Breaking news

A new exhibition of paintings by Janet Melrose will open this Saturday at Bon Papillon on Howe Street.

'For me, Janet is an awesome observer of the small things that can sneak past your notice,' writes Ingrid Nilsson; '... tiny animals, half-remembered noises and feelings, fleeting stories that we can all recognise.

'These pocket narratives and memories are presented to us in gloriously simple fashion – no spare ornamentation or flourish to distract from the communication of truth.

In Breaking news yesterday, we republished the Council's radar-generated statistics for traffic volumes and speeds along parts of the York Place diversion route.

Neighbours have reacted with anger and alarm at plans to build a two-storey dwelling at 4 Barony Place (Ref. 12/03470/FUL).

Spurtle was contacted by one resident who complained of inadequate notification, and of what she perceived to be hectoring and disingenuous tones employed by the developer's representatives when talking to locals.

Chris Highcock – part of the Council's Tram Communications Team – has distributed updated data concerning traffic volume and speed on Albany Street.

We reproduce these files unedited below.

Analysing data gathered by radar detector since 24 July, he concludes that:

In this anxious age we spend an inordinate amount of time tip-toeing around sensitive issues for fear of upsetting others.

It therefore comes as a refreshing change, now and again, to find people who will simply say exactly what they mean.

Spurtle spotted this straight-talking A-board on Leith Walk yesterday. Let's hope the ladies of Leith can take it on the chin.

Readers will remember how, a few years back, a tearful Jamie Oliver struggled to re-educate the palates of British schoolchildren.

The celebrity chef's gourmet healthy options at lunchtime were boycotted by large number of grease-hungry youngsters whose appalled parents mercifully pushed fat-laden alternatives through the railings.

East London Street's Locanda de Gusti is taking a more subtle approach to the lucrative lunchtime trade emanating from nearby Drummond Community High School.

Today is National Poetry Day. To celebrate, we present this topical response to various shortcomings in refuse collection and the limited roll-out of containerisation

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Patience is wearing thin around Hopetoun Crescent Garden, where residents continue to allege anti-social behaviour by a few visitors and some users of both the guesthouse at No. 17 and the Missionaries of Charity at No. 18.

Littering, fouling, intimidation, abusive language, physical bullying of disabled passers-by, and threats to individuals and private property are among the problems reported.

Much has been made lately of piffling problems affecting Apple Maps – the computer giant's new cartographic system issued as standard on its latest hand-held devices such as iphones, ipods and ipads.

Irritating nitpickers have noticed occasional lack of detail, distorted satellite images, and wrongly located placenames.

No such fiasco would have befallen Spurtleshire, we hoped, but decided to check.

New Town residents want City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) officials to take traffic problems more seriously.