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Explore! Our articles cover anything and everything to do with West Lothian, West Edinburgh and Falkirk.

A selection of what goes into print is published here.

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Matt Grieve: Finding my rhythm in teaching!

Apr 21, 2020
2 min

Matt Grieve: Finding my rhythm in teaching!

The April Local People column is an interview with Matt Grieve, nursery teacher at Dean Park Primary School, Balerno. Interviewed before lockdown. Originally from Carnoustie, Matt Grieve is a nursery teacher at Dean Park Primary School in Balerno. He enjoys working as part of a team with an age group full of wonder and fun. Matt, who considers music a big influence in his life, lives in the city centre with his partner. "the children choose what they want to do – art, baking

Safe Hand Cabs: genuinely accessible private hire

Dec 24, 2019
2 min

Safe Hand Cabs: genuinely accessible private hire

“Most places have their own local taxi company, but until now that’s been missing from the Balerno and Currie area,” says Kenny Roberts, a Balerno resident who along with his wife Helen and son Kenneth, has just set up Safe Hand Cabs. “We’d been thinking about it for a while, but the final push was earlier this year when we’d waited outside the Playhouse in Edinburgh, in the rain, as three black cabs one after another refused to take us because of Dylan’s wheelchair,” explain

Plant for bees!

Oct 10, 2019
4 min

Plant for bees!

The strap line of the Balerno Village Trust (BVT) is “towards a sustainable community” and, with various members of the community at its core, it has been working on sustainability issues in the local area for ten years. I caught up with Director Lynn Molleson for some updates. With Balerno being a community with a lot of families, food and the provenance of food is an issue that increasingly resonates. “People want to know where their food comes from, is it healthy, is it su

Ali Carlyle: Committed to quality

Nov 8, 2018
3 min

Ali Carlyle: Committed to quality

Ali Carlyle is head chef at Carlyle’s Bar and Kitchen in Balerno. He got his start in catering at age 15, and since then has taken advantage of every opportunity to learn different methods and styles of cooking. His vision for a small, sustainable fine dining restaurant with a personal touch has come to fruition in the recently opened family business. Ali and his partner Elaine live in Balerno with their dog, Jess. He enjoys hillwalking and cooking roast dinners. “Intentional

Meet the jazz cook! Shannon Denson

Oct 20, 2018
2 min

Meet the jazz cook! Shannon Denson

Shannon Denson is the new manager of the Bridge Community Café at Holy Trinity Wester Hailes, a church that St Mungo’s, Balerno partners. Originally from Michigan, USA, Shannon enjoys cooking and has a heart for community development. She lives in Bonaly with her two teenage children. Shannon Denson came to Scotland in 2001 to help her mum and aunt set up a clinical pharmaceutical trials company. Marrying a Scotsman and starting a family was not part of the plan, but that’s w

The Balerno Loop

Aug 7, 2017
5 min

The Balerno Loop

There is little left for the casual observer to notice today of the picturesque branch line that ran along the Water of Leith for six miles from Balerno to Colinton. Built primarily to service the many mills along the river, it opened in 1874 after ten years of negotiations and delays, and had a profound impact on the development of Balerno, Currie, Juniper Green and Colinton. This was a time of frantic railway building, much of which was torn up during the 1960s. Balerno las

Amy Foster: A Girl and her Golf

Feb 6, 2017
2 min

Amy Foster: A Girl and her Golf

Balerno High School pupil Amy Foster (17) has a passion for golf! In 2015 she reduced her handicap from 27 to 14 and was named “Most Improved Player” by Midlothian County Ladies’ Golf Association (Junior Girls’ Division). Her mum, dad and one of her two brothers are also golfers. When both of your parents golf, it’s not hard to imagine that you might get the bug too. “I was given some golf clubs when I was about 10,” says Amy Foster. “Mum and Dad took me out with them and sho