This activity, known as 'flyposting' – illegal as it was – was usually undertaken in the middle of the night when the police and council officials were least able to catch those responsible. To a large extent, this trend has been greatly diminished and the city is much cleaner as a result. Nevertheless, even now when shop premises have closed, you can be sure that before long several posters advertising various events will appear on empty windows.

I must say that I never noticed any of them advertising Gaelic events. It must be that our community is more careful to keep within the law! It appears that the Council have a removal squad at the ready to tackle flyposting and graffiti nuisance – and that we as council tax payers have to pay for this to the tune of £250,000 a year.

Those involved in this illegal advertising activity are now complaining that the authorities are too hard on them! They project the view that flyposting is a work of art, that this is a most useful source of public information, and that this is part of the cultural life and fabric of the city!

They complain that the Council is trying to kill off musical activities in the city by preventing them being advertised. I don't think the shop-keepers would go along with that view, and I'm pretty sure that the flyposters are not going to win this argument!

'Ceilidh Culture' delivering a Highland flavour to the city!
This Festival was launched this year by fiddlers and keyboard players on a train between Glasgow and Edinburgh, giving travellers an hour-long free ceilidh – in the hope that our friends from the west could be persuaded to have a 'ceilidh' with us in Edinburgh! They will get a warm welcome if they do come, and we won't ask them if they've had their tea!

Between now and 13th April, this festival will celebrate the traditional arts with music, song, dance and storytelling. Adding to the musical side of the festival with Gaelic songs and music will be Marie-Louise Napier, Alyth McCormack, Julie Fowlis, Margaret Callan, Lothian Gaelic Choir, Fèis Dhùn Èideann, McGregor, Brechin & Ó hEadhra (more information below and on www.ceilidhculture.co.uk), and with such a breadth of stars on stage there will be no shortage of publicity for our laguage and culture.

The Council is heavily supporting this year's festival and I hope that the city's Gaelic speakers and supporters will come out to these events. It is not often that ee see so many Gaelic and traditional musical events in the city over a three-week period.

This coming August, the Edinburgh Gaelic Partnership intend to present a week of Gaelic activities at the Columcille Centre, 2 Newbattle Terrace, during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, as they did last year. Further information on these events will be available in due course.

Best wishes,

Siarach

Future events:

Friday 28.03.08 – 7.30pm Harp Festival concert – Máire Ní Chathasaigh & Chris Newman, Merchiston Castle School, Colinton Rd. (Cont: 478 8446)

Saturday 29.03.08 – 3.00pm Harp Festival workshop – "A Taste of Gaelic" with Mairi Louise Napier, Merchiston Castle School. (Cont: 478 8446)

Sunday 30.03.08 – 12.30pm Weekly Gaelic service, Greyfriars Kirk, Candlemaker Row. (Cont: 225 1900).
Sunday 30.03.08 – 7.45pm Ceilidh Culture – "Shore Poets", Mai Thai Café Bar, 111 Holyrood Rd. with Martin McIntyre & Alasdair Codona. (Cont: www.shorepoets.org.uk )
Sunday 30.03.08 – 3.00pm Harp Festival – "No Spring Chickens" concert with Mairi-Louise Napier & Kirsty Shilson, Merchiston Castle School. (Cont: 478 8446)

Monday 31.03.08 – 9.15am "Ulpan" 6-day course for beginners 31.03. to 05.04, Linknet, 17 Guthrie St. (Cont: chrisma.bould@blueyonder.co.uk )

Tuesday 01.04.08 – 7.30pm Gaelic Conversation Circle – SNP Rooms, North St. Andrew St. with Calum Cameron. (Cont: 334 7005)

Wednesday 02.04.08 – 4.00pm Harp Festival concert – "Celtic Nations in Harmony", Harp ensembles from Ireland/Brittany/Scotland (Na Clàrsairean). (Cont: 478 8446)
Wednesday 02.04.08 – 7.30pm Harp Festival concert with Savourna Stevenson & Alyth McCormack. Merchiston Castle School, Coli nton Rd. (Cont: 478 8446)

Friday 04.04.08 – 8.30pm 'Bothan' Gaelic Club ceilidh, Waverley Bar, St. Mary's St. with Roddy Campbell & Don Mackenzie. (Cont: 07801 703274)

Saturday 05.04.08 – 7.30pm Comunn Tir nam Beann ceilidh, St. John's Church Hall, Lothian Rd, with Art Cormack, Kirsteen Grant & Ian Maclean, Jennifer Speirs, Wendy Taylor & instrumentalists. (Cont: 334 7005)

Sunday 06.04.08 – 12.30pm Weekly Gaelic service, Greyfriars Kirk, Candlemaker Row. Neil Martin (Cont: 225 1900).

Monday 07.04.08 – 7.00pm Ceilidh Culture concert – Julie Fowlis & Catriona McKay, Queen's Hall, Sth. Clerk St. (Cont: 668 2019 or www.juliefowlis.com)

Tuesday 08.04.08 – 7.30pm Gaelic Conversation Circle – SNP Rooms, North St. Andrew St. with Calum Cameron. (Cont: 334 7005)

Wednesday 09.04.08 – 4.00pm Gaelic drop-in music session for teenagers, Black Medicine Coffee Shop, Marchmont Rd. with Rona Wilkie. (Cont: 07729 307487).

Thursday 10.04.08 – 7.30pm Ceilidh Culture - Lothian Gaelic Choir song workshop with Margaret Callan followed by ceilidh, Columcille Centre, Newbattle Tce. (Cont: 07906 318561)

Friday 11.04.08 – 7.30pm Ceilidh Culture concert - MacGregor, Brechin & Ó hEadhra, St. Bride's Centre, Orwell Tce. (Cont: 01463 241622 or 07906 318561)

Saturday 12.04.08 – 11.15am Family Gaelic Club, TollX Comm. Centre, Fountainbridge. (Cont: 07729 307487)
Saturday 12.04.08 – 2.00pm Ceilidh Culture - Feis Dhun Eideann - Adult Gaelic Singing Workshop TollX Comm. Centre, Fountainbridge. Children's Gaelic Singing Workshop follows at 3.00pm. (Cont: 07514 948268)