Tag: East Lothian

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Events News

Rare plant sale set for this Saturday

Long time amateur garden enthusiast and writer Sheila Averbuch is holding her second ever plant sale this weekend in aid of rare disease research.

The sale takes place this Saturday from 10am to 1pm in the garden of Mercat Cottage - access the garden via the drive next to the bus stop taking the left path.
The sale takes place this Saturday from 10am to 1pm in the garden of Mercat Cottage – access the garden via the drive next to the bus stop taking the left path.
Also a gardening blogger under the moniker ‘The Stopwatch Gardener’ (www.stopwatchgardener.com), Sheila is holding the sale just outside Edinburgh in her own garden at Mercat Cottage in Pencaitland (opposite the Spar Shop) this Saturday, May 24th between 10am and 1pm, offering plants from some of Britain’s favourite nurseries.

Following the success of the first Rare Plants for Rare Disease Research fundraiser in 2012, the event on 24 May will again dedicate all profits to the Advocacy for Neuroacanthocytosis Patients (www.naadvocacy.org). The Advocacy is a registered charity which sponsors research into this extremely rare neurological disorder, which may one day shed light on other neuro-degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s, Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s.

As Sheila explains, “Like other families affected by rare disease, my friends Ginger and Glenn Irvine are helping fund their own research into the ultra-rare disease that affects their daughter Alex. Plant enthusiasts are often keen collectors of rarities, and I thought a sale of unusual plants would be a good way to raise funds and awareness. Coming at the end of Chelsea week, the sale is a great way to celebrate the season and support an important cause.”

Tea, Coffee & chat

There will also be a selection of home baking and hot drinks on offer whilst visitors take the weight off their feet. All the baking on offer comes from the generous support of local volunteers.

Macplants, Binny Plants, Beth Chatto Gardens, Crug Farm, David Austin Roses and Kevock Gardens support

Donations of plants have already been received from both internationally renowned plants growers as well as strong local support and Frank Kirwan of Humbie Dean, the organiser of East Lothian Garden Trail.


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News

Pencaitland Community Council proposes road safety measures to ELC

Last year ELC’s Transport team provided the community with drawings suggesting a number of road safety changes. Your Community Council wants to hear your views before a response is sent.

An alternative roundabout layout at the eastern entrance to Pencaitland would avoid relocating the war memorial. For details of other provisional recommendations click here.
An alternative roundabout layout at the eastern entrance to Pencaitland would avoid relocating the war memorial. For details of other provisional recommendations click here.
In July last year, after a request from Pencaitland’s Community Council for joined up thinking on how to improve overall road safety across the village, ELC’s transport team responded with drawings outlining a number of ideas. You can see those original plans and what was proposed by clicking here.

In response to these suggestions the Community Council set up a Roads Working Group (RWG) to review the thoughts and comments of local people which have come via this website, social media and through word of mouth.

The Roads Working Group now has a provisional response to the ELC’s initial plans which it is ready to share with you (see map below), before a final set of recommendations is sent to ELC Transport for consideration.

These include:

  • A roundabout at the eastern entrance to Pencaitland to replace the current crossroads. The RWG agrees that this is a good idea but could be achieved without moving the War Memorial to a different location, as originally suggested in ELC’s plans.
  • Road narrowing on the A6093 inside Pencaitland. The RWG believes this is unwise in light of the need for parking which already acts to slow traffic. Instead it is seeking the introduction of a painted cycle lane would achieve the same ends and benefit all concerned, at much less cost and disruption.
  • Further restrictions on speeds should be considered in areas where there are large numbers of kids/pedestrians, in some cases (such as the B6363 through Boggs Holdings) with no pavements for a measure of protection from road vehicles.

Please share this information with your neighbours, especially those who are not comfortable using the web, and encourage everyone who has an interest in road issues around Pencaitland to send us feedback. Tell us your views via email to website@pencaitland.org, by replying below in the comments or simply leaving your views in a dedicated comments box that will shortly be found in the local Pencaitland Post Office.

What is the Roads Working Group proposing to ELC?

The issues surrounding traffic and pedestrian safety can be best summarised visually with the map below. Click the blue lines on roads or the markers to see details of what the RWG is planning to send to ELC. Whether you agree or disagree we want to know. Equally, if there are issues that you believe have not been picked up by the RWG please inform us.

If you find it too difficult viewing the map below, you can view a larger version by clicking this link: Pencaitland road traffic calming measures.


View Pencaitland road traffic calming measures in a larger map

A printed copy of the map and a list of the proposed responses to ELC Transport’s original suggestions will also be available for review at the Pencaitland Post Office.


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News

Summer holidays are coming… what activities to do with the kids?

With schools set to hit the summer holidays in a few weeks you can’t leave it any longer to put together a programme of activities to keep the kids occupied and entertained.

East Lothian Summer Activities Programme 2013
You can view the summer programme online or download a copy here.
East Lothian Council has now released its activities programme so that you can see what’s on and where it’s based. There’s plenty to choose – from Archaeology to 3D animation, surfing to mystery museums trail.

The 2013 East Lothian Council Summer Activities Programme lists hundreds of classes, courses, projects, fun and games for youngsters from pre-school age up to teens.

The Summer Activities Programme gives kids the pick of hundreds of activities from sport to arts, story telling to rock climbing and even gorge walking.

Activities run throughout the summer and cover both indoor and outdoor events so, whatever the weather, there is something on offer. Many activities are free or have a modest charge. Some require to be booked in advance, so check the programme carefully.

Copies of the free programme have been distributed to all East Lothian schools and further copies are also available at local libraries and sports centres. Alternatively you can view it online or download a copy here.

Midlothian Programme

If you live reasonably close to Midlothian then you might also be interested in the programme of activities being offered there. You can view Midlothian’s programme here. Dalkeith Community Campus is one of the closest venues and about the same distance from Pencaitland as the Aubigny Centre in Haddington.


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News

Expect significant disruption from showers later this afternoon & evening

This afternoon will see heavy and isolated quite intense showers develop across East Lothian. These are expected to start after lunchtime and continue into the early evening.

A new flood alert for the lothians was issued
A new flood alert for the Lothians was issued
These showers may lead to some minor surface water problems and could lead to travel disruption and ponding of lying water in known trouble spots.

Due to the intensity and local nature of the showers smaller watercourses may see some flooding issues.

According to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency people should, “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”.

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.


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News

Marie Curie lunch in memory of Daz Hack raises much needed funds

A lunch was held on Saturday 13th April in the Carriage House in memory of Darren Hack to help raise funds for Marie Curie.

The team who helped make the Marie Curie fundraising lunch such a success, raising £1,310. Click the photo for a larger image.
The team who helped make the Marie Curie fundraising lunch such a success, raising £1,310. Click the photo for a larger image.
The lunch was a huge success and the amazing amount of £1,310 was raised to help support the invaluable work of Marie Curie. Margaret and Avril were delighted with all the support they received which enabled their lunch to be such a success. They would like to thank all their wonderful helpers who gave up their time, rolled up their sleeves and worked very hard. They could not have managed without them.

They would also like to thank everyone for their kind donations which helped raise so much money. They hope that everyone who came along on the day enjoyed their lunch and cakes and wish to thank them very much for their support.

The team of helpers were- Doris Jaworska and her son Paul, Jane Rae, Elma Forrest, Alwynne Cowan, Susan Brunton and her daughters Fraya and Kirstin, Fran Dougherty, Emma Hack and her daughter Aimee, Gary Cairns, Catherine Beveridge, Sharon Large, Pat and Charlie Slight (all the way from Canada).

Donations were given from:

  • Mari Ewart from the Village shop (rolls)
  • Kaz Anderson (crafts)
  • Emma Hack and Gilly Sprott (hair clips and brooches)
  • Marion Sinclair (doll for the raffle)
  • Erin Dougherty (chocolate house)
  • The Local Community Shop in Ormiston (fruit basket)
  • Mrs Spence and her friends from Inverness (knitting)
  • Plus the army of fantastic cake makers


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News Photos

ELC upgrades speed signs entering Wester Pencaitland

East Lothian Council’s transport team have almost finished making upgrades to signage coming in and out of Wester Pencaitland.

The 30mph speed signs have moved out from the start of Wester Pencaitland to try to reduce cars entering the village over the speed limit. Speed is an issue here as there is little room for error with cars parking on one side effectively making the road a single lane.
The 30mph speed signs have moved out from the start of Wester Pencaitland to try to reduce cars entering the village over the speed limit. Speed is an issue here as there is little room for error with cars parking on one side effectively making the road a single lane.

As part of the upgrade to signage there are also plans to add three sets of yellow rumble strips before reaching the newly installed 30mph signs. This gives cars and their drivers notice that they are coming to a slower section of road.

This is part of wider plans, some of which are still under discussion, to improve road safety throughout the village. The main road through Pencaitland is also due to be resurfaced, most likely later this year.


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News

ELC’s 2013 Civic Pride Fund offers £20k to local groups

East Lothian Council regularly calls for applications to each new round of its Civic Pride Fund. Applications are now being sought for 2013 funding.

Applications from local community groups are sought to ELC's Civic Pride Fund by 30 Nov 2012
Applications from local community groups are sought to ELC’s Civic Pride Fund by 31 March 2013.
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 31 March 2013 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.


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News

Pencaitland’s Richmond’s Hope charity fundraiser raises £4,794.50

The final tally on last Saturday’s fundraiser for kid’s bereavement charity Richmond’s Hope came to £4,794.50

Update

A letter from Emma Hack from Monday 4th March 2013

“Dear everyone

I can’t begin to tell you how touched I am by everyone’s support and generosity. I hope (and think!) that those of you who were there last Saturday night had a really enjoyable evening, I certainly haven’t laughed as much in a long time! There were a lot of very special people who all worked very hard to make the event happen, so Jim and Lynn Fraser, Scott and Lydia MacDonald, Stella and Derek Birrell, Caroline Wolfe Murray, Shirley Hamilton, Christine Galvin, Natasha Ingram-Phoenix, Amy Baillie, The Domestics, Ray & Charlie and everyone who donated food and homebaking – a HUGE thank you for being so generous with your time, skills and support x.

So the part that everyone has been waiting for, we have managed to raise an absolutely amazing £5395.00 for Richmond’s Hope. That will enable Aimée and another 8 children from East Lothian to receive the help they really need following a bereavement, as well as having a bit left over to help towards the cost of the activities they do.

Can I also put a shout out on Richmond’s Hope behalf – they are looking for pasta bake type jars to use for the children to make memory jars out of. If you have any you were going to put into recycling I can pick up and take into Richmond’s Hope.”

You can see more photos of the event by clicking on the image below.

The charity Richmond's Hope specialises in helping kids cope with the loss of a parent. Money raised will help kids from East Lothian receive counselling.
The charity Richmond’s Hope specialises in helping kids cope with the loss of a parent. Money raised will help kids from East Lothian receive counselling.

Or just view them right here…


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News

Great night for Richmond’s Hope raises £4000

A fundraiser was held at Pencaitland Bowling Club on Saturday the 23rd, raising around £4000 for child bereavement charity Richmond’s Hope.

Judge Natasha Phoenix measures up the competition with a ruler to work out which coin made it closest to the bottle. Click the photo for more pictures.
Judge Natasha Phoenix measures up the competition with a ruler to work out which coin made it closest to the bottle. Click the photo for more pictures.
When someone has died Scottish charity Richmond’s Hope is a place where children and young people can explore their feelings and emotions in order to find ways of coping with the loss.

Unfortunately the charity, which receives support funding for places for bereaved kids in Edinburgh and Midlothian, receives nothing from East Lothian Council despite past requests. The money raised yesterday will help bereaved kids from the county to receive counselling they would otherwise be unable to access.

The cash was raised through a combination of ticket sales for last night’s event and a range of raffles, auction prizes and a coin toss. Fundraising culminated in a ‘slave’ auction where willing local volunteers offered their expertise as a prize to the winning bidder.

Music came in the form of singer-songwriter Amy Baillie and local (one-time?) band The Domestics.

Expertly compering the evening’s activities was Pencaitland’s Jim Fraser who all agreed did an excellent job and helped make the event all the more entertaining. Jim is available for births, deaths, bar mitzvahs and funerals but only on the 29th of February during leap years.

We have a selection of snaps from the evening which you can view here or just below.

UPDATE: Mon 25th Feb 2013

The final tally on all the funds raised at the Saturday event has come in at £4,794.50.


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News

Event: Google+ for SMEs @ East Lothian Coffee Morning

Do you run a business in East Lothian? Each month the East Lothian Coffee Morning runs a session focusing on how to effectively use web technologies to promote your business. This month it’s looking at Google+.

Businesses can set up their own Google+ pages though they look and behave very differently to Facebook.
Businesses can set up their own Google+ pages though they look and behave very differently to Facebook.
The East Lothian Coffee Morning (ELCM) is a free and informal networking group that was originally set up to help local companies understand how they can get more business by using the Internet. It’s a mix of networking with other business people, presentations, workshops and case studies.

Google+ is Google’s competition to Facebook and Twitter and it has been steadily gaining ground. It has over 500 million members and is growing but what exactly is it and how important is it to small businesses in East Lothian? This month ELCM is taking a look at what exactly Google+ is, what the main features are and how we can use it to help promote our business online.

This month it takes place at The Golf Inn, Main Street, Gullane. As always, there will be informal networking over tea and coffee (for purchase) between 8am and 9am with the presentation beginning at 9am.

The event is free to attend though to avoid disappointment you should register if you intend to go.

USEFUL RESOURCES

East Lothian Coffee Mornings (eBusiness Group)
ELCM on Facebook
Event details on Eventbrite