Perfect weather conditions to view solar eclipse

Bright, sunny … and no cloud! Conditions are perfect to experience this morning’s solar eclipse, one of the natural world’s most stunning phenomenon.

At around 9:35 Edinburgh will briefly be plunged into a eerie darkness as the the Moon covers up the Sun. The whole process will start at around 8:30 as the moon slides in front of the sun and will end at 10:44 when the sun’s full brightness is restored.

It’s an event the ancients believed signalled the end of the world but I am confident we will return to post later today …

However, be careful when trying to view the eclipse:

WARNING. NEVER LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN WITH THE NAKED EYE, OR WITH CAMERAS, TELESCOPES, GLASSES OR DEVICES OF ANY KIND UNLESS SPECIFICALLY STATED THAT IT IS SAFE TO DO SO.

LOOKING AT THE SUN WITHOUT PROPER PRECAUTIONS CAN CAUSE SERIOUS EYE DAMAGE.

March 20, 2015 — Total Solar Eclipse

Spartans benefits from old school ties!

Local businessman Daren Henderson went back to his roots when he presented a £1000 cheque to Spartans Community Football Academy last month. Daren, who owns the Edinburgh Driveway Company, is a Muirhouse laddie, and he handed the cheque over to his old Muirhouse Primary pal – and now Spartans Community youth work manager -Kenny Cameron: the pair were P1s together! (writes Dave Pickering)

Daren explained: “When I watched the Spartand video NEN posted on YouTube (see below) I couldn’t help but listen to the youngsters and think: that was me! I was that young boy with nothing to do but hang around the street corners of Muirhouse and Drylaw.”

Daren immediately decided to support the Spartans Community Football Academy, which provides opportunities for local young people that weren’t so readily available when he and Kenny were growing up.

“The Spartans Community Football Academy is very close to my heart and it was a pleasure to hand over a cheque – this money goes straight into the coffers of the academy and helps take local kids of the streets of North Edinburgh and into much more meaningful activities”, he said. “As an extra, The Edinburgh Driveway Company will be funding go-karting and combat activities as part of Spartans summer programme AND one lucky kid gets to come and work with us for a whole week as part of his/hers work experience to give them that much needed experience of working life.”

Daren’s generosity won’t end here. “This relationship is ongoing and I will continue to support this fantastic organisation – the work they do throughout the whole north Edinburgh community is absolutely second to none.”

Kenny Cameron said: “It was great to see Daren and his support is really appreciated by everyone here at the Academy.”

For more informaton on the Edinburgh Driveway Company visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/theedinburghdrivewaycompany

Dave Pickering

Lallie Wilson exhibition at North Edinburgh Arts

Lallie Wilson: Exhibition Opening Invite
Friday 20th March
North Edinburgh Arts
6 – 7.30pm

North Edinburgh Arts is pleased to present the first major painting exhibition by the artist Lallie Wilson. Based in Musselburgh, Lallie has a body of mixed media artworks and colourful paintings. The exhibition portrays Lallie’s life story; from a young girl in wartime Britain, to a woman still painting many years later.

Daily opening times of exhibition:

Monday 10am – 5pm
Tuesday – Thursday 10am – 7pm (except Thursdays 1-5pm)

The exhibition will run until 27 April.

North Edinburgh Arts are always on the look out for groups and artists who would like to exhibit their work. Find out more on our exhibition page here.

Granton Castle Walled Garden exhibition

Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden are staging an exhibition at North Edinburgh Arts to publicise their efforts to retain the historic green space from development.

Friends group member Kirsty Sutherland said: “North Edinburgh Arts centre staff really pulled out all the stops and helped us put up an exhibition on the walled garden’s story. Thank you Caroline for all your patience and perseverance, it looks fab! Thank you to Friends Group members for pitching in.

“We used some of the old and new images of the garden, maps, photos, a few flowers, some captions and a timeline: go see!

“We are hoping this will help raise awareness locally and let more folk join the group, add their ideas and strength to the campaign to safeguard the garden first, and then to help restore it for community use.

“Membership forms have been put out too – and there are lovely new flower power boxes to deposit filled out forms. We decided to make membership of the group free for the first year so no cash please!”

Let there be light …

Council apologises and agrees to ‘up the brightness’

The city council is to improve the brightness of street lighting following complaints from residents. New LED lights have been installed across the city over recent weeks but hundred of people have expressed concern over the quality of the new street lights. Now, following a review, the lights will be turned up next month.

Councillor Lesley Hinds, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “We’ve been closely monitoring lighting levels in streets where we’ve had a number of complaints about the new LED lights not being bright enough. I held a meeting with the Vice Convener and officers to decide on a course of action and I’m pleased to confirm that after monitoring the situation and taking complaints into account, we’ll be upping the brightness in streets where this appears most needed. This adjustment work will start in April once all the new lighting in this first phase of the rollout has been installed.

“LED street lights are much better for the environment and as they are longer-lasting than sodium street lights and with energy costs predicted to double over the next decade, they could potentially save the city millions of pounds in energy costs. While they are also recommended by police as being safer and better than the old kind of street lights, clearly the brightness has to be set at a level which reassures residents that they can feel safe at night in their street.

“In response to the feedback from the first phase, the rest of the lights due to be installed in various parts of Edinburgh before the end of March will be set at this same increased brightness level. Residents will also receive letters advising them about the new lighting and the reasons behind its installation. I’m aware that there was inadequate communication with residents whose streets were first to get the new street lights and I apologise for this on behalf of the Council.”

Cookery classes at Craigie

One Parent Families Scotland are planning cookery classes for single mums and dads and the kids at Craigroyston Community High School.

The classes will run on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (10am-12.30pm) from 7 – 16 April.

If you would like to improve your cooking skills while learning how to cook nutritious meals on a budget, contact Tom Carroll on 07814 078139 or email: tom.carroll@opfs.org.uk

NEPAF: How is it for you?

Hello all,

The North Edinburgh Physical Activity Forum (NEPAF) is nearly two years old already! PCHP has been leading NEPAF since it began in June 2013 and we are really keen to evaluate its usefulness.

It would be very helpful if you could take 10 minutes to answer the following questions and get them back to me by Wednesday 18 March. We will bring the responses together to discuss at the next NEPAF meeting in April.

1. Is NEPAF helpful, and if so how?

2. What has the impact of the forum been for you and/or your group/organisation?

3. Who have made connections with?

4. Have you done anything differently?

5. Have you started any new pieces of work as a result?

6. Do you have more information, access to more resources?

7. How often would you like to attend?

8. When is the best times/days for you to attend?

9. Do you think NEPAF should (Please tick as appropriate)

– Respond to consultations from local or national government

– Hold networking meetings

– Have meetings with speakers

– Influence decision makers (have a collective voice locally and nationally)

– Plan and deliver events together

Thank you very much for your time – we look forward to seeing you at the next meeting,

Lianne Pipskyj

Development Worker – Physical Activity, Pilton Community Health Project

Telephone: 0131 551 1671

liannepipskyj@pchp.org.uk

www.pchp.org.uk

TRIM March minutes

Our March 2015 Minutes can be found on our website here

Regards
Secretary
Tenants & Residents In Muirhouse (TRIM)

Website – http://muirhouseresidents.co.uk
Find us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/trimgroup
Also on Twitter – http://twitter.com/MuirhouseTRIM

North West Carers are on the move!

North West Carers are moving home next week. The local organisation won’t be moving too far, however – the Carers are ‘flitting’ from Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre down to the Prentice Centre in Granton Mains.

Manager Angela Dias said: “We are moving to new premises on Wednesday (18 March). Our new address is: The Prentice Centre, 1 Granton Mains Avenue,
EH4 4GA. Our email addresses and website address will remain the same as now, as will our telephone number.

“We would expect communications to be working as normal, however please bear with us if there are complications with our telephone and email systems within the first few days. We will put a mobile number on our website on Wednesday which will provide a default communication system in the unlikely case of any unforeseen difficulties.”

www.nwcarers.org.uk
angela@nwcarers.org.uk

Your Credit Union needs YOU!

North Edinburgh Credit Union AGM TONIGHT!

North Edinburgh Credit Union’s annual general meeting will be held

on Thursday 12 March at 6.30pm

at NECU Office, 63 Wardieburn Drive

The Credit Union has been around since June 1986 and is getting a bit ‘tired’ – especially the current volunteers! If you want your Credit Union to continue we need volunteers who are younger and have fresh ideas to take the Credit Union forward.

We have at last updated our Rule Book and extended our Common Bond to taek in Live and/or Work in the designated map area, which has also been extended to Silverknowes, Craigleith, part of Comely Bank, Fettes, Ferry Road to Newhaven Road and down to Newhaven harbour.

The current committee has been talking to a new group called Water of Leith Credit Union (Community Bank) who have lots of new ideas (including technology) which would help take this Credit Union forward. Some of their committee will attend our AGM to give a short presentation and answer questions.

Why not join us to hear their views?

North Edinburgh Credit Union