Latest news with #Freeview262
Scotsman
15-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Former Edinburgh Gray's department store to become a new restaurant after George Street plans approved
Watch more of our videos on and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565 Visit Shots! now A former landmark department store in Edinburgh city centre is to be transformed into a new restaurant after plans were approved by the council. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The proposal by Learmonth Property Investment to turn the former White Stuff shop at 89 George Street into a new restaurant at basement, ground, and first floors, with nine serviced apartments at the rear and upper floors, was accepted by the local authority on May 9. The application site is the former Gray's retail store that was purpose-built for James Gray and Sons around 1902 in the category B-listed building by Harry Ramsay Taylor. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The main frontage areas of the building will remain largely intact and enhanced under the approved plans, with a separate entrance formed to the rear. The former White Stuff and Grays store at 89 George Street is currently empty. | Google Maps The main alterations include removing the existing two sets of non-original timber-lined doors and panelled doors to Hill Street South Lane and installing replacement black/grey finished, timber-lined doors; installing a new conservation type rooflight on the front roof pitch; the removal of the redundant fire escape stair and mechanical/electrical plant within the central section; and the installation of a raised deck with planters on top of the existing roof. Granting approval for the changes to this landmark city centre building, the council's chief planning officer David Givan said: 'The proposed development will result in the re-use of a vacant category B-listed building in a sustainable, longer-term use, with appropriate levels of adaptation and intervention. Also, enabling the whole building to be occupied will encourage regular maintenance. 'The associated alterations for use of the upper floors as service apartments are suited to the plain internal detailing of these levels and the proposed interventions elsewhere have been sensitively devised and detailed to ensure that they will preserve any features of special architectural or historic interest. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The proposed works will respect and reinvigorate this listed building through sensitive adaptation in appropriate uses, and are acceptable. 'Overall, the development is in accordance with the development plan. The revised scheme will deliver a sustainable and well-designed development with activation at street level.' The proposed new rear entrance to the George Street property. | City of Edinburgh Council In the planning documents, the applicant stated: 'It is considered that the proposed new uses will ensure that the whole building can be refurbished and significantly enhanced which will be of benefit to the building but also to the city centre as the uses will help to support the wider city centre economy.' The building has been altered significantly from the mid-20th century, notably the removal of the second floor atrium and addition of a storey on the central section, and installation of various new shopfront infills. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A major reconfiguration took place in 2010 when the building was sold and occupied by the retailer, White Stuff, in the front and central sections of the basement to first floors, and many of the internal decorative features date from this period. The remainder of the building is either vacant or used for storage. White Stuff recently vacated the premises and moved along the road to 49 George Street and the shop unit at 89 George Street is currently empty.
Scotsman
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Bladnoch Distillery unveils line-up for Wave Day whisky celebration
Watch more of our videos on and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565 Visit Shots! now Bladnoch, Scotland's oldest privately-owned Scotch whisky distillery, has unveiled the line-up for Wave Day this summer. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Taking place at the distillery on Saturday 14 June, Wave Day is a celebration of Bladnoch's bold Galloway spirit and the history and heritage of the distillery. The one-day festival marks the release of Bladnoch Wave II, the second chapter in the Master Distiller's Collection which launched last year with Bladnoch Wave I: Time & Maturation. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Wave Day will be the first opportunity for whisky enthusiasts to sample and purchase Wave II, which will be available exclusively at Bladnoch Distillery on Saturday 14 June ahead of remaining bottles going on sale through Bladnoch's online shop from Monday 16 June. Casks line the warehouses at Bladnoch Distillery Celebrations will begin on the lade at Bladnoch Distillery at 12 noon. The distillery shop will be open, with a pop-up full bar in place for single malt enthusiasts to gather and sample Bladnoch's portfolio of exceptional Lowland whiskies. Highlights on the day include an interactive tasting of Wave II with Bladnoch's master distiller, Dr Nick Savage, as well as a short, immersive theatre experience inspired by the distillery's story and performed by Bladnoch's UK brand ambassador, Mark Rannoch. Each guest who purchases a full-size bottle of whisky from the distillery on Saturday 14 June will also receive a complimentary 50ml collectable dram of Wave II. Exclusively available on the day, this remarkable whisky can be sampled during the interactive tasting or taken home to enjoy later. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Food will be available from vendors including vegan and gluten-free options, with the distillery garden also open for those seeking a tranquil spot away from the hustle and bustle of the main courtyard. Dr Nick Savage, master distiller at Bladnoch Distillery Live music will be played throughout the day, with local folk musicians from The Vault Arts Centre in Newton Stewart opening the event, followed by singer-songwriter Katie Mac singing hits from throughout the decades. Guests can extend their whisky experience on Sunday 15 June with a bespoke Wave tour of the distillery, offering a deeper dive into Bladnoch's craftsmanship and intricate whisky-making process. Tours are available to pre-book at 11am, 1pm and 3pm on the Bladnoch website. Dr Nick Savage, Master Distiller at Bladnoch Distillery, said: 'Wave Day is one of the highlights of our calendar year, and it's a privilege to host this festival of our bold Galloway spirit. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'This is a time to gather, celebrate and enjoy some incredible whisky, particularly Wave II – as we unveil the next instalment in our exciting annual release series. We look forward to welcoming Bladnoch fans from near and far through the distillery doors this summer, to discover more about how we make our exceptional single malt whisky.' Bladnoch Distillery will host Wave Day on Saturday 14 June Dating back to 1817, Bladnoch Distillery is one of the oldest single malt Scotch whisky producers in the world and is enjoying a bold and powerful revival. For more information about Bladnoch Distillery, and to book tickets for Wave Day, please visit
Scotsman
14-05-2025
- Scotsman
Three-year-old Livingston boy bitten by a dog
Watch more of our videos on and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565 Visit Shots! now Police officers in Livingston are appealing for information after a child was injured by a dog earlier this month. Sign up to the daily Crime UK newsletter. All the latest crime news and trials from across the UK. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... At around 12pm on Friday, May 2 police received a report of a three-year-old boy being bitten by a bull breed dog outside a shop at Drumshoreland Road, Pumpherston. The boy did not require hospital treatment following the incident. The dog, described as a fawn coloured, stocky dog wearing a black harness and lead, and its owner left heading towards the local primary school. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The boy was bitten outside a shop at Drumshoreland Road, Pumpherston. | Google Maps The owner is described as male, white, around 6ft tall, stocky build with light coloured short hair. He was wearing a dark top, shorts and sliders. Constable Kirsty Forsyth, Broxburn Police Station, said: "We are appealing to the public to help trace the dog and its owner. Anyone with information on the dog and its owner is asked to contact 101, quoting reference 1582 of 2 May, 2025."
Scotsman
14-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Cafes, pubs and restaurants to be allowed to serve outdoor customers from 7.30am
Watch more of our videos on and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565 Visit Shots! now Cafes, pubs and restaurants in Edinburgh are to be allowed to serve customers outside from as early as 7.30am. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Councillors are set to approve a change in the operating hours laid down in the city's permits for having tables and chairs on the pavement. The current rules allow outdoor operation between 9am and 9pm, with a possible extension to 10pm. Businesses will be allowed to serve customers outside from as early as 7.30am | TSPL Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But transport and environment convener Stephen Jenkinson said there was demand for an earlier start for outside eating and drinking. He said: "We have been listening to feedback from businesses that the 9am start is a little bit of a problem and is impacting on the service they're able to provide their customers. And at certain times of the year, especially the summer months, there is a real desire from customers, tourists and visitors to use that outside space better." Fees for tables and chairs permits for the standard hours, from 9am to 9pm, depend on the square meterage of space being used. But the extension to 10am carries an extra charge of £150 and the early morning extension would involve the same charge. However, permits in the Grassmarket will continue to be restricted to between noon and 9pm. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A report to the transport and environment committee says: "Tables and chairs outside premises increase natural surveillance (improving safety) and contribute to the vibrancy of an area. "This [change] will allow businesses with permits more flexibility in terms of their operating hours and has the potential to increase footfall and boost the local economy in both the city and town centres." The report added that officiasl would consider allowing businesses to store larger and heavier items of street furniture, seating or planters on the street overnight as part of their permit.
Scotsman
14-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
From sandwich shop to social movement: how Josh Littlejohn turned a small Edinburgh café into a national force against homelessness
Watch more of our videos on and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565 Visit Shots! now Josh Littlejohn MBE is a social entrepreneur whose efforts to combat homelessness have reshaped support systems not only across Scotland but around the world. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... As the founder of Social Bite—a movement that began with a small sandwich shop in Edinburgh and grew into a nationally recognised charity—Josh has become one of the country's most influential voices on social enterprise. As one of the UK's most respected leadership speakers, Josh has addressed global leaders and worked alongside high-profile advocates such as George Clooney and Prince William. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In this exclusive interview with Champions Speakers Agency, he reflects on how a single act of kindness led to the creation of a village for homeless individuals, why Edinburgh remains at the heart of his mission, and what more needs to be done to fix the UK's broken system. Josh Littlejohn MBE - Champions Speakers Agency Q: How did a small Edinburgh café become the starting point for Social Bite's mission to tackle homelessness? Josh Littlejohn: 'Well, it kind of happened by accident really. Social Bite's become quite well known now for our work with homeless people, but when we first set up, it didn't really have much to do with homelessness at all, to be honest. 'What happened was we opened up a little café – it's kind of a sandwich coffee shop in the city centre of Edinburgh – and we were in there making coffees and serving customers. There was a young man who was 19 years old, he was homeless, and he was selling The Big Issue magazine on the street corner just outside the front door of the café. 'After a couple of weeks of us being open, this young man – his name was Pete – he came in one day and he sort of plucked up the courage and he asked us if he could have a job. We kind of thought, why not? It seemed like quite a nice thing to do. So, we gave him a job in our kitchen. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We just saw that he was working really hard, and we saw that employment was quite transformative for him. We thought we might try it again and we asked him, 'Pete, do you know anybody else that's homeless that might want a job?' He said, 'Well, my brother Joel is also homeless – he also sells The Big Issue.' So, we said, okay, we're going to give Joel a job. 'Then Joel was working hard, and we said, 'Do you know anybody else, guys?' They said, 'Well, there's a guy down the street called John, maybe you could give him a try.' And we said, alright, we'll give him a job. I think at this point they kind of realised we were basically soft touches as employers, and they could maybe recommend some of their other friends. They recommended this guy called Colm. 'So, that's kind of how it all got started – we got involved in this homeless issue by offering jobs in this café to people. As we got a bit more engaged in it, we introduced this pay-it-forward system. We started to encourage customers to buy something extra for someone that was homeless to get something for free later. 'So, customers started to buy extra sandwiches and extra coffees, and before we realised it, we were feeding maybe 40 or 50 people every day in this little café. That's kind of how it all got started.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Q: What difference has the Social Bite Village made for rough sleepers here in Edinburgh and beyond? Josh Littlejohn: 'Well, it's kind of grown exponentially. We started with that one little café and decided to try and open a bit of a chain of cafés. We thought we'd try and maybe give Starbucks a bit of a run for their money here in Scotland. 'We ended up opening five cafés across three cities, and we made a policy that around a quarter of our workforce would be people that had been homeless. By this point, we were giving out quite a significant quantity of free food across this chain of cafés. But out with the kind of immediate locality of the shops, pretty much no one would have ever heard of us or known much about what we did. 'We got a bit of a profile boost, which really helped to propel the scope of our work. In 2015, as crazy as it sounds, I decided to write a letter to George Clooney and invited him to come to Edinburgh and visit our little café. Amazingly, in November 2015, he did come and popped into the café. He brought Edinburgh to a bit of a screeching halt – there were hundreds of women camping outside the cafés from six in the morning just to catch a glimpse of him. 'I went into the newsagents the next day and suddenly Social Bite was on the front page of every single national newspaper in the whole of the United Kingdom. It was on the News at Six. Suddenly, our tiny little charity had quite a big profile. We thought we could maybe use that profile to develop some much more ambitious projects and programmes to tackle the issue. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'That led us to embark on a whole range of things. One of the projects we developed was a project called the Social Bite Village, where we took on some vacant land that was owned by Edinburgh Council and we built a small village. 'We put into production eleven two-bedroom prefabricated houses and a big community hub for 20 homeless people at any one time to come in, live, and find their feet. That's a project we're really proud of, and that's so far helped around 45 people into housing through that project.' Q: From your experience, what practical steps must the UK take to meaningfully address homelessness? Josh Littlejohn: 'Well, the big thing that we've sort of advocated for is a policy that's known as Housing First. Basically, what that means is that the way the UK currently responds to homelessness – kind of the status quo – is if someone finds themselves becoming homeless and they're sleeping on the streets (and obviously all of us walk past people every day in most cities in that situation), we ask these people to prove that they're what's known as 'tenancy ready' before they end up being able to get their own place, their own flat, or their own house. 'We're asking them to say, 'Well, you need to show us that you're on top of any mental health issues, on top of any addiction issues, maybe you need to show us that you're able to get a job.' If you're able to clear all these hurdles, then you can have a house. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'So, we kind of make people try and show themselves to be up here, but common sense would tell you, if you're sleeping on the street, in a doorway, freezing cold, or living in fear, then your mental health is obviously going to deteriorate pretty rapidly. You're probably going to turn to drugs or alcohol to try and escape that. Certainly, you're going to be 100 miles away from trying to get a job. 'It's a very broken system at the moment – we're asking people to show themselves to be up here, but in reality, they're living in a situation that sends them down here. 'What Housing First proposes is that the first thing that we need to do to help someone that's homeless is to find them a home. That shouldn't be the last thing – that should be the first thing. Only from that stable place of a home can they possibly start to solve mental health challenges and addiction challenges and reintegrate into society. 'One of the things that we developed in Scotland was a big Housing First programme, where we've helped around – it's almost 600 rough sleepers, people that were on the street for a long time – into their own permanent flat. We've helped to fund a wraparound support to give them the support they need to sustain that. That's very much a pilot that we think should be rolled out in a significant way throughout the UK. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I think that's the keyway we can really address the rough sleeping problem and help get people off the streets, because the current system is definitely very broken.' This exclusive interview with Josh Littlejohn was conducted by Chris Tompkins.
