More than 50 Christmas trees have been donated and are now ready for collection, following a community-wide appeal by Ocean Terminal and The Leith Collective to ensure no one misses out on having a place to leave their yuletide presents this year.
The Gift a Tree initiative launched last month aims to find new homes for artificial trees no longer needed and following a period of quarantine – and a quick inspection by Santa – the trees are available to any family, for free, to bring a bit of extra festive cheer into their living rooms.
There are also a limited number of baubles and other decorations that have been kindly donated alongside the Christmas spruces.
The collection point is from The Leith Collective store on 1st floor of the shopping centre, open 10am-6pm Monday to Saturday and 11am-5pm Sunday.
Michelle MacLeod, General Manager at Ocean Terminal, said: “People in the community have been extremely generous and I’m delighted that we have so many trees that can now be re-homed with a new family.
“Every little helps and this form of recycling does everyone some good. The trees have been kept under COVID safe conditions and are ready to bring a bit of joy into a new home.”
Sara Thomson of The Leith Collective, added: “Giving a helping hand to another family and helping to recycle surplus trees and unneeded decorations is a great way to support the local community.
“I would like to thank everyone who has made a donation – we now have 50 trees ready to be re-homed and re-loved.”
Ocean Terminal has partnered with The Leith Collective to launch an inspiring new community initiative to make sure that no one misses out on having a Christmas tree this year.
Gift a Tree invites anyone who has an artificial Christmas tree that is no longer in use to donate it to the waterfront shopping centre’s ‘tree bank’ so that it can be given to a new home and a new family.
As part of the initiative, tree decorations and baubles are also being sought so that the trees can start their new life with a bit of guaranteed sparkle.
Donations are being collected at The Leith Collective store on the 1st floor of the centre (opening hours – 10am-6pm Monday to Saturday and 11am-5pm Sunday) until 6 December. Anyone who can re-home a tree is welcome to visit the store from 1 December to select a tree and a box of decorations (availability dependent) to take away.
Michelle McLeod, Ocean Terminal Centre Manager, said: “We want to make Christmas happy for as many people as possible and a Christmas tree is very much a part of a happy Christmas.
“It is a great way of recycling artificial trees that would otherwise gather dust in an attic somewhere or end up being thrown out to make way for a new one, when they could so easily be appreciated and decorated by a new family.
“We are part of a very generous and caring community in Leith and exchange initiatives like this in the past have always been extremely well supported. It’s a great way to get into the Christmas spirit.”
Sara Thomson of The Leith Collective, added: “Giving a helping hand to another family and helping to recycle surplus trees and unneeded decorations is a great way to support the local community.
“I would like to thank everyone who makes a donation – and I’m looking forward to seeing what wonderful Christmas treats arrives at our ‘tree bank’.”
For anyone wishing to donate:
Any artificial tree is most welcome – big, small, dusted with pretend snow… we can’t accept fibre optic trees however and please ensure it has its stand!
All decorations in good condition welcome except for tree lights.
Please donate to The Leith Collective store, 1st floor next to Zizzi (opening hours are 10-6 Mon to Sat 11-5 Sun)
Trees will be accepted until 6th December. Collections can be made from 1 December.
Santa Claus brought the magic of Christmas to Ocean Terminal when he made a secret visit to the waterfront shopping centre to check that everything was just perfect for the opening of his grotto on Thursday 3 December.
Caught on CCV footage here, Santa tests out the hand sanitiser and puts on his mask, before snapping his fingers to conjure up this year’s festive sparkle and dazzling grotto.
So, while Christmas 2020 will be a little different, the elves at Ocean Terminal aren’t letting coronavirus ruin the Christmas spirt. Santa and his helpers are working hard to give shoppers a small piece of normality this festive season.
Having tested out his new grotto and switched on the Christmas lights Santa will now return to the centre on 3 December and will stay there every day through to Christmas Eve (excluding December 7-9), celebrating the festivities in a safe and socially distant way.
A specially designed festive screen has been installed in the grotto to ensure all government guidelines are met and visitors, big and small, can still experience the excitement of a trip to see Santa.
As well as Santa’s grotto, the weekly market becomes the Christmas Market, opening daily from 25 November through to 23 December.
Located on the ground floor, the market will offer a wide variety of artisan food and handcrafted gifts from local Scottish traders. New for this year is a winter photo competition in partnership with The Leith Collective offering all photography enthusiasts the chance to appear in Ocean Terminal’s Winter Landscape Photo Exhibition.
Ocean Terminal, Centre Manager, Michelle Macleod said: “We wanted to give our customers a sense of normality, so the centre is looking fabulous and nothing is stopping us enjoy the full spirit of Christmas. Santa will be here and spreading joy just as every year.
“Not everyone wants to shop online, and nothing really beats the buzz you get when you spot just the right gift or fill the boot of your car with presents you know family and friends are going to love.
“It’s been a tough year for everyone and I think that a small piece of normality, and a familiar setting is something that everyone can appreciate. We’ve worked hard to put extra measures in place to ensure a safe and socially distanced festive season can be enjoyed by all.”
Ocean Terminal had a surprise visitor last night when Santa was caught on CCTV!
He’ll be back in residence again at the centre this festive season. More info and dates to come but rest assured Santa’s back … and Christmas is not cancelled at Ocean Terminal!
The Royal Yacht Britannia has been rated the UK’s favourite historical attraction, according to a new Which? survey.
The Queen’s former yacht, permanently moored on the waters of Leith in Edinburgh, came out on top when over 4,000 Which? members were asked to rate the UK’s 50 most visited attractions on criteria including facilities, entertainment and lack of crowds.
The Royal Yacht Britannia, which visited 144 countries during its 44 years in royal service, topped the table with a customer score of 90 per cent. Visitors gave it a five-star rating for food and drink, information, and value for money.
Visitors told Which? it was an “outstanding attraction”, “immaculately kept” and that staff were “very kind and helpful”. One respondent told Which?, “I thought we would spend about two hours there and in the end were practically the last to leave”.
It was followed by Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden in Yorkshire, the country’s largest monastic ruins, with a customer score of 89 per cent. Those who rated it highly described the setting as “magical” and “suited to a slow pace and contemplation”.
The Abbey also scored well for information and value for money with both receiving five stars. It also achieved a further five stars for lack of crowds and queues, meaning visitors can enjoy the ruins and the Water Garden with plenty of space to roam between the two.
Stourhead House and Gardens received the third highest customer score (88%), followed by the Tower of London (87%), the most expensive of the 50 attractions. Entry to the popular London attraction costs £30.30 a head for adult non-members, but visitors gave it four out of five stars for value for money, with a wide range of exhibitions to enjoy as part of the ticket price.
Durham Cathedral was the highest scoring free attraction, with a customer score of 85 per cent – putting it joint seventh out of the 50 attractions (alongside Dover Castle, Culzean Castle, Titanic Belfast and Tyntesfield). Visitors gave it five stars for lack of crowds and value for money.
While visitors recommended the guided tours and attending a service to enjoy music from the choir, the Cathedral has since temporarily suspended singing and choral music as a result of measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
At the other end of the table was Southend Pier, the world’s longest pleasure pier, with a respectable customer score of 63 per cent. Although it features at the bottom of the list, it scored four stars for accessibility and lack of crowds. Visitors praised the walk along the pier as a way to blow away the cobwebs and liked the option of taking a train from one end to the other to enjoy the views.
However, it scored just one star for entertainment and engagement, facilities, and food and drink. Some visitors complained that the pier was “run down” and “not the most exciting place in the world”.
Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: “With so many of us holidaying in the UK this year, we’re all looking for new places to explore and these results provide plenty of inspiration, with some excellent lesser-known attractions alongside the favourites we already know and love.
“Our findings show that visitors value learning something new from the historical attractions they visit, while providing value for money is another common feature of those near the top of the table. What’s clear though is that whatever your budget, whether you’re looking for a stroll down a pier or a saunter through a palace, the UK is blessed with fantastic locations for great days out.”
Ocean Terminal shopping centre will re-open tomorrow (Monday 13 July) with measures in place to welcome back shoppers both warmly and safely.
Home to leading brands, including Superdry, French Connection, Waterstones and M&S Simply Food, the entire centre situated in the heart of Leith has undergone a deep clean before re-opening, with signage and directional walkways set up to help shoppers maintain social distancing throughout its spacious malls.
Hand sanitiser stations and a continuous cleaning operation have been established.
Customer service ‘ambassadors’ will also be available to help guide shoppers and offer reassurance.
In a phased re-opening to allow the 420,000 sq ft centre to get back to normal in a calm and well-managed way, the vast majority of stores including some food outlets will be open on 13 July, with leisure and restaurants following when safely able to do so.
Hairdressers Charlie Miller, opening on 15 July, will be operating a 12-hour day to accommodate all clients and will have a variety of measures in place within the salon to ensure the safety of both client and stylist.
The Royal Yacht Britannia will re-open on Monday 27th July with an online booking system. Hygiene measures will be of a royal standard, allowing the whole family to create treasured memories together exploring the five decks of the ship.
Inline with government guidelines the centre’s leisure facilities, the Farmer’s Market and Car Boot Sale will all open again in the next few weeks.
As additional businesses reopen, customers will be kept up to date via the centre’s social channels and website.
Michelle MacLeod said: “We have had amazing support from our stores and the local community over the lockdown and it is our intention that we re-open in a calm but thorough, well-thought out way to keep our shoppers and our colleagues safe.
“We have the advantage of having a great deal of space at Ocean Terminal, and if customers are anxious, we will have staff trained to help.
“We have been liaising closely with all our stores, cafes, restaurants and attractions and we’re confident that all our customers will receive a warm and safe welcome back. It is certainly good to feel that some normality is returning, and we have worked hard to ensure the re-opening is done in the right way to protect our community.”
Ocean Terminal was recently acquired by ICG Real Estate and its Scottish partner Ambassador Group, who have pledged to invest £10m in upgrades and developments at the centre.
Taking a community focused approach to meeting the needs of the expanding residential and commercial areas across Leith, new plans include the introduction of residential, office and amenity space.
Police are appealing for witnesses following a robbery and assault in Leith. The incident happened around 7.10pm in Ocean Drive, outside the Ocean Terminal shopping centre, on Friday, 14 February.
A 43-year-old man has just left the shopping centre and crossed the road when he was approached by two women. They claimed to be police officers, took hold of him and searched him. The women then walked off. He subsequently found a three figure sum of cash missing from his wallet.
The first woman is described as white, 5ft 9ins, of stocky build, around 40-year-old, with shoulder length blonde hair that was tied up. She was wearing a blue Puffa style jacket and spoke with a local accent.
The second woman is described as white, 6ft, so slim build with long brown hair and also aged around 40. She was wearing a black Puffa style jacket.
Detective Constable Joanne Robertson, of Gayfield CID, said: “There were a number of people around when this incident happened and we are appealing for them to get in touch if they saw what happened.
“In particular we are keen to speak to two men who were at or near a bus stop at the time and are believed to have taken a number 200 Lothian bus.
“If you saw what happened, or anything suspicious around that time of the evening, then please contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident 3328 of Friday, 14 February. Or make a call anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
Got a spare 6 minutes to save the planet? With a climate crisis looming, every second counts. So local Edinburgh businesses and artists are being invited to give just a few minutes of their time to share their top tips for sustainability at a special ‘Let’s Talk Waste’ event in the capital later this month.
Brought to you by The Leith Collective – crafters, makers, artists and business owners will come together on Thursday 20th February to discuss ways in which they are reducing their waste and making a difference.
Taking place at Ocean Terminal, the evening will feature a diverse range of speakers; from a craftsman who creates unique works of art from items otherwise destined for landfill, to an accountant who has transformed his office into a completely paperless environment.
The event is part of The Leith Collective’s ongoing ‘Plastic Resolution 2020’ campaign which aims to encourage people to reuse, recycle and upcycle everyday items.
‘Let’s Talk Waste’ event organiser and founder of The Leith Collective, Sara Thomson (above), said; “I’m a big believer that knowledge is power, and that by sharing inspirational stories and exchanging top tips in this accessible, easy-to-digest 6 minute format, everyone can learn something new, and together we can make a massive difference.”
EVENT INFORMATION
‘Let’s Talk Waste’ will take place at The Image Collective Gallery, Ocean Terminal, on Thursday 20th February, 6pm – 8:30pm. Refreshments will be provided.
Local businesses, artists and makers are invited to book a 6 minute slot at the event and share their top tips for reducing waste. Slots are free of charge but availability is limited. To reserve your spot email info@theleithcollective.com.
The event is free for anyone to attend but space is limited. To reserve your place head to www.facebook.com/leithcollective.
Ocean Terminal will be filled with drop-in science activities and cosy talks (with free tea & biscuits) today when Edinburgh researchers will show us what they’re doing inside their labs.Continue reading #LeithLabsExplores at Ocean Terminal today
