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I've been investigating – perhaps a little too scrupulously – the 'Broughton Whirr'.
You may or may not realise that this neck of the woods – like Bristol – experiences its own peculiar and disturbing noise once a week, or that discovering its origin has been a challenge that has taken over my Sunday mornings and those of my unfortunate nearest and dearest for the past seven months.
In the beginning was the Whirr
As you read this, copies of the August Spurtle are already percolating through the barony in advance of distribution tomorrow, like enormously well-toned Olympians arriving in the Athletes’ Village only to find it’s full of blocked toilets and exposed wiring.
Page 1 hurls itself faster with development news, confidence building, music, consultations, and odd newcomers in the neighbourhood.
Page 2 goes higher with a flying maggot, film news, chocolate departures, crime, a cat, and locals exposed to voracious appetites.
In a show of solidarity against the Nazi symbols and racist graffiti which have begun appearing around Leith in recent weeks, a march is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.
The ‘United Colours of Leith’ event will be peaceful, non-party-political and inter-faith. It wil also be well policed and stewarded so that everyone taking part can feel safe.
All members of the community are welcome, whether from this part of the capital or not.
Very early proposals for new residential building on the B&Q site at 13 Warriston Road have been displayed today and will be again tomorrow.
The ‘Canonmills Garden’ plot is now owned and being developed by the Artisan Group, itself a shareholding partnership between the Sanlam Group and Argosy & Salt Properties Ltd. They have appointed Sheppard Robson as architects.
When Albany Street Developments submitted a planning application for a new apartment block at 21 McDonald Place last March, locals were not impressed (Breaking news, 21.3.16; Ref. 16/01329/FUL)
Some 35 letters of objection were sent to the Council, and the proposal was withdrawn on 28 June without explanation.
Police in Edinburgh today launched an initiative in the Leith area to discourage adults from buying booze for under-18s.
Those who get caught ‘proxy-purchasing’ alcohol for underage drinkers could face a £5,000 fine or 3 months in prison or both. There’s now a helpful digital advertising screen at Shrub Place Lane reminding everyone of the fact.
The move is part of Operation Savana, involving local police, the Scottish Alcohol Industry Partnership (SAIP), and City of Edinburgh Council.
Thanks and well-dones to all who took part in our Edinburgh Safari (5) to discover 3D, artificial foxes around the city.
Some of you more or less followed the rules. Some of you more or less didn’t. Others both did and didn’t, showing a reckless disregard for the orderly glue of civilisation.
@NewTownFlaneur submitted his answers as follows:
As reported here on 3 June, when the Council commissioned Ironside Farrar’s report on future Design Principles for George Street, it was with a view to restoring the thoroughfare as the pre-eminent jewel in Edinburgh’s architectural crown.
George Street is now intended to become a flexible shopping, business and events space, attracting visitors from across Edinburgh, Scotland and the world.
Last month, we reported local concerns about the standard of paving on a section of Leith Walk outside Sainsburys (Breaking news, 29.6.16).
Discontent about the state of our footpaths is not a recent phenomenon, however.
Sections of the following letter, published in the Edinburgh Evening Courant on 26 July 1851, could almost have been written yesterday.
PRINCE’S STREET—FOOT PAVEMENT.
Mony a brattle, yirth din an wullfire, this muithy mornin, writes Peggy Farquharson, recalling meteorological excitements earlier today.
If it wisna routin, it wis flaffin, an if it wisna flauchtin then it wis routin or thinkin aboot routin.
Whit wi the dinnles an thuds an heavysome thunder-plumps, the hurls an flauchts, the skarrachs an rattlestanes, it wis mair lik the hindmaist day betimes, the plowtery crack o doom, the slabberin mou o muckle hell openin up aa the way doun Dunedin Street.