Breaking news

From time to time, the Spurtle receives unexpected letters from readers which raise the spirits and make us whoop for joy.

So it was that, last month, local resident Mr Eric Robertson sent us a photo of this superb watercolour which he thought might be of interest to us.

Long-term readers will know that I have frequently highlighted the significance of the ‘Broughton Boy’ sculpture originally sited atop the former George Heriot’s School building at 32 Broughton Street.

As you read this, advanced copies of October’s Spurtle are already knocking at doors in the barony like an AirBnB guest arriving 24 hours too early.

Page 1 begins with a gentle rattling of the key safe and some disapproving tuts concerning pipework. It continues with muttering about money, a threat of kerbside discontent, pessimistic outpourings, and a determination to hold someone to account.

As the recent Save Leith Walk campaign showed to stunning effect, organised locals can make a difference. 

But rather than starting from scratch each time a prospective new development comes along, local activists are now getting on the front foot with a longer-term approach. 

They’re preparing to draw up principles which could guide how Leith (a description loosely used to describe an area from the Forth to London Road) preserves and progresses in ways which reflect residents’ own aspirations.

Broughton Scouts and Lothian Motor Coaches combined yesterday to whisk 50 local Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and adult leaders to their centenary camp in Dunkeld. 

Both organisations are celebrating 100 years of serving the East of the City Centre. 

Scout Leader Scott Richards told the Spurtle, ‘It's great to be leaving for camp on a Lothian coach, as generations of Broughton Scouts have done down through the years.

 PUBLIC DISCUSS SOLUTIONS TO MAJOR PROBLEMS 

Earlier this week, the Cockburn Association held the second of a potential five Soapbox Sessions in which members of the public consider and comment on a variety of important challenges facing Edinburgh: ‘Our Unique City’.

The aim is to gauge opinion in advance of the Council’s consultation in December, which will inform a new strategic City Plan 2030 for the coming decade.

The future of the 5.9-acre former Royal Bank of Scotland site between Dundas Street and King George V Park has become a little clearer.
 
Representatives from developers Orion Capital and Ediston Real Estate, architects 10 Design, and planning consultants Turley gave a presentation to the New Town & Broughton Community Council at the start of this week, and held a public exhibition in Broughton St Mary’s Parish Church yesterday. 
 

The Lady Haig Poppy Factory seeks planning permission/listed building consent for a major programme of refurbishment and repair to the leaking roofs at 68 Logie Green Road (Ref. 19/04027/LBC). 

Attached to its application is a Design Statement outlining the works. This includes interesting details of the site’s history, which we summarise and elaborate upon below. 

Who knows where this is? 

Clue: it’s a ground-floor commercial property at the core of Spurtleshire, with superabundant original shelving more usually stocked with products to clean, heal, de-pong, beautify, polish, and preserve. 

That’s right: it’s the south-east corner of the Apple Pharmacy at 105 Broughton Street.

Staff here are establishing a small informal library (along the lines of the one on Scotland Street) where customers can lend, borrow, and exchange books in addition to all the other more mundane things they normally do at a chemist’s.

Do you live on a common stair? Have you ever wondered what all the fuss is about when it comes to holidaymakers coming to live amongst regular city residents?  Scott Richards describes his first year’s disturbing experience of living alongside an AirBnB-style short-term let. 

Police Scotland issued the following press release today, which we reproduce unedited and in full. 

Police in Edinburgh are appealing for witnesses following a fatal collision in the Leith Walk area. 

The incident happened around 1.10pm on Tuesday 3rd September at Newkirkgate.

inquiries are continuing to establish the full circumstances, however, it appears a Vauxhall Astra car and an HGV have been involved and as a result a 62-year-old male pedestrian sustained serious injuries.