CITY FOCUS - Issue 5 - EDINBURGH

ISSUE 5 A guide for the discerning landlord

MAR / APR 2014

EDINBURGH

EDINBURGH

A capital city of great potential

LANDLORDS Do your homework on the student sector

WHAT DO PEOPLE REALLY WANT FROM A RENTAL PROPERTY?

W

elcome to the spring Issue of City Focus - our regular magazine for the discerning landlord. I hope you have all had a positive start to 2014 and haven’t been affected by the flooding that has swept the UK.

In this action-packed issue, we venture north of the border to cast the spotlight on Edinburgh, and its investment opportunities, places of interest, famous residents, history and culture.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll have heard about the on-going debate on Scottish Independence, at the moment it is unclear how this will impact house prices and interest rates. However, after the referendum in September economists should have a clear picture of how any changes will affect the capital and country as a whole.

Also inside is our usual guide to the hottest happenings across the rest of the UK, as well as useful hints and tips to help you make the most of your property.

Richard Anthony – Editor editor@citylandlord.co.uk

”Edinburgh is an experience, a city of enormous gifts, whose streets sing of history, whose cobbles tell tales” Alan Bold (Scottish Poet)

Private rental tenants now outnumber those in social housing

T

he number of tenants in the private rented sector (PRS) has overtaken those in the social rented sector, according to new figures.

There are now an estimated 22m households in England, according to the latest English Housing Survey, of these four million (18%) are now privately rented while 3.7m (17%) were in social housing. Meanwhile home ownership fell to its lowest level in 25 years.

The survey also revealed an increase in the quality and condition of PRS properties, with the proportion of properties reducing from 47% to 33%. This is despite 40% of properties in the private rented sector being 100 years old or more.

RLA chairman Alan Ward said that the findings show “significant progress” in the PRS: “Whilst it is pleasing that tenants are so satisfied with their homes there is more still to be done. This includes radical reforms to the way the sector is regulated to ensure local authorities properly target and prosecute criminal landlords rather than swamping the vast majority of good landlords with ever more costly red tape.”

The chief executive of housing charity Shelter Campbell Robb says: “These figures confirm the historic shift that people across the country are already feeling. As house prices rise, the dream of a stable home is drifting further out of reach. That leaves families faced with the unsettling .”

Protect your portfolio with specialist buy-to-let insurance from City Landlord, call 0800 2944 546 now for a quick quote.

NOSY NEIGHBOUR

In each issue we take a sneaky look at what’s been going on in rental properties across the UK

Cardiff landlord let home ‘unfit for human habitation’

Landlords fined £2,500 due to infested homes

Following an inspection of the home on Comet Street, Adamsdown in 2008, Cardiff Council served Sangat Singh with a prohibition order as the property didn’t have an adequate fire escape and suffered from a lack of natural light and ventilation.

Two landlords were prosecuted after council officers found a rented property was unlicensed and infested with cockroaches.

In June 2013, the council received a complaint from tenants at the property and, following an inspection, it was revealed that although the fire precautions had been rectified, the lack of natural light and ventilation had not.

Cardiff Magistrates’ Court prosecuted Singh for a breach of the Housing Act 2004 and he was ordered to pay £2,530.

After an inspection, the city council said officers found that there were no fire measures in place at the property on Blackbird Leys Road. They also found that the three-bedroom maisonette was overcrowded, with 12 people living there.

This included three children.

The council said the people were living in damp and mouldy conditions with a heavy cockroach infestation.

The court fined each of the men £2,500, and told them both to pay £500 costs and a £50 victim surcharge when they appeared on January 20th.

CITY SPOTLIGHT

[ EDINBURGH ] - Each issue we shine our spotlight on a different part of the UK, focussing on what it has to offer everyone from property developers to casual daytrippers.

EDINBUGH

GULLANE

EH31

EH51

BO’NESS

LONGNIDDRY EH30 SOUTH QUEENSFERRY

EH49

LINLITHGOW

EH52

EH29 KIRKLISTON

BROXBURN

EH4

BATHGATE EH47

EH54 EH53 LIVINGSTON EH27 KIRKNEWTON

EH7 EH8

EH3 EH2 EH1

EH12

EH28 NEWBRIDGE

EH9

EH11 JUNIPER GREEN

EH48

EH6

CURRIE

EH13

EH14

EH10

BALERNO

PRESTONPANS EH15

EH21

MUSSELBURGH

EH16 EH17

EH18 EH22 EH20 LASSWADE DALKEITH LOANHEAD EH19

EH25 ROSLIN

EH55

EH33

TRANENT EH35

EH34

EH37

PATHHEAD

EH26

EH42

DUNBAR

BONNYRIGG

EH24

ROSEWELL

WEST CALDER

EH40

EAST LINTON

EH32

EH5

EH39

NORTH BERWICK

EH41

HADDINGTON

EH36

HUMBIE

PENICUIK

EH23

GOREBRIDGE

EH38

HERIOT

EH46

WEST LINTON

EH45

PEEBLES

EH43

WALKERBURN

EH44 INNERLEITHEN

E

dinburgh is the second largest city in Scotland after Glasgow and the seventh largest in Britain. Poet Sir John Betjeman described it as: “The most beautiful of all the capitals of Europe.”

With a strong financial district and healthy economy, the city is booming with professionals looking to rent.

Home to four universities (including Queen Margaret University which lies just outside the city boundary), students make up around one-fifth of the population, meaning the student market is an attractive prospect for investors.

The average property price in the city currently

stands at approximately £212,000 and with typical yields at around 6%, Edinburgh looks to offer a good return on your money.

Below are some of the best places to invest in the city:

City centre With close proximity to the financial district, universities, shops, bars and clubs, city centre properties are always likely to perform well and represent an excellent opportunity for a healthy return on investment. A three bed property in the city centre can command rents of up to £1,350 per month.

Newington Known for its Georgian townhouses, Newington is popular with students. The main campuses of the University of Edinburgh are nearby and with an array of student-friendly bars and restaurants the area is good for investors. A one bedroom flat can be rented for between £380 and £450 per month.

Marchmont Flats in Marchmont are highly attractive and highly sought-after by both professionals and students. Two bed properties in the area can be rented out for up to £900 per month.

Bruntsfield A much coveted area within Scotland’s capital, Bruntsfield is full of trendy coffee shops and restaurants. Its leafy streets and grand architecture make it desirable to professionals and families. The area is also well connected transport wise, whilst the city centre is just a 15 minute walk, with three bedroom properties fetching up to £1,350 per month the potential for rental income is excellent.

Morningside Morningside is steeped in history and contains some of the most sought after addresses in the city – Nile Grove, Jordan Lane, Canaan Lane and Eden Lane. Morningside flats can be rented out for £380 plus per room pcm.

The proportion of Edinburgh’s population who were born in the UK fell from 92% to 84% between 2001 and 2011, while the proportion born in Scotland fell from 78% to 70%.

WHAT’S IN A NAME? ‘Edin’, the root of the city’s name, is of Brittonic Celtic origin, from the Cumbric language, a variation of which would have been spoken by the earliest known people of the area - an Iron Age tribe known to the Romans as the Votadini. Edin burgh is thought to translate as ‘hill fort’.

The vote for independence On 18th September this year, the Scottish people are set to vote in a landmark referendum on whether they wish for independence from the rest of the UK or not.

The outcome could have a massive impact on the country’s economy, including house prices, tenant demand, interest rates and mortgage availability.

The ‘Yes’ side is adamant that becoming an independent country will have “no impact” on house prices. However, Independence supporters also argue that with more power the Scottish Governments will do more to support the housing market and assist people onto the housing ladder, which in turn could bolster prices.

It is thought that many who commute from Edinburgh to London on a weekly basis will favour moving south of the border in the event of independence and polls have suggested that as many as one third of Scottish businesses would consider relocating in the event of a Yes vote.

However areas such as Berwick (45 minutes outside of the Scottish capital) could see an influx of professionals from England looking to rent as the cities business district prospers.

Looking to the future Edinburgh has a high proportion of young adults, with 19.5% of the population in their 20s and 15.2% in their 30s – the highest percentage in Scotland.

Illustrating the city’s bustling business and tourism activity Edinburgh airport enjoyed its busiest ever year in 2013, with almost 9.8 million people making use of it - an increase of 6.3% on the previous year.

Edinburgh is influential worldwide in the fields of science, business, education and the arts, and offers a great quality of life to its habitants.

For more details in investing in the city visit: www.edinburgh-inspiringcapital.com

To look at properties currently available in the Edinburgh area visit:

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/edinburgh For more information on housing schemes and development in Edinburgh visit: www.edinburgh.gov.uk/housing

CITY SPOTLIGHT - EDINBURGH

EDINBURGH - the facts and figures Get the lowdown on the city and surrounding areas with our handy info-graphics.

EDINBURGH AVERAGE PROPERTY PRICES Below is a breakdown of the average asking price in the city by property type:

Average property price:

ALL PROPERTIES

DETACHED

FLAT

SEMI DETACHED

TERRACED

£212,895

£343,046

£184,440

£239,608

£256,665

Annual change in house prices - 3.4% (source: bbc.co.uk)

1 BEDROOM

RENTS IN EDINBURGH BY NUMBER OF BEDROOMS

£600 pcm

2 BEDROOM

3 BEDROOM

4 BEDROOM

5 BEDROOM

(source: home.co.uk)

£785 pcm

£1,153 pcm

£1,858 pcm

£2,157 pcm

POPULATION

439,660 residents

449,020 residents

1991

2001

476,626 residents

Edinburgh is the second most populated city in Scotland (after Glasgow) and the seventh most populous in the UK. The population is expected to continue to grow to around 603,000 in 2035.

(Source Scotland.gov.uk)

2013

TWINNED WITH Edinburgh is twinned with the below cities:

Kiev Ukraine

Florence Italy

Vancouver Canada

San Diego USA

Munich Germany

Twinning describes a form of cooperative agreement made between towns, cities and even countries; in geographically and politically distant areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.

THE LOW DOWN

264km ÂŁ27,800

2 Area

Average salary

57,850

Number of students living in Edinburgh during term time

1,893,500

Visitors to the National Museum of Scotland every year

3.2%

Unemployment rate

(source: edinburgh.gov.uk)

Did You

Know

Dolly – the first ever genetically cloned sheep was born in the city following ground breaking work by scientists at Edinburgh University.

PLACES TO VISIT If you’re looking for a broad mixture of great things to see and do, Edinburgh is the place to be. Admire stunning scenery, striking architecture, fine food, first-class attractions, outdoor pursuits and beautiful coasts and countryside.

1

Travelling to the main tourist destina

www.visitscotland.com

2

3

4

5

7 6

National Library of Scotland George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EW

5

Scotland’s largest library and the world center for the study of Scotland and the Scots. Home to about 7 million books, 13 million printed items and over 1.6 million maps.

www.nls.uk

National Museum of Scotland Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF

6

See treasures from the edges of history and trace Scotland’s story from fascinating fossils to popular culture.

nms.ac.uk

Royal Yacht

1

Britannia is the former Royal Yacht of the British monarch and was home to Her Majesty The Queen for over 40 years, sailing 1,000,000 miles around the world.

GETTING AROUND IN EDINBURGH

ations is straight-forward and with careful planning, more remote areas are readily accessible too.

For more information, visit: m/destinations-maps/edinburgh-lothians/travel/ or call 0845 859 1006

www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk

Royal Botanic Gardens 20A Inverleith Row, Edinburgh EH3 5LR

2

Founded in 1670, this is the 2nd oldest botanic garden in the UK after the University of Oxford. It’s both a scientific institution and a tourist attraction.

www.rbge.org.uk

Edinburgh Castle Castlehill, Edinburgh, Midlothian EH1 2NG

3

This great medieval fortress perched on ancient volcanic rock is visible for miles and today plays host to the military tattoo during the Edinburgh Festival (see page 12 for more).

8

www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk

Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre 354 Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NE

4

Learn all about the art of making whisky, and the difference between the various types, from the people who made whisky the worldwide success it is today.

www.scotchwhiskyexperience.co.uk

7 Our Dynamic Earth Holyrood Gait, Edinburgh, Midlothian EH8 8AS The huge interactive museum, takes you back to before dinosaurs walked the earth. Witness the Big Bang from the bridge of a spaceship through the Hubble telescope.

Palace of Holyroodhouse Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8DX

www.dynamicearth.co.uk

8

Founded as a monastery in 1128, the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh is The Queen’s official residence in Scotland. royalcollection.org.uk/visit/palace-of-holyroodhouse

CITY SPOTLIGHT - EDINBURGH

FAMOUS FOLK

Edinburgh has a rich heritage of film, literature and science. Here are some of the city’s favourite sons and daughters.

Sir Sean Connery

Most famous for playing James Bond in seven Bond films between 1963 and 1982, Connery was born in Fountainbridge in 1930. Connery was knighted in July 2000. He retired from acting in 2006 and has since turned down many tempting offers to return to the big screen.

Alexander Graham Bell

Born in Edinburgh in 1847, Alexander Graham Bell was a scientist, engineer and inventor who is credited with inventing the first telephone. In 1888, Bell also became one of the founding members of the National Geographic Society.

He has been described as ‘one of the most influential figures in human history.’

Helen Cruickshank

Scottish renaissance poet and suffragette, Cruickshank was born in Montrose in 1886 and moved to Edinburgh in 1912 where she lived the rest of her life. She passed away in 1975, having devoted her time to literature, helping others and trying to increase the quality of life for Scottish women.

J.K Rowling

Although born in Gloucestershire, England, Rowling moved to Edinburgh in the early 90’s, it was here that she wrote the manuscript for the first Harry Potter book Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. It has since become the biggest-selling book series of all time, selling more than 400 million copies worldwide.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Fiction writer Doyle was born in the city in 1858 and is most famous for the Sherlock Holmes detective series, including The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Adventure of the Empty Houses.

Doyle was married twice, fathering five children, he died in Crowborough, East Sussex in July 1930.

Chris Hoy

Eleven-time world champion and sixtime Olympic champion cyclist, Hoy was born in the Corstorphine suburb of West Edinburgh. With his startling performances on the track, Hoy became Britain’s most successful Olympian of all time before retiring in April 2013.

EDINBURGH CASTLE The Iconic Scottish Tourist Attraction

E

dinburgh Castle is a must-see. Built into rugged rock overlooking Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh city centre, this is undoubtedly Scotland’s most famous castle and the city’s most popular tourist attraction.

In addition, to guided-tours provided by the castle stewards, there is an audio guide tour available in eight languages. The audio tour takes the visitor on a tour around the castle, explains its architecture, and tells its dramatic history.

Here you can see the Crown Jewels, the Stone of Destiny and enjoy fantastic views from the castle’s rampart.

Furthermore, the Crown Jewel shop in Royal Apartments offers exclusive lines of specifically designed jewellery.

The oldest part, St Margaret’s Chapel, dates from the 12th century; the Great Hall was erected by James IV around 1510; the Half Moon Battery by the Regent Morton in the late 16th century; and the Scottish National War Memorial after the First World War.

The castle is open to visitors daily from 9.30am to 5.00pm. Last entry is at 4.00pm.

Tickets: Adult (16-59 yrs) £16.00 Child (5-15 yrs) £9.60 Concession (60 yrs + and unemployed) £12.80 Children must be accompanied by an adult. Under 5 year olds go free.

For more information on this famous landmark visit: www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk

EDINBURGH FESTIVAL The largest performing arts festival in the world

E

dinburgh is home to the largest comedy and performing arts events in the world. What is commonly known as Edinburgh Festival is actually a collective term for the many separate events taking place in the city each summer.

The most famous of these are Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe which have been running since the 1940s.

The Edinburgh Festival consists of classical and contemporary theatre, opera, music, dance, visual arts, talks and workshops, whereas ‘the fringe’ plays host to modern theatre, comedy, music, musicals, dance and children’s shows.

A recent Fringe featured 41,689 performances of 2,542 shows, in 258 venues over 25 days, selling over 1.8 million tickets. There were over 21,000 performers from 60 countries participating.

Comedians that have performed at ‘the fringe’ read like a who’s who of British and International comedy, including Michael McIntyre, Bill Bailey, Bill Hicks, Reginald D. Hunter, Billy Connelly, Woody Allen, Steve Coogan, Al Murray, Rich Hall and the League of Gentlemen.

The festival is still going strong today with this summer’s set to be bigger than ever, for more details, listings and tickets visit: www.edinburghfestivals.co.uk

Top jokes from the Edinburgh Festival over the last few years “I needed a password eight characters long so I picked Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.”

Nic Helm “I heard a rumour that Cadbury is bringing out an oriental chocolate bar. Could be a Chinese Wispa.”

Rob Auton “My friend told me he was going to a fancy dress party as an Italian island. I said to him ‘Don’t be Sicily’.”

Tim Vine “I saw a documentary on how ships are kept together. Riveting!”

Stewart Francis “Wooden spoons are great. You can either use them to prepare food. Or, if you can’t be bothered with that, just write a number on one and walk into a pub” Gareth Richards

Parks and gardens in Edinburgh

W

ith over 70 acres of beautiful gardens and plant species from around the world, no trip to Edinburgh is complete without a visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens.

Discover a beautiful place for a walk; visit the greenhouses where chilli peppers grow or step inside the John Hope Gateway, an eco-friendly visitor centre where you can discover more about plants and the work carried out by the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh.

Holyrood Park

East Lothian Garden Trail

From the park you can walk up to the iconic Arthur’s Seat, an extinct volcano. It requires some exertion to reach the top, but the rewarding views of Edinburgh, the Lothian’s and Fife make it all worthwhile.

Explore splendid plants in a mix of settings including coastal and inland gardens, both rugged and manicured, and you could even meet those who created the gardens themselves.

Princes Street Gardens

Water Leith

A popular city centre garden surrounded by the beautiful city of Edinburgh playing home to some of the city’s most attractive landmarks, including the towering Scott Monument and the gloriously ornate Ross Fountain.

For an alternative city centre walk, take a stroll along the Water of Leith. The river was once an industrial hub, but it is now a scenic walkway where you can keep an eye out for local wildlife including brown trout and kingfishers.

Inverleith Park

Malleny Garden

This award winning park, is situated behind the Royal Botanic Garden, and is a beautiful place for a stroll with great cityscape views.

Encompassing a lovely boating pond and bog garden, the park also contains children’s play area, tennis courts and petanque court.

A beautiful three acre walled garden only 10 miles from Edinburgh city centre. Enjoy a relaxing stroll around this old fashioned garden which houses the national collection of 19th century shrub roses, the National Bonsai collection and four ancient yew trees dating from the 17th century.

Dirleton Castle

Inveresk Lodge Garden

Located in East Lothian, complete with a romantic ruined castle, this is an opportunity to see a garden with a difference.

In the historic village of Inveresk, visitors are enticed by colourful herbaceous beds, a variety of attractive shrubs and collection of old roses selected by Graham Stuart Thomas.

This medieval fortress, now in the care of Historic Scotland, played many a part throughout Scotland’s turbulent history. Explore the arts and crafts-inspired garden and discover the world’s longest herbaceous border.

The garden houses a fine Edwardian conservatory complete with aviary, tree ferns and hardy exotics. This is a beautiful place to take in the views of the Lothian countryside and the distant Pentland Hills.

What do people really want from a rental property?

I

t’s important for landlords to have a good understanding of what tenants value most when renting a home so that they can acquire, furnish and price their portfolio to fully maximise the yield.

A recent survey conducted by Savills and YouGov polled 2,300 private sector tenants in the UK to find out what it is tenants really want with some surprising (and some entirely predictable) results.

Location, Location Being in a convenient location is crucial for tenants. 52% of respondents live within five minutes of their nearest public transport and this rises to 73% for those living within 10 minutes. London-based tenants are prepared to travel for longer to get to work – highlighting the affordability challenges in the capital – with 60% of London respondents travelling for more than 30 minutes to get to work/college compared to just 30% elsewhere.

Unsurprisingly families with children found it more important to be close to good schools (48%) and 42% of them were willing to pay more. Higher income households found it important to be close to a gym (12%) with 13% happy to pay more for the privilege.

Space Having more space is the most important factor in terms of the property itself and was cited by 28% of respondents.

This was significantly more important to families with children (47%) but less important to sharers or couples without children. Families and households on mid to high incomes are more likely to pay additional rent to enjoy a larger property. But sharers, along with higher income tenants, are more willing to pay extra for equal sized bedrooms and en-suite facilities.

When tenants were asked about what prompted their last move, the most common response was that they wanted to find a better quality property. The tenant responses revealed that many had experienced damp or mould, were unhappy with the fixtures and fittings provided or felt that their landlord was lax in the way they dealt with repairs and maintenance of the property.

The importance of bike storage and having enough space to store bulky items such as vacuum cleaners and suitcases was another key concern. In fact 12% of tenants said that they would be prepared to pay a higher rent to have secure storage outside their home to accommodate their more cumbersome possessions.

Safety The additional comments made by tenants at the end of the survey revealed some common themes. Safety is high up on the list when tenants consider a prospective area or property. Noise was often mentioned with tenants complaining about the noise from neighbouring properties as well as traffic. Energy efficiency was raised – mainly in regards to how expensive it would be to heat a property – as well as the availability of recycling facilities.

Our Advice You should always fully familiarise yourself with the local rental market before purchasing an investment property – letting agents can be a great source of (free) information and the more research you do, the more likely you are to secure a property delivering a healthy yield and contented tenants.

Protect your investment with specialist buy-to-let insurance available at www.citylandlord.co.uk.

Landlords need to do their homework in the student sector

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ith reliable demand and attractive yields, student property has become one of the most talked-about and attractive sectors of the rental market.

But what research should an investor new to the student sector look to do in order to maximise the potential of this attractive market?

What kind of return can I expect?

In terms of yield, figures from Countrywide Residential Lettings show that gross rental yields for buy-to-let landlords were around 6% in 2013, but the student sector is even more

profitable – with total returns of nearly 10% in the 12 months to September 2013, according to the CBRE Student Accommodation Index.

One of the traditional drawbacks for landlords entering the student market was the thought of chasing rent from their feckless tenants. In reality this is seldom an issue as most students come complete with willing guarantors in the shape of their affluent and, generally, reliable parents.

Where should I invest?

One useful starting point is the Savills Student City Monitor which uses a unique ranking system based on demand, student demographic, university rank, the local rental market and the supply of purpose-built student accommodation.

The most recent edition gave top marks to Bath, Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Edinburgh, London, Oxford and St Andrews.

Once you’ve decided on the rough area you’ll need to do your own research, starting with investigating sold house prices online and speaking to local lettings agents to get a clear idea of rental yields and tenant profiles.

What type of property should I go for?

Newer properties are generally easier and cheaper to maintain than period ones. Any refurbishments should be kept simple and functional with plain paintwork, hard-wearing floors and basic, robust furnishings.

Popular student areas are always close to the campus with good transport connections into the town but other factors such as road noise and views are less important to students.

Meanwhile, many councils have tightened up controls on new student accommodation so

you’ll need accurate local advice before you commit to any purchase. Any property with at least three tenants (forming more than one household) sharing a toilet, bathroom or kitchen facilities, is a House in Multiple Occupation which means it has to meet higher standards.

What mortgage should I go for?

When it comes to securing a mortgage, you will need to tell the lender that you are planning a student buy-to-let. Rates are comparable with those for professional buy-to-let loans but most will need the students to be on one assured shorthold tenancy agreement with no more than four or five students in the house.

City Landlord offer a great range of policies for landlords letting their property to students – for a competitive quote, call us today.

WHAT’S ON

Our guide to the best events going on across the UK in January and February!

EDINBURGH Peppa Pig’s Big Splash Tickets

Making History

Edinburgh King’s Theatre, 2 Leven St, 12-13 April 2014 Tickets: £14.50 – £21.00 Come and join Peppa and her friends for another all-singing, all-dancing adventure full of songs, games and muddy puddles!

www.peppapiglive.com

Get your bake on with Paul Hollywood

Scottish National Portrait Gallery Running until 29th March 2015 09:00 – 16:30 Free Admission The exhibition explores the recent work by Alexander Stoddart (Sculptor in Ordinary to the Queen in Scotland) commissioned by the Scottish National Portrait Gallery: the making of a monumental figure representing History for the exterior of the Gallery.

Edinburgh Playhouse, 18-22 Greenside Place Tue 29 Apr 2014, 10.00, 13.00, 16.00 and 19:00 Tickets: £34.00 TV’s star Paul Hollywood brings his first ever live show to the UK in 2014, for an evening of baking, comedy and fun.

The show culminates with four lucky, randomly chosen audience members coming on stage to bake with Paul.

paulhollywood.kililive.com

www.nationalgalleries.org/ whatson/exhibitions/making-history/

Homecoming Scotland 2014: GastroFest Various Venues, Edinburgh, 5 Apr 2014 - 20 Apr 2014 Prices vary per event (see website for details) Witness ‘Molecular Magic’, where you can create and enjoy daring dishes that merge traditional Scottish favourites with a modern twist!

http://www.visitscotland. com/info/events/home coming-scotland-2014-gastrofest

Manic Street Preachers Edinburgh Corn Exchange, 11 Newmarket Road Thu 3 Apr 2014, 19:00 Tickets: £33.25 Welsh rockers Manic Street Preachers bring their UK tour to Edinburgh, expect a set spanning all the hits from their 25-year career, including the epic ‘Design for Life’.

LONDON The Alternative London Tour Now to 20th December

http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk

Mammoths of the Ice Age Chambers Street, Edinburgh Fri 24 January – Sun 20 April 2014 10:00 – 17:00 daily Tickets: Adults £9 Children £6 Walk in the footsteps of the woolly mammoths at the National Museum of Scotland.

http://www.nms.ac.uk/ our_museums

East London’s ‘alternative’ side is revealed on this leftfield tour. Expect to be introduced to the history and culture of the Brick Lane ‘Banglatown’ and Shoreditch areas as well as current issues and street art.

http://www.alternativeldn.co.uk/

Made in London: Jewellery Now Now to 27th April

LIVERPOOL Caroline North Mersey Planet Ship Canning Dock 31st March to 27th April Pirate radio station Caroline North will be on the air from the Mersey Bar Lightship moored in Canning Dock, 24 hours a day and the ship will be open to the public daily from 10am-6pm.

http://www.visitliverpool.com/

whats-on/search/ caroline-north-p351261

The Museum of London is hosting an exhibition of contemporary jewellery, featuring a mini-installation for each of seven London-based makers and investigating their imaginative processes, working methods and inspirations.

http://www.museumoflondon. org.uk/london-wall/whats-on/

BRISTOL Jane Eyre: Bristol Old Vic

LEEDS Yorkshire Festival 2014 27th March 2014 to 6th July 2014 100 days of world class music, dance, theatre, film, art, sculpture and one or two art forms there probably isn’t a name for yet – this is one not to be missed.

Now to 28th March Almost 170 years on, there is still much in Charlotte Bronte’s story to inspire today’s generation. The story explores themes of freedom, accountability, and the stigma of mental illness and uses an original score and live music created by Benji Bower.

www.bristololdvic.org.uk/janeeyre

BIRMINGHAM Boy George

BRIGHTON The Chocolate Festival 29th March 2014 to 30th March 2014 Indulge yourself in all things chocolatey at the all new Chocolate Festival. This is a chance for chocoholics to not only discover the best and newest artisan chocolates, but also to indulge their senses in Britain’s first celebration of its kind.

NOTTINGHAM Sheriff of Nottingham Tour Now to 31st December

1st April 2014 Boy George is an English singer-songwriter, who was part of the English New Romantics movement which emerged in the late 1970s – early 1980s. Catch him live in Birmingham this April. http://livebrum.co.uk/hmv institute/2014/04/01/boy-george

Join in on the entertaining tour where villainous Sheriff of Nottingham puts Robin Hood on trial! The costumed actors will make you feel right at home!

http://www.experiencenotting

hamshire.com/whats-on/

sheriff-of-notting ham-tour-p590311/over

view-t10150

“This is a city of shifting light, of changing skies, of sudden vistas. A city so beautiful it breaks the heart again and again.�

Alexander McCall Smith

Words:

Richard Anthony, Gaurav Ahluwalia & Kirstie Ayres Design:

We hope you have enjoyed issue four of City Focus.

We welcome any suggestions and feedback, so please email editor@citylandlord.co.uk with your thoughts.

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Liher Landeta

citylandlord.co.uk Phone: 0800 2944 546 City Landlord The Business Exchange 26/28 Hammersmith Grove London, W6 7BA