The Past and other Places

@pastandotherplaces

Kay W. Historical geography (PhD) researching housing, local and family history. Edinburgh 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Resources at The Past and other Places (blogs rarely). Takes photos (kaysgeog on Flickr). Pedestrian non-driver.

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The Past and other Places@pastandotherplaces· 29d

Just for information, Scottish Water is a statutory corporation providing water and sewerage services. It is accountable to the public through the Scottish Government. #water #Scotland #NonProfit www.scottishwater.co.uk 2025 list of senior salaries: www.scottishwater.co.uk/-/media/scot...

Organisation diagram with Scottish Water in the centre. Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government at the top. Sideways links to organisations such as SEPA (environmental control) and consumer representatives. At the foot is the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.

The Past and other Places@pastandotherplaces· Jul 17

Yawn! The third oldest university in the UK is St Andrews. ΑΙΕΝ ΑΡΙΣΤΕΥΕΙΝ. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...

Screenshot from Wikipedia. Until the nineteenth century there were only two successful long-term university establishments in England and five in Scotland (including two in Aberdeen, see below).

The Past and other Places@pastandotherplaces· Jul 17

Definitely approve. I spent part of my lockdown severance payment on a work in ink and watercolour by Jane Hyslop (photo doesn't do it justice). Absolutely no regrets. www.janehyslop.com

Delicate drawing of leaves, stalks and wild flowers in greens and mauves.

The Past and other Places@pastandotherplaces· Jul 15

May I offer you a copy of the Hootsman. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Front page of The Scotsman newspaper. Main headline is: Covid report highlights PPE failings and wasted billions.

The Past and other Places@pastandotherplaces· Jul 14

"The Edinburgh Bus Users’ Group (EBUG) is calling on the City of Edinburgh Council to implement immediate, temporary bus priority measures in the First New Town to prevent total gridlock." #Edinburgh #PrincesStreet #buses #fire edinburghbususers.group/an-open-lett...

Fire fighters dousing severely fire damaged buildings on Princes Street.

The Past and other Places@pastandotherplaces· Jul 13

Scotland's People day visit - proposed fee hike from £15 to £23. Register House, #Edinburgh. Big increases to other charges. Have your say. #genealogy #FamilyHistory #archives #Scotland 🗃️ 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 #skystorians #LocalHistory consult.gov.scot/national-rec...

Register House in Edinburgh. Large imposing classical stone building. Statue of a man on a horse outside.

The Past and other Places@pastandotherplaces· Jul 11

This diagram. Available from wikimedia and Wikipedia. commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Re...

Diagram of splits and unions within and between Scottish Presbyterian churches.

The Past and other Places@pastandotherplaces· Jul 10

A supply of graduates is needed for the local city economy. The percentage of the workforce educated to degree level 2024: Edinburgh 73.2 per cent, Glasgow 68.9, Manchester 55.5. In the ten years to 2024 Edinburgh’s population grew from 485,270 to 530,680. #Edinburgh 5/6

Chart showing percentage of the workforce educated to degree level in selected UK cities 2024. Edinburgh 73.2 per cent, Glasgow 68.9, Manchester 55.5.

The Past and other Places@pastandotherplaces· Jul 10

UK Higher Education is an export earner. Non-UK students make up a large proportion of Edinburgh's students - 35.4 per cent (London 38.9, Glasgow 28.5). That's a lot of international fees - educating potential world changers. Current UK immigration policy a recruitment disaster. #Edinburgh 4/6

Bar chart showing percentage of non-UK students in selected UK cities 2024. London 38.9 percent, Edinburgh 35.4, Glasgow 28.5. EU students make up a small percentage in every case.

The Past and other Places@pastandotherplaces· Jul 10

In 2024/25 the number of students enrolled in an Edinburgh university was 72,365. Queen Margaret University at Musselburgh included; SRUC and 4,143 HE students at Edinburgh College are not (plus there are 22,194 FE students). That's a lot of student spending power. #Edinburgh 3/6

Two circles showing numbers of students enrolled in higher education in Edinburgh in 2024 graphically. 47,325 undergraduates and 25,030 postgraduates. Queen Margaret University is included in the count although is located in Musselburgh. SRUC is not included since there isn't a split available by campus.

The Past and other Places@pastandotherplaces· Jul 10

No breakdown for HE, but Gross Value Added by professional, scientific and technical activity and education is £4.6bn. The largest GVA financial and insurance at £8.8bn. The city's economy is dominated by employment areas requiring a well-educated workforce. #Edinburgh 2/6

Two pie charts made by a graphic designer. One shows GVA added by education is £2.4bn (7.61 per cent) and professional, scientific and technical is £2.2bn (7.16 per cent).

The Past and other Places@pastandotherplaces· Jul 9

A few shots taken this morning from Princes Street gardens of the fire service containing the smouldering fire at the former Debenhams store (closed 2021). Damaged building John Lessels 1869 Palace Hotel, converted to the Liberal Club in 1890. Category B. #architecture www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Firefighter on an aerial appliance spraying water from a great height on a rooftop.

Close up of a burnt out shell of a fine stone building.

View from Princes Street gardens of the part of Princes Street affected. A firefighter is spraying a fire hose using an aerial appliance.

Close up of a bay window on a burnt-out fine stone building. To the right, obscured by smoke, a firefighter is spraying water into the building.

The Past and other Places@pastandotherplaces· Jul 9

Princes Street, Edinburgh, this morning. For history see: bsky.app/profile/thre...

Fire fighter aiming hose at buildings. Linked together they formed the former Debenhams store.

Fire fighter aiming hose at a window in a burnt out building. Roughly where Debenhams dress department was.

The Past and other Places@pastandotherplaces· Jul 9

BBC now stating the fire is in the building next to the former Debenhams, Princes Street. #Edinburgh Buses diverted and trams affected. www.lothianbuses.com/alert/a9f454...

Plan of bus diversions on Thursday 9th July. Instead of traveling along Princes Street they are diverted along George Street between St Andrew Square and Charlotte Square.

The Past and other Places@pastandotherplaces· Jul 3

"When your name is called, move to the centre of the stage and hand your folded hood to the Bedellus. Kneel on the cushion in front of you. You will then be capped by the Chancellor or Vice-Chancellor and the hood placed over your head by the Bedellus." 🎓2/2 www.st-andrews.ac.uk/graduation/

Group on stage seen from behind. Heid high yin in fancy gown capping a kneeling graduate. A uniformed man stands behind the graduate ready to fling the academic hood over the head of the graduate. There are a number of ornate maces on display. Graduation ceremony at St Andrews 2026.

The Past and other Places@pastandotherplaces· Jul 2

Mansfield Traquair centre. Open one Sunday a month and more often in August. Spectacular - my pics don't do it justice. #Edinburgh visitmansfieldtraquair.uk/visit2-3/

Interior decoration of a church. Shows Dove of Peace and a group gathered around praying.

Interior decoration of a church. Highly decorated ribs.

Interior decoration of a church. Two angels one points to scripture and the other carries a crown. Striking rainbow colour scheme.

The Past and other Places@pastandotherplaces· Jul 1

Awaiting assessment. Edinburgh planning 26/02211/FUL www.city-scope.co.uk/planning-app...

A plan of the Burdiehouse burn restored to a more natural meandering course and floodplain.

The Past and other Places@pastandotherplaces· Jun 27

You can see the blurb on the back here. Definitely a basement dweller! www.amazon.co.uk/Albert-Young...

Back of a book jacket featuring the blurb. States Albert the bear leads a busy life in the East End of London looking after his basement home. A rag and bone man is driving his horse and cart in front of some buildings.

The Past and other Places@pastandotherplaces· Jun 25

If like me, you've received an email entreating you to install an artificial lawn, here are a few things to consider, including that "fake grass is not effective at absorbing water" and "will instead run off and cause flooding elsewhere." #environment www.wwf.org.uk/articles/art...

Carpet company promotion for Lush green grass, all year round. "Now you can enjoy comfort underfoot outside with our realistic artificial grass. Hardwearing, evergreen and built for British gardens, it's the ideal alternative for spaces where real grass isn't practical. Escape the heat and explore the collection in our cool air-conditioned stores!"

The Past and other Places@pastandotherplaces· Jun 25

Yes, probably. Btw, I sat my O Grades in 1976. The temperatures were not as hot. It was very dry and there were significant water shortages. Resilience planning, including food security, required to meet the current challenge. #ClimateCrisis

Guardian newspaper front page. "The new normal?" headline printed over a heat map of Europe. Subheadings: UK registers hottest ever June day; France breaks record heat again; Extremes driven by climate crisis.

The Past and other Places@pastandotherplaces· Jun 24

The Scottish Church - a (very) brief history explains what the records are, the significance of the Disruption of 1843 and why there were so many Presbyterian churches. #LocalHistory #Scotland #FamilyHistory www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/news-and-art... Diagram: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Re...

Schematic flow diagram showing various splits in Scotland's churches.

The Past and other Places@pastandotherplaces· Jun 24

Scotland's People have added over 1100 records covering 262 congregations to Virtual Volumes. Includes records from United Presbyterian, Free, United Free and other churches. #genealogy #LocalHistory #churches #FamilyHistory Church court records guide ⬇️ www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/help-and-sup...

A coloured engraving of the parish church in Errol, Perthshire. An open park lies in front of a prominent stone -built church situated in a village. A large tree to the left. Errol had a number of Presbyterian churches reflecting various splits.

The Past and other Places@pastandotherplaces· Jun 24

Column by David Wighton in The Times June 24 2026. Rightly points out the need for strong #science foundations, particularly #university #physics, but fails to highlight proposed research cuts to physics and #astronomy funding by #STFC and #UKRI. #schools #research bsky.app/profile/astr...

Screenshot of newsprint. "The frustration is that politicians acknowledge the importance of science for economic growth. Public funding for science has been sustained pretty well through multiple governments. The physics sector alone accounted for 10 per cent of UK jobs in 2019, according to the Institute of Physics. Yet without strong underpinning in university physics, all is under threat."

The Past and other Places@pastandotherplaces· Jun 21

Tuesday 23rd June #temperature Cooler the further north or higher up you go. www.meteoblue.com/en/weather/m...

Meteoblue map of Western Europe showing maximum temperature for Tuesday 23 June. Over 40 degrees Centigrade in Madrid and Paris. Over 30 in Brussels, Frankfurt and London. The Alps, Hamburg and Glasgow far more comfortable in the low 20s.

The Past and other Places@pastandotherplaces· Jun 20

#ShowYourStripes day. Temperature change in #Edinburgh from 1850 shown visually. Each stripe represents the temperature in the city averaged over a year. showyourstripes.info Image licensed under CC BY 4.0 Creative Commons Licence. Thanks to @edhawkins.org

Temperature change in Edinburgh from 1850 shown visually as a series of annual averages in vertical stripes. Colder average temperatures are blue and red indicates hotter averages. Predominantly blues before 1900. After 2000 things really start to heat up.

The Past and other Places@pastandotherplaces· Jun 18

The Grauniad, 18 June 2026, Journal p5. @theguardian.com #corrections

Corrections and clarifications. Owing to incorrect information supplied by an agency, two of the images we captioned as showing the interior of 2-8A Rutland Place, London, were in fact of the palace of Versailles, France (This house cost £210m. Why does no one live in it?, 10 June, G2, p4).

The Past and other Places@pastandotherplaces· Jun 18

The former Debenhams store in Gloucester city centre redeveloped as a new campus by the University of Gloucestershire. #redevelop #repurpose #reuse #architecture #Debenhams flic.kr/p/2pMdKcQ flic.kr/p/2pM6VvB

Large modern light coloured building with large dark rectangles reflected in water being squirted across an open urban square.

Grey 1930s style department store on a corner site. Four storeys with a clock on top.

The Past and other Places@pastandotherplaces· Jun 15

Queen Mary's surrender at Carberry near Musselburgh, East Lothian. 1567. #OTD 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 #skystorians #ScottishHistory C18th engraving on paper, National Galleries of Scotland collection, SP I 23.124 B. www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-arti...

Close up of part of an illustrative engraving showing a plan view of Fisherrow and Musselburgh on either side of an inlet on the East Lothian coast.

Engraving on paper. A plan and illustration of Mary Queen of Scots surrender at Carberry. Shows the coast and rolling hills. Groups of armed troops and people on horseback. A group carrying Saltire flags is stationed on a hill defended by a row of four cannon-style guns.

The Past and other Places@pastandotherplaces· Jun 14

Wow! ⚽🏆🇳🇱 #Netherlands #HouseOfOrange www.nike.com/gb/t/netherl...

The Past and other Places@pastandotherplaces· Jun 13

Morningside, #Edinburgh #PostboxSaturday #church #clock #topper