Send us a text

The Bellfield Community Hub has been one of Portobello's success stories. But it's a story with a future and this afternoon the next phase of that story - Bellfield's Big Build - will be launched with a party when we'll learn how we all as a community can be involved through a share offering. But what does that mean? In order to find out - and help those who can't attend, Hazel Darwin-Clements went along to meet Ian Cooke, Secretary of Action Porty and the Bellfield Operations Board, and Alison Jeffrey, Volunteer Co-ordinator at Bellfield. Their target is an ambitious one - to raise £200,000 from the community to refurbish the Celebration Hall and make it more accessible, flexible and warm. They believe there's an unmet demand in Portobello for more community spaces. You can find out all about the vision and how you can get involved by listening to this episode.

You can find out more here: www.bellfield.scot/buy-shares

Guest Host: Hazel Darwin-Clements

Send us a text

For the second year in a row, Cycling UK have presented awards to two individuals who have worked hard to promote cycling as a healthy means of getting around. This year’s “Community Champions” from #100WomenInCycling are Kirsty Lewin from Spokes Porty and Hazel Darwin-Clements from Porty Community Energy. In this last episode of the year, Hazel joined David Calder to look back over her work to promote the use of cargo and other bikes – and also to look forward to some exciting projects coming up in the New Year.

Send us a text

The Beatles are the best-selling music act of all time, with an estimated 600 million records sold worldwide. Between 1962 and 1970, The Fab Four wrote and recorded 188 of their own songs, with 16 of them reaching Number 1 in the Charts. This afternoon and evening, you’ll be able to hear all of them played at the Beatles Marathon at Portobello Town Hall.

More information: https://beatlesmarathon.com/
All performers will be live-streamed from midday
All music taken from the recordings made during the 2023 Marathon.
"Here Comes the Sun" and "Sgt Pepper" performed by Unrising Sun
"All my Loving" performed by the Charles Hawtrey Band

Send us a text

You may have heard about the Beatles Marathon coming to Porty Town Hall at the weekend. Well, I managed to catch up with one of the main organisers, Stuart McGachan, to hear more about what's planned. Here's a brief taste of what he had to say.
For more information, click https://beatlesmarathon.com/#
Music from the Charles Hawtrey Band performing at last year's Marathon
https://beatlesmarathon.com/the-charles-hawtrey-band/

Send us a text

One of the most popular episodes of the Porty Podcast was back in 2018 when the Edinburgh Tool Library arrived in Portobello. The library and workshop moved into the same building as Tribe Porty – both share the same kind of ethos. This month, it celebrates its 10th anniversary which makes it the perfect time to find out how it has thrived, despite the pandemic, and added new services all around the idea of make do and mend.

https://edinburghtoollibrary.org.uk/

Send us a text

If you go along to Porty Community Fridge this morning, you’ll see something a bit different. Today sees the launch of what they’re calling the RepairMongery. The hope is that people will book a slot where they can bring along those household goods that have stopped working for some reason but have not yet been thrown into the recycle bin. On hand will be experts who will decide whether they’re worth repairing. In this episode, we find out from the founders of the project what they have in mind.

Send us a text

Earlier this week, the programme for the Portobello Book Festival was launched. Throughout the first weekend in October, the library will be buzzing with writers launching new books, talking about them, discussing the work of others and laying bare what it means to be an author. This is the 16th Festival and is probably alone in the UK for being free. Tickets will be available from Monday but to get a feel for what will be on offer, David Calder spoke to Joanne Baird and her daughter Grace, now both trustees of this popular event.

Send us a text

Dementia affects around 90,000 people in Scotland. Across the UK, the total is currently around a million. Those figures however are expected to increase by 50% by 2050. That will put an ever increasing strain on the services which offer day care and other support services. One of those in Portobello is The Cottage in Milton Road, run by Life Care Edinburgh. David Calder went to find out what it provides for those living with dementia.

For more information click here: https://tinyurl.com/5mveehmv