Konect Balerno December 2023

DECEMBER 2023

COMMUNITY:

NEW COLUMN:

PLUS: MONEY MATTERS, HEALTH, puzzles, CLUBS & CLASSES, and MUCH more inside!

2 | BALERNO

r e b m e c e D

P8

A

s we head into the festive season, I’d like to thank all the businesses, local expert contributors and organisations who have been part of another wonderful 11 issues of Konect in 2023.

Always focusing on making things better, some of the topics we’ve covered this year include foraging for wild food, local events and clubs, organic veggie boxes for a good cause, support for veterans with sight loss, the Tool Library, coping with baby loss, tackling loneliness for older people in the community. We’ve touched on war history, some lovely local walks and wonderful wildlife photos; we’ve shared local job opportunities, and much more.

THIS ISSUE Charity: Blood Bikes Scotland..................... 8 Health: Exercise, pros & cons...................14 NEW COLUMN! RealLife...........................22 Wine: Mulled Wine.......................................28 Puzzles..........................................................30

To round off the year, we revisit Blood Bikes Scotland for our charity feature.

Run entirely by volunteers from within our local communities, they provide the NHS with an incredibly valuable support service. See pages 8-9 and please consider a wee donation.

Local Environment: An early invasion......34

And a new column from Suzanne Green starts this month - ‘RealLife.’ We can look forward to Suzanne’s observations and comments on ordinary, day-to-day life or things that set her imagination going! See page 22 for the first one.

Clubs & Classes.................................... 45-46

We don’t produce a January magazine, so we’ll be back with a February magazine.

We wish you all a very happy holiday season and a peaceful new year.

Community: Valley Friends........................39 Money Matters: All eggs in one basket...41 What’s On: December/January Events...42 What’s On: Christmas in the Park.............44 Puzzle Solutions...........................................46

Konect is delivered monthly to homes in Balerno, Currie, Juniper Green, Baberton and Ratho. It is also available online: konect.scot/subscribe

All enquiries, E: editor@konect.scot M: 07854 492638 BALERNO | 3

Alexander Aitken Plastering 51 Dolphin Rd, Currie Call Sandy

07966 695595

Plaster work, rough casting, ceramic tiling & general maintenance

4 | BALERNO

BALERNO | 5

6 | BALERNO

Boiler changes from £1795 incl vat Boiler Service from £99 incl vat Boiler cover £9.50/month

Office 01501 763428 Mobile 07778 047394

BALERNO | 7

When Blood Bikes Scotland were asked to help with the urgent transport of medication from Birmingham to Dundee, they were part of a critical relay operation to save a life with a ground-breaking treatment.

The cargo was an extraordinary medication consisting of donated human faeces, a lifesaving treatment called a faecal microbiota transplant (FMT) which is used to tackle really serious cases of C-difficile. The assignment illustrates very well much of Blood Bikes Scotland’s work - sometimes unglamorous, but absolutely essential.

Blood Bikes Scotland (BBS) is a voluntary organisation which supports the NHS by transporting, free of charge, blood and other test samples from wards to laboratories. They also deliver medication to patients’ homes, and support GPs, District Nurses, care homes and community hospitals with transport of small, urgent items.

“Behind every journey made on the bikes, there’s a patient – someone is waiting for a critical test result, medication, equipment or urgent medical notes,” explains Phil Dodsworth, Balerno resident and Trustee at Blood Bikes Scotland. And the

8 | BALERNO

many thousands of journeys not only save the NHS a significant amount of money, but mean the fast transport network is in place to help save lives, as in the case of the FMT relay.

The bikes can get through traffic quickly – especially useful during rush hours – so they can get pathology samples to labs quickly, or urgent medication to patients who need it. Other items needing transport include surgical instruments and, believe it or not, physical files of patient notes or x-rays urgently needed by medics.

While speed is of the essence for much of their work, the biggest benefit is cost avoidance for the NHS. By being on-call to provide transport free of charge, BBS saves the NHS a significant amount of money that would otherwise be spent on their own vehicles and drivers, external courier services and taxis.

Blood Bikes Scotland cover the Lothians, Forth Valley, Borders, Fife and Tayside, where they have service level agreements in place with each of the NHS Boards. Sister organisations support NHS Boards elsewhere in Scotland and the UK, and they all work together in relays when necessary to cover long distances.

Whilst not blue-light vehicles, the incredible value of the service provided by blood bikes is formally recognised in that, like the emergency services, their vehicles are exempt from road tax.

Riders are out in all weather conditions. A fleet of 15 motorcycles is supplemented by five cars to transport larger equipment (although they have been known to strap a walking frame to the back of a motorcycle on one occasion when it was urgently needed!) The motorcycles are modified to allow larger loads to be carried, with panniers and a tray on most of them. The Nationwide Association of Blood Bikes (NABB) have recently negotiated with Yamaha to build custom, manufacturer-approved bikes so, like police

* All figures relate to financial year 2022/2023

bikes, they come from the factory ready to ride. The custom bikes are based on the Yamaha Tracer 9GT, and Blood Bikes Scotland will be progressively expanding their use. The fleet also includes one Zero electric motorbike suitable for short fast runs.

A team of 188 volunteer riders and controllers works 70 operational shifts per week across the five regions. BBS delivers its service 7 days a week, including public holidays, and in 2022/23 they received 7796 requests for transport and saved the NHS over a quarter of a million pounds – money that can be used directly for frontline services instead.

Volunteer riders, controllers and everyone involved provides the service completely free of charge.

It’s a fundamental principle of BBS Scotland since its inception that no-one takes a salary.

The monthly overhead for the charity of running the bikes 365 days a year (tyres, insurance, fuel, maintenance and repairs) is around £6000*. The service is entirely dependent on donations from the public, grant bodies and corporate sponsors; they take nothing from the NHS or Scottish Government, so they are grateful for every single donation. You can raise money for Blood Bikes Scotland while shopping online, completely free of charge to you – see the sidebox for details.

They were once once called on to take a teddy bear to a distraught little girl in the Royal Edinburgh Hospital who had left it behind and was unable to settle. Teddy promptly arrived by motorcycle (which was on its way anyway with other jobs for the hospital) to the great relief of the girl, her parents and the nurses. There are some things whose value you just can’t measure.

GIVE AS YOU LIVE – free and easy way to raise money Shop with a huge number of retailers via Give as You Live, and a percentage of your purchase value is donated to BBS. Please see www.giveasyoulive.com/ join/bloodbikesscotland Direct donations are also welcome from the public and businesses. See ways to donate at www.bloodbikesscotland.co.uk/donate

VOLUNTEER! Volunteers are always welcome to join the current team of 188 volunteers covering the area including the Lothians, from Tayside and Fife to the Borders and as far west as Forth Valley. Riders need an advanced riding qualification.

Non-riding volunteers are also welcome; every shift needs a Controller, the point of contact between the NHS and the riders.

Please contact BBS at the details below.

For more information see: www.bloodbikesscotland.co.uk Blood Bikes Scotland is a charity registered in Scotland, No. SC049314.

BALERNO | 9

10 | BALERNO

BALERNO | 11

12 | BALERNO

IRONING AID

Free pick-up & delivery - next day service

0131 538 5223 07877 381940

BALERNO | 13

HEALTH

Christmas will be here before we know it and hot on its heels will be the New Year. The week after Christmas can be a contemplative time when we think what we would like to achieve in the following year.

You may even decide to make a resolution to take up something new in 2024. If you are planning to improve your health and fitness, taking up exercise is a great place to start but knowing the pros and cons are important.

What benefits could we get from exercising and are there any potential problems with taking up exercise?

First the benefits and there are many. If exercise was as easy as swallowing a pill, we would all be taking it. Regular exercise can make us feel better, look better, have more energy and combat many health conditions.

Regular exercise will help keep our hearts healthy, will lower blood pressure and help prevent conditions such as strokes, type 2 diabetes, many types of cancer and arthritis. It can reduce the risk of falling as we get older as well as improving our bone health by preventing osteoporosis.

Physical activity, particularly outdoors in natural light, will help our mental health and will reduce the incidence of anxiety and depression Exercise with others is fun and social, further improving our mental health.

Regular exercise will promote better sleep but do avoid exercise too close to bedtime as you may be too energised to sleep. Regular exercise also reduces the risk of developing dementia.

So how much do we need to do to get these benefits? Current guidelines suggest that adults should aim to be active daily and that over a week this activity should add up to 150 minutes of moderate activity in bouts of 10 minutes or more. Moderate activity will cause you to get warmer, breathe harder, your heart will beat faster but you should still be able to carry on a conversation. Examples include brisk walking, cycling or cutting the grass.

It is also important that we strengthen muscles and not just concentrate on exercising our cardiovascular system so guidelines suggest that we undertake physical activities to strengthen muscles twice a week which would include exercise with weights. This may include carrying grocery bags, housework and gardening.

And the cons of exercise – what could go wrong? Risk of injury is one to be wary of.

Impulsively starting exercise, overdoing it and being left with an injury can really put you off. When you start to exercise, do so slowly and build up gradually. The 10% rule is a good one to keep in mind – from whatever your starting base is, increase your activity levels by no more that 10% per week to help avoid injury. Time and money can be off putting too. You need to plan the time into your week to fit in the exercise and gyms, swimming pools or exercises classes may be costly. Find a way to exercise that you enjoy, that you can fit into your lifestyle and that you can afford. This is the way to success!

The health column is contributed by McNaughton Physiogrange, Edinburgh www.physiogrange.co.uk

14 | BALERNO

BALERNO | 15

16 | BALERNO

Award winning care homes

We’re proud to be recognised for our excellence in care, winning more awards than any other provider in the last three years.

If you’re considering a care home, call 0330 828 0494 or visit careuk.com/edinburgh

Trusted to care Cairdean House, Colinton Lauder Lodge, Portobello Murrayside, Corstorphine

BALERNO | 17

Made to measure curtains & blinds • Large selection of blinds, hundreds of fabrics to choose from at home • Tracks, Poles & Pelmets • Upholstery & Re-Upholstery • Re-spray service • Soft Furnishings • Outdoor Upholstery • Lampshades • Houles Paris Luxury trimmings • Public & Commercial spaces service

Call me for a free in-home appointment: Marc Van Cartier-Kerr 07935 819068 Visit: marcvck.com Email: marc@marcvck.com

18 | BALERNO

Marc Van Cartier-Kerr ARTISAN

BALERNO | 19

GERRY AITKEN Painter & Decorator Juniper Green

Get in touch for a FREE Estimate: T: 07798 565 321 • E: junigig@aol.com

Kitchens supplied and fitted Doors and Windows - wood/UPVC Built-in wardrobes • Misted d/g units replaced Custom made gates: cedar, hardwood & softwood supplied & fitted All Joinery & Glazing Free estimates 0131 449 3714 e: rabmcneill62@gmail.com

20 | BALERNO

BALERNO | 21

not actually walk differently (as in the Ministry of Silly Walks).

All that day, our library visitors animatedly told us of what they’d witnessed! One elderly lady said she had seen someone she recognised from … she couldn’t remember what film or television program. Her daughter was with her and asked, “Well, who was it, Mum?” The lady thought for a moment and then said, “Well, I can’t remember. But … it was a man!”

“Well, that narrows it down,” quipped her daughter.

SUZANN E GREEN

W

ho’d have imagined it? A film crew descending on Balerno! Turning our community centre into a travel centre.

And converting the hardware shop into a “Camera Emporium”. It’s certainly given the locals something to gawk at!

I was at the centre the day the crew came to have a look and measure up. How exhilarating! They were all very polite and solicitous, thanking me, a local, for allowing them to use my community centre. I just smiled and told them we were happy to oblige.

But then it was weeks before I saw them again. Walking down Main Street Balerno on my way to open up the library one day, I noticed there were more people than usual milling about. Ahh, the cameras, the equipment, the busyness, the folks from the community watching it all!

I walked to work unimpeded, but later my colleague, who had been looking for the Post Office (which had been temporarily relocated to St Mungo’s Church), told me she was politely asked to walk another way. I mean, she was asked to take another path,

22

BALERNO | DEC, 2023

Today I heard that Peter Mullan, an actor and filmmaker who starred in the TV series “Payback”, features in this movie. Maybe he’s the one the lady meant. If the reports I’ve heard are accurate, the film will be about tourists who visit Scotland because they watched the Outlander drama and heard it was filmed here.

No one said they were American tourists, but I have a suspicion they will be! Especially if it’s a comedy. I’m a US citizen who has lived in UK for 37 years, and I know Americans visiting this country are, shall we say, a novelty.

I’ve just had an idea. People are always telling me, “You haven’t lost your accent.” Maybe I could just slip into the community centre one day and get my big break! I’m sure I could play the enthusiastic, if slightly naïve American. After all I have done it for more than three decades. I could tell the crew that I’m late because I’ve been on location in Monaco for the past three weeks.

I can just imagine approaching the “travel centre” desk and, in my best southern US drawl, saying, “Excuse me, ma’am. That Outlandish series sure ‘nuff knocked my socks off! I’ve come all the way from the great state of Texas to see where y’all filmed it. And I’d be tickled if my tour could include any of the stars!”

They might believe me. real LIFE is contributed by Suzanne Green.

Suzanne, a freelance writer/editor, lives in Balerno and writes regularly for Konect.

She is married to Andy and they have two adult daughters.

BALERNO | 23

26 | BALERNO

• Flexible Advertising • Advertisement Design • Access over 45,000 readers in West Lothian & SW Edinburgh

It’s easy to be included! editor@konect.scot www.konect.scot

WEIR GAS SERVICES Former Scottish Gas engineer

Tel: 07981

366 988

Central heating - service, repairs Gas fires, cookers, hobs installation, service & repairs General Plumbing services Garden taps, washing machines, dishwashers Landlord safety inspections email : lesweir@blueyonder.co.uk

BALERNO | 27

WINE TASTING

It’s winter which is of course Mulled Wine Season!

Mulled wine warms your hands and heats you up on a cold day. You can prepare a small amount in a saucepan on the hob, or make a large batch in a slow cooker, either way the delicious smell of mulled wine will permeates your home!

The base ingredient is a fruity red wine. Look for a mid-priced red zinfandel or grenache.

Traditional mulled wine contains brandy but you could use Cointreau or Grand Marnier which gives the mulled wine a delicious orange taste and smell. Add a sliced orange and keep some orange slices aside to use as a garnish.

Now on to the mulling spices! The spice elevates your warmed red wine to mulled wine.

You can buy ready-made sachets of mulled spice or syrup but it’s fun to make your own.

The essential spices to use are clove, star anise and cinnamon. There are lots of others you could use to create your signature mulled wine.

Fresh ginger, cardamon pods, ground nutmeg, lemon zest or dried orange slices would each add an extra flavour to your mulled wine.

Add a dash of honey to sweeten and warm through on the hob or in a slow cooker, being careful not to let the alcohol boil. Warm through for anywhere between 15 minutes and 3 hours.

When you are ready, remove from the heat and strain the liquid through a sieve. Sweeten to taste if needed and serve in heat-proof mugs. Enjoy!

The full recipe and instructions are on swirlsipsocialise.com The monthly wine tasting column is contributed by Joanne Frette. Joanne lives in Juniper Green with her husband and three children. For wine recommendations, reviews and details of future tasting events, please go to swirlsipsocialise.com 28 | BALERNO

INGREDIENTS:

• Two bottles of your chosen red wine • 150ml of Grand Mariner • 2 sliced oranges (reserving a few slices for a garnish) • 6 cardamon pods (bruised with the side of a knife) • a teaspoon of whole cloves • 4 star anise • 3 sticks of cinnamon • 4 tablespoons of Demerara sugar or another sweetener of your choice

Combine all except the sugar in a saucepan or slow cooker and slowly warm over a low heat.

Before it starts to boil, remove from the heat and stir in the sugar or sweetener. Let the blend of wine and spices sit for up to 30 minutes filling your kitchen with delicious aromas. After 30 minutes, strain and serve.

Garnish with a slice of orange and a stick of cinnamon.

The recipe was contributed by Joanne Frette of Swirl Sip Socialise. www.swirlsipsocialise.com BALERNO | 29

58mm Vertical [LEFT]

DECEMBER CROSSWORD

^^^ Solution in the February edition of Konect ACROSS: 1. Effortless (4), 3. Ghosts (8), 9. Kill (7), 10. Part of a helmet (5), 11. Current (12), 14. Winter sport (3), 16. Sports competition (5), 17. Used for listening (3), 18. Amazing (12), 21. Heart beat (5), 22. Simplest (7), 23. Pirate’s hoard (8), 24. Procedure (4).

DOWN: 1. Keep fit (8), 2. Severe (5), 4. Garden tool (3), 5. In spite of (12), 6. Watch carefully (7), 7. Certain (4), 8. Self service stores (12), 12. Playing field (5), 13. Intimidate (8), 15. Implicate (7), 19. Perfect (5), 20. Blemish (4), 22. Make a mistake (3).

XX ^^^ Sudoku solution on page 46

DECEMBER SUDOKU

30 | BALERNO

ADD SOLUTION DETAILS

boiler cover plans from as little as £13.99 a month

Plumbing Heating Joinery Gas Fitting Maintenance Servicing & Repairs

We can offer 0% finance for your project*

Bathroom Design & Installation Specialists Landlord Gas Safety Checks Boiler Breakdown Cover Tel: 0131 441 7999 Mob: 07738 006 781 E-mail: admin@owengibbandsons.co.uk

34 Bridge Road Colinton, EH13 0LQ

*We are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority FRN 947495. We are a credit broker and not a lender.

www.owengibbandsons.co.uk BALERNO | 31

32 | BALERNO

Max's Garage Doors Ltd Garage Doors Electric Motors UPVC Side Doors

For all Installations repairs and services

Tel. 07821 984 978

info@maxsgaragedoors.co.uk 10 Years Experience

BALERNO | 33

LOCAL ENVIRONMENT

Well, I didn’t expect to be writing about waxwings arriving on our shores so early in the season but here we are! Over the last few weeks, there’s been an irruption of these stunning birds across the U.K., which is much earlier than usual.

The ones I’ve photographed in Edinburgh arrive like clockwork to the same street, at roughly the same time each year (if my Facebook memories are anything to go by) but this is more than a month before that date.

Every few years there’s a boom in numbers and it’s usually because the crop of berries has been poor in Scandinavia and Russia.

Instead, they’re over here feasting on rowan berries of all colours in some of the most random places. This was taken behind Tesco in Dunblane (wildlife photography is very glamorous), although there have been some in Edinburgh, Livingston, and Bathgate. The biggest flock has been seen in Elgin, with one video showing numbers exceeding 500! That would be a sight for the eyes and a treat for the ears, to see them wheeling around or chattering at the tops of trees.

34 | BALERNO

Eating between 800-1000 berries a day the bohemian waxwings can get drunk on berries which have over fermented and flocks have been known to simultaneously hit windows on their drunken adventures around town.

If you’re wondering where the name comes from, it’s because of the little flashes of colour on their wings, which resemble wax. Easy!

This column is contributed by Clare Harte and Kate Stevenson, who grew up in Edinburgh and now live in West Lothian. Together they run Scottish Sisters Photography and travel around the country to watch and photograph amazing wildlife and scenic landscapes.

Follow them on Facebook: @ScottishSistersPhotography

BALERNO | 35

36 | BALERNO

Est. 2005

For all your gardening needs: including tree & hedge cutting, grass mowing, slabbing, fencing, general maintenance and much, much more.

Free estimates.

Contact Colin Spence 21 Broomhall Gardens, EH12 7QA T: 0131 334 8602 M: 07720 843446 E: csgardening92@yahoo.co.uk

BALERNO | 37

38 | BALERNO

S

T

–

S

C

V BE

AL D FR LEY F RI EN E J FR IE N D I N G P RO HIP UI S TFU L FRIEND

There is a small pear tree in my garden. It produces three different varieties of pear; Conference, Comice, and Williams. Around four thousand years ago, someone had the creative notion to graft saplings together, anticipating that they would cross pollinate in order to produce fruit in a way that a single variety tree standing alone cannot. Funnily enough, they call this blend of tree a ‘family tree’.

This example in nature illustrates something that we have come to realise in greater measure since the Covid pandemic, it is not good to be alone. Connection with others, and the ‘grafting of friendship’, if you like, can sustain life and bear fruitfulness.

Isolation can lead to loneliness, which is an increasing issue particularly amongst the older members of our community. We know that loneliness can have a serious impact on the health and well-being of older people, so in response to this St Mungo’s Church, Balerno has launched a befriending project, called ‘Valley Friends’. This exciting project has the intention of reaching out to isolated older people living in Balerno, Currie and Juniper Green and offer hope and connection to them by matching them with a trained volunteer befriender.

The project is aimed at people over 65 who are at risk of social isolation due to poor health, living alone or at a distance from family and friends. People can be referred by a professional, a friend or family member or refer themselves.

We are always looking for volunteer befrienders from across the community

who have a genuine interest and desire to make a difference in the lives of local people.

All our befrienders undergo a selection process including an interview, training, and references, and are members of the PVG scheme for working with vulnerable adults.

We ask our befrienders to commit to a minimum of around one hour of visiting a fortnight, but ideally once a week. Volunteers should be in sympathy with the vision and values of Valley Friends as a ministry of St Mungo’s Church, Balerno.

To return to the analogy of my family pear tree, we are reminded that a relatively small living thing can produce a surprisingly abundant harvest. A harvest that exceeds expectation.

Loneliness is a huge problem, but giving an hour of kindness once a week to a lonely person can have a far greater effect than one might expect. Could you help us see Valley Friends grow?

To make a referral or become a befriender please contact Helen Yewdall, Valley Friends Project Lead at helen.yewdall@stmungos.org This article was contributed by the Valley Friends Project.

BALERNO | 39

Support for PC’s, Laptops, Wi-Fi, Printers & software.

We can visit your office / home or please drop into our office at Bridge Road to speak to us…. ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢

Small Business Office 365 Business Email Video Conferencing VOIP Phones Virus Protection Cloud Storage Backup of Data Flexible IT Support

➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢

Home PC / Laptop Repair SSD Upgrade Virus Removal Data Backup Networking & Wi-Fi Adhoc Support

Call us on 0131 510 9300 or email: info@worx24.co.uk 30-32 Bridge Road, Edinburgh, EH13 0LQ

40 | BALERNO

MONEY MATTERS

ALL EGGS IN ONE BASKET In the old days most people worked with the same company all their life and had only one pension to deal with when they retired.

Nowadays workers change jobs more often and build up sometimes quite a large number of pension pots. You could transfer all the individual pensions into one, but the question is - is it worth the hassle?

Transferring your pension not only reduces administration but can dramatically reduce the charges you pay. For example, if you had a pot of say £100,000 from a provider who charges 0.75% per annum, switching to one who only charges 0.25% could leave you better off by £17,000 after 20 years.

Your new provider may offer investment funds that are more in line with your attitude to risk and more importantly your capacity for loss.

Another consideration is not all providers offer passive funds in addition to active funds, and the passive funds have much lower charges.

If you are in a defined benefit scheme (DB Scheme), in most cases it would not be advisable to transfer to a defined contribution (DC Scheme) because the DB Scheme gives you a guaranteed income for life increasing each year. In addition, there may be an exit penalty.

Some DC Schemes have a guaranteed annuity rate (GAR) which will be higher than what is available on the annuity market. If an annuity appeals to you then you would be better to leave the pension where it is because the GAR would not be transferable.

The Money Matters column is contributed by Personal Money Management. This month’s article is by Dr Peter M Marshall.

BALERNO | 41

WED 6TH - SAT 9TH DECEMBER Balerno Theatre Company presents Alice in Pantoland - Church Hill Theatre, Morningside Wednesday 6th Dec 7.00pm, Thursday 7th Dec 1.00pm & 7.00pm, Friday 8 Dec 2.00pm & 7.00pm, Saturday 9th Dec 2.00pm & 7.00pm.

Fun-filled family-friendly pantomime from your local theatre company. Tickets £16.50 available at www.balernotheatrecompany.co.uk THURSDAY 14TH DECEMBER Care for Unpaid Carers - Free lunchtime talk 12.30pm - 1.30pm, part of our monthly Let’s Talk Care series, supported by Allingham & Co Solicitors. The Hub@531, 531 Lanark Road, Juniper Green, EH14 5DJ. Free drop-in.

SATURDAY 9TH DECEMBER Farmers Market - Main Street, Balerno, 9.00am to 1.00pm.

SATURDAY 2ND DECEMBER Christmas Fayre - 11.00am – 2.00pm. Come and join us for a fun, festive community event with craft activities for adults and kids and shop for affordable, sustainable gifts. We will have a range of festive craft activities, a wide selection of books, toys and other seasonal gifts that are sustainable and about the environment, as well as our welcoming cafe with lots of different hot drinks and snacks. You can also find out more about the Water of Leith Conservation Trust’s work and opportunities for volunteering. Entry Free, craft activities £4, bookable online or subject to availability on the day. Water of Leith Visitor Centre, 24 Lanark Rd, EH14 1TQ. Book via www.waterofleith.org.uk

EVENTS AT THE HUB@531 Book at hub531.appointedd.com The Hub@531, 531 Lanark Road, Juniper Green, EH14 5DJ FRI 8TH DEC (2.30 - 4.30pm) - Family friendly Christmas crafts (suitable for P1 age and above - children must be accompanied and supervised) - join us to make some simple effective Christmas tree decorations. Free, very limited space THU 14TH DEC (7.30 - 10.00pm) - Our Christmas Sparkle event - an evening of sparkling wine tasting with a difference!

Each bottle will be hidden as you try to spot the champagne from the cava! Bring a few friends and join us for some festive fun. Tickets are £15 to cover the cost of the wine, and includes some lovely seasonal nibbles SAT 13TH JAN (2.00 - 4.00pm)- Paper Cutting Workshop with Ruth Watt @ papercut.punk. Free, limited to 10, age restricted to over 18s only WED 17TH JAN (7.30 - 9.30pm) - Crafting - simple macrame ornaments - join us for an adult only, social evening of crafting no experience necessary. We’ll supply all materials and provide guidance. This event is free but booking is required.

FRI 19TH JAN (2.30 - 4.30pm) - Crafting - Glass painting - suitable for adults and teens (S1+). Materials and inspiration will be provided. This event is free but booking is required.

SAT 27TH JAN - Hub@531’s 1st birthday!

We will be having an open day and birthday celebration - more details will be published on posters and Facebook The Hub at 531 nearer the time - but please feel free to pop in, see the space, meet some of the trustees, enjoy some refreshments and help us celebrate a whole year of the Hub@531!

PENTLAND PROBUS CLUB EVENTS All meets are in Juniper Green Parish Church Hall, Lanark Road 10.00am 12noon. New members welcome. Further details from our Club Secretary Leslie Hannaford 0131 453 3012 or lesliehannaford@blueyonder.co.uk

WED 4TH DEC - “Housing Disabled Veterans Scotland”, an illustrated talk by Bob Kemp WED 10TH JAN - “Artificial Diamonds”, an illustrated talk by Prof. John WED 24TH JAN - “Which car - petrol, diesel, hybrid or electric?”, an illustrated talk by Scott Gammie WED 7TH FEB - “The Shetland Bus”, an illustrated talk by Kay Hay

42 | BALERNO

Join us online for more articles, updates, reader offers and more!

BALERNO | 43

44 | BALERNO

SPORTS, HOBBIES, LEARNING, SUPPORT GROUPS & MORE...

FLAGGY FRIDAYS - Does your child have an interest in flags of the world? Come and join us for Flaggy Fridays!

Each week we will focus on a different flag of the world. In just 30 minutes we’ll learn a brief summary of the flag’s history, why a flag has its colours, layout, its old flag(s) then end with a fun quiz! First class FREE trial. Online Zoom club. Email flaggyfridays@gmail.com to join ADULT ART CLASSES & SOCIAL - Free taster class! Learn Art in a relaxed, friendly environment. Based on the drawing theories of Betty Edwards - this class is appropriate for all levels. Our teacher Jane holds a BA from Hallam University with over 25 years experience teaching art, design and photography.

Come develop your core skills and have a cuppa with others who share a love of Art. Thursdays 10.00am-12.00pm, Currie Community Centre 280 Lanark Road West.

W: justvillagesocialevents.co.uk E: nicole@ justvillagesocialevents.co.uk THE HUB@531 - Community space in the heart of Juniper Green village, offering regular groups and events and hireable meeting / small event space. Social activities and clubs for all ages, including Come for a Cuppa, Book Bug, Knitting, Yoga and much more.

531 Lanark Road, Juniper Green, EH14 5DE. See hub531. appointedd.com for information and to book activities.

Facebook: “The Hub at 531” BALERNO SWI - We meet on the first Tuesday each month from September to May in Balerno Community Centre at 7:30pm, when we have speakers or demonstrations followed by a cuppa and time to chat. Anyone interested

can see more about us on our Facebook page, “Balerno SWI” PENTLAND BRIDGE CLUB - Come and play duplicate bridge in a friendly atmosphere.

We meet in St Margaret’s Court, Juniper Green on Thursdays at 7pm. Table money £3.

Less experienced players made very welcome. For further information see www. bridgewebs.com/pentland/ or email mthjkb@gmail.com ST CUTHBERT’S BADMINTON CLUB - St Cuthbert’s Badminton Club was created about 1946. It meets in the Church Hall in Westgarth Avenue, Colinton. It is non-competitive and meets on Monday evenings at 8.00pm between September and Easter. For details, call Archie Clark on 0131 449 4703.

THE MEETING PLACE - A community cafe for those 65 and over and all unpaid carers. Every Monday 10am - 4pm. Lunch £5 if you wish and ALL refreshments free.

Free exercise classes, bingo, dominoes, crafting and much more. 99 Forthview Crescent, 42nd Pentland Scout Hall. For info contact themeetingplacejcb@gmail.com BALERNO RAMBLERS WEEKEND GROUP - A busy walking group with a programme of interesting walks in a variety of locations. Some walks may be more challenging than the mid-week programme.

W: www.ramblers.org.uk/balerno; or, www.facebook/BalernoRamblers E:enquiries@balernoramblers.org.uk BALERNO RAMBLERS MIDWEEK GROUP - Meet for walks in Lothians, Fife, Borders and further afield. For walk details contact M.Timmins on 07917878955. Follow Balerno Ramblers on Facebook.

BARREFusion - A Barre class with a twist! Elements of Ballet & Yoga. Includes signature Fuse moves, Cardio bursts & Strength work. Drop-in (contactless payments taken) or pre-book at www.bookwhen. com/heidimacdonaldfitness.

Fridays 9:15am Juniper Green Scout Hall (nr Sainsburys). For further details: M: 07982205111 E: heidi.instructor@gmail.com KNIT ‘N’ KNATTER - Ratho Library, Ratho Commuity Centre, Thursdays 2pm to 4pm.

Tea & coffee provided. Bring along your wooly creations.

Ratho Library 0131 333 5297.

JUNIPER GREEN NURSERY PLAYGROUP - Juniper Green Community Centre. We are a small friendly playgroup with very experienced staff. We take children who are from 2 to 3 years old for morning sessions (9.15-11.15) cost £13 which includes a snack. No parent duties required. For more information: W: www.junipergreenplaygroup. vpweb.co.uk E: junipergreenplaygroup@ hotmail.co.uk T: 07308 033386 PENTLAND SINGERS COMMUNITY CHOIR Rehearsals every Tuesday at 7.30pm in Balerno Parish Church. Singing a wide range of choral music, with local concerts twice a year, no previous experience required and new members always warmly welcomed. Actively seeking new members.

Further information: W: www.pentlandsingers.org.uk E: pentland_singers@yahoo.co.uk PENTLAND JUNIOR SINGERS - Rehearsals every Tuesday 6-7pm, Balerno Parish Church. For young people aged 8 to 14. Come and sing a wide array of choral BALERNO | 45

music in a fun and supportive environment.

More information: www. pentlandjuniors.org or email: pentlandjuniors@gmail.com

a monthly class membership as well as individual class bookings. Please visit: www.primesportsphysio.co.uk to book classes. Email: hello@ SOLUTION TO CURRIE 65TH BOYS NOVEMBER CROSSWORD primesportsphysio.co.uk for more info.

BRIGADE - Anchor Boys (P2-3) and Junior Section PiYo - A fusion of Yoga & (P4-6) Thurs 6.00-7.30pm.

Pilates & Non-stop movement.

Company Section (P7-S6) A total body workout. Muscle Sun 6.30- 8.30pm sculpting, Core firming, Gibson Craig Hall, Currie.

Strength, Flexibility. Working Contact 65edinburghbb@ gmail.com or 07730 414371. towards a stronger you. Drop-in (contactless payments taken) RATHO COMMUNITY or pre-book at bookwhen.

CENTRE com/heidimacdonaldfitness • Gentle Exercise Group, Tuesdays 9am Balerno Scout every Thurs from 10am-12 Hall - bring a mat & water. For noon further details call Heidi on • Gentle Exercise Group, 07982 205111 every Thurs from 10am-12 ACROSS: noon1. Trumpet, 5. Cycle, 8. Luckier, PARACISE - Gentle to 9. Attic, 10. Group Sweet, 11.alternate Worship, 12.

Expire, • 50+ Wed moderate exercise to music 14. Teases, 17. Tobacco, 19. Conch, from 2pm-4pm you’ll love. Working on balance, 22.•Rules, 23.

Caravan, 24.

Discs, 25.

Destroy.

Book Group alternate Wed mobility, flexibility & posture.

DOWN: 1. Tells, 2. Uncle, 3. Painter, from 2pm-4pm 4. Thrown, 5. Chair, 6. Catches, 7. Escapes, • Knit and Natter Group Thurs All STANDING. Drop-in 12. Entered, 13. Pebbles, 15. Escorts, (contactless payments taken) from 2pm-4pm 16. Forced, 18. Casts, 20. Never, 21. Handy. or pre-book at bookwhen.

Tel: Ratho Community Centre com/heidimacdonaldfitness SOLUTION TO SUDOKU 0131 333 1055.

Wednesdays 10:45am Balerno ON PAGE XX BOARDJUNIPER GREEN Scout Hall - bring water. For GAMERS - Family and kids further details call Heidi on friendly board-game group 07982 205111. open to all. Come join us to play all sorts of board-games.

ART CLUB - This club suits Children are free with any adult children who thrive by being (£3/adut) Meetings every 2nd creative and individual.

Friday 6pm to 9pm see boardjg. Online learning will focus on co.uk for details of contact eric@ technique, pencil work and boardjg.co.uk colour. Outdoor classes will be PENTLAND CALEDONIA a visual appreciation of colour, PIPES AND DRUMS - Pentland depth and nature through pencil Caledonia Pipes and Drums and other mixed media like are looking for new members, watercolours. We encourage players or learners. We teach individuality and celebrating pipes and drums free. We meet being your own true artist. First in Balerno Community Centre class is a FREE trial. every Friday - 9.30pm.

Disclaimer: The7pm publisher cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage caused E: balernoartclub@gmail.com You can find us on Facebook. by in the printing of Deeanne an advertisement.

Forerror information call on T: 07591990020 We do not endorse any advertisers in 07885 612583.

Insta: @everychildisanartist_ this publication. All material is accepted PILATES, STRENGTH for publicationYOGA, on the understanding it is To include your Club or copyright free. No part of this publication & FITNESS CLASSES - at may be reproduced without prior Prime Sports Physio & consent of Class, please email details, the publisher. up to 75 words, to Pilates Studio & Gym - Our editor@konect.scot expert physios, Pilates & yoga Publisher: Lothian Publications Ltd. Geddes House, Kirkton North, Livingston, instructors and personal trainers Not-for-profit groups are West EH54 6GU.of 22 classes offerLothian a programme FREE. There is a small per weekDesign: to promote wellbeing, Magazine charge for businesses. See health, strength Alan Stewart Designand fitness. konect.scot for information.

T: 07729delighted 911858 We’re to now offer 46 | BALERNO

SOLUTION TO NOVEMBER CROSSWORD

ACROSS: 1. Trumpet, 5. Cycle, 8. Luckier, 9. Attic, 10. Sweet, 11. Worship, 12. Expire, 14. Teases, 17. Tobacco, 19. Conch, 22. Rules, 23. Caravan, 24. Discs, 25. Destroy.

DOWN: 1. Tells, 2. Uncle, 3. Painter, 4. Thrown, 5. Chair, 6. Catches, 7. Escapes, 12. Entered, 13. Pebbles, 15. Escorts, 16. Forced, 18. Casts, 20. Never, 21. Handy.

SOLUTIONTO TOSUDOKU SUDOKU SOLUTION XX ON PAGE 30

Disclaimer: The publisher cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage caused by error in the printing of an advertisement.

We do not endorse any advertisers in this publication. All material is accepted for publication on the understanding it is copyright free. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior consent of the publisher.

Publisher: Lothian Publications Ltd. Geddes House, Kirkton North, Livingston, West Lothian EH54 6GU. Magazine Design: Alan Stewart Design T: 07729 911858