32 Fitness on the Beach

You may have seen them out on the beach, heaving heavy weights above their heads or using great big ropes, medicine balls and other equipment in just about all weathers (yes, even in the snow!).

The Beach as an Outdoor Gym

Porty Prom isn't just a great place to enjoy the good weather. It's somewhere to get fit as well. There are all sorts of healthy activities to be found there, some using the beach as an outdoor gym. That's what today's podcast is all about.

Fitness on the Beach

  

31 Big Things on the Beach - The End

About five years ago, our garden was temporarily turned into an art gallery. It only had one rather large picture (which is still there) but we were taking part in a project that involved gardens across Portobello and Joppa from the High Street to the Beach. There were officially over 30 of us in total and then other people joined in. It was ‘The Garden Gallery Exhibition’ is it was organised by Big Things on the Beach.

 

The Art Work in our Garden in Joppa

Big Things on the Beach had a BIG idea - to turn Portobello into a place where large-scale public art would make an impact. A charitable trust, it persuaded organisations such as the Scottish Arts Council (now Creative Scotland) to put up the money to commission artists - local and international - to create pieces which made people stop, look and think. 

The Pyramid - made from sandbags

Sadly, times have changed and Big Things will no longer be inviting people to look at temporary art works such as the Garden Gallery, the Pyramid, three huge constructions made from sandbags, and so much more! But it has left a legacy within the community.

Big Things on the Beach 

Damian Kileen - from the Portobello Reporter

So thanks to Damian Killeen and all the other people involved with Big Things on the Beach who made this such an enjoyable feature and which brought interest and joy to the people of Portobello.

30 URGENT - BELLFIELD BALLOT

The next few days will be critical in the campaign to save Bellfield Church for the community. On Monday, ballot papers will be going out - and there's a very short window of opportunity to mark and return them. 

Bellfield - a Critical Moment

The Scottish Land Fund may have given almost £650,000 to buy the building but without a strong 'yes' vote then the project could yet be stillborn. 

 Bellfield Ballot

There's more at www.bellfield.scot

29 Shop Porty Awards

It's that time of year again - when the people of Portobello get to choose their favourite shops across the community. Most of the local businesses in Portobello will know about the Shop Party Awards by now - but how many of their customers and clients know about them? 

There's a wide and diverse groups of businesses in the area, from the restaurants and bars down on the Prom to the specialist food shops like Williamson's the fishmonger, Breadshare and Findlay's the Butcher, from Cobbler's Bench, the shoe repair shop, to the new hardware store. It's all part of the diversity that makes Portobello a great place to live.

Shop Porty Awards 

And a final reminder, to vote just type ‘Shop Porty’ into Google (other search engines are available). Click on the link for its FACEBOOK page. Scroll down a little until you find the awards logo (see above) and nominate your favourite local business in a comment. 

The results will be announced in next month.

Added later: the winner was Harry's Treats, a shop aimed at dog lovers. However, the owner has not made himself available for interview.

28 Turn2Us

In the last few days, Turn2us' Edinburgh Trust has launched a new community funding programme for the city asking “What can you do to help your community thrive?” Until now, the Trust has focused on providing financial support to people needing short term help for themselves and their families – and still does. 

But now, with the launch of a new Community Programme, the Trust is looking to fund projects that can provide more lasting and longer terms solutions to help improve lives, reduce poverty and get the best out of the people and resources in their community. In this episode, we hear about the origins of the trust and how it will help.

Turn2US

You can find more information by following this link:
Turn2Us Edinburgh Trust 

27 Assassins - Kickboxing as a Martial Art

The Edinburgh Assassins Kickboxing club meets twice a week at Portobello - and twice a week at Easter Road as well. It attracts dozens of members of all ages - the youngest is just 4! It’s been going since 1993 in the town hall under the auspices of the professional body, IAKSA.

The club was set up by one of its top instructors, Craig Foster. It has since expanded and now has 2 groups meeting in Portobello and Easter road, both of which train and fight under the Assassins banner. And the project’s been a great success, as proved by the number of Scottish, British, European and World champions produced over the years.

The training focuses on fitness, stamina and skill and is as popular with women as men. But what actually happens at one of the sessions? We went along to find out.

Assassins Kickboxing Club 

26 Gardening and Keeping Your Home Warm

This podcast is all about gardening and keeping your home warm. Why? Because there are a couple of events coming up; these will give loads of advice about both. The first, tomorrow – Sunday, is a ‘Gardeners’ Question Time’ at the Wash House run by Portobello Timebank (Portobello Timebank). A panel including George Anderson of Beachgrove Garden will there to answer your questions. 

And later in the month, there will be an event run by Home Energy Scotland. This is aimed at people who live in some of the older houses in the area – some are nearly 200 years old. Its objective will be helping you stay warm and save money. It’s free but booking is advised at http://bit.ly/oldhomeportobello

 


Gardening and Keeping Your Home Warm