How are you enjoying the holidays? Looking for something fun to do?
Check out our events happening next week here at Drumbrae Library Hub.
These are all free and can be booked on Eventbrite:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/…/united…/drumbrae-library
(Children under 8 years must be accompanied by an adult)
A 47-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with an attempted murder in Edinburgh.
Around 5.25pm on Wednesday, 9 July, 2025, officers were called to a report of a disturbance at an address in the Northcote Street area.
A 43-year-old man was taken to hospital for treatment to serious injuries.
The 47-year-old is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today – Friday, 11 July.
Fringe theatregoers this summer are being encouraged to take up Count Dracula’s sinister invitation and experience a production of Liz Lochhead’s take on the classic horror tale by the Edinburgh Makars.
This theatrical version of Dracula had its premiere at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh 40 years ago, but it’s unique approach to Bram Stoker’s timeless story of history’s most infamous vampire is still just as fresh and relevant today.
Bee Parkinson-Cameron, a Fife-based writer, performer and director, is making their Edinburgh Makars directorial debut and the talented cast consists of actors from across the city and the central belt.
Of their decision to direct Dracula at the Fringe, Bee said: “After the recent success of Robert Egger’s Nosferatu, it became clear to me that this was the opportunity and the moment to bring to life in one of the largest arts festivals in the world, the wonderful, engaging and dark adaptation of Dracula by Liz Lochead.
“Dracula was a deeply disturbing, unsettling and fantastical, thrillingly erotic tale when it was released, a testament to the skill of Bram Stoker to tap into the tensions and fears of the time period. My intention in this production is to bring forth this aspect, to return this quality of disturbance back to Dracula that can sometimes be neglected for the sake of parody (amusing though they may be).
“Vampires and the appreciation of vampire lore and vampires featuring in literature, film and television has coloured many of the years of my life. I have a deep and enduring passion for the articulation and exploration of the darker elements of human existence and the moments where we brush against the preternatural.”
The cast includes many actors whose names will be familiar to regular patrons of Edinburgh theatre, but the titular role is being brought to life by newcomer Sonido Kofi Sewornu, an 18-year-old student from Perth who is studying Fashion Design at Glasgow School of Art.
On being cast as one of the most famous names in literature, Kofi said: “I am terrified to play this role, but I couldn’t be more excited. I hope some of that terror translates onto the stage!”
Dracula is something of a departure from the kind of productions that the Edinburgh Makars have usually put on at the Fringe, but President John Scott Moncrieff and the rest of the club’s committee were convinced by Bee Parkinson-Cameron’s obvious enthusiasm for the project.
Edinburgh has long had an association with the gothic, and retelling Liz Lochhead’s version in the city 40 years after its debut was too exciting an opportunity to resist.
Whether you’re a die-hard vampire aficionado, a lover of all things gothic or just have an appreciation for classic literature, this production guarantees an exciting and chilling evening at the Fringe.
Director Bee added: “I hope that you will enjoy the invitation we extend to you to join us in this exploration of the insidious nature of gothic horror and of Dracula himself, a titan of vampire lore whose shadows are still creeping over and caressing our souls and our fears.”
The Edinburgh Makars’ production of Dracula by Liz Lochhead will be performed at the Royal Scots Club on Abercromby Place (Venue 241) from Monday 18th to Saturday 23rd August at 7:30pm each evening. Tickets are £15 or £12 for students and can be purchased in advance from the Edinburgh Makars or Fringe websites.
CAST:
Sonido Kofi Sewornu as Dracula
Craig Gell as Jonathan Harker
Phillipa Roy as Mina Westerman
Bunny Steven as Lucy Westerman and vampire bride
Chris Eyett as Van Helsing
Emma Swift as Florrie and vampire bride
James Gray as Renfield
James Cameron as Arthur Seward
Liza Greenhalgh as Mrs Manners/Doctor Goodman/vampire bride
Carol Davidson as Nurse Grice
Georgia Smith as Nurse Nisbett
Ben Carey as Drinkwater
The Makars was founded in 1932 by Christine Orr, the well-known Scottish actress, broadcaster and playwright, with the intention of performing her own plays.
During the winter of 1933/34 the name “The Makars” was adopted, an old Scots word for the makers of poetry and drama.
The present club was formed in May 1996 by the amalgamation of two long standing Edinburgh drama clubs – The Makars and Davidson’s Mains Dramatic Club (DMDC). In 2002 the new club formally adopted the name The Edinburgh Makars.
Previous Fringe productions have included Amy’s View by David Hare, A Comedy of Tenors by Ken Ludwig, Barefoot in the Park by Neil Simon and the five-star production of Perfect Wedding by Robin Hawdon.
A zookeeper turned secondary school teacher is swapping the penguin enclosure for the classroom after ‘coming home’ to graduate from Edinburgh Napier University for a second time.
Kirsty Dow collected a Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) from the Usher Hall on Wednesday 9 July – exactly a decade on from completing her degree in animal biology!
Having held several roles at Edinburgh Zoo, including as its head of penguins, the 33-year-old from Edinburgh developed a passion for education while putting on tours for groups of young people.
When she decided to retrain as a secondary school teacher to fit her career around her young family, Edinburgh Napier University was the only place for her.
Kirsty said: “I had done bits of education at the zoo – taking tours and showing groups of children around. I found I was becoming much more confident about speaking to large groups and started to really enjoy it. I just thought, ‘hey, I’m quite good at this!’
“Teaching is something which had been in the back of my mind for a few years. However, I’d previously spoken to friends who had done a PGDE and warned that it was challenging, so I’d put it off for a wee while.
“But then I just took the leap and left my job at the zoo.
“Edinburgh Napier was the only place I applied for, because I love it so much. I really enjoyed my time here. It was less scary because it felt like home.
“I had always thought about becoming a teacher but never had to confidence to go for it.
“Even after the first day, I knew it was the right decision. My fellow teachers are wonderful, and I feel like it is my true calling. It is an absolute dream come true.”
Part of Kirsty’s motivation to change career was the expected arrival of her second child – having welcomed her son, Artie, into the world in 2020.
Kirsty added: “When I found out I was pregnant again, I decided that I needed a better life for our children.
“I knew teacher training was going to be tough, and I was worried about telling the University about my pregnancy, but the lecturers couldn’t have been more supportive.
“I completed 6 months of the course and then had to suspend my studies when we welcomed baby Primrose. I had a full year off but kept in touch with University as I had made wonderful connections – I’d go in with Prim to meet them for coffee!
“Resuming studies was extremely intimidating. Especially since I was heading straight into my third teaching placement. But ENU was there to support me, and it was such a personal experience.”
As Kirsty graduates, she is now preparing to start work as a biology teacher at the beginning of the next school year.
“I can’t speak highly enough of the course,” she said. “We were taught how to teach, rather than just the theory of it.
“Right from week six we were in a classroom seeing how it’s done. We got so much practical experience.
“I would advise anyone like me who has had teaching in the back of their mind to go for it.”
Kirsty joined fellow students from ENU’s School of Applied Sciences in celebrating their graduation on Wednesday at the Usher Hall. Over the next three days, around 2,300 new graduates will be formally presented with their qualifications.
Edinburgh Napier launched its PGDE courses in 2018 as part of an effort to train more teachers in Scotland, and now offers students the opportunity to complete the qualification across a range of different subjects.
An evening of good music and good company to raise funds for Ukraine.
As we approach 3.5 years of war against Ukraine we are holding an evening of good music to raise much-needed funds.
All for only £10. Please come along and bring your friends.
Register via the link below:
https://buytickets.at/associationofukrainiansingr…/1766067
We hope to see many of you there.
A 39-year-old man has been arrested and charged following the recovery of drugs with an estimated street value in excess of £347,760, in South West Edinburgh.
Around 12pm on Wednesday, 9 July 2025, officers acting on information received searched a flat in Calder Road where they found a cannabis cultivation.
The man was due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday and a report has been submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.
Family Friday tours at Trinity House
Don’t forget to visit Trinity House in Leith for their ‘Family Friday tours’.
Until 8 August, at 11am on Fridays, you can enjoy a relaxed tour of the house with activities to suit younger visitors.
Discover the animals that sailors might meet on their travels and take part in an activity trail. You can also visit the sixteenth centuries vaults – once used as a school for young sailors to learn mathematics and navigation – and handle objects used at sea.
Find out more at https://www.historicenvironment.scot/…/whats-on/event/…
One of Edinburgh Leisure’s five cherished Victorian pools, Dalry Swim Centre, is marking a remarkable milestone – 130 years of serving the city – with a day of celebration on Monday, 14th July.
“Dalry has been at the heart of the community for decades,” said Wendy Avinou, Manager at Dalry Swim Centre. “We’re so lucky to have this gem of a building still in use today. Generations have learnt to swim here – grandparents, parents, and now their children. It’s a living legacy.”
To mark the occasion, staff will be donning Victorian swimwear in a light-hearted video to be shared on social media ahead of the big day. The team is also inviting past and present swimmers to stop by and share their memories.
John Duke, a regular swimmer at Dalry remembers: “I’ve been swimming at Dalry since the early ’90s and used to come after work at Oven Fresh, and even after moving house twice, I kept coming back. I brought my grandkids here three times a week, and I’ve been part of the over-60s sessions every Monday and Wednesday.
“Dalry’s always had a personal feel. The staff know me, they know my medical needs – I have diabetes, and they’ve always looked out for me. After my first shoulder operation, I used the pool for rehab – though I could only last five minutes in the sauna before the metal in my arm started heating up.
“Some of my favourite memories are the Christmas parties for the over-60s. They’d bring out a giant inflatable dog that took up half the pool, and we’d have a laugh before heading upstairs for sandwiches and a wee drink. Billy Reid, the supervisor, even dressed up as Santa! It’s not just the pool – it’s the staff and other customers that make Dalry special.”
Grove Swimming Club, founded in 1901 and still training at Dalry, will showcase a nostalgic display of historic photos, medals, and trophies. They are due to celebrate their 125th anniversary next year.
One former member fondly recalls:“I was a member of Grove back in the 1950s. I went to Balgreen School, and we were taken to ‘the baths’ – I loved Dalry.
“After swimming, we’d grab a wee ‘shivery bite’ from the shop down the road before catching the bus home. Those were the days.”
And another member, Christine Baker, who is still involved with Grove Swimming Club said: “Dalry was a huge part of my childhood—from baths in the upper gallery to learning to swim with my dad.
“I joined Grove Swimming Club in the ’60s and I’m still involved today. So many happy memories.”
Children from Dalry Primary School have contributed artwork celebrating the centre’s history, which will be proudly displayed in the foyer.
Adding historical depth to the celebrations, Jackie Sangster from Historic Environment Scotland will deliver a talk on the legacy of Edinburgh’s Victorian swimming baths.
Many of the city’s contemporary swimming pools were part of a scheme to build public baths to promote cleanliness and hygiene among the working classes, who did not have routine access to such facilities. To attend, please contact Martin Bews, Operations Manager: martinbews@edinburghleisure.co.uk to register your interest and confirm timings.
Dalry Swim Centre, with its elegant 7-bay Italianate façade and sunlit 25-yard pool, has been a community cornerstone since 1895. In 2010, it was saved from closure thanks to a passionate local campaign backed by 3,500 petitioners, MSP Sarah Boyack, and Councillor Donald Wilson. A major refurbishment in 2018–2019 modernised the facility while preserving its historic charm.
Dalry is one of five stunning Victorian pools operated by Edinburgh Leisure, alongside Warrender, Leith Victoria, Glenogle, and Portobello. These venues blend timeless architecture with modern amenities—including upgraded changing rooms, energy-efficient systems, and warm, welcoming spaces.
Part of Edinburgh 900 Celebrations
Dalry’s anniversary is part of Edinburgh Leisure’s “City of Leisure” theme for Edinburgh 900.
Visit Edinburgh Leisure’s Edinburgh 900 exhibitions, all under one roof at St James Quarter on Leith Street (next to Mor Bakery) on until 15 July, 10:00 – 16:00, to explore:
Edinburgh Leisure staff will be on hand to discuss membership options, fundraising, and volunteering.
As the largest provider of sport and leisure facilities across Edinburgh, Edinburgh Leisure helps people enjoy healthier, happier, and more active lives.
Their facilities and programmes serve community members of all ages and abilities. As a charitable trust, every penny they receive goes back into supporting the health and wellbeing of Edinburgh residents.
The Prime Minister and French President Emmanuel Macron have agreed to take forward a groundbreaking partnership to address illegal Channel crossings and dismantle the people smuggling networks.
A new pilot scheme will see small boat arrivals being returned to France then an equal number of migrants will be able to come to the UK from France through a new legal route – fully documented and subject to strict security checks.
The pilot agreement is intended to prevent illegal migrant journeys across Europe to the UK and prevent dangerous small boat crossings, helping to undermine the business model of organised gangs profiting from people’s misery by showing others these journeys could result in them being returned back to France – ultimately saving lives.
Both countries are working to implement the pilot in the coming weeks, and, once in force, migrants who cross the Channel by small boat can be detained and removed.
The Prime Minister has made it a priority to reset relationships across Europe and the government is now unlocking, for the first time, the levels of co-operation needed to deliver new and bold approaches to tackle organised immigration crime.
The French government are working to implement new ways of cracking down on small boats, including a review of their maritime tactics so their operational teams can intervene on the water, ensuring taxi boats that pickup migrants waiting in the water can be stopped.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “This ground-breaking deal is a crucial further step in turning the tide on illegal small boat crossings and restoring order to our immigration system.
“For the first time illegal migrants will be sent back to France – targeting the heart of these gangs’ business model and sending a clear message that these life-threatening journeys are pointless.
“By resetting our relationships across Europe we’ve made levels of co-operation possible never seen before. This is about grip not gimmicks, and what serious government looks like – taking down these criminal enterprises piece by piece as we secure our borders through my Plan for Change.”
The Home Secretary hosted her French counterpart, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, in Downing Street yesterday. The ministers discussed the work being done both internationally and domestically to prevent illegal migration, including issues like clamping down on illegal working and increasing removals of those with no right to be here.
Since the government came into power, Immigration Enforcement have increased illegal working activity by 51%, with 10,031 visits leading to 7,130 arrests, and will soon undertake a major nationwide blitz targeting illegal working hotspots, focusing on the gig economy and migrants working as delivery riders.
The UK will go further by changing the law to support a clampdown on illegal working in the gig economy. New biometric kits will be rolled out for Immigration Enforcement teams so they can do on-the-spot checks.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Dangerous small boats in our Channel undermine our border security and put lives at risk.
“That is why we are so determined to work with France to go after the criminal smuggler gangs, to undermine their business model, to begin returns and to prevent boat crossings.
“This new pilot agreement with France is extremely important and allows us for the first time to return people who have paid to travel here illegally, and will sit alongside our wider joint enforcement action, including disrupting supply chains to seize boats and engines, shutting down social media accounts, and targeting finances.
“Since last summer, we have returned over 30,000 people with no right to be in the UK and a major surge in immigration enforcement activity, with a 51% increase in the number of illegal working arrests.
“We are building the foundations of a new and stronger approach to protecting our border security.”
Under the new UK-France pilot, any asylum claim submitted by a migrant who has crossed the Channel will be considered for inadmissibility and, if declared inadmissible, the Home Office will organise readmission of the individual to France.
For those coming to the UK legally, an individual in France will submit an Expression of Interest application to the new route and the Home Office will make a decision once they have undergone biometric checks. Anyone who had arrived by small boat and returned to France will not be eligible for the legal route to the UK.
The innovative approach will be tested first before being gradually ‘ramped up’.
Scotland is entering another spell of hot weather, and the east of the country remains under sustained pressure from water scarcity according to the latest data.
Some areas have seen recent rainfall, but it has not been enough to recover from long term shortages, and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) are warning restrictions on licences to abstract water from the environment may soon be necessary in some catchments if conditions continued to deteriorate.
The latest Weekly Water Scarcity report published by SEPA shows that much of eastern Scotland remains in Moderate Scarcity, with low groundwater levels and prolonged dry conditions continuing to limit recovery.
The first half of 2025 has been the driest in the east since 1973 and much of the east has now been at Moderate Scarcity for nearly eight weeks, since mid-May. Intermittent rainfall in recent weeks has not been enough to enable recovery, above average rainfall is still required to bring conditions back to normal in affected catchments.
This year’s water scarcity isn’t just about recent dry weather. It’s the result of a drier than normal winter with reduced snow accumulation and low groundwater recharge. In upland areas of the eastern Grampians and the north east of Scotland, many rivers typically benefit from a steady release of snow melt through spring and early summer. This year that natural recharge didn’t occur. Combined with dry autumn and winter conditions the result is some of the lowest groundwater levels on record in parts of Fife and Angus.
SEPA are urging businesses with licences to take water from the environment, especially in affected areas, to continue to reduce pressure and protect access to water resources.
Moderate Scarcity
Alert
Earlier this summer, SEPA came close to introducing abstraction restrictions in parts of northern Scotland as certain river levels remained critically low for an extended period. However, timely rainfall brought short term relief and, thanks to near real time monitoring from a network of Drought Risk Assessment Tool (DRAT) stations, SEPA were able to ensure restrictions were not imposed unnecessarily.
Eilidh Johnston, SEPA’s Senior Manager in Water Industry and Rural Economy, said: “SEPA’s decisions are guided by science and data, and our DRAT station monitoring plays a critical role in our ability to respond quickly fairly and proportionately.
“We’ve seen how abstractors have responded to the challenge of water scarcity this year and took early action to reduce pressure. However, the risk of required restrictions is not over.
“It won’t take a heat wave to tip rivers into crisis. Sustained low flows and dry soils are already putting pressure on businesses and the environment. We’re asking all abstractors to stay aware of conditions and check the local direct station data regularly especially in the east where pressure is building.
“We’re already in touch with those at highest risk of restrictions, but if you have any questions please get in touch.”
Restrictions will only be introduced if absolutely necessary, in line with clear thresholds. Voluntary action now can help avoid them, protecting both water access and the environment through the summer.
SEPA continue to urge everyone from farmers and producers to industry and manufacturers to use water efficiently and manage this shared resource responsibly. Advice is available on SEPA’s website, as well as from SEPA staff contacting abstractors with licences in areas at risk.
