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October's Spurtle is ripening on the metaphorical horse chestnut tree of news and will drop soon onto an expectant north-central Edinburgh.

Issue 211 is packed with local intelligence: we have the latest on diversions and dumps, gallivanting athletes and their celebrations, education, chihuahua aversion and erotic musical wind instruments.

Television celebrities appear this month, along with rooftop determination, wiggliness, tweeters and Broughton Street's long lost chemical laboratories.

A long-standing parking dispute between Powderhall and Hopetoun residents, developers and the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) does not appear much closer to being resolved. However, some of the issues have at least been clarified in a recent report to the Transport, Infrastructure and Environment Committee (see pdf at foot of page).

'It has become common practice in the case of many developments that it is implied to purchasers that road parking spaces are for their exclusive use,' reads the CEC document. But such exclusive use is not and never has been the reality.
 

Temporary traffic lights will be installed at the Albany/Broughton Street junction this weekend, resulting in Broughton Street's closure from 8am on Saturday to 7pm on Sunday.

During this period, traffic will divert  through Dublin Street  from Albany Street and via East London Street from Broughton Street heading  southwards. The lights will be activated at some stage next week.

The Hungry for Justice conference we participated in earlier this month at Aberdeen University was really interesting for the S5 and S6 students who attended, writes Drummond CHS’s Ailish McGuinness.

For example, we learnt that every hour 300 children die of hunger, one in three child deaths are caused by malnutrition, and half of children under the age of 5 in developing countries are undernourished.

Leith Central Community Council  (LCCC) met on Monday 24 September. Stormy night: warm welcome, Leith Walk on the agenda. Ella Taylor-Smith reports.

The coming improvement works on Leith Walk, Constitution Street and Picardy Place were the main topic of the meeting. City Centre and Leith Neighbourhood Manager Ian Buchanan had come along from City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) to give an update and answer questions – even if he had to say he didn’t know.

A man has died after fire broke out in a flat in Powderhall Rigg this morning.

The alarm was raised at 9.50am, and around 40 firefighters in 5 appliances arrived to find the 3rd/4th-floor property already well ablaze. A height platform, heavy rescue tender and incident support unit also attended.

As neighbours were evacuated, 4 firefighters entered the flat using breathing equipment and one line of hose. The unfortunate occupant was removed and pronounced dead at the scene shortly afterwards.

A fire investigation team has now begun inquiries into how the fire started.

This term sees a new group of S4 and S5 students joining the Kenyan Group at Drummond Community High School, writes Partnership Coordinator Annie Scanlon.

Can anyone out there tell us more about this wonderful design over the door at the former St Colm's College on Inverleith Terrace?

We think it shows Noah's Ark with a dove preparing for take-off.

Erected in 1908 to the design of Gordon L. Wright, the building was originally the United Free Church Training Institute for Lady Missionaries.

It was sold off by the Church of Scotland in 2010, since it could no longer afford to run it.

Albert is a two-year-old black cat: neutered, chipped, wearing a black collar with coloured stones.

His usual stamping ground is Annandale Street, where his friendly disposition and interest in defrosting stews often lead him to visit other people's homes. But he's been missing now for 2 weeks, his family miss him, and suspect it's high time he stopped eating out.

West Annandale Street residents are asked to be particularly vigilant – Albert's been spotted more than once around here in recent days.

With relatively few ingredients, there’s not a lot that can go wrong with a tarte tatin recipe ... you might think.

I – and I’m sure the contestants of the BBC’s most recent series of the Great British Bake Off – would disagree! But once you’ve mastered the art, there are few more satisfying desserts. 

Although the apples on the tree in my garden are slowly growing, I couldn’t say no to another fruit that’s in season at the moment: soft, sweet figs.