Local News

[Pyfish+]

What's going on in your local news? It could be something mundane or something really exciting... or it could be the death of 15,000 ducklings...

[Cicero]

Some sort of virus going around. 

[CaaC (John)+]

FULL REPORT

[CaaC (John)+]

Scotland has second wettest February on record

Scotland had its second wettest February on record - although the northeast of the country managed to find shelter from the worst of the weather.

Met Office figures showed only February of 1990 had more rainfall.

This February's 275.6mm figure was 213% above a 1981-2010 climate baseline. Only Wales was wetter in the UK.

The Met Office blamed the wet weather on a succession of Atlantic storm systems crossing the UK, including Ciara, Dennis and Jorge.

FULL REPORT

 

[Pyfish+]

I love the nice, uplifting news that the Grimsby Telegraph offer  

[Harry]

Young people from my area are not appropriately maintaining their cars.

[CaaC (John)+]

FULL REPORT

[CaaC (John)+]

Edinburgh University researchers use drones to map retreating Andes glaciers

An Edinburgh University researcher has used drones to capture a bird's-eye view of some of the highest glaciers in South America.

Rosie Bisset is part of a project to map the Andes glaciers which are retreating in the face of global heating, despite their high altitude.

Experts say these glaciers are a vital resource which are under threat.

The glaciers in Peru have shrunk by about 30% in the last couple of decades.

Peter Nienow, professor of geology at the University of Edinburgh, said it could have a devastating effect on local people.

"In the Andes in Peru, which have about 70% of the world's glacier area in the tropics, those glacial areas are retreating," he said.

"As they retreat that impacts downstream communities because they rely on the water resources for agriculture, for industry, for hydroelectric power."

FULL REPORT

[Pyfish+]

[CaaC (John)+]

Connery-led company to run film studio in Leith

A company, led by Sean Connery's son Jason, has won the tender to run a large-scale film and TV studio space in Edinburgh's Port of Leith.

First Stage Studio will be based in an industrial building in Bath Road.

Screen Scotland said it was "a major step forward in the county's ability to take advantage of the global boom in high-end TV and film production".

The body, which promotes film in Scotland, will invest £1m towards the initial set-up and refurbishment.

The site will include five sound stages and 27,000 sq ft of flexible production office space.

It will be housed in the "big blue shed" building, three miles from the centre of Edinburgh.

FULL REPORT

[CaaC (John)+]

Leith named the best place to live in Scotland The area was judged as a ‘breath of fresh air’.

[CaaC (John)+]

Dead quiet around here because of the lockdown, The Meadows where we live in the photo below is normally alive with joggers and adults having a game of football with their kids The Royal Mile in Edinburgh is normally packed with tourist etc.

 

[CaaC (John)+]

FFS, went for a walk around the block and yards up the road from us are CID, forensics, police cars the lot, apparently, there has been a murder according to the neighbour that lives across the road from us, the block of flats where a police officer is standing at the flat's entrance lives 2 old boy's we know,  David (86) & Allen (82), just hope they are ok, just waiting for any Scottish news about Leith, Pirniefield Bank area where we live.

[CaaC (John)+]

On 18/04/2020 at 13:37, CaaC (John) said:

FFS, went for a walk around the block and yards up the road from us are CID, forensics, police cars the lot, apparently, there has been a murder according to the neighbour that lives across the road from us, the block of flats where a police officer is standing at the flat's entrance lives 2 old boy's we know,  David (86) & Allen (82), just hope they are ok, just waiting for any Scottish news about Leith, Pirniefield Bank area where we live.

Just got the local news and me & the wife have been hit for six, that was a murder of a lovely 77-year-old Polish lady that we both knew and talked to a lot, god bless her and R.I.P. Jadwiga, me and the wife's thoughts go out to all the loved ones you left behind.

They have arrested and charged the bastard that did this and may he rot and burn in fucking hell. 

[CaaC (John)+]

Lucky anybody was not on the local Leith Links Park just up the road from us this afternoon, the wind is blowing a gale outside and someone has just posted this on the 'I Love Leith' web page, you get this often with trees or branches getting blown down...

This is one that happened 2 years ago in June through high winds, a branch was blown off and they ended up chopping the tree down completely, wee Kaiden thought it was great then sitting on the dead branch.

[CaaC (John)+]

Coronavirus: Curling champion keeps training with kitchen sweeping

A Scottish curling champion has been practising her sweeping technique on her slippery kitchen floor because she's unable to get back on the ice during the lockdown.

Sophie Sinclair has been finding ways to continue training as she aims for a place at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

The 23-year-old, who lives on her parents' strawberry farm near Edinburgh, has built her own gym.

And a psychologist has been helping Sophie and her team-mates visualise the game and bond together over the internet.

"He has given us all a recording of his voice and we listen to it three times every day while sitting on the edge of a chair with our eyes shut," she explains.

FULL REPORT

[CaaC (John)+]

Coronavirus: Two charged after a 60-mile trip to climb a mountain

Two people broke lockdown restrictions by travelling more than 60 miles (96km) from Glasgow to climb a mountain near Crianlarich, say police.

The 27-year-old man and 23-year-old woman had to be rescued after getting into difficulty on Beinn A' Chroin on Saturday afternoon.

Killin Mountain Rescue Team was called out to help them.

Police Scotland said a man and a woman had been charged in connection with culpable and reckless conduct.

• New lockdown laws warning after weekend breaches
• Patience plea over a return to Scotland's mountains

Lockdown restrictions have been eased in Scotland, but people have been asked to travel no further than about five miles for exercise.

Police said the two people had "not been suitably equipped" for the climb. Beinn A' Chroin rises to 942m (3,090ft) and is one of Scotland's Munros, a mountain more than 914.4m (3,000ft) high.

'Deeply frustrating'

Chief Inspector Gill Marshall, area commander for Stirling, said they had put their own lives and those of their rescuers at risk.

She said: "The regulations remain that people should only leave the house for very limited purposes, for example for basic necessities, for exercise or recreation, for medical needs or travelling for work which cannot be done from home.

"We recognise that people have made significant sacrifices until now and while the temptation may be to head straight for one of our beauty spots, we would ask people to use their judgement and avoid going to places which are normally busy during the good weather or, in this case, could put individuals' lives at risk.

"We want people to enjoy our outdoor spaces safely and exercise should be done locally, not exceeding five miles from your home."

Scottish Mountain Rescue said the majority of hillwalkers and climbers had heeded lockdown guidance and thanked them for doing that.

Chairman Damon Powell said: "We are also aware of how deeply frustrating it is when everyone who is making such sacrifices sees people openly flouting the guidance. We are pleased to see the police taking action against such individuals."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-52892409

[Pyfish+]

[Dr. Gonzo]

The police are asking for information over a series of stabbings

[CaaC (John)+]

Edinburgh festivals urged to 'think big' when they reboot to help protect the city centre

One of the most senior figures overseeing the staging of Edinburgh’s festivals has warned against attempting to scale them back in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Susan Deacon, head of a task force involving festival organisers, business leaders and council chiefs, suggested the future prosperity of the city centre would be put at risk if efforts to “reboot” the city’s major events were held back.

Speaking in an online debate about the future of the festivals, which date back to 1947, Ms Deacon suggested they need to “think big” and remain ambitious as they looked to the future.

She said there was a risk the rebuilding effort for the festivals, which attracted a 4.4 million audience last year, could be hampered by a “top-down” approach from politicians.

Ms Deacon, chair of the Edinburgh Festivals Forum for the last four years, said 7,000 jobs were “utterly dependent” on the range of events currently staged in the city, which she described as “the jewels in the crown” of Edinburgh.

Official figures have predicted Edinburgh’s economy could take a £360 million hit after the official cancellation of next month’s festivals in April.

Ms Deacon, a former Scottish health minister, said she was also concerned about the long-term impact of the cancellation of the festivals on generations of young people in the city.

Recent research found that 90 per cent of the city’s schools were involved with them in some way.

Audience numbers for the ever-expanding Fringe broke through the three million mark last year.

However annual increases in shows and ticket sales have been accompanied by growing concerns about the city centre’s ability to cope with the festivals, in particular the historic Old Town.

Heritage groups began drawing unfavourable comparisons between Edinburgh and Venice three years ago, weeks before the festivals were due to celebrate their 70th anniversary.

Last year saw the launch of a new campaign, Citizen, with the aim of defending the city from over-tourism, gentrification, privatisation of public space and “festivalisation”.

Last summer, the “numbers swelling during its August festivals” were cited in a report naming Edinburgh as one of the world’s worst over-tourism hotspots.

Efforts by the city council to ease crowd congestion last August by closing off some streets and bringing in crowd control barriers sparked a new wave of controversy.

Speaking in the debate organised by Edinburgh University, Ms Deacon said: “I was really struck and impressed and heartened at how quickly the Scottish Government and the city council responded very quickly to the immediate efforts to shore up core infrastructure that has been built up over more than 70 years and created this wonderful array of festivals and events that are known and loved the world over.

“We have to make sure that that continues when we are out of immediate reactive crisis mode.

"Cities are really going to have to think about how they renew and adapt to this new world that they are in. They will really need to polish the jewels in the crown. Our festivals are a mass of jewels in the crown. There is a pressing need to think about how we work collectively.

“We have to think big and make sure we keep our ambitions big and be able to adapt and be agile for this really uncertain period ahead.

“I think we have to be careful about how much should be driven from the top down. I slightly question how much it is possible to plan.

“There are things going on in different places to not just make cities more welcoming

but to accelerate the pace of change around sustainability. But I think some things will grow organically and be market-led.

“We will all collectively have to come out of the hibernation that we have been in. The big questions for the future are going to be about scale and pace. How quickly can we build things back up again? How much are we going to be able to grow?

“The scale that Scotland has developed in large events allows us to really punch above our weight in the world. It has powered all sorts of aspects of the Scottish economy and frankly given people jobs.

“The festivals touch more than 90 per cent of the city’s schools. We have very successfully woven culture into the DNA of generation after generation in this city. We need to get that back and up and running again.”

Edinburgh Evening News

[Stan]

@Bluebird Hewitt, mate, I told you not to try it and waste emergency services time

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-53578780

Quote

 

 A TikTok challenge is thought to be behind a number of rescues of teenagers trapped in baby swings.

Firefighters up and down the UK have been called to free youngsters who have attempted to film themselves using children's swings before getting stuck.

Girls have been freed in two separate incidents in Rhyl and Mold, North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said.

In south Wales, crews have been called out twice this week alone, in Cardiff and Blaenau Gwent.

The fire service tweeted: "If you are over the age of four, please don't try and get in one!"

It said calls like these, in Ely in Cardiff and Tredegar in Blaenau Gwent, prevented crews from attending other emergencies

 

.

[Bluebird Hewitt]

8 minutes ago, Stan said:

@Bluebird Hewitt, mate, I told you not to try it and waste emergency services time

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-53578780

Fucking thick cunts. 

[CaaC (John)+]

'It was demonic' - notorious Edinburgh poltergeist leaves graveyard visitors covered in scratches

Spook enthusiast Kris Rennie says that the MacKenzie Poltergeist targeted him in Edinburgh's Greyfriars Kirkyard - leaving him covered in red, burning scratches

The injuries that were allegedly caused by the entity (Image: Donna Green: Flickr / Creative Commons)

If you head down to Greyfriar's Kirkyard after dark, don't expect to run into the friendly ghost of Greyfriar's Bobby.

Instead, over the years, there have been hundreds of reports of attacks by the notorious MacKenzie Poltergeist - a vicious spirit believed to attack visitors to the graveyard.

It is thought to be the spirit of Sir George MacKenzie, a 17th-century Lord Advocate who ­persecuted rebel Covenanters.

Charlotte Golledge, manager of City of the Dead Tours, said: “People email to let us know what ­happened to them on the tours

“Some say they’ve got scratches, bite marks, bruises and burns they can’t explain.”

One such guest on a tour around the graveyard claims that he was attacked by the notorious ghost.

Kris Rennie says needed to treat painful scratches which he insists must have been inflicted by the ­phantom during a guided tour.

The 37-year-old: “My back was covered in livid, burning red scratches.

“When I took pictures and sent them to my friends, they were really freaked out. It was demonic.

“What happened to me can’t be explained in any other way.”

Kris, of Shawlands, Glasgow, was attending the Double Dead ghost walk run by City of the Dead Tours.

“My back was covered in livid, burning red scratches. When I took pictures and sent them to my friends, they were really freaked out. It was demonic."

The walk, which kicked off at 10 pm, took guests into the capital’s Niddry Street Vaults.

It then moved on to Greyfriars Kirkyard’s Black ­Mausoleum, the tomb said to be the lair of the spook.

Kris said: “I went on my own because all my friends were too scared to go with me. It was spooky.”

Kris didn’t notice ­anything ­untoward – until he got a taxi back to his hotel in Leith.

He said: “I was about to go to bed when I felt burning on my back.

“I took my T-shirt off and looked in the mirror. That’s when I saw the scratches. I was stunned.

“The scratches were ­burning. I put tea tree oil on my back to try to take the pain away. By morning, the scratches had turned into welts and the skin was broken in several places and my back was bleeding.”

Kris was booked to go back on the ghost walk that night. But he felt so ill, he had to go home.

He added: “I felt drained. No one could have done it while I was on the tour because I’d have felt it.

“Because of the ­position of the scratches, there is no way I could have done it to myself.

“I’d been wearing a long, thick coat so the scratches couldn’t have been made by tree branches or by me ­leaning against a wall.

“And I hadn’t fallen over drunk because I don’t drink alcohol.

“It has to be paranormal. It’s the only way it can be explained."

EDINBURGHLIVE

[CaaC (John)+]

Creepy underground tunnels in Edinburgh and the Lothians that you probably haven't heard of

Have you explored the abandoned Neidpath Tunnel, located just outside of Peebles? With no natural light, it isn't for the faint-hearted.

VIEW GALLERY - 1/10

[CaaC (John)+]

'Toughest' Munro-bagging record broken by a week

Mountain runner Donnie Campbell has broken the record for the fastest solo round of all 282 Munros in Scotland by more than a week.

The 35-year-old, from Inverness, completed the round in just 31 days and 23 hours.

He began the challenge on Ben More, Isle of Mull, on 1 August and finished on Ben Hope, the most northerly Munro.

He ran up each mountain before running, walking, cycling or kayaking to the next one.

It breaks Stephen Pyke's record of 39 days and nine hours, which was set in 2010.

And it is being hailed as the toughest challenge in the UK.

Mr Campbell said it was "mind-blowingly hard".

He climbed the equivalent of Mount Everest 14 times. He ran 1,422km (883 miles) and cycled 1,443km (896 miles).

FULL REPORT