PORTOBELLO AMENITY SOCIETY

Newsletter - Winter 2013-14

Kiln Rebuild Completed After working with City of Edinburgh Council over many years, Portobello Heritage Trust is delighted to confirm that the 1909 kiln has now been successfully rebuilt. The two bricklayers, Dayle Salmon and Dave Martin, have completed the brickwork to a very high standard and it is well worth visiting the kiln to see this.

A brick, dated 2013, marks where the rebuilt brickwork starts and can be seen from the pavement. This was inserted at the ‘topping out’ ceremony on Wednesday, 20th November 2013, by Councillor Maureen Child and Portobello Heritage Trust Chair Margaret Munro. Dayle and Dave were presented with commemorative glazed ceramic plaques, made by potter and Trust Director Alison Robinson, and small flagons, thrown by ex-Buchan potter and Trust member Arthur Jeffery, to mark the occasion. An illustrated exhibition, about the kilns and Buchan’s pottery, by the Royal Commission on the

Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland will be on display in Portobello Library throughout May and the Trust plan to hold an event to celebrate the completion of the kiln on Saturday, 10th May, to which all members of the community are invited. Look out for posters locally nearer the time.

Dr Margaret Munro, Chair, Portobello Heritage Trust

Community Council Election

Unfortunately PAS was not voted on to the new Portobello Community Council at the inaugural meeting of PCC in November. As 8 local groups had applied for the 7 allotted places, a vote was held among the 14 newly elected individual PCC members and the 8 members from the local groups putting themselves forward, for the groups they wished to see represented. Despite coming fourth in an online PCC public opinion poll, PAS was not voted on to the new PCC, receiving only 11 votes out of a possible 22. It was strange that, while the 14 individual members had been informed of

Alison Robinson, Dayle Salmon, Margaret Munro and Dave Martin at the ‘topping out’ ceremony in November .Picture: Jackie Timmons

the results of the online public opinion poll before they voted, the 8 group representatives had not. One would have thought that individual PCC members would have taken the results of the poll into account when deciding which groups to vote for, but this was apparently not the case. Two other amenity groups, however, were voted on – Gilberstoun Residents’ Association and Brightons and Rosefield Residents’ Association. It also seems strange that the newly elected individual PCC members should favour two amenity groups which cover limited areas of the community over PAS which covers the whole of Portobello.

Portobello Open Spaces Scott Thomson, who is the Council’s Community Parks Officer having particular charge of the City’s East Neighbourhood, has kindly provided the following report about the work that has been taking place in our local parks. 2013 has been a very busy year for improvements to the green spaces within Portobello.

Rosefield Park Picture: Scott Thomson

At Rosefield Park we have had some delays in the replacement of the railings but we now have all the posts and pine cones in store and they will be installed when the weather conditions are better. The mixed herbaceous borders are coming along well with more species starting to flower each year. The Park Rangers have planted more bulbs in the grass meadow. The ball court continues to be a big success with the local kids and I have yet to see a day when it is not being used. A management plan has been drafted for the park and we intend to submit the park for a Green Flag assessment in 2014.

Abercorn Park Picture: Scott Thomson

This year’s big new project was Abercorn Park. After looking at this park for several years we produced a new planting plan, which incorporated ways of reducing the maintenance required, the amount of chemicals used and ways to provide colour from the early spring through to Autumn so that we have colourful plants get to look at and the wild-life have a long season of nectar. Over the summer we sought comments on the plan from the Community Council and local community and made alterations to the plans where required. The work started in the Autumn - the roses beds were removed and replaced with a mixture of herbaceous plants and shrubs. We replaced the seats that had

been stolen from the park and gained a new commemorative seat. The railings will be replaced next year and we will put in an interpretation board about the fountain.

Portobello Community Garden, one of our green flag parks, was ‘mystery shopped’ and the comments from the judge were all very positive. A big thank you to our Park Rangers for their work of keeping the garden in good condition. Working with our colleges in the Housing Department, we started to re landscaped the courtyards area at Tower Place. We hope to continue these improvements throughout this housing area. The planters near the Town Hall have looked wonderful this year; this is thanks to the Council’s Inch Nursery who have taken over the maintenance of them. Finally we have met with the new ‘Friends of Portobello Parks’ group which intends to cover all the parks in Portobello, and the beach in addition. We are looking forward to working closely with them in the coming years.

Scott Thomson, Community Parks Officer, The City of Edinburgh Council.

Portobello Promenade – A Place for All to Enjoy Travelling by two wheels along the seafront is now legal and PAS, along with others, is concerned that both pedestrians and cyclists can use the prom without injury. The Council consulted local groups on how best to promote considerate use of the Promenade, and developed a sign to replace the previous “No Cycling” ones.

Picture: Lesley Reid

Ground markings to alert people walking onto the prom are to be put in place during 2014. Lothian’s cycle campaign group Spokes, has said that there is still a concern that “inconsiderate” cyclists could end up injuring pedestrians as some cyclists are often in a hurry and short of time and so can be very focused on simply getting from A to B. Car owners cause concern outside school gates for a very similar reason. There is no easy answer. Ian Maxwell, spokesman for Spokes and a resident in Portobello, said: “We have always been aware of a strong desire for cyclists to use the prom legally, but that there are also concerns about fast or dangerous cycling on the prom and Spokes is very happy to work with the community and make sure that doesn’t happen.” During 2013, the ‘Dr Bike Cycle Safely Programme’ was out on the promenade.

The ‘Dr Bike Cycle Safely Programme’ consists of regular events held at busy points on a cycle path. The programme enhances the safe cycling skills of both new and existing cyclers, as well as increasing confidence, improving cycling techniques and ensuring that bicycles are well maintained. The cycle pathway is part of the Council’s Edinburgh Promenade project, which will eventually link a 16km stretch from Cramond to Joppa. The Council has a commitment to cycling in ‘The Active Travel Plan’ to, “promote good driver and cyclist behaviour” As the Promenade is Portobello’s biggest and best amenity, PAS will continue to work with all involved Picture: Dr Bike

The Porty Light Box Project It’s been just over a year since I wrote a short commentary about the Porty Light Box Project. Since then, the phone box at the end of Bellfield Street has been re-painted and re-glazed and the internal lighting equipment installed and operational. It is fair to say that the final result has been very well received and everything that I had hoped and imagined. It is looking in excellent condition and to date has suffered no vandalism. Portobello

residents have been very positive about the project; a few have even admitted they were initially uncomfortable about the idea but are now very pleased with the result. Just before Christmas 2013, we had an official unveiling of the current installation, ”Beach Delights” by Marion Preez. It was felt that a short event was appropriate to celebrate the completion of the restoration and to acknowledge the assistance and support of the many people involved. Picture: Steven Wheatley

The current installation will be removed in the near future, after which, there are a number of proposals being explored, which include:

• a short fun item planned for Valentine’s Day (where for a small fee people will be able to leave messages or poetry);

• the display of old photographs of Portobello and Joppa, perhaps related to commemorations for the start of World War One;

• a display by Towerbank Primary school children. The phone box has been retained for future generations as an interesting historical artefact. It is now a quirky item of street furniture that enhances the public realm and provides a small, yet interesting addition to the Portobello streetscape as well as the local art-scene. In future, to enhance its historical interest, I would like to re-install authentic telephone equipment – not as a working telephone – but perhaps allowing users to hear recorded voices from residents telling stories about Portobello’s history. There are postcards of the phone box, displaying the current installation, for sale in both COVE and Friday Street, proceeds from the sale of these go towards the Porty Light Box project as well as The Toddler Hut rebuild fund. Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank members of PAS for their support and their generous contribution to the project. Please contact me if you have an idea you’d like to see in the Porty Light Box.

Steven Wheatley P.A.S. Monthly Meetings

Would you like to find out more about what is happening in Portobello? Would you like something done about Portobello’s traffic and parking problems? Are you interested in protecting and enhancing Portobello's many listed buildings? Would you like to see the amenity of Portobello improved and environmental and landscaping projects carried out? If the answer to any or all of the above questions is yes, then you are most welcome to come along to any of P.A.S.’s regular monthly meetings to air your views and to find out just what the society is doing to improve Portobello for everyone who lives and works here. For details of meetings, please phone John Stewart on 669 6466.