The Edinburgh Minute ⏰ Thursday 2 October 2025
Elsie Inglis statue approved, Bruntsfield cafe controversy, Leonardo loo legal case + Leith Collective’s winter coat exchange opens
🌤️ Good morning Edinburgh. It continues to be a busy week of local news! Here’s everything I could find for Thursday’s Edinburgh Minute.
👀 First up, in case you missed it yesterday, this week’s Culture Minute includes: Artists fighting cuts, birthday parties for Idlewild, The List and The Skinny, on stage with Top Hat & War Horse, this week’s creative jobs + hot tickets including The Cure at Inglison…
👩⚕️ A statue of Dr Elsie Inglis will be put up outside 219 High Street, after councillors approved plans for the first statue of a woman on the Royal Mile. - Donald Turvill, The Herald.
⮑ The great-great-great niece of Dr Elsie Inglis says it is a “great moment for women” - Angie Brown, BBC Scotland News.
⮑ Not everyone is happy with the plan, as Phyllis Stephen reports in The Edinburgh Reporter.
☕️ Another Black Sheep Coffee is coming to Edinburgh. Councillors spent less than 20 seconds in yesterday’s planning meeting to approve the global chain’s plans for 206 Bruntsfield Place, in the former RBS building which more than 1,000 people had signed a petition to save. - This video of the decision-making process sparked much discussion in the comments section of the Edinburgh Minute Instagram page.
⮑ Local businesses gave their reactions to the city’s 11th Black Sheep Coffee, including The Edinburgh Bookshop, who said: “For us, as a bookshop, it would be like a Waterstones opening in the area,” while nearby W Christie butchers said: “Having a shop full of people is better than having a shop empty all year.” - Local Democracy Reporter Joe Sullivan in Midlothian View.
🚾 An engineer at Crewe Toll aerospace company Leonardo UK is taking legal action against the firm after ‘encountering a transgender colleague in the female bathrooms’. Maria Kelly claims ‘female toilets were important to her as a place of refuge’ but feared being labelled ‘transphobic’ for complaining. The tribunal is ongoing. - BBC Scotland News.
🚄 London North Eastern Railway (LNER) has launched a new campaign describing Edinburgh as “Really, really North London” to encourage people to visit by train. - Craig Williams, The Herald.
📰 This month’s edition of Spurtle, ‘Broughton’s independent stirrer’, is online here, with front page news on the portaloos beside the National Monument on Calton Hill.
🧥 The Leith Collective’s annual winter coat exchange has been launched to help Edinburgh families in need. Last year it redistributed more than 11,000 coats. Founder Sara Thomson said: “The number of families struggling to afford even basic essentials such as a warm winter coat is heartbreaking”. - Find out more about donating/collecting in this report by Scottish Housing News.
⮑ Organisations can sign up to become an official Winter Coat Exchange Collection Point here.
☔️ The first named storm of the season, Storm Amy, is expected to bring ‘very strong winds’ to Scotland on Friday and Saturday. While the west will have it worst with gusts up to 90mph, there is still a Met Office yellow weather warning for the whole country including Edinburgh where gusts are forecast to hit 53mph on Saturday. - Matthew Fulton & Victoria Pease, STV News.
⮑ If you have a friend called Amy, send her this video:
🍿 Tonight there’s a celebration of ‘the rich histories of community resistance and solidarity’, with talks, film and song hosted by the North Edinburgh Arts community cafe from 5pm. - Full details about the Local Resistance project here.
“The Art For Grown-Ups members and local people, in collaboration with Royston Wardieburn Community Centre and the National Galleries of Scotland, have been exploring the rich histories of community resistance and solidarity here in North Edinburgh – creating new artworks, writing songs, and curating a very special Local Resistance Cinema Programme.”
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📌 “Live in Balerno? Want to know more about what’s happening locally? Why not attend this evening’s Balerno Community Council meeting? 7pm - 9pm at the Community Centre on Main Street.” - Thanks to C&B News for sharing this.
📌 “This month we’re trying a few Saturday morning sessions of the Forgotten Women’s tour. Stories of incredible ladies who the city does not remember as well as it should.” - Thanks to Fraser Horn of the Edinburgh Street Historians for sharing this.
📌 “Every Friday throughout October at Porty Prom bike library: free adult bike lessons for total beginners at 10am and then at 11.30am adult bike lessons for people who cycled when they were younger but are nervous of cycling on the roads. Bike, helmet, and trained instructor all provided.” - Thanks to Porty Community Energy Bike Library for sharing this.
📌 “NOSTALGIA is a YouTube channel making cinematic short films about *real*, soulful homes. We’re looking for lived-in places in Edinburgh shaped by life rather than trends — homes full of books, art or memories. If this sounds like your home, please let us know: studio@getnostalgia.com” - Thanks to Ilya for sharing this.
📌 “Damian Barr, author of The Two Roberts, will be signing books at Bard in Leith on Wednesday 8th October from 7-8pm. Come and meet Damian and have a glass of wine. 🪶🍷 ” - Thanks to the organisers for sharing this.
📌 “Monday 6 October - From Panto to Opera, From Kilmarnock to London. Come along to hear Jenny Catterall, freelance costumier, talking about building a career in wardrobe. 7pm (with tea, coffee & biscuits from 6.30pm) at The Costume Society Scotland, Augustine Church, George IV Bridge.” - Thanks to Ros Williams from The Costume Society of Scotland for sharing this.
📌 “Weds 8, 15, 22, 29 October, 10.30-12.30, Newington Trinity Church, EH9 1TQ. Spaces available on our free EASE Course! If you’d like to feel better equipped to help friends or family who are caring, dying, or grieving, book your place now: caroline@palliativecarescotland.org.uk” - Thanks to Caroline Gibb, Community Development Lead at Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief for sharing this.
📌 “Join us on Sunday 5th October to celebrate our first year looking after Leith Links children’s orchard! We have loads of different events to get involved in and would love to see you there.” - Thanks to the wonderful Leith Community Growers for sharing this.
📌 “Saturday 11th October 10.00 til 4.00 Wellbeing Open Day at The Ripple Project 198 Restalrig Road South. Choose from 12 wonderful free workshops that support your wellbeing. Free bacon rolls at 10.00, arrive early to sign up to the workshops you like. See Ripple website for full timetable.” - Thanks to Cat Robertson from The Ripple Project for sharing this.
📌 “Did you attend Edinburgh & East Lothian Doors Open Days 2025? We’d love your feedback! Please complete our survey by midnight, Oct 31, 2025. Share your experience for a chance to win a £50 Scotland Loves Local gift card—just include your email and answer all relevant questions.” - Thanks to Ian Sudlow-McKay, Regional Coordinator Edinburgh Doors Open Days, for sharing this.
📮 Anything missing? Please share your local news and events here.
👀 The most-visited links from the last newsletter:
- 🦌 September’s Wildlife on the Water of Leith video from Tom Kelly.
- 👩⚕️ Heritage body says Elsie Inglis statue on Royal Mile should be ‘more feminine’.
- 🚧 What’s behind the delays to North Bridge refurbishment?
⏰ Thanks for reading edition number 744.
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