Tag: Inverleith

Celebrate Robert Louis Stevenson Day next month

Edinburgh is to celebrate an annual Robert Louis Stevenson Day in November.  Organisers hope the accolade to our world-famous author will match the popularity of Dublin’s Bloomsday tribute to James Joyce.

The City of Literature Trust has designated 13 November – the writer’s birthday – as Robert Louis Stevenson Day but this year’s inaugural event will be held on 17 November as it’s the closest Saturday, allowing more fans to take part in the event.

Stevenson, author of classics including Treasure Island, The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde and Kidnapped, was born was born at 8 Howard Place at Canonmills on 13 November 1850. His family moved to nearby Inverleith Terrace in Jan the following year and then on to 17 Heriot Row in 1857. A student at Edinburgh University, Stevenson lived in Edinburgh for 29 years, and continued to visit until 1887. He died on the island of Samoa in 1894, aged just 44.

Events planned to celebrate his work will include a continuous public reading of the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, a flashmob, high-profile speakers and the chalking of quotations from his words on pavements.

Richard Lewis, the city council’s culture leader, said: “Robert Louis Stevenson is one of Edinburgh’s most treasured sons and the creation of RLS Day is a fitting tribute to his life , work and legacy. We assisted with a number of special events held across the city last November, all of which generated significant interest, so clearly the public shares our enthusiasm.”

The plan comes after a one-off event last year and a proposal by another Edinburgh writer – Rebus author Ian Rankin  – that it should be held every year. The day will bring theatre performances of Stevenson’s work in the city centre, and Ian Rankin has also suggested projecting quotation’s from Stevenson’s work onto public buildings at night as well as tours of the city.

Professor Linda Dryden, director of the Centre for Literature and Writing at the city’s Napier University, said: “A perennially popular author and an international brand, there are scholars around the world who study his works but Stevenson himself has never really been celebrated in any significant way as the son of Edinburgh. We want to bring together people who are interested in Stevenson and we anticipate there will be international interest.”

It is hoped the day will bring tourists to the city just as Dublin’s annual Bloomsday, named after the protagonist Leopold Bloom in Joyce’s Ulysses, has also spread around the world. First introduced in the 1950s, it is also marked in the United States and Italy, where it was partially written.

Events are being held on Stevenson’s birthday too:

RLS Day 13 November

Robert Louis Stevenson Day (RLS Day) rolls out on his birthday, 13th November. There will be a series of events and Stevenson inspired shenanigans popping up across the city and online. It is the perfect way to celebrate the life and writings of the man who brought us Treasure Island: so wear velvet and don a ‘tache in his honour, and be part of a Stevenson flashmob. Enjoy pop up theatre on your doorstep. Stroll across his words chalked on your streets. Eat cream tarts and learn about his alter ego, the duplicitous John Libbel. Discover what he was really like as a student of the University of Edinburgh. Walk the closes and cobbles that he walked and see Edinburgh through his eyes. And why not catch John Sessions and Nigel Planer talking about their lifelong fascination of the man. Share your favourite Stevenson facts with us on Facebook and Twitter #RLSDay, and open a book, read a story and raise a glass to RLS, wherever you find yourself.

A Robert Louis Stevenson Evening with John Sessions and Nigel Planer

Tuesday 13th November, 7-8pm

Reid Hall, Bristo Square, Edinburgh EH8 9AG

It is the perfect finale to RLS Day, and Stevenson’s birthday: actors and writers, Nigel Planer and John Sessions, both famous in their own right, discuss their lifelong fascination with another famous man, Robert Louis Stevenson. Talking about his life and works – from moustaches to memoirs, tall tales to world travel – they’ll be reading from his novels and poems, and working out what it is that makes Stevenson the literary phenomenon he is today.

Part of the RLS Day celebrations and brought to you by Edinburgh Napier University’s Centre for Literature and Writing (CLAW), in partnership with the Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust. Tickets cost £5. To book yours: purchase from the Edinburgh Napier Online Store.

Free social media training for community groups in Inverleith – how to build an online community

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We’d like to invite community groups and active citizens in Inverleith to our fourth free NENgage training session next week, Building an Online Community. It’s a chance to learn how you can use social media to help promote your community projects, campaigns and causes.
 
Many people forget that in order to get the most out of social media, you have to be…well, sociable!
 
The most successful blogs, websites and social media users are the ones who interact, engage and respond to users, and who build up a loyal “digital community” around them. It’s an approach that can take a bit more work to start with, but which ultimately leads to a dynamic site where useful stories and ideas flow to you.
 
For this session, we have invited successful bloggers to speak about how they have managed to foster an online community; Phyllis Stephen, who set up and runs The Edinburgh Reporter website, and Alan McIntosh of The Spurtle. Tom Allan will also be talking about setting up the Edinburgh Innertube Map website, and Emily Dodd will be speaking about her experience as a blogger and volunteer for Greener Leith.
 
The session is aimed at community groups and active citizens in Inverleith, is being held at Stockbridge Library, from 5:45pm to 7:30pm on Thursday the 27th of September – with drinks in the Antiquary Bar afterwards. Please come along!
 
 

Even more to do this weekend …

 The Botanic Gardens will host the Edible Garden Harvest Festival on Sunday from 11am – 5pm.

Come along, see and taste produce from the Edible Grdening Project at the annual harvest festival. There are fun activities, gardening advice, information about harvesting, cooking and storing crops tasters and much more …

For further information telephone 552 7171 or check out the website at www.rbge.org.uk

Also, Lothian and Edinburgh Abstinence Project (LEAP) will be holding their fundrasing Summer Fayre at Malta House tomorrow (Saturday 22 September) from 10am – 4pm.

As you’ll have read on this site LEAP’s future at Malta House is very much in doubt so go along and show your support – while LEAP will continue, it could be your last chance to visit Malta House!

MALTA HOUSE

Lots to do this weekend

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.

Water of Leith cleanup

The Water of Leith is flows from the Pentlands through the heart of Edinburgh to Leith, and it takes a bit of work to keep the river looking it’s best. The Water of Leith Conservation Trust organise regular clean-ups along the stretch of water, and Inverleith Community Learning and Development worker Callum McLeod was involved in the latest spruce-up on 29 July.

He said: “I’d walked the route with Ben from the Conservation Trust and there was no shortage of things to do! Thankfully we had a good team of volunteers on the Sunday and we tackled some troublesome Himalayan Balsam, which is a very invasive flowering plant, and there were a number of log jams to clear. There were also some lighter lighter duties – tending to the formal garden areas and there was no shortage of litter all the way along, unfortunately – but that meant there was something for everyone to do.”

Tons of rubbish cleared from the water and riverbanks tidied up!

It does take a lot of work to keep the Water of Leith looking good, but you can do your bit as a volunteer – check out the website at www.waterofleith.org.uk Among the rewards – apart from the exercise, companionship and fresh air – is a chance to see birds like sparrowhawks and kingfishers up close, and an amazing variety of wildflowers along the banks. It’s like being in the country in the middle of the city!

Congratulations

Let us be among the first to congratulate new councillors Gavin Barrie (SNP) and Nigel Bagshaw (Green) in Inverleith and Vicky Redpath (Labour) in Forth Ward on their election victories. We’d like to point out that you can advertise your surgery times and all other important information in the NEN – your community newspaper!

Look forward to hearing from you!

Election predictions at midday

Following on from the previous post, my predictions for the two local wards are:

FORTH:

Labour to return two councillors, SNP one (Steve Cardownie) and Conservative Allan Jackson will also be successful. The Lib-Dems to lose out.

Labour almost returned two Forth councillors (Billy Fitzpatrick just lost out) at the 2007 local council elections and can do so this time if the traditional vote has come out – turnout is pretty poor, though.

INVERLEITH:

Currently has one each of Labour, Conservative, Lib-Dem and SNP, but both the Tories and the SNP are adopting the risky strategy of fielding two candidates.

This could backfire – my prediction is that the Green’s Nigel Bagshaw will pick up a seat – whether that’s at the expense of one of the SNP pair, Lib-Dem Tim McKay or Conservative Iaian Whyte is difficult to say.

More later …