Konect Balerno March 2016

MARCH 2016

FEATUREs

Huly Hill and the Newbridge Chariot village people Tara Devlin - “It’s time to slow down the fast fashion machine” Charity Josh’s Afternoon Tea s& Offer ers h c u o v cal from lo ses s e busin

plus local businesses, community information and more!

Balerno, Currie, Juniper Green, Baberton & Ratho

400 LANARK ROAD WEST, CURRIE

We repair all makes and models and also supply, deliver and install new integrated and free standing appliances.

Washing Machines Cookers • Tumble Dryers Dishwashers • Vaccum Cleaners

MOST MAKES AND MODELS AVAILABLE

SALES, SPARES, REPAIRS & SERVICING 2

KONECT

42

WALK

M essag e f ro m the e d ito r Marie Curie fundraiser with A a difference is taking place in Currie this month, as it has

been organised by an 8 year old Baberton resident. Our writer Suzanne met with the young fundraiser to hear what inspired him and to help promote his event on 12th March – see pages 26-27.

For the local history column I’ve been learning all about how the area of land near the River Almond crossing at Newbridge was a really important focal point around here for millennia – and how one of our most unique and important discoveries about the Celts was discovered at Newbridge and will be the centrepiece of an exhibition opening at the National Museum of Scotland this month. See pages 8-9.

All our usual columns are here including the Village People page, for which Suzanne interviewed a Balerno resident who works hard to raise awareness of the injustices in the fashion industry, an issue that doesn’t get a lot of publicity.

Thanks for reading Konect and for supporting local businesses!

Helen-Jane, Editor hj@konectdirectory.co.uk

FEATUREs Huly Hill & the Newbridge Chariot 08 Josh’s Afternoon Tea 26 Spotlight on Red Hot Windows 40 REGULARS Village People Technology Thought for the Month Walk Inter ior s Money Matter s Upbeat Recipe

14 20 22 42 50 57 58 60

COMPETITIONS & PUZZLES Crossword & Sudoku

64

COMMUNITY What’s on & Useful Information Clubs & Classes

66 67

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

70

Advertising Enquiries JENNY THOMSON 07824 469266 jenny@konectdirectory.co.uk CHARLENE GAFFNEY 07772 941899 charlene@konectdirectory.co.uk Advert booking deadline: 15th of the month prior to print.

Artwork/copy deadline: 18th of the month prior to print.

The Konect Directory is delivered to homes in Balerno, Currie, Juniper Green, Baberton and Ratho. Copies are also left at the library, community centres, convenience stores and various other locations within the area.

Look out for Easter family activities

KONECT

/KonectDirectory

@KonectDirectory

3

Gas Central Heating Boiler Changes and Full Systems

Wave. Smart heating and hot water control on the go.

The Wave is a smart, internetconnected programmable control for central heating and hot water which can be operated using a smart phone or tablet.

4

KONECT

@ the NEW Almondvale Suite Livingston FC Make sure ‘your’ nice ‘clean’ bins are returned to you every time! Don’t end up with someone else’s dirty messy bin - especially your food waste bin!

Identify all ‘your’ bins with our easy to apply, peel and stick vinyl numbers!

They’re big, bright and easy to see, and unlike most paints, they will not rub or wash off with the rain!

ial Spec er! f f O

abulous Food Great Venue, F vent now Book your e

ts s | Charity Even rties | Wedding es ag ck Pa st Engagement Pa 21 itality | 18th or details Corporate Hosp tering - call for e in Outside Ca

lis We also specia

events@foodcreations.co.uk www.foodcreations.co.uk

Tel 01506 412232 facebook.com/simonatfoodcreations @Food_Creations

KONECT

5

A & A Electrical Solutions Ltd Balerno All electrical work Private or commercial No job too big or small All work guaranteed Free estimates Professional and reliable service

NO CALLOUT CHARGE FREE QUOTATIONS UPVC SPECIALIST

Alan: 07969 929327

or email alskie@hotmail.com

ALEX HUNTER & SON PLUMBERS

Family Business 24 Hour Emergency

www.jgmlandscapes.co.uk

0131 441 2098 • 07831 519003

Driveways • Pathways • Patios Wide range of colours & styles to suit any design - please view our brochure or find out more on our website.

No deposits to pay - payment upon 100% satisfaction of completed work.

FREE design & consultation FREE no obligation quotations

BEFORE

AFTER

Kitchens supplied and fitted UPVC fascias and gutters Doors and Windows - wood/UPVC Built-in wardrobes • Misted d/g units replaced

All Joinery & Glazing Free estimates

10 Lochside Place, Edinburgh Park, EH12 9RG WORKING FOR YOUR COMMUNITY

6

0131 449 3714

e. robertmcneilljoiner@virginmedia.com KONECT

Richard Lloyd King MatHEW Winchester Dino Cassar JR. & Johnny Amobi

Saturday 9th April 2016 A night of live music and Motown classics! From 7pm to late..

Book early to avoid dissapointment

ÂŁ10

General Admission Unreserved Seating

ÂŁ90

Table of 10 Reserved Seating

Edinburgh Corn exchange, 10 newmarket rd, Eh14 1rj, Tel: 0131 477 3500

For more information or To book tickets visit: edinburghcornexchange.com KONECT

7

Local History

Huly Hill & the Newbridge Chariot

by Helen-Jane Shearer

Have you ever sat in the traffic by the BP garage at the bottom of Cliftonhall Road in Newbridge waiting to get onto the roundabout, and wondered what that strange little hill is, surrounded by the low stone wall?

It’s one of several tantalising clues that this area was a very important focal point for thousands of years. The wee hill ahead of you as you wait at the T junction is a bronze age burial mound (tumulus) dating from around 2500BC. Three standing stones surround it within the fenced area, and there is a fourth stone the other side of the motorway. The area beside Edinburgh Airport runway, the end of which is just half a mile from our tumulus, was a burial ground where cists dating from the around the fifth century AD

have been found, along with another standing stone, the Cat Stane, which has been there for thousands of years.

We don’t know which of these various monuments are related to each other, if any. The stones around our tumulus may have been part of complete stone circles; it has never been subject to detailed modern archaeological study, although was opened in 1830 when a spearhead or dagger, animal charcoal and small fragments of bones were found.

When I visited on a rare sunny day last month, I found that within the grassy circle the din of the roads is muted; the hustle and bustle of the interchange, the industrial estate with its heavy commercial traffic, the garage ... all seem to fade.

Viewed from the footbridge over the motorway, it sits broodingly mysterious in the incongruous modern landscape, its three stones standing eloquently silent sentry as they have for countless years.

A replica of the Newbridge Chariot will be the centrepiece of a new exhibition, “Celts,” which opens at the National Museum of Scotland next month.

The iron tyres for the replica, which was made in 2001, were forged by local blacksmith Pete Hill of Ratho Byers Forge. Pete recalls, “We did some of the work in exactly the same manner as the original craftsman would have, with the forge anvil and hammer. The shaping into the ring was done using a modern roller and the tyres were joined using modern techniques to ensure accuracy of size. The most interesting aspect for me was the privilege of touching and inspecting ironwork of such an age, made by someone much like me, working in more or less the same manner centuries later. While some of the equipment has changed, the processes of thinning, stretching, punching and joining iron - or nowadays steel - have remained unchanged since the dawn of the iron age. If you could transport a smith through time either back or forward, they would recognise the work and tools and would no doubt share an immediate connection with the craftsman of the time.”

Visit the exhibition and see the Newbridge Chariot at the National Museum of Scotland from 10th March to 25th September. See www.nms.ac.uk for further information.

Huly Hill from Clinftonhall Road

The fact that Huly Hill survived for millennia suggests it was very important. Which may be why this spot was chosen some two thousand years later for a very important burial – a Celtic chariot.

When the Edinburgh Exchange estate was being built at Newbridge in 2001, remains of a chariot were found under what is now the commercial unit just before the turning for … Chariot Drive.

It had been buried intact, most likely as part of a human burial (although no trace of a body remained), in the fifth or early fourth century BC. To find out more I contacted Dr Fraser Hunter, Principal Curator of Iron Age and Roman Collections at the National Museum of Scotland.

“Owning a chariot at all at that time was like owning a Ferrari - especially this one, which was built for speed” he says. The two-wheeled chariot was designed to be pulled by two horses (although as he points out, Iron Age horses would look like ponies to our eyes). So this was the burial of someone undoubtedly wealthy and possibly of special social status. Detailed study of the remains revealed a utility vehicle that had worked hard, showing wear and tear and replacement parts. The wheels are not a matching set, being of slightly different diameter, rim form and fastenings, so one of them may have been a replacement. The iron tyres were well worn; some of the fixings where the harness attached to the yoke look like replacement parts.

But particularly intriguing is that the Newbridge chariot burial has more in common with continental burial rites than British ones. Chariot burials have been found in Yorkshire where the chariots were dismantled before being buried.

The Scottish one however was intact, in common KONECT

with chariot burials on continental Europe. It was buried up to its axle with slots cut in the ground for the wheels, before being covered with earth. Dr Hunter says, “This chariot is unique in Scotland and extremely rare in Britain. The best parallels are in France and Belgium, showing the wideranging contacts at the time.” So Scotland was not cut-off on the fringes of Europe, but had links with the continent even then – as a few other features of this chariot show. The horses’ bridle bits (undecorated two-link snaffle bits) are unusual for Iron Age Britain but common in France and Belgium. The chariot itself however was of British manufacture, so this wasn’t a visitor from the continent. As Dr Hunter explains, “Vehicles need suspension if they are to move at any speed.

On the continent, this was achieved by various metal fittings which suspended the body of the chariot and allowed it to “float” and absorb the shock. In Britain, no such metal fittings are found.

Instead, organic components were used – either a rawhide floor which absorbs the bounce, or by hanging the chariot body off leather straps.”

Similarly, there were no nails to hold the tyres to the wheels, which indicate British make as continental chariots of the period used nails.

So our Newbridge burial could have been someone who spent time on the continent. We don’t know why people buried chariots - it’s easy to speculate but difficult to establish facts. But we do know that Newbridge was a special site for a significant person. It’s also an ancient crossing point of the River Almond (which we whizz over on the A89 next to the luxury car village, barely noticing it’s there).

Photo: Replica of the Newbridge Chariot ©NATIONAL MUSEUMS SCOTLAND

k 9

Est. 2005

Max's Garage Doors Ltd Garage Doors Electric Motors UPVC Side Doors Tel. 07821 984 978

For all Installations repairs and services

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

Free estimates.

info@maxsgaragedoors.co.uk 10 Years Experience

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

10

KONECT

S & D Fences Based in Balerno

Either new builds or repairs Highly competetive rates Reliable and experienced

Call Derek 07725 417276 or email: dal05@btinternet.com

●GARDEN MAINTENANCE ● PATIO CLEANING ● FENCE PAINTING

07827 927415 or 07810 150212

Riccarton Mains Road (nr Heriot-Watt) T: 0131 449 4004

AMAZING DEALS: 4x Bags Multi-Purpose Compost only £10.00 (Holds 50ltr)

4x Bales of Mini Bark only £20.00 (Holds 100ltr each)

Spring Bedding (Pansies, Viola etc) 4 packs for £10.00

Primulas (Variety of colours) 6 for £5.00

Herbaceous & Shrub (huge collection) 3 for £10.00

We have lots more deals throughout the garden centre

Coffee Shop • Open 7 days • FREE Wi-Fi • Car Park

New kids corner to entertain your little ones while you are enjoying coffee or lunch Riccarton garden centre and coffee shop. Be the first to know about our weekly plants deliveries, promotions etc. and see photos and the coffee shop menu KONECT

11

DELL ROOFING Currie Established 22 years

● 24 HOUR CALL OUT ● FREE ESTIMATES ● INSURANCE WORK UNDERTAKEN ● MAINTENANCE WORK WELCOME ● FELT ROOF WORK ● POINTING ● SLATING &TILING ● CHIMNEYS AND GUTTERS

0131 449 7193 or 07594 355109 www.dellroofing.co.uk

D.GREAVES LANDSCAPE GARDENERS

Kirknewton

No obligation FREE QUOTES Local Business

Fencing • Decking • Removals Regular Garden Maintenance • Garden Design • Clearance and more....

Call Dan now on: 07970 700192 dgreaves@hotmail.com

EDINBURGH

0131 621 0026 07899 279 057

a family run business for over 30 years

www.edinburghpavingcompany.co.uk

PAVING COMPANY

10%

OAP

OFF

Discounts

Driveways Paths & Patios Lanscaping Turfing Decking

Paving in March

Fencing Slabbing Drainage Tree work Pressure cleaning

Free estimates ● All work guaranteed ● No deposit See testimonials on our website 12

KONECT

Your TruGreen Expert

David Inglis

FREE 14 Point Lawn Analysis As a locally owned and operated business, I offer a totally customised programme of care for your lawn.

0131 629 7887 0773 895 4930

Moss & Weed Control

Pest & Disease Control

Scarification

Lawn Fertilisation

Aeration

Specialist

edinburghsw@trugreen.org.uk

KONECT

13

village people

by Suzanne Green

It’s time to slow down the fast fashion machine

Tearfund worker Tara Devlin is passionate about justice in the garment industry. An avid rugby fan, she lives in Balerno with her husband Adrian.

“Twelve years ago I went to Bangladesh when Tearfund was launching a garment industry campaign,” says Tara Devlin. “We visited factory workers’ homes and I haven’t forgotten what I saw. They lived in slums, with no running water.

Although I care about a number of social justice issues, this is the one that stands out for me … the one I keep coming back to.

“That trip reminded me that real people made my clothes! I’m just the end of the supply chain.

Though I love fashion and think of what I wear as an expression of who I am, I don’t want to crush other people in the process.”

Tara believes it’s high time we slow down the “fast fashion machine” and start thinking more about our purchases. “How often do we shop for clothes because we need them?” she asks. “Do we buy things because we are bored, or because we’ve bought into the idea that we need a new outfit for every occasion? Do we fully appreciate what we already have?”

Deciding she wanted to get a better idea of the clothes she already owned, Tara set herself a challenge. She did not do her laundry until she’d worked her way through her wardrobe and worn every outfit!

“We need to change our mindset,” she says. “Can we ask ourselves, ‘Do I need to buy this? Can I wear something I already have? Can I borrow something?’ If more of us did this, we would send a message to the manufacturers, and slow down consumption.”

14

Tara Devlin Tara describes how an organisation called Labour Behind the Label was successful in getting major clothing companies to compensate the families of workers killed when a Bangladeshi garment factory collapsed in 2013. Clean Clothes Campaign is another charity that advocates for justice in the garment industry – both need public support.

“I used to happily send bags of unwanted clothing to charity shops, and do my shopping there too,” says Tara. “But even this isn’t guilt free! I learned that often the unsold clothing in charity shops ends up in the open-air markets of developing countries, sabotaging their own garment industry!

And every year millions of tons of clothing are dumped into landfills. Next to the oil industry, the garment industry is the second biggest polluter.”

Though this issue can seem overwhelming, Tara believes that small changes can be made gradually. For example, friends can get together for a “clothes swap” or give unwanted clothing to someone who really needs them. “Recycling used to seem like a huge effort,” she comments, “but just look how well we’re doing in that area now!”

Go to www.labourbehindthelabel.org or www.cleanclothes.org to learn more.

Photo by Suzanne Green.

k KONECT

IT’S TIME TO...

MAKE YOUR BEST MOVE YET The Melville showhome - upgrades shown at additional cost

4 & 5 BEDROOM DETACHED HOMES NOW FROM £399,000

At CALA, we’re doing a great deal more to help you make that move possible.

So just ask, and you’ll find the perfect time…is now.

Incentives available including 100% part exchange* or a contribution towards stamp duty †

CRAIGPARK, OFF WILKIESTON ROAD, RATHO, EH28 8RH

CALL NOW ON 01313 413 882 CALA.CO.UK

KD_MAR16 *CALA will obtain 2 independent valuations based on achieving a sale in a 4-6 week period, part exchange considered subject to CALA’s purchasing criteria, terms and conditions. Up to 100% part exchange available on selected plots, subject to terms and conditions and not in conjunction with any other offer. †By Stamp Duty, CALA is referring to Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (‘LBTT’) which replaced UK Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) in Scotland from 1st April 2015. The images shown are taken from the Melville and Elliot showhomes at Craigpark and feature fixtures, décor, flooring and soft furnishings which are not fitted as standard in a CALA home. These are used to suggest possible finishes you could adopt in your own home and would be an additional cost. Please consult a Sales Advisor for further details.

CLEANING & MAINTENANCE Tel: 0131 334 2080 Mob: 07768 632867 Ask for Kerr Middleton Rhone cleaning & repairs - cast iron or plastic Roof repairs - tiles or slates Moss removal, pressure washing FreeGraemeAd estimates & advice given 45X62.ai 1 25/02/2013 Over 35 years experience

16:40

C

M

Y

kitchens, flooring, doors, decking, fencing locks etc

CM

MY

CY

Please call Graeme on 07816 294994 for a FREE ESTIMATE.

CMY

Balerno

K

Contact us on: Tel: 07810 835 974 E: info@aalandscapesandgardens.co.uk www.AALandscapesandGardens.co.uk Do you want a professionally maintained garden at a predictable cost? Our unique system means you can create a fixed price package that suits your garden.

Are you looking to develop your outside space?

Our dedicated landscaping team can provide everything you need. Our work is designed and built to last, and is covered by a 10-year guarantee.

20% OFF labour costs for landscaping projects arranged from January 1st - April 1st 2016 10% OFF

your first year of garden maintenance for customers signing up before April 1st 2016

16

KONECT

See these two gardens and many more on our website

GREENHART LANDSCAPING PROVIDE TOP QUALITY LANDSCAPING FOR RESIDENTIAL PURPOSES IN THE LOTHIANS ** Driveways Spring Offers ** Garden Design • Driveways • Cobbles Stone Masonry • Drainage • Ground Works Spring Garden Tidies • Water Features Soft Landscaping • Planting • Patios Pointing • Maintenance • Turfing Fencing • Foundations • Plus FREE Advice

Driveway Cleaning

by Greenhart

from

£89.00

01506 463632 (Livingston) 07789 111160 (Edinburgh) m: 07789 111160 e: george@greenhartlandscaping.co.uk visit us at: www.greenhartlandscaping.co.uk

Jack Watson JOINERY RELIABLE EXPERIENCED LOCAL JOINER NO JOB TOO SMALL CALL FOR A QUOTE

Tel: 0131 449 3730 Mob: 07711916317

Email jackwatson30@gmail.com

Tag Cleaning Services Local window and gutter cleaning service

Established over 30 years Free quotations on request Tel : 0131 449 2807 (Office) Neil : 07711 581 384 (Mob) www.TagCleaningServices.co.uk KONECT

17

We are excited that Pete is a finalist in 3 categories of The Aesthetic Dentistry Awards for restoring a single tooth, multiple teeth and creating an Implant Denture.

The winners will be decided in London during March.

9 East Main Street Broxburn EH52 5AB

If you are considering cosmetic dental work you can be reassured that our treatment is judged amongst the best in the UK Peter Buchan BDS, FDS RCS Ed

Telephone: 01506 857717 18

www.broxburndentist.com KONECT

How do you choose to travel?

We’re improving Edinburgh’s paths, making it easier for you to explore the city.

For up-to-date information including free downloadable route maps, go to: edinburgh.gov.uk/bybikeonfoot

KONECT

19

1. Glamoriser hair straightener 2. Toni & Guy Deep Barrel Waver 3. Braun Cruzer body trimmer

TECHNOLOGY

Mad March Hair The high-tech gadgets for every kind of hair

1

2

Whether you’re trying a bold new look or just trying to tame tangles, gadgets can help.

Take the Oprah-recommended InStyler Wet 2 Dry, for example: it looks like a typical curler but its rotating barrel means it can straighten, curl and add volume and shine while it dries your hair. At £79.99 it’s quite pricey for a styler and some users found it a bit awkward to use, but if you get the hang of it it promises to style and dry five times faster than other devices.

If you’re a fan of hair straighteners you’ll know that some models are smoother and less snaggy than others. The £44.95 Glamoriser reckons it has the answer: its ceramic floating plates are designed to glide over your hair, and something called Black Diamond Oil in the plates apparently helps keep every strand nice and shiny. We’re not entirely sold on those claims, but as a straightener the Glamoriser works really well and is a great buy.

Fancy spending a bit more? The £165 T3 SinglePass X uses a microchip to constantly measure and adjust the temperature of the plates so that you can smooth and style without frazzling your hair. It’s particularly good for very long or coarse hair and it styles very quickly, 20

3 although the price tag is likely to put plenty of people off.

Another Oprah recommendation is the Bed Head Deep Waver, which is currently the number 1 best-selling hair waver on Amazon US. Over here it’s called the Toni & Guy Deep Waver, and the £25 styler offers 25 heat options for the perfect wave.

There are gadgets for the boys too. The rise of the hipster hasn’t escaped the notice of grooming device manufacturers, and dull old clippers have been eclipsed by all kinds of male grooming products. There’s even a hairdryer designed specifically for blokes: the BaByliss Pro Italia Brava (£120), which has been developed in association with Ferrari so it goes round your head faster. Joking aside it does differ from normal unisex dryers as it can be set to run much hotter than traditional dryers.

Men will also find all kinds of gadgets for manscaping their body hair. One of the best is Braun’s Cruzer 6 Body (£33), a showerproof trimmer with attachments ranging from 0.6mm to 8mm for every conceivable location and a Gilette blade for when you want to shave everything off.

If you’d rather just take care of your beard and bonce, the Cruzer Beard&Head is currently £25 online and comes with two sets of blade guards: 1-11mm and 10-20mm.

KONECT

BEAUTY BOX

Minx pedicures manicures waxing, tinting Party lashes eyelash extensions spray tanning and facials

(WITHIN HAIRTECH) 17 BRYCE ROAD, CURRIE, EH14 5LT Tuesday-Saturday Late night Thursday

Shellac & Spray Tan ONLY

ÂŁ35

Contact Hazel Gordon on

T: 0131 449 2991 M: 07800 736135

UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP

CLEARVUE OPTICIANS VISION HEALTH CARE

(formerly Ian Cameron)

27 Main St Balerno, EH14 7EQ T: 0131 449 2257 Nail Bar Open 7 days a Week Late night Thursday and Friday

60 Bryce Road, Currie, EH14 5LD Tel: 0131 449 6889 | Fax: 0131 449 3011 Email: enquiries@clearvueopticians.co.uk Opening Times: Monday - Friday: 9.00am - 5.00pm

KONECT

21

• B eing available enough to everyone so that we grow together as a family • Understanding the world that my kids live in

Currently my biggest challenge as a Mum is…..

by Pat Banfill

All of these are things that have challenged parents over time, but research has shown that strong attachment between parents and children is one of the key factors which influences a good outcome for families as they grow up. Every childhood holds 936 weekends, so how the weekends work out can play a big part in how enduring your family relationships become. Forming a plan to use weekends to have fun together need not be expensive, but will create long lasting benefits for everyone in the extended family and friendship group.

• Getting enough sleep

Cooking together, doing jobs around the house, even shopping together can be fun and are great ways to help children learn skills and possibly come to appreciate more of what is involved in family life. Look in this magazine and else where for local activities that will be fun for the family, and try to find a way to thank the mums that you know for all that they do in their families!

• F inding time to do everything that needs to be done and having a bit of time to myself

Pat Banfill, Pastoral Assistant, St Mungo’s Church Balerno. www.stmungos.org

March brings Mother’s Day so what are they facing at the moment?

Some possible answers might be:

medium advert

W W W. M Y F L O R I S T. C O . U K

BIG

impact

To be included please call Jenny on 07824 469266 e: jenny@konectdirectory.co.uk or Charlene on 07772 941899 e: charlene@konectdirectory.co.uk

FREE CHOCOLATES WITH YOUR MOTHERS DAY DELIVERY!

Just add 120g chocolates to your online order & use discount code “Konect” at check out, or call.

Uphall - Corstorphine - Bathgate - Linlithgow Dunfermline - Kinross - Perth - Pitlochry - Broughty Ferry

Tel: 01506 811 433

22

KONECT

If you’re looking for top-class dental care then look no further.

Here at Balerno Dental Care we offer a fantastic range of services for all the family.

Routine dental examinations | Cosmetic dentistry | Facial Aesthetics | Implants | Dental Hygiene To book your appointment please call us and a member of our friendly team will be happy to help.

ÂŁ20 OFF your first visit to Balerno Dental Care

To take advantage of this fantastic offer simply fill out your details below and bring this voucher with you when you visit us for your consultation.

Name........................................................................... Phone...............................................

Email............................................................................

TEL: 0131 449 5545 | info@balernodentalcare.co.uk www.balernodentalcare.co.uk | 38 Main St, Balerno, EH14 7EH Opening times - Open 8am -8pm Mon-Fri KONECT

23

J U N I P E R

B E A U T Y ROOM

Swiss Botanical Skincare products that combine the BEST of nature with the BEST of safe science to deliver products and treatments that work.

DISCOVERY FACIAL (30mins) BOTANICAL TEEN FACIAL (30mins) PURE LUXURY FACIAL (60mins) LUXURY FACE & BODY EXPERIENCE

£ 25.00 £ 25.00 £ 45.00 £ 60.00

Introductory Offer 10% DISCOUNT. Please quote Konect offer when booking.

BOXED GIFT VOUCHERS NOW AVAILABLE

Appointments: 0131 478 4777

www.juniperbeautyroom.co.uk

624A Lanark Road, Juniper Green, Edinburgh EH14 5EW

24

KONECT

Are you hArd of heAring?

We cAn help!

ABc heAring is your locAl heAring cAre centre BAsed in uphAll Services we offer include: free Hearing Tests FREE Home Visits Wax Removal Invisible Hearing Solutions Full Support & Aftercare Service We are a family owned and run business established for 14 years and have been awarded runner up in the UK Audiologist of the year competition 2009, 2013 and 2014.

To see what we can do for you, please call us on:

01506 856 500

www.abchearing.co.uk 16 Ecclesmachan Road Uphall, Broxburn, EH52 6DB

Professional Friendly Advice and Service KONECT

25

FEATURE

by Suzanne Green

Josh’s Afternoon Tea: Baberton boy’s event will help hospice

Eight-year-old Josh Ferguson’s desire to “make people happy” was the catalyst for an upcoming fundraising event that will benefit the Marie Curie Hospice in Fairmilehead.

“Josh’s Afternoon Tea”, scheduled for Saturday, 12 March, from 1.30-3.30 pm at the Currie Community Centre, was his own idea. It will be held in memory of Josh’s great aunt, Maureen MacKenzie, who had Motor Neurone Disease and passed away in January.

Maureen, who lived in Currie before going into the hospice, enjoyed regular visits from Josh and his family. She was encouraged by his company, and he was the one who always seemed to find creative ways to help her. For example, when she became unable to eat solid food, Josh suggested a smoothie. And Maureen loved it! Another time,

when his auntie was struggling to eat, Josh said she needed a straw.

“It has always been my dream to help people,” he says. “And because my auntie was in Marie Curie, and I knew what a good place it was, I decided I would like to help them. So I asked them for a fundraiser pack, which gave lots of ideas about how to raise money.”

Josh told Aunt Maureen about his idea and she approved, and gave him lots of her own recipes to help with the baking. “When I told her about the fundraiser, she smiled,” says Josh, “even though it was hard for her to smile. And she helped me to plan it.”

According to Josh, the staff at the hospice make you feel as if there is “nothing to be sad about”.

He explains that there’s a library for guests, a sitting room with TV and a Wii, balconies where patients and family members can sit when it’s sunny and a nearby playpark.

“Josh has always been around people with disabilities,” explains his mum, Eilidh Mears.

“When he was younger, his Nana had a brain haemorrhage, which resulted in one side of her body being paralysed. She so badly wanted to get down on the floor and play with him – even though she’d previously been limited to a chair.

So Josh helped her to make progress! Sadly, she passed away in December, just weeks before we lost Aunt Maureen.”

Josh’s dziadek (the Polish word for grandad) has Alzheimer’s disease and lives in a care home in Tayport. Clearly his grandson brings him joy. When he hasn’t seen him for awhile, he asks, “Where’s Josh?”

Josh’s Afternoon Tea will include a raffle and tombola, and there will be a bouncy castle as well. A number of friends and family members

26

KONECT

have committed to baking for the event or helping on the day. These include Maureen’s daughter, Lorraine; daughter-in-law, Gillian; and their daughters Rebecca and Eloise. Tesco, W.H. Smith and many local pubs, beauty shops, pharmacies and others have made donations. “One prize is a free meal for two, and another is a break at a holiday home in North Berwick,” says Eilidh.

“The Currie and Balerno Round Table stepped in to sponsor the event, and they will be making a donation of £200 on the day. We have been overwhelmed by how kind people have been, and want to express our sincere thanks.”

In order to gain support, Josh and his mum visited every business between the Currie Community Centre and their home in Baberton. “Josh went in to each shop, pub and café on his own to give them a flyer and tell them about the fundraiser,” Eilidh comments, “and then he came bounding out with a big smile on his face, over the moon about what the owner had promised!”

In addition to putting on the afternoon tea, Josh and his team will host the normal Coffee Morning at the Centre, which is available for the benefit of parents waiting for their children in one of Jane Goulding’s ballet classes.

Josh is already thinking about fundraisers he can do in the future, whether for Marie Curie or other charities. “Maybe I can help a few different charities,” he says excitedly. His mum suggests that maybe he should take a little break first.

“No matter how young you are or how old you are, you can do something to help other people,” says Josh. “One person can make a big difference.

Because when you do a fundraiser like Josh’s Afternoon Tea, then other people want to help.

And that means we can make even more people happy!”

Photo by Suzanne Green.

k

Josh Ferguson with his mum KONECT

27

Riccarton Dental Practice is a modern dental practice offering a full range of dental treatments under the NHS or privately if requested.

With state-of-the-art facilities and a friendly, expert approach, Riccarton Dental Practice is a NHS dentist with a difference.

We can provide: Restorative Dentistry | Crowns | Inlays | Veneers Composite Build-Ups to Remodel Smiles Tooth whitening and surgical dentistry are also available.

Riccarton Dental Practice, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS T: 0131 451 3080 | E: riccartondentalpractice@outlook.com | www.riccartondental.co.uk

TONY HARPER’S Hair Studio

46a Bavelaw Road, Balerno

0131 451 5133 Livingston look out for Youyen Thai Massage & Therapies A brand new professional Thai Massage experience

With over 20 years experience, please call: 01506 441022 or text 07432 474 485 For more info: www.youyenthaimassage.uk

Ladies and Gents Hairstyling

Check out our daily, weekly & monthly deals on facebook at tony-harpers-hairstudio KONECT

29

30

KONECT

IRONING AID

Free pick-up & delivery - next day service

0131 538 5223 07877 381940

Soft furnishings made to measure Specialising in Curtains, Blinds, Bedcovers, Headboards and Cushions

We have a choice of affordable fabrics and wallpaper to suit all tastes Call Sheena: 0131 3314390 ∙ 07840 960880 forthfabrics@hotmail.co.uk ∙ www.forthfabrics.com

The Clean Team

Covering Clackmannanshire, Edinburgh, Fife, the Lothians and Perth & Kinross

Professional oven cleaning service: ovens, ranges, hob, BBQ, microwaves or extractor unit.

Give us a call for a free no obligation quote

New name, same great service! Alba Oven Cleaning is now part of The Clean Team

www.drycleanteam.co.uk tel 01506 432100

KONECT

31

C and W Cleaning Services www.cwcleaningservices.co.uk

0131 334 2080 Livingston 0800 695 1101

Edinburgh

Your local Blinds ■ Carpets ■ Rugs ■ Upholstery ■ specialists Quick drying carpets and upholstery Same day blind cleaning available

GET 3 CARPETS THOROUGHLY DEEP CLEANED FOR THE PRICE OF 2 FREE no tion obliga s quote

All work is 100% guarante e for yo d satisfac ur tion

• Specialist Carpet Cleaning • Rugs - collected, cleaned and returned • Upholstery & Leather Cleaning • Stain Protection • Stone Floor Cleaning

Tel: 08000 463 422 Mob: 07789 007 072 www.hydrokleenscotland.co.uk Email: info@hydrokleenscotland.co.uk

32

KONECT

Contact us on: 0131 449 6961 3 Pentland Court View, Currie, Edinburgh, EH14 5NP

Carpets Vinyls Local Family Business Made to measure Blinds

Bleachcleanable carpets from ÂŁ6.99/m2

Free estimates

Orders supplied within 2 weeks or less

KONECT

33

David Hastings Building Surveyor BSc Hons., M.C.I.O.B., R.Maps., AMiAS

MT ELECTRICAL Domestic, commercial, industrial

Mark Tilbrook Electrical Engineer m: 07772753945

Willy Erskine

Electrical Engineer m: 07990970625

e: hello@mtelectricians.co.uk w: www.mtelectricians.co.uk We pride ourselves on our honest, reliable service

Alexander Aitken Plastering 51 Dolphin Rd, Currie Call Sandy

07966 695595

Plaster work, rough casting, ceramic tiling & general maintenance

34

t: 07803 289714 e: wmachastings@gmail.com Thinking of having your house/office altered or extended or garage/loft converted? Call for free consultation. · · · · ·

We offer professional expertise in: Health & Safety to comply with CDM Regs April 2015 Preparation of Specification & Drawings Submission for Planning & Building Warrant Approvals Site & Financial Control Energy & Sustainability Issues

BRUSHSTROKES

K.MELVILLE PAINTER / DECORATOR INTERIOR, EXTERIOR, PRIVATE, COMMERCIAL, INSURANCE WORK

TEL: 0131 451 5372 MOB: 0797 192 3397 Email: brushstrokes@blueyonder.co.uk 66 Forthview Crescent, Currie, EH14 5QT

KONECT

Double Glazing Doctor Four Seasons Scotland Limited

The Lothians finest...

• If we can’t fix it - it can’t be fixed.

• Does your conservatory leak?

• Do you have broken locks, hinges handles?

• Are your sealed units misted or broken?

• Is your original supplier no longer in business or just won’t honour your existing guarantee?

Don’t panic. Call the Good Doctor now and get a clean bill of health!

Keep your existing windows & upgrade to our energy saving glass.

Your Local Home Improvement Company.

four seasons

The Conservatory Complex and Innovation Studio: Riccarton Garden Centre, Riccarton Mains Rd, Currie Mon - Fri 10am - 4pm, Sat - Sun 11am - 4pm.

0131 449 7000 (24/7)

Scotland Limited

Orangeries+Extensions+Roofline+Kitchens+Repairs

Orangeries+Extensions+Roofline+Kitchens+Repairs

+ W i n d o w s + D o o r s + G a r a g e D o o r s + C o n s e r v a t o r i e s + S u n r o o m s +

+ W i n d o w s + D o o r s + G a r a g e D o o r s + C o n s e r v a t o r i e s + S u n r o o m s + KONECT

35

544 Lanark Road Juniper Green & Bruntsfield - Dalkeith Stockbridge - Forrest Road Waverley Steps - Corstorphine

Why Choose Porteous Funeral Directors?

Established in 2006, Porteous Funeral Directors continue to give the local communities of Balerno, Currie, Juniper Green and surrounding areas an exemplary service, which we know is second to none.

The numerous letters and cards of thanks we receive daily from the families we have helped are testimony to our ongoing commitment to ensuring we offer the personal and dedicated service that you and your loved one deserve.

With longer office opening hours than other local funeral directors, we are here whenever you need us.

You can choose to make arrangements in our recently refurbished office at Juniper Green or in any other of our branches. Alternatively, you may feel more comfortable within your own surroundings, so we are happy to meet you at home at a time that is convenient for you.

Porteous Family Funeral Directors: Proud to Serve the Local Community

Juniper Green Branch - 553 Lanark Road, EH14 5DE - 0131 453 4535 Colinton Branch - 7 Bridge Road, EH13 0LH - 0131 441 6500 Blackhall Branch - 14 Telford Road, EH4 2BA - 0131 332 3609 Leith Branch - 72-72 Leith Walk, EH6 5HB - 0131 554 1113 Also incorporating Bonnyrigg Funeral Directors 60 High Street, EH19 2AB - 0131 654 1988

porteousfunerals.com

● 7 days a week appointments.

Chesser Sundays 10am-1pm ● Full surgical and medical facilities at both surgeries ● Puppy/kitten Starter Packages - full vaccinations, microchip and more ● VIP Club - monthly direct debit for ongoing vaccinations, worming, flea control and lots more savings

38

We are a caring, friendly, local practice and treat your pets like one of the family. With our modern facilities, easy parking and team of compassionate staff we can offer your pet the best possible care.

KONECT

VETERINARY SURGERY 44B MAIN STREET, BALERNO, EH14 7EH Chris Sawyer BVM&S MRCVS GPCert (SAM) Rory Shearer BVM&S MRCVS GPCert (SAS) e: vets@icrvets.co.uk www.icrvets.co.uk OPENING HOURS: Monday - Friday: 9am-6pm | Saturday: 9am-11.30am | Sunday: CLOSED

New veterinary surgery for Balerno. Established over 30 years in Midlothian, ICR Vets are excited to announce their new branch at 44b Main Street, Balerno, EH14 7EH is NOW OPEN. For more information or to book an appointment call us on:

0131 449 5773 • 24 HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE (BY OUR OWN VETS) • KEYHOLE AND ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY AVAILABLE AT OUR LOANHEAD SURGERY

Claylands Cottage Cattery ...for contented cats

Established in May 2006, we provide first-class holiday accommodation for up to 35 feline guests.

Single and double cabins, as well as large cabins for families, each comprises an upper sleeping area (heated in winter) with an exercise run below.

A collection and drop-off service is available Fully licensed and insured

Proprietors: Pam and Bill Clark Phone: 0131 333 1636 Email: mail@claylandscottagecattery.co.uk Off Claylands Road, Newbridge, EH28 8LZ Conveniently situated near the airport.

www.claylandscottagecattery.co.uk KONECT

DOG DAYCARE & HOME BOARDING

Tel: 07807 856 940

• Quality Dog Walking/Daycare • Home boarding in our country farmhouse • Experienced & knowledgeable dog handler • Professional service • Disclosure Scotland and insured • Trustworthy & reliable • Exercised on 7 acres of secure private land

HAPPY SCAMPERS

1 Humbie Holdings Kirknewton, EH27 8DS

www.happyscampers.co.uk 39

SPOTLIGHT ON...

RED HOT WINDOWS

Karen Murray chats to the family behind Red Hot Windows

Blackburn-based family run business Red Hot Windows is aptly named it would appear as business seems to be red hot at the moment.

Normally finding their busy period to be summer (as one would expect) and in the lead up to Christmas (rather more unexpected), over 2015 and continuing into this year, business has been brisk and steady all year round.

Red Hot Windows was established 20 years ago

by Allan and Lilian who had left previous jobs

Red Hot

WINDOWS Unit 1, Mosshall Ind Estate Blackburn, EH47 7LY

01506 630036

Loca family l -ru busine n ss

redhotwindows@btconnect.com

■ Supply and fit windows and doors ■ Trade welcome Major credit cards accepted See website and facebook page compliant for photos of our work www.facebook.com/redhotwindows www.redhotwindows.co.uk

40

and decided to make a go of it on their own manufacturing and selling UPVC windows and doors. They took the sensible option of growing their business slowly and steadily and of keeping it pretty much within the family.

Lilian’s daughter Laura works in the office with her and Allan’s son, also Allan, does the fitting.

Gary works with the two Allans on fitting – he’s not connected to the family but been working with them for a good few years now and is definitely part of the team. Laura’s uncle works in the factory and there is also Stuart, taken on from the training centre and proved his worth, so is now part of the team too.

Says Laura: “We have gone from strength to strength as a business and we believe that is because we have not grown too big too quickly.

We take on what we can cope with and ensure our work is done to the highest level.”

The company manufactures its windows at the factory in Blackburn which means they can be assured of the quality. They sell to trade but also to the public for whom they supply and fit, which comes with a 10 year guarantee on the work carried out.

“People can come to the factory to see windows being made,” explains Laura. “I think people like to see what is being built and they appreciate our friendly manner. If they want to see the finished product, we post pictures on our facebook page of the work we have completed.”

Friendly customer service and no hard sell are a plus for Red Hot Windows. You can phone up to arrange for someone to come out and measure up. You will then get a quote send out in the post and it is up to you whether you go ahead or not.

This is the kind of service appreciated by many in today’s hard sell environment.

Regarding the windows and doors themselves, there are choices of colour: white, woodgrain brown, rosewood brown and Sherwood. Because the windows are manufactured by the company you can spread the cost by just ordering one window at a time over months or years and be assured you will get a match. You can also choose a UPVC finish or a timber finish.

The fact that everything is included in the price quoted, including taking the rubbish away, all adds to the service and with a small company, Laura and Lilian in the office tend to know most of their customers and understand their requirements.

KONECT

Buster the Dog

Alistair Taylor

Professional & reliable dog walking service Morning & Afternoon Walks Full day care Phone : 07398

• • • •

684740

Email: lauren@walkswithlauren.co.uk

www.walkswithlauren.co.uk

BVMS MRCVS www.pentlandvetclinic.com 100% Small animal practice Modern surgical, medical, x-ray laboratory and dental facilities Boarding cattery available 24 hour Emergency Service

0131 451 5111

5 Riccarton Mains Rd, Currie, EH14 5PX

sortmyhomeIT Keeping IT support simple

Why wait until something goes wrong?

Many home computer problems can be prevented with a bit of annual maintenance.

We’ll health check your computer for only £45 resulting in a quicker more efficient device Protect your computer with AVG Cloudcare antivirus subscriptions Computer or laptop in need of an upgrade?

Buy new hardware and software directly from us.

Great value laptops set up and ready to use.

Give us a call to arrange a home visit or pop into our Colinton office for reliable, honest and affordable home IT support.

0131 477 2644

sortmyhomeit.co.uk

enquiries@sortmypc.co.uk

SortmyPC Ltd, Mackenzie Cottage, 302 Colinton Road, Edinburgh, EH13 0LE. sortmyhomeIT half A5 ads.indd 3

KONECT

SortmyhomeIT is part of the SortmyPC group.

07/01/2016 14:47

41

WALK

Check out the view from Cockleroy Hill

by Karen Murray

While there are many wonderful walks you can take from your front door, every now and then it’s good to explore a little further afield.

So where better than Beecraigs Country Park, where there are plenty of paths to explore plus a great children’s play park and a fishery?

Dechmont. It’s an approximately 30 minute drive.

Park in the visitor centre car park.

The park is criss­crossed with paths and tracks so you can find a new route every time you go and just to keep you on the straight and narrow, there are way­marked trails too.

From the visitor centre, take the walkway through the deer farm to Beecraigs Loch. It‘s rather peaceful for a lone walker or couple and if you have kids, you can try some pond dipping. Next take a left via the trout farm - another great attraction for the children. Mine always insist on a bag of fish food so they can entice the trout out and watch them jumping up.

Take the A71 to Livingston, then the A899 to Dechmont. (Or depending where you are M8 from the bypass to J3 might be quicker).

Beecraigs is signed from the main street of

At the park visitor centre you can pick up leaflets with walks, or you can simply choose a colour and head off on a way-marked path. Perhaps the most interesting route for a general look at what the park has to offer is the walk up Cockleroy Hill.

The peak is only 278 metres but you get great views - on a good day of course!

The walk continues along the far side of the loch until you see a burn pass beneath the road where you will turn left on to a path through woodlands to the main road.

and equally spectacular views north and south too. The cairn at the summit has a compass indicating the peaks and landmarks visible. You get a great view of progress on the new bridge.

There are then lots of different options, but if you haven’t a lot of time, the easiest route is to walk up the road back to the visitor centre and then take the path through the woods signed for Balvormie. This is suitable for buggies or bikes or for simply strolling and you can entice the little ones with the reward of a play park and sometimes there is even an ice-cream van!

But as well as admiring the view, look down at what’s below your feet too. This is the site of an iron age fort. The path you took to the summit passes through the original entrance of the fort, so you’re literally walking in the footsteps of the people who lived here up to 2500 years ago. It’s easy to imagine why they picked this site for a defensive settlement. Incredibly, besides the earth works, bits of the stone ramparts are still there.

Once enough fun has been had on the swings, cross over the road and head through the woods again following the path until it comes to a crossroads. Turn right following the ‘light blue trail’. It will take you over another road and onto a dirt track. At the end, climb over a stile on the right and then climb up onto Cockleroy Hill where you will find a triangulation pillar, viewfinder and a superb view. It is fairly short and not too steep so it is good for families with young kids. The view takes in everything from Goat Fell on Arran - some 66 miles distant in the west - to the Bass Rock at North Berwick,

From the visitor centre to the top of Cockleroy Hill will probably take a couple of hours with kids, but if you fancy just a brief walk you can park at the Balvormie car park (where the road from Torphichen will take you) and just walk up Cockleroy Hill.

Visitor Centre opening hours Winter: daily 10am – 4pm.

Summer hours from 28th March 2016: daily 9am - 8pm

k

Linlithgow from Cockleroy Hill.

Photo by Jenny Thomson.

44

KONECT

KONECT

45

M.O.T.’s Exhausts Tyres Clutches Diagnostics

Ratho Auto Services Servicing, Diagnostics, Tyres, Pre-Purchase Checks, Sales

Servicing

John Plimmer

Auto Technician 73 Station Road Ratho Station EH28 8OP

Call us on:

0131 333 5353 07784 537356

Free Collection & Delivery Service MOTs arranged

01506 442214 Email us on: autofitnesslimited@gmail.com Find us on Facebook

• Cars bought & sold - all makes and models of cars sourced • Fixed Price Servicing • MOT's • Mechanical Repairs • Recovery • Diagnostics • Valeting Cars Bought For Instant Payment TODAY Quality Hand Picked Used Car Sales Finance Available 170 Lanark Rd W, Currie EH14 5NY

0131 449 5751

E: info@hopescott.co.uk W: www.hopescott.co.uk 46

KONECT

Servicing on all makes and models of vehicles from just £99

Call 0131

449 2139

for service you can trust • MOT VOSA green traffic light test station • Budget, midrange or premium tyres fitted • Brakes, exhausts and repairs

Balerno Garage 8 Deanpark Brae, Balerno EH14 7DZ

7 Day Membership: £68.75 per month 6 Day Members: £61.88 per month, 5 Day Members: £51.56 per month Young Adult (18-19): £15 per month, Young Adult (20-21): £20 per month, Young Adult (22-25): £30 per month, Young Adult (26-30): £40 per month 12 ROUND MEMBERSHIP FOR £300 – contact us for details With the SGL affiliation fee of £12.60 Use our interest free direct debit scheme to spread the cost at no charge!

TRIAL ROUNDS FOR PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS AT £10.00 Club: 0131 453 4911 Mon-Fri Pro shop: 0131 453 3555 Sat-Sun KONECT

Email: manager@baberton.co.uk Website: www.babertongc.com 47

tair McLell a n s i l A Est 2005

Painter & Decorator Balerno

Interior / Exterior Experienced Professional and Personal Service Fully Insured No job too small For free professional advice and estimate Call Alistair on

07894 703020 or 0131 451 5394

146 Turnhouse Rd, Corstorphine

Specialists in

Home Extensions & Brick Stone work Extensions Sunrooms Garages (conversions) Porches Renovations/alterations Chimney repairs Patio/driveways Garden walls Stonework/lime pointing Architect services

All aspects of building work undertaken including bricklaying, stonework lime pointing, extensions, driveways and garden walls.

All trades supplied ALL WORK IS GUARANTEED

0131 453 6259 07931 101 523

www.deanjonesbuildingservices.co.uk 48

KONECT

A. SULA JOINERY SERVICES All aspects of joinery Kitchen fitting, flooring & much more High quality work Free estimates

Adriatik Sula

Currie Mob: 0777 834 7117

email: adriatiksula@hotmail.com

BILL REID & SON DOMESTIC HEATING & PLUMBING

0131 449 5538 07710 458739 2 Turner Avenue Balerno

Telephone Engineer New sockets fitted for phone, internet or sky TV Repair to internal phone and broadband faults Removal of unsightly old wiring and sockets

I can supply and install Easy to use big button voice amplified hearing aid compatable phones with hands free calling. Loud audio phone ringers with flashing indicators

Free estimates – no call out charge Contact John McGraw Tel:

0131 555 1314 0777 192 7796

Mobile: Email: jmcgraw@quikmail.co.uk www.jmcgrawengineering.co.uk KONECT

49

Interiors feature

Open Plan Living… and Shoes! by ecko

There are some basic human needs essential to our survival – oxygen, water, food, shelter, sleep…and shoes; preferably Jimmy Choo’s.

There’s another human need however, which is not mentioned on the list, and that’s the need for space – ask any girl with a collection of Jimmy Choo’s and she’ll tell you the same thing.

Wardrobe, or shoe storage space is one thing though – living space is another kettle of fish entirely and there’s definitely a move towards living a more uncluttered and minimal lifestyle.

Open-plan living is nothing new but in the last five years, according to numerous consumer reports, it’s on the rise. In fact some national newspapers have reported that UK homeowners are so desperate to knock down walls that one in five who tried to convert their homes have caused damage with an average cost of £8,000 per household – or to put this in real terms – around 20 pairs of Jimmy Choo’s! The moral of the story is therefore to leave it to the experts and go shoe shopping instead. If you do crave open-plan living and more space however; perhaps for a new, open-plan dining kitchen combined with a family room, a home office or even a fitness suite

there’s a new product on the market which will not only give you the space you need in record time – it will be less expensive than either moving home or having a traditional extension built.

The SpaceKube is a new innovation from local home improvement company Ekco and it’s proving to be the answer to space issues for homeowners across Scotland from Edinburgh to the Borders. As soon as the product was launched during the latter part of 2015 the company received a number of orders straight off-plan. So what is a SpaceKube and why is it proving to be such a hit?

The SpaceKube is a modern, modular, extension room designed and engineered in the company’s workshop and then put together like a huge jigsaw in a few short weeks on-site before being fixed to your home. Ekco has been designing and supplying kitchens, bathrooms and bi-fold doors since 1999 so it seemed like a natural step to create a room to house everything else in. So now the company has orders for SpaceKubes to create open-plan kitchens and dining rooms, additional bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms and even one for a home office. So how about a SpaceKube walk-in wardrobe complete with ample shoe storage? According to Ekco anything’s possible.

KITCHENS | BATHROOMS | BIFOLD DOORS | SUNROOMS

Many ideas, one solution At EKCO we’ve been supplying and installing top quality Pronorm German-built kitchens and bathrooms since 1999. We’re also one of Scotland’s top suppliers of Origin bi-fold doors which are designed to open fully and allow more fresh air into your home.

And, if you need some extra space or simply a place to relax and unwind then we can create that lifestyle sunroom you have always dreamed of.

TO FIND OUT HOW WE CAN MAKE YOUR IDEAS COME TO LIFE CALL OUR DESIGN TEAM ON

01506 857 007 www.ekco.co.uk EDINBURGH 0131 343 6007 Abbeyhill Industrial Estate EH8 8HL

DALGETY BAY 01383 667 048 Western Approach Rd KY11 9XP

UPHALL 01506 857 007 54 West Main Street EH52 5DW

Visit our bespoke kitchen & bathroom studio Geddes House, Kirkton North, Livingston EH54 6GU

www.luxurykitchensandbathrooms.com

Give us a call on 0800 121 8807 for a FREE quote!

Email: sales@opticallighting.co.uk www.opticallighting.co.uk Follow us on Twitter: @opticallighting

52

GENERAL/DOMESTIC & COMMERCIAL SERVICES INTERIOR/EXTERIOR LIGHTING KITCHENS & BATHROOMS ELECTRICAL TESTING & INSPECTION CINEMA & TV ROOMS NEW INSTALLATIONS MAINTENANCE ENERGY & ECO SAVING

KONECT

Fairmilehead’s leading Roofing Specialists “Going the Extra Mile” Slating & Tiling Flat Roofing

Fairmile Roofing

.com

OVER 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE

Single Ply Roofing Lead Work Pointing, Guttering Rough Casting, Harling Emergency Roofing Services FREE ESTIMATES WITH PHOTOS

FULLY INSURED & GUARANTEED

INDEPENDENT INSURANCE BACKED GUARANTEES

SUPPORT YOUR NUMBER 1 ROOFER

0131 445 7787 Mob: 07837 628 654 Info@fairmileroofing.com www.fairmileroofing.com Office: 108/9 Biggar Road Fairmilehead EH10 7DU

WE ARE MEMBER’S OF

Single Ply

0131 477 1167 Fully stocked & fully trained professional Locksmiths 24 hours a day www.1stcall-locksmiths.com

54

KONECT

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

Self contained 561 sq ft office Just off Lanark Road, on street parking, ÂŁ708pcm plus rates and utilities.

Gas fired central heating, kitchenette, toilet and storage included.

Call Emma 07875 282287

Gerry Aitken Painter and Decorator Boiler Repair Boiler Service Boiler Replacement Full Central Heating Installation Gas Safety Certificates PAT - Portable Appliance Testing Boiler Service Contracts Power Flushing

0131 564 0940

info@lsheating.com www.lsheating.com KONECT

Juniper Green

Tel: 07798 565321 Ames Taping Coving Artexing Interior Exterior 25 years Experience 55

To be included please call Jenny on 07824 469266 e: jenny@konectdirectory.co.uk or Charlene on 07772 941899 e: charlene@konectdirectory.co.uk

Simply Electrical

For all jobs, big or small just SIMPLY call!

Darren Wemyss

Electrician P.A.T. Testing e: simplyelectrical@contractor.net

t: 07563 548348

Look on facebook page for deals of the week! www.facebook.com/SimplyElectricalElectrician

56

6-10 Glasgow Road, Bathgate, EH48 2AA sales@1stchoiceliving.co.uk www.1stchoiceliving.co.uk

KONECT

MONEY MATTERS

End Of Year Tax Planning

by Personal Money Management

From a tax point of view March is the most important month as it offers many tax opportunities which if not taken will be lost.

Independent Tax Planning: Where one spouse pays a lower rate of tax it can be tax beneficial to transfer investments to the lower tax paying spouse to save income tax. Transferring between married couples will not incur any capital gains tax.

Tax Efficient Investments: With the current relatively high rates of income tax and capital gains tax it is important for people to invest in the most tax efficient way. Everyone 16 years

old and over can take out a New Individual Savings Account (NISA). This is the main method of investing and saving with freedom from income tax and capital gains tax without giving up access to the money. For this tax year the annual NISA allowance is £15,240. You can split this allowance as you wish between a cash NISA and an investment NISA. In addition you can now transfer from an investment NISA to a cash NISA and vice versa. If you do not use your NISA allowance it cannot be carried forward to a future tax year. Unfortunately interest rates are at an all-time low and hence a cash NISA may not be appropriate at this time.

Pensions: If you pay tax at 40% then any pension contribution will attract tax relief at 40% i.e. if you put £60 into a pension fund then the government will add another £40 giving you 67% return. Even for a basic tax payer the government will add £10 for every £40 you contribute, a return of 25%. Nowhere else can you get a guaranteed return rate at this level.

Written by Dr PM Marshall, PhD, DipPFS, AFPC

community

UPBEAT

A new column from your local police officers

PC Murdoch and I have recently completed our cycle course and will be out and about on the bikes on a regular basis carrying out patrols of the local areas.

Theft by housebreaking remains one of the current focuses for Police Scotland for both businesses and homes. There is a current trend whereby homes are being broken into during the hours of daylight before homeowners return from work so we suggest you ask your neighbours to be vigilant for any vehicles or persons that look out of place and report these to Police.

Over the last couple months local officers have been able to successfully identify persons responsible and have been apprehended by

Police. Operation RAC, a dedicated group of officers who target theft by housebreaking crimes, continue to investigate these crimes robustly.

We have had regular complaints of anti-social behaviour that can upset the local communities, whether this is noise complaints, persons gathering in large groups and causing unwanted problems. Please report any of this behaviour to Police and The City of Edinburgh Council, as this allows us to work in joint partnership and together we work pro-actively to resolve these problems.

For more advice about crime prevention in your home visitwww.scotland.police.uk If you notice anything suspicious in your neighbourhood, report it to Police Scotland on: 101. In case of emergency 999. Crimestoppers can also be contacted on 0800 555111.

FEEL SAFE AND SECURE ON THIS WINTER EDINBURGH BREAK-INS THE RISE HERE TO TO SECURE SECURE HERE 5 Parkhead Gardens, Visit our website or phone us at: Edinburgh, EH11 4SB T: T: 0131 0131 531 531 4727 4727 M: M: 07970 07970 951 951 707 707 E: Info@gldsecurity.co.uk Email: Info@gldsecurity.co.uk

www.gldsecurity.co.uk Web: www.gldsecurity.co.uk Check on your premises from anywhere in the world with our Smart Phone App

INTRUDER ALARM ยง CCTV ยง FIRE ALARMS ยง ACCESS CONTROL DOOR ENTRY SYSTEMS ยง SECURITY LIGHTING 58

KONECT

Recipe & Food Notes

by Anne Pinkerton

Easter cakes White chocolate brownie

Easter marks the beginning of spring; longer days, new crops, and dull winter food relived with some treats. This was the origin of many ancient special seasonal foodstuffs. Eggs, in particular, are part of the rituals; painted red and baked in a bread plat in Greece, painted and rolled down hills in Britain, made into a special eggnog drink in Norway and Shetland and used to enrich sauces in France and Spain. Nowadays the chocolate industry has a bonanza offering chocolate eggs of every colour, size and extravagance.

Make your own Easter cake and indulge in the pleasure of chocolate. Here are two ideas - one from Sicily, the other from a friend who is an enthusiastic baker with an eye for decoration.

Sicilian Cassata

A traditional cake for Easter with origins in North African sweetmeats; the Sicilians decorate it with elaborate style. You need a round 8” or 9” cake tin Ingredients • Plain sponge cake- Either bought madeira or fatless sponge made with the weight of 3 eggs, plain flour and sugar.

• 150g marzipan • 500g ricotta cream cheese, sieved • Juice and zest 1 orange • Wine glass of sweet wine e.g. Marsala or sherry • 250g mixed candied fruit (cherries, mango, citron, cranberries, raisins, angelica) 60

• 5 0g chocolate drops or your favourite chocolate chopped roughly • 25g natural pistachio nuts or walnut pieces • 50g sugar • 100g good dark chocolate Method Warm the orange juice and wine in a pan. Add fruit mixture and let it steep till cold.

Cut a circle of silicon paper and place it at the bottom of the cake tin. Roll out the marzipan into a circle and put on top of the paper. Carefully melt the chocolate and paint it on the marzipan.

Line the top and sides of the tin with thin slices of sponge cake, leaving enough to make a base for the cake.

When the fruit is cold mix it with the ricotta, nuts, chocolate pieces and sugar. Pile all the filling into the tin and cover with the rest of the cake. Press it down till firm and there are no air bubbles.

Refrigerate in the tin overnight.

Un-mould the cake and decorate with sieved icing sugar, spring flowers, more cherries, angelica, grated chocolate or anything you fancy.

White Chocolate “Brownie”

Less complicated, it can be eaten as a cake or with fruit salad for dessert.

Ingredients • 125g white chocolate • 100g unsalted butter • 3 large eggs • 150 sugar • 100g chopped walnuts • 100g white chocolate roughly chopped • 125 plain flour sifted twice • 9” square or rectangle shallow baking tin lined with baking paper Method Heat oven to 180 C. Gently melt the butter and 100g chocolate in a bowl over hot (not boiling) water.

In a large bowl with a hand whisk beat the eggs and sugar till pale and bulked up. Continue whipping the mixture over hot water till it is the consistency of thick cream. With care not to lose the air in the eggs, fold in the butter and chocolate then the nuts and chopped chocolate and finally fold in the flour. Pour into the lined tin and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, till just firm to the touch. Leave to cool in the tin and then turn out and dust with a little icing sugar. Decorate with flowers, mini eggs or finely chopped nuts.

KONECT

Nowring offe Constituency Surgeries

The Scottish Parliament closes on 23rd March for the Scottish Parliament election held on 5th May. I am required to stop holding my advice surgeries from 24th March. I am not allowed to take on new cases but can continue with cases advised to me by 23rd March. Also, I am not permitted to hold my usual surgeries after that date. My office in the Scottish Parliament will also be closed.

How to contact Gordon Macdonald until 23 March Gordon Macdonald MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands Email gordon.macdonald.msp@scottish.parliament.uk Phone Parliament: 0131 348 5741 Mail The Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, EH99 1SP Web www.gordonmacdonaldmsp.info @GMacdonaldMSP Gordonmacdonaldsnpmsp

KONECT

Evening Meals

Thurs to Sun 6pm - 9pm

BYO

Call to reserve your table

B

Lunches Home made soup, filled rolls and bacon rolls available all day (sit in or takeaway)

Home Baking Breakfasts from 8am Afternoon Teas (booking required) Cake and Sugar Craft Classes Celebration Cakes Made To Order 563 Lanark Road, Juniper Green, EH14 5DB

Open Daily

Tel: 0131 6100665 | Mobile: 07773 978923 Email: info@mollys.co

www.mollys.co 61

fIrSt CLaSS EDUCatIon Education Boarding Pass From

Merchiston Castle School A Boarding and Day School for Boys aged 7-18

To

Your Son’s future

Visit us to find out about our individual approach to learning

InformatIon EVEnInG tHUrSDaY 4 fEBrUarY

InformatIon mornInG SatUrDaY 19 marCH

You will have the opportunity to meet the Headmaster, staff and pupils.

to find out more, or to register, please visit www.merchiston.co.uk call 0131 312 2236 or email rsvp@merchiston.co.uk Merchiston Castle School, Colinton Road, Edinburgh, EH13 0PU, Scotland Recognised by the Inland Revenue as a Charity, number SC016580

62

KONECT

Boogie Beat music & movement classes are great fun for preschool children! The classes are based on traditional nursery rhymes and classical fairy tales combined with a lively and active dance twist.

Your nearest class is Ratho EICA on Thursdays. Boogie Beat is also available for workshops in nurseries & private parties.

BALERNO VILLAGE NURSERY Balerno Community Centre 7-11 Main Street, Balerno

TEL: 0131 451 5756

Full class timetable at www.boogiebeat.co.uk Contact zoe@boogiebeat.co.uk or tel 07841 109730 to book!

To be included please call Jenny on 07824 469266 e: jenny@konectdirectory.co.uk or Charlene on 07772 941899 e: charlene@konectdirectory.co.uk

Email: Thevillageplaygroup@outlook.com

Back by popular demand: PLAY ZONE for 2-3 year olds Available Mon-Fri 8.45am - 11.15 am Providers of Quality Afforable Childcare for children from 6 weeks to P2, graded “very Good” by The Care Inspectorate.

Please telephone, email or call in to view the nursery, No appointment necessary.

WITH

FOSTER

EDINBURGH

Interested in fostering? Find out more at our monthly drop in events – every first Thursday 5-7pm at the City of Edinburgh Council EH8 8BG.

0800 174 833

www.edinburgh.gov.uk/fostering

KONECT

63

PUZZLES

CROSSWORD

Solution in the April edition of konect

Across 1 Tidy (4) 3 Uneducated (8) 9 Not man-made (7) 10 Tummy button (5) 11 Premature (5) 12 Pacific and Atlantic (6) 14 Stitching (6) 16 Not present (6) 19 Vegetable (6) 21 Big cat (5) 24 Heartbeat (5) 25 Frightened (7) 26 Less than twenty (8) 27 Second-hand (4) Down 1 Rubbish (8) 2 Performer (5) 4 Faster than canter (6) 5 28grams approx. (5) 6 Move forwards (7) 7 Cash register (4) 8 Used for drawing (6) 13 Surprised (8) 15 Made from fleece (7) 17 Double-cross (6) 18 Hot beverage (6) 20 Representative (5) 22 Presents (5) 23 Unlocked (4)

SUDOKU

Sudoku solution on page 69

64

KONECT

Have an Egg-cellent Easter in West Lothian The winter months are almost over, the temperatures are rising and with Easter fast approaching, on the 27th of March, it’s time to explore the outdoors again and take part in Easter fun. West Lothian’s top attractions are now opening their doors to the refreshing Spring season, with a number of new and exciting events for all ages to enjoy.

If the change in season is encouraging you to get active this Spring, then West Lothian is home to a number of fantastic walking and cycling routes across many areas including Linlithgow, Bathgate, Livingston and many more.

Family attractions such as Almond Valley Heritage Centre are re-opening their fantastic railway, alongside a number of family fun events which are taking place as part of their ‘Easter Eggcitement’ Spring campaign.

Get down to Five Sisters Zoo to visit the spectacular lions in their new habitat, or take a stroll around the Linlithgow Peel and enjoy the beautiful views of the loch and palace.

With so much on offer at these fantastic attractions and scenic routes, it’s no secret that West Lothian is the place to go for some fun this Easter. So get involved, get outdoors and enjoy some Scottish Spring sunshine!

For the latest on all the great things to see and do in West Lothian please visit www.visitwestlothian.co.uk, Facebook. com: VisitWestLothian and Twitter.com: @teamwestlothian

Bat Boxes at Currie Primary School

local communities and schools to play an active part.

Bats will be able to sleep easy at Currie Primary School, thanks to a donation last month by Real Foods, Edinburgh’s natural and organic food retailer. The company had been seeking to contribute to a local ecological project and were introduced to Currie Primary School by the RSPB.

The improvements that Currie Primary School are making as a result of their involvement with these two very positive environmental campaigns also contribute to their work in securing an Eco School’s Green Flag Award.

Currie Primary School takes part in the Edinburgh Living Landscape Initiative, an enterprise driven by Acting Deputy Head, Neil MacKenzie. The initiative is a partnership project that aims to create, restore and connect green areas of the city to make attractive and bio­diverse landscapes that will be healthy, nature rich and resilient to climate change. This goes hand in hand with the RSPB Edinburgh’s ‘Giving nature a home in Edinburgh’ project which has similar goals including better connectivity for wildlife, providing homes for nature and inspiring

KONECT

Well done Currie Primary School!

Pupils of Currie Primar y School Eco­C ouncil accompanied by Hannah Knight of the RSPB , accepted a donation of two bat habitat boxes from Pip Phillips of Real Foods .

65

WHAT’S ON

and Useful Information

by an adult. Harlaw House Visitor Centre. For more information contact the Pentlands Regional Park Service pentlandhills@edinburgh.gov.uk Tel 0131 529 2401. Cost: donations welcome.

Saturday 5th March Big Fairtrade Breakfast!

‘Make a Fair Trade day of Saturday March 5! Be part of the UK-wide Big Fairtrade Breakfast, with Balerno Fairtrade Village Group: Balerno Parish Church Halls, 10 am - 12 noon.

Breakfast, FT craft and food stalls, a hamper to win, children’s activities and art competition prizegiving, coffee, homebaking. Then catch the Edinburgh Fair Trade Festival, with Edinburgh Fairtrade City Group: Southside Community Centre, 10.30 am - 2.30 pm: stalls, speakers, choir, refreshments. All most welcome at both.

Saturday 12th March Josh’s Afternoon Tea In aid of Marie Curie Hospice. 1.30-3.30 pm at the Currie Community Centre. See pages 26-27 for more information.

Saturday 12th March Balerno Farmers’ Market Main Street (pedestrianised), Balerno, 9am – 1pm.

Saturday 18th March All age ceilidh St Mungo’s are hosting an all age ceilidh at the Conference Centre at Heriot-Watt University on Saturday 19 March from 7-10.30pm. Sporrandipity ceilidh band will be helping to keep us right on the dance floor and anyone is welcome to come and join in a fun evening!

Tickets: £10 for adults and £5 for under 18s (including bacon /sausage roll and cake) and are available via www.stmungos.org/featured/all-age-ceilidh/

Balerno Village Screen MARCH: Saturday 26th March Inside Out (Cert U) 2.00pm Spectre (Cert 12A) 4.30pm & 7.30pm Venues: St Joseph’s Church Hall; Ogston Hall, Balerno Tickets available at www.balernovillagescreen.com and at The Mill, St Joseph’s Cafe, Balerno. Please note Balerno Post Office are no longer holding BVS tickets.

Programme and timings subject to change. Please check website for details.

To include your event here, please email editor@konectdirectory.co.uk or call 07854 492638.

library information Balerno Library 1 Main Street, Balerno, EH14 7EQ T: 0131 529 5500 E: balerno.library@edinburgh.gov.uk Opening times: Mon & Wed: 1- 8pm | Tues & Fri: 10am -5pm | Saturday: 10am-2pm.

Currie Library 210 Lanark Road West, Currie EH14 5NX T: 0131 529 5609 E: currie.library@edinburgh.gov.uk Opening times: Mon & Wed: 1- 8pm | Tues, Thurs & Fri: 10am-5pm | Saturday: 10am-5pm.

Ratho Library

Saturday 26th March Juniper Green Farmer’s Market Juniper Green Village Hall, Juniper Park Road at the end of Baberton Avenue. 9am – 1pm.

Tuesday 5th April Pondlife at Harlaw - Children’s Activity Afternoon Come along to Harlaw House Wildlife Garden and discover what animals lurk in the pond and take part in fun nature activities. Drop in any time between 13.30 - 15.30. Lots of fun activities for children in the Visitor Centre and the Wildlife Garden. Suitable for 5 - 8 year olds, all children must be accompanied

66

6 School Wynd, Ratho EH28 8TT T: 0131 333 5297 E: ratho.library@edinburgh.gov.uk Find us on Facebook, Ratho library.

Opening times: Mon & Wed 1-8pm | Tues, Thurs & Fri 10am-5pm | Sat 10am-5pm.

Regular events at Ratho Library (for fortnightly and monthly events please contact the library for this month’s dates): Knit and Natter every Mon 2-4pm Book Group every second Wed 2-3.30. Glitzlit Girls’ Group every Wed 5.45-6.30. Book Bug -rhymes and songs for parents and under 5s every Thursday10.15-10.45. Stories and crafts for 5-7 year olds every Thursday 3.30-4.30.

Adult colouring group alternative Friday 10.30-12.00pm We are happy to arrange computer courses for beginners and learning how to use E-Books on demand.

KONECT

clubs & classes

Sports, Hobbies, Learning, Support Groups & more...

BALERNO Wildfire Explorer Scouts

Meet in Balerno High School. Fridays 7.15 - 9.15pm. 14 – 18yrs.

Contact: Gordon Simpson 0131 477 3116.

Email leaders@wildfire-explorers.org.uk

DadZone

At St Mungo’s Church, Ladycroft. Saturdays 9 -10.30am for Dads and male carers and their 0-4 year olds. Toys crafts, refreshments.

Dates for 2015: 29th August, 12th September, 17th October, 31st October, 28th November and 12th December. All welcome. For more info email balernodadzone@gmail.com or search Facebook for the online group.

Balerno Monday Club

Non-denominational club for over 55s. Our meetings are held in St Joseph’s Centre at Balerno Parish Church at 2pm on the first and third Mondays of the month from September to May. Different speakers, activities and outings each session, please contact the Club for syllabus details.

Beginners Yoga Classes

No experience needed (18+) - £6 per class Monday 8.30pm at Balerno Scout Hall Tuesday 8pm at Gibson Craig Hall, Lanark Road, Currie Wednesday 7.45pm at Forth View Crescent Scout Hall, Currie Monday 6pm at Juniper Green Village Hall Any questions please contact Monica karmayoga@btinternet.com Tel: 07986 600432.

Balerno Girls’ Brigade

Ogston Hall in Balerno Parish Church Tuesdays 6.30 - 7.30pm. Contact Marion Milne on 0131 449 4441 or email marion724@talktalk.net

Pentland Art Club

Meet at Balerno High School Art Room Every Thursday 7.30 - 9.30pm Demonstrations, speakers, work evenings; All mediums; New members welcome. Please contact E Thomson on 0131 333 4662.

Pentland Flower Club

Drama Studio, Balerno High School First Friday of the month at 7pm (excluding January, February, July and August); Visitors and new members are always welcome.

Contact Lis Daly on 0131 442 2146.

Children’s swim scheme

Balerno High School Tues, Wed and Fri pm; Sat and Sun am. Contact Balerno Community Education Office 0131 477 7733 for more info.

Compass Playgroup

Dean Park Primary Pre-School Centre. 2-5 years, wide variety of activities. Mon to Thurs (school term time only) 9:00am - 11.45am.

Lunch Club and Transfer Service to Dean Park Nursery. Call 0131 449 4530 (during opening hours) for more information or email info@compassplaygroup.com

Balerno Baby and Toddler Group

Balerno Parish Church Hall 3 Johnsburn Road, Balerno, EH14 7DN. For children 0-5 years and their carers. Term-time Thursdays 9.30 - 11.30am.

Balerno Parish Church Guild

51st Pentland Scouts (Balerno)

Beavers, Cubs, Scouts Various evenings, Balerno Scout Hall. Contact John Henderson on 07941 637262

Balerno Parish Church New Hall First and third Wednesdays (commencing October) at 7.30pm Varied syllabus with many interesting speakers; Tea/coffee is served at the end of the meeting. New members and visitors warmly welcomed

Currie Rugby Football Club

Balerno Folk Club

Malleny Park Minis (P1-7) Sundays 10.30am - 12pm. Contact 0131 449 2432 www.currierugby.org

Pentland Caledonia Pipes and Drums

Balerno Community Centre Every Friday 7pm-9.30pm. New members welcome.

Free tuition on pipes or drums Phone 0131 4495133.

Balerno Village Nursery

Balerno Community Centre Available 8am - 6pm, 5 days a week. Preschool play from age 2 years. Breakfast / Afterschool Club up to 8 years. Full or part time childcare . Call 0131 451 5756

Pilates Classes

Balerno Parish Church - Mondays 7.30 - 8.30pm - Intermediate/Advanced 8.30 - 9.30pm - Beginners/Post Beginners Contact Judi on 07716 830905 or judithrintoulpilates@hotmail.com

Balerno Footsteps 4 Fitness

Mondays 10am at Balerno High School Riverside Café Alternative Thursdays 10am at Balerno High School Riverside Café Alternative Fridays 10am at Balerno Parish Church Hall Contact 0131 477 7733. www.bf4f.org.uk

Adult daytime swim club

Balerno High School Contact Balerno Community Education Office on 0131 477 7733 for more info.

KONECT

Held on the last Tuesday of each month in Balerno Bowling Club Doors open 8pm; Evening begins 8.20pm; Guest artist on stage at 8.30pm; Members and guests welcome. For further info contact Morag Dunbar on 0131 449 5014 or John Stirling on 0131 449 3456.

Balerno SWRI

Balerno Community Centre 7.30pm First Tuesday of every month (except July & August). We usually have a speaker but we also have “in house” evenings; There is usually some business to be discussed and we enjoy a “cuppa” whilst chatting; New members or visitors welcome, just come along

Minis @St Mungo’s Group for babies and toddlers with their carers on term time.

Tuesdays and Wednesdays 10 - 11.30am in St Mungo’s church building, Ladycroft, Balerno; All welcome. For more information see www.stmungos.org

Sarah’s Fitness

Currie High School Cardio Dance Mix Mondays 6.30-7.15pm £4 per class.

Kettle Class Mondays 7.15-8pm. £4.50 per class. Sarah’s fitness.

Tel 07540 894287 or email sarahhardie@hotmail.co.uk

Chat’n’ Chill for S1-S6

Teenage Café Church Gibson Craig Hall, Lanark Road West Currie. Games, Café, Chat.

Every second Friday 4-6 pm. Contact Viola on 07806 806920 for more info.

67

clubs & classes

CURRIE Currie Youth Club

Various activities and facilities available including Gym Teds for childern Sound and Music room; Youth club facilities Sports hall Playgroup Lunch club and Football teams. See http://cyc.smartchange.org

Arts & Crafts Group

Art Room 1, Currie Community High School Thursdays 7.15 - 9pm - from 18th September to 27th November (except 16th October). We are a small, friendly group (of all ages) and new members will be made very welcome. £35 for the 10-week term or £5 per session, if paid on the night. Fee covers all materials, equipment and refreshments. For more information please email: phoenixarts@hotmail.com or tel: 07934 495488.

Bridge Club

Meetings in Gibson Craig Hall on Mondays at 1:30pm, September to June. For more information contact the Secretary on 0131 449 3527.

Coffee and Craft

Currie High School, Sun Room Mon 7 - 9pm Bring your own craft and share your knowledge and experience with other crafters and perhaps learn something new. All welcome. £2.00 per night; Refreshments are included.

Air Cadets 2463 (Currie & Balerno) Squadron Forthview Crescent Mon and Thu 7-9.30pm. 0131 449 7449 for more info.

Currie Playgroup

Currie Baptist Church Hall Preschool play from age 2 years Mon-Fri, 8.45 - 11.45am (term time) £6.50 per child per morning Wraparound and Lunch Club for children attending Currie Nursery Wrap around £5.00; Lunch club £2.00 See www.currieplaygroup.co.uk

42nd Pentland Scout Group Currie

Forth View Crescent, Currie Cubs Monday 6.15 – 7.45pm. Call Andrew 07876567552.

Scouts Monday 7.45 – 9.15pm. Call Ross 07729714445.

Beavers Friday 6.30 – 7.30pm. Call Sharon 07810 201680. www.42ndpentland.scoutsites.org.uk

The Octagon Club

For Adults with Special Needs and Learning Difficulties Meets in Gibson Craig Hall, Lanark Road West, Currie, 7 - 9pm on Wednesday Evenings from mid September until June for table tennis, snooker, badminton, table games, “tuck shop” etc.

Contact Alastair Hardie on 0131 453 3556

Baby Group

Currie Library Thursdays 2.00 - 3.30pm Come along for an informal tea or coffee and chat with other parents and babies. 50p per week.

Karate

Currie High School; Mondays 7.30 - 9pm Adults and Children over 6 years.

Please contact 0131 449 3510 or 0131 445 2945 for more info or email patricia.shearer@edinburgh.gov.uk

Currie & District Local History Society

Meetings Mondays at 7.30 in the Gibson-Craig Hall in Currie Visitors welcome; For further information contact Douglas N Lowe on 0131 449 4349 or douglaslowe51@btinternet.com

Currie SWRI

Meet in the Gibson Craig Hall, Lanark Road West, Currie On the second Tuesday of each month (except July and August) at 7.15pm. New members and visitors welcome

Boys Brigade - 65th Edinburgh (Currie) Company

Gibson Craig Hall, Lanark Road West Currie Anchors (Boys P2 & P3) - Thursday 6 - 7pm

68

Juniors (Boys P4, P5 & P6) - Thursday 7 - 8.30pm Company/Seniors (Boys P7 - S6) - Friday 7 - 9.15pm For further info contact Jim Webber on 0131 451 5112

Messy Church at Currie Kirk

Usually the last Friday of the month 2 - 3.30pm for children from Pram to Primary age, accompanied by an adult. Crafts, stories, games and fun. Please register through www.curriekirk.org or currie_kirk@btconnect.com Tel 0131 451 5141.

Currie Baby and Toddler Group

Gibson Craig Hall Friday 9.30 - 11.30am (term time only). Adults £2.00; Kids go free Parents/Grandparents/Carers/Childminders are all very welcome; Snack provided for the kids and tea and coffee for the adults Loads of space to play

Balerno and District Ramblers

Midweek Group meets on a Wednesday at Currie Library Car Park, Lanark Rd West 9.15am for 9.30am start. Contact M Timmins 0131 449 4525 or A Blyth 0131 629 3644. Saturday and Sunday Group meets at Pentland View Carpark, Currie, at 8.45am for 9am start. Contact E Scroggie on 0131 441 1666.

Book Group

Currie Library First Wednesday of each month at 7.00pm.

Beginners Yoga Classes

No experience needed (18+) - £6 per class Tuesday 8pm at Gibson Craig Hall, Lanark Road, Currie Wednesday 7.45pm at Forth View Crescent Scout Hall, Currie Monday 6pm at Juniper Green Village Hall Monday 8.30pm at Balerno Scout Hall Any questions please contact Monica, email: karmayoga@ btinternet.com Tel: 07986 600432

Corner Cafe Book Club

At the Corner Cafe, 120 Lanark Road West, Currie Meet 27th of every month at 7.45. Informal friendly group, all welcome, we read a mixture of classics and popular books. £3 per session.

Fitsteps

Fun and effective dance fitness class inspired and created by Strictly Come Dancing stars Natalie Lowe and Ian Waite. Learn the steps from Tango, Jive, Viennese Waltz, Samba and many more, without the need of a partner. Thursday 7.30-8.15pm, Currie High School, Edinburgh, £5 per person. For more info call Lianne on 07737 927463 www.facebook.com/moveitdanceandfitsteps

Angela’s Fitness

Currie High School METAFIT: Thursdays 6:15pm-6:45pm. A 30 min full body workout.

Great for weight loss, toning, improving strength and power.

Burn fat in your sleep with Metafit. ABS BLAST: Thursdays: 6:45pm–7:15pm. 30 min core workout to strengthen your abs and lower back. £4 per class or £15 for 5 classes, mix&match. Both classes are suitable for any fitness levels & ages as options of exercises are given. For more info please contact Angela on: angelasfitness@live. co.uk; tel: 07845705819; www.facebook.com/angelassfitnesscurrie

Macular Society, Pentland Group

Group for visually impaired people, 2nd Friday of every month in Currie Library at 2pm. Audio Book Group meets 1st Monday of every month in Currie Library at 2.15 pm. I-Pad tuition group for visually impaired people all other Mondays in Currie Library at 2.15pm

JUNIPER GREEN Pilates Classes

Juniper Green Parish Church - Thursdays 7.30 - 8.30pm - Post Beginners/Intermediate 8.30 - 9.30pm - Beginners class Contact Judi on 07716 830905 or judithrintoulpilates@hotmail.com

Juniper Green Nursery Playgroup

Juniper Green Community Centre (Village Hall) 1 Juniper Park Road EH14 5DX. Contact 07948 554889 or see website at www.junipergreenplaygroup.vpweb.co.uk KONECT

31st Pentland Scouts (Juniper Green)

45 Lanark Road West, Currie Beavers - Wed 6.30pm Cubs - Mon 7.00pm Cubs - Tues 6.30pm Scouts - Fri 7.00pm Contact - Mary Dick on 0131 449 7043

Juniper Green SWRI

Juniper Green Community Centre (Village Hall) 1 Juniper Park Road EH14 5DX. Contact 0131 539 9886.

RATHO

Susan Douglas Pilates

Ratho Community Centre Mon 5.55pm – 6.55pm. See www.douglaspilates.co.uk

Ratho WRI

Meet in Ratho Community Centre on second Wednesday of each month (except July & August) from 7pm to 9pm. New members and visitors welcome. Contact 0131 333 4862 for information.

Ratho Scouts, Cubs & Beavers

Ratho Community Centre Beavers: Tuesdays 6.30pm - 7.30pm (age 6-8) Cubs: Fridays 7pm - 8.30pm (age 8-10.5) Scouts: 7pm - 8.45pm. (age 10.5 -14)

Ratho Ravers

Ratho Community Centre Mon 10am-12pm. Exercising body and mind for the over fifties. £3 per class. For more information call the Community Centre on 0131 333 1055.

Daytime Pilates Classes

Thursdays in Kirknewton Village Hall: 9.10am to 10.00am 10.10am to 11.00am for beginners For more details contact elise@ekpilates.co.uk. You’ll also find me on facebook.com/ekpilates.

NUstArt West Art Group

WHALE Arts Agency, 30 Westburn Grove, EH14 2SA Fridays 10.30am – 1.30pm. Friendly and very supportive self-led art group would welcome new members, both male & female, to join them on Friday mornings. Bring your own paints & brushes, or make use of class materials. £4 per session, but note that weekly fees are due to help pay room rental costs even for a missed class. For further details phone 0131 453 5294, or join us one morning for coffee and a chat.

To include your club or class, email details to editor@konectdirectory.co.uk.

Charity and not-for-profit groups are free, there is a small charge for other listings. See our website for details. www.konectdirectory.co.uk

Solution to February Crossword

Across: 1 Perhaps, 5 Cycle, 8 Shampoo, 9 Exact, 10 Extra, 11 Kitchen, 12 Honest, 14 Glides, 17 Raisins, 19 Noble, 22 Olive, 23 Elegant, 24 Rural, 25 Pitcher.

Down: 1 Piste, 2 Roast, 3 Appears, 4 Shocks, 5 Chest, 6 Crashed, 7 Extends, 12 Harbour, 13 Noisier, 15 Lenient, 16 Asleep, 18 Ideal, 20 Brash, 21 Enter.

Parent & Toddlers Group

Community Centre Tues and Thurs 10am-12noon. Under 3s. Members 50p, non members £1. For more information call the Community Centre on 0131 333 1055.

Art Club

Ratho Community Centre Tues 7-9pm. Adult Multimedia Club. Members 50p, non members £1. For more information call the Community Centre on 0131 333 1055.

50 Plus Group

Varied programme of activities/outings New members welcome – meet fortnightly at Ratho Community Centre. Members 50p, non-members £1. For more information call the Community Centre on 0131 333 1055

Solution to Sudoku Page 64

Scouts

All meet at the Community Centre, meeting times are as follows: Beavers: Tuesdays 6.30pm - 7.30pm (age 6-8) Cubs: Fridays 7pm - 8.30pm (age 8-10.5) Scouts: 7pm - 8.45pm. (age 10.5-14)

OTHER AREAS Potter Around

Art and craft studio at Overton Farm, Kirknewton EH27 8DD Drop in anytime for ceramic painting and decopatch or have fun playing with clay. Book both adults and children’s parties in a wide range of arts and crafts. Open the first Tuesday of each month for those who prefer evening. Book into one of our many workshops including candle making, potter’s wheel, felting, jewellery and glass fusion. Regular classes include oil painting for both adults and children and our Kids Art Club on a Friday afternoon as well as the Warhammer Club on a Saturday afternoon. We take commission for painted pottery and artwork and we have a gift shop selling hand made items from jewellery through to art. Look out for our summer workshops running for children through the holidays. For more information call 01506 238961, email chat@potteraround. co.uk. www.potteraround.co.uk www.facebook.com/PotterAround

Irish Dancing

St. Nicholas Church, Calder Road, Sighthill New children’s class for ages 4 and upwards on Wednesdays from 5.30pm to 6.30pm. First class is FREE then £4 per class. Contact Audrey on 07952 159227 to register. Children’s classes also in Leith and Wynchburgh. Adults classes in Edinburgh and Broxburn.

KONECT

Whilst every care is taken to ensure accuracy, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for loss, damage or omission caused by error in the printing of an advertisement.The Konect Directory does not endorse any advertising material that appears in this publication. Adverts are accepted on the understanding that descriptions of goods and services are fair and accurate. All material is accepted for publication on the understanding that it is copyright free.The Konect Directory accepts no liability for any subsequent copyright issues. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior consent of the publisher.

Publisher: Lothian Publications Ltd, Overton Farmhouse, Kirknewton, EH27 8DD. Editor: Helen-Jane Shearer, 07854 492638, hj@konectdirectory.co.uk

69

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS Aerials Kinnear Aerials 56 Appliance Repair Appliances of Edinburgh 2 Bathrooms 1st Choice Living 56 Duffy Mclean 52 Ekco 51 Ken Dunton 54 Splash Bathrooms 34 Beauty Beauty Box 21 Juniper Beauty Room 24 Nails Mastered by Laura 21 Blacksmith D & I Blacksmiths 10 Builder Almond Building Company 54 Dean Jones Building Services 48 Building Surveyor David Hastings 34 Cafe/Tearoom Molly’s 61 Cake Maker Molly’s 61 Car Bodywork Bodyshop Edinburgh 44 Car Sales Hermiston Motors 45 Hope Scott Garage 46 Juniper Green Garage 46 Car Service & Repair Autocare Solutions 44 Balerno Garage 47 Hermiston Motors 45 Hope Scott Garage 46 Ratho Auto Services 46 Caravan Service & Repair Auto Fitness 46 Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning C and W Cleaning Services 32 Hydro Kleen Scotland 32 James Burnett Carpet Cleaning 32 Carpets & Flooring Pentland Carpets 33 Catering Food Creations 5 CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES/ENTERTAINMENT Boogie Beat Music & Movement 63 Children’s Nursery Balerno Village Nursery 63 Chiropody/Podiatry Pentland Footcare 19 Chiropractor ABC Chiropractic 23 Cleaning Services Cleaning and Maintenance 16 Cleaning Doctor 31 Complementary Therapies Access 2 Balance 19 Balance 4 Me Reflexology 5 Youyen Thai Massage 29 Computer Services Simply Fix It 36 Sort My PC Council Services Edinburgh City Council - Fostering 63 Edinburgh City Council - ofbb 19 Craft Shop & Classes Coo Creations 31 Dentist Balerno Dental Care 23 Currie Dental Care 24 No 9 Dental 18 Riccarton Dental Practice 29 Double Glazing Repair Double Glazing Doctor 35 Double Glazing Repairs 34

70

Dressmaking/Alterations Coo Creations Electrician A&A Electrical Altech Electrical MT Electrical Simply Electrical Spark Electrical Solutions Sykes Electrical Fencing/Gates LTC Fencing S & D Fences Financial Services Personal Money Management Florist Vicky’s Flowers Williamsons Funeral Director Porteous Funeral Directors Garage Doors Max’s Garage Doors Ltd Garden & Landscaping AA Landscapes Capital Garden Services CS Gardening D Greaves Greenhart Landscaping Ladies Who Garden Riccarton Garden Centre TruGreen Glazier R McNeill Joiner & Glazer Golf Club Baberton Golf Club Hairdresser Hairtech J & J Hair Tony Harper Hairdressers Health/Fitness KM Fitness Healthcare ABC Hearing Heating Services Duffy McLean L & S Heating Homes for Sale CALA Homes Insurance Glenavon Insurance Ltd Ironing Services Ironing Aid Joiner Adriatik Sula GK Wilson Joiner GR Construction Jack Watson Joiner R McNeill Joiner & Glazer Kitchens Duffy Mclean Ekco Ian Merriman Ltd Ken Dunton S & S Home Improvements Lighting Optical Lighting Locksmith 1st Call Locksmith Caledonian Locksmith Saltire Lock & Security Mobility Med -Ecosse MSP/MP Gordon Macdonald MSP Optician Clear Vue Optical Oven Cleaner The Clean Team

31 6 48 34 56 54 35 13 11 57 5 22 37 10 16 10 10 12 17 11 11 13 6 47 21 29 18 25 4 55 15 4 31 49 16 5 17 6 52 51 49 54 71 52 54 32 6 28 61 21 31

Painter/Decorator Alistair McLellan Brushstrokes Gerry Aitken Paving Alpine Paving Edinburgh Paving Company Edinburgh Paving Solutions JGM Landscapes Pet Services Claylands Cattery Currie Dog Grooming Happy Scampers Milrig Kennels Walks with Lauren Picture Framing Colinton Arts Plastering Alexander Aitken Plastering Plumbing Services Alex Hunter Plumbers Bill Reid & Son Jim Gladstone Shandon Plumbing Weir Plumbing Premises to Rent Gilchrist Property Property Maintenance Cleaning and Maintenance Restaurant Al Borgo Roofing Dell Roofing Fairmile Roofing Thomson Roofing Services School Merchiston Castle School Security Services GLD Security Saltire Lock & Security Signwriting SignCentive Soft Furnishings Blind Design Forth Fabrics James Erskine Interiors Takeaway Pentland Fry Taxi & Private Hire Capital Cars Telecoms Services John McGraw Tiling Mark Hay Tiling Service with a Tile Tree Surgery Delisle Tree Surgeons Maxwell Tree Care Upholsterer James Erskine Interiors Venue Edinburgh Corn Exchange Vet ICR Vets Pentland Veterinary Clinic Thistle Vets Wedding Services Edinburgh Corn Exchange Vicky’s Flowers Window Cleaning Tag Cleaning Windows 1st Choice Living Double Glazing Repairs Four Seasons Red Hot Windows

48 34 55 16 12 11 6 39 38 39 38 41 30 34 6 49 6 55 55 55 16 61 12 53 59 62 58 6 5 33 31 30 61 4 49 48 54 13 17 32 7 39 41 38 7 5 17 56 34 72 40

KONECT

KONECT

71