Porty Podcast

Today saw an interesting example of inter-community collaboration The Northfield and Willowbrae Community Council hosted an Environment Fair at the Northfield Community Centre. However, a lot of groups from Portobello were quite prominent as podcast producer David Calder found this afternoon. https://www.northfieldandwillowbrae.org.uk/https://www.ourfutureedinburgh.org/https://www.edinburghremakery.org.uk/https://edinburghtoollibrary.org.uk/https://www.portobellotimebank.co.uk/https://portycommunityenergy.wordpress.com/ 

This week’s episode is a little unusual. During the pandemic, we became used to seeing empty trains passing beneath the railway bridges nearby. Since things have improved, Governments around Europe and rail companies have done their best to persuade us back. Ok, the strikes here haven't exactly helped. But in Germany, the federal Government decided to introduce a cut price fare scheme which meant travelling by rail became very easy indeed. For this episode, David Calder met two intrepid local rail enthusiasts who travelled to Germany to try it out for themselves.https://www.bahn.com/en/booking-information/db-navigator-app

On Monday evening, a large group of people gathered in the Wash House for the first ever AGM for Porty central, now that it’s formally a charitable organisation – a SCIO, a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation. All going well, it will take over the running or Portobello Town Hall when all of the current works are completed and the scaffolding taken down. The plan is that it will lease the building at a peppercorn rate from the Council and set to work bringing it back to life with many and varied events. David Calder was there for the Porty Podcast.https://www.portobellocentral.org/

The Portobello Book Festival is back and this year... back to normal. It starts on the 29th of September and runs until the 2nd of October. Almost all of the events this year (with a couple of exceptions) will be held at the library, though, as David Calder found out, there is a curious extra - a literary walking tour around the town!https://portobellobookfestival.com

You may have noticed the new wine bar on the High Street, intriguingly called Smith and Gertrude. It opened a couple of months ago; and it's an expansion of the business that's been operating successfully in Stockbridge. David Calder wanted to know more and find out how they didn't just survive but thrive through the pandemic. https://smithandgertrude.com/ 

Earlier this year, we heard from actor Cal McAninch about the Porty team taking on the Atlantic Challenge. Well, Atlantic Body and Soul have been training hard and tackling longer and longer trips (you may have seen photographs on social media of their week-long  expedition around the West Coast of Scotland) in preparation for the event in December. David Calder met two of the crew, Alec Martin and Matt Callis, to find out about their progress. https://atlanticbodyandsoul.com/https://www.taliskerwhiskyatlanticchallenge.com/http://bodyandsoulcharity.org/https://the-junction.org/ 

Anna Liebmann is a basketweaver who lives and works in her studio by the sea. She started weaving in her late twenties and is now a member of the Scottish Basketmakers’ Circle. Hazel met her and recorded this episode while Anna wove, talking about growing willow, teaching in lockdown and what 'zone' you're in while weaving. You can find out more about Anna's work on her website:www.annaliebmann.net

On Sunday afternoon, hundreds of people gathered in Bellfield Street for the BikeFest. It was an opportunity to look at, ride and talk about all sorts of bicycles, many of them highly unusual. The police were there to help register your bike to deter thieves. There was a swap-shop for bike parts, advice on bike maintenance and a workshop on what might help to make Portobello more bike friendly. David Calder took his bike along to find out more.

June is Pride Month – and this year is special for two reasons. The first is that this is the 50th time there’s been such a celebration of the LGBT+ community. And by far the more important is that this weekend sees the first ever Porty Pride. To find out more, David Calder met two of the organisers.https://portypride.com/2022/programme/

This afternoon, the people of Portobello (and beyond) will be welcomed to Bellfield for the first Community Forum to hear about what’s going on at the Town Hall. It’s the first chance since 2019 that local people will be able to see the plans for the building and to discuss the plans for its possible future. Work on making the building suitable for use is now expected to start early in July so this is your chance to let the Trustees of Portobello Central hear your thoughts about your hopes and expectations for when it finally opens its door to the public, as David Calder’s been hearing.

A new bar/restaurant will very soon be opening on the High Street. Called Porty Vault, it will be moving into what used to be the Skylark. It’s a major expansion by Vault City Brewing which already is based in Portobello – its brewery is located in the A1 Industrial Estate, just off the Harry Lauder road. But the company is funding this in a slightly unusual way – as David Calder’s been finding out. And if you want to get involved in crowdfunding Porty Vault, just click here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/portyvault 

Climate change is happening. It happens slowly but the pace is accelerating. We know the Greenland ice sheet is melting, as are glaciers from the Himalayas to the Alps and across to the Rockies and Andes. Much of the sea ice in the Arctic melts during the summer and ice shelves in the Antarctic are crumbling. So sea levels are rising. But the change is also causing unheard of heat waves in India and Pakistan as well as droughts in southern Africa and parts of the Americas. It can be so overwhelming that many people choose to shut their eyes and ears. But we really need to have a free and frank discussion about what we all can do as individuals and communities. And that’s where the climate café in Porty comes in. David Calder’s been finding out more.

Spurred on by the Ditching Disposables campaign Alvaro has gone further than other traders to try and create a culture change in how we create so much preventable waste. He's brought in at reusable cups and take away containers with a deposit return scheme and has actually started charging 30p for disposable cups. 

Nearly 1.5m people in the UK have macular disease. Every day, some 300 more are diagnosed. At the moment, not enough is known about why the condition occurs and, as yet, there is no cure. It affects people of all ages though mostly affecting those over the age of 55. The Macular Society was set up to support people who suffer from this condition, mainly through local groups like the one in Portobello. But its mission is also fund research until a cure can be found and the disease can be beaten. For the Porty Podcast’s David Calder, while this episode focuses on the local Porty group, he also has a very personal reason for why it affects him. For more information:The Portobello Group meets on the second Wednesday of each month between 1pm and 3, upstairs in the library. More details from the contacts and links below.Macular SocietyTel: 0300 3030 111Email: help@macularsociety.orgWebsite: https://www.macularsociety.orgIona McLean - Regional Manager South East Scotlandiona.mclean@macularsociety.org.ukTel: 07517 5

The Porty Community Cargo Bike has arrived in town. It’s one of the many projects which come under the banner of Porty Community Energy – there will be more about those later. When she’s not producing episodes of The Porty podcast, Hazel Darwin-Clements works as Project Manager with the local community interest organisation, helping to turn interesting ideas like this into reality. She told David Calder how excited she was about this one coming to fruition.To book a day for the bike register with portycommunitybike.myturn.com/library/And here's a link to the facebook event for Bikefest at Bellfield on the 19th June from 11-3 at Bellfield. 

This episode is unusual in that it is simply a matter of record. On Tuesday the 26th of April '22, Portobello Community Council invited all of the candidates to take part in an online hustings. All of the questions had been submitted in advance by members of the Portobello and Craigmillar ward. Six the candidates accepted the invitation. They were: Kate Campbell, SNPTim Jones, Scottish Conservative and Unionist PartyJane Meagher, Labour and Co-operative Party Alys Mumford, Green PartyHeather Pugh, Labour and Co-operative Party Simon Clark Shedden, SNPThose invited but who did not turn up were:Andrew McDonald, IndependentJill Reilly, Scottish Liberal DemocratsAnn Todd, Alba Party for independenceThe event was chaired by Glenn Innes, Pastor of Portobello Baptist Church

Hazel has made a documentary capturing her personal perspective on the early months of setting up the Porty Community Fridge. She reflects on creating a project that mustn't rely on just one individual to keep it going. The Porty Community Fridge is open every Saturday from 10.30-11.30 at the Baptist Church on the High Street. They are a subgroup of PEDAL and are supported by Hubbub. We are welcoming new volunteers every week. Please get in touch through the facebook group www.facebook.com/groups/260153819583127This documentary was originally made for the 1000 Better Stories Podcast created by SCCAN (Scottish Communities Climate Action Network) which you can find here www.scottishcommunitiescan.org.uk/1000-better-stories/Cover photo by Jon Davey 

Portobello has a vibrant arts scene. From painting to photography, silverware to ceramics, design to dance, music, theatre and film, there is so much going on. For many budding artists however, the challenge is not in the creation but finding the audience. The annual Art Walk is a magical experience - but what of the rest of the year? Getting into a gallery can be random and, for some, expensive. And then there's Cahoots. David Calder's been to meet it's founder, Karen Mackay.https://www.cahootscollective.com/ 

The council elections are just four weeks away and we now know who the candidates will be here in Portobello. It's almost going to be all change this time, as three of the four serving councillors - Maureen Child, Mary Campbell and Callum Laidlaw - are standing down. So, in this episode, we find out more about some of those who hope to represent us for the next five years.

Applications are now open to become a member of Portobello Central, the charity which will run the Town Hall when it re-opens. Around a hundred people have already signed up and the trustees’ target is one thousand. Progress on making the building safe to open has been slower than expected. In a previous episode, we heard that work should almost have been completed by now - but  hasn’t even started yet. It’s all been very frustrating for the team who've been waiting now for over two years.  However, the Business Development Manager, Ursula Pretsch, can see light at the end of this long tunnel. For more information on how to join, follow this link: https://tinyurl.com/bdbemarv