Porty Podcast

The dark nights of 2020 were enlivened by the brilliant pictures and illustrations people put up for the first Window Wanderland. The event just before Christmas helped us cope with the restrictions of lockdown. This year it’s back but moved to the first weekend of March to remind us all that longer nights and better weather are on their way. 

It’s been over six months since the community took over control of Portobello Town Hall. Inside, it’s now strikingly different from what had been before - it now looks quite vibrant and fresh and there’s an air of excitement because of the activity held there. Outside in the grounds that surround the Hall, it’s a different story - and, next weekend, you’ll have the chance to share your views on what should be done.

Belly dancing is synonymous with the Middle East. Some of remember films from the 50s and 60s which feature these exotic looking dancers. However, belly dancing has attracted followers all over the world, not least here in Scotland. Tonight, you can see it in action at Bellfield in the first of seven such events to be held there this year. Called The Rose Hafla, it’s a showcase of Scottish belly dancing. https://www.rosesunderthemoon.com/Royalty free music from SmartsoundAlbum: Across Borders Track: Belly Dance - Fire

Just over three months ago, Storm Babet caused considerable damage across the East of Scotland. Although Portobello was sheltered from the worst effects of the storm to a certain extent, we still saw large swathes of the beach swept away, groynes left at crooked angles and damage done to the sea wall and Prom. At the time, local Councillor Tim Jones was the nominated spokesman to represent the Council and was shocked by what he saw. Over the past few weeks, officials and others have had time to assess what needs to be done. In this episode, Tim Jones again spoke to David Calder.

What did you do in lockdown? Well, one Porty couple set about starting their own TV show called Moreish TV. At first, it was found on YouTube but its growing popularity meant that it attracted attention not just from up and coming stars from a whole range of different media but from ever more interesting, important and influential streaming platforms. Today, it can be found on Apple TV giving it all the kudos and credibility its founders could have wished for.

Over the past few days, we’ve heard reports that, for instance, Portobello Swim Centre could be earmarked for closure. That was followed a statement from Edinburgh Leisure which insisted there had been misleading media articles regarding venue closures. The very idea that a major Porty facility could be under threat was enough to get many members of the community getting ready to take action. David Calder caught up with June Peebles, the retiring chief executive of Edinburgh Leisure to try and get some clarity about the situation.

It’s just over six months since Tills and Company arrived in Portobello High Street. It’s more than just a second-hand bookshop, but a place where you can meet friends over a coffee or spend time reading or quietly meditating. It’s taken a while to reach the management for an interview to find out more about this business – but in this episode, I finally met up with Joshua McNamara and Amanda Dever.

Panto is back at Portobello Town Hall! Oh no it isn’t! Oh yes it certainly is! The new production of Cinderella is brought to us by Stage Door Entertainment, the same company that produced the highly successful ‘Oliver’ last month. Rehearsals are now under way in the Town Hall itself and the show opens on the 8th of December.To buy tickets, click here: https://www.stagedoorentertainment.co.uk/

Over the past quarter of a century, a group of men, aged between 65 and 100, have been taking on a labour of love to recreate a unique piece of aviation history – building from scratch a replica of the WW1 fighter, the Sopwith Strutter. Today, it’s the only one of its type flying in the world. The project has been described as a "Men's Shed On Steroids" and has given the members of the group a real sense of purpose. It also provided an opportunity for a young woman to fulfil the dreams of women from a century ago. They had been banned from flying such aircraft. Local journalist Jean West has been involved with the project for a long time and is part of a team looking to make a documentary about it. They have set up a crowd funding campaign but time is running out.To find out more or contribute, please click here: https://tinyurl.com/38xc7msm

There are several blue or black plaques to famous men in Portobello – from Hugh Miller to William Russell Flint to Harry Lauder. However, there’s only one to a woman – Helen Hopekirk, a talented musician who was born here, emigrated to America and was celebrated in her day as a composer and concert pianist. But surely she was not alone. Last month during the Book Festival, a tour was organised of the places where famous women of our community once lived. The organisers wanted to tell the Herstory of Portobello. If you want to listen to the lecture and songs click here: https://www.loc.gov/item/2021689569/Presenter: James WintleSinger: Jennifer Wintle Pianist: Joy SchreierPicture of Helen Hopekirk

When graffiti appears in Porty, a small band of people from Keep Porty Tidy are on hand to remove it. This small group also carry out gardening in public spaces around our community and well as keeping the benches in the public parks looking fresh and new. In today’s episode, we meet two of them – Colin Cornwall and Chris Cowie.

It was quite a shock to discover just how much sand had been stripped from Porty Beach after Storm Babet had passed through. The damage done was the main topic of conversation at this week’s meeting of Portobello Community Council. There are lots of questions that still have to be answered – exactly how much damage has there been, how will it be fixed, how can we bring back the lost sand and how much will all this cost. 

It will soon be Halloween. In the imagination of some, it’s a time of witches, warlocks and things that go bump in the night. For others, it’s a time when children go guising in the streets offering (to use the American expression) tricks or treats. But it’s also the time when a new production starts its tour around Scotland. It’s called Tales from the Witches Sabbath and you can see it at Bellfield next Saturday. You can buy tickets by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/vkca9zy8

Life is definitely returning to Portobello Town Hall. There’s a fund raising ceilidh at the end of the month. There’s a production of the musical ‘Oliver’ coming early in November, And yes, there will be a panto this year –Cinderella – which will run from the end of November right through to the end of the year. Tickets are available for all three. It’s all bringing reassurance to Portobello Central, the organisation which now runs the Town Hall and which held its AGM at the start of the week.To buy tickets for the ceilidh, click here: https://stagestubs.com/For Oliver: https://tinyurl.com/mhvbp4h6And for Cinderella: https://tinyurl.com/yhv95am9

If you go to the Porty Market in Brighton Park today, look out for a stand selling bottles of a drink called Pochle. It’s the name chosen by the man who’s making Scottish Calvados or cider brandy or eau d vie from our excess apples. Rather than see them go to waste, Chris Miles will collect and store them until he can turn them into apple juice which he then sends off to be fermented and then distilled into a clear, and very strong, spirit. And Pochle? It’s an old Scots word meaning to have something without quite having permission.https://pochle.co.uk/

For Edinburgh Assassins Kickboxing Club, this has been a year of celebrations. This is their 30th Anniversary – and, for most of that time, they trained at Portobello Town Hall. They had to find new premises when the Hall closed four years ago. They’ve just enjoyed considerable success at the European Championships a few week ago with an impressive medal haul. They’re also hoping to repeat that at the World Championships in Calgary next month.To support the team going to Canada: https://tinyurl.com/mr4cn7ucMain team sponsors: Gratebuild; Sprs Garden Rooms; Cafe Piccante; Richard Bonnar RB Electrical; Pro-Tech pest control & environmental services; Ronnie Miller Plastering/Smoothly Covering Edinburgh, Plastering Specialist; SAS Blacksmiths and steel fabricators Ltd; Bruce Clark Decoration. Worlds Supporting sponsors: Brown Demolitions ltd

Late at night on the 8th of September, a devastating earthquake stuck part of Morocco. Its effects were felt across a large part of the country. While it made the headlines for a few days, it was eclipsed when a flood swept through communities in Libya, killing thousands of people. However, two women from Portobello – Lynn Houmdi and Joanna Weintritt - are determined that those who lost so much in Morocco are not forgotten and are hosting a “fitnessthon” to raise money for them. David Calder caught up with them on Zoom to find out more.For more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/281792198041481?active_tab=aboutTo book a session: https://shorturl.at/lUX45To donate: https://www.justgiving.com/page/fitness-soul-fitnessthon-moroccoPicture credit: alyaoum24 https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=137245648

If you remember the Porty BikeFest from last year, well it’s back. This afternoon, parts of Bath Street and Mentone Avenue will be closed off to cars so that all kinds of interesting two and three wheeled vehicles can be shown off and tried. And it’s also been an exciting week for the Bike Library further along the Prom as its home in a storage container now has a new livery.

The Portobello Book Festival may be next month – but tickets are already going fast. It runs from the 5th to the 8th of October and in total there are 26 talks and discussions to attract your interest… everything from paddleboards to playwriting. Founded in 2008, the festival has established itself as one of the cornerstone events in Portobello’s community life.https://portobellobookfestival.com/

The Art Walk Porty started yesterday. Under the title of ‘Vessel’, it feels like it has  a larger, more ambitious programme than in the past – to get the most from it you need four leaflets. And, as David Calder found out from curator Rosy Naylor, the bounds of this year’s event extend well beyond just Portobello.