AGENDA
clubbing together
The curfew on Edinburgh clubs and late-night bars is to be lifted during the Festival after the licensing board this week agreed to drop the regulation which forces most venues in the city centre to shut at 3am.
The zoning policy. which was introduced by Edinburgh District Council because of concems about city centre violence. put an end to virtually all late-night drinking beyond 3am and forced every venue to stop entry after l.30am.
‘Throughout the festival period the zoning policy will be dropped.‘ according to a council spokesman. ‘Licensees can apply for later licences. which will be looked at as individual cases and judged on their own merit by the board. so most clubs should be able to operate with a 4am licence as before.‘
However the relaxation will only last for the duration ofthe Festival; after the last Fringe show finishes, Edinburgh will return to the current curfew conditions. Once the envy of club-goers in many other cities. Edinburgh is now being brought into line with its West coast counterpart.
in Glasgow. 22 city centre clubs are planning to take legal action in an attempt to overtum the city’s licensing regulations which force all clubs to bar entry after midnight and close by 2am. A judicial review is due to take place in
the Edinburgh Court of Session in
August.
Tunnel Club owner Ron McCulloch. who is leading the campaign by the Glasgow Disco Operators Association. is hopeful the hearing will force the licensing board to change its stance on late club licences.
‘We have all asked the Court to look into each case individually,‘ he says. ‘If the Court hearing rules that the Licensing Board's recent curfew and earlier closing times are unjustified then they will be faced with the legal costs of the cases and will have the matter referred back to them to reconsider it.‘
The issue has clearly caused concem beyond those directly involved in the Glasgow club scene. Organisations including the Glasgow Tourist Board. Glasgow Hoteliers Association and the Glasgow Development Association have registered their reservations about the restrictions.
‘The whole point is that the directive of the Licensing Board was to cut down on late night violence.‘ states Mr McCulloch. ‘lnstead of that they are just cutting down on the amount of people coming into Glasgow at night. which will merely rnarginalise the trouble and stretch the Glasgow police even farther than they already are.‘ (Joe Lampard)
I Gaelic Television: The £95 million fund put up by the Government for the promotion of Gaelic television programmes has generated more than twice that in benefits to the Scottish economy. claims the first annual report from the Gaelic Television Committee. lt estimates that around 450 people have found employment on funded programmes, which include the successful soap Mac/rair (which has generated audiences of over 500.()(X)) and Speaking Our Language. Due to demands from Gaelic learners. the latter is due to be repeated on Scottish and Grampian Television, with a new series beginning in the new year.
I Forth Road Bridge: Tolls will continue on the Forth Road Bridge
even after Lothian and Fife Regional Councils have made the final payment to the Government for its construction. Scottish Transport Minister. Lord James Douglas Hamilton. has announced that the 40p toll for cars will continue until at least 1998 —- not l995. as had been previously thought — in order to cover maintenance costs. The profitability of the existing bridge will certainly be a factor when the Scottish ()ffrce considers the feasibility of a second toll bridge across the Forth.
I Historic Scotland: Another 309 sites of national importance were placed under the protection of heritage agency Historic Scotland last year. according to its latest annual report. However. the report also showed a mounting backlog maintenance work that was required on the agency's existing 5.600 properties.
THE ARCHES THEATRE r
‘
COMPANY AT THE CITIZENS
Accidental Death
of an Anarchist by Dario Fo
with Craig Ferguson
plus the hit comedy team: Grant Smeaton Ross Stenhouse Lezlie Davidson Directed by Andy Arnold.
Citizens Theatre, Glasgow Tires 3 - Sat 14 August at 7.30pm
Tickets and Information from:
Ticket Centre 041 227 5511
Citizens Theatre 041 429 0022
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' A film by Liv Ullmann
A; 7.: .' g m . i ff‘sorlr. , ..
15 A TREASURE?- NBC toonv‘snow.‘ . “A MAsrmpriacr, one of the years
' best films” rota mourn;
“Touching and timeless, a movie to
remember”
NEW WOMAN MAGAZINE
FROM FRIDAY 6 - GLASGOW FILM THEATRE FROM SUNDAY 8 - EDINBURGH FILMHOUSE
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The List 30 July—l2 August I993 5