Leith

you'll

see a William Kidd, Leith Scotland.

Okay.

Yes, now anyone could put a brace like that on it, but then when you look inside, see the coin in the back? It gives it a little more dimension.

Welcome to St James, a Scottish Episcopal Church in Leith.

This is the podcast edit from our Sunday morning service held on August 30th, 2026.

For news and information, and to find out how to join us in person or online, please visit stjamesleith.org.uk.

Give your church courage where it is anxious, humility where it is divided, and hope where it is tired.

Help us to proclaim with integrity a gospel of healing, justice, mercy, and peace.

We pray for this congregation of St. James the Less in Leith.

And may we be attentive to your presence, open to your spirit, and ready to serve with practical love, with kindness, and with courage.

Help us to be a church where love is genuine, where strangers are welcomed, where those who rejoice find companions in their joy, and those who weep do not weep alone.

One far removed, though only a few miles away, from our setting here at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, our host today.

Leith Central Station is where they're asked the pointless and ironic question, are you trainspotting? And even in the late 80s, when the book is set, that place hadn't seen a train for years.

It's simply, of course, one of the pit stops in their endless drug-taking that kills some of them, leaves others hollowed out and hopeless, and persuades Renton in the last scene of the book to try to escape Leith.

to amsterdam of all places after the climactic drug deal in london that's thought by them to have been a success but leaves readers in no doubt that it's just the opening of another chapter in their lives a familiar one though the chapters in this book do sparkle with the vigor of the street language and gang culture habits ervin welsh's command of that anarchic spirit brought in many admirers at home and abroad and, of course, inspired Danny Boyle's film of the book in 1996 that many mark out as a modern classic.

The language in the film was cleaned up a bit, if you can believe it, but the grime and grit of Renton and Begbie, Spud and Sick Boy remains intact.

Thank you.

Now, Elvin, as anyone who knows you or Edinburgh is aware, you are a lifelong fan of Hibernian.

Now, the Hibs anthem is, of course, Sunshine on Leith.

Before I go, a couple of exciting announcements to make for those who might not know.

On Saturday, the 12th of September, I'll be making my Edinburgh debut alongside Chicago house royalty Terry Hunter at the Port of Leith Distillery in Leith, for soul heaven and loving leaf events and two weeks later on the 26th of september i'll be headlining the soul heaven residency at o beach obita and i'm so excited for both of these events so i hope to see some of you there we'll be playing lots of this sort of stuff of course thank you for listening and tuning in with me i'm bell winder i'll see you next time keep the music loud keep digging deep and i'll catch you soon peace out out

That was actually, Queen of the South's great because it's playing this tiny little ground outside of Hampton Park, or at least used to.

But Hibbs, they're right down in Leith on the dockside, which is a great area of Edinburgh.

Really nice.

Love