Breaking news

As part of its remit as a social enterprise, Edinburgh Markets (EM) is offering 2 services to local voluntary organisations:

Broughton Street's Escargot Bleu chef-patron Frederic Berkmiller has recently returned from a trip to Britanny, where he led a group of Scottish chefs and food producers on a journey of gastronomic discovery.

In a scheme started by the Institut français d'Ecosse, Berkmiller (right, kilted) and chefs from the catering school at Dinard, the Scottish group were treated to a 4-day programme of visits (to an artisan butter factory, and traditional pig and oyster farms) as well as enjoying meals prepared by famous Breton chefs.

The spate of Bellevue burglaries is serious enough, but not as extensive as reports by locals first suggested.

Police have now confirmed that they are investigating 4 break-ins which happened in the area over Friday and Saturday.

Locals have contacted the Spurtle to publicise an alarming spike in break-ins across the Bellevue area. Cars, vans and houses have been targeted by 3 young men wearing hoodies.

We await official confirmation, but Lothian and Borders Police apparently told one crime victim (whose house had been ransacked) that 12 break-ins occurred on Friday and at least another 2 on Saturday.

Tools were stolen from a van in Bellevue Road, and a stolen car was found parked in the cul-de-sac by the McDonald Place cash and carry.

A new group – Friends of the Rocheid Path – has formed to make sure the popular beauty-spot and pedestrian/cycle route between Arboretum Avenue and Inverleith Terrace Lane is better looked after.

Founders want to see the area replanted and enhanced, particularly once extensive and highly disruptive flood-defence measures on the Water of Leith are completed in 2012.

The group's first Annual General Meeting  will take place tomorrow evening at Edinburgh Academy.

David Ross found himself at roughly the south-west corner of Drummond Place this weekend when he noticed these canine pawprints embedded in long-since set concrete.

'The dog was obviously quite large,' he told Spurtle, with the expert tone of a man who has watched a very great number of programmes about dinosaurs. 'It seems to have lolloped across this spot donkey's years ago to judge by the cracked surface of the pavement.

Congratulations to Broughton's Royal Navy and Royal Marine Club, 100 years old today!

A gathering this evening at the Heriot Hill House headquarters on Broughton Road will involve a 3-course dinner, cabaret, and Trafalgar Day celebration. Over 100 members will muster.

Steward Tom Phinn (pictured) has belonged to the club for 43 years, and is relieved that the hiring-in of catering staff means he can for once relax on this historic occasion.

It may be hard to believe, but if your child will be 4 years old by 29 February next year, then he or she could begin primary school in August 2012.

This area is lucky to have the excellent state, co-educational, non-denominational Broughton Primary School at its heart (132 Broughton Road; see slightly wonky map below). You can assess it for yourself at an Open Day on Thursday 3 November between 9.30am and 5.00pm.

Cambuslang-based Greggs of Scotland seeks permission to fit out an existing unit as a retail bakery at 27 Broughton Street (the former R.S. McColl), and revamp the shopfront with an internally lit fascia sign (Ref. 11/03105/FUL; 11/03246/ADV).

Plans include installation of at least 3 'female commandos' and an insectocutor. Trading hours would be from 8am to 5pm.

A series of lectures on Art History will run for the next 3 months at Edinburgh Printmakers on Union Street.

Artist and academic Norman Shaw will examine key moments in visual art – printmaking in particular – and look at the wider cultural, philosophical and sociological contexts which shaped them.

All lectures are on Thursday evenings, 6.30–7.30pm. Dates and subjects are as follows:

Surrealism  20 October
Abstraction 17 November
Scottish Art 15 December.