One of our Pandas is missing!

This poster has appeared around central Edinburgh, Scotland, stating a sad tale of love and loss.

It tells the story of Squeak a six inch toy panda, aged 20 years, who has been mislaid by her owner on Sunday 3rd June 2012.

She was last seen on either the Airlink airport bus or the Three Sister pub - won't ask, hope it was a fun weekend.

Squeak has brown eyes, a broken nose, and is wearing a red and gold ribbon around her neck.

We love our pandas in Edinburgh, real or otherwise, so if you have any information please go to www.facebook.com/haveyouseenthispanda

Whip crackaway!

Oh joy!  For those of the Glee persuasion who love musicals, and just can't help joining in, the Filmhouse Edinburgh have a Calamity Jane - Sing-Along screening on Saturday 28th May 2011.
Discard your Sound of Music nun's habit and your Rocky Horror suspenders.  Strap on those chaps and whip-crackaway down to Lothian Road for a great afternoon out.

Salty, bitter and very addictive

Fish and chips have long been a stock meal in the UK due to the rapid development of trawl fishing in the North Sea and development of railways connecting ports to cities during the second half of the nineteenth century.

During World War II fish and chips remained one of the few foods in the United Kingdom not subject to rationing.

Traditionally it has been regarded as a useful quick meal for those who eat fish on Friday.

In Edinburgh a combination of Gold Star brown sauce and water or malt vinegar, known either simply as "sauce", or more specifically as "chippy sauce", is very popular as it is salty, bitter and very addictive.

Does fashion have a future

The latest development on Princes Street is the demolition of the former Littlewoods department stores premises which is to be replaced with a Primark.  On Edinburgh’s most prominent retail thoroughfare it will be joining a range of chain stores including GAP, House of Fraser, Marks and Spenser and H & M.

Edinburgh’s city centre is well supplied with all the major high street retail chains but there is a growing frustration amongst a sector of the trade that independent retailers are being pushed out.

Laura Davidson, 26, from Lasswade, is in the process of establishing her clothing line If my name was….

She said, “After being based in London I am keen to live and work in Edinburgh, but it’s very difficult to establish a business here.”   

At present Ms Davidson has stock on display at Cookie in Cockburn Street, Edinburgh and also sells through ASOS Marketplace, an online retail outlet.  “The city doesn’t have anything like Camden Markets in London, not even remotely.  There are occasional events but what we need is a location for a regular weekly market.”

for a longer version of this story visit   http://footstepsofdavidhume.blogspot.com/

Tram Ride to Nowhere

Edinburgh is a city made up of the Old Town a medieval city based around the Royal Mile and the New Town in all it's Georgian splendour.
It's never been ideal for car driving and there has never been much parking but Lothian Regional Transport, who run the city buses in Edinburgh, are an award winning company and many travellers were perfectly happy with the public transport available before the whole trams fiasco even started.

The authorities, which means of course ultimately the taxpayers, have now spent £402m of the £545m budget, with a new estimate cost of £600m.
The construction work should be almost completed BUT just 28 per cent has been finished.

Here is how the saga unfolds.

• October 2007 - Approval given to Final Business Case for Trams Project
• December 2007 - Approval given by the Council for TIE to sign contracts with for supply of vehicles and design, construction and building of network
• April 2008 - Contract negotiations are concluded
• June 2008  - Construction of the network commences
• November 2008 - Willie Gallagher steps down as executive chairman of TIE
• April 2009 - Phase 1B of construction project is cancelled due to financial problems
• May 2009 - Richard Jeffrey becomes new executive chairman of TIE
• January 2010 - Important milestones of construction schedule slip by up to two years
• March 2010  - Announcement that construction work will be delayed by a further 30 months
• June 2010 - Project costs rise to £600 million or more
• July 2011  Original estimated completion date
• 2014  Current estimated completion date

  

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topstories/Minister-rules-out-takeover-of.6710017.jp

Edinburgh - a view of two cities

After a dark and snowy time over the last few week the weather is finally lifting in Edinburgh.  It's still a little cold but the days are getting longer so time for some retail therapy.
One of the best views in New Town has to be from the cafe at the top of John Lewis department store and it only cost the price of a cup of coffee.
Now that the snow has lifted you can see all the way north to the Firth of Forth and Fife.
Other great views for free

• the Esplanade at Edinburgh Castle (Old Town and New Town)
• Ramsay Lane at the top of the Mound (fab view of Princes Street)
• Regent Road overlooking the Old Carlton Burial Ground toward the Old Town (you might recognise this from the BBC drama North and South with Richard Armitage).

The Klutz Gene - in which I fall over a kerb

Some people have dramatic accidents.   They fall down a flight of stairs, crash a car or risk death skydiving.

Not me I am as safe as they come, except that I am a klutz.  Not a good Edinburgh word exactly but entirely appropriate for the circumstances. 

Over the years I have -1) fallen over opening a door, stone cold sober and in the middle of the day  2) fallen up my front door step, having missed my footing and 3) fallen over an open desk drawer, I got up and forgot it was there.

Now I add to my list by falling down a kerb and twisting my ankle.

I could say that the roads and pavements are uneven.  I could say that is was dark.  I could say that my mind was on more important things. 

To quote the US Declaration of Independence - "We hold these truths to be self evident".
But really, crashing to the ground in a heap over a few inches of kerb, not my finest hour.

After picking myself up and hoping no one noticed I hobbled home and chalked it up to the Klutz Gene.  However my past injuries have caught up with me and my mobility is limited.

I'M GOING STIR CRAZY.   I HAVE THINGS I NEED  TO DO.  I FEEL LIKE PAPILLON. 

So Happy NewYear and my resolution is - look where you're going, bandage up that ankle and beware the Klutz Gene.

Robert Burns up the Town

Fame and glory in the arts has always brought the reward of parties and pretty girls even back in 18th C Edinburgh.

"Ae fond kiss, and then we sever;

Ae fareweel, alas, for ever!"

The poem Ae Fond Kiss  was written by Robert Burns, Scotland's national bard, to love Nancy as she set sail for Jamaica to join her husband and repair her marriage.
That he should be known for his love poems is testament to his love of women and the raucous life he had.

On 25th January every year the Scottish diaspora celebrates his birthday with food, drink and exuberant performances of his work.

If you are in Edinburgh this month the Scottish Storytelling Centre are hosting a series of events to celebrate the life of the bard.

http://www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk/events/main_event_display.asp?id=187

BTW - I like to remind visitors that out we look after our Haggi carefully and after a full and happy life we turn them into an organic treat which we eat at Burns Suppers.

If you are ever up in Perthshire or Inverness, just as the sun is setting you may see one running through the heather on the hill, but be very quiet as they are shy.

For the very brave you can search the internet for a recepe and find out how a haggis is really made - if you dare!

Gin!

Islay Gin - the water of life

At last for those of us with Hebredian roots and a passion for all things Islay a new alternative to the smokey seductive Islay Malts.

Bruichladdich Distillery situated overlooking picturesque Lochindall, has launched a gin flavoured with 31 botanicals, 22 native to the island.

One for the connoisseur it is available from the distillery but I found mine at the Winehouse chain in Edinburgh. 

Fab New Year treat to keep the cold out!
http://www.bruichladdich.com/latestnewsarticles/the_botanist.htm

Hallo from the Windee City!

I am obsessed with the weather.  I will explain - I live in Edinburgh.

I call it the Windee City because the weather is so unpredictable that it's tempting to stay at home and watch the world through your windee (Scots for window).

In fact we get a lovely cool gale force wind directly in from the North Sea, oh, 365 days a year, expect in Leap Years when we get that extra blast of cold on Feb 29th.

Chicago has nothing on us.  You may get your sub-zero, artic winters but we get swirly gusts from every and all directions.  All the time. 

Edinburgh is fab in August.  It's a great place to visit anyway but the Festival (main one, fringe, jazz etc etc) means the whole place goes mad.  But no matter how nice the weather is - we do get sun and it can be in the 70's or even 80's I can guarantee you one thing - wind. 

A breeze here, a breeze there.  They say in Edinburgh "You'll have had your tea" inferring that we are tight with our money.  Well I say "You'll have your coat" because no matter what the weather is like when you get up in the morning you will turn a street corner and get a blast of good old healthy North Sea air.

So, I'm not obsessed I just live in Edinburgh and it's self preservation.

By the way, the snow has melted and I think we have floods on the way!

Why Edinburgh is special

Salt n Sauce -  a traditional condiment used on take-away food from fish and chip shops in Edinburgh.  An acquired taste, it is bitter, saucey and very addictive.