The Edinburgh Minute ⏰: Weekend edition 17-19 November 2023
Bus route saved, local shops hide deals in advent calendar, Summerhall skateboard day, Fruitmarket Deep Time festival + a lion in a Leith flat
🍂 Good morning Edinburgh. More people than ever have contributed stories, events and links to this edition. Big thanks! It’s a community effort and I just curate it. To share something in next week’s editions, please reply to this email or comment below. Here’s your weekend Edinburgh Minute, followed by the weekend guide for paying subscribers.
🚎 The Edinburgh Coach Lines number 13 bus route has been saved. Councillors said they were ‘shocked’ by proposals to cut the eastern leg of the service. A late motion at yesterday’s council transport gathered cross-party agreement. Lib Dem councillor Jack Caldwell said: “Fuel inflation's created dilemmas. However lines must be drawn for equitable mobility.”
👀 Eyebrows were raised during the council transport meeting as a street notorious for bad parking was compared to the Gaza Strip. Grant Lidster, chair of Westfield Street Residents group, said: “It’s now turned into a street of hell. It’s like the Gorgie Strip we call it, rather then the Gaza Strip. It’s the Gaza Strip that gets all the headlines – this is a Gorgie Strip and it’s a similar sort of nightmare hitting the news headlines.” Convenor Scott Arthur said it was: ‘not the best comparison to make.’ - More from Donald Turvill, Local Democracy Reporter, on Edinburgh Live.
🚗 As expected, the pavement parking ban was approved at yesterday’s meeting. - BBC Scotland News.
🇵🇸 A group of 16 local councillors have published an open letter calling for ‘immediate ceasefire and an end to the blockade of Gaza to allow urgent and unconditional food, water, fuel and medical supplies to enter the area.’ - You can read the letter on North Edinburgh News.
🏆 Mr Stephen Rafferty from Forrester High School won the Best Teacher award at last night’s Forth Awards in the Usher Hall. - See all the winners on the Radio Forth website.
⚽️ It’s the women’s Edinburgh derby on Saturday as Hibs host Hearts at Easter Road. 5,000 free tickets have already been claimed for the game.
⮑ Hearts head coach Eva Olid says the game is ‘massive,’ while Hibs boss Grant Scott told the Evening News he is wary of Hearts’ threat.
⮑ Free ticket details are on the Capital Cup website.
💇♀️ Edinburgh-based salon group Medusa Hairdressing has launched its winter charity appeal in support of Women’s Aid. “We will be collecting gifts for underprivileged children + young people in the Edinburgh and Midlothian area. If you would like to donate, please find your nearest drop off point in the graphic. Appeal closes December 8th.”
🪧 More typos have been spotted on the new Picardy Place maps.
🦁 Did you know a lion used to live in a Montgomery Street flat? Local historical storyteller Diarmid Mogg shares the story in this wonderful, charming and funny Twitter thread.
🥐 Offers at independent shops around the city are hidden behind the doors of a new advent calendar. Sold by The Pastry Section, it features ‘daily treats’ you can claim at their Leith or Stockbridge shops. There are also gifts from other local businesses including Sabzi, Hobz Bakery, William & Johnson Coffee, Broughton Street Flowers and more. The bakery says: “Worth around £175 in value they are available for £48. There are some simple T&Cs to keep us right but over all super tasty, super fun & super exciting”. It was illustrated by Farah Saffari, designed by Jemma Craig’s Meraki Concept Studio and printed in Portobello. - Take a closer look here.
☕️ A new Starbucks on the corner of Princes Street and Castle Street opens today. - Lee Dalgetty of Edinburgh Live got a preview.
🥤 Local drinks company Quas has launched a new ‘Spiced Quas’ non-alcoholic, probiotic-rich kvass drink. It contains Zanzibar spices and festive flavours. ‘Perfect for health-conscious, cozy winter evenings’. They have a discount on their website until Monday. Thanks to founder Anton for sharing the details.
🎨 Leith-based craft shop Bard has an exhibition on this weekend to celebrate its first birthday. And it’s been featured in none other than Vogue magazine. Learn more about the exhibition here and read the Vogue piece by Liam Hess (with lovely photos by Murray Orr) here.
🎬 Pupils at Drummond Community High School have a leading role in the new film and screen education programme run by Screen Scotland. Award-winning Director Mark Cousins said:
“A new scheme will embed film education in schools? For kids as young as 3? We’ve wanted this for decades because it’s the best way to democratise film, to create new directors, to enrich Scottish visual culture.” - The full story by Phyllis Stephen is in The Edinburgh Reporter.
🏃♂️ Edinburgh Leisure’s Meadowbank Sports Centre is hosting an open day on Sunday where you can try before you buy. - Dave Pickering, North Edinburgh News. Thank you to subscriber Kerry for sharing this link.