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News

Independence rallies held in Scottish cities after supreme court ruling.

By Gregor Boyd

After the report from the supreme court ruled that Scotland cannot hold a referendum without Westminster’s approval. Several rallies were held throughout various parts of Scotland including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Stirling.

The Stirling demo was small and didn’t have any official speakers from party affiliations despite purportedly being contacted. The demo’s low turnout was put down to the short notice of it.

One speaker gave a small speech before proceeding to pull out a guitar and play notable Scottish songs to get a singsong going. After offering up the platform for individuals to voice their consensus, one woman came up to speak, some technical difficulties arose which prevented a PA from being used so the women chose to speak without and encouraged unity.

The main theme of the demo was about uniting under a banner of independence from all party lines. The non-affiliated speaker took several potshots at SNP leadership which received some backlash from people within the crowd and the event fizzled out shortly after.

The demonstration went on with no major issues save for a couple of drive-by verbal heckles of God save the King.

Shortly after the ruling was returned, Nicola Sturgeon posted two tweets in response to the ruling stating that the UK supreme court doesn’t make law but only interprets it. As well as pointing out that a law that doesn’t allow Scotland to choose their own future without Westminster’s consent exposes as myth any notion of the UK as a voluntary partnership and makes the case for Independence.

She also noted that Scottish democracy will not be denied.

The event in Edinburgh was livestreamed online and featured several different speakers featuring Colin Fox of the SSP.

Large numbers turned out in Glasgow with various speakers and singers addressing a sea of saltire flags.

Over in Edinburgh, Nicola Sturgeon addressed a crowd of supporters outside of Holyrood and stated that “The UK is not a voluntary partnership of nations”.

It has been 8 years since Scotland voted to remain in the United Kingdom with a 55% vote returning No to the question of Scotland becoming independent.

News

Winter Wonderland Fiasco

by Katrina Goldsmith

Edinburgh’s winter wonderland has been a must-see attraction for the city that will get anyone, even Christmas humbugs in the festive spirit.

It looked like this popular Christmas market may be taking a break this year with its lead investor, Angels Event Experience Ltd pulling out from the contract after it was due Edinburgh council £5.5 million to host Edinburgh’s Christmas festivities for the next 5 years.

Luckily for the wonderland admirers, the Edinburgh Christmas market will be going on this year with the group, Unique Assembly – formally known as Underbelly – producing this year’s festival. Unique Assembly is the company behind the production of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations in 2021.

This is a contract lasting for one year, a one-year extension has been offered to provide that pre-agreed performance terms and measures have been achieved.

This news will come as a relief to the local businesses and 70 stallholders who have already secured their spots for the Christmas market this year, allowing them to continue planning their stock and trade for the busy Christmas period.

This market this year will feature the return of favourite festive attractions such as the funfair, the big wheel, and the Christmas market in East and West Princes Street Gardens as well as on the Mound. There will be a return of the Christmas Ice Rink which was introduced for the first time on George Square last year.

The Christmas Wonderland will see attractions for families to enjoy with the return of “Santa Land” where children can visit Santa’s Grotto, explore the Christmas tree maze, and enjoy munching on festive foods and drinks.

Council leader, Cammy Day, stated in The Herald: “There’s no questioning the popularity of our Winter Festivals or the benefits they bring to the Capital – the enjoyment and wellbeing of our residents, but also the economic impact for our businesses and the city as a whole”.

“Crucially, the new plans will deliver on the key elements of our public consultation, including reduced use of green spaces, more accessible and family-friendly attractions, greater use of local traders and a more even spread around the city centre”.

“I have no doubt Unique Assembly will help us make it yet another great festive period for our Capital city.”

News

Wastewater samples tested for COVID-19

by Katrina Goldsmith

Scottish Water has been helping fight the pandemic in its own way by monitoring wastewater around Scotland.

Testing the wastewater is fundamental in locating and identifying COVID spikes and outbreaks within the regions of Scotland. Scottish Water sample officers drive out around Scotland weekly to deliver the water samples to a testing facility run by SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency. Labs examine the water looking for fragments of COVID-19 in ribonucleic acid (RNA), a method which has been developed by the Roslin Institute scientists in Edinburgh.

RNA is produced by the body; it is an important biological macromolecule that functions to convert the genetic information of DNA into proteins.

Wastewater fragments are not infectious and that there is zero evidence to suggest that individuals can contract Covid through wastewater. This testing provides useful data to track covid through Scottish regions and maintain control over the virus to prevent any more future lockdowns. Monitoring the water has allowed scientists to use the data to not only maintain control of where the virus is but also put the data towards COVID vaccines.

Luke Thomson, a Scottish Water sampling officer said: “Samples are collected all over Scotland from multiple teams. Every major then or village gets sampled, such as the central belt of Scotland, Langholm, and up in the Isles of Orkney”.

“Samples from influent wastewater is a reliable way of tracking where coronavirus is due to people not knowing whether they have covid as they aren’t showing symptoms or are not taking tests.”

“It can’t always be clear where COVID-19 is most abundant. Since covid leaves trace in human waste, it is an effective method of COVID pinpointing potential local spikes, which has majorly assisted the Scottish Governments in providing data on COVID cases in Scotland”.

As of the 11th of October 2022, there have been a total of 200,564 total cases registered in the City of Edinburgh alone since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. 356 cases of positive PCR tests have been recorded in the last week for Edinburgh, that’s an average of 50.86% of Daily positive cases over the last 7 days.

The Scottish Government has extended the contract to investigate COVID-19 in the water system until April 2023.

News

International Scottish Luxury Brand Reveals Debut Jewellery Collection

Edinburgh-based international luxury brand, Strathberry, unveiled a new collection of products to enter the jewellery market, all while keeping prices accessible to all. Crafted in the heart of Tuscany by Italian artisans with over sixty years of experience, the debut jewellery collection follows the same principles of craftsmanship, durability, quality, and attention to detail which led Strathberry to its international love and recognition. The collection features a variety of gold-toned bracelets, delicate necklaces and earrings which incorporate timelessness and elegance into their designs, the core values of the brand. The inclusion of colourful leather bracelets in the debut collection creatively links the jewellery to the leather and cashmere accessories which Strathberry are famous for. Leeanne Hundleby, Strathberry owner and co-founder, said: “It’s been a dream of mine to add a jewellery range to our collection. We spent over a year in development and production as it was so important to us to create a beautifully made product with the same attention to detail, care and effort we put into our leather and cashmere designs. It’s so exciting to be able to show it to the world.” Strathberry products are made from quality materials sourced from Spain, and each product is carefully designed so it may be cherished year after year, without the risk of becoming outdated. The brand believes it is important for everyone to have access to luxury products, and therefore, their prices reflect this belief by ensuring all products are attached with a reasonable price tag which is fair for both generating profits for the company while being considerate of their customers. “Creativity and quality are at the very core of Strathberry.” Leeanne said, “We simply don’t cut corners, and we love the fact that we are able to offer customers a product so carefully designed and beautifully made, yet at a more accessible price point.” For those who can’t resist a little bit of luxury in their wardrobe, the debut jewellery collection from Strathberry may be of interest as Christmas approaches. Given many jewellery collections from other respected international luxury brands are pricier for the same level of quality, Strathberry has the potential to help balance expensive tastes with the continuing problems resulting from the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
News

Harvey Ni-Claus is Coming to Town

By Cameron Noble

Premier UK luxury fashion retailer, Harvey Nichols, has revealed their mesmerising Christmas windows for their Edinburgh branch, and this year, they’ve gone full out.

For 2022, Harvey Nichols’ Display Team have devised an opulent display full of glitz and glamour, inspired by one of the key catwalk trends of the season, ‘Studio 54.’ Consisting of reflective angular mirrors, disco balls and an uncountable amount of sequins, the display reflects and throws lights onto the street to enchant passing customers.

Janet Wardley, Head of Visual Display at Harvey Nichols, said: “This year, we went all out with sparkles, mirrors and metallics, to create something truly mesmerising and eye-catching, that excites our customers as they shop this Christmas. We filled our windows with angular mirrored screens and oversized sparkling stars, and the most wonderful gifting ideas to help our customers get into the gifting spirit.”

Treating their window displays as a promotional stunt to showcase the variety of fashion, beauty, accessories and food products they hold within the store, Edinburgh’s Harvey Nichols store presents mannequins which are elegantly adorned with autumn/winter 2022 attire from international luxury brands such as Alexander McQueen, Saint Laurent and Gucci, as well as displaying their own-branded luxury hampers and small gifts to cater to the mass market and inspire Christmas wish lists.

Behind the scenes of Harvey Nichols’ bedazzling windows, every store also has its own Visual Display Team who liaises with the Head Office’s visual management to ensure brand consistency. There is also an extensive creative process to materialise ideas into physical displays.

Mood boards are created to spark ideas by scanning magazines, watching fashion shows and sifting through old photographs. These ideas are sketched, followed by 3D drawings of the drafted window displays before they are sent off to Alperton, London, where parts are manufactured and sent to stores for on-site construction. The entire process can start as early as April, taking several months before the final idea is approved and realised, all in good time for the festive period.

Management within the Edinburgh branch has shared their praise and admiration for their Visual Display Team.

“Our Display Team are absolutely incredible at bringing our displays to life,” A Menswear Supervisor for the Edinburgh store said, “This year, they’ve done such an excellent job with the glitz and glam that Harvey Nichols was aiming to achieve.”

Especially in the dark, the windows’ beauty is amplified, helping the store to stand out from its competing neighbours such as Louis Vuitton and Burberry in Edinburgh’s luxurious high street – Multrees Walk. It also brings a pop of colour to St. Andrews Square, serving as a beautiful backdrop while also attempting to evoke curiosity within passing shoppers to take a closer look.

Harvey Nichols doesn’t shy away from dramatic displays that play with colour and creative concepts to captivate its customers. For 2021, Harvey Nichols decided to characterise each window with its own colour to symbolise positive emotions such as joy, happiness, excitement and calmness, all of which embrace the Christmas spirit. Their reputation for their ostentatious window displays over the years places them in a position where customers can expect a next-level display that reinforces the Christmas perspective in a fun and daring way for 2023.

Features, News

UNCUFFED: THE SECRET LIFE OF CLOSETED SINGLE MEN

By Cameron Noble

LGBTQ+ culture is no stranger to cuffing season – a period of time where people metaphorically handcuff themselves to a partner on a short-term basis to accompany each other over the course of winter. Cuffing season, for those who participate, enjoy feelings of comfort, intimacy and warmth to combat the cold and possibly lonely season. On the other hand, cuffing season can also evoke feelings of envy, isolation, and a deep sense of hopelessness, particularly for those who are fascinated with the idea of pairing with another for a couple of months and want to get in on the action, but aren’t lucky to connect with the right person.

For closeted single men, it’s a whole new game. The additional pressure of keeping their sexuality under the radar prevents them from fully embracing cuffing season, even if they do desire a short-term partner. During cuffing season, closeted single men face the winter alone, and don’t reap the benefits of having a short-term partner, but is that really the case?

From Auchterarder and Edinburgh, George (22) and Michael (29) shared their thoughts about cuffing season from a closeted perspective, and how they get by without the need for a partner. Their names have been changed to respect their anonymity.

George identified as bisexual, but has not revealed his sexuality to his friends or family, especially his parent whom he still lives under a roof with. His family believe men can be sexually attractive to men, but draws the line at bisexuality where they feel bisexuality doesn’t truly exist. As a result, he is not comfortable sharing his true sexuality in fear it would damage his relationship with his family. George has not been in a relationship before, but is actively searching for women to swipe right on dating apps such as Tinder. Given he keeps his profile clear of photographs of his face, he also swipes through a selection of men so he can safely see everyone he could potentially date without compromising his secrecy.

“You see other people on social media having a blast in their relationships, so you kind of feel like you’re missing out on something,” George described his feelings about being single, “So far, I’ve had better chats with guys on here [Tinder] compared to girls but nothing really develops since my family believe I’m straight.”

Michael is exclusively attracted to men and is open to his family about his sexuality, but as his friends are homophobic, he only reveals his true sexuality to those who need to know. He has great memories with his friends, and feels that the bond they have built with each other shouldn’t be damaged over his attraction for men over women. Michael had previous experience in a relationship, but recently broke-up after realising juggling his romantic life with his friends was becoming a bit of a struggle. For the time being, he has been enjoying the perks of being single and living life by his rules.

“Going our separate ways was best for both of us,” Michael referred to the break-up with his ex-boyfriend, “Now that I’m single again, I can do things on my terms without having to think about commitments.”

Michael has made the most of his reclaimed freedom of being single by dedicating his daylight hours with friends whenever he isn’t working, and reserving his evenings and nights to fulfil his sexual desires by involving himself on gay-oriented hookup apps such as Grindr. Ontop, whenever he is doing neither of those, he enjoys treating himself by taking himself on a date, whether by dining alone at a restaurant in the heart of Edinburgh, or buying last minute tickets and snacks at a cinema to see the latest films.

“For those who are single, count it as a blessing.” Michael said, “I think there’s a stigma attached to single people, and that’s not true. You can focus on you. Do what makes you happy.”

Given Michael has experienced what it is like to be in a relationship, it may be easier for him to accept that relationships aren’t the only source of comfort, intimacy and warmth during winter, compared to George. However, George is aware these feelings can be obtained elsewhere, primarily from his friends.

“My friends love me, and I guess that matters to me more.” George said, “We’ve got a few things planned for December that we’re looking forward to.”

For the lead up to Christmas, George and his friends are hitting the pubs and clubs for a rowdy night filled with drinks and blasting music. Delving deep into an energetic atmosphere with hundreds of people can spark feelings of excitement and inclusion, plus the thick air dampened by the sweat of dancing crowds will certainly keep him and his friends warm through the winter weather (at least for a little while). Pubs and clubs also provide a space where they can further connect with each other, where they can show their love for each other and create fun, lasting memories to cherish.

For those in the LGBTQ+ community who have successfully handcuffed themselves to a short-term partner, they can have their fun, but the closeted singles will certainly not be left out. Throughout cuffing season, closeted single men don’t necessarily need to rely on finding a temporary relationship to obtain feelings of comfort, intimacy and warmth. Instead, they continue living life by their own rules rather than betting all of their happiness on a romance-roulette. Being in the company of good friends, making and sharing memories together can be just as effective as what short-term relationships bring. No commitments to a relationship also keeps schedules more flexible, making it easier than ever to tick off activities on the bucket list without having to concern oneself over the need to include other people and cater to preferences. And as an added bonus, for those who enjoy regular no-strings-attached hookups with different people, being single grants you the ability to sleep with whoever you like without the guilt of cheating on a romantic partner.

News, Opinion

Spotify Wrapped 2022: Why now is the only time we are all happily sharing our data

By Julie Dvorakova

It is that time of the year again. Whilst many are looking ahead to Christmas, Spotify users keep refreshing the green-black app, waiting for the annual early Christmas gift – their Spotify Wrapped.

Spotify Wrapped is an extremely popular feature that creatively summarizes all the data  Spotify, an audio streaming platform, has collected about each one of its users over the year.

That means after ‘unwrapping’ this thoughtful digital present, you can explore your most listened songs, and artists or realize the (let’s be honest, shocking) amount of time you’ve spent listening to music and podcasts.

The truth is this data is also so nicely presented that many can’t help it and share the visual analysation of their listening habits with their friends, colleagues, friends’ pets, and simply everyone who follows them on Instagram or Twitter.

Spotify has, according to the newest statistics, 456 million monthly active users worldwide, which makes it the most used streaming service. It is the go-to app for listening to music, podcasts, guided meditations, or audiobooks. Yet for many users, the reason that made them switch from other streaming services to Spotify, or even start using audio streaming service for the very first time is just the irresistible Spotify Wrapped.

It is like seeing all your friends sharing their favourite memories from a trip you did not go on. Suddenly, all you want to know is how many minutes you have spent with your headphones on, instead of interacting with people. You want to know what is your most played song of the year, or what would be the soundtrack to your movie.

All you need to do to get this life-changing information about yourself is to subscribe to Spotify and wait till the beginning of December. Sharing the visualized data and becoming a part of the global, social media-based discussion is then fairly easy. And Spotify is very well aware of this.

The concept of Spotify Wrapped began in 2013, seven years after this go-to music streaming service was developed in Sweden. If you are looking back at the pre-pandemic years and can’t think of any Spotify Wrapped, well done for confirming the statistics. Spotify’s early Christmas gift which is as aesthetically pleasing as we know it today, came out as a ground-breaking concept in 2020, with over 1,2 million mentions on Twitter.

In 2020, 62% of people in the UK said they use Spotify at least once a week. Globally, Spotify is getting more and more users every year, and it does not seem to change. In fact, it is safe to say in the upcoming hours and days we are about to see Spotify everywhere on social media, whether that’s Instagram stories, Twitter, Tik Tok or memes. Spotify Wrapped is about to become the go-to small talk topic, enjoying its once-a-year moment of fame.

News

Community Gardens in the Works over Midlothian

By Katrina Goldsmith

Planning is underway for a series of community garden projects around Midlothian.

The garden will provide a space where families, groups and individuals can get together to get away from the digital technologies which are so prominent in our daily lives. It is hoped that the garden will provide the community with a space to socialise and enjoy a range of activities in the great outdoors, thus improving the bond of the community and boosting health and wellbeing.

A Crowdfunder page was set up in early January and awareness for the Crowdfunder page was communicated by reaching out to communities on Facebook and getting involved in small village markets to spread the news through word of mouth. Wellbeing Essentials successfully raised over £30,000 in under 70 to fund their inspirational woodland garden. The money raised will go towards the construction and decorating of the garden. When the project is fully completed it will include gym equipment, outdoor table tennis, flower beds, Community spaces, food growing beds, model railway and e-bike hire and much more.

Roslin community garden plans have currently been put on hold as Wellbeing Essentials awaits planning permission from the council.

In the meantime, the social enterprise has been working on another community garden project in Glencorse. Land gifted to Wellbeing Essential by the Glencorse Association charity.

The land where construction of the garden will begin in November

Wellbeing essential’s officer, Jim Hiddleston stated: “We are optimistic about getting planning for the garden, but whilst we are waiting, we are preparing to start the hard work on our next project in Glencorse. We have started working on creating a Nature Activity Park around the Centre and are working with them to add many new features to the large grounds around the centre that are currently grass areas.”

The plot has plenty of space to create a thriving and natural environment for the community and wildlife to enjoy. The space is intended to serve the community, a Wellbeing Essential cabin is included in the plans and it is hoped the space will be used for the activity groups run by the centre, social events, and weddings.

The Glencorse community garden is set to begin construction on the 18th of November. With the aid of landscape gardeners and the local community, construction is to begin with building a landscaped deer relaxation station. Additionally, Volunteers from Glencorse Centre and Wellbeing Essentials have volunteered to help plant 600 trees will be planted around the woodland garden. Alongside this, a pétanque piste is set to begin construction on the 7th of November.

News, Sport

Scotland Didn’t Make the World Cup – Why I’m Glad

By Zak Williamson

While Scotland fell short of the World Cup this year, they could not have picked a better year to miss out.

While many Scotland fans were upset at our 3-1 defeat to Ukraine back in June, which removed any chance of World Cup qualification, after seeing what Qatar had in store for the competition, I for one am glad we did not get to go.

As weird as it may sound for a lifelong football fan who has followed Scotland for all his days, Scotland not being in Qatar prevents us from being associated with the many, many human rights violations and corruption associated with this year’s tournament.

This year, FIFA has chosen to hold the World Cup, the biggest footballing competition in the world in a country where same-sex relationships are punishable by imprisonment.

What message does this send to football fans who are a part of the LGBTQ community? That they are only welcome to watch the beautiful game when it suits FIFA? That they need to sit this one out?

It completely goes against the messages we have been seeing across the sporting world over the last few years. From players taking the knee in support of Black Lives Matter to showing solidarity with Ukraine throughout their ongoing conflict.

The promotion of kindness and diversity in sport has been a very prevalent theme in football recently and hosting the competition in a place like Qatar that has no respect for these topics is an insult to every fan and player who has dedicated themselves to promoting these principles.

FIFA themselves have exposed exactly where their priorities lie in this situation, asking the 32 competing teams to not speak out in protest and ‘focus on the football’, even going as far as to book players who wear the LGBTQ Pride armbands on the pitch.

To add salt to the wound, FIFA cannot provide any form of defence for why teams and fans should not protest the Qatari treatment of LGBTQ people. When questioned about this, among other things, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said this:

‘I think for what we Europeans have been doing in the last 3,000 years around the world, we should be apologising for the next 3,000 years before starting to give moral lessons to people.’

So Infantino believes that due to past transgressions, the people of the world should not strive to be better and should instead say nothing when it comes to injustice. This is exactly the kind of morally bankrupt response to be expected from the man whose organisation chose to host its flagship competition in a place where people cannot express themselves freely.

Questions also have to be asked of the players involved, with many accepting the ban of the armbands in fear of being booked and missing a game. It could be argued that the best showing if solidarity would be for the players to wear the armbands and take the bookings.

This may be unfair to say as it may actively go against their self-interests as unfortunately for most players, football will always come first.

To FIFA and its officials, it is clear that the whole thing is about money. In April 2020, a report from the NY Times revealed that sources from within the US Department of Justice were claiming that FIFA officials were bribed by officials from both Russia and Qatar in order to secure their World Cup bids for 2018 and 2022.

There have also been various reports emerging of worker deaths while working on the new stadiums built specifically for the World Cup. While the official reports say 40, news outlets such as the Guardian believe that this number could be much higher, even in the thousands.

Unfortunately, the Qatari Government have been unwilling to share details regarding this, meaning that people are being left to speculate precisely what the human cost of this World Cup actually is.

There have been reports that Qatar has spent over $220 billion in World Cup infrastructure in order to make it the biggest, most expensive tournament in history. Some of this money no doubt going to the hired fans being used to create the illusion of an atmosphere amongst the questionable living conditions supporters are being forced to endure.

What is undoubtedly a massive financial win for FIFA and Qatar is a loss for football and the world as a whole.

While it may sound like the bitter ramblings of a disgruntled fan, Scotland should be relieved that we do not need to partake in this farce of a World Cup.

We can only hope that the 2026 World Cup is a different story, although with the USA being one of the host nations, there will undoubtedly be more problems down the line.

News, Sport

The 2022 World Cup has begun and called a halt to football in many leagues across the World.

By Zak Williamson

With this, there is no better time to look at the stats within the cinch Premiership to see what conclusions can be found.

When we look at the league table, it is currently led by Celtic, who sit 9 points clear of their Old Firm rivals Rangers in 2nd place.

This is partly due to Celtic’s impressive goal-scoring form in the league, netting an impressive 50 goals in only 15 games.

That’s an average of 3.33 goals per game for the Parkhead side. This a stark comparison to Rangers, who have only managed to score 34 in the same number of games.

The data shows that Celtic are essentially outscoring their rivals to maintain their position at the top of the table, with both sides only conceding 13 and 14 goals respectively.

The comparative lack of goals for the Ibrox side may come as a surprise as they have registered the most amounts of shots in the league so far at 297.

At the other end of the table, it can be seen that Dundee Utd, Kilmarnock and Ross County are all struggling to find their opposition’s net, as well as keep the ball out of their own.

Each team currently has a goal difference of over -10, meaning that they have conceded far more goals than they have been scoring.

Another interesting note is that Aberdeen, who currently sit in 3rd place, are only 5 goals off Rangers’ tally, despite having more than 100 fewer shots throughout the season. They are let down by their conceded goals, however, which is far higher than their rivals in 2nd.

There are also some interesting takeaways from looking at the disciplinary statistics from the league campaign so far.

While Heart of Midlothian has the lowest number of yellow cards shown in the league so far, they have also been shown the highest amount of red cards with 5.

This means that statistically, Hearts’ players have been shown a red card once every 3 games.

St Johnstone has the most yellow cards in the league with 47. When this data is coupled with their relatively low number of conceded goals, it could be inferred that this could be a part of their game plan with the use of tactical fouls to prevent opponents from scoring.

The vast amounts of bookings so far could also be attributed to the introduction of VAR (Video Assisted Refereeing) into the Scottish top flight, with there being a reported 3x increase in the number of penalties. In the first 20 games with VAR, 13 penalties were given. For comparison, only 56 spot kicks were issued throughout the entirety of last season.

All things considered, it has been an eventful start to the season and fans can expect more surprising stats when the cinch returns after Qatar.

Stats sourced from: https://spfl.co.uk/stats-centre