The hub edition 6 july aug

Edinburgh Jazz & Blues FestivalHeadlining the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival Jools Holland and His Rhythm and Blues Orchestra

To advertise please call 0131 603 5290www.thehub-community.com

Corstorphinethe centre of your community

July / August 2013

image courtesy of The Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival

www.thehub-community.com For advertising and features - 0131 603 5290 / [email protected] www.thehub-community.com For advertising and features - 0131 603 5290 / [email protected]

Welcome to the this month’s edition of

The Hub: Corstorphine

It’s hard to believe that almost exactly a year ago I was writing the words ‘Welcome to the first edition of…’ The Hub: Corstorphine is one year old and the year has passed very quickly indeed; rather too quickly we’d say!

We’ve thoroughly enjoyed the year and would just like to place on record our thanks:

Firstly to all our advertisers. Without them the magazine would never make it through your door. Secondly to our contributors; from students sending can sized satellites into the atmosphere to Polar explorers – all based in Corstorphine.

And finally, to you for reading The Hub: Corstorphine, for your fabulous feedback but most importantly for supporting local businesses and for making Corstorphine the thriving place it remains today.

This time round we feature Corstorphone Art Group’s up-coming exhibition as well Business Spotlights for Sibbald Training, Co-op Solutions and iJoiner. We also continue our series of gardening, first aid and money saving top tips.

In this edition of The Hub: Corstorphine we are also delighted to promote the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival. Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra will be playing as will Mud Morganfield the son of Muddy Waters. The festival is happening this month, so please do pay it a visit – it’s fabulous.

Don’t forget to visit our website. We have our new Motoring section which is soon to be joined by The Hub: Property and The Hub: Holidays. Just to complete the ‘online’ sales pitch; it would be great if you would visit our Facebook page and ‘like’ it as well. We do promote all our advertisers on Facebook.

So there we have it… one year down and (hopefully) many more to come.

Cheers

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It could be because he whistles as he’s doing his work, maybe because he smiles a lot. But sometimes you can just tell because of the care and attention he takes when he’s working.

Stephen Jeffries of iJoiners is one of the latter, as our very own Colin Stewart discovered when he recently had some work done on his house.

Colin, being the creative sort (he’s the guy who designs The Hub) is pretty demanding when it comes to attention to detail. So it was a great relief when Stephen came to price up some work at Colin’s place.

Business Spotlight -

‘In just a few minutes and after a couple of questions he seemed to grasp exactly what I wanted,’ said Colin.

‘He was marking out where sockets were to go and making suggestions to make my design better.’

Stephen looks just a bit embarrassed. He clears his throat before joining the conversation: ‘It’s all about the finished article for me.’

We wanted to know more about what he meant.

‘Well, the output can’t be right if you don’t understand what your customer wants… you can only start a job if

you’ve got the end product in mind.’

It’s a great philosophy and Stephen makes sure there’s a quality finish by paying meticulous attention to every detail whilst he’s working.

Colin had one final comment to make. ‘We hadn’t even talked about the price and I already knew that Stephen would be doing the work… then when the price came it was a pleasant surprise, too.’

That’s high praise indeed from Colin who, is famously hard to please when it comes to creativity – especially when he’s asking someone to work on his own house!

Sometimes you just know when a guy enjoys his job.

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We interview Stephen Jeffries of iJoiners

iJoiners


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Club Spotlights

Maybe it’s because she’s steeped in the history of the group or possibly because she’s so enthusiastic about the future but whatever it is speaking with Sheila really makes you… well… want to paint or draw again. After all, it’s something we all loved to do at school.We asked Sheila a little bit about the group’s past.

‘Belle Kilgour was our founder,’ begins Sheila, ‘And along with another leading light, Earle Douglas, she really laid the foundations for a very successful group.

Belle and Earle are no longer with us although their memorys’ live on. There are two prizes awarded annually at the exhibition to local artists: the Belle Kilgour Memorial Trophy and the

Earle Douglas Award.Mention of the exhibition

seemed like an opportune moment to ask more about it.

‘Yes,’ says Sheila, warming to her subject, ‘Our exhibition is being held at St Ninian’s Church Hall between Saturday 27th July and Saturday 3rd August.

‘There’ll be a really wide selection of work by local artists. Everyone is free to come and browse; it doesn’t cost anything to come in. And, you never know, you might see a piece of work that would be perfect in your home!’

Corstorphine Art Group is going from strength to

strength under Sheila’s friendly guidance. There are about 80 members who enjoy regular demonstrations

from professional artists. New members are always welcome and people with all levels of ability can enjoy working with both professional and amateur artists to improve and develop their artistic skills.

The Corstorphine Art Group exhibition is being held between Saturday 27th July and Saturday 3rd of August. You can check the Corstorphine Art Group advert in The Hub.

Corstorphine Art GroupExhibition 2013

Opening times are:Sat 27th July to Fri 2nd August10.30am - 4.30 pm dailyThurs 1st August 10.30am– 6.30pmSat 3rd August 10.30am - 3.30pm

Come along and enjoy the wide selection of original works by local artists, most items on exhibit are available for sale.

Everyone Welcome - Admission Free

If you would like to find out more about the Corstorphine Art Group and the benefits of being a member please contact [email protected]

Saturday 27th July to Saturday 3rd August

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Sheila Paton is the current President of the Corstorphine Art Group and it’s clear from our very first meeting that she’s passionate about her role and the fact that group’s annual exhibition is coming up later in July.


Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival

Expect unique artistic collaborations, cutting edge performers, funk and dance-fused sounds, timeless jazz favourites, intense art, total relaxation and a good time for all! There’ll be fun-packed nights at Festival Theatre, a party atmosphere at the Spiegeltent and show-stopping performances at the Queen’s Hall. The Festival

will also be setting up a cool, modern jazz club at 3 Bristo Place.

Household names like Jools Holland and Eric Burdon appear alongside the hottest players in jazz Tia Fuller, Neil Cowley and Pharaoh Saunders and classic jazz singer Malene Mortensen.

The Festival boasts two rare concerts “The 3 B’s” (Chris Barber, Acker Bilk and Kenny Ball’s Jazzmen) and Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concert which features jazz band, the Scottish Chamber Chorus, soloists and even a tap dancer. Brand new Festival elements this year include Cross the Tracks, a fresh strand

that throws the spotlight on contemporary, underground music influenced by jazz. Participating artists include Hidden Orchestra, Submotion Orchestra and Ghostpoet. Plus the Tron Kirk will transform into a new ‘Festival hub’ - a club that will open at 10am and run through to late evening with a grand array of performers from contemporary jazz via Edinburgh heroes to vintage jazz. The Festival also gets the summer ‘Festival Season’ started in a blaze of colour and beats, taking the music to the streets and parks of Edinburgh with the Mardi Gras on Saturday 20th July and the second ever Edinburgh Festival Carnival on Sunday 21st July.

Visit the website for more information.

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Friday 19 – Sunday 28 JulyJools Holland

Eric Burdon & the AnimalsFat Sams BandDarius Brubeck

Ghostpoet Brian Kellock

California HoneydropsTia Fuller

Snarky PuppyFred Wesley & the new JBs

Festival Club at the Tron KirkMud Morganfield

Hot 8 Brass Band+ Chris Barber, Acker Bilk,

Kenny Ball’s Jazzmen.

Call 0131 467 5200 for a FREE programme

The Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival, held from Friday 19th to Sunday 28th July at venues across the capital, presents a world-class line-up for the 2013 programme.

www.edinburghjazzfestival.com


Solicitors you’ll enjoy talking to

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Advertising with us is cost effective: this full page advert costs just £120 + VAT and with prices from £40 + VAT for a quarter page we have a package to suit all business budgets. The hub: Corstorphine is distributed to 5,000 homes and businesses across Corstorphine 6 times a year.

Sometimes you might want get additional information across to your potential customers. We can write a Spotlight piece for you. We never accept submitted PR. Instead we will talk to you about your business and what makes it tick. We’ll write an editorial based on what you tell us which highlights the work you do.

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Your business will be listed on our website free of charge for 3 months.

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Spotlight: ItsPhotographic

‘The Bride’s mother and aunties, please,’ called the rather harassed looking photographer as several of the wedding guests raised their eyes in exasperation at yet another permutation.

Every wedding day has its fair share of joy, drama, fun, laughter, deep emotion and sometimes comedy.

Couples in the 21st century are demanding a true record of their momentous day. A permanent record that captures the emotions they and their guests experience.

That’s why itsphotographic is so proud of its wedding service. Peter Lawson of itsphotographic, puts it very well: ‘We only get one chance to get this right and the only way to guarantee success is to have the best photographers in the business.’

Okay, that may well be true, but what does it actually mean?

Peter thinks for a moment before answering. ‘Well, for itsphotographic it means a number of different elements to a successful photo shoot.’

Photo shoot? Surely it’s a wedding?

‘Yes,’ agrees Peter, ‘of course it is. But if we, as photographers, think of it as a wedding, then we get the wrong feel. After all the bride and groom are the stars of the entire day and we treat them like that: stars.’

We wanted to know more about itsphotographic so went to watch them in action… and it was a revelation.

Sure, there were the posed photos – they’re still an important part of the occasion – but the photographer seemed to be everywhere.

When guests were arriving he was taking pictures of people greeting one another. Sometimes these people were meeting up after a gap of many years and their ‘hellos’ were touching.

The photographer was circulating, too; capturing what Peter refers to as ‘moments’. A boy, maybe 14 years old tenderly moving a

lock of hair away from his sister’s face, cousins embracing, a big burly guy in a kilt trying to wipe away a tear without anyone seeing.

We even saw the photographer, not quite ‘hiding’ around a corner of the kirk so he could capture more ‘moments’ without intruding.

We caught up with Peter after the wedding and told him what we’d seen.

He smiles, ‘That’s why wedding photography is so special and so hard to get right…’

Itsphotographic offers a complete wedding package to help happy couples create a lasting and true record of their special day.

He was an older man dressed in a shiny suit and had a long list of formulaic, posed and formal photographs to get through. The scrap of paper his list was written on was fairly worn – it had been used many times in the past… without variation.

Sound familiar?

Too often has wedding photography been the poor relation of the profession; the creativity and imagination of the photographer often squashed by the formality of the occasion and the traditional poses demanded by, well, tradition.

But things have changed; couples are demanding more from their photographs than the old poses. They want variety, naturalness and something different.

And quite right, too. A wedding is a dramatic event in a couple’s life and the lives’ of their families.

www.itsphotographic.co.uk


The business has just moved into a brand new £2.5M state of the art training facility only 20 minutes west of Corstorphine.

What’s more Andrew Morrell, Sales and Marketing Manager at Sibbald is one of our own, being based right here in Corstorphine.

In fact Andrew is a Kiwi who came to Edinburgh in 2000. His intention was to stay for

only a short while but met a local lady, fell in love and has been in Corstorphine with his wife and family ever since.

We thought we needed to find out more about this home grown success story and started by asking Andrew about the business.

So, what can you tell us about Sibbald Training?

‘Sibbald is a real family business… it was started forty years ago by David Sibbald. He’s still active in the business, along with

John and Douglas his sons.’

David started the business as an owner operator with one excavator for hire. The plant hire side of the business did very well and the training business really developed out of the need to train operators after the introduction of new legislation.

The business continues to grow year on year, even though the economy has been through some tough times. We asked Andrew how Sibbald had managed it.

Sibbald Training Solutions

Sibbald Training Solutions, specialising in construction, health and safety and driver training is a real Scottish success story.

‘We certainly think laterally!’ Says Andrew with a laugh. ‘We now offer a wide range of training. Of course, the construction industry is in our blood but we also offer health and safety training, consultancy and have customers in a wide range of sectors from petro chemical to food and beverage.’

And they’re good, too. Sibbald has won National Training Awards no fewer than 4 times and has a list

of accreditations as long as your arm

almost literally!

The business has recently opened a brand new state of the art £2.5M training facility set in 14 acres of land. We asked Andrew for more information about the training centre.

‘Where do I start?’ Andrew starts ticking off the features of the new facility on his fingers: ‘We have 6 training suites, the largest of which can comfortably handle 80 delegates and a conference room all equipped with the latest AV equipment. We have a purpose built hanger for all weather training and outdoor areas for

excavation, rough terrain and 4 x 4 training… it’s a magnificent site!’

Okay, it sounds terrific, but we asked Andrew to sum up why Sibbald Training is such a Scottish success story.

This time, Andrew doesn’t have to think too hard. ‘We get a lot of repeat business which means our training must be good and that’s the foundation of everything. But we’re always looking to innovate. We have our fantastic site but we train at our clients’ own locations and we’re adding e-learning

to our portfolio soon.’

‘All in all, it’s a truly comprehensive and blended training solution.’

You can find out more about Sibbald Training by visiting www.sibbaldtraining.com, calling Andrew on 01501 750909 or emailing him at [email protected].

Rumour has it if you mention The Hub you’ll get a 15% discount on any training booked!

Interview with Andrew Morrell of Sibbald Training


We are experts in the field of providing construction and plant training services.

Sibbald Training are experts in the field of providing Construction & Plant Training services for industries such as construction, civil engineering, utilities, local authorities, emergency services, warehousing and distribution. We have an enviable customer base across a wide range of industry sectors.

Our construction plant and health & safety training courses include; Construction Plant CPCS & NPORS, New Roads & Street Works, RTITB, CSCS Vocational, Health & Safety, Manual Handling, Fire Safety, IOSH, PASMA & Safety Passport training. Sibbald cater for industries such as construction, civil engineering, utilities, local authorities, emergency services and warehousing and distribution.

[email protected] | 01501 750900

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Did you know Sibbald is only 20 minutes from Corstorphine?

Has recession hit your business?Are sales down?Why not speak to one of our business analysts to find out what options are available to you...

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Our Advertisers Top Tipsajorca

Late Summer / Early Autumn Gardening Tip: Grass roots need oxygen as well as water and nutrients. Aerating, the process of removing small plugs of soil, has loads of benefits. It lets in air, allows water and fertilizer to penetrate the soil deeper and easier, reduces soil compaction and opens space for roots to grow.

If your lawn is small grab a fork and go nuts. Push it in as far as it will go. It doesn’t matter if it only goes in a couple of inches: any holes are better than no holes. Repeat this all over the lawn at about four inch intervals. Your lawn will thank you. If you are using a machine, follow the instructions you received from the hire shop. You can be generous since you are mechanically assisted: go over the whole lawn at least twice.

Timing is critical. You can aerate in the Spring but Autumn when there are fewer weed seeds to set up home in the open spaces is the best time to aerate. It’s usually best to aerate first, then apply any weed killers so the open holes are protected against weeds.

Look out for the Autumn Tip next edition.

David’sGardening Tip

David Hughson from Jim’s Mowing gives us useful gardening tips and advice.

Let’s face facts, if you run a business and you are making a profit the chances are that you will have to pay tax.

But sometimes business people pay too much tax just because they aren’t fully aware of everything they can do to reduce their tax liability. I’m not talking about some of the perhaps less than morally upright schemes we’ve all been reading about recently.

I mean allowances the government has put in place that a business owner can quite legitimately claim to reduce the amount of tax they pay.

Of course there are the obvious ones like claiming for fuel on a van or business car but how about claiming something for using your home as an office or even, in certain circumstances, being able to have your clothes cleaned.

It’s important to everyone that if it’s due, tax is paid. It’s also important that only the right amount of tax is paid. Make sure, if you are running a business, that you are claiming all the allowances the government says you can claim.It will save you money.

Renee’s Money Advice

Renee Mackay from Tax assist Accountants gives us useful money saving tips and advice.

Whether it’s Corstorphine or the Costas this summer it’s worth thinking about how to stay safe in the sun.Watch out for 3 main conditions. Firstly: Sunburn. Like any burn, cool with running water and cover with a clean dry dressing. Then stay out of the sun. If severe get medical help.

Next: Heat Exhaustion - caused by abnormal loss of salt and water through excessive sweating. Symptoms include: Cramp-like pains, headache, pale, moist skin, fast, weak pulse, slightly raised temperature.

Get the person to lie down in a cool place, raise legs and give plenty of bland fluids: rehydration sachets would be the best. Seek medical help.

Lastly: Heat stroke. Potentially dangerous, this condition occurs when the body can’t cool itself by sweating.

Symptoms include: Restlessness, headache, dizzy feeling, flushed and very hot skin, rapid loss of consciousness, fast, strong pulse and raised body temperature.

A cool place is needed. Lie the sufferer down and make them comfortable. Cool with a cold wet sheet,water or a fan. Call an ambulance. Monitor their symptoms until help arrives.

Jo Worrall’s Safety Advice

A child’s summer holidays are often jam-packed with energetic activities including bike rides, swimming, dancing and football.

But the brain is like any muscle: it’s just as important to keep it active over the holidays as well as your child’s body. Ensuring they continue educational activities throughout the holiday can mean they’re confident, equipped and ready to tackle new work when they go back to school.

Daily study can make all the difference when it comes to keeping the brain active between school terms, as well as throughout the year. As a new school term approaches, it’s especially important that your child gets to grips with the core subjects of maths and English, as well as the vital learning skills which can take students beyond their school level.

The summer holidays provide an ideal opportunity for your child to settle into their new routine of daily Kumon study, before getting off to a flying start in the new school year.

For more information, or to book a Free Assessment, contact Grant Jones on 0131 334 1036 or email [email protected]

Educational Summer Holiday Top Tip


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Business Spotlight

You know what? Things have been tough recently, especially if you’re running your own business.

Hmmm… easier said than done unless you can get some help to show you how to structure your business differently and how to avoid making the same mistakes again.

But who to turn to? The government? Unlikely. An insolvency practitioner? Probably not.

There is an alternative, which is more about business turnaround and rescue than insolvency and liquidation.

Paul Barry and David Morgan from Co-op Solutions took the time to explain more about how they help business people who find themselves in situations they’d rather not be in.

So, what is it that Co-op Solutions does?

Paul and David share a glance before Paul answers. ‘It’s probably best to start with what we’re not!’ He says with a smile. ‘We are not accountants and we are not the government… we’re a couple of blokes with some experience in business turnaround and we

pass that experience on.’

At this David laughs a little and raises his eyebrows to the ceiling. There’s plainly a story to be told.

‘Well,’ says David, ‘I was running my own business down south. Underneath it was a good business but I made some mistakes and ended up losing everything.’

Sometimes it’s hard to put your finger on exactly why it’s tough being in business until you really think about it… and that’s the last thing you want to do; think about it, that is.

But not to think about it can be disastrous. You won’t notice that your customers are taking longer and longer to pay and that the people who give you credit are getting more and more annoyed. Or that HMRC are chasing you; maybe your debt is creeping up. Cash flow is tight (or non-existent) and your stress levels are going up.

It’s a vicious cycle which, if you’re not careful, leads you to a very difficult place with bankruptcy and liquidation looming.

Underneath it all, though the business is fine, especially as the green shoots of recovery begin to show. If only you can trade through the next few months…

He shakes his head slightly, lost in the memory. ‘It felt like the world was coming to an end as the business collapsed around me.’

It certainly gives Co-op Solutions a unique view point… but what does the business actually do? It’s Paul again.

‘Well, if a business owner believes their business is in

trouble that’s half the battle. We’ll meet with them to talk through what’s happened, where cash is coming from and where it’s being spent and we’ll identify ways in which to improve things.’

David nods and takes up the narrative: ‘Our solutions may be as simple as helping someone negotiate better terms on their credit accounts or might be as

complex as re-structuring their business to reduce debt repayment burdens.’

So, what do customers get at the end of the process?

‘Whatever actions we suggest,’ says Paul, ‘Our service allows a business person to remove the burden they’ve built up often over many years. We help people identify mistakes and

stop them so they can move forward with their lives.’

If you run a business and would like to find more about how Co-op Solutions can help visit their website: www.coopsolutions.co.uk or call them on 0845 544 1263.

Interview with Paul Barry and David Morgan of Co-op Solutions.


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You may remember in the last edition of The Hub: Corstorphine and on our website we were promoting the Fancy Dress Teddy Toddle and Summer Fair.

Well, the Toddle was a fantastic success and the next event is the Summer Kids Get Together on 30th July at St Thomas’ Church on Glasgow Road right here in Corstorphine.

The last Kids Get Together back in February raised £628 and Gilly in confident they can raise more this time round.

‘We have more children booked in already,’ explains Gilly. ‘We have 125 tickets to sell and only 45 are left.’

The Sick Kids Friends Foundation

Tickets are £4.50 per child but adults and children under 12 months don’t cost anything. ‘There’s so much to do,’ Gilly continues, ‘This year we have a disco and magic show, Alexander the Great will be entertaining the kids, there’s face painting, beads, Paula’s home baking…’

The list goes on and on. And parents aren’t forgotten either. Apparently there’s the opportunity to get a neck and shoulder massage, nails filed and polished and even a foot buff!

So, put the date in your diary: The Summer Kids Get Together, Tuesday 30th July between 10am and 12pm at St Thomas’

Church, Glasgow Road, Corstorphine.

Tickets cost just £4.50 and you can get more information or buy your tickets by contacting Gilly on [email protected]

Gilly Herbert is fundraising again.

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Unit 32, IMEX Business Centre, Bilston Glen Estate, Loanhead. EH20 9LZ (2 mins from Ikea)

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The hub edition 6 july aug

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