They came from schools, from projects, from churches and from nice warm houses – they came from all over Muirhouse on a mission: to plant thousands of bulbs on Muirhouse Avenue.
The gardeners braved chilly winds and showers over Friday and Saturday to plant their bulbs. The fruits of their labours won’t be seen until springtime – but it’s sure to be worth the wait!
The Muirhouse Centipede has been in touch asking us to remind readers that there’s a touch of ‘guerilla gardening’ taking place in Muirhouse Avenue tomorrow.
Working with the city council and North Edinburgh Arts, Muirhouse Centipede project has organised a community bulb planting weekend tomorrow and Saturday and they could do with a hand – the green-fingered group has no less than 9000 spring bulbs to plant on Muirhouse Avenue!
Working with local artist Natalie Taylor, Friday’s session is from 1 – 3pm and on Saturday it’s 10am – 2pm. Many hands make light work, and your labours will help produce a beautiful ‘painting’ come the Spring
Hot drinks and biscuits will be available for everyone who joins in, and groups from Craigroyston Primary School, Oaklands School and Muirhouse Millennium Centre have signed up to kick off the project tomorrow – come and join them!
For further information call North Edinburgh Arts on 315 2151 or visit www.northedinburgharts.co.uk
Edinburgh will join the rest of the world in observing Remembrance Day on Sunday – a commemoration of the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and of civilians in times of war.
Two minutes’ silence will be marked on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month – a date which marks the anniversary of the ending of the First World War in 1918.
Scotland’s national remembrance ceremony will take place at the Stone of Remembrance on the Royal Mile. In attendance will be the Rt Hon Donald Wilson, Lord Lieutenant and Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh, the Rt Hon Alex Salmond MSP, First Minister of Scotland and the Rt Hon Michael Moore MP, Secretary of State for Scotland.
Lord Provost Donald Wilson said: “On Remembrance Sunday, people the length and breadth of Britain will pay tribute to all those who have fought and died – and who continue to do so – in order to keep this country safe.
“Whether it’s by attending a Remembrance Service or Parade, or simply by taking a moment of quiet reflection, we can all show our gratitude and appreciation for the enormous sacrifices being made every day on our behalf by so many courageous men and women.”
Some of the Remembrance services and parades taking place across the city on Sunday include:
Royal British Legion Remembrance Day parade
When? 10am
Where? Meeting in St Giles Street
Details: The parade will head eastward to the Stone of Remembrance at the City Chambers where they will be met by civic dignitaries and representatives of various public bodies for the Act of Remembrance and a wreath laying ceremony. This will be followed by a service in St Giles Cathedral.
Corstorphine Remembrance Day service
When? 10am
Where? Close to the War Memorial at Corstorphine Kirk, Kirk Loan
Davidson’s Mains Remembrance service and parade
When? 12.30pm
Where? East Barnton Gardens, near to Cramond Road South)Details: The parade will move towards the War Memorial situated in ‘The Green’, where the Remembrance Service will take place.
Heart of Midlothian Remembrance Day service
When? 10.30am
Where? Grosvenor Street, from the junction at West Maitland Street
Details: Wreaths will be laid at Grosvenor Street (and later moved to Haymarket Junction). The Salvation Army Band will then march from Caledonian Place and Dalry Road to Grosvenor Street, where a one-minute silence will be observed.
Pilrig Park School has opened The Salon, a dedicated hairdressing training facility which will act as a base for pupils hoping to gain entry to college or an apprenticeship when they leave school.
Opening the new salon yesterday, top city hairdresser Charlie Miller said: “It gives me great pleasure to open Pilrig Park School’s hair salon. As educators it is important to give young talent recognition, encouragement and opportunity in the areas in which they shine. This salon will inspire some of the pupils to be hairdressers and, just as importantly, give them the tuition on how to look after their own hair and appearance which will be a vital part of them presenting themselves to the world when they leave school. I would like to wish the school and the pupils all the best with The Salon.”
The Salon is part of the development of Senior Phase in Curriculum for Excellence where choices are built around skills for life and skills for work. This new facility will be used to teach hairdressing skills, which is just one of many options open to the pupils including a variety of trades and, from next year, a working café teaching skills as part of a small business operation.
Ellen Muir, Head Teacher at Pilrig Park School, said: “There has to be relevance to what our pupils are doing. Courses must make an impact on them and how they take their place in society when they leave school. Salon skills are hugely popular and we have had interest in the course from learners at other city schools. We hope that in the future we may be in a position for other schools to access our Salon for training too. We are absolutely delighted that Charlie Miller was here to open our Salon and we are extremely proud of what has been achieved so far.”
Councillor David Key, Vice-Convener for Education, Children and Families Committee, said: “Opening this salon within Pilrig Park School will make a big difference to its pupils. Vocational training opportunities are an important element of our Curriculum and I would like to wish the school and the city’s future hairdressers the best of luck with this new endeavour.”
Kimberly Smith, an S4 pupil at Pilrig Park School, said: “I started the hairdressing course this year and I absolutely love it. I was always interested in hairdressing but didn’t really know how I could get into it as I don’t know any hairdressers and it’s really popular so it’s hard to get a trainee position. Now I am learning all about it and I hope to be able to do it full-time when I finish school.”
The school has worked with many partners and other schools on its hair and beauty training over the past four years, which has included pupils working on theatre productions at The Festival Theatre. Pupils will now get similar training in their own school environment. Younger learners will also use the salon as part of the Health and Wellbeing curriculum and certification is built around this.
A powerful play about the dangers of misusing fireworks is being performed at Broughton High School today. TOAST is a 30 minute drama which shows pupils how dangerous fireworks can be, as well as airing issues such as peer pressure, bullying and managing aggression.
It was originally commissioned by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) in Northern Ireland , was adapted for Edinburgh and is being staged by the Strange Theatre Company.
The production involves two actors playing 11 different characters, with the scene shifting between a hospital, a home, a school and a housing estate. The principal character is drawn into an ill-fated escapade with stolen fireworks, with ultimately tragic consequences.
The weeks leading up to Bonfire Night are traditionally a time of increased complaints to police about antisocial behaviour and noise relating to fireworks. Councillor Cammy Day, Community Safety leader, said: “Bonfire Night is great fun and families enjoy the spectacle of fireworks as the nights get darker. However, fireworks can be extremely dangerous if handled improperly. The play ‘Toast’ is an excellent way of helping young people understand the risks and dangers of misusing fireworks.”
Community Safety Manager for Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service, Steve Harkins, said: “As the service gears up for one of their busiest nights of the year we are urging parents and carers to be mindful of the potential risks from fireworks and the need to heed fire safety advice to ensure this year’s Bonfire Night celebrations stay safe. We work closely with partners including the City of Edinburgh Council to deliver fire safety advice to schoolchildren across the area and TOAST, which highlights the dangers associated with fireworks, is an excellent example of this type of initiative.”
The play will be performed at Holyrood RC High School and Broughton High School today and moves on to Leith Academy and Castlebrae High School tomorrow (Friday 2 November).
Police and Council officers in Edinburgh will be visiting parents in West Pilton in a bid to tackle the issue of fireworks being set off and fires being started in the area. Police officers from the Safer Neighbourhood Team and city council Community Safety Team staff are visiting the homes of youths identified or suspected of setting off fireworks and fire-starting after recent incidents.
Officers have being doing additional patrols in West Pilton over the last fortnight to deter youths from throwing fireworks and, as a result of their investigations, several youths have been identified as being responsible for dangerous behaviour in the area.
Joint Police and Council follow-up visits are being carried out over the next few weeks and the parents of youths involved will be warned over their children’s behaviour. Officers will also be urging parents to take additional steps to ensure their children are not involved in behaviour which causes a risk to the community.
Inspector Mark Rennie of Drylaw Police Station said “We have had two very concerning fires in West Pilton over the last month and several worrying incidents involving fireworks. This type of risk-taking behaviour will not be tolerated. We have additional officers on patrol and we are also highlighting the problem to local shop owners but speaking to parents about the recent incidents and potential consequences is a key part of our response”.
Councillor Cammy Day, Community Safety Leader for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “The joint visits are designed to make the position clear to parents – they are responsible for the behaviour of their children. We will carry out an investigation and look at potential breaches of their tenancy agreements and possible legal action should they not heed the warnings given to them. A key commitment of the Capital Coalition is to strengthen and support our communities and keep them safe. We will not hesitate to take the strongest possible action against those responsible for fire raising and other acts of antisocial behaviour.”
Anyone with information regarding fire setting in the area is asked to contact, Lothian and Borders Police 0131 311 3131 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Following yesterday’s ‘stink’ about refuse collections in North Edinburgh Pippa Milne (pictured below), the city council’s Waste Services manager, explains what’s been done – and what’s being done – to make the new waste collection service work efficiently:
“Recycling Advisors door knocked 2,375 properties on 13 August to advise residents of the change to Managed Weekly Collections and offer recycling advice. Further engagement was carried out within the first two weeks after 10 September following reports of excess waste being presented and bins out for collection on the wrong day – we also cleared the excess.
“The following day the Recycling Advisors visited the area to advise residents of the correct presentation days, offered collection day calendars, further recycling advice, took orders for additional recycling boxes and extended an offer of general support. There were 111 requests for additional or replacement boxes and the additional recycling box requests are all complete.
“The residents have had access to recycling facilities – both kerbside and on-street – for a number of years and we have also conducted satellite deliveries of boxes where all the properties were delivered a leaflet informing of a location and time to pick up boxes.”
Are you still experiencing bin collection problems? Are you now recycling more?
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A fundraising appeal to help complete the restoration of an historic well on the Water of Leith has been launched. A revamp of St Bernard’s Well, which sits inside a Roman-style temple near Dean Village, will cost over £230,000 – and after contributions from Edinburgh World Heritage and Edinburgh City Council, £50,000 is still needed.
St Bernard’s Well has a fascinating history. The natural spring was discovered by three boys from Heriot’s School in 1760 and it soon became a popular visitor attraction. The spring minerals were believed to have healing powers and people flocked to “take the water”.
Lord Gardenstone, a rather eccentric Law Lord with a pet pig and an excessive fancy to snuff, bought the well and commissioned Alexander Nasmyth to design a building for it in 1789. Nasmyth drew inspiration from the Temple of Vesta at Tivoli and placed a sculpture of Hygieia, the roman goddess of health on the upper level.
Lord Gardenstone also appointed a keeper for the well who would be responsible for charging the visitors their due fees for the water, and control the specified opening times. Subscribers were welcomed in the morning and the afternoon, all others in the hours between. However, “Upon a proper certificate from any regular physician surgeon, or apothecary of Edinburgh, the keeper shall supply poor persons with water at any time prescribed.”
Some claimed that the water could cure everything from a bruised leg to ‘total blindness’, but others described the taste as having the ‘odious twang of hydrogen gas’ or even like ‘the washings from a foul gun barrel’!
Now over 220 years old, St Bernard’s Well is in need of some care and attention and it’s hoped the appeal can restore the iconic site to it’s former glory.
Richard Lewis, Edinburgh City Council’s culture leader, said: “By restoring this unusual and quite beautiful well, we will be preserving a significant Edinburgh landmark for future generations.”
Adam Wilkinson, director of Edinburgh World Heritage, said: “St Bernard’s Well has to be one of Edinburgh’s most picturesque and tranquil locations, an elegant classical temple in a charming bucolic setting only minutes from Princes Street. We hope that people will come forward now to help us restore this important part of Edinburgh’s heritage for future generations to enjoy.”
Flora Stevenson Primary School’s approach to physical education has attracted the attention of university researchers. Pupils at the Comely Bank school have opted for daily physical activity – with ‘remarkable’ results – and the successful initiative will now be rolled out to more local schools.
Over the past two years extra training has been provided for teachers and pupils have been given opportunities to be active daily. This approach has made a significant impact on pupils who are showing an increase in confidence, motivation and self-esteem, as well as physical ability.
Since 2011 the school has been working with Winning Scotland Foundation and The City of Edinburgh Council who have provided a variety of support and funding for the initiative.
Pupils receive PE lessons three days a week and an active class challenge for their ‘non-PE’ day. The week culminates with the opportunity for them to participate in an optional hour of physical activity on a Friday – incredibly nearly 80% of all pupils now choose to participate in active options which include a wide variety of activities from fencing to football and hip-hop to tae kwon do.
Edinburgh University has been so impressed with this approach it is studying the impact it is having on training teachers within their own school.
Councillor Paul Godzik, Education Convener said, “This project has really had remarkable results so far. Alongside the great uptake of activities at school and the positive impact this is having on pupils, many are now choosing to partake in sports outwith school time. This means they are more likely to be physically active regularly and continue to be so in the long-run; this is an invaluable lifestyle change for them. This is a great example of how working with other organisations can lead to positive change.”
The project has allowed Flora’s to work closely with parents and other schools within the local community, one of which is Broughton High School (one of three school based Community Sports Hubs in Edinburgh). Sport can play an extremely important role in assisting children’s transition from Primary School to Secondary school.
Angela Hutt, PE Specialist at the school is delighted that her initial idea was developed and came to fruition thanks to the support and commitment of Shelagh Dow, Depute Head Teacher and her fellow teachers. Angela said; “The Curriculum for Excellence had given us the flexibility to provide pupils with opportunities to be active daily. As Friday’s activities are a reward for good behaviour we are seeing a positive impact on behaviour throughout the week. This is an ambitious project and wouldn’t be possible without support. A big thanks to everyone who has worked with us on this.”
Morag Arnot of Winning Scotland Foundation said, “This project has had a remarkable affect on the children involved and believe it could act as a blueprint for getting every child in Scotland active every day. We have been pleased to be able to support the project since its inception. We look forward to seeing how the project continues to develop across other schools and the impact it can have on more children.”
Cath Morrison, Senior Health Policy Officer, NHS Lothian said, “The advantages of children being physically active are well known but what Flora’s has done is package it up in such a way that it becomes part of their everyday life and influences behaviour outwith that time also. We are proud to be able to fund this programme and look forward to working with new schools on future projects also.”
Additional funding from Winning Scotland Foundation & the NHS has allowed the project to continue this year at Flora’s and to be introduced to Stockbridge Primary. It is hoped to further extend it to the remaining two cluster schools in August next year.
Initiatives to make Edinburgh a better city for ‘active travel’ will be considered by councillors this week, with cycling set to recieve a considerable chunk of the council’s transport budget. Inspired by Olympic success, there’s been a sharp rise in bike ownership over the last month so the measures are likely to prove popular with the Edinburgh public.
An extra dedicated cycling officer will also be appointed to take forward the design and construction of schemes that are already in the pipeline.
A further £460,000 will be spent on routine maintenance of cycle routes and on marketing and promotion. This year the Council has also attracted £425,000 of matching funding for cycle projects from the Scottish Government via Sustrans.
Councillor Jim Orr, vice-convener of the Transport committee, said: “This programme is evidence of the capital coalition’s commitment to making it easier, safer and more attractive for people to cycle and walk in Edinburgh. It represents a record investment by the Council with 5% of our total transport budget going on cycling, and we believe this is more than any other Scottish authority in both total and per head spend. Encouraging active travel makes sense for environmental, health and traffic reasons, but Edinburgh is also a fantastic city to explore on foot or two wheels. Our investment will make the most of that.”
There will be further spending on promoting walking, with a new post focussed on improving design for pedestrians and upgrading popular routes.
The measures form part of the Council’s Active Travel action plan, which was drawn up in 2010 with NHS Lothian, walking charity Living Streets, Sustrans and the city’s leading cycling group Spokes, among others. The Council’s progress will be measured under Scottish and European schemes to promote cycling, as well as annual reports to the Transport committee.
Edinburgh’s own Sir Chris Hoy’s herculean Olympic exploits have doubtless encouraged many more citizens to get on their bikes. Yesterday council leader Andrew Burns was joined by Inverleith councillor Nigel Bagshaw and Forth’s Cammy Day among others on the freshnlo Pedal for Scotland Glasgow to Edinburgh charity cycle – his tenth in a row! It seems the capital’s gone cycle crazy!
8500 cyclists registered for yesterday’s Pedal for Scotland event which was started by cycling star Mark beaumont and Scottish Transport minister Keith Brown
