An item of "Breaking News". Will appear on the Breaking News page and the front page.
Two weeks ago we launched the second of our Edinburgh safaris by inviting readers to search for 13 or more lions (see foot of page).
Since then we've been overwhelmed by a grand total of 0 entries. One person on Twitter claimed to have identified over 20, but supplied no photographic evidence. We need your pictures if we are to build an Edinburgh bestiary.
As we approach the end of the Summer Term, Spurtle took a look through the pages of the Edinburgh Evening News for Friday 26 June 1864.
Surprise, surprise – we discovered an article expressing irritation at the expensive peacockery of young men, and the annoyingly long and elaborate holidays enjoyed by teachers.
We reproduce it in full below, with only the addition of paragraph breaks for the easily exhausted modern eyeball.
The trial introduction of kerbside communal bins in Bellevue and Hillside has seen the amount of glass recycled rise by 300 per cent, and the amount of mixed materials increase by 38 per cent.
The figures released by City of Edinburgh Council yesterday emerge from analysis of its two pilot schemes, the Broughton part of which replaced the old red and blue bins formerly presented by tenement and flat dwellers.
Increasing recycling
A flexible but forgetful person seeks help in recovering two lost purses and two or perhaps four sets of keys.
Their securely stuck sign adorns a Royal Mail box on Mansfield Place, offers a choice of rewards, and contains in the small print a rather touching admission of indifferent baking skills.
If you’ve seen the missing items, or have already bent over backwards to be helpful by handing them in somewhere, please let the owner know on: Mob. 0797 90 46561.
The Glendola Leisure Group, owner of the Shanghai nightclub at 16 George Street, wants to erect an obelisk, table feature and canopy in the basement area outside its property.
The proposed obelisk would be an incongruous, untapered stone pillar which, being cemented or mortared together, you couldn’t even play Jenga with.
With new legislation coming into force in September, Police Scotland and British Transport Police are this month busily reminding scrap metal dealers about their revised responsibilities.
‘Despite a decrease in reported offences,’ says BTP’s Chief Inspector Stuart Wilson, ‘metal theft still incurs considerable cost to the Scottish economy and continues to disrupt and inconvenience the communities we serve’.
Nefarious practice makes perfect
The new guidance comes not a moment too soon:
The lampposts of Calton Hill are a complete mess. Hundreds of small stickers have been added to them – some to an astonishing height (see foot of page) – by visitors from all over the world.
Rather than succumb to another fit of the Victor Meldrews, Spurtle has this weekend decided to go with the flow and try to understand – even enjoy – these often rather well-designed and enigmatic little messages.
Where in the world will they lead us?
As last reported here on 10 March, new principles for the layout and uses of George Street have reached an advanced stage. They will go before the Transport and Environment Committee for approval on 7 June.
That report is available as a pdf at the foot of this page. As far as it goes (precise timetabling, materials, designs and budget are not yet available), we think the document is helpful and admirably clear. We therefore don’t see a need to paraphrase it at length.
Another fine day. More crowds in St Andrew Square Garden enjoying the sunshine, enjoying the grass. Not the gurgling bog but the warm, soft, scented, easy-on-the-eye grass.
Monday saw the second Edinburgh outing of the gold open-topped bus in as many weeks as it visited Broughton Primary School, writes Nicola Clark-Tonberg (Chair, Parent Staff Association).
Lothian Buses were helping celebrate the success of 64 children who had competed in the Edinburgh Marathon Festival junior races at the weekend to raise money for their school.