Breaking news

THE NTBCC meets at 7pm on Monday 7 June in Drummond Community High School. Minutes for the 3 May AGM and ordinary meeting are available in Extras.

Alan McIntosh – one of Spurtle's contributing-editors – wrote a guest blog for the Edinburgh Guardian's website on 2 June at www.guardian.co.uk/edinburgh.

He described the joys (or not) of delivering newspapers in the rain, the purpose and character of Spurtle, and tried to define Broughton.

Doggerfisher – the stylish contemporary-art gallery on Gayfield Square – is leaving Broughton and unfortunately will not return for the foreseeable future.

Spurtle understands that the property it rented – a former tyre replacement garage – is to be sold for possible demolition and redevelopment.

The gallery's management have not found alternative accommodation locally, and so are reassessing their business strategy now that all options are open.

Road safety is yet again causing concern outside Broughton Primary School. Two police officers observed traffic behaviour at the scene this afternoon, and will report in due course.

New  timed flashing lights, speed warnings and improved signage introduced locally have partially improved the situation over recent months. However, the ‘manned’ pedestrian crossing directly outside the school remains dangerous.

Trams in Edinburgh (TIE) have applied for planning permission to extend the 'display of [an] Edinburgh Tram Car to the public' on Princes Street (Ref. 07/01082/FUL).

They claim that this is a temporary measure, but Spurtle suspects there is a longer-term strategy in play.

Edinburgh's second Festival of Sport will run throughout the city from 4–13 June, and lazy or unfit Broughtonians don't even need to walk uphill to get involved.

The Festival features dozens of suck-it-and-see tester sessions – e.g. cricket, athletics, shinty, rugby, football, tennis, cycling, baseball, croquet – for all ages and abilities. Most activities will be free.

The new Spurtle is now approaching completion, and will be distributed through Broughton's shops, pubs, libraries and liminal odd-spots from 1 June.

Issue 183 can also be downloaded from our Homepage late on Monday night, when additional new material will also appear online.

Among other items, we'll carry perturbing concerns about City Planning's accountability, and possible flaws in Edinburgh's pre-election procedures. Also exciting news about recent culinary triumphs and sporting success.

The sense of irritation felt at last weekend's Edinburgh Spa event in St Andrew Square (Breaking news 24.5.10) is apparently part of the wider Edinburgh zeitgeist.

The source who sent Spurtle this morning's photo exclusive of a burning Portaloo has been back in touch this evening with another.

The new image shows the same structure 2 minutes later, with still not a fire engine in sight.

Our source has no evidence, but suspects 'idle youth' was behind the conflagration. Spurtle has no evidence either, but prefers to suspect idle age.

If you have burning Portaloo news, photos or opinions, get in touch.

A picture tells a thousand words, which is a good thing since we're having difficulty mustering a hundred to go with this one.

The dramatic photograph was sent to Spurtle first thing this morning, with the brilliantly precise but short-on-detail caption: 'Bellevue Street, 9.43pm, Thursday 27th May'. The blazing object was a Portaloo.

Spurtle has contacted Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service for further information, but – while we wait for their reply – can any readers tell us what happened?