Breaking news

Spurtle is delighted to announce the opening of the 2011 Late Presented Christmas Tree Competition.

This splendid example was snapped for us on 27 April by Max Cherwell, who claims that the not-so-evergreen remained in situ on East Scotland Street Lane until shortly before work started on sprucing up the pavement opposite.

Last year's winning entry was photographed in July on West Anandale Street.

Can you beat Mr Cherwell? Do you know of pines in Pilrig or firs on Forth Street? Send us photographic evidence and international fame awaits you.

Janet Melrose – whose exhibition 'Still Life' shows in the Union Gallery this month – was trained at Edinburgh College of Art, and now lives in Perthshire on the banks of the Earn. In picturing her surroundings there, she explores the delicate threads between human experience and Nature; the present and remembered past; imagination, so-called reality and possible alternatives.

If any of that sounds either airy or grandiose, don't be put off. Her works are studiedly simple and attractive.

The following candidates are returned.

Scottish Labour: Sarah Boyack, Kezia Dugdale and Neil Findlay.
Scottish Conservatives: David McLetchie and Gavin Brown.
Scottish Greens: Alison Johnstone.
Independent: Margo MacDonald.

Notably absent: Shirley-Anne Somerville (SNP).

Logie Green resident Kayleigh Cameron is a professional dancer, dance instructor and part of the management team for the newly formed 'Fierce Pro Dance Squad'.

Combining hip hop, jazz, cheerleading and gymnastics styles, they're hoping to take the east of Scotland by storm at sporting, promotional and charity events, and are now looking for fresh talent.

Results for Broughton constituencies have been declared:

Edinburgh Central
Marco Biagi, Scottish National: 9,480
Sarah Boyack, Scottish Labour: 9,243
Alex Cole-Hamilton, Scottish Liberal-Democrat: 5,937
Ian McGill, Scottish Conservative: 4,354

Edinburgh Northern and Leith
Malcolm Chisholm, Scottish Labour: 12,858
Shirley-Anne Somerville, Scottish National: 12,263
Sheila Low: 2,928
Dan Farthing: 2,836

Axolotl Gallery on Dundas Street have been successfully drumming up interest in their opening-night exhibition of work by Kam Chan, Christine Clark, Paul Mowat, Sofie Fischer Rasmussen and Sarah Wilson (Issue 194).

However, the initial invitation omitted to mention a time. Spurtle has no problem with that. It's an age-old ploy we regularly use ourselves – along with omitting to mention a venue or indeed omitting to send out invitations at all – when organising potentially expensive parties for readers, offspring, or loved-ones.

Broughton Street is arguably the hippest in Edinburgh, and rumours have been circulating locally that it has been nominated as such in a competition.

Broughton-based charity Waverley Care are raising funds by selling chances to perform in a 400-strong choir.

Acclaimed Clasical composer John Rutter will conduct his own composition – Requiem – at St Cuthbert's Church in August. Singers will be accompanied by a small orchestra, organ, and professional soprano Susan Hamilton.
 
Born in 1945, Rutter is a popular composer whose musical education began in London and Cambridge before he went on to achieve international success.

Scotland on Sunday (1 May) carried a fascinating article about the recent discovery in Oxford of James Boswell's lost work-in-progress: a dictionary of Scottish words.

Boswell (1740–95) – a charming blend of character flaws: Edinburgh resident, lawyer, neurotic, sexual desperado and wordsmith – commenced the work in the 1760s and gained encouragement for it from the lexicographer Dr Samuel Johnson.

The Co-operative Group have been granted permission for a change of use at 8 McDonald Rd from public house to convenience store (Ref. 11/00435/FUL).

Despite 20 letters of objection, a local petition, and representations from local politicians, the go-ahead was given for operating hours from 7am to 11pm Monday to Saturday and 9am–9pm hours on a Sunday.