Breaking news

Roving Spurtle correspondent John MacDonald was passing along Howe Street today when he noticed something odd.

Community Connecting (North East Edinburgh) is a locally based Council-run service working with older people. It's currently looking for new helpers, so support and development worker George Clark contacted us to tell Spurtle readers what's involved.

Planning permission is being sought to demolish an unlisted 1930s Miller home of no 'architectural merit’ and to build a larger, state-of-the-art, 3-bedroom, carbon-neutral dwelling-house in its place (Ref. 13/02489/FUL). 

When three artist friends embarked on a mid-week trip to Blackpool last January, they had in mind a bracing view of the sea, some fish and chips, and a nostalgic ride on the big dipper.

The eastern section of King George V Park is fenced off today and out of bounds.

Although not exactly a hive of activity this morning, this part of the park will remain shut for the next 4–5 weeks.

Twenty-two Scouts and six leaders (56 knees in total) from local troop Broughton St Mary's departed for their summer camp in Stavanger, Norway today.

Flying from Edinburgh Airport, they arrive this evening to set up camp at the Norwegian International Scout Jamboree.

Despite last year's poor summer and this year's long winter and wet spring having contributed to calamitous collapses in Britain's bee population, St Mark's Park is fair humming at the moment.

Spurtle was in contact yesterday with Kingsford Estates, the developer behind proposals for 154 McDonald Road. We invited them to respond to our press coverage, and to put their side of the argument regarding how conversion of the former high-school premises may affect Broughton Primary School next door.

The thunder of tiny feet shows no signs of abating locally, particularly now that the Edinburgh Nursery seeks to expand, again – this time at 119 Broughton Road (Ref. 13/02387/FUL). 

While walking through Rodney Street Tunnel, writes Jamaica Street Lane resident John MacDonald, I noticed that the new Council toilet was being fully utilised.

Unfortunately, cutbacks have prohibited the construction of privacy walls around the new facilities.