Breaking news

Many readers will already know something of the Porteous Riots in 1736.

They started at the public execution of a tradesman called Andrew Wilson, who had been found guilty of burgling the Pittenweem customs house and had subsequently helped his partner in crime to escape with the help of the Edinburgh mob.

There were fears that Wilson himself would be liberated before justice could be done, for which reason the Town Guard, under Captain John Porteous’s command, were on particularly twitchy form on the day of execution.

Congratulations to captain Adrian Gomes and his hard-working Broughton Scouts team on winning the Edinburgh North East Scout District footie competition at the Jack Kane Centre yesterday afternoon, writes Scott Richards. 

After a disappointing 0:0 draw in the first pool game, ‘The Stags’ never looked back, scoring an average of three goals a game en route to the final against the 104th from Goldenacre.

The new Community Cinema in the middle of Broughton continues this coming Friday with two screeenings aimed at children and families in the afternoon, and adults in the evening. 

Below, programmers Rory Bonass and James Mooney preview what's in store. 

The Secret of Kells (2009), 75 minutes, NR

Spring has not yet sprung, but it’s certainly thinking about it. 

Out and about across Broughton this morning we found more than one sign that the season will soon be changing, including these flowers in the perennial delight at the end of Bellevue Place. 

The first crocuses are sticking their heads above the parapet on the crescent over the road.

BOTH SIDES MUST SHIFT IN LIVE-MUSIC VENUE DEBATE 

Sound clouds are gathering in the distance, threatening to cast smothering shadows over Edinburgh sandstone. Tenements tremble in anxious expectation of dins to come. 

This is because, as you may already know, there is currently movement towards easing sound restrictions at live-music venues in Broughton and beyond (Breaking news, 28.2.16). 

Word reached us on Monday of a ‘Banksy’ on Leith Walk. 

The person who told us of its appearance is a keen admirer of the Bristol-based graffiti artist, and has travelled widely to study his work in situ. 

HIGH-FLYER HEADS FOR BIG APPLE 

Just before he departed for New York to meet Bill Gates, Spurtle caught up with S4 pupil Mohshin Syed from Drummond Community High School. 

There’s an understated quality to Leigh Chorlton’s latest paintings in the Whitespace outstation on Howe Street. 

His canvases are small, his palette predominantly cool and restrained. The pieces' grounds sometimes emerge through sparely applied paint, giving them a sense of work in progress. 

As you read this, Issue 249 of the Spurtle is bounding off the presses like so many March hares with Spring in their tails. 

This month we kick off with the cost to Council of so-called culture, the virtues or otherwise of thin-ness, Leith Walk, and a lost dog with remarkably long hair. 

We continue with police-box developments, the mess and muddle that is Waste, urban funk, mournful liquid calls, wings of desire, fashion, teenagers, and live music.

And that doesn’t describe the half of it.

CITY MOVES TO EASE LIVE-MUSIC RESTRICTIONS 

Proposed changes to licensing policy that would ease the sound restrictions on live music venues in Edinburgh are headed for their first hearing in March, reports Lisa Rogers.

City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) is responding to demands made by musicians and venue managers 14 months ago to relax the strict regulations that insist music must be 'inaudible' outside the venue.

Many in the music community think this stipulation has forced small music venues to close across the city.