The Edinburgh Reporter August 2025

Oasis Frenzy

Back in town with lm, book and gig

Welcome to Festival City

August ����

By PHYLLIS STEPHEN

THIS YEAR’S Edinburgh International Festival (EIF) features performances by all five of Scotland’s national companies, recognising that supporting native talent is now more important than ever.

The EIF includes a European production premiere of Gluck’s 18th century opera, Orpheus and Eurydice, in a modern retelling of the story. The Australian contemporary circus company Circa will introduce acrobatics alongside the world class opera singers and musicians in the Opera Queensland production as portrayed in our cover image.

One of the headline performances this year will bring Gluck’s score to life and will feature both The Scottish Chamber Orchestra and a chorus from Scottish Opera.

Festival Director Nicola Benedetti said: “We’re incredibly excited to have Orpheus and Eurydice this year in the Playhouse. At a first glance, a lot of the emphasis of this production will be on its points of difference and the really daring, bold creativity in collaborating with circus, but I would like just to point people’s attention to the level of musicianship in its most intimate form that you’ll experience with this production.

Elsewhere, the city will buzz with more than 3,000 shows in the Fringe, and the Book Festival now settling into its new home at Edinburgh Futures Institute featuring 700+ writers from 35 countries across six continents from August 9-24.

Tony Lankester, CEO of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “This year’s Fringe programme is filled with every kind of performance. Jump in, book your favourites, shows that intrigue you and take a chance on something new.”

Editorial

THERE ARE TOO MANY shows, lms, performances, and events happening in August to mention – but we have tried valiantly with mini guides on pages 8-9, 12-13 and Líam Rudden gives you ve of the best in his column on 18-19.

But life goes on elsewhere in the city. e council resumes business a er recess and the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board will meet on 26 August to decide what to do about the small amount of its revenue spend to third sector organisations which means so much to so many people.

We plan a series of articles which will be published online to expose the cuts the EIJB plan to make to close their £50million funding gap. If you are a ected then we want to hear from you.

Local sport is a huge part of our coverage and on pages 20, 21 and 22 our three writers have given their attention to so much of it.

e Edinburgh Reporter, as a founder member of the Independent Community News Network, has signed up to a coalition with other media bodies including the Independent Media Association, the Association of Online Publishers and e Independent Publishers Alliance. e coalition lodges a submission in reply to an invitation from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) who called for a response to their investigations into whether Google has “Strategic Market Status”.

e coalition is calling for fairness in the face of Google’s dominance online, and its near total monopoly over digital search and advertising. e next important date is in October when the CMA will issue an opinion which may then open the door for collective discussions with Google about a way forward. Meantime we depend on our advertisers and sponsors and we are glad to say that local businesses are supporting us as part of their marketing campaigns. If you are considering advertising then please get in touch by emailing zoe@theedinburghreporter.co.uk.

And thank you to all those of you who support our work by buying a subscription for the paper - we very much appreciate it. Edinburgh in August whether you are a resident or you are just visiting.

Phyllis Stephen, Editor

Planning News

WATERFRONT ENERGY CENTRE

An application has been lodged for Granton Waterfront Energy Centre by Smith Scott Mullan Associated. This will encompass an energy centre, primary sub-station building, thermal stores and a section of district heat pipework. 25/03540

POWER FACILITY

Scottish Power have applied for a new “multifunctional facility” at Scottish Power’s Currie Depot - a mix of o ce, industrial, storage and welfare accommodation. This is a recon guration of an existing site including the erection of new o ces. 25/03104

LEITH THEATRE £10M PLAN

Leith Theatre has issued a notice seeking a “conservation-led” design team to undertake the £10 million redevelopment of the historic venue. Although the deadline has passed it is worth noting that the plans for this important theatre are progressing.

ROYAL LONDON

Royal London are seeking permission to redevelop their o ces on the corner of St Andrew Square and Thistle Street. This is a listed building and the rm will recreate the

link building with new extensions, providing external amenity space at upper levels, removing car parking with new cycle parking. 25/03242

FROM ESPIONAGE TO SPA

Change of Use applied for at ve storey former Espionage nightclub on Victoria Street to convert the space into spa facility over ve oors. A vitality pool, pool relaxation lounge, herbal steam rooms, treatment rooms and a sauna and plunge pools all included in the

proposal. CBRE have made the application on behalf of India Buildings Limited, a company registered in Guernsey in 2023. 25/03621

CLIFTON HALL SCHOOL

An application has been lodged to build a small purpose built theatre at Clifton Hall School at Newbridge. The 153 seat auditorium will have a sound deck, level stage area, plant and changing rooms. The theatre will be on the extensive lawn area at the school adjacent to a standalone drama classroom. 25/03598

Best days of their lives..?

THIS PHOTO shows children from Albion Place and Albion Road, taken around 1925. Spot the one wee boy with a bike and look at those homespun haircuts. Maisie Groat is standing to the right of the boy in a school cap with her sister Etta below. Some of the other children include Beatrice Anderson, Ella Cole, Gemma Semple, Alice MacKay, Margaret MacKay, Jenny McConnell, Hannah Anderson, Isa Hastie, David Sutherland, Jean Kerr, George MacKay, Greta McConnell, and two Cherington brothers. Anyone know more names? Edinburgh Collected is a searchable community archive. Explore the city’s rich history in images, documents and objects. edinburghcollected.org

area.

and we estimate our total readership of this paper is in the region of around 20,000 people. You will nd copies at all branches of Farmer Autocare, at Summerhall, the EICC, LifeCare on Cheyne Street, Co ee Angels, The Royal In rmary of Edinburgh and Western General Hospital and several public libraries. If you can, then please subscribe to have your copy delivered to you each month. It helps us to cover the overheads of bringing the news to you in print and online and to maintain it as free to access. The QR code is below on the left and will take you to our Ko- page. ter.ooo/subscribe

New theatre for Clifton Hall

Our gift to the world

By RODDY MARTINE

IT RANKS AS one of the greatest outdoor spectacles in the world. Over the month of August, the skyline of Scotland’s capital vibrates to the sounds of marching bands, athletic triumphs and the fireworks of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

Nothing is more life enhancing than a great celebration of historic tradition, all that is best about Scotland, the bravery of its armed forces at home and abroad, and the martial music that travels through the generations.

Now it has all been captured in a new book by tattoo producer, Brigadier Sir Melville Jameson, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo: The Show Must Go On.

As HRH The Princess Royal observes in her foreword: “It is also an essential flagship for Scottish tourism as well as contributing annually around £1million to service charities and the arts. All of this, in no small part, thanks to the author of this book, Mel Jameson.”

It began as an adjunct to The Edinburgh Festival in 1947, a small parade in Princes Street Gardens, magnificently escalating onto the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle in 1950. Jump forward 27 years to the appointment of Melville Jameson, who was until recently Commander 51 Highland Brigade, as producer and chief executive.

It was an inspired choice. In the ten years that followed, Brigadier Jameson, former senior officer of The Royal Scots Greys, revitalised the performances, blended the sounds of regimental bands, brass, bagpipe and drum, and transformed the glorious backdrop of Edinburgh Castle into a vibrant theatre of movement, music and colour.

On his retirement in 2007, he went on to co-produce the first Kremlin Tattoo in Red Square in Moscow, and The Royal Windsor Tattoo under the direction of the Royal Windsor Horse Show. He was later recruited as consultant producer for The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant, Her Majesty’s 90th Birthday celebrations and her Platinum Jubilee, as well as becoming senior adviser

How an Edinburgh Festival tradition helped Scotland reach out the hand of friendship across the seas

to the Basel Tattoo in Switzerland.

One of the tasks of a tattoo producer is to travel the world in search of talent. At this, the Brigadier excelled, leading to a growing demand for extra mural tattoo performances in the USA, Australia and New Zealand. As you might expect, the pages of this book are filled with his adventures - trips to China, India, South Africa, Korea, Barbados, the Cook Islands, Trinidad & Tobago, Oman, ten USA cities in ten days; encounters with the King of Tonga, where it is compulsory for school children to learn musical instruments; assorted politicians, High Commissioners, and USA senators, for example, Senator John Warner, USA Navy Secretary, who had been married to the film star Elizabeth Taylor and who proposed to his third wife in St Margaret’s Chapel at the top of the castle while attending the 2001 Tattoo.

The shrinkage of the British Armed Forces and amalgamation of all those wonderful Scottish Infantry Regiments to form the Royal Regiment of Scotland in 2006, brought a real challenge to the future but it was Brigadier Sir Melville Jameson’s determination to remain true to its core values and popularity that sustained the ticket sales.

Travel anywhere in the world and everybody has heard of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. We have a lot to thank him for, and this is his story.

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo: The Show Must Go On is publilshed by Tippermuir Books, priced at £11.99.

High, Martha and Gilbert!

Martha and GIlbert, the two giraffes which make up the sculpture Dreaming Spires outside OMNi Centre, have now been in place for two decades, and recently the centre marked the important birthday with party hats and biodegradable confetti.

The public artwork was made entirely from scrap metal by Scottish artist Helen Denerley and was designed to “inspire imagination, spark conversation and encourage people to look ahead and think big”.

As the OMNi centre undergoes a £5 million renovation, the giraffes are regarded as a symbol of community and connection. The centre is running a social media competition until 19 August with prizes including Vue cinema tickets, tickets for Edinburgh Zoo and giraffe plush toys courtesy of The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland with whom the centre has forged a year-long partnership. Snap a selfie and share on Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #OMNiGiraffes for your chance to win a prize. Ts&Cs on OMNi Centre website.

Edinburgh Zoo Learning Manager Phillip Mathis, Scottish Artist Helen Denerley, and OMNi Deputy Centre Manager Eilidh Parker

By PHYLLIS STEPHEN

A BILL TO HIGHLIGHT the need for research into cancers which are designated “rare”, and which was introduced by Dr Scott Arthur, MP for Edinburgh South West, has now move up to the House of Lords.

A first reading of the Rare Cancers Bill has already been heard there, and it is expected to return in the autumn for its second reading led by Baroness Elliott of Whitburn Bay.

The purpose of the new law is to “make provision to incentivise, research and put investment into the treatment of rare types of cancer”. These are a group of cancers in respect of which little progress has been made in researching treatment or a cure.

The Rare Cancers Bill is what is known as a Ballot Bill - a type of Private Members’ Bill used in the House of Commons. Around ten months ago Dr Arthur was chosen to pick a numbered ping pong ball out of a goldfish bowl at the start of the parliamentary term to give him the chance of proposing a Ballot Bill. He was then able to choose his own subject matter for new legislation.

Dr Arthur said: “It feels like things are lining up. The vast bulk of these bills do fail, so it’s tremendous to get this far. And let’s hope it doesn’t fail, but what it’s done so far is it’s really got people talking about rare cancers, and it’s really put some of the charities which support this sector in the spotlight, and it’s been a chance for them to connect with people as well.”

He continued: “What got me started on this was that my father-in-law died of a type of brain tumour called glioblastoma, which is a rare cancer type. It wasn’t until I drew the ballot and people started to contact me about what I could focus my bill on that I found that in relation to the type of brain tumour he died from there’s been no real progress in terms of treatment for decades.

“And what happened to him, he died around six months after a diagnosis. That is not unusual. I think on average - glioblastoma - nine months. Some people do live significantly longer than that, particularly if

©

Rare Cancers Bill progressing

they manage to get surgery. But nine months is the average life expectancy after diagnosis. And it’s the same for a lot of cancers in this field where there’s just not been the progress.

“I spoke to the father of a preschool child. She had neuroblastoma, which is a type of cancer that attaches itself to your internal organs, and she died. And again, same story, he found out there’s just so little money going into researching that cancer type and just not enough progress. And people in Edinburgh will remember Kira the Machine, the teenager.

She had the same type of cancer and she’s been able to access trials and cutting edge treatments, but still 10 years on, she still has the cancer and it’s still a big part of her life.”

“The Bill has the backing of around 40 charities which was useful when it came to

the House of Commons for its Third Reading to be met with many amendments from fellow MP, Sir Christopher Chope. The charities sent 120,000 emails to their supporters and some contacted their own MPs which meant the Bill had a lot of support.

“I learned through working with the council it’s probably better to build consenus early. So we did work quite heavily with civil servants in the Department of Health and Social Care. We met with Wes Streeting early on via Dame Siobhain McDonagh who is a fantastic campaigner in this area. Our focus has been on succeeding and delivering something for people with diagnoses. It could save hundreds or perhaps even thousands of lives in the long term. It’s humbling to have been a part of this. ”

MP calls for online voting rule change

A second Edinburgh MP, Tracy Gilbert, who represents Edinburgh North and Leith, has also been championing a Ballot Bill through Parliament and hers – the Absent Voting (Elections in Scotland and Wales) Bill – is also progressing to the House of Lords in the autumn.

Ms Gilbert said in an interview with us: “My bill has gone through all the stages in the House of Commons and we now

need it to pass through the Lords. I’m still waiting to hear from the civil servants when that’ll happen, but fingers crossed it should become law.

“The bill is about absent voting. So in October ’23, the UK Government introduced an online digital service to enable people to apply online for a proxy or an absent voting application. If you were going to be on holiday for the general election or if you were not able to vote and you wanted to have someone else voting on your behalf you could apply online.

“But that only applied to England and Scotland and Wales for General Elections.

“It didn’t apply for Scottish Government and Senedd elections, or for local government elections. My law, if passed, will enable us to use that digital service in Scotland and Wales for all elections so we’re trying to get that through so that it’s in place for May 2026.”

Council admits £48m property sell-off

By PHYLLIS STEPHEN

THE CITY OF EDINBURGH Council has raised £48.8m from the sale of a range of properties, according to an investigation conducted by independent news cooperative, The Ferret.

Although city prices are higher than elsewhere, by comparison The City of Glasgow Council sold only £20 million of their properties in the same period. In total, Scottish local authorities sold off 1,851 properties in recent years and between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2024 the total value of council owned property sold off was £243 million.

Some of the larger numbers in the Edinburgh figures represent land sold for residential developments including land at Meadowbank which has a price tag on it of £9.9m. This, and another site at Fountainbridge which is said to have raised £9.6m, make up a large proportion of the property sold off. These are essentially “balance sheet” transactions transferring the property into the Housing

Revenue Account. Finance and Resources

Convener Cllr Mandy Watt explained: “Despite the financial challenges Edinburgh Council has faced over many years, the sale of council owned properties has mainly generated funds to invest in better schools, homes and workplaces.

“There have also been disposals as part of the community asset transfer programme, which allows local groups to bid for council land and buildings for community use.

“It’s common practice for us to transfer land from our general fund to our housing revenue account. All land and buildings owned by the council are evaluated for potential social and affordable housing use before consideration is given to selling them. Sometimes we work with local community groups to develop a place plan, with a mix of housing and commercial buildings, so that areas have local jobs and services in addition to much needed new housing. This is what we are doing at Meadowbank and at Fountainbridge.”

The Scottish Trades Union Congress said the

scale of sales was as “alarming as it is unsurprising”. Deputy general secretary Dave Moxham said that local authorities are “swinging the axe” at services which provide vital support for everyone in our towns and cities”.

This comment reflects the outcry when Edinburgh council agreed to “sell off” (actually this was achieved by means of a long lease) the property at Infirmary Street to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society. Previously several third sector groups used the building which the Society are now renovating with the aid of around £7million of UK Government funding to create a new Fringe Hub.

In emotional deputations to the council third sector groups explained why this central location was crucial to their work, but this did not prevent the transfer of the property off the council’s books.

COSLA, which represents Scotland’s local authorities, said that while councils “work hard to continue running high-quality services”, they face significant budgetary challenges.

“This means that in some cases they have had to make difficult decisions about which properties and services they can continue to run,” said a spokesperson.

“COSLA will continue to advocate for a fair budget settlement for Scottish local government that recognises the importance of local decision making in getting the best outcomes for our communities.”

The Scottish Government has repeatedly said that it has given Scottish councils a record payout this year of £15.1billion which the government says is actually ”a real terms increase of 5.5%”.

Meanwhile local authorities have to pay wage rises, additional employer National Insurance contributions, all amid higher demands for their services - including health and social care run by the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB) which has a shortfall of an estimated £50m.

The EIJB meets at the City Chambers on 26 August to discuss their proposed cuts of funding to third sector organisations.

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House of Commons © House of Commons

Law firm withdraws offer to Galpin of solicitor traineeship

BY STEPHEN RAFFERTY

ONE OF THE world’s leading law rms has axed Edinburgh businessman Alexander Galpin from a coveted traineeship after he was convicted of domestic abuse.

Galpin boasted on social media that he was joining Cli ord Chance as a trainee solicitor but the Magic Circle rm – one of the UK’s most prestigious and which has an annual £2 billion turnover – has con rmed the traineeship has been withdrawn.

The Edinburgh Reporter revealed Galpin, 24, owner of two Luxford Burgers restaurants in Edinburgh and a “dark kitchen” Deliveroo operation, was convicted under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act at Edinburgh Sheri Court on 23 June.

Galpin repeatedly pressurised his pregnant partner to abort the child against her wishes, leading to confrontation and furious arguments.

In one text message - seen by The Edinburgh Reporter - Galpin told the stressed woman: “You’ve had no right to hold this over me every day and watch me squirm, you had no right to force me to look at pictures of a scan of a kid that I view as a cancer, nothing more nothing less.”

The court heard that following one row over the pregnancy the would-be lawyer drove his car at speed with his pregnant partner in the passenger seat while the door was open. The vehicle struck a post and Galpin later tried to pull her from the car, causing bruising to her arm.

During a campaign of abuse, which included him sending hundreds of text messages, Procurator Fiscal Peter Finnon told the court that one o ensive message stood out. The woman, who su ered mental health issues, was on the phone to her doctor seeking help, when Galpin messaged: “Ask if you can get medication for malicious parent syndrome”.

Galpin admitted he repeatedly acted in an aggressive manner, and encouraged his victim to make representations to the court in support of removal of bail conditions; that on one occasion, he seized her by the body, pulled her and caused her to fall on a bed, and that he repeatedly contacted her and made o ensive remarks.

Following the nal break up of the relationship in July 2024, Galpin is said to have engaged in an “extreme form” of behaviour which included repeatedly phoning and messaging

Edinburgh Sheriff Court round up

By ALEXANDER LAWRIE

Alexander Galpin: not joining Clifford Chance

his ex-partner at all hours of the day. Galpin had been championed by Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce as an exemplary businessmanwinning the Chamber’s 2024 Rising Star Award and being nominated for the 2025 High Growth Business Award – despite The Edinburgh Reporter making the organisation aware of a business failure which left debts of almost £120,000.

We revealed in February that Galpin put Luxford Burgers’ parent company, Secure Kitchens Ltd, into liquidation, leaving a trail of debts due to small local businesses, while UK tax payers were left to pick up an £80,000 bill in unpaid VAT, PAYE and corporation tax.

Galpin then “phoenixed” the failed business, setting up a new company, Got Buns Ltd, in June 2024. He continues to operate the Luxford Burgers restaurants in St Leonard’s Street and Brandon Terrace.

On his LinkedIn pro le (since deleted), Galpin claimed he was “Executive Director of Galpin Group, a hospitality management business that owns and operates a portfolio of restaurants across the UK, with a combined gross turnover of £6m+ per annum.”

The Edinburgh Reporter contacted Cli ord Chance on 28 February and 4 March informing the rm of Galpin’s business failure and questioned if it was appropriate that he should be o ered a trainee solicitor position.

It was only after his conviction for domestic abuse that Cli ord Chance con rmed the traineeship had been axed. A spokeswoman said: “As a policy we do not comment on individual applicants to the rm, but I can con rm this individual will not be a future trainee or join Cli ord Chance.”

Galpin, of Salvesen Crescent, Edinburgh, did not respond to a request for comment. He was due to be sentenced at Edinburgh Sheri Court on 1 August after we had gone to press.

A UNIVERSITY LAW student broke down in tears as she was jailed for attempting to smuggle £150,000 of drugs through Edinburgh Airport.

Sage-Ahliea Gold, 25, was caught with several vacuum sealed packages containing more than 16 kilos of herbal cannabis when she arrived at the capital’s airport in August last year.

Gold, who was studying for a law degree at the University of Greenwich, had own from John F Kennedy Airport in New York with the drugs stu ed into a suitcase before she was confronted by border force o cials.

Edinburgh Sheri Court was told all the luggage from the ight was screened and a suitcase was identi ed with “a number of packages within”.

Gold, from East Dulwich, London, was subsequently seen “uplifting the case and attending at the nothing to declare exit” where she was pulled aside by security o cials.

Fiscal depute Jennifer McLaren said: “Ms Gold was then stopped and she answered some standard questions and said she had traveled from New York and had packed her bag.

“She unlocked the case and o cers observed a number of personal possessions and vacuum packed packages that appeared to contain herbal material.

The prosecutor said there were 30 vacuum sealed packages found in the suitcase containing a total of 16.14 kilograms of cannabis with a value of £61,332.

The court was told if the drugs were spit into “half kilo deals” the value would be £75,000 and when split into one gram bags the value amounted to £150,000.

Gold was jailed for a total of 16 months and broke down in tears as she was led away.

AN EDINBURGH MAN who supplied reworks to youths who used them to attack police o cers on Bon re Night has been warned if he breaches a court order he will be “going directly to prison”.

Jordan McMillan provided the reworks during a night of chaos in Edinburgh in November last year when gangs of hooligans set re to roads, play parks, wheelie bins and cars in several areas across the capital including Niddrie, Gracemount and Sighthill.

Thugs wearing balaclavas were also lmed launching rockets at moving vehicles and the violence brought the city’s streets to a standstill as riot police were forced

to close o roads from the public. McMillan, 24, was convicted of culpable and reckless conduct following a trial at Edinburgh Sheri Court and was back in the dock for sentencing.

He denied any involvement, claiming he was within his garden at the time of the incident.

The charge was aggravated by attacking emergency service workers under Section 44 of the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022.

Sheri Joseph Stewart told McMillan, of Niddrie, Edinburgh, he had carried out “a very serious o ence” but stopped short of imposing a jail term.

He added: “If you breach this order you will be going directly to prison, do you understand that?”

McMillan was sentenced to a 10 month restriction of liberty order where he will have to stay within his home address between 7pm and 6am.

A SCOTS BUSINESSMAN has admitted running a brothel inside a notorious Edinburgh sauna.

Ian Douglas Haig ran the Scorpio Leisure business and made his cash from charging customers on entry and being paid a fee by sex workers for use of one of the premise’s ve bedrooms.

But the 82-year-old company director was caught in charge of the brothel after police were called out to investigate the death of a woman in the sauna in 2022.

During the police investigation o cers interviewed sta and clients and discovered it was being used for prostitution purposes.

Haig was arrested and charged with allowing the premises to be used as a brothel. He pleaded guilty when he appeared in the dock at Edinburgh Sheri Court.

A written narration read out to the court stated Haig, who used to be in the Merchant Navy, was “the long standing tenant” and “the operator of the business known as Scorpio Leisure”.

The narration said: “Scorpio Leisure was o ering paying customers massage services, advertised itself as a sauna and operated as a brothel.”

The court heard patrons entered through a locked inner door and the inside of the building included a lounge, a sta kitchen with 16 lockers, a shower area and changing room.

The narration added: “There were ve rooms all containing a bed, mirrors on the walls, a corner bath and showers. The rooms contained stocks of wipes, lubricants and shower gel.” The

court heard a woman passed away in non-suspicious circumstances within the premises in the city’s Leith area on April 30, 2022, which had led to the police investigation.

A SCOTS estate agent manager has admitted embezzling more than £16,000 from his employers.

Ross Young carried out a 10-month scam by producing fake invoices for work carried out at properties while employed as a manager with Belvoir Letting Agency in Edinburgh.

Young stole a total of £16,680 before he was caught after a colleague became suspicious of the fake invoicing carried out between January and October 2019.

Edinburgh Sheri Court was told 40-year-old Young had started with the capital estate agent in sales in September 2018 before being promoted to general manager three months later.

In his management role Young had responsibilities for hiring sta , promoting the company and had access to computer systems and the company credit card.

The court was told an accounts manager with the company became suspicious over a number of invoices relating to work being carried out within properties owned by the letting agents.

The employee carried out an investigation by contacting a number of companies said to have been tasked with the work and as a result the police were contacted.

The court heard Young had been producing fake invoices for the bogus work and “a total of £16,680 was transferred into an account owned by the accused”.

The court was told Young, from Colinton, Edinburgh, was originally charged with embezzling £31,154 in January 2021 but that gure was amended prior to his guilty plea on Monday 21 July.

Solicitor Paul Dunn, defending, said he would reserve his mitigation to the sentencing hearing.

Sheri Francis Walls said:

“Though you have no previous convictions, due to the seriousness of this charge and the signi cant sum of money involved I am going to adjourn sentence.”

Sentence was deferred for one month for the preparation of a criminal justice social work report. A restriction of liberty order was imposed.

Young pleaded guilty to embezzling £16,680 while employed as a manager with the Edinburgh agency between January and October 2019.

Gracemount Mansion Development Trust and Audrey Carlin, AHF Scotland Trustee and Chair of AHF Grants Panel, at Gracemount Mansion. Image courtesy of Historic Environment Scotland

Gracemount now in public hands

By PHYLLIS STEPHEN

GRACEMOUNT MANSION - a

Category B-listed building dating from around 1780, has been passed into community ownership through a Community Asset Transfer. Originally constructed as a country villa, it later became a youth and community centre until it was closed in 2018. Its cultural and social significance is deeply rooted in the Gracemount area – and now, with action from locals and the support of the Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF), it has been returned to the community. The Friends of

Gracemount said: "This is a major milestone not just for Gracemount, but for heritageled regeneration in Scotland. Gracemount Mansion Development Trust is already progressing essential works to make the building safe, with a phased approach to reopening sections for community use as detailed project development and fundraising continue.”

Lindsay Aitken, Chair of Gracemount Mansion Development Trust, said: "The early support and guidance from AHF was really useful, and a fantastic boost for our project, for which we're very grateful."

Bridget is honoured with an MBE

By PHYLLIS STEPHEN

I N THE KING'S Birthday Honours it was announced that Bridget Stevens would receive a well deserved MBE.

Ms Stevens is a dedicated audio describer – one of the first to offer the specialist service for theatre productions in Scotland, starting her groundbreaking work some 30 years ago after it had been "invented" in the US.

Her work has helped to transform the experience of

going to the theatre for many blind and visually impaired audience members.Bridget sits in a specially equipped booth in venues such as the Festival Theatre (where the booth is

at the back of the Grand Circle with a direct view on to the stage) and provides a real time narration through a wireless headset allowing those who cannot see what is happening on stage to imagine it from her description.

The process is not without its challenges.

During one early performance, a piece of furniture unexpectedly fell over. "The blind people could hear that, but they didn't know if it was a

gunshot," she recalled, demonstrating the quick thinking required. She had to interrupt and explain that the wardrobe had just unexpectedly fallen over.

With around 15 active audio describers in Edinburgh, the service has evolved from "clunky headsets" to current modern technology.

Theatres like the King's now provide audio description for every production, thanks to committed volunteers

The August sky above Edinburgh and the Lothians

By PHIL DALY

An invisible 'Black Moon' ghosts the sky in August while Venus and Jupiter rise together.

The Sun passes from Cancer into Leo on August 10 and comes closer by 854,171km. Daylight shortens from 16:02 hours on August 1 to 13:54 hours on August 31 so we gain 2 hours and 9 minutes of night time by month's end.

The Moon has two first quarters and two apogees (furthest from Earth) this

month. The first first quarter shows up on August 1 in Virgo. The first apogee also occurs on that date and takes the Moon to 404,201 km away from Earth.

The full Sturgeon Moon makes an appearance on August 9 in Capricorn. Lunar perigee (closest to Earth) on August 14 finds the Moon some 369,254 km away. Last quarter occurs on August 16 in Aries.

The new Moon on August 23 in Leo begins a new synodic month which will last 29 days, 13 hours and 48

minutes. This is an astronomical 'Black Moon' being defined as the third new moon within the same astronomical season.

The second Lunar apogee occurs on August 29 and the second first quarter of the new Lunar cycle shows up on August 31 in Scorpio.

Venus and Jupiter will rise together around 3 am in Gemini. Best viewed on August 12 when Venus will be 0.9 degrees south of Jupiter in the pre-dawn hours.

Cairdean House care home, Colinton Scottish foodies festival Wednesday 6th August, 1.30pm - 3pm

Lauder Lodge care home, Portobello Helping older people use technology Friday 12th September, 2pm - 3.30pm

Murrayside care home, Corstorphine Living well with Parkinson’s Thursday 14th August, 10.30am - 12 noon

LOOK UP TO THE SKIES FROM DEEP UNDER THE SEA

By PHYLLIS STEPHEN

AT EDINBURGH ZOO this winter the Giant Lanterns will be back to light up the night skies above the park in Corstorphine.

And if you are quick then you can book before 31 August with the advantage of early bird prices.

For the first time since 2019, the outdoor trail is back - but this time there is an underwater adventure to be enjoyed along the way.

Giant Lanterns runs from 14 November until 22 February and is perfect for all ages. There are two quiet evenings and one evening event designated for adults only.

The ticket prices vary for off-peak, standard and peak nights with entry from 4.45pm until 8pm on 60 nights over the darkest months.

It is also possible to book a VIP package which will allow you to visit the zoo during the day and enjoy an evening meal with direct access to the magic of the outdoor trail afterwards.

What you will need to know

DAYS AND TIMES Select evenings from 4.45pm to 9pm. Choose an allocated time so that the Zoo can manage numbers HOW LONG IS THE ROUTE? About a mile and it will take about an hour. (You can go round as often as you like) WHAT WILL I SEE? Larger than life installations of magical creatures crafted using traditional techniques by Chinese artists IS THERE FOOD AND DRINK? Yes there are food and drink outlets CAN I SEE THE ANIMALS? No they will mostly be asleep...but you can if you book the VIP package which starts during the day, includes a meal and direct access to the Giant Lanterns

I HAVE BEEN BEFORE - IS THIS JUST THE SAME? No, the lanterns are newwith a new route and theme ACCESSIBILITY The zoo is on a hill, but there are mobility scooters for hire and also wheelchairs on a first come, first served basis FOR BIG GROUPS Discounts available TICKET PRICES Adults up to £23 and Family tickets (2 adults and 2 children) up to £76

AND IF IT IS BAD WEATHER..? The event is unlikely to be cancelled, however, in the event of extreme weather ticket holders will be contacted

This is a short term offer as the prices will go up from 1 September.

New book chronicles 300 years of life in Bonaly

LOCAL

have published a new book about the Bonaly area of Colinton.

Bonaly:Three Centuries of Rural Life in an Edinburgh Suburb chronicles the everyday life of residents and how it was affected by the changing ownership of the land and developments in agricultural practice.

The author, Bob Henderson, is a member of the Society. He said: “As a resident of Bonaly for over 45 years I have been interested in the area’s history for a long time. However, I have found that very little has been written about Bonaly and some of what I have read seemed debatable.

“I therefore decided to start researching the history myself, using such original material as I could find. I opted to look at, and try to explain, the changes which have occurred in

Bonaly over the last three centuries and the impacts these have had on the local residents.

“I discovered that developments in agricultural methods had a profound effect on life for the residents in Bonaly. These led to changes in both prosperity and in the locations of their homes and associated farm buildings.

“The questions I was interested in trying to answer included how many people were likely to have lived in Bonaly at any one time, what were their cottages like, what did the residents eat and wear, what was their relationship with the kirk and when did Bonaly cease to be primarily an agricultural settlement.”

Bonaly: Three Centuries of Rural Life in an Edinburgh Suburb is now on sale from the Society via enquiries@colintonhistory.org.uk on Amazon or from Colinton Post Office at a cost of £6.99.

Offenders’ gardening payback a blooming community benefit

By STAFF REPORTER

A COMMUNITY GARDEN has been created in Morningside by people carrying out unpaid work as part of a community sentence in a partnership between the Cyrenians charity and The City of Edinburgh Council's justice services.

Cllr Tim Pogson, Chair of Edinburgh’s Community Safety and Justice Partnership, said: “We have been exploring innovative ways to support those who have committed offences to repay the community for their crimes while at the same time, giving participants the opportunity to learn valuable skills and work as part of a team.

“Through joining forces with the Scottish charity Cyrenians we’ve been able to support the environment through the development of a community garden project offering placements to people completing unpaid work as part of a CPO.”

Many of those who worked in the garden said they benefited from being in the garden and now had a renewed appreciation of the outdoors.

The programme is headed up by Cyrenians who have a great deal of experience in this kind of project, as they already run a community farm in the west of Edinburgh where the aim is quite similar.

Hannah Macrae, Community Gardens Service Manager at Cyrenians, said: “We have loved working in partnership with community justice services, to offer placements to people completing a community payback order. Our community gardens provide a lot of solace to people and we are very grateful to those who have come on placement for all their efforts to maintain and improve this special space. Many of the people who come really enjoy the time working in the garden and we hope that they take away a new set of skills and a sense of pride in what they have achieved.”

A number of areas across Edinburgh have been transformed by people carrying out a CPO and previous projects have included fencing and decking work at Dr Neil’s Garden in Duddingston and supporting garden maintenance at Inverleith Park.

More than 11.6 million hours of unpaid work have been completed across Scotland since CPOs were introduced in 2010 – with around 1.4 million hours recorded benefiting communities for the reporting year 2023-24. There were 15,086 CPOs imposed by the courts - a three per cent increase on the previous year.

Bonaly Farm House

COLINTON

HISTORY SOCIETY

Neil Hanna

Troubled genius who wrung art out of torment

DURING VINCENT VAN GOGH’S chaotic life he createda multitude of paintings that transformed the world of art.

His death robbed it of an astounding, deeply troubled, man of genius.

Exhausted Paint: e Death of Van Gogh, which premieres at this year’s Fringe, takes the audience on a journey through his manic, disorienting career.

Written by experimental US playwright Justin Maxwell, the play takes a painterly approach to understanding the inner world and torment of a man who both felt and expressed the extremes of human experience.

Loosely based on his letters to his brother, eo, Exhausted Paint explores Van Gogh’s desperate struggle to connect and to mean something in a world that devalues art and artists.

Maxwell says: “I wanted to look at what happens when you are constantly reaching for the brass ring and miss every time, when you constantly try but always fail. Van Gogh’s answer seems to have been to fall in love with the art and to just keep on trying.”

Wielding words as Van Gogh brandished his paint brush, Maxwell creates a collage of sounds, sights, images, and emotions through heightened language that challenges and entrances the audience.

A wheel of artefacts dominates the stage. Van Gogh spins the wheel to determine which episode of his life will be performed next, leaving the order entirely to chance. Every performance is di erent.

Each episode in Maxwell’s script unlocks a di erent theme, idea, and/or issue of Van Gogh’s life.

As Maxwell said: “It all adds up to an exploration of a man who is meticulous about his cra and uncompromising about what he can achieve as an artist, who refuses to simply paint work that will sell and rails against the world for not buying the art that he paints.”

Tender, vehement, funny and heart-breaking, Exhausted Paint is a poignant look at a man whose life story was so much more than the infamous severed ear.

e random sequence of events mirrors Vincent’s unpredictable and disordered life, so breathtakingly relived in this play.

Exhausted Paint 4-23 August at 14.55 thespaceuk.com

Gwen turns brutal truthintolaughter

ALL THROUGH HISTORY the women who experience gender violence have ended up being punished for the transgressions of men.

Dark feminist comedy Sad Girl Songs, which is coming to the Edinburgh Fringe, explores how this has happened from Ancient Greece to the present day.

Actor, comedian and singer Gwen Coburn starts by taking audiences on a bawdy romp, with songs like You Should Know Where the Clit Is (a handy user’s guide) and Daddy Issues Boyfriend.

She then has fun with Bumble Songs –men’s real-life dating app pro les turned into song.

But this is an award-winning piece of theatre which enters much more serious territory. It is inspired by the trauma she experienced as the result of an abusive

student a air with her improv teacher and, just as importantly, the a ermath of the relationship.

Sad Girl Songs takes in everything from memories of school self defence classes to classical mythology. It addresses how women are made to bear the consequences of men’s wrongdoings.

Gwen recalls the story of the beautiful maiden Medusa, raped by the sea god Poseidon then, in the ultimate act of victim blaming, transformed into a snake-headed monster.

In 21st-century America Gwen found that a er abuse occurred, despite being promised separation from the abuser and action to ensure a safer workplace for all women, what actually happened was that she was made to endure a “functional exile”.

Gwen says: “ is is a comedy show, and a

show about comedy. It’s also about what happens to women who experience abuse – not just the immediate results but the lasting a ermath.

“ e show is brutally funny and brutally honest. It looks at the way we tell stories about women to women and the need for change, the need to incorporate care for those who experience abuse into the whole way that workplaces are run.”

She sets the abuse she experienced against a backdrop of other mythological gures like that “sad, sexy baby” Venus.

In her own case Gwen faced a struggle with her mental health and was eventually diagnosed with PTSD and faced a major battle to continue building her career.

Sad Girl Songs runs from 1-23 August at 15.10

Society rebels Oscar and Lillie

THE WIT OF OSCAR WILDE, the glamour of Lillie Langtry – the notoriety of both – these are the essential elements of one of this year’s most promising Edinburgh Fringe premieres.

Wilde Women, by US actor, writer, director and academic Krista Scott returns audiences to 1900 and introduces them to the celebrated actress as she awaits a crucial telegram from her dearest friend.

Scott’s plot is simple and smart –Langtry is in Edinburgh, on tour, and awaits Wilde’s con rmation that he is happy with her plans for a new play presenting his most illustrious female characters – Cecily, Salomé,

Mrs Cheveley, Lady Windermere and naturally, Lady Bracknell.

Langtry sees it as a vehicle to revive her fading stardom and restore the reputation of a man who has endured sickness and disgrace a er being sentenced to brutal hard labour for “gross indecencies” following his a air with Lord Alfred “Bosie” Douglas. e solo play emphasises the transformative impact of Wilde’s writing on the presentation of women in theatre and literature.

Scott said: “Oscar Wilde had a profound e ect on the representation of women onstage in the modern age. He launched the

Cue Kevin’s million-volt shocker

KEVIN QUANTUM, EDINBURGH’S own physicist-turned-international-magician, will honour two of the world’s greatest scientists in his spectacular 2025 Fringe show.

He also aims to make sceptics reconsider whether magic is real.

Unbelievable Magic for Non-Believers will have a high-voltage finale featuring a million-volt Tesla coil – a dramatic tribute to James Clerk Maxwell, the Scottish physicist who first described the laws of electromagnetism.

Kevin, however, makes unorthodox use of the machine to slam the massive electrical charge through his own body –unleashing his ability to read the minds of his audience.

He said: “We will be celebrating science and scientists, like the phenomenal James Clerk Maxwell who was Einstein’s inspiration and who revolutionised our

thinking about how the cosmos works. I will be bringing the immense invisible electromagnetic forces he described to life on stage with a million volts of lightning.

“And I’m challenging non-believers to come along to see if they, like Einstein, will be persuaded that there is more to the universe than they imagine.

“I was once a sceptic myself – but then I discovered the inexplicable. And maybe I have the power to change your mind about magic and read your thoughts.”

Einstein originally believed the universe functioned according to fixed laws like a machine and nothing was a matter of chance, declaring that “God does not play dice.”

But Kevin will be presenting the trick which made him think again – what the magician describes as “the most beautiful trick in magic”.

Einstein was a huge admirer of his 19th

century Scottish predecessor, whose theory of electromagnetism forever transformed our understanding of reality.Indeed, Maxwell is often regarded as the greatest scientist to have lived between Newton and Einstein.

Originally from Fife, but now based in Edinburgh, Kevin is a firm favourite at the Fringe where his shows combine illusions, magic tricks, danger, sleight of hand, science and maybe even the truly impossible.

This year he celebrates 20 years in magic, during which time he has not only created many superb shows but has also created the annual Edinburgh Festival of Magic (Magic Fest).

Kevin Quantum: Unbelievable Magic for Non-Believers runs from 31 July to 24 August at 19.40

take a walk on the Wilde side

trend to feature strong, independent women as protagonists in dramas and in comedies, a trend picked up by George Bernard Shaw, Henrik Ibsen, August Strindberg and others.

“Much of the development of psychologically complex women’s roles in today’s theatre can be traced back to Wilde’s work.

“I hope that audiences will appreciate the dazzling wit and beguiling irony embedded in his rhetoric and want to find out more about Oscar Wilde.”

Scott started researching Wilde and the roles he created for women nine years ago – and grew

increasingly interested in his relationship with Langtry.

Both were unconventional, feted and reviled by fashionable society.

Langtry was the mistress of the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, sometimes sharing a “love nest” in Scotland.

She was the first socialite to appear on the professional stage and, strongly encouraged by Wilde became a celebrated star in the UK and USA.

The production is a chance to enjoy some of Wilde’s finest moments, seen through the eyes of a friend whose life and character were as dramatic as anything in his writing.

The show will go on as a tribute to an inspirational man

IT’S ONE OF THE BEST-KNOWN phrases from the entertainment world – The Show Must Go On! But that can be easier said than done.

When Paul Perez, writer, director and muchloved teacher, (pictured above) died suddenly in the spring he left a group of American high school students with a trip to the Edinburgh Fringe fully booked, but their musical only half written.

What’s more Paul was the only one of the small team from the Infinity Repertory Theatre Company and the St John’s Country Day School, Florida, who had been to the Fringe before and knew his way round. With just three songs fully written, a half-finished script and all the challenges involved in staging a teenage pop/rock musical on another continent, The Idiot’s Guide to Breaking Your Own Heart looked doomed.

However, after the shock of Paul’s death subsided, the students, their families and teachers developed a steely determination to go on with the show. And that’s precisely what they have done.

Todd Twining, a teacher at the school, has worked tirelessly with the students, Paul’s family and Greenside Venues to get the show ready for a short run from 1-6 August.

Todd said: “Paul was a champion of young people and the ability of the performing arts to express dreams and fears and to change lives and society for the better.

“He adored the Fringe and enormously looked forward to bringing his ninth show to Edinburgh, and to giving a new generation of students the chance to be part of the world’s biggest performing arts festival. We are proud to have been able to pull together, to complete the show and to be able to perform it in memory of Paul and everything he did for others.”

The Idiot’s Guide to Breaking Your Own Heart is about contemporary teenage life and was being created after a multitude of interviews with young people. It addresses the pressures they face, the need to fit in, look perfect, get straight As, go to the right parties, fulfill their parents’ dreams.

The plot follows the story of Simon Walker who is given a school assignment to write a manual on “How to be You”. The final part of the project is to answer two questions:

n What do you contribute to society?

n Does your life have meaning?

Both the show, and the story behind the production, are the essence of the Edinburgh Fringe and its traditions.

The Idiot‘s Guide to Breaking Your Own Heart runs from August 1-6 at 18.30 at Riddles Court

CITY HAIRDRESSER Charlie Miller has died aged 80. Charlie was a self-made businessman, and there are several hair salons in the city bearing his name, which are now managed by his two sons, Jason and Josh. The business celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2016.

He began his hairdressing career at Bob’s at the top of West Port where he mainly cut men’s hair, but told us in an interview that he used his wife Janet as a model to copy the geometric styles which Vidal Sassoon used to create.

After a time he opened his own shop on Rose Street upstairs from Bruce’s Records. Charlie said: “We didn’t have a record player but it didn’t matter as Bruce Findlay ran a wire up to our salon with a speaker. Then we had great music!”

Sadly, Charlie was ill for some years with Alzheimer’s, having rst been diagnosed in 2015. He died in the Queen’s Manor Care Home surrounded by his family.

Josh and Jason who are Managing Directors in the business said: “We’re heartbroken to share the news of our dad’s passing. Charlie was so much more than the name above the door – he was a force of creativity, integrity and love. He built something truly special: not just a business, but a family. We’re proud to be his sons, and to carry forward the legacy he began.”

Charlie and his hairdressing became world

Charlie Miller, OBE, 1944 - 2025

renowned and among many accolades which he received was the Association Internationale Presse Professionnelle (AIPP) Coi ure, recognising his contribution to hairdressing the agency’s highest honour.

He was inducted into the AIPP Hall of Fame in 2022.

A spokesperson for the business said:

“Charlie’s kindness, humility, and genuine love for people de ned both his personal and professional life.

“He touched the lives of so many – from his

loyal clients and trusted colleagues to the wider creative community.”

Through his work with Teenage Cancer Trust he changed lives, making real-hair wigs for teenagers and styling them personally for each young person who had lost their hair due to chemotherapy treatment.

Charlie Miller is survived by his devoted wife Janet, sons Jason and Josh, daughter-in-law India, four grandchildren, his sister Helen and extended family.

It is especially sad that he died in the same

year as his great friend, Sir Tom Farmer. The two businessmen travelled to the North Pole together in 2010.

Charlie said: “I went to the North Pole with Sir Tom Farmer – one of my famous friends! – I cut his hair there for charity in 2010. When he asked me I had to think about it for about half an hour and then I said I would do it as long as it raised money for Teenage Cancer Trust.

“I had to cut his hair really quickly! I had a hat on but he was feeling the cold. I have known Tom for ages. He is an amazing man.”

The truth is that they both were.

The Edinburgh Reporter o ers sincere condolences to all the Charlie Miller family.

AUGUST 3: IN 1573 Sir William Kirkcaldy of Grange was executed after defending Edinburgh Castle on behalf of Mary from May 1568 to May 1573. IN 1769, the side walls of the south abutment of the new North Bridge abruptly gave way, causing a partial collapse of the structure and tragically claiming the lives of ve people.

AUGUST 6:

In 1678, the rst Glasgow/Edinburgh coach service began from White Horse Inn, Edinburgh. IN 1729, the Royal In rmary of Edinburgh opened after an appeal for funds by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh; the original building, known as the ‘Little House’, was at the head of Robertson’s Close and contained just four beds; it was the rst voluntary hospital in Scotland.

IN 1796, painter David Allan died in Edinburgh; Allan became famous for both his portrait work, historic scenes and a number of ne works to illustrate the work of authors, including Robert Burns. IN 1941, four 500 pound bombs fell near Craigentinny, pictured left.

Charlie with sons Josh (left) and Jason as he received his AIPP Legend Award in 2022

THEMASSEDBANDSOFHISMAJESTY’S

THE MASSED BANDS OF HIS MAJESTY’S

USHERHALL 13SEPTEMBER 2025

EDINBURGH

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Marketing director Amanda moves up to chief exec post at the EICC

By PHYLLIS STEPHEN

AN INTERNAL CANDIDATE has been appointed at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) as the new Chief Executive.

Amanda Wrathall has been Sales and Marketing Director at EICC for more than ten years, has 30 years experience in the hospitality and tourism sector and has won many accolades in that time. She was awarded Women in Tourism top 100 status in 2022 and 2024, and was named Tourism Individual of the Year in the 2024 Central and East of Scotland Thistle Awards. She will take up the CEO role on 1 August.

Marshall Dallas. the former CEO who announced in November last year that he was stepping down, earned around £200,000 with bonus, but the salary details for the new CEO have not yet been con rmed.

Cllr Lezley Marion Cameron, Chair of the EICC Board, said: “I am delighted to announce Amanda Wrathall’s appointment as our new EICC Chief Executive. As EICC Sales and Marketing Director, She has consistently demonstrated her ability to lead, transform and inspire teams and succeed in partnership working.

“Amanda’s lead role in the EICC’s successful temporary guardianship of the Edinburgh Convention Bureau is a great example. Her high standing in local and national hospitality and tourism

industry and government networks is another.

“Since the EICC rst opened in 1995, the international conference and events landscape has become more competitive, fast changing and challenging.

"Today, EICC’s priorities include being equipped to compete successfully in an increasingly competitive market; exploring new opportunities for innovation and bene ts arising from the Edinburgh Tourism Visitor Levy coming into e ect; and responding to anticipated outcomes of the council’s review of its Arms Length Companies, due to conclude this year."

Ms Wrathall said: “It’s a privilege to take on the role of CEO at this important moment in the EICC’s journey. Building on a strong legacy, my focus is to lead the organisation into its next phase, delivering ideas with impact and performance with purpose, while creating lasting value for our clients, our people, our city, and our shareholder. “I’d like to thank the Board for their trust and support and acknowledge the exceptional team whose commitment underpins our success. I look forward to shaping a bold, inclusive, and sustainable future together.”

Owned by The City of Edinburgh Council, the EICC has hosted more than 4,500 events since 1995, with around 2.2 million delegates. It is estimated to generate economic impact worth £930 million. The venue was used as a vaccination centre during Covid and becomes a Fringe venue every August.

Robin has a head for a great new hair product

By STAFF REPORTER

LOCAL BUSINESSMAN ROBIN JAMES has brought a new hair care line for men to the market.

As the founder of men’s grooming platform Man For Himself, he has now launched Anforh, a line of products designed to solve hair care concerns which he admits he has experienced himself.

Having conducted extensive surveys with his social media following he feels that he knows what men want from their grooming products.

He said: "I am my own target market. I've always had very ne hair and have been conscious of being able to see my scalp. Through 12 years of

testing hundreds of products on Man For Himself, I found myself layering a thickening tonic with a sea salt spray to get the results I wanted. Most thickening products were created for the female market, but I never wanted smooth hair – I wanted natural texture and movement.

"After a week of using Texture Volume Spray, it has, quite literally, changed my entire styling routine, and admittedly, life.

“I've gone from up to 20 minutes of overly complicated styling with three di erent products combined to barely three minutes, start to nish, with just a few sprays and a paste or clay.

“My hair looks and FEELS fuller, thicker, bigger, and most importantly, healthier.”

The products have gone through testing and

surveys involving an audience of 55,000 people. The survey revealed that 44% of men have a problem with ne or thinning hair and 36% look for products which add texture and volume.

Robin said: “The range is all about making the most of the hair that you have, creating texture without being over styled.”

Formulated, manufactured, and packaged sustainably in the UK, each product is fragranced with premium essential oils including rose otto.

The undiluted formulas are designed to last longer and deliver maximum impact while the distinctive blue glass packaging provides UV protection and includes QR codes for styling tips. anforh.com Instagram - @manforhimself

EICC Chair Lesley Marion Cameron, left, welcomes new CEO Amanda Wrathall to her post

TWO

It’s good to be back!

Oasis return with a tour, a film and a book

By RICHARD PURDEN

CREATION LABEL BOSS Tim Abbot, described as the sixth member of Oasis, will appear in Edinburgh the night before the August concerts with a new lm about the band.

When Oasis fans were criticised by The City of Edinburgh Council regarding three sell-out concerts at Scottish Gas Murray eld the band's frontman responded quickly. Fans were described as "rowdy" who would "take up more room" and drink to "medium to high intoxication”. Liam Gallagher posted on X: "To the Edinburgh council, I’ve heard what you said about OASIS fans and quite frankly your attitude f**king stinks. I’d leave town that day if I was any of you lot."

Journalist, musician, and cultural commentator John Robb – whose grandparents came from Edinburgh – has released a new book: Live Forever: The Rise, Fall and Resurrection of Oasis, which details the band's history.

He responded: "I think it's snobbery, and I have a connection to Edinburgh through my grandparents. If they can't cope with the

Dear Library is a labour of love

By PHYLLIS STEPHEN

AT THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF SCOTLAND (NLS) the exhibition Dear Library will run until April next year.

This is a major exhibition in the library’s centenary year to celebrate all kinds of libraries and all manner of books.

The inspiration for the name of the exhibition comes from the poem by former Makar, Jackie Kay, whose literary archive was acquired by the NLS last year.

The exhibition space at NLS is now a reading room with recommendations for what to read next from members of the public and some well known Scots including Alan Cumming, Gemma Cairney, Sir Ian Rankin, Lauren Mayberry and Pat Nevin, as well as the Library’s Centenary Champions Damian Barr and Val McDermid.

There are no glass cases used in this exhibition - rather it is made up of bookshelves where visitors are encouraged to browse. It also features libraries and librarians and a Bookbug trail for children, a Lego model and a makerspace where people can make placards or library cards.

National Librarian, Amina Shah, said: “Developing this exhibition has been a labour of love for us, as we have chosen to use our centenary year to shine a spotlight on the power of libraries. We kicked o our Love

Oasis concerts because of the Fringe, they should have let it go to Glasgow. There are always a few idiots in crowds of over 60,000 at a concert, but I think the problem here is that everyone gets tainted by them. It's one of the problems with the country. People look down on people. It's a working class band and culture and for decades, there has been a sneering attitude, a kind of “look at them” which is horrible. It was great that Liam stuck up for his fans."

It's 31 years since Oasis played their rst gig in Edinburgh back in April 1994 at La Belle Angele. By the end of that year, they were headlining the Glasgow Barrowlands. The gig was seen as a major turning point for the band. Robb said: ”You had to prove it at the Barrowlands. It was one of those gigs. Oasis were seen as an overnight success but they had two years of being ignored. Most bands have to take baby steps doing three support tours, but with Oasis, after that it was really quick.”

The show didn't run smoothly with Liam Gallagher walking o stage due to throat problems. It was left to Noel Gallagher to play an acoustic set while promising to return with Liam two weeks later.

Libraries campaign in February, which shouts about all the great work libraries and librarians do. This exhibition complements the campaign.

“Libraries change lives. They empower individuals and the communities they belong to. The library sector has a proud shared history of working together to make sure everyone can bene t from access to information, stories, culture and knowledge – from school libraries to universities, mobile libraries to specialised archives – many of whom have contributed to this exhibition. We expect library fans and book lovers will visit this exhibition multiple times – there’s so much to celebrate and discover.”

Home town gig for Sir Harry

By STEPHEN RAFFERTY

PORTOBELLO’S MOST famous son, Sir Harry Lauder, will be celebrated as Scottish Opera’s acclaimed one-man show Lauder is performed at the seaside suburb’s Town Hall on August 4 and 5.

Born just a stone’s throw from the venue – a plaque marks the cottage at 3 Bridge Street – Lauder’s Porty legacy remains strong and is commemorated with a memorial garden at the Town Hall and the local ring-road which is named after the international performer.

Tenor and broadcaster Jamie MacDougall revives the much loved show - written by another legendary Scottish artist Jimmy Logan - with performances in London, Derbyshire and Portobello, and proceeds will go to the Erskine Veterans Charity, for which MacDougall is an ambassador.

Lauder was much a ected by the death of his son, Captain John Lauder, at the Battle of the Somme in 1916 and raised huge sums of money for injured servicemen, donating his musical royalties to Erskine.

Famously performing in full Highland regalia - kilt, sporran, Tam o’ Shanter, and walking stick - Lauder’s global in uence led Winston Churchill to call him “Scotland’s greatest ever ambassador”, and acknowledged the comfort his songs provided during WW2.

Culture Secretary, Angus Robertson, MSP, said: “The National Library has been a cornerstone of our nation’s cultural life for generations. This exhibition is a direct re ection of the impact libraries have had, bringing together just some of the books and objects that have helped to shape our country and the people who live here.

“I can’t think of a more tting tribute for one of our most precious national institutions in its centenary year. Whether you are a regular borrower or rst-time visitor, I would encourage everyone to visit this remarkable exhibition and re-discover the profound impact that libraries have had on our lives and communities.”

Jamie MacDougall said: “I was 10 when I was taken twice to see Jimmy Logan in Lauder at the King’s Theatre Glasgow. That was the start of my life-long association with these wonderful songs and Sir Harry, an entertainer who was the rst truly global star. I am honoured to be an Ambassador for Erskine, and hope audiences can come along to see this special show and raise money for an incredible charity.”

Adapted by MacDougall and director Kally Lloyd-Jones from the original script by Jimmy Logan, it features iconic songs such as “I Love a Lassie”, composed for the 1905 Glasgow pantomime Aladdin, and “Roamin’ in the Gloamin’” and “End of the Road”. The performance also includes footage of Lauder’s funeral and trench era visuals, transporting audience members through his life.

Eventbrite https://shorturl.at/b9NXu

Journalist John Robb with Noel Gallagher

The National Library of Scotland marks its 100th birthday with a special exhibition celebrating libraries and books

Neil Hanna

TILLS AND COMPANY

By Charlie Ellis

Co ee tills are ringing

Reading books and regularly drinking co ee is a popular and often enjoyed pairing. Many people nd that ca eine can improve their focus and alertness, making it ideal for extended reading sessions.

So a shop which combines co ee and books seems like a no brainer. However, in my experience, I've rarely seen this combination pulled o well. Usually one of the aspects is done in a slightly half-hearted manner, without the necessary dedication. The truth is that, however great the books are, bad co ee will leave a sour taste in the mouth.

Tills and Company in Portobello is an excellent exception. This second-hand bookshop, initially set up as an o shoot of Tills at the eastern end of the Meadows in 2023, has a very ne selection of titles, with care and attention evident throughout. This attention to quality includes their specialty co ee o er, making use of highclass locally roasted beans by Machina. The co ee is clearly not just an add-on. The co ee section, led by baristas Cass and Lily, works as a separate department, ensuring clear focus on the co ee making.

A POPULAR SPOT

Having long frequented the original Tills Bookshop, I was keen to check out this relatively new venture in Portobello. It's an area which is surprising short of high quality speciality co ee, though Tani ki does a decent job. Earlier this year Tills and Company was put on the market by the owners. At present,

the transition to a new owner is in process and this will lead to a change in name, but hopefully no change to what they o er. On my rst visit the place was just too busy to contemplate sitting down for a co ee. Every seat in every nook and cranny was occupied. The place was packed with people ca einating, catching up and reading. This included the narrow alcove next to the window; best suited to those who regularly do yoga. I decided to return another day.

ENTICING CONTENTS

Visiting on a quiet-ish Tuesday afternoon a couple of months later, I was in luck. Indeed, in comparison to most speciality co ee places in Edinburgh, seating capacity is high. Having wandered along the promenade in sunshine but into a sti breeze, I was in need of refreshment and a calming spot. Tills and Company is on the High Street, about ve minutes’ walk from the promenade. The green exterior draws the eye and the large windows allow your eyes to be caught by the enticing contents of the bookshelves.

PERFECTLY FORMED

As we waited for our co ees to arrive, the sounds emanating from behind the co ee machine were promising. In particular, the texturing of the milk was done smoothly. It was not the awful howling, screeching sound you often get, resulting in burnt, at, bubble less milk. Our cortados

arrived, small and perfectly formed. The cortado should be an intense small drink, containing a roughly equal amount of textured milk and espresso, although the exact ratios have considerable regional variation. They could be described as small at whites. In too many places they are excessively milky and, as a result, the avour of the co ee muted, and mu ed.

RARE AND UNIQUE

Had this been the case at Tills, it would have been a pity, as the Brazilian beans used (by the highly regarded Edinburgh-based roasters Machina) were exceptional, far more subtle than tends to be the case with co ee from that country.

Brazil is the world's largest co ee producer, responsible for roughly 40% of global co ee production. However, until recently, it tended not to be associated with specialty co ee. That is now changing.

Brazilian specialty co ee is renowned for its balance, acidity, sweetness, and body.

The barista mentioned they were coming to the end of the Brazilian batch, and would be switching to another seasonal Machina co ee. The rotation of beans ensures that they are providing co ee with real freshness, as well as gently varying avours over the year.

A WRITING STIMULANT

The atmosphere in the shop was ideal for reading, as well as writing. It is where I put together the rst draft of this article, scratched into

CROSSWORD

8 Across is an Edinburgh feature.

By Aldhelm

8 ELEVATING RIFFS (anagram) (8, 6)

9 Break in two (4)

10 Refurbishment, improvement (10)

11 Llama’s relative (6) 13 Overshadowed (8) 15 Neackwear items (7) 17 Word of opposite meaning (7) 19 Syria’s capital (8) 22 Thick oil (6)

Refreshing gum avour (10) 26 Appear (4) 27 Travel around, encompass (14)

1 Doghouse (6)

2 Cease (4)

3 Pass (a vehicle) (8)

4 Quick look (6)

5 Driveway stones (6)

6 Biting y (4)

7 Recuperation (8)

12 Major artery (5)

14 Investigation (5)

16 Come together (8)

18 Downbeat, pessimistic (8)

20 Big-top entertainment (6)

21 Thin (6)

23 Sword’s holder (6)

25 Piece, portion (4)

26 Long story (4)

14

12

7

6

22 Grease, 24 Peppermint, 26 Seem, 27 Circumnavigate.

9 Snap, 10 Renovation, 11 Alpaca, 13 Eclipsed, 15 Scarves, 17

my notebook. Folky music owed gently out of the speakers, engendering chilled vibes. There was space to think and absorb, with the people and tra c of Portobello rolling past the window.

The soft-backed chairs next to the windows are ideal for those devouring or dipping into an interesting tome (a book on ‘Essaying’ was the choice for one reader I spied), while the lovely sweeping wooden table in the heart of the main room is perfect for those transferring thoughts and new ideas onto the page or screen.

Co ee has long been a stimulant used by writers, and at least one other of those sitting alongside me at the table was trying to turn their

19

8 Festival

thoughts into words on their screen. Balzac's words seem relevant here: 'As soon as co ee is in your stomach, there is a general commotion. Ideas begin to move…similes arise, the paper is covered. Co ee is your ally and writing ceases to be a struggle.'

I scribbled into my notebook, feeling inspired by the interesting books I'd been browsing.

I was hoping that the elegance of expression in them would rub o on me. I imagine that for many people here the books will stimulate new thoughts.

The atmosphere of the shop itself (and its customers) were su cient to propel my pencil across the pages of my notebook.

The lovely co ee helped too.

Fringe,

Antonym,

Damascus,

DOWN: 1 Kennel, 2 Stop, 3 Overtake, 4 Glance, 5 Gravel,

Gnat,

Recovery,

Aorta,

Probe, 16 Coalesce, 18 Negative, 20 Circus, 21 Skinny, 23 Sheath, 25 Part, 26 Saga.

My Fringe food and drink guide

EDINBURGH IN AUGUST means one thing –Festival fever.

But with 3,352 shows competing for your attention at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where do you even begin? As an obsessive festival-goer, I've learned how to squeeze every drop of cultural and culinary goodness from August without emptying my bank account.

Start smart - plan ahead and stay fuelled

Don't go in blind. I've spent countless hours researching this year's lineup and created a comprehensive Fringe Recommendation Spreadsheet featuring 165 must-see shows, including plenty with food and drink themes.

ese aren't random picks – they're based on thorough research, trusted PR tips, and my reviews from previous years. You'll nd everything from big-ticket productions to hidden gems in the PBH Free Fringe, plus money-saving o ers throughout.

My second piece of advice: factor in travel time between venues and build in pitstops'to refuel. Edinburgh in August is a marathon, not a sprint.

Where to eat - beyond the beaten path

Have a plan for your day and book restaurants ahead – they all get busy around the main venues. While street food stalls pop up around venues for quick bites, I recommend escaping the crowds.

Jump on a tram to the Macdonald Road stop on Leith Walk, where my favourites include Pera (fabulous Turkish BYO), Brunswick Book Club (outdoor seating sun-trap), Vittoria's (ItalianCrolla dynasty excellence), and e Walnut (intimate restaurant with seasonal local ingredients).

Venture further to e Shore for fabulous views and small plates at Port of Leith Distillery – the UK's rst vertical distillery overlooking the Firth of Forth. Another couple of hidden gems are Café Domenico's, a bustling Italian with warm welcome and genuine cuisine and the fabulous Barry Fish, on the Shore.

For something special, try Badger & Co on Castle Street, inspired by Kenneth Grahame's Wind in the Willows. is creative dining experience celebrates local seasonal produce, including foraged ingredients from local hedgerows.

For night owls, Duck & Wa e Edinburgh's 9pm Club o ers 25% o food and beverages from 9pm to close until September. Shows with a culinary twist

W Edinburgh's W Deck o ers 360-degree city views, signature cocktails, and live music during W Sunset Sessions (Fridays 7-10pm).

eir glass pod dining experience provides stylish private dining overlooking Calton Hill, perfect for August's nightly reworks displays from Edinburgh Castle.

Australia's singing cook Michelle Pearson returns with her multi-award-winning Comfort Food Cabaret (Aug 1-3, 8-10 at 1 pm, New Town Cookery School). Join her for lunch, where you actually get fed! Taste dishes cooked before your eyes, paired with heartfelt storytelling, live music, and cooking demonstrations.

In Pour Taste: A Comedy Wine Tasting Experience (Assembly Rooms, Bijou) features comedians Sweeney Preston and Ethan Cavanagh and a wine expert guiding you through ve wine tastings and at least ve jokes.

Edinburgh Gin Presents Ready Steady Cocktail (Edinburgh Gin Distillery) –professionals face o against brave amateurs in a live cocktail challenge. Ingredients come from the Tombola of Taste – think seaweed, chilli, or lavender fudge. With welcome drinks and two

outrageous creations, anything can happen. e Gin Tasting Show (Muse at Braw Venues – Hill Street) returns with tastings of three gins, history lessons, weird gin facts, and cabaret entertainment.

For whisky enthusiasts,

A Dram is Worth a ousand Words with e Scotch Malt Whisky Society o ers guided tastings of three exceptional cask-strength, single-cask whiskies.

2 Guys, 3 Drams: e Ultimate Live Blues and Whisky Experience (Big at the Space Triplex) – e Rhythm and Booze Project serves three superb Scotch whiskies alongside stomping blues music. In 65 minutes, learn to sound clever about whisky while enjoying raucous tunes.

Whisky Under the Stars at Dynamic Earth's 360° Planetarium combines astronomy with three Holyrood Distillery whiskies – Embra, Ambir, and Pitch – for a stellar adventure.

For night owls, Midnight Treats at the Fringe at Tipsey Midgie (Whisky Bar of the Year 2023-2025) features Colin Hinds pairing three hand-selected Scottish whiskies with bespoke canapes.

Cooking experience

One of my favourite experiences last year was a ai Cooking Masterclass with chef Rujira Herd at her own home in Liberton. She reveals trade secrets while teaching three delicious dishes. Only 20 minutes from the city centre on buses 7, 37, or 47.

Learn to Cook and Enjoy A ree-Course Meal with Local Chef Nell Nelson which takes place in a 200-year-old historic Edinburgh home. Maximum of six guests enjoy welcome drinks, and then cook traditional Cullen Skink and Scottish shortbread before relaxing with their homemade creations.

What's In the Kitchen (Assembly Rooms, Bijou) o ers a tribute to Brazilian cuisine through ve acts centred on the senses, featuring local ingredients with Brazilian touches. Stay refuelled and you'll pass the nish line with no problems.

For timings and bookings: edfringe.com or download this year's Fringe App

For my Fringe spreadsheet: https://shorturl.at/ ekAV3

Culinary capers in the capital with Kerry Teakle

There’s so much to choose from at the Fringe that it makes sense – and will provide a more enjoyable experience – to prepare a list in advance of your "must-see" events

gems are Café Domenico's, a bustling

As usual, there’s plenty to choose from at the Fringe, so here are Líam’s five Must Sees to get you started

IT’S THAT TIME again and don’t I know it. We’re now well into rehearsals for the four Edinburgh Fringe productions I’m directing –full disclosure, they are: Fallen Angel, a play inspired by the 500 year-old supernatural story of the Faerie Boy of Leith; The Omega Factor – By The Pricking Of My Thumbs, a continuation of the cult BBC TV series lmed in Edinburgh in the 70s (it was about paranormal investigators and went on to inspire The X Files), Hingin’ Oan For Googsie, a Scottish comedy starring River City’s Jimmy Chisholm, and Revenge, a dark thriller that’s on for just one night! You’ll nd them all on www. edfringe.com and if you do come along, please say hello, I’ll be the exhausted nervous

wreck hiding at the back of the venue (Grand Lodge on George Street) each night. Those aside, once again I’ve compiled my Five Must See shows in each category for this year’s event - I know, the programme can be quite overwhelming, where do you start? Hopefully, these suggestions will help you have a great Fringe - there’s even more online at theedinburghreporter.co.uk as well as extensive coverage on www.mustseetheatre. com

Just remember, most shows have days o during their run so do check when booking and, of course, dates, times and tickets for all these shows are available now on www.edfringe.com

Until next month, Happy Fringe-going, Líam

FIVE PLAYS THAT WILL HAVE YOU APPLAUDING

The Insider Pleasance Dome, 30 July-23

August 13.30

I saw this in 2023. A ve star show. I wrote

then: “Unexpectedly gripping, brilliantly inventive and technically ground-breaking... an immersive masterpiece”. Don’t miss this chance to see it again.

Baxter vs The Bookies

Gilded Balloon Patter House, 30 July-25 August 13.00

Count Arthur Strong favourite Andy Linden recounts the uctuating fortunes of an ageing horse-racing tipster adrift in the modern world of technology where, still, no one ever beats The Bookies.

Del Valle: A True Tale of Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll… and Redemption

Underbelly Bristo, 6-25 August, 14.55

Meet a drug-addled actor locked up in prison on a journey of survival, sobriety and the power of art. Told by the man who was in Room 100 of the Chelsea Hotel with Sid and Nancy… that night.

Monstering The Rocket Man by Henry Naylor Pleasance Dome, 30 July-24 August, 16.10

Elton John vs The Sun - punch-ups, gangsters,

Or

Motorhome Marilyn

Gilded Balloon Patter House, 30 July-25 August, 17.30

EastEnders favourite Michelle Collins makes her Fringe debut in this dark comedy about an aspiring actress hoping to live up to her icon… but in 1980s Hollywood her dreams are faltering.

FIVE MUSICALS TO GET YOUR TOES TAPPING

World’s Greatest Lover Pleasance Courtyard, 31 July-24 Aug 18.30

What is love? The conniving Casanova, star-crossed Romeo, clandestine Cyrano de Bergerac and deadly Marquis de Sade embark on a quest to discover the true meaning of love.

Falling In Love With Mister Dellamort C Aquila, 30 July-24 August, 19.00

Three lost souls receive mysterious New Year’s Eve invitations. As secrets are revealed things

Edinburgh’s Mr Entertainment picks his Hot Tickets to see in the Capital and beyond

bugged phone calls, a 10-million pound divorce suit and a pair of Devil Dogs. Will Elton remain standing?

will The Sun go down on him?

Catch The Insider, a five-star show, at Pleasance Dome

take a sinister turn in this pop-Goth musical featuring the haunting tones of a theremin.

Dystopia - The Rock Opera

Braw Theatres @ Grand Lodge, 1-16 August, 17.20

Blistering musicality, razor sharp political satire and spectacular masks collide as a prison band of dictators and traitors take you on an exhilarating journey from tyranny to enlightenment.

Footballer’s Wives The Musical Assembly Rooms 30 July-24 August, 18.35

Based on the ITV series of the same name, this sassy new musical comedy of waggish excess features attempted murder, sexual impropriety, singing, dancing and absolutely no football.

1457, The Boy At Rest Assembly George Square, 31 July-24 August, 14.45

Poignant new musical brings to life the short and tragic story of Korea’s youngest king. Crowned at just 12, dethroned at 15, and dead by 17 his is a life marked by love, betrayal, and sorrow.

FIVE FUNNIES TO MAKE YOU LAUGH

John Shuttleworth: Raise The Oof Pleasance Courtyard, 11-15 August 17.40

The BBC Radio 4 favourite is back with more hilarious stories and songs performed on his trusty Yamaha organ as he celebrates 40 years in showbiz.

The Chief: Still No Apologies

Gilded Balloon Appleton, 1-17 August, 19.00

BAFTA award-winning Jack Docherty returns after a 2024 sell-out run. Favourite bits, classic bits, improvised bits and bits that aren’t even really bits but are, nonetheless, still bits.

Rosie O’Donnell: Common Knowledge

Gilded Balloon Appleton, 1-10 August, 20.45

Libertines as he performs his brilliant new album, Felt Better Alive.

Pussy Riot: Riot Days

Summerhall, 12-23 August, 21.30

The Russian protest art collective merge punk, electronica, theatre, documentary footage and protest.

Leith Links: Blue Rose Code Presents New Roots

The eleven-time Emmy and Tony Award winner brings her debut show to the Fringe. Expect her signature blend of heart, humour, honesty and unique re ection.

Larry Dean: Work In Progress Monkey Barrel Comedy, 1-7 August, noon

Join Larry as he tries out some new jokes. As seen and heard on Live at the Apollo, the Royal Variety Performance and Michael McIntyre’s Big Show - Larry that is, not the new jokes.

A History Of Scotland In 6 Bad Ideas

Brewdog Lothian Road, 2-24 August, 13.25

Celebrate Scotland’s long, proud history of blunders, errors, hysteria, greed, hysterical greed and batshit stupidity as Mark searches for Scotland’s worst ever idea.

FIVE GIGS TO GO TO

The Filthy Tongues

The Famous Spiegeltent, 13 August, 21.30

Spawned from the core of indie faves

Goodbye Mr Mackenzie, led by the menacing presence of Martin Metcalfe, don’t miss this band at the peak of their powers in this intimate gig.

ABBA Odyssey: The Live Concert!

Greyfriars Hall, 9 & 24 August, various times

Another 2024 sell-out concert returns featuring all the hits you know and love, plus a few hidden gems for devoted ABBA fans.

Pete Doherty

La Belle Angele, 12 & 13 August, 19.00

Join the legendary co-frontman of The

St James Church Leith, 6-9 August, 20.00

The nest Scottish folk and roots artists with support from di erent a guest artist each evening. Expect one-o collaborations between Blue Rose Code and the guests.

FIVE LOCAL FRINGE STALWARTS

Forth Children’s Theatre - School of Rock 2-9 August, Broughton High

For their 44th Fringe, FCT present the stage adaptation of the hit movie. Join Dewey Finn, as he transforms his students into a rock band.

Leith Theatre - Calendar Girls, 2-16 August, Inverleith St Serf’s Centre

When Annie’s husband John dies, she and her best friend persuade four fellow WI members to pose nude for a charity calendar to raise funds for the local hospital.

Edinburgh People’s Theatre - Hatches, Matches and Dispatches, 1-16 August, Newington Trinity Church Hall

1947 - Rivalries between Leith and Edinburgh impact on the impending marriage of a young couple with hilarious results.

EGTG - The Children

4-9 August, The Royal Scots Club, 20.30

In the aftermath of a nuclear meltdown two retired scientists move to a seaside cottage outside the contamination zone. Order is hope. And hope is life… until death comes to call.

Arkle Theatre Company - Nancy’s Philosopher

5-16 August, The Royal Scots Club, 15.30

In their nal Fringe, Arkle look to the Enlightenment, where a scandalous rumour of David Hume’s relationship with a much younger woman is doing the rounds, but what is Nancy’s story?

Clockwise from left: Filthy Tongues, Pussy Riot and Hingin’ Oan For Googsie

Salle fencers are finally settled in a home of their own

ONE OF EDINBURGH’S most successful sports clubs will be on the move during August and for the rst time since being founded in 2011, Salle Holyrood fencers will have premises they can call home.

Agreement has been reached for the club, which has produced a string of Scottish and British champions with at least one having sights set on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, to get the keys to a former warehouse in West Bowling Green Street, Leith.

And while the deal achieved on the back of attaining charitable status to assist with community outreach brings a high tari in terms of cost, coach Keith Cook is convinced the club is nally on track to fully realise its potential.

“In going from Holyrood School to Ocean Terminal to Dean Church hall we have never been able to determine when we start and nish our sessions,” says Keith, adding: “The move is eye-wateringly expensive, taking into account up-front rent, agents and legal fees as well as the need to kit out the premises.

“But it means we can set out plans to strike the balance between continuing to see our high performance programmes push the bar ever higher and reaching out to the community on a blank canvas.

“For example we are open to helping disadvantaged kids, those at risk of o ending and those who want to improve their lives through sport.

“What we have achieved so far? Well, plenty down south cannot believe we are a wee club from Edinburgh going by our results.”

A highly accomplished fencer in his own right, Keith Cook is a nine time Commonwealth medallist, European Team bronze medallist, World Cup team medallist and, of course, a British champion.

Many of those skills have been passed on to his son, Jaimie, who recently hit the heights by being part of the rst GB team to win an under-20 world cup.

“Jaimie is now up to 23 in the world in foil and has his sights rmly set on the Olympics,” says Keith whose own journey to the top was fraught with di culties, not least a diagnosis of dyslexia.

“I learned that anything is possible but you do need facilities. Hopefully we have got them now thanks in part to achieving charitable status to assist our outreach programme.”

To assist the move Salle Holyrood have launched an appeal for support.

To assist go to: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/ saleholyroods-big-move

Vale fly the flag in Sweden

HUTCHISON VALE UNDER-15 footballers returned from Sweden’s Gothia Cupe ectively the world club youth championship - with heads held high after reaching the last 16 from 250 entrants.

The team won all their group games including against local sides Vaxjo Norra IF (3-0) and Vasteras BK (4-1) as well as the UAE’s GoPro Sports.

That took them into the knock out stages where they defeated Charterhouse School from England, 8-1Highlight of the opening

knock-out win was a “hat trick” from goalkeeper Lochlan McCole who played at centre forward for the last 15 minutes. Lochlan’s treble included a terri c looping header from distance.

Next up came Niendorger TSV from Hamburg and in warm evening temperatures the Hutchie team kept their cool to win 6-0

Finally the run came to an end against English side Skouted FC on the ground of OIS, the oldest senior football team in

by

The loss of three goals in a ve minute spell towards the end of the rst half left Hutchie with a mountain to climb and they were left to re ect on a number of positives.

These included winning the group without dropping a point with, overall, 24 goals scored and just ve conceded from the ve high quality xtures.

Bowlers roll out their best to collect championship trophies

POSTAL BOWLING CLUB have successfully retained the Maule Trophy by beating near neighbours Parkside Bowling Club in the nal.

The impressive trophy, donated by city businessman Sir Robert Maule, was rst contested in 1910.

Pictured left is he winning line-up. Back row : Keith Anderson, Neal Rooney, Scott Whigham, Graham Clarkson, Kevin Gilroy, Colin Bain, Steven McIntosh. Front row : Thomas Beattie, Derek Morrison, Scott

McCardle, Willie Murray, Derek McLean.

■ Norman MacLeod and Ruth Bonar are the 2025 champions at Portobello Bowling Club.

Men’s champion Norman defeated Phil Harper in a closely fought game while ladies champion Ruth saw o the challenge of perennial champion Betty Haig. Club president Jane Goodall said: “Both games were played in the spirit that bowls should be played in and spectators were entertained to two great games.”

Sweden –formed

Scottish factory workers who had moved to Gothenburg in 1887.

Rally champ Fletcher sets sights on Euro challenge

STUDENT FLETCHER

FALCONER is o to a ying start as he bids to become the creme-de-la-creme of Scottish rally driving.

It all started as he sat outside the Borders ice cream parlour where he was temporarily employed watching the prestigious Jim Clark Rally ash through Earlston.

“I had always been interested in motor sport,” said Fletcher, 20, adding “but that experience of watching the Jim Clark Rally de nitely inspired me.”

The next step was to win family support and mum Claire provided the endorsement along with friend Ian Murray, who was to play a part as a co-driver.

First, though, Fletcher had to acquire a car and the most cost e cient way was a broken vehicle requiring maintenance.

“Rallying is an expensive business as I quickly found out.

For example when a mainshaft for the gearbox was needed these had to be bought in units of ve at £1500 each. Fortunately I was able to o oad three of these parts,” recalled Fletcher.

Onto the roads and Fletcher,

Peter takes post as honorary president

“I WAS ALWAYS more of an administrator than a player,” claimed Peter Nicolson, 73, Waverley tennis and squash club’s new Honorary President in typically self-e acing style.

But considering he spent 21 years playing high level tennis in East Division One and while at Liberton HS had the measure in sprinting of Allan Wells on the admission of the subsequent Olympic 100 metres champion himself, no less, make of that what you will.

Liberton tennis club until it folded in 1973 (while reigning Scottish men’s cup holders) Peter had to nd a new place to hone his racquet skills.

“I looked around for the nearest tennis club that had a bar,” he jokes “– Waverley lled the bill admirably.

“As for the spell with Tennis Scotland I was pretty pleased that my time as interim CEO coincided with three Scots as world No 1s –Andy Murray (singles), Jamie Murray (doubles) and Gordon Reid (wheelchair).

who is studying Psychology at Aberdeen University, quickly excelled in the Scottish Tarmac Championship winning – against all odds – his class, the junior title and best newcomer awards.

It hasn’t been easy motoring though and during a night stage of the subsequent Argyll Rally a crash meant the front of his Fiesta MG St 150 had to be rebuilt.

Again with support from family it was accomplished in two weeks.

It’s onwards and upwards again now for a youngster looking towards competing in Europe as the next stage of his development.

“All options are on the table” says Fletcher, adding “but it is about striking the balance between what can be bene cial for my rallying without breaking the bank. in the process.”

With Scotland enjoying a rich tradition of rallying including the likes of Andrew Cowan, Louise Aitken-Walker, the McRae dynasty comprising Jimmy, Colin and Alister spring to mind - it might be worth noting the name of Fletcher Falconer as one worth following among the new generation?

What’s certain is the contribution Pete has made to the smooth running of local and national sport – from president of Tennis Scotland whom he later served for 18 months as interim chief executive to manager of the medal winning Scotland tennis team at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games to organiser of the annual Waverley Open junior tournament which saw a diminutive Andy Murray win his rst competitive tennis match. And that is not including committee work at Wimbledon for the former

Scottish Widows management consultant and IT guru.

“It [the honorary presidency in succession to Jasper Carmichael who, sadly, died earlier this year] has made me feel very old I’m also very honoured and very happy” says Pete.

He has had a long association with Waverley since 1972, serving as player, coach, committee member, tournament organiser and court replacement project manager.

“I’ve enjoyed every minute,“ he added.

Originally a member of the

“Whoever would have thought Scottish tennis could claim all that at the same time?

“The Commonwealth Games when Colin Fleming and Jocelyn Rae won mixed doubles gold was another highlight.”

Club president Dave Ferguson, who nominated his friend and former work colleague for his new role, says:

“Constitutionally we did not require an honorary president but given our history and tradition I think it is a good thing.”

Professional first on ITF World tour for tennis starlet Matt

IN THE WEEK of his 21st birthday, Edinburgh’s Matt Rankin, currently studying at the University of Kentucky, claimed his rst professional tennis title on the International Tennis Foundation world tour. Matt’s victory in the company of Cooper Williams at the M15 tournament in Monastir allowed him to leap a remarkable 271 places on the world doubles rankings where he now stands at position 1003 with Cooper at 689.

■ Nearer home, a Walking Tennis class has begun on Thursdays at the Priest eld club from 2pm-3.30pm. All welcome. It’s free and no membership is required, just turn up and play at the Kirkhill Road courts. One intending participant, who had never tried the concept of waling tennis said. “I hadn’t played tennis for 30 years after two knee replacements and an ankle replacement. I never thought I’d play tennis again. I had a ball!”

Rachel aims to show she’s a real driving force at Cremona

EDINBURGH F1 prospect Rachel Robertson is o to Italy’s Cremona track early this month for road trials that could potentially prove life changing and with £15,000 sponsorship from one of sports’ power couples in her back pocket.

Backed by Gabby Logan and her ex-Scotland rugby cap husband Kenny from a fund allocated to the television presenter to identify emerging sporting talent, Rachel, 18, now has sights on a series of F4 drives as a stepping stone into the prestigious F1 Academy.

This comes after securing several podium places for the Radical Racing team she joined only last December which required her to relocate to Wiltshire.

“Things have gone exceedingly well,” said Rachel, adding: “I was introduced to Gabby and Kenny by a mutual friend who is mentoring me and their support is

invaluable when an F4 trial day can cost £7-8,000. I’ve already had one drive at a track in Wales where I was only half a second behind a top driver with much more experience, but competition is erce with eight teams of between two and three drivers in a shoot-out for an F1 Academy place.”

Speeds reached can be up to 130mph and Rachel is coping well with any switch between Radical cars and F4 with tighter cornering mechanism.

“Through Gabby I gained entry to the (European) gala premier of the motoring racing lm, F1: The Movie (starring Brad Pitt) allowing a brief introduction to Susie Woolf who runs the F1 Academy which was at least a chance to put myself in front of her.”

Rachel is also preparing to compete on the renowned Silverstone circuit shortly.

Bob Neillings loving his new gym

Peter Nicolson: “Honoured and very happy.”

Victors: Matt Rankin, left, with doubles partner Cooper Williams

Stanton still bears the scars

By JOHN HISLOP

HIBS LEGEND Pat Stanton has enjoyed many games against top European opposition under the Easter Road lights.

But one game in particular left him with more than memories after an encounter with one of the finest players in the world.

Speaking on an emotional night when the East Stand was officially renamedthe Pat Stanton Stand in his honour, he recalled: “We played a friendly against Real Madrid here and that was something.”

“You had Ferenc Puskás and a lot of real good players. That was tremendous.

“I can remember I wasn’t long in the Hibs team at the time. I went in for a tackle in the midfield against Puskás. But he came in a bit late – and he went over the ball, and he caught my ankle.

“We beat them that night, we beat them 2-0 and sitting in the dressing room after the game, Tom McNiven got the bandages out.

“I said: ‘Where are you going with that?’ He said: ‘To sort your ankle, to wipe it.

“I said: ‘No, I don’t want anybody to touch that.’ He said it needed cleaning.

“I said: ‘Well, what I want,

Tom, is to walk along Niddrie Mains Road tomorrow morning and I’ll stop strangers and say: ‘You know who did this?’

“I’ve still got the mark on my ankle, still got it. I didn’t want anybody to heal it. I wanted to wander about ruining my mother’s good carpet!”

Stanton, who led the team in the 1972 League Cup final victory over Jock Stein’s Celtic in addition to two Drybrough Cups, admitted to getting emotional at the sight of his name up on the rebranded east stand. “The only time my name was out there, it was in the referee’s book” he joked.

“It’s tremendous, it really is. I said to my family: ‘I’ll still talk to you!’ But it’s great, really terrific.

“I’ve been here a long time, and you get something like that, and you think of all the lads you played with. It’s very humble about the whole thing because it’s great.”

Real Madrid was just one of the European giants that graced the Easter Road turf during Pat’s tenure.

He was part of the side that hammered Naples 5-0 and Sporting Lisbon 6-1, beat Bob Paisley’s Liverpool 1-0 and lost on penalties to Don Revie’s Leeds United. He also scored against Italian giants Juventus in a 4-2 defeat.

New boss McInnes relishes meeting his former charges at Tynecastle

By NIGEL DUNCAN

DEREK MCINNES was manager of Aberdeen from 2013 to 2021, winning the Scottish League Cup in 2014, finishing runners-up in the Premiership on four occasions and reaching three Scottish Cup finals.

And it is Aberdeen who visit Tynecastle as the Men in Maroon open their William Hill Premiership campaign for this season on Monday, 4 August (kick-off 20.00).

The mouth-watering clash will be a massive test for the new-look Jambos and their ambitious new playcaller.

A trip to Dundee United follows on August 9 (15.00) with Hearts back at Tynecastle on August 23 against Motherwell (15.00).

The Gorgie club’s final league game in August is with near neighbours Livingston on August 30 (15.00) and The Lions have had a new pitch laid during the summer.

Hearts go into the league following their jousts in the Premier Sports Cup. Dunfermline Athletic, Hamilton Academicals, Stirling Albion and Dumbarton have proved the opposition. Of course, Hearts also entertained English Premiership side Sunderland in a pre-season friendly at Tynecastle in veteran goalkeeper, Craig Gordon’s, testimonial match which they won handsomely 3-0.

Derek McInnes admitted that he was “happy with the season so far”.

McInnes has put his squad under the microscope in recent weeks, using rotation to try to find his best combinations during the Premier Sports Cup, also known as the Scottish League Cup.

The new Gorgie boss admitted that games against clubs in other

divisions can catch out teams like Hearts, but, the Tynecastle team’s approach, he said, has been good and the squad have netted a number of goals during the competition.

McInnes has undoubtedly been pleased with aspects shown in the early-season, but he wants more and he is keen to see his squad to show more authority in chance creation.

Pluses have been seeing Greek newcomer Alexandros Kyziridis and Portugal-born striker, Claudio Braga, a crowd pleaser, registering goals, and McInnes has also noted encouraging link play between skipper Lawrence Shankland and Braga.

Stuart Findlay, a defender well known to McInnes who had him in his previous post at Kilmarnock, has also found the net during the League Cup – another plus, and teenage striker James Wilson has opened his account for the season.

McInnes, however, has commented that he wants his men to be aggressive in the first contact and

look after the first pass, he also wants clear decision making around when to cross the ball.

He said: “These games [in the Premier Sports Cup] are to sharpen up your work but, because the focus is on you to win games competitively, it is not always straight-forward.”

Good habits, winning games and clean sheets is ultimately what he seeks, but McInnes stressed: “Listen, we are a wee bit short of what I am looking for.”

What really has been appreciated by McInnes is the passion of Jambos fans. They have travelled in numbers to cheer on their favourites so far, for example, around 2,000 making the trip to Stirling Albion to watch the Men in Maroon in a downpour.

He said: “I am finding out about the team, they [the fans] want to find out about the team, and any time you make the effort to travel it is important to see the team win and get a wee flavour of what we could be. Bigger challenges ahead, of course.”

Women set their Tartan Hearts on Euro wins Bring on the Dons

By NIGEL DUNCAN

CHRIS DUNCAN, Scotland Women’s hockey head coach, relishes the opportunity to take on some of the strongest nations in the EuroHockey Championships in Monchengladbach, Germany, from August 9 to 17.

Scotland open their campaign against arch rivals England on August 10 (10:15), followed by Spain on August 11 (13:30) with their final pool game against Belgium on August 13 (12:15) before the crossover matches which determine the final placings.

The Euros follow an extensive build-up stretching back to the winter when Scotland competed in the Nations Cup in Chile.

The Tartan Hearts completed their preparation for Germany with matches at Peffermill Playing Fields at the end of July with a double-header against France when Borders-born Olympian Sarah Robertson returned as captain to join fellow Olympians Amy Costello and Charlotte Watson, plus

Jessica Buchanan, who was travelling reserve for the Paris Games, also in the 18-strong squad.

Lothians-based Duncan admitted it has been a long year for the group, following the robust preparation period in freezing temperatures over the winter ahead of the Nations Cup in

Chile in which Scotland finished fifth overall with victories over Japan, Canada and Korea. He said: “The bounce and enthusiasm which came as a result of our performances in Chile has carried through over the last few months, and I believe we have had great preparation for this competition [the European

Championship].” He added: “The team has continued to develop, and showed great hunger to continually develop our own style.

“There is no doubt that the EuroHockey Championships are a tough tournament, with opposition ranked three, seven, and eight in the world in our qualification pool, but we are excited to test our ability against these teams. We look forward to the test and the opportunity to show the hockey world what we are capable of.”

SCOTLAND: Amber Murray (Sutton Coldfield), Amy Costello (vice-captain, HGC, The Netherlands), Ava Findlay, Caterina Nelli, Ruth Blaikie (The University of Edinburgh), Bronwyn Shields, Jessica Buchanan, Katie Birch (Wimbledon), Charlotte Watson, Beeston), Ellie Mackenzie (Surbiton), Eve Pearson, Rebecca Birch (Bowdon), Fiona Burnet, Sarah Jamieson (vice-captain), (both Watsonians), Heather McEwan (Royal Victory, Belgium), Jennifer Eadie, Millie Steiger (Clydesdale Western), Sarah Robertson (captain, Holcombe).

Stuart Findlay (centre) sharing a joke in training with colleagues Christian Nigel Duncan Ian Jacobs

Picture: Nigel Duncan

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