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A preview-weary Ali G. offers her pick of the Festival's best picks of the Festival

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Unless you live on the Moon (or in Colinton), you are doubtless aware that August is a period of intense activity in Edinburgh. Getting to work on time means leaving the homestead 40 minutes early to successfully navigate seas of tourists, and one must grit one’s dentures in preparation for mysterious price hikes in all Society hotspots. 
 

KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON FLOOD DEFENCES

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Local reactions to flood defence works between Bonnington and Canonmills have ranged from horror to fascination over recent months. Spurtle spoke to Laggan Construction’s Stakeholder Manager Stewart Mackay to establish some facts.

The first thing to know is that the raised, red roadways are only temporary. The original earth bank was removed and put into storage in Leith. A plastic blanket was then laid on which clean stone was compressed to form a robust platform for pile-driving machinery.

REED IN MOTION

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Kimberley Reed – Broughton’s rising Field athlete – did really well at the World Youth Championships (WYC) in July, writes her father Scott Reed.

There were 2 qualifying groups for the final and she finished 2nd in hers (6th overall) with a throw of 54.62m. This was a great achievement considering the World and Commonwealth No. 1s went out at this stage.

GALLERY ROUND-UP – AUGUST 2011

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The Braewell Gallery’s summer exhibition has work by Alexandra Gardner, Fraser Crawford, Jock MacInnes, Ally Thompson, Scott McGregor, Vicky Mount, Emillio Fazzi, Valentine Petrov, Joe O'Brien, Richard Woods, Laetitia Guilbaud and Elaine Spears. McGregor’s Cheers in Café Royale is shown right. It runs until the end of Aug. at 106 Dundas St.

Work by Richard Demarco and long-time collaborator Joseph Beuys (below right) will feature at Axolotl Gallery from 5 Aug–5 Sept. (35 Dundas St).

LESS IS MORE

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We're not sure whether this is art or not, but we like it a great deal.

The seemingly chance juxtaposition of iron, wood and stone beautifies one corner of a basement stair outside Braewell Gallery on Dundas Street.

By design or good fortune, it offers a charming and understated meditation on Nature and the City at the gateway to the capital's New Town. Simply perfect.

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CITY OF ANGELS

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Mark Rees added the finishing touches to Odette this morning, one of two beautiful pieces combining body casts, marbles and glass beads on display in Coffee Angel on Brandon Terrace.

Café manager Chris Lynch recently chanced upon Rees's work in a Cumberland Street gallery, and – intrigued by the angelic connections – offered him a new venue in which to reach a new audience.

The hands and face of Odette are based on those of Rees's wife, but the inspiration for the pieces came from a conversation with Antony Gormley last year.

BEAVERHALL ROAD PLANS ON DISPLAY TODAY

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Plans for 80–100 residences and 150–300 square metres of commercial floorspace on Beaverhall Road go on display today.

The drop-in session, which is free and open to all members of the public, will be held from 2–8pm in Broughton Primary School. Representatives from Springfield Properties PLC and Yeoman McAllister Architects will be present.

A development on this scale will have significant effects on residents throughout Broughton, and we urge as many of you as possible to go along, ask questions, and make your views known.

ISSUE 197 – OUT SOON

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The August Spurtle bannock is browning nicely in the oven of production, and will be ready soon.

Current affairs covered this time include: trolleyloads of trouble, 15 sacks of litter, pile-drivers, planning questions, hustings heads-up, 5-cornered oblongs, chocolate, fancies, cocky nits and queasy soldiers, geraniums, waving grasses, sleepy teenagers, an humungous Hummer and 15 Ford Anglias all in a row. Plus a newly discovered artist who put the Colourists in the shade.

HOPETOUN CRESCENT GARDEN KEEPS THE GREEN FLAG FLYING HERE ... BUT HOW?

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Four parks in and around Broughton have won Green Flag awards in this year's competition run by Keep Britain Tidy (KBT).

Inverleith and Victoria Parks achieved the accolade for the first time. Hopetoun Crescent Garden retained its award for the second time since its first win in 2009. London Road Gardens also retained an award. In total, Edinburgh took 20 of the 34 Green Flags across Scotland.