east lothian

Over the past quarter of a century, a group of men, aged between 65 and 100, have been taking on a labour of love to recreate a unique piece of aviation history – building from scratch a replica of the WW1 fighter, the Sopwith Strutter. Today, it’s the only one of its type flying in the world. The project has been described as a "Men's Shed On Steroids" and has given the members of the group a real sense of purpose. It also provided an opportunity for a young woman to fulfil the dreams of women from a century ago. They had been banned from flying such aircraft. Local journalist Jean West has been involved with the project for a long time and is part of a team looking to make a documentary about it. They have set up a crowd funding campaign but time is running out.

To find out more or contribute, please click here: https://tinyurl.com/38xc7msm

This weekend, you will see more tartan than usual out and about because the annual Kilt Walk is taking place. This year’s event is rather different – instead of people walking en masse, they’re choosing their own routes around Scotland. The idea is to raise money for assorted charities, clubs and others good causes. So what motivates them? Porty Podcast Producer David Calder has met some of those taking part.

https://www.thistle.org.uk/
https://teameastlothian.org.uk/
https://www.thekiltwalk.co.uk/

Maureen Child's fund raising page: https://edinburghkiltwalk2020.everydayhero.com/uk/maureen-3

For some older people, there can be a problem of loneliness and isolation. They may live alone, their families may have moved away, and there are many other reasons why they don’t feel confident enough to get out of the house. It was an issue recognised some 27 years ago by what was then known as the Council of Churches in Portobello. They decided to get together to form the Portobello Older People’s Project. It started off as a lunch club but, as Porty Podcast producer David Calder found out, it now involves a lot of other activities as well.