Music Notes

Top Of The Pops made its last live appearance in 2006, but a marathon set of repeats is well underway.  This year, the repeat cycle has reached 1978 and you could tune in tonight and watch the Dooleys, Ruby Winters, Darts and the Boomtown Rats.  Music remains powerfully evocative for memory and there are few of us who aren’t transported back in time when we hear certain tracks.

As well as cataloguing local news, the Sentinel inevitably reflected the wider times around it and this was particularly true when it came to music trends.  Its record reviews were often forthright.  But it also covered wider music news and gave space to often passionately held views about music.  In 1978 it published an article called No Future which challenged the view that punk rock was dying out.  You can read the article here.

When musicians sought to influence politics in the 1980s, Red Wedge was set up as an alliance of musicians, writers and artists to promote the importance of political knowledge and activism.  In 1986 the Red Wedge tour came to Edinburgh and the Sentinel obtained interviews with some of the key members as well as reviewing the concert itself, publishing a 3 page feature in their February 1986 edition.

Large events were also covered.  In 1996, there was a feature on T In The Park where the headline acts that year were Prodigy, Radiohead and Pulp.  Rumour had it that Keanu Reeves was making an appearance but unfortunately for the journalist they missed his performance.  You can read all about one writer’s experience of T In The Park here.

Concerts were also covered and in 1996 the Sentinel obtained tickets for Oasis who played at Loch Lomond in front of 40,000 people.  It’s fair to say that the reviewer was impressed by the whole experience, describing their response as “stunned admiration”. You can read their review here.

Local bands weren’t overlooked.  When the Wester Hailes Festival Association organised a free rock concert in Sighthill Park in 1986, the event received full coverage with information about all the bands playing including the Styngrites, Camera Shy and The Play.  Also included in the local music feature were other up and coming Edinburgh based bands who were taking part in a competition at the Jailhouse, Calton Road.  And if you want a taste of those forthright record reviews, there’s a good selection included on these pages as well, including the hope that one album takes to the charts like a rock to water!  You can read this music feature here.

Death Of A Dream

“One of the saddest things about unemployment is the number of young people involved.  These young people with their abundant energy and fresh ideas have much to contribute to society and it is society that must suffer from this present crisis.”

Unemployment amongst young people in the UK continues to be a cause for concern as the country faces difficult economic times and the on-going effects of austerity measures.  However, these words were written 35 years ago by the Chair of the Wester Hailes Youth Opportunity Programme as the WHYOP was launched.  He went on to say

 “Wester Hailes has never been slow to face up to its responsibilities and is proving true to form in this new venture which offers young people an alternative to the dole queue.”

Whilst youth training programmes attracted their fair amount of critics, Wester Hailes seemed to find creative ways to provide placements, training and improved community services.  The scheme was able to offer placements for example with the Sentinel, the community café and a recycling project.  From an early stage the project took a holistic approach, recognising that some young people needed a broader range of training including life skills to become fully equipped for work.  This inevitably raised the project’s costs but enabled the scheme to have a more positive and permanent impact for the young people involved. Over its lifetime it had a 95% success rate with its trainees and was regarded as one of the most successful projects of its kind.

When the Youth Opportunity Programme was replaced by the Youth Training Scheme, the programme in Wester Hailes was adapted to meet the new requirements. In 1988, the Sentinel reported on 10 years of the Wester Hailes YTS.  During that time nearly 400 young people had benefited from being involved.  It was also one of the longest running voluntary YTS group in the country.  It also specialised in working with young people who found it difficult to access mainstream training, providing additional support and training to ensure they could take up training opportunities.  You can read more about their success story here.

The project got to a stage when it really needed new premises and in 1990, the Sentinel reported on the on-going tussle with the Wester Hailes Partnership over the promised funding that had yet to materialise.  When Malcom Rifkind visited the YTS, the manager took the opportunity to raise the issue with him, with the matter being reported in the paper.

In 1992, the scheme faced its biggest challenge, which sadly proved to be its last.  The main funding came from Lothian and Edinburgh Enterprise Ltd.  When the government made cuts to their funding, those cuts were passed on making the YTS unsustainable.  In April 1992 it was announced that the YTS would close.  The Sentinel paid tribute to all the scheme’s achievements and pointed out the many ways that the wider community had benefited from the support and activities of the YTS trainees.

Star Scoops

David Bowie celebrated his 66th birthday by releasing his first single for 10 years this week to the surprise and delight of his many fans. Although the Sentinel never managed to secure an interview with him, it did achieve a number of impressive scoops with influential performers whose sound helped define their eras

A Durable Geezer
In June 1984, Ian Dury talked to the Sentinel about his experience of performing and his first attempts at acting. After 12 years in the public eye, he shows that he has not lost his strong and sometimes controversial views!

 

Ice Man Goes Berserker
The Sentinel catches up with Gary Numan after the release of his new single “Berserker” in January 1985. He explains what he’s been doing whilst out of the public eye, gives some detail about his new album and the reason behind his choice of blue make-up.

The Clash
Still performing in 1985, the Clash explain why they have gone back to playing at small venues, including busking on Princes Street. They talk about Wester Hailes and their interest in promoting change through action.

The Clash (album)

Sounds Around

In the early 1980s the Sentinel featured a music page, Sounds Around.  A mixture of reviews, information and tricky pop puzzles, for many readers today it will be a real blast from the past!  There’s a selection below- how many band names do you recognise?  And why not have a go at the music crosswords- can you remember back that far!

October 1980: A feature on Scottish groups to give some publicity to home grown talent, starting with Michael Marra.  The page also includes the chance to win David Bowie’s new album, “Scarey Monsters”.

November 1980: A review of All The Presidents Men’s gig at the Fusion Ballroom.  And a report on Highland Recording Studios as a possible route to getting a publishing deal for a song with a record company.

March 1981: An enthusiastic review of a performance by Siouxsie and the Banshees.  The page also includes information about who was playing where in Edinburgh over the next couple of months.  There’s also another review on a gig by the Alex Harvey Band, and information about the new album by The Exploited, “Punk Is Not Dead”.

The history of SCOREscotland

SCOREscotland have contributed an article that looks at their history and summarises the development of equal opportunities and race equalities work in Wester Hailes. They also asked a young person who was recently on a work placement with them to comment on growing up in Wester Hailes today.

Where did it come from?

Strengthening Communities for Race Equality Scotland – SCOREscotland is a    voluntary organisation working in the West of Edinburgh. SCOREscotland evolved from three akin organisations over the years. They all had a similar vision: Equal Opportunities and Race Equality.

Community Relations Forum 1992

The first of the three organisations was Wester Hailes Against Racism Project which was introduced in 1995 by the Wester Hailes Community Relations Project. Unfortunately, due to different reasons including funding cuts, Wester Hailes Against Racism Project was closed down.

Subsequently, a similar project – Wester Hailes Multicultural Welfare Project – was set up by The Wester Hailes Representative Council to cater for the minority ethnic communities in the West of Edinburgh.  In time, however, the target BME communities wanted their project to become an independent organisation designed to address their needs.

Thus the West Edinburgh Multicultural Organisation (WEMO) was developed in 2003. It became an independent organisation managed and run by local minority ethnic people.  WEMO was registered as a charity and company limited by guarantee in October 2004.

However, following a deep and wide organisational review in 2007, the organisation was re-launched on the 9^th of November 2007 as Strengthening Communities for Race Equality Scotland – SCOREscotland.

SCOREscotland’s mission is: Social justice and race equality in a society proud of its diversity.

SCOREscotland’s Mission and purpose for existence is to:

Work in partnership with others to address the causes and effects of racism and to promote race equality. The organisation breaks down barriers to the full participation of minority ethnic communities in all aspects of civic life, including:

• Equality of access to public services and information
• Ability to contribute to and influence policy development and service delivery
• Freely participating in social, political cultural, and economic life
• Feeling valued and integrated as part of society

SCOREscotland offers:

• 1 to 1 support and advocacy – on racial abuse/ discrimination/ harassment, welfare benefits, health, education, basic immigration, housing and employment.
• Youth work – anti-racist youth work with children and young people aged 8-18yrs.
• Group work – providing opportunities for adults to come together for peer support, raising awareness, meeting new people in the area, promoting social inclusion.
• Community Engagement – partnership working with communities, other service providers and organisations to make sure the needs of BME people are addressed.
• Programme of Events and Activities – bringing together people from diverse communities in a safe environment to engender, integration and social cohesion.

 SCOREscotland welcomes all people including those with protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

  Kid growing up in Wester Hailes

 ”From the age of 8 or 9, don’t really know, I spent my Fridays and Saturdays at SCOREscotland – Knots & Crosses Youth Club – so named by us and popularly known as ‘KCYC’ – doing what kids do really. I remember taking part in a dance class where the club had called in a dance instructor to teach us a few dance moves. Funny stuff! My dance skills then were awful but who cares, it was really fun. We also had days of just chilling and watching films, while munching on yummy snacks (I do like my snacks). I loved it! There was never a dull moment…actually I can’t really say never…there were days where we had to talk about topics like littering and bullying. At that age I found that really boring, I was more interested in doing the fun things. But now at the age of 14 I really believe bullying is an important issue. Bullying is an issue which has caused a large number of teenagers to commit suicide. Those stories are shocking! Obviously the bullies didn’t know it was affecting the people that much but if people are told about what bullying does they might not do it. Thankfully I haven’t been bullied myself but I know people who have. This might have been the cause of why bullying is important to me. So think about it, whenever you want to make fun of the boy who doesn’t have any friends, think twice!

I like fashion, I like make up, I like One Direction, I like going to the cinema, I like my neighbours and they are friendly, I want to make where I stay a better place to live because it’s MY neighbourhood, Oh and I forgot to mention I’m African, Female and a Muslim but that shouldn’t matter should it? My message – I’m like everyone else so don’t treat me differently.”

R (aged 14) – Work Experience Student at SCOREscotland

SCOREscotland is on Facebook: for their page just click here.

Young Sentinel

Back in the 1980s, the Sentinel included a regular Young Sentinel page with a mixture of articles, reports and reviews aimed at younger readers.  Often with a caustic music review, the page also included information and issues particularly relevant to young people.  Here are 3 pages from 1986.

September 1986: School Holiday TV- Do Scots kids get a fair deal?  Back in the days of 4 terrestial channels, the article points out that TV programming favours English rather than Scottish holidays.  Remember Glen Michael’s Cavalcade?  There’s also a music review on the death of pop music and a list of contendors including Samantha Fox and Belinda Carlisle.

November 1986: Images of Violence.  The article looks at violence on TV and asks where the line should be after the show Dempsey and Makepeace had been criticised for on screen violence.  There’s also a feature on F.M. who were supporting Magnum at the Playhouse.

December 1986: Just Another Song.  A detailed report following the process of taking a song idea to a recorded single by the band Shame.

Without Homes There Is Frustration

Young people are facing increasingly tough times, particularly if they live in areas of high deprivation, or come from vulnerable circumstances.  In a report commissioned by the Princes Trust and the Royal Bank of Scotland Group, almost three-quarters of young people surveyed felt that life was harder than ever for the young unemployed with nearly half saying that finding a job was harder than this time last year.  Within work, more than two fifths felt their job was insecure, and that they were “disposable”.  Meanwhile, the Government is eying up the possibility of making further savings through cutting housing benefit for the under 25s.  Whilst they are careful to suggest that this is only a possibility, there is a sense of an idea being tested to see if it proves popular with the electorate.

Back in 1981, organisations in Wester Hailes were aware that young people were struggling.  Wester Hailes had a higher than average number of young people, with approximately 40% being under the age of 21.  Unemployment statistics showed that unemployment rates for young people were as high as 70% in 1981.  The Wester Hailes Flats Project was one of the projects initiated in response to this increasingly desperate situation.  In 1981, workers at the community bases such as the Venchie Café grew aware that some of the young people using local services were sleeping rough.  The Flats Project was established  to address this situation, offering accommodation along with advice and ongoing support.

In 1986, the project published an Annual Report which reflected on the past experiences of the project and looked towards future developments.  It also gave some success stories to illustrate what the project had been able to achieve, such as the following:

“Mike (aged 17) was living at home with his parents and working in Wester Hailes.  Conditions at home were pretty bad.  Overcrowding caused considerable tension in the household and there were constant arguments.  He ended up sleeping rough and came to the Flats project looking for help.  The project was able to offer him supported accommodation and was aiming to transfer the tenancy to him.”

“Karen (aged 17) had been staying with friends for a few months but was desperate to get a place of her own.  She didn’t’ want to leave Wester Hailes and was prepared to share.  She completed an application form to the council and put her name down for a few housing association flats.  After some time a place came up in one of our supported flats.  Karen was interviewed and offered a place.  The project helped her claim her furniture grant and represented her at an appeal tribunal.  She is still living in the flat, receiving support and hopes to take on the tenancy in her own right.”

The Flats Project reported that they would like to expand the reach and level of support being offered.  In 1986 they were in negotiations with the Edinburgh District Council’s Housing Department for the release of another 6 single tenancies. They were also drawing up an application for Urban Aid funding through the council.  The funding would enable them to set up a drop-in advice centre with a team of workers.  They were also interested in exploring the idea of emergency accommodation, offering a time-out alternative for young people in a respite situation.

The Flats Project chose their motto Without Homes There Is Frustration because they felt it echoed the feelings of the young people they worked with.  However, the project was also facing challenges created by circumstances beyond their control.  Major changes to the benefits system were on the horizon in 1986.  In particular, young people under the age of 18 who were not yet in work or on YTS would no longer be eligible for benefits under the new system.  The Flats Project used housing benefit and DHSS payments to fund some of the costs associated with the supported accommodation and their client group were predominantly in the 16-21 age group.  Funding for the project would therefore be a major concern if Urban Aid funding was not awarded.  In the light of the current situation both here in Wester Hailes and in the wider context, such concerns seem only too familiar.

You can read more from the 1986 Annual Report here.

You can read more about the Wester Hailes Flats Project here.