Portobello High School – New jobs in the capital – Self-portrait at the Portrait Gallery – Local Elections – Police seek witnesses to assault
The campaign group PPAG are continuing with their appeal against the recent Court of Session decision that they were out of time to oppose the building of the new Portobello High School in Portobello Park.
The appeal will be heard on 23 & 24 May. If the appeal is unsuccessful then the contract for building the new school might proceed reasonably quickly. The council have already shortlisted Balfour Beatty for the school, but have been reluctant to go ahead and formally award the contract to the firm. It appears that an early date for the appeal may have been requested by the council, but not opposed by PPAG.
Meanwhile the supporters of the new High School, Portobello High School in the Park, have begun discussions as to the way they will show their strength by attending the appeal, or at the very least, gathering outside the court.
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About 30 new jobs will be created in Edinburgh following the announcement that cloud computing firm enStratus will open an office here later in the year according to the BBC.
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One of Scotland’s most distinguished contemporary artists, Alison Watt, has unveiled a striking self-portrait, which has been acquired for the recently refurbished Scottish National Portrait Gallery (SNPG). The painting, which was made while the artist was still a student, has been presented by the Art Fund, the national fundraising charity for art, to celebrate the re-opening of the Gallery in December 2011.
Alison Watt was born in Greenock in 1965 and studied at Glasgow School of Art from 1983 to 1988. She first came to public attention in 1987, when she won the annual portrait award organised by the National Portrait Gallery in London, and was commissioned to paint H M Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. In 2000, Watt became the youngest artist to be given a solo exhibition at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, and from 2006 to 2008 was Associate Artist at the National Gallery in London. She was awarded an OBE in 2008.
Although she has rarely engaged with formal portraiture since her early career, Alison Watt has said that there is an element of self-portraiture in all of her work – from the very beginning, when she would stand in front of a mirror and paint herself obsessively, to the more subtle representations of self implied in the complex and enigmatic paintings of folded drapery for which she is best known today.
Watt’s Self-portrait of 1986-7 has been acquired for the SNPG from the artist’s collection and has been exhibited only once before, at Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery in Glasgow in 1990. Painted whilst she was ill, it shows Watt with her right hand across her forehead.
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Residents are being reminded that there are only seven days left to register to vote for the local council elections on 3 May.
People can register to vote by calling the Lothian Valuation Joint Board on 0131 344 2500 or downloading a form from www.lothian-vjb.gov.uk .
There is also the chance to win some prizes when finding out about registering to vote through the City of Edinburgh Council online blog – ‘Make your vote count’ competition.
The competition is running until 18 April, the deadline for registering to vote. Anyone who comments on the blog about which election they first voted in and why, or why this will be their first year voting, will be entered into the prize draw.
The prizes up for grabs are:
- 1 x one-year Edinburgh Leisure Fitness Membership which will give unlimited access to any of Edinburgh Leisure’s gyms, swimming pools, fitness classes and much more.
- 2 x £100 bonusbond gift vouchers that can be used in hundreds of high street stores, including Oasis, Boots, hmv and more.
- 1 x pair of tickets for the opening night film premiere and party, courtesy of Edinburgh International Film Festival.
For a full list of rules and those who are eligible visit the blog post.
Andy O’Neill, Head of the Scotland Office at the Electoral Commission, the independent elections watchdog, is also reminding voters that they can still vote even if they can’t make it to the polling station on 3 May.
“Even if you will be away on holiday, or think you might be caught up in work you can make sure you have your say by applying to vote by post or proxy. You can print off the forms from www.aboutmyvote.co.uk”
We have full information on all candidates listed by Ward here with links to their profiles and election leaflets where we have them. Do send us any more information if you have it!
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Lothian and Borders Police have released CCTV images of two men they wish to trace in connection with inquiries into a serious assault that happened last year.
A 24-year-old man was walking with friends at Waverley Bridge around 12.20am on Sunday 27th November 2011 when two men approached and began verbally abusing him.
The men then began punching the victim to the face, causing him to fall against a wall and fracture his jaw.
Both suspects made off towards St Andrew Square via Multrees Walk before being lost to sight.
The first man the police would like to speak to is described as white, 21-years-old, tall with a slim build, dark blond hair and young features. He was wearing a red jacket with white sleeves.
The second man the police would like to speak to is described as white, early twenties, average height and build with dark eyebrows. He was wearing a dark hooded top with the hood up.
Detectives continue to investigate this incident and would urge anyone who recognises the men in this CCTV footage to come forward.
A police spokesman said: “The CCTV image shows two men making their way along Multrees Walk and we are appealing to anyone who recognises them to contact police immediately.
“Similarly, anyone with any other information that can assist with our inquiries should also get in touch.”
Anyone with information should contact Lothian and Borders Police on 0131 311 3131, or Crimestoppers in confidence and complete anonymity on 0800 555 111.
