Bloomiehall Gala Week

Many weeks of planning have been going into preparations for the celebrations of the Bloomiehall Park centenary. We will shortly see colourful vista boards and a history information board in the park itself and elegant new gates to replace the present unappealing swing barrier at the Juniper Park entrance. The first event, somewhat loosely connected to the celebrations, was a birdsong recognition and history walk along the Water of Leith walkway on 5^th May led by Richard Watt, naturalist, and local historian, Liz Beevers. Eighteen walkers gathered in Ruth’s Kitchen to fortify themselves before starting from Mutter’s Bridge and walking to Slateford, with lunch en route at the Spylaw Tavern in Colinton. Thirty different species of bird were seen or identified by their calls and we learned a great deal about our industrial past. Other events linked to the centenary, in particular our Gala Week, will be reported on in the July-August issue of this paper. One thing that should draw the crowds on Friday evening, Ist June, is the presence of Paul Hegarty, former Scotland and Dundee United player, and his brother Kevin, who played for Hearts, at our five-a-side football tournament final, when Paul will present the winners’ trophy.

 

We must thank C&B News and our local Pentlands Neighbourhood Partnership for its generous support of our Gala Week which promises to be a great success. The grand parade on the morning of Saturday 2^nd June will process from the park along Belmont Road and Lanark Road to the primary school. We hope for fine weather and a huge turnout of Juniper Green and Baberton Mains residents, to say nothing of their friends and relations and our neighbours from Currie and Balerno.