IAYS OUT
l BACK Ill THE BLACK From Thurs 27, loam-5pm. Summerlee Heritage Trust, West Canal Street, Coatbridge. Free. 0236 431261. New photographic exhibition of contemporary photographs recording working life at Monktonhall Colliery near Edinburgh. Accompanying the photos is a small exhibition on the miners strike, ten years on. The twenty-acre industrial museum is open daily and makes an interesting day out with its major exhibitions celebrating 200 years of Scottish industry.
This section gives details of selected events taking place in and around the Central Belt of Scotland this fortnight. Events are listed by area and then alphabetically. All submissions should be accompanied by a contact phone number for our inlonnation. Days Out compiled by Thom nibdin.
BOROERS
I HEATHERSLAW HALLOW’EEN SPECIAL Sat 29. 6.30—9.30pm. Meet at the Village Hall. Heatherslaw. £5. Booking essential on 0890 820244. Fancy dress event. with a walk along the railway in the dark. if you dare. to the haunted mill where there will be a treasure hunt and games. Followed by a hot su er.
I SCOTTISH PLOOGHING CHAMPIONSHIPS Fri 21/Sat 22. 9.30am—5pm. Fogo Rig. on the Charterhall Estate. near Greenlaw. £3 (£1). Over 200 acres of Charterhall go under the plough over the two days. with horse and vintage ploughing on the Saturday. The prestige events. which have almost 100 entrants. are for the reversible and conventional ploughing. Points are awarded for uniformity. firmness in packing. starting and finishing. This is serious stuff. as the two winners will go forward to the world ploughing championships to be held next year in Kenya. The competitions finish at 2pm on Saturday. but the trade stands. demonstrations and all-important catering stalls will still be open.
CENTRAL 8: TAYSIOE
I MILLS OBSERVATORY OPEN NIGHT Fri 28. 7.30pm—10pm. Mills Observatory. Balgay Park. Dundee. 0382 67138. Free. (Observatory open daily: Mon—Fri: 3—10pm. Sat: 2—5pm). Every last Friday of the month. the observatory holds a talk about the night sky. October‘s talk will be about Saturn. visible in the south east at sunset. and will be followed by a look at the planet. if the weather is amenable. if not. there will be planetarium shows instead.
DUMFRIES & cALLoWAv
I WITCHES OF WANLOCK Sun 30.
l lam—4.30pm. Museum of Leadmining. ' Goldscaur Row. Wanlockhead. £2.90 (£1.25). The last day of the season for this interesting museum is marked with gruesome goings-on down the mine. Tours lead by the ghost ofJohn Bell. if you survive. then the infamous witch Manic May will tell her tales in the straight steps cottages. For those with strong stomachs. Mad Mary will be serving a special menu. hot from her cauldron. in the tea room. Fancy dress for young and old (judging at 3pm). hunt the severed finger (just follow the trail of blood . . .) and the more sedate apple dooking.
LOTHIANS 8: FIFE
I EGYPTIAN BELLY DANCING Sat 22. 10am—lpm. 2—5pm. Dance Base. 54 George Street. Edinburgh. Bookings essential on 031 225 5525. Sessions £15 (£12) each or £25 (£20) all day. The lythesome Hilary Thacker does her stuff in these two workshops. Beginners in the morning. intermediate in the afternoon.
I SCOTTISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXTRAVAGANZA Fri 21. 10.30am-«4pm. Assembly Rooms. George Street. Edinburgh. Free. See photo caption.
I COMPLEMENTARY HEALTH AND BEAUTY FAIR Sun 30. noon—5pm. Burgh Halls. Linlithgow. 60p (30p). A fair organised by the Natural Beauty centre in Linlithgow. with talks. stalls and demonstrations about beauty therapy treatments. Cafe.
I OAWN GOOSE WATCH Sat 22. sunrise. Vane Farm RSPB Nature Reserve. Loch Leven (on the B9097. one mile east of junction 5 on the M90). Phone 0577 862355 to book a place. £4. including breakfast! A possibility to see some of the 20.000 pink-footed and greylag geese that overwinter on the loch. leave at sunrise.
I GHOST WALKS Fri 28—Mon 31. Fri 4/Sat 5. 7.30pm. Linlithgow Palace. Linlithgow. West Lothian. Tickets £8.50 (£5.50) must be booked on 031 244 5995. A few tickets
remain for these evenings of spooky stories on a ghost walk through the dark history of the palace. Not recommended for young children. or those of a ‘nervous‘ disposition! More walks can be organised if there is the demand.
I KNITTING ANO NEEDLECRAFT FAYRE Fri 28—Sun 30. lOam—6pm. Royal Highland Showground. Ingliston. Edinburgh. £4 (£3. children under 16 free). It‘s all stitched up at lngliston this weekend with over 100 exhibitors booked in to this major event. If you can knit or stitch it. they’ve got it. From machines and accessories to literature and publications. exhibitions to items for sale. Four fashion shows a day in the 1000-seat theatre to inspire your nimble fingers. Loads of competitions and money-off bargains. Full catering. including licensed restaurant. cafe and bar.
I WINTER SKY WATCH AND LECTURES Every clear night and Fridays. 7—9pm. Royal Observatory. Blackford Hill. Edinburgh. 031 668 8405. £2 (£1.50). Evening star gazing £1.50. The Observatory‘s session of winter lectures get off to a bang on Fri 21. with ‘Echoes of the Big Bang' and continue on Fri 28 with ‘The Night Sky In November’. Besides the excellent exhibitions (daily. l-5pm). the Observatory is open every clear weekday evening from 7—9pm fora glimpse of the night sky. Phone before 4pm on the day to book.
I GLENFIOOICH PIPING CHAMPIONSHIPS Sat 29. 11am—7pm. Blair Castle. Blair Atholl. Pitlochry. £5. Further details from Mrs Maxwell. ()698 843843. Annual invitation piping championship. with ten winners of the year's major piping events. This year's competitors include a piper from Texas and one from Canada. The castle is closed to the public from Friday 28. so the noise should not cause too much disturbance. Tickets on the door.
I BACK IN THE BLACK From Thurs 27. 10am—5pm. Summerlee Heritage Trust. West Canal Street. Coatbridge. Free. ()236 431261. See photo caption.
I EGYPTIAN BELLY DANCING Sat 29. 12.30—3pm. 3.30—6pm. Brown‘s Leisure
Centre. 35 Coplaw Street. Glasgow. Details on 0539 731268. No need to book. Sessions £10 (£8) each or £15 all day. The lythesome Hilary Thacker does her stuff in these two workshops. Beginners first. then intermediate.
I FRIGHTNIGHT: HALLOWE’EN DINNER OANCE Sat 29. 7pm—late. Westpoint Hotel. Stewartfield Way. East Kilbride. £16.50. 03552 36300. Fancy Dress dinner and dance with all the usual hallowe'en fun and frolics. Strictly for grownups.
I HALLOWE’EN HORRORS Sat 29. 2—4pm. David Livingston Centre. 165 Station Road. Blantyre. 0698 823140. £2 (£1). A chance to make some ghoulish horrors to frighten the old folk with. Materials provided. The centre is open daily. 10am—5pm (Sun: l—5pm).
I HALLOWE’EN ON ICE Fri 28. 7—10pm. The Time Capsule Monklands. Buchanan Street. Coatbridge. £3.40 (£2.65). Skate hire £1. 0236 449572. Chill your ghoulies to the live sounds of M74 at this fancy dress disco on ice. The first twenty people in fancy dress get in free and there's ,a prize for the best fancy dress.
I MOOEL RAILWAY SHOW Sat 29. 10am—6pm/Sun 30. l lam—5pm. Couper Institute. Clarkston Road. Glasgow (by Cathcart station). £1.40 (60p). Family £3.50. Puff up to Cathcart this weekend. where a good dozen layouts are expected at this ‘reasonably‘ large event put on by three local model railway societies. Besides the more usual ()0 and N gauge layouts there will be an 0 gauge layout and stand. Also trade stands. society stalls and that vital buffet. all in two halls and several side rooms.
I scornsu ARCHAEOLOGICAL rsx madam Fri 5‘
1, 10.3llam—4pm. Assembly
Rooms, George Street, Edinburgh. Free. Excellent introducing archaeology event for kids of all ages with a heavy accent on hands-on participation. Besides a simulated dig, there will be pottery, spinning and carding. On a more modern front, there will be interactive computer games, CD Rom demonstrations and videos. Various museums will be opening up their cases and bringing exhibits along to handle and there will be lntonnation tables from a wide range of archaeological related courses and
volunteering bodies.
62 The List 21 October—3 November 1994