities.”
The project team is working to mitigate the impact of changes to the programme, ensuring the scheduled spring completion date is met.
Based on lessons from the first tram line, and best practice from other major European construction projects, Trams to Newhaven focuses on large work sites, providing the flexibility to continue construction elsewhere on-site if issues are encountered.
In the coming months, localised works will continue on completed sections to resolve defects, carry out landscaping, install equipment to support the new tram line including tram communication systems, complete tram stop fit-outs and install overhead line equipment, street lighting and traffic signalling.
Since 2019 the project has provided significant support to businesses through its £2.4m Support for Business initiative. As part of this more than £100k has been spent on an ‘Open for Business’ campaign, 60k deliveries have gone through dedicated logistics hubs and 140 applications have been made to the business continuity fund. In addition, the extremely popular itison scheme has seen over 20k vouchers sold, generating £200k spend in participating businesses.
Additional milestones:
90% of utility diversions complete
Substation at Melrose Drive complete and fit-out ongoing Lindsay Road retaining walls complete
All track crossovers, which allow the tram to turn back on itself, installed Constitution Street wall rebuilt following archaeological excavations
Archaeological excavations on Constitution Street complete, which saw more than 360 bodies exhumed, dating from between 1300 and 1650, as well as finding the apparent remnants of the original medieval graveyard wall.
Still no word from the long-running Edinburgh Tram Inquiry into the Edinburgh Tram project.
This inquiry,which was set up in 2015, aims to establish why the original Edinburgh Tram project incurred delays, cost massively more than originally budgeted and through reductions in scope delivered significantly less than oroginally promised.
The costs to taxpayers so far is an eye-watering £12.5 million …
Musician and PoLHA sheltered housing resident Mike Egan, 79, has released his first solo album to raise funds for the NHS.
Port of Leith Housing Association (PoLHA) has supported Mike Egan (79), one of its sheltered housing residents, to produce an album to raise funds for the NHS.
Session guitarist Mike Egan’s musical career includes recording and touring with Elton John, Carly Simon, Rick Wakeman, Shirley Bassey, Charles Aznavour, Sasha Distell and Engelbert Humperdinck. He played on the 1977 Bond soundtrack The Spy Who Loves Me and his song writing credits include Columns of Grey.
Having returned to Leith after living in Belgium for 38 years, Mike was inspired to write his first solo album which outlines his reflections on growing up in Leith.
Mike wanted to raise funds for the NHS after seeing their work during the Covid pandemic. All proceeds will be donated to the NHS.
The album’s production was financed by PoLHA’s Placemaking funds.
Mike Egan commented: “COVID 19 has been a really difficult time. I found solace in my guitar and song writing. Seeing the sacrifices everyone was making to get through the pandemic and those that were working hard to keep everyone safe including the NHS and our sheltered housing staff was inspiring.
“I really enjoyed recording the album, getting back in the studio was the best thing. Richard Werner from B&B Studios was excellent, he is a fantastic sound engineer.”
John Murray, PoLHA Placemaking Manager, said: “Placemaking is all about working with members of the community to improve their lives and the environment we live and work in.
“It’s about looking at what people can bring to their community, not what can be done for them. Our communities are teeming with knowledge, talent and skills and this is just one example of how a little bit of input from an organisation can facilitate something great.”
Edinburgh-based housebuilder Cruden Homes has revealed exciting proposals to deliver much-needed housing in Leith.
Located on the site of the former Edinburgh Carpet and Flooring Warehouse, on the corner of Salamander Street and Salamander Yards, the proposed development will aim to comprise 96 apartments.
Including a range of different sized apartments, the development will range from four to six storeys, with the added bonus of ground floor retail fronting onto Salamander Street.
A proposal of application notice (PAN) has now been submitted with City of Edinburgh Council, noting the intent to submit a planning application following a minimum 12-week consultation period.
A web-based community consultation events, in line with Scottish Government Covid-guidelines, will allow the community to provide feedback on and shape the proposals.
The event will take place on 27th April from 3.30pm-7.30pm.
Commenting on these proposals, Rory Stephens from Cruden Homes said: “This exciting and ambitious scheme will serve to regenerate the current brownfield site, delivering much-needed sustainable housing, including affordable homes, as well as providing a retail offering on the ground floor.
“We’re very much looking forward to consulting widely with the local community and key stakeholders over the coming months, which will include a digital consultation event, and are keen to hear their views in shaping proposals for this site.”
Port of Leith Housing Association has been named the 10th best housing association to work for and the 33rd best company to work for in the UK.
It is recognised as the 11th best company to work for in Scotland. Based in Leith and providing over 3,000 homes across north Edinburgh, it employs over one hundred staff who work closely with local communities.
The Best Companies rankings are based on staff feedback on workplace factors such as leadership, wellbeing and personal growth.
Heather Kiteley, Group Chief Executive said: “It is incredibly important to Port of Leith Housing Association that staff enjoy great working conditions and feel supported and motivated in their roles.
“This is captured in our strategic plan and we believe that employee engagement is key to being a brilliant company. It has been a great success to rank among the top companies to work for in the UK. I am immensely proud of all our members of staff who contribute to making our organisation a brilliant place to work.”
Three key workplace factors that stood out in Association’s Best Companies ranking were work life balance, charitable activities, and that the organisation is run on strong values and principles.
This includes an ‘open-door’ approach to leadership, referring staff members to free counselling and supporting wellbeing during lockdowns, and distributing over £200,000 to local community organisations.
This ranking comes just months after an award for Excellence from the European Foundation of Quality Management last year. The award acknowledged the flexibility and responsiveness with which the Association met the impact of the pandemic.
