Breaking news

Police are appealing for witnesses after a 17-year-old woman was sexually assaulted on 20 August.

The victim was returning home at around 2am when a man approached her from behind and dragged her into Scotland Street Lane West. He knocked her to the ground, assaulted her and tried to remove part of her clothing. She cried out and members of the public came to her help. The assailant then fled up Scotland Street and escaped.

The suspect is described as white, aged 20–30, about 5' 9" tall and casually dressed.

Dance Base are running free 'taster sessions' later this month to celebrate the launch of their new venture in the Thomas Morton Hall (Issue 186).

As predicted in Issue 186, the Cameron Guest House Group has reapplied with revised plans for a hotel at 34–8 York Place.

The new proposal (Ref. 10/02444/FUL) seeks to form a hotel and create a licensed groundfloor bar for guest and public use.

Broughton Primary School's Parent Forum holds its annual general meeting tomorrow, 1 September from 7:30pm onwards.

This is one of the most important meetings of the year, as office bearers are elected and aims are set for the next 12 months.

Meet at the school in the Drama/Music Room.

Click on the pdf below for an agenda.

Issue 186 is coming soon.

Content includes: unscrambling of laughably garbled Evening News 'reportage'; local Arts initiatives; planning issues;  a flood of plumbers;  Broughton history; film news; dates for your diary; policeman's helmet; much goss; and an unvarnished appeal for renewed support.

Two local community events are running today, Saturday.

The Montgomery Park Fair runs from 11:00am until 5:00pm. And friends, neighbours and locals are all welcome in Redbraes Community Garden from 3:00pm onwards: expect Flamenco, Zimbabwean music and a BBQ.

The Edinburgh Schools Jazz Orchestra (ESJO) is celebrating 20 years with a free concert on 4 September in Broughton St Mary's Parish Church (see Events).

Past and present band members will join professional soloists and small groups, plus an entirely professional band composed of former ESJO members led by Chris Grieve of the Tommy Smith Band.

Here is a brief postscript to this year’s (37th) great Christian Aid booksale (Issue 183).

The recently published, superbly produced and detailed booksale Report reveals that the sale of books raised a remarkable £79,392.

Acquisition of special collections has enriched the collections of numerous individuals, and certain important holdings of: the University of Indiana; the Foger Shakespeare Library, Washington DC; and the National Library of Scotland.

How long have you nursed a secret desire to master American tribal-style belly dancing? Now's your chance.

Drummond Community High School has launched its new programme of adult education classes for Autumn 2010. There will be an open information evening to show what's on offer on Wednesday 8 September, 6:00–8:00pm. Free taster classes will run in the week from 6–9 September (see pdf below).

Adult education at Drummond is immensely popular. Currently, over a thousand locals attend courses each week.

Groups of residents who 'befriend' their local parks may sound – to the cynical or uninitiated – slightly absurd.

Absurd or not, such green oases and those who cherish them are proving effective focuses in and around which Edinburghers – who, apart from sharing a postcode might think they have little in common – can coalesce as communities.