The first thing you might do this month is vote in the local council elections on 3 May 2012. You will find out all about your local candidate here.  The election count is being held at Meadowbank on 4 May 2012 and The Edinburgh Reporter will be bringing you minute by minute coverage of that on Friday.

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You could buy a police box. Lothian and Borders Police Board are putting some of Edinburgh’s iconic police boxes up for sale.

Twenty-two of the cast iron boxes, deemed surplus to operational requirements, are under offer individually until 31st May at midday – there is no set guide prices for the pieces of street furniture.

For sale signs will be put on the boxes this week, with brochures available for anyone interested.

The money made by the sale will go towards the Force Capital Investment Programme.

Sara Griffiths, Lothian and Borders Police Property Manager, said: “When these boxes were introduced they would have proved invaluable to officers, but as technology and policing methods evolved a number of them have now become obsolete. This is a great opportunity for collectors to snap up a unique piece of Edinburgh, and policing, history.”

Anyone interested in purchasing the boxes should contact City of Edinburgh Council Services for Communities Department on 0131 529 5983.

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Are you a Sports Fan? Do you like the challenge of a Sports Quiz?

This could be just the thing for you. Why not go and compete in the toughest sporting quiz in town!

“Royal Blind’s unique sports quiz – Try & Score” Where the sporting celebrities actually come on stage to deliver your questions in person. Some of the confirmed Rugby guests so far are Kenny Milne, Derrick Lee, Peter Brown, Derrick Patterson, Cameron Glasgow, Duncan Hodge and Marcus Di Rollo.

You can expect to enjoy a welcome drinks reception sponsored by The Caledonian Brewery, a fun evening hosted by Scott Wilson, exquisite 3 course meal including wine and after dinner entertainment from Fred MacAulay. Not forgetting our outstanding Charity Auction full of sporting items – So far this year we have managed to get our hands on some exceptional silent and main auction prizes including an impressive signed Lionel Messi shirt and a Fantastic British Motoring Experience! – which will see the winner travel to Silverstone, drive a formula racing car including round Stowe Circuit as well as taking home a framed Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Team Shirt signed by both Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton!!

This is the perfect event to attend with some friends or to utilise as a corporate hospitality event.”

For more information and to book your place visit the website www.royalblind.org or you can contact Karen Deacon on 0131 229 1456, email karen.deacon@royalblind.org

 

Try & Score 2012

Thursday 3 May 2012

7pm Start

EICC, Edinburgh

£799 for a table of 10 or individual seats only £79 each

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On 6 May 2012 at The Usher Hall New Order are back!

“Edinburgh welcome’s back New Order, one of the most influential British acts of all time.

Having reformed in 2011, Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris, Gillian Gilbert, Phil Cunningham and Tom Chapman are treating fans to some of the most iconic tracks in modern music history – including True Faith, Regret, Crystal and of course the seminal, best selling 12” single of all time, Blue Monday.” More details on tickets here. 

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Get tickets for Mummy’s Ball at the Corn Exchange to help charity! The money raised will go towards helping fund the many vital services that Breast Cancer Care provide for men and women affected by breast cancer such as a 24 hour helpline, regional workshops and its monthly Moving Forward seminars and diet & wellbeing sessions.

Tickets for Mummy’s Ball are £400 for a table of ten or £40 per person and can be order by emailing nakedinspiration@gmail.com For further information about Mummy’s Ball or to pre-order a calendar please visitwww.nakedinspirations.co.uk

 

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On 19 May 2012 there will be a gun salute for the opening of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland at 9.50a.m. so if you are in the area you will know what is going on!

The Assembly comprises around 850 commissioners who are ministers, elders and members of the diaconate. It meets at the same time in May each year for a week, usually in the Assembly Hall on the Mound in central Edinburgh.

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Breakin’ Convention 2012

The Ninth International Festival of Hip Hop Dance Theatre

Festival Theatre, Nicolson Street : Fri 18 & Sat 19 May

Breakin’ Convention is back for the ninth year with the annual May Bank Holiday extravaganza at Sadlers Wells, continuing with a national tour until June. Breakin’ Convention is the international festival of Hip Hop dance and as well as breaking and popping, audiences can see different hip hop dance forms including locking and b-boying plus newer styles such as house dance, devised on dance floors and born out of club culture.

Hosted and curated by Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Jonzi D, Breakin’ Convention travels the UK this May presenting a dazzling array of the very best in hip hop dance with local crews in each city opening the shows. There are additional events in the mix including workshops, DJ demos, impromptu foyer freestyle sessions and even live aerosol art.

Breakin’ Convention 2012 features stunning performances from international acts including: ILL-Abilities, an international breakdance company that challenges the misconceptions about people with disabilities. ILL-Abilities perform in London, Birmingham and Plymouth while Clash 66 (France & Korea) return with their sublime duet, and travelling the UK for the entire tour.

France’s Vagabond Crew who have recently won both Battle of the Year and the UK Bboy Championship in 2011 also tour and as local acts are soon to be announced in each city, London continues to announce three action-packed days of international artists.

This year’s local crews/acts include:

Bad Taste Cru

Daniel Aing

Jackin’ the Box

Heavy Smokers

Ready Ready Sauce

Rice & Peez

The Edinburgh Soul Review (mix of Random Aspekts & Heavy Smokers)

Xena Productions Presents Rockabeat

Full line-ups to be announced, keep an eye on www.breakinconvention.com for the latest details.

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At The Scottish Book Trust  Scottish Opera are running an event called SensoryO for babies and toddlers on 26 & 27 May 2012. Tickets for all performances: Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1SR
Tel: 0131 556 9579

Come with us to a magical, night-time world, take a train ride through the jungle, and meet a friendly lion who sleeps under the stars…

Following the phenomenal success of BabyO, Scottish Opera’s groundbreaking show for 6 to 18 month olds, SensoryO is a brand-new interactive performance for toddlers and their carers. Aimed at kids between the ages of 18 and 36 months, this 30-minute show is rich in sound, rhythm and music.

The set is inviting and tactile, and with its unique audience in mind, it introduces toddlers to live performance in a relaxed and intimate environment. Featuring a mixture of live and recorded vocal music, and percussive sounds, SensoryO also uses smells, textures, actions and simple but striking visuals to inspire the imagination and bring the adventure to life.

 

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Throughout May and into June there are many other good things on at The Scottish Storytelling Centre. So many in fact that we have the programme here for you rather than picking one or two events out from their busy schedule.

EventsApr-Jun2012

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Book your tickets now to go to Oban for a day by train in the summer. Could be a fun day out!  ScotRail’s Sunday train services for day trippers to Oban will return this summer following their success over the last two years.

And the price of the return trip between Edinburgh and Oban is frozen at last year’s rate – £36 for adults.

The services, first launched in 2010, will run on ten Sundays from 24 June to 26 August inclusive, and are timed to give passengers five hours in the West Highland town.

Sean Duffy, ScotRail’s commercial director, said: “The services have proved popular over the last two years and we are delighted to have them running again this summer. We’ve also frozen the adult fare – while our customers can also take advantage  of our ‘Kids Go Free’ offer and enjoy a great family day trip.”

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