The Edinburgh Reporter September 2024

By LESLEY HINDS, CHAIR, NEA BOARD

IT HAS BEEN QUITE THE JOURNEY - more

than five years in the making with a global

pandemic to navigate along the way. 

But I am, finally, eagerly anticipating the

re-opening of the expanded North Edinburgh

Arts (NEA) venue. Sited in the new MacMillan

Hub, in North Edinburgh’s new MacMillan

Square, the Hub is the bricks and mortar

manifestation of a long-term and positive

partnership between our community owned

venue (NEA). The City of Edinburgh Council’s

Library and Early Years services and Capital

City Partnership’s Skills Hub are also a part of it.

We believe this new building is the first of its

kind in Scotland co-locating a community

owned venue, third sector services, and council

provision, all working together for the benefit of

local residents. NEA, and the MacMillan Hub

will provide first class creative, learning,

enterprise and meeting spaces. These will

accommodate a wide ranging programme of

events and activities, a social enterprise café,

community garden, public library, dedicated

skills hub, early learning and childcare centre

for 185 children and social housing.

As NEA enters into this new, community

owned, chapter we are extremely grateful to the

very many supporters of our ambitious capital

project. Three quarters of our capital costs are in

place, with plans for the remainder in train. This

is no mean feat for a local organisation who

faced closure 15 years ago! Our plans to be fit

for purpose for the next generation of North

Edinburgh residents have been realised. 

When open the “new” NEA will house a 96

seat theatre, a 72 seat café, six artist studios, five

multi-use studios, a music studio, two wood

workshops, four offices, a hot desk

mezzanine, third floor greenhouse, and our half

acre community garden.

NEA will be, once again, the place for local

residents to meet, relax, learn, get creative, and

support one another. Our third of this amazing

building is in the ownership of the people that

use it, for the long term. 

NEA is a Charity run by a dedicated team

working with freelance artists, valued

volunteers, and partner organisations. The body

is overseen and supported by a Board of

Directors, the majority of whom, like myself,

live locally.

We look forward to seeing you at NEA in the

autumn.

For further information, become a member, or

sign up to the newsletter, go to 

http://www.northedinburgharts.co.uk 

6 NEWS 77

EDINBURGH AUCTIONEERS
Lyon & Turnbull sold a Scottish
freshwater pearl, the largest known
in recent times, for £93,951, a
world record for this type of pearl.
It was estimated it would fetch
between £40,000 - £60,000 and it
exceeded all expectations.
A Scottish buyer was successful
in acquiring the piece which
formed the highlight of The
Cairncross Collection auction.
Every single item was bought, an
occurrence known in the industry
as a “white glove sale”. Weighing

43.6 grains, the size and quality of

the Abernethy Pearl is remarkable.

Bill Abernethy, who died in 2021

aged 96, never disclosed exactly

where in Scotland he made the

rare find.  The collection featured

pieces from renowned Scottish

jewellers, Cairncross of Perth,

which was established in 1869 by

brothers Alexander and George

Cairncross and finally closed its

doors 154 years later in 2023.

An impressive Scottish

freshwater pearl necklace featured

in the auction and sold for £17,640.

An exciting journey to

MacMillan Square

Freshwater pearl record

price in “whiteglove sale”

North Edinburgh welcomes the new centre

Alan Simpson

By STEPHEN RAFFERTY

A SECOND BUSINESS run by “bagel queen”
Larah Bross, has collapsed and been put into
liquidation in the space of 12 months - but she
has already launched a new enterprise.
Hot Mama Bagels Ltd filed for insolvency on
5 August - less than a year after Bross Bagels
Ltd crashed with debts close to £1 million.
Hot Mama Bagels had been trading in the
former Bross Bagels shops in Portobello,
Stockbridge and Bruntsfield after the phoenix
company bought the assets of the distressed
sandwich chain for just £18,000.
All the units have now closed and the firm’s
catering equipment, furniture and other assets

Mama

mia!

Bagels boss sinks a

second business but

launches a third one

Learn to grow

with Dobbie’s

GROW HOW sessions will be run at

Dobbie’s Edinburgh this month,

helping gardeners to get growing.

The possibility of creating a bulb

lasagne will be taught which is a

technique of layering bulbs in one

pot ensuring an array of flowers

blooming from spring into

summer. The method is “ideal for

small spaces”, promising a splash

of colour for patios and balconies.

The informal workshops will take

place on the first Saturday of the

month and then every Wednesday

throughout September at 10,30am

and 3.30pm.

These will be 15 minute

workshops led by garden centre

staff and will be packed with tips.

There will be Q&A sessions

allowing gardeners to ask the

experts for advice.

Getting Ready for Spring in

September, is all about preparing

for a burst of springtime colour as

Dobbies takes delivery of over 6

million spring flowering bulbs

across its stores. Those taking part

will discover the best bulbs for

Spring displays, including vibrant

Tulips, cheerful Daffodils, and

delicate Crocuses.

Dobbies’ Horti Manager, Simon

Jefferey said: “These Grow How

sessions in our Edinburgh store is a

fantastic way for families to bond

over gardening. We love seeing

kids get involved, planting their

first bulbs and eagerly awaiting the

flowers. It’s a great introduction to

the joys of gardening, an

opportunity to connect with

nature and get inspired for the

seasons ahead no matter your

experience.”

By PHYLLIS STEPHEN

THE FIRST IMAGES showing what

the 78 former army homes on the

outskirts of Edinburgh will look like

along with the public spaces at

Craigiehall Meadows have been

released. The homes will be

developed by Edinburgh-based

Miller Developments and the William

Pears Group.

This area was created for a

community of military families

serving the British Army’s Scottish

Headquarters at Craigiehall. Each of

the 78 homes will now be completely

refurbished. Each home is on a large,

mature plot and there is an

abundance of greenery on the

tree-lined site.

There are listed buildings on the

site including the Category A listed

Craigiehall House with its stable

block and walled garden, and a

Category B listed former Anti-Aircraft

Operations Room.

Tzana Webster, Head of Estate

Agency with Ralph Sayer, which is

managing the sales and marketing

for the site has revealed very high

early interest in the development.

She said: “My first impression on

seeing the CGIs was - wow. These are

going to become exceptional homes

with large front and back gardens,

which is rare across Edinburgh –

especially compared to new build

developments on the market.

“This will be a perfect base for

those who want the outdoors life but

within easy reach of the city and it’s

great to show those interested,

whether buyers or people with a

connection to the location, what is

coming down the line.

“Interest has been high, including

from people who used to live here

while it served families from the

armed forces. This is an amazing

location, and a lot of people have a

connection with it.”

Craigiehall Meadows is set in an

expansive, tree-lined location linking

the River Almond with the 800-acre

Dalmeny Estate next to Barnton,

Cramond and Cammo.The homes on

offer will include a mix of detached,

and semi-detached properties all

with modern finishes and amenities.

Army houses will come to attention

have been listed for auction by asset recovery

specialist Sweeney Kincaid.

Accountancy firm Anderson Anderson

Brown (ABB) have been appointed as official

liquidators of Hot Mama Bagels Ltd but the

scale of the debt and number of creditors is

currently unknown.

£93,951 paid for pearl

MacMillan Hub

Former NEA building

Gardening lessons

Ms Bross, who said she was stepping away

from her latest business because of “a

significant toll on my mental health” has

already formed a new enterprise and is listed at

Companies House as a director and majority

shareholder of World Wide Hole Limited.

Also listed as directors of the new business

are chef and food industry consultant Jeff Kipp,

and Declan Penfold, another food and

hospitality consultant who is claimed to work

with “global businesses, brands and influencers

with taste”.

The official liquidators of Bross Bagels Ltd,

Interpath Advisory, are still to lodge the

findings of their official report into the

company’s collapse, which left behind debts of

around £635,000 due to HM Revenue &

Customs in unpaid taxes, National Insurance

and VAT. Student loan deductions taken from

staff wages also remained unpaid.

An estimated £280,000 is believed to be due

to unsecured creditors and small suppliers,

while crowdfunders who stumped up more

than £150,000 in two rounds of fundraising will

receive nothing in return, despite Ms Bross’s

assurances to the “Shareholers”.

A finance expert told The Edinburgh

Reporter: “Phoenix companies don’t have a

great success rate when the purchasers are the

original owners unfortunately, as they fail to

make the required changes and run up debts

again.The Insolvency Service may well be

interested in the circumstances, especially if

there are fiscal debts involved again.”

The Edinburgh Reporter approached Ms

Bross for comment but she did not respond.

Larah Bross

Craigiehall from above