Latest news with #FringebytheSea
Scotsman
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
ScotRail announce late night trains during Edinburgh festival season - here are all the extra services
Extra services will operate between Edinburgh and Glasgow every night in August Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... ScotRail have announced a raft of extra late night trains on key routes to and from the capital city during the festival season. The train operator will run additional late trains for festivalgoers from August 1 to 25, including between Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Queen Street, Glenrothes with Thornton, Dundee, and North Berwick. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Late-night services will run every night from Edinburgh Waverley to Glasgow Queen Street via Falkirk High, with extra services on Fridays to Dundee, Glenrothes with Thornton and Queen Street via Bathgate and Airdrie. Additional trains will also run after midnight from North Berwick to Waverley between Friday August 1 to Sunday August 10, for revellers enjoying Fringe by the Sea. Mark Ilderton, ScotRail Service Delivery Director, said: 'We're proud to play our part in helping people experience the buzz of Edinburgh during festivals season. 'With longer trains and more late-night services on key routes, we're doing everything we can to make it easier for customers to enjoy all the capital has to offer, from the first show of the day to the last act of the night.' The extra services include late night trains between Edinburgh and Glasgow | PA Here's a list of all the extra services on offer: Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Everyday between August 1-25 12.03 am Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street High Level 12.33 am Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street High Level Fridays between August 1-22 11.30 pm Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street High Level 11.56 pm Edinburgh to Dundee 11.59 pm Edinburgh to Glenrothes with Thornton 12.03 am Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street High Level 12.12 am Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street Low Level (will show as Saturday on the ScotRail app) 12.33 am Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street High Level Saturdays between August 2-23 11.30 pm Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street High Level 12.03 am Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street High Level 12.12 am Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street Low Level (will show as Saturday on the ScotRail app) 12.33 am Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street High Level Sundays between August 3-24 11.24 pm Edinburgh to North Berwick 12.03 am Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street High Level 12.33 amEdinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street High Level Friday August 1 until Saturday August 9 12:01 am North Berwick to Edinburgh Sunday August 3 and Sunday August 10 11.24 pm Edinburgh to North Berwick Extra carriages are also being added during the period for passengers on routes between Edinburgh Waverley and Stirling, Dunblane, Dundee, Leven, Perth, Glenrothes with Thornton, Cowdenbeath, Bathgate, Glasgow Central via Shotts, and the Borders. ScotRail is urging passengers to plan their journey and book tickets in advance.
Scotsman
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
ScotRail announce late night trains during Edinburgh festival season - here are all the extra services
Extra services will operate between Edinburgh and Glasgow every night in August Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... ScotRail have announced a raft of extra late night trains on key routes to and from the capital city during the festival season. The train operator will run additional late trains for festivalgoers from August 1 to 25, including between Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Queen Street, Glenrothes with Thornton, Dundee, and North Berwick. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Late-night services will run every night from Edinburgh Waverley to Glasgow Queen Street via Falkirk High, with extra services on Fridays to Dundee, Glenrothes with Thornton and Queen Street via Bathgate and Airdrie. Additional trains will also run after midnight from North Berwick to Waverley between Friday August 1 to Sunday August 10, for revellers enjoying Fringe by the Sea. Mark Ilderton, ScotRail Service Delivery Director, said: 'We're proud to play our part in helping people experience the buzz of Edinburgh during festivals season. 'With longer trains and more late-night services on key routes, we're doing everything we can to make it easier for customers to enjoy all the capital has to offer, from the first show of the day to the last act of the night.' The extra services include late night trains between Edinburgh and Glasgow | PA Here's a list of all the extra services on offer: Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Everyday between August 1-25 12.03 am Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street High Level 12.33 am Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street High Level Fridays between August 1-22 11.30 pm Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street High Level 11.56 pm Edinburgh to Dundee 11.59 pm Edinburgh to Glenrothes with Thornton 12.03 am Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street High Level 12.12 am Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street Low Level (will show as Saturday on the ScotRail app) 12.33 am Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street High Level Saturdays between August 2-23 11.30 pm Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street High Level 12.03 am Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street High Level 12.12 am Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street Low Level (will show as Saturday on the ScotRail app) 12.33 am Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street High Level Sundays between August 3-24 11.24 pm Edinburgh to North Berwick 12.03 am Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street High Level 12.33 amEdinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street High Level Friday August 1 until Saturday August 9 12:01 am North Berwick to Edinburgh Sunday August 3 and Sunday August 10 11.24 pm Edinburgh to North Berwick Extra carriages are also being added during the period for passengers on routes between Edinburgh Waverley and Stirling, Dunblane, Dundee, Leven, Perth, Glenrothes with Thornton, Cowdenbeath, Bathgate, Glasgow Central via Shotts, and the Borders. ScotRail is urging passengers to plan their journey and book tickets in advance.
The National
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The National
Eunice Olumide on living a life full of contradictions
She's harnessed the lessons from growing up in one of Edinburgh's most challenging areas to help young people conquer the limitations of poverty; she's made a major impact on the world of fashion despite initially having zero interest in clothes; she's passionate about the inspiring power of music but kept her own musical life quiet for years. Next month, she's involved in a number of shows at the [[Edinburgh]] Fringe, including screenings of her debut documentary Secret Lives: The Untold Story Of British Hip-Hop, which she directed and produced. The film is also being shown at the Fringe by the Sea in North Berwick. She also has a fashion and sustainability event – Why Do You Wear What You Wear? – at the Fringe. She wrote a book about fashion in 2018, has contributed anonymously to seminal hip-hop records and is planning to release the first album of music under her own name next year. She's also a V&A Dundee design champion, an actress, a masters graduate and was awarded an Open University honorary degree. READ MORE: Police Scotland issue terror charge for man with 'Palestine Action poster in window' As if all that isn't enough, she's spent years working with a range of charities, many aimed at inspiring young people to build better lives. If there is a common thread running through all her work, it is a determination to inspire and motivate people from under-privileged areas and give them a voice. Eunice Olumide's story begins on the streets of Wester Hailes, an area on the outskirts of Edinburgh which has long been afflicted by social deprivation. It was one of the five most deprived areas of Scotland in the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) published in 2020. 'I just grew up in a really strange time in Scotland where it was nuts,' Olumide tells me. 'Living in a council estate was kind of fun in a weird way, but it was like Lord Of The Flies. In those days, people would meet from one scheme and have a pagger, we'd call it. A fight in a big field. 'It was like a battlefield and I'd go down there on my scooter and just whiz through everyone watching it in what seemed slow motion. I remember growing up around loads of people with really serious drug and alcohol dependency issues.' Olumide has talked before about the pressures of growing up as one of the very few black children in her community. Her strict mother made sure she didn't go off the rails herself. She had been born in Scotland after her parents had moved here from Nigeria when her father accepted a posting to Rosyth with the British navy. She later moved to Wester Hailes. 'My mum was a hardcore African parent,' she says. 'You could get away with nothing. You couldn't sneak out the house. She was really strict, which was a lifesaver. 'I'm first generation born in Scotland, and so when I was in my house, everything would change. The food would change, the language would change, the sense of humour. 'And I was always travelling to West Africa from a really young age and remember trying to work out why I could just pick fruit there and eat it, but when I was in Scotland, I had to pay money for it. I remember being bamboozled by that.' Instead of being drawn into a culture of drink and drugs like many of her contemporaries, she became involved with various charities helping young people who had been attracted to that lifestyle. 'Coming from that kind of background, that kind of a circle of deprivation, you can feel like there's nowhere else for you to go,' she says. READ MORE: Brian Leishman: 'Anas Sarwar hasn't spoken to me in six months' 'I think that people perceive Edinburgh as a place where there is no danger and no bad things happening, which is not true. I would probably say Edinburgh is worse [than Glasgow], because the city's housing schemes are more isolated and there is a stronger sense of community in Glasgow.' She came to see hip-hop as a way of reaching and teaching the young people from her community. 'I felt it had a remarkable way of galvanising young people. And when you're in a situation where people feel like they don't count, or they're not important in society, or don't have a good example or support at home, I felt this music was a means to help people in my community. 'Hip-hop was the music of my generation. To me, it was literally about saving people's lives. It was something that we could all do that would take our minds off our reality. 'There are different aspects of hip-hop culture. There's the graffiti aspect, which has been widely adopted worldwide by people who are not into hip-hop and by people who are. 'You've got the breakdancing, because the dance was a huge part of the culture when it was invented in New York City. Then there is the rap, which is the poetry of it. 'But what I tend to find is that outside of the Afro-Caribbean community, another element is always erased. That missing element is consciousness. "When you study the history of hip-hop, it was a cultural art form that was created by Afro-Caribbean people predominantly in the United States of America, by black people who were coming out of the Nixon era and the war on drugs, who were coming out of almost apartheid and getting their civil rights. It was also a peaceful means of protest against police brutality. 'It was in opposition to the lifestyle of drugs and illegality. It was probably the only thing other than the church that really spoke to people in a positive way, taking them away from dangerous lifestyles. 'But pretty much after the 1990s, that [element] kind of got hijacked. Rap became extremely commercial, and the focus was more on gangsterism and the glorification of material possessions and the consciousness was lost.' Olumide sees parallels between the wider adoption of hip-hop and elements of traditional Scottish culture. READ MORE: Rachel Reeves says she wants to help first-time buyers. It won't work 'It's a colonisation and the loss of folklore … this idea that it doesn't matter, because it's not written down. With a lot of Afro-Caribbean cultural institutions or creations, they're not seen as Afro-Caribbean. They're seen as just something that anyone can use in the same way that I could do with Scottish dancing or playing the bagpipes. 'I personally think – and I'm not forcing this on anyone, or saying that that other people are wrong – that if I want to play the bagpipes or if I want to do Scottish traditional dancing it makes sense that I should have some understanding and knowledge of the culture of Scotland, and possibly respect for the history of this dance or this instrument, and an understanding of what it means. I think that's quite important, but it's not in the world that we live in today.' Olumide got involved in collaborations with a wide range of hip-hop and reggae artists, including Roots Manuva, Mos Def and Damian Marley. She also teamed up with Glasgow reggae and dub outfit Mungo's Hi Fi on an album which earned a place in a list of the seminal albums in the 50 years of hip-hop, the only Scottish album mentioned. While she was making music anonymously, she was also carving out a reputation in a very different world as one of Britain's top models, walking global catwalks for the top designers and appearing in the pages of the world's most glamorous magazines. "I was never into fashion. I was definitely not a girl who wore make-up or was particularly girly. I loved sports … football, basketball and athletics. I didn't like fashion until I found a new appreciation for it. What I do like about it is that it is creating art. 'I just used to get scouted a lot everywhere I went. And eventually, when I was around 15, I was like, 'oh, give it a go'. Honestly, it was so simplistic when I was really young. I worked in this luxury high-end store but eventually I thought it didn't make sense. 'If I worked in the shop, I needed to get dressed up and wear makeup and stand for eight hours a day. I earned less money than I did at a fashion show where I only had to dress up for a few hours that day.' READ MORE: Scotland's most photographed street targeted by vandals as police launch probe It must have been difficult reconciling the glamorous world of fashion with the more 'roots' world of conscious hip-hop and reggae, where Olumide says she would very consciously 'dress in the most unattractive ways possible' as an antidote to the way many women are portrayed in the more commercial world of successful hip-hop, which she describes as ''hypersexualised''. She kept the two worlds apart because she believes music should be more about talent than appearance. 'The fashion industry is one where I can understand if someone says, 'I want this type of look, this specific look, this is my customer … so I need someone that looks like this.' 'Whereas with music, there has traditionally been quite a strong sense of discrimination. You could look at any kind of pop music, standards for females are totally different than for men. Males can get away with wearing anything and doing anything, whereas females have to be a certain size, have a certain look. 'For me, music was never something to make money with. It was always something that I really cared about and something that I felt helped people. I didn't really want to do anything that would change that even if it meant turning down deals, very good deals, which people think is crazy. They're like, 'if you could be a multi-millionaire and be a British Rihanna, why would you not do that?' I love talents like Rihanna but do you think the world needs more of that? "That's not to criticise you if you're a female and you want to use your body ... that's nothing to do with me. I believe in free will. But for me personally, I just felt like there were too many examples of that. 'There has only been one properly successful female rapper who was conscious, and that was Lauryn Hill. Look at the abuse and cancellation she's had to put up with in her career. 'People tell me that I've been way ahead of my time, that I'm doing stuff when no-one else is doing it, and it's just too much for them, they just can't handle it. Life is about timing, you know, and you could be the best thing in the world, but if people are not ready, there's not much you can do about it.' Olumide's determination to campaign for social awareness is also apparent in her fashion work. which has embraced sustainability campaigns, a tribute to the Windrush generation at London Fashion Week and even a much-praised book, How To Get Into Fashion. 'Even in my fashion career, I only work with brands that I really believe in, with that kind of social justice background,' she says. 'All the work I do is influenced by my core beliefs.' READ MORE: Here's why Reform are issuing threats to firms over renewables But all this activism comes with a price tag. 'I think most successful artists avoid saying anything remotely political,' she said. 'Most people are not going to do or say anything which could result in them losing an income. Artists that really stand for things and have a cause can lose their label, they can lose their deal. They get dropped by agents. 'In the world we live in today, it's OK to make music that's not in-depth, music that is more about just enjoying the moment and hedonism. That is acceptable in society. It's not really acceptable to talk about serious political issues. People don't really like it. If you don't do anything that rocks the boat or stand for anything, you're likely to become much more successful. I really have suffered in my career ... you do when you actually stand for something.' Other factors have also made life difficult on occasion. There aren't many Scottish rappers and even fewer of those are women. And Olumide has also faced racism. 'When I started booking concerts, and I brought everyone from Busta Rhymes to Coolio to Scotland, people used to rip down my posters and give me abuse like the N word and 'go back home to your own country'. That really affected me, mentally and physically. It was really intense. It was like, you're Scottish, you're a female, you're Afro-Caribbean … I basically had all the things.' She's seen big changes in Scotland over the years. 'Scotland, 20, 30 years ago, was totally different to how it is now. In terms of supporting people from difficult backgrounds, or issues of race and racism, or equality, I'm quite proud of where Scotland is now. It is actually a leader in Western society for how to do things properly. 'When you look at geopolitics, and you look at the reality of some of the actions larger nations are engaging in, I don't think that those are the same values or the same agendas that most Scottish people are interested in or want to be involved in. I think we're living at a certain time where there's some really serious political issues. 'It could be argued that the world might be going into a third world war. When you're a nation that doesn't have sovereignty, you don't have control over certain things. Scotland is such a small country that it's not in its interest to be in a situation where it can't take actions that benefit its people. 'If someone says to me, 'do you think Scotland could be independent?' I say of course it can. Why could it not?' As for the future, there is no sign of her easing off on that work any time soon. 'I feel like I'm operating at about 10% of my potential and always have been. I've never really felt like I've had enough opportunity to kind of actually show how much I have to give and share. 'But I'm now old enough to say: If no-one else wants to allow me to demonstrate and show what I can do, then I'll just do it on my own. 'It's not necessarily that I always want to do everything on my own. It's more that I'm not going to wait for people to give me opportunities. 'If I've worked hard enough and I'm experienced and professional enough to do a job, then I'll just do it. I don't really believe in kind of sitting around waiting.'
Scotsman
08-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- Scotsman
Look inside this palatial East Lothian dream home with a secret - yours for £1,300,000
As we approach Fringe by the Sea (August 1-10) and ice-cream weather hits, the urge to move to North Berwick is getting stronger. Our current favourite East Lothian property to hit the market is this gorgeous five-bedroom Arts & Crafts style house, which is situated on Dirleton Avenue and on the market via Coulters Property at a cool price of offers over £1,300,000. It's approached by a gated driveway, and is situated just a few minutes' walk from the sea, with a total floor area of a rather palatial 257 square metres. That's spread across three levels, with three living areas and the same number of bathrooms. Whoever bags the main bedroom also gets an adjacent dressing room and an en suite shower room. Other notable features include a vast lawn that's perfect for playing rounders, a sunken sun terrace for summertime Aperol spritzes, a contemporary kitchen and other open plan spaces, a home gym, a shower room that's lined with Portuguese tiles that are reminiscent of a mermaid's tail, and a family room with a fireplace. This lovely home is currently owned by a couple, Scott and Eithne Wedell, who told us more about their property, including its surprising real age, see below. Tell us about the building - when does it date from and are there any interesting features? The house has period property looks but was actually built in 2017 and to Passive House Standards, so it's actually very energy efficient and that results in low bills for a big house. It doesn't ever have any heating on the bedroom floor as it's not needed (which was a brave decision for Scotland). Any upgrades you've made while living there? We built it from scratch in 2017 so not really. Since moving in, most of our effort probably switched to a focus on the outside landscaping and the planting out there. We worked hard to try and 'settle' the house into the garden (and vice versa). Tell us about the decor and how would you describe your style? The house was largely designed in a style to match Glenconnor House, the grounds of which we sit in. It was built by Charles Tennant, who became Lord Glenconner, owner of Mustique, and he has an interesting story. With a nod to the Arts & Crafts movement of that period, the colours and design of our house's exterior are prominent, so we were both keen on injecting colour into the interior to make it both a little more interesting and also 'homely'. We also took elements of the period that had inspired the building and used it in the wood panelling, doors and other features. The painted staircase is very cool, where did you get that idea? The staircase is actually dark green and we wanted some colour to help bring out the runner carpet on the stairs. We're not sure which came first…the stair colour or the carpet. And where did you find your lovely slipper bath? The main bathroom's stone bath was sourced online from a company called Lusso. We wanted something a little different and they make some beautiful designs. What have been your happiest times at the house? This has been our house for the past eight years and in that time we've seen our kids grow up and we've also welcomed a new addition in our Irish setter, Seamus, so the house has always had a busy energy. The house has also hosted some great parties over the years, with guests roaming the house and the garden. At one party, a person thought it was really cool that we had a dedicated disco downstairs, though they were actually talking about the sitting room! Favourite rooms at the property? The kitchen and diner is the hub of the house. We eat and relax there and its openness to the garden means the picture is always changing. What's growing in the garden and what does well? As you can see from the pictures, the garden is very open and south-facing so it's easy to try lots of different plants. As well as classic Arts & Crafts country style to bring a lot of colour, we planted a plenty of roses and they have really thrived. The other major planting was the pleached trees, which we added to provide screening from the road. They were a slight gamble for the coast in Scotland but we also chose magnolia grandifloras that are now established and even starting to produce huge white flowers that look great. What are your favourite things to do in the area? North Berwick has a great vibe with lots going on. We probably spend most of our time either walking the dog on the beach, which generally ends with a coffee in town, or standing at a touchline for our kids' sports sessions. The food and drink options are great for a small village so we are spoiled for choice. Things like the Fringe by the Sea are amazing for a small place like this. Getting to see big acts in your home place along with a great festival vibe is brilliant in the summer. We may be moving but we're glad that it won't be far, as North Berwick will continue to be our home. For more information on the property at 28a Dirleton Avenue, North Berwick, which is on the market for offers over £1,300, 000, see 3 . Another view of the kitchen dining space SquareFoot Photo: SquareFoot Photo Sales
Edinburgh Live
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
East Lothian Scottish Open 'not all golf' as KT Tunstall and Irvine Welsh take to stage
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info The Scottish Open in East Lothian 'won't be all golf' thanks to famous faces KT Tunstall and Irvine Welsh. Tournament organisers are ensuring a huge week on and off the course, with a range of experiences planned for four days. In the Fan Zone, the highlight will be the return of Fringe by the Tee, a collaboration with the local Fringe by the Sea festival. Grammy-nominated singer Tunstall will play a set on Saturday, June 12, with author-turned DJ Welsh cranking up the tunes on Friday night, reports the Daily Record. As well as music, the Fringe by the Tee pop-up stage will offer something for everyone, including comedian Fred MacAulay, who will host daily entertainment daily slots. Families can catch the always-popular Alexander the Great, an award-winning entertainer delivering circus skills, party games, disco dancing, and plenty of magic for the kids. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. Other highlights of the Fan Zone include Mini Golf and Long Putt experiences, raising money for The Renaissance Club Foundation, while fans can also buy a limited edition tartan range from worn by ambassadors such as Viktor Hovland and Mathieu Pavon, and gain access to the J.L Clubhouse hospitality facility on the Sixth Hole by spending £100 or more in the Merchandise Store. Fringe By The Tee Festival Director Rory Steel explained: 'We run Fringe By The Sea in North Berwick in August just down the road from where the golf takes place and, a couple of years back, we were asked to come down and have a look and it was an absolutely amazing opportunity to really help with the growth of what is an amazing event. 'We went away and had a good long think about who it is that are coming to the golf and how we can expand it beyond the core enthusiast, especially to the families who might not have a fleeting interest in the game itself. 'There are so many great things. Whether it is the Stephen Gallacher Foundation for ace pro tips, to the crazy golf course raising funds for Leuchie House, to the main stage where we can bring to life the fan zone with bands, DJs, comedy, kids shows and a whole golf bag full of fun. Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox 'It's not just what is happening on the course, the track or the field at major sporting occasions now, it's what happens off the field, too. People are spending a not-insignificant sum to come along and, yes, the sport is the key to it all, but so is making sure there is something for everyone. 'Irvine Welsh doing a DJ set will be ace for Friday night's crowd followed by KT Tunstall for Saturday and having Scottish legends like that at the Genesis Scottish Open is all part of the appeal. They buy into it, too. They are invested and it shows how the event has grown in popularity and is going from strength to strength on and off the course.'
