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Pencaitland Rainbow Guides may fold without volunteers

The Pencaitland Rainbow Guide group are looking for volunteers to take over the running of the group. The existing leaders are moving on in a couple of weeks and, without someone new to take it on, the unit will be in danger of folding.

Rainbow Guides is the very first guiding organisation that little girls can join, and is for 5-7 year olds to attend before going on to Brownies. It is great fun for the girls and is a good way for them to get a bit of independence and social interaction away from nursery or school.

If you think you could help please register your interest via the guiding website. If you know others who may be interested in volunteering please pass this information on.

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The clash of profit-driven bus routes v local public service

Local man Barry Hutton, recently wrote a comment for ‘Local Transport Today‘ with the title “Bus services can be profitable, or policy tools, but not both”. Given the recent brouhaha on our buses in East Lothian we’re reproducing his piece below.

Detailed analysis of Your report that East Lothian Council is considering setting up an arms-length company to operate bus services to replace those being withdrawn by FirstBus hides fundamental discontinuities between government policy and transport planning practice that are far from being confined to East Lothian. The Scottish Government, in common with the English, has adopted policies on climate change, on reducing CO2, on reducing car traffic and on tackling congestion, policies which rest in large part upon greater use of public transport. Those policies are echoed in the statutory Lothians Structure Plan, in the East Lothian Local Plan and by the South-east Scotland Transport Partnership.

A major issue at the Public Inquiry into the East Lothian Local Plan was a proposal to build upwards of 750 houses on the western flank of Haddington, the administrative centre of East Lothian, about 25km to the east of Edinburgh. This would swell the town’s population of 8,800 by about 25% and generate around an extra 2,000 journey-to-work/school trips per day.

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East Lothian Bus Update: the 113 & 44 routes

The new 113 timetable is now available on the TraveLine website as timetable BAO113.pdf. It was temporarily down when checked today however.

Lothian Bus has started drip-feeding details of timetables to the Traveline website

It is believed the intention is to work the 113 route with single deckers based out of Marine garage, operated by a Lothian Buses subsidiary, East Lothian Buses.

There is an East Lothian Buses website detailing the timetables and fare structure for the new 113 route which runs to/from Pencaitland to the Western General Hospital starting 11th June. It assumes a travel time of about one hour and 15 minutes from Easter Pencaitland to George St.

There’s a leaflet you can view here [PDF]. Residents beyond Tranent will be charged a day ticket price of £5, with kids at £3. This is £1.50 and £1 more respectively than the equivalent costs to/from Tranent. For an additional 2 miles on the route this does seem disproportionate. On the plus side, East Lothian Buses day tickets are also valid on Lothian Bus routes and services.

The cheapest option is the East Lothian Bus Ridacard. Like the Lothian Bus version, it permits unlimited travel on Lothian Buses and the AIRLINK service. Assuming 261 workdays (Mon – Fri) the daily cost works out at just under £3.22. Full details on Ridacard costs for students and children can be found in the leaflet above.

The new Lothian Buses 44 timetable is also on the TraveLine site and says it serves Pencaitland but the detail so far omits stop locations out to the villages of Ormiston and Pencaitland. We understand that Lothian buses may still make further alterations to the final timetable that comes into force when the company takes over the route from First Bus in June.

As we learn more detail we will share it with you…

BUS SURVEY: Pencaitland has joined forces with Humbie, East & West Saltoun and Bolton, Gifford and Ormiston Community Councils to find out what you want from the bus service. Register your views online now.

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Pollingtons fine food van pulls a crowd

It seems that Michael Pollington’s Fine food and drink van is going down well with some members of the community. His van was spotted today near the Mercat Cross with a queue of people waiting to get served.

Pollingtons draws a crowd - click to visit his website

Look out for the mobile specialist in Wester Pencaitland each Thursday between 10am and Noon, close to the Mercat Cross and bus stop.

For a current product list visit the website at www.pollingtons.com where you can also email an order to have ready to collect upon arrival.’ Tel: 07411 432922 Email: info@pollingtons.com

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Check out the new Pencaitland Parents page

There’s a new Facebook page especially for mums, dads and extended friends and family living in or near Pencaitland and other nearby communities of Boggs Holdings, New Winton and Peastonbank / Glenkinchie.

Pencaitland Parents on Facebook - click to check it out

Called Pencaitland Parents it’s hoped that over time it will become a useful message board for parents with kids of all ages to share information on both school and non-school events and activities in and around the village and other communities in the immediate area.

Of course, not everyone likes (excuse the pun) using Facebook. For those not so keen on it, we recommend following Pencaitland Parent Council on Twitter.

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Drama club comes to Pencaitland

Local mum and teacher Natasha Phoenix is planning on bringing drama classes to Pencaitland later this year, aimed at kids from primary 2 to 7.

Natasha, who used to teach primary level children in Edinburgh, plans to start the drama club in the new school year, around September time, based out of Pencaitland’s Bowling Club.

Natasha Phoenix aims to bring a drama club to Pencaitland in the new school year.

As an experienced Primary School Teacher with expertise in the area of Emotional Health and Wellbeing and Expressive Arts, Natasha intends to deliver high-quality activities aimed at improving kid’s confidence, creativity, resilience, memory, goal setting and team work.

As she explains, “After trying to find a club for my own children, I was dismayed to find the extremely high cost coupled with a lack of appropriately qualified and experienced staff, completely put me off. As I have extensive experience in teaching Expressive Arts, Emotional Health and Wellbeing, alongside recent training in children’s Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Co-operative Learning, I decided to start up my own club. It will not just be drama but will also incorporate NLP, emotional literacy games and opportunities for children to learn practical techniques to manage the challenges of childhood such as bullying, fear of failure or just feeling left out.”

Costing £6 per session, kids will be in one of two classes depending on their school year. Provisionally set for a Tuesday, session 1 is aimed at children of Primary 2, 3 and 4 with classes running for one hour between 3.35 and 4.35pm. Session 2 is for older kids in Primary 5, 6 and 7, again for an hour between 4.35 and 5.35pm. A space for parents and early arrivals will be available throughout the sessions.

At this stage Natasha is keen to establish the level of interest. If you would like your child to be on the list please email her at natasha.phoenix@btinternet.com.

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Meeting reveals more details on East Lothian bus routes

A special meeting of the Association of East Lothian Community Councils (AELCC) devoted most of its agenda to discussing recent changes in the provision of public transport.

More details have emerged on what services will actually be in operation from June 2012.

Community Councils from across the county gathered in Haddington to hear from Ian Dalgleish, Manager of Transportation Services, that:

  • The 44B to Pencaitland is to be replaced by a 113 going a revised route Pencaitland – Ormiston – Western General.
  • The flat fare structure will not apply (contrary to what Paul McLennan said at the 2 May Public Meeting in Trevelyan Hall, Pencaitland).
  • The X13 Express service will be discontinued (again contrary to expectations).

Ian Dalgleish is waiting for details of timetables and fares, and these will be issued in a press release as soon as the details are known (He hopes early next week).

For the full report from Pencaitland Community Council’s representatives at the meeting click here [PDF].

Many thanks to Phil Summerfield for putting together the report.

BUS SURVEY: Pencaitland has joined forces with Humbie, East & West Saltoun and Bolton, Gifford and Ormiston Community Councils to find out what you want from the bus service. Register your views online now.

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Lothian buses spotted in dry run at Pencaitland terminus

Shortly before the local council elections the then council leader Paul McLennan confirmed to a packed village hall that Lothian buses would be taking over the Pencaitland/Ormiston route when First withdraws its service in early June.

Click for a bigger picture.

One of our eagle-eyed residents spotted Lothian buses carrying out a dry run to the terminus at the end of the village. Unfortunately, at this time we still have no details on the frequency of service Lothian buses is planning on the route.

Don’t forget that Pencaitland has joined forces with Humbie, East & West Saltoun and Bolton, Gifford and Ormiston Community Councils to find out what local people really want from their local bus services. You can register your views online by clicking here.

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News Notices

Lothian Buses users surgery at Fort Kinnaird, 24th May

With Lothian Buses due to take over the Pencaitland (via Ormiston) route from First in June, you may be interested to know that it is holding a bus users’ surgery at Fort Kinnaird on the 24th of May, between 10am and 3pm.

If you are a bus user here’s your chance to talk directly to the company and tell them your concerns or seek information about what’s planned for routes in East Lothian.

More information here

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Councillor Veitch named Cabinet Spokesperson for Transport & Roads

For many bus users the timing of the announcement of First Bus withdrawal of services could not have come at a worse moment. With council elections imminent it meant that there was no clear idea of who would be in charge of the transport portfolio after the elections.

Michael Veitch (CON) is now the Labour/Conservative administration's spokesperson on transport issues.
Thankfully this has now been resolved with the selection of councillor Michael Veitch (CON) as spokesperson for Transport and Roads in East Lothian.

Don’t forget that Pencaitland has joined forces with Humbie, East & West Saltoun and Bolton, Gifford and Ormiston Community Councils to find out what local people really want from their local bus services. You can register your views online by clicking here.

The survey results will be presented to East Lothian Council and its new Transport spokesperson, as well as the service providers, to help build a more efficient and effective bus network for local residents.

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