Peter Howson exhibition to close with artist-hosted film screening

An exclusive documentary screening alongside a Q&A session with artist Peter Howson will take place this Friday (September 29) to mark the closing of the exhibition ‘When the Apple Ripens‘.

Hosted at the City Art Centre, ‘When the Apple Ripens: Peter Howson at 65: A Retrospective’, traces the illustrious career of Peter Howson, from his early days to the present, featuring over 100 works over three galleries, painstakingly assembled from both public and private collections across the UK and Europe.

Directed by Charlie Paul, and produced by Lucy Paul, Prophecy is an evocative exploration of a single oil painting and the first major film to reveal the motive and techniques behind each stroke of paint as the artist creates.

Released in 2019, the 90-minute feature documentary transports the audience into the darkly comic, obsessive mind of Peter Howson, seeing directly through the artist’s eye. What begins as a blank canvas, emerges as Howson’s monumental oil painting, ‘Prophecy’.

Prophecy reveals what it takes to create a large oil painting, the techniques, the materials, the skills, the thinking behind creation, and the intentions and difficulties that push Howson to achieve this ambitious, masterful, and detailed 6ft x 8ft canvas.

The painting is currently on display at When the Apple Ripens.

Tickets for the screening can be purchased on the Museums and Galleries Edinburgh website.

Culture and Communities Convener, Councillor Val Walker said: “This Friday’s screening and Q&A session represents the culmination of one of the most unique, harrowing, and powerful exhibitions we have ever hosted at the City Art Centre.

“Peter Howson has made an indelible impact on British and Scottish art, and we have been truly fortunate to be able to display his life’s work in the heart of Edinburgh.

“Prophecy provides a rich and unique perspective on the arduous and painstaking process of creating work of this calibre. I would encourage residents and visitors to book their tickets now to bot the documentary screening and wider exhibition and experience the full power and fury of Howson’s work”.

Victim Surcharge Fund opens

More help for victims as criminals pay towards costs

Organisations that support victims of crime will be able to bid for support from a fund financed by  penalties imposed on all offenders who receive a court fine.

Successful applicants will be able to use their share of the £350,000 Victim Surcharge Fund, which is now in its fourth year, to provide direct, practical help to victims. This includes repairing or replacing damaged items, providing replacement clothes for people escaping domestic abuse, or equipment that helps people impacted by crime feel safe.

Since its introduction in 2019, over £916,000 has been paid out to 11 organisations supporting victims and survivors of crime, including Victim Support Scotland, Angus Women’s Aid and the Manda Centre – which offers support to people affected by trauma, loss and personal crisis.

Minister for Victims and Community Safety Siobhian Brown said: “While there are less crimes and fewer victims than over a decade ago, the impact on victims, can be devastating.

“That is why we are investing in law enforcement, crime prevention, and reducing reoffending through a range of activity. And we have invested £93 million over the past five years to support victims and we are committed to putting victims at the heart of the justice system.

“It is right that convicted criminals pay for the harm they cause and the Victim Surcharge Fund has provided more than £916,000 to help support victims recover from their experience.

“I encourage victim support organisations to apply to the Fund so that victims and survivors can continue to access the support and help that they need.”

Victims’ organisations interested in applying to the Fund can request an application form by emailing VictimSurchargefund@gov.scot and should apply by the 27 October 2023 deadline.

Witness appeal following serious collision involving cyclist and pedestrian near Scottish Parliament

Police are appealing for witnesses following a serious collision between a cyclist and a pedestrian which occurred on Horse Wynd yesterday morning (Tuesday, 26 September, 2023).

Emergency services responded to the incident around 10.40 am, and the 66-year-old female pedestrian was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary where medical staff describe her condition as critical.

The 20-year-old male cyclist was also taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary to be checked over and later discharged.

Sergeant Jill Kirkpatrick said: “Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the collision and I am appealing for anyone who witnessed what happened to get in touch.

“Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 1037 of Tuesday, 27 September, 2023.”

Morrisons launches half price sale to help families get ahead for Christmas

– Customers can save up to 57% off select toys with savings of up to £60 –

– Barbie, Disney, Pokemon, Hot Wheels & Lego all included in giant toy sale –

– Toy sale available while stocks last –

Morrisons has today launched a huge toy sale across over 50 products with savings of up to £60, to help customers spread the cost over the Christmas period.  

Customers can bag a bargain on Squishmallows Stackers which are reduced to £12 from £20 – alongside up to 50% of must-have toys this year from Barbie, Pokemon, Hot Wheels & Lego .

Following the release of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie earlier this year, it’s predicted that Barbie will be the top toy seller this festive period.

Morrisons shoppers can bag some Barbie bargains with 57% off the Dream Camper Playset, £60, down from £140 , 50% off the Barbie Best Friend Fairy £15, down from £30, and 30% off the Barbie Pet Supply Playset £25, down from £37.50

For mini musicians, customers can snap up the Academy of Music 54 key keyboard for just £20 reduced from £40, making a saving of 50% as well as nearly 30% off the Mi-Mic Mini Karaoke Speaker With Microphone, £17, down from £23

50% savings are available on other big brands including the Cocomelon Pram for £30 (normally £60), Hotwheels Rhinomite/Bone Shaker for £35 (normally £70) and Peppa Pig Wooden Playhouse for £52.50 (normally £105).

David Catton, Toy Buyer at Morrisons says: “We’re excited to offer our customers 50% off a range of must-have toys.

“With the festive season fast approaching, we hope this huge sale will help customers spread the cost of purchasing Christmas gifts this year.”

Morrisons toy sale is available now in 423 stores while stocks last. 

Drylaw Telford Community Council meets TOMORROW (yes, Thursday!)

After a discussion and taking a vote on what works best for our Community Councillors, we will now meet on the 4th Thursday of every month.

This will continue to be at the Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre at 7pm

Our next meeting is therefore 28th September – TOMORROW.

All welcome!

HAVE YOUR SAY ON LOCAL GREENSPACES 🌿☘️

We are delighted to announce that the consultation on our greenspace’s is now open.

Please follow this link to complete the online survey. ⬇️

bit.ly/3LfI2XL

This is an opportunity for you to have your say on what improvements you would like to see at the local parks and other open spaces in the area we all live in.

You can also pop into Drylaw Church ⛪️ or Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 and fill in the questionnaire and pop it in our return box

Draft Minutes of August’s meeting below

Minutes-23rd-August-2023-1Download

Lorna Slater welcomes cheaper, greener rail fares 

Lorna Slater MSP, the local Scottish Green MSP for Lothian, has hailed the cheaper greener rail fares pilot that will see peak rail fares scrapped across Scotland from 2nd October.

The pilot, which will last for at least six months, will provide huge financial relief to people commuting to and from Edinburgh at peak hours, and will protect the planet by encouraging more people to take the train rather than drive.

Route                                     Current peak fare                 New peak fare

Edinburgh to Glasgow                     £28.90                                    £14.90

Edinburgh to Dundee                      £41.40                                    £32.20

Edinburgh to North Berwick           £4.90                                      £3.80

Lorna Slater, the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity, said: “I’m delighted that with Scottish Greens in government we are introducing this trial, ending the two-tier pricing system and helping thousands of people across Lothian to cut costs while leaving the car at home.

“Every pound saved on a commute is money that can instead go towards heating, eating, and other expenses this winter.

“It’s a game-changing opportunity to transform habits, cut congestion, save money, and make our communities safer, cleaner and greener places to live and work.

“We’ve already seen how free bus travel for everyone under 22 has boosted bus use since we launched it last year, with tens of thousands of journeys being taken across Scotland every day.

“By helping people come back to public transport, and making our streets safer to walk, wheel and cycle, we are beginning to see the kind of positive, transformational change that Scottish Greens joined the government to deliver. Change that will help people, communities like the Lothians, and our planet.”

Best Start: More than 38,000 automatic payments help families with the costs of early learning

Families who qualify for Scottish Child Payment are now automatically awarded Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment and School Age Payment when their child becomes eligible, without them having to apply separately.

Figures showed that since Social Security Scotland introduced automation of the payments in November last year, 14,825 Early Learning Payments and 23,810 School Age Payments have been made, up to the end of June 2023.

Early Learning and School Age Payments are one-off payments of £294.70 to help eligible families as their child grows up, with things like clothes, travel, stationery or toys for home learning.

Social Security Scotland began making these payments automatically to eligible families who already get Scottish Child Payment, which is £25 per child per week, when it was extended to under 16 year olds.

1.7 million Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods payments have been made with more than £130 million paid to clients since the benefits launched in 2018.

Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Social Security Scotland’s five family payments, which includes Best Start Grant Early Learning and School Age Payments, are part of a package of measurements taken by the Scottish Government which will help lift 90,000 children out of poverty in Scotland this year.

“Tackling child poverty is central to the work of the Scottish Government and part of that work is making processes as straightforward as they can be for eligible people. The introduction of automatic payments for some of our benefits is a crucial part of that.

“This change has meant less paperwork for tens of thousands of families and has made sure that families across Scotland quickly and automatically get the financial support they are entitled to, to help support the development of their child when they are young.

“A very small number of people are eligible for Early Learning and School Age Payment but not Scottish Child Payment and I encourage them to check if they are eligible and continue to apply.”

Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods: high level statistics to 30 June 2023

Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment and School Age Payment are part of a wider package of five family payments including: Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment, Scottish Child Payment and Best Start Foods.

Best Start Grant Early Learning and School Age Payments are paid automatically to parents and carers who already receive Scottish Child Payment when their children become eligible. Automated payments were first made in November last year after Scottish Child Payment was extended to include all eligible people under the age of 16 and increased to £25 per child per week.

A small number of people are eligible for Early Learning Payment and School Age Payment but not Scottish Child Payment. The can apply at mygov.scot/benefits or by calling Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222

Storm Agnes: Be Prepared

Insurance advice from the ABI 

Homeowners and businesses need to be prepared as Storm Agnes approaches. But be assured that, should you suffer any storm damage, insurers will do everything they can to help you recover as quickly as possible.  

Damage caused by storms is covered by standard home insurance, commercial business policies, and comprehensive motor insurance. 

Mark Shepherd, Head of General Insurance Policy at the Association of British Insurers said: “Insurers expect bad weather at any time and their priority is always to help their affected customers recover as quickly as possible. 

“Where properties are damaged by floods or storms, insurers will be on hand to make emergency payments, arrange any temporary emergency accommodation, and make sure the damage is repaired. 

“If you suffer damage to your property, contact your insurer as soon as you can for help and advice.” 

The ABI advises people to: 

·       Keep a close eye on weather warnings, and follow advice from The Met Office, The Environment Agency, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Natural Resources Wales and the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland. 

·       Where possible, store items left in gardens that can easily be blown away and cause damage, like ladders, inside, or ensure they are secure. 

·       Have contact details of your home insurer to hand, along with other emergency contact numbers for your utility providers and the local authority. 

If you suffer storm damage: 

·       Contact your insurer as soon as possible. Most will have 24-hour emergency helplines to ensure you get advice on what to do and arrange repairs as quickly as is possible. 

·       If necessary, arrange temporary emergency repairs to stop any damage getting worse, but speak to your insurer first. 
If you have to arrange emergency repairs yourself, tell your insurer and keep any receipts, as this will form part of your claim. 

·       Do not be in a rush to throw away damaged items, unless they are a danger to health, as these may be able to be repaired or restored. Your insurer will advise. 

If your home is uninhabitable while repairs are being carried out, your insurer will arrange for, and pay the cost of, any alternative temporary accommodation you may need in line with your policy. 
 
Commercial polices will cover damage to premises and stock. Business interruption cover (which may be included or purchased separately) will cover additional trading costs, such as hiring temporary alternative trading premises if necessary. 
 
Comprehensive motor insurance covers the cost of repairing or replacing vehicles damaged by storms. 

Rosebank APPROVED

The North Sea Transition Authority has today granted development and production consent for the Rosebank field, north-west of Shetland.

The consent has been given by the oil and gas regulator to owners Equinor and Ithaca Energy, following the acceptance of the Environmental Statement.

An NSTA spokesperson said: “We have today approved the Rosebank Field Development Plan which allows the owners to proceed with their project.

“The FDP is awarded in accordance with our published guidance and taking net zero considerations into account throughout the project’s lifecycle.”

GREEN MP Caroline Lucas described the announcement as “the greatest act of environmental vandalism in my lifetime, causing emissions equal to 28 lowest income countries, busting #climate targets & doing nothing for energy security since vast majority is for export” #climatecriminals

Labour’s Environment spokesperson, Shadow Climate and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband said: “Here’s what it means. Rosebank: £3.75bn of taxpayer subsidy which could have been invested in renewables. 80% of oil exported, not a penny off bills, equivalent to half all UK emissions for a year.

“Colossal waste of taxpayer money and climate vandalism.” However Ed’s boss Sir Keir Starmer has already said that a future Labour government will NOT reverse the decision.

More responses from environmental organisations to follow

Amazon hosts Movie Morning for employees’ children

The team at Amazon in Dunfermline recently hosted a movie morning for employees’ children on site to support parents with childcare during the summer break.

The children were invited to visit their parents’ workplace at Amazon in Dunfermline to meet other children and watch a movie together.

The day started with breakfast and games, then the children were taken on a site tour of the fulfilment centre to see exactly what mum and dad do at work. After the tour, the children settled down to watch The Super Mario Bros Movie.

Speaking on the event, Jamie Strain, General Manager at Amazon in Dunfermline, said: “We all know it can be hard to entertain children during the summer holidays, so we wanted to ease the burden for our team members in any way we could.

“By hosting a movie morning, we wanted parents at Amazon in Dunfermline to feel at ease knowing their children were having fun whilst off school.”

Craig Urquhart, an employee from Amazon in Dunfermline who brought her son and daughter to the movie morning, said: “My two kids, Ben and Bella, had such a fantastic time watching The Super Mario Bros Movie with my colleagues’ children.

“It was a lovely experience to show Ben and Bella where I work and give them both the chance to make new friends. The summer break can be very long when the kids aren’t active and busy so I’m grateful that Amazon helped us parents bring joy to our children over the summer.”

Ben, Craig Urquhart’s son, added: “I had the best time at my dad’s work.

“I played loads of games with my new friends and then we got to watch a movie which was really fun too! I definitely want to come back again soon.”