An A – Z of 2011: Part One

Some highlights and lowlights of things that made the news in 2011 …

A

A is for Arab Spring, the biggest story of the year.  Starting in Tunisia, a series of popular uprisings engulfed the Middle East with regimes toppled in Egypt and Libya.  This story will continue to develop well into the New Year.

A is also for Afghanistan.  US forces are now leaving the country, but it remains doubtful that democracy will flourish there in the aftermath of a ten year conflict that has cost the lives of almost 400 British troops.

B

B is for Berlusconi.  With his country’s economy in crisis, the colourful Italian politician was finally forced to resign in November following a succession of scandals – remember Bunga, Bunga?  It’s unlikely we’ve heard the last of ‘Il Cavaliere’, however.

B is also for Bin Laden, finally captured and killed by US forces in Pakistan in May following a manhunt that lasted for over ten years.

C

C is for cyclist Mark Cavendish, surprise winner of the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year.

D

D is for Defection.  Forth councillor Elaine Morris jumped from the Lib Dems into the arms of the SNP in July.  Councillor Morris said:   “Leaving the Lib Dems has been one of the most difficult decisions I have made but the SNP offer a clear political leadership, principled policies and vision for Edinburgh that I know I and many other Lib Dems across the city support”.

D is also for Diamond Jubilee.  Her Majesty celebrates 60 years on the throne next year and we’ve all been invited to join in the celebrations which centre on a June weekend.  We’ve certainly not heard the last of this – prepare for saturation coverage as the media goes into Royal overdrive.

E

E is for Europe and Eurozone.  The Eurozone crisis was one of the biggest stories of the year and promises to remain so this year too.  Put simply, too many countries have too much debt and can’t agree the best way to tackle the crisis.  This story will run and run in 2012, and it’s unlikely there will be a happy ending.

F

F is for Forth Bridge.  Thanks to advances in technology, they have at last stopped having to paint and repaint the Forth Bridge.  The ‘never-ending’ paint job finished in December.

F is also for Fireworks and one of the quirkiest news stories of the year.  Oban’s Guy Fawkes celebrations went badly wrong when a scheduled twenty minute fireworks display lasted barely a minute due to a ‘technical hitch’, with all the fireworks going off at once!  Happily for the people of Oban the show was reran later in the month, and lasted a good bit longer!

G

G is for Ghaddafi.  The Libyan dictator was captured and killed in October

G is for Gerry Rafferty, the talented but troubled Scottish songsmith whose classic songs include ‘Baker Street’ and ‘Stuck In The Middle With You’.  Gerry finally lost his battle with the bottle and died in January.

H

H is for Hearts and Hibs.  Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov seems to have fallen out of love with the game, leaving Hearts players waiting months for their wages.  And with Hibs languishing perilously close to the foot of the SPL despite changing their manager (again), have Edinburgh teams ever had a worse year?

I

I is for Inflation.  Despite efforts to control it, inflation remains stubbornly high at 4.8%.  Prices continue to rise while most people find their income – pensions and wages – falling in real terms.  Economic recovery?  Not any time soon.

J

J is for Jimmy Savile.  It’s many years since Jim fixed it for anyone, but the irrepressible DJ passed away in October.  Among many other achievements Sir James Wilson Vincent Savile OBE was the first and last presenter of BBC’s ‘Top of the Pops’.

J is also for Steve Jobs.  The Apple founder who gave us the Ipod, the Iphone and the Ipad also died in October.

K

K is for North Korea.  ‘Dear Leader’ Kim Jong-Il died last month and was replaced by his son Kim Jong-Un.  Will that mean policy changes in the world’s most secretive country?  No.  Increased tension around the South Korean border? Most definitely.

L

L is for Landslide.  The voting system meant it should never happen, but the SNP won 69 seats to gain a clear overall majority when they swept to victory in the Holyrood elections in May.

L is also for Leveson Inquiry.  The investigation into press standards and ethics  began in August following phone-hacking revelations and will run well into the New Year.  It’s already clear that phone hacking was not the work of just one rogue reporter but was widespread among tabloid newspapers.  Expect some more murky details of dubious practices to emerge.

M

M is for March, the month that saw the final publication of North Edinburgh News after thirty years following council budget cuts. The NEN was perhaps the highest profile casualty of the cuts, but March was a miserable month for all local voluntary projects as budget cuts brought about redundancies, reduced services and curtailed opening hours.

N-Z follows tomorrow

What were your highlights of 2011?  Email us at northedinnews@gmail.com

Patient dies following hospital fire

A patient has died following a Fire in the Western General Hospital. North Edinburgh News understands that the male patient had gone to the toilet on his ward to have a cigarette when the fire started.

The Fire Brigade were called to extinguish the fire.

A spokesperson for Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service said “We attended a call at the Western General Hospital on Wednesday to deal with a Fire.  We understand the male had been taken for treatment prior to our arrival, this is now one the Police will deal with following the subsequent death”

Despite this NHS Lothian remain tight-lipped and are keen to separate the Fire at the Hospital from the patients death, Chief Operating officer, Jackie Sansbury said “A small fire broke out in a ward at the Western General Hospital. Thanks to the quick response from staff, all patients were evacuated and returned to the ward”

Sansbury added, “Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service were called to put out the fire and are investigating the cause”

PEP's Christmas Showtime

This year, the weather stayed clear for PEP to host the ‘Christmas Good Old Days’. The event was compered by the ‘devilishly dashing and debonair’ Ian Mason (complete with bow tie and moustache). A last minute cancellation from some entertainers, resulted in PEP’s staff gamely standing in to perform and started the show off with ‘Staff Stocking Fillers’. Theodora played some pieces on her harp, with the audience joining in on ‘The First Noel’; before reciting the Christmas poem ‘The Night Before Christmas’. Frances then read out ‘A Chocolate Christmas’ accompanied by ‘PowerPoint’. The chocolaty pictures had everyone chuckling away.

Pep Christmas Show 2011 (Picture: PEP)

There was then some festive singing from the Neighbourhood Group including ‘Jingle Bells’, ‘Winter Wonderland’, White Christmas’; finishing off with ‘Amarillo’. Louise then read out a poem created by the group about all the things they get up to through the week. Well done to the group!

During the ice-cream break the free raffle was drawn with manager Helen and the compere giving away many prizes.

The ‘phenomenal flirtatious’ Frances kicked off part 2 with an amazing mind reading act. She stunned her audience with her amazing ability and left them rolling in the isles. She then sang a song before the Weekend Resource finished with an ‘old-time medley’ of music hall songs. The audience joined in having a whale of a time. The evenings entertainment ended with all the acts coming together to sing ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’.

PEP Christmas Showtime 2011

A buffet meal was then served by staff and volunteers before the final drawing of the raffle for four prize hampers. A wonderful evening was had by all and a special thanks must go out to; all the staff and volunteers of PEP; service users who worked so hard on the entertainment; staff of the West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre who always make us feel welcome; and of course to all the people who came along to join in the fun of ‘The Good Old Days’

Pilton Equalities Project

Oaklands brings Christmas cheer to cancer charity

Oaklands School’s fantastic festive show ‘A Magical Christmas Dream ‘ has brought some Christmas cheer to Macmillan Cancer Support.  Money raised through admission and the sale of refreshments was donated to the cancer charity and Macmillan Fundraising Manager Jayne Forbes called in at the school on Ferry Road this morning to pick up a cheque for £317.

Oaklands Head Teacher Maureen Mathieson explained:  “The show was a huge success – the school hall was packed and it was great to see so many people coming along to support our event.  We had talked about which charity we would like to donate to and our staff chose Macmillan Cancer Support.  Visitors to our show were very generous so we are really pleased with the total we are able to give Macmillan Cancer Support”.

Macmillan’s Jayne Forbes enjoyed a school assembly where senior kids performing their own version of an Eminem rap, first performed at the Christmas show.  She told the children:  “We are really grateful for your support – we couldn’t do our work without your help.  Thank you so much”.

TRIP to the Doocot anybody?

Tenants and Residents in Pilton (TRIP) are holding their annual general meeting in The Doocot tonight at 7pm.  The AGM will be followed by a Christmas dinner.

TRIP’s Jon Black said:  “It would be great to see residents of West Pilton/West Granton there for the AGM, and you will get a Xmas dinner. Anyone from further afield is most welcome to join us after the AGM part of the evening for food and a drink!”

For further information give Jon a call on 0790 191 4829.

Dunedin Canmore men are top of the world!

WINNERS: William and James with the trophy

William McLean couldn’t believe his luck when he was selected to represent his country in the Homeless World Cup.  William was a homeless ex-offender who had battled drug addiction when he started playing football, but the 27-year-old Edinburgh man says football has helped him turn his life around.  Now, William is volunteering as an ambassador for young people and training to become a community football coach.

William got into football when he was staying at the Dunedin Canmore Housing Association Hostel in Leith. He took part in free Street Soccer events held at Portobello and Sighthill Power Leagues as part of a Dunedin Canmore project to help homeless men get into work.

After helping the Dunedin Canmore Partizan football team reach the Street Soccer National League Cup Final William was invited to attend trials for the national team to represent Scotland in the Homeless World Cup in August and was delighted to be selected for the final squad of 8 players from over 300 applicants. The Scots did the nation proud at the games in Paris, out-performing 47 other teams to bring home the trophy before going on to pick up the most inspirational performance award at the Scottish Sports Awards on 1 December.

When Dunedin Canmore started partnering with Street Soccer Scotland to offer football sessions the goal was to get more homeless men involved in their employability project. Now the Edinburgh based social landlord is celebrating what it says is a real home win for young men like William who have turned their lives around.  Since returning from Paris William has continued to work with the employability links worker and developed an interest in community coaching. He is now volunteering with Street Soccer Scotland, working towards gaining SFA coaching qualifications and hopes to move onto paid work as a community coach.

James Horsburgh, the goalkeeper in the Homeless World Cup Team, also got involved through the Dunedin Canmore employability project and is now working as a community coach for a football team in South Gyle.  William and James are former residents at Dunedin Canmore Hostel in Leith and both are now living in a permanent home.

The Dunedin Canmore Group was the official sponsors of both the men’s and women’s teams which competed in the prestigious International tournament. As well as contributing £5000 towards travel and accommodation for Scottish teams Dunedin Canmore sponsored William as an individual player.

William said, “The work that Dunedin Canmore has done for me is great. Instead of pushing me into a job they took the time to find my interests and helped me find something constructive to do with my time.  A lot of people say that we’re just playing football but the skills we gain from taking part in the sessions, working as part of a team, communication, trust, health and safety, compassion – it all makes a difference.”

Gavin Edmonds, Community and Business Initiatives Officer said, “Football is about team work. It’s great for improving fitness and health including mental health. The project has definitely put the young people in a more positive place. The skills they learn can help them move out of poverty and into a better life. It can really help them look to their future.”

Ewan Fraser, CE Dunedin Canmore said, “We are proud to be associated with the Homeless World Cup and congratulate the team and players on winning this fantastic award.  Dunedin Canmore is committed to helping others through a number of initiatives and the Employability Pathways Programme is a great example of how we can make a difference by giving people the skills and confidence to help them to move on in their lives.”

Festive Drink Drive Crackdown

Lothian and Borders Police have arrested 14 drink drivers in West Lothian in the first two weeks of the ACPOS Festive Drink Drive campaign.

This year the vehicle forfeiture scheme has been extended to include those who are more than three times the drink drive limit, and those who refuse to provide a sample at police stations. Of the 14 incidents, nine fit the forfeiture criteria.

Last Monday (December 12) a 55-year-old woman was involved in a crash in Livingston, and admitted drink driving in court the next day, so a warrant was issued for the seizure of her vehicle.  In the early hours of Sunday morning (December 18) a driver was found asleep in his vehicle in Bathgate and was charged with alleged drink driving. He was due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday (December 19).

Inspector Simon Bradshaw, Livingston Road Policing Branch said: “It is disappointing that a small minority of drivers still choose to put their own and others lives at risk, by driving whilst under the influence of alcohol.  We will continue to do our utmost to detect and arrest drink drivers and bring them before the court and drive the message home that drink driving will not be tolerated.

“As we have already seen during this campaign, where appropriate, drink drivers’ vehicles will be forfeited by the court, thereby removing them from the road. I would urge all drivers to think of the potential consequences and not to get behind the wheel whilst under influence of alcohol or drugs.

“Anyone who suspects that a person may be driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs can contact the police on 0131 3113131 or by dialing 999 in urgent cases. Alternatively they can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 where the information will be treated in confidence of anonymity.”

Lothian and Borders Police

Could you be a Volunteer Snow Warden?

The Council has sent out the following advert:

Join the snow clearing effort

During severe weather the Council will do all it can to keep the city moving.  However, our focus has to be on priority routes for buses and emergency vehicles and giving access to hospitals, health centres and schools.

The Council want local people to help clear snow. (Picture: Thomas brown)

In previous years, we have been encouraged by the number of residents who contact us to see how they can help.  There is a lot you can do by clearing pavements in your area and checking on neighbours.

We are enlisting some volunteer snow wardens to be our eyes and ears in their community.  They can tell us about specific problems and help residents with the local effort to clear snow and ice from pavements.

 

To find out if you could be a Volunteer Snow Warden call 0131 529 3687 or email winter.maintenance@edinburgh.gov.uk

Spartans Woman's FC celebrate excellent season

Spartans FC Women’ Premier League side gathered at the Academy on Saturday night to celebrate the 2011 season. Finishing in runners up spot to worthy champions Glasgow City was a great achievement and full credit must go to the full squad of  players, coaching staff and volunteers for their hard work and determination throughout the season. 

Hayley Lauder collecting both awards. (Picture: www.spartanswfc.com)

It was time for the Spartan players to recognise there team mates contributions and the Players Player of the year awards were as follows: –

In 3rd place was central midfielder Kirsty McLaughlin who has really excelled in her first season at the club with terrific performances, 2nd Place went to striker Sarah Ewens who has blossomed as a player this season and is fulfilling the potential she displayed when she joined the club in 2009 scoring 21 goals in 2011. 

Spartans Players Player of the year and also the Coaches Player of the Year was awarded to Hayley Lauder for a fantastic season for both Spartans and Scotland, the young midfielder played a huge part in Spartans success and all involved at the club are extremely proud of her individual achievements and we are all excited for her future. 

To honour the contribution made to Spartans and acknowledge the achievement of scoring 100 goals during the 2011 season the final award of the evening was made to Diana Barry, a special award to a special player. Diana has now scored 118 goals in 94 games for the club and as she continues to score goals she will continue to set records that will be very difficult to match. 

All the players receiving awards also received a generous gift from our fantastic sponsors Scott + Co and all pass on their gratitude for such a kind gesture. 

www.spartanswfc.com

Pensioners attacked in Davidsons Mains

Lothian and Borders Police are appealing for witnesses after a couple were assaulted and robbed in Davidsons Mains over the weekend.

Police are appealing for witnesses following the attack.

The incident happened around 2.10am on Sunday 18 December. A 71-year-old man and his 68-year-old wife had just left the Maitland Bowling Club in Davidsons Mains and were walking along the High Street when a man approached and grabbed at the woman’s bag.

A struggle ensued and the woman’s bag strap snapped causing her purse to fall out, which was then stolen by the suspect who made off from the area.

The victim’s husband tried to pursue the man and suffered minor facial injuries after being struck to the face.

Police are now urging anyone who can assist with their enquiries to come forward.

The suspect is described as white, 20-25-years-old, 6ft 2ins tall with a slim build and wearing a patterned woolen hat with earflaps.

A police spokesman said: “This incident has left both victims incredibly shaken, although neither required treatment in hospital.

“Anyone who was in or around Davidson Mains High Street in the early hours of Sunday morning and witnessed the robbery or can help identify the suspect is asked to contact police immediately.”

Anyone with any information can contact Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 311 3131, or the charity Crimestoppers in confidence and complete anonymity on 0800 555 111.