The Edinburgh Minute ⏰ Weekend edition 18 - 20 April 2025
Tributes to councillor, Craiglockhart house fire, Pride Bridge u-turn + busy weekend including Biscuit Factory Beverage Festival & Leithienda
☀️ Good morning Edinburgh. Here’s all the local news I could find this Friday morning, followed by the community noticeboard and the weekend guide for paying subscribers.
☀️ The dry weather is expected to continue all weekend, with some sunshine on Saturday and Sunday evenings. The full Met Office forecast is here.
🗳️ Tributes have been paid to ‘warm and kind’ Edinburgh councillor Val Walker, who has passed away suddenly. - Donald Turvill, The Herald.
✈️ The Unite union says it has secured a a 5.8% pay increase for around 350 staff at Edinburgh Airport. - The union published more details here.
💥 A video has been published showing the moment police blew up an unexploded wartime bomb on Portobello Beach on Tuesday. - Jamie Calder, The Edinburgh Tab.
🚔 Police are investigating whether a deliberate fire at a house in Craiglockhart at 2am on Thursday is linked to an ongoing gang feud in the city. - BBC Scotland News.
🚗 Another protest against Elon Musk for ‘destroying democracy around the world’ is planned at the Tesla centre in west Edinburgh. Organisers say: “Tesla Takedown is a peaceful protest movement. We oppose violence, vandalism and destruction of property. Bring a sign and wrap up warm!” - More details via Action Network.
🎓 A ‘radical shift’ in the way Scottish higher education students are funded must be found by Holyrood politicians, according to University of Edinburgh principal Sir Peter Mathieson. - Douglas Fraser & Katy McCloskey, BBC Scotland News.
🏠 More than half of all requests for temporary accommodation in Edinburgh went unmet last month after the council was forced to stop using ‘unsuitable’ hotels and B&Bs to house homeless people. - Donald Turvill, The Herald.
🎭 The new Fringe Society boss Tony Lankester talks to Jane Bradley in The Scotsman about the future of the festival.
🍴 Cutlery designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh has been sold in Edinburgh for £175,200 - nearly six times its estimate. - Lucy Jackson, The National.
🎤 Glenn Campbell has been named as Business Beats Cancer Edinburgh’s 2025 Keynote Speaker. Following his life changing brain cancer diagnosis, journalist and broadcaster Glenn will talk about what he calls the ‘biggest challenge of his life’ at this year’s Business Beats Cancer Edinburgh dinner at Prestonfield House on Thursday 15 May. - Tickets and more details here. Thanks to subscriber and Business Beats Cancer Edinburgh board member Heather Peebles for sharing this.
🍺 Just in time for a sunny-ish bank holiday weekend (Sunday evening looks glorious), the council has done a u-turn and granted permission for Newhaven’s Dreadnought pub to serve drinks on the Pride Bridge.
🚪 Always a good read: There’s a new piece on Tenement Towns, by local historical researcher and storyteller Diarmid Mogg. The latest entry looks at a stair in Blackfriars Street, with some remarkable lives and stories including that of an Egyptian mummy. - Read it on Twitter here or on the Tenement Towns website here.
📌 Edinburgh Minute Community Noticeboard
📌 “Always fancied some property by the Sea, but only got £50 spare? Well, Action Porty has a Community Share Offer open until the 30th April and investing will help Bellfield community centre become a more accessible, eco-friendly building welcoming to all. We need to reach £100k to unlock additional grants, and we're currently at £63k, so if you have £50, £500, £5000, or £15000 (or can share info friends who do) please help!” - Thanks to Action Porty Member Hazel Darwin-Clements for sharing this.
📌 “CinemaAttic is proud to collaborate with the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign to present a short film night. The ticket profits will be split equally between the Amplify Gaza Community Resilience Projects Fund and Plant a Tree in Palestine, two organisations whose work remains more vital than ever in the face of the ongoing genocide. We will also be hosting a raffle to host extra funds, and the event will be accompanied by Colombian street food from Sabor Al Toque.” - Thanks to Cinemaattic for sharing this.
📌 “Post-Natal and Baby yoga classes are back next week at The Yoga Shala Edinburgh. If you are 6 weeks postpartum, we would love to welcome you for practice. 🐥 EVERY THURSDAY, 10am. The Yoga Shala शाला - 21 Trafalgar Street, Edinburgh, EH6 4DF. theyogashalaa@gmail.com - email for more info.” - Thanks to The Yoga Shala for sharing this.
📌 “Welcome to the Vision to Action Workshop! Join us at Leith Makers for an interactive event where you'll learn how to turn your dreams into reality. This in-person workshop will guide you through creating a clear vision for your goals and developing actionable steps to achieve them. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur, a creative soul, or simply looking to make positive changes in your life, this workshop is for you. Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights and practical tools to bring your vision to life. See you there!” - Thanks to Carmen Chalmers - Founder Support The Makers, for sharing this.
📌 “CROFT FUNDRAISING QUIZ - Gather your teammates (teams of 3-5 folk) and head down to the Leith Community Croft on Fri April 25th (7pm for 7:30pm start) for a night of quizzing to support Earth in Common! Catherine will be hosting a fun, engaging quiz that tests your knowledge of food, nature, the environment, as well as a range of other topics, a picture and music round, general knowledge as well as some fun puzzles to try out. There will be alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks and snacks to purchase on the night.” - Thanks to Earth in Common for sharing this.
📌 “Sunday: Join us for a fun-filled day with an egg hunt, face painting, and loads of prizes, perfect for all ages! Plus, if you’re thinking about joining, there’s no joining fee and half off your second month for new members all day long! 🎉 Find us at 3 Lochside Pl, EH12 9DF or call 0131 317 0260 to learn more!” - Thanks to Energize Health and Fitness for sharing this.
📌 “Wild Rose Forest Therapy (Rosie) will be guiding a Forest Bathing Walk at Vogrie Country Park on Saturday 26th of April 10:30-1pm. This carefully crafted experience gives you a chance to soothe, restore and connect deeply to nature. Learn creative nature connection invitations, share with others and taste mindfully with a tea ceremony... "It was a great experience, both relaxing and energising, I wish I'd gone sooner!"” - Thanks to Rosie for sharing this.
📌 “ADHD-Friendly Adults: free, fun meet-up to walk round Arthur's Seat, refresh our brains and bodies and get some fascinating chat on the way! Meet 12 noon at Scottish Water tap to left of Scottish Parliament (leaving 12.20) or join us for coffee in the Snug area at Holyrood 9A from 2pm.” - Thanks to Carol Stobie, Co-Director, Procrastination Station, for sharing this.
📌 “Looking for disability support in Edinburgh and Lothian? Ecas supports physically disabled adults, our new term starts Mon 28 April, and you can try us out for FREE! From Art to Yoga, our friendly and welcoming weekly groups provide an opportunity to learn new skills and meet like-minded people.” - Thanks to Ecas for sharing this.
📌 “Inspired by our display of Artemisia Gentileschi paintings, Assistant Curator of Paintings Dr Amy Parrish will join us to deliver a lunchtime lecture exploring the intricate detailing and dramatic scenes depicted in Italian Baroque artwork. Drama, Dynamism and Detail: Italian Baroque Paintings in the Royal Collection, Thursday 24 April, 13:00-14:00, tickets £6.” - Thanks to the Royal Collection Trust for sharing this.
📌 “Free adult sewing classes at Wester Hailes Library on 24/4 and 29/4 (choose 1) - email Westerhailes.library@edinburgh.gov.uk to sign up! It’s Fashion Revolution Week, so it’s the perfect time to learn to use a sewing machine! We also have weekly, free drop in sessions Mondays 6-7:30 and Thursdays 2-4.” - Thanks to the folks at Wester Hailes Library for sharing this.
📌 “Would you like to learn or practice computer programming in a friendly and supportive environment? codebar Edinburgh offers monthly FREE programming workshops for all levels (including absolute beginners), and the next one is on Tuesday 22nd April, 6-8pm. Join us for a networking session over pizza and drinks, followed by a programming session with an experienced coach.” - Thanks to Kasia Banas for sharing this.
🛝 There’s plenty in this week’s edition of Gayle’s Guide to family-friendly things to do in Edinburgh, including: Grown up family parties, rowing on the canal, a community picnic, Easter bunnies at Jupiter Artland and more…
