TRANSPORT GIANT WORKING TO MINIMISE DISRUPTION

The condition of East London St seems to be deteriorating fast now that, post-lockdown, more heavy vehicles are using the route to avoid tramworks and northbound closures on Leith Walk.

Associated problems of noise and vibration prompted one resident to contact Lothian Buses, asking whether it had strayed from an agreement reached in November to limit the number of not-in-service vehicles using East London Street to 20 westbound and 5 eastbound between 7am and 7pm.

Spurtle has recently been contacted by Hiyacar. The ‘peer to peer’ car club operator has just introduced 15 vehicles to Edinburgh, five of  them in Spurtleshire and one just the other side of Leith Walk.

The idea is that you book a car online, and then go to a private address near you to pick it up. Each one comes with a Quickstart interface, meaning you don’t have to deal with a troublesome or disease-ridden human being.

1909

EDINBURGH AMATEUR DETECTIVE’S CHASE.

CLEVER CAPTURE OF ALLEGED BURGLAR.

THE clever capture of an alleged Edinburgh housebreaker by an amateur detective came to light yesterday, when the accused, George Alexander Melrose, residing at Crown Street, Leith, passed the bar of Edinburgh City Police Court on a charge of housebreaking. Interesting circumstances surround the story of Melrose’s arrest.[1]

RELIGIOUS WORK IN EDINBURGH.

The number of social agencies in connection with the Church is increasing so rapidly in our midst that many good men are beginning to wonder when time will be found for carrying on the more serious business of the Chruch, viz., the evangelisation of the masses. Time and again we have directed attention to the formation of men’s clubs in different parts of the City.

*****

FATAL ACCIDENT AT WAVERLEY STATION.

OLD MAN’S TERRIBLE DEATH.

This morning, a particularly sad accident occurred at the Waverley Station, Edinburgh, resulting in the death of an old man of about 70, who had spent the best part of his life working the Waverley.

TO-DAY’S POLICE NEWS.

EDINBURGH CITY—Before BAILIE M’MICHAEL.

TWENTY-FOUR HOURS’ CRIME.

There were 65 new prisoners brought to the bar, the charges being: Disorderly, 30; football on the street, 9; incapable and theft, 5 each; assault, 4; begging and malicious mischief, 3 each; indecent conduct, 2; nuisance, drunk in charge of a horse, loitering, and throwing missiles, 1 each.

As you read this, advance copies of the June Spurtle are already dotting the shelves of local shops like huge pepper grounds on the boiled eggs of a salad nicoise accidentally left overnight on the kitchen table. At least, I think they’re pepper grounds.

Page 1 contains contested spaces, controversial clusters, and one word too many; takes a deep breath before consultation; and rejoices in the gore-bellied posturing of an Edinburgh humbug long gone but not forgotten.

On the Urban Realm website last week, project architect Allan Murray described the new St James Quarter’s curved galleria as ‘no different to the baroque geometry of the New Town’.

Sculptors and architects are prone to such flights. The suggestion was summarily dismissed in the comments thread afterwards.

1906

EDINBURGH GUNMAKER’S DOWNFALL.

HOW CUSTOMERS WERE DEFRAUDED.

Alexander Hendry, an elderly man, was charged at a pleading diet of Edinburgh Sheriff Court today, with a number of thefts.