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ABOUT THE CITY About the City with Peter Bourhill Summer opening in Summer Place Powderhall Bronze Editions in Summer Place recently threw a par ty to celebrate its opening. www.powderhallbronzeeditions.co.uk Attention all horologists! The historic London Road clock has returned to its home at the top of Elm Row, after 15 years in storage and following full restoration, as par t of the Trams to Newhaven project. The clock began life on Waverley Bridge in 1857 and was moved to the West End in 1896 before finding a permanent home at the roundabout on London Road in 1955. The clock was removed in 2007 during the original tram project and is now being replaced as Trams to Newhaven nears completion. Specialist clockmakers Smith of Derby carefully restored the clock, priming and repainting all par ts, hand painting ornate features in gold and repairing the Coat of Arms of Edinburgh, including casting a new deer from aluminium. David Eustace, Lucy Caster, Kerry Hammond, Brian Caster, Andy McDougall and Phill Jupitus Fit for a King’s visit Museums & Galleries Edinburgh has rediscovered two key objects relating to the visit of King George IV to Edinburgh in 1822. While sor ting through stored items, curator Helen Edwards found two delicate silk rosettes (one with a silver saltire and thistle) and bearing the texts “Welcome to Scotland” and “Welcome” respectively. Helen saw the link with the famous royal visit, but some museum detective work was needed to find out more about these items, involving a trawl through decades of documents, inventories, lists and letters. It has now been established that these rosettes (or cockades) were worn by hundreds of gentlemen attending pageants or audiences with the King, but their fragility has meant few have survived. The rosettes now sit alongside items like a commemorative plaque, silver badges and lamps for illuminating houses, all indicating the huge effor t that was made to welcome the first reigning monarch to visit Edinburgh in nearly 200 years. Read all about George IV’s visit on pages 22-24 EdinburghLife September/October 2022 4

On your marks, get set…. go! After a closure of four and a half years, Meadowbank Sports Centre has now reopened after a £47m investment to create a state-ofthe-ar t community sports facility. Owned by The City of Edinburgh Council and managed by the charity Edinburgh Leisure, Meadowbank will support physical activity, sport, health and wellbeing in Edinburgh for generations to come, whilst also recognising the legacy and heritage of the old Meadowbank. The new venue supports accessible par ticipation and its facilities will cater for : outdoor and indoor athletics; squash; boxing; combat and martial ar ts - amongst many others. Plus, the improved indoor facilities include two multisport games halls with seating, three fitness studios and a gym with triple the number of exercise stations. For full facilities details including opening times and membership rates, visit: www.edinburghleisure.co.uk (Photo: Chris Watt Photography) A titan of the arts Professor Richard Demarco CBE, one of Scotland’s most influential advocates of the use of all the ar ts as an essential element in teaching on primary, secondary and ter tiar y levels of education, has been inducted as an Honorary Member of the Saltire Society. Dolina MacLennan, cultural campaigner, actor and Vice Convener of the Saltire Society, hosted a reception for Richard which saw a score of ar tists, creatives and peers speak of the impact he has had across the many facets of Scottish and international culture. On receiving his Honorary Membership, Richard said: “I have been in the world of the Saltire Society for the last 50 years. The Saltire Society is the very beating heart of Scotland and I therefore feel par t of that beating heart by being an Honorary Member.” Richard Demarco joins a growing list of honorary members which includes Dame Elizabeth Blackadder, Professor Peter Higgs and Dr Ann Matheson – all distinguished contributors to the cultural landscape of Scotland. www.saltiresociety.org.uk VHS tree for the Jubilee Lieutenant Colonel Richard Callander LVO OBE TD, immediate past-Chairman of Veterans Housing Scotland (VHS) joined current VHS Chairman Group Captain Bob Kemp CBE QVRM AE DL to plant a tree celebrating the Queen’s Jubilee, at the VHS community in Penicuik. Richard Callander, who is also Lord-Lieutenant for Midlothian, said: “During my thir ty years working with Veterans Housing Scotland - ten as Chairman - we have helped a great many veterans and their families. It is a huge honour to be invited to plant one of the more than one million trees, known collectively as the Queen’s Green Canopy, each one acknowledging Her Majesty’s seventy years of service.” Bob Kemp continued: “VHS is privileged to have enjoyed royal patronage since its inception in 1915. Our history boasts Her Majesty, her father and grandfather as our patron, all of whom have planted trees for us in the past. As Lord Lieutenant, Richard is the Queen’s representative in Midlothian, and VHS is delighted to welcome him back to help recognise the Platinum Jubilee. www.vhscot.org.uk Read about VHS’s Edinburgh roots in the January/February 2022 issue of Edinburgh Life ABOUT THE CITY Dolina MacLennan and Professor Richard Demarco Lieutenant Colonel Richard Callander and Group Captain Bob Kemp September/October 2022 EdinburghLife 5

Page Text

ABOUT THE CITY

About the City with

Peter Bourhill

Summer opening in Summer Place Powderhall Bronze Editions in Summer Place recently threw a par ty to celebrate its opening. www.powderhallbronzeeditions.co.uk

Attention all horologists! The historic London Road clock has returned to its home at the top of Elm Row, after 15 years in storage and following full restoration, as par t of the Trams to Newhaven project. The clock began life on Waverley Bridge in 1857 and was moved to the West End in 1896 before finding a permanent home at the roundabout on London Road in 1955. The clock was removed in 2007 during the original tram project and is now being replaced as Trams to Newhaven nears completion. Specialist clockmakers Smith of Derby carefully restored the clock, priming and repainting all par ts, hand painting ornate features in gold and repairing the Coat of Arms of Edinburgh, including casting a new deer from aluminium.

David Eustace, Lucy Caster, Kerry Hammond, Brian Caster, Andy McDougall and Phill Jupitus

Fit for a King’s visit

Museums & Galleries Edinburgh has rediscovered two key objects relating to the visit of King George IV to Edinburgh in 1822. While sor ting through stored items, curator Helen Edwards found two delicate silk rosettes (one with a silver saltire and thistle) and bearing the texts “Welcome to Scotland” and “Welcome” respectively. Helen saw the link with the famous royal visit, but some museum detective work was needed to find out more about these items, involving a trawl through decades of documents, inventories, lists and letters.

It has now been established that these rosettes (or cockades) were worn by hundreds of gentlemen attending pageants or audiences with the King, but their fragility has meant few have survived. The rosettes now sit alongside items like a commemorative plaque, silver badges and lamps for illuminating houses, all indicating the huge effor t that was made to welcome the first reigning monarch to visit Edinburgh in nearly 200 years. Read all about George IV’s visit on pages 22-24

EdinburghLife September/October 2022 4

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