June 2021
THE DELL DIRECTORY
THE NEW NORMAL:
LOCAL WALK:
WINE TASTING:
PLUS: LYNNE'S COLUMN, health & beauty, Puzzles, and more local features inside!
THE DELL DIRECTORY
P37
T
here’s plenty to appreciate and celebrate this summer, especially life’s little pleasures that were denied us for so long. So what better way to celebrate than to than to meet up at one of our local cafes, bars and restaurants? We’re all keen to travel a bit, but it’s good to support local businesses too. It’s great to see places like Oxgangs Neighbourhood Centre open again too, another sign of normality. They have completely refurbished, and are also looking for volunteers – see their notice on p39. All our usual columns are here from our wonderful local contributors and experts, along with updates from a number of local community organisations. I hope you enjoy this issue, as ever, please let me know what you think.
THIS ISSUE Local Walk: New Discovery Trails at Heriot-Watt...................................................... 9 The New Normal: Keep Moving!..............10 Health: Would you know if you had “Bursitis”?......................................................12 Wine Tasting: An English Country Garden...........................................................22 Interiors: Get your home in sync with Summer.................................................24 Puzzles..........................................................34 Local Environment: Dippers......................37 Lynne’s Column...........................................38
COVER IMAGE: Discovery Trails at Heriot-Watt. See our Walk feature on P9.
All enquiries, E: editor@konect.scot M: 07854 492638 @KonectMagazines
The Dell Directory is delivered monthly to 5,500 homes in the Colinton, Craiglockhart and Kingsknowe areas. It is also available online: konect.scot/subscribe THE DELL | 3
4 | THE DELL
@KonectMagazines
@KonectMagazines
THE DELL | 5
6 | THE DELL
@KonectMagazines
@KonectMagazines
THE DELL | 7
8 | THE DELL
@KonectMagazines
It has been wonderful to see so many members of our local communities enjoy the beautiful Heriot-Watt campus, which spans 380 acres. The campus is a lovely place to go for a walk in amongst the trees, but have you ever wondered what goes on across the many research buildings? Or about the heritage of the University?
As part of the University’s Bicentennial celebrations, we are launching a new series of trails to share more about our research, heritage, trees and more! The initial trails will be launched on 12th June, with additional trails and associated activities coming later in the year.
The Discovery Trail will take you all over our campus, allowing you to explore the ongoing research across our faculty buildings. We have researchers that explore everything from marine life to urban cities, from micro to macro scale, local to global. Our research activities and collaborations are constantly expanding to support transformations across both society and economy.
As well as learning more about the research taking place, the Trail will also offer fun facts and activities for the whole family. You’ll be able to see inside some of our labs with help from video tours, hear more from
@KonectMagazines
our academics, as well as learning about some of the buildings’ namesakes and the research that has happened over HeriotWatt’s 200-year history!
The Discovery Trail consists of 20 stopping points, all of which contain a post linking to web content through QR code navigation. They’ll also be brass rubbings on each post for extra family fun! We hope you enjoy exploring and learning more about Heriot-Watt research! To find out more, check out www.hw.ac.uk/trails. Coming later in 2021 will be our 3km and 5km routes set out in 500m intervals. But don’t let that delay stop you as our campus already welcomes runners and walkers who enjoy the splendour of our beautiful campus. Look out for Parkrun restarting soon as well as taking advantage of our outdoor exercise stations that are already installed in our campus trail.
This article was contributed by Heriot-Watt University. Public engagement with research at Heriot-Watt is supported by the HW Engage team, who support research staff and students to build links with their communities and public for mutual benefit.
THE DELL | 9
THE NEW NORMAL
Keep moving! Did you exercise before lockdown? Before the government suggested you engage in some form of physical activity once a day? For me – and, I suspect, many others in the community – exercise was one of those things on the to-do list.
There was a time, a few years ago, when I was doing quite well with my Fitbit. I was getting those 10,000 steps in every day. Friends would see me regularly walking round Harlaw Reservoir and comment, “You really are committed to fitness these days, Suzanne. Well done!” One cheeky man asked, “Have you lost your dog?” But eventually the insurance company’s healthy living initiative came to an end – the one that got my hubby and me free tickets to the cinema every week as long as we did the required number of steps. I returned to my old habits, admitting that it was film that had kept me walking, not a desire for fitness. I did believe in exercise … but I didn’t do it much. And then the first lockdown was announced. Suddenly, my attitude changed. In this strange new pandemic-stricken world, the government was recommending I exercise. So maybe I’d better do it. And if I was allowed only one good walk every day, one short reprieve from being stuck in the house, I was jolly well going to take it! Other people were obviously of the same mind. Everyone seemed to be out walking – not just the dog owners! My daughter and I started doing the loop round Balerno most days, encountering friends along the way. We all smiled and joked, politely observing the two-metre 10 | THE DELL
rule. There was a “we’re all in this together” atmosphere. Others started or increased a running routine or got on their bikes. Those who were furloughed needed to find some way to use up their energy. More than one friend confessed to me they’d left the house for exercise twice in the same day. (I didn’t tell.) I think everyone realised that the extra eating and drinking that seemed to come with lockdown meant it was more important than ever to burn those calories! And there were benefits to mental health too. During lockdowns two and three, the novelty of our exercise routines wore off and the number of walkers and cyclists dwindled -- it was dropping well before gyms started to re-open. Where did everybody go? Back to the couch? But some people established new habits! I’ll leave you with an inspiring story from a Ratho friend: With gyms closed, my daughter, Olivia, asked on social media if anyone had an unwanted bike. Kind neighbours supplied one, and she started cycling on canal routes. She also tried mountain biking, and began power walking at lunchtime. She progressed to hiking in the Pentlands after work, and when restrictions eased last July she bagged her first Munro. Olivia has now done 26 Munros and can’t wait to get back out this summer. Lockdown helped her discover a new hobby. The New Normal is contributed by Suzanne Green. Suzanne, a freelance writer/editor. She is married to Andy and they have two adult daughters. @KonectMagazines
HEALTH
Hay Fever and how we can help As we head into Spring and Summer hay fever symptoms can start to be bothersome. Hay fever affects 1 in 5 of us at some point in our lives. Primary symptoms are sneezing, runny nose and watery itchy eyes but can include sore throat, ears, and a cough. It is caused by an allergic reaction to pollen from trees, grass, or weeds dependent on the season. There is no cure, but we have a variety of treatments available from the pharmacy, many of which can be supplied free on the NHS Pharmacy First Service.
The mainstay of treatment are antihistamines, available as liquids or tablets dependent on age. These help to reduce the reaction to pollen, most used as a once daily preparation. Steroid nasal sprays are also highly effective.
@KonectMagazines
They reduce nasal symptoms by reducing inflammation but can also be helpful for eye symptoms. If eye symptoms are particularly troublesome eye drops can be used alone or with other treatments. Symptoms can also be reduced by some simple self-help measures such as reducing pollen exposure by staying in when levels are high, wearing wraparound sunglasses when outside and putting a smear of Vaseline inside nostrils to catch pollen grains. Lots more information on this topic is available form NHS inform, see: www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/ immune-system/hay-fever#about-hay-fever So please don’t hesitate to come into the pharmacy and speak to me (I get hay fever too!) or one of the team, and we will provide the treatment most suited to your needs. This article is contributed by Juliette Paton, Superintendent Pharmacist, Colinton Village Pharmacy.
THE DELL | 11
HEALTH
Would you know if you had
“BURSTIS”?
Working in a Physiotherapy Clinic can sometimes be like waiting for a bus – you don’t see a particular condition for months then three come along on the same day.
This happened last week with bursitis. Three people had painful swellings, two at the elbow and one at the knee. All were interested to hear about bursa, how they get injured and what to do to help them get better.
A bursa is a fluid filled cushion or sac located between our bones and our muscles, tendons or ligaments. It has the important job of protecting our soft tissues from rubbing on our bones as we move which would cause damage. We have about 160 bursae within an adult body and they will vary in size and shape depending on our own size and shape. Not all bursae are present at birth and they can develop where they are needed to reduce friction as we get older, depending on the stresses and strains of our job or sport. We classify bursae as superficial if they are located between bones and tendons or skin and deep if they are between bone and muscle. Inflammation of a bursa is called Bursitis. This inflammation can be the response to minor repetitive impact to the area. An example of this could be what used to be called “Housemaid’s Knee” where the bursa over the knee cap becomes swollen and sore in response to repetitive kneeling to wash floors. These days we see this Prepatellar Bursitis more often in gardeners after prolonged weeding while kneeling or in carpet fitters who kneel a lot at work. Knee pads can be useful to prevent this condition. Inflammation can also be caused by a 12 | THE DELL
sudden impact such as bumping the tip of your elbow on a door as you go past. This is known as Olecranon bursitis.
Bursitis is common in adults especially after the age of 40 and particularly affects the bursae at the shoulder, elbow, knee, hip and heel. Symptoms include discomfort, pain, swelling that may be warm, and difficulty moving the joint. Initial treatment is aimed at reducing the swelling with rest, ice, elevation and compression. Compression with a tubular bandage or a splint can help, as can over the counter anti-inflammatory medicines if they are safe for you to take. Physiotherapy can help to give you advice on initial management followed by the correct exercises to strengthen the muscles in the area and regain movement as the bursitis settles. Do be wary of other reasons for a swollen bursa. If you have a very hot, red swollen joint that is difficult to move, have a fever, or feel generally unwell, do contact your doctor. It is possible to have an infected bursa perhaps after an insect bite or an injury such as a thorn piercing the skin while gardening. Bursae do an important job for us to protect and cushion our soft tissues at points of stress – they are worth looking after! The health column is contributed by McNaughton Physiogrange, Edinburgh www.physiogrange.co.uk @KonectMagazines
For Recovery And Beyond Knowledgeable Experienced Friendly Physiotherapy Relief from Back and Neck pain, Muscle Aches and Sports Related Injuries Make an appointment with us
0131 337 5135 Online booking now available
www.physiogrange.co.uk No GP referral required Free Parking
Gillis Centre 100 Strathearn Road Edinburgh EH9 1BB
@KonectMagazines
THE DELL | 13
14 | THE DELL
@KonectMagazines
@KonectMagazines
THE DELL | 15
16 | THE DELL
@KonectMagazines
@KonectMagazines
THE DELL | 17
SMC JOINERY 07884 203 957 OXGANGS FARM LOAN, EDINBURGH, EH13 9QD
• Supply and Fit Kitchens • Maintenance / Letting Work • All joinery work undertaken • Kitchens • Windows • Doors • Skirting • Facings • Ceilings • Roofs • Decking • Fencing • Double Glazing • FREE ESTIMATE • ALL TRADES SUPPLIED • FULLY INSURED
Get in touch: 0131 466 3494 E: smcjoinery@hotmail.co.uk
18 | THE DELL
@KonectMagazines
IAN HODGSON & CO PAINTERS & DECORATORS Established 1980
We offer a complete decorating service. All our tradesmen have City & Guilds and are fully insured.
For a quotation without obligation from your local decorator Phone 0131 441 6524 Where Quality Counts!
8 Fernielaw Avenue Edinburgh EH13 0EE Tel: 0131 441 6524 Mobile: 07876377738 Email: hodgson.ian@btinternet.com Website: www.ianhodgsonpaintersanddecorators.co.uk
@KonectMagazines
THE DELL | 19
WINE TASTING
A client asked me to create an English food and wine tasting for her birthday. I was a little sceptical; I worried a line up of ‘plain Jane’ wine from England would be dull, insipid and tricky to pair food with. I was wrong – the English wines were beautiful! Each one well made with a delicate but firm character and sophistication to rival wines of Europe. Oxney Organic Sparkling Rose NV, made in the Champagne style, started the tasting. The wine was so good you could be forgiven for thinking it came from a top Champagne house! It was remarkable with its structure and character. Concerned the white wine would be a too acidic and the fruit washed out, I was again
22 | THE DELL
pleasantly surprised! Simpsons Gravel Castle Chardonnay was excellent; clean with perfectly balanced fruit and acidity. Very like a French Chablis with minerality, a citrus palate and hints of lees complexity. I paired it with smoked trout. The barely there tannins and subtle spice on the finish made the Chartham Vineyard Pinot Noir the perfect partner to cold cuts of beef and duck. Light and delicate, I served it chilled. My favourite was Biddenden Schonburger Dessert Wine. I honestly was not sure what to expect: would it be thin and insipid or sticky and sickly? As soon as I nosed it, I was enchanted! An English Country Garden in a glass! Delicate, floral blossom on the nose, sweet and fragrant not sticky or cloying. I paired this with Bakewell Tart – delicious! The monthly wine tasting column is contributed by Joanne Frette. Joanne lives in Juniper Green with her 3 children. She is a Sommelier Wine & Spirit Specialist who runs Swirl Sip Socialise, an online wine tasting business which connects friends and family across the UK.
@KonectMagazines
@KonectMagazines
THE DELL | 23
How to ge
ync with ns
our home i ty
In the dim and distant past, we humans lived immersed in the natural world. As a species, it was all we knew and life was completely driven by the seasons. Fast forward to the modern-day and there’s still a part of our brain that craves those seasonal cues. Modern indoor living, with its lack of mandatory adherence to the rhythms of the year, can actually stress the prehistoric part of our brain. But you can soothe it with a spot of seasonal decor! So can switching up your home accessories with the seasons really improve your sense of wellbeing? I absolutely believe that it can goodness, I created a whole business to help people do just that! So how about giving it a go this summer? Here are a few ideas to get you started. Change up your colour - What colours say ‘summer’ to you? Pastels? Brights? Anything light? Cushions and throws are the obvious spots to add a pop of colour but how about some summery bed linen? Bright bathroom towels? These can often be forgotten spots but bedlinen and bath towels can really make a splash. Display summer memories - How about changing up your photos and artwork to anchor you in the season? Pick your favourite summer snaps and get them on display. Treasured travel pics? Best-loved beach days? Create a memory montage as the ultimate mood booster. Cookware & Crockery - Invest in a couple of pieces of crockery that give you a summer vibe. Maybe something Mediterranean or Moroccan 24 | THE DELL
in style, pieces that evoke that summer holiday feeling. Or maybe something from closer to home - I have several Scottish Islands pottery mugs and a few pieces of traditional blue and white stripe Cornishware that I only bring out in the summer months for that very reason. Summer platters work well too and are a lovely touch when entertaining. Here’s hoping we can finally have a houseful very soon Bring the outdoors in - Without a doubt, one of the easiest ways to inject life into your decor during those mid-year months is to decorate with plants. If you’re not blessed with green fingers then just go faux! There are so many fabulously realistic options just now, in both artificial greenery and floral stems, you’re sure to find something to suit. Go on, pep up your place this summer. Your brain will thank you for it! The Seasonal Touch column is contributed by Lynn McMurray, Balerno resident and enthusiast of all things ‘home,’ serving the local community and beyond with her home & gift business The Seasonal Touch. www.theseasonaltouch.co.uk @KonectMagazines
GERRY AITKEN
Painter & Decorator Juniper Green
Get in touch for a FREE Estimate: T: 07798 565 321 • E: junigig@aol.com
YOUR LOCAL BLINDS, CURTAINS & SHUTTERS SPECIALIST ✓ Friendly local service
✓ Options for every budget
✓ Price includes measuring & fitting
• I provide expert advice on the best window solutions • Flexible appointment times • Blinds & curtains made right here in the UK
“Clearly very high quality and we really love them!” R Parker, customer
Over 1000 products, including Faux Wood Venetians from £88
• Ask me about multi-blind discounts • I won’t be beaten on price*
ROLLERS | ROMANS | VERTICALS | VENETIANS | CURTAINS | SHUTTERS | WOODEN BLINDS
Call me for a free in-home appointment: Graeme Hodge 07488352449 *Based on the same size, spec & levels of service.
@KonectMagazines
Edinburgh
THE DELL | 25
26 | THE DELL
@KonectMagazines
0131 477 1167 Fully stocked & fully trained professional Locksmiths 24 hours a day Boiler Replacements, Servicing & Heating Upgrades
www.1stcall-locksmiths.com
We provide free fixed price quotations Please contact us for more information
0131 669 5906 info@smartheatingedinburgh.co.uk www.smartheatingedinburgh.co.uk
BILL REID & SON
DOMESTIC HEATING & PLUMBING 0131 449 5538 07710 458739 2 Turner Avenue Balerno
@KonectMagazines
THE DELL | 27
Lifting the weight of debt in Scotland Free debt advice and personal support in Edinburgh & West Lothian. Book your free appointment
0800 328 0006 capscotland.org
In partnership with Holy Trinity Church, Wester Hailes and supported by funding from the Scottish Government. Charity Registered No: 1097217 (England & Wales), SC038776 (Scotland). CAP is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
28 | THE DELL
@KonectMagazines
@KonectMagazines
THE DELL | 29
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
30 | THE DELL
@KonectMagazines
Keith Wales
WINDOW CLEANING
Reliable 4 weekly service
0131 449 4379 • 07895 916800 www.kwaleswindowcleaning.co.uk
SMALL AD
BIG Impact
To be included in The Dell Directory, please contact us. Our details are on P3.
@KonectMagazines
THE DELL | 31
32 | THE DELL
@KonectMagazines
@KonectMagazines
THE DELL | 33
PUZZLES
CROSSWORD HIGH QUALITY DECORATING AT A FAIR PRICE Interior / Exterior / Residential Commercial / Fully Insured 15 Years’ Experience
5-STAR RATED EDINBURGH TRUSTED TRADER CONTACT US FOR YOUR FREE QUOTE
Web: www.mg-decor.co.uk Tel: 0131 258 2145 / 07746 266222 Email: marek@mg-decor.co.uk ^^^ Solution in the July edition
THE DELL DIRECTORY
DOWN: 1. Place for gambling (6), 2. In the midst of (5), 3. Turned (7), 5. Senior (5), 6. Incomplete (7), 7. Large arid area (6), 8. Halted (11), 14. Apparent (7), 15. Sad (7), 16. Adjusts (6), 17. Container (6), 19. Narrow shelf (5), 21. Rub hard (5).
SUDOKU
^^^ Solution in the July edition
Join us online for more articles, updates, reader offers and more!
ACROSS: 1. Seats (6), 4. Burst (6), 9. Reduce in length (7), 10. Moves rapidly (5), 11. After sunset (5), 12. Before (7), 13. Marvellously (11), 18. Cultivate (7), 20. Hurry (5), 22. Arrogant (5), 23. Terminates (7), 24. Sibling (6), 25. A sign (6).
34 | THE DELL
@KonectMagazines
@KonectMagazines
THE DELL | 35
36 | THE DELL
@KonectMagazines
LOCAL ENVIRONMENT
Photographed on the River Avon in West Lothian
Found across the whole country, these blackbird sized birds are Britain’s only aquatic songbirds and are the stars of fast flowing rivers. Dippers have the ability to walk under water as they search for food, but can mostly be found on rocks performing the move which gave them their name, the dip. They bob up and down (for no apparent reason) before flying up the river looking for food.
When you’re walking along a river, look out for their droppings on the rocks as this is a sure sign dippers are in the area. They blend in well with the river banks as they have dark brown feathers and a white chest. They’re quite vocal as they fly and have a beautiful song, which is what makes them so remarkable. Nests can be victims of predation or flooding but thankfully the pair I’ve found have nested high up on the rocks, well out of harm’s way! They’re definitely smart little birds.
They’re early breeders and as I write this, the pair I’ve been watching have already had their first brood and are working on their second. Even as they were providing for the original clutch, they were building the second nest just a few metres away. The chicks are fully independent 11-18 days after fledging, before moving on to find their own territories.
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
@KonectMagazines
THE DELL | 37
I don’t want to be tempting fate and pushing the boundaries of optimism too much here but, all going well, life in June should look a bit more like life as we used to know it. Since the long-awaited re-opening of hospitality and easing of restrictions on seeing family and friends kicked in, we have all hopefully been enjoying activities and company that we have missed over this last year. I’ve said before that I was one of the very lucky people for whom the whole lockdown experience was not entirely unpleasant. Yes, I missed the social interactions with work colleagues and friends, being able to travel and visit family and the freedom to do pretty much whatever I wanted when I wanted. But I was fortunate enough to have a job that could be done 100% full-time from home and share the whole “stay home, stay local” experience with my nearest and dearest. The early lockdown weeks saw the return to family walks that had evaded us as the kids grew increasingly bigger and more independent and I loved it. Finally caving in to getting a dog late last year was largely, I will make no bones about it (Bones! Dogs! Did you see what I did there?!), an attempt on my part to hang onto this new found enthusiasm for outdoor family entertainment. Whilst it’s wonderful to watch our children grow, I know I’m not alone in feeling more than the occasional tinge of sadness at how much less I see of them these days. As an older Mum I never really had any issues with lack of energy for my kids when they were tiny but I 38 | THE DELL
never fully considered the longerterm picture. Someone should really have politely warned me about the volatility of the potentially explosive combination of a 50-plus woman living with teenagers! The other weekend, as all four of us ventured out across Campbell Park with the dog in tow, I realised how much the tables have turned in the parent-child relationship. Whereas my little children used to sneak into my room every morning to try to wake me and just couldn’t wait to start their days, I now have to make endless trips to their rooms to initiate some small signs of life. And where trips to parks and other outdoor fun often lead to tears and tantrums when it was home-time, now when we get out it’s usually only a matter of time before someone utters the words “Are we going to be long?” and I’m the one having the hissy fit as they try to drag me home from the park. So, if you see me looking misty eyed and nostalgic at the parents dragging their screaming toddlers out of the swing park at tea-time know that, although I empathise and feel their pain, I’m also slightly jealous and wondering just where those last 10 years have gone. Lynne lives in Colinton with her husband and two children. She dreams of being a freelance writer when she grows up but mostly just avoids growing up! @KonectMagazines
THE
Balerno Music Festival
IS BACK! 25TH September – 10TH October 2021 Good News! The BMF committee is working hard to bring you the 14th Balerno Music Festival with concerts and events for all the family.
We'll soon be in touch with details of a smaller but exciting programme featuring a wide range of talented musicians who are ready, eager and standing by to entertain you this Autumn. Look out for our important announcements in July: event dates and venues in the C&B News, Konect, Facebook and Twitter etc. Booking information will be available via our website www.balernomusicfestival.org later in the summer. Our committee members will be available at the Farmer's Market and, hopefully, at our Pop-up desk to answer any questions you may have about the Festival, tickets etc. We can't wait to see you relax and enjoy the live music you love in our own local area. This article was contributed by the Balerno Music Festival @KonectMagazines
THE DELL | 39