Picture Gallery
Concert hall
Edinburgh is finally set to get its first purposebuilt concert venue for more than 100 years after the long-awaited project was backed by planning officials in the city. The £75 million project will create a 1000-capacity venue in the heart of the city's New Town.
They should shove that idea right up where the sun don't shine! Edinburgh needs a concert venue with a capacity of at least 10,000 to attract worldwide atists. What decent artist in the modern world wants to perform in front of 1,000 even at £100 a ticket – that's sweeties to them. Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, The Stones Rod Stewart, Adele, Ed Sheeran – just to mention a few – wouldn't get out of their beds for a venue that size.
Paul Sayers Basically what this means is that if you live in Scotland’s capital city, you’ll still need to travel to Glasgow to see the world’s biggest and best bands. I’ve probably contributed thousands of pounds to the Glasgow economy travelling to gigs over the years. Beyond embarrassing and quite frankly Edinburgh deserves better.
Darren Knowles Edinburgh needs a Hydrosized venue, not a 1,000 capacity venue.
Simon Forsyth
Totally agree but it’ll never happen, unfortunately. Unless the Hydro falls down.
Liam Walls
So disappointing. This is exactly what Edinburgh needs to compete with Glasgow but a 1,000 capacity will attract no one of any great stature.
Stephen Brown It’s only a marginally higher capacity than the Queen’s Hall, which is great for artists whose following is on the rise or have a niche audience (though Sophie Ellis Bextor seems to swing between filling it and filling the Usher Hall) but useless for everyone else. It’s half the capacity of the much missed Caley Picturehouse, and a third of the capacity of venues like the Usher Hall or Corn Exchange. The only decent capacity interior venue we have is the Royal Highland Hall, but transport links are shoddy and you're always competing against bigger events for the use of it.
Clara Macleod
It’s not what’s needed and this hellish building should not be allowed in the New Town.
Louise Sprot
Why are they going to waste £75 million on a 1,000-capacity venue? If you are going to spend on a venue at least make it a capacity that could bring in big names and big revenue.
Graeme Scott
Covid measures
Social distancing, wearing face masks and handwashing should continue alongside vaccines to protect people from Covid-19, experts have suggested. The findings are in a peerreviewed paper published in the British Medical Journal
I have worn a mask since before it became mandatory. As a private hire driver I have a minimum of 15 different people in my car daily so this puts me at significant risk. I have high-risk family members so I choose to wear a mask to not only protect myself but also them. I will continue to wear a mask for some time after mandatory requirements are lifted.
Alana Haines I’m not sure about face masks, but social distancing and vaccination are essential tools in helping to reducing hospital admissions and Covid deaths.
Del Rashid
I really don't see a problem. In places like Japan commuters have been wearing face masks on the underground for decades. We live in a busy world (most of us in urban environments) – wearing a face mask in crowded spaces is no different to wearing a seatbelt when driving.
Peter Lewis
Why not for flu season every year as well? We could save the lives of a fair chunk of folk vulnerable to respiratory illness for the small price of wearing a face covering on public transport etc.
Keir Riddle Will we ever want to return to sitting elbow to elbow with strangers breathing and coughing all over us in overheated cinemas and theatres?
Callum Macleod
Haven't worn one anywhere in months and it feels great. Masks were introduced as a behavioural tool to convey a message of solidarity.
Ally Middleton
Wear your masks. If you think having to practise basic hygiene is someone having power over you then I daresay you're pretty weak
Marc Collins
I’ve no issue with continuing to wear a mask on public transport or in shops etc. Bit of consideration for others costs nothing.
Paul Ognissanti