Harvest Festival at Granton Community Gardeners
It’s that time of the year again – crisp air and vibrant leaves! Come celebrate Harvest Festival at Granton Community Gardens, a family-friendly event full of fun, great food, and community spirit.
When: Tomorrow 14th of September 3-6pm
Where: Granton Community Gardens on Wardieburn Road
Come celebrate the harvest season with your friends, family, and neighbours. There’s something for everyone!
Today (Wed 11 Sep) with support from the Scottish Government’s Festivals EXPO Fund and Creative Scotland, the Scottish International Storytelling Festival launched its 35th festival programme.
The Scottish International Storytelling Festival (18 to 31 October 2024) is organised by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) and is the world’s largest celebration of storytelling.
Since it began in 1989, it has been building bridges between cultures, artists and audiences all over the world through the power of storytelling.
To mark its 35th anniversary, which coincides with the fall of the Berlin Wall, the festival has chosen ‘Bridges Between’ as its programming theme, which has been the inspiration for eight new story commissions premiering during this year’s festival.
It has also invited international storytellers from the Storytelling Arena in Berlin, from Ireland with the support of Culture Ireland, and from India to participate in this year’s event.
New Commissions supported by the Scottish Government Festivals Expo Fund:
● Mending Nets (Fri 18 Oct) – Palestinian poet and dancer Nada Shawa and Scottish storyteller Janis Mackay present stories of loss, friendship and hope, to help people attempt to retrieve an unravelled sense of identity.
● The Bouncy Billy Goats Gruff (Sat 19 Oct) – a sensory version of the traditional tale of Billy Goats Gruff suited to children with additional needs, their families and friends with storyteller Ailie Finlay and artist Kate Leiper.
● The Dream of Al-Andulus (19 Oct) Storytellers Sef Townsend and Inés Álvarez Villa accompanied by flamenco guitarist Danielo Olivera and Moroccan musician Omar Afif, transport audiences to mediaeval Spain.
● The Desperate Battle of the Birds (Mon 21 Oct) Scottish storyteller James MacDonald Reid presents his version of this classic Gaelic folk tale intertwined with live electric cello music by Scottish-Korean musician Ryan Williams. Performed in English and Gaelic throughout.
● Òran Mhòir (23 Oct) Costumes, films, field recordings, folk songs and electronic sounds come together in a multi-media performance exploring the Gaelic lore of the intertidal zone. With storyteller Eileen Budd and experimental folk duo Burd Ellen.
● Jack and Beggar’s Island (25 Oct) The most powerful freedom story of Scottish oral tradition recreated by storytellers Jimmy Williamson, Claire McNicol and Linda Williamson connected with music from Toby Shippey and friends.
● Kanpur: 1857! (26 Oct)Niall Moorjani and Jon Oldfield present a dilemma between a young Indian rebel strapped to a cannon and a British officer for the crimes of Kanpur. Are they a hero or villain?
● A Wolf Shall Devour the Sun (30 Oct) Weaving myth from the Celtic Isles, Scandinavia and Siberia, storyteller Douglas Mackay takes a deep dive into the history of our troubled relations with our oldest ally. With Jemima Thewes providing shadow puppet animation and original, dreamlike soundscape.
This year the Festival is also part of the city’s Edinburgh 900 programme, celebrating nine centuries of story and literature in Scotland’s capital city.
Festival Director Donald Smith, who is also author of the newly-published Edinburgh Our Storied Town, has programmed a series of events showcasing Edinburgh through the centuries and exploring different eras of its history.
These include talks on ‘chivalry’ and the knightly values of the crusades; Edinburgh’s theatres and the history of the festivals; Scotland’s golden age of literature; and a conference and ‘Lit Fandango’ with Michael Pedersen to celebrate 20 years since Edinburgh was crowned the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature.
There are also guided walks through the city to explore Edinburgh’s founding women with Claire McNicol; an after-hours tour of Surgeon’s Hall where tales of chloroform tea parties and grave robbing will be shared; and storytelling sessions at Bridgend Farmhouse, The Balm Well and Edinburgh’s Philosophy Cafe on the Southside.
For younger audiences and families there is a packed programme of events over the October school holidays kicking off on Saturday 12 October, ahead of the festival’s main programme (18 to 31 Oct).
Family highlights include storytelling fun and adventures with Claire McNicol and Linda Williamson in Raven Jack and Lady Unicorn; dancing and stories with Moyra Banks and Fergus McNicol; tales of dragons and tunes from Lithuania and Scotland; and The Hairy Tale of Sam the Skull about a gallus Glasgow cat, told by storyteller Alastair McIver.
There is also a chance for young storytellers to learn new skills in the 3-day workshop series School of Storycraft and plenty of events outdoors including the return of the Botanics Storytelling Day and Macastory’s Caddie Capers.
Plus, the festival’s Global Lab strand returns with four online workshops exploring intangible cultural heritage; the war in Gaza through the voices of children and young people; stories from across India hosted by the Folklogue Team; and a discussion of Scotland as a slaver nation trading in Jamaica hosted by Kate Philips, author of Bought and Sold: Scotland, Jamaica and Slavery.
Work in progress, marked as ‘In the Making’ will be shared during the festival and will include stories from Norway created and performed by Svend-Erik Engh, Hafdís Huld and Neil Sutcliffe; adventures beyond the iron curtain told by Alice Fernbank through her dad’s memoirs; a coming of age story told in the spirit of the Griot storytelling traditions from West Africa by French-Cameroonian artist Fay Guiffo; and retellings of the work of Hamish Henderson.
This year the festival runs up until Halloween and includes events when storytellers, musicians and artists will join together to share dark tales and gather for Samhain. There will also be four Tree of Memory events celebrating and honouring some of our storytelling elders including Irish and Scots storyteller Audrey Parks; Shetland storyteller Lawrence Tulloch, and Edinburgh storytellers Jack Martin and John Fee.
Throughout the festival, audiences can also enjoy relaxed Open Hearth gatherings of storytellers and musicians in the evening at the Netherbow Theatre, and post-show Festival Nights at The Waverley Bar.
Go Local returns this year, with new voices from Angus, the Highlands, and Stirling joining storytellers from all over Scotland throughout October and November to celebrate 35 years of the festival.
From Orkney and the Western Isles, to the Scottish Borders, there will be nearly 50 Go Local events in this year’s programme, plus two of the festival’s commissions will tour to community halls, libraries and storytelling festivals in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Tobermory.
Finally, this year’s festival exhibition hosted at the Scottish Storytelling Centre will be Take Me To New Lands & Then Take Me Home, a series of paintings by Orcadian artist and musician Sarah McFadyen exploring the line between the worlds of fact and fable, and the place where land and sea meet.
Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “The Scottish International Storytelling Festival’s 35th anniversary is a magnificent achievement and demonstrates what a successful and important event it is.
“That’s why the Scottish Government has provided £100,000 in EXPO funding this year to support the commissions of eight performances at the festival.
“This year’s programme is incredibly diverse and there is plenty there to appeal to people of all interests, and both young and old. I am really looking forward to hearing some of the amazing stories at the Festival.”
Donald Smith, Scottish International Storytelling Festival Director said:
“In a world plagued by violence and division, the Scottish International Storytelling Festival offers bridges of imagination, fellow feeling and hope.
“And these qualities are inspired by a capital city that is celebrating 900 years of story, art and friendship.”
Performing at today’s launch storyteller Janis Mackay and poet and dancer Nada Shawa said: “We met on the dance floor fifteen years ago. Building bridges between is at the heart of our dance practise, 5 rhythms.
“Bridges between each other, between the heart and the body. Between the music and the dance. And with both of us there are many opportunities for exploring bridges between.
“Nada is from Gaza, Janis is from Edinburgh. Nada uses a wheelchair. Janis does not. Nada is a poet. Janis is a storyteller. So many rich differences that we weave into this show; Mending Nets.”
The Scottish International Storytelling Festival will take place from Friday, 18 October to Thursday 31 October.
Tickets to family events cost just £5 per ticket. For those planning on attending multiple events, the Festival Supporter Pass offers discounted tickets to many live festival events, online and at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, as well as a discount at the Scottish Storytelling Centre’s bookshop, Haggis Box Café and an invitation to the Festival launch event.
To purchase tickets and browse the full programme, visit sisf.org.uk
There were 792 deaths by probable suicide in Scotland in 2023. This World Suicide Prevention Day reminds us the importance of looking out for one another and seeking help if we need it. 
Talking about suicide can be hard, but there is support and advice out there if you or a loved one is having suicidal thoughts.
NHS 24 has a range of services that can help with mental health and mental wellbeing. Please share for awareness!
NHS 24’s Mental Health Hub – Call 111 and select the mental health option for urgent mental health help.
Breathing Space – a free confidential listening service for people over 16 in Scotland who are experiencing low mood, depression or anxiety. Call 0800 83 85 87 or web chat at www.breathingspace.scot
Living Life – telephone support using talking therapies based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Call 0800 328 9655 or visit https://www.nhs24.scot/how-we-can-help/living-life/
NHS inform – Digital tools and free online courses to get help with your mental wellbeing https://nhs24.info/mental_wellbeing
Two men have been convicted following the death of a 59-year-old man in Leith.
The body of Garry O’Neill was found in a flat on Primrose Street on Tuesday, 6 June, 2023.
At the High Court in Edinburgh today – Monday, 9 September, 2024 – Jamie Boulton, aged 55, was found guilty of murder following the death of Mr O’Neill.
Nathan Boulton (above), aged 49, was found guilty of attempting to defeat the ends of justice.
They will be sentenced at a later date.
Detective Inspector Kevin Tait, senior investigating officer, said: “Our thoughts are with Mr O’Neill’s family and friends and we hope that the result in court brings them a degree of closure.
“This was a deliberate act that ended in a death and Jamie Boulton will now face the consequences of his actions that day.
“His brother Nathan Boulton, now faces justice after he tried to conceal what happened.
“We would like to thank the public for their assistance and support during our investigation.
“Violence is not acceptable in our society and Police Scotland will use all the tools it has to investigate and bring those intent on committing crime and harm in our communities to justice.”
As the 2024 Paralympic Games draws to a close, First Minister John Swinney has commended Scottish athletes for their world-class performances which will inspire future generations.
21 Scottish athletes took part individually or in team events, securing 11 gold medals, eight silver medals and one bronze medal – contributing to ParalympicsGB’s overall medals tally of 124 medals.
Athletes from Scotland broke records in pursuit of gold medals, including Stephen Clegg’s record-breaking S12 backstroke time, Jenny Holl’s effort as pilot for Sophie Unwin on her way to gold and a world record in the Women’s B 3,000m individual cycling pursuit, and Sammi Kinghorn achieving a gold medal while setting a new Paralympic Record for the Women’s T53 100m.
The First Minister said: “I want to pay tribute to and congratulate all of the ParalympicsGB squad, including the 21 Scots on the team, for your performances in Paris.
“You are all athletes at the top of your field, and Scotland has been cheering you on throughout these Games.
“Your performances will inspire people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities to take up sport, achieve their own goals and become more active in their own lives. The next generation will be inspired by where you are now, and the Scottish Government and partners will work to ensure there will be opportunities for them to follow suit.”
Forbes Dunlop, CEO of sportscotland, said: “On behalf of everyone at sportscotland I want to congratulate every single one of the Scottish athletes who have represented Paralympics GB in Paris over the last couple of weeks.
“There have been some extremely strong performances from our athletes, including personal bests, Paralympic and World records and a very impressive haul of medals, demonstrating the enormous level of commitment and talent across the team.
“All of this success is down to years of hard work from the athletes, their coaches and their wider support teams including Scottish Governing Bodies of Sport and the sportscotland institute of sport and we are proud to be part of the ‘team behind team’ supporting the athletes.”
Gavin Macleod, CEO of Scottish Disability Sport, said: “Congratulations to all the Scottish Paralympians and their significant support networks in Paris.
“The performances are testimony to the inclusive approach Scottish Governing Bodies of sport are taking to ensuring para-athletes are supported.
“Not all of us will be able to reach the heights of these international high-performance athletes however, what we can do is commit to working in partnership to ensure that children, young people and adults can access quality PE, comprehensive sporting opportunities and the chance to move more every day.”
It all feels a bit grim (writes SCVO Chief Exec ANNA FOWLIE).
A few weeks ago, the Chancellor revealed a “black hole” in public finances across the UK and announced the end to the universal winter fuel allowance. This week the Cabinet Secretary for Finance announced significant cuts to programmes this year to enable the Scottish Government to fund public sector pay deals.
On Wednesday, John Swinney took to the lectern in the Scottish Parliament to present his first Programme for Government, having watched them being delivered from different seats across the Scottish Parliament in the previous 24 years.
I’m sure that was a novel experience for him, but I’m left with a sense of déjà vu.
There is no doubt that parts of our public sector need reform. It’s been more than 13 years since the Christie Commission said that reform must empower individuals, integrate service provision, prioritise expenditure on prevention and increase shared services. But have we seen significant shifts, or have the deckchairs just been rearranged and repainted while pointing towards little ‘pilots’ as evidence of progress?
The voluntary sector is often closest to the most vulnerable people in our society and best placed to support them, including helping them to navigate the baffling complexity of some public services.
Hundreds of organisations are rooted in communities, supporting families to help address the First Minister’s top priority of tackling child poverty. Indeed, the sector will be key to achieving all four of the First Minister’s priorities.
However, with resources increasingly being pulled into the public sector, much of the voluntary sector is resigned to getting scraps from the table.
With years of static funding, an inability to keep pace with public sector pay and constant inability to plan because of a lack of Fair Funding, it does feel like we’ve reached a crisis point.
There is no doubt Government sometimes needs to make difficult choices, but they’re avoiding the hard ones. If we are to turn the rhetoric on addressing poverty and public service reform into reality, we can’t expect current systems and structures to deliver the radical change we need, and we can’t imagine that the public sector can do it all alone.
Public sector staff deserve to be paid fairly, but the voluntary sector deserves to be treated fairly. We deserve more than warm words.
We need to channel the limited resources we have to the experts. People are the experts in their own lives – and most know what they need.
Those at the front-line know how best to support them, but we need to challenge the practice that the public sector is prioritised without truly thinking about how ‘public services’ are best delivered, and by whom.
We’re not a nice-to-have sector. We’re an essential sector.
As the native oyster season opens (1st September), Scotland’s oyster festival has announced a new celebration of nature, right in the heart of the festival site.
Stranraer Oyster Festival, which takes place from 13-15 September, is introducing a new Eco Zone with a nature-based programme of talks and activities. The festival celebrates Scotland’s last wild, native oyster fishery taking place on the waterfront, a short distance from the sustainably managed native oyster beds in Loch Ryan.
The new Eco Zone programme will include a talk by Prof. Bill Sanderson of Heriot Watt University on the Benefits of Loch Ryan’s Oyster Beds, and a talk by Dr. Nicola Stock of Edinburgh University’s Roslin Institute on Oyster Microbiomes in Loch Ryan.
Other activities will include wildlife and shoreline ranger led walks by the Solway Coast and Marine Project, touch tanks containing marine wildlife and activities for young people on a marine and ecology theme.
The Eco Zone continues Stranraer Oyster Festival’s growing emphasis on showcasing the importance of the Loch Ryan native oyster beds as one of Scotland’s ecological treasures, as well as an exceptional seafood product.
Allan Jenkins, Event Co-ordinator for Stranraer Development Trust, the community organisation that organises the festival explains: “Since Stranraer Oyster Festival launched in 2017 our understanding of the ecological importance of these oysters has grown.
“Last year we launched an oyster shell recycling scheme to give something back to the loch and the oyster bed. This year we wanted to make environmental activities and experiences a core part of the festival so that visitors to the event can understand just how extraordinary these oysters are.
“This year we are absolutely privileged to have such knowledgeable experts joining us for the festival.”
Professor Bill Sanderson of Heriot Watt University was commissioned by Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Environment Team to carry out an oyster stock assessment of Loch Ryan last year, which estimated a population of 23 million native oysters.
He will share information about that assessment and his work on native oysters at a talk during the opening evening of the oyster festival.
He said: “Native oysters are marine biological super heroes. They improve the water by filtering it, they create spaces for other species improving biodiversity, they store carbon and, of course, they’re delicious.
“200 years ago we had oysters everywhere, including here on the Forth. Stranraer and Loch Ryan is an amazing glimpse into the past because oysters were abundant everywhere.
“Importantly, Loch Ryan’s oysters are also a window on the future, because people all over Europe are looking to restore oyster beds. Loch Ryan finds itself in the centre of the oyster restoration world, so I’m absolutely delighted to be taking part in this new initiative at the oyster festival.”
Later this year 10,000 native oysters from Loch Ryan will make their way to the Firth of Forth as part of Restoration Forth – a major marine restoration programme working with communities to restore seagrass habitats and European flat oyster populations in the Firth of Forth.
Stranraer Oyster Festival launched as a community-led regeneration project to ‘change the story of Stranraer’ from a story of economic decline to a story of destination opportunity. With six successful festivals delivered, the event has had a cumulative economic impact of more than £7m for the scenic former ferry port in south west Scotland.
The 2024 festival programme leans strongly into Stranraer’s connection with the water of Loch Ryan, with ecosystem and community regeneration strong themes. The Scottish Shucking Championship is a focal point of the festival, with chefs from across Scotland competing in the ‘Shuck Off’ to become Scottish Champion and win their place in the World Shucking Championships in Ireland in late September.
Culinary inspiration comes in the form of chef demonstrations that reunite two TV chef double acts – BBC’s Spice Kings Tony Singh and Cyrus Todiwala, and STV’s Hot Wok stars Julie Lin and Jimmy Lee.
They’ll be joined in the festival demo kitchen by Pam Brunton whose multiple award-winning restaurant Inver is the only restaurant in Scotland to receive a Michelin Green Star, which recognises restaurants that combine culinary excellence with outstanding eco-friendly commitments.
Allan Jenkins added: “People enjoying and eating the oysters at Stranraer Oyster Festival are directly supporting the sustainability of the oyster bed. It sounds counterintuitive, but only 5% of the oysters that are lifted by the Loch Ryan Oyster Fishery are ever sold.
“The rest are carefully relaid in dense beds to help encourage native oyster breeding. So, enjoying Loch Ryan native oysters – especially at Stranraer Oyster Festival – is directly helping to fund this important work.”
Stranraer Oyster Festival is supported by Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Major Events Strategic Fund, EventScotland’s National Events Funding Programme and South of Scotland Enterprise. The work of Stranraer Development Trust is also supported by Kilgallioch Community Fund.
Stranraer Oyster Festival takes place from Friday 13th to Sunday 15th September 2024. Early Bird Weekend tickets cost £15, and Day Tickets cost from £6, with concessions available.
For more information details and to book tickets, head to:
The vast majority of workers on zero-hours contracts want regular hours, according to a new TUC poll.
The poll of zero-hours contract workers reveals that over 8 in 10 (84%) want regular hours of work – compared to just 1 in 7 (14%) who don’t.
Financial pressures
The poll reveals that many zero-hours workers are struggling financially due to being underemployed.
Three-quarters (75%) of those polled say they have experienced difficulty meeting living expenses due to not being offered enough hours.
This is backed up by other findings from the poll which show that:
One-way flexibility
The TUC says the poll also shows the one-sided nature of zero-hours contracts:
Work-life balance
The poll also reveals how many zero-hours contract workers have struggled to balance caring responsibilities and family commitments with their work:
The poll shows that mums (35%) and carers (38%) on ZHCs are more likely than those not on ZHCs (22% and 20% respectively) to often find it hard to manage care alongside their work – putting paid to the idea that ZHCs are the best way to help working parents and carers balance paid work and unpaid caring commitments.
The majority (80%) of students on zero-hours contracts also reported that they had experienced difficulties managing studying and education alongside their work.
The poll further reveals that even amongst the minority of zero-hours contract workers who report working in this way because of their need for flexibility (for care or for study) – 6 in 10 (61%) – would prefer a contract with guaranteed shifts (compared to less than a quarter, 23% of this group for whom this arrangement would not be preferable)
Making work pay
The TUC says the findings highlight the importance of the government’s forthcoming Employment Rights Bill that will ban the use of zero-hours contracts and other exploitative practices.
Analysis published by the union body in June revealed that 4.1 million people in the UK were currently employed in low-paid and insecure work – including around 1 million workers on zero-hours contracts.
Separate TUC polling published in July revealed that the vast majority (67%) of voters in Britain – across the political spectrum – support banning zero-hours contracts by offering all workers a contract that reflects their normal hours of work and compensation for cancelled shifts.
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “Most people on zero-hours contracts would much rather have the security of guaranteed hours and to be able to plan their lives properly.
“The so-called ‘flexibility’ these contracts offer is hugely one-sided with shifts regularly cancelled at the last minute – often without any compensation.
“I would challenge anyone to try and survive on a zero-hours contract not knowing from week to week how much work they will have.
“It’s time to drive up employment standards in this country and to make work pay for everyone.
“The government’s forthcoming employment rights bill will help create a level playing field – and stop good employers from being undercut by the bad.”
Mubin Haq, Chief Executive of the abrdn Financial Fairness Trust, said: “The major problem with zero-hours contracts is the insecurity they cause and the knock-on effects on people’s daily lives.
“From participating in family and social events, to balancing caring responsibilities, those on zero-hours contracts report greater challenges.
“Moreover, the financial penalties are significant with just a third receiving any compensation for loss of income. Addressing problems such as this are essential to delivering greater financial security.”
Julian Richer, Founder and Managing Director of Richer Sounds, and Founder of the Zero-Hours Justice campaign – said: “Most people work for good employers who pay decent wages and provide secure conditions.
“Working people need basic security, to know when they will be working and how much they will earn. But a minority of employers exploit the ability to hire people on zero-hours contracts.
“It is time to rid the economy of these contracts so that every worker who wants a secure contract can have one.
“Driving up employment standards is in everyone’s interests. A ban on exploitative zero-hours contracts is well overdue.”
SUNDAY 1st SEPTEMBER from 1 – 4pm
BEGINNERS and IMPROVERS welcome
