The Stockbridge Spotlight Issue 119 December 2023 Issue by Sue Hutchison

ISSUE 119 December 2023

STOCKBRIDGE SPOTLIGHT

Wishing All Our Readers A Very Merry Christmas And A Happy, Prosperous New Year Welcome to this last issue of the Stockbridge Spotlight for 2023. And just like that the nights have drawn in, the temperature has dropped and ..... the festive season is well and truly upon us. The Christmas Market is in full swing and Edinburgh is looking super sparkly and beautiful. As usual there are many events happening in and around the city for both Christmas and Hogmany. You can find details of both at : www.edinburgh-christmas.com

www.edinburghshogmany.com

I would like to say a very heartfelt thank you to all the readers of the Spotlight for your support and kind comments over the year. And of course to everyone who advertised with us during 2023. I hope the Spotlight has helped your business prosper. Have a fabulous time during the festive season. Here's to 2024 .........

Best Wishes Sue

Stockbridge Spotlight

Simply scan the QR code to visit our websites for future publication dates and booking information.

Trinity Spotlight

Contents

The Stockbridge Spotlight

4 Seasonal Sentimentality

Editor : Sue Hutchison

8 Hard Sudoku

M : 07817 206 418

12 An Update From Councillor Vicky Nicolson E: sue@stockbridgespotlight.co.uk 18 Weight Loss Without Willpower Course

www.stockbridgespotlight.co.uk

24 Burnout - How To Recognise It And Take Action

“All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. All artwork is accepted on strict condition that is it legal/ copyright free and permission has been given for use in this publication. The views and opinions by contributors to this magazine may not represent the views of the publisher. The Stockbridge Spotlight magazine takes no responsibility for claims made by advertisers in this publication”

29 Books For A Better You 30 Lifecare 'Winter Warmer' Appeal 32 Is Swimming Worth The Effort 34 Mini Cryptic Crossword/Review Of The Year Quiz 36 Don't Lose The Things You Love 37 Community Spotlight 38 Puzzle Solutions 39 Recipe - Strawberry & Blueberry Crumble

Distribution Central Belt Leaflet Distribution. www.cb-leafletdistribution.co.uk Printing Cowan Print : www.cowanprint.net

February/March 2024 Issue Artwork Deadline - 26th January 2

Distribution Date - 7th/8th/9th/12th February

February/March 2024 Issue : Artwork Deadline : 26th January

Distribution Date : 7th/8th/9th/12th February

To book your advertising space and reach 5300 local residents contact Sue Hutchison. T : 07817 206418

E : sue@stockbridgespotlight.co.uk

www.stockbridgespotlight.co.uk 7

LOCAL JOINER City & Guilds 40 Years Experience All Joinery Jobs - Large & Small T : 07840138908 E : ross19mclean65@gmail.com

HARD SUDOKU HOW TO PLAY Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through to 9 with no repetition! Thats all there is to it. You solve the puzzle with reason and logic - there’s no maths involved and no adding up. Its fun. Its challenging Its addictive. (Soln on pg 38)

To find out more about how we can help your business give us a call on 07817 206418 or email sue@stockbridgespotlight.co.uk

The Stockbridge Spotlight The effective way to reach local residents

RECORDS WANTED Friendly record shop seeking used Records, Tapes, CDs, Badges, Tickets and Memorabilia Get in touch for a no-obligation quote VoxBox Music 21 St Stephen Street Edinburgh EH3 5AN 0131 629 6775 / 07790 019881 email : voxbox@live.co.uk

An Update From Councillor Vicky Nicolson Following the excellent Safe, Slow Stockbridge campaign by Stockbridge Primary, residents got in touch to ask for improvements to road safety, junctions and parking problems. • I wrote to the council to request that Henderson Row, east of Saxe Coburg Street and near St Bernard’s House Sheltered Housing complex have a crossing installed. City of Edinburgh Council is undertaking further investigations to determine what would be the most appropriate option at this location and options include a Zebra Crossing. • Many people wrote to me about road surfaces in Stockbridge and the amount of potholes. The response from the council is that the Roads Operations Team will arrange for the road to be inspected and will arrange for repairs to be carried out to any urgent defects. • Residents tell me that, despite the road markings being single or double yellow lines, resident and non-resident parking, Hamilton Place is has a prevalence of badly, doubly or illegally parked cars causing a danger to pedestrians. I can confirm that I have raised this directly with the council who say their Enforcement Contractor will make sure that additional visits will be carried out by Parking Attendants. • Thanks to people who got in touch about Leslie Place. I am assured that this junction is planned for an upgrade as part of an Active Travel scheme but in the interim a request for Stop Line and yellow lines to be refreshed has been forwarded to Roads Operations team. Parking at Bedford Court Deidre Brock MP and I met with the residents of Bedford Court about a range of issues including dangerous parking, dog fouling in the shared garden and some improvements in communal areas. We have taken all these points forward and will keep residents updated. Veitch’s Square Angus, Deidre and I have been advocating for individuals in Veitch’s Square with a range of matters including improving the road surface of ‘The Pend’ and Haugh Street to make it safe for people to travel into the main street, especially people who need to use walking sticks or other mobility aids.

Cllr Vicky Nicolson Contact details : Cllr.vicky.nicolson@edinburgh.gov.uk T: 0131 529 4157 12

FB:Nicolson4Inverleith

T:VicNic@SNP

Step by Step Guide for First Time Buyers

Looking to buy your first home? As a solicitor estate agent, we are here to help you every step of the way. Step one – Find a solicitor

It is a legal requirement to have a solicitor represent you, when buying a home in Scotland. One of our experienced solicitors will give you a fee quote for buying a property. They will then register you as a client and guide you through the process, advise you and make offers on your behalf. As an ESPC Charter firm, we can offer you even more assurance. We are committed to offering you the very best of service, above and beyond what we are legally required to provide. Please contact us to find out more.

Step two – Get a mortgage in principle

A mortgage in principle is a document from a lender which tells you how much they may be willing to lend you to buy a property. This is an essential step so that you know what you can afford to buy and how much deposit you will require to progress with a purchase. ESPC mortgages can help you with this. Their team of independent mortgage specialists can offer mortgage advice for first time buyers, as well as giving you up-to-date information on available support schemes for first time buyers. To learn more about this please visit espc.com.

Step three – Plan your budget

Now that you know how much a bank or building society may lend you, it’s a good time to plan your overall budget. Other costs to take into account when buying a property include: • extra cash to bid over the Home Report value (your bank won't lend more than the property's Home Report value) • Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) • legal fees • removal costs • furniture/essential items that you'll need to purchase • any upgrading that needs to be done

Step four – Search for your first home

Now it is time to start your property search! An ideal way to begin is to register with the ESPC where you will find hundreds of properties, ideal for first time buyers. You can filter your search for the type of property you would like.

ESPC also lists many properties exclusively for 72 hours, so you can get ahead of other buyers and find your dream home before it’s listed anywhere else. Sign up to My ESPC on the ESPC website to receive property alerts.

Step five – View properties

Start booking viewing appointments and look over the home report and sales schedule for each property before you attend (you will find these on the selling agent’s website or the ESPC website, to download). Take a note of questions you would like to ask while you are at the viewing that aren’t covered in the home report or schedule.

Step six – Note your interest

Once you have found the property you really want, your solicitor can formally note your interest with the selling agent and establish at that point how much interest there is from other people, how long it has been on the market and whether or not there is a closing date set (a closing date is a day and time that the selling agent has set to receive sealed bids for a property).

Step seven – Make an offer

You can make an offer without a closing date being set and your solicitor can advise you on recent sales in the area, including what percentage over home report valuation has been achieved, the contents of the home report and discuss what level you would like to offer at.

Step eight – Your offer has been accepted

Your solicitor will start the conveyancing process (the legal part of a purchase) and your mortgage advisor will take you through your mortgage application. This usually takes around 8 weeks until the settlement day.

Step nine – Arrange removals

Time to plan your removal company for the settlement date and start packing!

Step ten – Move in day

Your solicitor will tell you when the funds are through for your purchase and when you can collect the keys to your new home!

If you would like to chat to one of our expert conveyancing solicitors please get in touch.

Weight Loss Without Willpower Course By Gillian Dalgliesh

Festive Greetings to all! Many of us will have been enjoying the seasonal Festive treats in store for us at this time of the year – perhaps eating and drinking a bit more than we would normally. I don’t mean to be a bah humbug, but as a Clinical Hypnotherapist, I’ve always been very busy in January with requests of hypnotherapy for weight management!!! So for the past 3 months, I’ve been writing an online course which I’m intending to launch in January – ‘Weight Loss Without Willpower’. This isn’t your typical weight loss and motivation course. It’s a gamechanger in helping people to waken up to how they’ve been unconsciously creating failure when it comes to their weight loss attempts. I’ve been working with the subconscious mind for years now so I know how it’s a major player in supporting or sabotaging one’s weight loss endeavours. In this course I help people to become aware of how they’ve been unknowingly negatively programming their subconscious and I give insights, language, tools and techniques to change all that. So let have a look at one of the powerful insights that this course delivers Unconscious Sabotage: Generally, people are unaware that they don’t have their subconscious mind supporting them in their weight loss endeavours. In fact, it’s almost certainly likely to be working against them because it’ll be reinforcing old patterns that it believes have been keeping them safe and in their comfort zone, and that those are what they want. The subconscious mind is a faithful servant and companion and it doesn’t question or judge, it simply gives us more of what it perceives we want – and it perceives that by responding to our repeated thoughts and behaviours. Whatever you’re regularly doing or whatever you’re regularly thinking about, your subconscious mind will think you want more of because that’s where you’re placing your focus. It doesn’t register that you’re thinking about habits and behaviours you don’t want, it just knows that that’s what you think about regularly, so it gives you more of it! That is unconscious sabotage! Programming your subconscious mind for success: The thoughts we put into our mind are far more important than the food we put into our mouths. It’s our thoughts that dictate our success or failure. Having this realisation and awareness is the first step in starting to positively and powerfully change. If you have any questions, about my course, you may like to join my FaceBook group “Weight Loss Without Willpower”. I’ll be doing weekly ‘Lives’ and I’ll be on there most days, so if you have any questions, you’ll get a response pretty quickly. If you’d prefer to work with me one-toone, whether for weight management or another issue, then do get in touch for a free consultation. My contact details are in the side ad. 18

Are you struggling to deal with issues in your life? Weight Loss? Anxiety? Stress? Smoking? Phobias? Alcohol? Confidence? If so, then hypnotherapy may be the solution. Find out more about my holistic approach to resolving client’s issues on my website www.gilliandalgliesh.com or call me on 07593 082 349 for a free consultation

Deceased Houses Respectfully Cleared

Help To Beat The Cost Of Living Crisis We are a local business who love making a difference and helping people reduce the cost of their household bills. Rising prices continue to affect us and we all need to make our money go further. But most of us stay for years with the same energy, mobile and broadband suppliers, regardless of rising prices or quality of service. We can help by working with you to better understand if your household spend is giving you value for money. Plus we can help reduce the cost of your everyday shopping, and bring down food and petrol costs. We have a wealth of experience from helping people save for the past 20 years. Typically the average saving for a customer is £424 per year. * Depending on services taken.

For a no cost, no obligation bill review call Stewart Paterson on 07706 296166 or email at stewart@savesavesave.co.uk.

Together we can help you get saving. ~ And refer us to your family and friends and you will receive £50 ~

ALL ASPECTS OF BUILDING WORK re-wires ~ showers ~ boilers bathrooms ~ kitchens landlord certificates

Mob: 07543698172 kmsedinburgh@gmail.com

OLDER PEOPLE URGENTLY NEED SUPPORT TO GET THROUGH ANOTHER DIFFICULT WINTER

LifeCare encourages people to ‘share a little warmth’ through the charity’s Winter Warmer appeal

As the winter approaches older people are faced with difficult choices; colder weather and long dark nights make it harder to keep well and warm at home, and it can be trickier to safely get out and about, worsening issues of isolation. As we face another winter of continued high prices, many local older people are struggling to make ends meet and are facing real choices around putting the heating on versus food shopping. Local charity, LifeCare has over 80 years’ experience offering the vital care and support people need all year round, but with the organisation’s own costs rising they do not currently have the capacity to meet the increasing demands from a growing population of older people. The charity is calling on local people and businesses to get involved and help raise funds to support LifeCare and those struggling this winter. Older people have been disproportionately affected through the recent covid, cost of living and health crises and charities such as LifeCare have never been needed more. LifeCare experienced a 250% increase in enquiries post-pandemic and recently a 67% increase in enquiries from people living on low incomes. LifeCare aims to keep service costs low, or free for those that most need it, so that they are accessible to everyone. Recent research from Age Scotland shows that the numbers of older people living in poverty increased this year with approximately 1 in 6 older people living in relative poverty and 41% feeling financially squeezed (up from 26% in 2021). 70% of people surveyed were already cutting back on energy and heating costs, 50% said their standard of living had dropped and 38% were socialising less. The long-term health and wellbeing impacts are still unknown, but with over 85% of LifeCare’s clients living alone, local older people in Edinburgh are becoming increasingly isolated and in desperate need of considered and caring support. Originally established in 1941 as the Edinburgh and Leith Old People's Welfare Council, LifeCare’s professional and high-quality services enable older people to thrive in their own homes and be active in their communities all year round. Through its relationship-based approach the charity supports the growing numbers of people living with dementia, in isolation, with reduced mobilities, experiencing mental health, and those living on low-incomes. Activities are delivered within the home, out and about within the community and from three registered day clubs across the city. Collectively the charity supports over 1,000 older people a year. Through the ‘Winter Warmer’ campaign LifeCare aims to continue to deliver affordable care for those that need it most. This includes offering hot meals on wheels, unpaid carers support, dementia-friendly hairdressing and community engagement activities for those that need it. And with support, the charity will continue to run CafeLife, the charity’s community café on Cheyne Street, as a welcoming Eat & Meet warm space offering free hot food, companionship and activities across weekends. The charity will also launch a series of workshops and groups such as ‘cooking on a budget’ and ‘mend and repair’ classes to help maximise limited incomes. LifeCare is calling on everyone, from individuals to local businesses, to join their appeal, share a little warmth and give a donation to help deliver support to those that need it most this winter. Sarah van Putten, Chief Executive of LifeCare said “We are extremely worried about local older people this winter, with continued high prices for food and fuel, it will be devastating for many. On top of the 'heat or eat' dilemma they are also at risk of serious social isolation. It’s 30

times like these which highlight the critical need for services such as ours. LifeCare has a long history of supporting and empowering older people to live life to the full, but as a charity we rely on donations to enable us to deliver our vital support and care. Thanks to our services, we ensure that each older person receives the support they need. We make sure they are warm in their homes, they eat well, have company to look forward to and are able to get out and about to activities safely. Our regular, reliable and nonrushed support is delivered by the same friendly faces, so friendships are formed and care is consistent. And we know it works; in our recent survey over 91% of day club clients felt more social connected and 85% felt their health and wellbeing had improved. It’s frustrating because we know we can deliver the care that people want and need, but we are facing increased costs too. We are asking local people and businesses to consider giving a one-off or regular gift through our Winter Warmer appeal. Donations can be made on our website or alternatively people can come along to our community café to pledge their support. Even choosing to have your coffee or lunch from our café will help us to deliver the care local older people need to ensure they continue to thrive at home.” Local MSP Jeremy Balfour is supporting the charity’s campaign encouraging people to get involved. Jeremy Balfour MSP for Lothian said “I am delighted to be supporting LifeCare’s Winter Warmer campaign. Winter can be a difficult time of year for people of all ages, however it is an especially tough period for older people and the work that LifeCare does to support them over the winter months is life changing. I would commend anyone who is able to support their work in any way that they are able.” All money raised through Winter Warmer will go directly towards supporting older people in the city. For more information about LifeCare’s services visit https://www. lifecare-edinburgh.org.uk/ or call 0131 343 0940 to chat with the friendly team.

Is Swimming Worth the Effort? By Tracy Griffen Short answer: Yes. Swimming is one of the best workouts you can do. Even though it can be a faff to get organised, here’s why it’s so great: • It gets your heart rate up without putting impact through the body. • Builds strength, especially upper body strength as your swimming improves. • Builds endurance, especially if swimming lengths. • Focuses the breathing, and improves lung function. • Is a complete change of scene, and can help alleviate stress levels. The more you swim, the easier it gets. The routine around going to the pool also gets easier as you get in the habit. For your first swim, use this checklist: 1.Check your swimsuit. Does it still fit? Check it’s not perished! This can happen. If you need a new swimsuit, aim for good coverage and sturdy straps. Speedo is the ‘go to’ brand. 2.Find a time in your diary you can take a good 1.5 hours. You don’t want to be rushed the first time you’re figuring out a new pool. 3.Check the pool timetable that lanes are available for public swimming. You might also like to phone and chat to the receptionist - can you just drop-in, or do you need to book? Do the lockers take a pound coin? What’s the best time to come for an informal swim? 4.Pack a bag. Plastic carrier bags inside a backpack (that can be hung on a cubicle hook) is how I pack. One plastic bag for clothes, one for swimsuit and towel. Remember goggles if you use them, a pound coin for the locker if required, flip flops if the floors make you squeamish, toiletries, water bottle (swimming is thirsty work) and a post-swim snack. 5.If you’ve not swum for a while, congratulate yourself as you enter the water. You’ve done the hard bit. The most difficult thing is actually getting to the pool. 6.Enjoy your first swim, aim for about a quarter to half of your ‘normal’ distance. Best to do less, enjoy it and recover well. 7.Build up slowly - the longer break you’ve had from swimming, the more gradual increase in distance over time. Stretch, too. 8.Look forward to your swim, perhaps weekly, as alternative exercise and a good stress release. Plan around it. Enjoy! Personal Trainer Tracy Griffen has extensive experience training fitness for swimming and all pool-based exercise. See adjacent advert. 32

1. Rihanna 2. Lauren (Hemp and James) 3. Kylie Minogue 4. February 5. Sycamore Gap 6. Melbourne 7. John Leslie and Fern Britton 8. Barbie 9. Manchester 10. Match Of The Day

(soln on pg 38)

Mini Cryptic Crossword

Inverleith

Granton

Inverleith

Granton

Ferranti Bowling Club 7 Arboretum Place Edinburgh, EH3 5NY Tuesdays 9.00am Tel: Anne 07821 273666

Ferranti Bowling Club 7 Arboretum Place Edinburgh, EH3 5NY Tuesdays 5.30pm Tel: Anne 07821 273666

Granton Parish Church 55 Boswall Parkway Edinburgh, EH5 2DA Thursdays 6.00pm Tel: Anne 07821 273666

Granton Parish Church 55 Boswall Parkway Edinburgh, EH5 2DA Fridays 9.30am Tel: Anne 07821 273666

Community Spotlight EDINBURGH FLORAL ART CLUB MEETINGS The club meets at Blackhall St. Columba’s Church hall, Queensferry Road, the second Friday of each month from 2pm to 4pm

Future Meetings December 8th Linda Soutar from Dunfermline Title ‘Winter Wonderland’ February 9th ‘The Club Entertains' Membership for the year is £47 and new members and visitors are always welcome.

Your Community Page Are you a local club, community group, charity, church, school, library, volunteer group ....... Do you want to publicise your event or group to the local residents in our distribution area? Our community pages are free of charge so please get in touch with us to reserve your space. We would be delighted to hear from you. (Max advert size - 1/2 page)

Contact details are on Page 2. Or scan the QR code to go to the website to see our distribution area and publication dates. 37

Art Galleries/Exhibitions Powderhall Bronze Editions 33 Bathroom Design Raison Home Bedroom Design Raison Home Building Services KM Services Ronald G Graham Carpets and Flooring James Erskine

7 7

11 25 40

Health & Fitness Griffen Fitness

Health Food Shops Real Foods

Organic Produce Real Foods

Paving Services Alpine Paving & Driveways 31

Health & Wellness Slimming World

Plumbing Harbour Multi Trade

27 11

Hearing Services Fairfield Hearing

Record Shops VoxBox Music

Removals/House Clearances Man/Men With A Van 25

8 26

Hypnotherapy Gillian Dalgleish

Counselling Services Counselling Conversations

Interior Design Countryside Kitchens & Interiors 16

Curtains & Blinds James Erskine

Jewellers Sheila Fleet

Dance Classes Stockbridge Scottish Reelers 6 17 26

Driveways Alpine Paving & Driveways 31 Edinburgh Driveways & Landscaping 23 Eating Out Christmas At The Botanics 19-22 Electricians KM Services

Music Memorabilia VoxBox Music

26 7

Cost Of Living Help Stewart Paterson

Decoratoring Services AM Decorating Barry McGuire

MP Surgeries Deidre Brock

Office/Garage Clearance Man/Men With A Van

Home Care/Management Vesta Home Care

Computing Services AV & PC Home Help

Estate Agents ELP Arbuthnott McClanachan 14/15 Gibson Kerr 9 Events Christmas At The Botanics 1 19-22

Going Out Stockbridge Scottish Reelers 6

Language Tuition International House Edinburgh 5

Handyman Services David A Burnett

Christmas Events Christmas At The Botanics 1, 19-22 Complementary Therapies Gillian Dalgleish

Gift Shop Christmas At The Botanics 19-22

Garden Interest Royal Botanic Gardens

Gas & Central Heating Harbour Multi Trades

Roofing Services Ronald G Graham

Royal Botanic Gardens Christmas At The Botanics 1, 19-22 Rug Suppliers Rug Cottage

Joiners Harbour Multi Trades 27 KM Services 26 Local Joiner Ross McLean 8

Solicitors ELP Arbuthnott McClanachan 14/15 Gibson Kerr 9

Kitchen Design Countryside Kitchens & Interiors 16 Raison Home 7

Upholstery James Erskine

Weight Management Slimming World

Window Renovation Craftworx Ventrolla

23 13

Landscaping Edinburgh Driveways & Landscaping

PUZZLE SOLUTIONS Across: 1 Genesis, 7 Okapi, 8 Villain, 9 Lapse, 11 Chats, 12 Aroma, 14 Riled, 16 Dilemma, 18 Haste, 9 Disdain. Down: 1 Gavel, 2 Nil, 3 Stale, 4 Sonic, 5 Raphael, 6 Minus, 10 Promise, 12 Alpha, 13 Added, 14 Roles, 15 Drawn, 17 Moa.