The Edinburgh Minute ⏰ Weekend edition 4 - 6 April 2025
Little library joy, wheel falls off plane, no more parking consultations, Granton Gasholder reopens this weekend + Leith Late closes but leaves lasting legacy
☀️ Good morning Edinburgh. Here’s all the local news I could find this Friday morning, followed by the community noticeboard and a short weekend guide.
📚 A cheering story of community spirit to start today’s newsletter. People have restocked a Leith school’s mini library after its books were set on fire. Minute reader Abi shared news yesterday that free library books were pulled out and set on fire in front of St Mary's RC Primary School on Leith Links. In response, local people including the Argonaut Books shop staff and the Scottish Book Trust charity stepped up to refill it. - Thanks to Abi, Elliot and the SBT for sharing the updates below.
🅿️ Residents will no longer be consulted on new parking zones, after councillors voted to save money and change their approach public engagement. - Ian Swanson, Evening News.
⮑ Also from yesterday’s council transport meeting:
- The council will trial a new tactile paving setup in Morningside in hopes of helping sight-impaired pedestrians move around more safely. - Joseph Sullivan, Local Democracy Reporter, Edinburgh Live.
- A win for Leith Green councillor Kayleigh O’Neill who got unanimous support from all parties backing her appeal for carers and companions to be included under the free bus pass scheme. - Joseph Sullivan, Local Democracy Reporter, The Edinburgh Reporter.
- The council will try to make lollipop patrols job ‘more attractive to improve recruitment’. - Ian Swanson, Evening News.
✈️ Flight staff ‘failed to notice’ a wheel falling off a plane during take off at Edinburgh Airport on Halloween. The Aer Lingus plane landed with no problems at Belfast City Airport, but an Air Accidents Investigation Branch report has been making the news. - Here’s BBC Scotland’s coverage and the report itself is here.
🏗️ A Victoria Street shop owner says local traders on the street have been affected by the five-year presence of scaffolding on the hotel building above. John Kay’s Shop owner Andrew McRae said: “All myself (and perhaps other nearby traders) are asking for is considerate treatment.” - Thanks to Minute subscriber Kirsty for sharing this context from LinkedIn.
🛍️ Poundland at Meadowbank Shopping Park will close on Saturday 12 April. - Gary Flockhart, Evening News.
🎨 The Leith Late charity has been closed after 14 years. Its trustees said: “We have made this decision due to a combination of reasons including the extreme challenges around funding for all charities, and especially they arts. We are particularly sad to close the charity before being able to co-ordinate a refresh of the Leith History Mural, as that was the last project we were focused on.” - They reflected on some big wins for local arts over the years in this Instagram post. They decided to use the last of their fund to support The Citadel youth club.
🦛 Edinburgh Zoo has welcomed a third capybara to its growing herd. - Fergus Matheson, STV News.
🚚 Edinburgh-based homelessness charity Cyrenians is on the move after 25 years at its Jane Street depot. Its Fareshare service redistributed two million meals (which otherwise would’ve been binned) in 2023/24. The team supports 170 projects and services but had outgrown their depot so have now found a site five-times larger in Seafield. - More details on their website.
📌 Edinburgh Minute Community Noticeboard
📌 “Granton Waterfront are inviting people to come along for the official opening of the new public park at at Granton Gasholder 1, this Saturday at 11am - 1.30pm! Bring your family, friends and a picnic blanket for a fun day out. There will be community singing, arts&craft, penalty shoot-outs, free ice cream, face painting and exhibition stalls.” - Thanks to Monica Magnussen of Hillside Agency for sharing this.
📌 “Masks - a new exhibition of hand-crafted Venetian masks by maker and model Lorraine Pritchard, complemented by a new documentary film by Franzis Sánchez from this year’s Venice Carnival is at the Scottish Storytelling Centre until 12 May. The exhibition is part of this year's Pomegranates Festival of international traditional dance. Open daily. Admission Free. There is also a selection of masks and books about the Venice Carnival (Carnevale di Venezia) on display at the Edinburgh City Libraries until 30 April.” - Thanks to Pomegranates Festival for sharing this.
📌 FRIDAY: “Join us at St Cecilia's Hall this April for a free, fun Spring-themed family trail! Following the usual route around the museum, see if you can spot all 8 butterflies hiding throughout the galleries and answer each of their music-related questions to win a Spring-themed sticker at the end!” - Thanks to Hannah, Museum Assistant, St Cecilia's Hall: Concert Room & Music Museum, for sharing this.
📌 FRIDAY: “Award-winning Edinburgh poets Tim Craven and Marianne MacRae launch their debut collections from local Blue Diode press with a reading upstairs at The Waverley Bar. ” - Thanks to Amanda for sharing this.
📌 “End of an era. Benny, barber on Grove Street will close after 59 years in business. Benny has cut the hair of many in Edinburgh, well past retirement he continued to work!” - Thanks to Louise Day for sharing this.
📌 “Edinburgh band Dubinski play the Mash House and perform selected songs from their new album. With support from local acts North Orbital and Gateway doors are at 7pm this Saturday the 5th of April.” - Thanks to Dubinski drummer Eoin Gaine for sharing this.
📌 “We’re excited to invite you to the Craigmillar Art Park Event on April 4, 2025, from 1 PM to 4 PM at the park next to Castlebrae Football Pitches to celebrate the launch of works at the "Art Park", a range of artistic and nature projects designed by local children and young people for the open space next to the Castlebrae pitches. This is a free event to bring the community together to enjoy the great outdoors and celebrate the work and achievements of the young people. There will be free food, ice cream and creative activities for all ages to enjoy.” - Thanks to Anna Gaffney of A Place in Childhood for sharing this.
📌 “Join Strongman Collective for a FREE afternoon of experimental life drawing featuring a live movement artist as model. Artists of all skill level welcome. Sunday April 6 from 2pm-3:30pm in the ESHC basement—preregistration required as capacity is limited!” - Thanks to the organisers for sharing this.
📌 “Life Tones will be Stephen Mangan’s third solo exhibition at Morningside Gallery and includes twenty-five new paintings from the award-winning Scottish artist. The exhibition will run in the gallery from Saturday 5 - 26 April, and is open to the public. There is an opportunity to meet the artist in the gallery on Friday 4 April, from 6 - 8pm.” - Thanks to a supporter for sharing this.
📌 “Our regular Makers Market at Portobello Town Hall, with an amazing selection of Scottish based makers exhibiting handmade crafts from art, accessories, ceramics, jewellery, textiles, candles, homeware and much more. With home baking, coffee and plants from Seb's Urban Jungle.” - Thanks to Carmen Chalmers - Founder, for sharing this.