Dear All

This Sunday, 3 June, Portobello Running Club are holding their annual Beach Race and Kids Fun Run. The Kids’ Fun Run registration starts at 9.30am and the Adults’ 4 Mile Beach Race registration starts 10.15am and starts at 11.30am. All proceeds go to Thistle Foundation. You can sign up at https://www.portobellorunners.co.uk/adult-beach-race-2018/ or if you would like to donate to Thistle you can do so at: https://www.thistle.org.uk/donate.

There is a quick survey Friends if Porty Prom have produced, which I hope you will take the opportunity to fill in if you haven’t done so already:  http://www.portobellocc.org/prom/

Tai Chi classes that are held at the Thistle Centre of Wellbeing on Mondays and Wednesdays. Hundreds of people come along to get the benefit of the gentle flowing movements and relaxation. It’s a great way to get mobile and active again. Many Thistle tai chi leaders are trained volunteers and have taught one-off classes at Princes Street Gardens, local schools and the National Museum of Scotland at Chinese New Year. If you would like to find out more, contact Leigh on leigh.thornton@thistle.org.uk.

The Edinburgh Playing Out, who first promoted the idea, are delighted Council have approved the scheme under the name ‘Edinburgh Play Streets’. Applications to close your street during the summer holidays need to filled in as soon as possible before the deadline of 14 June. Detailed here: 

http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/20014/schools_and_learning/1553/playing_out/1

This Saturday (tomorrow) is Portobello Market day in Brighton Park. BG Cycles of Portobello are on site to give your bicycle a free check up and full list of traders is here: http://www.pedal-porty.org.uk/food/portobello-market/stallholders-for-saturday-2nd-june-2018/

Our May meeting of Portobello Community Council on Monday 18 May had an item for discussion on the vexed question of Brighton Place end-to-end reconstruction and the bus diversions planned for when the works finally start.  Sean Gilchrist and David Wilson from the Council’s roads team and John White from Lothian Buses plc operations division took questions and suggestions from those present, both Community Councillors and members of the public.  Council and Lothian Buses committed to work up answers to the concerns and suggestions.  There is no doubt whatever that these very major works – the first of their kind in well over 40 years –  will cause major and widespread disruption, whatever the final design.  We must work together to minimise that pain.  The works may be further delayed – possibly to January 2019 –  to allow Craigentinny Road resurfacing to happen first.

I have just had a morning with fellow Board Members of the Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust (ELGT] working on our starry for the next few years.  I was struck by how much work ELGT have been doing in Portobello/Craigmillar Ward involving people in placemaking and projects connecting people with their greenspaces – Straiton Park, Newcraighall Park, Little France, Craigmillar Castle Park, Treverlen Park to name just a few.  People might be aware of the activities, but do ELGT promote themselves enough?  Perhaps not, so look them up! http://www.elgt.org.uk/

Have a lovely weekend!

Maureen