Breaking news

A Report to go before the Finance and Resources Committee next week sheds interesting light on the disposal of Council-owned and inalienable Common Good land to the developer of the St James Quarter.

The Report (dated 15 January and attached as a pdf below) recommends delegating authority for negotiating these deals to CEC’s Director of Services for Communities (the current Acting Director is John Bury), in consultation with the Head of Legal, Risk and Compliance.

The Left-Handed Tea Drinker stood outside, looking nervous. He was twitching and shifting his eyes in every direction as if he didn’t want to get caught. He looked left and right, took a deep breath and then stepped inside … 

After a recent minor disagreement with Mrs Left-Handed Tea Drinker, she told me I should seek professional help. A tad extreme but it did get me thinking. 

Extending the tramline beyond York Place looks increasingly likely now that TIAA Henderson Real Estate (THRE) has released more detail on its plans for the St James Quarter (Breaking news, 7.1.15). 

More detail has become available about the future St James Quarter. 

TIAA Henderson Real Estate (THRE) has submitted for approval matters relating to ‘number of residential / commercial / business units, design of external features and materials, pedestrian and cycle access arrangements, treatment to adopted roads or footways, car parking venting, servicing, surface water and drainage, and hard and soft landscaping details’.

Drummond High School sixth-formers have been learning about important social issues and competing to win charity funding for related good causes, writes David Sterratt. 

On the final Wednesday of last term, five teams of S6 pupils competed on behalf of local charities to win a £3,000 prize put up by the Wood Foundation. 

The deadline has passed. The entries are in.

The submissions have all been printed out, assembled in anonymised ranks and minutely assessed for locational and factual accuracy. And the clear winner is ...

But first the answers.

WEEK 1

1. Teal but no teal.

Today is Twelfth Night, the last day of Christmas and the excuse you have been looking for since 6 November to discard all the festive decorations in your house. 

In many strands of Christianity, the day marks the beginning of epiphany, recalling the three wise men's journey to see the baby Jesus.

This has given rise to various customs such as the baking of a circular cake, known in Spain as the Roscónn de Rey for its resemblance to a king’s ring. At 50cm diameter, it must be a very large king they have in mind.

Iain MacPhail's response on the George Street experiment will indeed have come as something of a surprise and relief to many of us, writes local resident Caroline Roussot. 

At this time of year everyone is putting together their top things for 2014. I’ve decided to jump on the bandwagon and share my worst irritations of the year past. 

You may not publicly agree with me, but deep down you’ll know I'm right. If I’d had the time, energy or inclination I could have provided a list of 50 or more: trams, the East Scotland Street Lane house/office/garage fiasco, and the silencing of St Stephen’s were a few of the many things that missed out on inclusion. 

But for now, here, in reverse order, are my top three. 

BEST WISHES 

FROM ALL AT 

THE SPURTLE. 

An' thyat 

– to paraphrase Forrest Gump – 

is awall we hyave to sigh abyat thyat.

Normal service will resume on 2 January.