The Edinburgh Minute ⏰ Tuesday 2 July 2024
Bin staff vote for Fringe strike, medical service axed, Leith record store to reopen + a new hyperlocal community-led publication
🌤️ Good morning Edinburgh. There are now more than 12,000 people subscribed to this free newsletter. It exists thanks to paying subscribers. Thanks everyone! I’m trying not to think about how many people that actually is otherwise I’ll get stage-fright. So I’ll just crack on with sharing today’s links and notes. It’s a pretty short newsletter today I’m afraid. Here’s Tuesday’s Edinburgh Minute.
♻️ Waste and recycling staff in Edinburgh have voted to go on strike during the Fringe over a pay dispute. - BBC Scotland News.
🚨 NHS Lothian confirmed it has scrapped the Medic One pre-hospital emergency care service after more than 40 years. - Exclusive by Katie Williams in Edinburgh Live.
🗳️ An emergency polling booth set up at Edinburgh City Chambers for people whose postal votes did not arrive on time is to stay open right through until polling day. - Ian Swanson, Evening News.
🏗️ Leith Central Community Council has joined 76 other objectors in opposing Unite’s application to build a 5-storey student flats extension to the side of Shrub Hill House at 8 Middlefield. - More in the Spurtle.
🚊 A Leith Walk shop owner says ‘business is booming, we are the busiest we have been for decades.’ Harburn Hobbies owner Michael White was responding to a Facebook discussion about whether trams had ‘destroyed business’ on the Walk.
⮑ Former council transport leader Lesley Macinnes responded: “Think I need to get this framed! This is the kind of ‘after’ story that is never listened to during transitional changes to sustainable transport infrastructure. Really important points made by me & others at the time and now shown in reality. V pleased for Harburn Hobbies.”
👑 The King and Queen are in town this week for a series of events known as Holyrood Week or Royal Week. Their schedule is shorter than in previous years as the General Election meant the royals postponed any engagements ‘which may appear to divert attention or distract from the election campaign’.
⮑ Today King Charles will give a knighthood to Edinburgh author Alexander McCall Smith, for services to literature, academia and charity. - Lucinda Cameron, The Standard.
🎪 Construction is well underway in George Square gardens for the Fringe. Before that, the garden will also be used for the Edinburgh Food Festival which begins on 19 July. - Lee Dalgetty looks at the food festival line-up for Edinburgh Live.
🏉 Scottish Rugby expects to lose £10.6m this year and says 35 roles are at risk of redundancy, with all recruitment at Murrayfield now frozen. - BBC Sport.
🛝 The helter skelter from Montgomery Street Park is currently in storage, having been removed last year due to safety concerns. Now locals are looking for input and ideas on a future use for the structure to save it from the scrap heap. - More details here.
🛜 In this week’s Campfire newsletter on startups news: all-electric intercity bus operator Ember has raised £5.6 million.
💌 Paper Tiger is due to open its fourth Edinburgh branch at Raeburn Place in Stockbridge this summer. - Lee Dalgetty, Edinburgh Live.
🍽️ A new independently-owned restaurant is opening in Marchmont in ‘late summer’. Nàdair will move in to the space at 15 Roseneath Street, formerly ‘Delightfully Delicious. - They’ve posted menus on their website and are hiring on Instagram.
🫖 ‘Willow Tea Rooms review: Why the Edinburgh Princes Street cafe is best avoided’ - Gaby Soutar, The Scotsman.
📰 Hot off the press: July’s edition of The Edinburgh Reporter.
📰 Also freshly printed: a July–August bumper edition of The List. Here’s online news editor Kevin Fullerton with a summary: “We’re chatting to Alan Cumming and Forbes Masson about their iconic characters Victor & Barry, getting literary with The National as they prepare to blast the roof off of Edinburgh Castle (it's open-air but you get what we mean), enthuse about some of the most exciting acts at TRNSMT 2024, and much more. Get your copy from all good stockists across Glasgow and Edinburgh, or read the full issue online.”
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📌 Edinburgh Minute Community Noticeboard
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📌 [Yesterday I published this with the wrong date - my apologies. Here is the correct date]: Today, 4.30pm, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Centre, Palmerston Place: “Creative Circles: Writing and Designing Children's Books - This event is a casual monthly meetup for creatives, techies, makers, students, freelance folk and everyone in between who is interested in discovering more about what's happening in Edinburgh. Take a break from work, share ideas and advice, make new connections, and find your next collaborator. In July’s event, we’ll be exploring what it takes to get your children’s book off the ground. There’ll be tea, coffee and a few snacks - please bring along a keep cup if you have one!” - Thanks to Zoe Farrugia, Programme Manager, Creative Edinburgh, for sharing this.
📌 “The Friends of Montgomery Street Park are launching a hyperlocal community-led publication. We are looking for local writers, designers, illustrators and editors keen to share the story of Montgomery Street Park and its community. If you'd like to volunteer to shape this new project and its first issue - due October - reach out before Friday, July 12.” - Thank you to Diego Arguedas Ortiz, part of the team behind Montgomery Parklife, for sharing this.
📌 “The Leith record store Good Vibes is celebrating its grand reopening with a re-launch gig on Saturday 13th of July at 7pm! It's FREE entry and will feature two of Scotland's emerging talents, electro-pop duo Both Hands and indie artist Susan Bear.” - Thank you to Aimee, General Manager, Good Vibes Neighbourhood Store, for sharing this.
📌 “The legendary “Stu & Garry’s Improv Show” returns to The Stand Comedy Club in Edinburgh on Tuesday 2nd July 2024. Join the pair plus guests for hilarious comedy created in the moment with improv games in the spirit of ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’” - Thanks to event organisers for sharing this.
📌 “Join us on July 6 for an unforgettable urban adventure! Team up (max 4) to explore Edinburgh on foot, solving riddles, uncovering hidden gems, and navigating through curious spots. Perfect for seasoned explorers or a fun day out.” - More details here via Running City Edinburgh.
📌 “Another chance to have a go at drumming Brazilian-style in a friendly fun way! No experience or equipment required…just enthusiasm and a wee bit of rhythm. There’s no better way to spend a Saturday morning (July 6th - see link for tickets)” - Shared by Edinburgh Samba School.
📮 Is that it? Something missing? Share your local news and events here.
📈 The most-visited links from the last newsletter:
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