Breaking news

Leith Festival organisers seek participants and volunteers for various projects this summer (Festival runs from 10–19 June).

First, actors, performers, backstage crew and front-of-house staff are wanted to help with two one-act comedies.

Second, five 18–24-year-old students are sought to act as photographers at gigs and events before and during the Festival. They must have their own digital SLR cameras, but will be instructed by a 'very well established' local expert. Work may be displayed in the Vollytographers exhibition which runs throughout.

Touched by Tokarczuk? Wit tickled by Witkowski? Well pleased by Huele or enthralled by Krall?

If your answer to any of these questions is yes (or would like to be), get yourself to McDonald Road Library where a new Polish book group will start soon. The main aim is to share a love of Polish authors, and to share that enthusiasm with a new readership.

Books in Polish or translation into English will be considered for future discussion at the group's first planning meeting on Monday 24 January, 6:00–7:00pm.

Very little to report this week, presumably because many developers remain immobilised by surfeits of figgy pudding.

Of local interest, though, are plans for 12 Gayfield Square where McDonald Road-based Ironside Farrar seek listed building consent for internal alterations to a 3-storey office building (Ref. 10/03645/LBC).

Michael Wildman's extraordinary photographs of nudes and landscapes have featured regularly at Axolotl Gallery on Dundas Street. Now that he is leaving Scotland for South American travels, staff there are holding a farewell exhibition of his most recent work.

'I am interested in the story of each individual that I photograph,' writes Wildman. 'I encourage them to explore their memories, feelings and sense of self and express these thoughts at that "decisive moment", hopefully discovering something new, something unknown.'

Juggling children, child care and earning a living can be a nightmare, but help is at hand. Edinburgh City Libraries today announced the launch of a Drop-in Job Clinics for Parents at McDonald Road Library.

Advice will be offered on CV writing, completing application forms, and finding the right job.

The clinic will run on Thursdays from 20 January–24th February 2011, 10:00am–12:30pm.

In Issue 190 we drew attention to the National Library of Scotland's fascinating collection of Ordnance Survey maps which appear online overlaid upon today's Google satellite images.

Thanks to reader Simon James who points out that the correct address at which to access these and other similar resources is: http://geo.nls.uk/maps/#edinburgh

Snapped at 8 Picardy Place. See Issue 190 (p.2).[img_assist|nid=1440|title=|desc=|link=node|align=right|width=412|height=640]

The Planning Subcommittee has agreed to vary Condition 3 of Logie Green Development Ltd's planning permission Ref. 08/01365/FUL and Condition 1 of permission Ref. 09/01969/FUL. This will allow properties at 11 Logie Green Road and 26, 28a, 29, 32, 33 Beaverbank Place to be occupied before Water of Leith flood prevention measures are completed.

Spurtle overcame various technical printing gremlins last night and is now being distributed across Broughton. As if by prior arrangement it has just begun to snow.

To remind yourself of warmer climes, turn to page 2 where you will find a competition to identify the location of this mysterious pachyderm.

The winner – the first name picked from the shoogly hat on 23 January – will enjoy a £10 book token and the admiration of peers.

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As the month of empty pockets creeps up behind us, silent but deadly like an owl with a grudge, what distractions can we find in Spurtleshire to ease the pain that is January?