Breaking news

TIME TO HAVE YOUR SAY 

Parents, carers and friends of Broughton Primary School will meet this evening to discuss the controversial residential development immediately adjacent to the main playground. 

Readers will recall the parent-led campaign to oppose development of 154 McDonald Road, and how that campaign was eventually lost on appeal in March 2014 (Breaking news 6.11.13; 26.3.14 ). 

Last month we reported the idea being floated in a Council Report that Drummond Community High School could become a dedicated Gaelic Medium Education School (Breaking news, 8.12.17; Report, 3.15–3.19).

When the first (and probably last) snow of 2017 fell on Broughton this morning, Spurtle – with all the grace of a hippopotamus in high heels – went up Calton Hill to meet it. 

A good 5mm had settled by lunchtime, hardly enough to excite winter purists but just enough to dust the Observatory’s dome. 

In the Scotsman on Boxing Day 1867, the following article detailed an outsider’s account of strange goings-on the previous day in the fleshpots of London. 

The Scottish journalist, like many others since at this time of year, found little to report. 

Ah the good old days! 

When Edinburgh was graced by beautiful horses, a comprehensive tramway system, decent roads, happy visitors, and a popular Council firmly in control of private-sector subcontractors, operating across all departments with efficiency and purpose. 

Two letters which appeared in the Scotsman on 18 and 22 December 1869 cast an interesting light on distinctive features of nineteenth-century Edinburgh street life; some of which are thankfully lost, others of which sound rather familiar. 

There’s been a very appreciative response to articles in the last two months’ printed Spurtles about the history of houses on Albany Street. So much so, in fact, that we thought readers might be interested to learn more about their author. 

Barclay Price has lived in Albany Street for 20 years, having previously lived in London where he worked as a senior Arts administrator.     

Around 35 cyclists (and Ward 12 councillor Susan Rae) gathered for an hour this lunchtime on Leith Walk at the junction with Pilrig Street.

Dressed in blue safety tabards, they lined the north and southbound cycle lanes as ‘human bollards’ to protest against the removal of ‘armadillos’ from the road.

Armadillos, also known as ‘orcas’, are moulded lumps (about the size of a shoebox) bolted to the road surface. They offer some (largely psychological) barrier to motorised traffic, and are attractive to local authorities because they're comparatively cheap.

Broughton bade farewell to the last element of Paolozzi's 'Manuscript of Monte Cassino' today. 

On a rainy, cold and rather dispiriting Wednesday lunchtime, a small crowd gathered to witness the removal. 

Present were members of the Press, passers-by, and Sir Tom Farmer (right). 

It was his generosity that had brought the artwork to this corner of Edinburgh back in 1991.