Back to work

The holiday's over, and it was back to work last week. A sense of deja vu about it all; you return to a desk where all the old problems are waiting for you. Top of the pile: yup, Fairer Scotland! Papers from the December Full Council, with Motions, amemdments, counter amendments, addendums - you name it, I've got a copy of it. What it all means - what was actually eventually agreed during the course of the COuncil meeting - takes a bit of working out (that's true to form, as nothing about Fairer Scotland has been anything like straightforward). The upshot, as I understand it, is that officials have been instructed to look at ways of finding transitional funding for the 16 projects affected by funding cuts in Forth. On the face of it that's quite a positive step, but experience has taught me to be cautious and I won't be breaking open the bubbly just yet.
A meeting of Forth's Voluntary Sector Forum on Tuesday resolved to refer our case to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, and to seek legal advice over the way Forth has been treated under new funding arrangements. Another letter to senior Services for Communities officials has now been sent, and yet another deputation - this time to Policy & Strategy on 20 January - to prepare for. Happy New Year!
The paper went to print on Thursday - front page lead is an update on Fairer Scotland. If I'm getting increasingly tired about writing about it, goodness only knows how our readers feel about reading it. Here's hoping there's something good to knock it off the front page next month (and I can confidently predict that there will be a February NEN!)
One nice wee story I covered this week was the planting of some young apple trees at Ferryhill School as part of the Commonwealth Orchard project. Some nice pictures despite the weather, and Green MSP Robin Harper was his ever-helpful cheery self. Robin was ably assisted by Inverleith councillor Tim McKay and Ferryhill's enthusiastic Eco-Committee, and the trees should be bearing fruit by the time of the Commonwealth Games. I hope the NEN's still around to cover it when that day comes.
The other, altogether less wholesome, story to intrude on our patch was the arrival of a team of police officers and forensic staff who descended on the patch of waste ground by Lidl/Iceland off West Granton Road on Friday morning. They combed this area and two other local sites in the search for more body parts in the ongoing investigation into the recent grisly 'Head in the Bag' incident. I understand that more remains have indeed been found.

Sport
Two big events this week. One - the Embassy Darts at The Lakeside. You know the New Year's really arrived when these gladiators take to the stage for the annual event, and while I didn't see as much of the tournamnet as I usually do I did see both semi-finals at most of the Final itself. Ted 'The Count' Hankey was the victor this year, winning a classic final over the amiable Tony 'Silverback' O'Shea. Apparantly Ted has cut his pre-match intake from eight pints to a just three pints, and this draconian fitness regime has clearly worked wonders! Must try it myself!
The other big event - or, sadly for Hibs fans, non-event - was the Scottish Cup tie against Hearts at Easter Road.
The day didn't dawn brightly - howling winds and heavy rain ensured this was never going to be a great exhibition of silky football - and a 12:15 kick off did nothing to lift the spirits either. As for the game itself - well, it was dire. A pernickety referee, atrocious conditions and a Hibs team that once again failed to rise to the ocassion. Then you had Steven Fletcher's moment of madness, getting sent off for a lunge that admittedly looked worse than it was, but nonetheless a challenge he should never have made.
Take nothing away from Hearts, they came to do a job, adapted well to the conditions and scored the all important opening goal. A one goal and one man advantage was more than they could have expected before half time, and they were always very comfortable after that. Hibs gave the impression that they could have played for the rest of Sunday and Monday too without scoring, and it was the lack of guile once again that was most worrying. Mixu had a full squad from which to choose, any number of different options, yet this was the best that they could produce. It was lamentable to watch, embarrasing at times and the season is now effectively over. Whether or not Hibs finish in the top six is really of little importance (admittedly you would prefer to see the Old Firm and another game against Hearts)so there's little to look forward to over the coming months. And Spartans got beat by Airdrie so I can't even follow them in the Cup.

Next Week
I'm taking a day off on Monday to catch up with just a few of the chores that have been neglected over recent weeks, and the NEN board and staff are having another Planning Session on Thursday. Monday night's Unionist CLub committee meeting has been postponed for a week (delighted to hear that) and the Edinburgh Association of Community Councils hold their first meeting of the year on Thursday night. Two weeks into the New Year and it's back into the old familiar routine of meetings, meetings, meetings - I haven't made any resolutions this year but I am adamant that I will try to drastically cut back on some of my voluntary duties. I am involved with 12 different groups, and while some are more demanding of your time than others it's still far too many. There's got to be time for life outside meetings too. Hasn't there?

This picture was taken when I was on my way into Ferryhill School the other day. Bleak midwinter?