Searching for a bridge I was vaguely aware of, I found myself standing on it without knowing, writes Charlie Ellis.

The ghost of Christmas.

No. 31 in an occasional photo series celebrating Spurtleshire street-name signs.

#Edinburgh

#dhyperlocal

#news

From the Edinburgh Evening News, 19 January 1904.

SIR HERBERT MAXWELL'S ADVICE ON READING. 

The new East branch of the Edinburgh Public Library, situated at the corner of M'Donald Road and Leith Walk, was opened last night, when Sir Herbert Maxwell delivered an address to a large gathering in the reading-room.

As you read this, advance copies of the February Spurtle are already spreading across Broughton like spilt potnoodles on a Bellevue pavement.

Page 1 is concerned with ups and downs and how to prevent them, and a way to make Edinburgh more of a level playing field.

Page 2 marks an important anniversary linking hyperlocal journalism with international pop stardom. It continues with unsurprising crocodiles, foul-smelling silt, and the ongoing hazards of city-centre cycling. Trees, tactiles and tiny buses also feature.

Police Scotland issued a press release this morning which we reproduce below unedited and in full.

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Public libraries have been squeezed and under threat for many decades; a manifestation of a long-running assault on the public domain, writes Charlie Ellis. Thankfully, many in this city seem to be in good health. One of Edinburgh’s busiest public libraries, McDonald Road, is currently celebrating its 120th anniversary. They have been commemorating this with exhibitions and a series of talks.

A community engagement event to discuss latest plans for the Broughton Road/McDonald Rd/St Mark’s Path junction will take place on Wednesday 24 January (3.30–7.00pm) in the Link building classrooms at Broughton Primary School.

The junction requires attention because of its proximity to the school and the imminent arrival of new housing on the sites of the former bowling greens and Powderhall Waste Transfer Station.

Consultants Stantec aim to encourage and prioritise active travel and make it safer.

Thank you and congratulations to the long-suffering readers who took part in Spurtle’s recent Christmas Puzzle. Special congratulations go to Sam Murray and Richard Patterson who correctly solved all the clues. Commiserations  to David Sterratt who missed out by one.

The letters in each clue referred to Edinburgh locations, and the numbers to how many steps lead to or from them. For the last five days of the puzzle, Murray, Patterson and Sterratt also correctly identified how many steps were present in each case.

GL – 

From 1–19 December, 1 clue comprising letters, number & image have appeared each day on our website. From 20 until 25 December, only the letters have appeared.

For these, you must now explain the letters and supply an accurate number to accompany them.

Solutions have something in common relating to Edinburgh. A small prize will go to the person who correctly solves the most clues by noon on 2 January.