Early last year, we spoke to Harem Murdochy, owner of the Boat House, St Andrews chippie and other establishments around Portobello. At that time, he had just signed a lease to turn part of the Pumping Station at the Joppa end of the Prom into a seafood restaurant – and we don’t just mean a fish-and-chip shop there. He was thinking of much more up-market fare – mussels, perhaps lobster – and the idea would be to put tables outside on the big viewing platform. Well, now the signs for Joppa Rocks, as the new venue will officially be called, are up on the fencing outside. And as usual there are mixed view about the project. We’re happy just to wait and see.
18 months ago, the podcast carried a feature about an online campaign to persuade the people of Portobello to use the golf course. The problem was that demand had fallen so much that Edinburgh Leisure was threatening to close it. However, the latest figures suggest that news of its demise was premature. The point is that people have been using not just the Portobello course but all of the municipal courses around the city – up by some 65% in the months from June to December – that’s the period from the beginning of June when they were able to open after first full lockdown, through to the end of the year.
Edinburgh Youth Theatre, the anchor tenant in Bellfield, has arranged an acting masterclass with the actor James McAvoy on Zoom this evening. James is a patron of EYT and earlier donated £10k to help students and ensure that its classes remain accessible to all during the pandemic. The audience will be able to ask James questions questions about his successful and fascinating career. The event is by ticket only – which you can find on Eventbrite – and proceeds will go towards supporting the well-being and creativity of young people in Edinburgh.
And finally, the cancer charity Maggie’s challenged people to run 50 miles in January to raise money for this very worthwhile cause. Well, local resident Annabel Meikle, who lives in a flat overlooking the Prom, decided to do 50 swims instead – yes, in the Forth… in January! And on Saturday, she completed the challenge, looking rather cold but delighted with the support she’s received. Well done, Annabel.