The Dell Directory December 2020/January 2021

December 2020 / January 2021

THE DELL DIRECTORY

WINE TASTING: COMMUNITY:

FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS AT ST CUTHBERTS PLUS: the new normal, LYNNE'S COLUMN, health, Puzzles, and much more inside!

THE DELL DIRECTORY

P9

W

rap up, settle in: locked in or not, December’s going to be very different for most of us this year, but getting cosy in your Christmas jumper is definitely on the agenda. We’re wearing ours on the cover this month! Go ahead and top dress in yours for your vid calls – on Christmas Jumper Day on 11th December at least!

A Festival of Lights will be in place in St Cuthbert’s Church gardens over the festive season, and there is the opportunity to sponsor a bauble in aid of a local charity – see the update from Colinton Village Enterprise on page 9 for details. There is also the opportunity to win a £50 voucher for Dantes Restaurant, by entering the Colinton Tunnel Mural Photography Competition. So there’s plenty to get involved with this month.

We launch a new regular this month which I think will be a favourite – wine tasting recommendations from Swirl Sip Socialise, based in Juniper Green. This month it’s “The Season for Sensational Sherry” see page 15.

My Christmas wish is for all our readers to stay strong and to be able to enjoy a safe and relaxing holiday period, whatever challenges it brings.

Thanks for reading the Dell Directory and supporting local businesses and organisations this year.

@KonectMagazines

THIS ISSUE Community: Festival of Lights.......................... 8 WIN! Colinton Tunnel Mural Photography Competition...................................................... 9 The New Normal: the Social Distancing Game.............................................................. 12 Wine Tasting: ‘Tis the Season for Sensational Sherry.............................................................. 15 Ask Your Pharmacist...................................... 15 Puzzles............................................................ 16 Health: Peace & Love.................................... 17 Local Environment: Welcome to the Undergrowth................................................... 22 Local Lab: Engineering for the Future........... 27 Lynne’s column.............................................. 29

The Dell Directory is distributed to 5,500 homes in the Colinton, Craiglockhart and Kingsknowe areas. There are 11 copies a year with a joint issue in Dec/Jan.

HELEN-JANE SHEARER Editor

E: editor@konect.scot

CHARLENE GAFFNEY Account Manager

M: 07772 941899 E: charlene@konect.scot THE DELL | 3

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With there being no prospect of holding our Christmas on the Corner event this year, Colinton Village Enterprise (CVE) SCIO is instead delighted to be assisting Revd. Nicki McNelly of St. Cuthbert’s Church, Colinton, to realise her lovely idea for a Festival of Light.

This will be in the Church gardens over the festive season.

The gardens will be lit up as a message of hope for the future, with a life-sized nativity scene which is being built by The Pentlands Men’s Shed (a challenge whilst adhering to all Covid restrictions at present).

At the same time, a charity founded by a local resident, Make 2nds Count, also reached out to ask if we could help in their seasonal fundraising efforts. Make 2nds Count is an important charity which seeks to help those living with incurable secondary breast cancer. They are partnering with the Festival of Light for their seasonal fundraiser: CVE will supply

Baubles available for sponsoring in aid of Make 2nds Count 8 | THE DELL

and hang baubles from the Christmas tree (kindly donated by The Pantry) which will be installed at St. Cuthbert’s this month.

We would like readers to sponsor a bauble or two with all proceeds going to Make 2nds Count.

Please visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ colinton-village-enterprise-scio to donate While we were unable to hold any “real” events in 2020 (Tea in the Park and Art in the Park had to be cancelled this year) we did create a very successful series of online book sales via our Facebook page. We also became involved with a number of charities and organisations in SW Edinburgh, who distribute food to those in need, and were able to provide books to be included in food or care packages. Likewise, we forged a link with a Glaswegian charity, Glasgow the Caring City, and were able to facilitate the distribution of 2,000 bars of soap to around a dozen organisations as part of a Soapaid initiative. These new contacts that we have made are a “silver lining” in this most peculiar year and we are confident that we will continue to develop these connections in the future.

This feature was contributed by Colinton Village Enterprise www.cventerprise.org @KonectMagazines

THE SHED: UPDATE

That was welcome news, and our first order of business was to apply to the Scottish Land Fund for development funding, to allow a detailed Architectural Feasibility Study to be carried out. Part of this process meant that we issued a brief to several firms to tender for this work. After discussion we chose MDA Studio Architects, run by local Colinton resident, David Moore, to carry out this study. This was dependent on a Stage 1 application for development funding to the Scottish Land Fund – we heard in April that we had been successful, which allowed us to commission David’s firm to draw up initial plans.

We think he has done a fantastic job of interpreting our brief in a sympathetic manner and we held an open meeting at the Shed with plans displayed. David, along with members of CVE, was on hand to answer questions. Thankfully the weather was favourable and we were able to do this outdoors with all appropriate social distancing guidelines adhered to. A Stage 2 Scottish Land Fund application was submitted later this summer to assist us with the purchase costs.

We will hear this month whether our application has been successful.

We remain cautiously optimistic! @KonectMagazines

To celebrate the near completion of the Colinton Tunnel Mural, the Charity behind the mural’s creation is running a photographic competition.

The Mural, which lies along the Water of Leith Walkway from Spylaw Park, is full of amazing scenes and characters created by professional artists and the local community.

Visitors are challenged to take a snap of their favourite part of the Mural and submit it for a chance to win a £50 voucher for Dantes Restaurant.

The winner and four runners-up will also see their images reproduced on selected Colinton Tunnel merchandise. The profits will be used to support ongoing maintenance of the Mural and future community engagement activities.

Photographs must be from part of the Mural, in full colour and of high resolution.

Entries should be submitted via email to community@colintontunnel.org.uk no later than December 31st, 2020.

Please respect the latest Scottish Government Coronavirus guidance when taking your photo. For full competition rules, see the Terms and Conditions at www.colintontunnel.org.uk Happy snapping and good luck!

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Photo Credit: www.colintontunnel.org.uk

Readers may be aware that CVE has been availing of the Community Asset Transfer legislation under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015. We officially applied to purchase the outbuilding in Spylaw Park, affectionately known as ‘The Shed’, from The City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) last August. After considering our detailed application and business plan, the Committee unanimously approved our request and we received the written Decision Notice in our favour.

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BILL REID & SON

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THE NEW NORMAL

The social distancing game My initial experience of social distancing was traumatic. I thought I was obeying the shop’s rules, but I must have come too close to the counter. Immediately alarm registered on the face of the woman behind the till and her hand shot up as if to block me. “Back!” she commanded. It reminded me of that scene from Monsters Inc. where the hapless employee emerges from a child’s room with a sock stuck to him and the CDA (Child Detection Agency) rushes out to disinfect him! I looked up – thankfully, there were no men on ropes lowering themselves to the shop floor. I could pay and make a hasty retreat.

That was in the early lockdown days.

Doubtless that key worker was really afraid.

Maybe she didn’t want to come to work at all. I pondered this as I walked home, realising the experience had shaken me. I felt as if my fingers had been smacked.

Soon videos began appearing on Facebook showing people carrying metal tape measures when they were out so that they could ensure everyone kept their distance.

I laughed at a video of a man dressed in a ridiculous costume featuring strips of two-metre foam that extended out from his body. But as the weeks passed we all became more skilled at social distancing and a sort of etiquette emerged: When someone is approaching you on the pavement, one of you checks 12 | THE DELL

for cars and steps out into the road. If the other person is elderly or disabled, is pushing a pram, or has a child, another adult or a dog with them, you should be the one to move. If none of these apply, stand your ground – but be prepared to move in case they don’t know the rules.

Social distancing in shops is almost impossible. And, with all of the new rules and stickers on the floor, shopping is like a board game. I queued outside until eventually I was at the starting point. From there I shook the dice, rolled a two and was in! I advanced from one coloured sticker to the next, and could only go in one direction.

Suddenly I, and those behind me, came to a screeching halt because the player ahead was not proceeding: she was trying to decide which pasta sauce to buy. Didn’t she know the rules? One was meant to keep going, and expected to collect everything the first time round!

Eventually I rolled a four, which was enough to get me past the indecisive lady. But feeling stressed, I’d forgotten that I too needed pasta sauce. Now I’d passed it, and there was no going back. I’d be going against the arrows. Noticing a staff member – who must have missed the memo about social distancing – I described my plight and asked how I could get the sauce.

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” he said. “I’m afraid you will have to go back outside, join the queue, and roll the dice again.”

The New Normal is contributed by Suzanne Green. Suzanne, a freelance writer/editor.

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

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WINE TASTING

THE SEASON FOR

Sensational Sherry

What do you think of when you hear the word ‘Sherry’? Is it the dusty bottle at the back of the kitchen cupboard, located somewhere behind the fish sauce and cider vinegar and occasionally glugged into an exotic culinary dish? Or the strange brown bottle brought out for Granny’s annual Christmas tipple?

This winter I suggest you explore what Sherry has to offer. It’s the most wonderful time of the year to buy Sherry.

Retailers compete on price and new stock arrives in store. It’s time to step beyond Granny’s Harveys Bristol Cream (which, incidentally, is delicious poured through a large segment of fresh orange into a goblet of ice!) and look for those obscure labels off the beaten track. To start with go in search of Fino, Manzanilla, Amontillado, Oloroso or Pedro Ximenez.

Fino; seasalt dry on the palate, it should be served chilled and treated like a white wine. Manzanilla means Camomile in Spanish and is so named because of its delicate flavour. Amontillado is an amber colour, dry and nutty. Oloroso has a rich, raisiny aroma on the nose but is dry and nutty on the palate. Pedro Ximenez is my favourite, a deep dark brown colour, dense with dried fruit aromatics and dark chocolate. It’s incredibly sweet. Viscous in the glass and so unusual, you’ll remember the first time you try it. Enjoy in a glass or pour over your favourite vanilla ice cream, grab a spoon and fall in love.

The monthly wine tasting column is contributed by Joanne Frette. Joanne lives in Juniper Green with her 3 children. She is a Sommelier Wine & Spirit Specialist who runs Swirl Sip Socialise, an online wine tasting business which connects friends and family across the UK. @KonectMagazines

ASK YOUR PHARMACIST

Remember your Pharmacist is here for you this Christmas With so much else to think about at this time of year, it’s easy to forget what health resources you might need over Christmas & New Year.

Nicole Here are some top tips Misstear from your local Lindsay & Gilmour Pharmacy Team to help keep you on track: Repeat Prescriptions: Remember to order them well in advance of the holiday period and don’t order more than you need. Did you know Lindsay & Gilmour offer a handy, free, collection & delivery service? Find out more online at www.lindsayandgilmour.co.uk Stock up your medicine cupboard: Running low on indigestion tablets? Want to be prepared for the dreaded winter coughs and colds? Your Lindsay & Gilmour pharmacist can advise on what’s best to have in your medicine cupboard for minor ailments or illnesses to help you feel armed!

Remember, Lindsay & Gilmour pharmacies offer the NHS Scotland Pharmacy First service at all of their branches, allowing patients to access advice and appropriate treatment for minor illnesses without the need for a GP appointment.

Know your opening times: Make a note of the opening hours of your GP Practice and local Lindsay & Gilmour Pharmacy over Christmas and New Year.

Your nearest branch and Pharmacist: 18-20 Comiston Road, Nicole Misstear - 0131 447 2336 Please refer to our website for details of all our pharmacy locations, www.lindsayandgilmour.co.uk THE DELL | 15

PUZZLES

SUDOKU

Solution in the February edition.

Solution in the February edition.

CROSSWORD

ACROSS: 1. Used for measuring (4), 3. Goes before (8), 9. Against (7), 10. Removes sensation (5), 11. Immediate environment (12), 14. Uncooked (3), 16. Edition (5), 17. To colour (3), 18. Very keen (12), 21. Not dead (5), 22. European country (7), 23. Simultaneously (8), 24. Happy (4) DOWN: 1. Item of clothing (8), 2. Writing material (5), 4. Stick, cane (3), 5. Significant (12), 6. Broken (7) 7. Type of window (4), 8. Amazement (12), 12. Birds dwellings (5), 13. Received gladly (8), 15. Not losing (7), 19. Spin around (5), 20. Sour (4), 22. Farewell (3).

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HEALTH

We all know what it is like to have a soft tissue injury. Injuries such as a sprained ankle or an irritated tendon are so common that they account for up to 50% of all musculoskeletal injuries presenting to a GP. Of these, an ankle sprain is the most common.

Keen readers of The Dell Directory may remember in 2018 reading about POLICE – an acronym to remind us how to best treat an ankle sprain. The advice was to Protect the ankle from further injury, to consider Optimal Loading rather than complete rest to help the ligaments heal, and to use Ice, Compression and Elevation to treat any swelling. Recent research, however, has developed these principles. Blaise Dubois and Dr JeanFrancois Esculier writing in the British Journal of Sport Medicine, have advocated a new way of remembering how to best treat soft tissue injuries from immediate injury to full recovery - “Peace” and “Love”.

P - Protect the injury by restricting movement for 1 – 3 days to minimise bleeding from any damaged blood vessels and reduce swelling.

E - Elevate the limb to reduce swelling.

A - Avoid anti-inflammatory medication.

Our body is very good at repair and research has shown that this type of medication can disrupt this process, having a detrimental effect on long-term healing.

C - Compression with tape or a bandage to reduce swelling.

E - Educate – seek out the information you need to understand your injury, how long it should take to get better and how activity can help recovery. We now know that rest is useful when the injury is painful for the first few days then exercise really helps recovery. As a basic rule, a muscle injury will take 2 -4 weeks to fully heal and a @KonectMagazines

ligament sprain 6 – 8 weeks. This may vary with the degree of injury and how old you are. Your doctor or Physio can advise.

PEACE will guide treatment for the first 3 – 5 days after an injury, then LOVE comes in as follows:L - Load – as soon as pain allows, loading the joint promotes tissue repair. For an ankle sprain this can be progressing from needing crutches to walk to starting gentle exercises while sitting then walking short distances followed by a phased return to sports.

O - Optimism – Remember that our body has an amazing capacity to heal and likes movement to do so. Fear and worry about the extent of injury can actually be a barrier to recovery.

V - Vascularisation – pain-free exercise improves blood flow in the injured area and helps healing.

E - Exercise. There is a lot of evidence that exercise will restore mobility, strength and balance reactions after an ankle injury and that this helps prevent a recurrence of the injury.

Soft tissue injuries, like us, need Peace and Love this Christmas and all year too.

Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year from all at McNaughton Physiogrange.

The health column is contributed by McNaughton Physiogrange, Edinburgh www.physiogrange.co.uk THE DELL | 17

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LOCAL ENVIRONMENT

Welcome to the undergrowth As I write this, the weekend is nearly over and there’s only one word to describe it - dreich (surely, it’s the best Scottish word). The mist has hung heavy making the air feel thick and the drizzle soaked us to the bone.

It’s not all bad news though, as the colours of autumn fade and we await the first snowfall there is still plenty for us to admire thanks to mother nature. During a cycle I was so dis-tracted by the way the cobwebs were weaving through the gorse bushes I cut it short near Armadale, returned home and promptly went out with the camera.

The work undertaken by the spiders was mesmerising and incredibly varied. The mist didn’t burn off like I’d hoped but somehow it seemed to make the cobwebs even more beautiful.

On top of that, I heard the high-pitched call of the long tailed tit as they bounced through the air followed by the goldcrest - what a discovery! The smallest bird in the UK was flit-ting between trees looking for insects but sadly evaded me for any 22 | THE DELL

decent pictures. The cycle path between Bathgate and Blackridge is an excellent place for bird watching, es-pecially as those who inhabit the territory will be used to people passing so frequently.

Next month we can’t wait to bring you a picture of the bohemian waxwings which have now made landfall in Scotland for winter. They’re just a wee bit too far north for us at the moment!

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

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GERRY AITKEN

Painter & Decorator Juniper Green

Get in touch for a FREE Estimate: T: 07798 565 321 • E: junigig@aol.com

LOCAL LAB

Engineering for the Future Picture in your mind what an Engineer looks like. Are they wearing a hard hat and looking at a complex schematic drawing? Are they wearing a lab coat and looking down the lens of a microscope? Or are they sitting in front of a computer writing code?

These might seem like different jobs, but they are all engineering.

In the UK there is currently a shortage of engineers and importantly within the current engineering workforce there is a lack of diversity. There have been several initiatives to attract teenagers to By the time study engineering, children reach the age of but they have 7, they have not been very already ruled successful. out career paths Research as not being for suggests that them – or not a reason for being for people this is because like them” by the time children reach the early age of seven, they have already ruled out career paths as not being for them – or not being for people like them e.g. based on gender, ethnic or socio-economic background, or perceived cleverness.

Dr Helen Bridle, an engineer from Heriot-Watt University is trying Percentage to deconstruct old of Males & Females stereotypes about Employed what engineering is and who does engineering in her new project called Engineering Science Capital, funded by the EPSRC. She is bringing together engineers and creative arts professionals to design and run fun activities with children aged 3-7 to showcase the breadth and diversity in engineering. @KonectMagazines

Working with nurseries, schools, parents and teachers, she hopes to inform and inspire about the wide range of engineering careers that exist.

Helen’s project will find out what activities and approaches work best to engage 3-7 year olds with engineering, and the results will recommend the best ways to include engineering in early years education.

By opening-up the world of engineering to children now, we will help build a thriving and diverse engineering sector in the future.

HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED AND FIND OUT MORE: • Teachers can access a classroom pack and curriculum-linked activities

• Families can receive ideas for easy, fun and low-cost activities to do at home

• Engineers can get help in communicating their work All the above is in development, please email Helen at h.l.bridle@hw.ac.uk for more details about the project, to find out when our new website will be launched and be the first to preview our Engineering song being developed with Hopscotch Songs.

Updates about the project will be posted on the HWU website and the Heriot-Watt Engage social media channels @hwengage The Local Lab column is contributed by Heriot-Watt University to engage the public in a range of their research projects.

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And, so, this is Christmas I usually love writing my last column of the year as the 1st December heralds the countdown to Christmas and it’s a time to get excited at the prospect of a month in which to eat, drink and be merry. Plans are usually in place for drinks with friends, the office Christmas night out and dates to deliver presents to family. But in this oddest of years we are not yet out of the woods so our Christmas plans are, like much of the rest of 2020, currently on hold.

The uncertainty of how the festive season will shape up for everyone is undoubtedly unsettling but, as I sat down to write this, I found myself thinking of how I’ll remember this year. For all the bad news that has abounded there have been some truly uplifting moments. The small businesses adapting and finding new customer loyalty. The pulling together of neighbours and communities. The painted rainbows and decorations brightening our streets. The walks up the hills in the summer and the sound of applause for the NHS and carers on Thursday evenings.

Pumpkin spotting trails for our neighbourhood children in lieu of a more traditional Halloween night.

Perhaps most of all it has been that feeling of “We’re all in this together” that has buoyed me through this year. That and the creativity shown by so many in finding ways to add some much-needed light to this rather gloomy year.

So, on the 1st December I will be happily putting my Christmas decorations up. I know many people are talking of making an extra effort this year to decorate their houses so that passing children can see some festive cheer and I think we all need to be lit up a bit this year more than most.

As I sign off for 2020, I’d like to share some of the images that will forever remind me of this most unprecedented of years.

Wishing everyone a safe, happy and healthy Christmas.

@KonectMagazines

Lynne x

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