The Stockbridge Spotlight Issue 115 June/July 2023

STOCKBRIDGE SPOTLIGHT

Welcome to the June/July issue of the Stockbridge Spotlight. Yet again it is almost school and summer holiday time. Where has this year gone to. I am sure many of you will be heading overseas this year, probably for better weather. It's not that we don't have sunny and warm days in Scotland but they are so inconsistent. One day it can be 30 degrees and scorching sun then the next 20 degrees and rain. Even worse is when the sun is shining and you think you can sit out in the garden only to find the wind is from the east - sitting in the sun with jackets on is not quite the same!

Though even if our weather was consistent, you would still want to travel to other places. The change of language, landscapes, food and culture is part of the attraction of a holiday. A change of scenery is exciting and inspiring but a holiday also refocuses your attention on the people you are with, be it friends or family. Home life always seems to have chores that need doing, odd jobs that are not finished, kids activities to fit in...... the list is endless. But, on holiday you can kick back, chill, stop watching the clock and spend quality time with whoever is with you making memories and having fun. There is nothing better than going somewhere new and exploring the area and trying new food, especially if it is warm and sunny. Or finding something different and fun for the kids to do so they are happy, excited and enjoying themselves. Happy kids makes for happy parents.

Whatever you are doing this summer I hope that you have an amazing time making happy memories and enjoying quality time with family, friends and loved ones. I will be doing the same as I explore Greece for the first time. I can't wait.

Best Wishes Sue

The Stockbridge Spotlight

Editor : Sue Hutchison

M : 07817 206 418

E: sue@stockbridgespotlight.co.uk

www.stockbridgespotlight.co.uk

“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”

Distribution Johnson Distribution Services.

www.jdsdoor2door.co.uk

Printing

Cowan Print : www.cowanprint.net

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 42)

Next Meeting

Wednesday 19th July, 7pm at Stockbridge Parish Church 7b Saxe Coburg Street.

Safe Slow Stockbridge

In a long-running and popular scheme, councils across the country annually support a handful of P6 pupils to become road safety champions. These ‘Junior Road Safety Officers’ (JRSOs) help to educate their school friends and raise awareness about the challenges of the school run. It’s a brilliant way for kids to explore individual and collective responsibility.

In September 2022, my 8-year-old daughter Martha was knocked down as she ran across the road on the way home from Stockbridge Primary School. Thankfully, after the heart-stopping phone call, the blue lights to hospital, and the necessary emergency investigations, it was established that she was OK. We put this down to the slow speed of the driver and a well-placed violin case at her side. As bystanders, several of her classmates were shaken by what they had witnessed. Led by their particularly inspiring teacher, Miss Devine, the pupils of P6/5 elected to become a full class of JRSOs. For my part, I quickly developed an interest in child development, street design, safety research, and council decision-making. As a school community we were galvanised, and staff and parents came together to create a Road Safety Partnership Group, along with Willie Grieve, our experienced lollipop man, as well as our four knowledgeable and supportive ward councillors, Cllr Bandel, Cllr Nicolson, Cllr Mitchell, and Cllr Osler.

Straight away, the JRSOs took to the streets to make observations. They noticed that the signs around school were not very prominent, and that many drivers seemed to be going faster that 20mph. They also noticed frequent visual obstructions on the street corners - such as poorly placed council bins and vans temporarily parked on double yellow linescreating hazardous knock-on effects. At these busy junctions without formal crossings, it is unsettling and unsafe for children to have to step into the road to see if the coast is clear.

They coined a campaign slogan, “Safe, Slow Stockbridge,” and held a poster competition across the school. The resulting artworks from kids of all ages were fantastic. This emboldened us to approach local partners and ultimately launch a community-wide banner and poster campaign. We were thrilled when this was funded by Stockbridge and Inverleith Community Council, and actively promoted by the local police, our councillors, and MSP Angus Robertson as well as many community spaces, shops, and businesses. Throughout May and June, the kids’ friendly reminders and safety tips have adorned windows and railings,

highlighting the speed limit and making the presence of a school more noticeable to drivers. It’s rewarding to live in a bustling community, yet liveliness comes with particular challenges for parents and carers. As I discovered, negotiating risk is second nature for adults, but kids’ brains haven’t developed that capacity yet. Thankfully, we know that the holistic “Safe Systems” approach works: if the speed limit is observed, and good intuitive street design is in place, then collisions are less likely; and crucially, if mistakes are made and the unthinkable happens, risk of serious injury and life-changing outcomes is vastly reduced. This year, our campaign highlighted speed awareness, but this is just the beginning for Safe, Slow Stockbridge. In the coming months and years, we aim to reduce traffic at the school gates by piloting walking buses. We will campaign against hazardous parking, and work with Inverleith ward councillors to secure more crossings and street design improvements. Ultimately, we want to make the pupils’ point of view more tangible. If more adults understand what kids can and can’t see - literally and figuratively - we hope it will ensure a safer and more pleasant Stockbridge for everyone.

You can find our campaign images and animations at Safe_Slow_Stockbridge on Instagram and more official info at https://stockbridgeprimaryschool.wordpress.com/ safeslowstockbridge/

And more about the Safe Systems approach at https://www.brake.org.uk/get-involved/ take-action/mybrake/knowledge-centre/safe-system.

Article written by Kirstie Warren, a pupil parent at Stockbridge Primary School.

The Community Council can be contacted via email (stockbridgeandinverleithcc@gmail.com) and through Facebook (Stockbridge and Inverleith Community Council).

Or visit our website www.stockbridgeandinverleithcc.org.uk

Jamie Primrose Contemporary Scottish Artist

20th Anniversary Show Celebrating Our City

painter’s fascination with the transient nature of light and his passion for the capital.

Firstly, this focuses on the majestic Old Town – from the iconic architecture of the castle and Scott Monument, to characterful surrounding streets including Grassmarket, Lawnmarket, Royal Mile and Victoria Street (see pic left).

Throughout his creative development over many years, Primrose has captured these

Jamie Primrose celebrates his 20th Anniversary as a best-selling artist living and working in Edinburgh, with an eagerly anticipated ‘ode’ to his home city in his debut Festival Fringe showcase.

After growing up in Trinity, winning Edinburgh Academy School accolades and graduating with a Fine Art degree at Newcastle University, he spent the next 10 years travelling the world and working in London. He only returned to the Scottish capital to become a professional painter in 2003, following a trip to Central and South America.

Primrose then began depicting his travels and Scottish West Coast seascapes and our city’s sculptural landscape only became his muse for the first time in 2006. This opened up the floodgates for a wave of creativity (with over 40 new painting collections, sell-out shows and critical acclaim since then) – his magnificent ‘Auld Reekie’ artworks are now his trademark and are highly sought-after.

‘Visions of Edinburgh’ Exhibition

An outstanding retrospective of over 60 oil paintings, Indian inks and giclée prints ‘Visions of Edinburgh’ highlights the talented

Jamie Primrose: ‘Visions of Edinburgh’

Thursday 3rd – Thursday 10th August

The Dundas Street Gallery

6a Dundas Street, Edinburgh EH3 6HZ

Open Thursday – Sunday, 11am – 9pm

Monday – Wednesday, 11am – 9pm

Last day – Thursday, 11am – 5pm

Admission free

For painting enquiries or further details please contact: Mari Primrose

t: 0131 446 9510 m: 07947 243 418

e: mari@jamieprimrose.com

View paintings online now at www.jamieprimrose.com

Jamie Primrose ‘Winter lights looking up Victoria Street’ ‘ 50cm x 50cm, Oil on board

Jamie Primrose ‘Last light over St. Margaret’s Loch’ 40cm x 40cm, Giclée print on Hahnemühle fine art paper

atmospheric vistas in different lights – in striking monochrome, vivid colour, basking in hazy ethereal light, clear winter twilight, and shimmering snow – all stunning timeless snapshots.

In addition to close-up studies, the highly collectable artist has always loved capturing the vast skyline vistas looking across the Old Town from on high. His breathtaking vibrant blood-red sunsets from Calton Hill beyond the bold silhouette of city spires complement similar spectacular panoramas and crimson clouds over Arthur’s Seat (see pic left).

Finally, although the Meadows in rich autumnal tones have appeared in his work since 2007 (and he moved to nearby Marchmont in 2009), Jamie painted his first gorgeous pink Spring cherry blossoms in 2013, with a decade of shimmering light sparkling through the trees and delicate flourishes thereafter (see pic above).

These uplifting natural motifs continue to delight and inspire! If you love Edinburgh’s heritage, sculptural landscape or natural splendour, you will love this unmissable Fringe exhibition.

Scan

“Jamie Primrose has an incredible feel for the light of his native Edinburgh””

The Sunday Times

“Primrose’s paintings exude a heaven-sent sense of calm”

The Herald

“Jamie has had an astonishing degree of success with his atmospheric paintings”

Galleries

“Jamie Primrose’s paintings display an atmospheric, ethereal quality that makes his work so sought-after”

Scottish Field

“Primrose has an ever-expanding band of collectors snapping up his work”

The Herald

Exclusive Opening Private View: Thursday 3rd August, 6pm – 9pm

For invitations, please email Mari Primrose at mari@jamieprimrose.com quoting ‘Stockbridge Spotlight’

Jamie Primrose ‘Spring light in The Meadows’ 40cm x 40cm, Giclée print on Hahnemühle fine art paper

here to enjoy video of over 60 beautiful exhibition artworks

Gratitude, Happiness & Altruism

By Gillian Dalgliesh

Gratitude is a huge saviour when it comes to transforming the most negative and/or stressful of situations. It’s a powerful and incredibly under-rated tool in supporting our wellbeing.

It can transform our attitudes, our lives and existences. We can often become stuck in repetitive negative patterns of thoughts & behaviours, but a very quick (& often unconsidered) way out is to stop focusing on the problem, and consider what you can be grateful for? It quickly refocuses the mind, helps us to relax about the problem more, and in that state of mind we can very often discover solutions we hadn’t thought of!

Happiness - Many of us have a sense that we’ll be happy when we’ve achieved something. Such as

“I’ll be happy when I’ve … got my kids sorted … got the level of income I want … got rid of my debt … achieved the weight I want to be … got the partner that loves me … got the right job

The list can be endless, but happiness is truly about the here and now. It’s about using that Gratitude Tool and becoming aware of what you actually do have – and also an awareness of being happy (not smug) about what you don’t have – “there but for the Grace of God go I”.

Altruism - This thought brings to mind a study that was performed recently in California. A group of people who were receiving medication for depression were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 continued with their medication. Group 2 continued with their medication but were enlisted as volunteers in programs to help others in need of support –homeless, rehabilitating prisoners, ex-junkies, kids from challenged backgrounds, battered mothers etc. At the end of 3 months, Group 1 still needed the same levels of medication for depression, while the results in Group 2 showed that many were no longer needing medication, and those that did, were now able to manage with significantly lower doses.

The insight here, is that those people who were able to find more meaning, purpose

and joyful intention in their lives, were able to significantly reprogram their neural pathways and brain patterns in a physiological way to become healthier and happier.

A Point to Ponder

A lot of you readers will be familiar with writing a “Gratitude Journal” each evening before you go to sleep in which you list as many things as possible for which you are grateful for that day. If writing a Gratitude Journal appeals to you, then may I suggest that you now take it a step further by trying to include in your list at least one thing that you have done that day for someone else that has helped them. If it was done anonymously, even better! Helping others a powerful tool for well-being, and you will also have helped someone else too! However, be sure that your motive is altruistic, not self-seeking.

Gillian Dalgliesh is a Clinical Hypnotherapist & Personal Change Facilitator based in Stockbridge.

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Help To Beat The Cost Of Living Crisis

Rising prices continue to affect us and we all need to make our money go further

We are a local business who love making a difference and helping people reduce the cost of their household bills.

Most of us stay for years with the same energy, mobile and broadband suppliers, regardless of rising prices or quality of service.

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Best of all, we have a wealth of experience from helping people save for the past 20 years.

Call us for a no cost, no obligation bill review and together we can help you get saving.

Stewart Paterson

Granton

Granton Parish Church

55 Boswall Parkway

Edinburgh, EH5 2DA

Thursdays 7.00pm

Tel: Anne 07821 273666

Granton

Granton Parish Church

55 Boswall Parkway

Edinburgh, EH5 2DA

Fridays 9.30am

Tel: Anne 07821 273666

Inverleith

Ferranti Bowling Club

7 Arboretum Place

Edinburgh, EH3 5NY

Tuesdays 9.00am

Tel: Anne 07821 273666

Inverleith

Ferranti Bowling Club

7 Arboretum Place

Edinburgh, EH3 5NY

Tuesdays 5.30pm

Tel: Nicola 07743 471946

ELP Arbuthnott McClanachan, Solicitors & Estate Agents in Edinburgh

ELP Arbuthnott McClanachan is a firm of specialist solicitors and estate agents in Edinburgh with established offices in both sides of the city, in Davidsons Mains and Leith. We pride ourselves in providing expert advice to our clients, offering a personal service which adds real value. We represent individuals, families, businesses and charities. We are always there for our clients to help them with the most important things in life, such as their homes, their jobs, their businesses, and planning for their families’ futures.

ELP Arbuthnott

McClanachan offer our clients experience and expertise in the following areas:

• Selling a property

• Buying a proper ty

• Re-mortgaging

• Wills & Living Wills

• Powers of Attorney

• Executry Estates

• Employment Law

• Commercial Leases

• Dispute Resolution & Litigation

Service you deserve, with people you can trust.

www.elpamsolicitors.co.uk

Old Leith Docks at Dusk

At ELP Arbuthnott McClanachan

we believe that the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and we hope that our clients see from our work for them that we care about giving them quality advice and excellent customer service.

Here are some of the ways in which we believe we stand out from other legal services and estate agency providers:

Our clients are always represented by fully qualified solicitors and our qualified property manager (for estate agency work).

As we are experienced in what we do, we will give you good tactical advice on how to progress matters in the most beneficial way to you. You will be represented by someone who knows what they are doing!

Whether you are buying or selling a property, negotiating a termination of employment, or dealing with a dispute, we will use our experience to achieve the best possible outcome for you.

We will tell you if something is worth doing, and we will tell you if it is not.

We will not spend time and your money on things which are not worthwhile. We concentrate on doing what is right for your case.

We will always take your calls whenever possible, and we will also reply to your messages as quickly as we can.

We will always listen to you, because we know

that you are better placed than anyone else to tell us about your case, and because every case is different. We also know, because our clients tell us this, that sometimes it is good just to have talked something through.

All of our clients are hugely important to us, and we provide the same quality service regardless of the monetary value of the file. We care about your case.

The fees that we charge for our services are realistic and fair. We provide a quality expert service which is worth paying for, but we would never wish to overcharge. We calculate our fees on the basis of “what is a fair rate for this kind of expert service”.

Contact us with no obligation

We are always delighted to hear from new and existing clients, and we are happy to discuss matters with you on a no obligation basis. We would always rather that you speak to us or email us to find out if we can help, than if you were not sure whether to contact us at all!

Lauriston Castle

River Almond

Anxiety is Your Superpower

The catchy title of this article is a newlyreleased book from neurologist Dr Wendy Suzuki. It’s a brilliant, easy-to-read paperback with the full title of ‘Anxiety is Your Superpower: Using Anxiety to Feel Better and to Do Better.’

Yes, there is a science to anxiety - it’s all about how the body responds to stress. Our natural response is to pump our body full of adrenaline, to potentially escape (or fight) a threat. We’re no longer dealing with lions or things our forbearers had to worry about, but our body still reacts in the same way physiologically.

The interesting thing about Dr Suzuki’s research is that it shows how you can use this to your advantage. Using reframing (a popular approach in sports coaching and neurolinguistic programming, NLP) you can

By Tracy Griffen

learn to ‘worry well’. That adrenaline? It has its uses.

If you’ve ever felt in the grip of unwanted worry or anxiety, then I highly recommend this book. I like how it discusses how stressful situations can be harnessed for ‘good’. Have you every felt anxious before speaking in public (or even a work meeting)? Good. You can reinterpret that nervousness as excitement (as the body responds biologically in a similar way) and see it as a positive. Imagine yourself doing the best speech ever. Use your adrenaline to make it so.

Seeing setbacks as a point for learning is a good skill for life, as we will always experience them. Of course, rest and nutrition are important in dealing with stress.

Scottish Prestige Awards - Mortgage Broker Of The Year 2022.

Finalists in the 2019, 2020 Scottish Mortgage Awards for both Best Mortgage Broker Edinburgh & Scotland categories.

Shortlisted 2022 for Best Regional Broker for both Edinburgh and Central region.

A member of the Equity Release Council. Regulated and Authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Ironically, the time we need to eat the healthiest is often the time we reach for takeaways. Many of us spend evenings doomscrolling news feeds and social media – designed to create a sense of unease (which is why we keep scrolling). Both exercise and mindfulness are included in the toolkit at the end of the book – both relax the body and mind, but in different ways… and don’t forget to breathe.

Whatever life throws at you, you have the choice of how to respond. Using anxiety as your superpower is a powerful tool, that can help you gain perspective, respond calmly and move on. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!

Personal Trainer Tracy Griffen utilises many motivational tools to help her clients see success in their goals. The Griffen Fitness studio also has a lending library, where we lend out inspiring and informative books to our clients.

Corstorphine Art Group Annual Exhibition 2023

Saturday 29th July to Friday 4th August

10.30am – 4.30pm daily

Saturday 5th August

10.30am – 3.30pm (last day)

St Ninian’s Church Hall, St Ninian’s Road, Corstorphine, Edinburgh (Access from the front and rear doors of the church)

Come along and enjoy the wide selection of original works by local artists.

Most items on exhibit are available for sale.

Everyone welcome – Admission Free

www.corstorphineartgroup.com www.facebook.com/CorstorphineArtGroup

‘Poppies’ by Anne Henderson