The Edinburgh Minute ⏰: Weekend edition 19 - 21 April 2024
Airbnb rules to change for August, Leith pub survives fire, Safe Streets protest, all the local Record Store day events + where to find free coffee this weekend
🌸 Good morning Edinburgh. This is looking like your best weekend to see the blossom in town. It was about 90% in bloom in the Meadows last night and the forecast for Friday evening and Saturday morning is decent. Sorry to repeat myself about the blossom this week, but there’s so much bleak news in the world just now. Hopefully some of the many displays around the city can offer some momentary peace. Lauriston Castle’s free Japan Sakura event begins on Saturday. Now, on with the news! Here’s Friday’s Edinburgh Minute followed by the weekend guide for paying subscribers.
🔑 Temporary exemptions for short-term lets licenses are to be introduced to help tackle a shortage of accommodation in Edinburgh during the August festivals. - Brian Donnelly, The Herald.
⮑ But the council has rejected proposals for blanket approvals of holiday lets, saying it ‘could lead to accusations of unfairness’ from landlords who have already been refused permission to keep operating. - Donald Turvill, Local Democracy Reporter, Edinburgh Live.
⮑ The council has claimed a drop in Edinburgh Airbnb listings means a crackdown is ‘working and moving in the right direction’.
🗳️ The removal of ‘Leith’ from the name of a new Holyrood constituency proposed for Edinburgh must be reviewed, according to a former local councillor. - The Edinburgh Reporter.
🔥 Constitution Street’s Port O’ Leith bar is aiming to reopen today after a fire in the early hours on Wednesday. Owners wrote: “The extent of the damage... Bit of a mess and need a new fridge. Really got lucky with the brilliant response of the police and the firefighting legends!”
🚊 A fatal accident inquiry is to be held into the death of a 53-year-old man who was hit by a tram more than five years ago. Bus driver Carlos Hernan Correa Palacio, 53, died after he was struck by a tram in Saughton while making his way home from work. - Caitlyn Dewar, STV News.
🎨 Owners of the Golden Tea restaurant on Candlemaker Row who changed the colour of its window frames from white to yellow have been ordered to repaint them white. - David Meikle, Edinburgh Live.
🌮 The Neighbourgood Market will return to Stockbridge next month. Yesterday organisers shared details of each weekend’s market traders. - It’s all in this post.
☕️ It’s hard to avoid Black Sheep Coffee’s franchises appearing in the city centre. But another one has announced its opening date. The firm’s ‘flagship coffeehouse’ at the new Haymarket Square development is due to open on 14 May. - Scott Wright, The Herald.
🚲 There’s a free BMX ‘bike control and life skills’ drop-in at Pipe Lane in Portobello on Sunday morning. - Details are here.
🎞️ Ongoing construction work inside Clerk Street’s former Odeon cinema (and New Victoria cinema before that) has been captured on video. - Lee Dalgetty, Edinburgh Live.
⮑ YouTuber Christina Macey ‘saw the door was open so just walked inside’.
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📌 “FREE FLAT WHITES THIS WEEKEND! (And other styles of espresso-based coffee). Lifestory has again teamed up with Origin Coffee in advance of the Cornwall-based brand opening up in the city later in Spring. Origin will be taking over the coffee bar at Lifestory for the weekend 10.30am to 4pm Saturday and Sunday, offering free, perfectly crafted coffees to our customers, plus the first 25 each day will also get a free Origin totebag. In addition, our joint competition to win a 3 month Origin Coffee subscription and a £100 Lifestory voucher is still running in store and online - see you there!” - Thanks to Lifestory owner Susan for sharing this.
📌 SATURDAY: “Edinburgh Safe Streets Now are holding a small protest on St John's Road as part of a national day of action to ask for more Peace Space and Justice on our streets and an end to road violence.” - Thanks to subscriber Michael for sharing this.
📌 “The Edinburgh Street Stitchers will be sewing outside The Pavilion Cafe on the Meadows on Saturday morning as part of Fashion Revolution's Mend Outdoors Day. Come along with your mending and join us. Or just come by and say hello. All skill levels and Fashion Revolutionaries welcome.” - Thanks to Ros Williams, Edinburgh Street Stitchers, for sharing this.
📌 “At this year's Rhind Lectures, Professor Richard Oram FSAScot will dissect the impacts of historic climate change on the environment of Scotland and its people. Between the dawn of the ‘Late Antique little ice age’ in the 6th century CE to the waning of the ‘little ice age’ in the 19th century CE, from epidemic and epizootic disease to energy crises and transitions, ‘Golden Ages’ to ‘Ill Years’, this was an era where dearth, abundance, sustainability and resilience shaped Scotland. Join the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland free online or in person in Edinburgh from Friday 31 May 2024.” - Thanks to Society of Antiquaries of Scotland for sharing this.
📌 “Bookings for FREE pitches are now being taken for The Salvation Army Donation Centre Edinburgh's Great Big Charity Yard Sale on Saturday June 1st. Anyone who would like to raise money for a good cause of their choice is welcome to book a free pitch for the event, which will be held in the centre's car park in Piershill. Pitches are booked in advance and offered on a first come first served bases so please do get in touch! It's a great chance to have a clear out and raise money for your favourite charity or community group!” - Thanks to Kat, Manager, Salvation Army Donation Centre Edinburgh, for sharing this.
📌 “Hi Michael! Could you please promote our next Soapbox event - taking place on April 24th at Sierra Metro between 8am and 10am! If you freelance or work in culture, creative, digital and tech industries and are looking for likeminded pals, come and join us for our gather and blether session!” Big thanks to Ellie for sharing this. The Edinburgh Minute is a proud sponsor of the Soapbox events.
📌 “Edinburgh Cine & Video Society is celebrating the first year of its relaunch with a red carpet première of the 2 short films it made last year, Compliance and Look Ahead. At the cinema in Fettes Row at 7pm on Saturday. Tickets are free but do register for numbers.” - Thanks to Gordon Guthrie for sharing this.
📆 Things to do this weekend:
🐣 If you have children to keep busy this weekend, this weekend’s new Gayle’s Guide post includes: kid-friendly Record Store Day events, the Japan Sakura cherry blossom event in the grounds of Lauriston Castle, Toddler Time at the Cameo and much more here.
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