Deaf Rave, the organisation that provides live entertainment with music, sign songs and visual performances, has unveiled the dates for its first ever Scottish showcase on Friday, 19th August at St James Quarter.
Taking place on level B3 of the St James Quarter car park, the event will be an accessible day time clubbing experience, promoting deaf identity and culture whilst bringing music to the masses. The event line-up will see the very best deaf DJ talent take centre stage including Troi Lee (DJ Chinaman), Matthew Taylor (MC Geezer), DJ Ceri Karma, Jia McKenzie, Billy Reid and Aerial Fung (Def Motion) dancers.
Established in 2003, Deaf Rave began with a vision to provide a platform for deaf and disabled artists and to provide unique, live entertainment for the deaf community. The rave will be jam-packed with a variety of different performances including sign song, sign rap, sign dance acts and more.
The event will run from 5.00pm-10.00pm and tickets can be purchased via the Edinburgh Festival Fringe website with ticket prices starting from £10.
This one-off event is in partnership with Deaf Action, a charity based in Edinburgh supporting, and celebrating deaf people. Deaf Action was established in 1835 and works with deaf people across Scotland and the South of England. The charity’s inspirational work is geared towards empowering all deaf people to achieve their potential and fully participate in society, with equality of rights, access and opportunity.
Nick Peel, Managing Director at St James Quarter, said: “It’s an absolute honour to bring Scotland’s first Deaf Rave to St James Quarter this August. At The Quarter, we’re passionate about providing world-class events that are accessible to all and it’s great to see our Corporate Social Responsibility Committee’s vision come to life through this live event.
Troi Lee, Founder of Deaf Rave, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to Deaf Action and St James Quarter for providing us with the opportunity to bring our event to Scotland for the first time. Our events will showcase the very best deaf DJs and guests can expect a whole host of entertainment including sign songs, sign raps and dance performances against a highly visual backdrop. Our Deaf Rave is part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival so we’re looking forward to welcoming members of the deaf community from all around the world.”
Stacy Rowan, Fundraising Manager at Deaf Action, said: “We are incredibly excited to bring Deaf Rave to Scotland as part of the inaugural Edinburgh Deaf Festival. We want this event to unite everyone through a love of music and culture. The event is accessible to everyone, so bring your dancing shoes!”
For more information, please visit: https://www.deafrave.com/
Commenting on today’s ONS Retail Sales figures, Euan Murray, relationship director and retail sector expert at Barclays Corporate Banking, Scotland said
“April was a month of two halves. Travel, holidays and family gatherings around Easter helped drive spend over a key weekend in the month, but the post-Easter reality of rising energy costs and inflation heavily impacted spending later in April.
“Customers are increasingly conscious of the cost of their baskets, and are actively seeking out own brands or deals to reduce costs, which is helping to maintain sales volumes in supermarkets and other essential retailers. Non-essential retail has seen the biggest fall in volumes within the sector, as many consumers simply don’t have the disposable cash to spend on these type of purchases.
“Inflation is also continuing to skew ONS retail data, with sales values now an unreliable metric. Sales volumes are more indicative of the wider sector, and they have been largely down.”
Trade Ministers from the UK and Mexico are today launching negotiations on an improved trade agreement between the two countries. Current trade terms are based on a continuity agreement put in place when the UK left the EU.
Reacting to news of the launch, Head of Trade Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, William Bain, said:
“Mexico is a key market for exporting firms, particularly in Northern Ireland and the North-East of England, from business services to food and drink.
“We want to see an ambitious new agreement that focuses on the growing market in green trade, as well as future proofing access for further expansion in services.
“Other key factors will be effective labour mobility and business travel schemes, and reduced costs for exporters through strong digital trade provisions.
“We also want to see arrangements on rules of origin which provide manufacturers with similar flexibilities on supply chains to those currently in place, as well as the benefits of further tariff reductions.
“A modern agreement has the potential to boost opportunities in Mexico for UK exporters in a growing and exciting market – the 15th largest economy in the world in 2020.”
Eight high-quality, discounted ‘Golden Share’ apartments are on sale now to eligible buyers at Juniper Residential’s Muirwood Gardens development in Kinross. Delivered in conjunction with Perth & Kinross Council, the homes are priced at 80% of market value, with selected plots available at just 60% of market value.
Prospective buyers are invited to afternoon tea on Friday, 27 May, when they can find out more about the eligibility criteria for the Golden Share initiative and to hear more about life in Muirwood Gardens.
The two-bedroom cottage apartments with open-plan lounge/kitchens are part of an exclusive community for over-55s, that’s made up of bungalows, villas and cottage flats, all of which have been designed to provide luxury living that’s flexible enough to accommodate changing needs.
High-end contemporary styling gives the homes a boutique feel, while subtle features that come as standard include eye-level integrated Bosch appliances, raised power sockets and comfort height WCs .
Smart technology offers the option of adding extra features to enhance independent living at any point in the future and the development includes a Club Lounge for social activities and a Guest Suite, where family and friends can be accommodated.
In addition, there’s also three hours of free ‘handyperson’ support to help new homeowners with hanging pictures, assembling flat-pack furniture and other moving-in tasks.
Muirwood Gardens occupies a leafy setting adjacent to Kinross Golf Course and within walking distance of the town centre and its many amenities, including cafes, restaurants and bars.
Hazel Davies, Sales and Marketing Director, Juniper, says: “Buyers have been telling us that they want to ‘future proof’ their comfort and security while they get on with living their lives to the full, and they appreciate the fact that at Muirwood Gardens they are buying a beautiful, contemporary home in a like minded community.
“The development has attracted buyers from all over the UK and the Club Lounge has already become the social hub of the community.
“We’re now thrilled to be able to offer these affordable, yet high quality cottage apartments, and I’d encourage anyone who’s interested to get in touch to find out if they’re eligible, as demand is high.”
Juniper Residential Ltd is part of the Cruden Homes Group. Prices for Golden Share apartments start at £126,000 based on a purchase price at 60% of market value. Eligibility and priority purchase criteria apply.
More information about Juniper’s Muirwood Gardens development is available from
https://www.juniperresidential.co.uk/muirwood-gardens-kinross/. The sales office is open by appointment. Call 01577 666 031 or email muirwoodgardens@juniperresidential.co.uk.
St James Quarter are delighted to be hosting Flair, an Arts Fair taking place on Level B3 in the Car Park from 2nd – 5th June in conjunction with Scottish Design Exchange and 3D2D. Flair @ B3 brings together some of Scotland’s finest Artists, Designers and Makers, all selling only their own work. Wander through the many stalls and see what Scotland’s finest creatives have to offer. You will find represented a range of disciplines offering treasures to suit many tastes and budgets, all presented by the makers themselves. The stalls will be available to visit from 11am to 6pm and tickets to attend can be bought here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/flair-b3-art-design-fair-tickets-330658808397
Taking place from 7-16 October, more than 120 bars will take part in this year’s 10-day festival, which will feature headline music acts, live DJs, pop-ups and cocktail experiences.
Gary Anderson, managing director of Edinburgh Cocktail Week, said: “We’re thrilled to be returning for our fifth year this Autumn. We are always warmly welcomed by the local bar community and it’s great to see new and more bars taking part than ever before.
“It’s important that we continue to develop our festival year on year and continue to offer our visitors a memorable and unique visit at Edinburgh Cocktail Week. With music such a popular element of the Cocktail Village, we’re excited to welcome headline acts to the Music Stage this year that we’re sure will get everyone dancing and singing along.
“We are also introducing other new elements to this year’s festival, with exciting new pop-ups, spaces and experiences in the Cocktail Village, and our most diverse programme of events happening across the city. All will be revealed in due course.”
Wristband holders will be able to take advantage of exclusive £5 signature cocktails at 120 of Edinburgh’s bars, speakeasies and pubs.
For cocktail enthusiasts, the ‘Prestige Cocktails’ category will offer wristband-holders the chance to enjoy an ‘elevated’ cocktail experiences curated by a collection of the city’s leading mixologists and acclaimed venues. These will include: Panda & Sons, Hey Palu, the Harrods Champagne Bar, Eve at Virgin Hotels Edinburgh, Nightcap, Hawksmoor, The Waldorf Astoria, and Superico 99.
With music being an ‘increasingly popular’ feature of Edinburgh Cocktail Week, the organisers have put a focus on live music for this year’s event.
The Cocktail Village at Festival Square, which will host 20 pop-up bars, will welcome a daily line-up of headline acts, including Tik Tok ‘sensation’ Nathan Evans, made famous for his viral sea-shanty video in 2021, who will take to the stage on Friday 7 October.
The Cocktail Village will also host performances from Edinburgh-born Callum Beattie, Swedish rising pop star Lilly Ahlberg, and Tik Tok’s newest Scottish singer Calum Bowie. The headline acts will be supported by local upcoming bands and DJs.
Wristbands are now on sale priced at £8.50 (US$10.38) plus booking fee, and are valid at all 120 participating bars for the full 10-day duration of the festival. Access to the Cocktail Village is limited to specific dates chosen at the time of purchase.
Wristbands allowing access to the Cocktail Village for the duration of the festival are priced at £25 (US$30.52) plus booking fee.
• Four out of five employers (81%) say they have been impacted by the increase in National Insurance contributions
• Higher prices, reduced investment and increased staff costs were among the main effects cited
• Employers expect wages to increase by a median average of 5% over the next year
Research carried out by the British Chambers of Commerce, of more than 1,100 UK employers, has uncovered a series of negative impacts from the increase in National Insurance contributions. Firms said the rise in employer contributions to National Insurance (NI) from 13.8% to 15.05% had increased staffing costs, forced some to put up their prices, and meant they would be limiting their investment. As part of its call for an Emergency Budget, the BCC is calling for the rise to be immediately reversed for at least a year, as firms battle surging costs on multiple fronts.
The BCC is calling for action to give businesses a chance to keep a lid on rising prices, boost productivity and ease cost pressures.
Hannah Essex, Co-Executive Director of the BCC, said:
“Businesses are telling us that the rise in National Insurance contributions has been a body blow as they try to get back on their feet. When firms are already facing a toxic mix of surging inflation, rising energy costs and supply chain disruption, this increase is very hard to swallow. The tight labour market is already pushing up staff costs and the NI rise has only served to exacerbate that pressure, without having a positive impact on recruitment. With firms’ profits also taking a further hit, after two years of the pandemic, it is no surprise that their investment intentions are also weakening. But it is not too late to change tack and push the increase back until firms are in a better place to take on the extra burden. The costs crises facing firms and people in the street are two sides of the same coin. If we can ease the pressure on businesses, then they can keep a lid on the price rises. Acting now will also put businesses in a better position to create the future profits needed to fill tax coffers.”
The other two Emergency Budget proposals include:
• Help firms manage the impact of rising energy prices by cutting VAT on their energy bills from 20% to 5% for a minimum of one year.
• Address labour shortages by reinstating free Covid tests for companies to ease the strain on productivity caused by persistent high absences
He’s cooked for queens, maharajas and presidents but now celebrity chef Tony Singh is bringing his popular Indian cooking to the prestigious Bonnie & Wild Food Hall in Edinburgh.
Tony Singh MBE today unveiled his Radge Chaat Indian food stall at Bonnie & Wild in the capital’s St James Quarter following a soft launch on the 11th of May.
The opening comes after Mr Singh and his brother Lucky trialled Radge Chaat as a pop-up in the west end of the city during the recent lockdown, with the chefs wanting to “take the next step and open a city centre venue”.
Mr Singh said: “I launched Radge Chaat in 2021 because I wanted to bring high quality, authentic Indian street food to Edinburgh. Amid the pessimism of lockdown, especially for hospitality, I wanted to give people accessible, colourful and soul-lifting Indian food!
“After the success of our pop-up, I wanted to take the next step and open a city centre venue. I’m really excited to be joining Bonnie & Wild’s Scottish Marketplace. There’re already some great chefs involved and I’m delighted to now be part of this community.”
The well-known chef added: “I’ll be using the finest spices and freshest ingredients, and cooking everything right in front of guests. I’m really excited about showing off this amazing food in this amazing venue.”
Mr Singh explained that “Chaat” is a savoury snack that originated in India, often served from roadside stalls or food carts. The word, which derived from “Chaatna”, meaning “to lick”, describes a host of savoury snacks characterised by their “full and punchy flavours” and sweet, sour, spicy, tangy, and crunchy taste.
“Expect full and punchy flavours from India, made using the best ingredients we can get our hands on. Everything is vegetarian and there will be vegan and gluten-free options too, so no-one has to miss out.”
Radge Chaat will be offering staple menu items such as Samosa Chaat, Pakora Chaat and Chana Chaat; as well as monthly specials including a sumptuous vegan butter chicken tikka dish, dosa, gol guppas and Fur Fur, described as “Quavers crisps without the cheese … but on steroids, with a Bollywood makeover!” Mr Singh said Radge Chaat had opened with a trial menu, with the full menu launching on the 25th of May.
After opening in the Toll Cross area of the capital and operating from a pop-up, Radge Chaat quickly became a popular addition to the city’s vibrant food scene.
Mr Singh said: “When we were offered the chance to join the Scottish marketplace we jumped at the chance. I’m hugely passionate about Scottish food and drink, and we share so many of the same values about hospitality, including local sourcing, sustainability, and quality ingredients.”
Commenting on the wider food and drink sector in Scotland, the chef said: “I think as a whole it’s one of the best and most supportive in the world. It’s vibrant, dynamic and outward looking, and embraces a huge spectrum of cuisines. Plus Scotland has some of the most fantastic produce available.”
Radge Chaat joins a string of leading chefs and F&B businesses at Bonnie & Wild, including National Chef of Scotland Gary Maclean’s seafood restaurant Creel Caught, BBC chef Jimmy Lee’s Salt & Chilli Oriental, El Perro Negro, east PIZZAS, artisanal gelateria Joelato, and the boutique bottleshop run by the leading drinks wholesaler, Inverarity Morton.
Ryan Barrie, Operations Director at Bonnie & Wild, said: “Tony and Lucky are brilliant additions to B&W. We’re all delighted to have them here. Their quality banter and characters are matched by their exceptional cooking, and like us all at B&W, they are focused on promoting Scottish food and drink, and bring another example of the range and diversity of cooking and ingredients available here. I can’t wait to try their full menu when it launches next week!”
Edinburgh Airport operation copes well during busiest period in three years. Easter travel summary as almost one million passengers pass through the terminal.
Almost one million people travelled through Edinburgh Airport during April, marking the terminal’s busiest period since summer 2019.
A total of 931,522 passengers made their way through the airport as many people took the opportunity to embark on their first trip the pandemic began, reunite with loved ones and enjoy a well-earned holiday.
It marks a significant improvement in the aviation sector as numbers rebounded strongly against the same months during the pandemic.
Apr-22 Apr-21 Apr-20 Apr-19
Domestic 257,043 24,889 2,253 468,364
Intl 674,479 7,739 3,192 789,990
Total 931,522 32,628 5,445 1,258,354
Edinburgh Airport had previously warned about the potential for queues due to the surge in demand and recruitment challenges, and passengers and staff worked together to help the operation go as smoothly as possible in almost all areas.
• 97.1% of passengers passed through security in under 15 minutes
• 90.3% of passengers passed through security in under 10 minutes
• More than 100 airport staff signed up to the Here To Help scheme which sees people from all areas of the business helping in security, check-in and other areas of the terminal during peak periods
• Increase in overtime rates and continuing onboarding of new recruits
Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport said:
“It was brilliant to welcome passengers back to the airport and see so many happy faces as people set off to reunite with family and friends, take long awaited honeymoons and family holidays or just enjoy some time to themselves – these big days have been missing for far too long.
“It was of course a challenging few weeks and we are quite happy with the way the airport operation performed as it saw its busiest period in almost three years. A big thank you must go to our workforce and others across the campus who welcomed and greeted that challenge with gusto, and to our passengers who worked with us to prepare for their trip and showed patience and understanding throughout.
“As ever there are lessons we can learn and improvements we can make as we head into the even busier summer season. We would like to remind passengers that we will face some challenges and again ask them to continue to work with us by planning ahead and ensuring they know what they need to do before they get here, and we will continue to do everything we can to get them through the airport quickly and comfortably.”
Dementia Action Week, a national event to improve the lives of people affected by dementia begins today. It comes as Cruden Building has completed the construction of 24 dementia-friendly homes on the site of the former St Stephen’s High School in Port Glasgow, the first homes of their kind in Inverclyde.
The dementia-friendly homes are part of a larger £35m development for River Clyde Homes, Inverclyde’s largest affordable housing provider. When complete, the significant new development will include a total of 170 flats and 54 houses.
Each of the 24 new homes includes innovative details to support people living with early onset dementia, such as colour contrasting floors and walls on each landing, and individually coloured flat entrance door for residents to more easily identify their home.
The homes’ interiors have been carefully designed to include kitchens with clear storage units, visually identifiable hot and cold taps and bathrooms with recognisable features such as toilet seats in a contrasting colour to the rest of the room.
All of the units at St Stephens are in close proximity to a sensory garden that provides quick access to an outdoor area to improve residents’ wellbeing.
Allan Callaghan, managing director of Cruden Building, said: “This unique new development is providing much-needed new homes and caters for the diverse requirements of the local community. We are especially pleased to complete these carefully considered, dementia-friendly homes that have the potential to positively impact the lives of the people living there. Our working relationship with River Clyde Homes continues to go from strength to strength and we look forward to completing the entire St Stephen’s development this summer.”
Sandra McLeod, Executive Director Customer Services, said: “River Clyde Homes is very proud to be the first provider of dementia-friendly designed accommodation in the social housing sector in Inverclyde. St Stephen’s is a diverse development providing a range of accommodation from starter flats, to family homes, retirement homes and dementia friendly flats. This, hopefully, will help build a real sense of community in the years to come. Feedback on the dementia friendly flats has been very positive from customers, and their families, and people are telling us that their new homes are making a real difference to their lives. Our newbuild partnership with Cruden Building over the last number of years has been excellent and delivered much needed new homes.”
