An item of "Breaking News". Will appear on the Breaking News page and the front page.
Did you enjoy your city-centre shopping experience this weekend?
The cheerful and excited throng?
The elegance of Edinburgh in all its festive finery?
Reader David Young did not, and here are his Christmas snarls explaining why.
1. St Andrew Square
Spurtle is grateful for any and all Christmas cards received.
But of the one card we have received so far in 2016, this from Napier Bathrooms & Interiors in Canonmills is far and away our favourite.
Somehow, we were tickled by the combination of festive sentiment, gradually de-railing scansion, and a glossy insert gushing warmly about the latest in Whirlspray and TurboFlush technology.
How have we managed so long without an orientation light?
Read and be amazed …
This won’t be the most exciting post you’ll read this Christmas, but it may be among the more useful.
Bin collection arrangements – for landfill and recycling – will not change over the holiday period. Put out your bins or boxes by 6am on 26 and 27 December, and 2 and 3 January.
If they aren’t collected, leave them outside until they are.
Communal bins will also be emptied as usual, although extra uplifts for glass and packaging may be introduced if necessary.
Can any reader explain this? Not the cat …
The wall-mounted rail, pulley, raised doors, blocks and curved ironwork suggest an arrangement for moving heavy items (barrels?) in or out of the 19th-century building at the western end of Dublin Street Lane South.
When they were last used – and for what kind of business – we don’t know. But in any case, their days may be numbered.
Nine applications to populate George Street with double-sided LCD advertising screens have been refused by City of Edinburgh Council.
As described here in October, JCDecaux wanted to use bus stops and freestanding monoliths – laughably described as ‘community information panels’ – at various locations along a thoroughfare which needs no such beautification.
In a crushing report to the Development Management Subcommittee, CEC officials concluded:
The regional Openreach Customer Network Solutions Manager contacted Spurtle today to allay local concerns about telephone engineers working on the Heriot (‘Sandy’) Hill site and neighbouring buildings.
Kieron Freyne says he was among the genuine BT engineers on-site last month, wearing the requisite ID. They had accessed the area with legal authority, and permission from at least one resident in each tenement block.
They left, he says, after receiving a verbal threat.
Congratulations to Robin Pryor and Moira MacKay who teamed up to tackle our Prize Competition.
They solved 5 of the musical clues to Edinburgh locations, giving them an unassailable lead.
They each win a ticket to the festive concert being held in Broughton St Mary’s Parish Church on Saturday (see foot of page for details).
For those who struggled in vain, here are the spots you were looking for. Follow the links for the helpful tunes.
We are delighted to report that Ziggy, missing from Annandale Street since 25 November, has returned safe and sound.
He got back in the early hours of Thursday/Friday morning, and – apart from looking very skinny and hosting a number of uninvited guests – is in fine fettle.
He seems to have been living wild for the last couple of weeks, during which time he successfully evaded the attention of around 2,500 locals who followed our online coverage of his disappearance.
Ziggy, we hear, is pleased to be back and is dining on tuna.
Artisan Canonmills held its second round of public consultation on outline plans for 13 Warriston Road earlier this month.
You can see the exhibition boards here and you have until Tuesday 13 December to send in your response to enquiries@canonmillsgarden.com Remember, though, that at this stage you will NOT be commenting on the detailed planning application to the Council.
The Scottish National Gallery is one of the quieter places in Edinburgh at the moment. Despite the raucous goings-on outside, it is a peaceful sanctuary with an opportunity to witness something never seen in Scotland before: Carel Fabritius’s The Goldfinch.
You have until 18 December to catch a glimpse of The Goldfinch (1654). It may take you until then to make it through the congested Christmas markets, but it’s a trip well worth taking.