Touching tribute to hit-and-run dad

By Cara Sulieman

THE DAUGHTER of tragic dad Paul Bonnar killed when he was hit by a car at the weekend has left a heartfelt message to him on a makeshift shrine at the spot where he was hit.

Gabrielle Bonnar, 12, placed her tribute letter among the flowers and balloons laid at a tree on Walter Scott Avenue in Edinburgh where the popular 30-year-old died after being struck by a car.

She wrote about how much she would miss her dad and what he meant to her.

The letter read: “Dad I can’t explain how much I miss you. I miss how you smiled and said ‘Hiya my girl.’

Hooded raider caged over armed robbery

By Paul Thornton

A MAN has been jailed for the knifed hold-up of a bookmaker shop after the vicious robbery was caught on CCTV.

Terrified Alexander French handed over hundreds of pounds of takings after hooded Stephen Rowan flashed a blade at him.

The 50-year-old thief chucked a bag at Mr French and demanded that he fill it with money during the heist at a Coral store in Edinburgh.

Rowan made good his escape but CCTV images were used to help track him down and police found he had been boasting of the attack to pals.

At Edinburgh Sheriff Court he was jailed for two years after admitting assault and robbery.

The court heard how Rowan had barged into the betting shop in Great Junction Street on March 26 this year.

Unique house plots up for auction

By ALEXANDER LAWRIE

AS the nation’s property market continues to plummet, a seller in Edinburgh might just have come up with the perfect solution for prospective house-hunters.

Several acres of the capital’s Water of Leith riverbed could become a floating estate when an auction begins next week.

Property experts say demand will be high for the 6.5 acres of water, with some hoping the sale could encourage other home-owners to drop anchor permanently in the city.

The sale will hopefully trigger the creation of dozens of floating homes and offices in one of the capital’s most fashionable areas.

Celebs back new Leith campaign

By ALEXANDER LAWRIE

SCOTTISH celebrities including The Proclaimers, award-winning author Irvine Welsh and former-world champion boxer Ken Buchanan have joined a campaign to boost trade hit by Edinburgh’s controversial tram works.

Famous Leither, and millionaire businessman, Sir Tom Farmer has also joined the battle to help beleagured shopkeepers as the tram works threatens to destroy their livelihoods.

The stars have all agreed to help out the businesses on the capital’s Leith Walk by appearing on huge ‘I Love Leith’ banners.

Images of Hibernian’s ‘Famous Five’ forward line and the Royal Yacht Britannia have also been put up along the historic port’s main shopping street.

Life-size replica of Edinburgh tram finds new home in Leith

By Oliver Farrimond

A LIFE-SIZE replica of Edinburgh’s controversial tram system was lowered into place in the Capital’s busy Leith Walk area yesterday.

The 15m mock-up, which was moved from its previous home on Princes Street, is expected to show local residents and businesses how the tram can run in narrow streets.

However local business leaders expressed scepticism about the project, which has been at the centre of an angry dispute between contractors and council bosses for much of the year.

Alan Rudland from the Leith Business Association said that the association had asked for the tram to be brought down from Princes Street after seeing the popularity of the mock-up.

Mr Rudland, 43, said: “The Princes Street tram had more than 70,000 visitors, and we’re keen to see the effect this will have on businesses in Leith.

“However I remain unconvinced about the project – people will get used to them but we’re concerned that they will cause a lot of problems for local businesses.

Little boy forced to get rid of favourite toy

By Cara Sulieman

A LITTLE boy is being forced to get rid of his favourite toy car – because spoil sport neighbours say it shouldn’t be parked next to their bikes.

The silver electric car was the last present four-year-old Elliot Mckeown’s mother gave him and he had only been out on it twice since he got it.

But now Trinity factors are forcing the family to move the toy from the complex’s bike store by April 10 or they will remove it themselves.

Elliot lives with his grandparents Patricia and David Mckeown in Timber Bush, Leith, because his mother is too ill to look after him.

“Bullying”

And Patricia has branded the move “bullying”, saying that the factors are being completely unreasonable.

She said: “He is the only child in this development and it is my belief that this is nothing but bullying.

“This is symptomatic of our society’s attitude to children and it’s no surprise that we have an army of disaffected youth.

“If Trinity Factors go ahead with this I will need to call the police because it would be theft.”

“Hypocrites”

She also said that the factors were being hypocrites for enforcing one rule and allowing people to do what they like in other respects.

The conditions of the deeds state that only bike can be kept in the bike store where Elliot’s electric car is kept.

But the retired teacher claims that other rules are being broken and the factors are turning a blind eye.

She said: “The property manager is absolutely right in what she is saying in that according to the deeds the bike store is for bikes only.

“However, this smacks of victimisation and an easy target because none of the other deeds of condition are being adhered to.

“We have satellite dishes and window boxes in some flats and they are not supposed to be allowed but no-one is enforcing that.”

Problem not just with car

One of the neighbours who complained, but did not want to be named, said that the problem wasn’t just with the electric car.

They said: “The bike shed was being used for storing all sorts of things, not just the electric car.

“Things were starting to appear that weren’t bikes, like a roof rack and car batteries. I don’t see why the electric car can’t be stored in one of the flats.”

But another neighbour, a 33-year-old man, said: “I don’t have a problem with it, it’s a kids toy – what difference does it make?

“My girlfriend and I have got a couple of bikes in the bike store and we have no problems with the electric car being stored there.”

Trinity factors have defended the move, saying that it was a democratic decision by the residents of Timber Bush.

Gillian Green, the property manager said: “While we try and be as flexible and accommodating as possible, there is no doubt that the child’s ride-on car is restricting access for push bikes.

“The residents have discussed it at their annual general meeting, which took place last month and we were instructed to once again ask to have the car removed elsewhere.”

They also pointed out that other items in the bike store that had been complained about would be removed.

HICKORY GOLF CLUBS SELL IN CHINA

By Karrie Gillett

A SCOTS collector has sold 7,000 antique golf clubs to a Chinese businessman for a massive £120,000.

The haul is thought to be the largest-ever collection of hickory clubs, with all the items dating back to before 1930.

John Dixon, of Edinburgh-based dealers Georgian Antiques, picked up the putters, drivers and irons over a period of 12 years from auctions and specialist shops.

Edinburgh freemasons admit women members for the first time

By Oliver Farrimond

FREEMASONS at the Edinburgh Masonic Club have made a historic decision to allow women members, rolling back half a century of tradition.

The club’s 1,100 masons voted the motion through last month – a decision ten years in the making.

The first women members will go through the club’s doors on April 1st, and the club are anticipating a huge surge in membership.

James MacLean, club secretary and treasurer, said that over 800 women were expected to sign up.

He said: “It’s the big break through – we’re admitting lady members for the first time.

“The provisions of the Scottish licensing act 2005, which are coming into force this year, led us to review our constitution.

“We reckoned that if we don’t adapt we’ll start being seen as dinosaurs.”

The occasion marks a milestone for the club, which is based at Shrub Hill in Leith, as until now women had only been allowed in if accompanied by their husbands.

And even if permitted to enter the club, they had to sign in as visitors.

Decision not taken lightly

The planned membership fee is only half of what a man pays, and ladies will not enjoy the privilege of voting on club business.

The Edinburgh Masonic Club has a unique constitution, whereby all members must be masons, but not all Edinburgh masons can join.

The Shrub Hill freemasons also have another reason to welcome a flood of new, paying members – the club are eyeing relocation to a new site on the face of Leith Walk.

James MacLean, who has worked as club secretary as treasurer for over 30 years, said that the decision was ten years in the making and had not been taken lightly.

He said: “There were more than a few voices of objection when we proposed the motion to allow women members for the first time.

“I told them that I did not perceive that continuing with the current status quo was an option.”

He added that although women would not be permitted to vote in Masonic matters, they would still have a say – albeit indirectly.

He said: “They will have some kind of say, I feel, because they cajole their men when it comes to casting a vote.”

Brian’s blank paper art stunt

By Michael MacLeod

A STUDENT admits he is “wasting” an ocean of paper in the name of art.

Swathes of glossy BLANK white paper are being used to promote Edinburgh-based American artist Brian Hewitt’s ‘Life Time’ exhibition.

His display features random countdowns, including figures predicting the date of his death.

But the minimalist fliers promoting the exhibition are the size of 20 A4 sheets of paper, and only feature writing in the top corner.

When confronted over the fliers, Hewitt, 29, tried to justify their use by saying the blank space was “interesting” and helped raise awareness of environmental waste.

He said: “While I admit I have mixed feelings about the fliers, they are for impact. I know I’m not the world’s most green person but I do what I can. Luckily it is recycled paper, but yes, it is a lot of paper, I concede that.

“From a divine point of view, I think it’s interesting to notice that if you give somebody a sheet of paper and it’s full of ink, they usually don’t have a problem with it.

“But if it’s full of white, somehow it’s seen as a waste. I can see why people might see the promotional stuff that way.”

Hewitt’s show opens today at the captial’s Corn Exchange gallery and predicts that he will die on 30 December, 2043.

His calculations are all based on the span of his life, from birth to the present millisecond, with numbers projected on three walls, constantly calculated and updated as every second passes.

He displays his total heart beats, breaths, blinks, complete skin replacements and the total amount of radiation he’s been exposed to.

The numbers are lengthy, including the number of seconds he has left to live – 1,098,835,280 at midday on March 5 – , but he says when it’s your own life counting down, those seconds are precious.

Despite admitting the promotional fliers could be seen as a waste, he insists part of the aim of the show is to raise environmental awareness.

He added: “I came on a bike today. I am environmentally conscious. I did environmental journalism for a number of years actually and it’s hard to even read the newspapers on a daily basis and not be alarmed by everything you see.

“I think the environment is a hugely important issue, not just because trees are nice and animals are nice or whatever but because this is our legacy for our children.”

Of the countdown to his death, Hewitt also admits to being “morbidly fascinated” with death.

He said: “Obviously the number that everybody grabs onto is the date of my death.

Maybe it’s a morbid thing to do but that for me is just one of many numbers in there.

“The work is about putting human life into scale and context, not just that I have some kind of morbid fascination with mortality.

“The whole thing is about how small and precious human life is in general compared to the vast number of stars in the universe and the shrinking number of species out there.

“For me it’s important to understand my place in the world by looking at these things.”

Hewitt, who originates from Chicago, recently won an international scholarship to complete a Masters of Fine Art degree at Edinburgh College of Art.

Police hunt on for arsonist

By Alexander Lawrie

POLICE are hunting an arsonist after a house was deliberately set on fire in the early hours of Friday morning.

The fire broke out around 7am at a block of flats in Coatfield Lane, Leith in Edinburgh after “an accelerant” was used to fuel the flames.

Police attended the scene and helped the Fire Service secure the area by placing a cordon around the block.
 
A 34-year-old male and a 25-year-old female were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation, but both refused hospital treatment.

The fire is being treated as suspicious and police are now appealing for anyone who was in the area at the time and witnessed anything suspicious to come forward.

Neighbour Andy Thomson, 27, said: “We heard all the commotion just after seven this morning.

“We looked outside and the couple were already out the house coughing and spluttering.

“I saw them being helped by the ambulance crew but they both looked fine.

“They’ve only been in the house a few months and it’s the first time anything like this has happened around here in a while.”

A police spokesman said: “Fortunately there was no one injured during this incident, nevertheless, we are treating this extremely seriously.

“If anyone has information that can assist with our enquiries, we ask that they contact police immediately.”