Take Keir: local MSP supports cancer campaign

‘Early diagnosis can save your life. Let’s get checked – it’s worth it!’ – Colin Keir MSP

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Colin Keir, MSP for Edinburgh Western, has thrown his support behind the #GetChecked cancer detection campaign.

The campaign, launched jointly by the Scottish Government and Cancer Research UK at the M&Co store in the Gyle Shopping Centre last week, encourages people to get checked for potential symptoms of cancer in a bid to save more lives. The campaign aims to use check patterns to remind people to get checked.

Mr Keir said “For so long the fear of cancer as well as what was seen as the inevitability of the consequences of being diagnosed with cancer placed a dark cloud over so many individuals and families. These days we have the treatments which give those diagnosed the chance to receive effective treatments.

“The key to this is early diagnosis. We all know our own bodies best so if you spot anything unusual then get to see your GP. It may be nothing but it could be the early diagnosis that will give you the best chance for a full recovery.

“This is the reason I warmly welcome #GetChecked, the new campaign to encourage people to get checked for potential symptoms of cancer in a bid to save more lives in Scotland. It’s fantastic that M&Co at the Gyle Shopping Centre along with their other stores nationally are helping to promote this campaign along with the Scottish Government and Cancer Research UK.

“One thousand people a year can be saved through early diagnosis and treatment, surely that’s a good enough reason to check yourself out regularly. The Wee C initiative is trying to make Scots reduce their fear of cancer which has been found to stop people going to have their problems looked at by their GP. Early diagnosis can save your life, let’s get checked – it’s worth it!”

It’s September, so it must be Cyclefest!

Two wheeled transport takes centre stage in the city 

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This month, Edinburgh will enjoy a month of non-stop cycling action, culminating in the first ever CycleFest Edinburgh.

National Cycle to Work Day will kick things off on Thursday (3 September), with people all over the city ditching the car for a more eco-friendly commute.

Then on Sunday (6 September) it’s time to get back in the saddle, this time for charity, as Pedal for Scotland sweeps the nation.

Cycling will continue to dominate the Scottish capital as the Edinburgh stage of the Tour of Britain rides into town on Wednesday 9 September.

Keeping the cycling celebrations going, the Edinburgh Corn Exchange will host an action-packed, adrenaline-fuelled weekend for cycling novices and experienced riders alike on Saturday 19 – Sunday 20 September.

The inaugural CycleFest Edinburgh will showcase a multitude of exhibitors stocking the very latest bicycles and accessories, plus there’ll be a plethora of workshops, celebrity appearances and stunt displays to keep you gripped all weekend.

Making a very special appearance at the show will be BMXer Champion and Guinness World Record Holder, Matti Hemmings, AKA Matti Axel from the hit Nickelodeon show, ‘Get Your Skills On’. He’ll be there to present breath-taking tricks from bunnyhops and sliders to grinds and foot jams, kicking out all the moves in the specially created outdoor track area.

Adding an extra nail-biting edge to the weekend will be Savage Skills, a freestyle mountain bike stunt team with eight World titles and 25 British Championship titles to their name. Jaws will drop as they wow the crowds with their repertoire of interactive tricks, jumps and stunts.

All this plus the chance to learn to ride like a pro with the likes of Redscar and important advice on staying safe with Cycle Law Scotland. CycleFest Edinburgh is also throwing in cheerleaders and a bagpiping, juggling, unicyclist for good measure!

Yes, Edinburgh’s all set for a cycling jamboree!

CYCLING GRANTS AVAILABLE

Community groups across Scotland are now able to apply for a Development Grant of up to £20,000 to help them overcome barriers to cycling and work towards becoming a Cycle Friendly Community. Applications can be submitted at any time up to Friday 30thOctober and will be assessed on a first come, first serve basis, dependent on available funding.

For more information visit Community Development Grants

Emma and Jamie are Points of Light

Edinburgh teenagers Emma Sutherland and Jamie McIntosh have received Points of Light awards in recognition of their work for cancer charities. 

Set up and administered by The Prime Minister’s Office, the Points of Light award recognises outstanding individual volunteers – people who are making a change in their community and inspiring others. Since it’s launch last year 328 people have received an Award.

emma

Teenagers Emma (pictured above) and Jamie have both written books telling the stories of their mothers’ cancer diagnoses. When Emma’s mother, Rosie, was diagnosed with breast cancer, Emma didn’t know where to look for answers. She wrote Eek! My Mummy Has Breast Cancer to help other teens in the same situation.

Jamie met Emma after his mother, Monica, lost her 17-year battle with cancer. Emma inspired him to write My Mum Monica, a book about her life and the emotional rollercoaster of bereavement.

So far, Emma’s book has sold 1,800 copies and is available in Maggie’s Centres across the UK, as well as schools and libraries. Jamie’s book has sold 500 copies, raising £2,000 for the charity Fight Against Cancer Edinburgh.

Also recognised in August was Penicuik’s Lesley Anderson.

Lesley lost her son Chris when he was stillborn at 29 weeks and set up ComforTED as a way to help other parents of stillborn babies through their bereavement. ComforTED provides a pair of handmade teddies – one to be buried with the baby and one for parents to keep. Lesley has now sent over 900 pairs of teddies around the world.

Congratulations to them all.

September plant of the month: Heather

Heather heralds the arrival of Autumn

Calluna vulgaris Juliane

Heather: Nectar in the Autumn

In September, the summer flowers in the garden and on our terraces have peaked so now it’s heather’s time in the spotlight. Heather begins to flower in September and is a source of luscious late summer colour, and for this reason, it is Thejoyofplants.co.uk‘s Garden Plant of the Month of September.

Carpet

Heather (Calluna vulgaris) is a European classic and is native to the coastal areas of Western Europe, Great Britain and Ireland, as well as being one of Scotland’s most prolific plants. It grows in beautiful long shoots with shingled leaves and small symmetrical flowers. Its purple and pink flowers have a slightly weathered appearance and that gives both the plants and the countryside a tough and natural look. In the garden, the plants provide a hardy carpet that give a calm and authentic effect whilst in pots, heather becomes a robust eye-catcher.

Nectar

Heather will flower from September to early November. The flowers contain an abundance of nectar which enables the bees to have a quick restock before winter begins, thereby providing us with a plentiful supply of their delicious heather honey.

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Pure Nature

Heather is a perennial plant that can survive 30-40 years in the wild. It is a little higher and less dense than other types of heath and this gives it a strong and natural appearance. In the wild, the purple and pink flowers create beautiful landscapes.  In the garden, heather has the same effect, providing a wonderful contrast to the other green and variegated leaves, with its foliage deepening and intensifying as the year progresses.

Heathers are incredibly versatile and look fantastic in pots and rockeries, as well as providing stunning ground cover alongside flowering perennials and grasses in your flowerbeds.

Care Tips

  • Heather loves the light – The more light it gets, the more beautiful the leaves.
  • It is a natural survivor and can tolerate very little care and poor soil, but it does prefer well-drained, acidic conditions.

  • Heather can be planted at any time of the year, provided the soil is not frozen, and should be pruned every year after flowering.

Interesting Facts

  • The scientific name for heather is “Calluna vulgaris”.  “Calluna” originates from the Greek word “kallune” which means “to clean” or “to brush” as the twigs were historically used to make brooms.

– Heather provides a great flavouring agent for beer, wine and tea – cheers!

– Heather is used in many cosmetics such as shampoos, lotions, bubble baths and perfumes.

– And finally, in the plant world, Heather symbolizes admiration and good luck!

 

Farewell then, Fringe!

After 50,459 performances of 3,314 shows in 313 venues across Edinburgh, the curtain falls and the house lights go up on the 2015 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

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The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society has announced that by yesterday afternoon – and with hundreds of performances still to take place – an estimated 2,298,090 tickets had been issued for shows across Scotland’s capital. The number of tickets issued reflects a 5.24% increase in comparison to tickets issued by the same point last year.

Kath M Mainland CBE, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society said: “As this year’s Fringe draws to a close we can reflect on what a spectacular success it has been. Once again artists and audiences have travelled from across the globe to be a part of this unique cultural event.

“And with an estimated 2,298,090 tickets issued and many thousands of people attending the 800 free shows in the programme, I’ve no doubt every single person who watched a Fringe show, or experienced this wonderful festival city, will take away unforgettable memories.

“With incredible talent from 49 countries from all over the world taking part this year, the Fringe has once again demonstrated itself to be both truly international and profoundly Scottish. The 2015 season has firmly cemented Edinburgh’s reputation as the world’s leading festival city.“

Fringe Society Chair, Sir Tim O’Shea said: “On behalf of everyone who visited and enjoyed this year’s Fringe, I would like to thank all the creative souls, both onstage and backstage, who brought their work here. Their courage, creativity and sheer hard work is unrivalled anywhere in the world, and without them, the Fringe simply wouldn’t be possible.”

Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe and External Affairs added: “This has been another incredible year for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The festival continues to evolve and work with the city to expand and offer more and more to audiences from across the world. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe demonstrates the innovative spirit that makes Scottish culture so vibrant.“

One new initiative this year was a scheme launched by the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, in collaboration with the City of Edinburgh Council and Virgin Money aimed at providing complimentary tickets to Fringe shows for children and young people who are being cared for by City of Edinburgh Council.

The project called Access Fringe – Looked After Children made £173,172.00 worth of tickets from 233 shows in 38 venues available to children and young people whose circumstances would not normally allow them to participate in cultural activity.

Access Fringe – Looked After Children is a part of the Fringe Society’s commitment to making the Fringe accessible to all and is one of a series of initiatives over the years to come to tackle the physical, economic, social and geographic barriers that prevent people from participating.

Other highlights in 2015 included the participation of a total of fourteen new venues across the city. These included the return of the famous St. Stephen’s Church in Stockbridge under the banner of Momentum Venues, Underbelly launching their Circus Hub on the Meadows in the city’s southside and SpaceUK debuting a new three floor venue called SpaceTriplex in The Prince Philip Building on Hill Place.

The Fringe Society unveiled two new commercial partnerships in 2015; with Airbnb and the Caledonian Sleeper. Both these relationships offered new opportunities for Fringe participants and audiences.

The Royal Mail celebrated this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe by issuing a special postmark, applied to stamped UK mail from 07-31 August. Royal Mail’s postmarks are reserved for special occasions and are used to recognise significant events, historical anniversaries or support of charity. It was the first time in the Royal Mail’s 500 year history that a festival has been featured on a postmark.

Award-winning comedian and theatre-maker Bryony Kimmings delivered the 2015 Fringe Central Welcome Address to participants, organised by the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society. The welcome address, designed to welcome and inspire participants, was attended by a record number of people. Bryony Kimmings, an Associate Artist at Soho Theatre and a Fringe participant herself, encouraged participants to take advantage of over 85 free events hosted throughout August, to help develop performance skills, expand networks and advance careers.

A wide range of awards were on offer throughout the festival organised by a range of organisations. Euan’s Guide, the disabled access review website launched their Fringe awards, acknowledging a show and a venue for their outstanding efforts to include disabled audiences at this year’s Fringe.

AWARDS … the full list

Allen Wright Award
Winner – Griselda Murray Brown
Special Commendation – Holly Williams
Special Commendation – George Sully

Amused Moose Comedy Awards
Winner: Richard Gadd – Waiting for Gaddot (Banshee Labyrinth)
People’s Champion: Jess Robinson – The Rise of Mighty Voice (Pleasance)

The Asian Arts Awards
Winner – Best Production: The Cherry Orchard: Beyond the Truth – Theater Margot (Korea) (C Venues)
Winner – Best Directing: Ms. Shubhra Bhardwaj – Ticket to Bollywood – Ferriswheel Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. (New Town Theatre)

Brighton Fringe Award for Excellence in association with Sweet Venues
Winner: Police Cops – This Theatre – Zoo Venues

The Broadway Baby Bobby Award
Winners: Captain Morgan 1: The Sands of Time and Captain Morgan 2: The Sea of Souls – Ben Behrens / Tap Tap Theatre (Pleasance)
Richard III – Brite Theatre – Just Festival
Luke McQueen: Double Act – Luke McQueen / The Invisible Dot Ltd. (Pleasance)

Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award
Winner: Key Change – Open Clasp Theatre Company in association with Live Theatre (Summerhall)

Dave’s Funniest Joke of the Fringe
Darren Walsh (Pleasance)

Edinburgh Comedy Poster Awards
Panel Prize: Tom Parry – Yellow Tshirt (Just the Tonic)
Audience Award: Michael Stranney & Olaf Falafel – Expect the Unexporcupine (Cowgatehead)

Euan’s Guide Accessible Fringe Awards
Winner: The Solid Life of Sugar Water (Pleasance)
Runner Up: Wendy Hoose by Johnny McKnight (Assembly Rooms)
Accessible Venue Award: Dance Base

The Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards
Best Comedy Show – Sam Simmons – Spaghetti for Breakfast (Underbelly)
Best Newcomer – Sofie Hagen – Bubblewrap (Liquid Room Annexe)
Panel Prize – Karen Koren

Fringe Review Outstanding Theatre Awards
The Frantic Canticles of Little Brother Fish (Bedlam Theatre)

2015 Fringe Sustainable Practice Award
Lungs (Summerhall)
Pip Utton…Playing Maggie (Assembly Rooms)

The Herald Angel Award

Winners – Week 1
Correction (Zoo Venues)
Fake it till you Make it (Traverse Theatre)
Little Devil Award:The artists and facilitators of Underbelly Circus Hub

Winners – Week 2
Penny Arcade: Longing Lasts Longer (Underbelly)
Aceh Meukondore (C Venues)

Winners – Week 3
Herald Archangel Award: Maureen Beattie for The Jennifer Tremblay Trilogy  (Assembly Festival)
Herald Angel Award: Cathal McConnell
Little Devil Award: Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour (Traverse Theatre)

Holden Street Theatres Award
A Gambler’s Guide to Dying (Traverse Theatre)
Labels (Pleasance)

The Malcom Hardee Awards
Comic Originality – Michael Brunstrom
Cunning Stunt Award – Matt Roper
Act Most likely to make a million quid – Laurence Owen

The Scottish Arts Club Award for Best Scottish Play

Swallow – Stef Smith (Traverse Theatre)

The Scotsman Fringe First Awards

Winners – Week 1
A Gambler’s Guide to Dying (Traverse Theatre)
Going Viral  (Summerhall)
The Christians (Traverse Theatre)
Swallow  (Traverse Theatre)
The Deliverance (Assembly Festival)
Underneath (Dance Base)
The History of the World Through Banalities (Summerhall)

Winners – Week 2
Light Boxes (Summerhall)
Raz (Assembly Festival)
Citizen Puppet (Pleasance)
Labels (Pleasance)
Tar Baby  (Gilded Balloon)
Trans Scripts (Pleasance)
The Great Downhill Journey of Little Tommy (Summerhall)

Winners – Week 3
A Girl is a Half-formed Thing by Eimear McBride (Traverse Theatre)
Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour (Traverse Theatre)
Penny Arcade: Longing Lasts Longer (Underbelly)
What I Learned From Johnny Bevan (Summerhall)
A Reason to Talk (Summerhall)

Primary Times Children’s Choice Award
The Voice Thief (Summerhall)

So You Think You’re Funny?
Luca Cupani: Still Falling (Heroes @ Bob’s Blundabus)

The Stage Awards for Acting Excellence

Winners – Week 1
Molly Vevers – Ross and Rachel (Assembly Festival)
Aoife Duffin – A Girl Is A Half-Formed Thing (Traverse Theatre)

Winners – Week 2
Andy Gray – Willie & Sabastian (Gilded Balloon)
Sean Michael Verey – Tonight with Donny Stixx (Pleasance)
1972: The Future of Sex (Zoo Venues)

Winners – Week 3
Ensemble from Police Cops – This Theatre (Zoo Venues)
Maureen Beattie – The Jennifer Tremblay Trilogy  (Assembly Festival)
Ensemble from UKIP! The Musical  (theSpaceUK)
Lizzie Clarke – Molly  (Pleasance)
Ensemble from Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour (Traverse Theatre)

Total Theatre Awards

Emerging Company/Artist: The Beanfield (theSpaceUK)
Physical/Visual Theatre: Oog (Dance Base)
Innovation/Experimentation & Playing with Form: Can I Start Again Please (Summerhall)
Portraits In Motion (Summerhall)
Total Theatre & The Place Award for Dance: Vertical Influences (Assembly Festival)
Total Theatre & Jacksons Lane Award for Circus: B-Orders (Underbelly) and
Smoke and Mirrors (Assembly Festival)

Commiserations to those productions and performers who did not pick up an award this year – although given the length of the above list, there can’t be too many of you!

Capture Edinburgh’s wonderful living landscape

Not too late to enter photography competition

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There’s still time to enter the Edinburgh Living Landscape photography competition, but hurry – the deadline for entries is Friday 11 September!

Senior Development Officer Lindsay Grant of the city council’s Parks and Greenspace service explained: “Our first Edinburgh Living Landscape photography competition was launched at the end of July. The idea is to collect images that show off the city’s natural beauty and how they can be enjoyed.

“We’re calling on Edinburgh’s budding photographers to capture our floral meadows in bloom for the chance to win great prizes, including membership to the Scottish Wildlife Trust, exclusive prizes from Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, a professional photography workshop, 6 month membership to Edinburgh Leisure and  tickets to the Usher Hall’s Sunday Classics concert series.

“To enter, we are asking the public to submit a photo of one of Edinburgh’s Living Landscapes and the finalists’ images will be posted on the Edinburgh Outdoors Facebook page for a public vote to select the winner.

“The closing date is Friday 11 September at 6pm and then people will be asked to ‘like’ their favourite image between the 16 and 23 September on the Edinburgh Outdoors Facebook page. The photograph with the most ‘likes’ will then be chosen as the winner.”

So there you  have it – get snapping!

Edinburgh Living Landscape photography competitionell

How to change the world … in Edinburgh!

New documentary tells the story of the birth of Greenpeace

greenpeace film

My old mate Dave Woods has alerted me to a film made by his friend Jerry Rothwell he describes as ‘wonderful – it is a fabulous thing.’ High praise indeed … ‘How To Change The World‘ premieres at The Cameo  on Wednesday 9 September at 8pm (also showing at Cineworld Edinburgh and Odeon Lothian Road). 

How To Change The World tells the gripping story of the origins of Greenpeace. A Sundance 2015 award winner, the film draws on stunning unseen footage from the early days of the modern green movement.
In 1971 a brave group of young activists set sail from Vancouver in an old fishing boat. Their mission: to stop Nixon’s atomic bomb tests in Amchitka, a tiny island off the west coast of Alaska.

It was from these humble but courageous beginnings that the global organisation that we now know as Greenpeace was born. Chronicling the fascinating untold story behind the modern environmental movement, this gripping new film tells the story of eco-hero Robert Hunter and how he, alongside a group of like-minded and idealistic young friends in the ’70s, would be instrumental in altering the way we now look at the world and our place within it.

‘A real-life thriller with larger than life heroes‘ – Huffington Post
‘Tremendously inspiring, and by turns thrilling, comic, and shocking‘ – Slashfilm
A panel discussion, broadcast live via satellite, follows the screening featuring legendary fashion designer and long-standing Greenpeace supporter Vivienne Westwood, director Jerry Rothwell, Robert Hunter’s daughter Emily Hunter and other special guests to be announced. The event will be hosted by Mariella Frostrup. 
You can check out the trailer here: https://vimeo.com/126619145

The Cameo  Link: https://www.picturehouses.com/cinema/Cameo_Picturehouse/film/how-to-change-the-world-live-premiere