The Edinburgh Reporter April 2025

Statue stushie

Elsie

row continues

Auld Alliance Music Man Empty Chamber Humble

Awards fiasco flames discontent

Famous race Edinburgh bound

Tartan Pride

By PHYLLIS STEPHEN

A SMALL TEAM OF SIX VOLUNTEERS is making the final preparations for the inaugural Edinburgh Tartan Parade. Rehearsals have been carried out along the city centre route and the final touches to

May will begin at the City Chambers, processing down the Royal Mile to Cockburn Street, onto Waverley Bridge and then into Princes Street Gardens. Some 1,600 people have now registered for the event and registrations are now closed.

The date is the second Saturday in May -

of Hand Up Events, already has a connection with all things Fair Trade. She runs the market on Castle Street under the social enterprise company Hand Up Events which she set up. Tania registered a tartan design for World Fair Trade and promoted the clan by taking part in the New York City Tartan

Louise Marshall, piper to the Lord Provost

Inglis

Editorial

THIS IS ANOTHER ISSUE when the challenge to cram all the news in was well nigh impossible. Forgive me that there is little information about the Edinburgh International Festival which was the first launch of the year I attended. We will dedicate more room to it in our May paper - in particular the eight hour long concert which will open proceedings in August.

The first Edinburgh Tartan Parade will be along soon and piper Louise Marshall rightly takes prime spot on our front page. Louise will lead the parade from the City Chambers on World Fair Trade Day 10 May with a VIP to be announced.

But the big news in town is that the 2027 Tour de France is to begin here in the capital. This is being lauded as a coup for Edinburgh as the biggest free sporting event in the world is to begin from our setted streets. (Some have already said it may help the council decide which streets to resurface. ) More details of the route and the finances are awaited in the autumn, but it is undoubtedly a major draw for cycling fans who will want to come here to spectate.

Sport is always of interest and there are four pages of local sport and news about Hibs and Hearts from pages 20 to 23 for you to read.

Eating out can become a staycation according to Kerry who is writing about the many food tours which are available in Edinburgh. Read more on Page 17. Are there too many cafés in Edinburgh? Charlies Ellis weighs up the situation on Page 16.

Our latest investigation centres on the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Awards and one of the business people shortlistedwhose business had already crashed. Read the second part of the unfolding story on Page 7.

Don’t forget about Edinburgh Science Festival centred at the City Art Centre. If that does not attract you then have a look at pages 18-19 where Lìam Rudden has the best of theatre that you must not miss this month.

Phyllis Stephen, Editor

Planning news

An application has been lodged by Flow Design Architects on behalf of BR Consultants to build 172 student beds in a Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) development at a warehouse site at 52 and 54 Bangor Road. There would also be one commercial unit included in the scheme. The existing building would be demolished and replaced with the student flats with amenity space, access, cycle parking and landscaping. 25/01214/FUL

In Wester Hailes Comprehensive Design Architects has applied non behalf of Syed Elizaz of U & S Investment Ltd to reconfigure the existing shops at Westside Plaza and to create 14 food and beverage units in repurposed shipping containers in the shopping centre car park.

The owner of Exchange Tower on Canning Street - which was one of the buildings which changed hands in a £40 million deal in June 2023, has lodged applications to put a new rooftop extension on the building with a roof terrace and bike store.

The firm Jacobs has been awarded a contract for the initial design development

involved in creating an outline business case for the Trams to Granton, BioQuarter and Beyond - Technical Advisor Support”.

Developers have lodged planning appeals for 56three Architects PBSA schemes on Pitt Street (220 student beds and 1 commercial unit) both refused in 2024. DPEA Case

The Gothic Rocket

THIS IS, as any Edinburgh resident knows, the Scott Monument. But the photo was taken through the window of a dining room on Princes Street around 1965. We think it is taken from Jenners but would be interested to know if you agree? The image was shared to Edinburgh Collected by Living Memory Association. Anyone can add their photos. www.edinburghcollected.org

references PPA-230-2557 and PPA-230-2558. www.dpea.scotland.gov.uk

An application has been made by EMA Architecture + Design for the detailed masterplan of Redheughs Village, changing the Planning Permission in Principle (PPP) already granted.

to cover the overheads of bringing the news to you in print and online and to maintain it as free to access. We can also deliver door to door on some selected streets. If you would like us to include your local area then please suggest it to us ter.ooo/subscribe

Editor: Phyllis Stephen

Designer: Tammy Kerr

Photos: Martin P McAdam

Time for a change at Exchange Tower

Looking out from the lunch table

Zoo’s Billy whizz arrival

FOUR YEAR-OLD Billy arrived at Edinburgh Zoo from Whipsnade, and will no doubt quickly become a star attraction. The cheetah is the world’s fastest land animal, but the species is classed as vulnerable in the wild. The decreasing population may be as few as

6,500 in the world. Billy has been brought in as a replacement for Cleo who sadly died soon after arrival last autumn. Cheetahs are found in Africa and in some parts of Southwestern Asia. Visitors to the zoo can save by booking online. edinburghzoo.org.uk/tickets

Saving lives

By PHYLLIS STEPHEN

THE ROYAL NATIONAL LIFEBOAT INSTITUTION (RNLI) is recruiting face-to-face fundraisers in Edinburgh.

The role helps the charity reach thousands of people every year, sharing important water safety messages with beachgoers and visitors to some of the summer’s most popular events. It is also vital in helping the RNLI continue its lifesaving service, encouraging new supporters to sign up to make a donation.

A role within this team offers flexible working in locations such as North Berwick or lifeguarded

beaches in Fife. Fundraisers receive full, high-quality training and competitive rates of pay, whilst also developing valuable professional and personal skills.

The lifesaving charity is recruiting around 200 face-to-face fundraisers, with part-time, full-time, seasonal and year-round opportunities available.  Mark, a Face-to-Face Fundraiser for the RNLI in Scotland, and also a volunteer at Queensferry RNLI Lifeboat Station, says: ‘It’s an exceptionally rewarding role where you can make a real difference for the RNLI. The money you raise could help save lives at sea.”

Easter Play 20 not out

BEHOLD THE MAN, The Edinburgh Easter Play, Saturday 19 April at 2pm in West Princes Street Gardens. This year marks the 20th edition of the Easter Story performed live in the heart of Edinburgh. While the play takes a different version of the story every year, this time the team have something which they believe is particularly special in store. A diverse community cast will tell the timeless story of Easter,

supported by experts from Edinburgh University’s School of Theology, in a new play which looks at the masculinity of Jesus. Ageless themes of suffering, redemption and forgiveness play out against the spectacular backdrop of Edinburgh Castle, surely one of the best theatre sets in the world.

The performance is free and accessible. www.easterplay.org

Silver celebrations

JOIN THE Water of Leith Visitor Centre as they celebrate 25 years.

A Silver Anniversary event on 13 April from 1pm to 4pm will be packed with activities for all ages - immerse yourself in the past, present, and future of this community hub. Enjoy a guided walk along the river, get creative with crafts and a memory collage, or share your ideas for the next 25 years. Explore the wonders of the water with river dipping, discover wildflowers, and follow the silver thread walk. Warm up with homemade soup and baking.  Whether you are a longtime friend of the Centre or discovering it for the first time, you are invited to go along to celebrate, explore, and be part of the next chapter.

Courtesy of RZSS

No to statue

By PHYLLIS STEPHEN

A PROPOSAL to erect a statue to suffragist and pioneer for women’s rights, Dr Elsie Inglis, is making its way through the planning process but not without criticism. The number of objections on the council’s planning portal is much the same as those backing the application, but comments can be made until 4 April. The statue design is being promoted by the charity, A Statue for Elsie, of which the former Lord Provost, Frank Ross, is chair.

Plans for a statue to Dr Inglis started three years ago and, after some public fundraising efforts, a call to artists was issued. The process was halted abruptly when the trustees announced that the King’s Sculptor in Ordinary, Professor Alexander Stoddart, was being commissioned, but they now say the planning applicaton is a “significant milestone”. Other sculptors preparing to put forward their ideas were disappointed. One of those was sculptor, Natasha Ingram-Phoenix, an Elsie Inglis fan, who has established a campaign called “ELSIE ON THE MILE - we choose a breastfeeding mother with Elsie statue” on Facebook. Ms Phoenix said: “I would like to have represented Elsie with a new mother with a baby to her breast under a shawl. I would like to have represented Edinburgh as well as a city around that. I’d like to have got community feedback before putting that design out.” She has criticised the choice of a man to design this sculpture of someone she regards as a feminist.

Cllr Margaret Graham, City Centre Ward, said she has no objection to the sculptor, but does not like the statue. She said: “The design is very old looking in nature, and I don’t think it is going to enhance or embrace the public space.” She mentioned the figure of Mary Barbour in Glasgow which depicts the subject “in full flow with other people in the statue”.

Nicholas Oddy, Head of Design History and Theory at Glasgow School of Art is also critical of the design. He said: “If it was going to be Alexander Stoddart and his normal designs, it would be in the neoclassical form and Inglis would look like a great thinker, a great physician, a great war hero. She’d be heroic and not looking like somebody waiting for a bus, which is what this looks like.”

scale of the monument is determined by the nature of the subject on the one hand, and the durability of the exposed object in a public space on the other. Deciding on these matters is not an arbitrary, conceptual exercise, but rather a process involving long standing experience and knowledge of the field. Naturally, the need for high visual impact requires an increase in scale from the banality of life-size to something able to hold its own in the teeming environment of the Royal Mile.”

By STAFF REPORTER

ANYONE WHO SUPPORTS another adult –friend or relative – due to their illness, frailty, disability, mental health or addiction and who is an unpaid carer might benefit from LifeCare Edinburgh’s services.

Jewitt & Wilkie Architects explained on behalf of the trustees the thinking behind the proposal - in particular the desire for a pedestal: “The vision for the piece is to erect a lasting testimonial to a deserving subject... The

More hot air

By STAFF REPORTER

THE INFLATABLE DOME at Grange Club continues to disturb its nearest neighbours.

The Grange Club which put up the structure last December has refused to meet residents to discuss a possible compromise, on the basis that it would not be “productive”.

The dome covers padel and tennis courts but it requires 24/7 inflation, and neighbours say the constant background noise keeps them awake. A petition has been established to ask that the noise levels are reduced, that the structure is lowered and the “lurid colours” changed. In addition residents are creating a campaign group StRAP (Stockbridge Residents Against the Plook).

Inverleith Conservative councillor Max Mitchell said: “It is disappointing that the Grange Club finds itself unable to meet residents to discuss their concerns. I would have hoped that a sports club integral to the Stockbridge community would continue to engage with its neighbours and the residents.

“While the club has adjusted fans to improve noise impact, there are things residents feel they could do. Perhaps if they meet then solutions could be found.”

Local community councillor, Geoff Calder, wrote to the club on behalf of the Colonies residents asking to meet to discuss a compromise. Mr Calder has confirmed that the response from chairman Rick Symington was “lengthy but terse”.

Author, Sara Sheridan, supports the objectors. She said: “This is a £300k 3D version of a wartime photo. The plinth is taller than the subject. It does not recognise Dr Inglis’ lifelong commitment to women’s health, education and rights. The sculptor has other pieces in the city to the point that the visual diversity of the capital is compromised. It’s been called Stoddart Theme Park. Both Elsie and Edinburgh deserve a better memorial and process.”

Mr Calder said: “Their dismissive and rather patronising response is particularly galling because it infers residents should have raised concerns earlier, when they know full well that the Community Council unanimously objected to the plans.”

In the letter Mr Symington wrote: “A thorough and

exhaustive process was carried out in line with local and national regulations. We do not believe that it would be productive to hold a meeting at this juncture due to the limitations that the club would have to make any changes to the facilities that have been duly confirmed as acceptable through the long and complex planning process.”

The local charity provides compassionate, caring and practical help so that unpaid carers can take a break. This includes registered day clubs, outreach care, help at home and meals on wheels services and free drop-in activities. These are intended to support unpaid carers themselves so that they have a chance to relax, do something for themselves and meet others in a similar position.

All activity sessions for unpaid carers take place in the LifeCare Hub on Cheyne Street. For example there is Zumba on Mondays at 4.30pm, massage and watercolour class on Tuesdays at 11am, hairdressing on Wednesdays at 1pm or chair yoga on Fridays at 11am. Some of the sessions can also be joined online.

www.lifecare-edinburgh.org.uk

Locals asked to come forward

By STAFF REPORTER

AFTER LAST MONTH when residents were invited to lodge nominations to become a community councillor, eight community councils may yet fall by the wayside.

They are Craigmillar, Davidson’s Mains and Silverknowes, Firrhill, Hutchison / Chesser, Muirhouse / Salvesen, Old Town, Portobello, and West Pilton/West Granton. The council has put out a second call for nominations for these community bodies which deal with local issues. Nominations close at 4pm on 17 April.

The dome in Inverleith

Natasha Ingram-Phoenix is leading objectors to the statue

Alan Simpson

Abusers banned and sentenced

By ALEXANDER LAWRIE

A FORMER SOCIAL WORKER who sexually abused several boys at a Barnardo’s residential home in East Lothian has been jailed and placed on the sex offenders register.

Peter Livingstone carried out a “depraved” campaign of physical and sexual abuse while he was employed at the charity’s Tyneholm House in Pencaitland in the 1980s.

Livingstone, 67, indecently assaulted one victim by massaging his naked buttocks and touching his the boy’s penis and testicles on several occasions.

The former residential social worker also groped the testicles of a second child, instructed him to masturbate in his presence and fondled himself, all between April 1981 and November 1982.

Livingstone was found to have attacked a third boy by seizing and dragging him by the hair, forcing him to remove his clothing and making him stand naked facing the corner of a room at the care home.

He denied all the allegations against him but was found guilty by a jury of six offences of assault, indecent assault and using lewd, indecent and libidinous practices following an eight day trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month.

All the offences took place at the former Dr Barnardo’s residential home at Tyneholm House, Pencaitland, East Lothian, between April 23, 1979 and April 15, 1983.

The charity has now released a statement paying tribute to the bravery of the victims and condemning Livingstone’s behaviour towards them.

Livingstone, of Clermiston, Edinburgh, was jailed for 30 months and was placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

Tyneholm House in Pencaitland was opened by Barnardo’s as a home for boys in 1948.

The property became a mixed accommodation in 1970 before changing to a home for children with physical and learning

disabilities in 1973.

The home was finally closed in 1985 and the building is currently used as a care home for the elderly.

TWO MEN CONVICTED OVER ELECTROCUTED TEEN

A teenager suffered horrific burns when he was electrocuted after being forced to jump from the roof of Waverley train station in Edinburgh to escape a gang attack.

Scott Christie was left with second degree burns to 35 per cent of his body when he fell on powerful 25,000 volt electrical overhead lines before crashing onto rail tracks below.

Scott, 18, also suffered a serious head injury, a large gouge out of his thigh and bruising to his lungs when he fell 30 feet from the roof of the station in May 2023.

He spent two months recovering in hospital from following the horror fall, has been left permanently scarred and now suffers from PTSD and nightmares.

The teenager told a trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court he was forced to seek refuge on the station roof in a bid to escape a gang of youths who had chased him following an argument.

The gang included louts Leo Brown, 22, and Taylor Welsh, 20, who admitted pursuing Scott onto the roof but denied they had forced him to land on the tracks below.

Following a four day trial a jury found the pair guilty of conducting themselves in a disorderly manner and pursuing Scott and causing him to jump or fall onto overhead electrical wires and a train track, all to his permanent impairment, disfigurement and danger to his life.

The pair decided not to give evidence but admitted they had pursued Scott onto the roof of the station during their police interviews that were played to the jury.

They both said Scott jumped onto the tracks below but denied causing him to do it.

Following four days of evidence the jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts on both accused. They will be sentenced in April.

RABBIT NEGLECT

AN Edinburgh boxing coach has been banned from keeping animals after he neglected his children’s pet rabbits so badly that one was left “unrecognisable”.

Adil Sheikh, 49, failed to provide adequate care for the 17 animals that he kept in the back garden of his home at the capital’s Chesser area.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told the 12 adult rabbits and five kitts suffered from malnutrition and matted coats and some had overgrown teeth that were growing into their skulls.

The court heard the rabbits did not have a proper environment to live in and had suffered injuries due to them fighting with another after not being separated properly.

The court was told all the animals were taken into the care of the animal charity but seven

rabbits did not survive due to their condition.

Sheikh pleaded guilty to failing to provide a suitable environment for the rabbits and protect them from suffering and injury between March 2022 and March 2023.

Defence agent Peter O’Neill said the rabbits belonged to one of Sheikh’s children and admitted “he should have taken more of an interest” in the animals’ welfare.

Mr O’Neill said his client is “very embarrassed” at appearing in court and the conviction will have “an impact on his voluntary work” as a coach and health protection officer at a local boxing club.

BAMPTON JAILED

An Edinburgh father who was caught in possession of a horror haul of child sex abuse images has been jailed for 16 months.

Philip Bampton, 44, was found to have downloaded hundreds of pictures and videos depicting young children being sexually abused by adults when police raided his home in 2023.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told the revolting material included male and female children aged between six and 14-years-old.

The court heard police officers carried out a raid after receiving intelligence that child abuse material had been “uploaded” to a device at Bampton’s home at Muirhouse in Edinburgh.

Bampton was jailed for 16 months and placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

RUGBY YOUTH TEAM MANAGER ON SEX OFFENDERS REGISTER

A Scottish Rugby youth team manager who sent schoolboy players indecent images and made sexual comments to them has been placed on the sex offenders register.

Steven Dyer sent the boys sexual videos and pictures while they were part of a Scotland international youth squad on a training camp a trip in Wales in 2023.

The shamed rugby coach was caught when a shocked parent of one victim became aware of the online messages and contacted a teacher at the child’s school in Edinburgh.

Dyer was suspended by the sport’s governing body Scottish Rugby and was sacked from his

job with Lloyds Banking Group when finance bosses were made aware of the charges.

Dyer, from Newton St Boswalls, Scottish Borders, escaped custody and was instead placed on community payback order involving a nine month supervision order and 200 hours of unpaid work. He will also be electronically tagged and have to stay within his home between 7pm and 7am for three months and was issued with non-harassment orders banning him from having any contact with the three victims for two years.

He was also placed on the sex offenders register for five years and his name will be forwarded to Scottish Ministers who will consider if he is to be banned from working with children and vulnerable adults in the future.

CHILD ASSAULTS

A depraved couple who sent each other images of them sexually assaulting young children have both been jailed and placed on the sex offenders register for life.

Brandon Miller and partner Anthony McKnight made recordings of the attacks on their victims before posting the footage to each other over WhatsApp.

The pair, both of Haddington, East Lothian, encouraged one another to carry out the assaults as well as downloading horror child abuse images to their phones.

McKnight, 38, was jailed for four years with a two year licence period and Miller, 22, was given a four year extended sentence - two years custody and a two year licence period.

Philip Bampton

Steven Dyer

Leo Brown

Peter Livingstone

Pioneering £15m Edinburgh fund tackles poverty and racism

By STAFF REPORTER

A NEW SOURCE FOR CHARITIES, The Regenerative Futures Fund, is a pioneering £15 million ten-year community fund for Edinburgh set up to tackle the root causes of poverty, racism and climate change city-wide. Bringing together long-term funding commitments from bodies including The City of Edinburgh Council, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, The National Lottery Community Fund, The Robertson Trust, Turn2us Edinburgh Trust and Foundation Scotland, the funders will be completely removed from the decision-making process. Instead a panel of local people with lived experience will decide which organisations receive vital support to deliver the changes needed in the city.

This programme is for collectives, movements

and grassroots organisations who are addressing the root causes of poverty, racism and climate change and can demonstrate their close links with residents, and skills in community organising and activism. They must be open to working in a collective with others through a programme of shared learning and imagination activities throughout the grant, and they must be based in Edinburgh.

Aala Ross, Co-Head of the Regenerative Future Fund said: “The Regenerative Futures Fund is different. Collaboratively designed by local people in community organisations, campaigners, funders and the local authority, this £15 million, ten-year pooled fund presents a unique opportunity to support and enable a long-term community-led approach to systemic change.

“We are committed to meaningful, long term

Painting with Petals

DRYLAW NEIGHBOURHOOD

CENTRE’S Painting with Petals Project, has engaged three local schools, Ferryhill Primary School, Rowanfield Special School and Oaklands Special School. Their work was shown at a recent exhibition in Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre (DNC).

The schools all learned about nature-based art and activities. As some of the young people had sensory impairments, and needed one to one care, they had to work in a way which activated all their senses, and not just sight. They planted strong smelling plants in the sensory garden and used the tactility of plants to enable engagement.

DNC connected children of all abilities with the outdoor garden space, using garden plants and flowers to encourage awareness of plant properties, particularly the potential to use them as art

materials such as natural colours for drawing inks, paints and dyes. The art instructors introduced dried and powdered plant material from temperate and subtropical regions, to extend the range of colour possibilities. Garden collections of nasturtium, cosmos, marigold, lavender and lobelia flowers were enriched by beetroot, blackberries, currants and woad. Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh visited the project and enabled a tour of their gardens which the young people loved.

and unrestricted funding. This means that organisations will be given the freedom to think and plan for the long-term.

“We are excited that Edinburgh is the first place to deliver a fund like this. We know that other cities are watching, and we look forward to sharing our learning as we progress.”

The Fund has now opened for applications. Delivered in two phases. The first is capacity building support of up to £10,000 for approximately 25 organisations, followed by

grants of up to £100,000 per year for ten years for around 10-15 Edinburgh-based organisations. Interested organisations should visit the Regenerative Futures Fund website to complete a simple eligibility checker which is open until 22 April 2025. Eligible organisations and collectives will then be invited, with support if required, to submit a written expression of interest in May 2025.

https://regenerativefuturesfund.org.uk

Rik Hodgson, Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre

Co-ordinator said: “This has been a lovely project bringing young people from three local schools into our centre to grow, nurture and harvest flora and also creating great art work. We all have had great fun being involved and have done good work in bringing profoundly disabled children, children with social and behavioural issues and mainstream primary school children together in one space to work and play together.”

Removing ear wax yourself is potentially dangerous

Your ears are very delicate and sensitive. Blindly sticking something in there (finger, cotton bud, rolled-up tissue) will most likely push excess ear wax further into your ear canal and could potentially burst your ear drum.

Book an appointment with Fairfield Hearing, and get your ear wax removed by a professional.

Aala Ross, Co-Head of the Regenerative Future Fund

Fragrant collage

Chamber flip “burger king” blame for awards fiasco

By STEPHEN RAFFERTY

Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce has come under fire for failing to take action over a debt-ridden business which was nominated for a top honour in its prestigious business awards.

The Capital’s leading business organisation dished out a Rising Star Award to Alexander Galpin in 2024, and at its glitzy 2025 ceremony held at the EICC on 27 February, his Luxford Burger chain was shortlisted as a potential winner in the High Growth Business of the Year category.

Mr Galpin, who operates two Luxford Burgers restaurants in Edinburgh, had earlier boasted: “Incredibly proud that we have been nominated for the High Growth Business of the Year by Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce for the second year running! Let’s hope we smash it this year.”

But days before the awards ceremony, The Edinburgh Reporter revealed to the Chamber that Mr Galpin had crashed the parent company of Luxford Burgers with debts of almost £120,000 - including £78,000 due to HMRC for unpaid VAT and corporation tax.

Secure Kitchens Ltd was placed into liquidation on 9 January with debts of just under £135,000 due to 17 creditors including a number of small local suppliers. A report by the official liquidator, Begbies Traynor, found the company had assets of £48,768 and estimated the final deficit due to creditors was £118,869.

We asked Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce five times to comment on whether it was appropriate that Luxford Burgers was shortlisted in the awards, and if in light of the information provided would it review its award

application procedures. It took the Chamber two weeks to respond - and then it passed the buck to “senior business figures” - who it said judge the awards independently.

However, one creditor who is due thousands of pounds by Secure Kitchens Ltd, said: “I would have thought it should have been a prerequisite of any award nomination that a business should be financially and ethically sound. It is wrong that Luxford Burgers was shortlisted in these awards, especially when it has put other businesses in the area at a

financial disadvantage.

“The fact this information was brought to the Chamber’s attention prior to the awards ceremony makes it worse. Alex Galpin seems to think it is ok to leave all this debt behind and carry on in the same premises under a similar trading name as if nothing has happened. There is no doubt he exudes an arrogant persona and does not lack confidence.”

An ex-employee of Mr Galpin, who won an Employment Tribunal ruling against one of his other companies for unpaid wages, said: “It is

Floating Dame Katherine’s boat

By BILL LOTHIAN

NEWHAVEN Coastal Rowing Club, a community-based club that gives local people a chance to get out rowing on the Forth in traditional skiff style boats, are preparing to welcome a special guest at a free festival in Newhaven Harbour on Saturday, 26 April.

Dame Katherine Grainger, chair of UK Sport, proud Scot and holder of a gold and four silver Olympic rowing medals will be on hand to launch three new boats, two from Newhaven’s club and one built by The Grassmarket Project which is a community of over 500 people working together to support positive change in one another’s lives.

The “Seafaring Spirit Festival” will celebrate the area’s rich history of coastal connection as part of a broader programme of events that

mark 900 years since Edinburgh was officially established as a burgh.

The event will take place in and around Newhaven Harbour and the nearby Heart of Newhaven Community Centre.

Other attractions on the day will include:

• Come and try rowing sessions

• Skiff races

• Interactive exhibitions depicting Newhaven’s changing relationship with the sea

• Local choirs and bands

• Story telling

• Craft workshops

• RNLI safety demonstrations and lifeboat visit

• Sea cadet presentations

• Knot tying classes

unacceptable that individuals like him (Alexander Galpin) continue to operate businesses, win awards, and receive public recognition while their former employees struggle to get the wages they rightfully earned. He should be held accountable for his actions.”

A statement from Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce said: “The Edinburgh Chamber Annual Business Awards are free to all members to enter, and it is important to note they are judged independently of the Chamber by senior business figures.

“They are well-regarded, although we constantly seek to improve. We have received no complaints or notes of issue since the event took place. We note that the business concerned provided a full response to your initial questions, and the Chamber has no further comment to add.”

The Edinburgh Reporter made several attempts to obtain a comment from Mr Galpin but he failed to respond.

Luxford Burgers was started from a shipping container in Leith in 2020 as a “click and collect” and delivery service before opening its first restaurant in St Leonard’s Street in March 2022. A second restaurant in Brandon Terrace opened last September and “dark kitchen” units operated in Glasgow, Manchester, Nottingham and Leeds.

Luxford Burgers is continuing to trade through Got Buns Ltd, a company set up on 14 June 2024 with Mr Galpin and Alexis BedettiDato listed as directors, and Mr Galpin as the majority shareholder with Andrew Hinchcliffe named as a minority shareholder.

A skiff at Newhaven

Alexander Galpin enjoying La Dolce Vita in Florence

Newhaven Coastal Rowing Club on the water

Allez le Tour de France!

Biggest free sporting event will start in Edinburgh

By PHYLLIS STEPHEN

THE MEN’S TOUR DE FRANCE will start from Edinburgh In 2027. The details of the route will be announced in the autumn.

HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh led a celebration at Edinburgh Castle to mark the official handover as the UK prepares to host the Grand Départ of both the 2027 Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. The castle was lit in yellow, with pyrotechnics and smoke displays creating a dramatic backdrop to the announcement.

First Minister, John Swinney, said: “It is a tremendous honour to welcome the Tour de France to Scotland. We know it is one of the most iconic and inspiring contests in sport, and that Scotland provides the perfect stage for major events. Hosting the Tour promises to be a unique opportunity to showcase our country to its many fans around the world as part of a timeline of incredible sporting events in Scotland from 2026 to 2028.”

The Rt Hon Lord Provost, Robert Aldridge, said: “We are thrilled to welcome the Tour de France Grand Départ to Edinburgh. With our winding cobbled streets and iconic backdrop, the city provides a dramatic, challenging, and undeniably picturesque start to this legendary race. It’s sure to be a sight to remember.”

www.letour.fr/en

Looking back at significant historical dates this month

1 APRIL

In 1820, the Radical Rising (or War, also known as the Scottish Insurrection) began a week of strikes and unrest in Scotland, a culmination of Radical demands for reform in Great Britain and Ireland which had become prominent in the early years of the French Revolution but had then been repressed during the long Napoleonic Wars.

2 APRIL

In 1916, at 10 minutes to midnight a German Zeppelin dropped a bomb on a bonded warehouse in Leith; at

midnight one fell in East Claremont Street, later another fell in Lauriston Place and one hit George Watson’s College; and in Marshall Street, one landed outside number 16 killing 6 people; attempts to hit the castle failed but caused extensive damage in the Grassmarket. See https://www. nrscotland.gov.uk/research/learning/ first-world-war/zeppelin-air-raid-onedinburgh-1916 for more. In all dozens of bombs were dropped killing 13 people and injuring another 24.

7 APRIL

In 1941, two landmines were parachuted down on David Kilpatrick School, Leith; 34 incendiaries were dropped on Corstorphine and Cramond Brig; 3 deaths and 131 injured were recorded.

10 APRIL

In 1866, construction of Waverley Station began, consolidating the

former North Bridge and Canal Street Stations.

11 APRIL

In 1890, a fire destroyed the large paper-making and stationery establishment of Messrs Tullis & Company, 7 George Street, Edinburgh, and did very great damage to the adjoining property of Messrs Whytock & Reid, furniture supplier. And in 1895, the first electric lights were installed in the city. Also in 1911, Alexander Young, a mason, was hospitalised as a result of an accident during the demolition of Lothian Road School.

Piping

hot

By PHYLLIS STEPHEN

THE INAUGURAL TARTAN PARADE in Edinburgh takes its inspiration from the New York City Tartan Day Parade held in April each year. There has been a great deal of collaboration between the Scottish team of volunteers and President of the NYC Tartan Day Parade.  Kyle Dawson. He said: “I’m delighted to confirm that I will be attending the Edinburgh Tartan Parade on May 10th. It will be an honor to celebrate this fantastic event and see firsthand the incredible work that Tania and her team have done to bring the spirit of Tartan Day to Edinburgh.” After the event there is a concert at the Usher Hall featuring the Red Hot Chilli Pipers. Prepare for a night of bag rock which they will perform with their usual energy and pzazz. They will be joined by RURA a multi-award winning act which is now one of Scotland’s most popular folk-based bands. There are still tickets available.

usherhall.co.uk/whats-on/

14 APRIL

In 1582, the University of Edinburgh was founded by Royal Charter. And in 1670, Major Tomas Weir was executed by strangulation and burning for the crimes of witchcraft and incest with his elder sister at the Gallow Lea, a field on the road between Leith and Edinburgh where, 300 years later the bus garage at Shrubhill would stand.

22 APRIL

In 1614, the Council decided to abolish the school holiday on the Saturday before Palm Sunday on advice from the Kirk Session. And in 2005, sculptor and artist Sir Eduardo Paolozzi died; born in Leith, he was a founder of the Independent Group, which is seen as a precursor to the ‘60s British pop art movement.

24 APRIL

In 1558, Mary, Queen of Scots, and François, Dauphin of France, were

married in Notre Dame Cathedral; Edinburgh celebrated with a procession, a scripted play, and fireworks. And in 1825, novelist R M Ballantyne, who wrote 90 books, the best known of which was “The Coral Island,” was born in Edinburgh.

Compiled by Jerry Ozaniec, Membership Secretary of the Old Edinburgh Club, membership@ oldedinburghclub.org.uk

L-R] – Lisa Nandy MP, Sir Mark Cavendish, Tour de France General Director, Christian Prudhomme, HRH Duchess of Edinburgh, First Minister, John Swinney

First Minister John Swinney and young cyclists at Edinburgh Castle

City piper Louise Marshall

The Scottish Government

Alan Simpson Swpix

Sit down with Sir Tim

From Joseph to Jesus Christ Superstar, Sir Tim Rice has written the lyrics for some of musical theatre’s best show tunes. Join him as he invites you to a fireside chat with songs.

Ahead of his appearance at The Festival Theatre in My Life In Musicals - I Know Him So Well, Sir Tim Rice chats to James Rampton about his life and career both in and out musical theatre.

What made you want to take My Life In Musicals - I Know Him So Well on the road?

“Over the years I have done quite a few shows like this. The show features songs with my lyrics, most of which, I’m very happy to say, are quite well known. I would tell what I hoped were amusing and/or entertaining stories about how each song happened, and tales about the great composers with whom I wrote the songs - Andrew Lloyd Webber, Elton John, Alan Menken, Bjorn and Benny of ABBA and one or two others. I was supported by a live band and four top class singers - two guys, two girlswho between them would let rip, brilliantly, with the vocals. It was tremendous fun.”

What happened next?

“I was approached by NLP, who suggested a commercial tour of the show. We did a trial run in 2023 and they went pretty well. So, the producers recklessly said they’d like to put together a longer tour - which they did in 2024. Such was the demand that a 2025 repeat was called for - I am now doing 38 dates. Insanity.”

Do you get nervous before going on stage?

“If I’m honest, I don’t really get nervous before the show. As long as there’s an audience... obviously, if something begins to go wrong, which hasn’t really happened, then I might suddenly start panicking. But it’s not as if I have to remember any lines. It’s meant to be a sort of fireside chat with songs. If you’re straightforward and not trying to be too clever, and you’ve got great singers and a great band, which I have, then it works.”

I understand that you sing during the show.

“That’s right, but not a lot you’ll be glad to hear. I sing when I talk about I Don’t Know How to Love Him, the romantic ballad from Jesus Christ Superstar. Andrew wrote the tune about three years before Superstar. Its original title was Kansas Morning and it was a pretty grim lyric (by me) about a bloke dreaming about his home state, Kansas. Andrew and I wrote it hoping to get a pop hit with it. Music publishers quite liked the song and sent it out to various artists, but it never got recorded. Thank goodness. The reason it never got recorded, I now realise, is that the words were not my finest hour. They were terrible. But the tune was fantastic and when I wrote some decent lyrics it became a great song.

“In the show, I perform Kansas Morning which, to put it mildly, makes the point that a bad lyric can kill a good tune. Audiences will be relieved to know that I Don’t Know How to

Love Him is also in the show, sung superbly, but not by me.”

Do you enjoy interacting with your fans at the shows?

“Yes. Both on stage and off. On stage we always get everyone standing at the end singing along to Any Dream Will Do. It’s lovely that stuff I wrote half a century ago is still hitting home. After the show It’s really nice to meet peoplethe ones who like my stuff anyway. At most shows someone I haven’t seen for years comes to say hello backstage afterwards - maybe an old school friend or a performer in one of my early shows - and that’s always a delight. The

fans and friends are terrific; a very nice group of people coming round backstage who always seem to dig up photographs and record sleeves either that I’ve never seen, or not since the early Seventies.”

Is it a very gratifying experience to hear an entire audience singing along to your songs?

“I’m glad they know the words as that’s the only bit I’ve done. Although funnily enough, the most popular bit of Any Dream Will Do is when everybody goes, ‘Ah, ah-ah’ - which isn’t even a lyric. But yes, it’s a very nice feeling. I’m very lucky in that I’ve so often had to work with very good tunes, but just as important is the

fact that the most popular songs have been inspired by very good initial ideas, which in turn usually means a great story. If you have a great story, like Jesus or Joseph or Eva Peron or the Hamlet-inspired The Lion King, it inspires you to write something better than if you were just writing a random, out-of-context song.”

Can you give us an example?

“A song that’s become very popular is Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina. If I’d sat down to write a lyric for that wonderful tune and the idea of Eva Peron had never existed, for a start I would not have come up with Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina, which is an interesting title. Also, I would not

Left: Sir Tim Rice

Right: The maestro relaxing at home

have written a lyric which is really a kind of political statement doubling as a love song. It’s a very dishonest, cynical speech. One critic at the time said, not politely, that it was just a string of clichés, but that’s exactly what it’s meant to be. It was written not as a pop song, but as an insincere political speech - a combination of rather corny emotions - and simultaneous manipulation of the audience. It works on both levels and I would never have come up with that without a story to start with.”

When you’re working on a musical, is the story always paramount, then?”

“Yes. When we were creating Evita, for example, both the composer and the lyricist had to know what was planned for each scene before a word or a note had been written. Was it a love song, an argument, a seductive number, a huge crowd anthem - all had to serve the plot - and the characters. I think Evita is Andrew’s best score. Time and again he would come up with a melody and ideas for orchestration which was perfect for the storyline. Story is always king. In musical theatre anyway. The best musicals have the best stories. That’s the key. There are exceptions such as Cats, but they are rare.

“Look at Oliver! It’s an immortal story, and Lionel Bart was thus inspired to write wonderful songs. He wrote both words and music - quite a staggering achievement. Virtually all the great musicals - from my childhood days such as My Fair Lady, Guys and Dolls, and Oklahoma through to West Side Story, Les Miserables, Wicked and Hamilton - have terrific stories. Even Mamma Mia which,

of course, has such wonderful ABBA hits, needed a very good story. It’s tongue-in-cheek, but it really works. A good musical , like a good play, needs to establish where it’s going, or might go, and what the characters are going to grapple with, pretty early on. If you can get that settled in the first five or ten minutes of the show, then you should be off and running.”

You have also had some success with pop songs, haven’t you?

“Yes, but nothing like my success in the theatre. I really enjoy it when one of my show songs breaks into the pop charts which has happened quite a few times. I Know Him So Well from Chess, Any Dream Will Do from Joseph and Don’t Cry For Me Argentina from Evita have all been No 1 singles in the UK. But perhaps my most exciting chart success was when A Whole New World from Aladdin, which I wrote with Alan Menken, went to No 1 in America. The only non-theatrical substantial record success I’ve had is A Winter’s Tale, which I wrote with Mike Batt and was a big Christmas hit for David Essex more than 40 years ago. But it comes up on the radio every December and still sounds good.”

Can you put into words what it is like working with a great composer like Sir Elton John?

“No-one is like Sir Elton John. He’s unlike most of the composers I’ve worked with in that he will only write a melody when he has a lyric to inspire him. It can be difficult writing with no tune to inspire, but I enjoy the freedom. The danger is you might get long winded... by and large, something that can be said in nine words

is better than something that is said in nine lines. Lyrics should not be wasted or wander aimlessly and tunes keep them on the straight and narrow.

“Having said that, I really enjoyed the thrill of hearing Elton’s first demo recording of words I had written without musical inspiration and time and time again he came up with a winner. He always knew what kind of melody was needed, be it anthemic for Circle Of Life or comic for Hakuna Matata. I like to think that the lyrics inspired him.”

Of all of the marvellous songs you’ve written, do you have a favourite?

“That’s very difficult. It is like being asked who your favourite child is. It sounds very arrogant to say so, but there are quite a lot I like. I would not say any one of them is the best, though. I like High Flying, Adored from Evita, and Heaven on Their Minds from Jesus Christ Superstar works well, too. Anthem from Chess?. That song was sung in English at the Nobel Prize Annual Dinner in Stockholm some years ago. It was great to see it sung by a very large choir and orchestra in front of all those Nobel people. Nobody invited me to the bash, however.”

Do you have a favourite song by someone else, perhaps that you wish you’d written yourself?

“Oh, there are lots, but The Boxer by Simon and Garfunkel is pretty high on my list. I love a lot of rock and roll songs like Summertime Blues and Chuck Berry’s lyrics are masterly.

Ditto Jerry Lieber. I think Gee, Officer Krupke (Sondheim) from West Side Story is as good as it gets, and every word of My Fair Lady is

wonderful, too.”

How did you first meet Andrew Lloyd Webber? “In 1965 I was a failing law student, trying to be a pop singer on the side. No luck there but as a writer I’d had one pop song recorded by a group called The Nightshift - Jeff Beck was in their lineup for a while. I wrote the music as well as the lyrics but the song was not a hit. I took an idea for a book on the history of the pop charts to a literary agent - I was 19 and trying anything to make it. The agent didn’t like my record or my book idea (he was wrong, I did it 15 years later as the Guinness Book of Pop Singles) but he knew a young man who was very talented and wanted to write for the theatre and needed someone to write lyrics to his tunes. So, I went round to see Andrew, we immediately hit it off. It was pretty clear to me that he was really rather good. I didn’t know much about theatre, which was perhaps a plus because I wasn’t completely tied down by a feeling that I had to do a show in a certain way, but the combination of my ignorance and his expertise worked quite well. We eventually stumbled upon a style that wasn’t quite like anyone else’s. We were very lucky. We found each other, and it just worked.”

Can you sum up your career in one phrase? “What happened?”

Sir Tim Rice: My Life In Musicals - I Know Him So Well comes to the Festival Theatre on 20 April. Tickets https://www.capitaltheatres.com/ whats-on/all-shows/tim-rice-my-life-inmusicals-i-know-him-so-well/2430

Bringing smiles to the faces of young and old

Celebrating 35 years of joy, gasps of surprise and wide smiles at the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival

24 MAY TO 1 JUNE

THIS YEAR THE EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL celebrates its 35th year with a packed programme of circus, dance, music, puppetry and theatre that will spark the curiosity and imagination of young people, and bring joy and wide smiles to parents, grandparents and audiences of all ages.

Beginning on Saturday 24 May with a free Family Day of pop-up performances by Scotland-based artists at the National Museum of Scotland, the Children’s Festival is nine days of visual delights and cultural adventures for all ages. With thirteen shows from seven different countries bursting into theatres across Edinburgh, and with music, language and the simple joys of play, expect shrieks of joy, gasps of surprise, wide smiles and you won’t be

disappointed.

This year’s highlights include a madcap exploration of what it means to be a grown-up which will have you laughing out loud as each of the performers try to fix water leaking from the ceiling before it’s too late. Mixing clowning and physical theatre, multiple props and a large slice of anarchy, jeopardy and audience participation, Grown Ups by Compagnie Barbarie and Bronks from Flanders in North Belgium is full of bonkers humour and thoroughly entertaining. A show for all ages which is not to be missed.

Grown Ups is one of four stunning shows from Flanders, which feature in the this year’s programme alongside work from Germany, Austria and France. Each of them exploring timely topics such as difference and the search for identity, in a way that is accessible to children, deeply engaging, innovate and inspiring.

Top: Tongue Twister a hilarious new show with Greg Sinclair

Right: Game Within a Game -three dancers exploring the rules behind a game

Below: Grown Ups - comedy exploring what happens to grown-ups when children are not looking...

Below right: The Show for Young Men stars 11-year-old Alfie

Franky

Verdickt

OTHER MUST-SEE SHOWS

INCLUDE:

Great Big Tiny World and Beneath the Snow, both of which are intimate sensory works for babies and young audiences. Great Big Tiny World is an immersive show filled with sounds and scents taking place in a theatre space filled with hundreds of towering plants, and Beneath the Snow creates a world of white tissue paper from which emerge beautiful creatures.

Following its 5 star sell-out success at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, The Show For Young Men directed by Eoin McKenzie in collaboration with Robbie Synge and young performer Alfie returns to the festival this spring. This show is a humorous piece of dance theatre about a man and a boy who meet on a building site to play, and dance, jump, mimic, tease, coach and prank each other, all beautifully choreographed to a soundtrack built from Dolly Parton, Oasis, football commentary and a talk show about male emotions.

Also from Scotland is the premiere of Tongue Twister written and performed by Greg Sinclair. This show is inspired by living and being brought up in a multi-cultural Scotland where many different dialects and

languages are spoken in schools and communities, and celebrated throughout the year. Greg attempts to address the impossible saying tongue twisters in as many different languages as possible whilst dancing, making music and changing costumes on stage… what could go wrong?

Also premiering during the festival is new work by Vee Smith and Sadiq Ali which mixes theatre, circus, dance and stunning aerial work in The Unlikely Friendship of Feather Boy and Tentacle Girl. Both performers explore universal themes of belonging and needing to fit in, when in fact celebrating difference and being the fabulous creatures they always knew they had inside them is what truly matters. Expect jaw-dropping aerial work as they fly, spin, hang from the rooftops and fall out of the sky.

Speaking about this year’s programme, Festival Director Noel Jordan who announced he was leaving Edinburgh to return to Australia later this year said: “I’m very excited to be launching the 35th edition of The Edinburgh Internationl Children’s Festival which is renowned around the world and will once again present deeply engaging and innovative

Top left: Musical tale The Pale Baron from Belgium

Top right: Shades of Shadows where shadows get a life of their own

Above left: The Unlikely Friendship is an aerial show celebrating difference and the joy of friendship

Above right: Game Within a Game

performances for the whole family – intimate experiences for little ones and inspiring productions for older children. This year’s programme celebrates the simple joy of play, takes us on cultural adventures and challenges us in unexpected ways.

“After 10 incredible years, it is hard to think of one highlight as there have been so many.

“Phenomenal productions from all over the world, commissioning 13 new Scottish productions many of whom have gone on to tour internationally or moving the 2021 Festival outdoor during the Covid pandemic. A special mention must also be made to our main audience members, the children who engage with the Festival so enthusiastically each year.

“They attend with open hearts and open minds, eager to go on unknown theatrical journeys, exploring not only the complexities of our contemporary lives but the wonder of imagination.

“Their responses never cease to amaze me.”

Festival tickets are now on sale. For full programme and booking information, visit: www.imaginate.org.uk/festival. Tickets can be booked online or by calling 0131 226 0019

Andrew Perry

Tommy Ga-Ken Wan

Florian Feisel

Phile Deprez

Minttu Mantynen

Laurence Winram

Pilgrimage to Rose St for pizza

By PHYLLIS STEPHEN

A NEW RESTAURANT, Pizza Pilgrims, will bring their signature Neapolitan-style pizza to the heart of Edinburgh, opening a debut store on Rose Street on 14 April.

The company is running a soft-launch week from 7 April, offering 50% off food and drink and giving away 1,000 free slices on Thursday 10 April, from noon.

The pizzeria will be spread over two floors, spanning 4,349 square feet designed to capture the bustling energy of the streets of Napoli with bold, colourful interiors. Guests can enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the open kitchen, where “pillowy, puffy crusted Neapolitan pizzas” are crafted with the brand’s signature 72-hour double-fermented dough. With 191 covers in total, including a 45-seat outdoor terrace, the space is perfect for everything from casual catchups to large group parties.

Upstairs takes inspiration from the Amalfi Coast and the lemon groves of Southern Italy. The first-floor event space will be dynamic, offering hands-on pizza masterclasses, private dining and cocktail-fuelled pub quizzes. A masterclass kitchen with its own pizza oven, will host interactive ‘Dough It Yourself’ pizza making classes accommodating groups of between 10-60 people, whilst a show-ready stage sets the scene for live music and comedy to drag nights. Founders Thom and James Elliot said: “We couldn’t be more excited to finally bring Pizza Pilgrims to Edinburgh. Rose Street is packed with incredible bars and restaurants, and we’re looking forward to becoming part of such a buzzing hospitality scene.”

Lebanese delights

By STAFF REPORTER

IN THE HEART OF THE CITY, a vibrant turquoise horse box on Little King Street has become a familiar sight for diners seeking authentic Lebanese cuisine.

What started as a pandemic hobby has evolved into Lazeez Street Food - Taste of Lebanon, a thriving street food business with three locations in the city and plans for further expansion.

Owner Hussein Fayad’s journey into the food sector began during lockdown in 2022. He said: “I used to cook at home before, but during Covid I got bored just working from home on the laptop and so I started to cook a bit more. One day

chatting it over with friends I decided to open a takeaway.”

What followed was a bit of a whirlwind. Through connections, Hussein acquired the horse box, initially parking it in his driveway.

In six weeks, he had secured a spot at St James Quarter. “It all happened so quickly. Within weeks I had the concept, designed the menu, decided on the food, and then we were open. Suddenly I was a takeaway operator,” he said smiling.

His candid admission that the first month “was just a shambles” reflects the steep learning curve the Edinburgh Napier University Business Management graduate faced. With no prior experience, he learned about the business from the ground up. Now, the recently refurbished Little King Street location represents a significant investment that

Hussein says is paying off and he has given up his full time job as a financial consultant.

He makes regular trips back to Lebanon keep him connected to his culinary roots, which allows him to bring fresh ideas and recipes to Scotland. He said: “I am always trying to find ways of doing something better, quicker, or make it tastier.”

The menu has been altered over the past three years several times, but Hussein said: “Now

Putting a toe in the water

By BUSINESS REPORTER

TOURISM MINISTER Richard Lochhead has hailed the success of adventure and wellbeing tourism on a visit to Lost Shore Surf Resort at Ratho. Surfing is one aspect of the resort for experts and novices alike, as well as places to eat and drink. But surf therapy is also offered as a way of improving mental health and reconnecting with nature.

Mr Lochhead said: “Scotland is bursting with variety when it comes to top-class tourism attractions, enticing people from around the world while boosting business and supporting jobs.

“Last year, there were 16,000 more jobs and 215 more businesses in Scottish tourism than the year before, further underlining its importance to the economy. I visited Lost Shore Surf Resort when construction was underway. I’m pleased to return to see what is now Europe’s largest inland surfing centre and look forward to it enhancing Scotland’s tourism offering in 2025.”

we’ve reached the point where our operation is smooth, nothing takes too long to prepare. But the best thing about eating at Lazeez is that it is healthy, fresh and tasty.”

Popular items include the Shish Tawook which is freshly grilled chicken drenched overnight in a marinade, served in a wrap with halloumi cheese, which Hussein identifies as their best seller (perhaps because this is the one he likes best).

Andy Hadden, Founder of Lost Shore Surf Resort, said: “We are delighted that over 10,000 surfers have now enjoyed what Lost Shore Surf Resort has to offer. But we do not just offer world class, year round, surfing. With high-end accommodation, restaurants, The SurfSkate Academy, wellness treatments, and sauna within the resort, and only a short hop to Edinburgh city centre, it is no surprise that many families are already booking longer trips with us, and using our great location as a base to explore Scotland.

“The minister shares our enthusiasm for encouraging more people to visit Scotland and it is clear that more visitors in the future will come here for the wellbeing and adventure offering as they seek out more meaningful experiences.”

Richard Lochhead tries surfing

L-R Founders Thom and James Elliot

The turquoise truck is newly kitted out

Edinburgh Printmakers mark up pioneering 60 years

By PHYLLIS STEPHEN

EDINBURGH PRINTMAKERS (EP) is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year with two new exhibitions.

The creative hub will mark this significant year with the third major retrospective printmaking exhibition in recent years featuring work of leading British artists. Works from the Jerwood Collection and the EP’s Collection will show the impact that printmaking has had on British artists and on their work.

There will be two exhibitions running together - the first runs from 4 April to 29 June and will feature work from Jerwood Collection including Ian Davenport, John Hoyland RA, Gerald Leslie Brockhurst RA, Bridget Riley, Tracey Emin DBE, RA, Lucian Freud OM, CH, Ben Nicholson, Yinka Shonibare CBE RA, Eva Rothschild RA, David Hockney RA, Angela Gill, Maggi Hambling, Kim Lim, Paula Rego DBE, RA, Augustus John RA, Hurvin Anderson RA, Julian Trevelyan RA, and Frank Auerbach.

There are many versions of printmaking and this exhibition will showcase etching as well as lithography and linocut.

In the second, works by eminent artists such as John Byrne, RSA, Dame Barbara Rae, RA, CBE, Victoria Crowe, RSA, OBE and Rachel Maclean will be on show. The art has been created in any one of the four locations - Victoria Street, Market Street, Union Street and now firmly established at Castle Mills - which have been home to EP over the decades.

Edinburgh Printmakers CEO Janet Archer said: “Printmaking holds an important place in the history of art as a medium, revolutionising artistic practices and accessibility. As one of the first methods for mass producing art, it democratised creativity, and the introduction of editioning made art more widely available to audiences and collections and allowed artists to distribute impressions of their work globally. Being so versatile, printmaking enabled artists

to push the boundaries of texture, layering, depth, and colour. This capacity for experimentation and innovation allowed creatives to explore endless possibilities.

“Both exhibitions celebrate that vibrancy and potential for pushing the boundaries of the medium. The generous loan of 20 works from Jerwood Collection gives visitors to the gallery a rare opportunity to see these works from internationally renowned artists, many of

A century of royal portraits

By PHYLLIS STEPHEN

AN EXHIBITION of portraits of members of the royal family at the King’s Gallery spans the last100 years of photography.

Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is featured in many of the photos, both as a younger woman and in her later years. In one photograph by Julian Calder from 2010 she is depicted in a well-known photo standing in the heather near Balmoral in full regalia as Chief of the Chiefs and Sovereign of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle.

Senior Curator of Photographs and exhibition curator, Alessandro Nasini, said that an important aspect of the photo is the “very dramatic sky” and said he understands that “literally two minutes after the shoot was finished the heavens opened. I think it is a lovely photograph.”

According to Mr Nasini there are around half a million photographs dating back to 1840 when the collection was started by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert who he said were “both passionate and enthusiastic about photography”. He said: “They acquired a lot of

which have never been shown in Scotland. In response the selection from Edinburgh Printmakers’ Permanent Collection showcases the exceptional work that has been created in our studio over the years by leading Scottish artists. Together these exhibitions mark a significant moment for the growing prominence of printmaking in contemporary art in Scotland and across the UK and cements Edinburgh’s reputation as a destination for

photography. Luckily for us, the collection grew and grew over the years, it continues to grow to this day. So I was very fortunate it was a big pool of material to choose from. I decided to start from the 1920s to the 2020s.”

Mr Nasini will be at Abbey Strand next to the gallery to discuss the work required to prepare for the exhibition and give insight into ideas that have come to light during the run of the exhibition in an event on 11 April.

www.rct.uk/event

lovers of printmaking.”

Impressions: Selected Works from Jerwood Collection

Story: Selected Works from the Edinburgh Printmakers Collection 4 April - 29 June  Gallery 1 & 2 Edinburgh Printmakers Castle Mills 1 Dundee Street, EH3 9FP Wednesday - Saturday 10am - 6pm www.edinburghprintmakers.co.uk

Dame Barbara Rae’s Spanish Window

Sir Eduardo Paolozzi’s Canary Mixture

Edinburgh Printmakers

The late Queen Elizabeth II

BLANK STREET COFFEE

By Charlie Ellis

Filling in the blanks

Is

Edinburgh in danger of becoming over-caffeinated?

COFFEE DRINKING is relatively new in the UK. Costa may have started in 1971 but it was only after it was acquired by Whitbread in 1995 that it became the behemoth it is today. The arrival of indy chain Blank Street coffee in Edinburgh is representative of coffee's seemingly inexorable growth.

GROWING COSTS

One thing that might stop the endless increase is cost. On average it costs around £3.64 for espressobased drinks in the UK. In Edinburgh, the price of a flat white is creeping up to four quid. Part of this is due to the cost of raw materials. The price of beans is on the rise, with supply affected by many factors, including climate change. In Brazil, the world’s largest coffee producing nation, droughts have severely affected recent harvests. In Vietnam, typhoons and heat waves have resulted in diminished crops.

However, despite the average price of a cup of coffee creeping up, we are buying more of it! According to Allegra World Coffee Portal’s  report, more than £6 billion was spent in UK on coffee in 2024. More than 500 coffee shops opened in the UK last year and it is predicted another 2000 will open by 2030. Clearly we are nowhere near peak coffee.

SOCIAL POLARISATION?

The arrival of new posh coffee places doesn’t meet with universal approval. The differing responses are a microcosm of wider disputes about our changing city, feeding into a sense of social polarisation. When entering a café, there's little doubt that the customers represent a specific slice of Edinburgh. The customers are younger than average, often students and knowledge workers, those able to take their slim laptops anywhere, as they work remotely. These tensions have been illustrated by the arrival of Blank Street coffee on Victoria Street and Princes Street. Founded in 2020 in Brooklyn, Blank Street opened their first UK store in London, in 2022.

A MIXED REACTION

Some of the disquiet raised online connects to concerns about the changing character of Edinburgh. Some of this feeds into wider debates about cultural change. Political scientists Pippa Norris and Ronald Inglehart have talked about the discombobulating character of rapid social and cultural change. This is, some people feel, uprooting things they value. As Norris put it, "many people felt that the things which they took for granted, the things which they regarded as

CROSSWORD

By Aldhelm

important for themselves in their community and their country, those things were being lost". Some see the seemingly irreversible decline of our high streets and closure of shops as evidence of cultural erasure.

Further, the rise of posh coffee places can be seen as an implicit critique of mass tastes. Their favourite places, either chain or an old fashioned local café, seen as offering an inferior product. Their  customers are, as Norris puts it, "sort of culturally dismissed". That, in short, the quality of coffee you drink (and where you drink it) says something about you as a person.

TOO MANY COFFEE PLACES?

One consistent theme online is the notion that Edinburgh surely already has enough cafés. "Did we really need another overpriced coffee shop?"

There are more than in the past, from greasy spoons (a declining number), to the "multi-unit operators" (the chains), and independents. A new coffee force is "indy chains", such as 200 Degrees and Blank Street, which have the aesthetic aspects of the specialty coffee scene, and its focus on quality. This is part of a premiumisation of coffee, of treating it more like fine wine, not just as a fuel. But, are there too many?

The argument overlooks that the vast majority I visit or pass are busy.

ACROSS 7 IMPURE LARKS (anagram) (6, 5)

9 Worldwide disease (8)

Pay attention (6)

Southern French river (5)

Conversation (9)

Voter (7)

16 Keyboard player (7) 18 Difficult request (4, 5)

Guitar-like instrument (5)

Summon by gesture (6)

Carry on (8)

Generous, beneficent (11)

1 Turn to ice (6)

2 Baffled, confounded (10)

3 Fire's residue (3)

4 Winnipeg's Canadian province (8)

5 Person on an ice rink (6)

6 Incapable of being sensed (13)

7 Covered aperture in the road (7)

8 Sweets, chocolate etc (13)

13 Faster than the speed of sound (10)

15 Painstaking (8)

17 Cricket period (7)

19 Stand-in doctors (6)

20 Clothes fastener (6)

23 Himalayan ox (3)

7 Manhole, 8 Confectionery, 13 Supersonic, 15 Thorough, 17 Innings, 19 Locums, 20 Button, 23 Yak.

7 Muriel Spark, 9 Pandemic,

I passed the Victoria Street branch on five consecutive days, and each day, the place was packed. Who were the customers? Were they locals? Victoria Street is one of Edinburgh's most Instagramable streets. It's close to the National Library and I suspect customers were tourists and students. This connects to the idea that the city is being run for the benefit of these groups, with council tax payers treated as second class citizens. Concerns about "yet more student housing" ranks just below complaints about potholes among the recurrent themes in

online discourse about the city. The perception that there are far too many coffee shops is also regularly expressed.  One of those who commented on Blank Street’s arrival said the city centre is increasingly dominated by "student flats, hotels, residential areas for rich people, and coffee Shops". This feeds into the sense of the city changing its character, no longer focused on its long-term residents. Coffee is clearly fuelling much more than just our working days. This includes some of the debate about the future of the city.

10 Listen, 11 Rhone, 12 Discourse, 14 Elector, 16 Pianist, 18 Tall order, 20 Banjo, 21 Beckon, 22 Continue, 24 Magnanimous.

DOWN: 1 Freeze, 2 Bewildered, 3 Ash, 4 Manitoba, 5 Skater, 6 Imperceptible,

Blank Street on Victoria Street

Staycation is a doorstep treat

Experiencing the city in a different way

I HAD A FABULOUS CITY BREAK to Madrid

where I indulged in what might be my favourite holiday pastime - letting someone else do all the planning. Devour Tours guided our small group of six through a delicious three-hour adventure, walking in the footsteps of our local guide Liliana from neighbourhood cafés to traditional markets and everything in between.

We visited decades-old establishments that form the backbone of Madrid's city centre - the places that make the Spanish capital what it is. The tour featured everything from melt-inyour-mouth jamón ibérico to only-in-Madrid specialties like a fried calamari sandwich, and of course, those heavenly churros dipped in decadent chocolate.

Yes, it might have been cheaper to organise it myself, but I've found that exploring with a local offers insights you simply won't get from a guidebook. Plus, it's a wonderful way to meet fellow travellers with similar interests.

The experience got me thinking—why wait for a foreign holiday when Edinburgh has its own myriad of food and drink experiences waiting on our doorstep?

Here are some of my favourites that might inspire your next staycation adventure.

THE CHOCOLATARIUM

This award-winning tour is one I return to time

and time again. I've done it with godchildren and friends, and every visit delivers something different, while always being educational and fun.

Their Tour of Chocolate (£25) lets you discover the magic of where chocolate comes from, see and smell how it's made, sample over 40 flavours in the Tasting Room, and create your very own dream chocolate bar to take home. I've just spotted they also offer a more grown-up Chocolate and Wine pairing (£44) which is right up my street!

https://www.chocolatarium.co.uk/

EDINBURGH GIN TOURS

Nestled in the historic arches of Edinburgh's Old Town, the recently opened Edinburgh Gin Distillery offers an immersive experience where innovation, craft, and flavour converge.

They have several enticing options from their Classic Tour and Tasting (£28) to their Mix & Muddle Cocktail Class (£50). My personal favourite is their Decadent Duo: Chocolate and Gin (£35). This 90-minute sensory journey begins with an immersive distillery tour and finishes with a tasting of their finest gins, expertly matched with hand-selected chocolates from COCO Chocolatier.

Why not reward yourself with a bracing walk up Calton Hill on a beautiful day to enjoy the views, then finish with a tour at Edinburgh Gin and a cocktail or two? Their bar, with views out to Calton Hill, is open to the public and offers fabulous creations from their talented team of mixologists.

https://www.edinburghgin.com/

JOHNNIE WALKER EXPERIENCE

Johnnie Walker on Princes Street offers several whisky-focused tours. Their Luxury Whisky & Artisanal Chocolate Pairing (£65) takes you on a unique journey to expertly nose and taste

exceptional whiskies, each paired with a luxury Scottish chocolate truffle created by awardwinning Highland Chocolatier Iain Burnett. A highlight is their introduction to Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ice Chalet (43% ABV), a brand new blend launched in October 2024. With notes of blood oranges, red berries, sweet wood spice, and hints of smoked meat and salt, it is inspired by the beauty of winter and après ski with friends.

For a more affordable option, their 1.5-hour Journey of Flavour (£30) includes a personalised flavour quiz and three delicious whisky cocktails tailored to your taste profile. Afterwards, treat yourself to a visit to their 1820 rooftop bar, which commands wonderful views toward Edinburgh Castle - booking is recommended!

https://www.johnniewalker.com

SWIRL SIP SOCIALISE

For a luxury tasting tour personalised just for you and a group of friends, I highly recommend Joanne Frette, DipWSET, who runs Swirl Sip Socialise. Whether you're a beginner or connoisseur, her unique approach makes wine and whisky tasting accessible and exciting. She offers curated tastings, food and wine pairing dinners, private or small group restaurant tours in Edinburgh, and even virtual

tasting events that bring friends together, no matter where they are.

https://swirlsipsocialise.com/

BREAKING THE RULES: MOLTON BROWN AND WINE EXPERIENCE

One of the first rules taught on wine courses is never to wear fragrance during tastings. However, sometimes it's fun to challenge convention On 24 April, Wine Events Scotland's Diana Thompson and Genna from Molton Brown are hosting a sensory experience. After learning about Molton Brown’s Flora Luminaire fragrance, you'll taste four wines and compare how the Eau de Parfum pairs with each. Will it enhance or detract from the experience? Will everyone have the same reaction? You'll also take home a fabulous Molton Brown goodie bag worth £20.

https://wineeventsscotland.co.uk/events/ fragrance-wine-experience-flora-luminaire/

I've barely scratched the surface of the wonderful food and drink tours available in Edinburgh. So, if you can't afford a city break just now, why not organise your own staycation? Be a tourist in your own backyard and explore what our magnificent capital has to offer.

Your taste buds will thank you!

Culinary capers in the capital with Kerry Teakle

The new Edinburgh Gin distillery

A unique journey awaits at Johnnie Walker

Flight of fancy

Chocolate delights

From can-cans to cowboy boots, dying swans to Barry and Freda ‘doing it’, there’s music, drama and laughter galore on Edinburgh’s stages this month, and certain to be something for all tastes.

Hype. I’ve never been one to buy into it. When a production tries that hard, there’s usually a reason for it and it’s never a good one. That said, the art of marketing is all one big mind-game. Create a collective buzz, draw folk in, then let herd mentality do the rest. Yes, few like to be the odd one out in their particular peer group. It’s like seeing a musical or theatre production advertised on the telly. Think about it, it doesn’t happen very often.

When it does, it might raise the profile of the production concerned but normally, such a move is the last resort of a producer and while it might be exciting to see your favourite show promoted on the box, it should also tell you all you need to know about ticket sales.

There are exceptions of course and the news that The Royal Lyceum has snagged the only Scottish dates of playwright Suzie Miller’s acclaimed Olivier Award-winning one-woman play, Prima Facie has me excited. That Judy

Comer is reprising her Oliver and Tony-Award winning performance for a limited national tour of the piece is the icing on the cake.

For those unfamiliar with the play, the buzz surrounding it since it premiered in 2019 at The Stables Theatre, Sydney, Australia, before going on to take the West End and Broadway by storm, has been monumental.

In the legal drama, emotion and experience collide with the rules as Tessa, a brilliant young barrister who has battled her way up from her working class origins to be at the top of her game, defending, cross-examining and winning until an unexpected event forces her to confront the lines where the patriarchal power of the law, burden of proof, and morals diverge.

On sale now, Prima Facie is only in Edinburgh for a week, 3-7 February 2026, book now at lyceum.org.uk as this is one piece of Must See Theatre you don’t want to be guilty of missing.

Come What May Moulin Rouge! The Musical will be in Edinburgh until June

Another is the Broadway and West End smash hit Moulin Rouge! The Musical (22 April-14 June), which is set to transform The Playhouse into the Paris nightclub that was the birthplace of the modern can-can for an eight week season. The doyen of jukebox musicals, Moulin Rouge! is clever, moving, immersive and very, very funny - easily the most uplifting, feel-good evening of theatre I’ve experienced in London of late.

Packed with songs from the likes of Madonna, P!nk and Elton John, it’s a story about a time, a place, people, but above all, love, a love that will live forever. Moulin Rouge! whisks you to the heart of Montmartre, Paris, in 1899, where a young composer, Christian, becomes infatuated with Satine, the glamorous and enchanting star of the Moulin Rouge nightclub. When their two worlds collide, they fall deeply in love, however they are met with trouble from the nightclub’s host and owner, Harold Zidler and The Duke of Monroth, who believe money is the key to everything, including Satine’s heart. Can Christian and his Bohemian friends ToulouseLautrec and Santiago stage a musical spectacular to win the love of Satine and save The Moulin Rouge?

Hedonistic, ravishing and irresistible, enter a world of splendour and romance, of eyepopping excess, of glitz, grandeur, and glory. Baz Luhrmann’s revolutionary film comes to life onstage, remixed in a new musical mash-up extravaganza. A celebration of truth, beauty, freedom, and above all love, Moulin Rouge! is described as more than a musical... It is a state of mind.

So, pop the champagne and prepare for the spectacular spectacular as Moulin Rouge! The Musical launches its world tour from The Edinburgh Playhouse.

Running time 2 hours 45 minutes including interval, tickets £20-£169.50 from https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/ moulin-rouge-the-musical/edinburghplayhouse/

musical favourite brings Calamity Jane (15-19 April) back to The Festival Theatre with the award-winning Carrie Hope Fletcher blowing in from the Windy City in the title role. Based on the classic Doris Day movie, meet the fearless, gun-slinging Calamity Jane, a cow-girl with the biggest mouth in Dakota and one who is always up for a fight. Determined to win the heart of the dashing Lieutenant Gilmartin, when the men of Deadwood fall hard for Chicago stage star Adelaid Adams, Calamity struggles to keep her jealousy holstered.

With some of musical theatre’s best-loved numbers - songs like The Deadwood Stage (Whip-Crack-Away), The Black Hills of Dakota, Just Blew in from the Windy City, and the Oscar-winning Secret Love - expect a night of

Running time 2 hours 30 minutes, tickets £25-£59.50 from https://www.capitaltheatres. com/whats-on/all-shows/calamityjane/2362#

Staying at The Festival Theatre, Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake (8-12 April) returns to the Nicolson Street venue this month to celebrate 30 years of the magnificent rule-breaking that reinvented Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece as a modern day sensation when it premiered at Sadler’s Wells in London in 1995. Now the most successful dance theatre production of all time, allow yourself to be spell-bound once more by Bourne’s magical creation.

Running time 2 hours 20 minutes including interval, tickets £29.50-£62.50 from https:// www.capitaltheatres.com/whats-on/ all-shows/matthew-bournes-swanlake/2341#

Over at the Royal Lyceum, there’s still time to catch Wild Rose (until 19 April), a great night out for anyone who loves country & western music and a good old gallus Glasgow tale of a bad lass made good. There is only one thing in Rose-Lynn’s life that has ever made sensecountry music. Fresh out of jail for past mistakes, and bursting with incredible raw talent, the free-spirited Rose-Lynn dreams of escaping Glasgow to make it as a singer in Nashville... will the mother of two risk losing everything to make that dream come true?

With strong performances from Taggart star Blythe Duff, Liz Ewing and, in the title role, Dawn Sievewright, you could do worse than don your cowboy boots and get along to Grindlay Street. Read my review on MustSeeTheatre.com

Running time 2 hours 20 minutes including interval, tickets £30-£52 from https://lyceum. org.uk/events/wild-rose#dates-and-times

Finally, this month, if you’re in need of a good belly laugh, then Looking For Me Friend: The Music Of Victoria Wood (23+24 April) is likely to be just the ticket. Featuring the star of BBC1’s All Together Now, Paulus, with Fascinating Aïda’s Michael Roulston on piano, join them on an evening of pure joy filled with Victoria’s best-loved songs, including the iconic Ballad of Barry & Freda (Let’s Do It). A show for Wood’s fans and those yet to discover her, in telling her story, Paulus unfolds his own nostalgic and very relatable story of a 1970’s childhood and what it really means to find your tribe.

Running time 1 hour 25 minutes, tickets £17 from https://www.traverse.co.uk/whats-on/ event/looking-for-me-friend-the-music-ofvictoria-wood-spring-25

Until next time, happy theatre going, Bests, Liam

Another

gun-toting tunes and sure fire fun entertainment.

Carrie Hope Fletcher cracks the whip as Calamity Jane

Matthew Bourne’s SWAN LAKE - Will Bozier ‘The Swan’ and Dominic North

Naming rights

MURRAYFIELD WANDERERS RUGBY

CLUB have received valuable sponsorship from homebuilders Taylor Wimpey, East of Scotland.

As part of the sponsorship the company’s branding now features prominently on the team’s home and away playing kits.

Davy Young, Chair of Murrayfield Wanderers, said: “Our club has enjoyed the support of the team from Taylor Wimpey East Scotland for many years, and it’s great now to have them represented on the shirts of our 1st XV home and away strips. The team will compete with renewed vigour and a strong sense of community backing.”

Gavin Hamilton, Managing Director for Taylor Wimpey East Scotland, who is pictured with the 1st XV squad, added: “We are delighted to support the Murrayfield Wanderers 1st XV as their strip sponsor. This

sponsorship reflects our dedication to investing in the communities where we build.

“We believe in the power of sports to bring people together and are excited to be part of

Wanderers strips bear sponsor’s name

the Wanderers journey over the next few seasons.”

Wanderers play in Division One of the Arnold Clark East of Scotland Leagues.

Capturing the spirit of rugby

Carlton counting on new Captain Da Costa

WITH THE COUNTDOWN well underway to the new Scottish cricket season Carlton have appointed Dan Da Costa as 1st X1 captain in succession to Arun Pillai.

Dan said: “The squad is shaping up nicely and I’m hopeful that we can put ourselves in a position to bring home some silverware with a good mix of experience and youth.”

While Carlton, who open the Eastern Premiership season at home to Falkland on 3 May, will miss the likes of Angus Beattie, now working in London, and Ruairidh Main, who is in Australia, Olly Davidson and Angus Guy have been recruited to Grange Loan.

Olly is a recent Worcestershire Academy prospect and, like Angus, is also a recent Scotland under-19 cap.

Sam Haggo again leads the women’s XI, and they hope to secure a fifth successive league title.

Captains of the lower men’s

XIs remain the same and Charles Stronach looks forward to leading the 2nd XI on their return to  the ESCA Championship. Taking over from Kerry Simpson after four years as club president is Bob Irvine, longserving skipper of Carlton’s 4th

XI, and still occasionally turning out for the over 50s XI. Bob is also well known as the author of the club newsletter and “Fantasy Bob” blog. He wrote recently: “The club was delighted to note the contributions of Gabriella Fontenla and Maisie Maciera

during the under-19 Women’s World Cup and look forward to seeing their further progress.

“Sam Haggo and (Scotland internationalist) Ali Evans are due to be married in April and the club send them hearty congratulations.”

FORRESTER RFC have praised friendly local rivals Musselburgh for embodying the “spirit of rugby” as the club battles rough economic forces causing them to drop a weekly training session and call an EGM to discuss “the financial future of the club”. Learning of the difficulties Forrester are facing, in common with many other sports clubs, Musselburgh, who play in the Arnold Clark Premiership, threw out a challenge for an outfit operating five rungs below them to pay a visit for a Friday night floodlit fund-raising fixture. The match realised around £1,000 to assist a club whose self-help knows no bounds - including a Community Fun Day as March ended and efforts to engage the West Edinburgh community with social events - many based around the Six Nations Championship.

Club coach and committee member, Fraser Newbury, was hugely appreciative of Musselburgh. He said:“Musselburgh came to us and said we’ll do something for you based on charging a donation (at the gate) and a raffle. We’ll be forever grateful to them.”

The Forrester website said: “It (the friendly fixture) was a true reflection of the spirit of the game and a credit to the rugby community. Since 2020 our electricity bills have increased by 120 per cent and to hire a pitch has very much increased. We have had to cut our training to one night each week from two and while the kids still train Sunday and Monday the last thing we want to do is cut one of their sessions.”

In the past year at least three Edinburgh rugby clubs have withdrawn from leagues, their futures cast into doubt. Forrester are to be commended for taking all steps to ensure that will not happen to them with a firmer footing planned by the time they head for Carrickfergus in May and the 40th instalment of the regular fixture with Northern Irish friends.

Medals for EAC

EDINBURGH ATHLETIC CLUB athletes brought back medals from the 4J Scottish Indoor Championships at the Emirates Arena, Glasgow, among them 32-year-old sprinter Allan Hamilton who has his sights on next year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Hamilton won the men’s 60m in 6.79 secs – which was just outside his personal best. After the race he said: “The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games are ahead and maybe it can be fourth time lucky in terms of us having a men’s 4x100m relay team in there.

“I think we have some depth now in the sprints and there is incentive there for everyone, that is for sure.”

Other Edinburgh AC successes came from long jumper Stephen Mackenzie, high jumper Matthew Tait, 1500m runner Peter Cameron, triple jumper Henry Clarkson and pole vaulters Andrew McFarlane and Donald Ross in the men’s senior and under-17 events, respectively.

Going the distance

NANCY SCOTT, a 25-year-old doctor from Edinburgh Athletic Club triumphed in the annual Scottish half marathon championships in Inverness in a time of 01:13:24.

In adding to a recent spell of success Nancy had a bit to spare from  Midlothian’s Naomi Lang (Carnethy Hill Racing Club) who clocked 01.14:46 – a personal best.

The men’s champion for 2025 is Jame Crowe (Central AC) who ran 01.05:19.

Nancy set her PB of 01.12:51 at the Barcelona half marathon in mid-February then finished second in the National XC at Falkirk the following week.

She said: “I am happy with my

and I was glad to be able to finish strongly.

“I took it quite conservatively early on as I knew the hills were coming, but they actually weren’t too bad. I just didn’t want to go too fast in case I blew up.

“Overall, I’m delighted. I’m going to take a bit of a break from racing and my next big target will be the Scottish 5k at Silverknowes in May.”

Scott picked up a second gold by leading her club to the national team title with backing from Kirsty Walker who finished fourth in 75:31 on her debut at this distance, while Lucy Naga completed the scoring when finishing 25th in 86:02.

Some 3,335 athletes signed up for the Half Marathon with another

Tennis sisters are

on a roll

CAPITAL TENNIS SISTERS Natalia and Hanna Augustynska have  plenty of wins to celebrate.

The siblings teamed up to win the Scottish National under-16 girls doubles in Glasgow, while Hanna also won the under-18 doubles title along with her friend, Daisy Wooton, who comes from Bolton.

It was the perfect follow up to a Tennis World event in Middlesbrough where the sisters, reared on the Craigmillar Park courts, won both the under-16 and under-18 doubles.

Champions Boroughmuir

Blaze ahead

IT’S PROVING a vintage season for Crags Centre-based Boroughmuir Blaze youth basketball teams.

Hard on the heels of the U18 girls winning a Scottish Cup, further success has come from the U16 girls and U14 boys both of whom have won their respective SBC National League Division One titles. What’s more both teams triumphed in unbeaten fashion!

The U16 girls were coached Erynn Legge assisted by Eden Simpson and the successful squad comprised:

Caoimhe Stupart, Clara Dick, Emilie LeMay, Emily McLennan, Amie Gaye, Isla Turner, Olivia Inglis, Aoibheann Russell, Hamayel Chowdhury, Emma Harbisher, Louisa Buchan, Brisa Ramedhan and Ella Harrison.

Peter Blair is the U14 boys head coach, and he is assisted by Luke McCracken.

The winning squad: Michal Troscianko, Fraser Gillies, Euan Belford, Travis Campbell, Fergus Forbes, Carter McSweeney, Orrin McGregor-Woodhams, Alex Moss, James Boag-Thomson, Krishna Dwivedi, Hazem Ghonim and Theo Viguier.

Lorem

Bobby Gavin

Allan Hamilton sprints over the line

L-R Hanna and Natalia Augustynska

Blaze are on fire

Double gold is just what the doctor ordered

Striking a balance

By NIGEL DUNCAN

EMERGING STRIKER JAMES WILSON has a big school exam in May, but, before that, he aims to continue pressing for a starting slot with Heart of Midlothian FC, and driving the Tynecaslte side up the William Hill Premiership table.

The 18-year-old is a pupil at Balerno High School, the same educational establishment from which Hearts’ veteran goalkeeper, Craig Gordon, emerged, and he is studying Advanced PE and maths. The teenager’s football commitments at Tynecastle mean he can only attend school around once a week, but teachers send him worksheets and his parents stress the need to study, just in case.

Balancing study and playing takes, he said, a conscious effort, and he added: “I work at home, but I am in here (The Oriam) most days and go to school once a week at the moment. Teachers email quite a lot of what I need to do and the relationship is good, the school help me a lot. At home, I have to do the extra work to catch up. It is hard, but it is worth it when I get it done.”

He has a major maths exam on 14 May and Wilson revealed that in the early part of his schooldays the schedule was 75 per cent academic and 25 per cent football, but that changed. He said: “Once I signed my pro deal football is my priority and I am trying to fit school in around football.”

Study, is, he said, very important, as a back-up and he stressed: “I want to do well in football, but you see people who get to the highest level and fall off or suffer an injury and you need something after football.”

His parents are, he said, “both big into

school”, as are his brothers, and it is a balance, “that is the word they (his parents) use”.

The footballer revealed that 30 per cent of his Advanced PE is practical work and he quipped: “I got my teacher a ticket to the Rangers game (at Tynecastle). That was my practical work. Hopefully, he enjoyed it.”

Overall, he has always felt quite academic and Wilson strongly believes it is important to have qualifications, but he doesn’t know what he would do if he qualified for university, adding: “I quite like business, but having a back-up plan to go to university is important to me and my parents.”

Pictures of Hearts and Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon are positioned on the wall at Balerno High School, but the rising star dismisses any talk that he is a celebrity. The younger pupils see him as a footballer, not a

Hearts boss VARY angry

By NIGEL DUNCAN

NEIL CRITCHLEY does not like VAR. He leaves anybody who asks in no doubt about his views on the subject. The fan experience is everything, he argues, the game is nothing without supporters.

Hearts’ head coach said: “Now, every time a goal goes in, for or against, I am, straight away, running to a monitor, was it offside, was it handball, was it a foul, you are looking for reasons not to give a goal. That takes away the elation of scoring, the emotion of it and you do not want to take that away from the game.

“Unfortunately, in my opinion, those moments could disappear and that would be horrible.”

VAR he believes is here to stay though, and he said: “I don’t think it is going to change now, once you are in it is in, I do not see us ever going back, unfortunately, unless there was an overwhelming, landslide of opinion for that to change.

“It is just something that we are going to have to cope with, to deal with, and we just have to manage it or process it the best we can.”

The former Blackpool boss said the VAR process needs to become cleaner and more efficient. He said: “The referee is going to make some mistakes, I make mistakes, but as long as you have respect for the referee and officials who are trying to do their best, sometimes decisions are going to go for you, decisions are going to go against

pupil, however.

Wilson has twin brothers, Alfie a right back and Stan, a centre midfielder, who compete against each other and they are both “doing well” in football. They are both members of Hearts Academy at Balerno High School.

Asked if his father, Michael, played he said emphatically: “He really isn’t a player. He is a golfer.”

The ability to kick a football possibly comes from his mother, Louise, and Wilson revealed that she feels that if she had got into the sport she would be “the footballer”.

Adapting to the physical challenge of playing in the William Hill Premiership has been important and he said: “When you come up against big teams, the big guys at the back are trying to throw their body weight about and hit you, and you have to be ready to brace up.”

Boxing clash

By JOHN HISLOP

PRESTONPANS BOXER JOSH TAYLOR

will headline the Land of the Brave event at the OVO Hydro, Glasgow on 24 May.

After spending his entire career at 140lbs, Taylor will make his official welterweight debut against the relentless WBO European champion, Ekow Essuman. Botswana-born Essuman (35) has won 21 and lost one in his professional career and is the former British and Commonwealth welterweight champion.

Taylor (19-2, 13 KOs), now 34, has signed with promoter Frank Warren’s stable for his first fight since losing to Jack Catterall in May 2024.  He is the former undisputed world champion at super lightweight, but moved up a weight after being edged out on points in the rematch of his controversial encounter with Catterall in early 2022.

On the undercard former European bantamweight champion Lee McGregor (15-1-1, 11 KOs) will face undefeated former British champion Nathaniel Collins (15-0, 7 KOs) in an all-Scottish showdown for the prestigious WBC Silver championship.  Edinburgh born McGregor last fought on 21 December 2024 at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia where he defeated Isaac Lowe via unanimous decision.

you. That is the game I was brought up on, to respect the referee’s decision and that was it, the referee’s decision is final and get on with the game. Some of that has been lost.”

Today’s referees have so much to think about, he argued, there is so much going on before the game, during the game and after the game.

He commented that referees are under an enormous amount of pressure and they shouldn’t be. Critchley said: “They are being scrutinised with their decisions every single week and the media around the industry, in general, everything, 24-hour news stations, radio stations, it has added scrutiny to the profession. We have to

sometimes remind ourselves that it is a game of football.”

Asked about other forms of sport which have embraced TV-style aids to help make decisions and Critchley said: “Football is unique. It is so tribal, it is a multi-directional game where there are 22 people on the pitch and there are thousands of incidents and mistakes.

“It is not just black and white, whether the ball is in our out. Obviously, there is goal line technology and that is a good thing. Put your money into making sure that is implemented in every league, it is either in or it is not. There is no room for human error or interpretation. In our game there is so much human interpretation, opinion. I see incidents completely different from somebody else. How you interpret incidents is different and we have seen that when we go away, but that is the beauty of the game.”

Thomas Brown

Hearts boss Neil Critchley not a fan of VAR

Josh Taylor (left) squares up to Ekow Essuman

How Gray turned Hibees around

By JOHN HISLOP

HUMBLE PIE TIME. In January’s edition of The Edinburgh Reporter I suggested that Hibs fans would happily settle for top-flight football next season, and whether David Gray would still be in charge was anyone’s guess.

Given that I’ve been going to Easter Road every other week for nearly 60 years, you would assume that by now I could pretty much predict how things would turn out.

But to be fair, at the time of writing, Gray’s men had just beaten Ross County at Easter Road to climb off the bottom of the table.

But the defence was still leaking goals, the midfield were being overrun and our big money signing and star striker had suffered a long-term injury on international duty.

Since then, an incredible run of 15 games unbeaten has meant Gray picked up two Glen’s Manager of the Month Awards and Hibs moved up to third in the table.

The run includes back-to-back derby wins and a famous victory over champions elect Celtic.

That run came to an end at Celtic Park with a Scottish Cup quarter-final defeat but Hibs are now assured a top-six finish and then potentially a lucrative European spot.

So what’s changed at Easter Road? Firstly

Jordan Smith has claimed the number one spot from Josef Bursic, and despite a nervous start, the goalkeeper has made crucial saves when it matters, earning a new contract.

Gray also changed the defence, playing Rocky Bushiri in the middle of a back three alongside Warren O’Hora and the underrated Jack Iredale.

Nectar Triantis, who joined last season on loan as a central defender now relishes a midfield role but his form is likely to mean that his parent club Sunderland will want him back next term.

Up front Kieron Bowie has returned from a long-term injury although his absence from the team has meant extra minutes for experienced striker Dwight Gayle whose derby winner has made him a huge fans favourite.

But possibly the main factor in Hibs upsurge in form was the signing of Nicky Cadden whose form and attitude earned him a Glen’s Player of the Month award in December.

But, Cadden picked up an injury in the Cup defeat so Jordan Obita is likely to take his place.

The last time Hibs played 13 league games unbeaten in the top-flight was back in 1988 under manager Alex Miller.

That started mid-April with a draw against Rangers, and continued until October as Hibs beat Celtic 3-1.

During that run Hibs won six matches and drew seven, however, it spanned across two seasons – the end of the 1987/88 campaign and the beginning of 1988/89.

The last time Hibs had a top-flight 13-game run in the same season was all the way back in 1949/50!

Managed by Hugh Shaw, the “Famous Five” were competing at the very top of Scottish

football, and that season narrowly missed out on the league title.

The run started with a 2-0 win over Aberdeen and finished with a 1-0 away win at Clyde.

During that period, Hibs won 12 of the 13 matches.

So with the split approaching where will Hibs finish up? Your guess is as good as mine.

Nicky Cadden