JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2010

Welcome to the third edition of Spotlight on Leith, bringing you all the latest news from businesses the length and breadth of Leith Walk.

Leith Walk has long been home to culinary delights from all over the world, from authentic Italian, Polish, Swedish and Turkish restaurants to delis, cafes and bars, all within metres of each other. Food lovers know that it is one of the city’s truly cosmopolitan areas, boasting a vibrant international dining culture. Now our very own businesses are set to be the focal point of a new dine around initiative – the ‘World Tour of Leith’. Celebrating the unique mix of cultures and culinary delights, the scheme is part of the Open for Businesscampaign and will be promotedin partnership with the Edinburgh

Evening News to create a real buzz whenit launches in March. Raising the area’sprofile as a diverse dining destination,this will offer individual businesses a valuable platform for promotion during traditionally quieter periods. Participating businesses contribute one dining offer each, such as ‘2 for 1 main courses’ or ‘kids eat free’, over a set period. Philip Contini of Valvona & Crollasaid: “Valvona & Crolla has been tradingat the top of Leith Walk for over 75 yearsand we’re delighted to join up withother traders, to support one anotherand showcase the range of cuisine onoffer in Leith.”

WORLD TOUR COMES TO LEITH

CYCLIST HOOP-LA

SPOTLIgHT On...

BARROW BEATS POUnD THE WALK

SPOTLIgHT On... ABLE SCHOOL OF MOTORIng

Following a survey of local residents, Leith Walk has been voted one of the top 10 areas for cyclists in the city, securing a share of 20 new cycle parking ‘hoops’. The stylish parking facilities, which have won various design awards, will be installed following Greener Leith’s successful application for funding from the Leith Neighbourhood Partnership. These facilities will promote active cycle travel in the area as part of the We Love Leith campaign. Keep your eye out over the next few months for a cycle hoop near you!

Royal Artizana on Leith Walk is a true treasure trove – housing everything from bespoke hand-thrown ceramics to artisan furniture, sourced through local suppliers who gather pieces from all corners of the world. Owner Sandra Majdoub is passionate about the local area, with her latest endeavour bringing together artists, musicians and local charities such as HALE and Bethany in the Circle of Friends Community.

Super street cleaners The Barrow Beats have been pounding Leith Walk following their introduction by Leith Neighbourhood Partnership last year. With flexibility in selecting the best routes they can now tackle difficult spots, making the streets sparkle for local residents and businesses alike.

Eyes and ears…and a kent face!

Chris Bell, local Task Force manager, comments: “Having a constant presence on the ground definitely allows us to

Tucked away at the bottom of Leith Walk, Able School of Motoring has been steering learner drivers to test success for over 20 years. Founded by former off-shore engineer Mansour Marouf, part of Able’s business strategy is continual investment in industry best practice, resulting in some impressive partners including RoSPA (Royal Society for Prevention of Accident), AIRSO (the Association of Industrial Road Safety Officers) and MSA (the Motor Schools Association of Great Britain). Along with plans for celebrating their 20,000th driving test pass in 2010, the company is at the forefront of tutoring the city’s driving professionals, including the emergency services and driving instructors themselves.

Sandra comments: “Our plans for 2010 include running workshops on issues such as dealing practically with physical and mental health issues, disabilities, art, health, wellbeing and feng shui. The list is endless. We also want to hold events aimed at bringing together all the different groups in Leith.

http://www.royal-artizana.co.uk

respond to situations as they arise. Since we introduced The Barrow Beatswe’ve received a lot of positive feedback.” Each barrow has the capacity to remove 200 litres of waste, the ability to store essential street-cleaning equipment and is adaptable to different weather conditions. One of the compartments is segregated in each barrow so that recyclable material can be split from the rest of the waste ensuring a truly green machine!

Mansour states. “A good instructor is crucial and Able has the best in the business. Patience, honesty, and a nice car all count, but most importantly instructors must be able to tune into the individual learner – from teenagers to those learning later in life.” Mansour still gets a kick out of seeing his learners tear up their L plates, and he is now enjoying teaching the grandchildren of some his first clients! New pupils can present this copy of Spotlight for a free “DSA Official Theory Test Book”, with the purchase of 5 or more hours of driving tuition at ABLE (One voucher per customer).Able School of Motoring, 94 Leith Walk T: 0131 553 3077 www.able-school-of-motoring.co.uk

North Neighbourhood Manager Peter Strong with some of The Barrow Beats

WE WANT TO HEAR fROM yOU!If you have a story about your business that you’d like to be included in a future newsletter please let us know! You can either email openforbusiness@burtgreener.co.uk or call Joanne Bell on 0131 220 8249.

INTERVIEW WITH...

COUNCILLOR GORDON MUNROA HISTORy Of LEITH WALk - ‘one of the great streets in europe’

As a Councillor for Leith Ward, Gordon Munro has witnessed the evolution of Leith Walk first hand – from having his first ever pizza at the ‘Pizzarama’ restaurant (now Vittoria) to maintaining strong links with his aunt who emigrated to Australia decades ago and still talks of “the Walk” as one of her fondest memories of the city. “Leith Walk has been hugely popular since it became the main thoroughfare between Edinburgh city centre and Leith itself. From the Central Bar at the Foot of the Walk, which rivals the Cafe Royal with its colourful frescos, right up to the Windsor Buffet, the area is unique in terms of being home to a diverse range of businesses.” With a proud history of attracting entrepreneurs from home and abroad, Councillor Munro puts the area’s appeal down to being a first point of call for those coming into the city: “Polish, African and Turkish communities have all rubbed shoulders here over the decades – and it still attracts new generations. Tony Crolla’s restaurants on Leith Walk, Vittoria and La favorita, are examples of the recent Italian community who saw the area’s potential.” It also possesses

home appeal: ‘Scotland’s best fish and chip shop sold its famous premises in Anstruther to set up The Tailend. As well as being a great coup for the area it shows that despite the challenges, people are looking at Leith Walk with real vision.” Asked to choose his top three spots and Councillor Munro struggles; “Where else can you find Polish delis beside African jewellery shops and award winning Italian restaurants? Locals embrace both new start ups and old favourites; from Tattie Shaws, one of the city’s best fruit and veg shops, to Elvis Shakespeare, which is stacked to the rafters with books and music.” Gordon ends by reinforcing the fact that Leith Walk also receives compliments from others: “Prominent New York musician David Byrne was so captivated by the “interesting shop fronts” that he dedicated a section of his blog to them. Sir Terry Farrell also recently commented that “Leith Walk could become one of the great streets in Europe”. View David Byrne’s journal at http://journal.davidbyrne.com/2009/08/080809-edinburgh.html