The Edinburgh Minute ⏰ Monday 23 September 2024
Leith venue confirms closure, video of attack on Cowgate cyclist goes viral, Powderhall junction plans + animal rights protest at Gucci
🌤️ Good morning Edinburgh. There are now 14,000+ of you on this mailing list. Please remember, the Minute is only free thanks to people who voluntarily pay to support it. If you can afford 90p per week, please upgrade your subscription and get extra content here. Here’s Monday’s Edinburgh Minute.
🚔 Police say they are ‘following positive lines of enquiry’ after video footage circulating on social media showed a driver assault a cyclist in the Cowgate. The 34-year-old victim was taken to hospital after the attack around 6.30pm on Friday. - STV News.
⮑ A video of the incident had more than 25 million views on Twitter over the weekend. People in the replies appear to have identified some of those involved.
⚖️ A juror who Googled a floorplan during a rape trial has been fined for contempt of court. - BBC Scotland News.
🚦 Updated plans to reconfigure the Powderhall junction, following in-person and online public discussions across two years. - Spurtle has more.
🎄 Planning applications have been lodged for this year’s Christmas festival events. They include the return of an ice rink and market stalls on George Street, market at at East Princes Street Gardens and The Mound, rides in West Princes Street Gardens and ‘community events making use of the Ross Bandstand’. Organisers Unique Assembly say their plan is ‘using the Bandstand as it should be used.’
🏠 The council has been accused of breaking the law ‘on an industrial scale’ by placing homeless people in 30 unlicensed houses in multiple occupation across the city. - Local Democracy Reporter Donald Turvill in The Edinburgh Reporter.
🧱 Work to remove dangerous crumbling concrete from Edinburgh school roofs has been hit by a setback after the council’s contractor went into administration. - Local Democracy Reporter, Donald Turvill, Midlothian View.
📆 The monthly Full Council meeting is scheduled for 10am on Thursday this week. Councillors have lodged 25 motions for discussion on the agenda, including: student accommodation, Sheriffhall Roundabout update, ‘the health impacts of austerity’, fallen leaves and bus Travel Trackers.
🏋️♀️ Edinburgh Leisure has launched its first Impact Report since 2015, highlighting its achievements. - The report is available to download in PDF format on the Edinburgh Leisure website. Having faced ‘extreme pressure on our budget’, the organisation’s CEO Jen Holland said a five-year plan aims to address a ‘growing need for affordable physical activity in the city by providing services at reduced or no cost to those facing barriers to leading active lives.’
🎭 Festival organisers should ‘draw breath, take stock, and think about what it is about tourism in Edinburgh that most needs to be addressed’ according to heritage body the Cockburn Association in its latest blog post.
“Figures such as 4 million visitors and £1.2 billion ‘injected’ into the local economy from tourism are meaningless without a dismantling of what that figure really means for the city in terms of the local benefits.” - Lesley Martin, the Cockburn Association.
🪶 Two robins had to be been euthanised by an animal charity after becoming caught in a banned glue trap in the Grassmarket. - Scottish SPCA.
👜 Animal rights activists staged a protest outside the new Gucci store as it opened in Mulltrees Walk on Friday, urging the luxury brand to end the use of reptiles’ skins. - Oliver Browning, The Independent.
⮑ Harris Butchers in Kingsknowe has closed. - Kris Gourlay, Edinburgh Live.
🎭 The team behind Leith’s Sierra Metro venue have announced it will close on Thursday this week. The Ferry Road creative space and gallery hosted exhibitions, talks, and Edinburgh Art Festival events. The owners said: “Sierra Metro will continue as a curatorial project much like before but without the permanent space and all the financial pressures that go with that.” - There is a long thread of tributes to owners Janine and Allan Matheson in the comments of this Instagram post.
✍️ Tomorrow is the last Tuesday of the month, which means Lost in Leith bar is hosting The Chicken Coop Writing Group. - Tickets are on Eventbrite and there are more details here.
🚲 Volunteers are needed for the George Watson's school bike bus. Organisers say it now has 40 kids cycling to school who used to go by car. - Contact Jarlath Flynn.
⚽️ Heart of Midlothian Football Club yesterday parted company with boss Steven Naismith club’s eighth successive defeat on Saturday. Current B-Team Head Coach Liam Fox will temporarily oversee the first-team whilst the Tynecastle board seeks a new manager. - Hearts released this statement.
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📌 “Leading on sustainability and want to connect with others in Edinburgh? Build your professional network by sharing experiences, not swapping business cards. Sustainability Netwalking for great conversations with good people in green spaces: Holyrood Park, 1pm, Tuesday 24th September.” - Thanks to Osbert Lancaster, Founder, Realise Earth, for sharing this.
📌 Today: “V for Life, the charity supporting older vegans and vegetarians to live better are holding a lunch club at Hendersons Restaurant in Edinburgh. Taking place this Monday, September 23rd from 12-2pm, older vegans and vegetarians will have the chance to meet like-minded people, socialise, and make new friends, all while enjoying a delicious and healthy vegan lunch for only £10! Book quoting "lunch club 24" by telephone: 0131 202 1635 or by email at hello@hendersonsrestaurant.com. Address: 7–13 Barclay Place, Edinburgh, EH10 4JB.”
📌 “Do you live/work/play on the West side of town and are a user of Gyle Park? Friends of Gyle Park are undertaking a user survey to identify how we can continue to develop the park and it's facilities for our local community. We'd really appreciate all feedback on how we can make our park better!” - Thanks to Friends of Gyle Park for sharing this.
📌 “This week’s round-up of FREE family-friendly events in Edinburgh, from The Bear & The Fox, includes a focus on Maths Week Scotland (23-29 Sept) plus lots more - from puppet storytelling and batty crafts, to the Scotland Sustainability Fair and the Irish Culture & Heritage Day.” - Thanks to subscriber Jenni for sharing this.
📌 “Maths Week Scotland takes place from Mon 23 to Sun 29 September across the whole of Scotland, with quite a few events happening in Edinburgh. This year's theme is 'Maths Tales', so expect maths themed story time and trails for families, as well as a Science Saturday with the Maths Week team at the National Museum, the Edinburgh Mathematical Society's annual popular lecture, and lots more.” - Thanks to the event organisers for sharing this.
📌 “Would you like to learn or practice computer programming in a friendly and supportive environment? codebar Edinburgh offers monthly programming workshops, and the next one is on Wednesday 25th September, 6-8pm (free registration required). Join us for a networking session over pizza and drinks, followed by a programming session with an experienced coach.” - Thanks to Kasia Banas, co-organiser, codebar Edinburgh, for sharing this.
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EDIT: updated with the correct edition number! 458.