North Edinburgh News – Page 3641 – The NEN

Samhuinn set to light up city centre

Samhuinn Fire Festival is set to light up the heart of Edinburgh tonight to mark the end of summer and rise of winter. Organisers the Beltane Fire Society say the event will blend ancient and modern like never before, with ancient celtic traditions, fire, drumming and acrobatics combined with pyrotechnics, martial arts, a new route and real-time social media updates.

This year Samhuinn, the event held in Edinburgh every Halloween night to mark the turning seasons, will have space for more spectators than ever as it takes on a new, much bigger route that will culminate at a stage at the Mound Precinct by Princes Street.

The society will also be telling the story via social media in real time with tweets, photos and updates using hashtag #Samhuinn2014, so everyone can get involved in the event, understand more of what’s going on and share their own experience of the night.

Event co-ordinator Sara Thomas said: “We want everyone to join us tonight. It’s a chance to witness a truly unique event, and be part of a traditional Celtic celebration of the end of summer and beginning of winter. This year spectators can expect a new procession route, fire, mischief, celebration, drumming and tragedy.

“With the weather already turning, can the King of Summer defend his realm against the oncoming cold, or will the Prince of Winter prevail? Also this year we’re taking the story online on the night too: use #Samhuinn2014 to share your experience of the night on social media, and get our real-time updates on what’s happening.”

The celebration will begin at 9pm at the High Street, with a procession of drums, fire and characters from celtic lore making their way from the High Street at the Royal Mile, down Cockburn Street. From there the public can make their way up Market Street and down Playfair Steps and watch as the procession will split away and make its way through East Princes Street Gardens, ready to re-emerge for the main battle between the forces of summer and winter on the stage at the Mound Precinct by Princes Street.

Spike Nisbet, the 31-year-old from Leith who’s performing the role of the Prince of Winter at the festival this year, said: “Samhuinn is a Hallowe’en unlike any other. The sort that can only come from hundreds of performers, all of whom steadfastly refuse to be grown-ups. It all comes down to the people.

“This whole event is organised, funded annd performed by volunteers. Most of us are working full-time jobs as well as rehearsing our performances and making our own costumes. It wouldn’t be possible unless we all absolutely loved what we were doing and I think that comes through on the night.

“What can you expect tonight? Spectacle. Everything is larger than life. All the parts of the performance, from the manic excesses of the summer Reds to the feral savagery of the Wild Hunt. By way of spinning balls of flame, pyrotechnics and sword fighting. I can also confide that the Prince of Winter is devastatingly handsome this year.”

Haddington man Ian Stuart is a Beltane Fire Society trustee and is also performing the role of the King of Summer tonight. He said: “I’m 50 this year, and generally an introvert. I don’t know if this is my mid-life crisis, but I think performing in a Beltane Fire Society event is the perfect way to challenge myself!

“It’s a great thing to be part of because Beltane Fire Society is full of wonderful, vibrant, different people, and we’re like a family. It’s hard to describe what we’ll be sharing with Edinburgh tonight without over-using the word ‘amazing’. I can say that there will be drums, acrobatics, sword-play, and the death of a king.”

Attendance at Samhuinn is by donation on the night, with no ticket needed.

The event is organised by the Beltane Fire Society, a charity run by volunteers, dedicated to marking the fire festivals of the ancient celtic calendar and keeping traditional Scottish skills of street theatre, music and pageantry alive.

Samhuinn has been held in Edinburgh since 1995. Its spring and summer counterpart, Beltane, takes place on Calton Hill on the last day of April each year, and has been running since 1988.

Stay safe: Environmental wardens issue bonfire advice

Guy Fawkes Night can be a lot of fun, but the build up to the big night can all too often bring fear and misery to communities too. North Neighbourhood Environmental Wardens team leader MARK BANNON offers some seasonal advice:

Advice from the SFRS is to attend a safely organised bonfire and firework display.

However if you must have a bonfire at home make sure it is well away from buildings, vehicles, trees, hedges, fences, power lines, telecommunications equipment and sheds and you must ensure that smoke does not cause a nuisance to neighbours or flying embers endanger neighbouring property.

• Never drink alcohol if you are tending a bonfire or setting off fireworks – remember it is an offence to consume alcohol in a public place.

• To reduce the emission of harmful smoke and combustion products bonfires should comprise of untreated wood and paper based materials only.

• There is a danger of explosion from pressurised containers or sealed vessels amongst bonfire material or irresponsibly thrown on burning bonfires.

• Never throw fireworks on bonfires.

• Never use flammable liquids to ignite bonfires – use proprietary fire lighters.

• Smoke from bonfires must not pose a public nuisance, affect visibility on roads or otherwise inconvenience vehicular traffic.

• Sparks, flying embers or burning debris must not endanger nearby property.

• Never leave a burning/smouldering bonfire unsupervised – make sure it is completely extinguished.

Any bonfire failing to satisfy safety conditions or where people are behaving irresponsibly may be deemed dangerous and as such, subject to being either removed, extinguished or otherwise made safe.

If you are aware of a bonfire being built on public land, you should report it to North Local Office 0131 529 5066. All bonfires built on public land will be investigated .

Monday 3 November

Please do not present excess domestic waste in view of the potential outcomes during the forthcoming bonfire night. You are also ,likely to receive a penalty notice from the environmental wardens

Tuesday 4/Wednesday 5 November

Please remove all domestic wheeled bins back into the curtilage of your property.

Mark Bannon
Team Leader Environmental Wardens, Services for Communities
North Neighbourhood Office, 8 West Pilton Gardens

Mark.bannon@edinburgh.gov.uk
0131 529 7450

Strollers strive to stamp out sectarianism

Civil Service Strollers club secretary Keith Stewart writes about an initiative to tackle a problem that continues to blight our ‘beautiful game’:

Civil Service Strollers is the only football club in Edinburgh that has received funding from the Scottish Government’s Voluntary Action Fund to undertake workshops on understanding sectarianism and how it affects the community.

We recognise the problem sectarianism plays in dividing communities, particularly in relation to football allegiance, and have set out to work with players and the local community to participate in informal education workshops that help increase their understanding of the issue and the negative impact on everyday interactions.

The workshops will culminate into a public event, when a range of community stakeholders will be invited to witness the showcasing of Civil Service Strollers workshop participants journey on achieving its aim of non- tolerance to sectarian behaviours in their football community.

A club spokesman said: “It’s about football clubs taking a stance to address sectarian issues that exist by bringing everyone together to understand the impact of sectarian behaviours on day to day relationships.”

Anyone interested in taking part in weekly community workshops should contact Club Secretary Keith Stewart on 07402521912

Dead right: Edinburgh trio Young Fathers win Mercury Prize

Experimental Edinburgh hip-hop trio Young Fathers have scooped this year’s Mercury music prize.

The band, described as a ‘Liberian/Nigerian/Scottish psychedelic hip-hop electro boy band’, saw off competition from R&B artist FKA Twigs, former Blur frontman Damon Albarn’s first solo album and singer/ poet Kate Tempest to win the prestigious music prize for their album, Dead.

They formed in 2008, clocked up appearances at numerous festivals and have been described as a ‘psychedelic hip hop boy band’. The trio first met at an under-16s hip-hop night and have developed a reputation for making a unique blend of music, utilising diverse influences that reflect their different backgrounds.

Alloysius Massaquoi is from Liberia and Scots-born Kayus Bankole has Nigerian parents, while Graham ‘G’ Hastings’ origins are closer to home – he comes from Drylaw!

The winner of the £20,000 prize was announced by DJ Nick Grimshaw at north London’s Roundhouse.

Accepting the award, Alloysious Massaquoi said: “”We go out and do what we do. Thank you, we love you, we love you all.”

Graham ‘G’ Hastings told reporters: “We’ll take it in our stride. We always wanted to make something bigger than the city we were living in.””

The Young Fathers album Dead was acclaimed by judges as ‘a startlingly original take on hip-hop. Brimming with ideas, a potent mix of pop, rap, rhymes and rhythms. Ominous and exciting.’

Chair of this year’s judging panel Simon Frith said: “Young Fathers have a unique take on urban British music, brimming with ideas – forceful, unexpected and moving.”

Remembrance Service at Granton Parish Church

Every year Granton Parish Church holds an Act of Remembrance for the community to remember people from the area who fell in the First and Second World Wars, who have served with our Armed Forces or been involved in conflicts around the world – past and present.

This year – during the First World War centenary year – the Act of Remembrance will take place around the Granton War memorial in the grounds of Granton Parish Church in Boswall Parkway on Sunday 9 November 9 from 10:50-11:10, followed by a Remembrance Service inside the church for those who wish to attend.

All are warmly invited to attend this event.

Chas Macintosh, Granton Parish Church

Judy Murray launches Scottish Poppy Appeal

Strictly Come Dancing contestant and tennis coach Judy Murray officially launched the 2014 Scottish Poppy Appeal at Stirling Castle today.

Calling for the public to give as much money as they can during the two-week campaign, Judy was joined by an Armed Forces family from Stirling. Billy Adams currently serves in the Royal Navy, wife Cheryl is a Navy veteran and their 11-year-old daughter Megan found musical fame last year as part of the Poppy Girls.

Poppyscotland, the charity that organises the annual Scottish Poppy Appeal, uses money raised to provide vital support to the Armed Forces community in Scotland. This includes specialist advice and employment support, home adaptations, mobility aids and tailored funding packages. The charity is aiming to raise even more money this year to continue to deliver support to those who need it most.

Speaking at the launch, Judy, whose father and both grandfathers served in the military, said: “We wear our poppies in tribute to those who have lost their lives but by donating to the Scottish Poppy Appeal we can also make sure that our Servicemen and women, past and present, and their families get the support that they need and deserve. I hope that people get behind this year’s campaign and give as much as they can because it really will make a difference.”

One of Poppyscotland’s services includes offering specialist advice to help families cope while their loved ones are away on operations. Lieutenant Commander Billy Adams (44) is currently in the Royal Navy, based at Rosyth, but regular deployment means he can be away from home for six or seven months at a time. Wife Cheryl (40) was also in the Navy but left in 1997. Megan has moved house three times while elder sister Caitlin (14) has seen nine house moves and five different schools.

Megan said: “I am really proud of my dad but we all miss him when he’s away. It’s important to support the Scottish Poppy Appeal because I know it will be there to help me and my family if we need it.”

Colin Flinn, Head of Fundraising at Poppyscotland, summed up the campaign, saying: “This year’s campaign is a clear call to action. The Armed Forces community needs the Scottish Poppy Appeal and we need you. We were founded in the aftermath of the First World War and we’re still here today. We need to be there for the long haul so that veterans and their families can turn to us for help at any stage in their lives.”

The Scottish Poppy Appeal is Scotland’s biggest street collection and runs until 11 November. A TV, radio and outdoor advertising campaign that aims to encourage the public to donate is underway. Numerous activities will be taking place during the next two weeks, including projecting poppies on to Stirling Castle on 3 November, lighting up structures and buildings in red and opening Fields of Remembrance in Edinburgh and Inverness.

People can donate to the Scottish Poppy Appeal by putting money in the poppy tins, texting POPPY to 70800 to donate £3* or going online at www.poppyscotland.org.uk

Don’t forget Inverleith Community Conference this Thursday

Apps the way to do it!

City’s innovators tackle the Edinburgh Apps challenge

A running app for tourists and a tool to organise sporting activities in the city were amongst the winners in a competition to find innovative solutions to improve life in Edinburgh.

The inventions were awarded at the Edinburgh Apps event, which this year focused on health, culture and sport themes.

Run by the City of Edinburgh Council, the annual ‘civic challenge’ encourages participants to develop digital services like mobile apps, websites or product concepts to enhance life in the city for residents and visitors. It is one of the first events of its kind to take place in the UK, allowing entrants to work with Council and partner data to create new ideas.

Last Sunday, developers, designers and start-up companies gathered to pitch their ideas to a panel of judges, which consisted of David Williams, Joint Commissioning Officer for Health and Social Care at the Council, Colin McMillian, Club Development Officer in the Council’s Culture and Sport department, Claudette Jones, Chief Information Officer in the Council’s ICT department, and Pippa Gardner, Managing Consultant of Urban Tide.

Other winning entries on the day were SpeechCity, a smartphone app providing a conversational tour guide, and ACE, which supports people recovering from addiction to stay sober.

Economy Convener and Digital Champion Councillor Frank Ross, who also helped judge the competition, said: “We were very impressed with the calibre of entries to this year’s contest – choosing the winner was a tough decision. Not only were concepts inventive but also incredibly useful, proving how important technology is to running a modern city.”

Winners will receive funding to develop their ideas further in partnership with the Council, along with additional business support.

This is the second time Edinburgh Apps has taken place, with last year’s winners including Airts routing tool, which would help the Council plan Health and Social Care equipment deliveries more efficiently, and Trashman, an app helping the public to locate their nearest recycling bank, now named Recycle for Edinburgh.

What the winners said:

Mark Sorsa-Leslie, co-founder of Bubbal, won the challenge to promote the city’s viewpoints with their app, which automatically updates users with historical information on nearby monuments, giving the opportunity to donate to their upkeep.

He said: “We want to make Bubbal like a Twitter for places – you can follow landmarks like you follow people, based on your interests. Edinburgh Apps is the first thing we’ve ever won and it will be great to work with the Council, which we hope will help encourage local users.”

Jenny Tough, whose team won the Wildcard app award with Run2See, a free app providing running routes and tourist information for runners new to the city, said: “Winning the award was a real boost of confidence – it will be really useful for us taking the app forward to production.”

Jim Law’s Find a Player app, which works to join sports venues, sporting activities and willing players together, added: “The app idea came to me because I was getting really frustrated with always looking for games of football but being offered them at the wrong times. I thought there must be a much more efficient way to contact people organising games and that this must be the same with lots of different sports.

“It was fantastic to win, we’re genuinely over the moon. If we can prove this model in Edinburgh it can drive us on to other councils but it’s great just to get the chance to work with Edinburgh.”

For more information on the competition and details of the winners and entries, visit the Edinburgh Apps website.

Organ donation: make your wishes known

Organ Donation Scotland campaign launched

Up to a hundred more lives could be saved each year if family authorisation rates for organ donation increase. The figure was revealed to coincide with the launch of the Organ Donation Scotland campaign, which is encouraging Scots to make their organ donation wishes known.

Sharing organ donation wishes remains fundamental to relatives honouring a loved one’s choices in the event of their death – and the campaign is urging people who have made the positive decision to be an organ donor to talk it through with their family.

Since 2010/11, the family authorisation rate for organ donation – when a family member agrees that donation can proceed – has increased from 57.1 per cent to 61.6 per cent. If the rate was to further increase to 80 per cent, around 90 more lives could be saved each year.

Transplant recipient Bob James, 61, who is approaching the one-year anniversary of his successful liver transplant, met with Public Health Minister Michael Matheson to share his story.

The retired fire-fighter has been able to return to the full time volunteering role he loves at Glasgow’s Riverside Museum, thanks to the special gift that saved his life.

Minister for Public Health Michael Matheson said: “Bob’s story shows how transplantation can transform lives. That is why we’re encouraging people who have made the decision to be an organ donor to share their wishes with loved ones.

“We want Scotland to be amongst the best performing countries in the world for donation and transplantation and huge progress is being made, with a 62 per cent increase in transplants since 2007/8 and over 41 per cent of Scots now on the NHS Organ Donor Register.

“It’s encouraging to note that the number of people waiting for a transplant has fallen to the lowest level we have seen in years, however with around 550 people in Scotland still waiting for a life-saving transplant, its important people are aware of why talking about organ donation and joining the register could save lives.”

Bob, from Lennoxtown, had his liver transplant in November 2013 after doctors told him his liver was failing. Unbeknown to Bob, he had an underlying genetic condition, haemochromatosis, which went undiagnosed as his liver function was masked by another existing condition, Gilbert’s Syndrome.

Bob said: “The Christmas before the transplant I started to feel very unwell, and my GP immediately referred me to Stobhill Hospital where tests showed there were problems with my liver. I couldn’t believe it. I remember thinking it was ironic that I had liver problems as I’m practically teetotal, but I didn’t know at this point I had haemochromatosis.”

Bob was put on medication and continued with life, but over the next ten months his health slowly deteriorated.

He said: “I felt pretty bad. I was getting slower and slower, the smallest things felt like a real effort. I’d lost enthusiasm for everything and my quality of life was rapidly going downhill. I just thought I was getting old, I’d no idea how serious it was.”

Bob was referred to the Transplant Unit at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, and after a series of tests he was told that he needed to be put on the waiting list for a liver transplant. Whilst getting his head around the news, Bob received the call that a suitable donor liver had been found, just 48 hours after being listed for transplant.

He said: “I had no idea it was going to happen so quickly; the day before I’d been working at the Museum. Nine hours after I got the call, I was at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh prepped and ready for a transplant. Within two days I came round in the high dependency ward with almost no pain and feeling overall, pretty well. Looking back, it really was quite remarkable.

“I’ve been amazed at the speed of my recovery. Now the haemochromatosis has been diagnosed, it’s being managed and I’m back doing what I love, volunteering five days a week at the museum. I feel better than ever.

“I do know I’ve been remarkably lucky and will always be eternally grateful to the person who saved my life by making the decision to donate their organs. People talk about fire fighters being brave, but in my eyes, that person was braver than any fire fighter. Without them making that decision, I might not be here today.

“I’d urge anyone who wants to be an organ donor to share their wishes with family members. It’s so important. For me, it’s meant me getting my life back and I intend to live it to the full.”

Royal High table sale and coffee morning this Saturday

The Royal High School PSA Table Sale and Coffee Morning

Saturday 1 November 10am-12.30pm

Please join us at the Royal High School on Sat 1 Nov 10am-12.30pm and support this exciting new PSA fundraising venture.

Combine your morning tea or coffee with browsing a host of enterprising stalls which will be selling crafts, bric a brac, books, cards, clothes, jewellery, as-new school uniform and sports kit, secondhand bikes and home-baking.

There are still some tables available – let loose your inner entrepreneur! Or enter our cake-baking competition and win a prize! To book a table (£10 or £5 for pupils) or for details of the cake competition, email Tina Woolnough at tina@kristina.org.uk

If you wish to sell uniform, sports kit or a bike, all in good condition, please bring them into school at 9.30am, clearly labelled with your name, asking price and telephone number.

Collect unsold items or your cash, less 10% handling fee for the PSA, at 12.30pm. Unsold bikes which are not picked up at 12.30pm will be donated to the Bike Station.