The internationally-renowned chamber choir from Pomona College, California, USA, are about to undertake a concert tour of the UK, including concerts in London, Cambridge, York and Durham as well as appearances in St Andrews and Edinburgh on the 27th and 28th May, respectively.
The concert in St Andrews will be in conjunction with another student choir, the St Andrews Madrigal Group.
SING GENTLY
A choral celebration of music from the Americas and Britain
Pomona College Glee Club, California, USA
Joint concert with St Andrews Madrigal Group
Holy Trinity Church
South Street, St Andrews KY16 9NL
Saturday 27th May, 7.30pm
ADMISSION FREE
ST GILES AT SIX
St Giles Cathedral
High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1RE
Sunday 28th May, 6pm
ADMISSION FREE
The Pomona College Glee Club, Pomona’s elite chamber choir, has been representing Pomona College both internationally and at home for over 100 years.
Recent tours have seen the choir singing in prestigious venues throughout Germany, Poland, Italy and the Czech Republic as well as the UK.
Their current tour will visit London, Cambridge, York, Durham and St Andrews, as well as Edinburgh, presenting the very best of unaccompanied choral repertoire, including music by Beach, Byrd, McMillan, Walton, Weelkes and Whitacre.
The STUC, along with the TUC, are coordinating a protect the right to strike day today (Wednesday 1 February).
PM Rishi Sunak is trying to force his anti-union “sack key workers bill” through parliament in a matter of weeks. It means that when workers democratically vote to strike, they could be forced to work and sacked if they don’t.
That’s wrong, unworkable, and almost certainly illegal. We need to stop this bill.
These new laws are a direct attack on working people’s fundamental right to strike to defend their pay, terms and conditions.
EDINBURGH
Edinburgh Day of Action
The Day of Action for Edinburgh will consist of three events:
Rally in the Mound at noon particularly for the PCS DWP members who will be on strike that day;
Indoor rally in the Southside Community Centre at 1.00pm/1.30pm.
Rally in the Mound at 5.00pm particularly for EIS members.
Solidarity with worker striking on the 1st February
Join our solidarity rally. Scottish workers in the civil service, higher education, some schools, some rail operators and Co-op Funeral Care will all be taking industrial action on 1st.
Join our joint strike rally at the Donald Dewar Steps, Buchanan Street at 12 noon.
LOW EMISSION ZONE BEGINS TO TACKLE EDINBURGH’S AIR POLLUTION PROBLEM
It’s been revealed that Scotland did not breach air pollution limits in 2022 for the first time, excluding the impact of lockdowns in 2020. Campaigners say the improvement in air quality in Edinburgh shows the early benefits of Low Emission Zones, with reductions in pollution from diesel vehicles.
Friends of the Earth Scotland analysed official air pollution data for 2022, looking at two toxic pollutants which are primarily produced by transport. Legal air quality standards came into force in 2010, yet had previously been broken every single year since except 2020 when the lockdowns resulted in a big drop in car journeys.
The provisional data suggests that air quality across Scotland was within legal limits in 2022.
Edinburgh’s Low Emission Zone will formally begin in June this year. To support bus operators to meet the criteria, the Scottish Government has provided grants for buying new buses or retrofitting older buses. This has almost certainly led to air quality improvements on Edinburgh’s busier bus corridors, such as city centre streets.
Many areas across Edinburgh showed reductions in nitrogen dioxide, compared to 2021, with a slight increase on St John’s Road.
St John’s Road also experienced an increase in particulate pollution (PM10), the data suggest. In 2021, there was an annual average of 11.00 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3) for PM10, rising to 14.31 µg/m3 in 2022.
There were year-on-year increases in PM10 across the city. These could be attributed to an increase in car traffic after all Covid-19 restrictions were removed, or a more general increase in commercial activity.
Dirtiest streets for Nitrogen Dioxide
The European Ambient Air Quality Directive set a limit for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) of 40 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3). The deadline for this limit to have been met was 2010.
Location / NO2 Nitrogen Dioxide Annual mean (µg/m3)
Edinburgh St John’s Road 29.26 Edinburgh Queensferry Road 26.86 Edinburgh Nicolson Street 23.40 Edinburgh Salamander St 18.34 Edinburgh Gorgie Road 17.37 Edinburgh Glasgow Road 15.14 Edinburgh St Leonards 13.09 Edinburgh Currie 4.77
Dirtiest streets for fine particles (PM10)
The Scottish annual statutory standard for particulate matter (PM10) is 18 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3).
Location / PM10 annual mean (µg/m3)
Edinburgh St John’s Road 14.31 Edinburgh Salamander St 14.26 Edinburgh Queensferry Road 13.92 Edinburgh Nicolson Street 12.11 Edinburgh Glasgow Road 11.81 Edinburgh Tower Street 10.01 Edinburgh St Leonards 9.22
Air pollution kills 2,500 people in Scotland each year and puts the population at risk of serious health conditions, like asthma, heart attacks, and strokes. It’s especially harmful to children, the elderly, and people living in poverty or made vulnerable from other health conditions.
Friends of the Earth Scotland’s Transport Campaigner Gavin Thomson said: “Air pollution from transport is responsible for thousands of premature deaths in Scotland every year, and causes serious heart and lung issues, so it’s great that some progress is being made in parts of Edinburgh.
“The provisional data show that the Low Emission Zones and the Scottish Government’s hefty subsidies for operators to buy new buses are having an immediate impact.
“The bad news is there’s persistent diesel pollution on St. John’s Road, and particulate pollution has increased across the whole city. If we want to stop breathing tiny particles that damage our vital organs, we need to change the way we move around. The evidence is clear – the more we can move away from fossil fuels, the more our health is protected”.
Joseph Carter, Head of Asthma and Lung UK Scotland said: “It is good news this year that air pollution on our streets has been kept within its legal limits, yet there is obviously more that can be done. We need the Scottish Government to make tackling air pollution a national priority.
“Air pollution is the biggest environmental threat to public health. At a cost of £1.1bn per year to the NHS, it is draining our resources, straining our health system and cutting short over 2,500 lives a year in Scotland. It is causing new lung conditions like lung cancer, and worsening existing ones.
“With 1 in 5 Scots developing lung conditions like asthma and COPD in their lifetime, for them, it can trigger life-threatening asthma attacks and exacerbations.”
England’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty recently noted that, ‘everyone is affected by air pollution, and it is everyone’s problem’.
With just a week until Christmas Day, Christmas markets up and down the country are bustling with people, visiting their nearest towns and cities with the hopes of getting in the festive before the big day.
It’s an annual tradition which transforms towns and cities into festive wonderlands stuffed with mouth-watering food, drinks, and stalls laden with great gift ideas.
A new study by Envirofone, reveals the most and least popular Christmas markets in the UK this festive season, taking into account the general publics reaction to the markets since they opened a month ago.
SCOTLANDS TOP CHRISTMAS MARKET EVOKES FRUSTRATION AMONGST VISITORS
In total, 15 UK Christmas markets were ranked, scraping 63,160 social media posts that mentioned each Christmas market during last year’s opening period to analyse the emotional sentiment – identifying tones of anger, disgust, fear, joy, sadness, and surprise to reveal the percentage of positive and negative mentions. Additionally, we collected data from Instagram hashtags and TikTok views to see which are the most popular across those social media platforms.
Whilst overall Edinburgh Christmas markets take 2nd place when taking into account overall social listening, TikTok views and Instagram mentions, 16% of the social media posts mentioning the markets between October 2022 and the first week of December indicate feelings of anger, disgust and sadness towards the event.
Although many praised the markets for their variation of gift stalls and the range of food and drink on offer, the majority of the negative comments come from those commenting on the overcrowding and queues that have been in place to enter the markets.
People have taken to social media to comment on the unnessesary amount of food vendors at this years event, slamming the prices of the food and drink on offer at them.
However, we cannot forget the hidden wonders that Edinburgh Christmas markets offers, including a Christmas tree maze, theatre performances and concerts unsurprisingly has been viewed the most out of all the Christmas Markets on TikTok, with 12,516,000 views.
Mentioned a total of 6,700 times on social media during 2021’s festive season, 17% of these posts evoked feelings of joy, with the markets being noted for their festive feel, the number of activities that the event offers and the range of winter warming food available.
London’s Hyde Park Winter Wonderland ranks first as our festive front-runner, boasting 65,780 Instagram hashtags, over 10.5 million views on TikTok and 14,000 search mentions.
A favourite in the North of England, Manchester takes home third place with 16% of the social mentions evoking feelings of joy around the festive feel of the markets from those mentioning it.
NEWCASTLE IS RANKED THE LEAST ENJOYABLE
Newcastle sits at the bottom of the leader board, with 7% of mentions of the markets being of anger and fear. As “COVID” was a popular term used in conjunction with both Newcastle and Cardiff markets, this indicates that last year COVID was still affecting the running of the events.
Although 16% of Blenheim Palace mentions are joy, it’s high ticket prices pull down the ranking of the event, placing it in fourteenth place.
RANKED: CHRISTMAS MARKETS FROM MOST TO LEAST POPULAR
Rank
Christmas Market
Instagram (no of hashtags)
TikTok (no of views)
Total mentions
% Positivementions
% Negativementions
Average Index Score
1
Winter Wonderland
65,780
10,596,079
14,000
17%
9%
0.75
2
Edinburgh
47,214
12,516,400
6,700
17%
12%
0.78
3
Manchester
62,462
5,041,542
7,500
16%
13%
0. 83
4
York
9,315
445,842
9,400
12%
14%
1.27
5
Lincoln
12,275
494,313
2,900
14%
26%
1.28
6
Birmingham
17,789
525,978
4,800
16%
7%
1.34
7
Belfast
8,670
4,213,156
3,600
9%
23%
1.46
8
Bath
31,422
21,995
2,200
20%
6%
1.68
9
Nottingham
4,877
120,135
3,100
8%
31%
1.73
10
Winchester
7,908
34,779
1,400
23%
2%
1.84
11
Liverpool
3,600
602,204
3,100
10%
10%
1.84
12
Exeter
3,294
25,270
918
21%
4%
2.09
12
Cardiff
4,072
155,923
1,200
11%
8%
2.13
13
Blenheim Palace
6,937
96,308
442
16%
1%
2.24
15
Newcastle
2,248
3,780
1,900
11%
7%
2.40
Many other Christmas markets stand out when looking at individual metrics. York sits in second place for total social mentions, Belfast is ranked at number four on TikTok, gaining 4,213,156 views, whilst 23% of Winchester Christmas market social mentions were positive.
Police officers in Edinburgh City Division have administered Naloxone for the first time within days of the intra-nasal sprays being issued to counter opioid-related drug overdoses.
Officers based in the Drylaw area responded to a concern for person call on Friday, 9 December, 2022, and found a woman exhibiting signs of opioid-related overdose.
PC Paul Gunderson, who had only received his personal issue Naloxone that day, was able to administer it as a first aid response and ensure the casualty was passed into the care of paramedics.
PC Gunderson, who has 8 years’ police service, said: “The woman was showing the typical symptoms of a potential opioid-related overdose we’d been told about through our Naloxone training – she was displaying rasping, laboured breathing, had pin-point pupils and her skin was clammy to the touch.
“The nasal spray worked quickly, in the way we’d been told it would, and her condition had improved by the time an ambulance arrived to take her to hospital for additional help.
“Both my colleague, PC Roxanne Kinnear and I were very relieved I was carrying Naloxone as part of my kit. I was able to use it very quickly and extremely easily, and it has helped to save the life of someone experiencing a crisis situation.
“A core principle of policing is to preserve life, and I’m grateful I was able to fulfil my duty and do that on this occasion. I have no doubt my fellow officers feel the same as we all begin to carry these kits.”
Chief Inspector Neil Wilson said: “Drug-related deaths take a terrible toll on families and communities across Edinburgh, and indeed, the entire country. Equipping our officers with Naloxone gives them the opportunity to make a real difference to someone’s life, and indeed the lives of their friends and relatives.
“It also gives us the chance to improve community relationships as people know we’re there to help when they need it most. Having our officers carrying Naloxone in a high profile manner in branded pouches also helps to break down the stigma around drug misuse and I hope it encourages other people to consider carrying Naloxone themselves.”
This is the first time Naloxone has been given to local officers in Edinburgh City, with around 500 kits issued earlier this month. Officers undertake a short online training course before beginning to carry the pouches along with their standard issue equipment. More kits will be delivered in the coming months for the remaining officers.
Police Scotland officers have now administered Naloxone in at least 97 incidents since training began in March 2021. Around 4,000 kits have now been delivered across several divisions, with the national roll-out expected to be completed early in 2023.
All operational officers across Scotland will be trained in the use of Naloxone and equipped with kits as part of the roll-out. It will also be issued to police custody officers, and those in national divisions such as Operational Support.
The roll-out follows a successful pilot project in four parts of the country last year, followed by an independent evaluation. As a result, the national programme was approved earlier this year, and began on International Overdose Awareness Day in August.
Words most associated with EDINBURGH are history, architecture & theatre/arts
New research has revealed that Edinburgh is labelled as historical by people across the UK. The survey by Legal & General asked respondents to select the words they most associate with various UK cities, including their own.
The survey found that the top words associated with Edinburgh are historical (53%), architecture (42%), and theatre/arts (40%).
Other key findings include:
Respondents living in Edinburgh chose historical (71%), theatre/arts (65%), and architecture (62%) as the top words associated with their city
The words least associated with Edinburgh are industrial (10%), rugby (11%), and football (14%)
Edinburgh was the second most prosperous (23%) and innovative (16%) city, behind London only
Edinburgh is the UK city most associated with architecture, chosen by 42% of respondents
Legal & General also investigated the various satisfaction levels of people living in the UK in their Rebuilding Britain Index report.
The study finds that 69% of Brits are satisfied with their local area – this was 68% among those in Scotland. However, there are many factors such as healthcare (62%) and public green spaces (50%) that significantly affect levels of contentment.
People in the south-west of England have the highest levels of satisfaction with their local area (76% of survey respondents).
In contrast, just 62% of those polled in the north-east say they are satisfied with their area – the lowest of any region.
“Expensive” is the word Brits most associate with London (68% of respondents).
“Historical” is how Brits are most likely to describe Edinburgh (53%), while Sheffield is viewed as “industrial” (43%), and the word most associated with Newcastle is “football” (44%).
Overall, 69% of the UK are satisfied with the place where they live.
Access to high quality health services (GP, dentists, pharmacy) is the factor that most determines satisfaction with an area – 62% selected this option.
Satisfaction runs deep
There is no shortage of local pride in Britain’s regions, but the sunny south-west, including Bristol, Bath and the towns and villages of Somerset and Gloucestershire, has the highest levels of satisfaction (76%) among locals when asked to rate the place where they live.
New research from Legal & General as part of their Rebuilding Building Britain Index explores satisfaction levels across the UK.
As part of the research, 20,000 people were surveyed to find out how satisfied they are with their lives – and how different factors – from work opportunities to transport – affect their levels of contentment.
The study found that Brits are largely happy with their neighbourhood – 69% say they’re satisfied with their local area.
The key to happiness
But not everyone would describe their local patch as a happy place to live. In the north-east of England, just 62% of respondents said they’re satisfied with their area – the lowest of any region. And when asked which factors have the biggest impact on satisfaction levels, the survey revealed that healthcare, public green spaces and a reliable mobile signal are crucial to how people view their surroundings.
Other factors include congestion and quality of local roads, as well as the availability of well-paid employment options.
The words on the street
Our health, happiness and sense of place is affected by the way we perceive the world around us. So how do Brits view different cities across the UK? A new survey commissioned by Legal and General asked respondents which words they would use to describe different urban centres. Here are the top answers:
LONDON
Expensive (68%)
SHEFFIELD
Industrial (43%)
BIRMINGHAM
Industrial (36%)
GLASGOW
Historical (35%)
BRISTOL
Historical (28%)
NEWCASTLE
Football (44%)
CARDIFF
Rugby (35%)
LEEDS
Football (33%)
EDINBURGH
Historical (53%)
BRIGHTON
Lively (42%)
Newcastle had the most UK respondents label the city as ‘friendly’ with 35% selected this as an option to describe the area. Sheffield (25%), Birmingham (24%), Cardiff (26%) and Brighton (30%) were the only other UK cities where ‘friendly’ was selected as one of the top 3 associated words.
Respondents offered other words and phrases as part of the survey which they believe resonate with UK cities, such as the ‘Commonwealth Games’ for Birmingham, ‘University’ for Bristol and ‘LGBTQ’ for Brighton.
John Godfrey, Director of Levelling Up, Legal and General comments: “Our Rebuilding Britain Index focuses on how economic infrastructure and the built environment can support efforts to level the playing field of opportunity.
“The end-game is in people leading happier and more fulfilling lives – but we’ve found that life satisfaction can be significantly impacted by our surroundings. Our research into the common associations people in the UK have with our capitals gives us interesting insight into this specifically.”
CAPITAL RESCHEDULES CAR FREE DAY EVENT TO SUNDAY 2nd OCTOBER
Edinburgh is set to join over 2,000 cities across the globe in celebrating World Car Free Day, a free, community focused event being organised by Crexcell, and supported by The City of Edinburgh Council.
As a mark of respect following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Edinburgh’s Car Free Day has been postponed (from the official date of Thursday 22nd September), and will now be staged on Waverley Bridge, on Sunday 2nd October 2022, between 11:00 to 19:00.
Waverley Bridge, in the city centre, will be transformed into an inclusive community hub of information, inspiration and activity encouraging people to consider alternatives to car travel in Edinburgh. The city’s public transport operators, bike and environmental campaigners, active travel and public safety organisations are all set to take part.
The City of Edinburgh Council has set a target to reduce distances that Edinburgh residents travel by car by 30% over the next decade, as well as achieving Net Zero status by 2030.
With transport being one of the biggest carbon emission contributors, Edinburgh’s World Car Free Day event will encourage people to consider more sustainable alternative transport for their everyday journeys.
It will raise awareness of the more sustainable modes of transport available across the city, promote the health and wellbeing benefits of active travel, and offer the essential information and support people need to commit to long term change.
Among those already signed up to attend are Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams, who play a significant role in reducing reliance on more carbon intense forms of transport by providing a quick, convenient and reliable alternative to driving.
Members of the team will be at Waverley Bridge to chat about their services within the city, including Park and Ride options, and the vast opportunities for – and the benefits of using – public transport.
Police Scotland will offer support to cyclists and walkers with cycle security advice, personal safety, bike marking and general crime prevention when moving around the city.
The Bike Station, which inspires new cyclists by selling reliable and affordable upcycled bikes, will be on hand to offer bike safety checks and bikes to try out. The team will also have information on safe cycle routes throughout the city, and bike to work and cycle friendly employer schemes.
There will also be a hosted reception and information point, additional bike parking, a wellbeing area with health and fitness demonstrations and classes, and a chill out zone. Local singers and bands including Sara Forshaw, Folk Drama, and The Wispz will provide the musical entertainment throughout the day.
World Car Free Day is a worldwide initiative to encourage motorists to reset how they think about travel and use more sustainable transport.
It also promotes improvement of public transport, cycling and walking, and the development of healthier, greener neighbourhoods where jobs are closer to home and where shopping is within a short walk, wheel or cycle from home.
Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener for The City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Choosing more sustainable modes of transport, like bus, tram, bike or walking over the car not only benefits the world around us, but can have a really positive impact on our health and quality of life.
“Car Free Day gives us the chance to really focus on these benefits, and to help people consider how they might try alternative ways to travel.
“The Council has set some ambitious goals to reduce car kms travelled by 30% in the next decade, as well as delivering on our 20-minute neighbourhood vision to enable a net zero Edinburgh where everyone can live well locally.
“We need to rethink the way we move around the city to meet these targets. I would encourage people to come along on 2nd October to find out more about the different ways we can travel around the capital.”
Edinburgh’s ten-year City Mobility Plan aims to transform the way we move around the city, reducing emissions, positively impacting public health and tackling congestion amongst other benefits.
Actions include projects like City Centre Transformation, Trams to Newhaven, George Street and First New Town, 20-Minute Neighbourhoods and the extension of 20mph speed limits, as well as behaviour change initiatives and seamless public transport ticketing.
Neil Booth, Edinburgh Trams’ Safety Manager (Environment), commented: “Car-free days provide a massive opportunity for cities to raise awareness of how pollution affects our lives, and highlight how congested roads can be used in different ways.
“At Edinburgh Trams we are fully committed to helping to make Edinburgh healthier, safer and more attractive for both residents and visitors by providing a quick, convenient and reliable alternative to driving into the city centre.”
Following the death of Her Majesty The Queen, all official flags, including the Union Flag, should be half-masted from as soon as possible until 08.00 the day following The Queen’s State Funeral. Flags may be flown overnight during this period but should remain at half-mast.
Official flags in this instance are defined as national flags of the home nations, Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories, Ensigns and Ships’ colours.
Any non-official flags flying or due to be flown, such as the Rainbow Flag or the Armed Forces Day Flag, should be taken down and replaced with a Union Flag at half-mast. Other official flags scheduled to be flown can be flown as normal, but at half-mast.
Half-mast means the flag is flown a third of the way down the flagpole from the top, with at least the height of the flag between the top of the flag and the top of the flagpole.
On poles that are more than 45° from the vertical, flags cannot be flown at half-mast and should not be flown at all.
The Union Flag must be flown the correct way up – in the half of the flag nearest the flagpole, the wider diagonal white stripe must be above the red diagonal stripe. Please see the College of Arms website
Royal Standard
The Royal Standard is never flown at half-mast even after the death of a monarch, as there is always a Sovereign on the throne and it would therefore be inappropriate for it to fly at half-mast.
The Union Flag will be flown at half mast on all Royal Residences.
UK PARLIAMENT
Following the announcement of the death of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the House of Commons, the House of Lords and everyone at UK Parliament extend their sympathies to the Royal Family.
Statement from the Speaker of the House of Commons, The Rt Hon. Sir Lindsay Hoyle:
‘For all of us, the Queen has been a constant presence in our lives – as familiar as a member of the family, yet one who has exercised a calm and steadying influence over our country. Most of us have never known a time when she was not there. Her death is not only a tragedy for the Royal family, but a terrible loss for us all.
During her 70 years on the throne – and even before that, as a teenager, reassuring and engaging with children and families disrupted by the Second World War – she has given our lives a sense of equilibrium. While her reign has been marked by dramatic changes in the world, Her Majesty has maintained her unwavering devotion to the UK, the British Overseas Territories and the Commonwealth of Nations – and her gentle authority and sound reason have been felt throughout.
She has travelled the world extensively, modernised the Royal family, and is credited with inventing the royal ‘walkabout’, which enabled her to meet people from all walks of life during her visits. As Head of State, she has provided advice and the benefit of long experience to 15 prime ministers during her reign – and met more than a quarter of all the American presidents in the history of the US.
The Queen has been involved in everything that is important to us and which makes us who we are – from state occasions to Royal weddings, and especially at Christmas, with her wise words and reflective annual message.
She has been a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother – but she has been our Queen, and we will miss her beyond measure.’
Statement from the Lord Speaker, The Rt Hon. Lord McFall of Alcluith:
‘Following the death of the Queen, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the nation and the whole Commonwealth is united in deep mourning.
For 70 years she has been a loyal and steadfast presence in the national life of the United Kingdom.
Her integrity, unique record of public service, deep sense of faith and commitment to her role have ensured that she will be regarded as a supreme example of a constitutional Monarch.
Her vital relationship with our Chamber, where the three elements of Parliament come together during the State Opening, ensures that she will be forever remembered and cherished by the House of Lords.
Today my thoughts, and indeed those of the whole House, will go out to His Majesty the King and to the members of the Royal family, for whom this feeling of loss will be profound.
Today the nation reflects on the service Queen Elizabeth II gave to the Crown and to her people, and gives thanks for her life.
Members may wish to be aware that information about arrangements for the House will be issued by Black Rod and the House authorities shortly.
In fondest remembrance of a Queen dedicated to Her nation and Her people.’
MPs will have the opportunity to pay tribute at a special parliamentary session at Westminster this afternoon:
Business
Tributes to Her late Majesty The Queen.
12:00pm – 10:00pm
ROYAL MOURNING
Following the death of Her Majesty The Queen, it is His Majesty The King’s wish that a period of Royal Mourning be observed from now until seven days after The Queen’s Funeral. The date of the Funeral will be confirmed in due course.
Royal Mourning will be observed by Members of the Royal Family, Royal Household staff and Representatives of the Royal Household on official duties, together with troops committed to Ceremonial Duties.
Flags at Royal Residences
Flags at Royal Residences were half masted yesterday, Thursday 8th September, and will remain half-masted until 0800hrs on the morning after the final day of Royal Mourning.
The half-masting of flags at Royal Residences does not apply to the Royal Standard and the Royal Standard in Scotland when The King is in residence, as they are always flown at full mast.
Guidance on flags at other public buildings has been issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Royal Gun Salute
Royal Salutes will be fired in London today at 1300hrs BST in Hyde Park by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery and at the Tower of London by the Honourable Artillery Company. One round will be fired for each year of The Queen’s life.
Closure of the Royal Residences
Royal Residences will close until after The Queen’s Funeral. This includes The Queen’s Gallery and the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace, and The Queen’s Gallery in Edinburgh. Balmoral Castle and Sandringham House, The Queen’s private estates, will also close for this period. In addition, Hillsborough Castle, The Sovereign’s official residence in Northern Ireland, will be closed.
Floral Tributes at the Royal Residences
Following the death of Her Majesty The Queen, the following guidance is given to members of the public who wish to leave floral tributes at Royal Residences:
At Buckingham Palace members of the public will be guided to lay floral tributes at dedicated sites in The Green Park or Hyde Park. Flowers left outside the gates of Buckingham Palace will be moved to The Green Park Floral Tribute Garden by The Royal Parks. Further guidance will be issued by The Royal Parks.
At Windsor Castle, floral tributes can be left at Cambridge Gate on the Long Walk. These flowers will be brought inside the Castle every evening, and placed on the Castle Chapter grass on the south side of St George’s Chapel and Cambridge Drive.
At the Sandringham Estate, members of the public are encouraged to leave floral tributes at the Norwich Gates.
At Balmoral Castle, floral tributes can be left at the Main Gate.
At the Palace of Holyroodhouse, members of the public are encouraged to give floral tributes to the Wardens at the entrance to The Queen’s Gallery. Those flowers will be laid on the Forecourt grass in front of the North Turret of the Palace.
At Hillsborough Castle, floral tributes may be laid on the Castle Forecourt, in front of the main gates.
Information on Floral Tributes at other public buildings and locations will be issued by the Cabinet Office.
Books of Condolence at the Royal Residences
There are no physical Books of Condolence at the Royal Residences.
Since the early 1960s plans have been in place in the event of the death of the Queen. These have undergone numerous changes in the decades since. As Her Majesty the Queen died in Scotland, “Operation Unicorn” will now be triggered.
Details of “Operation Unicorn” were first reported to the public in 2019, although the codename appeared in the Scottish Parliament’s online papers in 2017.
Holyrood Palace, St Giles’ Cathedral, and the Scottish Parliament will serve as the focal point of gatherings. A condolence book will be open to the public and set up at the Parliament building.
It’s reported that the Scottish Parliament will be suspended to allow authorities to prepare for the Queen’s state funeral.
The Queen’s coffin will initially lie in repose at the Palace of Holyrood, before being carried to St Giles’ Cathedral where there will be a service of reception.
Thousands of people are expected in Edinburgh to pay their respects and they will be encouraged to gather around the Scottish Parliament, Holyrood Palace and St Giles’ Cathedral.
More details to follow.
Edinburgh road closures and public transport information
Road closures are in place in the city centre, with further closures planned in the coming days.
We expect significant disruption in the city over the next few days. We will update this page with further details of which roads will be closing and public transport information.
Detectives in Edinburgh have acknowledged the conviction of George Anthony McClure Newby for sexual offences, including rape.
The 32-year-old was been found guilty following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh on Friday (26 August, 2022).
Newby was convicted of serious sexual crimes against two women in the Edinburgh area in 2020 and 2021.
Detective Inspector McArthur-Kerr of the Edinburgh Public Protection Unit said: “George Newby is a predatory and dangerous man who committed horrendous crimes against his two victims.
“It is thanks to the courage of the women who came forward that he has been now been found guilty of these crimes and the cruelty of his behaviour has been exposed.
“I would like to commend them in their bravery throughout this investigation and trial. Hopefully the verdict today will help them moving forward.”
The MoonWalk Scotlandmade its long-awaited comeback in Edinburgh last night(Sat 11th June).
Women and men wearing brightly coloured bras – many decorated with this year’s “Your Hero” theme – set off from Holyrood Park for this year’s MoonWalk, the first “live” event since 2019.
Those taking part included “Team Holyboobs”, led by Christina McKelvie MSP, who has recently been treated for breast cancer (below).
Over the last 15 years, this iconic night-time event, organised by breast cancer charity Walk the Walk, has raised almost £22 million. The money is granted across Scotland, to help support those living with cancer.
During the pandemic, Walk the Walk gave £20,000 to the charity Cancer Support Scotland, to help fund its online services.
Previous grants have been made to Maggie’s Centres in Glasgow, Forth Valley and Airdrie and to the Breast Cancer Unit at Edinburgh’s West General Hospital.
Funds have also been given to hospitals across Scotland to purchase Scalp Coolers – amazing machines which help many people undergoing chemotherapy to keep their hair.
