Picture reads:-

Coming soon

…maybe… eventually…

 from a deserted street near you

Tramspotting

the compensation was not given – Copymade

the lack of progress is astonishing – Mercat Bar

nocked us down, we were even listed – Caley Ale House

the loss of turnover is well worth it – Gali Ristrante

we have done it it again, what a mess – Salon Cafe

tourism is up and business is booming – Glasgow

we took the money and closed – Internet Cafe

Free viewing of the directors cut, with an additonal 5 years footage

Available on a DVD or a 6×4 photo

Why is it every time this road has been closed the roadworks have over run? Is this a normal ploy throughout Edinburgh? Say the road is only to be closed for a short period so people don’t complain?

I’m not disputing the need to carry out the roadworks, just how it has been carried out with no regard to the delays on the surrouding roads. Throughout the works there’s on average been 3 or 4 people on site. The same work could perhaps have been done in a couple of weeks had it been resourced correctly.

Maybe it’s time utility companies are charged a “lane rental” for every day they have the roads dug up. Make it a figure where it’s cheaper to do the work quickly rather than do it slowely.

6 Weeks after the initial road closure the Lothian Buses website still fails to mention that the buses are being diverted.

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Pedestrian diversion routes are via Princes Street Gardens to the south, and rose Street to the north. Crossing points from the north side of Princes Street to the south side are provided at the east end opposite Waverly Market, at the west end opposite McDonalds, and in the middle next to the Art Gallery. Unfortunately disabled access is not possible during the works due to the large number of steps.

West bound busses are being diverted via South St David’s Street, George Street, South Charlotte street and back on to Princes street.

East bound busses are being diverted via Queensferry Street, Hope street, Charlotte Square, George Street, South St David’s Street and back on to Princes Street.

Other traffic is being diverted along a similar route but will use Queen Street rather than George Street.

Hanover Street is closed south bound from North Thistle Street to George Street. The alternative route is via Fredrick Street. Hanover Street is completely closed from George Street to Princes Street.

Fredrick Street is open but there is no access to Princes Street.

Busses normally travelling southbound are being diverted via Melville Street, Walker Street, Coates Crescent and Shandwick place.

South Charlotte Street is only open for busses running southbound.

It seems that most drivers are driving round in a daze. Some people seem to be following their satnavs rather than looking at signs that say no entry or road closed. It also doesn’t help that throughout the town there is a general lack of helpfull signs, and in certian places there’s an overload of signs.

I’m glad it was a Sunday and there wasn’t much traffic about. Otherwise there would have been more than a few accidents.

All this from a 2 hours walk round the Edinburgh city centre:-

Shandwich Place – at the junction with Coates Crecent there’s a “No Vehicles exept busses and taxi’s” – this didn’t stop a green VW polo from driving through. These signs are relatively small and easy to miss, especially when a bus is blocking the sign on one side.

Coates Crescent – This street is currently one way from west to east. Unfortunatly many satnav’s have this road as 2 way, which might explain why a merc drove through a no-entry sign and was driving east to west. Thankfully no cars were driving the other way at the time.

Canning Street – this street used to be one way approaching Shandwick Place. Left lane to turn left, right hand lane to turn right. Only now it’s 2 way – but some cars don’t seem to have noticed the change of lanes. Now the left hand lane is only for turning right!

Rose Street – car driving east to west when the street is one way west to east, also driving through the pedestrian zone in the middle. The car made it from Castle Street to Hanover street so must have gone through at least 2 sets of no-entry signs.

Princes Street junction with South Charlotte Street – Princes Street eastbound is only open for Busses and Taxi’s, with loading at night. Again following a bus a car drove through the lights and on to Princes Street. Unfortunatly for the driver there was apolice van behind them and they were pulled over. The police man obviously feered for his life and didn’t hold them for more than a minute.

Princes Street junction with South St Davids Street - like the west end of Princes Street the east end is also blocked to all vehicles except busses and taxi’s. Standing for 5 minutes it was amazing the number of cars that either whent through the no vehicles sign, realised at the last minute and turned left, or sitting at the red traffic lights, reveresed and changed lane.

High Street (Royal Mile) at Old Fishmarket Close – The high street at this point is closed to vehicles during the day. There is however a steep side street off the road called Old Fishmarket Close. This is a narrow street with plenty of signs saying the road ahead is closed during the day. Another merc must have though this didn’t apply to them as they drove up the close onto the Royal Mile. After driving up and down the pedestrian zone they eventually found there way out back down the close.

Over the past few months there’s been a strong smell of gas in the area. Scottish Gas have been out and dug many trial holes with out success, so it looks like they will be digging up the road.

The road was replaced less than 2 years ago in what the council describe as “full depth resurfacing”. It seems odd that after only 2 years it’s going to be dug up again and have pot holes all over it.

Anyway, the signs were updated yesterday (16th). At the bottom of the sign extra text was added “Until the 27th February”!. So the road isn’t going to be closed for just one day, but 6 weeks!

Another sign had also appeared at the top of the road next to Slateford Road, so presumably now the road will be closed in both directions.

Nothing has yet appeared on Lothian Buses travel news web page website to say the busses are being diverted so it’s going to be interesting to see the grid lock on Monday.

When it comes to what we put on and in our bodies, the closer we stay to nature, the better we feel.

Often called the ‘Miracle Plant’ or the ‘Natural Healer’, Aloe Vera is a plant which flourishes in warm and dry climates, and many people mistake it for a cactus, but , in fact, it is a member of the Lily family. Many suppliers bring the remarkable benefits of this powerful plant to your entire body. Add to that a full assortment of vitamin and mineral supplements, and you have everything you need to start looking and feeling better naturally There are over 200 varieties in the Aloe family. Its now grown indoors in the UK by many people. Historic records show that the benefits of Aloe Vera have been known for centuries. Its therapeutic advantages and healing properties have survived more than 5,000 years

Today the reputation of this remarkable plant continues to grow. It is used by millions of people around the world for both external applications and internal use, many of which are documented in Magazines & Newspapers. Its fleshy leaves and an inner gel provide the base for an increasingly vast array of natural products ranging from soaps to shampoo and nourishing drinks to beauty products like skin cream lotions.

And its not only humans who can benefit from Aloe Vera. Animals have their own products including a spray that is excellent for cuts, bites, abscesses and infections. Alongside this products like Aloe Gelly, Propolis Cream and drinking Gel all have great benefits to helping animals.

FIREFIGHTERS were last night forced to abandon fighting a building site blaze in Edinburgh because of fears a tower crane could collapse.

One part of the partially built block of flats had already caved in, a fire brigade spokeswoman said.
Fire fighters were called to the seven storey property at Albion Gardens on Easter Road at 4pm yesterday. No one was injured and no one was believed to have been trapped within the site. Police, however, evacuated neighbouring flats as a precaution.

A spokeswoman for Lothian and Borders Fire Brigade said: “Firefighting operations have ceased due to the potential collapse of a tower crane.”

Some photographs by Andy Cook here – fire

Picture shows the Land & Water tug boat Scaup. Also working nearby were the tugs Amity and Dignity