Our new programme for the term ahead starting 21st August 2023
Swimming sessions start on the 31st August & 1st September, there are no swimming sessions until then!
Our summer programme is still happening until Tuesday 15th August.
We will be asking for new consent forms for the new term.
We look forward to seeing you soon.
MYDG team
Residents at Strachan House in Blackhall marked Indian Independence Day on Tuesday.
Independence Day is celebrated on August 15th, the anniversary of the day in 1947 when the provisions of the Indian Independence Act, which transferred legislative sovereignty to the Indian Constituent Assembly, came into effect and India gained its Independence from the United Kingdom. It is a public holiday in India. The Prime Minister raises the red national flag of India and addresses the nation.
Residents enjoyed an afternoon of cultural learning and a mini celebration themselves as they took part in some sari and sherwani dressing.
Those residents who had visited India previously shared their experiences of their trips and one carer Diane gave a wonderful display of traditional dancing.
There was a fabulous spread of delicious Indian dishes including a variety of different curries with samosas, bhajis, pakora, kofta, poppadum, naan, with raita, lime pickle and mango chutney all washed down with lots of delicious hot tea.
Gordon Philp, General Manager at Strachan House, said: “We celebrate all cultures and religions and we try to mark as many cultural events as possible.
“Indian Independence Day has given our residents a wonderful opportunity to find out more about India and its traditions, and our residents have enjoyed sharing their experiences of times they spent visiting India”
Bernard Lennon, a resident, said: “It is so important to mark occasions like this and to remember the history behind the date.
“I really enjoyed watching the dancing and learning how to wear the traditional dress for a gent. It was very comfortable. But sampling the different dishes was the best bit!”
Our varied life enrichment programme keeps residents active, and provides a daily choice of engaging physical, mental and spiritual activities tailored to residents’ interests and abilities.
Strachan House is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering high-quality care across its care homes and hospitals. Strachan House provides nursing care, residential care, respite care.
THIRTEEN park tennis courts in four Edinburgh parks will reopen this summer after state-of-the-art renovations worth £190,000.
The improvements to the courts in Inverleith Park, Leith Links, Victoria Park and St. Margaret’s Park has been managed by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and funded by the City of Edinburgh Council, UK Government and LTA Tennis Foundation.
Through the Parks Tennis Project, the LTA is delivering the biggest ever investment in parks tennis facilities across Britain, which has been used to transform 13 courts across the capital providing a significant boost to sporting facilities.
The courts have undergone extensive work to ensure viability for years to come, including; resurfacing, repainting, some new fencing, nets and a new booking gate system.
This nationwide programme of investment is seeing thousands of existing park tennis courts in poor or unplayable condition brought back to life for the benefit of communities across the country, providing vital opportunities for children and adults to get active.
As part of the partnership, the Council’s Parks and Greenspace service will manage the courts and will adopt the LTA’s Clubspark booking system to manage community access which will be connected to a smart access gate at each of the refurbished venues.
The new booking systems and gate access technology means it is now easier to get on court by booking in advance to guarantee availability. The small booking fee of £1 will ensure that the courts are maintained at their new high standard for years to come. The LTA and the Council will work together to ensure free park tennis sessions are also available on the courts providing regular opportunities for anyone to pick up a racket and play.
Investment into parks is one way in which the LTA is working to open tennis up across Scotland, in partnership with Tennis Scotland. The LTA, Tennis Scotland and sportscotland are also delivering the £15million Transforming Scottish Indoor Tennis fund to provide more year-round community accessible tennis provision. Oriam, Scotland’s Sports Performance Centre at Heriot-Watt University’s Riccarton Campus, has benefitted from this fund with new indoor tennis courts scheduled to open in September 2023.
The refurbishment works for courts at Inverleith, Victoria Park, and Leith Links have now been completed. Residents will be able to begin using these courts immediately, with the online booking system launching in the coming weeks. Works at St Margaret’s Park are expected to be completed by early September.
Councillor Val Walker, Culture and Communities Convener, City of Edinburgh Council added: “We very much welcome the funding boost that the LTA project will bring to the city’s provision for tennis. Working together we’re investing in and improving four of our park tennis courts giving more opportunities and availability for residents to get involved in the sport.
“I am delighted that courts at three out of four of these parks, Inverleith, Victoria Park, and Leith Links have now had works competed and will reopen this weekend, with St Margaret’s Park expected in the near future.
I” am looking forward to seeing residents and visitors take advantage of these fantastic new facilities.”
Julie Porter, Chief Operating Officer at the LTA, said: “After months of hard work, we’re delighted that we will soon see park tennis courts across Edinburgh officially back open to the public, and in better shape than ever.
“Public tennis courts are such vital facilities for getting active and we want as many people as possible, of all ages and abilities, to pick up a racket and enjoy playing tennis. Thanks to this investment the sport will be opened up to more players, for years to come.”
Stuart Andrew MP, Sports Minister, said: “We are committed to levelling up access to sport which is so important for the nation’s physical and mental health.
“The Government and the LTA are working together to deliver thousands of refurbished courts across Great Britain, supported by £30 million of investment including in Edinburgh.
“These improved Edinburgh Tennis Courts will provide the local community with fun opportunities to get active and potentially become the next Andy Murray or Emma Raducanu.”
Exhibitions & displays
National Museum of Scotland
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Beyond the Little Black Dress
Until 29 Oct 2023
Special Exhibition Gallery, Level 3
Ticketed (concessions available)
From design classics to cutting-edge catwalk creations, this exhibition deconstructs the little black dress and examines the radical power of the colour black in fashion. The exhibition will chart a century of fashion in a series of themed, immersive displays.
Iconic early pieces by Yves Saint Laurent, Dior and Jean Muir will be juxtaposed with recent looks by ground-breaking contemporary designers and brands like Gareth Pugh, Simone Rocha and Off-White.
Find out more nms.ac.uk/Beyond-the-Little-Black-Dress
Rising Tide: Art and Environment in Oceania
12 Aug 2023 – 14 Apr 2024
Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3
Free
Delve into the most important and pressing issue of our time, humanity’s damaging relationship with planet Earth. This urgent issue is felt especially deeply in Australia and the Pacific Islands where sea levels are rising due to climate change and the oceans are filling with plastic. Rising Tide considers our relationship to the natural environment through contemporary artistic responses to climate change and plastic waste by Indigenous Australian and Pacific Islander artists.
Find out more nms.ac.uk/Rising-Tide
Japanese Contemporary Design
Until 30 Jul 2023
Exhibition Gallery 3, Level 1
Free entry
From striking statement jewellery to prints and porcelain vases, this new free display considers how Japanese contemporary makers have combined innovative and traditional art, craft and design elements over the past five decades.
The star object is Hitomi Hosono’s A Large Pine Tree Pool, a sculptural porcelain bowl with complex hand-carving made and acquired in 2019. Further highlights include Junko Mori’s intricate New Pinecone Silver Organism, and colourful body adornments by jeweller Suō Emiko’s adapted from metalworking and engraving techniques traditionally used in the making of Japanese sword fittings.
Find out more nms.ac.uk/Japanese-Contemporary-Design
Events
National Museum of Scotland
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Experts Radio Lab
8 Aug – 24 Aug
Various days and times
Hawthornden Court
Free, drop in
Experts Radio Lab and the accompanying Listening Station is a free, drop-in experience, set within our pop-up radio studio at the National Museum of Scotland. Interviews are shared live to an audience of fellow interviewees, their families and anyone who’s curious. Share your expertise with us or come along and learn from the masters! You never know what you’ll learn. A production by Alice Mary Cooper and Company.
Find out more nms.ac.uk/experts-radio-lab
Museum Late: Fringe Fridays
11 Aug & 18 Aug
19:30 – 22:30
£16 – £22
Fringe Fridays are back! Enjoy a unique flavour of the Fringe and explore the museum after hours. From comedy and cabaret to music and magic, handpicked performers will showcase highlights from their acts across two adults-only extravaganzas, alongside bars and entry to our summer exhibition, Beyond the Little Black Dress. Acts across the two nights include the Black Blues Brothers, Sunshine on Leith, Cirque Afrique and many more.
Book now nms.ac.uk/museum-late-fringe-fridays
BSL Access Evening: Beyond the Little Black Dress
15 Aug
18:00-19:30
Standard exhibition entry prices apply
Part of Edinburgh Deaf Festival, join us after hours for a Deaf-led BSL tour of key objects in the Beyond the Little Black Dress exhibition.
From design classics to cutting-edge catwalk creations, this exhibition deconstructs the little black dress and examines the radical power of the colour black in fashion. The tour will last around one hour with the chance to explore the exhibition independently afterwards.
Book now nms.ac.uk/bsl-access-evening-beyond-the-little-black-dress
Morning Curator Tour: Rising Tide
16 – 24 Aug
09:15-10:00 (doors open at 09:00)
Ticketed
Join curator Dr Ali Clark for an exclusive morning tour of our Rising Tide exhibition, delving nto the stories behind the exhibition and explore the innovative and artistic responses to climate change and plastic waste by Indigenous Australian and Pacific Islander artists. Add a voucher to upgrade your experience with refreshments in one of our museum cafés.
Book now nms.ac.uk/morning-curator-tour-rising-tide
Adult Workshop: Introduction to Fashion Illustration
09 Sep
11:00 – 16:00
Studios, Level 4
Age 18+
£45 – £50
Learn the fundamentals of fashion illustration in this drawing class with illustrator, Katie Braid.
Book now nms.ac.uk/fashion-illustration
Audio-Described Access Evening: Beyond the Little Black Dress
12 Sep
17:30 – 19:00
Special Exhibition Gallery 1, Level 3
Age 8+
Explore the Beyond the Little Black Dress exhibition supported by an audio-described tour of key objects, for those who are blind, partially sighted or visually impaired.
Book now nms.ac.uk/audio-described-access-evening
Film Screening: Fashion Reimagined
16 Sep
14:00 – 16:30
Auditorium, Level 1
Tickets £6 – £10
Age 14+
Join us for a screening of this 2022 documentary film following fashion designer Amy Powney of cult label Mother of Pearl, a rising star in the London fashion scene. Documentary Fashion Reimagined follows designer Amy Powney as she embarks on a three-year journey to create a sustainable clothing collection and transform the way we engage with fashion.
Book now nms.ac.uk/fashion-reimagined
National Museum of Flight
East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian, EH39 5LF
Open daily 10:00 – 16:00
Big Build Weekend
26 & 27 Aug
10:30 –16:30
Free with museum admission
Inspired by our current Brick History display, take part in our mass participation Big Build alongside LEGO experts Warren and Teresa Elsmore. You will be building part of a 3-metre-tall Saturn V rocket, the only launch vehicle to carry humans beyond low earth orbit to the moon, which will then become part of the Brick History display until November.
Book now nms.ac.uk/big-build-weekend.
Brick Sundays
3 – 17 Sep
12:00 – 16:00
Free with museum admission
Inspired by our current Brick History display, each Sunday we will have a different build theme. Choose to make something inspired by the theme or build your own creation. For something a bit more energetic, take part in our speed build challenge and see if you can make it to the top of the champions’ board.
Book your visit nms.ac.uk/brick-sundays
Conservation Hangar Tours
Until 31 Mar 2024
Free with museum admission
Booking required
See behind the scenes of the work carried out in the museum’s Conservation hangar with a guided tour and find out more about objects from the collection that aren’t normally on display.
Book now nms.ac.uk/Conservation-Hangar-Tours
National Museum of Rural Life
Philipshill Road, East Kilbride, G76 9HR
Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Nature Track Packs
Until 31 Aug
10:00 – 17:00
Borrow from the ticket desk
Free with museum admission and Annual Pass
Explore more at the National Museum of Rural Life this summer with our Nature Track Packs. Each pack contains fun ideas and activities to encourage children to engage all their senses to explore the countryside on a walk up to the farm.
Read more nms.ac.uk/nature-track-packs
MooFest
16 & 17 Sep
10:20 – 15:30
Free with museum admission and Annual Pass
Join us for a celebration of all things cattle at the National Museum of Rural Life.New for 2023, this weekend of cattle-inspired activities, talks and tastings for young and old alike.
Book your visit now nms.ac.uk/moofest
Lewis’s Scottish Adventure Trail
Until 6 Oct 2023
Trail
Free with museum admission and Annual Pass
Go on an adventure around the museum with a new family trail at the National Museum of Rural Life.
Find out more nms.ac.uk/lewis-s-scottish-adventure-trail
Follow us on Twitter…twitter.com/NtlMuseumsScot
Follow us on Facebook…facebook.com/NationalMuseumsScotland
Follow us on Instagram…instagram.com/nationalmuseumsscotland/
For booking, opening times and location details, contact National Museums Scotland on 0300 123 6789
World Culture and Diversity event at TSA East Scotland Employment & Support Provision
Wednesday 9th August 11am-3pm
FRIDAY 28 JULY 11am – 2pm
FREE FAMILY FUN DAY AT DRUMBRAE LIBRARY
Friday 28 July, 11am to 2pm
– parkour
– VR
– sports
– music workshop
– crafts
– information stalls
– tea, coffee and snacks.
Check other free events & activities at http://edinburgh.gov.uk/warmandwelcoming
WEDNESDAY IS DINOSAUR DAY!
We have an extra special week coming up at Blackhall Library with our Dinosaur Day on all day Wednesday and our Open Garden Day on Saturday!
For Dino day you can book in for specific activities or just come along, there will be fun Dinosaur themed activities for children running all day!
Our Open Garden Day is being supported by our wonderful Friends of Blackhall Library group – there will be plants, books, light refreshments and other goodies for sale along with activities for children and prizes to be won!
Do you like board games? I sure do, and this Friday starting 2pm we’re running a taster session for younger people to try some out!
We’ve aimed Tabletop Squires at kids aimed 8-12, but experience and maybe a small bit of help from an accompanying adult will definitely help!
Some of our games:
Dixit – make a story out of abstract cards to score points
Skull – push your luck in this hidden bidding game
Dobble – high-paced picture-matching
Space Team – a loud and frantic spaceship game
I am also working on a large version of an existing game where you can become the player pieces!
We’ve started making some poster cheat-sheets with the rules, but we’ll do our best to explain each one to start you off.
If you’re interested, please sign up on EventBrite:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/…/tabletop-squires-tickets…
There will be food, music, fun and games – we can’t wait to see you there!
Please RSVP on Eventbrite to help us plan for numbers: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/community-renewal-turns-20-celebration-tickets-635374772047?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshwebdesktop
Now that the schools are starting back, it’s almost time for out Autumn programme to start