Porty Podcast

Did you know that the Tool Library in Portobello has joined forces with an organisation called ‘Music Broth’? It’s a library for musical instruments which was founded in Glasgow about 4 years ago. The idea is simple. If someone wants to learn an instrument, they can borrow one to get a feel for it, and may just help them decide if they want to buy one of their own. David Calder has been finding out more.www.musicbroth.org

When was the last time you sat down with friends and listened to a story? Have you ever told such a story? Storytelling was once the only way we found out about life, the universe and everything going on around us. Thanks to the work of the Storytelling Centre up in the Royal Mile, the art has been going through something of a revival. But to do it well, you need to practice. So where do you get it? This week, David Calder went along to meet the local storytelling group here in Portobello to find out.Portobello Library 0131 529 5558email portobello.library@edinburgh.gov.uk

Hazel takes you on a tour of the Portobello Market on the 5th March 2022.  We meet Gino Jabbo to talk about honey. We also speak with Amaury Auvray and Piroska Édes from Planet A about their new kickstarter. Then we tried some Tigerola and learned about tiger nuts. We spoke with Graham Kitchener who has been organising the market with PEDAL since it began, then we stopped off to try some delicious handmade chocolate. As if that wasn't enough we have recorded a limerick by Jim Hurford. Proceeds from his book go to the Trussell Trust.  What a busy episode. www.pedal-porty.org.uk/food/portobello-market/www.facebook.com/portymarket"a tree is an acre of flowers in the air when it blossoms" Gina Jabbar@SimplyHoneyCowww.planet-a-craft.comwww.kickstarter.com/projects/planet-a/bobopwww.tigerolaroar.com @tigerolaroar #tigerolaroarwww.facebook.com/Tigerolaroarwww.cocoamania.co.uk

We first met Geoff Crowe, one of the founders of Breadshare, back in 2016 in one of the first episodes of the podcast. This community business was badly affected by the pandemic and has rather changed its focus towards running breadmaking courses and producing the flour -  it's now involved in a community mill.Hazel spoke with Geoff and found he was just as passionate about the subject of real bread.  As he explains in the interview: "Smaller and community bakeries need to be supported to supply their communities with all of the bread that they need. We used to do it, for thousands of years."https://www.youraudiotour.com/tours/862/http://breadshare.co.uk/

In December of this year, five members of the Eastern Amateur Rowing Club from here in Portobello will head off on the adventure of a lifetime - the Atlantic Challenge, a 3,000  mile trip in a specially-designed rowing boat from the Canaries to Antigua. It's the brainchild of actor Cal MacAninch who told David Calder about the mountain the team have to climb over the next few months. That team includes  Matt Callis, Sean Watters, Ed van der Ven and Alec Martin. Their aim is to raise money for their chosen charity 'Body and Soul' which helps people, young people in particular, who have mental health problems. You can find more information and make a donation by following this link.https://atlanticbodyandsoul.com/

In this episode insect expert Nathan is looking for love in Porty. Could you be the one? Please get in touch! We also hear from Maxine and Ian about singing together and from Margaret and Sheila about their surprising love story. The Porty Community fridge Page is here: www.facebook.com/groups/260153819583127

Rosie McGlynn, friend of the swans, speaks out for the local birds in the wake of a pollution event on the river Esk. She has been particularly involved with the dramatic tale of Bonnie who was resident in Figgate Park for 20 years before being booted out by a new pair.  Whilst surrounded by swans on the banks of the Esk we hear her story and meet Tanita, one of the cygnets that she adopted. And if you want to raise money for the SSPCA, click here: https://www.scottishspca.org/support/fundraise

Hazel finds out about the making of a new recipe book called Porty Foodmap, the Traders Stories.  We hear from local foodie Jo Turbitt, about how she came up with the idea in the first place and Jennifer Elliot, who is Jo’s partner in crime on this endeavour. For details on how to get a copy: www.portobellocentral.org 

We chat with the man behind the Porty Comedy night, Steven Davidson about how comedy is changing and what makes the People of Porty laugh.  https://www.facebook.com/events/460497948800369https://portycomedyfeb22.bpt.me/?fbclid=IwAR1VsQstnOfLSv4k8o9zLR0IKPEdJRMcNRX31ujZk_H0yGQOLrz2RvLOw8Y

The Musselborough Flood Protection Action Group organised an event to encourage natural flood defences by digging Christmas Trees into the sand. In this episode Grant Buchanan, Shona McIntosh, and Roger Crofts discuss the benefit of Nature based solutions to rising sea levels. Do get in touch with us at theportypodcast@gmail.com 

Sound captured at the switching on of the Christmas Lights in Portobello 2021. Music byShunpike Social Club and Brass Blast. A community poem and a special 'scoop' by a very young budding detective. Thanks to Heather, Pete, Emily, Nicky, Graham, Gareth, Martha, Lesley, Clara, miss morag, katie, xana and especially ben for their contribution, and to all of you all for listening. That’s it for this year, have a wonderful Christmas and we’ll see you next year!

From the 1st of June 2022 the Scottish government is banning single use plastic cutlery, plates, straws, stirrers, balloon sticks as well as polystyrene cups and food containers. If you need a plastic straw to eat or drink independently or for medical purposes then you’ll need to go the chemist to get one. But this is about more than plastics, we need to radically rethinking our throwaway society. The Ditching Disposables project funded by Zero Waste Scotland is focussing on Portobello and Joppa to trial non-disposable alternatives and help businesses prepare for the new legislation. But it's actually https://www.changeworks.org.uk/projects/ditching-disposablesHazel speaks to Vidya Sarjoo (and Murray) from Gogo Beats, and from Zero Waste Scotland Miriam Adcock and Isa Kristiansen-Bragg

This week I brought together Alan Hepburn, who is trustee of a rewilding charity called ‘Scotland the Big Picture’ and writes and tweets about rewilding as @Rewild Scotland and High School student Harris Grothey who been doing some research into attitudes towards rewilding. I wanted to have a conversation about what the opportunities are for rewilding in Portobello. Here’s a good place to find out more about rewilding in Scotland: www.scotlandbigpicture.com 

Over the last couple of weekends if you’ve been wandering along Portobello High Street you may have been stopped and asked for your input into the conversations happening as part of Heart Talk Porty. Mia McGregor and Sam Green brought Portobello ‘ The Cube’  a giant box accompanied by graffiti pens which tours all over the place and gives the public an opportunity to write or draw on it what they’d like to see in their community. www.cubeproject.co.ukwww.facebook.com/Thecubecreative@ThecubecreativeAlso as part of Heart Talk Porty there was a conversation about how Porty see the future of Transport. I spoke with Ellen Grunewald and Brenda Park from Porty Community Energy about how they were getting on.www.portycommunityenergy.wordpress.comwww.facebook.com/PortyCommunityEnergy@EnergyPorty James Lewis from Spokes Porty tells us how this conversation sits in the lobbying that their organisation has been doing for Active Travel. www.facebook.com/Spokes-Porty-314380299211576Stephen Hawkins led a discussion about th

Portobello has a fantastic selection of unique and special charity shops. We spoke with staff and volunteers of The Cancer Research shop, the St Columbus Hospice,  Live.Care.Give, the Salvation Army and the Marie Curie Shop to find out how they are all different and have their own quirks.@livecaregivehttps://www.facebook.com/livecaregive/https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/local/charity-shops/portobello@CRUKPortobello.https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/get-involved/find-a-shop/portobello

Heart Talk are trying to find a way for the People of Portobello to have  good quality conversations as a community. I spoke to three of the organising group Eva Schonveld, Jennifer Elliot and Justin Kendrick about what we can expect from the Heart Talk conversations this year. This episode also features Lynn Houmdi talking about the conversation she’s hosting about the future of work. More details can be found on the Heart Talk website http://www.hearttalkporty.land

The Rock Trust are urgently looking for volunteers to support their Nightstop Service which helps young people facing homelessness.  I spoke with Moreen Watson who is the Nightstop Development Officer in this area to find out more about what that would involve. If you'd be interested in finding out more please contact Moreen: moreen.watson@rocktrust.orgOr look up www.rocktrust.org

Carmen Chalmers, creator of Support the Makers this year has seen a massive surge in makers selling what they have created at their kitchen table. Carmen is a passionate champion for independent makers. She began with the local Christmas maker’s markets in Bellfield, which will still go on this year, but the enterprise has snowballed into an Instagram with thousands of followers and the creation of an online marketplace. The Makers' Market at Bellfield is on the 5th of December.The Christmas Workshop at the Skylark is on the 7th of December.The website is  https://supportthemakersuk.com/ support_the_makers on instagramthe dog's instagram is @arlo.thelhasaapso

Oli Furness co-director of Oi Musica chats to Hazel from her office in Tribe Porty about the Let it Grow Project. After releasing the Enough is Enough video last year to mark when COP26 was originally planned they received so much interest that they hope to create a tidal wave of music contributions on the internet over the coming weeks. Listen to find out how you can join in and hear more about the project coming together.There's music by Karine Polwart, the Soundhouse Choir and Oi Musica, also Luc Mishalle, Jo Zanders and MetX, and a Brass Blast collaboration arranged by young people from lead partner Kinetika Bloco, youth company in residence at London’s Southbank CentrePhoto credit Heather Longwelloimusica.co.ukletitgrow.scot

Three members of the Stitches for Survival organising group, Cathy Holman, Jane Lewis and Anne-Marte Bergseng talk about their Craftivism project coming together in the run up to COP 26.  The idea (conceived in Jane's garden during lockdown in Portobello) is to create a mile and a half long scarf, made out of stitched and knitted panels.“if we want our world to be a more beautiful, kind and fair place then shouldn’t our activism be more beautiful, kind and fair.” Sarah Corbett, How to be a CraftivistIf you’d like to find out more about the project the facebook group is very lively and full of inspiring images of the panels. The project website is www.stitchesforsurvival.earth