The NEN – North Edinburgh News – Page 3695 – The community media resource for north Edinburgh

Letters: share necessities

Dear Editor

Most people’s work contributes to the common good: some work has an immediate affect on our lives and we depend on them absolutely, for example workers in the electricity, gas, water and transport industries.

When we get up in the morning, switch on the light, use the bathroom, use gas or electricity to make tea, make breakfast, rush out to catch a bus, tram or train to go to work. Without these services we cannot function – there are necessities; we are dependent on those workers as they are dependent on us.

This necessity is precisely why these industries were privatised, making good profits for a few: this must now change. It is high time, in this 21st century, that these industries are run for the benefit of all.

No doubt there are other examples where this principal could apply.

A.Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens

Health Boards publish holiday A & E figures

More than 90% of Lothian A & E patients seen within four hours

Scotland’s core accident and emergency departments saw 88.8 per cent of patients within four hours over the challenging Christmas and New Year period. NHS Lothian outperformed the national average, recording a 93.4% figure.

The figures which have been reported to the Government by NHS boards, outline performance at A&E departments between December 22 to January 4.

Boards have also reported one of the key challenges over this period has been the number of admissions to hospital, reflecting the fact that more seriously ill people are presenting at A&E.

Health Secretary Shona Robison said:

“The winter months bring increased pressure on the heath service and these figures show that this year’s Christmas period was a particularly challenging time for our A&E services and across our NHS.

“It is clear we must improve our performance – both in winter and year round – which is why we’ll go on increasing investment, improving systems and protecting staffing levels.

“Health board staff across Scotland have been working extremely hard to meet this demand and ensure long waits in A&E are minimised – and for this they have our thanks.

“However, across many health boards, delayed discharge is having a significant impact on the flow of patients through hospital and boards have informed us there has been an increase in seriously ill people presenting at A&E, who need admitted to hospital.

“I have already stated that reducing delayed discharge is a top priority for this government and we are continuing to work with health boards and local authorities to ensure effective co-ordination so that these patients, who are often very frail, can either get home or into a homely setting as quickly as possible.

“While we have significantly reduced by two-thirds the number of patients who are delayed for longer than four weeks, we recognise that we must go further to ensure all patients are safely discharged as quickly as possible when they’re judged clinically fit enough.

“To help deliver this we’ve already legislated for the integration of health and social care from this April.

“Of course, more must be done to deliver sustainable change and we are working with partners to make sure this happens.

“We have also recently made £28 million available to support boards experiencing an increase in demand over the winter and ensure local plans are in place across Scotland, supported by this extra investment.

“This investment is enabling the creation of an extra 200 intermediate care beds across Scotland, expanding community capacity substantially. That means fewer people will be unnecessarily delayed in hospital, freeing up beds and easing the pressure on A&E.”

NHS England and NHS Scotland A&E core site/Type 1 performance Christmas period figures are:

4 Hour A&E Performance:

Country (2 Weeks Ending the 4th January 2015)

England (Type One Sites) 82.8%

Scotland (Core Sites) 88.8%

NHS Scotland A&E core site Performance Christmas period (unvalidated) figures are:

Scotland NHS Boards (Core Sites) – 2 Weeks Ending the 4th January 2015

Ayrshire & Arran 89.6%

Borders 89.0%

Dumfries & Galloway 96.3%

Fife 87.3%

Forth Valley 83.1%

Grampian 90.6%

Greater Glasgow & Clyde 82.6%

Highland 95.9%

Lanarkshire 89.4%

Lothian 93.4%

Shetland 97.5%

Tayside 98.1%

Western Isles 99.2%

Scotland (Core Sites) 88.8%

Energy companies urged to cut bills NOW

‘Consumers must see lower bills’ – Energy Minister Fergus Ewing

Consumers should be benefitting from lower energy bills as a result of lower oil prices, Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said yesterday.

Mr Ewing has written to ScottishPower, SSE, E-on, EDF, RWE/Npower, Centrica and Energy UK to seek reassurance that lower wholesale energy costs, linked to the fall in the price of oil, will be passed on quickly to households and businesses.

The letter reads:

Dear Sir

The price of oil on world markets has moved substantially lower in recent weeks in response to changes in the pattern of global demand and production. The Scottish Government is working closely with the oil and gas sector to understand the implications of these changes for activity and employment in the North Sea.

Another aspect of falling oil prices is, of course, the consequent impact on energy prices more generally. Clearly, the wholesale price of energy, for both electricity and gas, is linked closely to the world price of oil and energy customers are therefore entitled to know when they can be expected to feel the benefit.

In the interests of transparency and fairness, I would be grateful to understand from you when and to what extent the lower oil price is likely to be reflected in lower energy bills for households and businesses in Scotland. I also seek your reassurance that any cost savings will be passed on to customers at the earliest opportunity and to the fullest extent possible.

I do not ask you to reveal any commercially sensitive information but I would be grateful for your high-level perspective as an industry leader on the expected scale and timing of oil price impacts on domestic and business energy bills.

I am writing in similar terms to the Chief Executives of the UK’s other leading energy suppliers and I look forward to your response.

Yours,

Fergus Ewing

Horrific attack on family pets in Drylaw

Police seek information following sickening attack on chickens

Intruders have killed a family pet, seriously injured another and traumatised a third during a break-in in Drylaw earlier this week. A young family has been left ‘shocked and very distressed’ after the malicious attack on their pet chickens in Wester Drylaw Place.

The incident occurred overnight on Wednesday/Thursday when intruders first tried to break into a garden shed. They were unsuccessful but then turned their attentions to the family’s chicken coop, which they opened and killed one of the chickens.

A second chicken was also badly injured in the attack and a third was later found – fortunately unharmed – in a neighbour’s garden.

Police Scotland is conducting a joint investigation with the Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Scottish SPCA), who plan to carry out a post mortem.

Police Sergeant Stuart Mitchell said: “This was a horrifying crime, which has left the family, and their children, in a state of shock. We are appealing for any witnesses who may have seen people loitering in the Wester Drylaw area last night to contact us. This type of incident is completely unacceptable and we are conducting active enquiries in the area.”

Scottish SPCA Inspector June Chalcroft said: “This appears to have been a malicious attack, resulting in the death of one of the chickens and the injury of another. Hopefully the results of the post-mortem will explain the cause of death.

“Thankfully a third chicken, which was missing, has been found safe and well. We believe someone may have heard something as the chickens would have made a lot of noise during the incident.”

Anyone with information about the incident should contact Police Scotland immediately on 101, or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. The public can also contact SSPCA on 03000 999 999.

Blooming great – Botanics shortlisted for Garden of the Year!

Can Botanics be voted Britain’s best?

It’s known and loved by thousands, but can the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) get enough votes to take the title of the best in Britain?

That is the challenge after hearing the news that our very own Botanics is a contender for the title “Garden of the Year” in the annual BBC Countryfile Magazine Awards. It’s the only Garden in Scotland to make the short list and ‘Botanics’ bosses are asking friends at home and abroad to come out and show their support by placing votes.

All votes must be cast by the January 31 and members of the public can make their mark by selecting their favourite garden – and 11 other categories, ranging from great heritage attractions to holiday destinations – by emailing awards@countryfile.com, by visiting the BBC Countryfile Magazine website at http://www.countryfile.com/article/garden-year-201415 or by post to BBC Countryfile Magazine, Tower House, Bristol, BS1 3BN.

Now in its fourth year, the high-profile award attracted more than 55,000 votes in 2014, when the accolade was claimed by RHS Wisley, Surrey. This year RBGE is up against four other world-renowned sites: The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Cornwall; Trentham Gardens, Stafford; Alnwick Garden, Northumbria and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in Surrey.

Welcoming the news that RBGE was in the running, Director of Enterprise Heather Jackson said: “This is a really good fun way to start the year. We are delighted to have been shortlisted for the award: and to be against such prestigious competition. It would be wonderful if our visitors and supporters would enter into the spirit of the event and take a few minutes to vote for us.”

The winner will be announced in the April issue of BBC Countryfile Magazine. Good luck, RBGE!

Severe weather warning: check before you travel

Scotland is braced for a weekend of storms with winds of up to 100mph overnight and tomorrow followed by snow and ice. Looks like we’re going to have a winter after all …

Government Ministers are receiving regular and detailed updates on preparations for the severe weather due to hit Scotland tonight and tomorrow morning, following a meeting of the Scottish Government’s resilience team this morning.

The Met Office has Amber (be prepared) warnings in place for very strong westerly winds across the north and the central belt.

Parts of Strathclyde, Central, Tayside, Fife and the Lothians will be affected by conditions until around 0800 hours on Friday with gusts of 60-70 mph quite widely expected. The Western Isles, the north and north-west of the mainland and Orkney will see gusts of 80 to 90 mph with a risk of gusts of over 100 mph in places until around midday.

The rest of the country is covered by a Yellow (be alert) warning and winds should quickly ease from the west throughout Friday, before picking on Saturday morning.

Responder authorities in the areas expected to be affected are activating their plans to deal with the potential impacts.

There is expected to be disruption on the transport network and a Multi-Agency Response Team (MART), involving partner organisations, such as Police Scotland, is being activated to monitor conditions and make sure that the public has the latest information.

Utility suppliers are increasing staff resources and putting back-up resources in place to deal with potential disruption to power supplies.

Deputy First Minister, John Swinney said: “The weather fronts will bring particularly strong winds across the north-west of Scotland, the islands and across the central belt overnight and when people are making their way to work in the morning.

“The Scottish Government’s Resilience operation is actively monitoring weather developments and receiving updates from the Met Office, SEPA and the utilities companies, as well as keeping in touch with emergency responders and councils at a local level in the areas likely to be affected by adverse weather

“Contingency plans are being made by transport authorities and passengers should expect cancelations and disruption on ferries and the railways. The travel operators websites will have all of the latest information and people should check them before they set-off on their journey.

“On the roads, bridges could be affected by high winds, and driving conditions could be challenging, particularly for high-sided vehicles. Motorists should allow extra time for their journeys and check the Traffic Scotland website before they set-out.

“Utility companies are increasing resources and moving them to places where the storm is likely to damage the electricity network.

“The Scottish Government’s annual campaign, Ready for Winter, is a good reminder of the simple actions we can all take to prepare for adverse conditions. Information is available at www.readyscotland.org”

SEPA Hydrology Duty Manager David Faichney said: “We are currently in the process of preparing flood alerts and warnings for areas where there is a potential for impacts. We remain in contact with our partners through the Flood Forecast Service and will ensure detailed flood forecasts are available to responders.

“As always we would encourage the public to be mindful of the weather forecast and remain vigilant to the risk of flooding in their area by checking the active flood updates on our website at www.sepa.org.uk/flooding or by signing up to Floodline on 0345 988 1188.”

David Dickson, Network Rail route managing director for Scotland, said: “Safety has to be our first consideration during severe weather. We will be withdrawing a limited number of services on exposed routes tomorrow until the worst of the storm has passed to allow our engineers to thoroughly inspect the network for any damage.

“We will be monitoring conditions on the ground closely throughout the night and into the morning and will have teams ready to respond to any issues caused by the storm.

“We are working closely with the train operators, and other industry partners, to reduce disruption as much as possible while also operating a safe network for passengers.”

SEVERE WEATHER ADVICE

Severe weather has the ability to disrupt our daily lives, in all sorts of ways, like the loss of power and property damage. By knowing what to do to prepare, you will reduce the risks.

Weather conditions and warnings

These can change quickly, so it is essential to keep up-to-date with the latest weather forecast and weather warnings from the Met Office.
Know the Met Office warnings.

Travel

Consider the conditions before you set off and think about how severe weather can impact on you. See Ready Scotland’s advice on travelling.
For real-time journey information, listen to radio reports or visit the Traffic Scotland website/ twitter feed.
For public transport information, check the Traveline website/ twitter feed.
If driving, ensure you and your vehicle are adequately prepared for the conditions.

Loss of utilities

You can take straightforward steps to cope with the loss of power and other utilities.

Flooding

Check SEPA’s website for the latest flooding alerts or call Floodline on 0345 988 1188. You can also sign up to SEPA’s free Floodline direct warning service.

Strong winds

Like flooding, severe winds can occur at any time of year. See Ready Scotland’s advice on how to prepare for severe windy weather.

Severe weather can strike at any time so taking action now will serve you well in winter, and all year round.

In the last few years, we’ve seen it all – snow, floods and strong winds. And it doesn’t take much for it to impact on our daily lives. Like getting stuck indoors for a few days, or losing your phone communication, power or water supply.

Severe weather can cause a range of problems – but you can be ready for them. By doing a few small things now, you can save yourself a lot of trouble later on. You can also do your bit to help out in your community.

See below for information and useful tips on how to prepare:

• In your home
• On the move
• In your community
• In your workplace

Minister chooses North Edinburgh to launch health initiative

National healthy eating campaign launched at Pilton Community Health Project

The Scottish Government launched a new healthy eating initiative at Pilton Community Health Project on Boswall Parkway this morning. The ‘Eat Better Feel Better’ campaign will help Scotland’s families make simple changes to the way they shop, cook and eat.

Home cooking in Scotland is declining, according to a new survey commissioned by the Scottish Government, which shows that more families are turning to convenience foods and takeaways due to the pressures of family life.

The research accompanies a new campaign from the Scottish Government which was launched today to inspire and support families with practical tips, advice and tools to help them make simple, quick and cheap changes to how they shop, cook and eat.

The research shows that less than half of Scotland’s mums (47 per cent) consider themselves as very capable cooks and are happy to cook a meal using fresh or frozen ingredients, without the use of a recipe. However, more than a third of families (35 per cent) are eating takeaway food at least once a week and around one third of families (32 per cent) are eating ready meals at least three times a week.

Kirsty Day (left) with Public Health Minister Maureen Watt

Public Health Minister Maureen Watt launched the Eat Better Feel Better campaign at Pilton Community Health Project (PCHP) – the first community health project in Scotland – which supports local people to eat more healthily through cooking skills, budgeting and meal planning.

PCHP’s Food team works with volunteers and local partners to help local people develop their understanding and knowledge to eat well on a budget, including cooking skills, budgeting, meal planning and wider food issues.

It does this by running cooking sessions, lots of ‘cook and taste’ sessions in the community, delivering ‘bite size’ sessions on eating well and much more. People can also get involved by joining one of the groups, becoming a volunteer or attending Food for Thought Forum meetings.

For many mums, the reluctance to cook from scratch is down to a number of obstacles which they see as prohibitive to making healthier meals for their families. Four in ten (42 per cent) think that it costs too much money to shop for and cook healthier family meals, a third (33 per cent) think that it takes too much time, around the same number (31 per cent) say that they’re too busy. A quarter (24 per cent) say that their kids are too fussy.

Speaking at the launch Ms Watt said: “For many families across Scotland, buying, cooking and eating healthy food can be a real challenge. However, there are many quick and cheap changes that we can make which can lead to significant improvements in our daily diets. From dealing with fussy eaters and shopping on a budget to planning your meals and finding time to cook, Eat Better Feel Better aims to address the various challenges faced by families by providing lots of practical hints, tips and recipes to help families eat more healthily.

“We know that helping children to eat healthier from a young age can help them avoid major illnesses later in life. That’s why we’re working together with retailers and community groups from across the country in getting behind Scotland’s families – to provide the support, encouragement and advice which will help them eat better and ultimately feel better.”

Anita Aggarwal, Community Development Manager at Pilton Community Health Project, said: “It’s great to have a Scottish Government campaign that complements and supports the work that community food and health projects like us are already doing. Pilton has a wealth of local community food projects that link together through the Food for Thought Forum. Because of the dedication and skills of these local residents and agencies, eating well in the area is easier. This campaign should help all these groups reach more local residents.”

PCHP also gives the local community access to food related training courses to develop their skills, and can now support others to deliver quick and easy healthy eating sessions using a new nutrition toolkit:

http://pchp.org.uk/projects/food

Through PCHP’s work, local people tell them that although they do want to eat better, the barriers they face can make it difficult. Often people who attend the cooking groups lack basic equipment like cookers and fridges. Budgets are tight; we find that while locals are good at making small amounts of money go a long way, this often means they cannot afford healthier food options, or the fuel to cook them.

At their December ‘Good Food for All’ event local people told PCHP that low income is the most significant barrier to eating healthily. Austerity measures, increasingly insecure employment and low wages (below Living Wage) mean that increasing numbers are resorting to food banks. The Poverty Alliance told PCHP about the shame people feel when they need to use food banks. While local food projects are working hard to support people with their cooking and budgeting skills, these financial barriers also need to be tackled at a policy level.

Kirsty Day, a 21 year-old student from Edinburgh and a mum of one, was a big fast food fan but following the birth of her son Kelvin almost three years ago, she decided that she didn’t want him to be brought up with bad food habits and leading an unhealthy lifestyle. She was put in touch with Pilton Community Health Project.

Kirsty said: “I was eating a typical student diet, but as a mum I wanted to be able to set a good example for my son. The changes in my lifestyle over the past two years have been huge. I’m happier, I feel less tired and have more energy, and Kelvin is happier too.

“With my new knowledge of food and the cooking skills I have learned, I find it really easy to make healthy meals with fresh ingredients now. Over the course of the week it’s affordable to eat and cook with fresh ingredients instead of pre-packed products and it definitely feels better eating fresh food. Some of my dishes actually work out cheaper than buying ready meal equivalents. I definitely feel better by eating better.”

Eat Better Feel Better will be working alongside supermarkets and the convenience sector, as well as stakeholders and community groups from across Scotland’s food and health industry, to provide ongoing support for families. From practical cooking classes at community groups to special offers on healthy ingredients in-store, the campaign will aim to provide advice and practical help in places and at times which suit them.

A new website – eatbetterfeelbetter.co.uk – provides recipes, tips from parents and healthier offers available from Scotland’s food retailers. The site will also host a series of cook-along videos to provide practical, easy to follow guides to cooking healthier family favourites such as spaghetti Bolognese, home-made burgers and chicken curry.

A key strand of the campaign will be directing families across Scotland towards local events and support in their community, such as that provided by Pilton Community Health Project.

The campaign contributes to the Scottish Government’s food and drink policy and aspiration for Scotland to become a Good Food Nation, a nation where it is second nature to serve, sell and eat fresh, healthy food.

It is also part of a co-ordinated Scottish Government programme of measures to support healthier choices in Scotland, including the Supporting Healthy Choices Voluntary Framework, launched in 2013, which sets out specific voluntary action for the food industry, including retailers, manufacturers, caterers and the public sector to support healthier diets in Scotland.

Success for festive drink drive campaign

‘Don’t risk it’ message hits home over festive holiday period

Police Scotland statistics have today revealed that the ‘don’t drink and drive’ message has been driven home to motorists across the country.

The new lower drink drive limit of 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood came into force on 5 December 2014, bringing Scotland into line with much of the rest of Europe.

During a four week festive Drink Drive campaign from Road Safety Scotland (part of Transport Scotland) and the Scottish Government, Police Scotland tested 17,504 drivers for alcohol – an average of 625 drivers each day.

A total of 351 drivers were caught under the influence this year compared to 434 in the same period last year – a 19% reduction.

Police detected one drink driver for every 50 (351 from 17,504) tests carried out compared to one drink driver for every 47 (434 from 20,646) tests carried out in the same campaign period last year. Those caught now face the New Year without a licence, a minimum 20-year criminal record and a fine.

Of those caught drink driving, 20 drivers were detected between the new 50mg limit and the previous limit of 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood.

And over the period a total of 27 drivers were detected between 6am – 10am, six of whom were between the old and the new limit.

Cabinet Secretary for Justice Michael Matheson, said: “These latest statistics show a 19 per cent decrease in the number of drink drive detections over the festive period, and are testament to the immediate effect that the new lower limit has helped to make our roads safer.

“Scotland is leading the way across the UK with the introduction of a lower drink drive limit, which has backing from experts, road safety campaigners and the majority of the public north and south of the border, as well as bringing Scotland into line with almost every other country in Europe.

“We will continue in our efforts to change driver behaviour in order to make our roads safer, and our advice for the year ahead is simple – drink driving is completely unacceptable and puts lives at risk, therefore the best approach is to avoid alcohol altogether if you intend to get behind the wheel.”

With the Christmas and New Year festivities now over, motorists are being reminded that the message not to drink any alcohol at all before driving and to plan journeys the next morning, remains relevant all year round.

Assistant Chief Constable Bernard Higgins of Police Scotland, said: “The initial campaign may be over, but our work continues and the message remains the same – don’t risk it, don’t take any alcohol before you get behind the wheel and it will help you help us keep people safe.

“The new limit is proving a good deterrent in stopping people from drinking and driving, but it is still unacceptable that 351 people chose to ignore all the advice and warnings and get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol. They are not just risking their lives but also those of other road users and pedestrians.

“Make it your New Year’s resolution to never drink and drive and help us keep Scotland’s roads safe.”

The introduction of the new lower limit was supported by a public awareness campaign ahead of the legislation taking effect. This was followed by a high profile social marketing campaign over the festive period across TV, radio, video-on-demand, digital, PR, field activity and partnership working.

The campaign urged members of the public not to drink and drive and advised festive revellers to plan ahead when it came to their travel home from a night out and any journeys in the morning.

The campaign also sought to remind drivers of the tough legal and personal consequences of a drink drive conviction, which include a loss of licence with an automatic 12 month driving ban and a minimum 20 year criminal record.

Although the festive period is now over, Police vigilance will remain at the same level throughout 2015 and the same consequences apply if motorists chose to drink and drive.

Find out more by visiting www.dontriskit.info or the Road Safety Scotland Facebook page or follow@RoadSafetyScot on Twitter.

Soapbox: A partly political broadside!

While the referendum was the big political story in Scotland last year, the rise and rise of UKIP hit the headines south of the border. Now it’s General Election year, and Broughton High School student ROSS COWPER thinks the country may be going backwards …

This is a party political broadcast by the UK independence party …

With the re-election of Mark Reckless to parliament in the Rochester and Strood by-election in November, it is safe to say that UKIP are gaining some ground in the political dog race.

Over the past year the party seemed to attract more and more under 30 year old’s to join them in getting rid of foreigners together, and turning good old Blighty back to the 50’s.

UKIP recently served up a slightly ironic new poster to the public, copying Russell Brand’s Revolution, which has turned the letters ‘evol’ around to spell ‘love’ – not something immediately thought of when thinking of UKIP!

Maybe UKIP are trying to appeal to Russell Brand’s younger audience (not necessarily supporters of Brand), in the hope of making them bigots from an early age. They will hopefully stay with the party to their dying day, where Britain is safe from those damn Europeans!

Perish the thought that if you went back far enough into a person’s history you will find they are actually originally through blood from southern France, for example, and not ‘truly English’ at all. No that would never do, it’s inconceivable!

So what can teens really expect under the ‘purple revolution’? It feels like I am repeating myself here but I guess that’s what UKIP wish. On their site the caption: ‘love Britain again’ and to accompany is the Winston Churchill’s famous ‘V for Victory’ gesture. Tell me again if I am repeating myself. Yes, it is great that Britain was part of the victory through World War Two, and Winston Churchill commanded that era, but you can’t go back and try to live off this forever – and if some people don’t like it, they’re seen as Nazi lovers! Seems like blackmail to me – and who are the real fascists now anyway?

I can’t imagine Russell Brand reacting positvely to this UKiP message; although he doesn’t think people should vote anyway, but instead rise up to challenge the establishment. Ironically this is where UKIP may have the upper hand: they don’t appear to be part of that ‘establishment’.

Farage has manifested himself (and his party) to look like a beer-swilling man of the people; people who know immigrants are to blame for all our troubles. If UKIP were a man, that man would be Farage, I guess.

UKIP supporters feel disenfranchised and believe that the political class ignores ordinary people, so why not change? I am all for change, to redistribute wealth, to help other countries in corrupt situations and for every human to have their rights.

I do want change, just not this change: I call UKIP’s change stepping backwards in time.

Jam tomorrow? Support Marie Curie’s marmalade mission

Entries are now open for the 10th World’s Original Marmalade Awards & Festival – and this year any amateur entrant entering from Scotland can put their entry fee towards Marie Curie in Scotland.

For centuries Scotland has been the home of marmalade: it’s said that Mary Queen of Scots brought some over with her from France in the sixteenth century. It’s also claimed that the first real marmalade was made here in Scotland, by Janet Keiller in Dundee. Now the nation’s modern day cooks are being challenged to prove their own homemade preserves are as good as their ancestors and enter a jar into the Marmalade Awards.

There are new categories as well as old favourites to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the awards and 15 categories in total including a special Scottish category. It’s called the ‘Gathering of the Clans’, with Scottish clan chiefs and clansmen and women being urged to put their preserve-making skills to the test. If the recipe goes back generations, the festival organisers want to hear the story.

Entries are now open for the 10th World’s Original Marmalade Awards & Festival, sponsored by Scottish marmalade maker Mackays, which hails the preserve in all its sticky glory!

The closing date for entries is 15 February 2015.

Everyone who enters a jar gets their preserve tasted and judged by experts, and then gets sent a personalised mark card with feedback on how the marmalade can be improved – or if they are lucky, a gold, silver or bronze award. Last year over 2,200 jars were entered. The double gold star winner gets their marmalade made by a commercial kitchen and then stocked at Fortnum & Mason – and 50p from every jar sold goes to charity.

There are categories for artisan, B&B/hotel & restaurant owners as well as homemade marmalade makers to enter and this year any amateur entrant entering from Scotland can put their entry fee towards Marie Curie in Scotland.

Good quality Seville oranges are now easier to source as supermarkets react to customer demand and preserves makers – homemade, artisan and commercial – continue to push the culinary boundaries by exploring unusual marmalade trends and tastes.

Jane Hasell-McCosh, founder of the Awards, said: “We’re seeing fruity, spicy, alcoholic and downright original ingredients, such as seaweed and beer, being combined with citrus to make modern marmalades. Of course people still adore spreading the traditional thick-cut Seville on their toast but our awards celebrate marmalade in all its sticky and diverse, delicious glory!

“Ten years ago I started this event as I was worried that our wonderful tradition of marmalade making and eating was becoming less popular. I’m delighted over the last decade there’s been a renaissance in marmalade making and am looking forward to tasting entries to our 2015 awards.”

2015 is set to be a golden year for marmalade with a growing interest in not only making preserves at home but also a steep rise in exports of British marmalade abroad.

Marmalade maker Mackays, based in the Dundee area of Scotland, has seen a significant increase in exports to countries such as Japan, Germany, Denmark, USA and the Czech Republic.

Martin Grant, Managing Director of Mackays, said: “We are finding an ever increasing demand for marmalade around the world and now export to over 60 countries. We are the last remaining producer of Dundee Orange Marmalade in the area and I think our heritage, coupled with the fact we still make our preserves using traditional copper pans, is the key.”

Paddington Bear, the most famous marmalade lover of them all, presides over the Festival itself making guest appearances and readings from his adventures. Visitors to the Marmalade Festival (28 Feb & 1 March 2015), held at Dalemain Mansion, near Penrith in the Lake District, get the chance to view the entries, taste over 200 different marmalades, attend workshops, lectures, lots of activities for children and the whole event will be well rooted in the Spanish Seville.

The event kicks off National Marmalade Week (28 February – 7 March 2015), overseen by the awards’ organisers, which encourages people to try, buy or make marmalade.

Collection points are available in Scotland for people to drop their entries off, including Mackays (who are offering a marmalade exchange), Hopetoun, Herbie of Edinburgh and more: please see website for full details.

Closing date for entries is 15 February 2014. Further entry details including an entry form, category criteria, submission details, entry fees and entry drop-off points can be found at www.marmaladeawards.com.