Breaking news

Braving perfectly foul Edinburgh spring weather, which had reduced the Spurtle posters outside to tattered mush before kick-off, 5 candidates for the City of Edinburgh Council's City Centre ward gathered at a hustings in Bellevue Crescent last night to meet the public.

The public, avoiding perfectly foul Edinburgh spring weather and politics, preferring instead, perhaps, the seductive thrills of Real Madrid versus Bayern Munich or Sir Alan Sugar on the telly, stayed away in droves.

There were more than one or two unoccupied seats for those who arrived late.

Yet another member of Broughton's restless cat population has gone walkabout, leaving emotional mayhem in her wake.

This time it's Maggie, a distinctive black, 8 year-old who was last seen on Gibson Street (off the Bonnington Rd / Pilrig St junction) on 14 April.

Maggie had an eventful life before adoption by her present owner, and bears the marks. She has a missing back toe, a missing front (large) tooth, a ragged tip to her ear, and a slightly squint jaw. She has lovely green eyes, but no collar as she's been chipped.

She's described as 'a survivor'.

Work by four  young artists will show at the Gallery on the Corner next month in what promises to be an exhilarating and colourful exhibition of new talent.

Rachel Anderson, Lauren Bremner, Alistair Mather and Nat Turner will all be leaving high school this year, and are among those who have been selected for the Artlink Central Creative Leavers Programme in collaboration with Stirling Council. The results of that programme will be on display here.

The Balmoral Hotel's application to update its signage has been granted (Ref. 12/00449/LBC).

The first of two Spurtle hustings kicked off last night, on a showery evening, with a similar event chaired by Lesley Riddoch taking place at exactly the same time elsewhere in the city.

With 5 minutes to go and the Leith Walk candidates outnumbering the audience, some Spurtle team members were already ruing the paper's potentially ruinous outlay on cardboard name-tags.

Fortunately, a late surge saved blushes, and some 40 members of the public settled in to question and assess those who would represent them in City Chambers.

Bear – the popular, well-kent, fluffy St Vincent Street resident – has been found and returned safe amd sound after an inexplicable absence lasting nine days (Breaking news, 13.4.12).

He went missing on Easter Sunday, but had perhaps never been far from home. It seems he may have been trapped indoors nearby.

The good news is that he's back. The bad news is that he's absolutely livid.

In Issue 204 we reported how residents near London Road had been disturbed by the idling engines of overnight parkers.

The buses have since gone, but now it is alleged that a few vindictive taxi and private hire car drivers have been deliberately targeting the homes of complainants and making as much noise as possible nearby.

Police and Council officials take this escalation very seriously, assuring both the New Town/Broughton and Leith Central Community Councils that action is under way.

Foremost Developments Ltd have received permission to begin pre-application consultations regarding property 35 metres southwest of 132 McDonald Road i.e. the former Martin & Frost site (Ref. 12/01168/PAN).

Using pencil, pen and watercolour, members of a local art club have recently focused their attention on one narrow corner of Broughton.

Using your expert local knowledge, can you work out where it is?

(Garden furniture thieves are politely requested to look away now.)

The artists in order of appearance are: Stuart Brown, Hannah Titlestad, Diane Chisholm, Gordon Mitchell and Joan Gilbertson.

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If you want to vote in the forthcoming City of Edinburgh Council elections, you must be registered by Wednesday 18 April. That's Wednesday of this week!

You can register by clicking here. (Remember, you have to re-register every time you move home.)