MARK McLAUGHLIN
Edinburgh Evening News
12 March 2010
Former player holds record for managing most consecutive wins
HE played with and managed some of the greatest Hibs players of all time and still enjoys the record of managing the most consecutive victories of any Hibernian manager.
Former Hibs player and manager Willie Macfarlane , who played full-back behind The Famous Five in the 1950s and created an embryonic version of the side that would go on to become Turnbull's Tornadoes in the 1970s, died yesterday morning, just one week shy of his 80th birthday.
During his short but illustrious career as manager during the 1969-70 and 1970-71 seasons, he took Hibs to Europe, beating Malmö 9-2 on aggregate and Vitória de Guimarães 3-2, before losing 3-0 on aggregate to Bill Shankly's Liverpool side.
Born in Leith on 17 March 1930, his family moved to Hutcheson and he attended Tynecastle School. He went on to play for Hutcheson Vale before signing for Hibs in 1953, where he was quickly taken on a tour of Brazil to take part in the Octagonal Rivadavia Correa Meyer competition.
MacFarlane also played for Hibs in the first season of the European Cup, eventually losing to Stade Reims in the semi-final.
Following a spell playing for Raith Rovers and Morton he took his first managerial job at Hawick Royal Albert.
Son Ian Macfarlane, 55, a club entertainer who recently returned from France to maintain a vigil by his father's bedside, recalled his early managerial days at Hawick.
He said: "My father looked back on the Hawick days very fondly, and he used to love heading down on the bus for a laugh and a sing-song with the boys.
"During his spell at Hawick they won every competition going, and I still remember some of the parties at my house."
He managed Stirling Albion in 1968 before joining Hibs at the start of the 1969 season.
Son Ian added: "The day he was introduced to the players,
he picked on one and told him to hand over his boots, which he put on himself and launched a perfect corner straight to the back post. 'That's how I want you to take corners when you're playing for me,' he said, and that was how they found out my dad would be their new manager."
Outside of his footballing career he was an avid golfer and lover of music, regularly entertaining friends, family and tour-bus players with his karaoke classics.
He married his wife Joyce in 1954 and had two children, Jacqueline and Ian and two grandchildren, Nicole and Stefan.
He died in hospital yesterday morning after a short illness.
Saturday, 13 March 2010
NEWS: Echoes of war in a muddy field
MARK McLAUGHLIN
Edinburgh Evening News
11 March 2010
ARCHAEOLOGISTS monitoring the construction of the Lothians' new GBP 130 million water treatment plant have uncovered more than they bargained for.
The site has not only given up the remains of a Second World War camp but it may also hold evidence of an even older military camp held by Oliver Cromwell.
The Second World War camp was uncovered in a field on the route of Scottish Water's new Glencorse pipeline, off Frogston Road, and is thought to have been founded in the wake of the Allies' defeat at Dunkirk in 1940.
CFA Archaeology staff have also discovered musket balls that may be evidence of a camp set up by Oliver Cromwell in the 17th century, and hope to find artefacts dating back even further.
Project manager Bruce Glendinning said: "There are historical references to Roman artefacts being found on the site in 19th century but we are yet to find any of these ourselves.
"The area we're excavating stretches all the way from Penicuik to Glencorse so if it's there we'll find it.
"There are also some written reports of Oliver Cromwell staying with a local landowner nearby, and we have uncovered musket balls which could possibly date from that era."
The Second World War camp is believed to have been occupied by the 16th Durham Light Infantry. After the war it is believed to have been turned into a "displaced persons' camp".
Mr Glendinning added: "Where these people had been displaced from is uncertain, but it is likely to have been places like Poland.
"However, we believe the camp was shut fairly soon after the end of the war and there is pictorial evidence from 1947 showing that it had been completely levelled."
Mr Glendinning admitted that the information they had on the camp was sketchy, largely due to the secretive nature of wartime operations, and they have appealed to local residents and historians to fill in the blanks.
Their findings are to be displayed at an open event at the site on Saturday, from 11am-3pm.
This will allow historians and those keen on Second World War history to take a guided tour of the site and learn more about the recent history of the area.
Those participating in the event will have the chance to view the excavated remains of site huts, as well as artefacts found on-site, and learn more about the other discoveries made during the course of this project.
Edinburgh Evening News
11 March 2010
ARCHAEOLOGISTS monitoring the construction of the Lothians' new GBP 130 million water treatment plant have uncovered more than they bargained for.
The site has not only given up the remains of a Second World War camp but it may also hold evidence of an even older military camp held by Oliver Cromwell.
The Second World War camp was uncovered in a field on the route of Scottish Water's new Glencorse pipeline, off Frogston Road, and is thought to have been founded in the wake of the Allies' defeat at Dunkirk in 1940.
CFA Archaeology staff have also discovered musket balls that may be evidence of a camp set up by Oliver Cromwell in the 17th century, and hope to find artefacts dating back even further.
Project manager Bruce Glendinning said: "There are historical references to Roman artefacts being found on the site in 19th century but we are yet to find any of these ourselves.
"The area we're excavating stretches all the way from Penicuik to Glencorse so if it's there we'll find it.
"There are also some written reports of Oliver Cromwell staying with a local landowner nearby, and we have uncovered musket balls which could possibly date from that era."
The Second World War camp is believed to have been occupied by the 16th Durham Light Infantry. After the war it is believed to have been turned into a "displaced persons' camp".
Mr Glendinning added: "Where these people had been displaced from is uncertain, but it is likely to have been places like Poland.
"However, we believe the camp was shut fairly soon after the end of the war and there is pictorial evidence from 1947 showing that it had been completely levelled."
Mr Glendinning admitted that the information they had on the camp was sketchy, largely due to the secretive nature of wartime operations, and they have appealed to local residents and historians to fill in the blanks.
Their findings are to be displayed at an open event at the site on Saturday, from 11am-3pm.
This will allow historians and those keen on Second World War history to take a guided tour of the site and learn more about the recent history of the area.
Those participating in the event will have the chance to view the excavated remains of site huts, as well as artefacts found on-site, and learn more about the other discoveries made during the course of this project.
SPORT: Hearts sex discrimination claims rejected
MARK McLAUGHLIN
Edinburgh Evening News
10 March 2010
A SECRETARY who took Hearts to an employment tribunal claiming sex discrimination is set to continue working for the club, despite losing the case.
Louise Mackenzie, 34, alleged she lost her "prestigious" matchday role because she was off ill following maternity leave, and claimed that the club would have acted differently if she had been a man.
The Tynecastle club refuted the claim and yesterday learned that the case had been thrown out.
A club spokesman said they were "naturally delighted" with the outcome but would not comment further.
Mrs Mackenzie also declined to comment as she continues to work for the club at its Riccarton training facility.
The tribunal had heard how Mrs Mackenzie was upset that matchday working - and the chance to earn more pay - had been handed to another employee when she came back part-time after having a baby.
It happened after the then manager Casba Laszlo insisted on having full-time cover for the duties.
The HR department responded to Laszlo's request by bringing in Louise Clark as a second football secretary. Ms Clark also then got a share of matchday work, sparking the dispute.
Mrs MacKenzie said that having been in the job since 2001, she was entitled to work matchdays, because "I always have".
She told the hearing: "My employer's behaviour was a premeditated attempt to victimise me.
"Matchdays are a prestigious job and I have always worked them.
"Had a man been doing my duties, he wouldn't have been treated similarly."
The club said that matchday work was never in Mrs Mackenzie's contract and insisted that other staff had been drafted in for "operational reasons".
Stewart Fraser, Hearts' finance director and company secretary, told the hearing: "She [Mrs Mackenzie] believed that she had a contractual right to work on matchdays. I didn't agree with her."
The Employment Tribunal Service - which is still to publish its findings in full - told the parties yesterday that it had decided to dismiss Mrs Mackenzie's claims.
In a letter, it said: "The unanimous judgement of the Employment Tribunal is that the claim fails and is dismissed."
Edinburgh Evening News
10 March 2010
A SECRETARY who took Hearts to an employment tribunal claiming sex discrimination is set to continue working for the club, despite losing the case.
Louise Mackenzie, 34, alleged she lost her "prestigious" matchday role because she was off ill following maternity leave, and claimed that the club would have acted differently if she had been a man.
The Tynecastle club refuted the claim and yesterday learned that the case had been thrown out.
A club spokesman said they were "naturally delighted" with the outcome but would not comment further.
Mrs Mackenzie also declined to comment as she continues to work for the club at its Riccarton training facility.
The tribunal had heard how Mrs Mackenzie was upset that matchday working - and the chance to earn more pay - had been handed to another employee when she came back part-time after having a baby.
It happened after the then manager Casba Laszlo insisted on having full-time cover for the duties.
The HR department responded to Laszlo's request by bringing in Louise Clark as a second football secretary. Ms Clark also then got a share of matchday work, sparking the dispute.
Mrs MacKenzie said that having been in the job since 2001, she was entitled to work matchdays, because "I always have".
She told the hearing: "My employer's behaviour was a premeditated attempt to victimise me.
"Matchdays are a prestigious job and I have always worked them.
"Had a man been doing my duties, he wouldn't have been treated similarly."
The club said that matchday work was never in Mrs Mackenzie's contract and insisted that other staff had been drafted in for "operational reasons".
Stewart Fraser, Hearts' finance director and company secretary, told the hearing: "She [Mrs Mackenzie] believed that she had a contractual right to work on matchdays. I didn't agree with her."
The Employment Tribunal Service - which is still to publish its findings in full - told the parties yesterday that it had decided to dismiss Mrs Mackenzie's claims.
In a letter, it said: "The unanimous judgement of the Employment Tribunal is that the claim fails and is dismissed."
ANALYSIS: Fuelling the Economy?
MARK McLAUGHLIN
Edinburgh Evening News
8 March 2010
As motorists face another increase in fuel tax at the end of the month, isn't it time the Government stopped punishing road users, asks Mark McLaughlin
EVERYONE knows that Chancellor Alistair Darling has an enormous problem on his hands. Of course, as he feverishly hunts for ways to pay back Britain's staggering GBP 178 billion debt he will be looking for lots of folk to clobber.
Anything that can be dressed up as a green tax - punishing those terrible pollution creating motorists - is going to look particularly tempting.
It is against this backdrop that petrol taxes are set to go up again by another 3p on 1 April.
That will see the average price for unleaded hit 115p a litre, not quite the levels that saw hauliers take to the roads in convoy to protest two years ago, but not a million miles from them.
While among some there is now an acceptance that motorists are always going to get it in the neck, there is a growing opinion that enough is enough.
The outcry over the latest increase is being led by the AA, whose spokesman Luke Bosdet describes the Government's petrol policy as "bananas".
New research carried out by the AA has found that fuel duty is rising in the UK at twice the rate it is on the Continent and at five times the rate in some EU countries.
"We looked at the figures between 24 November, 2008 and 15 February this year," explains Mr Bosdet, "and found that the average increase in other European countries was 5.07 per cent. In the UK, tax has gone up by 11.46 per cent in that period. This compares to just 2.23 per cent in the lowest country, Austria.
"Scotland is almost a cause célèbre for those complaining about petrol prices as volunteer drivers, who take sick people to hospital in their own vehicles, north of the Border were amongst the first to complain about the increase in their expenses.
"If you're only getting paid 24p a mile, the further you travel the more your expenses go up until it gets to the point where it's no longer cost effective to volunteer any more.
"It costs the NHS four times the amount of money to transfer people to hospital in a taxi than it does to pay a volunteer driver, but they're having to rely on them more and more. It's bananas.
"This is just the starting point of the cracks that will start to appear if drivers are forced off the road by ever-increasing fuel duty, which already accounts for 66 per cent of the price at the pumps."
The AA says consumers are struggling at the bottom of the food chain when it comes to fuel prices.
Oil speculators push up prices, then the Government slaps on tax, before hauliers and forecourt operators take their cut.
The result is higher and higher costs at the till.
And it is not just soaring fuel prices that motorists have to swallow, with the cost of on-street parking, permits and fines all seeing inflation-busting rises in Edinburgh in recent years.
Despite the growing tax burden facing motorists, environmental campaigners say the latest move is justified, as the overall cost of motoring is actually falling.
Richard George, road and climate campaigner at the Campaign for Better Motoring, said: "We support the principle that fuel duty should be gradually increased in line with inflation.
"While fuel prices have gone up, the real cost of motoring has reduced dramatically in the last ten years.
"According to the Department of Environment and Climate Change, the cost of running a car has dropped by 14 per cent since 1997.
"In that time the cost of rail has increased by 13 per cent, and the cost of bus travel has increased by 24 per cent.
"Given that buses are often used by some of the poorest members of society, we think it's time that something was done to redress that balance."
The Taxpayers' Alliance, though, is withering in its criticism, insisting fuel duty is simply being used as a "sin tax" to punish people for using their cars in the age of global warming.
"It's a bigger sin tax than cigarettes or alcohol," says the alliance's research director, Matthew Sinclair.
"Some people want to tax motorists off the road, but the reality is that even if you double the number of people using public transport, which will never happen as the current infrastructure just couldn't cope, you would only take 10 per cent of drivers off the road.
"The irony is the Government is taxing people to get to the very offices and industries that are keeping the UK economy moving."
Mr Darling defends the move as part of his overall plans to balance the budget.
A Treasury spokesman says the fuel duty rise is part of plans to halve the UK's massive deficit over four years, once recovery is secured. "Alongside other tax measures and slower spending growth, fuel duty increases are an important part of this deficit reduction plan, as well as supporting the Government's environmental agenda," the spokesman said.
Edinburgh Evening News
8 March 2010
As motorists face another increase in fuel tax at the end of the month, isn't it time the Government stopped punishing road users, asks Mark McLaughlin
EVERYONE knows that Chancellor Alistair Darling has an enormous problem on his hands. Of course, as he feverishly hunts for ways to pay back Britain's staggering GBP 178 billion debt he will be looking for lots of folk to clobber.
Anything that can be dressed up as a green tax - punishing those terrible pollution creating motorists - is going to look particularly tempting.
It is against this backdrop that petrol taxes are set to go up again by another 3p on 1 April.
That will see the average price for unleaded hit 115p a litre, not quite the levels that saw hauliers take to the roads in convoy to protest two years ago, but not a million miles from them.
While among some there is now an acceptance that motorists are always going to get it in the neck, there is a growing opinion that enough is enough.
The outcry over the latest increase is being led by the AA, whose spokesman Luke Bosdet describes the Government's petrol policy as "bananas".
New research carried out by the AA has found that fuel duty is rising in the UK at twice the rate it is on the Continent and at five times the rate in some EU countries.
"We looked at the figures between 24 November, 2008 and 15 February this year," explains Mr Bosdet, "and found that the average increase in other European countries was 5.07 per cent. In the UK, tax has gone up by 11.46 per cent in that period. This compares to just 2.23 per cent in the lowest country, Austria.
"Scotland is almost a cause célèbre for those complaining about petrol prices as volunteer drivers, who take sick people to hospital in their own vehicles, north of the Border were amongst the first to complain about the increase in their expenses.
"If you're only getting paid 24p a mile, the further you travel the more your expenses go up until it gets to the point where it's no longer cost effective to volunteer any more.
"It costs the NHS four times the amount of money to transfer people to hospital in a taxi than it does to pay a volunteer driver, but they're having to rely on them more and more. It's bananas.
"This is just the starting point of the cracks that will start to appear if drivers are forced off the road by ever-increasing fuel duty, which already accounts for 66 per cent of the price at the pumps."
The AA says consumers are struggling at the bottom of the food chain when it comes to fuel prices.
Oil speculators push up prices, then the Government slaps on tax, before hauliers and forecourt operators take their cut.
The result is higher and higher costs at the till.
And it is not just soaring fuel prices that motorists have to swallow, with the cost of on-street parking, permits and fines all seeing inflation-busting rises in Edinburgh in recent years.
Despite the growing tax burden facing motorists, environmental campaigners say the latest move is justified, as the overall cost of motoring is actually falling.
Richard George, road and climate campaigner at the Campaign for Better Motoring, said: "We support the principle that fuel duty should be gradually increased in line with inflation.
"While fuel prices have gone up, the real cost of motoring has reduced dramatically in the last ten years.
"According to the Department of Environment and Climate Change, the cost of running a car has dropped by 14 per cent since 1997.
"In that time the cost of rail has increased by 13 per cent, and the cost of bus travel has increased by 24 per cent.
"Given that buses are often used by some of the poorest members of society, we think it's time that something was done to redress that balance."
The Taxpayers' Alliance, though, is withering in its criticism, insisting fuel duty is simply being used as a "sin tax" to punish people for using their cars in the age of global warming.
"It's a bigger sin tax than cigarettes or alcohol," says the alliance's research director, Matthew Sinclair.
"Some people want to tax motorists off the road, but the reality is that even if you double the number of people using public transport, which will never happen as the current infrastructure just couldn't cope, you would only take 10 per cent of drivers off the road.
"The irony is the Government is taxing people to get to the very offices and industries that are keeping the UK economy moving."
Mr Darling defends the move as part of his overall plans to balance the budget.
A Treasury spokesman says the fuel duty rise is part of plans to halve the UK's massive deficit over four years, once recovery is secured. "Alongside other tax measures and slower spending growth, fuel duty increases are an important part of this deficit reduction plan, as well as supporting the Government's environmental agenda," the spokesman said.
FEATURE: From the ceilings in Leith to dancing on the ceiling in Las Vegas
MARK McLAUGHLIN
Edinburgh Evening News
6 March 2010
HE has spent years touring the world as a top dancer but it could all have been very different.
For Paul Devers - aka Don Dorcha, the evil dark lord in popular show Lord of the Dance - spent much of his early life battling a debilitating hip problem.
Born with Perthes' disease, a condition that causes the hip socket to crumble, he was lined up for a hip replacement at a very early age, an operation that could have consigned his professional dancing career to the dustbin.
"My mum was a typical Irish Catholic and believed that faith would see us through," said Paul, 34, who has recently returned to Edinburgh after living the dancing dream.
"My cousin had the same disease and had a hip replacement but my mum refused the operation, so I spent over a year on a traction bed, strapped down with weights on my legs to strengthen them. When I was about five she decided to enrol me in Irish dancing classes to strengthen my legs further."
It was a fateful decision that would decide the course of his adult life.
Leither Paul, who grew up on Montgomery Street and attended St Mary's Primary and St Thomas's High, was thrown into the world of dance competitions when many of his friends were kicking footballs round the park.
It was a life he was sometimes reluctant to accept.
"I often had to be dragged kicking and screaming to dance classes," he says.
"I did come in for a bit of stick from some of the people at school, but I've always been able to take it on the chin. Most of it was motivated by jealousy.
"I started entering major competitions when I was about 11 and was selected for the World Championships every year."
In 1996, Paul was among the top ten dancers in the world, and the following year he auditioned for Michael Flatley's dance sensation Lord of the Dance at the SECC in Glasgow. He was soon launched into a gruelling rehearsal schedule before being whisked off to the States on tour.
"I'd never lived anywhere other than with my mum so it was pretty exciting," he continues.
"We stayed in Reno to prepare for the production, and then it was off round America and Canada throughout the winter of 1997.
"The following year we took a scaled-down version of the show to Hawaii for the centenary celebrations of Pepsi, where I bumped into loads of famous people.
"Ray Charles said he really enjoyed the music in the show, and I shook the hand of George Bush senior.
"It was the year before his son took power. I didn't speak to him, but I'd have a few things to say to him now. We were also treated to a really intimate gig by The Rolling Stones."
The show toured again in 1998, including a St Patrick's Day show at Radio City Music Hall in New York, attended by, among others, Sinead O'Connor.
One night, a few representatives from MGM Casinos in Las Vegas were in the audience, and quickly signed up the show for a permanent run in the Nevada desert. The show ran for eight years at various Vegas casinos, bringing Paul into contact with many more famous people.
"Shania Twain was one of the nicest people I've ever met," he says. "She loved the Irish dancing and even had a few dancers on stage with her. I also became good friends with the boxer Wayne McCullough. Siegfried & Roy came to see us a few times, and I was told Madonna was in the audience one night.
"But my proudest moment was when Pele came up and asked for my autograph. How about that!
"The Lord of the Dance days were just mental. Michael Flatley's a great guy and he's always been really good to me, and really encouraging. Lord of the Dance became so big that he did end up with a few critics, but I have nothing but affection for him. At its height we were outselling U2 15 to one, and Michael Flatley was making something like GBP 1.6 million a week.
"I never saw anywhere near that but we were very well looked after, and as a result I've had a very good life. I've been able to move my mum to Morningside, and I gave her holidays to the States every year. Every time she came over she would come and see the show every day without fail, and still does when it comes to the Playhouse. She can't get enough of it."
It was a far cry from the GBP 200 a week Paul was making as a teenage tiler in Leith.
He currently runs dance classes at St Columba's Church Hall, in Upper Gray Street. He is also planning a series of Irish dancing workshops at Dancebase in the Grassmarket.
He is also indulging in other passions including playing regular gigs with his band Keava, and spending time with a new love which, he says, "is still in the early stages but going very well".
"This city did so much for me in the early days," says Paul. "Now that I'm getting a wee bit older I think it's time I gave something back by teaching the next generation of dancers."
Paul's dance classes are held every Monday and Thursday from 6-8pm at St Columba's. Call 07929 268 223 for information. Keava are playing at The Ark, Waterloo Place, on 26 March.
Edinburgh Evening News
6 March 2010
HE has spent years touring the world as a top dancer but it could all have been very different.
For Paul Devers - aka Don Dorcha, the evil dark lord in popular show Lord of the Dance - spent much of his early life battling a debilitating hip problem.
Born with Perthes' disease, a condition that causes the hip socket to crumble, he was lined up for a hip replacement at a very early age, an operation that could have consigned his professional dancing career to the dustbin.
"My mum was a typical Irish Catholic and believed that faith would see us through," said Paul, 34, who has recently returned to Edinburgh after living the dancing dream.
"My cousin had the same disease and had a hip replacement but my mum refused the operation, so I spent over a year on a traction bed, strapped down with weights on my legs to strengthen them. When I was about five she decided to enrol me in Irish dancing classes to strengthen my legs further."
It was a fateful decision that would decide the course of his adult life.
Leither Paul, who grew up on Montgomery Street and attended St Mary's Primary and St Thomas's High, was thrown into the world of dance competitions when many of his friends were kicking footballs round the park.
It was a life he was sometimes reluctant to accept.
"I often had to be dragged kicking and screaming to dance classes," he says.
"I did come in for a bit of stick from some of the people at school, but I've always been able to take it on the chin. Most of it was motivated by jealousy.
"I started entering major competitions when I was about 11 and was selected for the World Championships every year."
In 1996, Paul was among the top ten dancers in the world, and the following year he auditioned for Michael Flatley's dance sensation Lord of the Dance at the SECC in Glasgow. He was soon launched into a gruelling rehearsal schedule before being whisked off to the States on tour.
"I'd never lived anywhere other than with my mum so it was pretty exciting," he continues.
"We stayed in Reno to prepare for the production, and then it was off round America and Canada throughout the winter of 1997.
"The following year we took a scaled-down version of the show to Hawaii for the centenary celebrations of Pepsi, where I bumped into loads of famous people.
"Ray Charles said he really enjoyed the music in the show, and I shook the hand of George Bush senior.
"It was the year before his son took power. I didn't speak to him, but I'd have a few things to say to him now. We were also treated to a really intimate gig by The Rolling Stones."
The show toured again in 1998, including a St Patrick's Day show at Radio City Music Hall in New York, attended by, among others, Sinead O'Connor.
One night, a few representatives from MGM Casinos in Las Vegas were in the audience, and quickly signed up the show for a permanent run in the Nevada desert. The show ran for eight years at various Vegas casinos, bringing Paul into contact with many more famous people.
"Shania Twain was one of the nicest people I've ever met," he says. "She loved the Irish dancing and even had a few dancers on stage with her. I also became good friends with the boxer Wayne McCullough. Siegfried & Roy came to see us a few times, and I was told Madonna was in the audience one night.
"But my proudest moment was when Pele came up and asked for my autograph. How about that!
"The Lord of the Dance days were just mental. Michael Flatley's a great guy and he's always been really good to me, and really encouraging. Lord of the Dance became so big that he did end up with a few critics, but I have nothing but affection for him. At its height we were outselling U2 15 to one, and Michael Flatley was making something like GBP 1.6 million a week.
"I never saw anywhere near that but we were very well looked after, and as a result I've had a very good life. I've been able to move my mum to Morningside, and I gave her holidays to the States every year. Every time she came over she would come and see the show every day without fail, and still does when it comes to the Playhouse. She can't get enough of it."
It was a far cry from the GBP 200 a week Paul was making as a teenage tiler in Leith.
He currently runs dance classes at St Columba's Church Hall, in Upper Gray Street. He is also planning a series of Irish dancing workshops at Dancebase in the Grassmarket.
He is also indulging in other passions including playing regular gigs with his band Keava, and spending time with a new love which, he says, "is still in the early stages but going very well".
"This city did so much for me in the early days," says Paul. "Now that I'm getting a wee bit older I think it's time I gave something back by teaching the next generation of dancers."
Paul's dance classes are held every Monday and Thursday from 6-8pm at St Columba's. Call 07929 268 223 for information. Keava are playing at The Ark, Waterloo Place, on 26 March.
FEATURE: It's Never Too Late to get and Education
MARK McLAUGHLIN
Edinburgh Evening News
5 March 2010
A mother and daughter turned to education as a way to kick-start their lives and put their troubles behind them Consigned to the scrapheap at 15, life can turn out tough for the young tearaways who leave Lothians schools with nothing. But, just like the stars of STV's new television series on adult learning, many are finding out that "It's Never Too Late" to catch up, as Mark McLaughlin reports
ONE thing is certain about Viki O'Donnell's school days: she and her teachers simply didn't see eye to eye. The former teenage tearaway and her mum Beth have different recollections today of exactly how it all ended up going so badly wrong
but both agree that those days were an unmitigated disaster.
"I was never at school," admits Viki, 27, as she recalls leaving St Augustine's High at the age of 15 after years of truancy.
"I originally went to Craigroyston but I moved school when I was 13. I was diagnosed with dyslexia so I always had trouble reading, and I was told that I was a couple of years behind the rest of the class, but I just didn't feel the teachers were giving me the support I needed, so I wanted out."
Beth, 56, remembers things differently. "The change of school was a last resort. There was just nothing I could do to get Viki to go to school. You can't drag a 13-year-old down the street by the hand and throw her into school, although I did try. I thought maybe if she went to a different school she'd take an interest."
But the truancy continued and mother and daughter soon found themselves in front of the children's panel. "They threatened to put me into care but I didn't believe them," says Viki. "I knew that it was just an empty threat."
Eventually, Viki was allowed to leave school at 15 and within a few months she left home.
"I thought I was all grown up and ready to make my way in the world," adds Viki. "I found a hostel on North Bridge that would take you in if you could prove that your parents had thrown you out, so I had to get my mum to sign a letter saying she'd disowned me.
"It was a bit unfair on her but she knew that if she didn't sign it I'd throw a tantrum, so she just let me get on with it."
Eventually, she found a flat in Davidson's Mains and took on a series of dead-end jobs, as well as volunteering for after school clubs and a disability charity.
Viki became pregnant aged 21 but her baby died at just three days old, and she spent the best part of her early 20s battling anxiety and depression.
Today, Viki has woken up to the fact that there are few prospects without qualifications. Her mother realised this many years ago, after falling into a succession of low-paid jobs when she left Queen Anne's High School, Dunfermline, at 16 with no qualifications.
Mother and daughter have both now embarked on a new life of learning together, after enrolling first on an English course equivalent to standard grade English.
"I used to hate writing at school," says Viki. "Because of my dyslexia I was scared to write because I was worried people would laugh at my spelling, but one thing my tutor has taught me is that it's not the spelling that's important but the ideas behind it. I'm not embarrassed when I misspell a word now."
Beth's experience is similar. "Most of the jobs I did throughout my life didn't involve much reading or writing," she says. "I worked in restaurants, as a live-in chambermaid at the Caledonian Hotel, and as an au pair.
"I used to shy away from any job that involved paperwork because I didn't have confidence in my reading. When I reached my 40s I started volunteering for a few charities, manning helplines.
"There was quite a bit of paperwork involved in some of these jobs, and I'd often be setting up appointments for people with difficult names, so I got used to using the phrase, 'can you spell that for me'. I'm not afraid to say that now, whereas in the past I'd be worried people would think I was stupid.
"I took a few classes to help me with the work, such as relaxation classes, and I finally realised I wasn't as stupid as people made me out to be.
"Now I enrol in any course I have time for. I've done a psychology course, a counselling course and a childcare course. I suffer from spina bifida so I doubt I'll have the energy to put all of these courses to use in the world of work, I do it for the love of learning."
Viki, meanwhile, has even embarked on creative writing. "I used to write poems when I was really depressed, and I've started writing my first book," she says proudly. "It's about a dancer in New York City who has an accident and loses her leg, and has to rebuild her life from scratch."
The story of mother and daughter rebuilding their lives is one father-of-three Steven Gaffney, 28, from Haddington, can relate to. He too is embarking on journey of personal discovery after years of jail, alcohol and drug misuse.
His problems started at school. He would regularly bunk off at Dunbar Grammar to smoke cannabis with his friends.
"My mum would get me dressed for school and off I'd go, but I would meet up with my mates and smoke weed, kick a ball around the park or go shoplifting.
"I was hauled before the children's panel a few times but I was young so I didn't realise how serious it was. I was just counting down the days until I was 16 and I could leave school."
Steven enrolled in an NC business course at Jewel & Esk Valley College but it felt like school, and his interest soon waned.
He started worked for a landfill creation company but struggled with alcohol and drugs.
His chaotic lifestyle landed him prison several times, for breach of the peace, possession of an offensive weapon as well as several charges for non-payment of fines and failure to attend court.
"I'd been wasting my life so much, and doing so many physical jobs, that I decided to sort myself out and use my intelligence for a change," he says. "I now take maths classes on a Monday morning, and English classes in the evening. Unlike some people, I'd always been able to read quite well but I never had the qualifications to prove it. You don't realise when you're younger how important that piece of paper is.
"The classes are nothing like school, where you're under pressure to learn. You walk into a friendly atmosphere where you can learn at your own pace, and you have a cup of tea and a chat in the break, and it's all really positive.
"I'm going to enrol in an access course at Newbattle Abbey College, and after two years I'll be able to enrol in university. I've not decided what I'm going to do, but there are interesting options such as history, politics or sociology.
"One job I'd really like to do is become a drug and alcohol counsellor. I think I'd be well suited to that with my background."
It's Never Too Late is on STV on Thursday at 7.30pm
FREE HELP AVAILABLE
TWENTY-THREE per cent of adults in Scotland have difficulty with reading, writing or using numbers - around 800,000 people.
As well as limiting opportunities to find a job or to get a better job, the problem can also affect personal relationships.
Many people are embarrassed to talk about it or to ask for help. The Big Plus is Scotland's campaign to promote the free help available.
When people call The Big Plus number - 0808-100 1080 - they are put in touch with tutors in their area.
The support the tutors offer is based on what the individual wants to achieve. This could be help with application forms, their kid's homework, or how to deal with household bills.
It's not like being back at school and it's not a course. It's relaxed and friendly and it can take just a couple of hours a week - which can be arranged to suit work or personal life.
Edinburgh Evening News
5 March 2010
A mother and daughter turned to education as a way to kick-start their lives and put their troubles behind them Consigned to the scrapheap at 15, life can turn out tough for the young tearaways who leave Lothians schools with nothing. But, just like the stars of STV's new television series on adult learning, many are finding out that "It's Never Too Late" to catch up, as Mark McLaughlin reports
ONE thing is certain about Viki O'Donnell's school days: she and her teachers simply didn't see eye to eye. The former teenage tearaway and her mum Beth have different recollections today of exactly how it all ended up going so badly wrong
but both agree that those days were an unmitigated disaster.
"I was never at school," admits Viki, 27, as she recalls leaving St Augustine's High at the age of 15 after years of truancy.
"I originally went to Craigroyston but I moved school when I was 13. I was diagnosed with dyslexia so I always had trouble reading, and I was told that I was a couple of years behind the rest of the class, but I just didn't feel the teachers were giving me the support I needed, so I wanted out."
Beth, 56, remembers things differently. "The change of school was a last resort. There was just nothing I could do to get Viki to go to school. You can't drag a 13-year-old down the street by the hand and throw her into school, although I did try. I thought maybe if she went to a different school she'd take an interest."
But the truancy continued and mother and daughter soon found themselves in front of the children's panel. "They threatened to put me into care but I didn't believe them," says Viki. "I knew that it was just an empty threat."
Eventually, Viki was allowed to leave school at 15 and within a few months she left home.
"I thought I was all grown up and ready to make my way in the world," adds Viki. "I found a hostel on North Bridge that would take you in if you could prove that your parents had thrown you out, so I had to get my mum to sign a letter saying she'd disowned me.
"It was a bit unfair on her but she knew that if she didn't sign it I'd throw a tantrum, so she just let me get on with it."
Eventually, she found a flat in Davidson's Mains and took on a series of dead-end jobs, as well as volunteering for after school clubs and a disability charity.
Viki became pregnant aged 21 but her baby died at just three days old, and she spent the best part of her early 20s battling anxiety and depression.
Today, Viki has woken up to the fact that there are few prospects without qualifications. Her mother realised this many years ago, after falling into a succession of low-paid jobs when she left Queen Anne's High School, Dunfermline, at 16 with no qualifications.
Mother and daughter have both now embarked on a new life of learning together, after enrolling first on an English course equivalent to standard grade English.
"I used to hate writing at school," says Viki. "Because of my dyslexia I was scared to write because I was worried people would laugh at my spelling, but one thing my tutor has taught me is that it's not the spelling that's important but the ideas behind it. I'm not embarrassed when I misspell a word now."
Beth's experience is similar. "Most of the jobs I did throughout my life didn't involve much reading or writing," she says. "I worked in restaurants, as a live-in chambermaid at the Caledonian Hotel, and as an au pair.
"I used to shy away from any job that involved paperwork because I didn't have confidence in my reading. When I reached my 40s I started volunteering for a few charities, manning helplines.
"There was quite a bit of paperwork involved in some of these jobs, and I'd often be setting up appointments for people with difficult names, so I got used to using the phrase, 'can you spell that for me'. I'm not afraid to say that now, whereas in the past I'd be worried people would think I was stupid.
"I took a few classes to help me with the work, such as relaxation classes, and I finally realised I wasn't as stupid as people made me out to be.
"Now I enrol in any course I have time for. I've done a psychology course, a counselling course and a childcare course. I suffer from spina bifida so I doubt I'll have the energy to put all of these courses to use in the world of work, I do it for the love of learning."
Viki, meanwhile, has even embarked on creative writing. "I used to write poems when I was really depressed, and I've started writing my first book," she says proudly. "It's about a dancer in New York City who has an accident and loses her leg, and has to rebuild her life from scratch."
The story of mother and daughter rebuilding their lives is one father-of-three Steven Gaffney, 28, from Haddington, can relate to. He too is embarking on journey of personal discovery after years of jail, alcohol and drug misuse.
His problems started at school. He would regularly bunk off at Dunbar Grammar to smoke cannabis with his friends.
"My mum would get me dressed for school and off I'd go, but I would meet up with my mates and smoke weed, kick a ball around the park or go shoplifting.
"I was hauled before the children's panel a few times but I was young so I didn't realise how serious it was. I was just counting down the days until I was 16 and I could leave school."
Steven enrolled in an NC business course at Jewel & Esk Valley College but it felt like school, and his interest soon waned.
He started worked for a landfill creation company but struggled with alcohol and drugs.
His chaotic lifestyle landed him prison several times, for breach of the peace, possession of an offensive weapon as well as several charges for non-payment of fines and failure to attend court.
"I'd been wasting my life so much, and doing so many physical jobs, that I decided to sort myself out and use my intelligence for a change," he says. "I now take maths classes on a Monday morning, and English classes in the evening. Unlike some people, I'd always been able to read quite well but I never had the qualifications to prove it. You don't realise when you're younger how important that piece of paper is.
"The classes are nothing like school, where you're under pressure to learn. You walk into a friendly atmosphere where you can learn at your own pace, and you have a cup of tea and a chat in the break, and it's all really positive.
"I'm going to enrol in an access course at Newbattle Abbey College, and after two years I'll be able to enrol in university. I've not decided what I'm going to do, but there are interesting options such as history, politics or sociology.
"One job I'd really like to do is become a drug and alcohol counsellor. I think I'd be well suited to that with my background."
It's Never Too Late is on STV on Thursday at 7.30pm
FREE HELP AVAILABLE
TWENTY-THREE per cent of adults in Scotland have difficulty with reading, writing or using numbers - around 800,000 people.
As well as limiting opportunities to find a job or to get a better job, the problem can also affect personal relationships.
Many people are embarrassed to talk about it or to ask for help. The Big Plus is Scotland's campaign to promote the free help available.
When people call The Big Plus number - 0808-100 1080 - they are put in touch with tutors in their area.
The support the tutors offer is based on what the individual wants to achieve. This could be help with application forms, their kid's homework, or how to deal with household bills.
It's not like being back at school and it's not a course. It's relaxed and friendly and it can take just a couple of hours a week - which can be arranged to suit work or personal life.
ANALYSIS: The benefits of coffee, take-aways, booze...and fags?
MARK McLAUGHLIN
Edinburgh Evening News
4 March 2010
IT OFTEN feels like doctors never tire of telling us what we shouldn't be doing. Cut out the booze, ditch the butter, junk the junk food - the list of instructions for healthy living seems endless.
If you feel like the killjoy medical profession is trying to end all your fun, then read on.
A new study has concluded that four cups of coffee a day may actually be good for you - or at least for your heart - after years of warnings about the unpleasant side-effects of all that caffeine.
That research is only the latest to suggest positive results of eating and drinking things often painted as forbidden fruit.
Scientists have recently claimed that everything from chocolate to Chinese takeaways, and from wine to the much-maligned fish supper can be good for you.
It is all, if nothing else, a recipe for confusion.
Nutritionist Sarah Stelling, of the Edinburgh Centre of Nutrition & Therapy in Tollcross, says there is no need to get too hung up about all the dos and don'ts, as long as you remember the rule your mother probably told you - "everything in moderation".
So, if you want any inspiration for a little indulgence, here are a few possibilities.
COFFEE
Cardiologist Dr Arthur Klatsky found those who drank four or more cups of coffee each day had an 18 per cent lower risk of heart rhythm disturbances.
Dr Klatsky told the American Heart Association's 50th annual conference in San Francisco this week: "Coffee drinking is related to lower risk of hospitalisation for rhythm problems, but the association does not prove cause and effect, or that coffee has a protective effect.
"However, these data might be reassuring to people who drink moderate amounts of coffee that their habit is not likely to cause a major rhythm disturbance."
A report from the Univer- sidad Autonoma de Madrid in Spain showed that drinking three cups of coffee a day could reduce the risk of women dying from heart disease by a quarter.
Another showed that men who drank five or more cups of coffee were 44 per cent less likely to die from the disease.
Drinking two to three cups of coffee a day was also shown to reduce the risk of a stroke by almost 20 per cent.
Experts at the Tohoku University School of Medicine in Japan concluded certain chemicals found in caffeine protect the body's DNA against damage that can lead to cancer.
CHOCOLATE
A new study has found that a bar of chocolate a week could reduce your chances of a stroke.
The study, conducted by the University of Toronto and set to go before The American Academy of Neurology's 62nd annual meeting next month, found that chocolate-eaters were 22 per cent less likely to suffer a stroke.
Author Sarah Sahib puts the results down to the anti-oxidant flavanoids. She said: "More research is needed to determine whether chocolate truly lowers stroke risk, or whether healthier people are simply more likely to eat chocolate than others."
RED WINE
Red wine holds an almost mythic reputation as an elixir of health and there is some scientific evidence to back up the myth.
A study by Barts, the London School of Medicine and the Queen Mary University in London highlighted a mechanism in red wine that appeared to interfere with a body chemical responsible for clogging up the arteries.
Research by the Institute of Preventive Medicine in Copenhagen showed that a daily glass of red wine increased good cholesterol by up to 16 per cent, and reduced the clotting compound fibrinogen by up to 15 per cent.
WHITE WINE
White wine has also been shown to have some beneficial effects, with a 2008 study by the University of Buffalo suggesting that while both red and white wine can bolster lung function, white wine seems to have a more positive effect.
CHINESE TAKEAWAYS
While a recent study by Edinburgh City Council found that 87 per cent of Chinese restaurant dishes, and 60 per cent of Indian restaurant dishes, served in the city contained over 3g of salt - half the recommended daily intake - its study did throw up some surprising results.
There were a few low-salt options including a lamb pasanda with 1.81g of salt, and a chicken korma with 1.91g.
Oriental food is also packed with health-promoting ingredients.
A 2006 study by the University of Michigan suggested that ginger could kill cancer cells, while a 2007 study by the University of Alabama found that allicin, found in garlic, relaxes the blood vessels and keeps blood flowing (as well as being chiefly responsible for garlic breath).
FISH & CHIPS
The Seafish Authority promotes the benefits of eating two portions of seafood a week and says there is no reason why a fish supper should not be one of them.
"The minerals and vitamins in seafood promote clearer skin, shinier hair, higher energy levels and can even boost your brain power," says a spokesman for the authority.
TOBACCO
OK, we're labouring the point now, but a book by controversial medic Dr William Campbell Douglass entitled The Health Benefits of Tobacco claims it "sharpens mental acuity and maintains optimal weight" while pointing out that "many of the countries that smoke the most, have the longest lifespan".
Dr Douglass also believes that HIV was created by the World Health Organisation to keep the population down, so you can make up your own mind on his theories.
Edinburgh Evening News
4 March 2010
IT OFTEN feels like doctors never tire of telling us what we shouldn't be doing. Cut out the booze, ditch the butter, junk the junk food - the list of instructions for healthy living seems endless.
If you feel like the killjoy medical profession is trying to end all your fun, then read on.
A new study has concluded that four cups of coffee a day may actually be good for you - or at least for your heart - after years of warnings about the unpleasant side-effects of all that caffeine.
That research is only the latest to suggest positive results of eating and drinking things often painted as forbidden fruit.
Scientists have recently claimed that everything from chocolate to Chinese takeaways, and from wine to the much-maligned fish supper can be good for you.
It is all, if nothing else, a recipe for confusion.
Nutritionist Sarah Stelling, of the Edinburgh Centre of Nutrition & Therapy in Tollcross, says there is no need to get too hung up about all the dos and don'ts, as long as you remember the rule your mother probably told you - "everything in moderation".
So, if you want any inspiration for a little indulgence, here are a few possibilities.
COFFEE
Cardiologist Dr Arthur Klatsky found those who drank four or more cups of coffee each day had an 18 per cent lower risk of heart rhythm disturbances.
Dr Klatsky told the American Heart Association's 50th annual conference in San Francisco this week: "Coffee drinking is related to lower risk of hospitalisation for rhythm problems, but the association does not prove cause and effect, or that coffee has a protective effect.
"However, these data might be reassuring to people who drink moderate amounts of coffee that their habit is not likely to cause a major rhythm disturbance."
A report from the Univer- sidad Autonoma de Madrid in Spain showed that drinking three cups of coffee a day could reduce the risk of women dying from heart disease by a quarter.
Another showed that men who drank five or more cups of coffee were 44 per cent less likely to die from the disease.
Drinking two to three cups of coffee a day was also shown to reduce the risk of a stroke by almost 20 per cent.
Experts at the Tohoku University School of Medicine in Japan concluded certain chemicals found in caffeine protect the body's DNA against damage that can lead to cancer.
CHOCOLATE
A new study has found that a bar of chocolate a week could reduce your chances of a stroke.
The study, conducted by the University of Toronto and set to go before The American Academy of Neurology's 62nd annual meeting next month, found that chocolate-eaters were 22 per cent less likely to suffer a stroke.
Author Sarah Sahib puts the results down to the anti-oxidant flavanoids. She said: "More research is needed to determine whether chocolate truly lowers stroke risk, or whether healthier people are simply more likely to eat chocolate than others."
RED WINE
Red wine holds an almost mythic reputation as an elixir of health and there is some scientific evidence to back up the myth.
A study by Barts, the London School of Medicine and the Queen Mary University in London highlighted a mechanism in red wine that appeared to interfere with a body chemical responsible for clogging up the arteries.
Research by the Institute of Preventive Medicine in Copenhagen showed that a daily glass of red wine increased good cholesterol by up to 16 per cent, and reduced the clotting compound fibrinogen by up to 15 per cent.
WHITE WINE
White wine has also been shown to have some beneficial effects, with a 2008 study by the University of Buffalo suggesting that while both red and white wine can bolster lung function, white wine seems to have a more positive effect.
CHINESE TAKEAWAYS
While a recent study by Edinburgh City Council found that 87 per cent of Chinese restaurant dishes, and 60 per cent of Indian restaurant dishes, served in the city contained over 3g of salt - half the recommended daily intake - its study did throw up some surprising results.
There were a few low-salt options including a lamb pasanda with 1.81g of salt, and a chicken korma with 1.91g.
Oriental food is also packed with health-promoting ingredients.
A 2006 study by the University of Michigan suggested that ginger could kill cancer cells, while a 2007 study by the University of Alabama found that allicin, found in garlic, relaxes the blood vessels and keeps blood flowing (as well as being chiefly responsible for garlic breath).
FISH & CHIPS
The Seafish Authority promotes the benefits of eating two portions of seafood a week and says there is no reason why a fish supper should not be one of them.
"The minerals and vitamins in seafood promote clearer skin, shinier hair, higher energy levels and can even boost your brain power," says a spokesman for the authority.
TOBACCO
OK, we're labouring the point now, but a book by controversial medic Dr William Campbell Douglass entitled The Health Benefits of Tobacco claims it "sharpens mental acuity and maintains optimal weight" while pointing out that "many of the countries that smoke the most, have the longest lifespan".
Dr Douglass also believes that HIV was created by the World Health Organisation to keep the population down, so you can make up your own mind on his theories.
ANALYSIS: Black Horse Tramples Charities
MARK McLAUGHLIN
Edinburgh Evening News
3 March 2010
IN ANY battle there is always collateral damage and the current row between The Lloyds TSB Foundation and the banking behemoth that shares its name is no different.
While the Foundation goes head-to-head with Lloyds Banking Group over a bid to force the Foundation to accept a 50 per cent cut in its funding stream and greater corporate oversight, hundreds of charities stand to lose vital cash which currently funds jobs and provides support to some of the region's most vulnerable people.
The foundation has provided more than £2 million to Lothians charities in the last five years alone, and while the continuation of existing awards has been assured, all new grant applications have been suspended pending a resolution of the dispute.
At the core of the problem is Lloyds Banking Group's decision to end a legal requirement to pay the foundation 1 per cent of its pre-tax profits - established 25 years ago when TSB demutualised to appease savers for the loss of their bank.
The argument could not have come at a worse time for the region's voluntary sector, which is already facing cuts from all four local authorities dealing with funding crises of their own.
The future of Penicuik YMCA is already uncertain as it waits to find out if it will be one of the victims of Midlothian Council's £3.5m cuts this year. It now stands to lose one of its youth workers, whose salary is funded by a £24,000 foundation grant.
Director Keith McIntosh said: "Midlothian Council is our core funder, providing us with around £45,000, and while the foundation funding is an add-on it doesn't mean we take the loss of this funding stream lightly.
"It could result in the end of one of our projects or the closure of a building."
The Lloyds TSB Foundation specialises in funding individual projects, rather than core funding, so charities do not rely upon foundation money to keep their operations afloat. But in some cases these individual projects have the potential to influence hundreds of lives, such as the £12,500 provided to Carers of East Lothian to pay the salary of a carer support worker.
Centre manager Tony Segall said: "Our support workers offer help and advice to those caring for sick or elderly relatives, and often provide respite when they need some time away. The foundation has been paying for one of our nine support workers.
"The woman who currently occupies this post is understandably very worried about her job, but it's not just about her. Over the course of the year she's provided support for maybe up to 100 carers, who will have to go without that support if we can't find alternative funding to fill this role."
Jobs are also under threat at Loanhead Community Learning Centre - a home for more than a dozen organisations such as disability groups, school groups, mother-and-baby groups and leisure facilities such as dance classes.
Centre manager Irene Hogg said: "We have an award of £32,100 over three years to help pay for our development worker, who helps the organisations that use the centre reach their full potential and brings other organisations to the centre.
"We had hoped to apply to the foundation for more funding to keep this position going.
"The foundation is well known for funding salaries, so there is a worry that losing their money may mean jobs are lost in the voluntary sector, and with them the ability to deliver services people rely on."
Epilepsy Scotland faces the loss of its national epilepsy link officer, who arranges public information events throughout the country, including Edinburgh and the Lothians.
Communications manager Allana Parker said: "Epilepsy Scotland will now have to look at other trust and foundations for a grant for this post. Many are giving reduced amounts or nothing at all to charities this year, so it will be difficult to raise this shortfall in the current economic climate.
"It's hard times when charity fundraising has to subsidise much-needed services to vulnerable people with epilepsy."
Edinburgh Cyrenians was the recipient of the one of the largest single grants in the last five years - £186,000 towards the salaries and running costs of a West Lothian drug outreach project.
Despite the loss of funding, CEO Des Ryan supported the Foundation's stance.
He said: "The foundation is not and should not be allowed to become simply an outlet for the 'corporate social responsibility' of the banking group.
"The immediate loss of income will hurt many small to medium charities in Scotland who had been looking to the foundation - including my own - but I fully support their stand against writing off their independence."
Despite posting a £6.3 billion loss last week, Lloyds Banking Group said potential future profits of the newly merged operation are now too large to allow them to siphon off 1 per cent to charity.
It offered the Foundation 0.5 per cent of the group's profits and demanded a greater say in the foundation's affairs.
Sister foundations in England and Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands accepted the deal, but the Scottish foundation said no.
The bank has now given the foundation nine years' notice of the cancellation of this covenant - effectively cutting all ties between the two - but the foundation's shrewd chief executive, Mary E Craig, maintains it has nothing to lose by going it alone.
Ms Craig said: "At the end of the day we will still receive a full 1 per cent of the profits when Lloyds Banking Group starts making money again, which for an organisation of that size should be well within the nine-year notice period.
"That will be double the amount the other foundations will be receiving in that time.
"In addition, the Foundation also owns 15.7m limited voting shares that will become ordinary shares when the covenant ends. We will be able to sell those shares to give us a large pot of cash at the end of the nine years to keep us going for the foreseeable future.
"But most importantly, we will keep our independence. Even if we accepted the LBG deal there's no guarantee that we would be able to keep funding many of the charities we've helped in the past, as the deal includes a clause which says all donations must fit in with LBG's 'corporate objectives'.
"These objectives will include charities that offer financial literacy or budgeting advice - something we already do through our funding of Citizens Advice Bureaux and Money Advice Centres - but probably won't include a Lothians community centre running a daily lunch club."
Lucy McTernan, deputy chief executive of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, called LBG's severing of ties with the foundation "a shameful decision".
She added: "Voluntary organisations in Edinburgh and the Lothians are facing really tough times at the moment.
"Demand for the services they provide, such as homelessness support and getting people back to work, have been rising rapidly for the last year, yet income has fallen significantly.
"The recession means that grant funding from trusts is drying up and local authorities are looking to the voluntary sector as an easy target for cuts."
WORTHY CAUSES
IN the last five years, the Lloyds TSB Foundation has paid out £2,290,550 to voluntary organisations in the Lothians.
This has ranged from £197,571 awarded to Midlothian Young People's Advice Service in 2005 to support the running costs of the SMART project, working to support young people and their communities in relation to drug and alcohol issues, to £724 to purchase a digital camcorder for the Bonnyrigg & Lasswade Seniors Forum.
Children's charity Children 1st has received the largest share of Foundation grants over the last five years - more than £200,000 in all.
Most of the grants have been awarded to fund the salaries of voluntary workers but they have also gone to fund lunch club meals, adventure holidays for the disabled, trips for at-risk and disadvantaged youths, special needs tricycles, a riding pony for the disabled, IT equipment and church hall refurbishments, among other worthy causes.
CORRECTION: * IN A feature on Wednesday, we reported claims that the Lloyds Banking Group had insisted that "all" future donations from the Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland must "fit in with LBG's corporate objectives". We have been asked to make it clear that LBG only asked for a minority of funded projects to be aligned to its broad objectives such as matched giving by staff.
Edinburgh Evening News
3 March 2010
IN ANY battle there is always collateral damage and the current row between The Lloyds TSB Foundation and the banking behemoth that shares its name is no different.
While the Foundation goes head-to-head with Lloyds Banking Group over a bid to force the Foundation to accept a 50 per cent cut in its funding stream and greater corporate oversight, hundreds of charities stand to lose vital cash which currently funds jobs and provides support to some of the region's most vulnerable people.
The foundation has provided more than £2 million to Lothians charities in the last five years alone, and while the continuation of existing awards has been assured, all new grant applications have been suspended pending a resolution of the dispute.
At the core of the problem is Lloyds Banking Group's decision to end a legal requirement to pay the foundation 1 per cent of its pre-tax profits - established 25 years ago when TSB demutualised to appease savers for the loss of their bank.
The argument could not have come at a worse time for the region's voluntary sector, which is already facing cuts from all four local authorities dealing with funding crises of their own.
The future of Penicuik YMCA is already uncertain as it waits to find out if it will be one of the victims of Midlothian Council's £3.5m cuts this year. It now stands to lose one of its youth workers, whose salary is funded by a £24,000 foundation grant.
Director Keith McIntosh said: "Midlothian Council is our core funder, providing us with around £45,000, and while the foundation funding is an add-on it doesn't mean we take the loss of this funding stream lightly.
"It could result in the end of one of our projects or the closure of a building."
The Lloyds TSB Foundation specialises in funding individual projects, rather than core funding, so charities do not rely upon foundation money to keep their operations afloat. But in some cases these individual projects have the potential to influence hundreds of lives, such as the £12,500 provided to Carers of East Lothian to pay the salary of a carer support worker.
Centre manager Tony Segall said: "Our support workers offer help and advice to those caring for sick or elderly relatives, and often provide respite when they need some time away. The foundation has been paying for one of our nine support workers.
"The woman who currently occupies this post is understandably very worried about her job, but it's not just about her. Over the course of the year she's provided support for maybe up to 100 carers, who will have to go without that support if we can't find alternative funding to fill this role."
Jobs are also under threat at Loanhead Community Learning Centre - a home for more than a dozen organisations such as disability groups, school groups, mother-and-baby groups and leisure facilities such as dance classes.
Centre manager Irene Hogg said: "We have an award of £32,100 over three years to help pay for our development worker, who helps the organisations that use the centre reach their full potential and brings other organisations to the centre.
"We had hoped to apply to the foundation for more funding to keep this position going.
"The foundation is well known for funding salaries, so there is a worry that losing their money may mean jobs are lost in the voluntary sector, and with them the ability to deliver services people rely on."
Epilepsy Scotland faces the loss of its national epilepsy link officer, who arranges public information events throughout the country, including Edinburgh and the Lothians.
Communications manager Allana Parker said: "Epilepsy Scotland will now have to look at other trust and foundations for a grant for this post. Many are giving reduced amounts or nothing at all to charities this year, so it will be difficult to raise this shortfall in the current economic climate.
"It's hard times when charity fundraising has to subsidise much-needed services to vulnerable people with epilepsy."
Edinburgh Cyrenians was the recipient of the one of the largest single grants in the last five years - £186,000 towards the salaries and running costs of a West Lothian drug outreach project.
Despite the loss of funding, CEO Des Ryan supported the Foundation's stance.
He said: "The foundation is not and should not be allowed to become simply an outlet for the 'corporate social responsibility' of the banking group.
"The immediate loss of income will hurt many small to medium charities in Scotland who had been looking to the foundation - including my own - but I fully support their stand against writing off their independence."
Despite posting a £6.3 billion loss last week, Lloyds Banking Group said potential future profits of the newly merged operation are now too large to allow them to siphon off 1 per cent to charity.
It offered the Foundation 0.5 per cent of the group's profits and demanded a greater say in the foundation's affairs.
Sister foundations in England and Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands accepted the deal, but the Scottish foundation said no.
The bank has now given the foundation nine years' notice of the cancellation of this covenant - effectively cutting all ties between the two - but the foundation's shrewd chief executive, Mary E Craig, maintains it has nothing to lose by going it alone.
Ms Craig said: "At the end of the day we will still receive a full 1 per cent of the profits when Lloyds Banking Group starts making money again, which for an organisation of that size should be well within the nine-year notice period.
"That will be double the amount the other foundations will be receiving in that time.
"In addition, the Foundation also owns 15.7m limited voting shares that will become ordinary shares when the covenant ends. We will be able to sell those shares to give us a large pot of cash at the end of the nine years to keep us going for the foreseeable future.
"But most importantly, we will keep our independence. Even if we accepted the LBG deal there's no guarantee that we would be able to keep funding many of the charities we've helped in the past, as the deal includes a clause which says all donations must fit in with LBG's 'corporate objectives'.
"These objectives will include charities that offer financial literacy or budgeting advice - something we already do through our funding of Citizens Advice Bureaux and Money Advice Centres - but probably won't include a Lothians community centre running a daily lunch club."
Lucy McTernan, deputy chief executive of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, called LBG's severing of ties with the foundation "a shameful decision".
She added: "Voluntary organisations in Edinburgh and the Lothians are facing really tough times at the moment.
"Demand for the services they provide, such as homelessness support and getting people back to work, have been rising rapidly for the last year, yet income has fallen significantly.
"The recession means that grant funding from trusts is drying up and local authorities are looking to the voluntary sector as an easy target for cuts."
WORTHY CAUSES
IN the last five years, the Lloyds TSB Foundation has paid out £2,290,550 to voluntary organisations in the Lothians.
This has ranged from £197,571 awarded to Midlothian Young People's Advice Service in 2005 to support the running costs of the SMART project, working to support young people and their communities in relation to drug and alcohol issues, to £724 to purchase a digital camcorder for the Bonnyrigg & Lasswade Seniors Forum.
Children's charity Children 1st has received the largest share of Foundation grants over the last five years - more than £200,000 in all.
Most of the grants have been awarded to fund the salaries of voluntary workers but they have also gone to fund lunch club meals, adventure holidays for the disabled, trips for at-risk and disadvantaged youths, special needs tricycles, a riding pony for the disabled, IT equipment and church hall refurbishments, among other worthy causes.
CORRECTION: * IN A feature on Wednesday, we reported claims that the Lloyds Banking Group had insisted that "all" future donations from the Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland must "fit in with LBG's corporate objectives". We have been asked to make it clear that LBG only asked for a minority of funded projects to be aligned to its broad objectives such as matched giving by staff.
NEWS: Every Dog Has It's Day...
MARK McLAUGHLIN
Edinburgh Evening News
2 March 2010
City launches pilot scheme to allow tenants to keep pets
IF THEY'D arrived a day earlier they could have ended up in the dog house - but seven pups were born just in time for the lifting of a council ban on animals in a pair of Niddrie highrises.
When Katie the one-year-old Staffordshire terrier-boxer cross became pregnant at her home in Greendykes House she wasn't even supposed to be living there.
Edinburgh Council maintained a ban on pets in its council houses until last Friday, when it launched a pilot scheme allowing pet owners who live in highrise flats to keep their animals.
It wasn't a moment too soon for Katie. Owner Dave Parry said: "She's a bit young to be having pups but she had a bit of a run in with another dog I was looking after, a Staffordshire terrier called Casper.
"A friend of mine was looking for a new home for Casper and I agreed to take him temporarily until we could find something permanent, and then nature took its course.
"I tried to keep Casper and Katie apart but you know dogs, they've got a mind of their own.
"I decided not to keep them both on because there's no room in the flat for two dogs, but now I've ended up with another seven."
Mr Parry, 47, who cares for his disabled wife Lorraine, also 47, has already found homes for most of the pups - largely amongst his neighbours at Greendykes House who are keen to adopt pets under the newly liberalised animal regime.
Edinburgh City Council has been working with the Scottish SPCA on a new scheme to encourage better animal ownership in highrise flats.
If the pilot is successful it may lead to the council rolling out the scheme to allow tenants across the capital to keep pets in highrises - as long as they are responsible pet owners and keep the needs of their neighbours as well as their pets in mind.
Alex Robertson, 55, a self-employed painter who lives with his partner Sandra Stacey, 63, in Greendykes House, regularly cares for Ms Stacey's granddaughter's springer spaniel Flynt.
He said: "We've been looking after Flynt for about four years now, thanks largely to the concierge who has turned a blind eye to us keeping him all these years.
"We still had to put up with the odd neighbour moaning that we weren't supposed to have pets in the block, but that's all going to change now. To be honest, you couldn't really blame the neighbours because many of them had to give up their pets to take on the flats because of the animal ban.
"Most of us just signed the missive and brought the pets anyway, but if the council ever decided to enforce the ban then we'd probably have to move. The dog is like part of the family."
The project will also see the Scottish SPCA give essential advice on how to care for dogs and other pets in highrise blocks.
Scottish SPCA Inspector Jenni Surgeon, said: "While some dogs are suitable to live in a flat, others simply will not enjoy this environment, which can result in problems not only for the owner, but for neighbours and the local community. We hope that local dog owners will find this scheme helpful and informative."
Edinburgh Evening News
2 March 2010
City launches pilot scheme to allow tenants to keep pets
IF THEY'D arrived a day earlier they could have ended up in the dog house - but seven pups were born just in time for the lifting of a council ban on animals in a pair of Niddrie highrises.
When Katie the one-year-old Staffordshire terrier-boxer cross became pregnant at her home in Greendykes House she wasn't even supposed to be living there.
Edinburgh Council maintained a ban on pets in its council houses until last Friday, when it launched a pilot scheme allowing pet owners who live in highrise flats to keep their animals.
It wasn't a moment too soon for Katie. Owner Dave Parry said: "She's a bit young to be having pups but she had a bit of a run in with another dog I was looking after, a Staffordshire terrier called Casper.
"A friend of mine was looking for a new home for Casper and I agreed to take him temporarily until we could find something permanent, and then nature took its course.
"I tried to keep Casper and Katie apart but you know dogs, they've got a mind of their own.
"I decided not to keep them both on because there's no room in the flat for two dogs, but now I've ended up with another seven."
Mr Parry, 47, who cares for his disabled wife Lorraine, also 47, has already found homes for most of the pups - largely amongst his neighbours at Greendykes House who are keen to adopt pets under the newly liberalised animal regime.
Edinburgh City Council has been working with the Scottish SPCA on a new scheme to encourage better animal ownership in highrise flats.
If the pilot is successful it may lead to the council rolling out the scheme to allow tenants across the capital to keep pets in highrises - as long as they are responsible pet owners and keep the needs of their neighbours as well as their pets in mind.
Alex Robertson, 55, a self-employed painter who lives with his partner Sandra Stacey, 63, in Greendykes House, regularly cares for Ms Stacey's granddaughter's springer spaniel Flynt.
He said: "We've been looking after Flynt for about four years now, thanks largely to the concierge who has turned a blind eye to us keeping him all these years.
"We still had to put up with the odd neighbour moaning that we weren't supposed to have pets in the block, but that's all going to change now. To be honest, you couldn't really blame the neighbours because many of them had to give up their pets to take on the flats because of the animal ban.
"Most of us just signed the missive and brought the pets anyway, but if the council ever decided to enforce the ban then we'd probably have to move. The dog is like part of the family."
The project will also see the Scottish SPCA give essential advice on how to care for dogs and other pets in highrise blocks.
Scottish SPCA Inspector Jenni Surgeon, said: "While some dogs are suitable to live in a flat, others simply will not enjoy this environment, which can result in problems not only for the owner, but for neighbours and the local community. We hope that local dog owners will find this scheme helpful and informative."
NEWS: Happy News from Chile
MARK McLAUGHLIN
Edinburgh Evening News
2 March 2010
'Crank' website claim surfers had been killed is disproved
THE family of a former Heriot's rugby captain missing in Chile's earthquake zone today spoke of their relief after hearing he was safe and well.
Dave Sandercock and his girlfriend Kirsty Duff, both 25, had not been seen or heard from since the massive earthquake struck the surfing resort where they were staying on Saturday.
A message posted on a website even claimed Mr Sandercock was dead.
But last night the pair rang home after reaching Chile's capital, Santiago.
Mr Sandercock's sister Ellie revealed the news on the Twitter website, which she had been using to appeal for information about the couple.
She wrote: "Thrilled to announce Dave Sandercock & Kirsty Duff are safe in Santiago. Massive relief all round. Sandercock family really grateful for all messages of support."
Earlier, Miss Sandercock had dismissed a claim that her brother was dead on the Chile Person Finder website, as "a crank message".
Stirling University graduate Mr Sandercock, who lives in Trinity, and Miss Duff, from Stonehaven, arrived in the Chilean surf resort of Pichilemu three weeks ago.
Pichilemu was hit by a nine-foot-high wave. The latest reports from Pichilemu are yet to confirm any deaths, but suggest electricity supplies have been severed, communication lines are down and that roads are badly damaged.
Mr Sandercock was described as a talented sportsman and "a legend" by those who knew him at George Heriot's, where he captained the school rugby team. His family in Edinburgh is understood to include a twin brother Robert.
Former Heriot's teammate Phil Nurse, 24, who works in security, said: "He's very much into his sports and is pretty well remembered by everyone at school as a bit of a legend."
The Sandercock and Duff families issued a joint statement saying: "We have been in direct contact with Kirsty and Dave and can confirm they are safe and well.
"We wish to thank all of those who have offered support and assistance during this difficult time, We hope that all other families find their loved ones soon.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown sent a message of sympathy to Chilean president Michelle Bachelet as millions of pounds worth of aid was announced for the stricken country.
Around 1.5 million Chileans were affected by the tremors, which caused buildings and roads to collapse and left 500,000 homes severely damaged.
Edinburgh Evening News
2 March 2010
'Crank' website claim surfers had been killed is disproved
THE family of a former Heriot's rugby captain missing in Chile's earthquake zone today spoke of their relief after hearing he was safe and well.
Dave Sandercock and his girlfriend Kirsty Duff, both 25, had not been seen or heard from since the massive earthquake struck the surfing resort where they were staying on Saturday.
A message posted on a website even claimed Mr Sandercock was dead.
But last night the pair rang home after reaching Chile's capital, Santiago.
Mr Sandercock's sister Ellie revealed the news on the Twitter website, which she had been using to appeal for information about the couple.
She wrote: "Thrilled to announce Dave Sandercock & Kirsty Duff are safe in Santiago. Massive relief all round. Sandercock family really grateful for all messages of support."
Earlier, Miss Sandercock had dismissed a claim that her brother was dead on the Chile Person Finder website, as "a crank message".
Stirling University graduate Mr Sandercock, who lives in Trinity, and Miss Duff, from Stonehaven, arrived in the Chilean surf resort of Pichilemu three weeks ago.
Pichilemu was hit by a nine-foot-high wave. The latest reports from Pichilemu are yet to confirm any deaths, but suggest electricity supplies have been severed, communication lines are down and that roads are badly damaged.
Mr Sandercock was described as a talented sportsman and "a legend" by those who knew him at George Heriot's, where he captained the school rugby team. His family in Edinburgh is understood to include a twin brother Robert.
Former Heriot's teammate Phil Nurse, 24, who works in security, said: "He's very much into his sports and is pretty well remembered by everyone at school as a bit of a legend."
The Sandercock and Duff families issued a joint statement saying: "We have been in direct contact with Kirsty and Dave and can confirm they are safe and well.
"We wish to thank all of those who have offered support and assistance during this difficult time, We hope that all other families find their loved ones soon.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown sent a message of sympathy to Chilean president Michelle Bachelet as millions of pounds worth of aid was announced for the stricken country.
Around 1.5 million Chileans were affected by the tremors, which caused buildings and roads to collapse and left 500,000 homes severely damaged.
SPORT: Alan Gordon RIP - Respects From Hibees, Jambos...and Fish
MARK McLAUGHLIN
Edinburgh Evening News
27 February 2010
Last respects paid to Hibs and Hearts legend Alan Gordon
HE was a city footballing legend - in both green and maroon.
And yesterday famous faces from music and politics joined former players to pay tribute to a man described as a "true citizen of Edinburgh".
More than 200 mourners bid farewell to Alan Gordon, the only man to cross the footballing divide in both Edinburgh and Dundee, at a service at Warriston Crematorium.
Gordon, who died earlier this month aged 65 after a long battle with cancer, played for Hearts, Hibs, Dundee United and Dundee in a career that endeared him to players and fans of all colours.
The pews were like a Who's Who of city footballing lore with legendary Hibee Eddie Turnbull joining his 'Famous Five' teammate Lawrie Reilly to pay their respects.
Gordon would become one of Turnbull's star players in his 'Turnbull's Tornados' team of the 1970s alongside Jimmy O'Rourke and Alex Cropley, who were also at yesterday's service.
Former Celtic manager Gordon Strachan returned to Scotland from his current position at Middlesbrough for the funeral.
Other notable faces included Hibs chairman Rod Petrie, Peter Cormack and Ralph Challachan who shared Gordon's distinction of playing for both Capital clubs, and Hibs heroes Paul Kane and Keith Wright.
Famous fans from outside football included Marillion singer and lifelong Hibs fan Fish.
He said: "I would never be so bold as to say that he was a friend but he was a player that I greatly admired as a teenager. Being six foot five myself, it was good to see a big tall guy knocking in the goals, and I used to wish that I could play that way. I was lucky to have met him a few times. He was a charming, intelligent man and very different from your stereotypical footballer. I wish I had known him better.
"One of my greatest memories was watching him play in the 7-0 game."
Standing in the opposite terraces that day was Gorgie councillor and Hearts fan Eric Milligan, who had known Gordon since he was a boy at Murrayburn Primary.
He said: "I remember the day I heard that Alan had turned down Rangers to play for Hearts, which was fantastic for me as I got to watch him train under my hero Willie Bauld.
"Bauld took him under his wing and I was mesmerised watching them practice together, and I followed Alan's career from that day forward.
"Despite his great Hibs career he was always part of the Hearts fold, and in later years I would still tease him about scoring two goals against us in that 7-0 game.
"He said I could console myself in the fact that he put far more goals past Hibs than he ever scored for them.
"But all that aside, he was immensely proud that he had played for both city teams. He was a true citizen of Edinburgh."
Yesterday's service was led by Ailsa Maclean, chaplain at Gordon's former school George Heriots. Friends and family retired to Goldenacre Rugby Club for drinks.
Edinburgh Evening News
27 February 2010
Last respects paid to Hibs and Hearts legend Alan Gordon
HE was a city footballing legend - in both green and maroon.
And yesterday famous faces from music and politics joined former players to pay tribute to a man described as a "true citizen of Edinburgh".
More than 200 mourners bid farewell to Alan Gordon, the only man to cross the footballing divide in both Edinburgh and Dundee, at a service at Warriston Crematorium.
Gordon, who died earlier this month aged 65 after a long battle with cancer, played for Hearts, Hibs, Dundee United and Dundee in a career that endeared him to players and fans of all colours.
The pews were like a Who's Who of city footballing lore with legendary Hibee Eddie Turnbull joining his 'Famous Five' teammate Lawrie Reilly to pay their respects.
Gordon would become one of Turnbull's star players in his 'Turnbull's Tornados' team of the 1970s alongside Jimmy O'Rourke and Alex Cropley, who were also at yesterday's service.
Former Celtic manager Gordon Strachan returned to Scotland from his current position at Middlesbrough for the funeral.
Other notable faces included Hibs chairman Rod Petrie, Peter Cormack and Ralph Challachan who shared Gordon's distinction of playing for both Capital clubs, and Hibs heroes Paul Kane and Keith Wright.
Famous fans from outside football included Marillion singer and lifelong Hibs fan Fish.
He said: "I would never be so bold as to say that he was a friend but he was a player that I greatly admired as a teenager. Being six foot five myself, it was good to see a big tall guy knocking in the goals, and I used to wish that I could play that way. I was lucky to have met him a few times. He was a charming, intelligent man and very different from your stereotypical footballer. I wish I had known him better.
"One of my greatest memories was watching him play in the 7-0 game."
Standing in the opposite terraces that day was Gorgie councillor and Hearts fan Eric Milligan, who had known Gordon since he was a boy at Murrayburn Primary.
He said: "I remember the day I heard that Alan had turned down Rangers to play for Hearts, which was fantastic for me as I got to watch him train under my hero Willie Bauld.
"Bauld took him under his wing and I was mesmerised watching them practice together, and I followed Alan's career from that day forward.
"Despite his great Hibs career he was always part of the Hearts fold, and in later years I would still tease him about scoring two goals against us in that 7-0 game.
"He said I could console myself in the fact that he put far more goals past Hibs than he ever scored for them.
"But all that aside, he was immensely proud that he had played for both city teams. He was a true citizen of Edinburgh."
Yesterday's service was led by Ailsa Maclean, chaplain at Gordon's former school George Heriots. Friends and family retired to Goldenacre Rugby Club for drinks.
NEWS: Toxic Gas Hospitalises Four
MARK McLAUGHLIN
Edinburgh Evening News
26 February 2010
A TOXIC gas escape left four people hospitalised in the third chemical incident to occur at a city swimming pool this week.
The Omni Centre, on Greenside Row, was evacuated yesterday when chemicals were released next to the swimming pool in Virgin Active gym at around 2pm. Around 200 people were rushed from the building, many of them still in their swimwear, while a major chemical response team of police, fire and ambulance crews attempted to contain the leak and tended to those affected.
The incident comes just two days after a chemical spill at Drumsheugh Baths Club, in the New Town, hospitalised a member of staff. He was left "struggling for breath" following exposure to chemical chlorine spilt on the floor of a maintenance cupboard.
Two days earlier, swimmers at Leith Waterworld had to leave the water after complaining of stinging eyes and reddened skin following an apparent over-use of chlorine in the water.
The latest incident at Virgin Active was caused by incorrectly mixed chemicals in a maintenance cupboard close to the pool.
Hotelier John Campbell, 42, who was left shivering outside the gym in his shorts, said: "The fumes were coming from the swimming pool and I, completely obliviously, was having a boxing session next door. All of a sudden there was this blaring klaxon and the lights went off and everyone was running around like headless chickens.
"They evacuated everyone pretty quickly and I feel lucky I'm not one of the people in an ambulance."
Evacuees were given shelter in the Calton Square building.
Group manager (operations) David Blair, of Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue, said: "There was a small chemical leak within Virgin Active caused by a mix of chemicals which produced a small amount of chlorine gas.
"The gas is toxic so, as a precaution, the building was evacuated. However, following scientific advice we have discovered the amount of gas was not enough to cause widespread harm, although some members of staff who were directly exposed to the gas suffered some discomfort.
"Basically, this incident was caused by staff putting two chemicals together that aren't supposed to go together."
Once the gas escape was analysed, two firemen wearing bright green hazmat (hazardous materials) suits entered the building to contain the chemicals.
Police cordoned off the outside lane of the busy Picardy Place roundabout junction for several hours to accommodate the dozens of emergency service vehicles on standby outside.
A Virgin Active spokesman said : "Senior Virgin Active personnel are now conducting an investigation into the circumstances of the incident and until this is complete we will not be in a position to provide further details.
"Currently the pool and spa area are closed as a precaution, with the remainder of the club having been reopened after consultation with the authorities."
Edinburgh Evening News
26 February 2010
A TOXIC gas escape left four people hospitalised in the third chemical incident to occur at a city swimming pool this week.
The Omni Centre, on Greenside Row, was evacuated yesterday when chemicals were released next to the swimming pool in Virgin Active gym at around 2pm. Around 200 people were rushed from the building, many of them still in their swimwear, while a major chemical response team of police, fire and ambulance crews attempted to contain the leak and tended to those affected.
The incident comes just two days after a chemical spill at Drumsheugh Baths Club, in the New Town, hospitalised a member of staff. He was left "struggling for breath" following exposure to chemical chlorine spilt on the floor of a maintenance cupboard.
Two days earlier, swimmers at Leith Waterworld had to leave the water after complaining of stinging eyes and reddened skin following an apparent over-use of chlorine in the water.
The latest incident at Virgin Active was caused by incorrectly mixed chemicals in a maintenance cupboard close to the pool.
Hotelier John Campbell, 42, who was left shivering outside the gym in his shorts, said: "The fumes were coming from the swimming pool and I, completely obliviously, was having a boxing session next door. All of a sudden there was this blaring klaxon and the lights went off and everyone was running around like headless chickens.
"They evacuated everyone pretty quickly and I feel lucky I'm not one of the people in an ambulance."
Evacuees were given shelter in the Calton Square building.
Group manager (operations) David Blair, of Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue, said: "There was a small chemical leak within Virgin Active caused by a mix of chemicals which produced a small amount of chlorine gas.
"The gas is toxic so, as a precaution, the building was evacuated. However, following scientific advice we have discovered the amount of gas was not enough to cause widespread harm, although some members of staff who were directly exposed to the gas suffered some discomfort.
"Basically, this incident was caused by staff putting two chemicals together that aren't supposed to go together."
Once the gas escape was analysed, two firemen wearing bright green hazmat (hazardous materials) suits entered the building to contain the chemicals.
Police cordoned off the outside lane of the busy Picardy Place roundabout junction for several hours to accommodate the dozens of emergency service vehicles on standby outside.
A Virgin Active spokesman said : "Senior Virgin Active personnel are now conducting an investigation into the circumstances of the incident and until this is complete we will not be in a position to provide further details.
"Currently the pool and spa area are closed as a precaution, with the remainder of the club having been reopened after consultation with the authorities."
NEWS: A Window to the Soul
MARK McLAUGHLIN
Edinburgh Evening News
18 February 2010
A CHURCH is to install a new stained glass window in memory of a popular minister who served the community for almost 40 years.
The congregation of Queensferry Parish Church has raised £16,000 in memory of the late Rev John Carrie, who died at the age of 64 in 2008, just months before he was due to retire.
As well as being much loved, Rev Carrie also founded an annual charity crossing of the Forth Road Bridge which has so far raised more than GBP 1 million.
The majority of the £16,000 has been used to fund the window, and the rest will go towards other tributes, including a special plaque and a third-world teaching bursary. A street may also be named after him.
The church has secured planning permission for the memorial window, featuring an image of the good shepherd, in his honour.
Current minister Rev Sean Swindells said: "It was felt that this particular choice reflected John's ministry and the congregation would identify with the symbolism."
After discussions with the committee and Rev Carrie's family, the church decided to employ Perthshire-based specialists Roland Mitton to design the window.
The plaque will overlook the Forth Road Bridge, where Rev Carrie held his annual Christian Aid Bridge Cross for nearly 40 years. Rev Swindells said: "It was not permissible to have a plaque attached to the Bridge, so we had one placed on a bench in the viewing area, which has been temporarily removed for the winter.
"The plaque reads: 'In Memory of Rev. John G. Carrie, Minister of Queensferry Parish Church from 1971 to 2008. The inspiration behind the Annual Christian Aid Forth Bridge Cross'."
Some of the remaining money will be used to support teacher training in Kenya. David Mbae, an old friend of Queensferry Parish Church, singled out a young woman called Kananu Njagi for the first bursary, and she is now training at the Kericho Teachers Training College, Kenya.
Rev Swindells added: "We are delighted to report that the public appeal has raised GBP 16,120, a magnificent sum in a time of recession, and a sign of the respect and affection in which John was held ."
The church has approached the city council to put Rev Currie forward to have a street named after him.
Edinburgh Evening News
18 February 2010
A CHURCH is to install a new stained glass window in memory of a popular minister who served the community for almost 40 years.
The congregation of Queensferry Parish Church has raised £16,000 in memory of the late Rev John Carrie, who died at the age of 64 in 2008, just months before he was due to retire.
As well as being much loved, Rev Carrie also founded an annual charity crossing of the Forth Road Bridge which has so far raised more than GBP 1 million.
The majority of the £16,000 has been used to fund the window, and the rest will go towards other tributes, including a special plaque and a third-world teaching bursary. A street may also be named after him.
The church has secured planning permission for the memorial window, featuring an image of the good shepherd, in his honour.
Current minister Rev Sean Swindells said: "It was felt that this particular choice reflected John's ministry and the congregation would identify with the symbolism."
After discussions with the committee and Rev Carrie's family, the church decided to employ Perthshire-based specialists Roland Mitton to design the window.
The plaque will overlook the Forth Road Bridge, where Rev Carrie held his annual Christian Aid Bridge Cross for nearly 40 years. Rev Swindells said: "It was not permissible to have a plaque attached to the Bridge, so we had one placed on a bench in the viewing area, which has been temporarily removed for the winter.
"The plaque reads: 'In Memory of Rev. John G. Carrie, Minister of Queensferry Parish Church from 1971 to 2008. The inspiration behind the Annual Christian Aid Forth Bridge Cross'."
Some of the remaining money will be used to support teacher training in Kenya. David Mbae, an old friend of Queensferry Parish Church, singled out a young woman called Kananu Njagi for the first bursary, and she is now training at the Kericho Teachers Training College, Kenya.
Rev Swindells added: "We are delighted to report that the public appeal has raised GBP 16,120, a magnificent sum in a time of recession, and a sign of the respect and affection in which John was held ."
The church has approached the city council to put Rev Currie forward to have a street named after him.
NEWS: Islam in Edinburgh
MARK McLAUGHLIN
Edinburgh Evening News
15 February 2010
THE trustees of an Islamic teaching centre in Polwarth have lodged plans to expand the centre.
The Idara Centre on Temple Park Crescent - commonly known as the Polwarth Mosque - has applied for planning permission to change the former Al-Hilal grocers at the junction of Yeaman Place into an extension of the existing centre to create a new computer lab and reference library.
Owners The Idara Taleem-Ul Qur'an Trust say their ultimate aim is to turn the spacious corner unit into an Islamic exhibition centre to "engage with the non-Muslim local community and help to remove barriers".
Chairman Amjed Hussain said: "We hope to enlarge our reference library and provide computer facilities for our younger generation, where they can spend most of their free time positively under supervision, thus resulting in good citizens who in turn will enhance the general community."
The centre has been steadily expanding since its foundation at 8 Temple Park Crescent in 1986, when it catered for around 20 students. Within ten years its roll had expanded to around 200 students and the trust purchased two neighbouring units to accommodate its growing numbers.
Mr Hussain hopes the expansion plans will give them scope for more classes and allow them to attract a younger generation.
He added: "There should most probably be some increase in the number of people attending the centre.
"As soon as we can provide better facilities the better chance we have at attracting all generations to attend, including youngsters who are our main targets. The centre believes the largest investment of our time, effort and wealth must be in educating for our future and our children.
"We recently attended a meeting with justice secretary Kenny MacAskill where the need for more learning opportunities for youth was highlighted.
"Discussion also included a special project for rehabilitation and moral development of teenagers that have gone off track at some point."
Idara was rocked in 2008 by the conviction of former teacher Mahmood Qadri, 63, who was found guilty of sexually abusing two young girls at the centre ten years previously.
Since then they have installed CCTV and employed more female teachers, and Mr Hussein
said: "We understand the events that occurred in 1998 were horrific and very unfortunate but we hope that with our new measures in place and with our fresh new approach towards educating the centre attendees, we hope that this can be put behind us.
"Parents' minds can also be put at ease knowing that we have both male and female tutors teaching boys and girls and we also have CCTV in operation."
The trustees also successfully contested a coup attempt in 1999 by a faction who objected to their support of a controversial Pakistani charity and the alleged mistreatment of Imams at the centre - claims which were later rejected in court by Judge Lord Nimmo Smith.
Edinburgh Evening News
15 February 2010
THE trustees of an Islamic teaching centre in Polwarth have lodged plans to expand the centre.
The Idara Centre on Temple Park Crescent - commonly known as the Polwarth Mosque - has applied for planning permission to change the former Al-Hilal grocers at the junction of Yeaman Place into an extension of the existing centre to create a new computer lab and reference library.
Owners The Idara Taleem-Ul Qur'an Trust say their ultimate aim is to turn the spacious corner unit into an Islamic exhibition centre to "engage with the non-Muslim local community and help to remove barriers".
Chairman Amjed Hussain said: "We hope to enlarge our reference library and provide computer facilities for our younger generation, where they can spend most of their free time positively under supervision, thus resulting in good citizens who in turn will enhance the general community."
The centre has been steadily expanding since its foundation at 8 Temple Park Crescent in 1986, when it catered for around 20 students. Within ten years its roll had expanded to around 200 students and the trust purchased two neighbouring units to accommodate its growing numbers.
Mr Hussain hopes the expansion plans will give them scope for more classes and allow them to attract a younger generation.
He added: "There should most probably be some increase in the number of people attending the centre.
"As soon as we can provide better facilities the better chance we have at attracting all generations to attend, including youngsters who are our main targets. The centre believes the largest investment of our time, effort and wealth must be in educating for our future and our children.
"We recently attended a meeting with justice secretary Kenny MacAskill where the need for more learning opportunities for youth was highlighted.
"Discussion also included a special project for rehabilitation and moral development of teenagers that have gone off track at some point."
Idara was rocked in 2008 by the conviction of former teacher Mahmood Qadri, 63, who was found guilty of sexually abusing two young girls at the centre ten years previously.
Since then they have installed CCTV and employed more female teachers, and Mr Hussein
said: "We understand the events that occurred in 1998 were horrific and very unfortunate but we hope that with our new measures in place and with our fresh new approach towards educating the centre attendees, we hope that this can be put behind us.
"Parents' minds can also be put at ease knowing that we have both male and female tutors teaching boys and girls and we also have CCTV in operation."
The trustees also successfully contested a coup attempt in 1999 by a faction who objected to their support of a controversial Pakistani charity and the alleged mistreatment of Imams at the centre - claims which were later rejected in court by Judge Lord Nimmo Smith.
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