Would you like to see Scouting start-up in Pencaitland for young people aged 6-14? Then come to a parents’ information night at the Trevelyan Hall on Tuesday 25th September, 7.30-8.30pm.
South East Scotland Scouts will be hosting an info night for parents to find out more about Scouting and how Scouting can get started in Pencaitland. To register your interest in Scouting starting up, email development@sesscouts.org.uk.
For more info on Scouting, view this video:
http://youtu.be/WT6No8lDSBI
In just a few hours the river went from a gentle and shallow meandering stream into a swollen muddy mass of water. This has become a fairly regular occurrence in recent years leaving parts of the river pathway annually inundated and weakening the river bank.
However, it is Haddington, further downstream which is currently under threat from the swelling waters of the Tyne. Further details on the situation can be found by checking the Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s updates page for the Lothians.
Having trouble viewing the video? See it on the Pencaitland channel on Youtube.
There are reports (see below) that we may get floods around East Lothian today. If you spot problems tell others. Here’s how…
If you plan to travel today and spot a flooded section of road please tweet details to @pencaitlandcc or to the Pencaitland Facebook page. This way the information will automatically be passed on to others.
Twitter example message:
@pencaitlandcc Bend of A6093 coming into Wester #Pencaitland flooded both lanes on final bend. #flood #eastlothian
You can use the same text whether sending to Twitter or posting to Facebook or Google+… whichever is your preferred social tool of choice.
the # symbol is often placed in front of keywords on Twitter in order to help people discover relevant updates. If you have room, by adding #eastlothian and #flood to your message it is more likely to be found by those looking for information on floods in the county. Try to be specific, using, for example, #ormiston or #pencaitland hash tags to help geographically pinpoint where the problem is.
Here’s the latest from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency:
“A FLOOD ALERT has been issued for Edinburgh and Lothians.
Very heavy persistent rainfall has been forecast from mid afternoon Monday until early Tuesday morning. This is expected to lead to a risk of flooding throughout the area from rivers, small watercourses and surface water. Impacts are possible both within this period and throughout Tuesday, from where conditions are expected to improve. SEPA duty officers will continue to monitor the developing situation and will issue updates as further information becomes available.”
We can now report that his funeral will take place this coming Wednesday at Ormiston Parish Church. Minister David Torrance will be taking the service which begins at 10am.
You can read earlier messages of condolence on our previous story under comments.
Living in Ormiston, Bill has been a regular fixture at the Pencaitland crossing of the A6093 into the Glebe and many locals, parents and kids got to know him well over the years.
Always ready with a smile and some banter, Bill could be relied upon to be there whatever the weather. He will be sorely missed.
If we receive word on funeral arrangements we will report it here.
It will go direct from Meadowbank to Princes St via Regent Road which means it will go past the old St. Andrews House and into Waterloo Place. In practice this will mean hat it will no longer serve the stops along London Road between Easter Road and the Elm Row roundabout.
Coming back to Pencaitland, it will stop outside Jenners and then at a new stop on Waterloo Place. After that it will go directly towards Meadowbank.
Remember to keep updated by checking the East Lothian Buses website. You can view a PDF of the timetable for the 113 route here.
Our thanks to local man and self professed ‘bus nerd’ Barry Hutton for the information.
These plans were the culmination of 18 months of negotiations between members of the church, ELC transport and planning officials, ELC councillors, the Community Council and the Fatal Footpath campaign. These talks came about at the direct request of ELC councillors keen to find a workable solution after rejecting the case for widening the main road pavement and extending the lights between the bridge and the church.
Last Tuesday (4th Sep) locally elected councillor Jim Gillies (LAB), who now sits on the Planning Committee, argued that the new parallel footpath plans lodged had not been given sufficient scrutiny by residents of Pencaitland. Donald Grant (LAB), another local councillor said that this had been going on too long arguing that planning consent should be granted. At the vote Grant lost.
This means that work previously carried out on the site in preparation remains in limbo with no likelihood of the footpath being completed until further community consultations on both this existing parallel footpath plan and any varations or alternatives deemed viable. Crucially, anything presented to the community must be deemed acceptable to both transport and planning officials in East Lothian Council to avoid plans being voted down once again at Council. This is a task now being championed by recently elected councillor Shamin Akhtar (LAB).
Once it is clear what, if any, alternative options may be viable, these, along with the current plans for a parallel footpath or variants of it, will be presented to the community. This will most likely be achieved with a public viewing in Trevelyan Hall and promoted via an information campaign to each household, as well as through this website and social media.
Long time footpath campaigner and mum Sheila Averbuch said, “Last year the ELC failed to widen the main road footpath despite well over 300 village signatures demanding they do so. The half finished parallel footpath through the churchyard was acceptable to the Fatal Footpath campaign as an alternative. I’m astonished that Planning Committee hasn’t yet approved it. I hope supporters of pedestrian safety will tell the Council clearly that they want the parallel footpath completed.”
You may be one of the many unfortunate people to have encountered these strange red whelts on your skin in recent weeks. If you have then chances are you’re suffering from Berry Bug bites.
Berry Bugs, as they are best known in the Lothians, also go by the name of Harvest Mites. These tiny mites are almost invisible at this stage and live in grass and other plants. During their parasitic stage they can get onto cats, dogs and, most itchy of all, people too.
Fortunately they tend to be most active in late summer at harvest time, hence their other common name of Harvest Mites. Whilst they are found throughout Britain, they seem to be especially common in the East of Scotland.
So if you have a bunch of angry red lumps on you just now then there’s a good chance you’ve got them too. Treatments vary from person to person but a hot shower before bed is reputed to work for some or at least reduce the worst symptoms. Some also suggest DEET or similar treatments which can be picked up at chemists.
And just in case there’s any doubt, these little critters have been bugging us for some time. In an extract from the Carlyle Letters from 29th July 1857, Jane Welsh Carlyle writes, “The short journey to Tranent was complicated by 35 minutes waiting at Longniddry station where one is always bitten all over by that accursed new insect the harvest-bug.” (Source)
Further details on these annoying little creatures can be found on the links below.
Thanks to villager and community council member Phil Summerfield we’ve dug up some more leaflets from 1976 covering Pencaitland, it’s buildings and walks in the area.
You can view and download them by following these links:
Taken from Buildings of Pencaitland (1976): “The older cottages remaining in the village are early 19th century and perhaps late 18th century. There has been gradual development since and the East village, with its finely integrated buildings, is an example of the change in building styles during the last 200 years or so. The public park was once known as the Vineyard, a fact possibly connected with the village’s position on a well known smuggling route from the coast.”
Have you thought about joining us on Pencaitland Community Council? Here’s your opportunity to help the community you live in and shape the future direction of your village.
East Lothian’s twenty Community Councils are run on a voluntary basis by local people just like you. They act as a vital link between East Lothian Council and the local area, giving residents an opportunity to speak out on local issues of concern. Pencaitland holds ten meetings a year.
Pencaitland’s Community Council extends to cover the villages of New Winton, Boggs Holdings & Glenkinchie/Peastonbank, plus everything in-between. We really need some new blood, not just from Pencaitland but all the those parts that fall within this community council and form part of our ward.
In all there are fifteen seats on the community council. Elections are only held where there are more nominations than available seats on the community council. There have been no elections to Pencaitland’s community council in recent years though all seats have, until recently, been taken up.
If you are interested in becoming a member of your local Community Council the only requirement is that you are aged 16 or over.
Interested? Want to know more? Then contact the current Community Chair, Ralph, on 01875 340 641.
Nomination forms must be returned to the Returning Officer no later than 4pm on Thursday 13 September 2012.
Tea & biscuits come free…