I knew there wis mair o' the bastards than ever before. After all the girning and moaning fae the tourist lobby saying how hard up they were, and how they needed mair public money, whits happened?
Aye, Embra Airport has their busiest month Ever. Embra Castle has its busiest month Ever. And now even the cooncil and Scottish Tourism Economic Activity Monitor have come clean. Between January 1 and March 31, the amount of money spent by visitors to the city was up nine per cent on the same time last year, at £375.1 million, while visitor numbers were also up by 8.6 per cent at 3.47m. So is it no aboot time some of them buggered off back hame, so I can get a seat on the bus. Gits.
On the subject of Embra Toon Cooncil, seems as though seeing they huvnae had a good idea Ever, they've just decided to chory someone elses. You've probably forgotten that Embra is "the world’s first city of literature". Although you may have seen the faded posters on the derelict building next to St Andrews Square.
However, even though we've nae money and the cooncil is bleating aboot how skint they are, turns oot they're drawing up secret plans to revamp the Central Library on George IV Bridge, to turn it into “the flagship literary centre of the world’s first city of literature”.
This is despite the fact that there is already a a £3 million plan to transform a forgotten building off the Royal Mile to help create a literary “hub” in the area.
The Scottish Book Trust (SBT) had won the support of the local authority and other literary bodies for plans which would have seen it expand from its own building at Trunk’s Close, off the High Street.
You won't be surprised to learn that the cooncil plans are going to cost up to £10m to deliver. These plans have dismayed supporters of the Royal Mile scheme, which would have seen the 15th-century Trinity Apse host readings and talks from authors.
Cooncillor Deidre Brock, the council’s culture leader [sic], said: “The cooncil has agreed to explore ways of reinvigorating the Central Library to properly reflect its status as the flagship literary centre of the world’s first Unesco city of literature, for the reality is this listed building is in need of substantial investment.” Which may or may not be proper English, but is most definitely shite.
Over in good news world, an Edinburgh-based organisation is aiming to bring people together through shared memories and tales from the past.
The Living Memory Association has been working for almost 20 years to encourage residents to become involved with their communities. In addition, the association boasts an archive of more than 2000 photographs of Edinburgh dating back to 1850, all of which have been donated by members of the public and are now available online.
Photographs have been used to make ‘Life Stories’ books for older members, books and now a calendar, which will raise money for the charity.
The calendar includes pictures of Edinburgh Dynamos Ladies' Football Club, Portobello Beach and the Palais de Danse in Fountainbridge as well as memories of Baillie Barrie's children's trips, the Co-op Store, the coronation street parties and more.
Calendars cost £2.99 (plus 50p postage) and are available from The LMA, The Stables, 64/1 The Causeway, Duddingston Village, Edinburgh EH15 3PZ. To order a copy call John or Miles on 0131 661 3222 or email john@livingmemory.org.uk
Finally, I hate it when people I know do well, so ya boo sucks tae my old Seccy Studies teacher, Miss Niven, who efter teaching me to type, has ended up has being appointed depute chief executive of West Lothian Council. She hated me, the only boy in the class,and I spent many a lesson in the stationery cupboard, instead of oot in the class with the girls. On the plus side, she's in West Lothian, so it may have ended up a draw.
9 comments:
I think it's great that the representatives of the world's first city of literature can come up with terms like "flagship literary centre" and "literary hub". Robert Louis Stevenson couldn't have said it better.
Where was the Palais de Dance then? I used to stay in Polworth when I was a student. It was close to Fountainbridge, but not so close that it smelled of yeast.
The Palais was (is) next to the Port Hamilton pub (no more), across the road from the store offices (no more), along fae Fat Sams (no more), on the same side of the road as the Black Pig / Yesterdays (no more), right opposite the telephone exchange at the top of Gardners Crescent on the junction of Alexanders Garage (no more). It's where my Mammy and Faither met.
Just to show how wee Scotchland is, two of my childhood homes were tenement flats in Temple Park Crescent and Polwarth Crescent.
Spook!
That is spooky. I can't remember the name of the street, but was around the corner from a pub called something like The Golden Rule and across from a brilliant chippy owned by an Asian gentlemen where if you asked for your Fish Supper with "extra chips", would give a big dollop of extra chips all for only 10p more! Result!
Well, The Golden Rule was (is) on the corner of Yeaman Place and Watson Crescent. Used to tbe stunningly named Yeaman Bar when I were a lad. I mainly drank doon in Dundee Street, either in 'Nam (the Dundee Arms) or along in Clancys, where I had my own pint glass on a hook above the bar [sniff]. I used to frequent the Aquamarina for my chip requirements, especially as it was next door to the home bakery, for added pie pleasure. Ah, youth...dribbles off into memories of the eighties...
Oh, and the only person who called where you were living Polwarth was your landlord. You were on the wrong side of the canal for that! Ned.
Fowler Terrace, that was it. Just looked at Google Maps. Had a look at the Street View as well, bloody hell it's not looking too great. I see the sandwich shop on Dundee Street and The Golden Rule are still there. I wonder if the not-at-all dodgy-looking Fingertips sauna is still going?
Pint glass on a hook above the bar. Bloody he'll, did you used to live in Eastenders, then?
I used tae get free sweeties oot o' Shers in Fowler Terrace as I palled around with one of their sons. I'm pretty sure the chippy (Walters?) you went tae was along at the end of Bryson Road, opposite Tay Street primary school (now demolished), which I spent a year at. I played in Harrison Park and went to North Merchy Boys Club. Sad to say that Fingertips, despite changing its name to Angel Escorts gave up the good fight a couple of years back. What with the brewery having been shut doon, the trade just wisnae there anymore. Bloody Dutch bastards!
I drank in Clancys every day for about 4 years. EVERY DAY. Despite playing the Freebird EP by Lynyrd Skynyrd on the jukebox every day. FOR 4 YEARS. 7 plays for 50p, and the B-side only counted as 1 choice despite having 2 tunes on the B-side - Double Trouble and Sweet Home Alabama. [sniff - remembers the eighties]
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