Porty Podcast

The MSP Claudia Beamish was in Portobello on Monday night, consulting local people about her bill to ban onshore fracking. It was a well-attended meeting, strongly backed by 'Our Forth' - a Porty-based group which has already successfully campaigned against coal gasification.

It's become one of the best music bars in Edinburgh. Every day, there are musicians - professional as well as local amateurs - performing, sometimes into the witching hour. There are jam sessions, new bands and family sing-a-long gatherings on a Sunday. But there's more to the Dalriada than just the music. It's used by all sorts of groups - from the monthly Dalriada Conversations, to wine tastings and gourmet evenings. There is something for everyone.

A somewhat serious episode this week. There was a talk at Porty Communicators last week which highlighted the blight of food poverty. There were many shocking statistics, not least that the DWP refer more people to food banks than anyone else! There is what they call a 'Basics Bank' in the area - 'basics' because it doesn't just distribute food but toiletries as well. It's been going for four years and they know the time of greatest need is right now - in the winter.

It was lovely to hear that a local business in Portobello had won an award. The Skylark on the High Street is officially one of the best pubs in Scotland. It was one of six named in The Skinny Food & Drink Survey. Even better, they were voted for by the readers of the magazine. So what's the secret if its success?

Happy New Year. We're starting 2017 with a competition. All the answers can be found by listening to the episode. It's about the Bellfield Brewery, set up by a couple of Portobello residents to satisfy a need for a beer that people with a gluten allergy or wheat intolerance could drink. It took a lot of research, testing out various alternatives to the usual ingredients - but nine months after the first bottles were produced, they're not juts selling in the UK but exporting as well. A real local success story. And now the competition... There are six questions - but we are only going to list five of them here. 1) What is the name of Giselle’s husband? 2) What is the medical condition which means he can’t drink normal beer any longer? 3) Name the principle ingredient in their gluten-free beer? 4) What is the name of the head brewer? 5) How many independent off-licences and shops are selling the beer? 6) ....will be found at the end of the podcast! Answers to david@bitweb.tv Good luck

Christmas, for many, is a time for reflection, not just conspicuous consumption. With that in mind, we have handed the bandwidth for this, the last Porty Podcast of 2016, to the faith leaders in our community. The four of them - Sophia Marriage of St Mark's Episcopalian Church, Andy Scarcliffe of Portobello Baptist Church, Stewart Weaver of Portobello and Joppa Parish Church and Fr Jock Dalrymple of St. John the Evangelist RC Church - each took a character from the Christmas story to reflect upon. We hope you enjoy their thoughts. Have a Happy Christmas and an excellent New Year. We'll be back in January.

Tommy Sheppard was elected in the SNP landslide in 2015, much to his surprise. He has taken his new responsibilities seriously and his contributions in the Commons have had their impact. He took the decision right from the start to make sure he listened to the voice of local people, with the heart of the constituency in Portobello and Craigmillar - indeed, his main constituency office is in Portobello High Street. So here we learn a little more about the MP, his experience of the last 18 months and some thoughts about an uncertain future.

One of the great things about Portobello is the way people make use of the great big water feature right on our doorstep. There's sailing, kayaking and rowing - all under the banner of the Portobello Sailing and Kayaking Club or PSKC. The rowing section - RowPorty - is the only one which is a year round activity. It was one of the first members of the Scottish Coastal Rowing Association and has helped develop the sport into a worldwide activity. And the great thing about RowPorty - and indeed the whole of PSKC - is that it's a community club set up to encourage people to get out on the water.

The new Portobello High School was officially opened a few days ago, although the learners and staff have been in since October. It's an attractive, modern, very well equipped building that everyone seems to enjoy using. The school however is about more than a place of learning for young people. It is also designed to be a hub for the community with all sorts of activities taking place there after hours, something that will grow in the New Year.

What is your greatest fear? One of the most common is speaking in public! There’s a global organisation called Toastmasters International which can help, mainly with public speaking. It’s a voluntary organisation, one of whose prime goals is to help people become much more confident when they stand up in front of an audience. There's a new branch in Portobello – Porty Communicators.

There’s been a significant change in the policing of Portobello – north east Edinburgh as a whole. It’s officially called Operation Rigoletto. What it means in practice has been putting boots back on the ground, having community police officers on the beat, speaking to the public and making sure that everyone in the community knows who their local officers are and are therefore willing to approach them in an easy, relaxed, friendly way.

It’s that time of year again – oh no it isn’t – oh yes it is! It’s the time of year when otherwise sane and respectable people don loud, garish, outlandish costumes, tell bawdy jokes and entertain children and adults alike with traditional tales such as Cinderella, Aladdin or Puss in Boots. The Porty Panto is back again opening on Thursday the 9th of December. So what hero is the audience going to cheer, what villain to jeer this year.

Behind an anonymous bright yellow door lies the world of Tribe Porty. The brainchild of Dani Trudeau, an American who has lived in Portobello for many years, it's an eclectic blend of education for new families, personal development and a business support community for a wide variety of freelance creatives.

Along at the Western edge of Portobello, Breadshare is a social enterprise determined to change our attitudes to food – to bread in particular. The business was started in the Borders about six years ago by two Australians – Deborah Riddell and Geoff Crowe – but they moved to Portobello to be closer to the Edinburgh market. Their business model is interesting – profit doesn’t really seem to figure high in their list of priorities. They exude a passion not just for their product – a wide range of different artisan breads – but for educating the world about the importance of eating it as part of a healthier diet. 

For the last 21 years, Maureen Child has represented Portobello – and Craigmillar – on the City of Edinburgh Council. It’s been a challenging experience, especially now when increasing pressures are being placed on local authorities thanks to reduced budgets and reforms to what they can do. It’s been a hallmark of her time that Maureen’s been content to steer from behind, letting local people, local communities take credit for changes that have happened in their areas. Her philosophy can be summed up by the question – what matter to YOU?

Christmas is coming - and the Portobello Christmas Street Fest will take place on the 1st of December. Here, organisers, June Robertson and Bob Jefferson, explain what's on offer.

The people of Portobello have achieved a Scottish first – the first urban community buy-out granted by the Scottish Government. Bellfield Church is a landmark building, dating back to the start of the 19th century. When the Church of Scotland decided to merge three of the parishes in the area, it was closed as a place of worship. But the community wanted to turn the building and its associated halls into a space for the community. This is the story so far.