Porty Podcast: Recent Episodes
David Calder
The Porty Podcast is a community project, highlighting events in and around Edinburgh's seaside - Portobello! It's a very active area with sailing, rowing and kayaking on the Forth, a vibrant artistic community and a strong sense of identity which makes it slightly separate from the other parts of Edinburgh. Image credit Nicola Dunlop
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Dementia affects around 90,000 people in Scotland. Across the UK, the total is currently around a million. Those figures however are expected to increase by 50% by 2050. That will put an ever increasing strain on the services which offer day care and other support services. One of those in Portobello is The Cottage in Milton Road, run by Life Care Edinburgh. David Calder went to find out what it provides for those living with dementia.
For more information click here: https://tinyurl.com/5mveehmv
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St Mark’s Episcopal Church in the High Street has received some good news. The National Churches Trust has awarded it a £100,000 grant to help preserve this historic Georgian building. The church first started fund raising about five years ago but that was hit by lockdown and other issues which delayed the whole project. But when David Calder met the Rev Canon Dr Sophia Marriage, Rector of St Mark's, she told him of her delight that things were finally moving forward again.
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Here at The Porty Podcast, we were delighted to learn that a group of primary school children at Towerbank had come top in their age-group in a programme called ‘Academy 9’. The aim was to get schools across Scotland involved in real life science and technology projects - in this case the dualling of the A9 north of Perth. The pupils at Towerbank chose to focus on the environment and sustainability aspects of this major undertaking. David Calder went along to meet the winning team.
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It almost seems hard to believe but Portobello Town Hall has been running – and more important running successfully – for a year now. And it’s five years, almost to the day, when Miss Morag from Lothian Dance Academy found the doors barred when she was getting ready to put on its Annual Show. Thankfully, it did go ahead despite concerns about the state of the building. And within hours a petition had been launched to save the building for the community. It therefore seems appropriate that Morag Phillips, the same Miss Morag but now a trustee of the hall, should come to speak to David Calder about Portobello Town Hall’s successful first year in community control:
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If you were looking at Facebook earlier in the week, you may have seen the lovely photograph of a beaming Morag Donaldson. She’s just been presented with an award recognising all the voluntary work she’s done in Portobello in recent years, most recently in connection with Bellfield. She came in to record an episode of the podcast with David Calder.
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It's the first of June. The longest day is just three weeks away. And on Midsummer's Day, The Portobello Sea Rising Festival will take place. In this episode, Hazel Darwin-Clements from Porty Community Energy has been out on the Prom and Beach, occasionally getting her feet wet not to mention a little chilly in the breeze, to tell us about what we can expect at this event , which includes music, a puppet show and much, much more. The organisers are still crowd funding the event, and you can help by buying one of their t-shirts by following this link. https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/sea-rising-festival-2024
The dark nights of 2020 were enlivened by the brilliant pictures and illustrations people put up for the first Window Wanderland. The event just before Christmas helped us cope with the restrictions of lockdown. This year it’s back but moved to the first weekend of March to remind us all that longer nights and better weather are on their way.
It’s been over six months since the community took over control of Portobello Town Hall. Inside, it’s now strikingly different from what had been before - it now looks quite vibrant and fresh and there’s an air of excitement because of the activity held there. Outside in the grounds that surround the Hall, it’s a different story - and, next weekend, you’ll have the chance to share your views on what should be done.
Belly dancing is synonymous with the Middle East. Some of remember films from the 50s and 60s which feature these exotic looking dancers. However, belly dancing has attracted followers all over the world, not least here in Scotland. Tonight, you can see it in action at Bellfield in the first of seven such events to be held there this year. Called The Rose Hafla, it’s a showcase of Scottish belly dancing.
https://www.rosesunderthemoon.com/
Royalty free music from Smartsound
Album: Across Borders
Track: Belly Dance - Fire
Just over three months ago, Storm Babet caused considerable damage across the East of Scotland. Although Portobello was sheltered from the worst effects of the storm to a certain extent, we still saw large swathes of the beach swept away, groynes left at crooked angles and damage done to the sea wall and Prom. At the time, local Councillor Tim Jones was the nominated spokesman to represent the Council and was shocked by what he saw. Over the past few weeks, officials and others have had time to assess what needs to be done. In this episode, Tim Jones again spoke to David Calder.
What did you do in lockdown? Well, one Porty couple set about starting their own TV show called Moreish TV. At first, it was found on YouTube but its growing popularity meant that it attracted attention not just from up and coming stars from a whole range of different media but from ever more interesting, important and influential streaming platforms. Today, it can be found on Apple TV giving it all the kudos and credibility its founders could have wished for.
Over the past few days, we’ve heard reports that, for instance, Portobello Swim Centre could be earmarked for closure. That was followed a statement from Edinburgh Leisure which insisted there had been misleading media articles regarding venue closures. The very idea that a major Porty facility could be under threat was enough to get many members of the community getting ready to take action. David Calder caught up with June Peebles, the retiring chief executive of Edinburgh Leisure to try and get some clarity about the situation.
It’s just over six months since Tills and Company arrived in Portobello High Street. It’s more than just a second-hand bookshop, but a place where you can meet friends over a coffee or spend time reading or quietly meditating. It’s taken a while to reach the management for an interview to find out more about this business – but in this episode, I finally met up with Joshua McNamara and Amanda Dever.
Panto is back at Portobello Town Hall! Oh no it isn’t! Oh yes it certainly is! The new production of Cinderella is brought to us by Stage Door Entertainment, the same company that produced the highly successful ‘Oliver’ last month. Rehearsals are now under way in the Town Hall itself and the show opens on the 8th of December.
To buy tickets, click here: https://www.stagedoorentertainment.co.uk/
Over the past quarter of a century, a group of men, aged between 65 and 100, have been taking on a labour of love to recreate a unique piece of aviation history – building from scratch a replica of the WW1 fighter, the Sopwith Strutter. Today, it’s the only one of its type flying in the world. The project has been described as a "Men's Shed On Steroids" and has given the members of the group a real sense of purpose. It also provided an opportunity for a young woman to fulfil the dreams of women from a century ago. They had been banned from flying such aircraft. Local journalist Jean West has been involved with the project for a long time and is part of a team looking to make a documentary about it. They have set up a crowd funding campaign but time is running out.
To find out more or contribute, please click here: https://tinyurl.com/38xc7msm
There are several blue or black plaques to famous men in Portobello – from Hugh Miller to William Russell Flint to Harry Lauder. However, there’s only one to a woman – Helen Hopekirk, a talented musician who was born here, emigrated to America and was celebrated in her day as a composer and concert pianist. But surely she was not alone. Last month during the Book Festival, a tour was organised of the places where famous women of our community once lived. The organisers wanted to tell the Herstory of Portobello.
If you want to listen to the lecture and songs click here: https://www.loc.gov/item/2021689569/
Presenter: James Wintle
Singer: Jennifer Wintle
Pianist: Joy Schreier
Picture of Helen Hopekirk
When graffiti appears in Porty, a small band of people from Keep Porty Tidy are on hand to remove it. This small group also carry out gardening in public spaces around our community and well as keeping the benches in the public parks looking fresh and new. In today’s episode, we meet two of them – Colin Cornwall and Chris Cowie.
It was quite a shock to discover just how much sand had been stripped from Porty Beach after Storm Babet had passed through. The damage done was the main topic of conversation at this week’s meeting of Portobello Community Council. There are lots of questions that still have to be answered – exactly how much damage has there been, how will it be fixed, how can we bring back the lost sand and how much will all this cost.
It will soon be Halloween. In the imagination of some, it’s a time of witches, warlocks and things that go bump in the night. For others, it’s a time when children go guising in the streets offering (to use the American expression) tricks or treats. But it’s also the time when a new production starts its tour around Scotland. It’s called Tales from the Witches Sabbath and you can see it at Bellfield next Saturday.
You can buy tickets by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/vkca9zy8
Life is definitely returning to Portobello Town Hall. There’s a fund raising ceilidh at the end of the month. There’s a production of the musical ‘Oliver’ coming early in November, And yes, there will be a panto this year –Cinderella – which will run from the end of November right through to the end of the year. Tickets are available for all three. It’s all bringing reassurance to Portobello Central, the organisation which now runs the Town Hall and which held its AGM at the start of the week.
To buy tickets for the ceilidh, click here: https://stagestubs.com/
For Oliver: https://tinyurl.com/mhvbp4h6
And for Cinderella: https://tinyurl.com/yhv95am9
If you go to the Porty Market in Brighton Park today, look out for a stand selling bottles of a drink called Pochle. It’s the name chosen by the man who’s making Scottish Calvados or cider brandy or eau d vie from our excess apples. Rather than see them go to waste, Chris Miles will collect and store them until he can turn them into apple juice which he then sends off to be fermented and then distilled into a clear, and very strong, spirit. And Pochle? It’s an old Scots word meaning to have something without quite having permission.
https://pochle.co.uk/
For Edinburgh Assassins Kickboxing Club, this has been a year of celebrations. This is their 30th Anniversary – and, for most of that time, they trained at Portobello Town Hall. They had to find new premises when the Hall closed four years ago. They’ve just enjoyed considerable success at the European Championships a few week ago with an impressive medal haul. They’re also hoping to repeat that at the World Championships in Calgary next month.
To support the team going to Canada: https://tinyurl.com/mr4cn7uc
Main team sponsors: Gratebuild; Sprs Garden Rooms; Cafe Piccante; Richard Bonnar RB Electrical; Pro-Tech pest control & environmental services; Ronnie Miller Plastering/Smoothly Covering Edinburgh, Plastering Specialist; SAS Blacksmiths and steel fabricators Ltd; Bruce Clark Decoration.
Worlds Supporting sponsors: Brown Demolitions ltd
Late at night on the 8th of September, a devastating earthquake stuck part of Morocco. Its effects were felt across a large part of the country. While it made the headlines for a few days, it was eclipsed when a flood swept through communities in Libya, killing thousands of people. However, two women from Portobello – Lynn Houmdi and Joanna Weintritt - are determined that those who lost so much in Morocco are not forgotten and are hosting a “fitnessthon” to raise money for them. David Calder caught up with them on Zoom to find out more.
For more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/281792198041481?active_tab=about
To book a session: https://shorturl.at/lUX45
To donate: https://www.justgiving.com/page/fitness-soul-fitnessthon-morocco
Picture credit: alyaoum24 https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=137245648
If you remember the Porty BikeFest from last year, well it’s back. This afternoon, parts of Bath Street and Mentone Avenue will be closed off to cars so that all kinds of interesting two and three wheeled vehicles can be shown off and tried. And it’s also been an exciting week for the Bike Library further along the Prom as its home in a storage container now has a new livery.
The Portobello Book Festival may be next month – but tickets are already going fast. It runs from the 5th to the 8th of October and in total there are 26 talks and discussions to attract your interest… everything from paddleboards to playwriting. Founded in 2008, the festival has established itself as one of the cornerstone events in Portobello’s community life.
https://portobellobookfestival.com/
The Art Walk Porty started yesterday. Under the title of ‘Vessel’, it feels like it has a larger, more ambitious programme than in the past – to get the most from it you need four leaflets. And, as David Calder found out from curator Rosy Naylor, the bounds of this year’s event extend well beyond just Portobello.
On the first Saturday of the month, you may have seen a poster outside St John’s Church in Brighton Place. It reads ‘Pamoja Fashion’ and points you towards the church hall where a market selling clothes, jewellery and other accessories is being held. It’s raising money for a charity which for many years has linked schools in Edinburgh with those in a district of Tanzania. And, as you’ll hear, it all began here in Portobello.
https://twendepamoja.org.uk/
Last week, we heard about the news that the keys to the Town Hall has been passed to the community. But that’s not the only Council asset that’s been handed over recently to a different, smaller, less-well known part of the Portobello community. It’s a fairly small plot of land off Mount Lodge Place which has remained locked and unused...until now. This is the story of how Mount Lodge Green came to be restored to community use.
To follow what's happening there, click here: https://tinyurl.com/46rzd3ec
Portobello Town Hall has been lying empty for almost exactly four years. We’ve reported on the work done by the local community and Portobello Central in particular to bring it back into use. Now, the dream is reality.
https://www.portobellocentral.org/
On Monday morning, a group of cyclists will leave the Cake Stand in Straiton Place Park on what, for one of them, will be an epic journey. Leading them will be Xani Byrne, brother of Alice Byrne, who disappeared on New Year’s Day in 2022. Neither she nor her body were found and the police concluded that she had taken her own life. This trip is all about raising awareness around the country about mental health and suicide and raising funds for related charities.
To donate, click here: https://www.justgiving.com/team/TandemAgainstSuicideUK
For more information on the charities, click here: https://uksobs.org/
And here: https://www.papyrus-uk.org/
For Xani’s Facebook Page, click here: https://tinyurl.com/5ee28zf7
For much of the past three years, activity on the waters off Porty Beach have been relatively quiet. The pandemic and lockdown meant that, for a long time, people couldn't take part in rowing or sailing, for instance. And any regattas, where clubs came together to race, were completely out of the question. But this year, the races are back and today sees the first Portobello Regatta since 2019.
Life for musicians has been tough over the last three years. The Pandemic locked them out of all of the venues they’d played to entertain their audiences. Some of them however saw it as an opportunity, perhaps not at first, to think about their music and to change direction. That’s what happened with the locally based singing partnership, Overton and McCann.
For more info, click this link: https://www.overtonmccann.com/
There seem to be a huge number of videos showing people doing astonishing feats – climbing buildings, running precariously along railings, leaping across streams. It’s all part of a relatively new sport called Parkour. Part of its popularity seems to come from the fact that it’s not a traditional competitive sport. You challenge yourself, not each other. And now it’s coming to a beach near you.
To find out more, click here: https://www.accessparkour.com/
Their email address is: info@accessparkour.com
Cast your minds back to the turn of the year. Five men from Portobello’s Eastern Amateur Rowing Club were thousands of miles away from their families, in the middle of the Atlantic in quite a small rowing boat taking part in the Talisker Atlantic Challenge. It took them 39 days and 8hours but it’s also taken them time to come to terms with the enormity of what they’ve achieved and with life back on dry land. Next weekend, Cal MacAninsh and the others will be taking part in a Q&A at Bellfield Brewery to share some of that experience.
To book tickets, click here: https://tinyurl.com/efvm5ppb
Walk down any street – not just in Portobello – but almost any town in the UK and you’ll see row after row of cars, mostly just sitting there, hardly used. The Western World is obsessed with private car ownership. They’re a status symbol. And yet, cars – and road transport generally – are responsible for a considerable proportion of greenhouse gas emissions. If the country is to meet its climate targets, attitudes are going to have to change. And that’s where car sharing comes in. Because of her work with Porty Community Energy and the creation of a fledgling car sharing group here, Hazel was invited to produce a podcast for the Scottish Climate Change Action Network. We had talked about this as a subject – and, in the spirit of re-use, recycle etc, this is a shorter version of that episode.
Today, the Portobello Timebank marks its 10th Anniversary with a fund-raising event this afternoon in the Baptist Church Hall. They do hold regular such sessions there – but this one is just a little special – as David Calder found out from some of the members:
https://www.portobellotimebank.co.uk/
Portobello has a rich and varied history, dating back about 300 years. And before that, the Figgate Whins were known as the haunt of smugglers and outlaws. So it’s perhaps unsurprising that there are stories of mysterious happenings in parts of the town. But from next week and through the summer, we’ll be able to hear about some of these tales of ghosts and ghouls and things that go bump in the night when the Portobello Ghost Tours get under way. Here’s a little of what you can expect.
To book tickets, click on this link: https://tinyurl.com/3eazxmm2
Portobello and its sense of community is attracting the attention of the academic world. The latest to be looking at us is a fourth year undergraduate who’s studying geography at Edinburgh University. We will be the subject of his final dissertation and at least some of his source material comes from… listening to The Porty Podcast.
You may have seen the posters about what’s happening at the Town Hall. You may have spoken to people about how the building will be used when it becomes a community asset. You may have your own ideas about events you’d like to see – or even put on – there. But right now, the trustees are looking for your practical help in the form of the cash they’ll need to run the Town Hall from Day 1 when they take over the lease from the Council – and that day’s expected to be April 1st!!
To donate click here:
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/portobello-town-hall-crowdfunder
Next Saturday, a group of storytellers from around the country are gathering at Bellfield for an event next Saturday evening entitled “Tales of the Gallus Women”. These “Gallus Women” are those who, in their day, made a significant impact on their communities but whose lives and influence have largely been forgotten. The show has been brought together by Anne Dignan who founded the local storytelling group here in Portobello. David Calder brought some of them together online to find out more.
Tickets on the door or from Eventbrite https://tinyurl.com/27mch2vs
In the last few days, the City of Edinburgh Council has launched a consultation about how to turn Portobello into a 20 minute neighbourhood. Over the next six week, local people will have the chance to express their views on how to make local services – shops, cafes, the local surgery - more accessible by foot, cycle, wheelchair or public transport. It hopes this will help people share their ideas about how to make the town centre and local area better for everyone. David Calder spoke to local councillor Jane Meagher about how it would work.
To complete the consultation, follow this link: https://tinyurl.com/bdhtdayf
This coming Thursday, the Portobello Timebank has arranged a talk at Bellfield to mark to 100th anniversary of the public broadcasting in the UK, which took place at the end of last year. They’ve enlisted the help of Tom Stevenson, a retired professor of Microelectronic Technology at Edinburgh University. His talk - The Story of Early Radio – tells the history of radio from the birth of an idea in the mid-19th century to the creation of the BBC and on to its impact in, for example, the Second World War. Scotland has its place in this story – and its development in its earliest years. David Calder caught up with him to find out more.
Entry by ticket from Eventbrite. Click here to book: https://tinyurl.com/2p8t5fm3
Royalty free music from SmartSound
Classical Suite 5, Chopin - Grande Valse Brilliante
The Portobello Community Hub at Bellfield depends on volunteers. Some of them get involved with single projects, other make a regular long term commitment, or even just offer to help as needed. The tasks they take on vary from being Action Porty Board members, to assisting at events, gardening or helping to maintain the building, etc. To help manage this army of committed individuals, one of the few paid roles is volunteer coordinator. Alison Jeffrey Thom took over this role at the start of this year and as she explained to David Calder, the job feels custom-made for her.
To get in touch, contact Alison@actionporty.com
Portobello is a magic place - quite literally! In Richard Wiseman, we have a magician whose videos on YouTube have spell-bound people from around the world (over 600 million times he says). He’s performed at the Fringe and was a Fringe Festival Director. He’s also fascinated by the history of magic and Portobello’s rich history in this wonderful art. And that’s the story he’ll tell at the next meeting of the Portobello Heritage Trust. But there’s much more to Richard Wiseman than just magic, as David Calder’s been finding out.
https://portobelloheritagetrust.co.uk/forthcoming%20events.htm
A new play for schools is about to start touring over the next couple of months. It’s called ‘Maya and the Whale’ and it stars Hazel Darwin-Clements who also wrote it. The production is part of a programme run by Theatre in Schools Scotland. The organisation works with teachers, education colleagues, local authority arts organisations to develop an education values the enjoyment of the arts. David Calder met up with Hazel to find out more.
For more information about the tour, click here https://tinyurl.com/55ezbae5
Thinking back to the Festive Season, cosmetics appear to have been popular gifts. And soap is one of those products that seems to have to ability to keep on giving throughout the year – or rather, good quality soaps. If you do your shopping in Portobello, you may never have come across a small shop at the eastern end of Joppa Road. Dook produces artisan soaps which it sells all over the world – with one notable exception… the EU.
There will shortly be an unusual dance event in Porty. It’s called the Malecon Matinee and will be held next Sunday afternoon. What’s behind the name? Well, it’s the creation of local people who’ve fallen in love with the music and dance of Cuba – and the Malecon is the main road along the sea front in Havana. But what is different and special about this music and dance? David Calder’s been speaking to two of the organisers.
Music
Son Habana - El Son de Cuba (Royalty Free Music)
Maria - Cuban Music Locally Recorded copyright free
Happy New Year and welcome back to another season of The Porty Podcast.
Have you ever walked along Porty Prom and watched the open-water swimmers on a cold January day braving the freezing air before walking into the cold sea? There’s a bit of madness on New Year’s Day when the ‘Loony Dook’ takes place; but to keep going throughout the month despite most weather conditions takes some determination. One Porty resident has given herself a big incentive – raising money for a cancer charity. Annabel Meikle has set herself the challenge of doing “50 Swims for Maggie’s”!
To donate: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/annabel-meikle3
To read the article mentioned by Annabel, follow this: https://tinyurl.com/4hhnkmrw
https://www.maggies.org/our-centres/maggies-edinburgh/
It may only be the second week of December but the Porty Podcast is taking an extended break until the New Year. However, it’s been an interesting year. Both Hazel Darwin-Clements and David Calder have met lots of interesting people with interesting stories to tell. So we thought we should look back on some of the best bits of the last 12 months. Thanks to everyone who took part and everyone who listened. Have a lovely Christmas and we’ll be back in the New Year.
Today, we meet the last of the four councillors we elected back in May. Conservative Tim Jones mounted a tightly focused campaign here in Portobello. He wanted to see the re-opening of Brunstane Road, the removal of some of the Spaces for People protected cycle lanes, and to stop the introduction of a controlled parking zone. When he spoke to David Calder this week, he stressed these remained important but was also keen to see, for example, improvements to the bus services into town.
In this the third of our interviews with our local councillors, I’ve been speaking to Alys Mumford from the Scottish Green Party. The Greens had a particularly successful election, doubling their numbers from five to ten. All of the councillors I’ve spoken to so far have been deeply concerned about climate change and about the current economic and social crises facing the country and the impact that will have on the City of Edinburgh and the Portobello Craigmillar Ward in particular.
You may have heard that Lothian Dance Academy is under new management. For the last twenty years, Miss Morag – Morag Philips – has been the driving force behind the school. But before that, she had a thriving career, travelling the world in a wide range of shows including ballet and cabaret. However, as David Calder found out when he met Miss Morag yesterday afternoon, the school we know today almost didn’t happen.
As we know, the new council has been in place for almost six months. Three of our elected members are new to the role. So how are they settling into the job? In this second episode, Porty podcast Producer David Calder met Labour’s Jane Meagher
Many homes in Portobello date back to the Victorian or Edwardian eras. Those in the centre of Edinburgh are much, much older than that. They were fit for purpose in those days – but, with climate change a growing issue along with ever increasing energy prices, they are no longer energy efficient. We could either pull them all down and lose all the architectural heritage that makes this city of World Heritage site – or find a way to improve them, to retrofit them, in the jargon. Last weekend, a Retrofit Roadshow was held here in Porty and David Calder went along to find out more.
For more about Porty Community Energy: https://portycommunityenergy.wordpress.com/
The shared repairs app mentioned can be found here https://novoville.com/home/shared-repairs/
The local architects: https://www.affectstudio.co.uk/
https://www.ealaimpacts.co.uk/
There have been posters appearing around Portobello advertising the screening of a film called "Rory's Way" starring Brian Cox. It's the first step in the path towards creating a local community film club here. It's a project which David Calder discovered when he met Monica Birch, a member of the organising group, has been fermenting for some months.
The new council has been in place for almost six months, so how are the new councillors settling into the job. Three of them were elected for the first time back in May and, in this short series between now and the end of the year, we’ll hear from them all. In this first interview, Porty podcast Producer David Calder met Kate Campbell from the SNP.
There's just over a week to go before the crowd fund closes.
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/trudy-me-a-picture-book-celebrating-difference
Physical disabilities can be very frustrating. It can lead to a loss of confidence, to the feeling that your boundaries are much more limited. For those who depend on a wheelchair, many come to think they’ve somehow become less visible; when out with a partner, even friends may address their comments to the partner and not to the person in the chair. However, they have also found that having as assistance dog can be life enhancing. Your pet can be trained to take on many tasks to help with your daily life, even helping you get dressed by bringing clothes from the wardrobe or picking up items you may have dropped. Dog A.I.D. brings people with disabilities, their dogs and trainers together to turn your furry friend into a valuable assistant. The charity is in Scotland looking for local trainers and will be at Bellfield on Monday. David Calder wanted to find out more.
https://dogaid.org.uk/
Scotland’s architectural heritage is well known and respected. The large number of tenements you find all over the Central Belt in particular is an important part of that. But therein lies a problem. Who is responsible for looking after them? Each flat is separately owned. Neighbours nowadays do not always know each other. Some are owner-occupied; others are let. It’s a question that’s exercising the minds of ministers in the Scottish Government. If Scotland’s to meet its climate targets, these building will need to be made suitable for the 21st century – by law if necessary. There’s a Scotland-wide organisation, headquartered in Portobello, which wants to help owners and landlords take action now rather than wait for new laws to be passed. It’s a charity called ‘Under One Roof’.
You can find out more about the charity here: https://underoneroof.scot/
And book your ticket to Mike’s Tribe Talk here: https://tinyurl.com/4ehx7wnv
There’s a beautiful picture book for children called ‘Trudy and Me – a Picture Book Celebrating Difference’. Its heroine is a young girl, Trudy - born with Downs Syndrome, and her relationship with her brother Patrick as they play on the beach at Portobello. The book however is waiting for a crowdfunder campaign, which will come to an end at the end of this month, before it can go to the printer. So, if you follow the link below, you can help make sure it happens.
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/trudy-me-a-picture-book-celebrating-difference
It was fascinating to meet Lisi Angerer, an Austrian student, currently studying in the Netherlands, who has an ambition to write her PhD about Portobello Central.
Today saw an interesting example of inter-community collaboration The Northfield and Willowbrae Community Council hosted an Environment Fair at the Northfield Community Centre. However, a lot of groups from Portobello were quite prominent as podcast producer David Calder found this afternoon.
https://www.northfieldandwillowbrae.org.uk/
https://www.ourfutureedinburgh.org/
https://www.edinburghremakery.org.uk/
https://edinburghtoollibrary.org.uk/
https://www.portobellotimebank.co.uk/
https://portycommunityenergy.wordpress.com/
This week’s episode is a little unusual. During the pandemic, we became used to seeing empty trains passing beneath the railway bridges nearby. Since things have improved, Governments around Europe and rail companies have done their best to persuade us back. Ok, the strikes here haven't exactly helped. But in Germany, the federal Government decided to introduce a cut price fare scheme which meant travelling by rail became very easy indeed. For this episode, David Calder met two intrepid local rail enthusiasts who travelled to Germany to try it out for themselves.
https://www.bahn.com/en/booking-information/db-navigator-app
On Monday evening, a large group of people gathered in the Wash House for the first ever AGM for Porty central, now that it’s formally a charitable organisation – a SCIO, a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation. All going well, it will take over the running or Portobello Town Hall when all of the current works are completed and the scaffolding taken down. The plan is that it will lease the building at a peppercorn rate from the Council and set to work bringing it back to life with many and varied events. David Calder was there for the Porty Podcast.
https://www.portobellocentral.org/
The Portobello Book Festival is back and this year... back to normal. It starts on the 29th of September and runs until the 2nd of October. Almost all of the events this year (with a couple of exceptions) will be held at the library, though, as David Calder found out, there is a curious extra - a literary walking tour around the town!
https://portobellobookfestival.com
You may have noticed the new wine bar on the High Street, intriguingly called Smith and Gertrude. It opened a couple of months ago; and it's an expansion of the business that's been operating successfully in Stockbridge. David Calder wanted to know more and find out how they didn't just survive but thrive through the pandemic.
https://smithandgertrude.com/
Earlier this year, we heard from actor Cal McAninch about the Porty team taking on the Atlantic Challenge. Well, Atlantic Body and Soul have been training hard and tackling longer and longer trips (you may have seen photographs on social media of their week-long expedition around the West Coast of Scotland) in preparation for the event in December. David Calder met two of the crew, Alec Martin and Matt Callis, to find out about their progress.
https://atlanticbodyandsoul.com/
https://www.taliskerwhiskyatlanticchallenge.com/
http://bodyandsoulcharity.org/
https://the-junction.org/
Anna Liebmann is a basketweaver who lives and works in her studio by the sea. She started weaving in her late twenties and is now a member of the Scottish Basketmakers’ Circle. Hazel met her and recorded this episode while Anna wove, talking about growing willow, teaching in lockdown and what 'zone' you're in while weaving.
You can find out more about Anna's work on her website:
www.annaliebmann.net
On Sunday afternoon, hundreds of people gathered in Bellfield Street for the BikeFest. It was an opportunity to look at, ride and talk about all sorts of bicycles, many of them highly unusual. The police were there to help register your bike to deter thieves. There was a swap-shop for bike parts, advice on bike maintenance and a workshop on what might help to make Portobello more bike friendly. David Calder took his bike along to find out more.
June is Pride Month – and this year is special for two reasons. The first is that this is the 50th time there’s been such a celebration of the LGBT+ community. And by far the more important is that this weekend sees the first ever Porty Pride. To find out more, David Calder met two of the organisers.
https://portypride.com/2022/programme/
This afternoon, the people of Portobello (and beyond) will be welcomed to Bellfield for the first Community Forum to hear about what’s going on at the Town Hall. It’s the first chance since 2019 that local people will be able to see the plans for the building and to discuss the plans for its possible future. Work on making the building suitable for use is now expected to start early in July so this is your chance to let the Trustees of Portobello Central hear your thoughts about your hopes and expectations for when it finally opens its door to the public, as David Calder’s been hearing.
A new bar/restaurant will very soon be opening on the High Street. Called Porty Vault, it will be moving into what used to be the Skylark. It’s a major expansion by Vault City Brewing which already is based in Portobello – its brewery is located in the A1 Industrial Estate, just off the Harry Lauder road. But the company is funding this in a slightly unusual way – as David Calder’s been finding out.
And if you want to get involved in crowdfunding Porty Vault, just click here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/portyvault
Climate change is happening. It happens slowly but the pace is accelerating. We know the Greenland ice sheet is melting, as are glaciers from the Himalayas to the Alps and across to the Rockies and Andes. Much of the sea ice in the Arctic melts during the summer and ice shelves in the Antarctic are crumbling. So sea levels are rising. But the change is also causing unheard of heat waves in India and Pakistan as well as droughts in southern Africa and parts of the Americas. It can be so overwhelming that many people choose to shut their eyes and ears. But we really need to have a free and frank discussion about what we all can do as individuals and communities. And that’s where the climate café in Porty comes in. David Calder’s been finding out more.
Spurred on by the Ditching Disposables campaign Alvaro has gone further than other traders to try and create a culture change in how we create so much preventable waste. He's brought in at reusable cups and take away containers with a deposit return scheme and has actually started charging 30p for disposable cups.
Nearly 1.5m people in the UK have macular disease. Every day, some 300 more are diagnosed. At the moment, not enough is known about why the condition occurs and, as yet, there is no cure. It affects people of all ages though mostly affecting those over the age of 55. The Macular Society was set up to support people who suffer from this condition, mainly through local groups like the one in Portobello. But its mission is also fund research until a cure can be found and the disease can be beaten. For the Porty Podcast’s David Calder, while this episode focuses on the local Porty group, he also has a very personal reason for why it affects him.
For more information:
The Portobello Group meets on the second Wednesday of each month between 1pm and 3, upstairs in the library. More details from the contacts and links below.
Macular Society
Tel: 0300 3030 111
Email: help@macularsociety.org
Website: https://www.macularsociety.org
Iona McLean - Regional Manager South East Scotland
iona.mclean@macularsociety.org.uk
Tel: 07517 543 998
Sight Scotland
Tel: 0800 024 8973
Email hello@sightscotland.org.uk or debbie.mcgregor@sightscotland.org.uk
Website: https://sightscotland.org.uk/
The Porty Community Cargo Bike has arrived in town. It’s one of the many projects which come under the banner of Porty Community Energy – there will be more about those later. When she’s not producing episodes of The Porty podcast, Hazel Darwin-Clements works as Project Manager with the local community interest organisation, helping to turn interesting ideas like this into reality. She told David Calder how excited she was about this one coming to fruition.
To book a day for the bike register with portycommunitybike.myturn.com/library/
And here's a link to the facebook event for Bikefest at Bellfield on the 19th June from 11-3 at Bellfield.
This episode is unusual in that it is simply a matter of record. On Tuesday the 26th of April '22, Portobello Community Council invited all of the candidates to take part in an online hustings. All of the questions had been submitted in advance by members of the Portobello and Craigmillar ward. Six the candidates accepted the invitation. They were:
Kate Campbell, SNP
Tim Jones, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Jane Meagher, Labour and Co-operative Party
Alys Mumford, Green Party
Heather Pugh, Labour and Co-operative Party
Simon Clark Shedden, SNP
Those invited but who did not turn up were:
Andrew McDonald, Independent
Jill Reilly, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Ann Todd, Alba Party for independence
The event was chaired by Glenn Innes, Pastor of Portobello Baptist Church
Hazel has made a documentary capturing her personal perspective on the early months of setting up the Porty Community Fridge. She reflects on creating a project that mustn't rely on just one individual to keep it going.
The Porty Community Fridge is open every Saturday from 10.30-11.30 at the Baptist Church on the High Street. They are a subgroup of PEDAL and are supported by Hubbub. We are welcoming new volunteers every week. Please get in touch through the facebook group www.facebook.com/groups/260153819583127
This documentary was originally made for the 1000 Better Stories Podcast created by SCCAN (Scottish Communities Climate Action Network) which you can find here www.scottishcommunitiescan.org.uk/1000-better-stories/
Cover photo by Jon Davey
Portobello has a vibrant arts scene. From painting to photography, silverware to ceramics, design to dance, music, theatre and film, there is so much going on. For many budding artists however, the challenge is not in the creation but finding the audience. The annual Art Walk is a magical experience - but what of the rest of the year? Getting into a gallery can be random and, for some, expensive. And then there's Cahoots. David Calder's been to meet it's founder, Karen Mackay.
https://www.cahootscollective.com/
The council elections are just four weeks away and we now know who the candidates will be here in Portobello. It's almost going to be all change this time, as three of the four serving councillors - Maureen Child, Mary Campbell and Callum Laidlaw - are standing down. So, in this episode, we find out more about some of those who hope to represent us for the next five years.
Applications are now open to become a member of Portobello Central, the charity which will run the Town Hall when it re-opens. Around a hundred people have already signed up and the trustees’ target is one thousand.
Progress on making the building safe to open has been slower than expected. In a previous episode, we heard that work should almost have been completed by now - but hasn’t even started yet. It’s all been very frustrating for the team who've been waiting now for over two years. However, the Business Development Manager, Ursula Pretsch, can see light at the end of this long tunnel.
For more information on how to join, follow this link: https://tinyurl.com/bdbemarv
Did you know that the Tool Library in Portobello has joined forces with an organisation called ‘Music Broth’? It’s a library for musical instruments which was founded in Glasgow about 4 years ago. The idea is simple. If someone wants to learn an instrument, they can borrow one to get a feel for it, and may just help them decide if they want to buy one of their own. David Calder has been finding out more.
www.musicbroth.org
When was the last time you sat down with friends and listened to a story? Have you ever told such a story? Storytelling was once the only way we found out about life, the universe and everything going on around us. Thanks to the work of the Storytelling Centre up in the Royal Mile, the art has been going through something of a revival. But to do it well, you need to practice. So where do you get it? This week, David Calder went along to meet the local storytelling group here in Portobello to find out.
Portobello Library 0131 529 5558
email portobello.library@edinburgh.gov.uk
Hazel takes you on a tour of the Portobello Market on the 5th March 2022. We meet Gino Jabbo to talk about honey. We also speak with Amaury Auvray and Piroska Édes from Planet A about their new kickstarter. Then we tried some Tigerola and learned about tiger nuts. We spoke with Graham Kitchener who has been organising the market with PEDAL since it began, then we stopped off to try some delicious handmade chocolate. As if that wasn't enough we have recorded a limerick by Jim Hurford. Proceeds from his book go to the Trussell Trust. What a busy episode.
www.pedal-porty.org.uk/food/portobello-market/
www.facebook.com/portymarket
"a tree is an acre of flowers in the air when it blossoms" Gina Jabbar
@SimplyHoneyCo
www.planet-a-craft.com
www.kickstarter.com/projects/planet-a/bobop
www.tigerolaroar.com
@tigerolaroar #tigerolaroar
www.facebook.com/Tigerolaroar
www.cocoamania.co.uk
We first met Geoff Crowe, one of the founders of Breadshare, back in 2016 in one of the first episodes of the podcast. This community business was badly affected by the pandemic and has rather changed its focus towards running breadmaking courses and producing the flour - it's now involved in a community mill.
Hazel spoke with Geoff and found he was just as passionate about the subject of real bread. As he explains in the interview: "Smaller and community bakeries need to be supported to supply their communities with all of the bread that they need. We used to do it, for thousands of years."
https://www.youraudiotour.com/tours/862/
http://breadshare.co.uk/
In December of this year, five members of the Eastern Amateur Rowing Club from here in Portobello will head off on the adventure of a lifetime - the Atlantic Challenge, a 3,000 mile trip in a specially-designed rowing boat from the Canaries to Antigua.
It's the brainchild of actor Cal MacAninch who told David Calder about the mountain the team have to climb over the next few months. That team includes Matt Callis, Sean Watters, Ed van der Ven and Alec Martin. Their aim is to raise money for their chosen charity 'Body and Soul' which helps people, young people in particular, who have mental health problems. You can find more information and make a donation by following this link.
https://atlanticbodyandsoul.com/
In this episode insect expert Nathan is looking for love in Porty. Could you be the one? Please get in touch!
We also hear from Maxine and Ian about singing together and from Margaret and Sheila about their surprising love story.
The Porty Community fridge Page is here:
www.facebook.com/groups/260153819583127
Rosie McGlynn, friend of the swans, speaks out for the local birds in the wake of a pollution event on the river Esk. She has been particularly involved with the dramatic tale of Bonnie who was resident in Figgate Park for 20 years before being booted out by a new pair.
Whilst surrounded by swans on the banks of the Esk we hear her story and meet Tanita, one of the cygnets that she adopted.
And if you want to raise money for the SSPCA, click here: https://www.scottishspca.org/support/fundraise
Hazel finds out about the making of a new recipe book called Porty Foodmap, the Traders Stories. We hear from local foodie Jo Turbitt, about how she came up with the idea in the first place and Jennifer Elliot, who is Jo’s partner in crime on this endeavour.
For details on how to get a copy: www.portobellocentral.org
We chat with the man behind the Porty Comedy night, Steven Davidson about how comedy is changing and what makes the People of Porty laugh.
https://www.facebook.com/events/460497948800369
https://portycomedyfeb22.bpt.me/?fbclid=IwAR1VsQstnOfLSv4k8o9zLR0IKPEdJRMcNRX31ujZk_H0yGQOLrz2RvLOw8Y
The Musselborough Flood Protection Action Group organised an event to encourage natural flood defences by digging Christmas Trees into the sand.
In this episode Grant Buchanan, Shona McIntosh, and Roger Crofts discuss the benefit of Nature based solutions to rising sea levels.
Do get in touch with us at theportypodcast@gmail.com
Sound captured at the switching on of the Christmas Lights in Portobello 2021.
Music byShunpike Social Club and Brass Blast.
A community poem and a special 'scoop' by a very young budding detective.
Thanks to Heather, Pete, Emily, Nicky, Graham, Gareth, Martha, Lesley, Clara, miss morag, katie, xana and especially ben for their contribution, and to all of you all for listening. That’s it for this year, have a wonderful Christmas and we’ll see you next year!
From the 1st of June 2022 the Scottish government is banning single use plastic cutlery, plates, straws, stirrers, balloon sticks as well as polystyrene cups and food containers. If you need a plastic straw to eat or drink independently or for medical purposes then you’ll need to go the chemist to get one. But this is about more than plastics, we need to radically rethinking our throwaway society.
The Ditching Disposables project funded by Zero Waste Scotland is focussing on Portobello and Joppa to trial non-disposable alternatives and help businesses prepare for the new legislation. But it's actually
https://www.changeworks.org.uk/projects/ditching-disposables
Hazel speaks to Vidya Sarjoo (and Murray) from Gogo Beats, and from Zero Waste Scotland Miriam Adcock and Isa Kristiansen-Bragg
This week I brought together Alan Hepburn, who is trustee of a rewilding charity called ‘Scotland the Big Picture’ and writes and tweets about rewilding as @Rewild Scotland and High School student Harris Grothey who been doing some research into attitudes towards rewilding. I wanted to have a conversation about what the opportunities are for rewilding in Portobello.
Here’s a good place to find out more about rewilding in Scotland: www.scotlandbigpicture.com
Over the last couple of weekends if you’ve been wandering along Portobello High Street you may have been stopped and asked for your input into the conversations happening as part of Heart Talk Porty. Mia McGregor and Sam Green brought Portobello ‘ The Cube’ a giant box accompanied by graffiti pens which tours all over the place and gives the public an opportunity to write or draw on it what they’d like to see in their community.
www.cubeproject.co.uk
www.facebook.com/Thecubecreative
@Thecubecreative
Also as part of Heart Talk Porty there was a conversation about how Porty see the future of Transport. I spoke with Ellen Grunewald and Brenda Park from Porty Community Energy about how they were getting on.
www.portycommunityenergy.wordpress.com
www.facebook.com/PortyCommunityEnergy
@EnergyPorty
James Lewis from Spokes Porty tells us how this conversation sits in the lobbying that their organisation has been doing for Active Travel.
www.facebook.com/Spokes-Porty-314380299211576
Stephen Hawkins led a discussion about the possibility of pedestrianizing the high street in Portobello.
And finally, I spoke with Lynn Darke who brought Heart Talk a conversation called Building Resilience: How Do we take Care of Ourselves and Each other During Times of Transition and Grief?
Portobello has a fantastic selection of unique and special charity shops. We spoke with staff and volunteers of The Cancer Research shop, the St Columbus Hospice, Live.Care.Give, the Salvation Army and the Marie Curie Shop to find out how they are all different and have their own quirks.
@livecaregive
https://www.facebook.com/livecaregive/
https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/local/charity-shops/portobello
@CRUKPortobello.
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/get-involved/find-a-shop/portobello
Heart Talk are trying to find a way for the People of Portobello to have good quality conversations as a community. I spoke to three of the organising group Eva Schonveld, Jennifer Elliot and Justin Kendrick about what we can expect from the Heart Talk conversations this year.
This episode also features Lynn Houmdi talking about the conversation she’s hosting about the future of work.
More details can be found on the Heart Talk website
http://www.hearttalkporty.land
The Rock Trust are urgently looking for volunteers to support their Nightstop Service which helps young people facing homelessness.
I spoke with Moreen Watson who is the Nightstop Development Officer in this area to find out more about what that would involve.
If you'd be interested in finding out more please contact Moreen: moreen.watson@rocktrust.org
Or look up www.rocktrust.org
Carmen Chalmers, creator of Support the Makers this year has seen a massive surge in makers selling what they have created at their kitchen table. Carmen is a passionate champion for independent makers. She began with the local Christmas maker’s markets in Bellfield, which will still go on this year, but the enterprise has snowballed into an Instagram with thousands of followers and the creation of an online marketplace.
The Makers' Market at Bellfield is on the 5th of December.
The Christmas Workshop at the Skylark is on the 7th of December.
The website is https://supportthemakersuk.com/
support_the_makers on instagram
the dog's instagram is @arlo.thelhasaapso
Oli Furness co-director of Oi Musica chats to Hazel from her office in Tribe Porty about the Let it Grow Project. After releasing the Enough is Enough video last year to mark when COP26 was originally planned they received so much interest that they hope to create a tidal wave of music contributions on the internet over the coming weeks. Listen to find out how you can join in and hear more about the project coming together.
There's music by Karine Polwart, the Soundhouse Choir and Oi Musica, also Luc Mishalle, Jo Zanders and MetX, and a Brass Blast collaboration arranged by young people from lead partner Kinetika Bloco, youth company in residence at London’s Southbank Centre
Photo credit Heather Longwell
oimusica.co.uk
letitgrow.scot
Three members of the Stitches for Survival organising group, Cathy Holman, Jane Lewis and Anne-Marte Bergseng talk about their Craftivism project coming together in the run up to COP 26. The idea (conceived in Jane's garden during lockdown in Portobello) is to create a mile and a half long scarf, made out of stitched and knitted panels.
“if we want our world to be a more beautiful, kind and fair place then shouldn’t our activism be more beautiful, kind and fair.”
Sarah Corbett, How to be a Craftivist
If you’d like to find out more about the project the facebook group is very lively and full of inspiring images of the panels. The project website is www.stitchesforsurvival.earth
This is an episode for coffee lovers and anyone interested in what it means for small business startups and entrepreneurs to have their community behind them. I went to Bellfield to meet Regan Black, who is the brains behind the beans of Kawa coffee. Regan was keen to show me the coffee roaster that he has recently had imported from Italy, and has set up in the kitchen of the community owned buildings at Bellfield.
Find out more at www.u2kawa.com
Portobello beach is a mile long public park and the only public park in Edinburgh in which you are allowed to have a fire. But local firestarter Paul Lambie has been trying to reimagine the way that we do that and has set up a business with his friend Lewis Gourlay creating fire boxes. It’s everything that you need to have a fire on the beach: matches, firestarter, kindling, logs, packed in a box. I found him in a garage near Rosefield park, amid boxes and bits of wood. In this episode he describes how the idea came about and some of the work that's gone in to getting the business to this point.
If you’d like to see what the boxes look like and find out more about the Unco story, the website is www.unco.equipment. Unco equipment
If someone asks you to take them on a walk around your neighbourhood, where would you go? This is what May East is asking from participants in her research in Portobello. I volunteered to get involved and had a very enjoyable walk and talk with May down Fishwives Causeway, then we sat on a bench at the Prom so I could find out a bit more about her study into how cities might be different if they were designed by women.
May is looking for more volunteers, so if you identify as female and would be interested to find out more, you can contact her at m.east@dundee.ac.uk.
"There is a historic urban planning gender gap. And this research intends to bridge that gap."
"I’m triangulating parameters of sense of place, green spaces and active travel... I’m looking at the edges between these topics."
"There would be much more community, about people, liveability, about connectivity, proximity, belonging, beauty. These are some of the key words that are recurrent through the eyes of the women from different neighbourhoods."
In a world where there’s an assumption that endeavours will want to expand and grow, I find it comforting to talk to one of the Porty book festival organisers Joanne Baird about a festival, that despite it’s popularity is proud to be a local festival for the Portobello community. In this episode you’ll also hear from three of the authors featured at this years festival Emma Christie, Lesley Kelley and Grahame Howard.
Emma Christie's debut Crime Thriller, called The Silent Daughter, is partly set in Portobello and has been shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize this year.
Lesley Kelley wrote a series of novels based in Edinburgh during an imagined pandemic. She started writing them long before we lived through a real life pandemic so we hear how the two worlds compare.
Graeme Howard is a local Portobello author and talks about his latest publications Norris Sanction and Coda, Fantaisie and an Intermezzo,.Public Domain Music: Chopin Impromtu Fantasie
https://orangefreesounds.com/chopin-impromptu-fantasie/#google_vignette
Website: http://www.portobellobookfestival.com
Twitter @portybookfest
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PortobelloBookFestival
A new women-only bootcamp has started in Rosefield Park run by Fit and Happy. In this episode the founder and Head Coach of Fit and Happy, Julia McCabe talks about how she’s realising the role these group classes can have in building communities.
Coach Iona Steadman tells us a bit more about what to expect in the class and we hear from group members about what it has meant for them.
Portobello Classes are at 7.30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Rosefield Park. To find out more about the class and to book check out the website here www.fitandhappy.co.uk
Although Parkrun is now a global phenomenon, each one takes on a unique local feel complete with quirks, rituals and characters. Local runners were delighted that the Porty Parkrun has now been able to start up again in Figgate Park. But behind the scenes things aren’t exactly as they were.
I spoke with Ciara Webb who is the event director, and was involved from the outset when it was first established in 2015 after a year and a half of getting it organised.
This episode features runners Ian and Greta McMillan AKA Team Greta, Mark Ballard, Eleanor and Fiona. And Parkrun Volunteers, Laura Prentice and Trisha Brown.
Action Porty, the group of local people who originally came together in 2016 to bring Bellfield into community ownership are planning a large scale community led conversation or more accurately many different conversations that will take place on and around an event on the 9th and 10th October called Heart Talk Porty. The question they are asking is
How do we draw on the resourcefulness of the people living here so that everyone is included in a caring community now and into the future?
Jayne Saywell talks about asking What Is, What If and What next?
There’s a real sense at the meeting that this ‘Patchwork of local blethers’ as they call it would like to include as many people as possible. You can get in touch with Action Porty using the address hearttalkporty@gmail.com.
"I was influenced by the start of the pandemic when I could hear the waves. I'd never heard the waves before over the noise of the traffic" Jayne Saywell
"I thought about the water being teeming with life, rather than swimming out to pick up a polystyrene cup" Jayne Saywell
You know a community project is working well when you can step out temporarily and take a break if you need to, trusting someone else to look after things for a bit. Listen in as David temporarily hands the Porty Podcast over to Hazel for a while, but rest assured - he is only taking a break and will be back on the podcast soon. This is an opportunity to get to know Hazel a little before she comes knocking on the door to get to know you and hear about all the wonderful things happening in Portobello.
Hazel Darwin-Clements is a mother, Porty Parkrun runner, wild swimmer, book lover, foodie and e-cargo Trike rider. She's been listening to Porty Podcast for a while and really hopes no to mess it up! Hazel's other podcasts include Small Small Rainbows (quirky, original 5 minute stories for families) People to People (10 part series about the relationship between Scotland and Malawi) and CliMates (100 conversations about Climate Change.)
You may have noticed the new mural at the Toddler Hut on the Prom – or seen some of the photographs posted online. It’s a striking, colourful and beautiful piece of what’s known as ‘graffiti art’. It was sponsored by ‘Keep Porty Tidy’ and features ‘Lawrence the Lobster’ (a grown-up version of Larry) and other aspects of life in the waters just off our coast. The artist is Dallas Henderson-Smith who joined Porty Podcast Producer David Calder on the sea wall just opposite the Hut.
Facebook and Instagram @dullartist24 (Twitter coming soon)
Website under development
When the Oscar’s Group opened its new gelateria on Brighton Place yesterday, it confirmed the company as the largest employer in Portobello – and it has ambitious expansion plans with two more businesses due to open here later this year, plus one in Stockbridge. It’s been making and selling its gelato for some time now, both from the caravan on the Prom and from St Andrews Fish Bar on the High Street. But owner Harem Murdochy wanted to have a special place in the centre of town.
The past year has seen a great increase in the number of people looking for a cat or dog to help them cope through the lockdown. One problem that many have found has been where to find one. Organisations such as the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home had to stop their rehoming service; they have only recently restarted. They have however been able to help in other ways, such as greatly expanding their ‘Paws’ Pantry’, a pet food bank. Like the rest of the country, they are looking forward to being able to open their doors once again – but are also concerned that they may face a flood of animals once their owners go back to work and either can’t properly look after their new pets or find that their dog or cat is troubled by the loss of constant companionship.
https://edch.org.uk/
There’s been quite a lot of discussion over the past few months about the introduction of “20 minute neighbourhoods”. In her regular community updates, Cllr Maureen Child has talked about the way Portobello could perhaps lead the way in Edinburgh as most of the conditions have been met. However, Porty Podcast producer David Calder has found that many people locally have little grasp of the concept in reality. What will it mean for them? Well, the Council has just appointed Daisy Narayanan to lead a group which will start to turn the idea into practice.
Today sees the start of the Edinburgh Science Festival – and Portobello has its part to play in the form of a photographic exhibition installed on ten scaffold frames on the Prom. It’s entitled ‘Human Nature’ but the theme is very much about the impact – good as well as bad – we are having on the planet. It first appeared a few days ago and has attracted a lot of attention locally, though Festival organisers fully expect the exhibition to draw visitors down from the city to view it. Porty Podcast Producer David Calder has been to take a long look.
https://www.sciencefestival.co.uk/
Portobello Library opens its door once again on Monday – but it will be a very different service from that which people were used to before the lockdown. We won’t just be able to turn up but, like so many other services, will have to book a specific time-slot in order to pick up or return a book, get a new bus pass or use one of the three computers – there had previously been six. It will be less family-friendly as there won’t be a play area any more (at least for the time being).
What is obvious when you first walk into the building is how much effort the staff have put into making it safe, following all the guidelines laid down by the Scottish Government. Earlier this week, Porty podcast Producer David Calder visited the library and asked manager Paul Hudson what people could expect from the moment they came in through the door.
To book a slot, click here: https://bit.ly/3xtBxaG or call 529 5558
Opening Hours: Monday and Wednesday 1pm to 5pm
Tuesday and Thursday 10am to 5pm
Friday and Saturday 10am to 2pm
https://www.facebook.com/PortobelloLibrary/
The Friends of the Prom was formally set up three years ago as a charity. Its objectives include the organisation of recreational activities on the Prom, helping to promote the arts, heritage, and culture present on the Prom and working to improve and protect the environment of the Promenade itself, the beach and the waters of the Forth. Understandably, its activities have been fairly quiet over the last 15 months; however, it held its AGM by Zoom on Thursday evening to take a look forward, to how it might work as restrictions are eased.
https://www.facebook.com/friendsofportyprom/
https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/keep.porty.tidy/
https://www.artwalkporty.co.uk/
https://pskc.org.uk/
https://www.beachwheelchairs.org/portobello
https://www.facebook.com/EDINBURGHBEACHVC/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/wildonesedinburgh/
https://www.facebook.com/walktheforth/
Scotland has a new astronomer Royal, the first woman to be so honoured. It’s an honorary title but it carries immense weight and influence, and Professor Catherine Heymans is determined to use it to bring science to the masses, to inspire young people and to foster a better understanding of our place in the universe. Education is a key part of the Astronomer Royal’s work as we’ll hear in this week’s episode.
https://www.roe.ac.uk/
Like so much else, Portobello’s Community Hub at Bellfield has been closed throughout the pandemic. The governing body that manages the building, Action Porty, has not been idle through this time. Work has been carried out to improve the building, they’ve invested in the equipment needed to re-open safely and they’ve been thinking about the future – not just the next few months but the next few years – and that’s involved thinking out changes in Action Porty’s role as we move forward. All of these were discussed at the AGM which was held by Zoom on Monday.
https://www.bellfield.scot/
How did you spend your lockdown? Some people helped others in the community. Some turned to reading or writing – writing the limericks we heard about a few weeks ago for example. Some chose to take a hobby or an enthusiasm and turn it into a business. We’ll be hearing from some of them over the coming weeks. We’ll start with Caitlin Knox who turned her passion for baking into a small firm that’s gone from selling locally to sending out her ‘Cookies from Caity’ by mail order.
https://www.facebook.com/cookiesfromcaity
https://www.instagram.com/cookiesfromcaity/
Portobello Town Hall is now OUR Town Hall. On Thursday afternoon, the City of Edinburgh Council accepted the proposal put forward by Porty Central, the action group that’s been working hard to ensure that we got to this position. So now, the hard work really begins. In the Council’s own estimate, the building will need £1m over the next three years for it to be fully refurbished. But the team believe this is achievable and that there is a viable business to be created here in the future. In this episode, let’s find out more about their plans.
The pandemic has forced us all to rethink the way we work. Do we really need to be in an office from 9-to-5, 7 days a week? Do we really need a work culture where the first to leave at the end of the day is somehow not committed enough to the organisation? Over the last year, we have discovered that it is possible to work from home. Many of us have embraced Zoom, Microsoft Teams and other online services through which to hold meetings. It has made it all too clear that people don’t always have to spend time travelling to many meetings; it has made us much more selective about which of them really do need to be face-to-face. And it has made us think about how best to improve our work-life balance, which is something Porty resident Lynn Houmdi is focused on through her programme called ‘Making Work Work!’.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/flexibleworkingscotland
https://www.facebook.com/Making-Work-Work-730665523637846
To contact Lynn on Twitter @talentloom
Keep Porty Tidy has appeared in various guises. A couple of years ago for instance, Larry the Lobster was on patrol along the beach and prom. This month however has seen the campaign take a massive step up with the arrival of an army of volunteers, armed with litter picking tools, all ready to clear up what is, frankly, the mess that some people leave behind. And this time, it’s properly funded with a significant investment from the Oscars Group, which owns several premises on the Prom. And it’s already having an impact.
To join Keep Porty Tidy, click here https://tinyurl.com/cnsfumxa
On Thursday this week, there was an online conference and workshop run by Porty Community Energy, which brought together experts in the field along with some of those who practice what they preach. The theme was Low Carbon Transport in Portobello and the idea was not just to look at what was happening here but also to learn from others by looking at what they have been doing elsewhere around the country. While there were some alarming statistics about where our carbon emissions are coming from, there were also optimistic signs that there are effective solutions out there.
https://portycommunityenergy.wordpress.com/
https://m.facebook.com/Spokes-Porty-314380299211576/
https://ww.greenerkirkcaldy.org.uk/
https://www.co-wheels.org.uk/
You may have noticed in the media that the Portobello Sailing and Kayaking Club has been awarded £75,000 by Sports Scotland to build what they’re called a new water sports hub. But that money depends on the club being able to themselves raise at least that sum before the project can move forward. So this weekend, the first in a series of fund raising activities are taking place as part of the Kilt Walk, culminating in “Pedal to Paddle” a 26 mile cycle ride tomorrow. So what does all this mean for members of the club?
To help the fund raising: https://virtual.thekiltwalk.co.uk/teams/PSKCKiltcyclistsPedaltoPaddle
Catherine Scott’s own fund raising page: https://tinyurl.com/fafar927
For information on the Sailing and Kayaking part of the club: https://pskc.org.uk/
And for Row Porty: https://rowporty.org.uk/
There’s an intriguing book currently doing the rounds in Porty under the catchy title of “Life and other distractions in and around Portobello past and present”. But what makes it really different and thoroughly readable (in a dip into way) is that it’s presented in 200 limericks written and privately published by local resident Jim Hurford. He’s also persuaded 18 (mostly local) artists to illustrate the book. Porty Podcast Producer, David Calder met up with him to find out more – as well as hearing from two of the artists, Claire MacDonald and Jan Coventry.
For more information or to buy the book, contact Jim at jimporty@gmail.com
Claire MacDonald’s website: http://www.macavaggios.co.uk/index.html
And her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/macavaggios/
Jan Coventry’s website: https://coventrywaugh.weebly.com/
It’s been long awaited. People have been talking about its imminent arrival. But this week, Civerinos Porty Slice will finally open to the public from its premises on the Prom. When the weather finally improves, people will be able to hire a deckchair and sit on the Prom or the beach enjoying their slice of pizza – or take a whole 20 inch pizza home. As we’ll be hearing, Civerinos as a brand will be expending elsewhere in the UK – but for its founder, Porty Slice has been a dream for quite a while.
http://www.civerinos.com/
https://www.facebook.com/CiverinosSlice/
Royalty Free Music from SmartSound
Track – Napoli by Matt Hirt from the Album Across Borders
With schools now back and some relaxation in the rules we’ve all lived under for the past year, it’s good to hear about a new business being set up to encourage children to get out into the open air and learn new sports – and perhaps a new language as well. “Sport and Spanish” will start holding classes outdoors here in Portobello as well as The Meadows and Inverleith Park. It’s the brainchild of three Spaniards, all of whom have qualifications in sports science and sports coaching. One of the founders is Isma Perez who is based here in Porty.
https://www.sportsandspanish.co.uk/
The past year has been hard for so many people and businesses. We have become used to working from home, online meetings on Zoom, Microsoft Teams or one of the other online services, as well as home schooling and not being able to travel far for work of leisure. The Chancellor offered some help through the furlough scheme – but it didn’t apply to everyone, such as the self-employed, artists and musicians. Portobello has a large community of artists and they have struggled because the galleries are closed. Porty Podcast Producer David Calder spoke to one of them, Jenny Martin.
Jenny's Instagram Site: https://www.instagram.com/jennymartinart/
Jenny's Website: https://jennymartinartist.co.uk/
When David Calder set up the Porty Podcast back in 2016, he never thought it would last much beyond Christmas, much less 200 episodes four and a half years later. The thing about Portobello is that it has a strong community spirit with a lot of quite strong-minded and determined people wanting to make things happen and to make things better for the community. So in this episode, David looks back through the previous 199 – and starts by reminding us about why the podcast came about in the first place.
This past week has been rather a difficult one. One of the key messages from all of the medical staff over the past three-and-a-half years has been: be careful how you manage your energy. This has been all too obvious over the last few days, especially after the Co-Vid vaccine last weekend. The previous week had been quite stressful. And so, waking up on Sunday and Monday in particular hardly able to move was definitely a warning shot across the bows, so to speak. All I’ve been able to manage has been having a look for interesting stories from Porty and, last night, writing them up. Here’s the result.
For the latest information about the Town Hall, click here: https://bit.ly/37tELAn
To take part in the consultation, click here: https://bit.ly/3k3VE9L
Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. But if you’re looking for love or romance, trying to do so during a pandemic is a major problem. That’s the theme that Porty Playwright Claire Wood took for her latest online production, Love Roulette, which opens tonight on Zoom in a show that’s free but ticketed. What she’s created is a television game show, one where the audience decides on which of the characters finds love – and that in itself presents of whole series of challenges.
To book tickets, click here: https://bit.ly/3aXt2eg
It’s Friday the 12th of February. Welcome to Porty News.
In case you didn’t know, today is the Chinese New Year (Happy New Year or shin nee-an kwai le with apologies for the pronunciation) and this is the year of the ox. It’s a celebration we’ve been invited to share many times in the past. However, we were rather disturbed to learn that the Police here in Scotland have been increasingly concerned about an increase in anti-Chinese sentiment - and harassment in various forms, so much so that they’ve made a video for the Chinese community here giving advice on, not just reporting any abuse, but also taking steps to protect any Chinese businesses which usually close for an extended period at this time of year. We feel really sad they’ve felt the need to do so!
A final thought about the weather – as the Met Office tells us it’s going to start getting warner within the next few days. It was very cold and frosty again last night – and there are a couple of things you need to remember if going out in your car. Yesterday, we found that our own car was covered in ice and snow which meant clearing all of that from not just the windscreen but the bonnet and roof as well (it’s a legal requirement) as is making sure your windscreen is clear so you can see cyclists and pedestrians. Police Scotland have stopped local drivers and reported them with dangerous driving just because they hadn’t made sure they could see out of the car’s windows!
Finally, it’s Valentine’s Day this weekend and, to mark the occasion, the Porty Playwright, Claire Wood, has come with up a seasonal online play. Her company, Production Lines, will bring you Love Roulette, the story of a gameshow where you get to choose who lives happily ever after. We’ll be hearing more about it on tomorrow’s Porty Podcast, but let’s end today’s bulletin with a word from one of the characters Dion, the nation's favourite host (according to him):
Hmmm. The play Roulette is free but ticketed which you can get from Eventbrite; a link is in the transcript as usual https://bit.ly/3aXt2eg
That’s it from me for today. Have a lovely weekend!
It’s Thursday the 11th of February. Welcome to Porty News from the Porty Podcast.
Firstly, thanks to local MP Tommy Sheppard for pointing out the call by Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) for the £20 a week uplift in Universal Credit to be made permanent. In its latest briefing document, it describes the extra £20 a week, introduced at the start of the pandemic, as vital in improving the adequacy of the payment. It points out that, if the extra cash is removed, the value of the Allowance will drop by as much as a quarter, just when people need this money the most. In fact, they point out that removing that £20 would leave the Standard Allowance worth less in real terms now than it did when first introduced 8 years ago. People affected can get more information and help from the local CAB in Bath Street.
I’m not sure how many of you have spotted that ‘Living Streets’ is running quite an interesting photographic competition. It started on Twitter and Instagram (#WalkingFromHome) but, as they put it, they’ve have decided to get serious. So between now and the end of March, if you post your photos on the theme of the week, you could win a £25 shopping voucher. It’s important that you tag both #Living Streets and #WalkingFromHome with your entry in your post. The themes of the week are all colours – so last week’s was red, the current one is orange, the next after that will be Yellow, and so on. The competition will run from Monday to Sunday and all entries must be posted as specified by midnight of the Sunday. There’s a link as usual in the transcript of this bulletin. https://bit.ly/2Z3E2RH
There’s an appeal from BBN Portobello, the local netball team, for us all to get behind the sport – if not by playing then at least by watching on television (which, at the moment, means Sky Sports) or by streaming on YouTube. And the reason they’re so keen to show us their sport? It’s the return of the Vitality Netball Superleague whose 2021 season starts this Friday. The first match pits Celtic Dragons (a Welsh netball team based in Cardiff) against Leeds Rhinos – and all of the matches will be broadcast or streamed live. There are details on BBN Portobello’s Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/BBNPortobello
Finally back to the weather – that was quite come d ump of snow we had – but one thing that continues to amaze me is the resilience of our open-water swimmers. Not only was it snowing yesterday (well, at least for part of the day) but the swimmers braved not just the snow-covered beach but also really large breakers to enjoy their daily dip in the sea. I get cold just thinking about it!
That’s it for today – more tomorrow.
It’s Wednesday the tenth of February. Welcome to today’s bulletin from Porty News.
And thanks to several people who’ve drawn attention to the news that we will soon have a cycle path (albeit temporary) from Portobello all the way to Musselburgh. The City of Edinburgh Council had taken soundings from local people who liked the idea – but it would have to stop at the East Lothian border as all of that local authority’s funding had already been committed. But the Council there accepted that a cycle path that stopped at the county boundary just didn’t make sense – so they made an application for additional funds to Sustrans which was successful.
There seems to be growing interest in organisations changing their status. We’ve heard about Porty Central changing from a limited company to a body with charitable status - a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation. Now, it seems, the Jack Kane Centre across in Craigmillar is doing something similar. At the moment, it’s an unincorporated charity but it wants to get the protection of being a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO). Its officers have already held meetings with the Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council to find out the implications. Their next step is to work out a timetable for how to make progress with hopefully a result within weeks.
I keep hearing about the way the lockdown – and in particular the closed schools – have placed considerable emotional stresses on families, sometimes to breaking point. There is help available through what are known as Family Connection Centres. They’re safe friendly places that help children and young people as well as parents and other family members learn how to cope with new family circumstances. The chief executive of the umbrella organisation, Ruth Campbell, is a member of Grow Porty and recently asked the help of other members to donate indoor plants to brighten up the charity's parent room and playroom. Now that’s something that’s worth supporting.
Finally, the beast from the east has turned even the beach white – and people have taken to doing fun things in the snow. There’s been sledging at Joppa Quarry, building snowmen at various places and, our favourite, a snow circle on the beach by the inimitable Paul McPail - and thanks to Gyselle Dye and Rich Howells for the excellent pictures. And people have also been taking photographs and videos of the snow-covered golf courses and parks and expressing the hope that the the snowy conditions remain for a few days longer.
Take care in the snow. More tomorrow (all going well)
It’s Tuesday the 9th of February. Welcome to this edition of Porty News.
It seems that the Spaces for People scheme is now causing issues in Duddingston - in particular, the plans for Duddingston Road. The team running the project met up with the 4 local councillors and agreed to organise a residents’ meeting to discuss the concerns some residents have. Some of these include the idea that the scheme doesn’t really make sense here as it’s not part of a bigger network and cyclists don’t use the road much; that local residents can’t park in front of their house anymore, in particular blue badge holders especially as their driveways are too narrow to get in or out of their car from a wheelchair; that there’s more speeding on the road; and a number of other issues. The meeting will be held via Microsoft Teams tomorrow evening at 7pm. Those affected should have received an email which included the relevant meeting link.
Mid and East Lothian Chamber is based right next to the campus of Edinburgh College on Milton Road. It’s been drawing members attention to something called the Scottish Marine & Outdoor Tourism Restart Fund (catchy title) which was set up to support the marine, boating and outdoor adventure sectors, all of which have been significantly affected by the pandemic and are faced with seasonal re-commissioning and re-start costs ahead of the coming season. The fund is worth £2.5 million and was developed with Wild Scotland and Sail Scotland. It’s being delivered by VisitScotland on behalf of the Scottish Government. The only problem is that I have only just heard about this and applications are only open until 5pm tonight – so I would hope that those involved in the sector will already have heard about it! There’s a link in the transcript as usual. (Pic: ©PSKC)
https://bit.ly/2LvNUAB
Some of you may have noticed in Cllr Maureen Child’s latest update a reference to ‘20 minute neighbourhoods’. She points out that the concept is behind the development of space planning for the future of cities like Edinburgh – and that we have the makings of this in Portobello already. So what are ‘20 minute neighbourhoods’? Well, according to the document she refers us to (again the full version can be found by following the link in the transcript) the aim is “to actively work towards all places becoming more connected and people living more locally in order to support everybody’s choices to enable wellbeing for our people and our planet.”
https://bit.ly/2Nb1t9a
Finally, I have seen a lot of comment online about the number of people in Portobello, myself included, who have received their appointments for the Co-Vid jag… at the Royal Highland Centre in Ingliston. We’ve heard of people who don’t drive being sent there – and those with serious mobility issues – and OK, Handicabs, as we heard on Thursday, are offering a free service to get people there. But we remain puzzled at why others, those over 70 it seems, are getting their injections nearby at the drive-through at Queen Margaret University. I’m just shy of 70 – so why do folk like me have to make a 25 mile round trip instead of going locally – which would have be how it would work in a ‘20 minute neighbourhood’, wouldn’t it?!
Anyway, rant over. More tomorrow.
It’s Monday the 8th of February and welcome to the 7th edition of Porty News from the Porty Podcast. I’m David Calder
Art Walk Porty has ambitions to involve more communities than just Portobello, though we’ll remain very much at its heart. One example of this is called ‘Line Walk Mindful Drawing’ which is part of an ongoing residency in Craigmillar and surrounding area. Led by the artist, Jonathan Baxter, and running throughout this year, it involves a monthly walk through Little France Park. The original plan was to hold the walks on the first Saturday of each month but, after lockdown, they have now been adapted to cope with social distancing regulations. Although the aim is to get outside, those who are housebound or restricted by travel can still enjoy the experience by looking at the photographs and reading the reflections posted on its Facebook Page. One example of this was written by Jenny Glover, who wrote about her perspective of the walk held last month. What intrigued me was her comment that “Mindful walking is slow and silent. Instead of just marching along, casting an occasional glance at the Castle or checking that you're not walking on an iced up puddle, mindful walking allows people to actually listen to the sounds of nature, look at the plants, smell, taste and not just walk along, noticing nothing much.” You can read her full description from the 3rd of January on that Facebook Page.
The walks are free, the route is fully wheel chair accessible, and no drawing expertise needed but you do need to book. There are links to Art Walk Porty and the relevant page of the booking site Eventbrite in the transcript of this bulletin.
Art Walk Porty: http://www.artwalkporty.co.uk/
Project Page: https://www.facebook.com/linewalkmindfuldrawing
Eventbright: https://bit.ly/2OfbhPT
It’s now the second week in February and that marks the mid-term break for local schools. And Portobello High School for example has applauded its young people for the way they have coped over the past 5 weeks of online learning! The school praises them for their resilience, diligence and resourcefulness in the way they have adapted to the current situation. As they point out, they would MUCH rather be together in person but it had been great to connect with the young learners online! The school staff hope that all can enjoy the short break!
A couple of light hearted items. We mentioned how Portobello Rugby Club were planning to follow Scotland at Twickenham at the weekend – wasn’t that a great match? But I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at the video produced by BT called the Scottish Hype Train which featured past Porty Captain Chris Thomas and his daughters. Again you can find the link in the transcript.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1357798997319184385
And finally, it was lovely to see the photographs people have taken of the otter in the Figgate Burn over the past few days – and also those of the young seal which had come ashore on Porty beach. Some passers-by had worried about it but the SSPCA told them it would be fine – and indeed, it quickly scampered back into the sea.
That’s it for today. More tomorrow
Portobello Singer-songwriter Rosie Nimmo’s fourth album, “Where Time Suspends”, has just been released. Produced by Marc Pilley (ex-Hobotalk, and now Arksong) , its ten tracks have been a long time in the making – and the lockdown didn’t help though the internet has brought together several different musicians to produce a beautiful, polished sound. They include local artists Mairi Campbell on viola, Debbie Nimmo on backing vocals, Graham Smith on guitar and Tommy Nimmo on bass guitar.
Over the past week, it’s been “Album of the Week” for Scotland-on-Sunday and several BBC radio stations around the country have played individual tracks. And as Rosie explained to Porty Podcast producer David Calder, it’s very much an album for our time.
Rosie's Website: https://www.rosienimmo.com/
Bandcamp page: https://rosienimmo.bandcamp.com/
Album Review: tinyurl.com/6ufwfd9b
It’s Friday the 5th of February. Welcome to the 6th bulletin from Porty News
You may have seen the posts from Portobello Community Council (PCC) about the two “expressions of interest” in Portobello Town Hall. As we’ve reported before, one of these comes from a community group (Portobello Central) and another from a ballet school (Peter Schaufuss). Both groups have now submitted outline proposals to be considered by the city council’s Finance & Resources Committee in March. However, before then the Community Council would like feedback on both of these two options. You can find links to both proposals in the transcript of this bulletin, as well as a link to the Community Council’s page where you can make your comments. However, the PCC suggests that you might want to delay responding until after the 14th of February. That’s the date when both organisations should have responded to the collated questions asked by you, The Porty Public. The Community Council says it will update the information on their website and link to the responses when they get them.
Portobello Central https://bit.ly/39vsxIW
Peter Schaufuss proposal: https://bit.ly/3r3axLE
PCC Comments: https://bit.ly/2YNq8Tq
The Portobello Farmers’ Market will take place in Brighton Park tomorrow from 9:30 to 1:30. 15 traders will be there but, in keeping with current restrictions, only stalls selling food retail and takeaway coffee will be available. I think some people were disappointed when there wasn’t any apple juice available for the online wassail last weekend – but you will be able to buy some of it at the market. The organisers insist that all the safety measures will be in in place, with sanitising stations at the entrances and the stalls set back from the edge of the pavement to make social distancing easier. By contrast, we noticed recently that the Little Green Van had decided not to open up again on the Prom
We were reminded by Portobello Rugby Club that Scotland play England on the first day of this year’s Six Nations. Understandably, the club is disappointed that they can’t be in the stands at Twickenham or, (at least) be cheering on the team with a beer up at the club. However, that official line remains stay at home, avoid crowded places & only undertake essential trips. But, as they make clear, here’s hoping Scotland go one better than our last visit there!
And tomorrow will see local singer-songwriter Rosie Nimmo feature in the latest full episode of the Porty Podcast. Rosie released her latest album, Where Time Suspends, today which you can buy through her website or through a service called BandCamp. It’s already been album of the week in Scotland On Sunday and various parts of BBC radio have already featured some of the tracks…like this, Keyboard Warriors.
Rosie's Website: https://www.rosienimmo.com/
Bandcamp page: https://rosienimmo.bandcamp.com/
Album Review: tinyurl.com/6ufwfd9b
That’s it for this week. Thanks for listening
It’s Thursday the 4th of February. Welcome to the fifth bulletin from Porty News
We were delighted to read that Handicabs are offering FREE transport for people with mobility issues who’ve an appointment to get their vaccine. This applies to anyone who has difficulty getting out and about due to age, disability or heath issues. Usually to use Handicabs, you need to be registered with the charity but that won’t apply if you’re going to get your jag. Booking is essential and is subject to availability so they recommend calling 447 9949 as soon as you get your appointment. However, when you do make the booking, you’ll be asked about how you’re feeling; whether you’ve any of the symptoms associated with Covid-19 (high temperature, a continuous cough or if you’ve noticed any change in taste and smell) and finally if you’re self-isolating. If you answer yes to any of these questions, I’m afraid you’ll be refused.
If you’re involved with a community or third-sector (ie – charity) group, you’ve got two weeks to apply for one of this year’s Portobello and Craigmillar Community Grants. The fund is worth over £22,000 and groups can apply for grants of up to £2,500. This will enable local communities to (for example) start–up new projects, buy a new piece of equipment or raise awareness of the group’s activities. The aim is to fund small scale projects that the enhance quality of life and complement other improvements in the area. You need to get your application in by noon on Friday 19th of February and the funding panel hope to make a decision early in March. You can get in touch by using the email address in the transcript of this bulletin communitygrantfundpcnn@ea.edin.sch.uk
I’ve only just realised, thanks to a post from Portobello High School, that it Children’s’ Mental Health Week. During the week, youngsters have been encouraged for example to "Be Active". It’s perhaps easier for them to get out and about than other city schools as Porty is surrounded by lots of beauty spots, but, if they can't get outside, then the school has links to a variety of fitness options. The young folk are also being asked to "Give to Others" as a way of creating connections with other people, something the school reminds us that can be incredibly rewarding
Finally today, some excellent news from Portobello Library – well, it’s sharing the glory with Edinburgh Libraries which has won an award from Press Reader. As they point out, it’s all thanks to “our lovely library users who have read more newspapers & mags on Press Reader than any other library service this year”. If you don’t know about the service, they helpfully provide a link (which again you’ll find in the transcript) – and to log in, you’ll need to have a library card and a PIN.
https://yourlibrary.edinburgh.gov.uk/web/arena/pressreader
That’s it for today. More tomorrow
It’s Wednesday the 3rd of February and this is the fourth bulletin from Porty News
First, a couple of pieces of information from the City of Edinburgh Council! The first has to do with the brown bins we use for garden waste. As you know, households have to buy a permit costing £25 to benefit from this service and registration to join is open from now until 2pm on 16 February – and that’s the last opportunity to get the permit for this current year which, it seems, runs until the 7th of November. Apparently, garden waste collected last year was turned into over 20,000 tonnes of compost, which is used on farms, greenspaces and gardens – assuming you can get your hands on it during lockdown! tinyurl.com/105znx88
There’s also a reminder that we go to the polls in May for the Scottish Parliamentary elections. The Council is keen to stress that, if you want to vote in person, polling places will be safe – but they also wanted to remind us all that there are other ways to vote. So you can apply to vote by post or you can get someone else to vote on your behalf, otherwise known as a proxy vote. You can apply for one or t’other on the Lothian Valuation Joint Board website. https://www.lothian-vjb.gov.uk/
You may have seen that Porty Central is looking for a lawyer. It’s all to do with their hoped for change of status. They’re starting work on becoming a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation or SCIO to run the Town Hall when, in Geoff Pearson’s words “the Council agrees it should be managed by and for the community.” Portobello Central Ltd is as the name suggests currently a company, but the plan is to wind this up. Apparently the powers that be in the charities world provide a lot of guidance but the team think it might be helpful to have a lawyer, able to cast an eye over their work from time to time.
And finally, the Portobello Bookshop has reminded us that it’s LGBTQ+ History Month! It will be stocking a selection of some of their favourite books from the genre, from the history of Stonewall to contemporary novels, poetry and essays. The bookshop will also be hosting, as part of the event, an online session with the novelist Niven Govinden to mark the publication of his latest book ‘Diary of a Film’. It will take place on the 23rd of this month where the author will be in conversation with Roland Gulliver, Director of the Toronto International Festival of Authors. Tickets cost £14.99 and the price includes a signed bookplate edition of the novel, which will be posted out following the event. https://theportobellobookshop.com/events/
You may have come a cross the Council’s proposals for Seafield, which it describes as an “urban area housing-led mixed-use site” – whatever that means. In practice, it means turning the ‘metal mile’ into a new shoreline community. If done well, it could be real asset, transforming the western end of Portobello beach. However, the document contains the following warning: The potential development, if done badly and with a lack of community input, threatens to leave us with an ugly and uncoordinated development, with a lack of supporting infrastructure”. It all adds to the need for the kind of Development Trust that Justin Kenrick of Action Porty was suggesting in the Podcast at the weekend.
We have also heard from Portobello Community Council about the closure of Brunstane Road for an 18 month trial starting in the autumn. It follows a meeting of the Council’s Transport and Environment Committee. The Community Council was rather frustrated that its own views were buried within the 1000 responses received and tucked away in an appendix. And perhaps inevitably, the decision has led to a lot of sometimes hostile comment online, especially when people read that the assorted consultation exercises came out roughly 25% for and 75% against the idea.
And finally, on a lighter note, this afternoon I will be interviewing singer-songwriter Rosie Nimmo who launches her fourth Album, “Where Time Suspends”, at the end of the week. Rosie has clearly been putting her time in lockdown to good use. She’s released a couple of tracks already as singles which have been picked up by programmes on BBC Scotland, BBC Nan Gaidheal and BBC Wales; and she’s also performed some of the songs live on the online channel Home Song. You can hear more in the podcast on Saturday.
Early last year, we spoke to Harem Murdochy, owner of the Boat House, St Andrews chippie and other establishments around Portobello. At that time, he had just signed a lease to turn part of the Pumping Station at the Joppa end of the Prom into a seafood restaurant – and we don’t just mean a fish-and-chip shop there. He was thinking of much more up-market fare – mussels, perhaps lobster – and the idea would be to put tables outside on the big viewing platform. Well, now the signs for Joppa Rocks, as the new venue will officially be called, are up on the fencing outside. And as usual there are mixed view about the project. We’re happy just to wait and see.
18 months ago, the podcast carried a feature about an online campaign to persuade the people of Portobello to use the golf course. The problem was that demand had fallen so much that Edinburgh Leisure was threatening to close it. However, the latest figures suggest that news of its demise was premature. The point is that people have been using not just the Portobello course but all of the municipal courses around the city – up by some 65% in the months from June to December – that’s the period from the beginning of June when they were able to open after first full lockdown, through to the end of the year.
Edinburgh Youth Theatre, the anchor tenant in Bellfield, has arranged an acting masterclass with the actor James McAvoy on Zoom this evening. James is a patron of EYT and earlier donated £10k to help students and ensure that its classes remain accessible to all during the pandemic. The audience will be able to ask James questions questions about his successful and fascinating career. The event is by ticket only – which you can find on Eventbrite – and proceeds will go towards supporting the well-being and creativity of young people in Edinburgh.
And finally, the cancer charity Maggie’s challenged people to run 50 miles in January to raise money for this very worthwhile cause. Well, local resident Annabel Meikle, who lives in a flat overlooking the Prom, decided to do 50 swims instead – yes, in the Forth… in January! And on Saturday, she completed the challenge, looking rather cold but delighted with the support she’s received. Well done, Annabel.
Last week, we heard from Geoff Pearson from Porty Central about their ambitions for the Town Hall. On Monday evening, those were discussed at length by Portobello Community Council. There is another proposal from by the Peter Schaufuss company who already run the St Stephen’s Centre in Stockbridge but no-one from that organisation turned up to put their case.
In last week’s episode, Geoff Pearson talked about the need for coordination between the various venues in Portobello, including Bellfield and the Wash House for instance. The logical place for that could be Action Porty which led the campaign to save Bellfield for the community. Porty Podcast Producer David Calder’s been speaking to Action Porty’s Justin Kenrick about this.
Hello and welcome to Porty News, which at the moment is an experiment as part of the Porty Podcast. Our aim – and perhaps that of anyone who wants to help out occasionally – is to bring you brief snippets of news from Portobello, Joppa and the surrounding areas as well as useful information from organisations like City of Edinburgh Council, the police and other such bodies.
Let’s start with news of a scam – and quite a nasty one at that. Several local people have received very credible looking emails claiming to be from the NHS and giving them details of their supposed appointment for a Co-Vid 19 jag. As I say, it looks pretty legit – until you’re asked for your credit card details right at the end. That should immediately ring alarm bells! Indeed, the very fact you got this invite as an email and not a letter should have been the give-away. According to the NHS, they will only contact you by post.
Now, you remember, there were far too many people out on the Prom and Beach last weekend. I don’t know about you but I didn’t want to mingle and stayed at home. But it was enough for Police Scotland to warn that they’ll be stepping up patrols here this coming weekend, along with places like the Pentlands and Cramond. The rules, which are supposed to apply to all of us, say we’re are only allowed to leave our homes to go to work, to take some exercise to go shopping. There’s been a lot of online comment here, whenever the weather’s good which actually doesn’t look like being the case over the next few days, about roads leading to the beach being clogged by 4-by-4s, filled with maw, pa and the weans, folk who’ve come down from other parts of the city for a wee dauner along Porty sands. That’s not following the rules boys and girls.
Finally, tomorrow’s episode of the podcast in its usual form will be an interview with Justin Kendrick looking forward to a future when life returns to some form of normality, whatever that turns out to be – asking how we can build on the community spirit that’s been helping us through the pandemic – and asking what sort of community we want Portobello and Joppa to be and how we get that community involved in thinking about how to achieve all of that.
That will be posted wherever you find your podcasts, as well as assorted pages on Facebook and Twitter first thing tomorrow morning.
Happy New Year - and let's all hope for better things as this year progresses!
Some of you may have seen an email or post from the community group Porty Central in which they explain why they're concerned about the future of the Town Hall. In particular, they are worried that: "We appear to be on track towards yielding the building to a commercial user, with no information about that proposal." However, on Monday evening, Portobello Community Council hope to hear both about this proposal and that presented by Porty Central itself, one which has been in the public domain for some weeks. The meeting is open to the public through MS Teams using this link: http://bit.ly/PCC379
The Hall has been closed for about 18 months now; and when we last heard about it, we learned that the Council believed it would take anything up to £1m to bring back into use, money the Council simply didn’t have. As we'll hear, the Town Hall was built for the people of Portobello as a public, community space. And to find out what our community want for this space moving forward, Porty Central has spent a lot of time asking the people of Portobello what they want from the building - and that’s at the heart of their proposal.
Read the latest progress report here: https://tinyurl.com/y22pc8ul
https://www.facebook.com/groups/saveportytownhall
Royalty Free Music:
"Bollywood Dance Beats"; copyright free songs from YouTube
"Motor City Jam" from the Album "Full Spectrum" by Guy Moon.
Publisher: Sonic Desktop Publishing from SmartSound
Looking back over 2020, the Porty Podcast has made the effort to keep going. But David Calder and his wife Penny both went down with a mild version of CoVid in the Spring which came back to affect them both – hard – during the summer. So in this, the final episode of the Porty Podcast for this year, David looks back, with thanks to everyone who has contributed, at what has been a difficult year for all of us.
When you think of Portobello Beach, you tend to think of an area from (say) the Figgate Burn along to the Swim Centre. But it actually stretches almost two and a half miles from Seafield to Joppa. People tend to be put off using the Western end by a number of factors, not least the caravans at the foot of Kings Place and the air of neglect along the part behind the car showrooms. Although there have been ideas developed over what to do about the area, little has actually been done. And so, in a sense of frustration over the lack of action, a private survey has just been launched by the owners of the Boathouse to test public opinion.
You can find the survey here: https://tinyurl.com/y3t6h2al
In the past month, the RNLI lifeboat from Kinghorn has been called out to Portobello-Joppa Bay a number of times; but the crews have found themselves sent across here more this year than usual. In part, it’s the result of more people taking to the water – such as open-water swimming, paddle boarding and kayaking amongst other individual activities. In the past, there have been fund raising events for the lifeboats run for instance by the Portobello Sailing and Kayaking Club and Row Porty, but clearly none of that could take place this year; and as we’ll hear, the RNLI is suffering a shortfall of funds from the public. Porty Podcast Producer David Calder spoke to members of the Kinghorn crew via Zoom.
For the Christmas Appeal, click here: rnli.org/Christmas
For the local Scottish campaign click here:
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/RNLIScotland2020
Funds donated here will be restricted to going towards Scottish Lifeboat station running costs.
Anyone from Portobello interested in getting involved in supporting the RNLI in 2021 should contact erin_feeney@rnli.org.uk for more info.
The past few months have been very difficult for so many people. For long weeks and months, it was particularly hard for those who had to “shield” from possible infection. The “Stay Home” advice was everywhere which, in effect, meant isolation from the rest of the community. It was fine for those of us who had a garden and perhaps a view out over the sea or a park. It was much more difficult if you were stuck in a flat. Members of Portobello Timebank recognised there was a problem and decided to help.
https://www.portobellotimebank.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/Portobello-Timebank-453472731528750
You may have noticed on assorted Porty pages online a proposal to bring some light and colour into this rather dark and dismal time of year. That’s especially true when so many of the events which would have taken place in December have all had to be cancelled. The idea is to turn night-time Portobello into one, large art gallery with people filling their windows with all kinds of art works illuminated simply by leaving the room lights on. It’s already attracting a lot of interest.
https://www.windowwanderland.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ActionPorty
Royalty Free Music from SmartSound
Album: Holiday Magic -
Deck the Halls, Joy to the World, Rest ye merry gents, Wishing You a Merry Christmas
Porty playwright and producer, Claire Wood, of Production Lines Theatre Co has a new play called ‘Shrapnel’ which opens for a short run online tomorrow night. The play is set in Scotland during the pandemic and is unlike most other online shows where theatre companies have simply taken an already established production and turned it into an online format. A dark comedy, it looks, amongst other things, at loneliness and the way a lockdown affects our mental and financial health. She’s been speaking about it, online of course, to David Calder
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/shrapnel-tickets-123382344915
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/
https://tinychanges.com/
https://www.actingforothers.co.uk/
It’s almost 5 months since the Velvet Easel Gallery came under new management. And this month, the new owner, Jane Grant, opened her first winter exhibition. She’s the first to admit that it wasn’t easy taking over in the middle of a pandemic. But she’s been delighted by the support she’s received from the buying public and the artists as well.
Road safety - the safety of cyclists in particular - was once again headline news this past week. The tragic death of a cyclist, killed by a lorry, brought into focus yet again just how vulnerable you are on two wheels. That complex junction at the end of Portobello High Street has seen more than its fair share of such tragedies over the years. And as David Calder reports for this week's episode, it's in danger of throwing the Scottish Government and Edinburgh Council's active travel policies into disarray.
Today’s episode is rather more serious and sombre than usual. It’s because tomorrow marks the start of a week-long event called “To Absent Friends”. It’s a festival of remembrance – but one that’s very different to Remembrance Day which falls the following week. It’s much quieter and reflective and is designed to give people across Scotland an excuse to remember, to tell stories about and celebrate those who have died. It’s all the more poignant as we’re living through a pandemic and, every day on the news, we’re told the grim tally of those infected – and the number of deaths. There will be a special event on Portobello beach tomorrow at dusk, organised by Action Porty and Life Celebrant, Loretta Dunn. Porty Podcast Producer David Calder’s been finding out more.
Bross Bagels is a Portobello success story. From the one outlet on Porty High Street, the company has now expanded across Edinburgh. And the next stage in its story is about to begin as they plan to move into the former premises of the Royal Bank of Scotland on the main road. But founder Larah Bross is not funding this in a conventional way. Instead, she has launched a crowdfunding campaign, one which has exceeded her expectations, as Porty Podcast Producer David Calder's been finding out.
www.brossbagels.com
Within the past few days, Public Health Scotland has published a report which stresses the importance of getting out walking, cycling or wheeling if people are to get through the current pandemic. It’s good for our mental health as well as physical and it can also help those suffering the longer term effects of a Covid infection. However, there’s also evidence that many are being put off as a result of the recent increase in traffic as Porty Podcast Producer David Calder heard from Kirsty Lewin from Spokes Porty.
You may have noticed bags filled with gravel outside Bellfield recently, at least on one side of the building. It’s currently being prepared for a new community garden by a group of volunteers. The idea was first proposed over a year ago – but progress drags slow when there’s pandemic. But now it seems, the first moves are being made to create a garden underneath the flowering cherry which dominates the space – as Porty Podcast Producer David Calder’s been finding out.
Last weekend saw an unique event – the Portobello Book Festival Online. It was very much a question of necessity being the mother of invention as the organisers had really no choice in the matter – go online...or cancel! In the event, it was more successful than anyone had hoped. People are still catching up with any of the features they had missed.
Two weeks ago, we heard from Joanne Baird, a member of the committee, about the trials and tribulations they had to go through – so Porty Podcast Producer, David Calder, went back to see her to find out, not just how well it went, but also what lessons they had learned.
https://portobellobookfestival.com/
You may have seen an appeal from the local Rugby Club for funds to help the Portobello Hornets, the club’s junior teams. Thanks to the lockdown, the club, like every other sports organisation, has (as you’ll hear) been hit by a massive reduction in income. So they have resorted to crowd funding in order to raise the money to buy new kit for the growing number of young members, not just the club strips but more specialist equipment as well. The Hornets’ coach, Vic Rickis who's also Vice President of the Rugby Club and convener of the young persons' programme, met Porty Podcast Producer David Calder down near the Prom – players, young and old, sometimes train on the beach. David asked him about the Hornets (sometimes known as the Porty Minis).
The club has a Just Giving page which started off by asking supporters to raise £500 – but that target keeps getting broken and new targets set. Anyone who contributes will be entered into a raffle with prizes donated by local firms. You can add to their total by following this link https://tinyurl.com/y5uz26et
Next weekend, the 12th Portobello Book Festival will get under way; you may already have looked at the excellent programme on the website (link below). However, it will all be very different from those of previous years – the pandemic has seen to that!
Like so many other events across the world, technology has come to the rescue. People will access every session online from the comfort of their own homes. There won’t be the same atmosphere around the High Street with people bustling from venue to venue. However, as Porty Podcast Producer David Calder found out, the upside is that, for once, we will have a permanent record of everything throughout the entire weekend.
https://portobellobookfestival.wordpress.com/
@PortyBookFest
For much of the summer, the waters of Portobello and Joppa Bays have been quiet. The rowing and sailing clubs, the kayakers and others had to remain on shore as the country remained in lock down. It’s only relatively recently that we have seen them return in any numbers, led by paddle boarders and open water swimmers. The last to return have been the rowing clubs – and they have had to comply with strict new rules in order to do so.
This weekend, you will see more tartan than usual out and about because the annual Kilt Walk is taking place. This year’s event is rather different – instead of people walking en masse, they’re choosing their own routes around Scotland. The idea is to raise money for assorted charities, clubs and others good causes. So what motivates them? Porty Podcast Producer David Calder has met some of those taking part.
https://www.thistle.org.uk/
https://teameastlothian.org.uk/
https://www.thekiltwalk.co.uk/
Maureen Child's fund raising page: https://edinburghkiltwalk2020.everydayhero.com/uk/maureen-3
It's September - which means it's time for Art Walk Porty. However, these are not usual times. Some of us seriously wondered if there would an event at all. Those fears were thankfully unfounded - but it is a very different event to that of previous years. There are no Art Houses, for example, and everything is having to be managed to suit the rules on social distancing. But, as we'll hear, it has had the beneficial effect of making the organisers think in depth about the Art Walk, now and into the future!
For some people, one of the escapes from the pressures of lockdown has been their ability to get into their allotments much more regularly than before. They are lucky – there are many more people who want an allotment than there are allotments available. And if you are fortunate enough to be given a place on the waiting list, you may have at least five years to wait.
At the Craigentinny and Telferton Allotments, hidden away behind Inchview Terrace, they have managed to increase the total; when someone gives up one of the original large plots, it is cut in half. However, that doesn’t happen very often. When Porty Podcast Producer David Calder visited this week, he discovered it had a long and interesting heritage.
https://www.ctallotments.com/
How much do you remember of life when you were growing up? How many remember a time before computers, the internet and mobile phones? Since lockdown began, a podcast produced by the Living Memory Association has been looking back to bygone eras and hearing about life from people who were born long ago. It’s based in the Wee Museum of Memory in Ocean Terminal where they also have a studio. That’s where they store their archives of music and pictures as well as audio and video recordings of people. These include memories from here in Portobello – and the Association would like to add to them, as Porty Podcast Producer David Calder’s been hearing.
Their website is here: https://www.livingmemory.org.uk/about.php
And the podcasts can be found here: https://thelivingmemoryassociation.libsyn.com/
Wander Women is a business based in Joppa. It was set up by Anna Neubert-Wood to encourage women to get out into the open, to get some (as she calls it) green therapy. As you’ll hear, she takes out small groups, introducing them to wild swimming, nature walks in the countryside and even wild camping on overnight adventures. It was working well. She had clients not just from Scotland but from overseas as well. However, the arrival of Covid-19 brought everything to a shuddering halt. But later this month, she will be starting to take families or close friends on private trips where those taking part can keep to the recommended social distance. The whole concept intrigued Porty Podcast Producer David Calder who met her, appropriately, outdoors.
https://wander-women.co.uk/
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/wanderwomen-scotland-ltd-18054141487
As we’ve heard through the weeks, many organisations which work with young people have struggled to keep going through the lock-down. They’ve turned to the Internet to keep in contact with their students, be it theatre, film or dance. In many respects, dance has proved the most difficult.
The teachers try their best by making videos for YouTube or by demonstrating the lessons they would have given in the studio on Zoom. However, it’s much more stressful, deciding on content, recording it and coping with unfamiliar technology. On top of that, there is little or no feedback from the students other than their own, home-made videos showing the teachers if they had understood. This has been the challenge facing Lothian Dance Academy, which has also drawn on other resources to keep their community together.
https://www.lothiandanceacademy.com/
Extract from the Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky
Royalty Free Music from Soundscape
SS_1216 Published by SI.Publishing
Album: Classical Masters
A major piece of research involving Portobello High School and its five ‘feeder’ primaries should have been coming to an end by the end of next month. The objective, which came originally from Parsons Green Parent Council, was to find out how young people made their way to the High School and whether alternatives involving active travel – such as walking or cycling – could be encouraged. The project, called ‘Active Streets’, was thrown completely off course by Covid-19 and had to be moved online. It’s not entirely clear how many parents and pupils have heard of it – so the organisation carrying out the research approached Portobello Online and the Porty Podcast to encourage as many as possible to get involved.
www.active-streets.co.uk
hello@active-streets.co.uk
We’ve heard how local musicians are creating their own concerts or ceilidhs online. However, it was really good to hear that singer-songwriter Rosie Nimmo had been invited to sing, almost out of the blue, in a relatively new online service called Home Songs for Lunch. It was created in Campbeltown by David Fee, a full-time foster carer who also has a side line in running concerts in people’s own homes. When that became impossible, he was encouraged to offer something similar using Facebook; and he then drew on his substantial contacts book to find artists willing to sing four songs at lunchtime – every day of the week! This week, that included Portobello’s very own Rosie Nimmo.
And to hear Rosie and the other artists, follow this link: https://tinyurl.com/y9fggylz
And Rosie's own webpage: https://www.rosienimmo.com/
Last week, we heard how Edinburgh Youth Theatre is managing to keep going online through the lockdown. The company often works with the Film Academy Edinburgh which is also based locally. The academy usually uses the television studios of Edinburgh College at Milton Road; but, like everything else, it’s currently closed. However, the teachers and students (around 60 of them) get together at weekly sessions through Zoom. These are held on a Wednesday and Friday and are split into different age groups. When Porty Podcast Producer David Calder joined them, he found out that the 9-12 years are very creative.
https://www.filmacademyedinburgh.com/
Edinburgh Youth Theatre has been one of Portobello’s success stories. Led by the actor Shauna Macdonald, it has brought self-confidence to a generation of young people. But its base at Bellfield is currently closed. Staff, teachers and students have to stay at home thanks to the lockdown – but that DOESN’T mean to say they can’t get together and have some enjoyment online. Like so many others, they now deliver their programme through Zoom and YouTube. Porty Podcast Producer David Calder has been finding out more.
For more information about Edinburgh Youth Theatre, and to donate to their crowdfunding page, follow the links below.
https://eytheatre.com/
http://eytheatre.com/donate/
And the YouTube Channel is here: https://tinyurl.com/y9wr57fy
Something good has emerged from the current crisis – and that’s the way in which musicians are finding new ways to reach their audience. Local singer Mairi Campbell has an international following and is using technology – Zoom in particular – to bring them together in what she’s calling Campbell’s Ceilidhs. Once a week on a Sunday, people connect from Canada, Australia, New Zealand and even from Scotland either to join her in performing or just to be entertained. Porty Podcast Producer David Calder wanted to find out more.
https://mairicampbell.scot/
And more information about the online ceilidhs can be found on Facebook
When you walk along the High Street or down along the Prom, it’s noticeable just how quiet everything is. With a number of exceptions, most shops are closed, as are the cafés, bars and restaurants. For the owners of those businesses, it’s a very worrying time despite the significant help coming from the Government. They don’t know when they’ll be able to open again or whether things will return to the same normality as we had before. It’s a time like this when good financial advice is important. Four Seasons Financial Services has been on the High Street in Portobello for the last fifteen years. So Porty Podcast Producer David Calder asked director David Connolly if he was seeing anxiety in the business community here.
For more information, click here: https://tinyurl.com/yc6eayhy
Walking or cycling along the High Street, it's unnaturally quiet. a lot of shops are closed - and those that are open are enforcing, rightly, a one person at a time policy. We know that some are providing delivery services - but, just like the supermarkets, it can be hard to sign up to get a slot. And, in any case, how do people hear about them? We've been speaking to the founder of a service for small businesses like them - Supportobello! And from one small business as well - Body Beautiful - to hear how they are coping.
The Dalriada has been a fundamental part of life in Portobello for many years. Music has played a large part of that with both organised and impromptu sessions regularly taking place in the bar. The Sunday Sessions were particularly popular with musicians and the public alike. They were the brainchild of Jed Milroy who was looking for a new venue – he had been hosting sessions at a pub near the university. The Dalriada not only welcomed him – but also played cupid because Jed met Jo and they became a duo in every sense of the word.
The Dalriada as we knew it may never return when life returns to the new normal. But the Sunday Sessions have continued online since the lock down. So today, we’re telling the story of Jed and Jo, the story too of those Sunday Sessions and their importance to the community into the future.
Jed and Jo are also running their own regular online sessions at 9 o’clock on a Friday using Facebook Live. The music in this episode comes from one of those. The couple are also entertaining the other residents in their tenement by singing from their front door and are also raising money for the charity North Edinburgh Arts.
Jed and Jo’s Facebook page can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/wto4m96
It’s where you can find information about their next live sessions.
And the Sunday Sessions online can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/wzssjdk
Their charity’s link is here: https://northedinburgharts.co.uk/
What has emerged from the current near-lock-down is even more evidence of the strength of community spirit in Portobello. Individual streets have been forming WhatsApp groups to keep in touch with each other and especially with those who may be self-isolating for whatever reason. And there’s now been a group set up to help those confined to their home with their shopping. It’s called Porty Coronavirus Action. Here’s how it works.
To volunteer, follow this link for Porty Coronavirus Action https://tinyurl.com/tn43tas
ASDA’s Volunteer Shopping Card can be found by following https://tinyurl.com/twqstom
The coronavirus is getting in the way of so many things. Events all over the world are being closed down and international travel restricted or banned. Last month, Dr Bruce Durie, historian, genealogist and fellow of Edinburgh University, should have been on his way to the USA. A former Fulbright professor in North Carolina, he’s a well-respected figure on the North American-Scottish lecture circuit. He had a major tour planned. Instead, he’s at home, looking out over the Firth of Forth from his home on the Esplanade. David Calder spoke to him to find out what might have been.
Being in a locked down country is pretty hard; but the current pandemic may be in the process of changing all our lives in ways we don’t expect and can’t predict. Over the coming weeks, the plan it to use technology to keep the podcast running, to find out how people are coping and caring for each other when we can’t get out and about as we used to. This week, we hear from a couple of people whose entire raison-d'être was being involved in the community – and who are now stuck, like the rest of us, at home.
Glenn Innes offered people the chance to join the Baptist Church's online service which you can do by following this link: https://tinyurl.com/tmpczb9
You can contact the Porty Podcast on Facebook, Twitter or email: mailto:theportypodcast@gmail.com
Just last night, the Prime Minister ordered all pubs and clubs, cafes and restaurants, leisure centres and theatres to close in a bid to stop the spread of the coronavirus. We’ve already seen Tumbles and the Porty Swim Centre shut down for the duration as well as community projects such as Tribe Porty; Bellfield is about to follow suit. With the school year effectively ending yesterday as well and many people choosing or having to work at home, some people have been taking a closer look at their own homes and wondering what they could do to make them more fuel efficient, to cut their bills. In December last year, we reported on a meeting in Bellfield called ‘Power to the People of Porty’. At that meeting, Home Energy Scotland stressed that there was a lot that individual households could do with money provided by the Scottish Government in the form of grants and low cost loans. We wanted to find out more – and have found that those providing the service have been very busy indeed.
energysavingtrust.org.uk/scotland/home-energy-scotland
www.glazeandsave.co.uk
nextgenergy.co.uk
The problems surrounding The Boat House at the western end of Portobello Prom are well known. It opened to great fanfare last year, just in time for the lucrative summer trade, It was a substantial expansion of the old Cropley's Bar and the vast majority of people saw it as considerable improvement. With a bar and restaurant, it was another reason to head to the bottom of King's Road. OK, the view wasn't perfect but the food, the service and the company were good. However, the City of Edinburgh Council threw a massive spanner in the works when it ordered the new wooden extension torn down because it didn't have planning permission. Producer David Calder has been along to speak to the owner Haren Murdochy.
The future of Portobello Town Hall is in the balance. It’s been neglected for years and it’s showing! It was forced to close its doors last year – we spoke then to Morag Phillips of the Lothian Dance Academy who almost had to cancel its annual show. It only went ahead after urgent work was carried out. Subsequently, a detailed inspection confirmed that it needed a huge amount of expenditure to bring it not just up to standard but to make it safe enough for people to use. The City of Edinburgh Council does not have the money. So what does the future hold for the Town Hall? One option being actively considered could be for the community to take it over and a working group has been set up under the banner of Action Porty to take this forward.
portytownhall@gmail.com
Back in the autumn, we heard about a project – a residence – which came out of the annual Porty Art Walk. For many years, Portobello had a thriving pottery industry. Portobello ware was exported all over the world. But homes now stand on the ground where the workshops had been – and all that remains are the two kilns on Bridge Street. But the people who worked there are still with us and the idea was to collect their memories through photographs and audio recordings. This weekend, you’ll be able to see and hear the results for yourselves. The Porty Podcast Producer David Calder had a preview on a rather windy day!
For some older people, there can be a problem of loneliness and isolation. They may live alone, their families may have moved away, and there are many other reasons why they don’t feel confident enough to get out of the house. It was an issue recognised some 27 years ago by what was then known as the Council of Churches in Portobello. They decided to get together to form the Portobello Older People’s Project. It started off as a lunch club but, as Porty Podcast producer David Calder found out, it now involves a lot of other activities as well.
It’s one thing to dream about writing a play and seeing it on a stage. It’s a completely different game to write play and actually book a venue at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe! However, that is what Claire Wood has done. We’ve heard from Claire once before when staging a show at Bellfield this time last year. But her ambition this time is to reach out to a much wider audience.
Some of you may have had people knocking on your door asking you to sign up to make regular donations to the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home. We have heard that some Porty residents have been put off by this approach, especially when given the impression that the Home has had a ‘difficult year’ financially. They also wonder why the charity is employing what one described as ‘door-to-door’ salesmen with quite strong Geordie accents who don’t quite seem to fit with an organisation with its home at the far end of the Prom.
The answer is that the Home has launched a new campaign and handed the contract for part of it to an agency based in the North East of England. To find out more about this campaign and how it is being rolled out, Porty Podcast Producer David Calder spoke to Nicola Gunn, the Home’s Director of Fundraising and Communications. He started by asking about the suggestion that there were financial problems at EDCH, something she insists is far from the case.
https://edch.org.uk/
The Portobello Bookshop opened six months ago this week. It took the team six months to convert and renovate what had been Mike’s Fishing Tackle Shop. This allowed them to uncover the columns that are now a feature of the shop's interior – they had been hidden beneath plasterboard walls. The aim was to create a warm, modern, open space, one in which it was a pleasure to spend time browsing books (despite the currently squeaky door). So have they succeeded? Porty Podcast Producer David Calder went along to find out.
https://www.theportobellobookshop.com/
NB: Events are ticketed
This week, we’re moving a little outside our Portobello boundaries because, this year, our near neighbours in Craigmillar celebrate the centenary of their incorporation into the growing city of Edinburgh. A new local charity, Craigmillar Now, has been set up to mark this. Right at the end of last year, it got access to the former Craigmillar Community Arts building, itself the former St Andrew’s Church, just opposite the western entrance to Fort Kinnaird – its website which shows what the restored inside of the building looks like. But what plans does Craigmillar Now have? Porty Podcast Producer, David Calder spoke to two trustees – Rachael Cloughton and Andrew Crummy.
https://craigmillarnow.com/
Portobello seems quite well served for places to eat. However, this past week we’ve seen quite a buzz on social media – mainly Twitter – about a new vegetarian and vegan takeaway on the High Street. It’s called GoGo Beets and it only opened a week ago right on the cross roads between the High Street and Brighton Place. We decided to find out more.
GoGo Beets is open 7 days a week - 8am-4pm Mon-Fri, 9am-4pm Sat-Sun
https://www.facebook.com/gogobeets/
Happy New Year! May 2020 be good to the people of Portobello!
Let's start with a good, heart-warming story. As some of you may have seen, Spokes Porty has this week produced the first in a series of videos about the pleasures of cycling. However, not many people may have heard of Spokes Porty and what it stands for - it is after all a relatively new organisation, run entirely by volunteers. Time to find out more.
To watch the video, click this link https://tinyurl.com/rnm22ek
This weekend’s episode of the Porty Podcast is a little different. This is the last one of 2019 – and it’s also the 150th, which, looking back, is something of an achievement. Everyone one of them (bar one) has been produced by David Calder, the only exception being the 50th episode where Bob Jefferson took control of the microphone. On this occasion, David has decided to reflect on the past three years – and to look forward to where the Porty Podcast might end up.
Royalty Free Music from SmartSound
Track: Rest Ye Merry (ss.805)
Album: Holiday Magic
Arrangers: Lambert and Roebuck
Portobello has looked in some detail at the idea of producing its own energy – or at least earning some money for the community by doing so. The project to have a wind turbine on a coastal site at Seafield made considerable progress almost 10 years ago, only to fall at one of the final hurdles. The idea has not gone away however – and, with the Scottish Government’s commitment for the country to become carbon neutral, there’s been growing interest in how Porty can contribute to this. Podcast Producer David Calder went to a meeting in Bellfield, set up to look at the options.
https://www.edinburghsolar.coop/
You may have seen their work during the Porty Art Walk. You may have seen them in their own exhibitions at the arts complex in St Margaret’s House near Meadowbank, where they have their studios. However, Jacqui Higgs, Jude Nixon and Mary Walters have got together this year to put on a ‘pop-up’ gallery in the New Town, at 17 Dundas Street, a street that’s also home to some of the best private galleries in the city. The exhibition, called ‘Spoondrift’, displays their combined talents – and shows just how complementary they are.
https://www.jacquihiggs.co.uk/
https://judenixon.co.uk/
https://www.mary-walters.com/
Well! Now we know. Portobello is OFFICIALLY the best neighbourhood in the UK! A delegation was presented with the award on Wednesday evening in London by the Academy of Urbanism. This was set up around 15 years ago to identify and promote the best in urban design, designs which involved local communities and helped to foster community spirit. It also hopes that, by highlighting these, others will be able to learn and apply the lessons within their own areas. They found lots of GREAT things about Porty!
The certificate has the following poem:
Take a trip across this poem like you might
Wander through Portobello from dawn’s glow
To the welcoming illumination of midnight
And there are no straight lines through Portobello
Just detours and byways you have yet to find
By the water, by the market, by the Turkish Baths
Where you soak your body and rest your mind
Walk along this poem. Do the Portobello maths
Where beach plus sea plus drink plus food
Plus ideas, plus forward thinking adds up to something
That’s deeper than a feeling, broader than a mood
About the idea that community can bring
Answers to questions you never knew you’d posed
Portobello is an unlocked mind that’s never ever closed.
Portobello has a famous daughter whom you almost certainly have never heard of. In her day, at the turn of the 20th century, Mary Cameron was as famous as the Glasgow Boys or the Scottish Colourists who were working around the same time. She was respected enough to have solo exhibitions in Edinburgh, London and Paris almost every year until the start of the First World War. But an exhibition which opened this month at the City Art Centre will be the first to feature her work in over a century. Porty Podcast Producer, David Calder, has been to take a look.
https://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/whats-on/mary-cameron-life-paint
You may have thought that Art Walk Porty lasted just for two weekends in September. However, it has long been an ambition of curator Rosy Naylor to have events which last much longer. One of those starts this afternoon at the Kilns in Bridge Street.
It’s a residency lasting through until the end of February in which the artist, Nicky Bird, seeks to commemorate the lives and work of a group of women known as ‘The Decorators’ who worked in the now long gone potteries in the area. She had considerable help identifying the women and finding photographs from that bygone era from Dr Margaret Munro of the Portobello Heritage Trust.
David Calder went to meet Nicky at the Kilns to find out more.
https://www.artwalkporty.co.uk/2019/nickybird.html
http://www.portobelloheritagetrust.co.uk/
You may have seen in Cllr Maureen Child’s most recent newsletter that the Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust had completed a feasibility study for a walking and cycling route between the Pentlands and Portobello. The idea would be to start from the Prom and create a safe route along the main road until it reaches the start of the Brunstane Burn Path. From there, it would follow the burn through its various names – Niddrie and Burdiehouse – until it reaches its source up near Swanston. We thought we should find out more.
To read the report and view the maps of the route, click on the link
https://tinyurl.com/y5p29dr4
A Porty-based poet will be launching her first book at the Portobello Library this coming week. Hannah McCooke’s ‘Mortal Magic’ is a collection of work inspired in part by living here and in part by life and events in her native Northern Ireland. She will be sharing the platform with fellow poet, Stella Birrell: both will be performing their work on Tuesday evening. Let's have a preview!
It’s October – so it has to be the Portobello Book Festival. And is so often the case, all but a few tickets have gone; there are a few kept available at the door for each event. Loads of exciting authors, such as Ian Rankin and Michel Faber, will be talking about their work; but there will be some very different events this year. For example, Pamela Gregory and Gica Loening will be discussing their experiences in the Samos Refugee Camp and how a recipe book, ‘Displaced Dishes’, emerged from them. David Calder’s been browsing through the programme.
Portobello Rotary Club is over 50 years old. It meets every Wednesday evening in the King’s Manor Hotel. It’s part of an international organisation with philanthropic and humanitarian objectives - Rotary International's motto is ‘Service Above Self’. One of the ways the club here raises money is by running the monthly car boot sales at Newcraighall Station; but it’s also involved with a number of youth related projects both in Scotland and abroad. However, the members insist that they don’t take themselves too seriously with fun and friendship a vital part of the club. Perhaps surprisingly for such a well-established institution, many people don’t know about it – so David Calder went along to find out more.
https://www.facebook.com/portobellorotary/
Back in 2017, there was real concern about the future of the sports facilities at Westbank Street. The Council had announced plans to sell off the land used by Powerleague for 5-a-side football as a way of raising the money for the new Meadowbank Stadium. The cash would be shared between the Council and Powerleague.
A campaign was started to 'Save the Porty 5s' and an organisation called Action Westbank was set up to consider what the community wanted for the site.
Well, we heard recently on Porty People that Powerleague, far from walking away from Portobello, was investing heavily in improving the facility. You may have heard that new energy efficient floodlights had already been installed. When Porty Podcast Producer David Calder went along this week, the finishing touches were being made to a brand new pitch - and he asked club manager, Jordan Law, to explain what was happening.
You may have seen the posts here on social media about the upcoming elections to community councils. In recent years, the one in Portobello has had quite a high profile. It has been conducting online surveys on a range of issues, the latest about the future status of Kings Place. They are supposed to be the ‘voice of the community’ but there may be a tendency for them to be self-selecting, for the same people to put their names forward. Both Mary Campbell and Maureen Child regularly attending their meetings and reflect the views back to City Chambers. Both are acting as returning officers within the ward. Maureen Child acknowledges that it can be hard to get the message out and persuade people to put their names forward.
This year’s Art Walk Porty is bigger than ever – and full of surprises. This is ‘art’ in its broadest possible sense. For example, you will be able to walk into someone’s house, sit down by a window and listen to the sounds of a night walk through the Amazon jungle. You’ll be able to take part in walks and cycle rides through parts of the area you may never have visited before. And while it officially lasts just a short time in September, aspects of it will last all though until next year’s Art Walk.
One of the first workshops at Art Walk Porty which starts next weekend is rather unusual. It’s called ‘Drawn to Dance’ and will be held at Bellfield on Saturday morning. It’s part of series of workshops created by the artist Jenny Smith, all of which ask: “What are YOU drawn to?” The aim is to get people to express themselves, letting their imaginations run free.
The workshop is a collaboration between Jenny and Sarena Wolfaard who has been working with what she describes as 'conscious dance' for 15 years. Between them, they encourage participants to start with dance but then go on to create something visual as well, using chalk and charcoal to produce images on paper scattered across the floor or on tables. David Calder went to meet her.
The workshop costs £35 if booked in advance (£45 on the door) and places are limited. They can be booked online by following the link below
https://tinyurl.com/y2zfbdtd
Local artist Teresa Gordon has an exhibition called ‘Ebb and Flow – Saltworks 2019’ which opens today. It explores the fragility of memory because both of her parents and other members of her family had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. As a result, she is intrigued by memory and its loss and hopes her work will raise awareness about the condition – as well as funds for the Alzheimer’s Society. We went along to the preview to find out more.
For months, there has been a lot of heated debate on assorted online forums about Kings Place. In recent years, it has turned into a completely unregulated car and caravan park which has caused occasional distress to local residents. This week, two things have taken place. The first is a consultation from Portobello Community Council, asking our opinion on what changes (if any) should be made. The second is an appeal for ideas about what the area could look like from the new Facebook page – Kings Place Re-imagined.
Follow this link to complete the consultation
http://www.portobellocc.org/pccpn/2019/08/12/kings-place-parking-consultation/
What do you do if a swarm of bees lands in your garden? This week’s episode is something of a public information feature because that’s exactly what happened in the garden of Porty Podcast Producer, David Calder. He didn’t notice it at first – but his neighbour did! The family next door have two boys who love playing football and other ball games. They were afraid that a ball could land in the swarm – and were rather worried about what could happen then.
https://www.edinburghbeekeepers.org.uk/swarms
An online campaign has been launched to persuade the people of Portobello to use the golf course. Didn’t know Porty had a golf course? Well. it was once a very popular facility – the Sir Harry Lauder Championship was played here until three or four years ago. But a year ago, demand for golf on this small, 9-hole course had fallen so much that Edinburgh Leisure, who manage it, announced plans for it to close. The ground would remain in recreational use but the golf course as we know it would have to go.
An action committee was set up to try to persuade the powers-that-be to change their minds, but thus far to no avail. Part of them problem appears to be that all-too-few people know the course is there – even in Portobello itself. There are no sign posts to advertise its presence; and it seems as if virtually no money has been spent on marketing. Porty Podcast Producer, David Calder, went to find out more.
A new exhibition of photographs has just opened at the Skylark. They’re the work of David Williams, formerly Head of Photography at Edinburgh School of Art. Called “From 88 Places”, it’s an extract from a much larger work, a series of photographs carefully taken at each of the 88 Shrines around a hillside in Kyoto in Japan. It took him several years to complete.
The talented local musician, Rosie Nimmo, is about to release a new album – probably called ‘Music is Sunshine’. It’s been three years in the making, three years to produce what she believes is her best work to date. It’s a solo album of new material and she wanted to take the time to make sure they sounded just right. Porty Podcast Producer David Calder went to find out more.
Anyone who’s been to the monthly market in Brighton Park will have seen the stall run by the Greengrocer Project. Yes, they have fruit and veg to sell – but their main reason for being there is to keep up the profile for their longer-term ambition – to set up a shop. Their model is across on the other side of town, in Bruntsfield. It’s a community greengrocer called ‘Dig In’ which is now running successfully, although it took some time to become established. By a curious turn of fate, Karen Mackay, owner of ‘Cahoots’ on Porty High Street, had been involved in the development of that and wondered if a similar project could work here. She felt there was a need after both ‘Banana Republic’ and ‘Earthy’ closed in quick succession. The idea for a Portobello Community Greengrocer caught on – but it’s not progressed as fast as many had hoped. David Calder spoke to its spokesman Charlie Cavaye about the project and its objectives.
http://portobellocg.org.uk/
You may notice that Portobello – especially the beach and indeed the waters of the Forth – are a little quieter than usual this coming week. The reason for this is that the two local rowing clubs are off to the ‘Skiffie Worlds’ – in other words, the World Championships for the St Ayles Skiffs, the rowing boats you see out almost every day. Row Porty will be heading off with a crew of 25; the Eastern Amateur Rowing Club will have almost double at 48 – and both will have family and other supporters cheering them on.
The ‘Skiffie Worlds’ take place every three years. This year, it will take place over seven days off Stranraer in the hopefully calm waters of Loch Ryan. Almost 60 teams will be taking part, coming from as far afield as the United States, New Zealand, Canada, Tasmania and several European countries. They will be joined by a large contingent from Scotland – the event is being run under the auspices of the Scottish Coastal Rowing Association. David Calder has been speaking to members of both Porty clubs to find out more.
There have been assorted fairs selling arts and crafts at Bellfield since it opened its doors. But a new one will arrive tomorrow which has a rather different theme. It’s called ‘A Spoonful of Vintage by the Sea’ and it’s organised by a couple who moved to Portobello 5 years ago. They are fascinated by everything to do with the 1950s – as David Calder discovered.
Royalty Free Music from Sonicfire
Track: Riviera (SS_4913)
Album: Across Borders
Composer: Daniel Ho
Publisher: Swarthy Publishing
The petition to save Portobello Town Hall is growing and approaching 1500 signatures – it may even have reached that target by this morning. The building has been neglected for many years. But its condition has deteriorated to the point where the Lothian Dance Academy’s Annual Show almost had to be cancelled. With hours to go, the work was carried out in order to save it. However, when THAT work was being carried out, it became clear that the fabric of the building was worse than many officials had believed and now a more in depth survey will be carried out. David Calder’s been speaking to Morag Phillips, the Academy’s founder, about the shock she got a few days ago – and a solution she thinks might help to save the Town Hall, one that Cllr Maureen Child thinks might just work!
To sign the petition, click here:
https://tinyurl.com/y6dlld5a
You may have come across the Porty songstress, Sheila McWhirter, the lead singer with The Blue Moon Travellers. Sheila has had many roles throughout her life – she’s currently teaching English as a foreign language – but she really wants to focus on her music and on helping others to find their voices. The group has just produced its first CD, called ‘Into the Blue’, which highlights the beauty and quality of Sheila's own voice – as you’ll hear in this week’s Porty Podcast.
To buy the CD or book a Mindful Singer course:
https://tinyurl.com/y6fjo38u
For more information about the Blue Moon Travellers:
http://www.bluemoontravellers.co.uk/
For a sample video:
https://youtu.be/KpP6CuyGoTE
Some of you may have seen a group of people from Children 1st out on Porty High Street recently. They were canvassing opinion about a piece of legislation which has just started making its way through the Scottish Parliament. The new law, which some find controversial, would make it illegal for parents to smack or otherwise physically punish their children. Children 1st, now in its 134th year, understandably supports the bill and has taken to the streets around Scotland to explain why. The organisation’s Policy Manager, Portobello resident Mark Ballard, told us more.
Children 1st runs a support service for stressed parents called Parentline. Full details can be found here https://tinyurl.com/y5cv4y8c or call the freephone number 08000 28 22 33
It’s available 7 days a week - Monday to Friday, from 9am-9pm and Saturday and Sunday, from 9am-12noon
Book blogs are very popular – there are well over 100 in the UK alone. They’re liked by the public because they help their readers find new books they might enjoy. They’re also liked by authors and publishers because they help to raise the profile of new titles. The Porty Book Blog has just celebrated its 4th anniversary. It was created by Joanne Baird because she is an enthusiastic, voracious reader and she’s keen to share that enthusiasm with others. As you’ll hear, she now has around 7,000 followers on social media, which is well above the UK average. So why did she decide to start writing about her passion?
You can find the blog at https://portobellobookblog.com
And follow Joanne on Twitter and Instagram @portybelle
Portobello Prom and Beach are well used by locals and visitors alike – one only has to think of the crowds who thronged here over the Easter Weekend to see this in action. However, there’s been a lot of interest in how to improve the area, to make everyone’s enjoyment of the beach that much better; and we’re not just talking about the area where most people tend to congregate, between Tumbles and the Swim Centre. The Prom after all stretches from Seafield all the way to the Pumping Station in Joppa, a total of two miles. In the Podcast, we’ve reported on some the changes that are taking place. However, many of them are being drawn under the umbrella of Friends of Porty Prom (and Beach) which held its first ever AGM this past week. David Calder was there.
Both the police and the City of Edinburgh Council are keen to encourage people to take part in ‘active travel’. That means walking or cycling to work, walking or cycling to school. A substantial amount of the transport budget is already devoted to improving the infrastructure to let this happen. The 20mph speed limit was one part of it; the creation of dedicated cycle lanes or cycle paths is another. It’s a recognition that you won’t persuade anyone to take their bike out if they feel afraid or alarmed by the behaviour of other traffic on the road; there’s a current police campaign to explain to drivers just how much space a person on a bike needs when overtaking. Within the past few days, Portobello Councillor Maureen Child took on the role of ‘Active Travel Champion’. Porty Podcast producer David Calder asked her to explain more.
Over the last few days, you may have seen great changes at the Seafield end of the Prom. The wall at the back of the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home (EDCH) had been covered with graffiti and frankly looked an embarrassment! All of that has now been covered with white paint and a huge 25m (80ft) mural has been installed as well. It’s a joint venture between EDCH and the Edinburgh Shoreline Project – we heard a couple of weeks ago how it was also involved with planting shrubs, trees and insect-friendly flowers along the same stretch of the Prom. The mural, a striking piece produced by Studio N_Name, was formally unveiled yesterday and Porty Podcast Producer, David Calder, was there.
https://www.edch.org.uk/
https://edinburghshoreline.org.uk/
http://www.studiononame.co.uk/
Portobello has a new community police officer. PC Gemma Knox started here at the start of the year, following on from the excellent work done by Matt McPherson who’s moved on to become a School Link Officer. The job is becoming more challenging. The police station in Porty is no longer permanently staffed – PC Knox is based out of Craigmillar – and, for most of the time, she has to work alone as the number of community officers has been reduced. Never the less, she is thoroughly enjoying, as she puts it, ‘having an office by the beach’. Porty Podcast Producer David Calder has been to meet her.
We’ve discussed the Edinburgh Shoreline Project before on the podcast. This weekend, volunteers from the Seafield Shoreline Group will be out planting saplings in the embankment from the Dog and Cat Home along towards King’s Road. The idea is to increase the diversity of plants in that part of the Prom which should, in turn, increase the diversity of wildlife in the area. At present, the Seafield section is the least popular part of Portobello Beach; and the aim of the Shoreline Group is to make that area more attractive. The coordinator of the Group is Emily O’Brien who explained what would take place this weekend of David Calder.
https://edinburghshoreline.org.uk/
The Edinburgh Tool Library has become a popular feature in Portobello. Its workshops, within the building run by Tribe Porty in Windsor Place, are filled with the kind of top of the range tools that cost a small fortune to buy. The concept is simple and works just like any other library – except, instead of books, you borrow all the tools you need for a project (and perhaps some of the wood as well). But its volunteers provide a service beyond the basics, a service bot just to individuals but to communities as well, as Porty Podcast Producer David Calder’s been finding out.
hello@edinburghtoollibrary.com
How many of you were given roller skates as a child? And how many gave up after falling over a few times? There is a company based in Portobello whose mission is to change our minds and get people, adults as well as children, back on skates again. United Sk8s is run out of Tribe Porty and is the brainchild of founder, James Hunter. He insists there’s a lot more to this sport than just rolling up and down the Prom. In fact, most of what he offers takes place indoors – including Roller Disco! Porty Podcast Producer, David Calder, met up with James to find out more.
To get an idea of what it's like, look here:
https://youtu.be/BTCf7D89FyE or
https://youtu.be/SI6SM0UPwMk
Tomorrow morning, a group of intrepid cyclists will head out from Portobello High School, escorting Gordon Barclay as he sets out on a 500 mile ride to Portobello Road in London. The aim is to raise money for research into Motor Neurone Disease (MND). It all began on his 50th birthday. A friend from his days at Porty High, Ian Henderson - now a councillor in London, told him the tragic story of a woman called Clarrie who not only had lost people in the Grenfell Tower Fire but had just been diagnosed with MND. They decided to raise money, in part to help her and in part to help Doddie Weir’s MND Charity, My Name’5 Doddie. This morning, they met in the Kings Manor Hotel in Portobello which is where David Calder caught up with them.
https://www.portobellotoportobello.co.uk/about.html
https://www.myname5doddie.co.uk/
This coming week, the Portobello Drama Group celebrates its 50th anniversary. It started off in a small way as the Drama Group for St Philip’s (now Portobello and Joppa Parish Church). But it quickly grew in numbers and ambition, moving from one-act plays to musicals. For this anniversary year, the company has revived one of its own creations: Brodie – the Musical. It’s the story of that upright citizen cum gambler and thief, Deacon Brodie; the eponymous tavern on the High Street is on the site of one he frequented. We went to meet the Drama Group in rehearsal.
You may not have realised it but we’re just at the end of Fair Trade Fortnight – and it was marked by a special event today in Portobello Town Hall. Fair trade producers were represented along with the shops which sell those goods both locally and across the city. There is still time to get along. It closes at half past three this afternoon. There are lots of activities, including face painting for the kids. And when Porty Podcast Producer David Calder arrived, everyone was being entertained with songs from the Harmony Choir.
The Greek island of Samos may seem a long way from Portobello. Some people may have been there on holiday, enjoying the sandy beaches and the warm waters of the Aegean. But the island is just a mile from the Turkish coast, which makes it a target for refugees fleeing war zones and trying to find a haven in Europe. There are now around 5,000 of them, housed (if that's the right word) in makeshift camps. It's a miserable existence for the men, women and children waiting, painfully slowly, for the Greek authorities to process them. They are given some succour by a group called the Samos Volunteers. Over Christmas and the New Year, they were joined by Portobello resident, Gica Loening.
samosvolunteers.org
displaceddishes.com/
Picture from Samos Volunteers
There’s an open invitation on Monday to come along to a workshop at Bellfield. The aim is to start thinking about – and planning – a Big Lunch in Portobello at the start of June. The Big Lunch is an idea which came out of the Eden Project; you may have seen television programmes about this, a popular attraction in Cornwall. Located in a reclaimed china clay pit are two huge biomes (massive glasshouses if you like) in which plants, collected from many diverse climates and environments, are grown. But the project as a whole is much wider than that. One objective is to bring communities around the country together. The Big Lunch is just one part of that.
Biglunch.com
sandrabrown@edenproject.com
HiFi Corner was founded almost 100 years ago, though not under its current name which first appeared in the 60s. What has been consistent however has been its commitment to supplying the best quality equipment - from gramophone and wireless to the latest amplifier and home cinema. Until now, its home has been in the centre of Edinburgh. But this week, it moved to Joppa Road. Porty Podcast Producer David Calder went to find out why.
Royalty Free Music
“It’s Cool” by Guy Moon from the album “Full Spectrum” (Sonic Desktop Publishing)
One of the great things about living in Portobello is the wide range of clubs and activities you can get involved with. Take ‘Fun Fiddle’ for example. It started a little over 15 years ago as a small informal group of adult learners. Since then it has grown and today offers classes to children and adults, from absolute beginners to experienced performers. Porty Podcast Producer David Calder joined them in the Wash House to learn more.
The Portobello branch of Amnesty International was founded a little over 40 years ago, about seven years after the creation of the organisation. You may have seen their stall at the regular market in Brighton Park or at the annual Village Fair. When lawyer Peter Benenson first set up Amnesty back in 1961, the idea was to win an amnesty for prisoners of conscience all over the world. What he and his colleagues may have underestimated was the sheer size of the problem - the number of prisoners of conscience was and remains enormous. And there were other international issues for them to address – the ‘forgotten prisoners’ and capital punishment. Although it’s an international organisation, it depends on local groups around the country – indeed around the world – to get its messages out – and that’s where the Portobello Group comes in.
https://www.facebook.com/amnestyportobello/
or contact: crawfordcathy@hotmail.com or Jaap.Prins@blueyonder.co.uk
Calling all budding thespians and their helpers. Edinburgh Graduate Theatre will be staging a new production of Saint Joan – Joan of Arc to you and me - and, perhaps for the first time, it will be held in what is now known as the Celebration Hall at Bellfield. Although ‘The Grads’ – to give them their popular name - have a number of regular cast members, for this production the company is looking for local people, young people in particular, to be involved. Auditions start later this week – as Porty Podcast Producer David Calder has been finding out.
Contact: cmfwood@hotmail.com or @cmfwood on Twitter
Brighton Place - Setts! It’s an argument that won’t go away, even though the decision was final and the work is well under way again – the street has been closed again after the Christmas break. Towards the end of last year, we carried an interview with the ‘Stop the Setts’ campaign. But that prompted comments that it had been one-sided and that we needed to redress the balance. There were, they insisted, a significant number of people who felt strongly about maintaining the historic nature of the area, first built in 1823, and they were delighted the work was going ahead. Their spokesman is Stephen Hawkins who explained why he felt so strongly about it.
Yes, it's that time of year again - a time of contrived jokes, Porty references galore and lots of excited children screaming "he's behind you!"...and they're just in the cast! For the first time, the Panto - Snow White - will be in the Main Hall of Bellfield where the final rehearsals are currently taking place. For the final podcast of 2018, David Calder went to hear how things were progressing.
The Porty Street Fest is now an annual tradition. But this year, it takes on a special significance with the closure of Brighton Place. There may be signs insisting that Porty is ‘open for business’ but the High Street is quieter than usual at this time of year. Traders are hoping that the event this coming Thursday will attract people to shop locally – and to bring in extra customers as well.
And the BAFTA goes to… Porty’s own Shauna Macdonald. Shauna has been an actress for some 20 years, working in film, television and theatre. But this year, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts rewarded her dedication. Officially, the award went for the film White Chamber but she sees it as an honour for her perseverance in one of the toughest industries around. Porty Podcast Producer David Calder met her once she’d come back down to earth!
OK! Christmas, I know, is still about 6 weeks away. But it’s really great to hear about someone who’s not focused on the selfish, commercial aspects of the season. Instead, a young lad has been so successful in raising money to help other, less fortunate young people that he’s won award after award, the latest being the prestigious Diana Award. And although he’s raising money for children in need, it’s not for the BBC’s annual telethon. Porty Podcast Producer David Calder has been finding out more.
Democracy Matters is a consultation currently being run by the Scottish Government. On Saturday, people gathered at Bellfield to discuss how this community should respond. It was, inevitably, a self-selecting group of those who were enthusiastic enough to come to a meeting on a sunny afternoon. However, some of the suggestions were interesting – and perhaps not what the Government might be expecting. Porty Podcast Producer David Calder joined them.
This weekend, much of the world remembers the carnage that was the First World War. At the time, it was hoped that this would have been “the war to end all wars”. It was not to be. As you’ll hear in today’s episode, the historian Trevor Royle argues that the War marked the practical start of the 20th century which ended in 1991 with the collapse of communism; and all through that time, the world was either at war or under the threat of conflict. This weekend, people will remember those who died with Portobello and Joppa Parish Church decorated in poppies.
Today, the Porty Podcast celebrates its 100th episode. It has reported on people and places as well as the assorted events that punctuate the year in Portobello. In this retrospective, the podcast’s founder and producer, David Calder, looks back on some of the highlights – and how the Podcast came about.
Saturday is Apple Day in Portobello’s Community Orchard. It’s one of only two special events held there each year, the other being the wassailing of the tress in January – we featured this last year. Apple Day is a relatively modern ‘tradition’ having started back in 1990 and can be celebrated throughout October. The objective was to remind people that there are many more apple varieties than they realise – and to point out that many of these are in danger of being lost. Porty Podcast Producer David Calder went to the orchard to find out more:
One of the pleasures of living in Portobello is being by the sea. How many of you come down to the beach on a quiet day – and just ponder, looking out at the far horizon and letting your mind wander. It’s a great way to deal with mental block. However, we know that there are people who used to live in Porty – but now live far away, some of them far from the sea. There is in broadcasting a new trend for slow radio and TV – simply showing pictures or playing sounds without any commentary. So this is a different kind of podcast, one that will start an occasional series, called Sounds of Porty. Some of them will be like “Tweet of the Day” on Radio 4 – sound effects and nothing else. But the sea needed something else, a little perhaps poetic explanation of some the things that happen by the shoreline.
As you all will know, work has started on replacing the setts in Brighton Place. It was one of those Porty issues that set people apart! The traders on the High Street were – and remain – worried about the impact it’s going to have on their businesses – especially with Christmas not so far away (apologies for using the ‘C’ word in October). For former councillor Jimmy Burnett who has been heavily involved in the campaign to replace setts with asphalt, it’s been an exasperating few weeks. He told Porty Podcast producer David Calder that he remains frustrated by the whole process – but argues that, without the protests, the traders wouldn’t have won a number of key concessions.
This is going to be a very busy weekend in Portobello. There’s the charity event, ‘In the Dog House’ at the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home all day today and the Dalriada Comedy Night this evening; then there’s the organic market tomorrow and the Festival of Walking and Cycling on Sunday. But for many of us, the highlight will be the Portobello Book Festival which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. It runs over three days and is the culmination of a series of arts events from the Big Busk to the Porty Art Walk. David Calder’s been hearing more from three of the Book Festival’s founders.
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven!” Andy Scarcliffe has decided that his season as minister of Portobello Baptist Church has run its course. This weekend, he takes his last service before handing over the reins to his successor, Glenn Innes, who moved down from Aberdeen with his family earlier this week. Andy has made an impact in his tenure at the church, so much so that local people have been asking Glenn “Are you the new Andy?” Porty Podcast producer David Calder went along to meet them both at the café run by the church in the High Street.
Tonight sees the first in a series of ceilidhs to be held at Bellfield. It’s the initiative of Ros Gasson, a local fiddle teacher and founder of Da Hooley Ceilidh Band. The band, which has been going for over 20 years, is certainly popular – it has bookings all the way through until September next year. But having moved to Portobello, Ros wanted to offer something to the community – and raise some money as well (in this case for Bellfield itself but other local causes will benefit later in the year). Porty Podcast Producer, David Calder, went to meet her.
You may have noticed that Porty Prom is a little brighter – or at least, the rubbish bins have taken on a new, brighter appearance. It’s part of a project, called My Beach, Your Beach, run by Keep Scotland Beautiful. The idea is to remind the people who use the beach and the prom that it’s THEIR responsibility to clean up after themselves. The project team leader, Aoife Hutton, has been paying weekly visits to Portobello to monitor the state of the beach in particular. It’s run in partnership with Scottish Water which has been looking at water quality – if you’ve wondered about what looks like a small oil rig in the south side of the Forth, that’s what it’s doing. Yesterday, an impressive 40 volunteers helped with a major beach clean. As Aoife explained to Porty Podcast Producer David Calder, they were split into two teams.
Artists in Portobello cover a wide spectrum. One of the more unusual ones connected to this year’s Art Walk is called Séance, a series of carefully crafted short stories, most of which draw their inspiration from Portobello, its houses, the sea, the people. It’s the creation of Chris Dooks and Eleanor Thom who will launch it tonight at the Beach Lance Social Club.
Events like the Art Walk Porty make Portobello a great place to live. There are dozens of artists living here – painters, sculptors, ceramic makers and so many more with such diverse talents. This is the now annual opportunity to see what they’re producing and perhaps acquire something unique. This year, the Art Walk is four years old. Its theme is ‘PLEASURE GROUND’ with a mix of live music, writing, walks, installation and film screenings as well as everything else, as David Calder’s been finding out.
This is the weekend of The Big Busk. Dozens of musicians descend on Porty Prom to perform, pretty well all day long. Now in its ninth year, it had simple beginnings – but even at the start, there were ambitions to make it something really special, to make it part of the Edinburgh Festival and that has happened although the founder, Paul Lambie, prefers to think of it as a ‘carnival’ as David Calder, the Porty Podcast Producer, has been finding out.
You may have noticed a highly decorated vehicle in Portobello High Street, outside the Town Hall, last night. That was the Travelling Gallery paying one of its regular visits to Porty. It will be back from 11 o’clock this morning. But this visit was special. The Gallery is celebrating its 40th anniversary and chose to launch its final tour of 2018 in Portobello, as Porty Podcast Producer, David Calder, found out.
Cycling has seldom seen so popular. There’s never been such a choice of bikes with prices that range from the affordable to the “How Much!!!”. There have been new developments as well. Electric bikes are now coming down in price; and up in terms of how far they can travel. But just like a car, they need to be looked after, professionally. That too can be expensive, especially if you go to one of the many shops in the centre of Edinburgh. But why go there when you can find all the expertise you need right here on Porty High Street. Porty Podcast Producer David Calder is a regular customer.
It's 18 months since we last heard from Tommy Sheppard, MP for Edinburgh East. It's been an exciting and extremely frustrating time for him and most of the other Scottish MPs in Westminster. He's watched as both Tory and Labour Parties have spent hours failing to agree internally and indeed almost seeming intent on tearing themselves apart over Brexit. That quickly became apparent when he spoke to Porty Podcast Producer, David Calder.
When Earthy closed its doors in Portobello, many people wondered what would happen with the space. Well, now we know. It's currently under a pretty major refurbishment by Tribe Porty which has taken over the whole building - we'll hear more about its plans later in the year. But what they have done is open up the space to other social enterprises - including the Edinburgh Tool Library. Its part of the building is now ready - but they can't open to the public just yet as other sections are still construction sites. However, this week, they invited people to take a look around and enjoy a beer and a BBQ. We went along to take a look.
Driving in towards Portobello from the West, you can't help but notice the bright green signs advertising the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home. It's a large, triangular site between the main road and the start of the Prom at Seafield. It's been there for almost 70 years - but it's story reaches back to the middle of the 19th century as Porty Podcast producer, David Calder, found out.
The growth of Development Trusts across Scotland has been an undoubted success story. Over 40,000 people have been involved in buying land or property since the Community Right to Buy Legislation was passed in 2003. They now own assets worth almost £90m and have brought in £25m in regeneration funding. With a collective turnover of over £50m, they are economic success stories too. The trusts have transformed areas, especially rural ones, across the country. But as we know, the law was updated to allow for local communities to acquire buildings in towns and cities as well with of course Bellfield being the first to succeed. Bellfield had a major advantage in that Ian Cooke, director of the Development Trusts Association Scotland, lives in Portobello, just up the hill from the new community centre. Porty Podcast Producer David Calder started by asking him about his involvement.
The summer sun brings out the vibrancy in the colours we see around us. And vibrant colours are very much on display at the latest exhibition at the Velvet Easel Gallery which opens today. The work of many artists is on show - and not just from Scotland. Some of the paintings are exciting, others challenging; and that may be part of the reason for the curious title 'Defying Sameness'. Porty Podcast Producer David Calder asked gallery owner Roz Walker to explain.
You may have noticed that most of the schools are now on holiday! On the good days (and we have had a few recently), the beach is bustling with families, the children splashing around in the sea, building sandcastles or burying granddad in the sand. But what happens on days when the weather is not so good? The kids may spend some time at home, at best playing games on assorted devices; at worst getting under everyone's feet. However. Portobello Library is offering some relief by a mix of challenges and crafts. Under the title of the Summer Reading Challenge, it draws inspiration from "The Beano" which celebrates a major anniversary this year. It's a nation-side summer project called 'Mischief Makers". Porty Podcast Producer David Calder heard more from manager Paul Hudson.
It’s going to be very busy in Portobello this weekend. On the beach, crews from around the country will gather for the Porty Regatta, a day of fun and frolics on the water plus some serious racing. And it’s also the day that Bellfield opens as Portobello’s Community Hub – a great venue for all kinds of activity from youth theatre to coffee mornings, from bike maintenance classes to…well, it’s up to the people of Porty to decide. We’ve been to hear more about both:
Last month, we reported on the Edinburgh Shoreline Project and how, over the coming year, scientists and conservationists will work with local people to search for little-known species, explore rock pools and mudflats and undertake practical conservation work. One part of this will be an exhibition by the award-winning sculptor Julia Barton. Although based in Portobello, Julia’s work is part of a much bigger, Scotland-wide project – the Littoral Art Project – aimed at explaining the harm that plastic does to our shoreline and the value of all that material that’s just been thrown away. She’s producing sculptures, such as the one in the photograph #LitterCUBES, from items she’s collected – this little blue box is made of cotton bud sticks found on our own beaches in Portobello.
A block of flats in Portobello has become an international talking point. The building at 26 Bath Street was unique in the way, not that it was constructed though that was unusual enough, but in the way it was financed and developed. It’s already won awards. For example just last month, it won the Wood Award for best use of wood in a building in Edinburgh, presented by the Edinburgh Architectural Association. Journalists from as far afield as California have come to learn about it. One magazine this past week went so far as to suggest that it “could be the future of Scottish housing” – a claim that architect John Kinsley finds flattering but a little over the top. To find out more, Porty Podcast producer, David Calder went to meet him in his top floor flat.
Portobello seems to produce its fair share of brewers – and not just ordinary brewers! 18 months ago, we heard about the Bellfield Brewery which was making gluten-free beers. Since then, they’ve become prize-winners and gathered other accolades as well. Now, we’ve heard of another company, Eyeball Brewing also founded here in Porty, which is also aiming to make its mark – a slightly different one from the traditional craft breweries. In today’s episode, we hear about them both.
One of the lovely things about living in Portobello is just how many things there are to do on the sea. There’s sailing and kayaking, rowing and paddle-boarding. But perhaps the hardiest group are the open water swimmers. You seem them out in the water, winter as well as summer, braving the cold and even some quite large waves. They’re aptly known as ‘The Wild Ones’. We joined them one Sunday morning to find out more:
Edinburgh has 27km of coastline from Port Edgar to Joppa. Other cities around the world have made the most of having such a sea front – Edinburgh, for the most part, hasn’t. You can’t walk or cycle the coast from end to end. Instead, large areas are blocked off by industrial buildings, some dating back centuries. But change is slowly taking place. There’s a growing appreciation of the important role of the shoreline habitat. And now, a year-long project, under the guidance of the Royal Botanic Gardens, is bringing together schools, community groups and individuals to join together and work to regenerate natural habitats along the Forth. We joined a group from Portobello at the Seafield end of the Prom. Anyone who would like to get involved in any way can contact Charlotte Johnson at cjohnson@rbge.org.uk
There are two rowing clubs in Portobello – RowPorty, founded seven years ago, and Eastern Amateur Rowing Club, founded just two years ago. Until now, Eastern has managed with one boat, a St Ayles Skiff called ‘Skelf’. But as the club has expanded and its members wanted to get involved in more events many of them quite far away, it became clear that a second boat would be needed. The Porty Podcast was at the launch of ‘Sprite’:
Some of you may have noticed work going on in the shop that used to house Earthy. Two things are happening there – the first is an expansion of Tribe Porty which was getting a little cramped upstairs; and the second is a new home for the Portobello branch of the Edinburgh Tool Library – we’ll have more on THAT closer to the time when it opens. However, it will also be home to something brand new – a project called ‘Fork in the Road’, a social project under the umbrella of the Tool Library. We went along to find out more:
Get your credit cards out for the chance to get your hands on an unique portrait of Portobello. The painter, Peter Jones, has been encouraged to publish a book of his watercolours featuring many local landmarks. But he wants your help if it’s going to happen. He’s creating a Crowdfunding Page which will let you support the project – and get you a copy (or copies) of the book and more when it’s published at the time of the next Porty Art Walk.
The singer, Mairi Campbell, is preparing a new show for this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It's called "Mairi Campbell - Auld Lang Syne" and explores her relationship with one of Scotland's favourite songs and how it's been used (and abused) around the world. The show is the middle part of a trilogy she's working on with a world-class team from her home in Portobello. All music used with permission
Today could be a milestone in the history of Portobello – or at least in the recording of that history! If you look for information about the area on Wikipedia, you’ll find there are huge gaps - there's nothing about the story of the George Bingo Hall for instance, its former life as a cinema and the current controversy about the plans for its redevelopment. However, Wikipedia has tightened up the rules on who can post on the site and how it’s done. So the organisers of today’s event at Portobello Library plan to train up a small army of volunteers with the right set of skills.
Karl Stern's apartment on the Prom is stuffed with works of art - mainly from artists he admires. They include some works of massive proportion, taking up much of the space on one whole wall! As for his own work, much of that is on display in galleries. In particular, he currently has a one-man show at the Upright Gallery in Edinburgh.
Sing in the City, founded eight years ago, now has over a dozen choirs in Edinburgh, the Lothians and Fife. Its founder, Kirsty Baird, is organising another - this time in Porty! Find out more here!
Many older people suffer social isolation. The Royal Voluntary Service, which celebrates its 80th anniversary this year, is setting up a group in Portobello which may help. This first group will focus on crafts - but others will follow. The RVS held a "Welcome Event" this week at the Cake and Candy Tearoom. Its first official meeting will take place there on Monday the 9th of April.
Former social worker Roz Walker took a leap of faith when she decided to set up the Velvet Easel Gallery in Portobello High Street. Today, she runs a successful operation, part business, part hobby, in which local artists mingle with those from further afield, vying for space on the gallery walls.
The Portobello Timebank has been operating for a number of years. Its aim - to help people share their skills with others in the community. So if you need help, for instance, in the garden, then, if you are member of the Timebank, you can find someone to take on the tasks you can't. Here's how it works.
It's an idea that's been around for some time - but last weekend, Porty People were invited to share their vision of Porty Prom and the Beach! Friends of Porty Prom, to be set up on a similar model to the Friends of Figgate Park, will be a place where people who care about the Prom can share their ideas and help make it a great place for sport and play now and in the future.
It's almost a year since we last spoke to the community police in Portobello. You can find local people's worries about antisocial behaviour, for example, on online forums. Here, PC Matt McPherson talks about this and other issues being handled by himself and his colleagues.
After the very successful public meetings, Action Westbank is now working on a report to give to the City of Edinburgh Council. The aim is to make sure that Councillors and officials understand that their existing proposals are not acceptable to the people of Portobello.
There's a colourful new addition to Porty High Street. For years, the shop at Number 239 was home to RACE Couriers. But now, its grey exterior and empty interior - apart from a reception desk - have gone, replaced by bright blue paint and an array of goods for sale inside. So what prompted the change?
It's been several months since Action Porty received the keys to the former Bellfield Church and became the proud owner of what will become a wonderful community resource. But from the outside, nothing much seems to be happening. The gates are locked for instance! However, work is under way to ensure the building is indeed ready by summer.
Prostate Cancer has been in the news a lot recently - Stephen Fry is its latest victim! It's also one reason why the Porty Podcast has been missing for several months! The figures are alarming. In Portobello alone, more than 600 men and boys living here today can expect to get the disease at some point in their lives. And yet, most don't know much about it. Time to learn!
Time to meet another of our new Councillors - Callum Laidlaw of the Tories. He was elected back in May along with Kate Campbell of the SNP, Mary Campbell for the Greens and Maureen Child, the long established representative of Labour.
The Indian Summer we enjoyed in September may have gone but people still come to Portobello Beach whatever the weather. However, until now those with disabilities weren't really catered for - you certainly can't push an ordinary wheelchair along the sand. The arrival of the Beach Wheelchairs at the West end of the Prom (in the Tumbles Car Park) solves that. Book and find out more at info@portobellobeachwheelchairs.co.uk
About six months ago, Mary Campbell moved from being a local green activist to being one of Portobello's elected representatives. In this podcast, she reflects on her new role, the challenges and frustrations that go along with it.
September has been a busy month in the Portobello Swim Centre - and indeed in other pools across the city. 'Jump In' is a campaign to raise money to help young children from the poorest backgrounds to learn to swim. There's still time to join in by donating money to the cause. The simplest way is by texting to EDLS65 £3 to 70070
According to local people, the land at Westbank Street where the 5-a-side pitches and Tumbles are located was guaranteed to remain as a public amenity facility. But the council has put the land up for sale to pay for the refurbishment of the stadium at Meadowbank. Many developers have expressed interest - and (as far as anyone knows) they all want to build housing or retail units on the site. But a group of local people have come up with a plan to make the Council think again. Here are their thoughts.
The Porty Podcast began with the campaign to save the church at Bellfield for the Community. The Podcast had to take an enforced break over the summer; however it seems appropriate that we return once again with a story about Bellfield because, this week, the keys (a very large bunch of keys) were handed over to Action Porty. Now, the real work begins and money is being raised to make sure the project starts off debt free with a crowdfunding campaign www.bellfield.scot/crowdfunder
Edinburgh Tool Library is coming to Portobello. For the first time, local people will be able to borrow those expensive tools they might otherwise have to buy. The first session will be this coming Monday.
There's a growing movement in which communities around the country grow their own food - in allotments, local orchards or just spare pieces of land. In Edinburgh, this is celebrated by the Power of Food Festival which takes place this weekend. Here's the programme: http://bit.ly/2rDoAc1 And a video from last year: https://vimeo.com/217994404
To mark the 50th episode, Bob Jefferson from Portobello Online grabs the microphone and turns the tables on David Calder, who created the Porty Podcast back in November.
If you've ever been to the Comedy Nights at the Dalriada, you'll have seen the host Steven Davidson in action. However, there's another side to his professional life as a performer that he's developing in the form of a podcast - "Looking back on a Life the Didn't Happen".
There's a new 'open mic' evening in Portobello. Hosted by local songstress Rosie Nimmo, it's held on the first Thursday of the month at the recently opened venue - the Jaffle Joint - in the High Street.
It's a fun run with a difference - a four mile race along the water's edge on Porty Beach. The sand makes this a seriously challenging run for those used to running on a road or track; the soft sand in particular is hard going. The event takes place on the 11th of June but there's still time to sign up at www.portobellorunners.co.uk
TED and TEDx events are celebrated the world over. They bring together interesting, informative and entertaining speakers to talk to a specific theme. This year's theme in Portobello was 'Restart the Machine'. It involved a group of nine speakers - some local, some from much further afield - to talk about how the direction of their lives had been dramatically changed...and how they coped.
Next Friday - the 26th of May - Portobello Community Choir will be singing at a concert held at St Mark's Church. The choir, which is about three years old, attracts a wide range of people, brought together by a love of singing - and the fact they don't need to be able to read music! Their repertoire is very varied - as the Porty Podcast discovered when we went along to a rehearsal.
There has been a spate of bike thefts in Portobello recently. It's something the police are all too well aware of. However, they are keen that the public help them to stop this kind of crime by making sure their bikes are suitably marked and recorded. The local beat officer, PC Matt McPherson, insists that, despite the bike thefts, a lot of other crimes are down and Porty remains a safe place to live!
Who would steal trees from a community orchard? That's what Porty people want to know after six were stolen from the Donkey Field! They had been donated by another community venture. Six relatively rare trees.
If you are diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease and you live in Edinburgh, then count yourself lucky. The research into the disease going on at universities and hospitals is extensive and the support network better than many other parts of the country. So when Ken Bowler, a now-retired professor of physics at Edinburgh University and Porty resident, discovered that he had Parkinson's, he decided to get involved.
For Action Porty, this was vindication day - the day the Scottish Government confirmed the community right to buy. But now, the hard work really begins of turning the former Bellfield Church into a thriving community hub.
They meet on the last Monday of the month, providing a voice of the community to the Council, the Scottish Government and developers. First set up some 34 years ago, Portobello Community Council is today able to use modern technology to do the job it was set up to do - consult the community and reflect its views.
Porty - the best place to live. That's being proved by the fact that more buildings in Portobello and surrounds have been entered for this RIAS Awards than any other single part of the country. Leading the way is Porty High School - but there are other, smaller gems as well.
Beachcombing is a popular pastime for many people - but for Nicola McFarlane Young, it's more of a passion. She describes herself as a "Driftwood Artist" - and a highly successful one at that. She's down on Portobello Beach almost every day, hunting not just for driftwood but also for interesting shells and other objects. Her business, Beach Arts, was established six years ago and her work can be found in galleries across the country.
A first for Portobello and Craigmillar - an online hustings! The local elections are taking place on the 4th of May and usually there would have been a town hall hustings. That's not taking place this year - so we're organising an alternative using Facebook Live on Thursday the 27th of April
Today was a special day for the Porty Parkrun. Over 300 people turned up to mark its second anniversary. The events are free, weekly, 5km timed runs which take place around the world. They are held in pleasant parkland surroundings and the organisers, all volunteers, encourage people of every ability to take part; from juniors to those with more experience.
Portobello has a long history - and the Heritage Trust is dedicated to telling that story. It was created with one project in mind - the rebuilding of the kilns near the beach - but there's more to Porty's Heritage than that. However, even the story of the potteries is missing some elements as we heard at the AGM.
A lot of local people have been on tenterhooks, waiting for the result of the Bellfield Ballot. It's been a first for Scotland, using new legislation to organise a community buy-out of a local resource - in this case, a redundant church. A ballot of local residents was held - and the result was a resounding YES.
The Porty Organic Market has been running for several years now. Organised by PEDAL, it attracts a wide range of regular traders - and, this being the first market of the Spring, there was a healthy turnout. It's not just the purveyors of food and crafts who take stalls - we'll come back to them in a future episode. There are also campaigning organisations as well.
Porty Prom isn't just a great place to enjoy the good weather. It's somewhere to get fit as well. There are all sorts of healthy activities to be found there, some using the beach as an outdoor gym. That's what today's podcast is all about.
Big Things on the Beach was a BIG idea - to turn Portobello into a place where large-scale public art would make an impact. A charitable trust, it persuaded organisations such as the Scottish Arts Council (now Creative Scotland) to put up the money to commission artists - local and international - to create pieces which made people stop, look and think. Sadly, times have changed and Big Things will no longer be inviting people to look at temporary art works such as the Pyramid, three huge constructions made from sandbags! But it has left a legacy within the community.
The next few days will be critical in the campaign to save Bellfield Church for the community. On Monday, ballot papers will be going out - and there's a very short window of opportunity to mark and return them. The Scottish Land Fund may have given almost £650,000 to buy the building but without a strong 'yes' vote then the project could yet be stillborn. There's more at www.bellfield.scot
Most of the local businesses in Portobello will know about the Shop Party Awards by now - but how many of their customers and clients know about them? There's a wide and diverse groups of businesses in the area, from the restaurants and bars down on the Prom to the specialist food shops like Williamson's the fishmonger, Breadshare and Findlay's the Butcher, from Cobbler's Bench, the shoe repair shop, to the new hardware store. It's all part of the diversity that makes Portobello a great place to live.
In the last few days,Turn2us' Edinburgh Trust has launched a new community funding programme for Edinburgh, asking “What can you do to help your community thrive?” Until now, the Trust has focused on providing financial support to people needing short term help for themselves and their families – and still does. But now, with the launch of a new Community Programme, the Edinburgh Trust are looking to fund projects that can provide more lasting and longer terms solutions to help improve lives, reduce poverty and get the best out of the people and resources in their community.
Assassins Kickboxing club meets twice a week at Portobello - and twice a week at Easter Road as well. It attracts dozens of members of all ages - the youngest is just 4! The training focuses on fitness, stamina and skill and is as popular with women as men. But what actually happens at one of the sessions? We went along to find out.
Gardening and keeping your home warm are the topics of this podcast because there are a couple of events coming up which will give loads of advice. The first, tomorrow – Sunday, is a ‘Gardeners’ Question Time’ at the Wash House run by Portobello Timebank (www.portobellotimebank.co.uk). A panel including George Anderson of Beechgrove Garden will there to answer your questions. And later in the month, there will be an event run by Home Energy Scotland aimed at people who live in some of the older houses in the area. Its objective will be helping you stay warm and save money. It’s free but booking is advised at http://bit.ly/oldhomeportobello
New 20 mile an hour speed restrictions have come into force. They now stretch from Portobello along to Granton and from Duddingston to Morningside. It’s all part of the Scottish Government’s Road Safety Framework which is designed to make the roads safer for children, pedestrians and cyclists. The move is supported by Police Scotland and officers will be monitoring the situation closely. Since the start of the first phase of the new speed limits, they've taken action against 18 drivers who have been driving too fast.
Later this year, there will be a TEDx conference in Portobello, organised by Tribe Porty. But what does it take to present a TED talk? Psychologist and Portobello resident Nick Child was the opening speaking at the Edinburgh University TEDx event just this week.
Organically Yours is the creation of American-born, Julia Leyden. It's quite possible that you may have seen her on the Prom last year selling her vegan muffins and other products. She's fully intent on getting back outside as soon as she can. But she has serious ambitions for this currently small business in Portobello - she runs it from her flat overlooking the beach. Having family back in the US helps with her desire that make this an international firm, targetting a rapidly growing market.
There was excitement in the air around the former Bellfield Church. Action Porty's application to the Scottish Land Fund has been successful! The Land Fund Committee has approved a grant of £647,500 which includes some £570,000 towards the purchase of the church and halls. The final part of the Community Right to Buy process will involve a ballot of Portobello residents. The ballot papers go out at the end of March - so get involved!
The 5-a-side football pitches in Portobello are under threat. It came as something of a shock both to users and to the local community when it emerged that the eight pitch site had been put up for sale. There hadn't been any consultation about this and the announcement came out of the blue. So a number of campaigns have been started to stop the sale - at least for the time being.
Everyone who tends an orchard is looking for a bumper crop. Those involved with the Portobello Community Orchard are no different. And to make sure their wishes are granted, they've started a tradition of singing - or wassailing - to the trees at the start of the season in January. Today was wassailing day!
When should children start dance classes? Well, at the Lothian Dance academy, the school rolls are now open to girls as young a 2! The academy has been in Portobello for many years and, for some families, it's almost an institution - the mothers who were pupils in the past are now sending their own offspring along today. The youngsters are very much part of the community. They not only stage their own shows but also help with the Porty Panto and the Christmas Street Fest! At the heart of this dance school is Miss Morag - Morag Phillips, the founder of and inspiration behind the academy.
The Citizens Advice Bureaux are the places people turn to when they've a problem. The one in Portobello sees up to 80 people a week - that's about 4,000 people a year wanting help! Some of them might get help using the website - citizensadvice.org.uk/scotland - but the door is open if that doesn't work. The Porty Bureau offers drop-in sessions two mornings a week, on a Tuesday and Thursday. Currently, there are some 25 regular, trained volunteers working there - but they need support from receptionists on a Monday and Wednesday afternoon.
The MSP Claudia Beamish was in Portobello on Monday night, consulting local people about her bill to ban onshore fracking. It was a well-attended meeting, strongly backed by 'Our Forth' - a Porty-based group which has already successfully campaigned against coal gasification.
It's become one of the best music bars in Edinburgh. Every day, there are musicians - professional as well as local amateurs - performing, sometimes into the witching hour. There are jam sessions, new bands and family sing-a-long gatherings on a Sunday. But there's more to the Dalriada than just the music. It's used by all sorts of groups - from the monthly Dalriada Conversations, to wine tastings and gourmet evenings. There is something for everyone.
A somewhat serious episode this week. There was a talk at Porty Communicators last week which highlighted the blight of food poverty. There were many shocking statistics, not least that the DWP refer more people to food banks than anyone else! There is what they call a 'Basics Bank' in the area - 'basics' because it doesn't just distribute food but toiletries as well. It's been going for four years and they know the time of greatest need is right now - in the winter.
It was lovely to hear that a local business in Portobello had won an award. The Skylark on the High Street is officially one of the best pubs in Scotland. It was one of six named in The Skinny Food & Drink Survey. Even better, they were voted for by the readers of the magazine. So what's the secret if its success?
Happy New Year. We're starting 2017 with a competition. All the answers can be found by listening to the episode. It's about the Bellfield Brewery, set up by a couple of Portobello residents to satisfy a need for a beer that people with a gluten allergy or wheat intolerance could drink. It took a lot of research, testing out various alternatives to the usual ingredients - but nine months after the first bottles were produced, they're not juts selling in the UK but exporting as well. A real local success story. And now the competition...
There are six questions - but we are only going to list five of them here. 1) What is the name of Giselle’s husband? 2) What is the medical condition which means he can’t drink normal beer any longer? 3) Name the principle ingredient in their gluten-free beer? 4) What is the name of the head brewer? 5) How many independent off-licences and shops are selling the beer? 6) ....will be found at the end of the podcast!
Answers to david@bitweb.tv
Good luck
Christmas, for many, is a time for reflection, not just conspicuous consumption. With that in mind, we have handed the bandwidth for this, the last Porty Podcast of 2016, to the faith leaders in our community. The four of them - Sophia Marriage of St Mark's Episcopalian Church, Andy Scarcliffe of Portobello Baptist Church, Stewart Weaver of Portobello and Joppa Parish Church and Fr Jock Dalrymple of St. John the Evangelist RC Church - each took a character from the Christmas story to reflect upon. We hope you enjoy their thoughts. Have a Happy Christmas and an excellent New Year. We'll be back in January.
Tommy Sheppard was elected in the SNP landslide in 2015, much to his surprise. He has taken his new responsibilities seriously and his contributions in the Commons have had their impact. He took the decision right from the start to make sure he listened to the voice of local people, with the heart of the constituency in Portobello and Craigmillar - indeed, his main constituency office is in Portobello High Street. So here we learn a little more about the MP, his experience of the last 18 months and some thoughts about an uncertain future.
One of the great things about Portobello is the way people make use of the great big water feature right on our doorstep. There's sailing, kayaking and rowing - all under the banner of the Portobello Sailing and Kayaking Club or PSKC. The rowing section - RowPorty - is the only one which is a year round activity. It was one of the first members of the Scottish Coastal Rowing Association and has helped develop the sport into a worldwide activity. And the great thing about RowPorty - and indeed the whole of PSKC - is that it's a community club set up to encourage people to get out on the water.
The new Portobello High School was officially opened a few days ago, although the learners and staff have been in since October. It's an attractive, modern, very well equipped building that everyone seems to enjoy using. The school however is about more than a place of learning for young people. It is also designed to be a hub for the community with all sorts of activities taking place there after hours, something that will grow in the New Year.
What is your greatest fear? One of the most common is speaking in public! There’s a global organisation called Toastmasters International which can help, mainly with public speaking. It’s a voluntary organisation, one of whose prime goals is to help people become much more confident when they stand up in front of an audience. There's a new branch in Portobello – Porty Communicators.
There’s been a significant change in the policing of Portobello – north east Edinburgh as a whole. It’s officially called Operation Rigoletto. What it means in practice has been putting boots back on the ground, having community police officers on the beat, speaking to the public and making sure that everyone in the community knows who their local officers are and are therefore willing to approach them in an easy, relaxed, friendly way.
It’s that time of year again – oh no it isn’t – oh yes it is! It’s the time of year when otherwise sane and respectable people don loud, garish, outlandish costumes, tell bawdy jokes and entertain children and adults alike with traditional tales such as Cinderella, Aladdin or Puss in Boots. The Porty Panto is back again opening on Thursday the 9th of December. So what hero is the audience going to cheer, what villain to jeer this year.
Behind an anonymous bright yellow door lies the world of Tribe Porty. The brainchild of Dani Trudeau, an American who has lived in Portobello for many years, it's an eclectic blend of education for new families, personal development and a business support community for a wide variety of freelance creatives.
Along at the Western edge of Portobello, Breadshare is a social enterprise determined to change our attitudes to food – to bread in particular. The business was started in the Borders about six years ago by two Australians – Deborah Riddell and Geoff Crowe – but they moved to Portobello to be closer to the Edinburgh market. Their business model is interesting – profit doesn’t really seem to figure high in their list of priorities. They exude a passion not just for their product – a wide range of different artisan breads – but for educating the world about the importance of eating it as part of a healthier diet.
For the last 21 years, Maureen Child has represented Portobello – and Craigmillar – on the City of Edinburgh Council. It’s been a challenging experience, especially now when increasing pressures are being placed on local authorities thanks to reduced budgets and reforms to what they can do. It’s been a hallmark of her time that Maureen’s been content to steer from behind, letting local people, local communities take credit for changes that have happened in their areas. Her philosophy can be summed up by the question – what matter to YOU?
Christmas is coming - and the Portobello Christmas Street Fest will take place on the 1st of December. Here, organisers, June Robertson and Bob Jefferson, explain what's on offer.
The people of Portobello have achieved a Scottish first – the first urban community buy-out granted by the Scottish Government. Bellfield Church is a landmark building, dating back to the start of the 19th century. When the Church of Scotland decided to merge three of the parishes in the area, it was closed as a place of worship. But the community wanted to turn the building and its associated halls into a space for the community. This is the story so far.