If you are travelling to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh or Royal Hospital of Children and Young People for an appointment, please be aware of road works which are due to commence Monday 17 October 2022, for 24 Weeks as this will affect your travel time to your appointment.
The road works will result in 2-way Temporary Lights on Old Dalkeith Road near Little France Campus. The lights will move as work progresses from the campus up towards Shawfair Park and Ride/Train station. This will take a break for 2 weeks from Friday 23 December 2022 until Friday 6 January 2023.
We have been informed that this will result in a minimum of 20 minutes delay up to 50 minutes at peak times.
It has been suggested that people travelling to these sites should instead travel via Gilmerton Road, Edinburgh which runs parallel to Dalkeith Road, to access the Campus, as this may limit time impact.
Ten Scottish Landmarks joined Make 2nds Count ‘Shine A Light’ campaign
22 venues joined the campaign, designed to highlight the lack of awareness and support available for the incurable cancer
Three in ten UK adults who are either diagnosed or know a friend or family member with secondary breast cancer felt that research and support were insufficient and not readily available for patients or loved ones
Make 2nds Count has confirmed that 22 landmarks from across the UK joined the newly launched ‘Shine a Light on Secondaries’ campaign, which has been coordinated to highlight the lack of awareness and support available across the UK for patients and their loved ones living with the incurable cancer.
On Thursday night, 13th October 2022, venues including Camera Obscura, The Balmoral, Caird Hall and Blackpool Towershone brightly in the charity’s colours – pink, purple and teal – as part of the national campaign designed to “Shine a Light” on Secondary Breast Cancer Day, which is often overlooked amidst the wider narrative around Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October).
The participating Scottish venues were:
Camera Obscura
Edinburgh
St Andrews House
Edinburgh
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Glasgow
Perth Bridge
Perth
St Pauls Square
Perth
Dalkeith Country Park
Dalkeith
Caird Hall
Dundee
The Balmoral
Edinburgh
Marischal College
Aberdeen
His Majesty’s Theatre
Aberdeen
A YouGov survey commissioned this year by Make 2nds Count revealed that 29% of UK adults who are either diagnosed or know a friend or family member with secondary breast cancer felt that research and support were insufficient and not readily available for patients or loved ones.
It also confirmed that only 23% of these UK respondents asked would look to the mainstream media as a source of information and support when dealing with secondary breast cancer, whilst a staggering 59% refer to charities offering one-to-one advice and personal experience.
Heather Moffitt, a trustee of Make 2nds Count who is living with Stage 4 (metastatic) breast cancer, comments, “We desperately need people to be aware of this forgotten form of breast cancer. We need to change the narrative and raise so much more awareness around the signs and symptoms of this disease.
“Secondary breast cancer is incurable and without further research and education, this disease will continue to destroy the lives of so many. That’s why we’ve joined forces with venues across the UK to mark a moment and Shine a Light on this disease and the important work that needs to be done.”
The disease, also known as metastatic, advanced or stage IV breast cancer, is a cancer that has spread beyond the breast to other parts of the body and is incurable. On average there are around 35,000 patients in the UK currently living with this form of the disease.
Make 2nds Count is a patient and family-focused charity dedicated to giving hope to women and men living with secondary breast cancer.
Their mission is to fund secondary breast cancer research that contributes to advancing an increased quality of life for patients; establish a community that supports and educates patients and families affected by secondary breast cancer; inform and facilitate access to patient trials and to increase overall awareness of secondary breast cancer.
Statement from Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt:
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt said:“My focus is on growth underpinned by stability. The drive on growing the economy is right – it means more people can get good jobs, new businesses can thrive and we can secure world class public services. But we went too far, too fast.
“We have to be honest with people and we are going to have to take some very difficult decisions both on spending and on tax to get debt falling but the top of our minds when making these decisions will be how to protect and help struggling families, businesses and people.
“I will set out clear and robust plans to make sure government spending is as efficient as possible, ensure taxpayer money is well spent and that we have rigorous control over our public finances.”
At around midday yesterday, supporters of Animal Rebellion entered Waitrose in Morningside, took milk from the shelves, and emptied it on the floor of the shop.
This follows two high-profile milk spills in Fortnum & Mason and Selfridges in London where two individuals were arrested and charged with £100,000 in damages
SIX Animal Rebellion supporters disrupted Waitrose on Morningside Road yesterday as they continue their call for a plant-based future.
Two protesters took bottles of milk from the shelves and emptied them over the store’s floor to highlight the need to support farmers in a transition to a sustainable, plant-based food system.
Similar actions occurred simultaneously in London, Norwich, Manchester and Leeds.
Hannah, one of the activists, said: “Milk isn’t a viable product, it’s unsuitable for human consumption, it becomes unsuitable as soon as we exploit animals, deforest massive sways of land for unsustainable animal agriculture, polluting our groundwater and contributing more Greenhouse Gas Emissions than Exon, Shell and BP.”
The action comes as part of Animal Rebellion’s demands for a plant-based future, which were announced on 23/05/22.
The animal and climate group is calling for wholesale governmental support for farmers and fishing communities to transition to a plant-based food system and a programme of rewilding that will secure a future for generations to come by drawing down carbon from the atmosphere and restoring vital habitat to native wildlife.
Other recent actions taken by the group include disrupting the Queen’s Jubilee, running onto the track at Epsom Derby, and blockading multiple dairy distribution centres day-after-day at the beginning of September.
Animal Rebellion is a mass movement using nonviolent civil disobedience to call for a just, sustainable plant-based food system.
Exhibition now on display at the Museum of Edinburgh
The Put Your Thinking Cap On Exhibition, a collaboration between youth Samba band Pulse of the Place and Ferryhill Primary School, is now on display at the Museum of Edinburgh.
Inspired by the drumming sessions hosted by Rohan Seilman at Ferryhill Primary School and spurned on by an invitation to perform in a music video for the Edinburgh Festival Carnival, the exhibition shows portraits of students wearing their ‘thinking caps’ that were used at the Pulse of the Place performance.
The headgear was designed and fashioned by students with guidance and oversight from teacher and art specialist Dr Anke-Beate Stahl. The materials used were papier mâché, paper, wire, straws, pipe cleaners, pompoms, and glue. This provided an opportunity for pupils to express themselves creatively and experiment with different designs.
Many more pupils performed for Pulse of the Place than those whose portraits are displayed at the exhibition and their contribution should also be recognised. The portraits were shot in the school dining hall with this being the first experience of its kind for many students.
Councillor Val Walker, Culture and Communities Convener said: This exhibition represents an important addition to our collection of community-led displays and showcases the innovation and talent of our young people here in Edinburgh.
“I am sure this exhibition will be well-received by visitors to the Museum of Edinburgh. I would like to thank the pupils and teachers of Ferryhill Primary School and Pulse of the Place for undertaking this dynamic project, Councillor for Inverleith Ward, Hal Osler for her brokering and championing of this exhibition and to Museums & Galleries colleagues for their ongoing hard work.
Dr Anke-Beate Stahl, art specialist and teacher at Ferryhill Primary School said: “This exhibition highlights the creativity that our pupils can demonstrate when given the extra time, space, and specialist support.
“Connecting music and visual arts with the bonus of a public display is a great learning experience for the children.”
Inverleith councillor Hal Osler said: “I am so unbelievably proud of the pupils of @Ferryhill_PS who are presently appearing in an exhibition at the Museum of Edinburgh. Thanks to all involved – the exhibition looks fantastic and it’s well worth a view”
The exhibition runs until February 26, 2023 and is located in the community display area of the Museum of Edinburgh on the ground floor.
There are now 12,960 more CCTV cameras in the UK than there were three years ago
Almost seven in ten (69%) local authorities have increased their surveillance
Gwynedd and Wokingham councils have both upped their CCTV installations by over 300%
The number of public CCTV cameras in the UK has now risen to over 100,000, with some local authorities more than quadrupling their surveillance over the last three years.
IronmongeryDirect, the UK’s largest supplier of specialist ironmongery, issued Freedom of Information requests to local authorities and found that almost seven in ten (69%) have increased their CCTV presence since 2019.
Across the UK, there are now 108,533 public cameras, representing an increase of 14% (12,960 new devices). This doesn’t include privately owned equipment, such as cameras operated by businesses or members of the public, so the overall total will be even greater.
The biggest rise in CCTV has been in Gwynedd, in north-west Wales, where the council now operates 468 cameras, compared to 101 in 2019 – an increase of 363%. A new system has recently been installed that added multiple static cameras in locations where there used to be one pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) device.
Gwynedd Council is one of 16 local authorities that have more than doubled their CCTV over the last three years.
The local authorities that have increased CCTV at the quickest rate since 2019 are:
The biggest numerical increase was found in Liverpool, where there are now 741 more cameras than there were in 2019 (754 up to 1,495).
The London Borough of Hackney, however, has the highest level of surveillance. The council controls 3,119 CCTV devices, which is 815 more than any other local authority.
The councils with the most CCTV cameras in the UK are:
#
Local authority
CCTV cameras in 2022
1
London Borough of Hackney
3,119
2
London Borough of Hillingdon
2,304
3
South Lanarkshire Council
2,154
4
City of Edinburgh
2,027
5
Portsmouth
1,997
IronmongeryDirect spoke to Grant Fulton, CMC Operations Manager at Corps Monitoring, who predicts that the number of CCTV cameras in the UK will continue to increase: “As technology continues to advance, so too will the application of CCTV monitoring systems.
“Over the next few years, CCTV technology will improve our personal safety, the safety of our homes, businesses, assets, and far more.
“Currently, CCTV is mainly used for heatmaps and people counting but, in the future, CCTV-based facial recognition will be a significant part of our world, carrying major implications for personal device security and shopping.
“And as this technology increases, it drives down the cost of surveillance protection, making it more affordable and accessible than ever before.”
Dominick Sandford, Managing Director at IronmongeryDirect, said: “CCTV is an integral part of modern-day society, and cameras have grown more commonplace in recent years as technology and connectivity have improved.
“The increases revealed in our research might raise privacy concerns, but generally CCTV benefits the safety and security of both the public and businesses, and the upwards trend is unlikely to stop anytime soon.”
To read IronmongeryDirect’s CCTV Capitals of the UK: 2022 Report, including the CCTV figures for every UK local authority, visit:
Rare Birds Books launches new look advent calendar following sell out success in 2021!
Chocolate is so 2021; this year we are ushering in the festive period with a new era of advent calendar – one that offers romance, suspense, thrills and spills*.
Highly anticipated since its immediate sell out last year, home of female writing, Rare Birds Books has re-designed and re-launched its best-selling 24 Days of Reading (£50), a new way to celebrate advent.
To play along, you just need to open each day as normal, discovering an invitation to a new world behind every door, a secret blurb ready to take you on a journey. Each of the 24 descriptions corresponds to one of Rare Birds Books favourites from the past year, including 10 book club picks and 14 brand new titles; so, whether you’re a subscriber or a book worm, there is a story for you!
At the end of December, you choose your favourite four blurbs and using your personal code, redeem them for the four physical books! A gift that just keeps giving, the books will be despatched from 28th December onwards, meaning you will be able to start 2023 with a host of new reading material.
With postage included, this is the perfect early present for the bibliophile in your life. And for those vivacious readers, don’t panic, your book choices will be revealed before you complete your redemption, meaning you can confirm you haven’t got any duplicates.
Pre-orders begin in September for guaranteed copies, with all calendars begin shipping in November. They will be available to purchase online via the website, in store and at Stylist Live weekend.
So, which story will you choose for yourself this Christmas?
A mother’s experience of caring for her severely disabled son is the basis for a new play which will be performed next month at the Scottish Storytelling Centre.
Caring, by Rhona McAdam from Edinburgh, describes the daily struggle of living with a disabled teenager, and is based on her own life story.
The play, performed by Citadel Arts Group on November 3 and 4, with support from the Lottery, will be free, with a special invitation extended to carers’ groups in the city.
Rhona McAdam, who lives in Colinton, says: “It’s a realistic view of a mother caring for her teenage son.
“She is finding it tougher to care for him because he has a lot of physical care needs. Now he’s getting older she is maybe mothering him too much. In the play it’s his fifteenth birthday and she’s telling him he can’t have another beer.”
According to charity Care for Carers there are now more than 800,000 adult carers in Scotland, and 82 per cent have no time for respite or breaks.
Rhona based the character of Joey on her own son Ruairidh, who had Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and died this year, aged 29, shortly after she finished writing the play.
Boys and young men with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy lack a protein which causes progressive muscle weakness, leading to respiratory problems and difficulty swallowing.
The writer hopes others will be able to relate to the story.
“These are characters and these are their struggles – but it could be any teenager or any mother.
“All Joey wants to do is play on his X Box For Joey it’s a world where he can do things, run, and fight.”
In the play the character of the mother struggles to look after herself as well as her son, but comes to realise she needs to find a way to do this.
“I tried to make it realistic. Mum is no saint – in fact neither Mum or Joey is angelic. They are both a bit grumpy with each other. Mum is tired and a bit frustrated and Joey resents his mum for being annoyed.
“I wanted to show the reality of caring – but also that normal life goes on – whatever difficulties you face.”
Rhona McAdam was one of the writers of Leithers One Family, the play based on a family of Leithers, which Citadel Arts Group created and staged online during lockdown.
A version of the play Leithers Live, was performed at Custom House, Leith in June.
As well as losing her son this year Rhona also lost her husband Iain, who died during lockdown in December 2021. Writing the play and working with Citadel has given her a welcome focus.
She says: “I have written short stories before but I have really enjoyed being part of the collaborative process and working with actors and directors.”
Caring, which will be directed by Mark Kydd, will be staged at the Storytelling Centre on November 3 and 4.
The part of Mum will be played by Laverne Edmonds, Joey will be played by Fraser Allan Hogg, while Dale McQueen will take the supporting roles.
Liz Hare, director of the Citadel Arts Group says: “It will be a very welcome return to the Storytelling Centre for us. Although we are usually associated with Leith, the group originally performed at the Storytelling Centre. It’s a beautiful theatre space and we’re delighted to be going back.
“We’ve done a lot of work with Care for Carers and the Carers’ Group from the Eric Liddell Centre running creative writing workshops and Rhona’s play fits in really well with that. We did an early run through of the play with Edinburgh carers and they gave feedback and suggestions to help with the development of the script.”
Erica Whitaker Wallis, of Care for Carers said: “Across Scotland, there were an estimated 700,000 to 800,000 unpaid carers before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Survey work from Scottish Government in September 2020 suggests the number of adult carers had grown to around 839,000.As a result of the pandemic 90 per cent of carers are spending more time caring, with 82 per cent having had no access to respite or breaks from caring.
“It is therefore more important than ever that we continue to shine a light on the vital contribution that unpaid carers make to our society.
As an organisation we work alongside community partners to provide carers with access to short break opportunities which this year has involved providing drama workshops with Citadel Arts.
“For a carer, just a few hours break away from their caring role can make a big difference to their wellbeing which is why we view these partnerships as so important.”
The project received funding from the National Lottery Community Fund.
Director Mark Kydd said: “I think people will enjoy the play. In spite of the seriousness of the subject matter it’s surprising, it’s funny and it’s playful.
“Because the character Joey loves gaming he wants to be a superhero of his own story and that adds a fantasy element to the narrative.”
Caring, by Rhona McAdam, will be performed at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, High Street, Edinburgh on November 3 and 4, with a matinee on November 4
Thursday 3 November, 7pm
Friday 4 November, 4pm and 7pm
There will be a Q and A after the matinee on November 4 with Erica Whittaker Wallis from Care for Carers.
The most magical time of the year is almost here and Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre, is welcoming the start of the festive season with a special charity shopping night in aid of National Charity Partner, Teenage Cancer Trust.
This is taking place in Dobbies’ Edinburgh store on Thursday 24 November, 5-9pm, with tickets on sale now.
The Christmas Shopping Night is a perfect opportunity for the whole family to explore great-value festive gifts, decorations and products and get into the Christmas spirit.
There will be a welcome drink on arrival plus the chance to enjoy the exclusive shopping offers available on the night. With the Christmas themes for 2022 displayed throughout the stores there will be decorating inspiration for all, no matter your style or budget.
Dobbies’ popular Santa’s Grotto will launch in its Edinburgh store for a special preview as well as bookable tables in the restaurant offering a taste of the Christmas menu.
Available on the night will be two courses for £14.95 with the option of traditional roast turkey dinner or vegetarian Christmas dinner with Quorn sausages, followed by Christmas pudding or mince pie cheesecake.
Sarah Murray, Partnership and Events Manager at Dobbies said: “We’ve raised over £1.2m for Teenage Cancer Trust and our Christmas Shopping Night is a great opportunity, not only for customers in Edinburgh to enjoy a festive night out and exclusive offers, but contribute to raising funds for an incredibly worthwhile cause.”
Tickets are priced at £1, available at dobbies.com and in-store, and all proceeds from ticket sales and fundraising on the night will be donated to Teenage Cancer Trust. It is also possible to opt in to make a donation to the charity when booking other festive events online.
Donna Bednarek, Senior Relationships Manager for Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “We are delighted to see the return of Dobbies Christmas Shopping Night this year – an event our volunteers love to be part of.
“It’s companies like Dobbies, and their incredible team members and customers taking part in events like this, that allow us to ensure no young person faces cancer alone.”
Attendees in Edinburgh are invited to take a photo in-store for the chance to win a prize.
Customers can share their photos on social media by using #DobbiesChristmasNight and tagging @dobbiesgardencentres to automatically be entered.
For more Christmas inspiration and to browse Dobbies’ new season ranges, visit:
Veggie options are available but please make sure you tell us if you need one as it can get quite busy and we want everyone to enjoy their lunch 
