The Edinburgh Minute ⏰: Weekend edition 16-18 February 2024
New bus services, Stockbridge cafe for sale, new rules ‘nightmare’ for tenements, dog solves Bruntsfield break-ins + your weekend guide
🌤️ Good morning Edinburgh. It’s not the busiest day of news so far. If I missed anything, you can always share your links here. Here’s Friday’s Edinburgh Minute, followed by the weekend guide for paying subscribers.
🚏 Lothian Buses have announced changes to some services. Starting from 24 March, there will be a new X47, N35 and route extension for the X33 and 106. - All the details are here.
⮑ The general consensus on the local Reddit board is that these changes are mostly positive.
💰 All this week, each local political party has shared their budget proposals here. Last to share theirs were the local Conservative group, who want to investigate opening a ‘dementia village’, reports Donald Turvill in Edinburgh Live.
⮑ We won’t know the outcome until next Thursday’s budget meeting, although the local Labour group’s plans are reported to be ‘likely’ to pass. Last year’s budget meeting provided ‘shenanigans’, a resignation and a surprising result.
🔑 An Edinburgh letting agent says new safety rules - instructing landlords to replace lead water pipes and install electrical safety equipment – ‘will be a logistical nightmare’. Jonathan Gordon, managing director of Clan Gordon letting agents, tells Scottish Housing News: ‘it will be virtually impossible in most tenements to get common agreement’. - Read more here.
“They can’t practically ask everyone in a tenement block to not fill a kettle or flush their toilet for 12 hours.” - Jonathan Gordon.
🚨 A series of house break-ins in Bruntsfield and Merchiston were reported on Tuesday morning. Now police say they’ve arrested a man and recovered stolen property, thanks to a sniffer dog named Milo. - STV News.
🏡 A list of properties that have been on the market for more than two years has been published. - Lee Dalgetty, Edinburgh Live: ‘The 'unwanted' Edinburgh homes currently on the market that just won’t sell’.
☕️ Stockbridge cafe Spiro is up for sale after 17 years in business. The St Stephen Street shop owners said: ‘We have decided to put the business up for sale and enjoy retirement! Hopefully in the sun.’ They’ll continue trading until a buyer takes over. - More here.
🍝 Rigatoni’s on South Clerk Street has been sold. - Brian Donnelly, The Herald.
🚖 Taxi drivers have warned that a new bus gate ban amounts to discrimination of passengers with disabilities. - Jolene Campbell, Evening News.
🛫 ‘Edinburgh Airport provides a shameful welcome to overseas visitors’, claims a letter-writer in The National.
🎓 The University of Edinburgh’s appointment of new rector Simon Fanshawe is covered here by The Herald’s education writer James McEnaney. He hears from a trans student who shares their concerns:
“We did not elect this man. We did not choose him. We are speaking out about this now--as many of us are hearing about the decision for the first time--and I cannot fathom that the University does not listen.”
🚲 A local cyclist has told of how he got into the Union Canal to look for his stolen bike. - Katie Williams, Edinburgh Live.
📬 The Edinburgh Evening News has begun a new promotion for its own email newsletter, saying: ‘Now you can control which ones you receive.’ The 151 year-old newspaper’s most recently published print sales figures (7443) are around the same as the audience of the one-year-old Edinburgh Minute (7661). Good luck to them with the newsletters (I genuinely mean that and hope it helps boost print sales again).
🪩 The Science Festival and Film Festival shared new news yesterday. - Get up to speed with the latest Culture Minute.
⚽️ A new safe standing section at Easter Road stadium will be introduced this summer. Hibs are also making the ground more wheelchair-friendly. - More details on ‘major changes’ from Ben Banks in the Evening News.
💞 ‘The five best places to find your future partner as an Edinburgh student’ - Maina Flintham Hjelde, The Edinburgh Tab.
🎥 TV host Claudia Winkleman and singer Mika surprised commuters on Thursday, appearing at Waverley Station while filming for the second series of Channel 4’s The Piano show. - Lee Dalgetty, Edinburgh Live.
🛒 People queued from 7.30am yesterday to be first into the new Lidl at Meadowbank. - Kris Gourlay, Edinburgh Live.
🏃 The We Run Edinburgh women’s social running group is meeting on Saturday morning at Leith Links. - Details on how to join are here.
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📌 Edinburgh Jobs Fair is on today at Tynecastle Park from 10am to 1pm. - Free tickets.
📌 “The Capital Sci-Fi Con is here! From the 17th to the 18th of February we have all things Sci-Fi, from special guests to cosplay competitions and everything in between! There will be plenty of opportunities for you to get photos and autographs from your favourite guests so what are you waiting for! Ticket sales close Friday 18th but there will be a chance for you to buy tickets on the door!” - O2 Academy.
📌 “SCDA ONE ACT Festival 2024, Edinburgh District round, taking place 22-24 February at the Churchill Theatre; all new writing: written, directed and produced by local arts professionals. Audiences can vote on the plays they like the best and send them into the finals. Great chance to support off-festival local Edinburgh theatre-makers. Tickets are £11 per night with a £3 rebate if you purchase for all nights.” - Scottish Community Drama.
📌 “Edinburgh photographer Solen Collet launches her solo photography exhibition at Agitate on William Street on 23rd February. NOW LOVE, is an exhibition featuring a hopeful mix of digital and analogue self portraiture, exploring autonomy after abuse and medical trauma. There are also nods to the theatre of the absurd, surrealism and the photographer's love of music.” - Solen Collet.
📌 “As the month-long celebration of Edinburgh’s food & drink scene approaches, Eat Out Edinburgh is today announcing the full list of 40 venues taking part to bring incredible dining offers to the city centre in March, including many popular new restaurants. From craft cocktails to juicy burgers or high-end set menus, the festival contains something for everyone to enjoy spending time out and about in the city next month. Offers from participating venues are available to view and book here.”