Keeping Edinburgh’s ice arena dreams alive
‘Freezing the ice can cost £30,000 a month’
Welcome to your midweek Inquirer.
Have you being enjoying the Winter Olympics as much as everyone at Inquirer Towers? We’ve been glued to all the drama - the figure skaters crashing to the ice, the curling teams nearly coming to blows over “double tapping” and the wonderful triumphs against the odds.
It got us thinking about Edinburgh’s very own rink of dreams where generations have pulled on skates, to compete as ice dancers and ice hockey players, or just for the sheer fun of it.
Often overshadowed by its neighbour Murrayfield Stadium, the Capital’s ice arena looked like it might be doomed after Covid. But today it is enjoying a remarkable renaissance, largely thanks to one family.
Cat Thomson went along to meet them and find out how they are doing it.
More on that below, but first your regular midweek news roundup and cultural highlights of the week ahead.
Your Edinburgh Briefing
ROYAL RBS LEAK: Former UK Business Secretary Sir Vince Cable has called for a police investigation into the former Prince Andrew’s time as trade envoy after it emerged he had leaked sensitive information including details about the Royal Bank of Scotland. Files released by the US Department of Justice appear to show the former prince forwarded UK government documents and other commercial information to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
GRASSMARKET MEMORIAL: The Covenanters Memorial in the Grassmarket has been restored following a campaign by residents. The memorial stone marks the place where more than 100 Presbyterians were executed in the late 17th century.
CAR PARK DEATH: Police are appealing for witnesses after a 66-year-old man died after being hit by the driver of a car in the car park at Tesco in Corstorphine. The incident happened shortly after 9am yesterday.
(BOWLING) GREENS FOR GO: Old bowling greens on Leith Links are set to be replaced with facilities including a street gym, climbing wall, roller rink, table tennis and a petanque court. The £4m Leith Links Activity Park project has been backed by funding from Edinburgh’s new Visitor Levy.
Pick of the (Cultural) Pops
Greetings, Pop Pickers!
Welcome back to the chart that matters. The needle is down, the volume is up, and we are broadcasting live from a city that is currently proving you don’t need sunshine to have a good time - just a decent raincoat/pair of shorts (weather depending) and a ticket to something spectacular.
We have a chart this week that is positively bursting with homegrown heroes and international heavyweights. We have the Edinburgh debut of a global opera phenomenon, a musical so unashamedly fun it might just cure your February blues, and a classical double-bill that spoils us for choice.
Let’s count them down…
Sharing the Number 5 spot are... The SCO Double Bill (Baroque Inspirations & Benedetti).
It is impossible to separate these two world-class events, so I’m not going to try. They both deserve your full attention for very different, but equally brilliant, reasons.
First, if you are reading this on Thursday, you have mere hours left to catch Baroque Inspirations at the Queen’s Hall (Tonight, Feb 19th). This is the Scottish Chamber Orchestra doing what they do best: breathing fire into the repertoire. With the dynamic Principal Conductor Maxim Emelyanychev back at the keys of his beloved harpsichord, this isn’t a polite history lesson. By mixing the splendours of Bach and Handel with the wilder, avant-garde edges of Schnittke, Maxim creates a high-octane musical dialogue between the ancient and the modern that is thrilling to watch.
Then, looking ahead to next week (Feb 26th), the Usher Hall welcomes back Nicola Benedetti. It is always a major event when the International Festival Director finds time away from the “hot seat” to actually pick up her violin. Seeing her perform Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto is a rare reminder of why she is one of the world’s most in-demand soloists. She plays with a trademark mix of fierce intelligence and pure soul that you simply don’t get from anyone else. Two concerts, two very different vibes, zero compromise on quality.
New in at Number 4 is... Sam Lake: You’re Joking? Not Another One! (Monkey Barrel Comedy, Feb 21st).
If you need a laugh this weekend, there is only one place to be. I am a huge fan of Sam Lake, the undisputed master of “slay queen” whimsy who has been a highlight of two Fringes for me thus far. You might have caught his viral routine riffing on the Ice Age franchise, but if you’re worried that’s “the good bit,” trust me—he has far more weapons in his arsenal.
His patter is wonderfully camp, incredibly sharp, and delivered with the kind of cheeky, infectious warmth that turned comedians into household names in years past. Catch him this Saturday for a set that promises to be charming, chaotic, and hilarious in equal measure.
New in at Number 3 is... Here & Now — The Steps Musical (Edinburgh Playhouse, Feb 19th – 28th).
Don’t roll your eyes. Since its world premiere in Birmingham late last year, the buzz around this show has been nothing short of electric. This isn’t just another lazy jukebox musical; by all accounts, it is a glitter-bombed masterpiece of camp that knows exactly what it is and delivers in spades.
Set in a supermarket called Better Best Bargains (see what they did there?), it has been praised by critics and fans alike for being sharp, funny, and surprisingly heartwarming. The word on the street is that it balances the cheese with genuine wit, and the cast—led by the vocal powerhouse Rebecca Lock—are tearing the roof off every night. If you want high art, look elsewhere. If you want a euphoric, neon-lit party that will leave you grinning for a week, this is the one.
New in at Number 2 is... Head. Heart. Hand. (Traverse Theatre, Feb 19th–21st). This is a significant moment for Scottish theatre. Opening tonight is a major new work from Stef Smith, the locally educated playwright responsible for the highly successful adaptation of The Outrun for the 2024 International Festival.
The play marks the 150th anniversary of her alma mater, Queen Margaret University—an institution born of noble, not colonial, interest; a pioneer of women’s education; and a place that still educates hundreds to fulfill vital roles in the NHS and beyond. As a bonus, if you catch the Friday performance (Feb 20th), the undisputed Queen of Scotland’s drama critics, Joyce McMillan, will be hosting the post-show Q&A. Her delightful majesty doesn’t show up for just anyone, so you know this is special.
And finally, holding the Number 1 spot is... The Great Wave (Festival Theatre, Feb 19th–21st).
It stays at the top because it remains the biggest cultural event in the country right now. Tonight marks the Edinburgh Premiere of Scottish Opera’s newest work, a production that has already generated waves of excitement across the international press.
Co-produced with Japanese giants Kajimoto and directed by the visionary Satoshi Miyagi (of SPAC fame), this is a rare collision of Scottish and Japanese artistry. It explores the life of Hokusai through a mesmerising blend of opera, traditional puppetry techniques, and the haunting sound of the shakuhachi flute. When a company of this standing swings for the fences with a new work of this magnitude—one that is destined to tour the world—seeing it here first is simply unmissable.
And that’s your Top 5! From the baroque to the brand new, the stages are set. Go out, see a show, and tell them who sent you.
Stay bright.
Keeping Edinburgh’s ice rink dreams alive
‘Freezing the ice can cost £30,000 a month’
Scott Neil has spent most of his career on the ice.
The 63-year-old Leither has been a player, ice hockey coach and team owner-manager. He is currently manager of the Murrayfield Ice Arena.
Like all venues, the pandemic forced the closure of the arena. The doors of the much-loved art deco ice rink remained firmly shut for 2.5 years. It seemed likely they would never reopen to skaters, bringing down the curtain on 70 years of sporting and social history in the Capital, writes Cat Thomson.
When it was finally in a position to reopen, the building’s owners, Murrayfield Ice Rink Limited, decided they no longer wanted to run the venue as an ice rink.
