Hundreds of people gathered as a single gunshot fired from Edinburgh Castle today to mark a 2-minute silence at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month to remember those who have fallen in conflicts through the years.
The signing of the Armistice on November 11, 1918, marked the end of the First World War and each year since 1919 the nation has paid tribute to those who have lost their lives in battle.
Preceding the gun fire, at a service within the Garden of Remembrance on Princes Street, Bugler Iona Macfarlane, a medical student at the University of Edinburgh, performed the Last Post.
At the Edinburgh service, wreaths were then laid by the Right Honourable Lord Provost and Lord Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh, Robert Aldridge.
Additional wreaths were laid by the CEO of Legion Scotland, Dr Claire Armstrong OBE, Gordon Michie, Head of Fundraising and Learning at Poppyscotland, Colonel (Retd) Jim Wilson, Veterans Scotland, Maj (Retd) Alasdair Henry Hutton OBE TD OstJ, Edinburgh and Lothian & Borders Area President, Legion Scotland, and Reverend Dr Karen Campbell, the National Chaplain of Legion Scotland.
Piper Lorne McIntyre from George Heriot’s School then completed the day’s service under glorious sunshine in the capital city.
Dr Claire Armstrong, CEO of Legion Scotland, said: “As a country, and as an organisation, we will never forget the sacrifices that have been made for so many, for the sake of so few.
“These sacrifices are made on a daily occurrence by our Armed Forces community, and they are made on our behalf. I wish to thank our Armed Forces community for their continued dedication to our values and our freedoms. “
The Right Honourable Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh, Robert Aldridge, led a special group of wreath-layers at the annual Opening Ceremony of the Edinburgh Garden of Remembrance, at the Scott Monument, Princes Street Gardens, yesterday.
Members of the Armed Forces community, including veterans, attended the poignant event, organised by Legion Scotland and Poppyscotland, to remember those who have fallen in conflicts, with more than 40 wreaths laid at a service which was also well attended by members of the public.
Among those that joined Edinburgh’s Lord Provost was Reverend Dr Karen Campbell, National Padre of the Royal British Legion Scotland, who led the service, along with attendees from Scottish Government, Police Scotland and other dignitaries.
Music was provided by The Band of The Royal Regiment of Scotland, as well as piper Rory Cairns, who led the wreath-layers into the garden.
Commenting on the service, Legion Scotland Events Manager, Brian Ward, said: “Despite a weather warning in place and a few gusts of wind, this was a wonderful occasion which was very well attended by representatives of the Armed Forces and other dignitaries from across our capital city and of course Scotland.
“It was truly lovely to see so many people turn out, as well as the many passers-by who stopped to reflect and pay their respects to our fallen.”
The Garden features thousands of poppy crosses and other remembrance symbols with personal dedications from across Scotland. It will remain open until the Armistice Day service on Monday, November 11 for residents and visitors to pay their own tributes.
The Scottish Poppy Appeal is Scotland’s biggest fundraising appeal, with more than three million poppies already being distributed around the country. All funds raised will go to support Poppyscotland’s work, providing life-changing support and advice to veterans, servicemen and women, and their families.
Lead singer of indie-folk band, Tide Lines, Robert Robertson, treated a group of lunch-time go-ers and fans to an impromptu acoustic set in Princes St Gardens yesterday (Tuesday 11th June).
The pop-up gig comes ahead of the band headlining this year’s family-friendly Royal Highland Hoolie on Friday 21st June (presented by Farmers Bash) as part of the Royal Highland Show.
The Highland Hoolie is a celebration of Scottish Music featuring a line-up of fantastic Scottish traditional bands as well as Irish country bands and takes place on Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd June.
Royal British Legion Scotland will mark Scottish American Memorial Day 2023 with a service led by the Reverend Peter Sutton AKC BD MTh PGCC, Minister of The Parish Church of St. Cuthbert, tomorrow (Monday 29th May) at 1:00pm from The Call Memorial, Princes Street Gardens.
Wreath layers will include the Right Honourable Lord Provost and Lord Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh, Robert Aldridge, Consulate General Jack Hillmeyer (United States Consul General Edinburgh), as well as representatives from the UK Armed Forces, Royal British Legion Scotland and the War Widows Association.
Music will be provided by the Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, with USAF Honor Guard from the 48th Fighter Wing RAF Lakenheath and 2 SCOTS Colour Party.
The Scottish American Memorial, also known as ‘The Call’ was funded by Scots and people of Scottish descent based in the United States, through an organisation called the Scottish American War Memorial Committee, and is a tribute to the sacrifices made by men and women from the donors’ homeland.
This magnificent tribute stands as a testament to the brave Scots who valiantly fought in the First World War, and it serves as a poignant reminder of their sacrifices.
Designed and sculpted by the esteemed Doctor Robert Tait McKenzie, the Scottish American Memorial captures the spirit and essence of those who served. The centrepiece of the memorial is a kilted man, symbolic of the Scottish heritage, demonstrating the strength and resilience exhibited by these courageous men and women during the war.
The frieze behind the sculpture complements the central figure, showcasing the artistic mastery and McKenzie’s keen eye for physicality and movement. McKenzie himself played a vital role in the war effort by rehabilitating wounded soldiers who returned from the front lines.
For further details about the event, please contact Legion Scotland on 0131 550 1583 or email events@legionscotland.org.uk
StagEHd Festival, Edinburgh’s newest open-access community theatre festival, has announced its 2023 programme.
Returning once more to the Ross Bandstand in Princes Street Gardens West, StagEHd 2023 will present a weekend of theatre on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 June, with thanks to support from The National Lottery Awards for All Scotland fund.
The festival opens at midday on Saturday 10 June by welcoming back the students of Momentum Performing Arts to kick things off with their Musical Mania (12:00, 10 Jun), a mash-up of musicals new and old.
Audiences demanded an encore from the group in 2022, and this year is bound to be the same, guaranteed to get you clapping, dancing, and singing along to your favourite stage hits.
Following in the footsteps of this burgeoning talent, are two of Edinburgh’s oldest and newest community theatre companies. The Forth Act will preview their debut production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (13:30, 10 Jun) with a taster performance before their open-air run at Saughton Park later in June.
And Edinburgh People’s Theatre, Edinburgh’s longest running community theatre company, reprise their award-winning performance of The Book Club of Little Witterington (14:30, 10 Jun) from this year’s SCDA One-Act Play Festival.
Later on Saturday afternoon, Shifting Sands Theatre will lead an all-ages Workshop in Clown & Physical Comedy (15:30, 10 Jun), before Frighthouse Productions share three tales of the surreal and spooky in The Wheel of Misfortune (16:30, 10 Jun), a family-friendly horror anthology inspired by Goosebumps and The Twilight Zone.
Finally on Saturday, Castle Rock will come alive with song as Edinburgh’s premier community choir, Sing in the City bring the first day of the festival to a close with Sing in the City – Under the Castle (18:00, 10 Jun).
Sunday’s performances start as all Sundays should, with a whole lot of interactive fun from Mr Blue Productions. Our ABC Story (12:00, 11 Jun) uses puppets, pockets, and a variety of objects to help young audiences create their very own “Once upon a time…” story.
Mr Blue Productions StagEHd 2022, photo by John Preece
Pack up a Sunday picnic and enjoy lunchtime entertainment from the young dancers of KS Dance Academy who will get audiences on their feet with KS Dance Academy Showcase (13:30, 11 Jun). And Scotland’s premier all-female mumming troupe, The Meadows Mummers present a feminised pastiche of Shakespeare’s play within a play with The Not-So-Rude Mechanicals (14:30, 11 Jun).
Emerging theatre company Resilience Theatre Movement preview their 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe offering on Sunday afternoon. Former friends and roommates, Annie and Frances haven’t spoken to each other in more than a year. But sparks fly when Frances shows up at Annie’s door drunk and demanding to talk in Waiting for Champagne (15:30, 11 Jun).
And emerging playwright Kate Macsween demonstrates the power of words in Letters from Holloway (17:00, 11 Jun), a story inspired by the women and young offenders incarcerated at Holloway Prison.
2023’s StagEHd Festival closes on Sunday evening with an adaptation of one of Molière’s famous comedies, The Bourgeois Gentleman.
Presented by The Mirror of Stage | Lustro SCENY, Edinburgh’s bilingual English and Polish theatre company, Molière’s Garden Party (18:00, 11 Jun) is a funny yet thoughtful play that unravels the absurdity of human nature.
Supported by the Edinburgh Graduate Theatre Group and The National Lottery Awards for All Scotland Fund, StagEHd Festival is an open-access, free-to-attend, two-day celebration of Edinburgh’s performing arts.
StagEHd 2023 will take place at the Ross Bandstand in Princes Street Gardens West on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 June. Entry to the festival is free with a bucket collection at the end of each performance, with 100% of the proceeds being shared amongst the artists performing.
To find out more about the festival, and to book your free tickets, visit www.stagehdfestival.com.
West Princes Street Gardens will host a special free screening in the Capital to mark the Coronation of HM The King.
On Saturday 6 May, Edinburgh’s screening will coincide with celebrations taking place around the country as the nation marks the crowning of the King alongside Camilla, the Queen Consort, with a special extended bank holiday weekend.
The ceremony, which is taking place at Westminster Abbey in London, is scheduled to begin at 11am but access to the screening area will open from 10am. Entry is free and un-ticketed.
On Sunday 7 May, the screen will remain in place and broadcast The Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle to spectators in the Gardens. The Coronation Concert will bring global music icons and contemporary stars together in celebration of the historic occasion.
As a new Royal era begins, residents are also invited to share their memories and record well wishes for the new sovereign from Tuesday 2 May in the online Book of Congratulations. Physical books will also be available at the City Chambers and Central Library from Tuesday 2 May until Tuesday 9 May from 10am until 5pm.
In his role as His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant, Edinburgh’s Lord Provost Robert Aldridge will be representing the City of Edinburgh at the proceedings in London.
Lord Provost Robert Aldridge said: “The Coronation of King Charles is a truly historic event and we’re proud to be joining in with screenings and services in towns and cities across the United Kingdom for those who wish to come together and celebrate the occasion.
“Watching the ceremony and celebrations on the big screen will be a great way for people to be involved and soak up the atmosphere of the extraordinary weekend.”
The big screen has been supported by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
People are encouraged to bring their own picnics, however the Scott’s café will be open and can provide take-away food and beverages.
The screening will take place outdoors, so we are advising those wishing to attend to plan ahead, dress for the weather, and bring plenty of water. Toilet facilities will be available and there will be limited seats so we advise bringing blankets or chairs. Extra litter bins will be in place and BBQs will not be permitted.
To mark HM The King’s Coronation, communities and citizens have applied for street closures to celebrate this historic event.
National activities There are also number of national initiatives taking place with residents encouraged to gather and it’s hoped Coronation Big Lunches and The Big Help Out will bring communities together over the weekend.
Coronation Big Lunch
The Coronation Big Lunch on 7 May is designed to bring neighbours and communities together to share friendship, food and fun and be part of history.
Bank holiday Monday 8 May will see a nationwide initiative to raise awareness of the value and impact of volunteering.
It is an opportunity to explore how rewarding volunteering can be. You can get involved and find out how you can make a difference in your community.
There will be lots of different kinds of opportunities, with many of the UK’s leading volunteer charities supporting the initiative. More detail is available on The Big Help Out website.
Over 50 trees have been planted in Princes Street Gardens following donations from FLY Festival and the Edinburgh Million Tree City Project.
Organisers of FLY Open Air – which was last held in West Princes Street Gardens in 2021 – donated £5,000 towards trees for the community and this has been match-funded by the Million Tree City Project.
In 2021, Edinburgh officially launched its ambitious target to become a Million Tree City by 2030 as part of its commitment to be net zero by the end of the decade.
The Edinburgh Million Tree Forum is made up of representatives from relevant Council services, the Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust, the Woodland Trust and partners who are all working together on an updated vision for trees in Edinburgh and to find ways of planting more trees, more quickly.
City of Edinburgh Council Culture and Communities Convener Cllr Val Walker, joined Sam Joss, FLY Festival Director, to plant the final of 51 trees donated to the Gardens.
Culture and Communities Convener, Cllr Val Walker, said: “We’re very proud that Edinburgh is already one of the UK’s greenest cities, with more trees than people and more green space and green flag parks than any other place in Scotland for people to enjoy. But we want to do even better, especially as we strive towards our hugely ambitious target of making the city net zero by 2030.
“I’m delighted to join Sam to plant the last of these donated trees. After years of successful events in our gardens it’s a fantastic way for the festival to give back to the community. These trees will be enjoyed for generations to come. It’s impossible to overstate the benefits trees bring to the urban landscape. They help clean our air, reduce the risk of flooding, keep us cool in the summer and warmer in winter while giving the wildlife in our city a home.
“We became the first local authority to sign the tree charter and in doing so we pledged to keep nurturing, planting, celebrating, cherishing and increasing Edinburgh’s trees and through our Million Tree City initiative. It is really important that we look after Edinburgh’s wonderful tree legacy for future generations.”
Sam Joss, Fly Festival Director, said: “We are very proud to call Princes Street Gardens our home so I am thrilled to be able to make this donation with funds raised through our music festival; FLY Open Air.
“We have a fantastic relationship with the council and hope to continue to work in partnership to bring improvements to green spaces in the city and show what a positive impact events can have.”
Diwali, the Indian Festival of Lights, returns to the Capital on Sunday November 6th and will feature a parade, music, dance and fireworks. Entry is free
POLICE Officers from our Prevention, Intervention and Partnerships Dept will be holding a bike marking event at our mobile police station at East Princes Street Gardens on Thursday (25/08/22) between 10-2pm.
With people’s concerns about wellbeing being at an all-time high, a new two-day Festival MIND BE KIND, will be taking place at Edinburgh’s Princes Street’s Ross Bandstand on 18th and 19th June, focusing on wellbeing.
This new social enterprise, MIND BE KIND, aims to raise awareness of wellbeing and help signpost ways of combating issues such as anxiety and isolation with workshops, stalls, and a concert.
The event also aspires to support and motivate people to access wellbeing information, find more enjoyment and perhaps different more positive ways of coping with challenges, and has something for all ages at this family friendly event. Organisations such as Health in Mind and UpStart Scotland will be there to provide some help and information to support people with wellbeing matters.
Lynne Stanford, Fundraising Manager says “At Health in Mind we’re excited to be a part of the Mind Be Kind Festival.
“It feels more important than ever to raise awareness of mental health, the things we can all put in place to keep well, and how to access the right services when we need them – and so it’s brilliant of the organisers to be bringing us all together.
“Health in Mind services are free to access across Edinburgh, including our online information resource iThrive that includes a wide range of self-help materials. We look forward to seeing you at the Festival”.
Tania Pramschufer, founder member of MIND BE KIND stresses the importance of care and kindness for oneself and others and noted: “The Festival is a chance for people to connect with practitioners, professionals, therapists and learn more about how to look after your own physical and mental wellbeing and ways to cope with anxiety and low mood.
“We believe that Edinburgh is a city of hospitality and friendship and that by organising something with kindness at its heart, will have a positive impact on our community.”
The concert will be hosted by amazing television presenter and Mind Be Kind ambassador Gail Porter.
Commenting on the new Festival, celebrity presenter Gail Porter added: ”Being an Ambassador for MIND BE KIND is an absolute honour and a pleasure. Kindness is something that should be second nature. Unfortunately, it isn’t on everyone’s agenda these days.
“An event, after all we have been through over the past few years, that is dedicated to kindness..is exactly what we all need. And… It’s in Edinburgh. Could it be anymore perfect?
“Kindness, love, listening, talking, smiling, crying, sharing. It’s not that difficult. I can’t wait to come home. I can’t wait to be involved in such a wonderful event. And I’m more than happy if you want a hug. I do love a hug!
Gail concluded: “Kindness… it’s very simple. It costs nothing and can change a person’s outlook. Or just give them that hope they need.”
Onstage events also include Laughter Yoga; Yoga with Jen McGregor, Zumba with Nadia Alkoc, Zumba with Ross MacPherson and numerous talks including inspirational speaker Mike Stevenson.
Performances from acts such as amazing newcomer and local act Rane Delyte, Dopesick Fly, The Rouse, Paul McDonald, Supa & Da Kryptonites, Demi McMahon, Tony Wright, and Manchester based rapper Conduit. Edinburgh based drumming group Pulse of the Place, The Well Happy Band and the amazing Got Soul Choir will also be performing over the two-day Festival.
Two local radio stations will be on hand to promote the event, SAM Radio (Scottish Autistic Media Radio) and Mix One radio, who will both be providing DJ’s.
Scran Academy and Punjabi Junction are also going to be there with amazing and delicious food to help refresh everyone’s mind, body, and soul. The MIND BE KIND team is also organising a raffle for people to have a chance at winning prizes.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to cover some of the costs as the Festival is not run for profit but for the benefit of the our community:
