Konect Balerno September 2022

SEPTEMBER 2022

LOCAL HISTORY:

HEALTH: SPOTLIGHT:

P8

W

Welcome to the September issue of Konect.

If you take the A71 towards Livingston, you’ll drive past the ornate gateway to what used to be Hatton House, near the turning for Linburn Road.

In their original location on the eastern avenue approach to the Hatton estate, these gates saw royalty and dignitaries pass through to what was one of the grandest homes in Scotland in its 17th century heyday. See the history article on pages 8-9.

New yoga and meditation classes are available in the unique setting of the Dhammapadipa Temple at Slateford. The Bhuddist community there are keen to welcome local people to benefit from their low-cost, high quality classes. I visited last month to see the recent renovations at the temple and find out what they are offering, see the article on page 13 We also have a couple of spotlight features on local businesses this month, as well as all our usual regular columns. I hope you enjoy the magazine - as ever, I love to hear what you think!

THIS ISSUE Local History: Hatton House, the grandest of them all................................................................8 Health: Meditation at the Temple.................. 13 Health: What we now know about osteoarthritis........................................................ 14 Wine: Cranachan Pairing................................. 16 I  food: The great outdoors......................... 18 Spotlight: Responsible Recycling................. 25 Local Environment: Mams knows best........ 29 Money Matters: What is risk/volatility?.......... 37 Clubs & Classes: Pentland Probus Club.... 38 Puzzles.................................................................. 38 What’s On............................................................. 40

COVER IMAGE: Summer starting to fade.

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

These days you don’t need Mons Meg, the giant cannon now at the top of Edinburgh Castle, to gain access to the site of Hatton House from the A71. But in 1453 King James II accompanied his massive flagship weapon here to besiege Hatton in order to evict clan Douglas followers, in a tale of regal plotting, murder and revenge...

At that time “Haltoun” was a massive L-shaped tower house with walls 3 metres thick, owned by the Lauder family, built by Alan de Lauder in 1377. With tensions rising between King James II and the Douglases, Sir William Lauder of Haltoun was a confidant of both the King and the 8th Earl of Douglas. The King summoned the Earl of Douglas to Stirling Castle in 1452, and Lauder was the King’s personal messenger sent to escort the Earl. When the King murdered Douglas there (the infamous Black Dinner) Haltoun Tower was seized by outraged Douglas followers and during the struggle Sir William Lauder was killed. The king personally led the seige to take Haltoun Tower back. Crown accounts of the time refer to the cost of transporting “the great bombard” (Mons Meg) and go on to list costs for stone cannon balls, javelins and arrows, the construction of a movable hut to protect the quarrymen hewing

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their way through the walls and all the trappings of a well fitted-out siege.

Hatton remained in the Lauder family until 1653. It was a significant local stronghold and the Lauders were an important family who played their part in current affairs. During the reign of Mary Queen of Scots, the 4th Earl of Bothwell was, it seems, “favourable to the laird of Haltowne;” and it was in his house that he slept on the night of 23rd April 1567, before his abduction of the Queen.

In 1653 the Hatton estate passed into the hands of Charles Maitland, later the 3rd Earl of Lauderdale, who had married into the Lauder family, and he began to transform it from a crude fortified tower into a magnificent country house. Around the ancient tower house he added wings and turrets. He also started remodelling the grounds on a lavish scale, turning it into one of the most elegant country estates of the time. He held high office in the Scottish Parliament and was appointed Master General of the Scottish Coinage in 1661. He took the opportunity to run three large-scale coinage frauds and used treasury funds to create his impressive new estate. @KonectMagazines

Besides the coinage frauds, which came to light in a judicial enquiry in 1682, he was suspected in 1689 of acting “contirar to the government” of William III and sent to prison.

Hatton House was searched for “cannon, armes and amonutione.” Six muskets and cannon were found, confiscated and taken to Edinburgh Castle.

Proven ill-gotten gains don’t seem to have had consequences for the Hatton estate.

A 16th century visitor to Hatton wrote that “there is no residence in the Lothians west of Edinburgh to compare with Hatton House save Hopetoun.” By this time it had over fifty bedrooms and stabling for seventy horses on grounds of 240 acres. By the early years of the eighteenth century, Hatton was one of the noblest residences in all Scotland. The top of the original tower was a balustraded viewing platform commanding views of the surrounding countryside and hills. The main approach to the house was via a mile-long grand avenue from the east and was lined by a double row of oaks, beeches and limes. There was a large walled garden, bowling green, formal rose garden, and terraced area in front of the house and beyond it a “wilderness” complete with an artificial lake.

The fifth Earl of Lauderdale was titled Lord Ravelrig, having lived at Ravelrig for a while before inheriting Hatton. The Maitland family residence at Hatton ended in 1792 when it was sold by the 8th Earl. The property changed hands many times. It was purchased in 1797

by Mr James Gibson (afterwards Sir James Gibson-Craig, Baronet of Riccarton), who broke up the estate and sold it off in portions for speculative gain. The house itself went to Rev., Dr. Thomas Davidson for £14,000.

The Renaissance gateway, which can be seen today on the A71 near the intersection with Linburn Road, was originally located half-way along the main eastern approach avenue to Hatton House. The date ANNO DOM 1692 is

engraved on the keystone of the arch. It was moved to its current location on the Edinburgh road by Captain Davidson in 1829 (that date is also engraved on it). The upper part of the antique ornamental ironwork of this gateway is said to have been wrought by one of the Earls who enjoyed ironwork - the Eastern Pavilion of Hatton House was known as Lord Lauderdale’s Forge, where tradition has it one of the Earls had a forge.

The house had several owners over the years and many famous visitors. Until, on the evening of 25th February 1952 the owner returning from Edinburgh found the house had mysteriously caught fire. The roof and upper floor were completely destroyed, while the other floors were extensively damaged by water.

The Evening Dispatch of 26th February said, “One portion after another of the house, which contained four floors, was involved in the blaze, until there was no part of the building which was free from the flames.”

The ruins were taken down and the stones removed to various unknown locations; the estate was sold off in pieces. All that remains today are two corner pavilions, some of the walls and of course the Western Gate on the A71.

Despite some decline in its last decades before the 1952 fire, Hatton House was one of the most spectacular of grand Scottish homes from its founding in the 14th century through murder, fraud, royal favours and clan battles to the sad romantic remains of today.

This article was written by Helen-Jane Gisbourne, using the following sources: Hatton House A Lost National Treasure by John Scott, Currie and District Local History Society; www.rathohistory.co.uk; Bank of Scotland: a history, 1695 – 1995 by Richard Saville. First published in Konect in 2011.

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AT T HE TE M P L E

(feel awesome or your money back)

In the past couple of years you may have noticed the pink building between the canal and railway bridge on the Slateford Road undergoing some renovations.

The building is the Dhammapadipa Temple, Edinburgh’s Thai Buddhism Temple, and like many organisations they took advantage of the pandemic downtime to carry out some changes as well as supporting people in need in the city during that time.

And, with renovations complete, the doors are still open. Specifically, they recently started offering guided meditation and yoga classes which are accessible to all in the local community.

"More monks have come across from Thailand to be based here, so that we can expand our community involvement, and so that whenever someone rings the doorbell, there will be someone here to answer it,” explains Kachen Gerdphol, Chairperson of The Dhammapadipa Temple. During the pandemic, they were supporting people in various ways, running a food bank and hot food deliveries to those isolating. They realised there was a need and an interest for them to expand their community involvement.

Offering the meditation sessions, guided by their head monk Ajarn Praset, was the first step, and the yoga classes were soon added.

“People are dealing with a lot of stress and anxiety at present. We want to be an accessible resource that the local community can use for wellbeing support,” explains Kachen.

The Temple opened here in 2005 after the tsumani in Thailand, as a charity to help the Thai community. It developed a broader remit, supporting @KonectMagazines

people with their mental health, those suffering domestic abuse, and to provide guidance to the Buddhism community. Now, they have broadened their support further, and have plans to offer other accessible well-being services to the wider community.

The temple is a beautiful environment in which you can access high quality meditation and yoga tuition at a not-for-profit rate, in a unique setting. All classes are run at low cost to make them affordable to as many people as possible, and they take place in the Temple’s peaceful and spacious main room, which was renovated during the pandemic to be a welcoming space for all.

The classes have been very well-received so far: Such a wonderful venue and everyone was so welcoming. Can't believe how quickly the time flew in during the class. Lovely, so lovely.” Sarah from Dalry, meditation session.

Totally loved the venue, teacher and yoga session” Tracy from Slateford, yoga class.

This is my second class at the temple and it has really helped me focus and relax. I sleep so much better now” Helen from Colinton, meditation session.

It was exactly what I needed..conditioning, but also to destress..the class went really quickly and you could take variations to suit” Leigh from Colinton, yoga class.

If you would like to attend meditation or yoga, you will be made most welcome. For more information and to book, please visit: www.dhammapadipa.com The Dhammapadipa Temple, 199 Slateford Road, Edinburgh, EH14 1LA Tel.: 0131 443 1010 This article was written by Helen-Jane after visting Dhammapadipa Temple. Helen-Jane is the editor of Konect magazines.

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HEALTH

What we now know about

Osteoarthritis

A wise head of department used to regularly tell us young clinicians not to assume anything – always check. If you “Assume” and get it wrong, “it will make an ASS out of U and ME” was his favourite saying. This is a lesson I have never forgotten. It is always worth keeping up to date with the latest research, even on subjects that you assume could not possibly change.

For decades Osteoarthritis (OA) has been thought of as a “wear and tear” condition and this makes intuitive sense. Older people get arthritic joints because they have loaded their joints more than younger people. The cartilage lining of bone gets worn away as we get older leading to joint changes and, in some cases, joint replacement surgery is needed. It also seems reasonable that runners, or those who are overweight, will wear out their joints faster as the joint has had more load to carry. Over the years this has become accepted fact. We now know this is completely wrong.

Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disease in the world, affecting 10% of men and 18% of women over the age of 60. The risk of developing OA does increase with age, but recent research points towards it being a far more complex condition than simply time wearing an older joint out. For instance, there is no correlation between the pain a patient reports from an OA joint and the extent of bony changes seen on x-ray. Studies show clearly that runners have a lower incidence of painful OA knees than sedentary people. Overweight people get OA in their hand joints just as often as their hips or knees leading to one researcher declaring that “obese people do not walk on their hands” – other factors must play a part in developing OA. 14 | BALERNO

It is normal for all the cells in our body to be replaced by new ones. For instance, bone cells are regularly replaced so that we get a completely new skeleton every 10 years. It is now thought to be more accurate to think of OA as being caused by a suppression of the restoration of normal tissue. The normal processes to repair and renew joint tissues are not as good as they should be – they are slower and the new tissue formed is not of such good quality. This leads to changes in the protective cartilage at bone ends and the joint space becomes narrower. Both are typical signs of OA in a joint.

We now know that the process of restoring tissues can be improved by exercise but can be made worse by inflammation, obesity and low physical activity. OA joints like exercises, and the knee joint particularly likes the cyclical loading of walking or jogging. If you have been told you have OA - keep active to keep your joints happy. Physiotherapy can help give you the most appropriate exercises to help your particular OA joint pain. Please do not assume that rest is best for an OA joint.

The health column is contributed by McNaughton Physiogrange, Edinburgh www.physiogrange.co.uk @KonectMagazines

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WINE TASTING

One of my favourite desserts is Cranachan.

Fresh raspberries with generous amounts of whipped cream, toasted oats, honey and a splash of whisky. I add a little extra texture with crunchy meringue pieces!

This decadent, Scottish dessert is often served at weddings and dinner parties. So, what wine should you pair Cranachan with?

First of all, avoid sticky, sweet, cloying wines which are too heavy and will quickly overwhelm your palate. The delicate, fresh flavour of raspberry and honey will be swamped and lost.

Leave those sticky wines for another day.

I recommend Prosecco Rose! The bubbly Prosecco keeps the palate clean and refreshed. The delicate hint of soft, ripe red fruit in the rose suggests sweetness but the wine is actually dry and the acidity and structure allows the dessert to take center stage!

Prosecco Rose is great value and can be found at pocket friendly prices in the wine aisles of supermarkets and merchants.

Prosecco can only be produced from 100% Glera, a delicate white grape grown in the Prosecco DOC region of northern Italy.

It was only in May 2020 that Pinot Nero was allowed to be added to Glera to make Prosecco Rose. Prosecco Rose was first Introduced to the UK in November 2020 and its popularity continues to grow. It may not be the obvious choice to pair with a dessert, but I urge you to give it a go.

This evening I think I may skip the main course and go straight to dessert! 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 16 | BALERNO

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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!

The taste of the great outdoors My husband and I recently returned from a hiking holiday on the Cornwall Coast Path.

If you’ve read The Salt Path, you may think we survived on chips, pasties and fudge.

Thankfully, we didn’t have to do that.

We’re a camping family. So I learned a long time ago that meals don’t have to come out of tins. In fact, once I’d learned how to use a camp stove, I enjoyed cooking foods I had never bought back home. We had our first artichoke while camping in France. There I had the time to experiment with something new.

I boiled the artichoke and melted some butter.

When it was done, we took turns breaking off leaves and dipping them. I thought it was delicious; the other three said it was a lot of work for little reward.

Still, it was fun returning home and telling my friends about the artichoke - some of them had assumed we’d lived on baked beans for two weeks! The truth is that getting out in the countryside often means you get access to lovely fresh produce, dairy products and meat.

And fresh fish and seafood if you’re near the coast. Everything tastes better when it’s cooked and eaten outside!

On our Cornwall backpack we had a few restaurant meals. Usually we cooked - on the teeniest one-burner stove imaginable. We were much more limited in what we could prepare than when we camped with the family. Hubby made us tasty cheesy pasta, adding smoked 18 | BALERNO

sausage or tuna, and introduced me to some surprisingly good freeze-dried meals.

When we were newlyweds on our first backpack I had a cooking disaster. In the small campsite shop I’d managed to buy tins of cooked beef, potatoes and vegetables. My husband wasn’t at the tent when I returned, so I hunted for his pocket knife. I knew there was some sort of can opener on it, though I had no idea how to use it. I’d have to figure it out.

When he returned, my husband was happy that dinner was underway. He stirred the stew and then, in an alarmed voice, called out, “Are you trying to kill us?!”

I peered into the pan, noticing bits of metal in there with the bubbling mixture of meat and vegetables. I really did not know how to use a pocket knife to remove lids.

I cried. My new husband said, “It was a great effort! Let’s throw it out and go to the pub for fish and chips”.

I’ve learned a bit about camping and cooking since then.

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

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The reason recycling is so important is that it prevents pollution, reduces the need to harvest new raw materials, saves energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, saves money, reduces the amount of waste that ends up in landfills, and allows products to be used to their fullest extent.

The world’s natural resources at finite, and some are in very short supply. At a fundamental level, recycling paper and wood can save trees and forests; recycling placstic means creating less new plastic; recyling metals means there’s less need for mining; and recycling glass reduces the use of new raw materials like sand. Of course, the reality is much more complex, but the fundamental process is valid nonetheless. Metals, for instance, are repeatedly recycled, while maintaining most or all of their properties.

YourJunk takes great pride in being a good waste solution for the environment. With all waste uplifted, over 98% of all waste is recycled. Our goal is to get as close to 100% as possible. We sort through all waste types to be as green as possible, letting our customers know, we always put the environment first, safely.

With every waste uplift, there’s more to the process than taking away from the property.

The longest part is done away from premises - sorting all the materials so that they can be recycled. We sort everything out, to maximise the changes everything being put to the right recycling centre.

After any uplift, we sort through and then take to our registered recycling centre so it gets disposed of in the correct manner.

loads, YourJunk can assist with every type of waste. Cardboard, wood, metal, lead, brass, copper - an endless list....we make sure everything is recycled responsibly. If it can be thrown out, it can be picked up by YourJunk.

Waste is our own personal responsibilty so even if you get someone to come and uplift your rubbish, it’s not them that’s liable, it’s you the customer, as it’s your waste. This is why it’s very important to use a registed waste carrier to make sure that you don’t receive a fine, which can be up in the region of £5,000.

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LOCAL ENVIRONMENT

The desire to help wildlife comes naturally to many of us and quite frequently you read stories about baby deer or hare found in the long grass at this time of year, which understandably makes us think perhaps they’ve been abandoned.

What’s usually happened is Mum has gone off to feed, leaving her offspring where she believes is safe and somewhere she’ll return to in just a few hours. It’s quite normal and at this time of year you may find a little leveret (a baby hare) hiding in what seems like the most unusual place. A lot of fields have been cut back for silage now we’re through the bird nesting season so the hares are more obvi-ous than before and your attention will likely be drawn to a small little brown fur ball with its ears tucked back, thinking its invisible.

The best thing to do is leave it where you found it but if you can, keep an eye on the situation from a safe distance and if it really seems like Mum hasn’t returned then you could consider calling the SSP-CA for advice. @KonectMagazines

This hare is probably the youngest one I’ve seen and was thankfully quite tolerant.

If you do want something to make you go “awww” then I suggest googling a young leveret because they are quite frankly adorable and will absolutely put a big smile on your face, which is why nature therapy is so wonderful!

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.

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The ingredients for a successful trades business:

Taylor Talks TRADES “I’m a people person. I like hearing people’s stories, and sharing mine.”

Jamie Taylor of Taylor Roofs is talking about his new podcast, “Taylor Talks Trades.” Now into its 11th episode, it’s a goldmine of insights into the minds of the founders of some leading local trades businesses.

“I’d been thinking about doing a podcast for a long time. One of the reasons initially was that I wanted to show people what’s possible when you get into the trades,” says Jamie.

“We’re dealing with a skills shortage affecting the roofing industry and other trades, so I want to show school leavers as well as older people considering a career change, what can be achieved.”

It’s already developed into a lot more than this.

Jamie’s guests so far have been owners of local businesses including roofing, landscape gardening, stone masonry, groundworks and cleaning, to name a few. They all took different and sometimes unconventional routes to where they are now - running successful trades businesses, employing teams of people, and pushing their limits in personal and professional development. There’s one whose mum wouldn’t speak to him for year when he threw in the chance to pursue a career as an architect to work in the trades instead (she now works in his business and couldn’t be prouder); there’s the apprentice machinist who worked in three or four different sectors including recruitment, before finding his niche in landscape gardening; and many other stories.

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Jamie’s own route into running Taylor Roofs, which now employs around 30 staff, was one that he forged entirely by himself in the face of a lot of external pressures and now runs alongside his wife Kelly. The podcast is a treasury of inspirational stories and insights into businessowners’ mindset and outlook that you otherwise rarely get a chance to see.

Podcast guests share the lows as well as the highs. It can often be lonely running a business.

“It’s easy to get down, but when you take the time to look around at what you’ve achieved, you realise how far you’ve come. The podcast is about sharing that, it’s to be motivational. It’s going to be tough out there anyway, so let’s put some fun into it while we’re at it,” says Jamie.

While the podcast focuses on trades, much of the experiences and insights that are coming out are common to many business owners and Jamie is considering a series on other sectors too. “I don’t have a specific agenda for the podcast though. The YouTube channel builds trust in my brand if customers want to watch it before employing us. So it’s a brilliant way to connect with an audience.

But, I’m doing it simply because it feels like a good thing to do and people are enjoying it.”

Find “Taylor Roofs” channel on YouTube to watch Taylor Talks Trades. @KonectMagazines

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MONEY MATTERS

WHAT IS RISK/VOLATILITY? The word risk, even within the narrow scope of investing, can be viewed in many different ways. One distinction we can make is between “investor risk” and “investment risk”.

“Investor risk” can be described as the possibility of not being able to match your future outgoings with the savings and /or investment pot you’ve accumulated for this purpose.

“Investment risk” is different: it describes the fluctuations in value of a portfolio over time.

For many investors, the main concern is loss of capital. While this is applicable in the case of highly concentrated investments, such as a few stocks or shares, it is less applicable in the case of a diversified portfolio. Here, the risk of total loss is spread across each of

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a large number of investments. This means that instead of looking solely at potential loss, we focus on the predictability of expected returns. We measure this predictability using volatility.

What is volatility? Volatility is used as an indicator of risk. It measures the uncertainty or changeability of an investment, and by how much the returns of that investment can be expected to vary over time (known in statistical terms as the “standard deviation”).

The greater an investment’s volatility, the wider the range of returns and therefore the riskier the investment.

Using an Independent Financial Adviser, he or she will be able to construct a diverse portfolio with a volatility to match the risk you are willing to take.

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

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PUZZLES

Pentland Probus Club

SEPTEMBER CROSSWORD

Probus Clubs were originally founded for retired Rotarians to maintain social connections, but have long since become standalone clubs with a wider membership both nationally and worldwide. There are several in Edinburgh and the Lothians.

Since formation in 1982 the Pentland club has provided a social meeting point on Wednesday mornings for retired or semiretired men in the city area along the Lanark road from Balerno though Currie and Juniper Green to Colinton. The original twice monthly speaker meetings soon led to informal coffee mornings on all other Wednesdays and are well supported.

^^^ Solution in the October edition of Konect ACROSS: 1. In addition (4), 3. Greets (8), 9. Painful condition (7), 10. Childminder (5), 11. Developments (12), 14. Appropriate (3), 16. Braid hair (5), 17. Winter sport (3), 18. Purposefully (12), 21 Time-piece (5), 22 Distinctive (7), 23 Moving very fast (8), 24. Questions (4).

DOWN: 1. From the United States (8), 2. Tantrum (5), 4. Used for seeing (3), 5. Condensed (12), 6. Parts of an hour (7), 7. Speaks (4), 8. Talented (12), 12 Delete (5), 13. Two wheeled vehicles (8), 15. Rigid support frame (7), 19 Departs (5), 20. In debt (4), 22. Male child (3).

^^^ Sudoku solution on page 42

SEPTEMBER SUDOKU

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All meetings start from 10.00am and last up to two hours. Our speaker programme runs from September to May on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month at Juniper Green Parish Church Hall. A wide selection of speakers cover subjects of general and local interest over Autumn and Spring sessions which usually include a morning outing and close with a lunch.

Of equal attraction to members are our informal coffee mornings at the Kinleith Mill, Juniper Green – each Wednesday throughout the year other than speaker events. Membership with varied past careers and different pastimes and enthusiasms makes for lively wide ranging discussion over the coffee and biscuits.

The new programme of speakers starts on Wednesday 7th September with a presentation “The Falklands War” by Brigadier Ian Gardiner.

This will be followed on Wednesday 21st September with “Boots on the Ground” – an illustrated talk by Tom Wood.

If you have a free Wednesday morning why not drop in to see us – you will be welcomed at any of our meetings. Full details of membership can be provided by Secretary Leslie Hannaford (0131 453 3012). @KonectMagazines

@KonectMagazines

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RECIPE

Decorated with edible flowers The surprising inclusion of watercress adds a deliciously peppery note to the vanilla flavour of this light cake. Teamed with a cool cream cheese frosting, this cake will go down a treat with children and grown-ups alike.

Ingredents:

• 125g watercress • 285ml sunflower oil • 325g caster sugar • 5 medium eggs • 375g self-raising flour • 2 tsp vanilla extract

For the frosting:

• 100g butter (preferably unsalted), at room temperature • 50g icing sugar • 200g cream cheese, at room temperature

To decorate:

• Edible flowers (optional) Try Green by Tatton Horticulture at Balerno Farmer’s Market or www.tattonhorticulture. co.uk/edible-flowers/

Serves 8-10 Recipe created by baker and blogger Lizzie Crow.

Visit: lizziebakingbird.co.uk/baking-blog/ 40 | BALERNO

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / gas mark 4. Grease and line a 20cm square tin or a 23cm round cake tin.

2. To make the cake, chop the watercress until very fine – ideally do this in a blender. Put it in a mixing bowl with the rest of the cake ingredients and beat until well incorporated. Try not to over stir – it isn’t the end of the world if you do, but the cake may not rise as well as it could.

3. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake in the preheated oven for approximately 50-60 minutes. The cake is done when a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Set the cake aside to rest for 15 minutes before removing it from the tin. Leave on a cooling rack until cold.

4. To make the frosting, beat the butter and icing sugar together until pale in colour then gently fold in the cream cheese until evenly mixed.

5. Spread a lovely thick layer of cream cheese frosting over the top of the cake and decorate with a few edible flowers, such as violas or rose petals, if liked. @KonectMagazines

SUNDAY 4TH SEPTEMBER Car Boot Sale - Ravelrig Riding for the Disabled, 21 Ravelrig Gait, Balerno. Help raise fund to support RDA’s work. 11am -2pm, refreshments available. Visitors : Adults 50p, under 16s FREE. Sellers Car: £12 Van/SUV’s: £18 Bookable in advance. Table Toppers / Stall Holders: £4 To book your pitch please call/email Ravelrig RDA on: T: 0131 449 7994 E: fundraising@ravelrig-rda.org.uk SUNDAY 4TH SEPTEMBER The Route less Travelled - A guided walk discovering the history and wildlife of the river from Slateford to Gorgie. Join Kat on this guided walk to discover the lesser known and visited parts of the river. Suitable for adults. 2Pm - 4pm Book via Water of Leith Visitor centre, online at www.waterofleith.org.uk/whats-on. Free to members, £7 non members.

WEDNESDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER “The Falklands War” - an illustrated talk - by Brigadier Ian Gardiner. Hosted by Pentland Probus Club, Juniper Green Church Hall, Lanark Road. 10.00am - 12.00noon. New members welcome. Further details from our Club Sec. Leslie Hannaford 0131 453 3012 lesliehannaford@blueyonder.co.uk SATURDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER Farmers Market - Main Street, Balerno 9.00am to 1.00pm SATURDAY 17TH SEPTEMBER Bookbug - St Mary’s Dalmahoy Church, Douglas Hall. 10am – 10.30am. Stories, songs and rhymes for babies, toddlers and pre-school children. @KonectMagazines

SUNDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER Family Funday - Tales from the riverbank - Fun for all the family, starting from the Water of Leith Visitor Centre, 24 Lanark Road. Help the otter catch some fish! Build a beaver dam and eel climbing rope. What does our grumpy ranger do all day? The trail and activities follow a 1/2 mile route though the Dells and suitable for families with children up to the age of 16.

The route involves steps and access to the river so wellies are advisable and it can be difficult with buggies. (Sorry the route is not suitable for wheelchairs) £4 per person – adult and child, book online at www.waterofleith.org.uk WEDNESDAY 21ST SEPTEMBER “Boots on the Ground” an illustrated talk - by Tom Wood. Hosted by Pentland Probus Club, Juniper Green Church Hall, Lanark Road.

10.00am- noon. New members welcome.

Further details from our Club Sec. Leslie Hannaford 0131 453 3012 lesliehannaford@ blueyonder.co.uk SUNDAY 2ND OCTOBER The Route less Travelled - A guided walk discovering the history and wildlife of the river from Warriston to Bonnington. Join Helen on this guided walk to discover the history and wildlife of the river from Canonmills to Coalie Park. Suitable for adults. 2.00pm - 4.00pm Book via Water of Leith Visitor centre, online at www.waterofleith.org. uk/whats-on. Free to members, £7 non members.

WANT TO INCLUDE YOUR EVENT HERE? COMMUNITY AND NOT-FOR-PROFIT LISTINGS ARE FREE OF CHARGE. EMAIL EDITOR@KONECT.SCOT BY 15TH OF THE MONTH FOR FOLLOWING MONTH’S ISSUE. BALERNO | 41

SOLUTIONS

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

CURRIE 65TH BOYS BRIGADE Anchor Boys (P2-3) and Junior Section (P4-6) Thursdays 6.00-7.30pm Company Section (P7-S6) Sundays 6.30- 8.30pm Gibson Craig Hall, Currie. Contact 65edinburghbb@gmail.com or 07730 414371.

RATHO COMMUNITY CENTRE • Gentle Exercise Group, every Thursday from 10am-12 noon • Gentle Exercise Group, every Thursday from 10am-12 noon • 50+ Group alternate Wednesdays from 2pm-4pm • Book Group alternate Wednesdays from 2pm-4pm • Knit and Natter Group Thursdays from 2pm-4pm Tel: Ratho Community Centre 0131 333 1055.

JUNIPER GREEN BOARD-GAMERS - Family and kids friendly board-game group open to all. Come join us to play all sorts of board-games. Children are free with any adult (£3/adut) Meetings every 2nd Friday 6pm to 9pm see boardjg.co.uk for details of contact eric@boardjg.co.uk PENTLAND CALEDONIA PIPES AND DRUMS - Pentland Caledonia Pipes and Drums are looking for new members, players or learners. We teach pipes and drums free. We meet in Balerno Community Centre every Friday 7pm - 9.30pm. You can find us on Facebook. For information call Deeanne on 07885 612583.

JUNIPER GREEN TENNIS CLUB This small friendly LTA affiliated club in the heart of Juniper Green is open to all to join. There’s an extensive junior coaching programme, as well as adult coaching and social sessions. For membership check out our website: clubspark.lta.org.uk/ JuniperGreenTennisClub/ and follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/ junipergreentennis. We look forward to welcoming you!

EH FITNESS - Range of exercise and strength classes for all fitness levels. Pre & Post Natal and strength & conditioning specialists, fat loss coaches and Qualified Nutritionists.

Face to face and online Personal Training, online group programmes that can be done from home. We aim for progress not perfection and educate every step of the way for sustainable, long lasting results. 16 classes per week, see www.eh-fitness. co.uk or download our free app EH Fitness Edinburgh.

PILATES, YOGA, STRENGTH & FITNESS CLASSES - at Prime Sports Physio & Pilates Studio & Gym Our expert physios, Pilates & yoga instructors and personal trainers offer a programme of 22 classes per week to

42 | BALERNO

promote wellbeing, health, strength and fitness. We’re delighted to now offer a monthly class membership as well as individual class bookings. Please visit: www.primesportsphysio.co.uk to book classes. Email: hello@primesportsphysio. co.uk for more info.

PiYo - A fusion of Yoga & Pilates & Non-stop movement. A total body workout. Muscle sculpting, Core firming, Strength, Flexibility. Working towards a stronger you. Drop-in (contactless payments taken) or pre-book at bookwhen.com/heidimacdonaldfitness Tuesdays 9am Balerno Scout Hall bring a mat & water. For further details call Heidi on 07982 205111 PARACISE - Gentle to moderate exercise to music you’ll love. Working on balance, mobility, flexibility & posture.

All STANDING. Drop-in (contactless payments taken) or pre-book at bookwhen.com/heidimacdonaldfitness Wednesdays 10:45am Balerno Scout Hall - bring water. For further details call Heidi on 07982 205111.

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: @everychildisanartist_ 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: @everychildisanartist_

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 konect.scot for information.

SOLUTION TO AUGUST CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ACROSS: 1. Starve, 4. Doodle, 9. Complex, 10. Salad, 11. Extra, 12. Matches, 13. Appointment, 18. Deposit, 20. Night, 22. Olive, 23. Outcome, 24. System, 25. Grasps.

DOWN: 1. Secret, 2. Admit, 3. Volcano, 5. Onset, 6. Dolphin, 7. Eldest, 8. Examination, 14. Puppies, 15. Monster, 16. Idiots, 17. Utters, 19. Swede, 21. Grows.

SOLUTION TO SUDOKU ON PAGE 38

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Publisher: Lothian Publications Ltd. Geddes House, Kirkton North, Livingston, West Lothian EH54 6GU. Magazine Design: Alan Stewart Design M: 07729 911858 E: hello@alanstewartdesign.com W: www.alanstewartdesign.com

@KonectMagazines