Walled garden friends set meeting date

The next meeting of the Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden

will be held on Thursday 23 April from 6 -7.30 pm

at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre

Agenda so far:

Community ideas and aspirations – new additions to our list like the solar powered cycletrack to light up at night, recreation of a bit of the medieval castle!
Funding to make things happen – priorities?
Awareness raising, membership and voting rights.
EDI/WEL meeting
Planning committee meeting & Local Development Plan

Seating for 20, so please get in touch if you want to come along or put forward suggestions or questions for the meeting.

PS: Feedback from the exhibition at North Edinburgh Arts café has been very positive with many people surprised and glad to hear about the Friends Group campaign to safeguard and restore the walled garden.

Looking forward to seeing the film Sophia is making!

Kirsty Sutherland

Granton’s Walled Garden – update

Hi all,

A quick update to say the deputation to the City Chambers went really well with a decision made to review the outdated ‘minded to grant’ planning permission for the 17 luxury townhouses.

I didn’t expect local councillors to be so surprised by this garden’s existence, age and rarity, or the fact that it was a council arms-length company’s responsibility. Heartening indeed was their decision to review the individual planning application by WEL from 2003, in light of new planning policies meant to protect the Historic Environment and Scotland’s Cultural Heritage. Hopefully this time they will refuse it in recognition of the value of this garden as incredibly rare and valuable heritage greenspace.

STV News wrote a good covering article on our deputation (link below):

plea-to-save-grantons-forgotten-walled-garden-put-to-council

Next meeting

Thursday 12 March

6-7.30pm at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre.

Please send in any agenda points you wish discussed.
Hopefully some of you can make this date and time.

Kirsty Sutherland,

Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden

PS: Can everyone fill in a membership form if you haven’t done so already, postcode is handy to identify areas support is coming from, full address isn’t needed unless you wish to receive correspondence by post rather than e-mail.

For more information check out Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden on FaceBook

Porty pottery – do you dig it?

Residents in Portobello are being urged to take a closer look at their own back gardens this weekend to help archaeologists uncover the secrets of the area’s once-thriving pottery industry.

The area has a rich industrial heritage, with a ceramics industry that thrived in the town for more than 200 years.

Dig Portobello, an initiative from Portobello Heritage Trust (PHT) which is supported by the City of Edinburgh Council and The National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund, will see small trenches dug to examine potteries from Portobello’s past.

Councillor Richard Lewis, Culture Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Edinburgh has a fascinating history and this project will really allow members of the community to discover sections of Portobello – and their own back gardens – that have been buried for almost 250 years. Budding archaeologists don’t even need to have their own garden to dig in as selected pieces of council-land will also be unearthed.”

Portobello Heritage Trust’s chair Margaret Munro said: “We can’t wait to start digging. We are very proud of our heritage, but want to know more about our industries. This project gives everyone in the community the chance to find out more over an exciting weekend of activities.”

Get involved

The people of Portobello are being encouraged to sign up and dig a small trench no more than 1m x 2m in size in their gardens, with the guidance of professional archaeologists. Those without gardens or people from outside the area can also take part, as the council has given permission for test pits to be dug on selected areas of council-owned land.

A range of activities will take place over the weekend, all based at or starting from The Wash House Community Centre on Adelphi Grove. Volunteers of all abilities are encouraged to sign up for free geophysical survey training on Friday 29 August at 12pm and an introductory talk at 7:30pm. The archaeological explorations will take place from 10am on Saturday 30 August–Sunday 31 August.

The project will also provide guided walks around Portobello and a range of drop-in workshops, including sessions on ceramics, artefacts, and ‘Wee Pottery Workshops’ for children. The full timetable and information on how to sign up can be found at AOC Archaeology.

To sign up for the geophysical survey training, to take part in the excavations, or to register your children, please contact the Portobello Heritage Trust with details of which days you would like to participate. Please specify whether you are digging in your own garden, and please let them know of the address.

Contact Margaret Munro of the Portobello Heritage Trust on 0131 657 2866 or munroporto(at)hotmail.com

Council bid secures Leith Custom House

The Council’s bid to purchase the Custom House building has been accepted – new Heritage Centre for Leith?

The city council placed a bid to purchase the Custom House building in Leith – currently owned and used by National Museums Scotland – last month. That bid was accepted earlier today, and the council will now look at ways of how it might work with partners to develop the building into a hub for the Leith community – which would include the housing of a museum to tell the story of Leith’s history.

Culture and Sport Convener Councillor Richard Lewis, said: “I am delighted that the Council has been able to step forward to acquire the building. This is excellent news for the Leith community who have campaigned for more than six years to save the historic Custom House building.

“The building and the surrounding area share a rich history, with Custom House once acting as the main site of imports in Leith. Our offer should secure the future of the building for public use, as a hub for the local community.

“Now that the Council’s bid has been accepted by National Museums Scotland, we are determined to take the project forward and identify how and when we can help open the doors to a heritage centre for Leith.

“We are currently undertaking due diligence procedures and a report will be put to the full Council on how to take plans forward.”

Leith Custom House was built between 1810-1812 and is a large Georgian building of neo-classical design, by the architect Robert Reid. It comprises two tall storeys and a formidable portico entrance.

The Custom House was the venue for the collection of duty payable on goods imported through Leith, and it was built on North Leith’s Sandport area, a site close to the quayside which had formerly been used for boat-building.

National Museums of Scotland have been using the building for storage and it has been closed to the public, but it now seems certain that – two hundred years on – the grand old building will soon be bustling once again.

Forthcoming Fishing Folk events

Since earliest times, Newhaven in Edinburgh has been famous for its fishing, its shipbuilding and its unique cultural traditions, celebrated through song and photography. As part of Fishing Folk, Citizen Curator is working with contemporary folk musician Jed Milroy and artist Johnny Gailey to raise awareness of the importance of this heritage.

Events still to come in April:

Do You Sing? Would you like to Sing?

The main focus of our events this month is our new Newhaven Fishing Folk Choir.
With support from an experienced singer we are running weekly drop in rehearsals, Tuesdays from 7 – 9pm. Participants old and young have already joined us to find out more about the songs of Newhaven and to experience community singing at its best.

Every Tuesday April/May, 7 – 9pm at Victoria Primary School in Newhaven

Please note. During the school holidays rehearsals on 8 and 15 April are at the Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop.

This event is open to – all
Tickets – free

Working Lunch – an occasional get together – with musician Jed Milroy

Friday 25 April, 12 – 1pm at the Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop in Newhaven

Jed will talk about his life as journeying musician, playing in bands and producing participatory music. As part of Fishing Folk, Jed has been working with Victoria Primary School to create a new ‘Song for Newhaven’ and forming our new Fishing Folk Choir.

This event is open to all
Soup of the day will be Lentil Broth
A contribution of £1.50 covers the cost of lunch
Please RSVP to ensure supply!

For further information contact:

Citizen Curator
Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop
21 Hawthornvale, Edinburgh, EH6 4JT

07812167130

info@citizencurator.com
www.citizencurator.com

‘Citizen Curator is a contemporary arts organisation working with the history and identity of Leith and North Edinburgh. This project is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the City of Edinburgh Council

Celebrate Newhaven this Sunday

Something fishy going on down Newhaven way this Sunday – free folk for folk. Salmon chanted evening?

Fishing Folk sail into Newhaven this month

Fishing Folk

Since earliest times, Newhaven has been famous for its fishing, its shipbuilding and its unique cultural traditions, celebrated through song and photography. As part of Fishing Folk, Citizen Curator is working with contemporary folk musician

Jed Milroy and artist Johnny Gailey to raise awareness of the importance of this heritage.

Events in March:

Friday 7 March, 12 – 1pm at the Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop in Newhaven

Working Lunch – an occasional get together – with Johnny Gailey.

Johnny will talk about his work as an artist, educator and curator. As part of Fishing Folk, Johnny will be rediscovering the lost sea and communities of Newhaven.

This event is open to all

Soup of the day will be – Auld Reekie (veggie cock-a-leekie)

A contribution of £1.50 covers the cost of lunch

Please RSVP to ensure supply…!

Tuesday 11 March, 7 – 9pm at Newhaven Parish Church Hall

Newhaven Community History Group – sharing the history of Newhaven – this month the Work & History of Fisherman’s Mission.

A monthly syllabus of talks and events brought to you by NCHG

This event is open to all

Visitors welcome at £2 per meeting

Sunday 16 March, 7 – 9pm at the Old Chain Pier in Newhaven

North with the Lights by the Sea – interesting music close up – with Wounded Knee and The Moon, the Sun and the Daughter.

A live, unplugged event celebrating contemporary music making in Newhaven. Brought to you by our friends at North with the Lights by the Sea

This event is open to over 18’s – Tickets £4.00

Sunday 23 March, 7 – 9pm at the Old Chain Pier in Newhaven

It’s no fish ye’re buying – Fishing Folk artists’ talk/perform – with Jed, Johnny and special guest Hamish Moore

A multi-media night of folk music and chat, celebrating Newhaven’s history and the art of music making. Special guest Hamish Moore + more to be announced.

This event is open to over 18’s, Tickets – Free

For further information contact:

Citizen Curator

Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop

21 Hawthornvale, Edinburgh, EH6 4JT

44+(0)7812167130

info@citizencurator.com

www.citizencurator.com

‘like’ us on Facebook

Citizen Curator is a contemporary arts organisation working with the history and identity of Leith and North Edinburgh.

This project is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the City of Edinburgh Council