The Dell Directory September 2025

September 2025

CLUBS & CLASSES:

LOCAL ENVIRONMENT: HEALTH:

PLUS: real life, puzzles, CLUBS & CLASSES, what’s on, and more LOCAL FEATURES inside!

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ack into routine after the summer can be a bit of a shock to the system, but even as the summer starts to fade there are still plenty of ways of enjoying what’s left of the good weather as well as events on locally. Colinton’s local history society have a busy schedule all through autumn and winter with excellent speakers see page 9.

A new column starts this month from a Colinton resident who shares her gardening tips in the “Lazy Gardener’s Diary.” There is an update from Colinton Village Enterprise on their work in Spylaw Park; and in the health section, we are treated to part 1 of a two-part series on how to avoid running injuries.

All the other regular columns are here from our wonderful expert columnists.

Thank you for reading The Dell Directory and supporting local businesses and organisations.

Community: CVE update....................................8 C&C: Colinton Local History Society...............9 Health: Running injury reduction................... 12 Recipe: Plum & Watercress loaf.................... 22 Wine: Orange Wine........................................... 23 realLife.................................................................. 32 Local Environment: Eye of the Survivor....... 34 NEW! The Lazy Gardener’s Diary................. 37 Puzzles.................................................................. 40 Local History: The Canal Builders................. 42 What’s On: September..................................... 44 Charity: PALM Cafe........................................... 45

COVER IMAGE: Autumn harvest season

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

The Dell Directory is delivered monthly to 5,500 homes in the Colinton, Craiglockhart and Kingsknowe areas. It is also available online: konect.scot/subscribe THE DELL | 3

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Colinton Village Enterprise is excited to share the progress on our Heritage Hub project in Spylaw Park! Our vision for an inclusive community space is taking shape, with construction set to begin early autumn.

HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW: • Building Warrant: Our architect, David Moore from MDA Studios, is finalising queries with the City of Edinburgh Council, and we expect to receive the building warrant soon.

• Contractor Selection: We’ve issued the project to four building contractors, who will submit their tender responses by the end of August.

• Café Operations: We’re researching ways to operate the café element of the Heritage Hub, thanks to assistance from Community Enterprise.

ARCHITECTURAL RENDERINGS - The images featured here were created by DNB ArchDesign Ltd, using MDA Studio’s plans, led by the aforementioned David Moore. We love these 3D visualisations, bringing the designs to life for Colinton’s Community Heritage Hub.

GET INVOLVED • Volunteer: Contact us at colintonvillage@gmail.com to help with future events and projects.

• Donate: Scan the QR code to support the Heritage Hub project (SEE BELOW).

RECENT EVENTS - At the end of August, we participated in the Pentlands Open Studios Art Trail by opening our Pit Stop Café en route, serving coffee, tea, and delicious home baking.

We’re excited to host more events in the future!

COLINTON’S COMMUNITY SHARE BOX The Community Share Box in the iconic red phone box on Bridge Road/Spylaw Street is now open, offering pre-loved books, puzzles, seeds, and plants for sharing, borrowing, or exchanging.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE: • Visit the red phone box and browse the available items • Share, borrow, or exchange items that interest you • Please don’t leave bulk book donations, as space is limited • Plants and seeds are welcome donations, though!

A BIG THANK YOU: • To Mike Scott and Eddie Banks, The Colinton Tunnel duo, for refurbishing the historic red phone box • To Paul Bullen (SW20) for assisting with installing custom signage made by Remember When UK

SUPPORTING THE PROJECT We’re grateful for the funding from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (administered by The City of Edinburgh Council), and the generous bequest from Angela Miller, our first Charity Secretary.

However, we still need your support to ensure the project’s success. Look out for our Crowdfunding page soon!

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Enjoy exploring and participating in this community-driven initiative, displaying “Colinton Village Information Exchange” depending on the angle you read it from.

This article was contributed

by Colinton Village Enterprise

You may not know but we have a very active History Society here in Colinton.

We meet in Dreghorn Loan Hall, Dreghorn Loan, the first and third Mondays of each month from October (starting on Monday 6th October) to March at 8pm, where we enjoy some excellent speakers. Several members of our Society also enjoy searching through our archives to research many aspects of the local area.

One of theses members is Bob Henderson who has always had a keen interest in Bonaly. His work has resulted in our Society publishing a new book about the area, “Bonaly: Three Centuries of Rural Life in an Edinburgh Suburb.”

Bob commented, “Although having been interested in the area for some time I have found that very little has been written about Bonaly and some of what has is very debatable. I therefore started researching the history over the last three centuries myself, discovering that developments in agricultural methods had a profound effect on life for its residents. The questions I was interested in trying to answer included how many people were likely to have lived in Bonaly at any one time, what were their cottages like, what did the residents eat and wear, what was their relationship with the Kirk and when did Bonaly cease to be primarily an agricultural settlement?”

Should you wish to know more about our Society or be interested in purchasing the book please contact us at enquiries@ colintonhistory.org.uk . The book can also be purchased at our local Colinton Post Office at a cost of £6.99.

This article was contributed by Derek Douglas, Archivist, Colinton Local History Society THE DELL | 9

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HEALTH

Running has become one of the most popular sports over recent years. It is accessible, requires little equipment but above all has highest benefit for physical and mental health compared with other sports, reducing all-cause mortality by up to 27% but unfortunately injuries can occur.

In the UK alone nearly 50% of recreational runners report an injury affecting running. We can’t prevent injury but there are strategies to reduce injury and manage niggles before they progress to injury.

What is a running-related injury? Most running injuries are overuse in nature, tending to present gradually and affecting tendons and bones.

Introducing injury risk reduction strategies into usual training and responding to early injuries when they occur, reduces risk. This is called prehabilitation, “a proactive rather than reactive intervention” and involves exercises to improve strength and balance, load management, shoes, recovery strategies, gait re-education, and education on recognising injury and specific injury risk profiles. This combination of strategies reflects a multifactorial approach to injury prevention that is required for optimum benefit.

Why is strength and balance training helpful?

Strength and balance exercises improve the physical capacity of muscles, tendons and bones and increase reactions. Incorporating exercises into warm-ups, cool-downs, or separate gym sessions enhances performance, improves running economy and provides resilience to adapt to different terrains and training situations.

One of the most important muscles to train is Gluteus Medius which inserts onto the outside of the hip. It controls the hip when landing and transferring weight through one leg and responds quickly when losing balance on uneven ground, sidestepping or changing direction. Train this muscle functionally, challenging balance in standing using “single” leg squat and lunge type exercises. Similarly, single leg calf raises improves Achilles tendon function and is a 12 | THE DELL

key component of the “triple extension” action in running where the ankle flexes as the knee straightens and the hip extends during pushing off the leg. Injuries can occur when these muscles fatigue or overload with increasing pace.

The importance of monitoring load - Running is a repetitive high impact activity, and bones, tendons and muscles must adapt to this, become stronger and more resilient without “overloading”. Therefore, beginner runners should use the Couch-to-5K App to build up gradually to running. Improver runners can use recognised training programmes or wearable technology, such as smart watches, to monitor load by recording distance, frequency and speed of weekly runs and only increase these by 10% or less when training for longer distances.

Consider alternating running on different days with other cardio based activities to provide tissues with adequate rest.

What’s the best running shoe? Choosing your running shoes is a personal choice, and in fact the research shows that comfort is most important. Cushioning in shoes can help beginner runners adapt to early impact. A stability trainer (motion control) can help foot overpronation.

Want to learn more? Linda Linton a Chartered Physiotherapist researching injury prevention in runners will be running a 3-hour workshop on 1st November. Find details at physiogrange.co.uk This article was contributed by Linda Linton, Chartered Physiotherapist at McNaughton Physiogrange, Edinburgh

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FOOD & DRINK

Plum, Pink Pepper and Watercress Loaves Making the most of in-season juicy plums, these deliciously sweet treats are perfect with morning coffee or an afternoon cuppa.

Serves 12 | Prep 10 minutes Cooking time 20 minutes Ingredients:

• Butter and flour, for lining the tins • 2 tsp lemon juice • 90g whole milk • 150g plums, stones discarded, flesh chopped into small pieces • 120g light muscovado sugar, plus 2 tbsp • 250g plain flour • 13g baking powder • 1 tsp ground cinnamon • 1 tsp pink peppercorns, crushed • 1 tbsp watercress, finely chopped • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 150g rapeseed oil • 2 large eggs

To serve:

• Icing sugar, for dusting • Plum slices, to decorate • Whipped cream (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas mark 4. Grease and lightly flour 12 mini loaf tins

2. Mix the lemon juice into the milk and set aside to room temperature.

3. Mix the chopped plums with the 2 tbsp muscovado sugar and set aside.

4. In a separate, large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, peppercorns, remaining sugar and watercress.

5. In a jug, mix the vanilla, reserved milk mixture, oil and eggs.

6. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and whisk from the edges inwards. Do not overmix; a few lumps are fine.

7. Carefully stir through the plums and the residual syrup and divide the mixture equally between the loaf tins.

8. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning out to cool completely.

9. Once cold, dust with icing sugar and decorate with plum slices. This is fantastic with pillows of whipped cream, if liked.

For more recipe inspiration, visit www.watercress.co.uk and for more information on the health benefits of watercress, visit www.thewatercresscompany.com 22 | THE DELL

WINE TASTING

What is orange wine and why should you try it?

Orange wine is made exclusively from grapes. No oranges are involved in its creation! The term ‘orange’ refers to the amber hue of the wine rather than the fruit used to make it or the way it tastes. While popularity and interest in orange wine has grown in recent years, this style of wine has been around for centuries.

The white wine we usually drink, is typically made by crushing grapes, fermenting only the juice and discarding skins. This results in a fresh, fruity wine.

To make orange wine, the juice stays with the skins, seeds, and occasionally stalks during fermentation. They are separated and the wine is usually aged for several months. The result is a wine that’s structured, textured, and intriguingly different. It is also orange in colour!

Gone are the fresh citrus and pear notes we are familiar with, instead we might find ‘funky, savoury, mushroom’ notes on the nose and tannic structure on the palate.

I recommend orange wine with food, “what grows together, goes together” works best when tasting orange wine. For Tuscan-style orange wine, pair with Tuscan cured ham, olives, and cheese—simple, harmonious, and delicious!

Look out for Casale Trebbiano Orange wine Vecchia Vigna 2021 available at Woodwinters and goodwinegoodpeaople.com. The wine has been fermented on its skins for 30 days giving the wine a beautiful fine tannic structure and savoury character.

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 THE DELL | 23

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SUZANN E GREEN

AI or no AI? I

sn’t it interesting that we wish one another a “happy new year” long after singing Auld Lang Syne – for That is weeks not the question after boxing up the Christmas But rather, howand should it be employed? decorations returning them to the loft.

Whether ‘tis moral to enjoy Regardless of what’s going on in our world The capabilities of Artificial Intelligence and various concerns about issues When artists and actors are losing out, in our own country, we hope that 2025 will be a To suffer the slings and arrows good year. It would be of wonderful Of outrageous breaches copyrightto see peace achieved in the at least one areaofwhere So as not to impede advancement war is currently raging. And, on a personal technology, level, alsoagainst hope the to see growth andof AI Or takewe arms focused efforts progress in our own life and in the lives companies And by opposing, of those we knowend andthem. love, occasions to Will the benefits Chat GPT, photos, celebrate, goodofhealth andenhanced maybe even improved care in the next 12 months. some funhealth surprises Outweigh the risks … or distort integrity?

I’m focusing the Yes, this must on give us“new” pause.in “Happy New Year”.

I’ve not exactly made any new year’s For who could bear the grief This Ifresolutions. humanity sells itstradition soul? seems to be becoming less popular - social media posts A while ago mindlessly scrolling regularly tellI was us that we don’t need to strive Facebook and came upon a delightful video: to improve, we are “enough” as we are, we rabbits hopping up and down on a trampoline shouldn’t load ourselves up with goals and – apparently having a great time. I didn’t then feel guilty when we can’t achieve them. consider how they managed to get up onto the Although I agree that it’s good to trampoline.

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BALERNO | FEBRUARY,| 2025 THE DELL DIRECTORY SEPTEMBER, 2025

be realistic, love itthe a new My daughter Iloved too,promise but said,that “Mom, I’m year holds, the “clean slate” potential! sorry to tell you, but that was created with AI”.

Digesting news, I thought, course If you livethis in Balerno, you too“Oh, mayofhave been itdelighted was”. So ittodidn’t actually happen.

And then I see snow falling early morning realised I didn’t care.

It wasatfun; made me on New that Year’s Day. I stood ouritglass smile.

Not everything has toas besleet factual. patio door and watched turned to As child Isnowflakes loved Charlotte’s Web, a book about bigawhite that quickly covered a spider whoand saves a farmyard pig’s life by our garden bedecked the trees.

It was a embedding messagesof in the webs she spins. wonderful illustration “it’s all fresh and She “some pig”, “terrific”, “humble”. new”wrote theme.

Amazingly, it caused the humans to conclude Signing for a Pilates a new there wasup something very class specialwas about Wilbur thing fornot me at the beginning 2024.

And it the pig, Charlotte the spider!of Now I know this has been a positive may the notstory. be as didn’t actually happen,change. but I still Iloved proficient as many in thevideos class,ofI bunnies struggleon to So I can continue to enjoy dotrampoline! some of the stretches because of a knee a issue, andArtificial I sometimes have has a hard time Of course, Intelligence many more resisting dancing toas the music important uses, such in background research, health care when I should be listening to the instructor. and defence.

Every day we hear news of yet But I know is doing me good. another waythe thatexercise we are making progress in I’m notfield sure what its new thing(s) I will do/ some through use.

I can’t keep up! encounter this year, but I will keep my eyes I’ve heard about comedians using AI to write and ears openarticles for them. jokes.

I’ve seen about AI-generated recipes, how it’s being used to improve the When my eldest daughter was in primary lives of stroke patients, to and use in helping to I school, she decided tryitssomething new. prevent illegal itfishing.

The list goes onwho andhad on. heard about from another mum, been theused school to watch herme daughter But I’veatnot ChatGPT to help put words together, and Idancing don’t intend to.assembly.

How am I going do Highland in an “I to keepknow my aging fit and healthy I don’t didn’t yourbrain girl did it too,” sheifsaid. challenge it? I’vethat never employed a human she So I explained she didn’t, although being myclass. lines for me, sostrange,” why should I was intoawrite ballet “That’s said give AI that “At job?the assembly the children who my friend.

I’m artists,lessons like my were singer/invited tookconcerned Highlandfor dance songwriter daughter.

What’s ahead forperform. those I to go to the centre of the floor and who create, those whosedid livelihood, thought your daughter rather and well.” happiness, is linked to their unique contribution Later askedWill mythey child hadlike done to this Iworld? bewhy safe?she I don’t the this.

“Oh,” she said.

“I thought the teacher idea that a person’s voice can be copied so that “Willthey all children would like do itsaid, appears have saidwho something that to they Highland dancing please come forward categorically have not! (BTW did anyone else now?the SoBeatles’ I went.”“last song”, Now and Then, think was a little creepy?)

Do something new this new year.

Like any tool, for that’s what it is, AI should be handled with care and wisdom. real LIFE is contributed by Suzanne Green.

Suzanne, a freelance writer/editor, lives in real LIFE is contributed by Suzanne Green.

Balerno and writes regularly for Konect.

Suzanne, a freelance writer/editor. She is She is married Andy and theytwo have two married to Andytoand they have adult adult daughters. daughters.

…

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Hub@531 is delighted to be working in partnership with local charity, Tap book online to enquire intoor IT,email to provide much needed digital security skills and confidence to those whoFebruary need it most. on 10th & 17th al health and wellbeing focus.

Funding for Information Technology and help inform our training plans forfor this Security older adults ice & biscuits available.

(50+) in our community has been awarded from Edinburgh City Council’s Community Grants fund. riday 21st 2.30-4.30pm will have two courses in 2025, with materials areWe supplied, booking next year on to meet demand. Each enings, agesmore 12+ welcome course consists of 3 sessions, suitable for those who use a smartphone, tablet or laptop: epair Lab with Dianne eginners / intermediate sewers.

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Safe communication and staying atelier workshop for experienced sewers in informed se Chat - wellbeing and is on Fridays 12th, 19th The firstinfo course th rop in or book your space. & 26 September, 2025 at 10.00am -12noon at Hub@531 Lanark Road.

Please ensure you can make all 3 dates beforewhen registering for a place. A deposit come your donations you attend! of £10 will be requested to secure your space and refunded when you have attended all 3 sessions. Places are limited due to the nature of the training BOOK and THEvenue, HUB and to provide a small www.hub531.appointedd.com group learning experience.

The September sessions are available Pentlands Community Space SCO049766 now to book online at: hub531.appointedd.com or you can email hub531lanarkroad@gmail. If these dates don’t suit, look out for the next 2025 dates published soon. You can email to join the Hub@531 mailing list to be sent information on all upcoming activities and/or follow our Facebook page ‘The Hub at 531’. Look out for posters in all our usual locations too!

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LOCAL ENVIRONMENT

In 2022 there was a serious outbreak of the highly contagious avian flu. It’s estimated around 3.8m birds died that year in the UK. One of the worst affected species was the gannet, our biggest sea bird. For the first time since that year, I visited Troup Head, which is a gannet colony in the North of Scotland, near Fraserburgh.

Since this outbreak, there’s been an interesting physical change in gannets that no-one could have anticipated. Usually they have a pale blue iris but some birds with black eyes were discovered and after taking blood samples, scientists found out of the 8 who tested positive for the virus, seven had black irises. This indicated they survived the virus, which was an incredible discovery and though the reason for this change in colour has yet to be discovered, research continues to understand whether it could apply to other species and if it impacts their vision*.

These birds are incredible and can dive up to 100ft, at speeds of 62.13mph thanks to a number of features including no external nostrils, air sacs in the face and chest under 34 | THE DELL

the skin which act like bubble wrap to cushion the impact as they hit the water, and how their eyes are positioned so they can judge distances accurately. How much food they can eat is thought to the be inspiration behind their name, unsurprisingly! * Information taken from the RSPB website.

This column is contributed by Clare Harte, who lives in West Lothian. Clare spends much of her time travelling around Scotland looking for and photographing our wonderful wildlife.

Follow her on social media as ‘Clare Harte Photography’ for more wildlife content.

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THE LAZY GARDENER’S DIARY:

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Hello readers! I hope you enjoy reading about my experiments, and failures, trying to grow nutritious free food at the lowest cost possible and with the least human energy inputs.

In this new regular column I’ll write about what’s occurring in and around the underplanted orchard in Campbell Park where I volunteer. I hope to share some permaculture ideas along the way. I may suggest things you could try in your own garden to reduce the time spent weeding, and increase the time spent simply marvelling at nature’s many rewards.

In the orchard this month we’ve been pruning the plum trees because they need to be pruned in full summer whereas apples and pears prefer to be cut back during their winter dormant period. September is one of the best months to visit a community orchard.

In Campbell Park we encourage all visitors to enjoy any windfall fruit they find on the ground, and to only take a ripe fruit from the trees when there are no windfalls available.

Next week P6 pupils from Bonaly Primary will return to lift the tatties they planted in May. Since planting, these potatoes have had to survive on rainwater alone. So we’ve experimented this year by hilling up the stems with FREE cut grass clippings to help mulch the soil and trap moisture.

Now the stems are starting to go yellow and flop over which is a good indication they’re ready for harvesting. I can’t wait to see, and taste, the results.

This column is contributed by Shona Harrower. Shona lives in Colinton and is passionate about low maintenance food production. She is Chair of the Friends of Campbell Park.

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SEPTEMBER CROSSWORD

58mm Vertical [LEFT]

^^^ Solution in the OCTOBER edition

ACROSS: 6. Attractive (6), 8. Allow (6), 9. Bite persistently (4), 10. Chosen (8), 11. Ripping (7), 13. Acknowledge (5), 15. Quarrel (5), 17. Secured (7), 20. Non-military person (8), 21. Neat (4), 23. Suppose (6), 24. Surplus (6).

DOWN: 1. Midday (4), 2. Reply (6), 3. Type of fruit (5), 4. Found (6), 5. Similarly (8), 7. Relieving (6), 12. Soonest (8), 14. Alter (6), 16. Special (6), 18. Unbroken (6), 19. Conceals (5), 22. Hurry (4).

XX ^^^ Sudoku solution on page 47

SEPTEMBER SUDOKU

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LOCAL HISTORY

Enjoying a lovely walk along the Union Canal, it’s easy to take it for granted as a leisure facility, and to forget the history of the hard labour that went into cutting the earth in the first place - many years before powerful machines could help.

“Navvies”, many of them Irish immigrants, made a major contribution to the industrial development of Scotland in the 19th century by working on the canals, railways, roads, mining and other industries. While Irish workers had always come across for seasonal work harvesting in Scotland, the 19th century saw a mass immigration, this time including entire families permanently leaving Ireland.

belonging to the canal proprietors and are pointed out to strangers on the passage boats as great curiosities. Each, of course, is more wretched than another, and presents a picture of squalid poverty which is new to the people on this side of the Channel. One of them, with the exception, perhaps, of a few sticks, is composed entirely of rotten straw; its dimensions would not suffice for a pig-stye.”

The first significant wave of immigration was in the canal building period. Canal diggers – navigators – or “navvies” as they became known, in central Scotland were Irish immigrants and Highlanders lured by the prospect of steady work.

They worked on canal projects all over Scotland, following the work from project to project. Most locally to us, the Union Canal, 31.5 miles long between Edinburgh and Falkirk, was dug in just four years between 1818 and 1822. No accommodation was provided for the workers by the canal proprietors; they had to find lodgings and make do however they could. At either end of the canal in Edinburgh and Falkirk it wasn’t too difficult to find lodgings, but in between there was little or no accommodation to be found, and the families had to accompany the wageearner. A newspaper at the time reported:

Scottish industry became very successful in the 1840s, coinciding with the agricultural disaster in Ireland which led to the potato famine and many thousands of Irish fleeing famine conditions made their way to Scotland. The population of Irish in Scotland increased 90% during the 1840s.

They worked on the burgeoning railway network – the construction of the last canals overlapped with the first railways - textiles, and later on in mining. The Irish were also contributors to the man-power in the mines of West Lothian, and formed a significant proportion of the population of mining towns.

“Along the banks of the Union Canal certain edifices have been erected which strike the traveller with no little astonishment.

These are huts erected by Irish labourers upon some few vacant spots of ground 42 | THE DELL

The Irish navvies got bad press, partly due to a reputation for rough noisy behaviour in their few leisure hours. The work was extremely hard physical labour and the facilities very minimal, and they tended to drink hard when off duty. There were many complaints from the locals, the most common being for drunken and riotous behaviour. A parish minister complained of the Irish navvies that “they lowered very much the moral tone of the district,

from which, he feared, it might never recover.” They were also prepared to work for less money than Scots or English, thus lowering the general wage level for the work they did. In 1841, when blasting through stone for the Winchburgh railway tunnel, a fight broke out between Irish navies and Highlanders. Each side rounded up a significant number of their countrymen, to the point that infantry was rushed from Dreghorn by canal boat to restore peace.

Nevertheless, despite the intolerance and discrimination, from the 1850s on there were distinct Irish communities in Scotland with both formal and informal social support groups, and the enduring cultural ties unbroken.

The article was written by Helen-Jane Gisbourne. Helen-Jane is the editor of the Dell Directory.

Burke and Hare

The most infamous of Irish immigrants to Scotland, Burke and Hare worked on the Union Canal for a short time around 1818, although they didn’t meet up until Burke and his partner became lodgers at Hare’s house in Edinburgh several years later. They made a lucrative living by murdering and selling the fresh corpses to the anatomist Dr Knox, who never asked questions. However the murder of a young man known as “Daft Jamie” was the beginning of the end of their grizzly career, as he was well-known in his community and some of Dr Knox’s students recognised him.

Burke and Hare are said to have frequented the Grey Horse Inn in Balerno; after their trial, the innkeeper’s wife from the inn that stood at Causewayend at that time, is said to have recognised that they were in the district too. Lord Meadowbank of Kirknewton was an advocate in their trial. Hare turned kings evidence, while Burke was hanged in Edinburgh on 28th January 1829.

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FRIDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER Oxgangs PTA Community Bingo Night! - Brand-new event just for the grownups – Community Bingo Night! Come along for a fun-filled evening to connect, unwind, and support our school. 7.30pm at Colinton Bowling Club. What’s in Store: • Three exciting rounds of Bingo • Prizes to be won • Lively party games and laughs throughout the night

WEDNESDAY 1ST OCTOBER Crafting - PaperCut Flowers - Join papercut punk, Ruth Watt, who will lead a relaxed, sociable craft session suitable for adults to create beautiful paper cut flower designs.

BOOKING ESSENTIAL. The Hub@531 Lanark Road, Juniper Green. 2.00pm - 4.00pm Book at: hub531.appointedd.com

The Colinton &

A relaxed, friendly vibe – perfect for meeting other parents and carers. No need to come in a group. Tickets: £12 – Available on the night.

Hosted by Boogie Bingo.

Merchiston Community

SATURDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER Farmers Market - Main Street, Balerno, 9.00am to 1.00pm.

MONDAYS 8TH & 15TH SEPTEMBER Please join us for either or both of our open rehearsals at 7.00pm on Monday the 8th and 15th September in the Memorial Hall, at Merchiston Castle School, Colinton Road. You will be able to experience what it would be like to sing with our choir and there will be no commitment or pressure to join.

We are a very welcoming, nonauditioning choir with a mixed range of ages and singing and sight-reading abilities. We also have some social events.

We have a delightful programme of seasonal music for our Christmas Concert on Monday 8th December :- Vaughan Williams “Fantasia on Christmas Carols”, Cornelius “Three Kings from Persian Lands Afar, Telemann “Der Jungste Tag wird bald sein Ziel” and a lovely selection of carols.

We meet on Monday evenings in the Memorial Hall from 8th September onwards. After the Open Rehearsals, we will start at 7.15pm and end at 9.00pm but it’s not a problem if you arrive a bit late or have to leave a bit early. We really enjoy our rehearsals with our brilliant Director of Music, Tim Coleman, and our Accompanist, the excellent Morley Whitehead. For more information about our choir, please consult our website: www.colintonchoir.org or visit our Facebook page.

MONDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER Colinton Garden Club talk - Dr Alley Jordan : “Early Modern Baroque Gardens” Meetings are at Dreghorn Loan Hall at 8.00pm on 4th Monday of the month. Details at: colintongardens.org.uk

Pentland Probus Club Events

All meets are in Juniper Green Parish Church Hall, Lanark Road 10.00am - 12noon. New members welcome.

Further details from our Club Secretary Leslie Hannaford 0131 453 3012 or lesliehannaford@blueyonder.co.uk • WED 3RD SEPT - “The World’s End Murders”, an illustrated talk by Tom Wood.

• WED 17TH SEPT - “Building & Flying our own Aircraft”, an illustrated talk by Gerard Lohan.

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Choir - Open Rehersals

Due to the ageing population those suffering from dementia has increased. Unfortunately, my partner began suffering from it recently.

Various organisations and agencies offered support and advice. From one of these we were directed towards the Palm Dementia Cafe. It is held in St Joseph’s Centre, Balerno, on the last Tuesday of each month from 3pm to 4.30pm and is for people with dementia and their carers. A friend can also come along instead of a usual carer which is a good opportunity for respite.

and music generally feature. There is a wide and varied programme which even includes an invitation to Dean Park Primary School Christmas Show or a trip on the Ratho Barge.

We went along with some trepidation not knowing what it was really about or what to expect. However, any fears we had were soon overcome by the warm welcome we received from all the helpers. They really did make us feel at our ease.

The PALM café meets once a month usually on the last Tuesday of the month (except July) in the St Joseph’s Centre Balerno from 3.00pm - 4.30pm. Our next meeting is on Tuesday September 30th and we are looking at sensory memories.

The afternoon goes very quickly as it begins with a cup of tea or coffee along with homemade cake and scones - worth going for alone! There then follows the appropriate event for that afternoon, e.g. a visit from a choir, bulb planting, crafts. If there is a particular event forthcoming e.g. Easter or St Andrew’s Day the afternoon is themed round it. Singing

We have been back many times and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The numerous helpers are so friendly. We really encourage anybody with dementia and their carers to give it a try as you will not regret it!

Please do get in touch to find out more and to confirm our programme and meeting times. You can contact us via email: palmcafebalerno@gmail.com or Telephone: 07711 046014 (Please leave a message and we will get back to you.)

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

COLINTON BROWNIES Spaces available to join now (Monday evenings). At Girl Guiding’s Colinton Brownie units we welcome all girls to explore their creative side, get out and about into the great outdoors and start to learn to look after themselves, others and our world.

Girls aged 7-10 years have fun, learning and adventure. For info about joining now contact: colintonbrownieslist@gmail.com GLENLOCKHART PROBUS CLUB - For ex-business men and women. We meet to hear talks, mostly by outside speakers, on a wide range of subjects.

The venue is Mortonhall Garden Centre, at 10.30am. on the last Thursday in the month, January to November. Occasionally there are additional outings. Contact: E. glenlockhartprobus@outlook.com ORIAM WALKING FOOTBALL CLUB - We run a local Walking Football Club, established in 2015, for women aged 40+ and men aged 50+. Our sessions, which are very much mixed ability, take place at Oriam Sports Centre, Heriot-Watt University, EH14 4AS, on a Mon and Fri 12.30-1.30pm, and Wed at 12.00-1.00pm and 8.30-9.30pm We’d love to see new teammates coming along. Sessions are priced at £4.62 but we do have monthly membership schemes available. Please contact Deric Oliver on 07803 508401 or dericandjoan@btinternet.com OXGANGS WRITE AWAY! WRITERS' GROUP - Whether you are a beginner or not, wouldbe novelist, journal-writer or poet, come along and share, learn, be inspired or simply listen. We meet at Oxgangs Library every 2nd Wednesday of each month at 6.00pm - free tea/coffee and biscuits too! For more information, contact Robert Carroll Robert.

Carroll@edinburgh.gov.uk or katiemoon7754@gmail.com 46 | THE DELL

REDHALL WALKING GROUP A gentle walking group exploring areas such as the Union Canal, Colinton Dell and the Water of Leith. Improve your health and wellbeing and meet new people.

Meet at Redhall Walled Garden entrance on main road at 97 Lanark Road. Mondays 10.00am - 11.30am Fun, friendly and free.

Contact: emily@elgt.org.uk or 07943 530806.

Facebook @GreenspaceTrust ST CUTHBERT'S PLAYGROUP - 10.00am - 11.30am - Every Monday during school term time. £2 per family. Toys, snacks and a fun songs! St Cuthbert's Church Hall, Westgarth Avenue, Colinton. Contact Rev Nicki McNelly for more information: stcuthbertsrector@gmail.com FORGET ME NOTES - The Forget Me Notes Project is a charity that uses music to build community and combat isolation in a variety of settings On the first and third Monday of each month - 2.00pm - 4.00pm in St Cuthbert's Church Hall, Westgarth Avenue, Colinton.

Join us when you can, for an hour of music and memories, followed by refreshments. All welcome. Please contact Rev Nicki for more information: stcuthbertsrector@gmail.com (www.forgetmenotes.org.uk) COLINTON FRIENDLY BRIDGE CLUB - Colinton Cottage Homes’ Hall every Monday from 2.00pm to 5.00pm. Please contact Ken McLeod on 0131 466 0888 for more information.

TEA AND TOTS - Stay and play for ages 0-5 with their parent/ carer - all are welcome! Toys, crafts, refreshments, song-time and more. Every Thursday during school term time, 10am-11.30am at Redeemer Church, 64 Bridge Road, Colinton, EH13 OLQ. FREE. E:admin@redeemeredinburgh.org T: 0131 441 7327

ST CUTHBERT’S BADMINTON CLUB - The Club was formed about 1946 and meets in the Church Hall in Westgarth Avenue, Colinton on Monday evenings at 8.00pm between September and Easter. It is noncompetitive. For details, call Julia Roberts on 07904 813145.

PENTLAND BRIDGE CLUB Come and play duplicate bridge in a friendly atmosphere. We meet in St Margaret's Court, Juniper Green on Thursdays at 7pm. Table money £4. Less experienced players made very welcome. For further information see www.bridgewebs.com/ pentland or email mthkjb@gmail.com.

COLINTON LITERARY SOCIETY - Meetings start with coffee, tea and wine at 7.30pm and are held at Dreghorn Hall, 22 Dreghorn Loan, EH13 0DE. Full programme details are at www.colinton-parish.com/ colinton-literary-society.html COFFEE, CAKE AND COMPANY - Drop in for a free coffee between 10.30am and 12pm on Mondays at Redeemer Church Edinburgh, 64 Bridge Road EH13 0LT. We are mostly retired people, but all ages are welcome! More details at redeemeredinburgh.org/ccc THIS WOMAN RUNS - We are a small group of local women who support and empower each other to be healthier and happier. We meet Wednesday’s at 7.30pm at the bottom of Thorburn Road, or Sunday’s at 8.00am in Spylaw Park for a quick warm up, 30-minute run at the pace of chat/your pace, and then a gentle cool down. We’d love to see you there! All free, run by friendly local volunteers www.thismumruns.co.uk/joina-local-run WAVERLEY SPEAKERS CLUB - Meets in Morningside Parish Church, fortnightly on Tuesdays

at 7.15pm. Our aim is to improve members’ public speaking skills in a supportive atmosphere. Each evening has three prepared speeches SOLUTION TOevaluated AUGUST of eight minutes, constructively by another CROSSWORD member. Eight impromptu short speeches follow, also evaluated. New members will be made most welcome.

Contact Douglas.Lothian@ lenlothian.com LOCAL FLORAL ART CLUB - Sit back and enjoy relaxing evenings watching a floral demonstration with lively & interesting chat. You might even win one of the arrangements. We meet at The Braidhills Hotel from 7pm to 8.45pm on the 1st Monday of the month from September. In ACROSS: October only for October 7. Reform, 8.and Chosen, 9. Aids, 10. Stubborn, we are at13.Marchmont St17.

Giles 11. Merrier, Ankle, 15. Above, Frisked, 20. Umbrella, 21. Lute, 22.visit Recess, Church .Trial first in Sept 23. Gemini. or Oct only £5! Wine/tea/ coffee in the hotel.

DOWN: 1.available Desire, 2. Foes, 3. Smashed, 4. Scrub, 5. Combines, 6. Petrol, Contact: Joyce Rutherford 12.

Reversed, 14.

Arrange, 16.

Bumper, 0131 443 2536 or joyce.

18. Eating, 19. Close, 21 Lamp. rutherford@btinternet.com COLINTON SOLUTIONSCOTTISH TO SUDOKU COUNTRY CLUB ON PAGEDANCE XX Come and join us on alternate Thursday evenings from September to March for an evening of fun dancing to live music. We meet in St Cuthbert's Church Hall Colinton from 7.45pm to 9.15pm.

Dances are called but as this is not a teaching class some knowledge of Scottish Country Dance steps and figures is beneficial. For further details phone 07751186359 or 07483814988.

THE SWING CAFÉ - Tues to Sat 10.00am-2.00pm. Please come for breakfast (10.00am12.00noon), (12noon Disclaimer: The lunch publisher cannot accept responsibilityor forsome loss or damage caused -2.00pm) delicious by error baking in the printing of an advertisement. home (available all

day). We welcome groups and if you would like to book a table, please contact 07514 689258. There are glutenfree, vegetarian, vegan and dairy-free options. Under 12s are invited to enjoy a children's menu. Sit in or take away. We look forward to welcoming you.

COLINTON LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY - Want to know about local history?

W: www.colintonhistory.org E:enquiries@colintonhistory.org COLINTON GARDEN CLUB - Club members share their love of gardening, gardens and nature, and work together to preserve and add value to our quality of life here in south-west Edinburgh. Monthly members’ meetings on a Monday, in the upper Hall, Dreghorn Loan and start at 8.00pm. We are a friendly and thriving club and new members are very welcome, plus outings and events. The annual subscription is £10.00. per household.

For more information see: W: colintongardens.org.uk E: membership@ colintongardens.org.uk LUNCHCLUB - Every Wednesday 1pm – 3pm, 3 courses £4. Spaces are limited, first come first served.

Oxgangs Neighbourhood Centre, 71 Firhill Drive, EH13 9EU. Please visit: oxgangsneighbourhoodcentre.org.uk PARENT AND TODDLER GROUP - Tuesdays, am session and pm session for two age groups (all under 5s). Oxgangs Neighbourhood Centre, 71 Firhill Drive, EH13 9EU. T: 0131 466 0678 E:oxgangs neighbourhoodcentre @gmail.com

We do not endorse any advertisers in this publication. All material is accepted CAFÉ - 10.00am to 1.00pm. forOXGANGS publication on NEIGHBOUR the understanding itCENTRE is Baconfree. rolls, potatoes, copyright Nobaked part of this publicationtoasties,specials, teas, coffees and cake.

Sit in or takeaway. may be reproduced without prior consent of the publisher.

TO INCLUDE YOUR CLUB Publisher: Lothian Publications Ltd. OR CLASS, PLEASE EMAIL Geddes House,UP Kirkton Livingston, TO EDITOR@KONECT.SCOT DETAILS, TONorth, 75 WORDS, West Lothian EH54 6GU.

NOT-FOR-PROFIT GROUPS ARE FREE. THERE IS A Magazine Design: SMALL CHARGE FOR BUSINESSES. SEE KONECT.SCOT Alan Stewart Design FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. T: 07729 911858

SOLUTION TO AUGUST CROSSWORD

ACROSS: 7. Reform, 8. Chosen, 9. Aids, 10. Stubborn, 11. Merrier, 13. Ankle, 15. Above, 17. Frisked, 20. Umbrella, 21. Lute, 22. Recess, 23. Gemini.

DOWN: 1. Desire, 2. Foes, 3. Smashed, 4. Scrub, 5. Combines, 6. Petrol, 12. Reversed, 14. Arrange, 16. Bumper, 18. Eating, 19. Close, 21 Lamp.

SOLUTIONTO TOSUDOKU SUDOKU SOLUTION XX ON PAGE 40

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 Design T: 07729 911858

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