Breaking news

December's printed edition of the Spurtle is in the oven. It will be cooked and ready to serve at the weekend.

This month's issue contains generous dollops of Planning news, and multiple tablespoons of bitter-sweet retail developments across the area. We have sprinklings of birds, nudes, skulls and quines, seasoned with a splash of music, a dusting of history, and a dab of poetry. Mixed in with murder, café culture, academic research and a mogulling Santa, this Spurtle cake is richly flavoured, densely textured and absolutely fat free.

Broughton Street traders are bouncing back against the slings and arrows of outrageous tramworks, road closures and traffic diversions with a stylish marketing campaign.

A website is on the way, but over 60 local businesses have already recently begun sharing a newsy Facebook presence and Twitter feed (@BroughtonEdin). Both carry information on events, promotions and special offers.

Friends of the Rocheid Path – the popular cycleway and footpath between Canonmills and Inverleith – are circulating a letter to local residents.

The Council has asked the group to come up with ideas for how to restore and improve the riverbank beside Arboretum Avenue, and particularly the 'Arboretum Triangle' (see map below) when Lagan vacate the storage site on completion of Water of Leith floodworks in the area next year.

Trendy Celt Ltd have submitted plans to the Council to alter (and change the use of) 1–3 Baxters Place to a licensed hotel, involving the demolition of a building at 2 Greenside Lane (Refs 12/04064/FUL; 12/04076/LBC).

Work would include the construction of additional hotel accommodation and associated facilities, and the formation of access and car parking (amending the plan consented at 08/03635/FUL).

Nicola Barclay, Active Schools Co-ordinator, brings the latest sports news and results from Drummond.

Basketball 

Seniors v Staff, 2012

Once again, the senior students failed to beat a staff team in this annual event to raise money for Children In Need. The seniors came very close, but a late flurry from the staff ensured a 17–14 victory.  

Well done to all who participated and a special mention to Ms Lewis for her fantastic organisation of this event. Over £200 was raised. 

A P7 pupil writes: Broughton Primary School has won an award called the 'Green Flag' from the evironmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful.

The award is given to schools which make an effort to improve the environment, keep the school tidy and save resources.

Broughton has been trying hard to get this award for many years and had already won the Bronze and Silver awards.

Spurtle very much likes this painted scene, with its promise of proper wintery weather and a functioning tram system. Close your eyes a little, and it could almost be Princes Street at the junction with Lothian Road.

In fact the oil depicts 'Notre Dame by Night' and is the work of French artist Édouard Henri Leon Cortès (1882–1969).

A group of bright students at Drummond Community High School have spent a year creating a dramatic story and film about issues affecting young black and ethnic-minority people, writes teacher Michael Paley.

After two days of heavy-ish rain, and with more on the way, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency this afternoon issued a flood warning for Edinburgh and the Lothians.

It covers the area as a whole and does not specify Stockbridge, Warriston or Bonnington as being at particular risk.

'The persistent rain forecast throughout Monday has the potential to result in localised disruption and flooding to low lying land and roads, via surface run off and small watercourse sources.' Advice and information are available on Tel. 0845 988 1188.

It's a bus.

It's a big bus.

It's a big, red-and-white bus.

It's a big, red-and-white, No. 8 bus.

It's the big, red-and-white, No. 8 bus which goes up and down Broughton Street.

Anyone got anything else they'd like to add? Good.

'Number 8 Bus' by Keith Thompson is available as a limited edition print at Curiouser and Curiouser. For those who missed it the first time, here it is again.