If you are new to the area you might find some local information useful. The PDF below contains details of local transport, schools, medical centres and of course your friendly local churches!
Read or Download here.
Category: News
Priscilla Queen of the Desert – A Triumph
Thank you to the Bohemians for their simply outstanding jukebox musical production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, showing at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh this weekend. What a joy. A riot of colour and dance and song and laughter and tears. Fear, acceptance, change – all played out with a lightness of touch and true professionalism on stage. One young man had a stand out performance today. Well done Finn.
And thank you too Bohemians, for bringing all of this and more to Craigsbank Church halls and sanctuary in recent weeks for rehearsals. You lit up our buildings and our community.
‘We belong, we belong together’
View the rehearsals on facebook
Craigsbank sanctuary features in new Edinburgh Book
‘Its concave bell tower [is] like a sail on the community’s sea of 1920s bungalows’
The Pocket Guide to Edinburgh’s Best Buildings by Robin ward is now published and available in bookshops and online. And you’ll find Craigsbank sitting proudly on page 179!
Read more bout it in The Scotsman – click here and here.
Ubuntu African Choir, The Dream Tour
Welcoming back the alumni of the African Children’s Choir – this time as the Ubuntu Choir
12 April into your diary, 7.00pm, Craigsbank Church
The Internationally celebrated choir Ubuntu, alumni of the African Children’s Choir, are visiting us in April 2025 and will perform at Corstorphine Craigsbank Church. Thirteen bright young talented singers are performing in what will be a joyful and uplifting concert.
Tickets are by donation (suggested £10) with entrance for under 16s FREE.
Please note that we are hosting the concert, but we also need and want to host the 13 choir and five staff in our homes for one night on Saturday 12 April. The choir members will be aged 18 or older, so hosts won’t need to be PVG accredited. If you are able to host two or more members please contact Mike Brough.
Pop 12 April into your diary. 7.00pm, Craigsbank Church. This is an event not to be missed.
Read more about the Ubuntu Dream Tour on their website.
Tickets are by donation (suggested £10) with entrance for under 16s FREE.
Tickets available now from Sarah in the office or email administrator@craigsbankchurch.org.uk and at Sunday services.
Corstorphine Dementia Cafe at Craigsbank
The Corstorphine Dementia Cafe will now take place on the first Monday of every month, 11.00am – 1.00pm, at Corstorphine Craigsbank Church halls. The aim is to provide companionship, activities and support to anyone affected by dementia.
This is a relaxed, safe and warm space for people with memory difficulties and their carers,
Tea, coffee & cake provided.
Parking available.
If you would like further information, contact Jennifer on 07792143787
The New Maybury Primary School is hosting an OPEN DAY – SATURDAY 8 MARCH
Register now using the contact points below for the OPEN DAY for the new MAYBURY PRIMARY SCHOOL on 8 March.
Bristo Community Concert Band
We are delighted that the Bristo Community Concert Band is considering relocating their weekly practice venue to the Craigsbank Hall. Anyone interested in meeting the band is invited to come along this Monday evening, 3 March, at 7.30pm.
‘We are a non-auditioning Edinburgh concert band who enjoy playing and performing a wide range of music together. We are open to over 16s of all abilities, however, we strongly recommend that interested players are at least grade 5 standard.’
Find out more on the Bristo Community Concert Band website or come along tonight
Truth is Incontrovertible
At a time when the world is increasingly faced with conflict and false truth, fear, cruelty and destruction, the readings from our service are both apt and thought provoking. Listen to the service on YouTube now.
Zechariah 8:14-17 (Good News Translation)
14 The Lord Almighty says, “When your ancestors made me angry, I planned disaster for them and did not change my mind but carried out my plans.
15 But now I am planning to bless the people of Jerusalem and Judah. So don’t be afraid.
16 These are the things you should do: Speak the truth to one another. In the courts give real justice—the kind that brings peace.
17 Do not plan ways of harming one another. Do not give false testimony under oath. I hate lying, injustice, and violence.”
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John 1:1-5 (Good News Translation)
The Word of Life
1 In the beginning the Word already existed; the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 From the very beginning the Word was with God.
3 Through him God made all things; not one thing in all creation was made without him.
4 The Word was the source of life, and this life brought light to people.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out.
14 The Word became a human being and, full of grace and truth, lived among us. We saw his glory, the glory which he received as the Father’s only Son.
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2 Timothy 4:1-4 (Good News Translation)
4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and because he is coming to rule as King, I solemnly urge you 2 to preach the message, to insist upon proclaiming it (whether the time is right or not), to convince, reproach, and encourage, as you teach with all patience.
3 The time will come when people will not listen to sound doctrine but will follow their own desires and will collect for themselves more and more teachers who will tell them what they are itching to hear.
4 They will turn away from listening to the truth and give their attention to legends.
And as a reminder to us all…
In time for International Women’s Day, 8 March 2025 – A New Reading on Her Audio Bible UK
On International Women’s Day last year we brought you news of Her Audio Bible, a project that ‘brings together women from a diversity of backgrounds to read from a place of personal faith’. This year we revisit the project and find new readings, this time Timothy 1 and 2 and read by Annika Matthews currently based in the South East of England. You can listen to her readings here:
https://www.heraudiobible.org.uk/1-timothy
https://www.heraudiobible.org.uk/2-timothy
The readings on this site are a joy to listen and now include:
A Gift Appreciated
Every year members of Corstorphine Craigsbank and East Craigs donate Christmas gifts to the children of those in our prison system. Your generosity is always much appreciated. 2025 will be the 40th year this collection has been running, It will also be Colin O’Flaherty’s 25th & last collection as he is retiring after 40 years in the prison service. Colin has sent the following thank you letter and asked that it be shared with all.
Dearest Friends,
I hope you and yours had a wonderful Christmas and New Year.
Thank you, for your support for the Edinburgh prison Christmas gift collection.
Your kindness and generosity made sure that two hundred and twenty-three children had Christmas presents to open on Christmas morning.
The gifts were given out at the six Christmas parties organised between the family contact officers and the Barnardo’s staff from the visitor’s centre. The Christmas parties took place in the visit room in the prison allowing the children’s parent or guardian to take part. Gifts were also given out directly from the visitors, collected by the parent or guardian of the children.
The number of children that received gifts was down on last year’s wonderful achievement. This was because the number of children that passed through the visitor’s centre was down on last year. We achieved our aim, which is to ensure that every child that visited the visitors centre received Christmas presents.
We did receive some media interest the Scotsman and the BBC did an article about the gift collection. The Justice Minister Angela Constance when she heard about the gift collection, took time out of her schedule to visit the visitors’ centre and helped with wrapping of some of the gifts.
My thanks as always go to you. Without your support the Edinburgh prison Christmas gift collection have stopped a long time ago.
My thanks also go to the Barnardo’s staff in the visitors’ centre Shona, Patrizia and Ann all played an important part in making it a success.
My thanks also go to the senior managers of the prison for supporting me and allowing me to organise the gift collection.
I am already looking forward to this year’s 2025 Christmas gift collection. It will be the fortieth year in a row that the gift collection started by Rev John Murie will have taken place.
Thank you again.
Colin