Blackhall magazine
Blackhall magazine
June 2025
Editor: Christopher Cowdy
Publisher: EHDirect Ltd
Advertising Prices:
From £60 per month
See website or ask for discounts and premium pages.
www.ehdirect.co.uk
Distribution: 5,000 - 10,000 homes
Email: christopher@ehdirect.co.uk
Phone:
Mob: 07979530447
Post: 49 Warrender Park Road, EH9 1EU
Blackhall and Barnton magazines are published by EHDirect Ltd.
The publishers cannot be held liable for any errors, omissions or misprints. Nor can they accept responsibility for the accuracy of claims made by the advertisers or the opinions expressed in advertisements.
Printing: Cowan Print, Kilsyth 01236 821177
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Website: www.ehdirect.co.uk designed by www.hrdigitaldesign.com
As the long-awaited warmth of June arrives and the sun shines a little warmer, Blackhall truly comes alive and good cheer runs abound. From flora and fauna bursting along the Blackhall Path to locals gathering along Silverknowes Promenade, there's something unmistakably special about this time of year.
Expect plenty more outdoor activities within the area so check out ‘What’s On?’ (pages 26/27) to discover things to do in June.
However, the good cheer spreads beyond the sunshine. Our Charitable giving initiative has been run, Charities nominated and now the funds are being distributed (more on Pages 10 & 11).
Among them was the Pilton Equalities Project who had a stall at the North Edinburgh Community Festival (see opposite) that I attended and that reflected exactly the buzz that comes with good summer weather.
Another recipient of our donations was Clermiston Primary Parent Council who were thrilled with the £1,633 for their Nursery playground and it was a real pleasure to meet up with them to get a photo with our oversized cheque (See News Page 17).
Finally, you may be aware I am a Councillor (though not for the local Wards). I have now taken a further step by putting myself forward for the Scottish Parliament Elections in 2026 and am delighted to be standing for the Edinburgh Northern constituency that includes the Blackhall area (Page 17). Thank you to all who have supported me so far and I look forward to meeting more of you over the coming year. If there are any issues you think I should be focussing on, please email in to let me know.
Christopher Cowdy (Editor)
EDITORIAL CONTENT
christopher@ehdirect.co.uk
The North Edinburgh festival in West Pilton Park was fun, very busy, & I met up with lots of friends of the magazine including: Children’s International Festival, Lauriston Agroecology Farm, and the Pilton Equalities Project (who were delighted with my donation following the magazine vote). I even bumped into the SNP Councillor standing against me in Edinburgh Northern at the next Scottish Parliamentary Election.
£5,000forlocal charities
We had a great response from our promise to donate to local charities. The first part of the initiative was asking readers to get the word out and encourage applications from local charities.
By the closing date we had 10 applications for our Portobello/Duddingston areas and 5 for the Barnton/Blackhall areas. In the March & April issues a page was dedicated to each and readers were asked to vote for which should get donations. On 15th April we counted all votes for each charity, amounting to almost 70 in total for Barnton/Blackhall, and have now decided how the donation should be allocated.
We decided to split the total equally between the 2 areas. It was than a very difficult process as numerous applicants offered great, interesting and worthwhile services around west Edinburgh. We hope our promotion of them all helps inspire readers to consider supporting them and other local charities whenever they can.
Details for all the charities are published again in this issue and in next months.
Yours
It is with delight we announce a donation to all Charities that received votes as follows:
• Clermiston Primary school£1,633 + Giftaid
• Blackhall Playgroup - £150
• Pilton Equalities Project - £150
• Lewis Leap - £150
All charities that received votes get something and Clermiston Primary attracted by far the most with over 80% of the total so get the lion’s share of the funds.
Here is a summary of some of the main articles reported by a range of media outlets online and that relate to our local area for Blackhall, Silverknowes, Craigleith, Ravelston & Orchard Brae
Here are a few pics of the new Starbucks at Barnton Edinburgh,if you would like to include them in your magazine. Beautiful shop, friendly professional staff. Starbucks have teamed up with my charity F.A.C.E Fighting Against Cancer Edinburgh. They are holding a raffle in aid of F.A.C.E.
Running until next week, which we are delighted
the Ravelston are on the market for £1.4mil having been deemed surplus to requirements by the Erskine Stewart's Melville Schools (reports the Scotsman) as it grapples with Labour Government charging VAT on school fees (says the Times).
working to prevent poverty and support vulnerable residents including the Pilton Equality Project that has also been supported by Blackhall magazine’s charity initiative.
P7 pupils from Blackhall Primary School hand made signs to support
campaign but the Council ordered the signs removal.
Sri Chinmoy 5k Silverknowes race was held on 16th May.
and 9 Queensferry Terrace, in
Charities losing funding from the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB) are to receive urgent support from the City of Edinburgh Council. off funding of £2.037m will be provided to 46 organisations and projects
formed in response to a proposal that the path be used for a tram route. When first put to Council in August 2024 only Conservative Councillors voted against it and a 12 week Consultation is expected to start in August 2025.
I was delighted to hand over a cheque for £1,633 to Clermiston Primary Parent Council and staff to go toward nursery outdoor play equipment as part of Blackhall magazine’s charity initiative.
Many of you will be aware I was elected to the City Council at the same time I took over publishing the Blackhall magazine in 2022. The Scottish Parliament elections are due in 2026 and I have been selected to stand in the Edinburgh Northern seat that also covers the catchment of the magazine. Political boundaries recently changed with Edinburgh Northern a new constituency, and I will continue to work in the best interests of the community, irrespective of the outcome of the elections.
Photo l to r: Christopher Cowdy, Suzanne Gilhooley, Fern Findlay-Greene and Lauren Grieve
Promoted by J Tweedie of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, both of 67 Northumberlnad Street, EH3 6JG
The most effective way to promote your organisation in the area:
Barnton magazine & Blackhall magazine
Through the doors of 10,000 homes
Basic rates to 5,000 homes are:
Quarter Page = £70
Half Page = £120
Full Page = £200
Call Christopher on 07979530447
Email christopher@ehdirect.co.uk
Visit www.ehdirect.co.uk
Guide Dogs is seeking volunteers to raise a puppy for a year
Puppy walkers start puppies on their journey to fully-fledged guide dogs, caring for them until they are ready for training school. Like all puppies, they start off as little bundles of fluff and mischief and you get to see them develop and grow. Volunteers teach basic obedience and socialise them while Guide Dogs covers all feeding and vet costs. The puppy will normally be placed at 7 weeks old and will leave for formal training at 12-14 months. It is still possible to become a puppy walker even if you have a pet dog. To find out more, call Emma Murton on 0345 143 0203 or visit www.guidedogs.org.uk/volunteering.
christopher@ehdirect.co.uk
Every month we publish a selection of things to do in the local area. This is usually found as a result of an online search and we may not have had time to verify all details are correct but we try to set out a good spread of interesting activities and local organisations. So if you see
Blackhall St Columba’s Church Cameo Club
27th June, 10:30am - 12:00pm
This week's entertainment - "Sing Aloud" with Marge Whiteside. The Cameo Club (Come And Meet Each Other) welcomes the elderly or semi-housebound out of their homes to meet others from the congregation and from the local community. The group meets in the large hall of the church on alternative Fridays from 10.30am until 12 noon. Tea, coffee, pancakes and cakes are served and this is followed by some form of entertainment, i.e. games, music, story-telling, plus two outings per year in May and December. Volunteer drivers are available if required. New members are always welcome.
The Barnton Bunker Mayflies: Swarm
7th - 19th June - Booking only
"Mayflies: Swarm” is an installation of thousands of hand-cut paper mayflies, exhibited at The Barnton Bunker in Edinburgh. It is an immersive piece exploring time and memories. Alongside the installation there will be a participatory exhibition where visitors document their thoughts on the piece and its themes. If you're interested in getting involved or would like to know more, feel free to contact me at info@katarinaprior.com.
For more info, visit: www.katarinaprior.com
something of interest and want to join in, please do some of your own research and contact the organisation in plenty of time to make sure the event is still on and the details are accurate.
Lauriston Agroecology Farm
Introduction to composting
June 14th, 10am - 1pm
This workshop, will cover:
How to compost with bay and bokashi set-ups, How to make compost teas, How to vermicompost.
Tickets are on a sliding scale with Standard Ticket @ £10 , A ‘Solidarity’ option – offer if you can (+50%) £15, and a Discount option – take if you need (-50%) £5
For more info visit www.lauristonfarm.scot Booking via Eventbrite
Lauriston Castle
The 2025 Davidson's Mains Children's Gala Day
Saturday, 21st June 2025 at Lauriston Castle
A day to celebrate the local community. In the week prior to the Gala there will be the Gala 5-a-side Football Tournament for all ages.
On Gala Day
11:30 am there is a parade starting from The Green. It proceeds along Main Street, Cramond Road South and into Lauriston Castle.
12:00 - 4:00 pm within the grounds of Lauriston Castle, there will be a fun fair, pony rides, circus performers and workshops, stage performances, local vendors, kids races, fancy dress competition, alpacas, a police car to explore, face painting, glitter bar, Scouts food stall, food trucks, homebaking, refreshments and more!
Visit dmainsgala.org.uk for more info
christopher@ehdirect.co.uk
2 of the Largest
Groathill Rd South
3 beds, 2 baths - 1,395 Sq.ft.
2 Craigcrook Road
4 beds, 2 baths - 1,690 Sq.ft.
2 of the smallest
Ravelston House Park
2 bed, Ground floor flat - 708 Sq.ft.
Offers Over £230,000 ELP Arbuthnot
• Lift
• Modern
• Balcony
• Parking
• Penthouse
• Private Parking
Knight Frank Offers Over £770,000
• Set back from the road.
• Log burner
• Family room to private garden.
• Private rear garden, raised patio & summer house/home office/gym.
• Driveway and a small patio area.
Ralph Sayer Offers Over £695,000
Orchardbrae Avenue
2 bed 4th floor flat - 692 Sq.ft
Offers Over £230,000 Lindsays
£160,000 - 29th June 2024
£70,000 - 15th May 2024
£1,756,000 - 9th Oct 2023
£1,650,000 - 23rd Jan 2024
Righmove.com produce maps showing some house prices and I count 7 in our distribution area that sold for over £1Mil in the last year (darkest brown circles) along with 8 that sold for less than £200,000 (lightest yellow circles) The remainder were all “mid level”.
Some of the properties on the market at the time of sending to print (according to Rightmove.com)
Term Dates
2025/26
Summer Term 3 (45 days): Tue 22nd AprilThur 26th June
Autumn Term 1 (86 days): Wed 13th AugFri 19th Dec
Spring Term 2 (58 days): Mon 5th Jan - Thur
2nd April
Total: 189
7th Apr - 21st Apr (11 days)
5th & 6th May (2 days)
19th May (1 day)
27th June - 12th Aug (33 days)
15th Sep (1 day)
13th - 17th Oct (5 days)
22nd Dec - 2nd Jan (10 days)
16th - 20th Feb (5 days)
Total: 68 days
Distribution of the Barnton magazine covers 5 Primary school and 4 High School catchments and I thought you might be interested in a brief overview. I have given contact details for each one including Phone number and addresses for websites, email, Twitter plus where they have a Facebook Page. There is a whole range of info available on their online Pages but let me know if you think any else specific should be mentioned here.
Davidsons Mains PS - 336 1184
DmainsPrimary.com admin@davidsonsmains.edin.sch.uk @MainsDavidson
Primary schools
Blackhall PS - 336 1023 BlackhallPrimary.co.uk admin@blackhall.edin.sch.uk @BlackhallPS
Clermiston PS - 336 3361 Clermiston.edin.sch.uk admin@clermiston.edin.sch.uk
Flora Stevenson PS - 332 1604
theFloraStevensonPrimary.com admin@florastevenson.edin.sch.uk
Royal High Primary PS - 669 3200
admin@royalhigh-pri.edin.sch.uk
St David’s RC PS - 332 3500
Stdavidsrc.com admin@st-davids.edin.sch.uk @saintdavidsrcps
Private Facebook group
St Augustine’s RC HS - 334 6801
Staugustinesrchs.uk admin@st-augustines.edin.sch.uk @staugustineshs
Secondary schools
St Mary’s RC PS - 556 7128
St-marysrc-pri-edin.sch.uk admin@st-marysrc-pri.edin.sch.uk @stmarysedin Facebook
Royal HS - 336 2261
Royalhigh.wordpress.com admin@royalhigh.edin.sch.uk
@Royal_High_Sch
Broughton HS - 332 7805
St Thomas of Aquin’s RC HS - 229 8734
St-Thomas-of-aquins.org.uk admin@st-thomasaquins.edin.sch.uk @thomasofaquins
christopher@ehdirect.co.uk
Broughton.edin.sch.uk admin@broughton.edin.sch.uk
@BroHighOfficial
For years I presented puzzles from the MENSA but thought it was time for a bit of a change, so here is a selection of slightly different puzzles to tease your brain.
At midnight at the start of January 1st, Prof. Stone set 2 clocks to the correct time. One gains 1 minute every hour, and the other loses 2 minutes every hour.
1. When will the clocks next show the same time?
2. When will the clocks both show the correct time?
Starting in the bottom left corner and moving either up or right, adding up the numbers along the way, what is the largest sum which can be made?
What letter comes next in this sequence:
Last month’s answers:
Q1: A sand timer has most moving parts
Q2: In 1990, a person is 15 years old. In 1995, that same person is 10 years old. How can this be? 1990 BC
Q3: 8,549,176,320? The digits are in alphabetical order
Useful Numbers
