Had a very pleasant catch up with Munro Allison (our architects) in Geoff’s garden on Sunday.
Most accommodating of them to see us on a Sunday. Most accommodating of Geoff and Tony to host. Their garden is gorgeous and I enjoyed the wide variety of insect life – bees and butterflies buzzing round my head as we talked in the sunshine.
The thinking seems to be that £350k is great. We need to work out how to spend it. We need a design team. It is likely to be Council led but with us at the table and we need to find out what the money can be spent on. Am hoping Geoff can have those conversations today with Council or we start them after tonight’s Monday meeting but I’m out of action on Porty Central matters till evening. Geoff likely to be talking to AHF today too.
Meanwhile the aspirational bit of the architects work, the changing of the building not just making it safe remains a funding and planning focus too. We also need a design team for that. That is probably easily 5 years out. I need to bring SLF and National Lottery contacts up to speed on our news and understand what it means on their funding. Had hoped to do that yesterday but other stuff got in the way.
Nice to see The Wash House announcing 3 Edinburgh Council youth workers will be walking through Portobello Thursday and Friday this week from 2-4pm, starting at Joppa and making their way down to The Wash House via all the parks.
They are looking to make contact with bored young people looking for things to do, particularly over summer.
They have funding for activities but will be led by the kids as to what happens next. Sharing here so you can tell your young people to look out for them. Not directly Portobello Central news but positive news from one of the “three bears”.
Jennifer’s blog #28