Dear All
This is a second edition – and late! The Council’s server was down in Friday, so the email advance notices I had carefully lined up for the weekend are no use to you now. So, Friday’s Update was first published on Facebook page, not sent by email. But it didn’t necessarily reach all the people and parts it normally reaches. Sorry about that! Nevertheless, Portobello Amnesty book sale and coffee morning was a great success. From all accounts, the first community clean up at Cairntows Park was a great success too and the sun shone for the champion Iitter-pickers.
Last Tuesday, it was rubbish weather for Portobello Timebankers’ beach litter clean up. The main findings were cigarette butts and bottle tops, which don’t just vanish when dropped. There were also lots of cotton buds and baby wipes, which don’t just flush away. Their message is: ‘Bin them!’ For Community cleanups the Council provide support and kit. This is how the Council can help you do this in your neighbourhood: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/
Do remember that Portobello Heritage Trust’s AGM is in Portobello Baptist Church Hall, 185 Portobello High Street, TONIGHT, Monday, 16 April. The AGM starts at 7.30 pm and then there’s an illustrated talk by Gavin Willshaw titled “Portobello: People and Places Wikipedia Editathon”, which was also happening last Saturday. All welcome, but do join as a Trust member for only £10.
Have you tried the Greek pastries yet? It’s a great addition to our Porty High Street and had a fab write up here in the Edinburgh Evening News. Shop Local! https://www.edinburghnews.
Another great local business gaining well served accolades further afield is The Velvet Easel. Click here: https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/
A fun Big Walk event is coming to Portobello Promenade. How about spreading the word and signing up? https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/
Fancy a spot of gardening? How about volunteering in the community garden at Craigmillar Library, making new friends and learning new skills at the same time? All you need is enthusiasm and energy. The library are also looking for any garden related items. What do you have lurking in your shed? They particularly need planters, paint & brushes/scrapers, sandpaper and soil, and anything else which might be useful in the garden. So, if you would like to help, please do visit the library, or call them on 0131 529 5597 or email craigmillar.library@edinburgh.
The occasional Growing Get Together in Craigmillar is a great way to network and connect volunteers to growing projects in the area over teas and coffees. This will be hosted by Fresh Start in their growing space in the grounds of the Thistle, next to the Robin Chapel. Your contact is Karin Chipulina Craigmillar Community Grows; Community Development Worker for Carr Gomm, c/o The Thistle,13 Queens Walk,EH16 4EA Tel: 07824838364.
A fabulous twenty three diverse community gardens are taking part in the Power of Food Festival in June. Full details just announced here: https://poweroffoodfestival.
Musselburgh Horticultural Society are holding their Annual Plant Sale at the Hollies Day Centre, High Street, Musselburgh on Saturday 5 May, 10am -12 noon. There will be Quality Bedding Plants, vegetable seedlings, Perennials, Home Baking all for sale and a Tombola. Bring a friend, bring the family, non members most welcome. Entry £2 includes Refreshments and children are free with an adult.
All are welcome to go along and join in the fun at Joppa Community Tennis Courts open day! It is on Saturday 12 May 1.30pm-5pm. Free coaching, games, refreshments and more. Details to follow, but do put it in your diary.
We Councillors held an agenda planning meeting this week for our second North East Locality Committee. The main theme will be local partnership working to tackle health inequalities. Our full agenda will be made public on Friday 20 April, but I can reveal that Items for this second meeting on 26 April include a decision on an important local Traffic Regulation Order, the tortuous legal process to impose parking restrictions on Brunstane Road South and help make the area around Brunstane Station safer. Depending on the NE Locality Committee’s decision, this should be the beginning of the end of a very, very long saga.
To make progress on their partnership work, Living Landscapes are looking for a volunteer. More here: https://scottishwildlifetrust.
Edinburgh Leisure will be piloting a new low-level water-based activity, Active Aqua, aimed at anyone looking to get reacquainted or acquainted with physical activity. This is definitely NOT for regular aqua-fitters. More here: edinburghleisure.co.uk/news/
Sing in the City have a new choir in Portobello on Thursday mornings at 10.15am. Thinking about joining? Go to their website or email Sing in the City at https://singinthecity.com/
Best wishes
Maureen
Councillor Maureen Child | Labour Elected Member | Portobello/Craigmillar (Ward 17) | The City of Edinburgh Council | City Chambers | High Street | Edinburgh | EH1 1YJ | Tel 0131 529 3268 | Mobile 07718 666 481 | Twitter @MaureenChild1 | Facebook Maureen Child for Portobello/Craigmillar