Residents up in arms over three projects
6
Swingers’ club appeals council order
7
Funding rejection sends wrong signal
Charlie Ellis mugs up on capital bean scenes
Hearts midfielder on the mend
German artist Michael Pendry to once again transform St Giles’ with his newest masterpiece
By PHYLLIS STEPHEN
A NEW PUBLIC sculpture created by German artist Michael Pendry, will be sited in St Giles’ Cathedral later this month. ‘HEART’ makes its UK premiere in the
capital in a collaboration between the Burns&Beyond Festival and the St Giles’ 900th.
The anniversary marks the founding of the cathedral, to be celebrated with events throughout 2024. This year HEART will light up the
cathedral with the very symbol of life itself, a new three-dimensional work measuring five metres tall, will transform the space with a ticketed evening illumination and soundscape for visitors. The installation will take ten days to build and will be a central part of
the Burns&Beyond Festival which takes place in the city from 25 January to 11 February. What better symbol for the festival which takes its inspiration from Rabbie Burns and promotes ‘Luv, hope and Kindness’, than a heart?
Continued on page four
HAPPY NEW YEAR to all our readers. It is promising to be a significant year. This is the 900th anniversary of the declaration of Edinburgh as one of the first royal burghs. A council working party was set up in 2019 under the leadership of The Rt Hon Lord Provost “To discuss whether there is appetite for a celebration to mark the 900th anniversary of Edinburgh becoming a burgh.”
A report confirmed: “The royal burgh status was confirmed in 1329 in a charter by King Robert I specifically to the burgesses of Edinburgh, confirming their rights and privileges. The charter survives and is also in the possession of the council, being its oldest surviving burgh record. The 600th anniversary of this ‘Bruce charter’ was celebrated in 1929.” There is no surviving royal charter specific to Edinburgh but the date can be pinpointed between 1124 and 1127. So Edinburgh 900 is being devisedthough few details are yet available.
There will be a General Election this year and bets are currently being taken as to when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will go to the polls. Edinburgh South MP, Ian Murray who is Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland, has some thoughts on this topic. Read more on page 4.
The proliferation of student flats in the capital is the talk of the steamie - I have produced some facts about recent applications - and the historic numbers. Read more on page 6.
I invite you to make a resolution to join the steadily growing elite band of Edinburgh Reporter subscribers. Although we turned a significant corner last year, it continues to take an amount of funding to produce news which is free at source online and in print. But our food columnist Kerry is throwing caution to the wind and making no New Year’s resolutions at all as you will find when you read her column on Page 17.
The Edinburgh Reporter will continue to publish factual news about the capital this year and I hope you will come with us on the journey.
Phyllis Stephen, Editor
Brewdog has submitted plans for Brewdog Waverley in the unit at the station currently occupied by The Beer House.
EMA Architecture has submitted applications for two sites within the Edmonstone Estate masterplan. The developer plans to refurbish the South Lodge as a single dwelling and build two further homes next to the East Lodge which is also to be refurbished. This development is on Old Dalkeith Road. Both lodges are B-listed.
The former Osborne House offices at Haymarket will be converted into a 157-room hotel in a “transformational project” by German hotel/hostel budget brand Meininger which has 35 hotels in 25 European cities, and although it used to operate a site in London, it currently has no UK presence.
The contract has been awarded to Anderson Bell + Christie as architectural designers for a residential development site in the space where the old Castlebrae High School was.
The public planning consultation events in connection with the Caledonian Brewery site will take place on 7 February and
27 March at St Michael’s Parish Church, 1 Slateford Road, EH11 1NX.
Brazilian steakhouse Rio will open its first site in the former Jamie’s Italian behind the Assembly Rooms on George Street. Rodrigo Grassi, Co-owner of RIO Brazilian Steakhouse, said: “We are thrilled to announce that RIO
Alan Simpson photographed this lovely wee robin near the Chinese Pavilion at The Botanics on one of his regular bird spotting walks. Males and females are identical as both have red coloured breasts, and the bird is known to be territorial, scaring away any intruders.
Brazilian Steakhouse will be opening in Scotland for the first time early next year. A milestone moment for us, we can’t wait to bring the delicious South American flavours to Edinburgh and look forward to introducing our unique offerings to the Scottish market.” Jobs will be on offer in a range of roles. careers@rio-steakhouse.co.uk
You will find copies at Farmer Autocare, Summerhall, Art & Craft Collective, EICC, LifeCare on Cheyne Street, Coffee Angels, the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and Western General Hospital and now in some libraries again.
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By PHYLLIS STEPHEN
ALISON HAWKINS who owns and runs Wester Coates Nursery School which she set up 34 years ago, has achieved a Masters degree from the University of Edinburgh.
This is the second graduation for the early years education expert who first gained a degree in 1971 from Moray House Teacher Training College as it was then known. Better than anyone, Alison understands the need for learning at all stages of life, and has always undertaken continuing professional development learning during her career.
The need for learning led her to “Froebelian practice” which she first studied in 2010, meeting a group of like-minded educators who have since learned together and supported each other. In 2019 the first cohort signed up for the MSc in Education, Early Childhood and Froebel course from which Alison has just graduated.
Scotland’s national Froebelian hub is the council run nursery at Cowgate Under 5s which is an indoor/outdoor space in the heart of the city just off the Royal Mile. Friedrich Froebel was the pioneer of the kindergarten movement where learning is not predefined into any compartmentalised goals or narrow boundaries. The key principle which he embraced was “freedom with guidance”, believing that everything in the universe is connected and that this is to be fostered in children to deepen their understanding of themselves and others as well as the wider world.
Alison said: "The catalyst was firstly to support the course, and get its name 'out there'; secondly to challenge myself and pull together a
lot of threads - and thirdly to use the learning and experience to further spread knowledge of child development and appropriate early learning techniques.
"Through our studies we have had positive impacts on children through our collective and individual work. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my tutor Dr Lynn McNair - herself a knowledgeable and committed Froebelian whose interest in all her students is vast."
On both occasions Alison has outshone her classmates winning first the Dickson Prize for best outgoing student and most recently achieving her MSc with merit.
Throughout the decades of running her own nursery Mrs Hawkins has continually campaigned for kindergarten education. She lobbied Edinburgh Council until they voted to fund all children who were eligible for a further year at nursery stage, something
At Wester Coates Nursery School the ethos is to nurture, care for, challenge and support little ones on their first steps away from home.
With a staff to pupil ratio of one adult for every five or six children the aim is to "ensure a happy and confident transfer from home to nursery".
Alison said: "This is achieved by a strong belief in the principles of Friedrich Froebel, regarding children as being competent, unique, curious and active...hence our focus on starting where the child is and taking their lead mostly through play, and often outside. Believing in the many benefits of fresh air, exercise and ‘space to be’ we spend most of our time outdoors where excellent facilities and equipment complement our indoor spaces, and provide motivating and challenging opportunities to develop skills, to explore and wonder, to grow in confidence and to socialise.”
By KIRSTY LEWIN
WHAT BRINGS A hundred people out on bikes on one of the coldest nights of the year in Edinburgh? Pedestrians and drivers were asking this very question on a freezing Friday night at the end of last year when they encountered the InfraSisters leading their fifth cheerful Our Streets Our Nights mass campaign ride through Edinburgh’s Old Town.
With bikes decked in twinkling fairy lights, and dance music pumping out these women and their male allies had a simple but serious message for Edinburgh’s councillors. Women and girls face a horrible dilemma in Edinburgh when they want to cycle at night. Do they choose on-road routes where they are generally unprotected from dangerous drivers? Or do they choose the off-road paths, that, while usually pleasant during the day, are isolated at night with no escape routes and have had numerous reports of anti-social behaviour, abuse, and even assault.
Edinburgh does not have safe and comfortable night-time cycling infrastructure for women and girls, and, until it does, many women will continue to feel unsafe to cycle in the dark. Many women are excluded from using a cheap, fast, and healthy form of transport to get around. The InfraSisters are calling for an end to this dilemma and inequity by asking all councillors to support the rapid development of on-road well-lit direct cycling routes that are protected from drivers, particularly at major junctions.
The next ride will be on 8 March, International Women’s Day. Everyone is welcome to join in. Sign up to the mailing list for updates www.infrasisters.org.uk
THE COUNCIL has written to residents in certain streets in the city where pavement parking is a problem, warning drivers that recent legislation banning the practice will be enforced in Edinburgh in January.
Cllr Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “Implementing these new restrictions will help to make Edinburgh’s roads and pavements accessible for all. By making sure our footways are kept clear and safe we can support those who are disproportionately affected get around the city, this includes parents with pushchairs, older people, those with visual impairments and wheelchair users.”
By ROBERT ALDRIDGE
The Rt Hon Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh
THE DUST HAS just settled on what has been another exciting year.
In 2024, we mark Edinburgh 900 which represents almost a millennium of shared history centred on our fascinating city. I’m delighted that work is now underway to prepare for the anniversary with a great programme of events examining how Edinburgh came to be over the centuries, to celebrate where it is now, and reflect its future ambitions and aspirations.
St Giles’ will also celebrate its 900th year as a working church and a centre for civic services. The Cathedral plays a central role in the city’s history and is a huge asset to both the Old Town and the nation.
At the end of June, I’ll welcome His Majesty the King to the city for Royal Week where we’ll undertake the historic Ceremony of the Keys. With Armed Forces Day also in June and Remembrance Sunday in November, these are two key annual events when I will reconfirm my commitment to our veterans and the significant service community in the capital.
The Edinburgh Fire Brigade will celebrate another important anniversary in 2024, marking 200 years since the first municipal fire service in the world was created. It was a pleasure to welcome HRH The Princess Royal to the McDonald Road Community Fire and Ambulance Station to mark the opening of the Museum of Scottish Fire Heritage. I thank all the emergency services in Edinburgh who do such a fantastic job keeping us all safe.
We will celebrate the 70th anniversary of our very first twinning with Munich. We have since gone on to twin with thirteen other cities around the globe, including Dunedin (50 years)
and Florence (60 years). I look forward to fostering these valuable relationships.
Like Edinburgh, the Polish city of Krakow is a UNESCO City of Literature. We have enjoyed a strong partnership with the city since 1995. I am similarly thrilled that the UNESCO Cities of Literature Conference will be held in Edinburgh next year, reaffirming our place as a world leading literary city.
Marking 20 years since the creation of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network when Edinburgh received its designation as the very
first UNESCO City of Literature, we will welcome representatives from over forty other Literary Cities to celebrate the achievements of the past twenty years and plan for the future. I would like to draw attention to the voluntary sector in the city. Alongside my Deputy Lieutenants, Volunteer Edinburgh and the Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council (EVOC), I made several nominations from the community for a King’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2024. I look forward to seeing the results when they are announced.
By IAN MURRAY Labour MP for Edinburgh South
MY POLITICAL hero, John Smith, said that “all we ask is the opportunity to serve”.
As we enter an election year, his ask will be repeated in the months ahead. The Labour Party is revitalised under UK leader Keir Starmer and Scottish leader Anas Sarwar, and we are asking the people of Scotland and the UK to give us that opportunity to serve. Our party has changed – and we are ready to change the country. I have had the honour of representing Edinburgh South since 2010, and will be standing for re-election. .
I hope to be joined by more Labour colleagues in
Westminster to build a fairer, greener country where nobody is left behind.
Scottish Labour MPs will put Scotland’s voice at the heart of government. If I have the privilege of serving as Scottish Secretary, I will focus on promoting Edinburgh and Scotland on the world stage, as well as delivering reform here at home. This is the change that Scotland needs – a UK Labour government relentlessly focused on delivering our transformative agenda.
The set-up of GB Energy, headquartered in Scotland, will be an early priority of a Labour government, with our plans supporting 50,000 highly skilled clean power jobs.
Continued from front page
The artist was the creative talent behind Les Colombes a 2022 installation sited in the cathedral, when a floating flock of more than 2,000 paper doves were hung in the nave.
Each bird brought a message of hope, peace, humanity and new beginnings, appropriate for the end of the pandemic. The doves were crafted by many volunteers during a visit to the cathedral or to the National Museum of Scotland. Pendry said: “I’m so pleased to be returning to St. Giles’ Cathedral with HEART, which represents a symbol for life in all its fullness, a symbol of being human, love and pain, primary and genuine in a tech-focused world. This heart will keep changing - because it is change that keeps it alive. I look forward to the people of Edinburgh enjoying the experience, especially in this times full of uncertainties, climate change, wars, gender discussion, confusions of an old global ally systm that seems to fall apart.
“We need to remind us what life is about, and the importance of showing empathy, understanding, embracing the different and at the end of the day...showing more ‘heart’. Art can make a change, and our role as artist is to spend some light, giving people hope and showing them what the world can also be despite of all the turmolis of our fast, hard and cold everyday life.”
Alan Thomson, Co-Director of Unique Events and Burns&Beyond Festival, said:
We are determined to give Scotland its future back, because, sadly, as we reflect on the year just passed, it’s clear that we are being failed by two governments.
The Tories have run our economy into the ground, causing a cost-of-living crisis for millions. And the SNP is so distracted by its own internal infighting and scandals, that its politicians have become hopelessly out of touch.
Nationalist MPs are completely disconnected from Scotland’s priorities. In 2024, we can kick Rish Sunak and his cronies out of Downing Street – and only Labour can do that – and we can get rid of SNP MPs who care more about the constitution than their own constituents.
“Following the success of Les Colombes, Michael Pendry’s beautiful flock of doves in St Giles’ Cathedral back in 2022, we are hugely excited to present the UK premiere of HEART, which will be beating for over two weeks as part of Burns&Beyond and St. Giles’ 900 celebrations. In such troubled times, we hope that HEART will bring joy to all that visit and images of this positive symbol will be shared far and wide. Remember, all you need is love.”
Sarah Phemister, Head of Heritage and Culture, St Giles’ Cathedral said: “As St Giles’ Cathedral heads into its 900th year in 2024, we are delighted to welcome Michael Pendry back to the cathedral with his installation HEART. We are excited to be collaborating with Unique Events once again and cannot wait to welcome visitors from near and far in the new year.”
By STEPHEN RAFFERTY
AN IRISH SPORTING hero who took over the running of one of Edinburgh’s most popular student bars has been given his marching orders after The Edinburgh Reporter exposed his criminal past.
National pub operator Star Pubs & Bars called time on Kevin McGourty and his partner Anushka Ponniah’s management of The Earl of Marchmont after we revealed McGourty was convicted of harassing a female solicitor and had been placed on probation for 18 months.
A spokesperson for Star Pubs & Bars confirmed: “The Earl of Marchmont in Edinburgh was leased to an independent operator on a temporary basis. Following their departure, we have appointed a new operator to take over the running of the pub.”
The couple took possession of the Marchmont Crescent pub at the end of October but four weeks later were forced to hand the keys back when his background came to light.
It also emerged that on their first weekend in charge, McGourty hosted a stag party for a friend, which included a stripper who put on a raunchy performance in the cellar of the bar.
The Edinburgh Reporter has seen evidence of up to 12 middle-aged men descending in to the cellar, drinks in hand, to enjoy the sleazy strip show after the “stag” refused to go along with the original plan for the performance to take place in a corner of the bar.
One customer, present when the 28 October event took place, said: “This place is a respectable bar, full of students, but they seemed to think they were in an episode of Minder, or down on The Shore in the 1980s.”
McGourty, 41, who is from a famous Antrim GAA family, won an All-Ireland title in 2010 when he was an integral part of the St Gall’s team which secured their first championship title at a packed Croke Park.
In 2017 he was accused of sending hundreds of texts, emails, making phone calls to his victim, and turning up at family celebrations causing the woman “distress and upset”. He threatened to send an explicit photograph and video of the woman to her brother and father if she did not speak to him.
He pled guilty to disclosing a sexual photograph of his victim and of harassing her over a two month period and was sentenced to 18 months’ probation, while a five year restraining order prevented him from going within 30 metres of the woman or her brother, to whom he sent the photograph.
McGourty, also known as Caoimhean
MacDhorchaidh, is under investigation after claims he posed as a solicitor in a Glasgow court attempting to represent an accused person.
A spokesman for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service told The Edinburgh Reporter: “The Procurator Fiscal is considering this incident and is liaising with the Law Society of Scotland and Police Scotland.”
Anushka Ponniah denied all knowledge of the strip show - even blaming staff for holding the event behind her back. The Earl of Marchmont is now being run by its previous management who said: “We’re not going to discuss the reasons why we’re back, but back we are! We’ve given the place a clean, reviewed some of the pricing and food, arranged a new wine list and developed some new cocktails. Small steps but purposeful steps.”
By PHYLLIS STEPHEN
THREE DEVELOPMENTS of purpose built student accommodation (PBSA) have been, or are being considered, in separate areas of the city - and all attracted hundreds of objections from local residents. In the face of the council announcing a housing emergency, many believe that housing should be the priority.
EYRE PLACE LANE
The first is in Eyre Place Lane where CA Ventures, an American student flat developer, lodged new applications for student flats and townhouses on the former Jewson’s yard now owned by Daltons the scrap merchants. This is an individual case where the developer did not wait for the council to set a hearing first time round, preferring to use a the delay to appeal the applications straight to the Government Reporter who refused permission.
The developers went back to the drawing board and lodged applications of new - but the planning committee refused these.
Cllr Chas Booth said to the developers’ representatives at the planning meeting: “What we have heard from residents is that they are keen to see development on this site – but appropriate development, development that meets the needs of the communities, and also complies with our Local Development Plan. Unfortunately I think that this application before us does neither of those things.
“So I would appeal to the developers, please go away and listen to the local community, listen to their concerns and come back with an application that meets the needs of the local community while also complying with our Local Development Plan, and we will look on it a lot more favourably.”
A PBSA development at Jock’s Lodge has been approved by the Reporter on appeal. This will be flats for 191 students, despite the hundreds of objections. It was also a drawn out planning wrangle as the original application was refused by the council.
Local SNP councillor Danny Aston, who campaigned against the proposal, said: “I’m so gutted for the local residents who drove forward
the campaign to Save Jock’s Lodge – volunteers who worked tirelessly in the interests of the local community. But most of all, I’m very concerned about the impact of this plan, if built in its present form, on the local community through the damage it will cause to the Jock’s Lodge local centre – the closest thing we have in this area to a high street.
“I find it very hard to see how the Reporter has come to the conclusion that this plan doesn’t harm local retail provision at Jock’s Lodge sufficiently to warrant dismissing the appeal, quite apart from the other issues like the gargantuan size.”
Developers plan to demolish a building owned by Sight Scotland and replace it with PBSA. This proposal will create 145 bedrooms with “additional amenities including a cinema/ multimedia room and gym”. Residents object to the move, partly on the basis that there are
THE EDINBURGH Tool Library run a programme called Tools for Life and the next sign up date is in February 2024. This is a three month long mentoring programme which teaches anyone over 16 that they can acquire the basic and fundamental skills of woodworking and DIY. Not only do participants learn useful life skills the idea is to empower them and boost their confidence at the same time.
For more information, please visit the website at: www.edinburghtoollibrary.org.uk
factual inaccuracies in the application.
Christian Traynor a local resident said: “At the developers’ public meeting the proposal was five storeys high. Afterwards we realised their drawings depicted six storeys, artfully obscured to obfuscate this fact. It looks like they knowingly gave us false information.
“The proposals have now been amended to five storeys apparently in response to residents’ comments. But this is disingenuous and is we have found the standard ruse which was used at Eyre Place Lane in Canonmills, and at the St Joseph’s Convent development in Gilmore Place. The developers always propose an extra floor, knowing the height will be objected to, so they can later remove it for it to appear as if they are being considerate to neighbours.”
Since 2010 and until 30 September last year the council approved 14,884 bed spaces in PBSA developments. That figure has now increased, and in the same period the council approved 40,953 dwelling houses.
By STEPHEN RAFFERTY
ATTEMPTS BY former Bross Bagels owner Larah Bross to “phoenix” her failed sandwich company has suffered another blow with the closure of a second outlet. Now trading as Hot Mama Bagels Ltd, but using the same outlets and branding as the former Bross Bagels Ltd, the company’s Stockbridge shop has closed without notice.
The unit in affluent St Stephen Street now lies empty with just a few items of equipment left behind and no explanation or notice to alert customers of the closure. It follows the same fate as the firm’s flagship store in St James Quarter, which closed just two months after Bross Bagels entered liquidation with debts of around £1 million.
It now means “Bross Bagels” has just two units in operation at Bruntsfield and Portobello and the latest closure is a significant blow to Ms Bross’s promise to “grow Hot Mama Bagels into a thriving business” and to repay crowdfunders and suppliers who have been left high and dry.
Bross Bagels was placed into liquidation on 3 August but not before Ms Bross had sold the physical and IP assets of the business to her new start-up company Hot Mama Bagels Ltd for just £18,000.
The two existing units are said to be run by business turnaround specialists, Bar Restaurant Solutions, while Larah Bross claims to be focusing on “brand and marketing”.
In a separate development, Bross Holesale Ltd - a company in which Ms Bross and Bross Bagels Ltd were shareholders - has applied to Companies House to be dissolved and struck off the register.
The business appears to have never traded or filed company accounts.
The liquidators’ interim report revealed Bross Bagels had debts of £970,000, with His Majesty’s Inland Revenue due the largest amount of £635,000. Included in the list of creditors was £144,000 due to so-called Shareholers - people who had contributed £1,000 each in two rounds of crowdfunding to apparently support the growth of the business.
A spokesman for Hot Mama Bagels Ltd said: “We decided to shift our energies on our two performing shops. We loved being in Stockbridge and hope in the future we can reassess.”
Owners of Edinburgh adult venue, Cornucopia, suggest ‘moral judgments’ may be behind council serving enforcement notice
By DONALD TURVILL
Local Democracy Reporter
A ‘SWINGERS CLUB’ in Edinburgh has made a last-ditch attempt to stay open after being ordered to shut down by the council.
Cornucopia in Sighthill is fighting an enforcement notice served for operating without planning permission.
The venue – which claims to be the largest of its kind in the region – was told to cease use of a unit at Bankhead Industrial Estate as a private adult club by January 11. However, an appeal has now been lodged with The Scottish Government who will decide the club’s fate.
Despite not having planning consent Cornucopia’s website advertises regular ‘swingers nights’ and ‘kink events’ hosted at the former Napier University office, which was subdivided to form “playrooms, kink and BDSM areas” as part of the works undertaken.
Owners have been locked in a planning battle
with The City of Edinburgh Council for more than a year after an initial application was refused over concerns about the impact on public safety. Officials also said objections were raised about anti-social behaviour issues.
Councillors on the local authority’s local review body (LRB) then threw out an appeal in June, with one saying it was vital to “protect these spaces for industry and business use”.
Graham Ludar-Smith, who owns Cornucopia’s building, previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he was under the impression no planning permission was necessary to open the venue.
He said the premises were “more like a sports centre” used by different local groups on different days. He claimed the swingers’ club is one set of people who are going to be using it.
Planners were also accused of using a “moral standpoint” to block the proposals and it was argued the existence of swingers’ clubs – spaces where couples meet up and engage in sexual
activities – was “unavoidable” and best managed in “an area that reduces risk to all parties”.
The latest statement issued on behalf of Ludar-Smith, which was submitted as part of the appeal against the council’s enforcement notice, accused planners and the LRB of “cherry-picking” reasons to refuse permission and overlooking “critical” national planning policies.
The owner claimed: “This private social club not only promises to be a valuable addition to Edinburgh’s social landscape, but also brings tangible benefits to the local community and economy.
“The nature of the rejection raises questions as to whether extraneous factors, such as moral judgements potentially related to the development’s nature or religious objections to certain activities, unduly influenced the decision.”
It is believed that a final decision will be issued by March.
TOLLCROSS FIRE Station is now in the category of B-listed buildings. The 37-yearold structure has been cited as a significant example of postmodern Scottish architecture.
The building was designed by Wickborn architect Donald William Bain, who worked with Lothian Regional Council Department of Architectural Services, and on the development of Livingston, during the 1960s. The relief sculpture mounted on the front of the building was the result of a design competition, and the winning design was by a then-third-year student at Edinburgh College of Art, David Roxburgh.
Dara Parsons, Head of Designations at HES, said: “The Tollcross Fire Station is one of Scotland’s major contributions to the postmodern style, and it is one of the best examples we have of this architectural style which is rare in Scotland.
“It now joins a very select few other notable buildings of the same era on the list of Scotland’s most important buildings, such as the Dundee Repertory Theatre and Princes Square in Glasgow.
“Anyone can propose a building for listing via our website. We are currently being asked to consider more of the buildings of the later modern period as recent as the late 1980s, as their architectural quality and contribution to our social and economic history is increasingly recognised.”
By PHYLLIS STEPHEN
POLICE SCOTLAND has plans to close 29 police stations all over Scotland, in a cost cutting and rationalisation exercise and is asking the public for their views.
In Edinburgh the stations affected include:
• Balerno which was used as a base for 10 officers during the pandemic but was previously vacant.
• Fettes was the former police HQ, which is mainly now a lost property office.
• Leith which is manned from 7am to midnight and is now handily located next to the tramline in the city's most densely populated neighbourhood.
• The West End police station which is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.
• Portobello police station.
Divisional Commander Sean Scott said: "Over the last year we have been working to look at the buildings we have across Edinburgh and how we use them. We were given the opportunity to consider where we would want to locate
our people to be as effective and efficient as possible.
This work has allowed us to identify buildings which we believe are no longer required.
"Transforming our estate is a fundamental part of the future of
policing in Scotland and we must deliver something different that is less expensive and more effective than the current model. Disposing of these buildings will also allow us to focus our efforts on developing better accommodation for our officers and staff whilst also enhancing successful relationships with our partners."
Lothians MSP Miles Briggs said: “I am concerned about the proposed closures of the police estate across Edinburgh. A strong police presence is essential for preventing crime and keeping our communities safe. I will be seeking answers on what measures are being put in place to ensure that a sufficient police presence will be maintained in these areas.”
Police Scotland already have a policy of being situated close to other services and, where possible,
sharing locations. Divisional Commanders have been asked for their input to provide better services, and to highlight any buildings which are no longer needed.
Deputy Chief Constable, Malcolm Graham said: “Our estate needs to be fit for 21st century policing, putting service enhancement, visibility, and engagement at the heart of the communities we serve. These are core components of the legitimacy and consent on which policing in Scotland relies.
“Our presence in communities is not defined by buildings but by the officers and staff who work there, and we have already introduced technology that enables our officers to remain in local areas, reducing the need for them to return to police stations to deal with paperwork.”
By PHYLLIS STEPHEN
EDINBURGH DEAF FESTIVAL faces a funding crisis despite a new Scottish Government pledge to make Scotland the “best place in the world for British Sign Language (BSL) users to live, work, visit and learn”.
The only deaf-led event of its kind in Scotland, it “provides a vital platform for the country’s many talented deaf performers and a showcase for deaf arts, culture and heritage”.
The rejection of two successive funding bids by Creative Scotland – despite positive assessments from the agency – mean the 2024 festival is now in doubt. Organisers say it also casts doubt the ability of the government to achieve the aims set out in its newly published 2023-2029 BSL National Plan.
This promises that: “BSL users will have full access to the cultural life of Scotland, and equal opportunities to enjoy and contribute to culture and the arts, and are encouraged to share BSL and deaf culture with the people of Scotland”.
The plan also says The Scottish Government will “Work with Creative Scotland to help embed BSL further within culture and the arts in Scotland”.
Losing the festival would mean this aspect of the plan risks falling at the first hurdle.
Philip Gerrard, photographed right, is CEO of charity Deaf Action which founded and runs the festival. He said: “Creative Scotland’s failure to award funding to Edinburgh Deaf Festival is devastating. Losing the festival would mean fewer opportunities for deaf artists to fulfil their potential, and for young people to see deaf role models on stage - inspiring the next generation of deaf talent.
“And this is happening at the very moment the Scottish Government is pledging that it will work with Creative Scotland to ensure the power of the arts are used as a key means to make Scotland the best place in the world for BSL users to live, work, visit and learn.
“In the space of just two years the festival has established itself as an integral part of the Edinburgh Festival family. It has created a cultural space where deaf communities can celebrate their identity, culture, language, and heritage.
“Importantly it is a deaf-led initiative, empowering the deaf community to express itself
through the arts and welcoming in hearing audiences to discover more about our vibrant culture and heritage.
“Given that the festival is unique in Scotland, and so completely meets the aspirations of the Scottish Government and Creative Scotland, we are at a loss to understand how the needs of the deaf community will be met, if not by us.
“Is it now considered enough to provide access to the arts through the use of interpreters?
Access without representation cannot meet the aims of the National Plan. No other cultural and linguistic minority is expected to settle for access alone.”
The festival was started in 2022 by Deaf Action – the world’s oldest deaf charity and first formally constituted deaf organisation.
Having demonstrated the potential, value and demand for the event two funding applications were made to Creative Scotland in 2023.
A vital bid for funding of just under £110,000 to support the running of the festival was rejected
in July 2023, just weeks before the festival was due to start.
But having received a positive assessment and been encouraged to reapply, Deaf Action dug deep into its own resources and worked with corporate sponsors to deliver a version of the festival that, whilst scaled down when compared to its original ambitions, was still something the deaf community could be proud of.
However, on their second application, a £216,000 bid to secure the future of the festival in 2024 and 2025 was also turned down. The charity says it just cannot make up this level of shortfall.
Mr Gerrard said: “We have now written to Creative Scotland, to the Scottish Government and to MSPs calling on them to review this decision or help us find another way forward.
“We are determined to do all we can to fight for the future of this festival, of our community, and for the chance for deaf people to have the arts and cultural opportunities that the rest of society enjoys.”
A CONCERT for people who experience sensory issues will be held on 13 January at St Cecilia’s Hall. The environment will be welcoming and accessible for those who find attending traditional concerts a bit challenging. Quiet Concerts are designed for those who might be overwhelmed by
excessive noise.
The concert will be similar to a relaxed performance and will offer a calm low noise space - sometimes called a chilled or sensoryfriendly performance.
Other adjustments include subdued lighting, shorter performance times, regular breaks and a
separate chill out room. The concert hall will have rugs, cushions, benches and chairs for those attending to sit where and how they like.
Dr Ben FletcherWatson, a researcher in performance at the University of Edinburgh, said: “This series is a great addition to the live music scene in Edinburgh. At
Hattersley
‘Chatty Café’ for a Brew Monday
By STAFF REPORTER
A SCHEME TO encourage members of the local community to “get chatting” in cafés in a bid to tackle loneliness and social isolation is being launched at local charity LifeCare Edinburgh’s community café, CaféLife, in early 2024.
Part of the Chatty Café Scheme, the “chat and natter” tables offer a designated space in CaféLife where customers of all ages can come together to meet new people and have a chat. The scheme is set to turn “blue Monday” to “brew Monday” as customers will enjoy free tea and coffee between 11am and 2pm, as well as the opportunity to meet lots of new and friendly faces, at the launch on 15 January. LifeCare Chief Executive, Sarah Van Putten, said: “Our community hub and café is a unique space, embedded in the local community, that brings together generations for activities, classes, and groups. Signing up to be part of the Chatty Café Scheme with the addition of our “Chat and Natter” table will further enhance our already significant social value.
A
“Around 100,000 older people in Scotland feel lonely all or most of the time, with Edinburgh named recently as one of the loneliest cities in the UK2. Loneliness is an epidemic that can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, race or background. Something as simple as a regular conversation could change a person’s life. We’re delighted to be turning Blue Monday to Brew Monday by offering free tea and coffee on the day of the launch, and we hope it will make the start of 2024 a little bit brighter for those in our local community who need it.”
this time of year, many pantomimes offer relaxed or chilled performances for neurodiverse audiences to enjoy, but it’s harder to find concert experiences aimed at autistic people and their families. By making some key adjustments, more people can encounter the magic of live music.”
The Café holds a special place in the heart of Sofiya and her friends. She said: “We’ve been coming to the café every Wednesday for over 10 years. In the beginning there were four of us, one person sadly died, the other person is now living with dementia and is about to go into a home so there’s now only of us left. We think the staff are exceptional. We’ve got to know them all very well over the years and we have a good laugh every week.”
The “chat and natter” tables will be a permanent addition to CaféLife following on from the launch, with two-hour sessions, supported by volunteers, taking place on a weekly basis. All proceeds from CaféLife fund the charity’s vital services.
Debbie Anderson invites you to take yourself back to your childhood with traditional jars of sweets in her shop. Chewits and fudge will take you back a decade or two. Open from 10am except Mondays. One of our stockists.
102 Leith Walk EH16 5DT 0131 554 1401
Subscribe today and have your own copy of The Edinburgh Reporter delivered to your front door from next month - in a compostable envelope. Or donate a subscription to a friend as a gift. The gift which keeps on giving long after December ter.ooo.subscribe
Vlad has a unique style at 48 Thistle Street with great coffee and above average chat . He may even play chess with you. The city centre micro roastery is increasingly the place to go. Coffee also available to order online if you are working from home. cobbledroasters.co.uk
Donate any unwanted items to this shop on Gilmore Place knowing that they will find a loving new home. Very little ever goes to landfill. Visit the shop to pick up a copy of our latest paper and also to admire their innovative and ever-changing window displays. birthlink.org.uk
Subscribe today and have your own copy of The Edinburgh Reporter delivered to your front door from next month - in a compostable envelope. Or donate a subscription to a friend as a gift. The gift which keeps on giving long after December ter.ooo.subscribe
Di Giorgio’s have a variety of cakes and slices, coffee with a smile and pasta and lasagne to go. Morning rolls and ciabattas are also available, but this is brownie heaven. And ask about their very special birthday cakes. Open 7 days 10-4pm 1 Brandon Terrace EH3 5EA
A specialist importer of boutique fine wines from Italy. Carefully hand-picked award-winning wines of premium quality sourced from winemakers direct. Oleg and Elvira visit every vineyard. Free UK delivery - same day delivery to Edinburgh available. independent.wine
Party on down to the junction of Heriot Row at the top of India Street for a coffee and fine chat with mine host and local resident, Fleur Woolford. Open on weekday mornings until 12.30pm with handy EV charging right next to the former police box. Opposite India Street on Heriot Row
Very reasonable rates allow start-ups to use the small pop-up space as the first rung on the ladder. From food to political parties and all manner of organisations in between. Have a look at their pop-up garden when you visit. Croall Place EH7 4LT hello@leithwalkpolicebox.com
Invisible Cities is a social enterprise that trains people who have experienced homelessness to become walking guides of their own city. This is the alternative tour for locals and tourists alike. Book tours in Edinburgh, York, Manchester and Glasgow. invisible-cities.org
The gallery focuses on original paintings, prints and fine crafts inspired by nature. Wide price range to accommodate various budgets. Jurgita warmly welcomes you to Dundas Street. Open Tuesday to Saturday 11am-4pm. birchtreegallery.co.uk
Are you wanting to stop smoking? Hypnotherapy is a safe and effective method to quitting smoking in only one session. For more details on how hypnotherapy could help, please visit my website. www.stephenmcmurray.com 07908 553041
Love Your Business networking club is relaxed, informal and good fun, and is at Black Ivy on the last Thursday of the month with a host of inspiring speakers sharing their entrepreneurial journeys and invaluable business tips. www.lybnetworking.com Facebook/howtolyb
Bespoke tailoring for men. Craig’s focus is on making the highest quality personally tailored attire that others will aspire to. His pyjamas and dressing gowns will make your video calls or working from home very stylish. 0131 226 7775 • 45 Thistle Street EH2 1DY • craigbankstailoring.com
A unique gallery and gift shop in Edinburgh’s Southside - a cornucopia of all forms of art. Buy handmade art and craft from independent artists. Linsay says: “If we don’t have it, we can probably find it for you.” artcraftcollective.co.uk 0131 629 9123
Manda and her team will look after all your beauty requirements from massage to manicure. Perfectly located to offer you treatments during your busy work schedule. www.beautyhqedinburgh.co.uk 0131 556 3610 22a Dundas Street EH3 6JN
Heriot Gallery features exciting work by established and emerging contemporary artists. Exhibitions change regularly and there is always new work to view. Have a look at our website and add your email to the mailing list for Private Views. www.heriotgallery.com
Do go to this beautiful wee shop filled with Italian handmade goods and see for yourself how much they’ve taken off in their regular sales. Bag a bargain in store at 44 Dundas Street or online - all will be parcelled up with gorgeous turquoise ribbon and tissue. www.salentoshop.co.uk
A neat wee café and deli, Rotonda sells imported Mediterranean goods, as well as home baked goods, both sweet and savoury. Everything is home baked and cooked by owner Rebecca in house. 23c Dundas Street EH3 6QQ rotondaltd@gmail.com
Clydebuilt Sailmaker winner of the Master medal at the Scotch Whisky Masters encompasses hand-selected sherry casks from Lowland, Speyside and Highland distilleries. This and the full range of independent bottlings can be found in specialist stores. ardgowandistillerycom/stockists
In light of the Festival Fringe Society’s plans to use a £7 million UK Government grant to convert a former school on Infirmary Street into a new hub, Andy Arthur takes a look at its history...
There is potentially a forced loss of accommodation for long-sitting community groups and public services from Edinburgh’s South Bridge Resource Centre to make way for a new multimillion pound home for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society. This seems a good time for a thread on the history of the former school building. It gives us a useful case study of 150 years of inner city social and economic change in the city’s Old Town.
South Bridge Public School was opened by Edinburgh School Board on 2nd November 1886, with the Right Hon Arthur J. Balfour, then Secretary of State for Scotland, formally cutting the ribbon. It was designed by the Board’s architect, Robert Wilson, in the Collegiate Gothic style then favoured and cost £7,942 to build, with the total cost of the project including land purchase, staffing etc. being £14,500, which was borrowed from the Scotch Education Department.
It had an opening roll of 1,170 children (although not all attended at once). At this time the ESB was falling over itself at this time to build schools to meet the demands of the 1872 act which made Education in Scotland compulsory (but not free) and a booming inner-city population. It was the first Board school to consist solely of classrooms as prior to this a mixture of school rooms and class rooms had been employed, with various innovative systems of partitions to subdivide spaces as required into smaller teaching spaces. Three infant rooms on the ground floor which could be opened together with partitions, with older children on the first floor.
The Head master was Mr Paterson, who transferred from North Canongate School, the head mistress being Miss Brander (also of that establishment), the first assistant Mr Johnston (Canongate too) and the singing-master, Mr Sneddon. The Board also provided evening classes here under Mr Robert Williamson MA, for those seeking personal advancement but also children who could not attend during the day as they were working. As well as a core curriculum, subjects such as shorthand, drawing, bookkeeping
etc. were offered to “young men and lads“. Education at this time was segregated (with separate boys and girls classes, playgrounds and school entrances.
If you’ve ever been in one of these old Board schools, you’ll know that there’s a curious double arrangement of internal stairs – this was to keep boys and girls separated when moving around the school). Women and girls were offered similar evening classes at this time at Bruntsfield and Torphichen Street schools, and could also take dressmaking, fancy and plain needlework and cookery.
As well as keeping boys and girls apart, the architect struggled to accommodate such a large school on a confined site. This had been bought by the ESB off of the Town Council from the site of the town’s Fever Hospital, which was the original Royal Infirmary building and as well as being constrained by space it was north facing (poor for natural lighting) and hemmed in on all sides which was poor for ventilation.
The school was co-located with the Infirmary Street Public Baths, built at the same time, which were the first such public facility in the city (and the only Victorian public bath in Edinburgh not to survive – its empty shell was later re-purposed as the Dovecot Studios). When the school opened, it was ESB‘s first organised purely on the classroom basis. Prior to this, they had used the schoolroom layout, with a small number of large teaching rooms and classes (more like lecture theatres) overseen by a single teacher with help from assistant teachers and “pupil assistants” drawn from the most able of the older students, with smaller rooms off this
During the 1970s, the school found a new lease of life in the when it was used for staging Festival Fringe productions
large space for separated tuition. But just to be sure, the partitions between the classrooms at South Bridge were sliding to allow the spaces to be combined together for this more traditional style of education.
The school was built to relieve overcrowding at the new Bristo (Marshall Street), St. Leonards (Forbes Street) and Causewayside public schools. Milton House and Castle Hill schools would also be built in the Old Town in the next decade, allowing most of the older, smaller Heriot Trust schools that the Board had inherited to be closed and sold off. An exception was Davie Street, which served the Pleasance district, which was retained and expanded as a Board school.
The first Headmaster at South Bridge was Mr Paterson, who transferred from North Canongate school, the headmistress Miss Brander (also of that establishment), the first assistant Mr
Johnston (Canongate too) and the singing-master, Mr Sneddon (not from Canongate). The school could not keep up with demand and was enlarged in 1892. In 1905-6 an entirely new school was built next door on Drummond Street. for the infant department, with junior schooling staying at South Bridge. The Board’s architect, John Carfrae, used a Renaissance style as favoured in London and exploited the difference in height between Drummond Street and Infirmary Street to make ita full 3 storeys, for reasons of economy.
During the 1970s, South Bridge School found a new lease of life in the summers when it began to increasingly be used for productions at the Festival Fringe – pertinent to the current discussion around its future.
When Head Teacher May Beattie left what was now called South Bridge Primary to move to Stockbridge Primary in December 1982, the
The school reopened as South Bridge Resource Centre to serve various services, adult education and youth groups
against the closure of Preston Street by the parents at that school. It had been intended to close Milton House and move pupils there to South Bridge, but it was recognised that the former school was better located to serve the main centre of population at Dumbiedykes and had a more favourable site in general, so the opposite happened.
Statutory notices to this effect were published in November 1982. And so it was that South Bridge Primary School closed in 1983 and its pupils moved to Milton House on the Canongate. Also a school by Wilson, it was in a red sandstone Scottish Baronial Revival style. The combined new school was renamed as Royal Mile Primary School.
The last day at Infirmary Street came in May 1983. Pupil Murray Ramsay ceremonially rang the school’s hand bell for the last time. Six year old Sally Atta was overcome at the occasion and had to be comforted by the head teacher Mrs Sturgeon.
But while it closed as a school, that was not the end of education at South Bridge – Lothian Regional Council reopened it as the South Bridge Resource Centre to serve various outreach services, adult education, youth groups and more.
The Old Town Oral History and Old Town Community Development projects moved in, as did the Canongate Youth Project, which has been there since 1984 and is the primary occupant of the building.
Various other community and educational projects have come and gone, but The City of Edinburgh Council’s Adult Education Service are still run from here - for now.
writing was already on the wall. Not just for her former school, but all of the city’s three remaining Old Town and Southside schools – Lothian Regional Council wanted to shut the lot. Inner city depopulation had proceeded faster than council projections and each school by this point was down to just three composite classes, with fewer than 500 children in schools built with a capacity of over 3,000.
Bridge, Milton House and Preston Street and open a “new” school in the old James Clark Technical School (“Jimmy’s“) at St. Leonard’s Hill, saving £80,000 a year. An alternative scheme offering a lesser reduction of £64,000 could be achieved by merging South Bridge and Milton House and disposing of the James Clark building. This was favoured by the Council’s Labour group and there was a particularly vociferous campaign
By STEPHEN RAFFERTY
AUTHENTIC ITALIAN “pizza al taglio” has arrived in Scotland for the first time with the opening of Pronto Slice – the latest venture from a fast-growing Edinburgh catering business.
Pronto Slice boss Michael Notarangelo spent months researching and perfecting the concept – inspired by his family’s Italian heritage – before opening the new premises in a prime spot just a few steps from Edinburgh Castle esplanade.
Although a regular feature in small pizzerias across Italy, Pronto Slice is the first to introduce to Scotland pizza al taglio – which translates as sliced pizza – and is also referred to as Roman-style pizza.
Michael said: “Our family comes from a small village in the Lazio region – which has Rome at its centre – and in every town and city there are small pizzerias selling pizza al taglio.
“It’s a way of life for Italians to stop for slice, or have it wrapped up to take home.
“I knew it would be a winner in Scotland too, so I wanted to be sure I made our pizzas at Pronto Slice as authentic as possible. That’s meant endless research on traditional Roman style pizzas,
working with high hydration dough and tweaking the recipe until I was able to recreate the pizza I remember from my childhood.”
While other places in Scotland sell pizza slices, Pronto Slice’s differ as they are light and airy with a soft and crispy base. The pizzas are at cooked in giant bases with a range of toppings, before being sliced to order and served.
Pronto Slice, based at 541 Castlehill at the top of the Royal Mile and launched in partnership with the Edinburgh-based property to retail company Kiltane Group, marks the first “physical” trading premises for Belmonte Catering, a bespoke street food operation which Michael Notarangelo set up in 2017. It operates a range of street food concepts, including Pronto Pizza, which was launched and sited in Edinburgh Zoo and which provided the inspiration for Pronto Slice.
Belmonte Catering – named after the Italian village where Michael’s family originate from – currently has four concepts: Rollys Ice Cream, the first in Scotland to serve unique ice cream ‘rolls’; Dog n Bon, which specialises in gourmet hot dogs and loaded fries; StikWaffle, a hot dessert concept; as well as Pronto Pizza.
THE NEWEST HOTEL in town is the W Edinburgh. Look to the skies to see the ‘flourish’ on top of the building situated in the middle of St James Quarter to find your way to the front door.
The hotel has three restaurants: The top floors and panoramic terraces of the hotel are home to the country’s first SUSHISAMBA restaurant alongside the W Lounge, and Brazilian-inspired speakeasy cocktail bar named João’s Place.
W Hotels began in New York and now have more than 60 hotels worldwide. Theirs is billed as a Whatever/ Whenever service provided in “dynamic and invigorating” interiors.
From the Ribbon Building to James Craig Walk and the Quarter House, each of the 199 rooms and 45 suites, many with outdoor terraces, “offer a new perspective on the city. Interior designers, Jestico + Whiles, have reimagined the best of Scotland with locally-rooted influences and creative collaborations
throughout the design”.
Agnieszka Rog-Skrzyniarz, Vice President Luxury Brands, Europe, Marriott International, said: “With an unrivalled wealth of culture and vibrant arts scene, Edinburgh matches W Hotels’ legacy of
embracing local creativity and talent. This property is set to be a stand-out destination hotel unlike anything else in the city, igniting guest’s curiosity and attracting locals drawn to the unique energy of the W brand.”
By BUSINESS REPORTER
SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP football club, Heart of Midlothian, has unveiled its plans to launch a new 25-bedroom hotel and events space as part of its ambitious growth plans in early 2024.
Integrated within the main stand at Tynecastle Park in the west of the city, this will be the UK’s first club-owned and operated hotel inside a football stadium.
The Tynecastle Park Hotel (TPH)will offer a choice of individually styled guest rooms, including family, executive and accessible rooms. There will also be a club lounge and a choice of six new dedicated meeting, conference and event spaces.
The 25 guest rooms are being designed to a high specification, offering comfort and quality throughout, including en-suite shower rooms with marble finish, monsoon showers and emperor-size beds. Selected guest rooms will use the latest technology to provide guests with the option of a live view of the pitch or city skyline on HD plasma screens.
The well-established and award-winning Skyline Restaurant, which sits on the top floor of the main stand will be open seven days a
week offering overnight guests and nonresidents the finest Scottish seasonal menus.
The new TPH will have “easy access to the city centre, Edinburgh Airport and Murrayfield Stadium for people looking for high quality, contemporary accommodation as part of an Edinburgh city break”.
Ann Budge of TPH and Heart of Midlothian Football Club, promises a truly unique hotel experience. The hotel will be owned and operated entirely by the club.
Ms Budge said: “The hotel rooms and additional conference and events space will offer the club an ideal opportunity to host even
Compiled by Jerry Ozaniec, Membership Secretary of the Old Edinburgh Club. Email: membership@oldedinburghclub.org.uk
1ST
In 1661, King Charles II, on his accession to the English crown, wrote to the presbytery of Edinburgh, emphasising his determination to support the presbyterian form of church government established by law in Scotland.
5TH
In 1593, the council decided that there should be a more thorough watch and guard kept within the town due to public disorder.
14TH
In 1872, the Skye Terrier Greyfriars Bobby, which is said to have kept a vigil at his master’s grave in Greyfriars Churchyard, died. And in 1880, the first popular meeting of the Edinburgh Photographic Society was held in Queen Street Hall.
In 1823, The Scotsman noted that the work of ornamental improvement of the North Loch and adjoining grounds continued including the planting several full-sized trees.
In 1874, the city saw a Grand Illumination to celebrate the marriage of Queen Victoria’s second son, Prince Alfred, to the Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna, the only surviving daughter of Emperor Alexander II of Russia; the Scotsman wrote: “The grand feature of the illumination will be the lighting up of the valley between Princes’ Street and
the Old Town…fire burned at intervals will throw a weird glare over the Castle Rock”; the event included a firework display which was “directed as far as possible so as to fall within the range of the Castle banks between the esplanade and the railway.” Most buildings in the centre participated including the Imperial Hotel, the Post Office, St George’s Church and the Albert Hotel. A full list is published online at www.theedinburghreporter.co.uk
more events at Tynecastle while appealing to the millions of visitors that Edinburgh attracts each year as the UK’s second most visited city.
“As well as our vast supporter base both in the local area and from further afield, we hope to attract international visitors and guests from around the UK looking for high quality, contemporary accommodation as part of an Edinburgh city break.
“It’s not just a hotel for football fans. It is ideally positioned within a few minutes of the city centre, Murrayfield Stadium and the Edinburgh tram line. Also located on the right side of the city for Edinburgh Airport, this will
be a perfect location for all types of visitors, including business travellers.”
Driven by a vision of self-sustainability, community and growth, the Tynecastle Park Hotel is owned and managed completely by the football club. The success of the hotel directly supports the ambitions of the club.
The opening offer of dinner, bed and breakfast will be available from £150 per room per night, based on two people sharing. Limited guest parking will also be available.
For further updates from Tynecastle Park Hotel go to www.tynecastleparkhotel.com
Rob Casey
By Charlie Ellis
IT IS OFTEN SAID that Britain is far too London-centric. However, in terms of specialty coffee, there’s little doubt that many areas of London offer something special which has grown massively from about 50 independent coffee shops in 2010 to more than 500 in 2020. The number means that competition is high and this seems to be one factor driving standards.
On a recent trip, I visited some highly rated specialty coffee places including Origin, Ozone and Redemption. I was served truly excellent coffee, beyond what is generally available in Edinburgh. Many of the coffees I had provided a warm glow, with their rich flavours seeping into the body rather than smacking me in the face. For 10 or 15 minutes after, the flavours were still in my mouth, still memorable.
Some in the specialty coffee scene do believe that Edinburgh is ‘a contender’. Saf, one of the co-owners of the excellent Beatnik in Tollcross, said: “No doubt London has some great places but Edinburgh is right up there, not far behind.” There are undoubtedly top class places in
Edinburgh but only a handful currently match what I was served in the UK capital. Why do standards seem to be higher?
What was striking was just how busy everywhere was. Here, busyness tends to come in irregular waves. There are more young professionals with disposable income (the typical target of specialty coffee places) in London, and population density is considerably higher, meaning that the cafés need larger teams. To cope with the flow of customers such places need a good division of labour.
High Ground (Islington) had a constant queue, and they had four people working in a small café. The first greeted the customers and took orders, the second at the coffee machine, making the espresso, the third was at the end of the espresso machine, heating and texturing the milk. A fourth was assisting. Division of labour allows the baristas to really focus. (A rushed approach can ruin good beans.) This is particularly pronounced in the chains, but is also evident in some independent cafés when staff members have to
ACROSS
5 ... on Hansel’s trail? (11)
7 Pit, bus or full (4)
8 Watchful individual (8)
9 Sign of protest? (7)
11 Go downhill (5)
13 Deal (5)
14 Put (a weapon) into a close-fitting cover (7)
16 Cook’s measure (8)
17 Mint family plant, grown for its nutritious seeds (4)
18 Early 20th-century battleship (11)
fulfil several roles.
We’ve seen cafés such as Artisan Roast, Fortitude and Machina expand into larger premises. Fortitude have recently opened in Abbeyhill (while closing their original York Place café). Such specialists are starting to get the intensity of business you might find in London. The test will be whether they can maintain the standards. This may mean they have to invest by employing more staff, to allow the necessary division of labour. This is most apparent at one of Edinburgh’s busiest - Brew Lab - generally buzzing all day. At Brew Lab, there is a clear divide between customer facing and those pulling the shots.
I also saw evidence of the further mainstreaming of specialty coffee. with phrases such as ‘specialty coffee’, ‘artisanal’ on café windows. The best coffee I had in London was at hōm in Dalston. All it had on the window was the name of the café. It’s clearly the type of place which believes that building an excellent reputation will draw people towards it and it doesn’t need to make a splash. We need to be discerning if we really want the best.
1 Take a quick look (4)
2 Temporarily suspend (proceedings) (7)
3 Guardianship (5)
4 General protection (8)
5 Scene of intense conflict (11)
6 Extravagant individual (11)
10 It’s got 32 pieces (5,3)
12 French number (7)
15 Fawn (5)
17 It creates a confined space (4)
HIDDEN DOOR Festival will celebrate their 10th anniversary at a secret location in EH1. The organisers will only say that the event on 10 and 11 May will take place in a location never before used for an event like this.
A spokesperson said: “We will transform our mystery space into another immersive wonderland of creativity. We’ve just released the first batch of tickets which are strictly limited and guaranteed to sell out in advance. We’ll have lots more to
say about our plans soon and hope you’re as excited as we are for what’s to come in 2024. Tickets available on the Citizen Ticket website for both nights.
WHILE SOME BRAVE souls are navigating the treacherous waters of Dry January and embracing New Year resolutions with the determination of a squirrel hoarding acorns, I find myself in a different camp.
Why, you ask? Because January is my birthday month, and so no, I don’t do Dry January. I firmly believe that the best way to combat the post-holiday blues is with a knife and fork in hand.
In what’s often considered the bleakest and most depressing month, I’ve adopted a different kind of resolution. Instead of pledging allegiance to kale smoothies and lettuce leaves, I’ve resolved to fill my calendar with delicious escapades and epicurean adventures.
Curious about what’s on my agenda? My diary is not just a collection of dates: it’s a gastronomic roadmap to happiness. So, buckle up, grab your cutlery, and join me on this delicious journey and a feast for the senses.
EVENTS
DISTILLERY DISCOVERY THURSDAYS
TIPSY MIDGIE
67 St Leonards Hill, EH8 9SB 11 January (£20)
Immerse yourself in Scottish history and folklore at Tipsy Midgie, Scotland’s Bar of the Year, and discover the delights of Glenkinchie. Enjoy five selected drams on the night. www.tipsymidgie.com/distillerydiscovery
MIXTAPES SUPPER CLUB
FHIOR
36 Broughton Street, EH1 3SB
Every Saturday
An intimate gathering of up to 10 guests, all sitting around the same table, creating a shared culinary experience, the supper club events take place each Saturday in Fhior’s private dining room.
Inspired by the diverse creativity of a music mixtape, the monthly changing menu is a compilation of classics, news releases and seasonal wonders – the exclusivity of seats at the table allows menus to feature rare, more unique ingredients that are in too short supply for the restaurant’s main menu. Each ticket
comes as a complete package (£160 pp). All the food, drinks, additions, and service are inclusive. No extra costs or surprises on the night. www.fhior.com/mixtapes
BURNS AND BEYOND FESTIVAL
Events throughout the city centre
25 January to 11 February
Burns&Beyond Festival has a packed programme of traditional and contemporary art and culture from across Scotland and beyond.
The Burns & Beyond Festival Club features a programme of special headline shows, while the National Museum of Scotland presents a special Burns Night edition of their Museum Lates: Big Burns Ceilidh, with an evening of twirlin’ and birlin’ on a grand-scale. www.burnsandbeyond.com
100 BEST AUSTRALIAN WINES FESTIVAL
EDINBURGH ACADEMY
42 Henderson Row, EH3 5BL 23 March
100 Best Australian Wines Festival with Matthew Jukes in conjunction with Wine Events Scotland – 23rd March 2024 at the Edinburgh Academy. A fantastic wine tasting of renowned international wine writer Matthew’s favourite wines from all corners of Australia, there are two sessions available to book. Mingle with Matthew during the day and speak to some of the importers who work with these wines and maybe book into one of the masterclasses. www.wineeventsscotland.co.uk
NEW OPENINGS
THE HOWLIN’ HOUND
East London St, EH7 4BN
Popular (for some but not for me!) vegan restaurant Harmonium on the corner of Broughton Street, which closed after six years of business last April, has been replaced with a much meatier concept, The Howlin’ Hound, serving up the finest artisanal hot-dogs (if there can be such a thing) and cocktails. And at weekends, its downstairs morphs into Don Gatto’s, a Champagne and cocktail Speakeasy. www.thehowlinhound.com
STOCKROOM
62 Raeburn Place, EH4 1HJ
A new shop has opened in Stockbridge ‘for foodies, by foodies’. Stockroom at 62 Raeburn Place next to Oxfam is run by the team behind Pantry, just up the road at Circus Place. www.stockroomedinburgh.co.uk
THE LIND & LIME GIN TOUR
24 Coburg Street, Leith, EH6 6HB Thursdays - Sundays (Noon - 8pm)
The makers of this Scottish Gin have been inspired by their favourite distilleries and created an experience that combines a tour, a tasting, a bottle filling, and cocktail making. What’s not to like?
www.lindandlime.com/thetour
PORT OF LEITH DISTILLERY TOUR
11 Whisky Quay, EH6 6FH Wednesdays - Sundays (Noon - 8pm)
Take a tour of Scotland’s first vertical distillerya new 9-storey building in Edinburgh’s historic whisky district. The 90-minute tour weaves a magical story of two friends who wanted to make an extraordinary whisky, as you’re guided through the production process as well as filling your very own 10ml bottle of their spirit. And when you’ve finished head up to the top floor
bar for well-crafted cocktails, thoughtfully curated small plates, and an impressive selection of new-wave whisky – all set against panoramic views of the city and water beyond. www.leithdistillery.com
THE SCOTCH WHISKY EXPERIENCE
354 Castlehill, The Royal Mile, EH1 2NE Open daily (10am - 5pm)
The Scotch Whisky Experience on Castle Hill has undergone a £3m transformation to enhance the way visitors engage with the making of Scotch whisky.
Designed by attraction architects Hatto + Partners, visitors journey through three key areas; ‘Origins’, ‘The Art of Whisky Making’ and ‘Maturation’. Each zone is powered by rich narratives, brought to life through cutting-edge technology and manifested as a captivating elemental narrator, which embodies the ‘spirit of whisky’, which weaves in and out of the tour underpinned by the live guide. The Experience is available in 20 languages with family-friendly and tailored tours and is fully wheelchair accessible. Open daily with tours available from 10:00 – 17:00. Tours range from £21.00 per person and are available to book online: www.scotchwhiskyexperience.co.uk
Cheers to a year filled with good company, great food, and the occasional guilty pleasure. Let the culinary escapades begin!
‘JOURNEY’: EDINBURGH PRINTMAKERS MEMBERS’ EXHIBITION
Until 17 March 2024
THE NEW EXHIBITION, Journey, will run at Edinburgh Printmakers until 17 March showing the work of 78 artists using a wide variety of print mediums.
This is the third annual members’ show at Castle Mills in Fountainbridge, and the theme of Journey has been interpreted by artists in many different ways including landscapes, excerpts of travels, even a morning commute.
There are life milestones and personal experiences used as the basis for artworks and the printmaking itself using new processes and materials.
‘Journey’ celebrates the ‘Journey’ of Edinburgh Printmakers’ Workshop itself. Starting as a small collective of imaginative artists in 1967, it has flourished into a group of over 200 members from Edinburgh and across the world.
Edinburgh Printmakers began as a small studio on Victoria Street, however soon outgrew the space, and has since inhabited buildings across Edinburgh. In 1975 the organisation moved to Market Street, in 1984 to Union Street, and since 2019, it has been based at the current premises, formerly a welly boot factory.
The theme for the annual members’ show at Castle Mills has been interpreted in many ways: including landscapes, excerpts of travels, and a morning commute. It also charts milestones of life and personal experiences, such as growing up or discovering one’s self-identity. In addition, the exhibition reflects ‘Journeys’ within printmaking itself through exploring new processes or materials. The work on display demonstrates a range of print mediums on paper, animation, and three-dimensional works.
Head of Art at Edinburgh College of Art, Susan Mowatt was a guest selector for ‘Journey’ and said: “It was a pleasure to have been invited as a guest selector for this year’s members show, ‘Journey’. It’s delightful to see the variety of work being produced at Edinburgh Printmakers. There are many positives in enabling members to exhibit work alongside each other, and inclusive in that each artist is guaranteed that at least one of their submitted works will be selected.
“The excellent facilities allow a breadth of technical processes to flourish and the exhibition theme ‘Journey’, was open enough to encourage a broad range of interpretations and responses. I was impressed by the range of scale and presentation methods, and enjoyed the more traditional etchings and linocuts of landscapes through to more experimental approaches, including 3D pieces and a wonderful series of works printed on pianola rolls. There is definitely something for all fans of printmaking in this show.”
‘Journey’: Edinburgh Printmakers
Members’ Exhibition
Gallery 1 & 2 Edinburgh Printmakers
Castle Mills 1 Dundee Street, EH3 9FP
Tuesday - Sunday 10am - 6pm www.edinburghprintmakers.co.uk
THIS EXHIBITION presents new work by members of the Scottish Society of Botanical Artists (SSBA) alongside sculptures by Ellen McCann. For this exhibition, and to reflect the charitable aims of the SOC, the artists have taken their inspiration from plants found in the wild in Scotland. These plants, wild flowers, trees, brambles and weeds form part of the habitat of wild birds and pollinators, and indeed visiting birds and insects are included in some of the paintings. The SSBA promotes and encourages botanical art in Scotland. It is an inclusive organisation whose membership ranges from those relatively new to botanical art to professional artists. They work in a variety of media including watercolour, acrylic, coloured pencil, graphite and ink.
The paintings are accompanied by sculptures by Ellen McCann whose ceramic sculptures are inspired by plants in transition – gently moving towards opening up, inviting us to imagine what they might become. Ellen’s sculptures are made with stoneware clay constructed using slabs and coils, then carved, glazed and fired to 1250 degrees. They can be placed indoors or outdoors, and indeed there will be some sculptures in the garden at the SOC. Ellen is the recipient of a number of awards and travelling scholarships. She is based near Biggar.
Scottish Ornithologists’ Club (SOC) Waterston House, Aberlady, EH32 0PY Open Wed-Sun (10-4) www.the-soc.org.uk
Leslie Hills tells us about her latest book
I hope you can make it
Leith
Sunday, 21 January 7pm to 10pm
140 Leith Walk EH6 5DT
Andy White, the popular Melbourne-based, Belfast-born, singer-songwriter starts his UK and Ireland tour in January bringing his new album - 'Good luck I hope you can make it' to Leith Depot.
Book now for this up-close and personal performance. Tickets can be purchased at: www.eventbrite.co.uk
OTHER EVENTS AT LEITH DEPOT...
• 12 January - wornoc
• 20 January - Fuzz Fest Episode lI
• Every Tuesday there is a pub quiz hosted by Sean the Barman. www.leithdepot.com/events
10 SCOTLAND STREET, a maindoor flat in Edinburgh’s second New Town, has been my home for fifty years. When finally I paid off the mortgage on number 10, our solicitor handed me a substantial bundle of vellum deeds, dating back to 1824 when the builders sold 10 Scotland Street to David Kedie Whytt. I laid the deeds out on the floor of his drawing room and read until I reached 1974. It took a long time. The cursive penmanship was sometimes difficult, but with a bit of perseverance, the script yielded. A story unfolded. Vaguely, I decided I would have a look, someday, at the man who had bought my house when it was brand new. The bundle was set aside, and aside it stayed for some time, until one morning in the 1990s, researching a film, I visited the National Archives in Kew.
Having found what I needed, I looked in the catalogue for David Kedie Whytt. I was handed a very old box containing an oilskinwrapped letter dated May 1836, and headed 10 Scotland Street, Edinburgh.
In a flowing, elegant hand, David Kedie Whytt, of His Majesty’s Royal Navy (retired), is writing to the Admiralty from 10 Scotland Street to claim the increase in half-pay to which he is entitled, by virtue of his thirty-one years’ service, during and after the Napoleonic Wars, as purser, secretary clerk to three admirals and as prize agent, in London and Leith. The style and sentence structure match the quality of the handwriting. It is a beautiful letter. I left the archives knowing that after that crystalline moment in Kew’s search room, I’d pursue Mr Whytt properly.
As I looked into the lives of David, his wife Ann and siblings William and Grace, I
discovered complex, energetic characters at the heart of an extended family. Getting to know them and the many who followed over the years, before we made number 10 our home, became a decades-long task – and pleasure.
During the 2019 pandemic, I decided it was time to sit down in the Whytt’s dining room, and make some sense of it all. The result is 10 Scotland Street: the world of the house, the street, and its connections far and wide –sometimes startlingly coinciding with mine; the lives, deaths, triumphs and failures of a gloriously varied bunch of characters, on an ever-changing panorama – their one common point, 10 Scotland Street.
10 Scotland Street can be found in bookshops now. For more information please visit: www.toppingbooks.co.uk
By COLIN LESLIE
SCOTLAND’S OVER-50S football team returned with their heads held high and silver medals hanging proudly round their necks after a memorable tournament at the Sumai International Masters in Thailand, with Edinburgh and the Lothians well represented.
I was lucky enough to be included in the 17-strong squad which flew 6,000 miles to the beautiful island of Koh Sumai, and was joined by former local players from the professional, semi-pro and Juniors ranks, including skipper Jim Rae, Scott Burnside, Craig Manson, Craig Meikle, Brian Anderson, Mark Dawson, Stewart Siegel, Sean Barr and co-manager Paul Donnelly.
The squad gelled brilliantly on and off the pitch, and despite a gruelling schedule of five 11-a-side games in six days, Scotland - under the leadership of former Meadowbank Thistle and Livingston defender Grant Tierneysurged to the final, only to lose narrowly to holders and favourites Iran.
Scotland won three and drew one of their four group fixtures, but the highlight of the trip was undoubtedly an overdue win over the Auld Enemy, England, with Anderson living out a childhood dream with the clinching goal in a memorable 3-1 victory. “I scored a goal for Scotland against England - the highlight of my football career. That’s the stuff you dream of as a kid,” he said.
When captain Rae gathered his exhausted team-mates together in a huddle at the end of the game, we were told we had achieved something very special. Not only had we earned a place in the prestigious final, but we had kept our composure to finally
record a win over England at a Seniors or Masters tournament - the first time we had done so, since the national Seniors team was established in 2011.
Rae said: “It has been my honour to represent Scotland at seven tournaments over the years and becoming captain of our country in the last two tournaments
has been an absolute privilege.
“At this year’s tournament, we did what we have never done before and that was beating England. They have beaten us in the final twice and semi-final once, so to beat them this year was a first for our group and something we should all be proud off, as the resources they have are far greater than ours.”
Scotland started the tournament by coming within five minutes of beating Iran, unluckily conceding a late goal to draw 1-1. Victories against the local Sumai side (2-0) and Thailand (5-1) then sent our confidence soaring ahead of the England clash.
The final was an epic encounter. Iran, who fielded a side full of top professionals, some of whom had played in the actual World Cup, raced into a two-goal lead, only for Scotland to bravely roar back and lay siege to their opponents’ goal. Meikle scored his fourth goal of the tournament to reduce the deficit, but Iran managed to hold on and claim the trophy.
Another highlight of the trip was using some rare downtime to visit a local primary school, which the Scotland squad attended en masse to deliver a coaching session and donate footballs and kit to the local children. This was something of a busman’s holiday for striker Sean Barr, who has spent 15 years as a coach with Edinburgh South Community football club. “The opportunity to coach kids in Thailand was incredible,” said Sean. “All the squad left the school well and truly humbled.”
To be part of such a special trip was humbling for us all. After a near 30-hour long journey back across the world, the Scotland Seniors squad returned home brimming with pride, and with bold ambitions to go one better in 2024.
By NIGEL DUNCAN
GRANGE HAVE an unblemished record of ten wins for 30 points with 45 goals scored - the third best in the table - with Western second on 24 points and The University of Edinburgh third also on 24 points.
Coach Steve Grubb is looking forward to the re-start of the season in February in a positive frame of mind.
He said: “If we keep playing the way we are playing it is in our hands, but we have to keep working hard in training and then turn up and play the games.”
Grubb admitted that, in the first three or four games of the league campaign, Grange were in an around the D but connections did not come.
But against the University, and in several fixtures games before that, they were clicking, which, he said, was really pleasing.
“Looking forward, we need to start the way we finished (the first part of the season), but we have the intensity in training and training is hard.
“We have a lot of players chasing positions. There are 24 players in the squad. We have Robbie Croll and David Nairn coming back (after injury) and the issue now is how do we fit them in and maintain the balance.”
By STAFF REPORTER
MUSSELBURGH Racecourse has been named Champion Racecourse at the 12th annual Racecourse Association (RCA) Showcase Awards.
The track picked up three individual awards en route to being named as the overall Champion for 2023 - the Racing Post Readers’ Award and the Marketing and Food & Beverage awards.
The Racing Post Readers’ Award asked the racing public to nominate their favourite racecourse based on raceday experience, customer service and value for money. Musselburgh scored the highest average across these metrics polling almost 20% of the overall votes.
Musselburgh’s drive for excellence in Food & Beverage was evident in the Pinkie’s Deli, a Taste of Scotland’s Larder initiative. A move to a more locally sourced and evidence-based menu was a resounding success with racegoers, and the racecourse is best in British racing for food and drink.
As a successful one-off event in 2019, the Corgi Derby returned to Musselburgh integral to a winning campaign in the Marketing category. Musselburgh’s use of data to target specific demographics and tailor the
messaging, ticket packages and raceday experience impressed the judges with the results clearly showing an impressive return. The racecourse was also a Finalist in two other categories.
Musselburgh Racecourse General Manager Bill Farnsworth, said:
“Musselburgh’s joins a small group of eight illustrious Showcase Champions and it certainly felt as if all the other racecourses represented at the Awards were particularly pleased that Musselburgh had won.
“I am incredibly proud of the team here at Musselburgh who have shown incredible resilience over the past few years and have been resolute in their commitment to the racecourse and to putting on a fantastic experience for our customers and participants.
“The staff at Musselburgh never stand still and are totally committed to making sure all our visitors have the best possible ‘Musselburgh’ experience.
“We can all be extremely proud of what Musselburgh has achieved.”
By NIGEL DUNCAN
BARRIE MCKAY has endured several hard months of rehabilitation following a knee injury and the Scottish-born midfielder admitted that there were dark days when only the help of teammates helped pull him through.
Senior players including Craig Gordon and Craig Halkett plus Liam Boyce were also spending hours in the gym building their fitness after serious injuries which was a massive bonus.
Paisley-born McKay signalled his return with a five-minute run as a substitute when Rangers visited Tynecastle at the end of last year, and he admitted it was good to be back.
His agony began when he pulled up during a Europa Conference League play-off against Greek cracks PAOK Salonika at Tynecastle and he described the injury as a “freak”. Freak or no it has caused the former Rangers, Greenock Morton, Raith Rovers, Nottingham Forest, Swansea City and Fleetwood Town player physical and mental pain and discomfort as he was in a knee brace for part of the time.
That made things difficult to get about, even at home, and sleeping was not comfortable, but McKay has worked hard in his fitness regime during these difficult months.
The 5ft 8in player former Scotland cap at various levels revealed: “It is quite repetitive every day. Exercises maybe change every week or so and it is building up the strength again and getting ready and when you start running you hope you don’t break down and that the muscles are ready to cope.”
During that spell, McKay revealed that the management team asked how the rehab was progressing but he said: “Nobody is ever going to get guarantees that they are going to come back and play.
“For me it was important I got myself right and to make sure that everything was done correctly by the book and I was ready to go.”
He added: “I have missed five or six months of football and it is going to take me time to get back. I have been training and trying to get my sharpness back in training. It is starting to come back slowly and surely.
“But, it has been great getting back on the training pitch with the lads and being back in the squad and getting back on the pitch for a couple of minutes, it was good to get back out there.”
Looking back, the 28-year-old said: “To be honest, it was a freak accident, there was nothing else I could have done. It was the way I pulled up and it ended up being my knee. Most
summer (his other leg) and I had good people around me who kept me positive like Halks (Craig Halkett) who were injured at the same time. It is not nice you are all injured but it is nice to have people with you.
“You are always going to have the frustrations as (normally) everyday you are working towards games at the weekend and they not there.
“You work all week to go out there on the pitch and since i have come here this is the first time I have experienced not being fit.
weekend) and you are ready to go and it (being injured) was a definitely a different experience to what I’ve had in the years I have been here.”
The talented player desperately wants to be back into Europe next season.
He said: “Last year we got to some good places and had some good games and as a player you want to test yourself against the best and that is what you are doing in these competitions. Each year you want to be there and if it means you play an extra couple of games then so be it.”
By CALLUM NAPIER
HIBS HAVE HELD talks with the SFA to discuss a minority investment proposal from American billionaire Bill Foley.
Rumors of investment from Foley have been rife since the news first broke in late October but before it can officially go-ahead Hibs require approval from the SFA due to Foley’s involvements in other football clubs AFC Bournemouth and FC Lorient.
Current SFA rules restrict multi club ownership in Scotland and they evaluate proposals on a case by case basis, Hibs have described the initial talks as “positive.”
In an official statement Hibs said: “Hibernian FC can confirm
that the club met with the Scottish FA on Thursday 14 December 2023 to discuss a minority investment proposal.
“The positive meeting saw Ian Gordon and Ben Kensell outline the proposal and discuss the benefits for Hibs and Scottish football moving forward.
“The Club looks forward to the next stage of the process, which is submitting a formal request for the approval of dual interest dispensation against article 13. There will be no further comment at this time.”
This was the first time the club have officially commented since the rumours first broke, and whilst Hibs fans have been imagining what the investment may mean for
their teams future, they will now have to wait for the outcome of the process’ next stage for official confirmation.
Speaking to talkSPORT prior to the meeting Bill Foley said: “We’re not going to be a controlling shareholder, we’re going to be an investor but we certainly want to coordinate acquisition and disposition of players with Hibs and I know they can use the help.”
Whilst it seems Foley’s involvement will focus on player recruitment it is not yet clear how this will affect the upcoming January transfer window.
Talking at a press conference Head Coach Nick Montgomery previously said: “We don’t have the budget to go out and sign players.
“Maybe one or two players leave, that’s football…that’s when you can react and bring players in. If that does change as a result of new investment it would appear that the club are prepared, Montgomery said: “Definitely always on the lookout for anything that can improve the squad… that’s an ongoing process that myself and Brian McDermott are constantly talking about.”
On the pitch, Hibees fan favourite Martin Boyle recently made his 300th appearance for the club against Celtic, whilst he was unable to mark the occasion with a goal, he did score in the next outing versus Livingston as the side ran out 1-0 winners in tough conditions.
EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY Football Club have entered a long term sponsorship agreement with management consultancy firm Alba Partners which will assist in the development and growth of its Performance Football Programme.
The announcement follows the company’s recent decision to base its global headquarters in Edinburgh as part of a major expansion which will see the recruitment of 20 consultants over the next 18 months amidst claims of being the go-to change and transformation partner for the private and public sectors in Scotland.
Stewart MacKinnon, chairman of Edinburgh University FC, said:
“Alba Partners is providing crucial support to
Girls basketball is booming at Kool Kats
our club as we strive to develop and grow the Performance Football Programme.
“Although we have access to some of the finest sporting facilities in the world and incredible strength and conditioning expertise at the University, the football programme at EUAFC is substantially funded by sponsorships and donations from supporters, staff, and former players.
“Our club is one of the Scottish Lowland League’s underdogs, seeking to overcome the odds every week in a massively competitive division. Nevertheless, we hope students, young players, and senior clubs across Scotland recognise EUAFC’s relentless focus on player growth and development and we are hugely
GIRLS BASKETBALL is booming at Edinburgh
Kool Kats where a recently formed under-12 team now has 31 players from P5-P7 on the rota.
grateful to Alba Partners for their support which will help us level the playing field going forward.”
Richard Jacobs, Alba Partners Managing Director, said: “Following the decision to locate Alba Partners global headquarters in our native Scotland, we have been exploring ways in which to support organisations that share our ethos of ambition, hard work and developing people to perform at the highest level of their abilities.
“As a small firm looking to challenge the big consultancies, Alba Partners is a natural long-term partner for EUAFC and it’s a great privilege to support them. I’m confident that both of our respective ‘teams’ will be improving performance and achieving success in the coming years.”
The team are coached at Holyrood HS by Broughton HS PE teacher Sarah Thomas along with adult volunteer Claire Patterson with input from Kool Kats coach Mhari Campbell who is keen to give credit to her two associates.
Mhari says: "My involvement is largely through the junior WNBA competitions I set up for the girls to play in.
"How good a job
Sarah and Claire are doing organising such numbers. If these girls stick at it we will be looking at a very strong under-16 team in 2026 and under-18's two years later."
THE FOUNDER of the prestigious Edinburgh Cup has vowed to make the annual international youth football festival even bigger and better on the back of a potential increase in City of Edinburgh Council support.
The agenda for the last Council meeting of 2023 contained an item from Labour councillor Margaret Graham hailing the success of this year’s tournament “which attracted over 10,000 attendees around the world including the US, Norway and India”.
There was reference to possible assistance being given by council officials to a project with the SFA “with the aim of providing referee training as well as enhancing other skills including communication, decision making, confidence, empathy, patience and leadership.”
Concluding her call Ms Graham “Further requests that the Lord Provost celebrate this achievement in an appropriate manner.”
It is understood a formal announcement will be made in the New Year with regard to the referee training aspect.
Scott Gibson, Operations and Events Director for the Edinburgh Cup as well as the tournament founder of an event which is being held from August 2-4, largely at Peffermill Recreation Ground, said: “Any support would be welcome. A lot of work has to go into creating what is more than a football event as we want visitors to experience the vibe across the whole of Edinburgh during their stay.”
Mr Gibson said he expects to meet with Council leader Cammy Day in January: “This will be to find ways to support non-European teams with visa applications.”
With eight months until the kick off there are applications from Canada, Ethiopia, Madagascar and an African project team as well as regular attendees.
Aware that not all will be able to afford Edinburgh accommodation and certainly not at Festival time, efforts are being made to partner with a local farmer to provide 50-60 tents to house visitors.
Gibson also believes that to fulfil the aim of expanding to become the equivalent of Sweden’s Gothia Cup - one of the biggest youth football tournaments in the world - extra pitches are needed.
EAST OF SCOTLAND tennis ace James MacKinlay is hoping to extend a doubles partnership with Derbyshire’s Jay Clarke after the pair ended 2023 with back-to-back tournament wins in Antalya, Turkey.
What made the ATP Challenger events remarkable was not so much that it was James’ breakthrough at this level.
Rather the pair came together in ad hoc circumstances.
James, 23, who has connections with Edinburgh’s Barnton Park club, amongst others, explains:
“Jay put up an instagram story stating that these two weeks were his last two tournaments of the year and I happened to see this story and replied asking if he would be keen to play the week of the 11th December.
“As it was already Sunday of the week previous ….ever the opportunist I ended up flying out on the Monday morning after doing Christmas shopping the day before. It turned out to be a good decision to message him on the Sunday.”
Although Jay had originally lined-up another partner the pair stayed together for the second leg of the Antalya mini circuit and distinguished themselves by taking out the top seeds 6-2, 6-1 in the semi-final.
They then went on to claim the crown with another straight-sets win.
But as for that breakthrough win in the first week of the partnership James says:
“It meant a lot to finally win as I’ve made a few finals before but haven’t been able to get over the line and in terms of ranking it will put me up to about 710 on the ATP rankings.
“I certainly feel like I have been putting in the off court work in order to be able to get this first
THE CENTENARY of one of Scotland’s greatest Olympic triumphs is to be commemorated with a special sporting event in Edinburgh on Saturday, 20 January.
While many eyes will be on commemorating the centenary of Scottish athlete Eric Liddell’s Olympic gold on the track in 2024 not to be overlooked is the achievement of WK Jackson’s rink who won the curling gold medal at the inaugural Winter Olympics in Chamonix, France, in January of that year.
time as the Capital bonspiel.
Added Mr Kiron: “The Jackson team was made up of William Kilgour Jackson, his son, Laurence Jackson, Tom Murray and Robin Welsh. The first three named were from Biggar with Welsh from Edinburgh.”
Other events have either taken place or are in the process of commemorating the Jackson rink achievement.
title but would also have to say that sometimes when you’re playing you need a little bit of luck. But, overall, I have been playing well enough to win one of these titles for about five months
“I hope we are able to play (together) in the coming year.”
As for his journey so far, this former four time ITF junior tournament winner says:
“There’s too many clubs to name but I started playing tennis at a local leisure centre in Crieff aged five and progressed through to Edinburgh aged 10. Barnton Park has always been the best club in the East.”
A representative of the East county team, James distinguished himself with the best points return for that team in Division One of the UK inter-county championship at Eastbourne in 2023.
Modestly playing down such statistics he says matches had a truncated format due to adverse weather.
“County week was very different as it was ‘Fast 4’ format so it was practically a coin toss on who was going to win each rubber but I think Euan Mcintosh and I did well considering” he says while looking forward to building on December successes.
Hopefully that will be with partner Jay who, in 2017, on a wildcard entry alongside Marcus Willis at Wimbledon, defeated the reigning men’s doubles holders Nicolas Mahut and Pierre Hughes-Herbert.
Adds James: “I start the year back at my training facility in Loughborough where there is a 25k event starting 7 January followed by one in Sunderland. So, I have a busy January and we’ll see what tournaments are available to play within reason and not too expensive!”
CurlEdinburgh, who operate out of the Murrayfield rink, organise the Jackson Trophy annually but the 2024 instalment will be bigger and better according to Ian Keron, club president, who says: “On January 20 Edinburgh Curling Club is running the Jackson Trophy Bonspiel, involving 14 invited teams to play a three game Bonspiel.
“We will also have invited guests, from each of the three families that made up the WK Jackson team, plus the 2002 women’s team that won Olympic gold in Salt Lake City.”
They are Rhona Martin, Debbie Knox, Fiona MacDonald, and Janice Rankin.
It is understood Bruce Mouat’s rink, who recently won the European title in Aberdeen were invited but will be competing in Canada at the same
In September a blue plaque was unveiled at the original home of WK Jackson. This was organised by the current owner of the house, Lorraine Noble-Thompson.
And, from November 2023 until March, the Biggar Museum is holding an exhibition to celebrate the gold medal success called “From Biggar to Olympic Gold”.
Advertising the exhibition in a flyer, the museum state: “Curling was initially an outdoor game, played on natural lochs or stretches of standing water. The game grew in the Scottish countryside, the sport of farmers – outdoor work being impossible during the time when, as curlers put it, ‘the ice is bearing’.
“Upper Clydesdale was ideal country for the game where there were a large number of ponds in use for curling in the 19th century.
“In the early 20th century the sport started to move indoors to ice rinks.”
CONGRATULATIONS to Iona
and Ben Carter on winning the mixed doubles title at Joppa Tennis Club.
The
who defeated
The
