North Edinburgh News – Page 24 – The NEN

Pens at the ready: Pupils invited to envision farming’s future with short story competition

Royal Highland Show launches short story competition to explore future of farming ahead of this year’s June event
Competition is open to primary 5-7 and S1-S3 pupils across Scotland
Entry deadline is Friday 15th May

Young writers across Scotland are being challenged to put pen to paper and bring the future of farming to life, as the Royal Highland Show launches a nationwide short story competition as part of Scotland’s National Year of Reading.

Open to primary pupils from P5-P7 and Secondary pupils from S1 to S3, the competition aims to connect classrooms with Scotland’s land, food systems and rural communities by encouraging pupils to explore one of four themes through their creative writing submissions: the future of farming, sustainable food production, innovation in agriculture or caring for animals, crops or the environment.

The Royal Highland Show – Scotland’s largest fundraising event run by leading agricultural charity RHASS (Royal Highland Agricultural Society of Scotland) – has long championed education, innovation and the future of farming. The competition aims to build on this legacy by inviting a new generation to imagine the future of agriculture, from futuristic farming methods and rural adventure stories, to exploring the connection between people, animals and the environment.

The judging panel for the competition brings together expertise from across the agriculture and the literary worlds and is formed of Keith-based children’s author Catherine Stables, Head of the Royal Highland Show, David Tennant, and Dumfries and Galloway based author, bookseller and publisher at Foggie Toddle Books, Jayne Baldwin.

This year’s Royal Highland Show takes place across four-days in June from Thursday 18th to Sunday 21st at the Royal Highland Centre in Ingliston, Edinburgh. Children aged 15 and under go for free and over 200k people are expected to attend.

The Sunday of the Show will offer a dedicated family day with activities including sheep shearing and milking demonstrations, a kids zone with mini tractors, hobby horsing and facepainting, as well as mountain bike displays and mini–Land Rovers.

Head of Show, David Tennant, said: “The Royal Highland Show is all about celebrating and sustaining the future of Scottish agriculture.

“This competition offers a unique way to help connect young people with rural Scotland, encouraging them to think creatively about how we might grow and source our food, or how innovation might support farmers in the decades ahead.

“We’re excited to see how pupils across Scotland interpret these themes and bring them to life through their storytelling.”

Children’s author and competition judge, Catherine Stables, is a working vet based in Keith in the North East of Scotland with her series of Shona the Vet books, inspired by her veterinary experience and love of animals.

She said: “This new competition is a wonderful initiative and one I feel very passionate about. Encouraging children to read and write is so important, and when you connect that with learning about our rural landscape, farming and culture, it becomes something really special.

” You don’t need a farming background to enter, just lots of creativity to imagine how our farms might operate in years to come. I’m excited to see the creativity it sparks.”

Dumfries and Galloway based author, bookseller and publisher at Foggie Toddle Books, Jayne Baldwin’s books include Betty’s New Best Friend about a Belted Galloway and a Highland Cow and The Highland Cowgirl – Showtime which is all about the adventures of a young girl at an agricultural show.

Jayne, said: “The National Year of Reading provides such an excellent platform to encourage young people to discover or rediscover a love of reading, whether that’s picking up a picture book, novel, comic book, or even a magazine.

“This competition is an opportunity to have fun with words and imagine an entirely new world, created entirely by you, of how we’ll farm, look after animals and work in agriculture ten, twenty or thirty years from now. It’ll be fascinating to read what’s in store!”

Open to pupils across the country, entries must be original work, with one submission per pupil, and an accompanying illustration is welcomed but optional.

Primary (P5-P7) pupils are asked that their stories have a maximum of 250 words, and Secondary (S1-S3) pupils have a maximum of 500 words. Entries can be hand written or typed.

All entries must relate to at least one of the following themes: The future of farming, Sustainable food production, Innovation in agriculture or Caring for animals, crops or the environment.

Winners will be announced ahead of the Show taking place in June, with two winners and two runners-up recognised across the primary and secondary categories.

Prize packages will include family tickets to attend the Sunday of the Royal Highland Show, book vouchers (£100 for winners and £50 for runners-up) and the winning stories being published in national farming title, The Scottish Farmer.

The winners will also receive family passes to the Wigtown Book Festival which takes place in Dumfries & Galloway in the autumn.

The competition closes on Friday 15th May.

All entries should be emailed by teachers to:

rhsshortstorycomp@mucklemediagroup.co.uk

and include the name of the pupil and their year group.

Fan favourites return to Vue venues in Edinburgh this spring

Fan favourites including Stand by Me, Bridget Jones’ Diary and Top Gun return to Vue venues in Edinburgh

Vue is bringing a roster of much-loved film favourites back to the big screen this spring as part of a special anniversary season celebrating some of Hollywood’s most iconic titles.

Kicking things off is the 40th anniversary screening of Stand by Me, which follows four boys who decide to go see the body of a boy that has died in their rural hometown – an adventure that evolves into a defining event in their lives.

Also returning to the big screen is 80s classic, Top Gun. Catch Tom Cruise as a daring young student pilot who learns a few things from a civilian instructor that are not taught in the classroom. Showing from 15 May, fans can also enjoy a re-release of the sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, for a limited run.

A trio of classic female-led comedies will also be returning as part of the season, beginning with everyone’s favourite diarist in Bridget Jones’s Diary – starring Renée Zellweger in the titular role – which returns for its 25th anniversary from 17 April.

Also celebrating 25 years since its initial release is the ultimate sorority-queen-turned-lawyer caper Legally Blonde starring Reese Witherspoon(returning 22 May) and an epic ensemble cast (including Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy and Rose Byrne) in Bridesmaids, returning 15 years after its initial release from 5 June.

The iconic thriller The Silence of the Lambs – featuring Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster in career-defining, Oscar-winning roles – returns from 24 April. Other highlights include the anniversary releases of the riotous comedy The Birdcage, the cult fantasy adventure Highlander, and the feel-good family favourite Space Jam.

Robert Smith, General Manager of Vue Edinburgh Omni, said: “At Vue, we know there’s nothing quite like experiencing a great film on the big screen.

“This anniversary season gives audiences the chance to revisit some of their all-time favourites the way they were meant to be seen, on the big screen, while also introducing these iconic titles to a new generation of film fans.”

For more information and to book, visit myvue.com.

Back on the Big Screen at Vue

Stand By Me (40th Anniversary) – From 12 April
Bridget Jones’s Diary (25th Anniversary) – From 17April
Silence of The Lambs (35th Anniversary) – From 24 April
Highlander (40th Anniversary) – 4 May
Top Gun (40th Anniversary) – 15 May*
Space Jam (30th Anniversary) – 15 May*
Legally Blonde (25th Anniversary) – 22 May*
Bridesmaids (15th Anniversary) – 5 June*
The Birdcage (30th Anniversary) – 12 June*

*Available to book online later this month.

Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society announces recipients of the 2026 Keep it Fringe fund

Bursaries of £2,500 to support artists bringing work to this year’s Fringe

Today, Thursday 09 April, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society has announced the recipients of the 2026 Keep it Fringe fund.

This important initiative was launched in 2023 by Fringe Society honorary President Phoebe Waller-Bridge and supports artists who may face financial barriers in bringing work to the festival.

This year, 402 applications were received for an initial £30,000 of available support. Following the launch announcement, further donations have increased the funding available to £40,000.

In 2026 the Fringe Society has been delighted to receive donations from actress Miriam Margolyes, the Williamson family, and James Seabright, who pledged support in 2024 for new theatre in recognition of 25 years of producing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

We are also grateful to Cheez-It for its donation via a fundraising partnership with the Co-op. The Keep it Fringe fund has gained significant interest since its inception and is now in need of further financial support to ensure the Fringe Society is able to sustain it in future years.

The shows that have received Keep it Fringe funding explore a range of topics, including club culture, nostalgia, PTSD, declining seaside towns, moving back in with your parents, hypnosis, eating disorders, declining journalistic standards and growing up in the shadow of the British Empire, with companies and artists spanning the cabaret, comedy, musical, spoken word and theatre categories in the Fringe programme. 43% of the successful applicants identify as disabled or have a health condition, and more than 30% come from a working-class background.

Tony Lankester, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: ‘We recognise the significance of the Keep it Fringe fund and the number of applications this year demonstrates how important it has become.

“We know that bringing work to Edinburgh comes at significant cost, and Keep it Fringe goes a long way to helping artists bridge the gap.

“We are extremely grateful to Miriam, James, the Williamson family and Cheez-It for their kind donations to this year’s fund. We are busy working on fundraising to ensure Keep it Fringe continues in 2027 and beyond and would encourage anyone able to support us in this work to reach out to us’.

The Fringe Society hopes to continue the Keep it Fringe fund for as long as possible and is actively seeking new funding and donations to ensure the long-term sustainability of the fund.

Donations can be made here, and updates will be provided as the project progresses.

The successful recipients of the Keep it Fringe Fund 2026 are the following shows (alphabetical):

Abbie Edwards: Knee Touch
Crush
Ele McKenzie: Bringing It All Back Home
Fantasy World Adventures Mega Park! The Musical
Giraffe
Half-Time
hame. teeth. CLUB
The Hypnotist & Mind Reader Live
Mothman: A Romance Musical
One Dog One Nutter – PTSD to Pleasure
paywall
The Poetical Life of Philomena McGuinness
A Simply Beastly Murder
SLAY
Target Audience
The Wreck

As wider show information becomes available, full information will be listed on edfringe.com.

Art For Grown Ups exhibition at North Edinburgh Arts opens today

SPECIAL EVENT THURSDAY 16 APRIL 6 – 7.30pm

EXHIBITION RUNS FROM 9th – 21st APRIL

We’re excited to celebrate the work of three local people – Yasmin Shorter, Kirsty Sutherland and Kevin Jack – the first Local Artists in Residence at Art for Grown Ups’ Studio at North Edinburgh Arts.

After months of creativity, now it’s time to share the results with you!

The exhibition opens today, Thursday 9 April and runs until 21 April. Pop by and see it during the NEA’s opening times: Monday – Wednesday: 9am-5pm, Thursday & Friday: 9am-8pm, Saturday: 10am-2pm.

We’ll be hosting a special celebration event on Thursday, 16 April at 6pm. You’re invited!

– Meet the artists

– Enjoy refreshments

– Take part in a studio tour

– Explore the creative journey of the past 9 months!

Joint Statement on the conflict in the Middle East

WORLD LEADERS WELCOME ‘CEASEFIRE’

Statement by President Macron, Prime Minister Meloni, Chancellor Merz, Prime Minister Starmer, Prime Minister Carney, President Dan, acting Prime Minister Frederiksen, Prime Minister Frostadóttir, Prime Minister Jetten, Prime Minister Kristersson, Prime Minister Mitsotakis, Prime Minister Sanchez, Prime Minister Støre, President Stubb, Prime Minister Takaichi, President of the European Commission von der Leyen, President of the European Council Costa:

We welcome the two-week ceasefire concluded between the United States and Iran today (Wednesday 8 April).

We thank Pakistan and all partners involved for facilitating this important agreement.

The goal must now be to negotiate a swift and lasting end to the war within the coming days. This can only be achieved through diplomatic means.

We strongly encourage quick progress towards a substantive negotiated settlement.

This will be crucial to protect the civilian population of Iran and ensure security in the region. It can avert a severe global energy crisis.

We support these diplomatic efforts. To this end, we are in close contact with the United States and other partners.

We call upon all sides to implement the ceasefire, including in Lebanon.

Our Governments will contribute to ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Girlguiding: Be a Peer Educator

Become a peer educator and give girls a space to talk about what’s important to them!

As a peer educator you will explore important topics like mental wellbeing, safety and gender stereotypes, using your own experiences to become a role model for girls all across Scotland.

If you are 14-25 join us in May at our next peer education training weekend. Find out more through the link below

https://bit.ly/4scuRKL

If you know someone who would make a great peer educator make sure to share the link with them

Art: A lost Eardley returns

As the National Galleries of Scotland opens Joan Eardley | The Nature of Painting at Modern Two, a remarkable rediscovery has brought one of her paintings back into public view more than sixty years after it was last handled by The Scottish Gallery.

In the summer of last year, The Scottish Gallery received an unexpected call. A manager from a charity shop in the East Midlands had taken in a dark, unassuming painting through a house clearance donation.

On the reverse, a worn and fragmentary label revealed just six words: “Summer, Joan, Exhibited, The Scottish Gallery.”

Intrigued, Director Tommy Zyw turned to The Scottish Gallery archive. After searching through its historic day books, he uncovered a handwritten entry from May 1961 recording the sale of a painting titled Summer Fields by Joan Eardley. The possibility was compelling.

The painting was retrieved and brought to Edinburgh for inspection. From the moment it was unwrapped, its authenticity was clear. The surface, the handling, the authority of the mark all pointed unmistakably to Eardley. Sixty-four years after it had left us, Summer Fields had returned.

Conservation brought the work back to life, revealing an atmospheric landscape painted in the final years of Eardley’s life in Catterline. A corner of a farmer’s field is caught in the golden light of late September, with the foreground alive with textured grasses and seed heads. It is a deeply observed and quietly powerful work, rooted in the landscape that she loved and defined her practice.

The painting was unveiled by The Scottish Gallery at the British Art Fair in September 2025, where it attracted significant attention, and was later exhibited at the gallery on Dundas Street, Edinburgh.

It has recently been acquired by a distinguished collector of Scottish art. Its rediscovery carries impact beyond the art historical. Sold on behalf of the charity from which it emerged, the work achieved the largest single work sale in the charity’s history of £29,500, directly supporting vital medical research in the UK.

Tommy Zyw, Director of The Scottish Gallery commented: “This story speaks of the enduring power of Joan Eardley’s painting and of the role of careful stewardship, archives, and expertise in bringing such works back into the public arena.

“From Joan Eardley painting this work in Catterline, its sale in 1961, decades enjoyed privately then its arrival on the charity shop’s shelf, to the phone call that started its return to Scotland; we have been proud to support Summer Fields on its continuing journey.”

Since first exhibiting Joan Eardley’s work in 1955, The Scottish Gallery has played a central role in shaping and sustaining her reputation through scholarship, exhibitions, and careful placement in major private and public collections, ensuring each work is presented with context, care, and authority.

The Gallery sells many works on behalf of private clients and families, offering a discreet and considered alternative to auction, allowing works to be placed directly with committed collectors and achieve consistently strong results without the uncertainty of a single sale day.

Running from 2 April to 28 June 2026 at Modern Two, the National Galleries of Scotland exhibition brings together over 30 works by Eardley, alongside paintings from the national collection.

It places Eardley’s work within a wider artistic context, revealing her engagement with both international and Scottish contemporaries, while reaffirming her status as one of the most powerful painters of the twentieth century.

It is a timely moment to reflect not only on her legacy, but on the extraordinary journeys her paintings can take.

First British astronaut Helen Sharman to speak at Edinburgh Science Festival

First British astronaut Helen Sharman to give a talk this Sunday, 65 years to the day since Yuri Gagarin’s historic flight to space

SUNDAY 12th APRIL 7pm USHER HALL

In this special event Helen Sharman, the first British astronaut, shares her unique, personal experiences from her historic 1991 mission aboard the Mir space station. Audiences will hear about some of her training, blasting off on a Soyuz rocket, what it’s like to live and work in space including conducting science experiments.

In conversation with Earth scientist and former BBC presenter Dr Hermione Cockburn, Helen reflects on the evolution of space exploration – from Tim Peake’s International Space Station mission to private space companies – and the growing international diversity in space programmes.

Helen Sharman said: “Space is getting really exciting again! I’m delighted to return to Edinburgh to share some insights, including my own experiences of what it’s like in space.”

Tickets here: https://www.edinburghscience.co.uk/event/helen-sharman/

Here to Listen: Forth Community Police drop-in sessions this month

We’re here to listen.

Join your local Forth Community Police Officers at our April drop‑ins. Stop by, say hello and chat about any community concerns or questions you may have.

Mon 20 April