A big "Welcome to Edinburgh" on the Prom; Ad boards

[Imogen]

Whilst I think your ideas for a 'Welcome to Edinburgh' sign on the Prom sound interesting, and a potentially valuable addition, I have to say the idea of putting up advertising boards on Straiton Park sounds terrible. Surely we encounter enough advertising every day as it is? Putting up even more adverts (and especially in a recreational space) seems like a really bad plan to me.

[Lambie]

I have to admit I feel the same way about billboards and aggressive advertising. I think this proposal differs quite a lot from the ugly, illuminated shrine to consumerism I'm sat in front of just now; A soldier with a gun selling the latest Call of Duty game. In the case of Straiton Park I'm suggesting that the hoardings advertise only local, independent, businesses, community groups and events. I think all the boards should have to adhere to a design code set by a committee of locals including artists, designers, historians, parents and members of the local business community. There are a lot of empty shops on our High Street and i think that this might be one way of helping them out. At the same time we could be bringing some colour to the prom with some genuinely engaging commercial art.
Those railings are pretty ugly.

If the boards were leased to the businesses this could be a self sustaining community innitiative that provides a revenue which could contribute to future park improvements. A basketball court or trim track type thing would get my vote.

I'm not in favour of crass advertising but I do think Cove and Kitcheners and the like could benefit from having a voice on the Prom where all the people are.

[Lambie]

I forgot to say earlier that those approach altitudes came from an aviation enthusiast rather than a bona fide pilot or air traffic controller. If anyone can confirm or deny that would be very helpful.

[Mark Cameron]

Friends of station park and a group of Portydads have been talking to the parks team at CEC about what can be done to make the park better for the community and visitors. One idea was to have a number of small beach huts which could be rented on an adhoc basis by small businesses to sell. One thought was that local businesses might want to rent a pitch (at a reduced rate). It seems to me that part of the issue for local business is people come to the prom but don't even wander along the high street which is another issue that needs attention. Taking a pitch on the prom might give them accesss to a wider market?

[Lambie]

I've been looking in to beach huts recently. I've had a ballpark quote from the company that builds the German village on the mound at Christmas time. It's pretty reasonable and could actually make a fairly decent income once the initial outlay is covered. The ground has enough slope that with a little landscaping the huts wouldn't obscure the view of the houses on Straiton Place.

I think it would be excellent to see some creative businesses on the prom. A tiny gallery, craft shop, tea, coffee, beach toys, dog balls and leads. I think I want to rent one of them. A community business renting beach huts. The profits go into the community and the businesses draw people to the prom then help retain the visitors long enough to feed in to the local economy.

Ten little hits in row. Each one selling something or providing a service that enhances people's experience of the Prom.

[Lambie]

Ten little huts. iPhone autocorrect's fault not mine.

[Chas]

That's a great idea. Between the Dalriada's 'beer garden' and the tearoom at the foot of Bath Street there is nothing 'commercial' since the demise of the Hamilton Lodge and the place that used to be at the foot of Melville Street (sorry, showing my age, you all know it as Bellfield Street). Whilst a lot of folk like to just walk along the Prom, others are put off I think because there's nowhere to stop, sit and have a refreshment. Little huts with different businesses almost makes for a mini-mall on the prom!

[Mark Cameron]

Ten little hits doesn't sound so bad either

Sounds like 'your people' and 'my people' should be talking Paul Lots of similar ideas - perhaps more heads and hands behind these things can help to JFDI?

[SoupDragon]

Not sure of the plane heights coming into Edinburgh but I was certainly able to see Portobello from the air last month. i did wave to everyone
I quite like the idea of a welcome sign. In the early morning light the white of the Miami flats really stood out so a white panted sign should be visible
Or white stones on the beach?

< wonders about putting a big X and "ma hoose " on the top of my building >

We were showing a Japanese tourist around Edinburgh last week, she was astonished to find we had a beach, mind you I think we forgot to mention Silverknowes Beach.

[Mark Cameron]

Or massive letters floating tethered off the beach

[SoupDragon]

I like the idea of massive letters floating in the Forth
Now that would be a really Big Thing On The Beach

Can just see the Jenny Skylark slaloming through them




There might be some merit in using rooftops to spell out a welcome sign
I mind coming into land at Manchester Airport and a certain supermarket has signage on the roof to be seen from the air

[Makaveli]

Well after a days travelling and one change of plane at Schiphol I managed to get home.

I got one photo but had an engine in the way (we were on an Embraer) and I was on the wrong side of the plane so the photo shows the power station out past Joppa.

I asked about heights and the stewardess says that it varies as do the angles they come in at. Now I am off to bed to try and get back into UK time!!!

[Mark Cameron]

Looking at that pic makes me doubt whether letters on the prom or roofs would actually be legible. Maybe a test letter or 2 needed to prove the concept?

[Lambie]

This I an excellent bit of research. At this kind of height the text wouldn't be legible but any lower and we'd be ace. We wouldnt catch every tourist but if one or two saw it it mights work. I say down with test letters and empircal thinking, let's just do it.

[Porty]

Would a welcome sign painted on the prom require planning permission? It might confuse migrating birds.

[wangi]

[administrator]

Some posts split to .

[versevend]

Having flown in about 100 times (no, really!) it would be better t'other way up. The approach path is extended eastward depending on the number of planes coming in at one time. Many planes pass over Musselburgh and I don't think it'll be visible from them so it's those that pass over the pumping station at the east of the Prom that will get it. It won't be that visible from the island as people are mostly looking forward.

Errrrr...... just changed my mind! Looks great as you have it on the last pic!

http://www.flightradar24.com is a good way to see what really happens - Jess and I watch it lots - so interesting!

I think it's a Beezer of an idea, Paul. How about an image of a 99 alongside it? We could video the doing of it!

Max.

[Lambie]

That just made me smile. Thanks Max.

I'd like to put a 9'9" tall dropped 99 on the band stand as a permanent sculpture. Life like but oversized. A testament to Portobellos seaside history. Just like the drawing on the Facebook page with a Flake stuck in it. Kids could sit on the flake.

[rmolehusband]

Not sure I'm convinced, though I can't see any harm it. Making the letters taller without changing the width would maybe make it more legible when viewed from the sort on angle you'd get from a plane.

[Lambie]

I thought about writing it obliquely like they do on rugby and football pitches. I think it's quite nice to put the message out there and accept that some people will see it but most won't. Makes those that do feel all the more special. I know I'd be looking out for it every time I flew over. Maybe I'd only see it perfectly once. I don't think I'd ever stop looking though.

[Bob Jefferson]

Flightradar24 is fun, especially when 2 planes appear to be on a collision course! It's also available as an app for iPhone and Android.

[Lambie]

There's a similar thing for shipping. You can identify the big boats out on the Forth. Bit nerdy?

[seanie]

Shipfinder.

And no, it's not nerdy.

[Lambie]

I think you and the rest of the Icebreaker crew have good reason to be watching out for big ships Seanie. When my wife does it it's just nerdy.

[wangi]

[rmolehusband]

What about the now traditional welcome to Porty...

[Chas]

Now, what would you be referring to there I wonder...?

[administrator]

[Lambie]

That'll get the blood up. I suspect that's the point though. Bath Street to Joppa is an almost uninterrupted line of beautiful Victorian buildings. I suspect this chap hasn't been to porty recently.

[Pal of Porty]

I live in Porty and love it but I have to agree that the Prom is a bit of dump and could do with a massive injection of cash - a lot more that we will get from the Cramond - Joppa upgrade. As an aside, the beach in Barcelona, which is a massive tourist attraction, used to be a no-go area until they got the Olympics that gave them the cash to totally transform the whole area by building the athletes village etc.

Now what could we get in Porty.........

[Epykat]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I mostly love the beach. Maybe Easter Warriston needs a Welcome sign. I've never been there.

[Pal of Porty]

The beach is magic but the Prom is a nightmare - I'm surprised that all the old ladies who 'tut' at cyclists don't turn an ankle on the very poor surface.

[Lambie]

I skated back and forth all summer and found the surface to be a delight. Couple of sections that are a little rough and the cobbley bits take a second's concentration but otherwise it's pretty smooth. It lacks colour and visual interest but there's a decent view to make up for it.

[SoupDragon]