Breaking news

A combination of (paid) work commitments, family duties and heatstroke has resulted in a comparatively quiet month for the Spurtle online. However, as the old saying goes, 'A spurtle in the brose is worth twa in the haun', and we are now back at full speed in time for July's printed edition.

Issue 196 will be out in the next few days, containing more news than you can shake a goose at.

We deal with education, conflagration, election and dedication. We cover dungeons and lagoons, astonishing hammers, Jambos, and a frank exchange of opinion.

Police have appealed for witnesses after a man racially abused a mother and her baby on the No. 22 bus yesterday.

The man boarded the bus at Great Junction Street at around 4.45pm, and made comments about the woman and her child. He got off close to Dalmeny Street. Three female passengers told the man to shut up, and it is these whom police are particularly keen to interview.

The suspect is described as being white, with short dark, greying hair, of medium build and aged 55–60 years old. He wore a dark jacket, jeans and trainers.

In separate cases, two locals are lodging appeals against what they consider unjust rejections of planning proposals by the City of Edinburgh Council.

Bibulous Delights Ltd, the company behind the Smoke Stack on Broughton Street, is appealing to the Scottish Government against the Council's rejection of its proposed new shopfront (Breaking news 21.3.11; 16.5.11).

Waverley Care – the Mansfield Place-based charity – has been awarded £20,000 by the Bank of Scotland Foundation.

Part of the Bank's Small Grants Programme, the sum will fund the charity's advocacy and information service. This offers financial advice, and support in testing and treatments for Hepatitis C and HIV. An increased demand for its assistance has recently coincided with changes in benefits legislation and the ongoing recession.

Substantial new proposals are in place for 14–16, 20, 24, 26 Beaverhall Road. They amount to a mixed use development comprising residential and commercial floor space.  Approximately 80–100 residential dwellings, and approximately 150–300 square metres of commercial floor space, including all associated roads and infrastructure.

Chloe a 'very friendly' fluffy white cat with a poor sense of direction – has taken advantage of the warm, light nights and (since 24 June) gone 'wandering'.

She has, says her local co-habitant, a record of entering flats via basement windows and 'making herself at home'.

Lock up your toms and goldfish.

Please report sightings to: Tel. 07900 067 069.

NEWS UPDATE: A reader late this morning reported that Chloe has been found and safely returned.

Edinburgh World Heritage will run a free community workshop on energy efficiency and energy-saving appliances in flats, starting next week.

The plan is to give clear advice in order to make achievable savings on energy and money.

The first event is at 6.30–7.30pm on Tuesday 28 June at 5 Charlotte Square. Later in the year, other sessions will look at building efficiency and 'traditional sustainable skills'.

Pupils at Broughton Primary School may need sunglasses when they return to school on Monday.

The cause is unlikely to be summer weather-related. It has more to do with the vivid refreshment of asphalt designs in the top playground, where local thetrainline.com staff are offering their artistic skills for free on National Give and Gain Day.

The full story will be in Issue 196, out at the start of next month.

'Now We Are Two' features works by artists who have exhibited before in Rob Dawkins and Alison Auldjo's wonderful Union Gallery over its two-year presence on Broughton Street. Two years? Where did the time go?

What follows are brief notes on personal favourites – accurate at the time of writing, liable to change with the light or mood on reacquaintance.