Breaking news

Over 30 people gathered outside Drummond Community High School this afternoon to protest against the Fringe presence inside of the Shalom Festival. 

Organised by the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the demonstrators stood for 4 hours outside the school gate to make their points concerning what they regard as Israel’s unjust policy towards Palestinians. 

They say the Shalom Festival glosses over injustice at home, and whilst celebrating Israel’s peaceful cultural diversity does not have much (if anything) to say about Palestinians’ experience. 

 NEW GALLERY IN FINE FORM 

Since the Union Gallery left Broughton Street, locals have had to look elsewhere for contemporary Scottish art close at hand. 

A new addition to the choice of nearby venues has been the Lennon Gallery on Hamilton Place, which opened in February. 

Normally, it is a showcase for the multifarious output of its owner Alan Lennon who sculpts, paints and produces photomontages. 

 COUNCIL SAYS WORK HAS NOT BEGUN ON SANDY HILL  

A Council official from the Enforcement Team today announced that recent removal of earth from the Sandy Hill development site does not represent a breach of planning control.

Writing to Leith Walk Councillor Lewis Ritchie, the official said that following a site visit yesterday, he accepted the contractor’s explanation that excavations were necessary to ‘provide a stable platform for plant and machinery’.

Spokes, the Lothian Cycle campaign, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year and is in optimistic mood. 

In its summer Bulletin (No. 128) it hails the recent local-authority election result since the SNP, Labour and Greens are committed to dedicating 10% of the city’s transport revenue and capital budget to cycling. Matched funding comes from Sustrans.

August is not one of the wetter Edinburgh months. It just feels like it. Somehow the 50mm of rain which water us during the Festival are moister, plumper, and more drenching than the 70-80mm that drop on us from a great height in October through January. 

So, no folding your Issue 265 into a novelty sou’wester tomorrow. You’re stuck with news – 4 pages of it, good, bad and intriguing but all of it exclusively about Broughton. And the bits just beyond. And some other stuff. 

GOOD TIMES ROLL ON WAVERLEY MARKET

Galashiels-based Keasim Ltd have applied for planning permission to create a ‘Festival Village’ on the vacant, 0.4 hectare roof terrace above Waverley Mall (Ref. 17/03159/FUL).

 LATEST INSTANCE OF A BROUGHTON BRUIN

Eurasian brown bears were not uncommon across Scotland in the past, and had a reputation for fierceness which encouraged Roman entrepreneurs to export them home as participants in bloody entertainments. 

Martial, writing in AD 80, described one such amusement at the inaugural games of the Flavian Amphitheatre.

Laureolus, a criminal, was centre-stage: 

 NO CAUSE FOR ALARM 

On this day in 1861, the Edinburgh Evening Courant carried the following report: 

A quite astonishingly poor planning application by Royal Bank of Scotland has been rejected (Ref. 17/02203/LBC). 

Having recently closed its branch at 2–3A Blenheim Place, RBS wanted to remove its signage and former tills there but retain one of two cashpoint machines outside.

Scout Leader Scott Richards hails new standard, and reveals secret history of dissent.