OOR BILLY

BILLY FITZPATRICK HAS DIED AFTER A PERIOD OF ILL HEALTH

Billy’s family posted this very sad news on Facebook yesterday:

This morning he passed away at the Western General surrounded by loves ones.

He asked that friends, family, acquaintances, people from his beloved North Edinburgh, and old comrades were given the news when the time came, and in his own words he had a good kick at the baw.

When funeral arrangements are made we’ll update again, thanks x

A proud trade unionist and a popular local councillor who fought for his community, Billy went on to share his negotiating skills and vast experience when he retired from front-line party politics.

Billy supported a number of important community projects, including Granton Information Centre, Royston Wardieburn Community Centre (he chaired both of these long-established community organisations) and North Edinburgh Arts.

Proud ‘Roystoner’ Billy featured in the recent ‘Quiet Heroes‘ exhibition at Madelvic House granton:hub.

Billy wasn’t always so quiet – it’s fair to say that oor Billy could be passionate, fiery even, and he had his fair share of brushes with the Labour Party hierarchy! – but Royston’s very own Quiet Hero fought North Edinburgh’s corner loyally for over forty years.

A genuine working class community stalwart, they just don’t make politicians like Billy Fitzpatrick any more. And our communities, our cities and our country are all the poorer for that.

Farewell, Billy, my dear old Comrade. We shared many good times together, and some dreadful ones too. Throughout all that time, you never changed: loyal, steadfast and honest to the very end.

How we will miss you.

Be part of a Summer of Resistance!

TOMORROW: SONGS OF PROTEST WORKSHOP

TUESDAY 19 AUGUST: PHOTOMONTAGE ART WORKSHOP

ALL WELCOME!

Photomontaging Resistance Workshop and Community Lunch at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre

THURSDAY 5th & THURSDAY 19th AUGUST at RWCC

There is also a follow-up Songs of Protest workshop  TOMORROW morning (Thursday 31st July) from 10 – 12.30 at North Edinburgh Arts.   

Penny Stone will be introducing  more protest songs before we get down to writing a few more verses for a new North Edinburgh protest song!

Tomorrow: Summer BBQ with Granton Community Gardeners

SUMMER BBQ THIS WEDS 30th JULY 2-5pm (or when the food runs out). FREE, at the community garden (10 Wardieburn Road).

With BBQ from Scran Academy, bread from Granton Garden Bakery, and salad from Lauriston Farm (Edinburgh Agroecology Coop). ALL WELCOME!

Wednesday gardening club is on as usual from 1pm.

Dr Bike will be in 2-4pm -Free bike safety checks (thanks to R2 and North Edinburgh Arts)

Please note, this event with the Scran Van is earlier than our usual 5pm for the last Wednesday of the month.

Today: Songs of Protest workshop at North Edinburgh Arts

THURSDAY 24th JULY from 10am – 12.30pm

We’ve been doing a summer of resistance programme at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre over the last few months to tie in with Steve McQueen’s  ‘Resistance‘  photography exhibition at the Gallery of Modern Art.

Its brilliant and couldn’t  have arrived at a better time. 

Anyway as part of our summer programme we have been organising joint sessions with North Edinburgh Arts groups.  The first one is songs of protest tomorrow morning with Penny Stone at North Edinburgh Arts. 

All welcome!

Lynn McCabe

Saying Goodbye to Madge

We said goodbye to Madge yesterday.

Madge was one of those women who everyone seemed to know; a popular and weel-kent face around Royston and Crewe and the funeral service was packed.

I have known Madge and her family socially for more than forty years, but there are still some things you find out that come as a surprise. And at Warriston I learned that Madge had written a poem:

TWENTY FIVE PAST TWO

AH’M WALKING DOON THE ROAD

CAUSE IT’S TWENTY-FIVE PAST TWO

GAUN TAE GET THE BAIRN …

PAST MOHAMMED’S FIR SOME CHEWS

WHEN AH GET HIM

‘THERE’S YER CHEWS

TIME FIR HAME

CHANGE YER SHOES’

DUMPS HIS SCHOOL BAG …

HE’S OOT THE DOOR

IN THE GAIRDEN

WIE HIS DINOSAURS

A WORLD O’ HIS AIN TAKES O’ER

UNTIL … RAP THE WINDAE: ‘TEA’

“AH DINNAE LIKE THAT”

PICKS HIS GRUB

‘EAT IT OR YE’R IN THE TUB’

IN THE TUB, LOADS O’ TOYS

WHAT A MESS … MIND, BOYS WILL BE BOYS

UNTIL … AH TUCK HIM UP IN BED

TEDDY CUDDLED ROOND HIS HEAD.

A poem by MADGE VENTERS

Have you seen Nihat?

*** UPDATE – NIHAT HAS BEEN TRACED ***

POLICE are appealing for the public’s assistance in tracing a missing man from the north of the city.

Nihat Karani, 63, was last seen at around 9.30pm last night (Thursday, 3 July, 2025) in the Royston Mains Crescent area. He left here on foot and hasn’t been seen or heard from since.

He is described as around 5ft 6ins tall, of stocky build, with grey/white hair and a moustache. He wears glasses which he has on a chain around his neck and was last seen wearing a black jacket, blue jeans and white trainers.

Nihat’s first language is Bulgarian and he speaks limited English.

Inspector George Nisbet from Drylaw Police Station said: “Nihat knows the city and is known to visit Edinburgh’s park and green spaces, but he rarely does this alone.

“He walks with a walking stick which he had in his possession when he was last seen.

“We have a number of police resources looking for Nihat and I would ask anyone who may have seen him, or a man matching his description, to report this to us as soon as possible.”

Those with information should contact Police Scotland via 101 and quote incident number 0196 of 4 July 2025.

Wardieburn Community Clean Up

Wardieburn Community Clean up

Monday 23rd June – Wednesday 25th June 2025

Skips will be at Wardieburn Road, Wardieburn Street West and Wardieburn Street East

Items you no longer need or excess items that cause your normal bin to overflow

This DOES NOT include bulky waste such as mattresses, sofas or white goods

#Community

#Wardieburn

#cleanup

#clearouttheclutter

#clearout