Breaking news

The Water of Leith Conservation Trust is a charity established in 1988 'to conserve and enhance the Water of Leith as a haven for wildlife and an educational and recreational resource for all.'

Most people are well-disposed towards the Trust. They admire its excellent work in energising volunteers and communities to care for the river, encouraging improved public access to, enjoyment of and knowledge about this wonderful habitat.

Historic Scotland have applied for planning permission to erect an 8m-high 'saltire flagpole' in Edinburgh Castle (Ref. 12/00749/FUL).

If consented, it would fly from one of the highest parts of the landmark, on ground next to the whisky shop on the northern side of St Margaret's Chapel. It will be visible from Princes Street, Calton Hill, Waverley Station, and large parts of Broughton.

It looks like the end for these trees beside Canonmills Bridge, photographed this morning as contractors applied the coups de grace.

Malcolm Chisholm MSP has been in touch with the City of Edinburgh Council on Friday and again this morning, but holds out little hope.

A Council spokesperson told Spurtle this lunchtime that the last two trees scheduled for felling would come down today.

The Council also asserts that:

Council contractors began felling trees upstream of Canonmills Bridge on Friday, despite explicit assurances that they would be spared.

On 16 December 2011, Dave Anderson – the City of Edinburgh Council's Director of Development – responded to a huge wave of public protest at proposed felling as follows.

Love conquers everything.

Even the cracks in the pavement, even the fag ends caught in the cracks, even the gobbets of bubble-gum squashed and dessicated on the slabs.

The message below – observed yesterday, scrawled in pink chalk outside an East Claremont Street guesthouse – speaks eloquently about the salad days of new romance. 

R and K, we salute you.

Long may the honeymoon continue.

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Readers probably remember the Gaia Group – an ensemble of sustainable development-minded planners, architects and engineers who used to work out of the so-called Monastery in Hart Street Lane (pictured below).

In Issue 204 we set the following picture challenge.

Name the location of this curious Broughton light-fitting and a £15 retro-style book token could be yours.

So far, Spurtle readers have responded – literally in their thousands – by either sending entries to the wrong addresses or not bothering to enter at all.

Senders of correct solutions to the correct addresses therefore stand a very good chance of having their names drawn first from the shooglie hat.

Friends of the Rocheid Path have welcomed City of Edinburgh Council's agreement to undertake immediate necessary improvements to the popular cycle and pedestrian route beside the Water of Leith.

Choking ivy, self-seeded trees and fallen wood are now being cleared, and two dangerously unstable trees at the west gate are to be felled.

However, the group is working towards a longer term vision for the area, and has been gathering views from interested parties for the last few weeks. These have now been collated into the document attached below.

1. Recommending FIVE things readers need to know every morning is REALLY annoying.
2. The number FIVE is NEITHER significant NOR helpful.
3. ONE really important thing readers need to know is more welcome than an additional two, three or four things readers DON'T.
4. SIX OR MORE important things beat five important or unimportant ones EVERY TIME.
5. ONE important thing readers need to know is probably NEVER GOING TO APPEAR in a last-minute, cobbled-together column recommending FIVE things readers DO.

The Ballantrae Hotel has been refused consent for a 3-storey, 14-bedroom extension with external stair and canopy to the rear of its Albany Street premises at 11–13 York Lane (Ref. 11/03872/FUL).

Cogent objections were received from two nearby residents and the Cockburn Association.