Konect Balerno March 2022

MARCH 2022

LOCAL HISTORY:

WINE TASTING:

PLUS: MONEY MATTERS, HEALTH & BEAUTY, puzzles, and more local features inside!

P20

S

pring is in the air, and with it, spring cleaning – not to mention fixing of storm damage from the past month.

The clocks go forward on Sunday 27th March and it’s nice to think the longer days are coming. Whether you’re cleaning inside and out, sorting the garden ready for spring, looking for ideas or needing repairs done, browse the pages of this edition to find businesses to help you with everything you need.

THIS ISSUE Local History: The Lang and Winding

Our local history feature looks at the history of the Lanark Road. Apparently Robbie Burns called it “Lang Whang, Lang Whang, Lang Bloody Whang” and he would likely have been very familiar with it, being the main road direct from Ayr to Edinburgh. The state of the roads is a perennial theme!

Whang......................................................................8

I hope you enjoy all our usual columns this month from our local contributors.

Thanks for reading Konect and supporting local businesses and organisations.

Wine Tasting: Ice or Fire?................................ 39

Health: Is it nearly spring yet?........................ 12 Local Environment: Great Crested Grebe..... 20 Money Matters: End of year tax planning..... 31 Local Lab: IndyLan............................................ 34 Puzzles..........................................................35 / 36 I love food: No sense of taste......................... 38 Clubs & Classes................................................. 46

COVER IMAGE: Spring promise

All enquiries, E: editor@konect.scot M: 07854 492638 @KonectMagazines

Konect is delivered monthly to homes in Balerno, Currie, Juniper Green, Baberton and Ratho. It is also available online: konect.scot/subscribe BALERNO | 3

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LOCAL HISTORY

THE LANG AND WINDING WHANG: The Lanark Road then and now

Little more than a dirt track for millenia, the route of the Lanark Road has seen plenty of action since prehistory, at times on the edge of momentus events.

In 1666, the Scottish Royal Army marched from Slateford to Currie past some landmarks familiar today, en route to the Battle of Rullion Green in the Pentland Hills.

From this massacre of Covenanter rebels, flashing forwards nearly three hundred years to the most recent war, the same route became a tar-covered road and was a navigational aid for bombers, with bomb craters to prove it.

Between these bookends of violence the Lanark Road has been a prosaic constant to local life. Change was slow. Until relatively recently the biggest worry tended to be the cost of keeping the road passable to foot traffic and pack animals.

From the 1700s major roads in Scotland were constructed as ‘toll roads’, paid for by the local landowners. Contractors were appointed for construction, and ‘roadmen’ employed for maintenance including shifting horse manure into piles in little stone laybys (since it was ‘laid by’ i.e. put aside to deal with later). Constant upkeep was needed, and just as now, budgets were always a concern. From the mid-1700s the road had improved to the point where wheeled carts could operate instead of just pack horses, thanks to a series of Turnpike Acts.

A toll had to be paid to use the Lanark Road, the sum depending on the goods and the wagon loads involved. There were stiff penalties for any who tried to evade paying dues by slipping through fields or along side roads. To stop such evasions, additional toll bars known as check-bars were often erected on these side roads. With improved surfaces came wagons carrying valuable freight, and so attacks by robbers increased.

One particularly colourful local character was Captain Will Baillie, known as the “Gentleman Gypsy”, a Romany skilled at disguise who often adopted the persona of an educated, rich man. Baillie was famous for gestures of generosity and care towards the poor, while helping himself with style to the money of the better-off.

Another kind of criminality was foiled by two stone breakers working on the Lang Whang, recorded as becoming suspicious of a load of straw driven by two other men.

Following the drivers into Jenny’s Inn they overheard conversation which confirmed their suspicions – there were corpses in the wagon, stolen from Lanark Graveyard! The criminals had hoped to sell the corpses to the medical school in Edinburgh, but were captured by the excise man at Balerno.

Currie Toll House

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By 1790 the whole Lanark Road had been completed and for the next fifty years it was a busy through route connecting the capital with the cotton mills of New Lanark.

In 1791 the minister of Currie parish wrote in glowing terms of the now-complete Lanark Road. He remarked that it was now possible for a single cart to carry 150 stones of hay in the charge of two horses and one man, where forty years earlier fifteen horses and seven men had been needed to transport the same load, as carts became bogged down in the mud if too heavily laden.

The minster reported with approval that stage coaches now ran twice a week between Edinburgh and Lanark, but he was not universally impressed with better transport links: “Till within these few years the people of this parish were sober, industrious and economical. The vices of the capital, however, are beginning to spread fast among them, and those baneful articles to the poor, tea and whisky, will soon produce that corruption of morals and debility of constitution which are already so severely felt in many parishes, and which must soon materially injure the real strength and population of Scotland.”

The toll points continued until quite late in the 19th century, and the first edition Ordnance Survey maps (of the 1850s) show their position - often chains over the road, and a wee bothie or house for the Toll Keeper or his employee to watch out and operate the barrier. We don’t know what accommodation the toll keeper in Currie had for the first 90 years, but in 1840 the toll house (pictured) was built, and it stood until the 1960s at the junction of Riccarton Mains Road and Lanark Road West. Today the position of the well serving the house is marked on the footpath.

A precursor of things to come appeared on the road north of Currie in the 1820s and 1830s – steam coaches! These puffing monsters polarised opinion, but the naysayers got the

upper hand with their claims that lives were endangered by the panic induced in passing horses. The perception of danger was so widespread that steam coaches were withdrawn throughout the Edinburgh region, to the great relief of stagecoach, canal and train operators.

As the railway network expanded through the 1840s there was a three-way fight between road, rail and canal transport. Many stage coach operators protested about the size of the toll dues they were forced to pay and were given reductions to allow them to stay in business. By 1847 one coach operator, James Waterston - who ran his service between his inn at Little Vantage and Edinburgh - was struggling. He reported that his coach had been off the road for six months due to the high cost of feeding his horses, but that if the road trustees would further cut his rates of toll per horse he might restart it.

Despite this, all coach services ceased shortly after the opening of the Caledonian Railway in February 1848. The railway effectively sidelined the road west of Balerno, the 20 mile section we call the “Lang Whang” which runs across high bleak moorland to Carnwath.

So as you’re driving along the Lanark Road in peak hour traffic spare a thought for our forbears. They contended with mud and potholes, footpads and occasionally soldiers, had the effort of a 1000 foot climb, and had to cajole their beasts all the way to distant Lanark!

Location of the Currie Toll House today

This article was written by Helen-Jane, editor of Konect magazines, and was first printed in Konect in 2011. Sources: Shaw, D (1989) The Balerno Branch and the Caley in Edinburgh, Oakwood Press. Balerno SWRI (1967) Balerno, the village and district. @KonectMagazines

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ASK YOUR PHARMACIST

Colinton Village Pharmacy’s TAM = TrulyAmazing Machine One snowy morning last January, at 5am, we took delivery of our ‘Pharmaself24’, that’s quite a mouthful so we call him TAM for short (Truly Amazing Machine). If you haven’t met him pop along to the pharmacy at 46a Bridge Road, Colinton Village and take a look!

If you have a regular, or one-off, prescription taken to the pharmacy, or collected by us from your GP, your medicines, prepared in the dispensary, can be collected from TAM any time, day or night, any day of the week. As soon as your medication is loaded into TAM, you receive a 6-digit pin code in a mobile phone message, this gives you access to collect from the machine. You can sign up for this service in the pharmacy or the ‘sign up’ button on the Colinton Village Pharmacy Facebook page or our website: colintonpharmacy.co.uk

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TAM was made in Italy, for a UK company - Hub&Spoke Innovations. He is a fantastic addition to our services, especially for lockdown, allowing people to collect their medicines without having to come into contact with others.

Or, family members, who can’t get to the pharmacy during opening hours, can pick up meds for you later…..or earlier.

We even had 9 pick-ups on Christmas Day .

The other big advantage is that our trained staff can spend more time usefully helping and advising patients about minor medical issues or referring them to one of our pharmacists for a consultation.

We really hope that the local community will fully benefit from this new technology, of course we hope you will still make full use of our services, inside the pharmacy, whenever you need them!

Colinton Village Pharmacy, 46a Bridge Road, Colinton, EH13 0LQ

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We are, technically, still in winter. Some seasons arrive early or late, though; it is worth noting how you really feel when transitioning from one season to the next. Are you ready for the growth and energy of spring, or are you still in cosy, sleepy winter mode?

Spring is just around the corner. Over the next month in nature, energy is released from the dormant phase of winter. Buds form, flowers start to push up between the fallen leaves, the days lengthen and warm up.

The spring is an excellent time of year to start something new, to be bold, creative, and spontaneous. You may remember back in February I mentioned that we might want to hold off on goal-setting. Why not spend these last few weeks of winter doing a little reflection before planning for a year that really meets your needs and aspirations?

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Try thinking of your year as beginning with the spring and ending with the winter, rather than basing your yearly cycle on calendar months…

Questions for reflection: • What went well last year? What would I like to build on, develop, or grow?

• What would I like to leave behind as I move forwards into this new year?

• What brings me joy and makes the most of what I have to offer the world?

This article was contributed by Linda Keys.

As a Seasonal Yoga teacher in the area, Linda tries to bring her life and classes into alignment with the rhythms of nature. See www.lindalovesyoga.co.uk 12 | BALERNO

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Caring for a loved one?

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LOCAL ENVIRONMENT

It’s nearly the time of year when Linlithgow Loch’s star attraction makes its appearance.

The great crested grebe can fly under the radar throughout winter when their plumage isn’t quite as striking as it will be soon. They morph from almost black and white to their spectacular breeding plumage with those bronze head feathers, and very impressive crest on top of their head.

They have an unusual and elegant courtship display, which is commonly referred to as a dance and involves lots of head bobbing, and shakes to show off that beautiful crest.

The grand finale is when they both dive down to gather some weeds before rushing across the water together. It doesn’t last long and can be hard to capture on camera, which is clearly evidenced by the fact I’m not sharing an image of this display!

Great crested grebe nests are built on the surface of the water, and as they aren’t always the most structurally sound they are very susceptible to flooding and if Spring is too wet then it can really impact the success 20 | BALERNO

of their breeding season. Their young are affectionately nicknamed “humbugs” due to their striped feather patterns, which you can be lucky enough to see as they catch a ride on their parents back, where it’s much warmer and safer than the cold water.

How can you spot them? Look for the photographers gathered in the corner of the loch, hoping to catch a shot of their wonderful courtship ritual.

This column is contributed by Clare Harte and Kate Stevenson, who grew up in Edinburgh and now live in West Lothian. Together they run Scottish Sisters Photography and travel around the country to watch and photograph amazing wildlife and scenic landscapes.

Follow them on Facebook @ScottishSistersPhotography @KonectMagazines

Claylands Cottage Cattery ...for contented cats

Established in May 2006, we provide first-class holiday accommodation for up to 35 feline guests.

Single and double cabins, as well as large cabins for families, each comprises an upper sleeping area (heated in winter) with an exercise run below.

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MONEY MATTERS

END OF YEAR TAX PLANNING From a tax point of view March is the most important month as it offers many tax opportunities which if not taken will be lost forever.

INDEPENDENT TAX PLANNING: Where one spouse pays a lower rate of tax it can be tax beneficial to transfer investments to the lower tax paying spouse to save income tax. Even better, if one spouse is a non-taxpayer and the other is a basic tax payer then the nontax payer can transfer 10% of their personal allowance to their spouse.

TAX EFFICIENT INVESTMENTS: With the current relatively high rates of income tax and capital gains tax it is most important for people to invest in the most tax efficient way. Everyone 16 years old and over can take out an Individual

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Savings Account (ISA). This is one of the best methods of investing with freedom from income tax and capital gains tax, but to still have access to your money. For this tax year the annual ISA allowance is £20,000. In addition, you can now transfer from an investment ISA to a cash ISA and vice-versa. If you do not use your ISA allowance it cannot be carried forward to a future tax year. Unfortunately, interest rates are at an all-time low and hence a cash ISA may not be appropriate at this time.

PENSIONS: If you pay tax at 40% any pension contribution will attract tax relief at 40% i.e. if you put £60 in the government will add another £40 giving you 67% return.

Even for a basic taxpayer the government will add £10 for every £40 you contribute, a return of 25%. Nowhere else can you get a guaranteed rate at this level.

The Money Matters column is contributed by Personal Money Management. This month’s article is by Dr Peter M Marshall.

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BALERNO | 33

LOCAL LAB

“How can you learn our language if you don’t know how we live?”

An innovative way of learning Gaelic, Scots, Cornish, Basque, Galician and Northern Saami has been developed by Heriot-Watt University, along with international partners across Europe.

These languages all have indigenous and endangered status, and “IndyLan” is a new mobile app which is freely available for anyone who wishes to learn more about these languages.

It contains more than 4,000 vocabulary items (terms and expressions) in about 100 categories, as well as phrases, dialogues, grammar, aural comprehension exercises and a dedicated culture tab.

This culture tab is what makes the app different from other language-learning tools.

The culture tab includes texts, music and images with information about festivals, sport, customs and practices, so that users are able to learn more about the heritage and culture of the people speaking the selected languages. Áile Javo, the Secretary General of the Saami Council, a partner in the project, has stated “How can you learn our language if you don’t know how we live?” Languages do not exist in a vacuum; they exist and they develop in societies with real people, landscapes and ecologies. It’s important to know this context, which is why the project is emphasising the culture and heritage aspect in language revitalisation.

Our vision is for the IndyLan app to contribute to endangered language learning and revitalisation so that these languages remain alive and relevant in contemporary societies and economies.

The project has received excellent feedback from users so far, particularly because for some of these languages there is a lack of resources that are freely available, or easy to use.

Dr Philip McDermott, external evaluator to the project and Senior Lecturer at the University of Ulster, has stated: “This app is more than just a technological piece of software. It’s a showcase of the vibrancy of each of these languages, their role as part of the cultural wealth of Europe, their role within landscapes and the environment. We must ensure that this a growing project that will continue to have an impact.”

The IndyLan app is funded by the EU and is free to download on iOS or Google Play. For more information, visit indylan.eu This article was contributed

by Dr Katerina Strani, IndyLan project co-ordinator at Heriot-Watt Universtiy. For more infoirmation please contact her at A.Strani@hw.ac.uk

IndyLan includes a wide range of material from complete beginners to more advanced level, so it’s suitable for both learners and competent speakers who need a refresher. It’s easy and fun to use. Users choose the language they speak and the language they wish to learn more about.

Then they choose a category, and they navigate through the different tabs in an intuitive way.

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PUZZLE

Solution in the April edition of Konect

MARCH CROSSWORD

ACROSS: 1. Money (4), 3. Used in board game (5,3), 9. Scold severely (7), 10. Electronic post (5), 11. Young cabbage plants (6,6), 14. To allow (3), 16. Type of drum (5), 17. Joint (3), 18. Seen in a rink (6-6), 21. Violent disturbances (5), 22. Stabbing weapon (7), 23. Supporting column (8), 24. Popular sport (4).

DOWN: 1. Advises (8), 2. Serious (5), 4. Stowed away (3), 5. Lock picks (8,4), 6. Loyal (7), 7. Story (4), 8. Eats its own kind (12), 12. Doomed (5), 13. Alcoholic appetiser (8), 15. Twice as much (7), 19. South American dance (5), 20. Hold tightly (4), 22. Type of snake (3).

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PUZZLE

MARCH SUDOKU

The crossword puzzle can be found on page 35. See page 46 for solutions.

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I  FOOD

How much of your day has to do with food? Thinking about it, buying it, preparing it, fretting about the fats or carbs in it, savouring it, dealing with leftovers, daydreaming about more food … I realised a long time ago that I was fairly consumed with what I consumed! Some people eat to survive. For others, like me, thoughts of breakfast get us out of bed in the morning!

No sense of taste I haven’t been infected with Covid-19. That is, I don’t think I have been! And if I had, I imagine there would have been worse symptoms to deal with than losing my sense of taste.

Still, it’s not a happy thought. Before Christmas a friend got hit with the virus. One day her Facebook post read: I have lost my sense of taste! What if it doesn’t come back in time for Christmas dinner?! I can understand her concern.

Although love for what we eat can involve all of our senses, I think everyone would agree that it’s primarily about taste! That’s why producers of vegan and vegetarian meals work so hard to make them taste like beef burgers, or enchiladas or chicken tikka masala.

I can appreciate the artistry of a beautifully decorated cake. But if that cake is dry and tastes primarily of sugar, I’m not interested.

Many people love the smell of coffee, but hate the taste! So a person’s eyes and nose could tell them they’ll love the piece of cake and cup of coffee they’ve been served. But if their taste buds are not equally delighted, they will push them away.

When I think about what I was taught in school about taste buds, I remember learning that different areas of the tongue detect whether a food is salty, sweet, sour or bitter. But that particular teaching has now been debunked.

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Apparently, any of these tastes can be picked up by receptors anywhere on the tongue.

The more shocking thing about my education: I do not recall hearing that there is a fifth taste known as umami. Did anyone else miss this?!

Because this term, which sounds like ‘ooh, mommy’, seems to be cropping up a lot these days, I consulted google. I discovered it means ‘savoury’ and is commonly associated with cooked meats and broth. Other foods with strong umami flavour include cheese, tomatoes, shellfish, soy sauce and mushrooms.

I’m still shaking my head. How come I’ve only just learned this? I could understand if it was identified as one of the five basic tastes fairly recently. But a Japanese chemist coined the word in 1908! And I’m sure I went to school after that.

Sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami. Hmm. Which one is the odd one out? I think we need an English translation for umami! Considering it has been defined as ‘deliciousness’, and so that it will sound something like the original word, I suggest we call it ‘ooh, baby’.

What do you think?

I FOOD is contributed by Suzanne Green.

Suzanne, a freelance writer/editor, lives in Balerno and writes regularly for Konect.

She is married to Andy and they have two adult daughters. @KonectMagazines

WINE TASTING

The clocks ‘spring forward’ this month and thoughts turn longer days and warmer weather. Vine growers across Europe will be holding their breath as the delicate shoots and buds that form flowers and eventually clusters of grapes start to emerge.

Spring 2021 was a disastrous season for growers and wine makers across Europe when hundreds of vineyards were caught out by a sudden severe frost and three days of subzero temperatures. Unlike a brewery or distillery, wine makers have one shot at a vintage and a wine maker can only make good wine from good grapes.

Growers have a few tricks they can employ in the vineyard to prevent frost damage. Growers can warm the air with anti-frost candles, small fires and smudge pots lit between the rows of vines. Or in a surprising move, growers might

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choose to spray water over the emerging shoots and buds, encasing them in a protective jacket of ice.

This month I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for better weather in Europe and support French growers by drinking delicious, chilled Chablis. Chablis produced using Chardonnay grapes is less rich and round than what you’ll find in California or Australia. Instead, Chablis is austere, unoaked with crisp apple notes, mineral purity (think of wet flagstones) and citrus. The limestone soil in the Chablis region is key to this unique flavour profile. Chablis is the perfect partner to seafood, grilled chicken salads and warmer spring weather.

Cheers!

The monthly wine tasting column is contributed by Joanne Frette. Joanne lives in Juniper Green with her husband and three children. For wine recommendations, reviews and details of future tasting events, please go to swirlsipsocialise.com

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THE

COMMUNITY CHEST - LATEST GRANTS

Funds for the Community Chest are provided annually by the Rotary Club of Currie Balerno and Balerno Village Trust with support from CALA Homes.

The scheme started in December 2017 and since then 97 applications have been submitted from organisations and schools in Balerno, Currie, Juniper Green, Kirknewton, Ratho, Wester Hailes, Longstone and Colinton. Grants are awarded in June and December each year.

Grants awarded in December 2021 were: • Currie Football Club - for girls’ football goals, balls, bibs and cones • Balerno Parish Church - for lights for the Church community tree, to be combined with the village Christmas lights • Youth Vision - towards building a forge for metal working, for the design and creation of their own branded jumpers, and for facilitating a dry stone dykeing course • Pentland Mens’ Shed - to purchase an insurance-compliant dust extraction system and to adapt a standard vacuum cleaner into a portable duct filtration system

the purchase of two Electricity Kit Classpacks, to aid an understanding of electricity for Primary 3-7 children

• Currie Community High School Breakfast Club equipment to enable the offer of free breakfast to students • Pentland Environmental Network, Fruit Tree Project - for the purchase and planting of five rootstock apple trees in a local residential green space to test the feasibility of more green spaces becoming productive for community benefit – purchase of trees, stakes and tree guards.

Further grants will be considered in June based upon applications submitted by 31st May. Information about the Community Chest is available on the Rotary website at www.cbrotary.org and the Balerno Village Trust website at www.balernovt.org.uk

• Nether Currie Primary School – for This article is contributed by the Rotary Club of Currie Balerno, see www.cbrotary.org @KonectMagazines

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Ravelrig RDA:

A new charity shop, events and introducing “Gus” Everyone associated with the Stables knows how much our horses and ponies are loved.

It is therefore very exciting that we have a new 4-legged member join the Ravelrig Family.

Barbara recently returned from a trip up north with a 20 month old Cob called Angus. He has settled down very well here at the Stables, and is much loved – so much so that we call him ‘Gus’.

The plan is that he will soon get the chance to be integrated with the other ponies and then come the Autumn, will start his training to become an RDA pony that will take him 5 years to complete.

Gus

This article was contributed by Ravelrig RDA, 21 Ravelrig Gait, Balerno. Ravelrig Riding for the Disabled is a registered charity, number SC 028670.

The Barn Charity Shop - We have been so lucky to have a number of people who regularly donate items to the Stables. So plenty has this been that we have decided to give a new fundraising venture a try. We have set up the charity Shop inside the Big Barn on the Stables site. Thank you to everyone who has donated items from furniture pieces, to clocks, china and crystal and bric-a-brac. The shop will be open most Saturdays and you are welcome to see what we have. Some of the items we will advertise on the various social platforms, but mainly our Ravelrig RDA website.

FUNDRAISING EVENTS:

Car boot sales - Sunday 5 June, Sunday 17 July, and Sunday 4 Sept (provisional dates).

If anyone would like to register their interest and to take part in any of these events, please email fundraising@ravelrig-rda.org.uk or call the Stables on 0131 449 7994.

Book sale - We are looking forward to seeing you all at the Gyle on the weekend of Saturday 2nd & 3rd April. Our sincere thanks goes to Liz Sim, who has sorted through hundreds of donated books, into different genres ready for transporting to the sale. @KonectMagazines

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SOLUTIONS

SPORTS, HOBBIES, LEARNING, SUPPORT GROUPS & MORE...

EH FITNESS - We offer a range of exercise and strength focused classes suitable for all fitness levels. We offer low impact, Pre & Post Natal and strength & conditioning as a speciality. We offer Personal Training and are Qualified nutritionists and fat loss coaches. To view our 16 classes per week head to eh-fitness.co.uk or download our FREE APP ‘EH Fitness Edinburgh’.

SEASONAL, PREGNANCY, AND POST-NATAL YOGA CLASSES in your area with Linda Keys - My classes are genuinely inclusive of all bodies and levels of experience. They can support you in getting in harmony with the seasons, and help bring a sense of balance and connection. Please see my website for up-to-date class info, and use the contact form if you have any questions about beginning or returning to a yoga practice. www.lindalovesyoga.co.uk PILATES, YOGA, STRENGTH & FITNESS CLASSES - AT PRIME SPORTS PHYSIOTHERAPY & PILATES - Large timetable of classes for all abilities, led by instructors who use their expertise and care to support well-being and challenge fitness.

Classes are held upstairs in our welcoming Pilates & Yoga studio and downstairs in our gym at 46a Bavelaw Road, Balerno. Please visit: www.primesportsphysio. co.uk to book classes. Email: hello@primesportsphysio.co.uk for more info.

PiYo - Yoga + Pilates + Non-stop Movement = Stretch + Strengthen + Sweat! All in ONE workout!! All abilities welcome. Live! Classes Tuesday 9am Balerno Scout Hall.

Virtual! Classes (Zoom) - Monday & Wednesday 19:30.

For further details see Facebook. com/HeidiMacdonaldFitness PARACISE - Low-intensity, gentle exercise class (45 min) with NO floor work. Suits those who

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SOLUTION TO FEBRUARY CROSSWORD

find regular fitness classes too demanding, or those returning to exercise. Wednesday @ 10:45 in Balerno Scout Hall. For further details see Facebook.com/ HeidiMacdonaldFitness or email heidi.instructor@gmail.com

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BALERNO ART CLUB - This club suits children who thrive by being creative and individual.

Online learning will focus on technique, pencil work and colour.

Outdoor classes will be a visual appreciation of colour, depth and nature through pencil and other mixed media like watercolours.

We encourage individuality and celebrating being your own true artist. First class is a FREE trial.

E: balernoartclub@gmail.com T: 07591990020 Instagram: @annieandcarasonlineclasses

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BALERNO DANCE FITNESS - This class suits children who like to be active, whilst having fun. Online learning will focus on musicality and learning dance routines to your the children’s favourite music within the comfort of your own home. Outdoor Dance Fitness can enjoy the benefits of having more space outdoors in nature, whilst learning Dance Fitness routines together as a group. First class is a FREE trial.

E: balernoartclub@gmail.com T: 07591990020 Instagram: @annieandcarasonlineclasses

To include your Club or Class, please email details, up to 75 words, to editor@konect.scot Not-for-profit groups are FREE. There is a small charge for businesses.

See www.konect.scot for information.

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ACROSS: 1. Majesty, 5. Basil, 8. Sprinkler, 9. Arc, 10. Sabre, 12. Outpost, 13. Flamethrowers, 15. Dukedom, 17. Exams, 19. Ego, 20. Elevation, 22.

Yield, 23 Strayed.

DOWN: 1. Masks, 2. Jar, 3. Sincere, 4. Yellowhammers, 5. Beret, 6. Soap opera, 7. Locates, 11. Black hole, 13. Fidgety, 14. Open-air, 16. Dread, 18. Synod, 21. Ivy.

SOLUTION TO SUDOKU ON PAGE 36

Disclaimer: The publisher cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage caused by error in the printing of an advertisement.

We do not endorse any advertisers in this publication. All material is accepted for publication on the understanding it is copyright free. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior consent of the publisher.

Publisher: Lothian Publications Ltd. Geddes House, Kirkton North, Livingston, West Lothian EH54 6GU. Magazine Design: Alan Stewart t/a Universal Appeal M: 07729 911858 E: alan@universal-appeal.com

@KonectMagazines