Living Leith Podcast

This week we speak to James Donald, Scottish Weaver and Founder of PickOne Weave. James tells us all about weaving, the workshops and courses he runs, and we talk about looms and the types of skills and creativity needed for weaving. James talks us through new collective, Craft-ED, of which he is a part of - a directory of contemporary craft courses mainly in Leith and Edinburgh. We talk about James' favourite Leith memories and discuss the Airbnb and Covid-19 situations and how they affect independent businesses in Leith. Find out more about James' work on the PickOne Weave website, and check out Coburg House Art Studios, based near the Shore. 

Jordy Deelight is an Artist, DJ, host of Afternoon Deelight Podcast, and Leith's premier drag performer. In this episode, we chat about Jordy’s incredible career and accomplishments, their favourite shows and work they’ve done, venues they've performed and DJed in, and how they’ve adapted their drag performances and DJ sets for online experiences during lockdown. Jordy tells us about winning a Young Scot Award this year, and getting recognition from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon for their brilliant work. We reminisce about Leith Waterworld and talk about how Jordy takes inspiration from Leith in their work. You can follow Jordy and check out their work on their website, Twitter, Instagram, Vimeo, and YouTube. Listen to Jordy's podcast, Afternoon Deelight on Spotify. 

Rumana Sayed is a freelance Graphic Designer from Leith. Rumana is currently working with Juice Droplet, a creative platform that shares lived experiences from the South Asian diaspora through their art and writing, aiming to reflect the multi-faceted experience of South Asian creatives. Rumana speaks to us about the range of work she’s done with local charities such as Saheliya, YWCA Scotland, and Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre. In 2017 Rumana did a 3-month artist’s residency at Out of the Blueprint, based in Leith’s Out of the Blue Drill Hall, where she held her first solo art exhibition, ‘Don’t Be Denied’ about the 2016 American Election. Rumana tells us all about this residency and exhibition, what inspired it, and about using a RISO printer at Out of the Blue. You can check out the exhibition and more of Rumana’s work on https://www.behance.net/rumanasayed. You can also check out the range of work on Juice Droplet at https://juicedroplet.com/ and listen to the Juice Droplet Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Jemma Neville is a writer and activist who authored the book, 'Constitution Street: Finding Hope in an Age of Anxiety' which is part memoir, social history and call to action. Jemma told us about writing and researching the book, including her experience meeting a medieval woman whose remains were dug up from underneath Constitution Street in 2009. We speak about the importance of neighbourhood and community, preserving women's history, and Jemma's latest project which looks into how women take up creative space.

On this episode we chat to David Duke, Founder and CEO of Street Soccer Scotland - a social enterprise that provides football-themed training and personal development opportunities for socially disadvantaged groups. Street Soccer Scotland's head office is in Leith, but they provide services all over Scotland. We talk about a great deal with David, including the importance of working with lived experience when helping folk in tough situations, the universality of football, the need for better football pitches in Leith, the brilliance of Teuchter's Landing and Cafe Domenico's, and so much more. You can learn more about Street Soccer Scotland at www.streetsoccerscotland.org.

This week we speak to Ali, a Nursery Nurse with the NHS who has lived in Leith all her life, growing up and raising her own family here. Ali tells us about the old train station, the old whisky bonds in Leith (and the accompanying smell), and swimming in Newhaven Harbour as a kid. We reminisce about Woolies in the Kirkgate, and Ali talks about the old Leith Hospital, and why she thinks we should have more maternity support.

Billy has run a number of different bars in the Leith and Edinburgh areas for the past 15 years. The places he runs at the moment include Leith Arches, Bar Brig, Smoke and Mirrors and Hare of the Dog. Billy tells us what motivates him to design a hospitality space, and how he came to open Edinburgh's very first sustainable, eco-friendly bar, Smoke and Mirrors on Constitution Street. He shares interesting insight from observing Leith over the past 16 years, and some great stories.

In this episode, we speak to Alasdair and Cyria Scott, who own the famous flagpole on Pilrig Street - well known for flying a variety of flags for different causes and from all over the world. A New Yorker and a Scotsman, Cyria and Alasdair tell us what brought them to Leith. They talk about renovating the manse they bought on Pilrig Street, and share an amazing amount of local history and information. The Leith businesses and places we discussed include Blake metal group, the Leith Whisky Bond, Central Bar, South Leith Parish Church, the Golden Ambal, and the brilliant butcher on Albert Street, Graham Cherrie. You can follow their different flags on Twitter @PilrigFlag.

Brian Malloch and Phillip Logan run local independent shop, Logan Malloch, which is at the bottom of Leith Walk. In this episode, we speak to Bri about how he and Phillip quit their day jobs to start a business of their own - including renovating the shop which is part of the old Leith train station. Originally from Lochee, Dundee, Bri tells us all the things he loves about Leith - including other local businesses like Borlands, Bijou, Kilted Donuts, Concrete Wardrobe, Destined for Home and Logan Malloch's next door neighbour, The Central Bar. The statues in the Water of Leith that Keira talked about are sculptures by the Turner Prize winning artist Antony Gormley. To find out more about Logan Malloch, visit their website at www.loganmalloch.com, or follow them on Instagram @logan_malloch or @loganmalloch on Facebook and Twitter.

Jennie and Keira chat with lifelong Leither, Lucy Hale in episode two of Living Leith Podcast. Lucy tells us about some of her favourite Leith memories, and the local theatre and arts group, Active Inquiry, of which she is a member. Lucy talks about a production they did that was particularly special to her - 'Persevere' which was about the Gretna Railway disaster of 1915. The memorial site Jennie mentions in relation to the Railway disaster is Rosebank Cemetary on Pilrig Street. Active Inquiry are based in the Out of the Blue Drill Hall, you can find out more about them on their website: http://www.activeinquiry.co.uk/. In this episode, Jennie mentions that she heard Leith is the most densely populated area in Scotland - afterwards we found an Edinburgh City Council report on 'Population distribution and density in Edinburgh' that suggests this is true. You can follow Lucy Hale on social media at @lucyhale1875 on Twitter and @hale1975 on Instagram. Thanks for listening!