Breaking news

Despite all the warm, socially glowing images we're bombarded with each Christmas, the festive period can be emotionally and practically rough for many people.

'Loneliness can hit hard,' says Brian Sloan, Chief Executive at Age Concern Scotland. 'Older people who live alone, or who have caring responsibilities, are particularly vulnerable.'

Strange what comes to mind at mention of the name 'Magnum'.

It’s coming up for a year since White Rabbit first opened its burrow on Broughton Street, and this will be the erotic boutique’s first Christmas in the neighbourhood.

Spurtle popped by at lunchtime to gauge how things have settled down.

Alasdair Sim, the Council's Tram Interface Manager, spoke to the New Town & Broughton Community Council at its last meeting of the year on 2 December.

Spurtle photographed a weathered fairy hanging in the rowan tree on Bellevue Place a few days ago, and returned this evening, just as night fell and the Moon rose.

Work began today on the first stages of rebuilding a wall badly damaged last week in Eyre Place. The wall bounds backgreens behind tenements at the top of Canonmills.

These snowy and kinetic scenes have been brightening Rodney Street since the weekend.

Police Scotland have confirmed that they are investigating the theft of a purse from a house in Bellevue Road yesterday.

Spurtle understands from a local reader that two bogus workmen gained access to a property there posing as plasterers.  

Officers later visited nearby residents issuing a description and advising people to be vigilant.

In September we reported refusal of permissionn to knock down  a terraced house at 91 Annandale Street (Ref. 13//02489/FUL; Breaking news, 11.9.13).

We've all done it once, surely?

You go to a Christmas party. You have one or two too many shandies on an empty stomach.

Then on your way home you suddenly find your trousers have fallen off and you can't work out how to put them back on again. Nothing seems to make sense any more.