Breaking news

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.)

This fluffy black cat has been missing from St Vincent Street since Easter Sunday. A well-known local character, 'Bear' wears a black collar and is extremely friendly.

He may well be the latest in a line of local felines who have simply taken it into their heads to go on 'Spring manoeuvres', or he may temporarily be staying with one of his many admirers.

However, his unannounced absence is causing great anxiety at home, and any information on his whereabouts would be very welcome.

Please check your sheds and outbuildings.

Contact: Mob. 07733264331

Whisky Kiss are representing Broughton in the Big Apple for New York Tartan Week, writes bassist Iain MacPhail.

The main gig for the local 'souped-up ceilidh band' was to both open and close the biggest event of the Week, namely the 10th Anniversary 'Dressed to Kilt' Fashion Show.

On this page is more street-art spotted in Broughton over recent days.

On the corner of Gayfield Square and Street appears this spray-paint stencilled red fox, previously seen across North Edinburgh from Newhaven to Warriston Road.

The musical spinster (below) appears on a wall formerly occupied by a clench-fisted ghoul observed just over a year ago in Breaking news (14.3.11).