Breaking news

In advance of the New Town and Broughton Community Council AGM/meeting on 13 May, Chair Ian Mowat is again consulting Albany Street residents about the respective merits of end-on and angled parking. 

With the arrival of long days and the promise of warmer weather, many Broughton cats will now be making plans for their holidays.

Whether it be away-days to Goldenacre, spa-breaks in Bonnington, or romantic weekends in a luxury hide-away basement somewhere deep in the New Town – the possibilities for relaxation and adventure are limitless. 

Shake off winter!  

Annette Edgar's solo exhibition Life Times at the Union Gallery this month features  brilliant, joyous, colour-saturated affirmations inspired by scenes of Los Angeles, Tuscany, Majorca, and occasionally Scotland.

Artist, writer and critic Jack McLean says of the work: ‘I know of no other Scottish painter whose paintings burn with such colour. You come away from an Annette Edgar exhibition with a suntan.’

This ordinary local sign is pretty humdrum at first glance.

Until you realise that it is warning drivers on York Lane about St Mary's RC Primary School, which moved from grounds here to East London Street almost 20 years ago.

Ear plugs at the ready!

Starting on Sunday at Haymarket, a rail-mounted yellow grinding machine will progress at walking speed along Edinburgh's new tram tracks towards York Place and back again on both inward and outward routes.

The machine, to the untutored eye, resembles two armour-plated burger wagons on their way to the Russian Front.

Spurtle's latest print edition hits the streets today, brimful of news reported both from across Broughton and the bottom up.  

We bring you bluntness, boundaries, Bruce, blisters, bishops, bombers, bins, buses, bird brains, bright ideas, and potential Guinness World Record-breaking babies' bahoochies.

Phase 1 of floodworks along the Water of Leith (from Bonnington to Stockbridge) is due to finish in August this year. After mediation between the Council and contractors Lagan, a final outturn cost for this has been set at £29.132 million.

The estimated outturn cost of Phase 1 at the time of the construction contract's award was £22.683m. Lagan blames unexpected ground conditions, piling problems, and poor weather for the increase.

Tesco's application to erect 82 illuminated and non-illuminated fascia, canopy and flag signs on and around its 7, Broughton Rd supermarket has been consented (Ref. 13/00540/ADV; Breaking news, 5.3.13).

A Council press release issued this lunchtime trumpeted how the long-awaited new system of communal bins and gull-proof bags will be introduced in the New Town and West End in June and July this year.

A Council press release this morning hailed the completion of  all track and road works around St Andrew Square, and the area's return to public use.

This afternoon Spurtle braved wind and hail to photograph the rejoicing crowds, only to find workmen drilling new holes in the road outside Harvey Nick's and forcing cars to stop and turn back in the direction from which they had come.