The Trinity Spotlight March/April 2024 Issue

TRINITY SPOTLIGHT

A warm welcome to this issue of the Trinity Spotlight. It would be great if the weather was warming up a bit too as this issue drops through your door. Whatever the temperature is doing, we are not far away from the clocks changing which always feels like it makes a huge difference to life. The nights are instantly lighter with the hope that Spring is arriving and, of course, Easter - which this year is quite early. Our front cover for this issue really has a Spring feel to it with its Easter theme.

Of course with Easter comes the school holidays. As well as the Easter Trail at the Botanics there are also several Science Festival events running there from the 30th March to the 14th April. You will find more detailsl on Page 12.

Last issue for the first time in a while, I featured a wine column by Diana Thomson of Wine Events Scotland. I am pleased to say that Diana will be continuing to run this for the next few issues. So if you are looking for a lovely wine to go with your Easter lunch check out her recommendations on Page 30.

I also wanted to highlight a free information event that is being run at Lifecare on the 1st May titled 'What is Power of Attorney'. I know from personal experience with my elderly mum how important Power of Attorney is but also how daunting and emotional the process can be. For more information and to book into the event check out the article on page 36.

Trinity Spotlight

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

Stockbridge Spotlight

I hope that you have a great Easter with family and friends. And for those of you with school age kids, enjoy the holiday break together. Until the next issue ......

Best Wishes Sue

Tai Chi and Qigong -Relaxing & Energising!

Beginners 8 week course starts

Thursday 11th April, 11.15am -12.15pm

LifeCare Centre, Cheyne Street Stockbridge

Online Courses too!

Booking essential to guarantee your space

For more details and to reserve your space, please visit: www.taichiqigongholidayretreats.com

Or call Hazel on 07990 582921

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 46)

Introducing Stork Photography

Welcome to Stork Photography, where your precious moments are transformed into timeless memories to treasure. I'm Clare, the creative force behind the lens, bringing over 22 years of photography experience a degree, along with knowledge from training with industry leaders like Kelly Brown. I've honed my skills to capture the pure beauty of maternity, newborn baby’s and family connections.

At Stork Photography, your experience is as important as the portraits I create. I will pose and light your baby for the most flattering images. If you are in the portrait I will guide you every step. My knowledge in lighting and posing will ensure you appear at your very best.

My portfolio is available to view at www.storkphotography. co.uk. As you can see across my portfolio I have a consistent style using lighting, posing and wardrobe to create images that you will love.

Safety is my top priority. From the carefully chosen wardrobe to a variety of high-quality props, every detail is selected with your newborn's well-being in mind. Step into a welcoming haven at my studio, where soft drinks, coffees, fruits, biscuits, and occasional cake await you. It's about creating an atmosphere of warmth to welcome you and make you feel comfortable throughout your session.

As a special thank you for choosing Stork Photography, every booking made before August 2023 includes an exclusive offer – a complimentary A4 print added to your order, simply quote Trinity Spotlight

Activities For All During Science Festival 2024 at The Botanics

From building a better city with Lego, to hunting the golden egg, exploring the hidden world of lichens and amazing art from different parts of the world, there is something for everyone to enjoy at this year’s Edinburgh Science Festival at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE). From Saturday, March 30 to Sunday, April 14 there is a host of wonderful events to engage adults and families alike. New to the festival this year, Build a Better City asks families to imagine how we can use nature to improve our urban landscapes, reduce pollution, stop flooding and help keep our minds and bodies healthy. In this free drop-in session, participants from ages five upwards will join our scientists and together, using LEGO bricks, will create a city of the future where plants make a better place for us all. The event will take place on Thursday, April 11 from 12pm to 4pm in the John Hope Gateway visitor centre.

The ever-popular Easter Trail returns once again to the Garden. This time, the Botanics bunny has lost her golden egg. As she searches the Garden for her missing egg, she finds lots of other creatures and their eggs and learns more about the natural world. Once the trail is completed, there will be a sweet Easter treat for everyone! The event is a drop-in session, and costs £3 per person.

Ever wondered what it is like to be a scientist? Take part in the Meet the Scientist event to chat with some of RBGE’s scientists and learn more about current research and real-life international fieldtrips. There will also be hands-on activities including learning about the different parts of plants and seeing them in a different way through our electron-magnifier. This event takes place on Thursday, April 11, and it will be a free drop-in session from 12pm to 4pm.

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh will be hosting many more events as part of the Science Festival this year, including Frankenstein’s Plants, Lichen Walk, Nature Protectors and Spring in the Vegetable Garden. There will also be two amazing exhibitions, Silent Archive, in Inverleith House, and Connecting Histories, in the John Hope Gateway, for all ages to enjoy, showcasing beautiful art and thought-provoking history from all around the world.

To find out more about all of RBGE’s events during the festival, go to https://www.rbge.org.uk/whats-on/edinburgh-science-festival-2024/

An Update From Councillor Sanne Dijkstra-Downie

Cllr Sanne Dijkstra-Downie | Lib Dem Councillor for Forth Ward

Cllr.Sanne.Dijkstra-Downie@edinburgh.gov.uk

Follow facebook.com/SanneLibDem for news and updates

Spring is in the air, and the crocuses in Victoria Park are colourful as ever!

This also means that the Council recently agreed its 2024/25 budget. Thanks to the Liberal Democrat budget amendment, we not only avoided damaging cuts to education, but we invested an additional £2m in our schools. Like last year, Lib Dems again insisted on additional funding for repairs to our roads, pavements and paths. We also negotiated more money for supported bus services, biodiversity and trees, and energy efficiency measures. Finally, all parties agreed that Edinburgh Leisure should receive a one-off financial boost to avoid service reductions or even the closure of leisure facilities.

Back to our schools: I’m pleased to say that Trinity Academy was granted permission for its Phase 2 redevelopment plans. This means that work has now begun on getting the car park ready for the temporary accommodation that will house pupils during the period of works. The temporary classrooms are expected to arrive in May. The old swimming pool will be demolished over 6 weeks from 20 March onwards; expect some noisy work during the first two weeks in April. You can still view the proposals on the Council’s Planning Portal.

The Council has also started its engagement sessions on a new use for the Victoria Park bowling greens and club house. Possible ideas include a café and toilets, a community garden or allotments, sports or exercise facilities, space for nature or outdoor education. I would be delighted to hear your thoughts, or you can e-mail greenspace officers directly via thrivinggreenspaces@edinburgh.gov.uk. If you would like to attend future workshops or be notified when the online consultation opens, then please send me an email and I will keep you informed.

You will also no doubt be aware that on 29 January, the Council started enforcing the national ban on pavement parking. This ban has made pavements more accessible to pedestrians, especially those using wheelchairs or pushing buggies, and I want to say a big thanks to everyone who is adhering to the new law. I am of course aware that the changes are causing some issues in a small number of streets where residents previously parked on pavements to avoid obstructing the road. I have met with residents and senior officers and will have further conversations to explore all available options in these specific streets.

Looking ahead, there will be some changes for people with older vehicles who wish to drive through the city centre. Following a two-year grace period, from 1 June 2024 the city centre Low Emission Zone will be in operation. This means that older, more polluting vehicles driving through the city centre (south of Queen Street and north of the Meadows, broadly speaking) will be subject to a fine. As a rule of thumb, petrol cars registered from 2006 onwards and diesel cars registered from 2015 onwards will be exempt – as will all zero emission cars. If you are unsure, it is best to check if your car is compliant via the website https://www. lowemissionzones.scot/vehicle-registration-checker and you can find more information, including a map of the LEZ boundaries, on https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/lez.

As always, please do get in touch about local issues and I’ll do my best to help.

Are you planning to renovate your kitchen this year? For many of us, entertaining over Christmas and other holiday periods focuses the mind on what we’d like to improve. And no room does this more than the kitchen!

Before you race off to spend hours looking at kitchen showrooms, local kitchen and home designer, Sarah Maguire of Raison Home, shares her advice on the top 3 things you need to think about first:

1. Fix the flow

Make sure your room works for your needs. Look at the doorways, the sightlines, the routes through and consider what needs to change. Sometimes it can be an easy fix, such as changing the direction or type of door. Other times it can be more fundamental and you may want to consult an architect to help solve the problem areas.

As a professional kitchen designer, I work with clients in their own homes rather than a show room. This allows us to chat through their unique space and how it is used, understand any technical or layout challenges, and agree on the best use of the space. Often clients have decided to remove a wall to open the space, or to swap the kitchen and living rooms to optimise the flow and light. Sometimes it’s changing a window or taking out a door to make the flow of the space work so much better.

2. Get some inspiration

Pinterest and social media are great sources of inspiration but the most popular pictures will be the most fashionable. If you want to create a timeless kitchen space then be careful of trends in the hard finishes (floors, cabinet colours, worktops). These hard finishes are the most expensive and difficult to change. Bring the trends in areas that can be changed and updated as the years go, such as cabinet handles, lighting, and accessories. This does not mean your space needs to be neutral or boring.

There are so many ways to bring personality and interest into your space. I love advising clients on the small details that make their design unique and reflective of their own character and style. For some inspiration, follow my social media @RaisonHomeEdinburgh

3. Know your Budget

Let’s face it, life is full of compromises, and you need to know your budget to be able to make good choices. If your budget is very tight for a kitchen renovation, it’s better to spend it on the best quality cabinets and hard finishes rather than very expensive highend appliances. You won’t want to replace your cabinets after only a few years, while upgrading appliances later is much easier and will help you manage your budget now.

If you’re looking for a hands-on and passionate designer to guide you through your kitchen project, Sarah would love to help. She offers an end-to-end kitchen renovation service, from inspiration to installation.

To chat to Sarah about your kitchen renovation project, phone 0131 210 0244 or email Sarah.Maguire@RaisonHome.com. You can book a no obligation design consultation with Sarah at https://www.raisonhome.com/en-gb/home-designer.

My ‘Weight Loss Without Willpower’ Book –Now Available on Amazon!!!

I’m so super delighted and excited to let you know that my book, “Weight Loss Without Willpower – Learn how to programme your subconscious mind for sustainable weight loss success” was published on Amazon on Saturday 16th March. It’s available as a paperback, audiobook and on Kindle. It’s been flying off the shelves!!!!

Studies have shown that around 80% of people who lose weight put it all back on again (and then usually more!). Also, that most people don’t associate the word ‘diet’ with long term weight loss.

Those of us that want to lose weight generally know how to go about it, and yet most of us lose our way and fall back into our old familiar habits. So what’s the disconnect between good intentions and actual success?

In my opinion, it’s because most ‘dieters’ don’t realise that their subconscious mind is likely to be a major factor in sabotaging their weight loss endeavours.

So can you say yes to any or all of the following questions:

By Gillian Dalgliesh

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

• Are you ready to finally break the repetitive cycle of yo-yo dieting?

• Have you come to realise that relying on your willpower, discipline & self-control eventually lets you down?

• Are you confused as to why you can’t lose weight and keep it off?

• Do you feel you’ve tried every diet and fad under the sun and you’re still not the weight & shape you want to be?

Those of you who are familiar with my regular articles will know that I’m a Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach with more than a decade of experience in successfully helping clients to become a sustainable healthy weight. (As well as many other challenging issues)

What you’ll learn in this book:

• How you’ve been unconsciously programming yourself for failure

• How to programme your mind for sustainable weight loss success

• How to re-wire automatic behaviour and break the spiral of yo-yo dieting

• Insights, self-awareness, mind tools and techniques to change your mindset forever

• How to recognise 3 important WHYs – WHY you want to lose weight, WHY you DON’T want to lose weight, and WHY you WON’T let yourself keep the weight off!!!

And it doesn’t end at weight loss – you can use these powerful techniques in all other areas of your life too!

This isn’t your typical weight loss and motivation handbook. It’s a gamechanger in helping you to waken up to how you’ve been unconsciously creating failure when it comes to your weight loss attempts. It’s a transformative experience designed to awaken you to the unconscious patterns that have contributed to your previous weight loss fails. The thoughts we put into our minds are far more important than the food we put into our mouths - It’s our thoughts that dictate our success or failure. This book will help you to release yourself from the prison of your own mind and programme your subconscious for success! P.S. It’s also available as on online course which you can find on my website, www.changewithgillian.com

March/April 2024 Issue :

Artwork Deadline : 26th April Distribution Date : 8th/9th/10th/13th May

To book your advertising space or include your community group/events and reach 5000 local residents contact Sue Hutchison.

T : 07817 206418 E : sue@trinityspotlight.co.uk

March 2024

Spotlight On Wine by Diana Thompson

Sarkling, white, rosé and a red wine recommendations to tempt you with this month. And they’re all available locally to you.

Bruce Jack Wines Bumble Bee Moscato, South Africa – Goldenacre Wines from £9.99

A fizz with a difference! Super refreshing, bursting with pink pears and stone fruits. At just 5.5% ABV, it’s a perfect “anytime” fizz.

Remastered Fiano, Sicily, Italy – Tesco £8.50

Inviting jasmine flowers on the nose followed by vibrant citrus and tropical fruit on the palate. Enjoy with seafood and salads.

Abbotts & Delaunay Jadin Rosé “Les Fleurs Sauvages”, Pays d’Oc, France – Majestic from £7.99

Zesty and lively pink grapefruit and wild strawberry characters all wrapped up with a bone-dry finish. Enjoy in the sunshine.

Wildflower Cabernet Sauvignon, Western Australia – Vino £15.65

Packed with juicy blackcurrants, a hint of mint, touch of spice and fine textured tannins. Delicious with steak or red pepper dishes.

www.WineEventsScotland.com

@WineEventsScot

An Article From Deidre Brock MP

We’re blessed to have so many public parks and green areas in Edinburgh. Nearly half of the urban expanse is designated as a green space, making the city officially the greenest in the UK.

Beyond contributing to Edinburgh’s renowned beauty, these natural havens also play a vital role in boosting our overall mood and mental wellbeing. A rise in 'nature prescriptions' thanks to a partnership between RSPB Scotland and NHS Boards shows an increasing acknowledgement of this connection.

One of my favourite local green spots is Starbank Park here in Trinity, which I’ve been lucky enough to visit several times over my years as an MP. With its amazing array of flowers, plants, birds and insects, and breathtaking views over the Firth of Forth, a stroll through the gardens never fails to nourish the soul!

In fact, the therapeutic power of nature has always been at the heart of Starbank’s ethos. Back in the early 20th century, James Dobbie, the park's gardener, was a passionate advocate for spending time outdoors and the educational value of plants and flowers. He even penned a paper for the Scottish Horticultural Association in 1901, promoting the many benefits of public parks.

The history of Starbank house and grounds go back even further – to 1816, when it was built for Alexander Goalen, uncle of Prime Minister William Gladstone. After serving as a private residence for decades, the property was acquired by Leith Town Council in 1889 - for a time Starbank House served as a Museum of Leith - and opened to the public as a park.

Over the years, the house has been home to parkkeepers and retired council employees. The park itself sadly became near-derelict, but in the last decade, it’s been gloriously rejuvenated by the marvelous Friends of Starbank Park, led by the effervescent Janet MacArthur. A special mention also to legendary gardener, Stan Dunlop, now in his 90s, who continues to volunteer his skills and expertise.

The group has worked tirelessly to transform the park into the stunning sanctuary you see today, and to provide access to community resources such as children’s toys and little libraries. Thanks to their efforts, Starbank won the prestigious UK-wide Horticultural Weekly “Best Neighbourhood Park” award in 2018.

Starbank has become a fantastic community hub, hosting Easter egg hunts, Halloween parties, harvest events and cherry blossom celebrations. Local groups, including the Beavers and Duke of Edinburgh volunteers, pitch in to help with planting and upkeep, while the park serves as a venue for walking groups and outdoor fitness sessions.

The Friends of Starbank Park repair their own tools, make their own compost and collect rainwater to water greenhouse plants and seedlings: their dedication to sustainability has been recognised with Keep Scotland Beautiful's Green Flag Award in acknowledgement of excellent management and environmental standards. The Friends are also passing on knowledge to younger volunteers to help grow their own food.

Community gardens like Starbank not only bring a range of positive benefits locally, they also show that we can all make a difference, no matter how small, in wider efforts to address the climate and biodiversity crises. As someone who has focused on environmental issues throughout my time in politics, I’m continually inspired and encouraged by initiatives like these.

Top tips for selling in spring

Spring is an ideal time to sell your property. With more sunlight and longer days properties look more appealing. The housing market is taking off and buyers are eager to see new properties coming onto the market. With so much competition around it is crucial for your property to stand out from the crowd. Here are some top tips for preparing your property for selling in spring.

First impressions count.

Stand back and look at your property from a buyer’s perspective. Does your front door need a fresh coat of paint, maybe a change of colour to make it stand out? Do you need to have the guttering cleared? If it rains at viewings, you don’t want a leaking guttering putting people off. Tidy away fallen leaves and remove weeds in the garden and add

some planters with spring bulbs, strategically positioned at the front door, which will transform your entrance. Clean the garden furniture and place it in the garden so that viewers can visualise enjoying the warmer weather. Remember that the viewers first impressions are made within a few seconds, so it is important to make them count.

It’s the small touches that make the difference…

As with any time of year it is important to dress your home to show it at its best, so that buyers can visualise themselves living there. Start with a spring clean, touch up any paintwork and keep your rooms clear from clutter, this will allow your viewers to concentrate on the space and how you have presented the room. To achieve this, try and find a balance between accessorising the room but not too personalised. Once on the market, if you have an open fire or wood burning stove, it is always a good idea to have this on for viewings as it is so welcoming and a focal point in a room.

To summarise, the easiest way to test your home’s flow is to put yourself in the shoes of your buyers. Take yourself outside the property and enter it as if for the first time. How does it feel? The attention to detail will make such an impression on your potential buyers, so be sure to do all you can to make your property memorable.

WHAT IS POWER OF ATTORNEY?

LifeCare Edinburgh hosting free info event to help local people simplify the future

Thinking about what would happen in the future if our, or our loved ones, faculties deteriorated can be stressful and worrying. How would someone manage our affairs, access our accounts to set up the right care for us, or pay the bills? Without the right processes in place, an already very emotional situation can be made worse with often very serious consequences.

Local charity, LifeCare Edinburgh understands how daunting and complex these situations can be. Next month they will host a free information giving event to help debunk these complexities. This will help people put the right practical support in place to ensure someone trusted can quickly make decisions on behalf of a loved one if they’re not able, or no longer able, to make them themselves.

Power of Attorney is a legal document where someone – while they still have mental capacity – nominates a trusted friend or relative to look after their affairs if they later lost capacity due to an emergency event, illness or accident. It is not limited to people who are older or unwell, everyone needs to consider setting up a Power of Attorney at any stage of life to avoid any future complications. For example, due to having a stroke, serious accident or dementia.

Delivered in partnership with experts from Lindsay’s Legal Services team, LifeCare will host its first information giving event designed to encourage people to stop and think about what they need to put in place to help simplify the future.

The ‘What is Power of Attorney’ event, will take place at 2pm on Wednesday 1st May in the charity’s fully accessible community café, CafeLife at 2 Cheyne Street, EH4 1JB. Free tea and coffee will be available along with the opportunity to find out more about LifeCare’s vital services for older people and the community overall.

Visit the LifeCare website

https://www.lifecare-edinburgh.org.uk/ or call 0131 343 0940 to register interest.

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: Anne 07821 273666

Granton

Granton Parish Church

55 Boswall Parkway

Edinburgh, EH5 2DA

Thursdays 6.00pm

Tel: Anne 07821 273666

Granton

Granton Parish Church

55 Boswall Parkway

Edinburgh, EH5 2DA

Fridays 9.30am

Tel: Anne 07821 273666

Why Weight?

By Tracy Griffen

You may have read about the importance of maintaining muscle mass as we age. The body naturally loses muscle mass as we get older, so we all need to undertake resistance training to maintain muscular density and strength.

When you do strength training, muscles fibres tear on a microscopic level. This is not a bad thing, as this is how muscle fibres strengthen. The muscle fibres repair themselves, bigger and stronger than before (think scar tissue), so are better able to deal with the load next time.

This explains two things, firstly why you need to do resistance training regularly to have an overall positive effect. It also explains why rest days are important! It’s the repair in-between workouts that’s the important bit. The other thing about maintaining muscle mass as you age is that if you have an illness or ailment and are therefore sedentary, you’ll have more muscle and therefore come out the other end less frail. It also can really kickstart your metabolism, which is great for being able to eat more and have more energy. More muscle fibres mean you fatigue less easily too, you’re able to do more and recover quicker.

You may be wondering what the best type of weight training is. As a Personal Trainer who has been lifting weights for over 30 years, I would say the best type or resistance training is the type you can do regularly. Some people don’t want to go to a gym or keep weights at home. That’s absolutely fine, as rubber resistance also works well. Resistance bands and tubes are very affordable, portable and easy to use. If you don’t have any equipment, you can even do strength training using your bodyweight as a resistance (e.g. press ups, squats, lunges) – no equipment required. Consistency and regular workouts is how build strength.

Of course, I would highly recommend engaging with a fitness professional to learn how to lift. At Griffen Fitness I always show new clients a bodyweight exercise programme before moving onto equipment. It is important that you can do the basic exercises before progressing to lifting weights. It also helps avoid injury - very important with any exercise programme. The trick is knowing just how much resistance and how often to workout. And enjoy!

Personal Trainer Tracy Griffen specialises in strength and can personalise a weights programme for you (that you can even do at home) as part of a five session block, where you’ll learn everything you need to know to be exercising independently. See adjacent advert.

‘Good news - by popular demand the Brass Band is back!!’

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

April 12th

Julie Pearson from Bolton on Tour Title ‘It’s a Little Crafty’

May 10th

Regina O’Regan from Kinross Title ‘Celebration’

Membership for the year is £47 and new members and visitors are always welcome.