DAYS DUT
LISTINGS
This section gives details of selected events taking place in and around the Central Belt 01 Scotland this fortnight. Events are listed by area and then alphabetically. All submissions should be accompanied by a contact phone number for our lnlonnatlon. Days out compiled by Thom Dibdin.
CENTRAL & TAYSIDE
I DISCOVERY POINT Daily. 10am—4pm (Sun: 11am—4pm). Riverside Drive. Dundee. £4 (£2.90). 0382 201245. An excellent addition to a family day out. Discovery Point provides exciting multi-
Antarctic Survey ship RRS Discovery and Scott's 1901 exploration ofthe Ross Sea which are only marred by the gratuitous appearance of Desperate Dan. Thrill at the launch of Distrorenu gape in amazement at the three-screen presentation ‘Locked lit The lce‘ about how the expedition was rescued in 1904 and marvel at the chunk of genuine Antarctic ice. before wandering round the ship itself. Until 29 May. there is also an exhibition about the British Antarctic Survey. with a complete base camp.
organisers say they concentrate on the dynamic potential of people. to let them know what areas of their life they could be expanding. Wicked.
I ROYAL OBSERVATORY Daily. 1—5pm (Fri: 1—9pm). Blackford Hill. Edinburgh. 031 668 8405. £1.50 (75p); evening star- gazing £1.50. Excellent exhibition: ‘The Universe‘ uses models. videos. computer games and photographs of space to explain the workings of firmament. Star shop for that astronomical paraphernalia at earthly prices. The observatory‘s Popular Telescopes are open every clear
; week night from 7—9pm fora visual tour _ . _ ; of the night sky with an experienced media presentations telling the story of the '
book. Talks: Evening talks every second Friday
at 7.30pm (£1.50/£l 1. On Fri 25. Russell Eberst will explain some of the most
; interesting things that can be seen iii the
; night sky during March. ()ii Fri 1 1. one-
~ time resident of the observatory. Dr Mary Bruck. will give a lecture about the
E origins of the observatory and its
1 founding. 100 years a to.
I SCOTTISH NATIONAL BRASS BAND
CHAMPIONSHIPS Sat zo/sun 27.
l0THIANS & FIFE
I BRIDAL FAIR Sat 26/Sun 27. 10am—5pm. Royal Highland Centre. 1ngliston. Edinburgh. £4 (£2). Now that Valentines day is out ofthe way. the seriously smitten can get their fix of the wedding dream at the Royal Highland Centre. which doubles as a cattle market. Everything you need for the wedding but the priest and lawyer.
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7.30pm. Merchants Hall. 22 Hanover Street. Edinburgh (entrance next to Clydesdale Bank). £3 (£2). Janice Forsyth hosts the ultimate in PC clothes collections from Traidcraft. Oxfam Trading. Bishopston Trading and Tikal. The show offers an opportunity to learn about the garments and the craft skills and experience of their Third World makers. A11 clothes on show are a product of fair trading.
I HEALTH, BEAUTY AND INNER WELL- BEING FAIR Sun 27. 1 lam—5pm. Brunton Hall. Musselburgh. Bringing together the different areas of alternative health and spiritual guidance with holistic art and craft. this fair places the emphasis on wholeness of being and provides a chance to meet the practitioners of these arts. The
10am—7.30piii. Falkirk Town Hall. West Bridge Street. Falkirk. £2/£l. it's the centenary year for the Scottish Brass Band Association. with 58 bands iii five
Q sections ptittiiig their every oompah into
these annual championships which \\ ill
see the top two bands in each section
- competing at the National championships 1 next November. This is serious stuff. with each band interpreting live test pieces.
3 some of which have been specially
l
commissioned for this competition.
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. I BIRDWATCHIHC FDR BECINHERS Sun 6.
2pm. Visitor Centre. Drumpellier Country Park. Townhead Road. Coatbridge. 0236 422257. Free. Take your binoculars fora peep at what the woodland birds are up to as they start claiming their territories.
I COUNTRYSIDE FACT IIUNT Sun 6. 2pm. Newhanhill. Law Drive at bottom of Burnside Road. Newharthill. Free. A chance for children to explore the Legbrannoek Project area. looking for the natural clues which will lead them to a natural treasure. ()rganised by the Motherwell Ranger Service.
I STRATNBLAIR AUCTION Thurs 3. 10am. Viewing: Mon 28—Wed 2. 10am—4pm. Christies Auction Rooms. 164 Batli Street. Glasgow. Free. catalogue £4. ()41 332 8134. Get those mementoes of the BBC Scotland TV series. See photo caption.
I SUMMERLEE HERITAGE TRUST Daily. 10am—5pm. Summerlee. West Canal Street. Coatbridge. ()236 449572. Free. Industrial museum on a twenty-acre site with massive exhibition hall housing displays of social and industrial history. Look out for the exhibition ‘Balance‘ by Mhairi Killin in the lronworks gallery until 13 March.
‘The best season ever!‘ is how most tow operators were describing the skiing as The List went to press. Given the vagaries of the weather. things might have changed by the time you read this. but most resorts report inches of fine powder snow oii top of the frozen snow of January. The runs are wide. the snow is deep and the skiing is good. What's more. the mid-term break is over. making mid-week less crowded. So the advice from this ski-desk is ‘(io early. go often!‘
' I Ski Clubs lf vou have problems getting astronomer. Phone after 4pm on the day to l‘ ' ‘ r
tip to the pistes. then you're. best off
joining your local ski club. They organise
buses or iiiini-buses most weekends. and
' can ptit you in touch with folk \v ho might
want to car share. Members also report a pretty lively social life of the options/ti” variety.
Glasgow Ski Club meet every 'l‘liursday at 9pm in The Scaratiiouche. lilderslie Street. Details from ()41 424 1893 or 041 883 6665.
Edinburgh Ski Club meet every 'l‘uesday from 9.30pm at the West Find Hotel. Paltiiet'ston Place. For ati information pack phone 031 220 3121.
I GLENCOE Chairlift company: 08556 226. Closed 'l‘ue/ch. The closest resort to Glasgow and Scotland's first commercial resort. The first tow opened in 1956. Wide. deep runs with fresh powder on a firm base. Over the weekend of the 13th. the 100mph mark was passed
for the first time in Scotland lll ati official
I NEVIS RANGE Chairlift company: 0397
705825. Scotland's newest and hence
most modern ski resort boasts the l'K's 3 only gondola system. The highest pistes in
Scotland are at the top of Aonach Mor (4006 feet). Creche facility: three to seven years. Nevis missed out on the new snow as it was (00 cold. but there‘s still plenty of exceptionally deep stuff for everyone. particularly in the Snow Goose Bowl.
I CAIRNCORM Chairlift company: 0479 861 261. Scotland‘s most famous ski area. close to the skiing town of Aviemore so there are lots of things to do off-piste. On the slopes it's ‘beautiful. wonderful. stormin‘ even'. according to our contact. with wide. complete runs. There are moguls on the White Lady run. (but no pumping disco music) so get those knees bending. The snow is so deep they reckon it will last right tip to July! Snow- boarding exeellent with the half pipe complete.
I CLENSIIEE Chairlift company: 03397 41320/41343. Edinburgh‘s closest resort. The three valleys of Glenshee offer 38 pistes on 40km of runs and a massive uplift capacity of 18.500 skiers an hour. Creche facility: over two years. Packed powder on a firm base is attracting the skiers in their thousands. but all the lifts are operating so queues are no longer than 10 to 15 minutes. even at the busiest times.
I THE LECHT Chairlift company: 09756 51440. Scotland's best resort for absolute beginners. with easy green and nursery slopes right next to the car park. Creche facility; over three years. More snow than ev er before and it's better than it's ever been. Fxcellent. wide. deep coverage everywhere. with all nursery slopes particularly fine.
Night Skiing During Febmary. The Lecht is putting on floodlit night skiing every Friday and Saturday. 6-9pm. Phone first to conli rm.
I RACES liat your heart out Lillehamtiier! Sat 26/500 27 Glencoe: West of Scotland Kids Championship.
Sat 26/Sun 27 Glenshee: John Clark BMW Championship.
Sat 25/500 27 Clyde Valley Ski Club Scottish l’nixersity Races.
Sat 25/3011 27 Cairugorm: Scottish Freestyle Snow-Board championship. with Slalom. Giant Slalom. l‘reestyle in the Hall-Pipe and an 'lepression Session’
Fri 4 (ilenshee: Ryden‘s School Girls Race.
Sat 5/Sun 5 Glenshee: 1i. Scotland Senior PIS Championships.
Sat S/Sun 6 Caii‘iigorm: Barracuda British Youth Classic.
4.. steps” i 9 r 3.
.
I STRATHBLAIB AUCTION Thurs 3, 10am. Viewing: Mon ZB-Wed 2, loam—4pm. Christies Auction Rooms, 164 Bath Street, Glasgow. Free, catalogue £4. 041 332 8134. Props from-both series of the BBC Scotland drama, Strathblair, are to be auctioned by Christies in Glasgow who will re-create small-scale sets from the series in their salerooms. Among the lots expected to go for under £100 are a Victorian Scottish pottery punch bowl, a brass oil lamp and an oak mantel clock from the
Dining lloom’ and two lots of wicker baskets from Pheeme’s ‘Kitchen’ at Carnban. It that doesn’tOexcite you, then there is the horse-drawn cart that took Robert ant.
Tansy to their wedding and the final lot, a BSA M21 600cc SV Motorbike with side-
car that was also used in last Of The Summer Wine. Both are expected to raise £500. ‘
The List 25 February~ 10 March 1994 59