PYCP Christmas Fair

We are having a fundraising Christmas fair at PY on Saturday 6 December from 2 – 4 pm.

Come along on the day to enjoy the atmosphere – we have a special VIP guest who will be floating around for the event and have lots of fantastic prizes on the tombola and raffle.

We are also being donated a cake to do a guess the weight on – the twist is that the cake is going to be a replica of PY Greenhouse building. Hopefully he will touch up the roof and make it more green than it actually is … !

I hope you can come along,

Debbie McMillan
Senior Administrator, Pilton Youth & Children’s Project

Get set for Inverleith's Christmas Charity Festival

The Christmas Charity Festival returns to Inverleith Park on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th December.

The festival is an annual event which looks to raise lots of money for many local and national charities ranging from Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home to Simpsons Special Babies Unit. Councillor, Lesley Hinds will open the proceedings on the Saturday morning, while MSP Malcolm Chisholm will start off the proceedings for our Santa Toddle at 1pm.

This year’s programme includes:

Santa arriving on his sleigh pulled by real Reindeer to open the Festival.

On Sunday afternoon Santa and his reindeer will lead the Santa Toddle Parade from Stockbridge into Inverleith Park, where all the kids can get involved.

Choirs, brass bands and groups will entertain throughout Saturday whilst the public can browse the many charity and gift stalls or rest awhile in our refreshment area.

Come along to our annual Carol Service at 3pm on Saturday and afterwards be our guest and have free glass of warm mulled wine with a hot mince pie in our main marquee.

Santa’s Grotto will be open all day Saturday & Sunday. Book early as it tends to sell out fast, especially as Santa will have his real reindeer with him. Last year many said, “It is one of the best Grottos in Edinburgh!”

Our new “Toddle Tent” will be open all day Saturday & Sunday. Providing lots of things for the wee ones including; soft play area, card making, ginger bread decorating, storytelling and lots, lots more.

Brand new for this year, Santa’s Reindeer! Bring the little ones to see Santa and his real reindeer in their pen. Open from 10am Saturday & Sunday.

On the Sunday, Adults can also run in our 5K, walk or stroll in our 6mile Christmas Walk, for your chosen charity.

For more info visit www.christmascharityfestival.com or give us a call on 0131 208 2500

Table Top Sale at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre

West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre is holding a table top sale on

Friday 21 November from 12 – 3pm

Looking to sell your unwanted items? Book a table for just £2!

Or just come along to browse and bag some early Christmas bargains!

Cafe

Free face painting

Free balloon modelling

Raffle

To book your table call into the Centre or telephone Linda on 551 3194

Happy bargain hunting!

NEN news: meetings and deadlines

News from your community newspaper:

North Edinburgh News – Annual General Meeting

NEN’s AGM will be held in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre next Tuesday (18 November) at 7pm. All welcome – come along and find out what’s happening at your community newspaper.

North Edinburgh News – December edition

The next NEN print edition is fast approaching – we’ll be printing again in December (look on it as an early Christmas gift!) If you have news you’d like to share with the wider community, email your article and pictures to northedinnews@gmail.com

Or what about taking out an advert? Rates are very reasonable (see below) and your’e supporting your community too!

2pp A5 Rate Card NEN

And for this edition only (true, there’s no much point in running Festive ads in June!) you can say ‘Merry Christmas’ to friends, colleagues, members, family, users and clients in a business card-sized ad for only £25! Just send your words and logo and we’ll add a seasonal graphic. Ho, ho, ho indeed!

DEADLINE for all copy – articles and advertising – is

FRIDAY 21 NOVEMBER so don’t put it off for too long!

Make a child’s Christmas with Licketyspit

Share some seasonal spirit – here’s an idea for a Christmas gift with a difference …

Dear Friends,

Licketyspit was founded in 2004, so we have survived and thrived, often against the odds, for ten years!

We have been kept going by the thousands of Scottish children, families and teachers who help us to create our work and support it with such enthusiasm and by the fantastic artists and colleagues who have consistently gone the extra mile for us in the interests of children and families.

We hope everyone we know and who knows us will want to celebrate with us by donating a £6 ticket for a child/family who wouldn’t otherwise be able to come to our Christmas show, Hare & Tortoise at North Edinburgh Arts (1st – 20th December).

If you go to the Licketyspit website http://www.licketyspit.com there’s a PayPal Donate button on the front page and we will email a Gift Aid form to you afterwards. These tickets will be distributed through The Haven Project and Circle, both organisations working in Muirhouse with disadvantaged families.

This is our fourth production of Hare & Tortoise following amazing outdoor performances on Glasgow Green for the Commonwealth Games Festival 2014 in July. It features Actor/Licketyspit Associate Artist, Johnny Austin (Quangle Wangle, Magic Spaghetti) and the wonderful Buchan Lennon.

We are having a Birthday performance (limited ticket availability) on Friday 12th December at 5pm followed by a Bun Brothers Tea hosted by Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People, Tam Baillie at 6.15pm. We would be delighted if you could join us for either or both events. We have attached an invitation below, please feel free to circulate to any colleagues or contacts that you think may be interested. Please RSVP to info@licketyspit.com

Hope to see you there!

With thanks and very best wishes,

Virginia, Beth and all at Licketyspit

Make a child's Christmas with Licketyspit

Share some seasonal spirit – here’s an idea for a Christmas gift with a difference …

Dear Friends,

Licketyspit was founded in 2004, so we have survived and thrived, often against the odds, for ten years!

Hope to see you there!

With thanks and very best wishes,

Virginia, Beth and all at Licketyspit

It’s A Wonderful Life tops Christmas poll

Timeless classic It’s A Wonderful Life has been voted the best Christmas film of all time. The 1946 movie, starring James Stewart as suicidal George Bailey, beat the likes of Home Alone and The Muppet Christmas Carol in the Radio Times poll.

It pushed Richard Curtis’s romantic comedy Love Actually, starring Colin Firth, Martine McCutcheon and Hugh Grant, into second place, followed by Will Ferrell movie Elf.

Family favourites The Muppet Christmas Carol and Home Alone took fourth and fifth place in the poll, carried out on RadioTimes.com.

Miracle On 34th Street and traditional Christmas films The Snowman and Scrooge also finished in the top 10.

Writing in the Radio Times, film critic Barry Norman said of It’s A Wonderful Life: “Frank Capra’s wonderful, life-enhancing film should be shown every Christmas preferably after the Queen’s Speech. Yes, it verges on the sentimental but never too much so. Far more it’s simply heart-warming – the grandaddy of all feel-good movies.”

:: RadioTimes.com top 10 Christmas films of all time

1. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

2. Love Actually (2003)

3. Elf (2003)

4. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

5. Home Alone (1990)

6. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)

7. Santa Claus: The Movie (1985)

8. Miracle On 34th Street (1994)

9. The Snowman (1982)

10. Scrooge (1951)

What’s your favourite festive season film? Let us know!

All welcome at PYCP Open Afternoon

Christmas is always a busy time at Pilton Youth and Children’s Project, but this year, as well as the usual Christmas parties for different age groups (see below) PYCP are also hosting an Open Afternoon for the wider community to enjoy.

On Friday 20 December we’re promised special performances, Christmas storytelling, food and fun so PYCP’s Green house is the place to be from 12.30 – 2.30pm! All welcome.

A nation divided …

… and it’s nothing to do with the Referendum!

With Christmas just around the corner new research from Clydesdale Bank has shown that the nation is divided over the very thing that makes Christmas sparkle – this country’s love affair with outdoor festive lights!

Almost half of us (47%) said we love seeing lots of brightly lit Santas, snowmen and reindeers outside of houses at this time of year. However, almost a third have a more ‘bah humbug’ approach to lighting up the festive season.

The survey revealed that 14% of us think they are a waste of money and a further 11% actually wishing their neighbours wouldn’t decorate the outside of their homes. Nearly one in ten (8%) of those surveyed said they simply don’t like Christmas decorations while a sixth (15%) said they would like to put lights outside their home but the cost of powering them puts them off.

But despite mixed views the majority of the nation is getting into the festive spirit with 57% of us saying we are looking forward to spending time with family and friends.

However this time of year is also proving to be stressful for some with almost a fifth of those surveyed admitting that they are worried about paying for Christmas and a further 19% stating that Christmas shopping is their least favourite part of the build-up to the big day.

Andrew Pearce, Retail Director for Clydesdale Bank, said: “Our research has shown that people either love or loathe outdoor Christmas lights. Some view them as extravagant and an unnecessary waste of money and electricity whilst others enjoy the Christmas atmosphere they bring to the community.

“Whatever decorations you opt for this year, it’s still possible to have fun this festive season without blowing the budget.”

Clydesdale Bank’s simple tips to save money this Christmas:

Set a budget – and stick to it. Work out how much you can afford to spend and don’t exceed this amount.
Remember the most expensive present is not necessarily the best. Sometimes a more thoughtful, personal gift can be more appreciated. For example, new parents may prefer the offer of babysitting rather than more perfume or aftershave.
Shop about – when you have decided what you want to buy, look for the best bargain. Many shops have sales in the run-up to Christmas, so pick your purchasing timing wisely.
Group together – rather than buying gifts for every one of your friends individually, why not hold a secret Santa where each person buys for just one friend?
Have a family feast – ask your guests to bring a course or some goodies with them so you don’t have sole responsibility for Christmas dinner. It could simply be bringing the wine or the Christmas crackers but will help you share the expense.

What’s your view – tacky or terrific? Let us kno-ho-ho!