A wee reminder that this interesting workshop is taking place today at 6pm.
We are delighted to host Hannah from Lauriston Farm for a Grow a Row workshop, focusing on how to harvest and save seeds!
Grow a Row, encourages the local community to dedicate a row, a pot, or a garden bed to growing seeds for the Drumbrae Library Seed Library.
You do not need to have attended the previous session so all are welcome!
This session is suitable for adults, and you do not need a large garden to take part. Whether you have a small garden bed, a few pots, or even a balcony, there are plenty of ways to grow for seed saving in small spaces.
THE Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society has launched the Keep It Fringe US bursary initiative for a second year ahead of the Edinburgh Fringe 2027, which will be the Edinburgh Fringe’s 80th anniversary year.
In 2026, 555 shows from the United States participated in the Edinburgh Fringe, highlighting what an important market this is for the festival.
Keep It Fringe US will provide five artists based in the United States with bursaries of $2,500 to help bring work to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2027. In addition to financial support, successful recipients will receive a tailored support package of marketing, screen development, and industry networking opportunities to help with audience and career development.
Supported by Fringe Ambassador, Brian Cox, Keep It Fringe US was an initiative designed to help reduce the financial barriers faced by US-based artists taking part. Keep It Fringe US was launched in 2025, when five US-based artists each received a $2,500 grant. The fund followed the successful launch of the original Keep It Fringe fund in 2024 by the Fringe Society’s honorary President Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
In 2025, more than 130 artists applied for the five bursaries available through Keep It Fringe US. Keeping in the spirit of the original fund, Keep It Fringe US aims to encourage applications from the widest possible range of artists with professional ambitions. Successful recipients will have the flexibility to use their grants in the way that best supports bringing their work to the Edinburgh Fringe and making the most of the opportunity to perform for a global audience.
Heather and Paul Innella, and Her Royal Majesty Queen Angelique-Monet, The American born Queen Consort of Eti-Oni, Osun State, Nigeria and Edinburgh Fringe performer herself, have confirmed their support to help bring Keep it Fringe US back for 2027.
Through Keep It Fringe 2027, the Edinburgh Fringe Society hopes to continue supporting artists to access the festival and are inviting partners, sponsors and donors to get in touch to see how they can support this important work.
Tony Lankester, Chief Executive Officer of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: ‘I am pleased to announce the return of Keep It Fringe US for a second year.
“Next year will be Edinburgh Fringe’s 80th anniversary, and throughout its history artists, from the United States and beyond, have pushed boundaries and responded to the world around them. I do not doubt that 2027 will continue in that tradition.
“We look forward to receiving applications from artists across the United States when applications open and welcoming many to one of the greatest demonstrations of arts and culture on Earth in Edinburgh next year.’
Her Royal Majesty Queen Angelique-Monet, The American born Queen Consort of Eti-Oni, Osun State, and Keep It Fringe US 2027 supporter said: “Opportunities for performing artists are crucial to the survival of the arts and to their power to bring people together for the greater good.
“Supporting Keep It Fringe US helps ensure that American artists have the opportunity to bring their stories to the world’s largest arts festival, while strengthening the historic cultural ties between Scotland and the United States.
“Having experienced the Edinburgh Fringe firsthand, I know the extraordinary work, courage and talent not mentioning the financial constraints that could stop artists from being part of it. I want to help ensure that other American artists have that same once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and the support needed.”
Parents of 16 to 19-year-olds starting further education or approved training courses must extend their Child Benefit claim by 31 August or payments will stop automatically.
Scottish pupils received their exam results on 4 August and many will now be confirming their education or training plans for the autumn.
Parents can extend their claim in minutes using the HMRC app or GOV.UK.
Parents of 16 to 19-year-olds have just 2 weeks left to tell HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) whether their child will continue in non-advanced approved education or training, or they risk missing out on Child Benefit payments.
Following the release of National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher results on 4 August, many teenagers across Scotland will now be making decisions about their next steps in education or training.
For families whose teenager is staying in non-advanced approved education or training, Child Benefit can continue, but only if parents act before 31 August.
Parents can extend their claim in minutes using the HMRC app or on GOV.UK. Those who received a letter from HMRC can also scan the QR code to go straight to the digital service. Payments will stop automatically for anyone who hasn’t responded by the deadline.
More than 372,000 parents have already extended their Child Benefit payment digitally ahead of the deadline.
Child Benefit is worth up to £1,406.60 a year for the eldest or only child, and up to £930.80 a year for each additional child.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Chief Customer Officer, said:“Exam results season is a big moment for teenagers deciding their next steps, and it’s the perfect time for parents to confirm those plans with us.
“Child Benefit is a vital source of support for many families and we don’t want anyone to miss out. It only takes a few minutes using the HMRC app or GOV.UK, so make sure you’re receiving the payments you’re entitled to.”
Parents whose child’s plans change, for example if they leave education or start a paid apprenticeship, must tell HMRC straight away to avoid being overpaid.
If a Child Benefit claimant or their partner has an individual adjusted net income of more than £60,000, the higher earner may need to pay the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC). Use the Child Benefit tax calculator on GOV.UK to find out how much HICBC to pay. Eligible parents can pay through their PAYE tax code using the HICBC digital service, or through Self Assessment.
Can you help us fill our Harvest Festival Tombola?
We’re looking for prize donations for our Harvest Festival tombola on Saturday 5th September, and we’d be so grateful for your support.
If you have any new, unused items you’d be happy to donate – such as chocolates, toiletries, bottles, gift sets, toys or other small gifts – we’d love to hear from you. Every donation, big or small, helps make our tombola a little more exciting!
Donations can be dropped off at the centre during our opening hours up to Friday 4th September.
Every penny raised on the day will go towards keeping our community activities and groups running, helping us continue to provide a welcoming space for local people.
If you’re not able to donate, sharing this post with friends and neighbours is another great way to support us. Thank you!
Edinburgh University Students’ Association will host a line-up of incredible food vendors across central venues this August in collaboration with Gilded Balloon and Pleasance Theatre Trust.
With a strong focus on supporting the entrepreneurial spirit of Scotland’s local food scene and suppliers, festival-goers will be spoilt for choice at the city’s most iconic Fringe venues.
Pleasance Courtyard
Smash & Stack, Total Meltdown, Pizza Geeks, Happy Dumplings, Mint, Mimi’s Bakehouse, Backstage Bar & Bistro
The Pleasance Courtyard, an original Fringe venue since the event’s first year – 1947, is one of the most popular social areas for performers and punters alike. Come rain or shine, the Courtyard offers that beer garden buzz, with plenty of covered seating.
Smash & Stack, Edinburgh’s gourmet burger stall, are cooking up a range of dishes, from its ‘Moving Mountains’ vegan burger to its beef truffle and parmesan burger. Find Smash & Stack in the Front Courtyard.
For pure indulgence, head to local legends Total Meltdown to try their grilled cheese sandwiches oozing with cheddar and delicious fillings, including kimchi, nduja and pastrami. Vegans will be spoilt for choice too, with seven options available on the menu.
Cheese enthusiasts can also get their fix at Pizza Geeks who have been serving Neapolitan-style sourdough pizzas with a slice of geek in Edinburgh since 2016.
Happy Dumplings are on a mission to bring their famous family recipes from restaurants in China to Scotland. Packed with explosive flavour, dumpling options include prawn, pork, beef or chicken.
Mint will be serving up their signature wraps, perfectly balancing texture and taste through their unique combination of smoked paprika, fresh tzatziki and tangy pickled cabbage. Their famous Za’atar chicken or falafel and humous wraps are on the menu.
And for a sweet treat, Mimi’s Bakehouse – one of Edinburgh’s best-loved bakeries – are back with their award-winning cakes, scones and coffee, alongside hot filled rolls.
Drink amongst the stars at our various bars:
• Arthur’s Bar – a relaxed bar area tucked away behind the Pleasance Courtyard looking out to Arthur’s Seat.
• Cragg’s Bar – located under the famous yellow stretch tent – the perfect spot for a drink and a bite.
• Cabaret Bar – combining a bar and performance space inside the main Pleasance building, the Cabaret Bar has previously attracted the likes comedians such as Frank Skinner, Rich Hall and Jenny Éclair. The bar is operated by Backstage Bar and Bistro serving teas, coffee and hearty food.
Teviot
The Loft Bar, Union Social, Gallery Cafe, Union Social Garden, Relics Coffee Co.
Teviot is back on the Fringe scene, following its extensive refurbishment. Crowned ‘Best Night Out’ at the 2026 Scottish Entertainment and Hospitality Awards, Teviot is the world’s oldest purpose-built students’ union and has an array of dining spaces for visitors to refuel in between Fringe shows.
Inside Teviot you’ll find the spacious Union Social serving local craft beer by the award winning Stewart Brewing. On sunny days, head to the Loft Bar’s roof terrace to escape from the bustling crowds.
Outside, Union Social Garden is your classic beer garden, with beach hut booths and picnic benches. Alongside the bar, Relics Coffee Co. will pop up at Union Social Garden, offering speciality brews and espresso martinis for a day-to-night caffeine hit.
On Friday and Saturday nights, you’ll be able to pair your beverage of choice along with live music as DJ sets take over Union Social Garden – there’s no need to purchase a ticket, just rock up and enjoy!
Charles Street Lane
Mac Love, Greek Street Food, Churros Truck
Outside Teviot is Charles Street Lane. This Fringe hotspot is where to find an array of street food staples, including Mac Love with their popular mac ‘n’ cheese, Greek Street Food offering chicken and halloumi gyros, and Churros Truck for Spanish fried doughnuts with a range of dipping sauces.
Pleasance Dome & Plaza
The Dome Bar, Box Bar, Bar & Kitchen, Chicken & Fries
The Dome Bar is the main bar in the Pleasance Dome, offering a wide selection of draught, bottles, spirits and hot food. Situated in the lower Dome is the Box Bar complete with
decked seating, giving the perfect summer festival feeling. If you fancy a bite, you can also find the Bar & Kitchen serving up tasty hot dogs, sides and drinks – perfect for a proper pit stop between shows.
Outside the Pleasance Dome on Pleasance Plaza (named as one of the Fringe’s top places to be) you can find Chicken & Fries with a delicious selection of chicken options.
Drinks across venues
A broad selection of drinks is available across the venues — Madri, Coors, Alpacalypse Session IPA, Staropramen, Aspall Cyder, Caffrey’s Black Stout and Blue Moon to name a few. In addition, you will find Alcohol 0% options, Rekorderlig Ciders, NICE Wine, Whitley Neill Gin, Fever-Tree soft drinks and much more.
We also have some “Grab and Go” canned items that will ensure you can quickly get served, even while you wait in your queue for the show, so refreshments are never far away.
Apply for Maths Week Scotland Grant Funding by 5pm on Sunday 30 August!
Schools, nurseries, early learning & childcare providers, community & family providers & other educational settings can apply for £250 or £500 towards their #MWS2026 activities!
HES is urging the public to get submissions over the line before the survey closes on Thursday 20 August 2026
Cathkin Park, an early footbal ground in Glasgow.
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) is issuing a final call for submissions to its Scottish football heritage project before the final whistle sounds and the survey closes on Thursday 20 August 2026.
Members of the public, local communities, supporters and historians across the country are being encouraged to get their suggestions in before full time by submitting sites connected to the history of football in Scotland for further investigation and recording.
Submissions could include grounds, pavilions, parks, buildings or other locations with a strong connection to the history of the game in Scotland.
Scotland is recognised as a pioneering football nation, but many places linked to that story are not widely known or recorded. With the help of the public, the project aims to build a fuller picture of locations throughout the country that have helped shape the game.
The project will mainly look to focus on the development of Association Football from the 1860s onwards, a time when Scotland’s first teams and players played an important role in developing and popularising the version of the sport that is played worldwide today.
The information gathered through the survey will be used to help HES identify sites for further research, recording and possible recognition as Protected Historic Places, such as listed buildings and scheduled monuments.
Cathkin Park, an early footbal ground in Glasgow.
Victoria Murray, Head of Heritage Information, Recording and Business at HES, said: “With the deadline approaching, we’re asking anyone with knowledge of places connected to Scotland’s football heritage to make a submission before 20 August.
“Football is Scotland’s national sport and a key part of our history, and this project is helping us better understand the sites that are important to our football heritage. We want to hear from anyone who knows about the places that have played a part in the development of football in Scotland.
“These could be the remains of grounds themselves – such as recently scheduled Cathkin Park or the site of First Hampden – or more varied sites with football links – such as the listed Rose Reilly pub in Glasgow’s southside, where we recently updated our records to recognise the former Hampden Bar’s connection to Reilly, who is an icon of women’s football in Scotland.
“We know that there are many people right across the country who are keen to get involved in how the history and impact of football in Scotland is recorded and celebrated. This is the final opportunity to take part in the survey and help ensure these places are in the running for consideration.”
Members of the public can suggest sites they would like to be considered via the consultation page on the HES website before the survey closes on Thursday 20 August 2026.
theSpaceUK is gearing up for a second week of Fringe, offering a hundred-plus shows ranging from theatre to cabaret to musicals
After an incredible opening week of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, we are thrilled to be going into week 2. Here’s just a taste of the exciting new shows that you can catch in Week 2 at theSpaceUK …
(theSpace @ on the Mile, 17-29 August) Hot off the tracks from a 5-star debut, this hilarious original musical comedy will take you on the rollercoaster that is love, loss and being a constant disappointment to your parents.
A bold new historical musical set in 1908 Britain, charting the rise of the suffragette movement. This urgent tribute confronts the past to ignite the present.
Delight in all the melodrama we know and love, with some added panto pizzazz. A devious trio of traitors, a Romeo-and-Juliet love story, and a predictable parody (or two); this series will be unlike any other.
Acclaimed New Zealand theatre company’s international premiere of this powerful, original folk musical shedding new light on an ancient tale. Greek myth blended with 1940s Hollywood aesthetic through a groundbreaking live-looping musical landscape.
A sapphic musical following best friends Celine and Margot, who teeter between love and fear. When life, lovers and timing pull them apart, the songs they leave unsung begin to tell the truth.
Join Durham University’s award-winning barbershop choir for an a capella concert full of rich harmony arrangements of your favourite numbers! Featuring musical theatre, jazz, Disney and classic barbershop, there’s something for everyone!
This show mines the depth of human identity while deftly exploring all sides. Who am I kidding? This show is just me proving how Black I am. Because I am so Black.
The University of York Dead Ducks are invited to a remote stately home by a former colleague. As punchlines and bodies pile up, the choice is simple: commit to the bit or die trying.
Merlesque is a tale about a tail. A policy expert uprooted by America’s 2024 presidential election, Merlesque is the true story of how a statistician turned into a birthday party mermaid.
Who was the real Uncle Tom? This new Canadian play dramatises the journey of Josiah Henson from the depths of slavery to the heights of freedom. One actor, 36 characters. No set. No props. Just your imagination.
Through imagined conversations with a therapist, Keir Starmer grapples with the transformation from lawyer to national leader – ‘Oh God, you know I don’t do this self-analysis thing very well.’
Strangers, eight hours, one connection they can’t quite explain. Following two queer women through the only night they’ll spend together, it might mean everything – or nothing at all. Is eight hours long enough to fall in love?
Six employees. One Tuesday in the office. £60,000 stolen. To solve the mystery, the boss asks each of his employees to walk him through their day, resulting in absurd recreations and ridiculous revelations.
A university student poses nude at a life drawing class for all the wrong reasons. A funny, devastating solo play about desire, fantasy and the seductive idea that being seen is the same as being empowered.
Fiadh and Nolan were your normal uni students until one murderous night changes everything. Come join these best friends in hiding as they figure out their next move. Will they betray one another or accept defeat?
Davie, newly released from prison, moves in with his policeman-hopeful brother, Freddie, and his fiancee Laura, an overworked NHS nurse. Past mistakes resurface and clashing beliefs expose deep family fractures in austerity-hit Scotland.
Five internet addicts visit The Retreat in search of an easy life fix, hoping cucumber peels and tst exercises can buy back their happiness and spontaneity. A new satirical comedy about wellness, digital connection, and touching grass.
When a hapless husband accidentally steps on a bee that his wife was saving, it seems their marriage finally hits rock bottom. But when he rescues an injured pigeon, he discovers a way to restore their former passion.
Nocturnal Is The New Sexy follows a couple fractured by NHS night shifts, post-it notes and modern labour, blending ensemble movement and dark humour to expose love, exhaustion and the cost of being seen.
A camp workplace comedy set in a celestial bureaucracy where pop divas are treated as religious figures. Madness ensues when a rogue employee accidentally merges the religions of three modern pop icons.
Partners and wine experts Jonathan Heredia and Isla Mosquera have officially opened the doors to Chez Bernard, a new neighbourhood French wine bar and bistro located on the waterfront of The Shore in Leith.
As the first French wine bar in the area, it is set to become a must-visit destination for locals and visitors alike, whether for a long lunch or evening drink.
Chez Bernard is more than just a name to Jonathan and Isla. The new bar is a tribute to Jonathan’s grandfather, Bernard, and to the simple moments that shaped his lifelong love for food, wine, and the table.
Jonathan spent many summers near the Atlantic coast of France, which is where his appreciation for a traditional ‘long lunch’ began. While these long French lunches are a huge inspiration behind the venue, the space is also a vibrant wine bar, making Chez Bernard the ideal place to visit in the evening for a bottle of wine, fresh oysters, cheese and charcuterie, or simply a relaxed glass at the bar.
Opening Chez Bernard is the couple’s way of keeping Jonathan’s grandfather’s memory alive. In a fitting tribute, the perfect waterfront space for their vision became available just off ‘Bernard Street’, a clear sign to Jonathan and Isla that they had found their home.
Drawing on 15 years of combined experience in hospitality between them, Jonathan and Isla who are engaged, are bringing that expert knowledge and passion for wine to Leith with Chez Bernard. The pair have curated an extensive wine list that pairs perfectly with the bistro’s authentic French and seafood offerings.
The menu at Chez Bernard caters to all occasions, offering great options whether diners are looking for a solo bite or food to share. Guests can expect classic French sharing plates, including a selection of artisanal French cheeses and charcuterie.
The bar also boasts an array of seafood dishes, featuring a salmon platter, dressed crab, and fresh oysters, alongside an assortment of hot dishes and additional sharing plates.
Co-owner Jonathan Heredia, said: “Chez Bernard is deeply personal for us. It’s a tribute to my grandfather and to the simple moments that shaped my love for food, wine, and the table.
“I spent many summers with my grandfather, which is where my love for a long, leisurely lunch began. When this beautiful space became available just off Bernard Street, it felt like absolute fate for both of us.
“This is our way of keeping his memory alive, and Isla and I want to bring a little of that continental warmth to The Shore. We want this to be a welcoming place to share good food, enjoy wine, and spend time around the table with the people you love.”
Chez Bernard promises an inviting, relaxed atmosphere perfect for afternoon grazing, evening drinks, or celebratory dinners with loved ones.
For more information, to view the menus, and to book a table, please visit:
Can you help us fill our Harvest Festival Tombola? 
