There are loads of exciting, fun and FREE actvities for the whole family to enjoy this weekend. As well as the Craft giveaway at The Botanics (see previous post), don’t forget this is Doors Open weekend in Edinburgh (visit the website for a list of all attractions at www.cockburnassociation.org.uk
And of course there’s also Septemberfest, Broughton High School’s autumn extravaganza – see their Facebook for a full list of what’s going on on Saturday down at East Fettes Avenue.
The FOOD for THOUGHT FORUM, in association with Pilton Community Health Project and Barri Grubb, has highlighted a feast of free food events across the Forth area over the summer holidays. How’s this top ten for tempting treats?:
Saturday 7 July 11 – 2pm
West Pilton Community Garden & Planting Day
West Pilton Place, next to Pilton Youth & Children’s Project Greenhouse – all welcome, just turn up!
Tuesday 10 July 10am – 12 noon
Craigroyston Cookery
Craigroyston High School, Pennywell Road – phone to book on 538 7285 or 477 7801.
Thursday 12 July 1 – 3.30pm
PEP Summer Fayre
West Pilton Park – all welcome, just turn up!
Tuesday 17 July 10am – 12 noon
Craigroyston Cookery
Craigroyston High Schoo, Pennywell Road – phone 538 7285 or 477 7801 to book.
Thursday 19 July 11am – 1pm
Spanish Cooking at Barri Grubb
Pilton Community Health Project, Boswall Parkway – To book your place call 551 1671.
Tuesday 24 July, 11am – 1pm
Fabby Food Store Picnic and Barbecue
West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre – just turn up!
Tuesday 24 July 11am – 1pm
Simple Snacks at Millennium Centre Summer Youth Club
Muirhouse Millennium Centre, Muirhouse Medway – call 467 3578 to book.
Wednesday 1 August 12.30 – 4pm
Trip to the Botanics’ Edible Garden
Bus leaves The Haven Project, Craigroyston Primary School. To book, call 551 1671.
Saturday 4 August 1 – 4pm
Granton Community Gardens Barbecue
Corner of Boswall Parkway and Wardieburn Road – just turn up!
Wednesday 8 August 11.30 – 3.30pm
Trip to Craigies Farm
Bus leaves PCHP, Boswall Parkway. Phone to book on 551 1671.
THE Royal Botanic Garden is today counting the cost of this week’s storm after the gales toppled more than 40 trees and smashed hundreds of windows.
The visitor attraction has been left reeling after hurricane-force winds lashed the Inverleith site, with a number of the trees blown down dating back 125 years.
Among the most valuable is the ailanthus altissima – also known as the Tree of Heaven – which was torn from its roots by 100mph winds.
Curators at the Botanics hope they can propagate the rare Chinese tree – brought to Scotland in 1925 by the collector Joseph Rock – along with other rare varieties struck down by the winds.
Many were uprooted or snapped off at ground level, damaging smaller trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants around and beneath them as they fell.
The public glasshouses and research houses also suffered severe damage, leaving plants exposed to the elements, with 400 panes of glass in all smashed.
David Knott, curator of the living collections said “I have never experienced storm damage at RBGE like this before. We will attempt to propagate the wild origin trees that have come down.”
It comes as property experts at the city council continue to survey the damage caused by the high winds at 110 city sites.
Insurance industry sources said many individual claims for damage to roofing or building fabric could total tens of thousands of pounds.
At Edinburgh Airport, a Jet2 cargo plane is being repaired after being struck by a flying bus shelter.
Scottish Power said around 600-700 homes across Edinburgh and the Lothians were still without power, with extra engineers drafted in from down south to help fix the faults.
A spokeswoman said they had received the same number of faults in a single day as they would normally in three months.
Forecaster for the Met Office Dave Clark said gusts reaching around 50mph would return to the Lothians on Sunday.
Kirkliston Leisure Centre will be closed for the foreseeable future until a new roof can be installed and the climbing centre at Ratho was closed after its roof was damaged, and later partly reopened. Leith Waterworld, which was closed due to storm damage, will reopen for its final weekend.
STAFF at Edinburgh’s world-famous Royal Botanic Garden have been left red-faced after the horticultural event of the decade fell flat.
The institution has been waiting eight years for its giant “corpse flower” to bloom and confidently predicted the event would happen this summer – the first time ever in Scotland.
So sure were staff, they printed T-shirts and set up a webcam, and even prepared to borrow a thermal imaging camera from the fire brigade to monitor the flower at night.
But all the 154kg monster produced was a giant, spindly leaf.
It is hoped that the plant will flower next time around which will be around March 2013.
Source: Edinburgh Evening News
