Muirhouse Centipede Project have kindly supplied a photograph of Gemma and Garry Pearson receiving their prizes from Muirhouse St Andrew’s locum minister (and lead Centipede!) Linda Dunbar.
There’s still time to see the exhibition before it finds a permanent home at Muirhouse St Andrew’s – check out previous 121212 post for details.
Seven year old Gemma Pearson’s photograph of her family Christmas tree is the winner of Muirhouse Centipede Project’s 121212 photography competition.
Muirhouse folk were encouraged to take lots of pictures on 12.12.12 on the themes of love, peace, joy and hope and submit them for exhibition. There was a good response and the wide variety of excellent entries is now on display in North Edinburgh Arts.
Judges loved Gemma’s picture, submitted under the theme of ‘Joy’; the photo captured their hearts. Gemma’s caption reads: ‘I took a photo of my mummy’s Christmas tree it is very beautiful. My mum took hours to put everything on the tree it has 360 white lights. Everyone loves my mummy’s tree but I love it the most. My Auntie Nicola says it looks like a tree out of the Christmas movies. This makes me very happy and excited for Santa coming’.
Winner of the adult competition was some bloke who may have overindulged in mulled wine before submitting his entry, a fantastic ramble about Santa and a helper donkey visiting Muirhouse. Too much Christmas spirit!?
See for yourselves – the 121212 exhibition moves to Muirhouse Millennium Centre today before moving on to Muirhouse Library from 11 – 17 March.
12.12.12 was a particularly special date, and it’s a day in history that has been captured for ever thanks to the Muirhouse Centipede Project. Muirhouse folk were encouraged to get out and about with their cameras on that memorable date, capturing images on four seasonal themes. Reverend Linda Dunbar of Muirhouse St. Andrews’s explains what happens next:
“We received a good number of entries of photographs taken during the 24 hours of 12/12/12 that captured something of the Advent themes of Love, Joy, Hope and Peace. The submissions are going on display in the North Edinburgh Arts Centre from 26 February – 3 March, Muirhouse Millennium Centre 4-10 March, Muirhouse Library 11-17 March (to be confirmed) before ending up at Muirhouse St Andrew’s Parish Church on the 18 March where they will find a permanent home.
The official launch of the touring display will be on
Tuesday 26 February at 11am in North Edinburgh Arts Centre
with free coffee and scones on offer too! The winners of the children’s and adults’ entries will be on display – it would be great to see folk there.”
A date for your diary … Muirhouse Millennium Centre is holding a Table Sale on Saturday 23 March from 11am – 3pm. Fre entry.
You can reserve your table now – tables cost £5 for Centre members (£7.50 for non-members) and the cafe will be open serving tea, coffees and cakes. Why not pop along and pick up a bargain?
For further information call Muirhouse Millennium Centre on 467 3578 or check out their Facebook page.
Officers from Drylaw’s Safer Neighbourhood Team are to hold regular Police drop-in sessions at Muirhouse Millennium Centre.
PC Sharon Carr said: “The first two sessions are Wednesday 5th and 19th December from 11am – 2pm, and in the New Year the January dates are Wednesday 9th and 23rd, again from 11am – 2pm. It’s an opportunity for local people to pop in and chat about any policing issues or concerns they may have in an informal setting.”
For further information contact Drylaw Safer Neighbourhood Team on 0131 311 3131.
The Centipede needs you!
Muirhouse Centipede project is planning a community bulb planting weekend on 9 and 10 November and they could do with a hand – or preferably a lot of hands! The group has no less than 9000 spring bulbs to plant on Muirhouse Avenue!
In partnership with North Edinburgh Arts Centre and the City of Edinburgh Council, the Centipede Project will be holding two ‘drop-in’ (that’s people and bulbs!) sessions on Friday 9 November from 1 – 3pm and again on Saturday 10 November from 10am – 2pm.
Working with local artist Natalie Taylor, come along and help plant some of the 9,000 bulbs including snow drops and dwarf narcissi, that will emerge as a bulb ‘painting’ in 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 already signed up to kick off the project on 9 November.
Help make Muirhouse Avenue look stunning in springtime!
For further information call North Edinburgh Arts on 315 2151 or visit www.northedinburgharts.co.uk
Halloween Party
Muirhouse Millennium Community Centre and Link Up Muirhouse is delighted to announce that on Wednesday the 31st October we are hosting scary but fun-filled Halloween party from 6.30 – 8pm – and you can come too!
On the night we will be dooking for apples, playing games, enjoying some art as well as awarding the best dressed with a small prize.
Tickets must be purchased in advance from Muirhouse Millennium Community Centre or North Edinburgh Arts Centre during opening hours, you can also call Julie on 07794467053 for information. Ticket only cost £1 per child to a maximum of £3. So if you have 4 children in your family you will only pay for 3, we felt this was fair to larger families. We have 90 tickets for sale, available on a first come for serve basis – so get them quick before they sell out! When purchasing tickets we require a registration form completed by parent or carer.
Tickets must be bought prior to the 31 October part – No ticket, no entrance.
Parents and carers are more than welcome to remain at the Centre for the duration of the party, the Centre café will be open for sales of light refreshments.
The spooky Muirhouse ladies who have arranged this party with the guidance and support of Link Up and Muirhouse Millennium Community Centre hope that every child has a wonderful time and they hope to welcome many children back to future parties in Muirhouse!
Robert Pearson
by Robert Pearson
Over recent years we have seen bingo halls close over Edinburgh, many reasons spring to mind including the smoking ban. North Edinburgh’s nearest bingo hall – the Gala in West Granton – closed many years ago. At its peak you would see many people queuing outside to be first in to get their preferred seats. After the closure the area was left without any bingo facilities at all.
Well, this all changed last month when Muirhouse resident Jackie Brown -‘Big Jackie’ – heard of a new and exciting opportunity: Inspiring Scotland’s Link Up programme was in town and was working with individuals and groups in Muirhouse. Jackie and a few others met up with Link Up development worker Julie Crawford and plans were put in motion to relaunch bingo in North Edinburgh.
Speaking to Jackie I asked her why she thought this was a good idea for Muirhouse and greater North Edinburgh:
“Since the closure of the bingo hall in Granton years ago, it has been sadly missed by many. We would all go to the bingo and enjoy the game along with a good chinwag with everyone. When I heard of Link Up I immediately thought we could benefit from this. Julie the Link Up worker has been fantastic and made this all possible, given lots of advice and support. I really hope that we can continue to sustain our new bingo and that it runs for many years to come”
Development worker Julie Crawford tells me:
“ This fantastic idea of Jackie has only been made possible thanks to Inspiring Scotland and their Link Up programme, working very closely with Jackie and Muirhouse Millennium Community Centre I was delighted to see the first bingo game last month. Jackie is a very passionate about Muirhouse and will do everything possible to make this sustainable”
It was a nervous wait for the first bingo session to come, as often events are arranged in Muirhouse and the take up is not particularly good. Well, there was no need to be nervous as a fantastic 29 people turned in to the Community Centre to have their first game of bingo in years.
‘Eyes down and ready for your first number’ was called, the excitement was clear in the hall, these ladies were at home enjoying bingo in the heart of Muirhouse! “Bingo” – we had our first winner! Jackie had done it – the people of Muirhouse and North Edinburgh really were playing bingo in front of her very own eyes! Soon it was the interval and there was a positive vibe about the centre and women laughed and chatted with one another.
Due to the fantastic success of the first bingo, Jackie is pleased to confirm that bingo is here to stay – well, at least for the time being. She really hopes to welcome even more people this month.
Jackie and all the ladies who attended last month’s bingo thank all the staff at Muirhouse Millennium Community Centre, as without their support this would not have been possible.
Link Up Muirhouse is delivered by Muirhouse Youth Development Group in partnership with, and through funding from, Inspiring Scotland. Inspiring Scotland’s Link Up programme is supported by the CashBack for Communities programme. CashBack for Communities is a Scottish Government programme which takes funds recovered from the proceeds of crime and invests them into free activities and programmes for people across Scotland.
The next Bingo night is Wednesday 24 October, for more information: 07928 116 375
Muirhouse Housing Association marked an important milestone when they celebrated their twentieth birthday in style at Muirhouse Millennium Centre on Saturday. With loads of fun things to do for the kids and presentations to longest tenants and management committee members, the day was a great success.
Happy birthday MHA – here’s to the next twenty years! 
MHA Chair Roy Douglas with Management Board members
Muirhouse Housing Associaiton will welcome tenants old and new when they celebrate their 20th anniverary with a fun day at Muirhouse Millennium Centre this afternoon.
With acrobats and magicians, face painting and balloon modelling there’s all the fun of the fair, and for the more energetic there’s a bouncy castle, inflatable assualt course, Zumba or an opportunity to take part in fun exercise classes using hulahoops!
The fun gets under way at 1pm – happy birthday, MHA!
