After over seven years with no scouts presence in Pencaitland the new investiture of a Cub Pack for the village was celebrated by kids and parents alike in Trevelyan Hall.
South East Scotland Scouts has been working closely with local parent volunteers over recent months to help see this day become a reality. For further information about Pencaitland Scouts or to add your son or daughter to the waiting list visit this page. The new Cubs receive their neckers and membership badges. Click above for more photos.
See all the photos in a Flickr Slideshow here.
Pencaitland’s new Scout Pack is part of the South East Region of Scottish Scouting which only came into existence in 2008. The emphasis in the Region is to give local Districts more scope to plan and deliver programme support for young people and adults involved in the Scouting movement.
Pencaitland Community reps attended a Winton House workshop looking at how the county should look in the future. The top message was fast rural broadband.
A powerful theme throughout the gathering and echoed by all was that fast, effective and reliable broadband in rural parts of the county is absolutely critical to maintaining a competitive future for the county.
Below we have reproduced the press release that came out of this meeting.
Divided into a number of round-table groups, each highlighted the critical role that fast broadband infrastructure will play in a successful future for rural East Lothian.PRESS RELEASE: Communities, landowners and businesses based in the East Lothian countryside are being encouraged to contribute their views to the new Local Development Plan. To encourage debate and contributions, a ‘Rural Voice’ workshop was jointly organised last week by East Lothian
Council and Chalmers & Co, the Haddington based surveyors and architects.
The Council and Chalmers & Co have a shared interest in ‘shaping the countryside’ in East Lothian to ensure that its communities thrive as a place to work and play.
The forum brought together a wide-ranging rural voice of around 40 landowners, farmers, countryside businesses, community groups and government organisations at Winton House. Facilitated by Nick Wright and Richard Heggie of Urban Animation, they explored what that thriving countryside might look like in 10 to 15 years time, and how changes to planning rules could help that vision become real.
If the recent Hooked on Books Week wasn’t enough, local libraries are joining in Book Week Scotland, starting today. It’s the first national week celebrating books and reading.
Book Week Scotland runs from 26 Nov to 2 Dec with free events in many East Lothian libraries.Book Week Scotland runs from the 26th of November to the 2nd December providing a schedule of free events aimed at getting as many as possible to participate in reading for fun, regardless of a person’s reading skills.
As part of the week East Lothian libraries are hosting a range of events including author visits, teenage book groups, creative writing discussions, songs, poetry, arts and crafts, as well as kid’s and family events.
The ‘Reading hour’, taking place at 11am on 30 November, will be held across Scotland as a focus for Book Week Scotland. Library visitors can pick up a free book ‘My Favourite Places’ which is the result of a collaboration between BBC Scotland and the Scottish Book Trust. Together they invited everyone to think about their favourite place in Scotland, consider what makes it special and to then write a story, poem, song lyric, letter or sketch about it. The winning entries are featured in the book.
All East Lothian libraries, except Ormiston and Wallyford, will be taking part in the Reading Hour. There will be reading champions in each library to try and make sure everyone goes away with something they’d like to read; mystery books; poetry readings and much more.
So choose a library and join in the fun!
On Saturday, 1 December there will be a Readers’ Day in the John Gray Centre, Haddington. Alistair Moffat, director of Lennoxlove and Borders book festivals, will be discussing a project he’s been working on – Scotland’s Ancestral DNA. Marie Macpherson’s debut novel ‘First blast of the trumpet’ explores the early life of John Knox and features many places around East Lothian. Peter Kerr’s ‘Song of the Eight Winds’ is a tale of 13th century Mallorca.
There will also be a literary ‘pub quiz’, book swap, tour of the museum and musical entertainment. This is a ticketed event of £7.50 plus refreshments and a buffet. Full details of the complete programme and how to book where appropriate is on ELC’s website.
About Book Week Scotland
Book Week Scotland is being delivered on behalf of Creative Scotland by Scottish Book Trust, the leading agency for the promotion of literature, reading and writing in Scotland. It develops innovative projects to encourage adults and children to read and write; funds a variety of literature events and promotes Scottish writing to millions of people worldwide.
We’ve received notice of a new flood alert from Scotish Environment Protection Agency covering East Lothian.
A new flood alert for the Lothians was issued“A spell of wet and windy weather is expected throughout the region on Thursday. There is a risk of surface water flooding in built up areas and on the road network. There is also a risk of flooding from rivers and small watercourses. SEPA will continue to monitor the situation and further updates will be issued as necessary. The worst of the rain is expected to clear by Thursday evening.”
Keep your community informed
If you have to travel and spot a dangerous 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.
Example Twitter message:
@pencaitlandcc Bend of A6093 coming into Wester #Pencaitland water over both lanes on final bend. #flood #eastlothian
You can use the same text whether sending to Twitter or posting to Facebook or Google+… whichever you prefer.
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 areas under water around in the county. Try to be specific, using, for example, #ormiston or #pencaitland hash tags to help geographically pinpoint where the problem is.
The No. 113 bus, run by a wholly owned subsidiary of Lothian Buses, is set to introduce a new timetable from the end of October.
Come the end of October a new bus timetable is being introduced on the 113 route to/from PencaitlandComing into operation on Sunday 28 October, the effect will be immediate. The entire Sunday timetable is to be changed.
It will still be an hourly service but leaving Pencaitland at 52 minutes past the hour rather than the current 40 minutes past. On the 113’s return route from the Western General Hospital it will depart at 27 minutes past the hour instead of 9 minutes past. All Sunday bus users will need to check because there are other detailed changes too.
The most significant change will be an extra early morning departure at 6am from Pencaitland from Monday to Friday.
The existing first service will be re-timed from 6.35am to 6.30am, with the 7am and 7.25am departures staying as they are, thus making a 30 min interval business service. The evening services back from Edinburgh are more or less unchanged but with the irregular gaps around 8.20pm evened out. However, there are important differences in the detail. In the early evening buses will continue to and from the Western General Hospital for an extra hour, after which buses will use the West End; most likely Charlotte Square rather than Hanover Street as the city Centre terminus.
For the bus enthusiasts out there, the Double Deckers are to be replaced by new Singles (photo)with additional seats on the Musselburgh to Edinburgh section provided by extra No. 44s to relieve the pressure on the Singles.
Our thanks to Barry Hutton for providing the information in this update.
East Lothian Council regularly calls for applications to each new round of its Civic Pride Fund. Applications are now being sought for new funding requests.
Applications from local community groups are sought to ELC’s Civic Pride Fund by 30 Nov 2012.East Lothian Council established the Civic Pride Fund in order to support projects that will improve the image of a town, village or local community, give it a sense of place and make it somewhere that local residents and visitors can be proud of.
Projects need to demonstrate community support and involvement and deliver two or more of the following criteria:
Make a material difference to the appearance of the town, village or local community
Enhance the natural setting and biodiversity of the open space in and around your local area
Celebrate something special or unique about the town, village or local community
Give the town, village or local community area a sense of place or identity
Locally Pencaitland Parish Church was a recent beneficiary, receiving £2,100 towards repairs to the church’s buildings. The grant from the Council’s Civic Pride Fund was used to repair the bowed leaded windows and cracked window panes to help keep the Grade A listed church weather tight. As Minister David Torrance said at the time of the award, “Through the centuries, the Church has stood as a symbol of faith and hope, serving families, groups and individuals in the local community, so maintaining the building is very important. We are pleased that this has been recognised by the Civic Pride Fund”.
Other awards around East Lothian have gone towards park improvements, plantings, renovation of local monuments, Village Hall improvements, new public seating, public sculpture and floodlights to name a few.
How to Apply
To apply to the fund applicants need to be properly constituted community groups, local heritage groups and voluntary organisations. The £50,000 Civic Pride Fund’s closing date for this funding round is 30 November 2012 with grants of up to a maximum of £20,000 potentially being awarded. Any requests for £5,000 or more require matched funding from a source other than the ELC. A copy of the application form can be found here.
Applications should be sent to:
Landscape & Countryside Manager
East Lothian Council
John Muir House
Brewery Park
Haddington
EH41 4HA
Want advice?
Do you have a community group project or idea in Pencaitland, New Winton or Glenkinchie which would benefit from financial support from the Civic Pride Fund? If you would like to discuss this with a member of your Community Council you can email website@pencaitland.org with your contact details and we will get in touch to help you develop your idea.
It’s just a few days since the last alert was issued and we already have a new one covering Edinburgh and the Lothians. Avoid travel wherever possible.
A new floodline alert for the Lothians was issued on the 17th October 2012The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency issues three levels of threat on flooding. A ‘Flood Alert’ is the most basic, followed by a ‘Flood Warning’ and finally a ‘Severe Flood Warning’.
Here’s the latest from SEPA on the new alert for the Lothians:
“Heavy and persistent rain during the first half of Wednesday has caused some rivers to rise in the region. Heavy showers during the afternoon and evening may cause some smaller watercourses to respond quickly and levels in larger rivers to rise further. Isolated instances of flooding are possible and flood warnings may be issued. Particularly at risk are rivers in the Edinburgh area. High river flows, in combination with high tide levels around 4.30 on Thursday morning, could cause disruption in Musselburgh and other areas where the tide can influence river levels. Intense showers could cause some surface water flooding impacts particularly if the heaviest rain falls in urban areas and on impermeable surfaces, such as the road and rail network. Ponding and standing water may occur in low lying areas. The risk of flooding is expected to extend into Thursday. Members of the public are advised to check the Traffic Scotland website before traveling. SEPA will monitor the situation closely and provide further information when available.
Remain vigilant and remember, it is your responsibility to take actions which help protect yourself and your property. Advice and information is available through Floodline on 0845 9881188. This FLOOD ALERT is now in force until further notice and was sent by phone and sms free of charge to registered customers of our Floodline direct warning service. If you haven’t already signed up to receive free flood messages, please call Floodline or register online at sepa.org.uk/floodingsignup.”
Keep your community informed
If you have to travel and spot a dangerous 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.
Example Twitter message:
@pencaitlandcc Bend of A6093 coming into Wester #Pencaitland water over both lanes on final bend. #flood #eastlothian
You can use the same text whether sending to Twitter or posting to Facebook or Google+… whichever you prefer.
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 areas under water around in the county. Try to be specific, using, for example, #ormiston or #pencaitland hash tags to help geographically pinpoint where the problem is.
After Blueflint played in Haddington’s new John Gray Centre, the second of three live acoustic gigs is set to take place on 26th October with Paul Gilbody.
Paul Gilbody plays The Front Room in Haddington on 26th October from 7pm
Known as The Front Room, the events have been organised with Lamp House Music. The first evening was a sell-out and it is expected the second with Paul Gilbody will be just as popular.
Paul Gilbody is a Belfast-born, Edinburgh-based singer-songwriter who has worked with the likes of KT Tunstall, Tom Jones and Horse and is now concentrating on his own career. He has an abundance of skills including double bass, guitar, beatboxing and pedal-looping.
The Front Room provides an opportunity to catch this highly regarded, multi-talented musician perform his catchy, melodic and chilled-out tunes starting at 7pm on the 26th. The event takes place in the centre’s Star Room, made to resemble a cosy front room with clever use of cardboard artwork created by artists Vic Macrae and Neil Ogg.
Tickets are £8 from the John Gray Centre (01620 820680) or Lamp House Music (01620 825630) and on the door, subject to availability. The bar opens at 7pm, first band 7.30pm
The Front Room is a collaboration between East Lothian Council and Lamp House Music. Also involved are Jewel & Esk College, whose students will oversee the sound production at the event. ELJAM and the Haddington Music Initiative are supporting the gigs and selecting an East Lothian youth support act to perform a short set each evening.
Want to hear more? You can listen to more tracks on Paul’s SoundCloud page.
About Lamp House Music
Lamp House Music opened in April 2012. Based in an original Victorian railway building – ‘The Lamp House’ is set in Station Yard, Hospital Road, Haddington, offering rehearsal rooms for musicians and bands. These rooms have been soundproofed and acoustically engineered and are now light, clean and modern practice environments. Rooms are open seven days a week and are available to hire by the hour. They come fully equipped with new, top spec equipment. Lamp House Music lessons are fun, friendly and affordable, available in a variety of instruments for both children and adults. Fully experienced and qualified tutors are available for one-to-one tuition and class-style lessons, which include guitar, drums, vocals and keyboards. Lamp House Music have run two very successful children’s Summer Schools and will be holding an Autumn School during the October school holiday.
We have recent video of flooding in Pencaitland plus fresh reports that further floods may occur 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.
LOTHIANS FLOOD ALERT
Here’s the latest from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency:
“A FLOOD ALERT has been issued for Edinburgh and Lothians.
A period of heavy and persistent rain is forecast to affect the area on Thursday through until Friday. Flooding to low lying areas from rivers and small watercourses is possible. The intensity of the rain may also cause some surface water flooding, particularly in built up areas or on low lying roads. SEPA will continue to monitor the situation and further updates will be provided when new information becomes available.”
More heavy rain was predicted over night and we got it. So much so, that the notorious final bends into the western edge of the village of Pencaitland were already half flooded with run off from the neighbouring field. (Can’t see the video below? Go to Pencaitland Community on YouTube.)
We recently saw the Tyne burst its banks at Pencaitland and it’s done it again today. But the problems will be more acute for Haddington further downstream which already suffered flooding during the last heavy downpour. (Can’t see the video below? Go to Pencaitland Community on YouTube.)
Check out the latest events and activities across the county in the October to December issue of East Lothian’s Arts News.
The October to December issue or Art News. View the PDF version by clicking here.Arts News is East Lothian’s guide to many arts events and activities that are on offer across the county.
East Lothian Council Museums are also hosting a range of events and activities throughout this month including ideas for families during the October break.
In this 20 page issue you can find out more about East Lothian’s celebrations for St Andrew’s Day; what’s on at the Lennoxlove Book Festival; how Scottish tenor Martin Aelred is making money for Mary’s Meals; and how the Arts Service has been supporting visual artists and craftmakers.
There is a particularly useful and quite extensive directory of local events, concerts, gigs and performances, plus details of arts and craft, creative writing, dance, drama, music and song classes, groups and clubs that are taking place.
You can pick up a hard copy from Brunton Theatre or various East Lothian Council buildings including libraries and community centres.
