Warning over homemade bonfires in the Capital

FIRE chiefs in Edinburgh have assured that they don’t want to stop people having fun on Guy Fawkes Night but that they want to ensure that everyone is being safe.

Dangerous homemade bonfires are being removed in the Capital in the run up to Bonfire Night.

Community safety teams from the City of Edinburgh Council have spent the week taking down the sites across the city in a bid to prevent potential injuries and antisocial behaviour.

But David Lockhart, community safety manager at Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We are very much aware that this is an age-old tradition and we don’t want to stop people from enjoying this time of the year but we do need to make sure that people are safe and that communities are safe across the area.

Trapped foster family rescued from blaze as thugs torch home

A TERRIFIED foster family had to be rescued by fire-fighters after their home was torched by thugs leaving them trapped inside.

Linda and William Mackenzie were hailed as heroes by emergency crews who said their quick actions in trying to block the flames and smoke at their front door helped save them and foster son aged five.

He was lowered out a front window to safety while they cowered inside waiting or rescuers to save them.

It was thought a plastic bottle containing a liquid and rag was deliberately set ablaze through the letter box of their front door home in Edinburgh’s Pilton Avenue at around 8.30pm on Wednesday.

Firefighters visit Edinburgh’s children’s hospital

Crew members from the Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service paid a visit to some of the patients at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children Edinburgh to highlight the dangers associated with bonfire night.

Edinburgh’s Broken Records album homecoming on Monday

INDIE folk six piece Broken Records make a return to their kith and kin of Edinburgh this coming Monday (Oct 25) when they mark the launch of their aptly named new album ‘Let Me Come Home’ with a signing session at Fopp on Rose Street from 5pm.

It will be followed with a live set at Fopp’s Glasgow store on Union Street the next day for what will be their second studio album which has already seen the release of single ‘A Darkness Rises Up’ on October 18.

Here’s a quick taster:

Silver anniversary celebrations for Edinburgh day centre

by Shaun Milne

ONE of Edinburgh’s longest-running day centres is celebrating its 25th anniversary later today (tues).

The Rt. Hon. George Grubb, Lord Lieutenant and Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh, will be guest of honour at a special event this afternoon at Drylaw Rainbow Club Day Centre to a commemorative plaque.

The building started as a day centre in 1985 providing day care for 50 older people living in the community.

Last year, after extra funding from City of Edinburgh Council’s Health and Social Care department, they now have 75 places a week available to older people and employ two extra staff.

Scots prisoners help to build effigies for Indian festival parade

By Christine Lavelle

SOME of Scotland’s hardest prisoners have helped create giant 40ft effigies to be torched to mark a major Hindu celebration this Sunday.

The colourful figures are for a parade marking the Indian festival Dusherra held Edinburgh this weekend.

Dusherra is a Hindu celebration of good conquering evil, telling the story of Lord Rama, who defeated the demon king Ravana following a 10 day war.

Inmates at the Edinburgh jail were given the chance to build woodwork models of Rama and the demons from scratch, which have taken them around four weeks to complete.

Parents asked to help improve Royal Hospital for Sick Kids

By Christine Lavelle

BOSSES at Edinburgh’s Royal Hospital for Sick Children hope to use ideas from families of loved ones who owe their lives to the miracle staff there to make improvements at the campus.

A new family forum has been set up, inviting parents and carers who have spent time at the hospital to contribute their views about what will make the facility better.

In a series of regular meetings, starting on Thursday 7 October, parents can voice their opinions to management about ways in which the hospital can be improved with regards to outdoor space, play areas and transport arrangements.

They will also be shown drawings of the new Children’s Hospital planned at Little France, and given the chance to speak to the project manager.

Sixth annual hickory golf open begins in East Lothian

By Christine Lavelle

THE sixth annual world hickory championships tee-ed off today (Mon) at Musselburgh Old Links course.

Participators were dressed for the occasion in period costumes, as they started the week-long tournament, which will progress along the East Lothian coast – reaching Gullane on Friday.

Hickory refers to the playing of golf with shafted clubs, with many players saying the sport allows them to play on classic golf courses as it was meant to be played.

On the final day the lowest 36-hole score will take the championship.

Artist cheers up school shed with a new mural

By Christine Lavelle

A PRIMARY school in Edinburgh unveiled a brand new mural today, painted by artist Olivia Irvine.

The design features two gardens – one during the day and one at night – and was heavily influenced by drawings sketched by all of the pupils at St Mary’s School in Leith.

Welcome video for Pope made by school kids

By Christine Lavelle

AN East Lothian primary school has been selected to make a ‘welcome video’ for the Pope, which will be viewed by thousands at the open-air Mass in Bellahouston Park.

St Gabriel’s Primary in Prestonpans put themselves forward to the Scottish Catholic Education Service, who selected 20 schools across Scotland to make videos for Pope Benedict XVI’s four-day-visit.

The pupils worked with videographer Chris Bain, and contributed their own ideas to the creation of the film.

Anne Torley, headteacher of St Gabriel’s, said: “We had to work very quickly, as in the end we only really had about a week and a half to do this.