POLICE are appealing for information following vandalism at a school in North Edinburgh.
The incident took place at Trinity Primary School on Newhaven Road at about 1.30pm on Friday, 29th July, during which over £5000 worth of damage was caused to school equipment.
A thorough investigation is ongoing and anyone with any information is urged to contact Police via 101, quoting incident 2591 of the 29th July 2022 or anonymously via the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Climate campaigners have said that BP reporting a tripling of quarterly profits shows that the UK energy system is ‘fundamentally broken.’ The oil giant today announced profits of £6.9 billion ($8.45 billion) in just 3 months.
Meanwhile, energy consultants have forecast that energy bills could reach over £3,600 per household.
BP have said they will use these record profits to pay out to their shareholders as well as buy back shares in the company from investors. Share buybacks are a way of increasing the value of shares for shareholders.
BP continues to invest in fossil fuel projects such as the Murlach oil field which will further ‘lock us into’ this broken energy system for decades, increasing company profits even further at the expense of people and the planet, campaigners say.
Climate scientists and energy experts have warned that we cannot afford any more investment into fossil fuel extraction if we are to limit dangerous climate warming to 1.5ºC.
Recent research revealed the oil and gas industry has made over $52 trillion in profit over the last 50 years.
Friends of the Earth Scotland’s Oil and Gas Campaigner Freya Aitchison said: “This announcement of yet another obscene profit for BP is a clear sign that our energy system is fundamentally broken.
“Rising energy prices are a key driver of the cost of living crisis which is plunging millions of people in the UK into fuel poverty, yet bosses and shareholders at BP are getting even richer by exploiting one of our most basic needs.”
“BP is also worsening climate breakdown and extreme weather by continuing to invest and lock us into new oil and gas projects for decades to come. Instead of allowing these companies to continue causing social and environmental devastation to boost their profits, we need to overhaul our energy system to rapidly phase out oil and gas.
“A fair and fast transition to renewables must ensure that everyone has access to affordable and clean renewable energy.”
At the height of the wedding season, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding married couples and people in civil partnerships to put extra cash at the top of their gift list and sign up for Marriage Allowance.
Marriage Allowance allows married couples or people in civil partnerships, including those who have been together for many years, to share their personal tax allowances if one partner earns below the Personal Allowance threshold of £12,570, and the other is a basic rate taxpayer.
Eligible couples can transfer 10% of their tax-free allowance to their partner, which is £1,260 in 2022/23. It means couples can reduce the tax they pay by up to £252 a year. They can apply any time and, if eligible, could backdate their claims for up to four previous tax years to receive a payment of up to £1,242.
Marriage Allowance is free to apply for, and customers are reminded to claim directly via HMRC’s online portal to ensure they receive 100% of the tax relief they are eligible for. Visit GOV.UK to find out how to apply for Marriage Allowance.
Marriage Allowance is one of a number of benefits and reliefs available to boost family finances at a time when many are concerned with the rising cost of living.
Angela MacDonald, HMRC’s Deputy Chief Executive and Second Permanent Secretary, said: “We want to ensure people are receiving vital financial support at a time when they need it most.
“Married couples or those in a civil partnership could potentially receive tax relief worth up to £1,242, meaning extra cash in their pockets.
“To find out if you are eligible and how to apply search ‘Marriage Allowance’ on GOV.UK.”
More than 2 million couples currently benefit from Marriage Allowance, but there could be thousands more who are eligible to claim.
Even if couples don’t qualify for Marriage Allowance when they first get married, a change in circumstances years later could mean they become newly eligible. These include:
If a spouse or civil partner has died since 5 April 2018, the surviving person can still claim by contacting the Income Tax helpline.
Marriage Allowance claims are automatically renewed every year. However, couples should notify HMRC if their circumstances change.
Monday 1st August 10am – 4pm
#OperationSoteria, Edinburgh Policing Division’s city wide Operation continues to put the brakes on criminals involved in motorcycle thefts and associated anti-social behaviour.
Over the past week, enquiries have led to the arrest of 5 individuals with significant links to motorcycle crime across Edinburgh. This equates to a weekly total of 42 charges and the recovery of 11 bikes, all as a direct result of our targeted activities.
Since the commencement of #OpSoteria on 20 June 2022, we have made 17 arrests, with a further individual reported for warrant.
This translates to 104 charges all relating to motorcycle theft and antisocial behaviour offences and the recovery of 51 motorcycles, bringing the total value of bikes recovered since June to more than £360,000.
Anyone with information about motorcycle crime or the dangerous use of motorcycles in the capital can speak to officers confidentially and anonymously on 101, or through the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
One woman’s quest for tortured beefcake, 80s action and raw sexual power
Pre-pandemic Rosy became the world’s first female time-travelling doctor in her multi-award-winning theatre debut ‘Passionate Machine’. Now this feminist powerhouse is Musclebound to examine our most shameful sexual secrets.
When bodybuilders and 80s action films unite, you can always count on one thing: a good hard flogging! And for a five-year-old Rosy, witnessing live action film characters like He-Man and Conan the Barbarian being stripped, beaten and humiliated by their male antagonists sparked an odyssey of secret obsession that would shape her erotic life forever.
Now forty, with a string of disappointing relationships behind her and her own grown-up daughter about to leave home, a chance re-watching of He-Man reignites the spark of Rosy’s lust, setting her off on a mission to replenish her sexual power. But can tortured beefcake really be the key to her salvation? Or does a more uncomfortable sexual truth lurk, waiting to be reckoned with?
Join Rosy in this intelligent, provocative and terrifically funny real-life story, as she goes to any lengths to find out – even if that means asking Dolph Lundgren and Arnold Schwarzenegger themselves …
‘It’s about me getting to grips with my childhood passion for watching these incredible scenes of hyper-muscular men being abused’, says Rosy.
‘About why that dynamic felt so powerful. Musclebound takes a playful, candid and highly singular look at sexual power, female pleasure and the politics and principles of orgasm-faking.’
Rosy is forced to ask herself: what are the sexual lessons we want to pass on to our daughters – and what do we still need to learn for ourselves? Is it ever OK to objectify people?
Rosy Carrick is a writer, actor and translator. Her critically acclaimed play Passionate Machine won theawards for Best Design and Best New Playat Brighton Fringe in 2018, and The Infallibles Award for Theatrical Excellence at Edinburgh Fringe. She has co-hosted the poetry stages at Glastonbury, Latitude and Port Eliot Festivals for the last decade.
Her debut poetry collection Chokey was published in 2018 and its follow-up, 26 Letters, is due for release in 2023. Rosy has a PhD on the Russian revolutionary poet Vladimir Mayakovsky. She has released two books of his work in translation, and is currently working on a third, which will be published in 2024 by The 87 Press. www.rosycarrick.com
Musclebound is directed by Fringe First winner Katie Bonna. Katie won the Most Promising New Playwright award at the 2018 Off West End Awards (for All The Things I Lied About).
In 2021, her queer comedy The Entertainment was nominated for OFF Fest’s Best Online Theatre production, and her short film IRL was nominated for Best Comedy at the Cannes Shorts Festival.
Part of the prestigious BBC Comedy Writers Room course 2019/2020, Katie is currently under commission from BBC Radio 4 and RADA.
‘Intelligent, articulate, funny’ Scotsman (on Passionate Machine)
Listings information:
Musclebound
Venue: Assembly Roxy (Venue 139)
Dates: 3-29 Aug (not 10, 16, 23) First review date 3 Aug
Time: 17:50 (60 mins)Tickets: £11.50 – £13.50 (previews 3 & 4 Aug £7.50)
Venue Box Office: 0131 623 3000
Serving personnel across the UK will be entitled to free wraparound childcare from September as part of new measures announced today by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.
The Wraparound Childcare (WAC) scheme will provide up to 20 hours per week of free childcare before and after school during term time for eligible military parents with children aged 4 to 11 years.
Its roll-out follows successful trials at pilot sites around the country over the last two years and from the Autumn school term will be open to more than 20,000 children across the UK.
While childcare costs vary across the UK, serving personnel are expected to save around £3,000 per child per year based on typical costs.
The wraparound childcare scheme provides practical support to some of the unique challenges faced by service families, such as frequent relocations that require military families to move home, find new schools and childcare provision, and adjust their lives. This is part of the Armed Forces’ commitment to being an inclusive, modern and flexible employer.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “Our Armed Forces personnel sacrifice a great deal in the service of their country and whether it is providing flexible working or accommodation options, I am determined they feel supported in their family life.
“Providing free wraparound childcare is another clear way of supporting the unique challenges they face as parents and will go a long way to helping them to enjoy a thriving family life as well as a thriving career.”
Corporal Vicki Taylor, Royal Air Force said: “Everyone I have spoken to who also benefits from wraparound childcare agrees that it’s a fantastic scheme. For my family it saved us financially, reduced our stress levels, and has given us more quality time with our children.
The wraparound childcare pilot scheme began in September 2020 and an expansion in September 2021 meant six sites – Woolwich Barracks, RAF High Wycombe and RAF Halton, Catterick Garrison, and in Lincolnshire and the Plymouth area – took part. Over 1,900 children benefited from support at these sites during the pilot.
This scheme is part of the wider package of support to service personnel and their families, as laid out in the Armed Forces Families Strategy, and has already had a positive impact on service families involved. Recent feedback shows an improvement in family wellbeing, increased contentment with service life for non-serving partners as well as the huge financial savings.
The Ministry of Defence is committed to supporting service families and has also introduced flexible working arrangements, expanded offerings to co-habiting couples and extended Help to Buy, giving our armed forces the chance to get a foot on the housing ladder.
Get summer ready with Buck & Birch’s deliciously fresh, thirst-quenching drink, The Amarosa Spritz, perfect for those looking to spice up their favourite summer classic cocktails.
Sourcing ingredients just a stone’s throw from their East Lothian distillery, the alchemists have put a Scottish twist on the likes of the Italians Aperol and English Pimms, giving you the very best taste of the wilds of Scotland.
With flavour notes of juicy green apples, honey and herbs with spiced vanilla and molasses to finish, simply add 50ml of Amarosa, 25ml fresh apple juice, topped with chilled champagne, prosecco or sparkling wine and garnish with fresh summer fruits for the perfect taste of a Scottish Summer.
The Amarosa Spritz is perfect for sipping at a garden party or barbeque in the summer sun, and to really get your tastebuds tingling, enjoy alongside grilled halloumi or a mezze platter.
Creative Director and co-founder, Tom Chisholm on why this is the perfect summer tipple: “This is the first lockdown free summer we have had in three years and whilst we all want to be outside the Scottish summer weather doesn’t always allow us to get out.
“But with The Amarosa Spritz, we’ve got the taste of summer with an unmistakable Scottish twist. So, whilst we may not get outside with the unreliable Scottish weather, we have got the next best thing: having a drink from the beautiful landscape that is right on our doorstep.”
To view the full selection of drinks available for purchase, visit:
An app to help the owners of shared properties repair their buildings in the Capital has been so successful in its first year it is already being rolled out by two other local authorities in Scotland.
Developed by the City of Edinburgh Council with tech company Novoville, a new app launched in April last year has been helping more than 500 tenements with nearly 5,000 properties across Edinburgh in carrying out £700,000 worth of much needed repairs to improve their buildings.
The app has been so popular that Perth and Kinross and East Ayrshire Councils have announced today they are launching it as well.
Born out of the Scottish Government’s CivTech Accelerator programme, the app was designed to make it easier for residents living in shared properties to keep their buildings in good condition. It’s attracted twice as many privately owned tenements in a year as the Council usually deals with in that time frame.
The repairs carried out range from £50,000 for extensive roof repairs down to £200 for new door locks, through to £20,000 improving stonework, £5,000 repainting stairwells to £2,000 on new gutters. Around 150 trusted traders are listed on the app but you can use it with your own trader as well.
Councillor Mandy Watt Finance and Resources Convener said: “Edinburgh is leading the way in this work in Scotland and it is great news that two other councils are now about to launch it in their area as well. Our Shared Repairs Team is doing a fantastic job helping people who live in shared buildings through the steps they need to take to carry out repairs to their properties.
“The app helps people take greater control of the process. It’s very accessible and easy to use.
“Edinburgh has around 170,000 tenement flats and other shared buildings with multiple owners. It’s great to see so many property owners already engaging with the app, as many of these buildings are in need of urgent repair.
“The feedback I’m getting is that without the app, some people say they wouldn’t have had the confidence to approach neighbours and get the repairs done, or the process would have taken a lot longer due to communication breakdowns and uncertainties about the correct course of action.”
Louis Daillencourt from Novoville said: “It’s been a pleasure to work with Edinburgh proprietors in the last year to help them fix often longstanding issues, keep their buildings safe, and make them more comfortable. Thanks to their feedback, we’ve learnt a lot and invested towards making the app ever simpler to use.
“This year, we’re progressing on multiple fronts. First, we’re deploying in more local authorities, collaborating with their private sector housing teams to make the app available to more and more owners around the country.
“We’re also continuing to work with consultants, architects and surveyors to ensure proprietors get the programme of work and maintenance plan their building needs. But in the wake of COP26, we’re also working on an absolutely critical development: making energy-efficiency upgrades accessible through the app.”
App user Julia Morrison said: “Truth be told, our stair is quite analogue – particularly older landlords! Despite my best efforts, I was only able to get a few folks signed up directly to the Novoville app. However, the app is designed so that you can use it with owners who don’t want to sign up to the app directly.
“This means you can still use it to download a suite of template letters, organise your processes, and – most importantly – your payment collections. And for those that did sign up, it was a really smooth process and easy to use. Very few glitches/fixes for a new product. I work in digital communications and I know how rare this is, Novoville have done excellently!
“The best thing about the app was feeling really supported in doing something that felt quite difficult and that didn’t come naturally to me. The team at Novoville had my back the whole time.”
App user Lizzie Crawford said: “I started using the app for one property in a tenement block where I am the landlord, and now I’ve got all three of mine in there! It’s much, much easier to look after the tenements where I own and let out a flat.
“The app is helping me create a bit more of a community feel in those blocks as well. I really recommend it to any proprietor. Apps can be daunting, but this is actually easy to use.”
Further information on the app is available online.
Further information on the Council’s shared repairs service can be found on the Council website.
Police are appealing for the assistance of the public to help trace 41-year-old Michael Meehan who has been reported missing from Edinburgh.
Michael was last seen around 3.30 pm on Thursday, 21 July, 2022 on Rose Street, Edinburgh.
He is described as white, of slim build, around 6ft tall, with short grey hair, few teeth and has bad sunburn and blisters to his face. He speaks with an Irish accent and was wearing a dark coloured jacket, tracksuit bottoms and trainers although it is thought he may actually be barefoot.
Sergeant Jonathan Wilson, Gayfield Police Station, said: “Since Mr Meehan was reported missing, officers have been checking CCTV and making local enquiries in Edinburgh City Centre and Portobello where he is known to frequent, however, there have been no further sightings of him.
“We are concerned for his health and well-being and would appeal to anyone who has seen him recently or who may have information as to where he is to get in touch with police.”
Information can be passed to officers via 101. Please quote reference number 2159 of Thursday, 21 July, 2022
