The Edinburgh Report

A paper has been published ahead of a council meeting next week which outlines how the council will collect and spend the visitor levy. The Scottish Government passed the necessary legislation earlier this year.

We explore the new sculpture at Fruitmarket - Pardes by Jyll Bradley --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Cllr Bird is the Young People’s Champion and very much involved with the Scottish Youth Parliament and the elections which begin on 8 November 2021 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Michael Jenkins President of Forest Trends on the COP26 announcement of $20 billion on deforestation and land degradation --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

A walk is taking place from Dunbar to Glasgow in time for COP26. We joined the walk just after it left the Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop and went with them as far as Granton Castle Walled Garden where the Keeper of the Soil, artist Natalie Taylor, collected a small sample of soil in her hand made cape with its special pockets. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Ali Pretty describes herself as an artist activist and has just joined the Pilgrimage to COP26 in Edinburgh with 500 flags made as part of the Beach of Dreams project. The flags will be displayed at St Mary’s Cathedral in Palmerston Place and will then be carried to Glasgow from Monday morning. Each flag represents a mile of coastline from Lowestoft to Tilbury chosen by one person to explore how we are looking after the coastline the community and ourselves. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

The Edinburgh Reporter invited Daniel Johnson MSP for a cycle and a chat about his role in the opposition and also a bit about his constituency of Edinburgh Southern. Despite the rain the chat is sparkling! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

The council is moving forward with development at BioQuarter with a move to appoint a commercial partner to assist in the next steps. Here we talk to the Council Leader about BioQuarter --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Jaxx Waygood is a visual artist and his artistic and sculptural blacksmithing exhibition is on at the Art & Craft Collective 93 Causewayside in Edinburgh. He is a recent Edinburgh College of Art graduate on the MA programme but has a lot of different past experiences which we talk to him about here - including working on the Lord of the Rings TV series --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Charity Earth in Common has its base at Leith Croft. On Sunday morning they discovered that a fire had destroyed their shed causing about £2,000 of damage. CEO and founder Evie Murray explained to us what had happened. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Ms Baker is appearing at the Edinburgh International Festival. Here she talks to The Edinburgh Reporter about the show woman:life:song and also about her abhorrence of volunteer labour in the arts world. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Lesley Hinds is a former councillor and Lord Provost and - in what we think is her legacy project - she is masterminding a community asset transfer and new civic centre in Pennywell and Muirhouse. We had a walk around Macmillan Square to talk about it. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

In this episode Sara tells us what motivated her to start Leith Collective and about her role as a Green Ambassador for the UN COP26 Summit --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

The 16 year campaign to have a safe cycle and walking route created from Drem to Gullane appears to have hit a wall. Easy Lothian Council suggest it will be another three years before they can start to build it. I met one of the campaigners,Iain Monk, who took me on a cycle along the proposed route to explain the plans in more detail. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

In advance of the reopening of Fruitmarket we were invited to have a walk around the new space and the new exhibition created by artist Karla Black in the company of Director, Fiona Bradley. We highly recommend popping in for a look. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

The Hidden Door festival is coming to Granton in September and will literally shine a light on an up and coming area of Edinburgh. Cllr Day is both local councillor and Chair of the All Party Oversight Group on the council's £1.3 billion Granton Waterfrot Project. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

This year’s Hidden Door Festival is taking place in September in Granton. We were invited to the site for a preview of what will be happening later this year. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Professor Reid has been constantly against the Spaces for People measures. We met him on the side of Lanark Road --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Chris Young speaks to us about the council’s plans for the future of the Spaces for People measures which have been installed around schools, in shopping streets for leisure access and also segregated cycle lanes. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Spaces for People measures are on the agenda at this week’s Transport and Environment Committee meeting. Why are some measures to remain - and on what basis? Here we talk to Transport Convener Lesley Macinnes about the future of some of them - and yes potholes get a mention. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Amanda Tyndall is Festival and Creative Director of Edinburgh Science and we met her on Portobello Prom where there is a photography exhibition staged. It is called Human Nature and shows a range of work taking you on a photo journey round the world to see how humans connect with nature. It runs until 11 July 2021 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Sue Webber is one of the newest MSPs at Holyrood and we took a short walk outside the parliament building on a lovely sunny morning to hear what is uppermost in her mind at the moment both as a councillor and an MSP. Sue confirmed to us that her councillor allowance will now be split anonymously between a couple of Edinburgh charities. She is stepping back from her role as Transport spokesperson but not before handing over the baton at next week’s Transport Committee when the future of the city’s Spaces for People measures are debated. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

The festival will take place come what may in August this year. There is a huge selection of events to watch online or in person if you get a ticket. At the media event in the Botanics Festival Director Fergus Linehan gave us a hint of what will be happening. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Jeremy Balfour is Scottish Conservative MSP for Lothian who has just been elected for a second term. Here we speak to him on the priorities which he has for the next five years --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Here June tells us what customers should expect when they get back to the gym on 17 May --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Here we speak to the Transport Convener about the measures already put in place - and the potholes. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

I met with Alan Gordon who is a Longstone resident and a member of the community council and he showed me what is happening on Lanark Road and Inglis Green Road in terms of Spaces for People. There are segregated cycle lanes and parking spaces created on the inside of those. We were both on bikes and cycled from one spot to the other. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

The council have made plans to reopen Bridge Road travelling south on Monday 19th April after the road being closed for a year as part of Spaces for People. Here we spoke to several people including a couple of councillors , local residents and a representative from SPOKES. If nothing else it possibly shows how difficult it is to get a road layout which pleases everyone. But we hope it also shows that no matter what your view it is clear that people care about their neighbourhood. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Edinburgh International Festival, the world’s leading performing arts festival, today announces a reimagined festival for 2021 which marks the return of live performance to Scotland’s capital. Taking place from 7 to 29 August, the 2021 International Festival uses bespoke outdoor venues to safely reunite artists and audiences to rediscover the magic of live performance. Here we speak to Fran Hegyi who is Executive Director of EIF --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

I went for a cycle around Portobello with Kirsty Lewin who is an active travel expert who now volunteers with Spokes Porty. Here you can listen to us chatting as we cycled around Portobello - largely off road. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

The Rt Hon Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh is HM The Queen’s royal representative in Scotland. Here he talks about the influence of the Duke of Edinburgh on the city. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Two of the candidates for Lothian - Kenny Macaskill and Alex Arthur were guests on our podcast explaining the reasons for joining a new party and what it will mean for the Scottish political landscape. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

This summer The Scottish Gallery is staging an exhibition of works by Joan Eardley. Eardley who died young is a driven, passionate artist and much appreciated and celebrated by the gallery. This year would have been her 100th birthday. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Sarah Boyack MSP is meeting with NHS Lothian today about the cancelled contract for the new Eye Pavilion. She explained the main issues ahead of that meeting. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Cllr Joan Griffiths is the Vice Convener of Finance and Resources. Here she talks to us about the administration plans for spending in the next year --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Here we talk to Cllr Graham Hutchison from the Conservative group on Edinburgh council about the proposals which they have for spending in the forthcoming year --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Owen Thompson is MP for Midlothian and has been battling to bring Westminster into the 21st century as well as liking being home in his constituency more. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Here we chat with Adam McVey the Council Leader about the Council and their role in dealing with the virus and the homeless and poor. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Linsay owns the Art and Craft Collective at Causewayside and here she offers up some gift advice --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Here we speak to Ally Irvine who is the CEO of Edinburgh Charity ECAS. One of the less well known charities it works with people who have a physical disability helping to promote equality, choice and participation. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Artist Frances Macdonald will exhibit her latest work at The Scottish Gallery from 28 November alongside an exhibition by her son Ross Ryan whose work she describes as ‘stormier’ than her own. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Andy McDonald is the independent candid it in the November Craigentinny Doddington by-election here we speak to him about his reasons for standing. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Asking the council leader about help for the taxi trade in the capital --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Talking to Cllr Adam McVey about the effects of the recent government restrictions announced on Thursday which puts Edinburgh into Level Three of the Strategic Framework. And some discussion about the Leither who was recently awarded an MBE... --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Margaret Graham is the Scottish Labour party candidate in the by-election to be held in Craigentinny Duddingston on 12 November 2020 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

We speak to Ben Parker about his bid to become the second Green councillor in a very green council ward --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

With little custom in their city centre cafés the social enterprise has turned to mail order to keep their trading business going. From today you can order a little Box of Joy which has their special handmade brownies inside and all proceeds go to the social enterprise --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Jacqui Dunn is Secretary of Unite the Union Edinburgh Cab Section. Here she tells us about the difficulties they are currently facing. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Ethan Young is the SNP candidate in the Craigentinny/ Duddingston by election which is being held on 12 November. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Eleanor Price is one of seven candidates in the upcoming Craigentinny/Duddingston by election --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

We speak to creative Director David Martin about the online event which will work a bit like a relay race - and will go on until May 2021 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Tam Laird is the Scottish Libertarian Party candidate in the upcoming by election. He is Leader of the party which he is largely responsible for setting up. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Elaine is one of seven candidates in the upcoming Craigentinny/Duddingston by election. She spoke to us about the issues she’s hoping to be elected on --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Rebecca is the Liberal Democrat candidate for Edinburgh Northern and Leith at the Scottish Parliamentary Election in 2021. Here she tells us a little about her campaign --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

A walk round the grounds at Lauriston Castle with David Baker who has asked many questions of the council about the condition of the property and the endowment left to look after it. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Empty Kitchens, Full Hearts is a charitable movement which grew out of two problems. The first is that there are chefs who are out of work as a result of the Covid-19 crisis and the second is that people need food who cannot afford it. By the end of the September 2020 they will have served over 200,000 meals to people living in Edinburgh. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

The Edinburgh East MP talked to us during recess from Westminster --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

We met Kerry Thomson who is Station Manager at Chief Radio where they hope to play more than just chart music --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Born in Aberdeen and now MP for Oxford East as well as a member of the Shadow Cabinet, we slotted in a quick interview at the side of Morningside Road with the visiting Labour politician --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

The Festivals in Edinburgh have been cancelled this year due to coronavirus, but at the beginning of August the Edinburgh International Festival will have some alternative for us. In this episode we speak to Fergus Linehan to find out exactly what that might be like. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Speaking to Director Nick Barley about the 2020 festival - without tents --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Filmhouse is running a fundraiser to secure its future. We invited Head of Development Juliet Tweedie to explain why they need the money and what they plan to do with it. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Today’s podcast is with Louise Dickins - the Edinburgh businesswoman who founded Dickins Homes from Home about 20 years ago. The Scottish Government has just relaxed the coronavirus restrictions to allow holiday lets of main door homes to begin again. This is Louise’s whole business so she is glad about that - and we speak to her on the day after home schooling her two young children has just come to an end…… --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

We invited Allan Andy Grant and Jordan, the panto goodies and baddies, to be guests on our podcast. Here we talk about all things panto and about the Old Lady of Leven Street herself - the King’s Theatre --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Andrew explains the role of SCVO in getting the money from Scottish Government to those who need it --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Scott Smith and wife Laura of Fhior Restaurant on Broughton Street have devised a way of keeping their staff busy and their suppliers in business too. Here we speak too him about Root to Market and how that works --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

We invited the planning convener Neil Gardiner on to our podcast to explain what the council is doing in the realms of planning right now. It turns out they are working hard to help get the city ready for rebuilding the economy after the lockdown ends. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Malcolm Cannon is the National Director of the Institute of Directors in Scotland Here we find out what is keeping him busy during the lockdown --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Here we meet the guys from Edinburgh startup BackHug who may just have the perfect product for the post Covid world --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Lee is the person who is responsible for promoting walking and cycling in Scotland. A former professional mountain biker she is using her skills well during the coronavirus lockdown. Listen here --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Suzy Enoch is a mum of three children and wanted to have some new material to teach her five year-old daughter how to read. So she has written her own and three will be launched on 26 May with more to be published later. All the stories are set in lockdown and will help you explain that to young children while also teaching them how to read. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

The RNIB commissioned a survey of those with sight loss to assess how difficult life had become for them in recent weeks. Here we speak to James Adams Director of RNIB Scotland and to Kirin Saeed who is registered blind --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

We interviewed Emma Nicolson who is ahead of Creative Programmes about the latest news. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Questions continue over the decision to go ahead with mass gatherings across the UK following the Edinburgh Nike conference COVID-19 outbreak. It is a week since the BBC Disclosure programme which revealed that the Scottish Government had not made findings of positive cases arising from the conference public. Here we speak to Edinburgh South MP Ian Murray about what he sees as a cover up --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Edinburgh Lockdown Economy has fast become the website to go to whether you’re looking for food groceries or ideas to keep you entertained during the lockdown here we speak to Tom of Edinburgh Lockdown Economy about how it works --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

John Loughton is running the logistics of a catering company which is about to deliver its 30,000th free meal in Edinburgh in just a few weeks. We spoke to John recently about how this all works. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Paul Stewart is a walking tour guide with invisible Cities. That is the social enterprise which runs tours for residents and tourists alike. Invisible Cities employee those who have had experience of homelessness. He has been homeless over 10 times, and sees the city in a different way. During the pandemic he is offering virtual tours on Zoom on a one to one basis when you can experience Edinburgh with Paul as your guide to Leith which is rich in local history --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

The Right Rev Colin Sinclair is the minister of Palmerston Place Church in Edinburgh. He has been Moderator this past year and will give up office on 16 May. We spoke to him and his wife Ruth from their home in Morningside where their daily Facebook broadcasts are making them social media sensations. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Anti-apartheid activist Denis Goldberg died on Wednesday aged 87. We spoke to former Lord Provost Eric Milligan about his memories of Goldberg and FW de Klerk, as well as Nelson Mandela --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

In the first part of this series we spoke to Sir Geoff who is a human rights activist as well as an Emeritus Professor at Heriot-Watt University about links to the slave trade in the New Town. In the second part we take up the tale of the plaque proposed for the Melville Monument in St Andrew Square. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Talking about the climate emergency, cycling and working from home when you’re building a huge tidal wave energy device. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

The city council has had to find a new way of working. They decided only yesterday that council business will be run by 17 councillors on the Policy and Sustainability Committee Other committees will be revived as soon as they can - but this will at least allow some councillors to take part in decision making We contacted the council leader and deputy leader to ask them about it --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

People are finding all sorts of ways to entertain themselves It is easier if you can already play the piano of course - and here is Edinburgh musician, conductor and composer Richard Lewis with something to keep you going during the lockdown richardjlewis.org --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Jim is usually out there doing card tricks and close up magic particularly during the fringe or at corporate events. We found his blog online and it is really worth reading and sharing. Here he is talking to us about what he is up to during the lockdown. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Invisible Cities is a social enterprise which offers walking tours. During the pandemic they are looking after their guides and volunteers who have all experienced homelessness. Here we speak to founder Zakia Moulaoui who tells us what they are doing and how you can help by taking a virtual tour --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Sadly at this time there are those who are only too keen to take advantage We spoke to lawyer Margaret Ross from Balfour+Manson who is highlighting the dangers of being scammed at this time -particularly the elderly or vulnerable who may be more isolated than usual --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

The coronavirus lockdown is not all bad news. Some companies are benefitting from it and turning to technology to help. One of these is Yakety Yak Language cafe which offers language classes with a native speaker in cafes in Edinburgh and Glasgow They have moved the classes onto Zoom and Skype where the chat goes on. We asked Jordan Peyroche one of the tutors how it works. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Garry Clark of The Federation of Small Businesses welcomes the additional funding from Scottish Government but is still seeking some clarification about it --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

The charity is organising emergency food drop offs for people across Edinburgh, in areas of need. We spoke to Jim from the charity about the work and how you can help. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

We spoke to John Macmillan the CEO of The Eric Liddell Centre about their new lunch programme. They are delivering free lunches to vulnerable people in Edinburgh. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Edinburgh chef Barry Bryson is used to catering for large events but now he has started up a home delivery service --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

The Edinburgh charity Cyrenians work in a variety of ways with those who experience homelessness or who have mental health problems They help people to get back to independence with the right kind of support - that can be on their farm, in the Social Bite village or by learning at their Cook School Today we spoke to Ewan Aitken the Chief Executive of Cyrenians - he is pretty busy at the best of times, but right now the charity is working harder than ever as you will hear --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

There are many resources but also some live sessions between 9 and 11 April that you can join in with. These are on the festival website, their Facebook page and the Earth Live Lessons YouTube channel. All of the learning resources will stay on the Science Festival website until next year’s is planned. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Angus Robertson wants to become the SNP nominee for Edinburgh Central at next year’s Scottish Parliamentary elections. Here we find out about the former MP and why he wants to be elected to Holyrood --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

We discuss the ins and outs of The Quaich Project with the Managing Director of The Quaich Project David Ellis and the Chair of the Cockburn Association, Professor Cliff Hague. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Edinburgh Science Festival was due to take place between 4th and 11th April Sadly it can’t happen this year, but the team behind it have put together a digital alternative that you can enjoy from home We spoke to Amanda Tyndall the creative director about Elements of #EdScIFest --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

Sir Geoff is a human rights activist and speaks often on the slave trade, and how that relates to Scotland. Our podcast came from an idle conversation with him when he told me he had a good story. Listen to Part 1 here --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

They did this by hanging out their windows and balconies and clapping - on Dundas Street there was one vehicle.....as you will hear. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message

The Centre for Moving image the Edinburgh Filmhouse and the Edinburgh International film Festival have big plans for taking over Festival Square as the site of a new bespoke Filmhouse. Here we speak to Ken he the chief executive about the plans --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edinburgh-reporter/message