Dalkeith Digest: Friday 2 May 2025
Bringing the community together
The temperature seems to be cooling slightly but (fingers crossed) it looks like the sunshine is set to continue as we head into the weekend. Quietish on the news front but a huge variety of events in Dalkeith and beyond worth noting for the coming days and weeks.
Enjoy, and thanks for reading.
Local news and developments
⚠️ Missing person: Police Scotland Midlothian have appealed for any information regarding the whereabouts of 15-year-old missing person Julia Gradecka. Julia, last seen in Dalkeith on 25 April, is described as being about 5’9, medium build, with long brown hair.
☕ Café plans approved: The planning application for a controversial café in Carrington has been approved, Midlothian View reports. At a meeting of the Council’s Planning Committee, councillors insisted the café would bring benefits to the village, despite opposition in the form of 20 formal objections and a petition of 30 signatures.
💐 Workers’ Memorial Day: Midlothian Council has marked International Workers’ Memorial Day at a ceremony in George V Park in Bonnyrigg. On Monday, Councillor Dianne Alexander laid a wreath to remember people who were killed at work, as well as those who have suffered injury, illness or disease through their employment.
🏠 Clarification on housing changes: Midlothian Council has clarified that changes to the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) housing service do not affect applicants to Midlothian Council. The statement comes after CEC temporarily paused advertising council homes on EdIndex, the online platform for social housing applications.
🏘️ Roslin meeting: As flagged last week, Roslin Community Development Trust held an official meeting on Sunday. Midlothian View reports on the key points from the event, including a desire to establish a community hub.
♨️ School temperatures: If you can cope with the website, Edinburgh Live reports on concerns regarding the heat children had to endure at Penicuik High School on Wednesday and Thursday as the temperature rose into the 20s.
📢 Volunteer call: One Dalkeith are looking for volunteers to help out in their café, at cinema events and more. If interested you can fill in the form on their Instagram bio or email at volunteer@onedalkeith.info.
🗣️ Politicians write: Christine Grahame MSP has used her monthly column in Midlothian View reflecting on her visit to the Kellock Club at Penicuik North Kirk. A column by Lothians MSP Lorna Slater highlights the importance of dog welfare.
Event and activity diary
⏰ Previously listed events happening this week:
Steading Rosewell Farmers Market - 4 May (10am - 4pm)
Rosewell Tennis Club Open Day - 4 May (2pm - 4pm)
VE Day 80 - 5 May
DIY Publishing evening at Loanhead Library - 8 May (6.30pm)
🎸 Live music: There’s live music at the Papermill tonight (2 May), with The East Coast Band performing from 8 until late. (Alan Gray)
☕ Swap shop: It’s Coffee @ Mary’s from 10.30am tomorrow (3 May) at St Mary’s Church in Dalkeith Country Park. The Swap Shop theme this month is soft furnishings and Bric 'a' Brac. (Bill Elliott)
🎲 Boardgamers: The fortnightly Midlothian Boardgamers Club next meets tomorrow (3 May) at Lasswade Library (10am - 1pm).
📽️ Penicuik cinema: This week’s film at Penicuik Cinema is Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown (15), screening on Sunday (4 May) at 7pm.
Other highlights on Penicuik Cinema’s Spring/Summer programme is the topical Conclave (25 May) and, a personal favourite, All of Us Strangers (15 June).
🩻 Day of the Dead celebration: Newtongrange Community Garden is hosting a Dia De Los Muertos celebration on Monday (5 May, 12pm-2pm). Head along (in bright colours!) as part of Demystifying Death Week to honour and celebrate the lives of loved ones lost.
📖 PJ Party: Newbattle Library is celebrating Bookbug Week (12 - 18 May) a little early as it hosts a PJ Party on Wednesday 7 May (10.30am). Songs, stories and Bookbug will be in his PJs too!
📝 Classes: A couple of interesting looking classes offered by the Council in the coming weeks, including:
Learn how to cook tasty meals on a budget at Hawthorn Family Learning Centre - every Thursday until 12 June (9am - 11am)
Arts and crafts sessions teaching basic Scottish Gaelic at Dalkeith Library - every Friday from 9 May (2.30pm - 3.30pm)
🐇 Spring Fair: Creative day service charity Garvald is hosting its Spring Fair in Dalkeith on 10 May. The event, featuring activities, refreshments, craft stalls and more, will take place at Mayfield House from 11am to 2pm.
🤝 Charity day: Dalkeith Bowling Club is holding a charity day on 11 May, in aid of Marie Curie. Entry for the event has been extended to guests and non-bowlers.
✍️ Writing group: Loanhead Library is to host a women’s writing group every 2nd Monday from 12 May. Beginners and seasoned writers are welcome.
📽️ Film club: It’s cinema Galore in Midlothian at the moment, with Loanhead Library Film Club hosting a free screening on 13 May from 6pm (includes popcorn) - see if you can guess what the film is…
⛪ Chapel talk: Ian Gardner, Director of the Rosslyn Chapel Trust, will be the guest speaker at the next Esk Valley Trust talk on 16 May (7pm). The talk, which will follow the Esk Valley Trust’s AGM, will touch on conservation of Rosslyn Chapel and restoration work at Rosslyn Castle.
🚶♂️🚶♀️Walking tour: One Dalkeith is highlighting a walking tour taking in Dalkeith’s historic sites and the people that lived there. Dalkeith: Doomed, Dead and Buried takes place on 23 May (7-10pm), with tickets for the over-18s event costing £16.50.
🎶One day choir: One Dalkeith is also hosting the Edinburgh Singing Collective as they bring their One Day Choir to Dalkeith on 30 May. The song on this occasion will be Valerie by Amy Winehouse. There is a special reduced price of £5 per person (with feedback requested after the session).
☀️ PTA Summer Fair: King’s Park PTA Summer Fair will take place on 31 May, 10am - 1pm. Volunteers, donations and stall ideas are all welcome to support the event .
🐕 Dog festival: Tickets are on sale for P in the Park 2025, a festival offering fun, games and food for dog lovers and their canine companions. Tickets are frozen for this year’s event, taking place on 12 and 13 July at Unleashed Dog Park in Cousland.
🎉 Village Fete: One for getting in the diary early - Roslin Village Fete will take place on Saturday 30 August. Note the change of date this year to allow continued Midlothian Council support for the event.
🎃 Halloween Disco: Another event raising money for Marie Curie but a bit later in the year - Easthouses Miners Club will host a Halloween costume party on 1 November, with the ticket price including a buffet and costume contest among other family-friendly activities.
Sport
⚽ Another superb result for Dalkeith Thistle last weekend as they won 1-0 away to high-flying Bathgate, with Ross Aitchison scoring the only goal with a great strike. Dalkeith will be looking to continue their climb up the table tomorrow (3 May, 2.30pm) as they travel to West Lothian yet again, this time to face table-toppers Armadale.
⚽ Also hitting form at the business end of the season, Bonnyrigg Rose followed up the win at Forfar with a 2-1 win at home to Spartans. There was late drama as Aiken and Arnott got the goals to take the battle to avoid a relegation play-off down to the final week of the league season. Rose travel to Stranraer needing to win, while hoping that Forfar lose to Stirling.
🏉 Today (2 May) is the closing date for applications for the vacancy of Head Coach of Dalkeith RFC Senior Men’s team. Contact dalkeith.rugby@yahoo.com for details.
🤝 Dalkeith Bowling Club congratulated Neil Murray after he was named in Midlothian’s Hamilton trophy team for next week’s game against West Lothian.
🏆 Dalkeith Petanque Club has highlighted the winners of its first club competition, with The New Alliance (Gordon McLeod and Jean-Christophe Froge) coming out on top in a doubles tournament played across winter.