DAYS OUT LISTINGS
AYS OUT
is...» '. ..
I HAWICK COMMON RIDING Thurs 6—Sat 8. Various venues around Hawick. Free. In 1514, the year after the Battle of Flodden at which the majority of the male adult population of llawick were killed, the youth of the town routed a band of English . raiders from their encampment at the edge of the town — returning to Hawtck bearing the captured English pennant. Since that time their valour has been remembered in various Common Riding ceremonies during May and early June. The most spectacular ceremony takes place on Thursday 6 from 6pm when the Cornet parades the Flag (representing the captured pennant) around the town with his followers after the ceremony of the Colour-Bussing in the Town Hall. On Friday and Saturday there are various horse races for the Cornet’s followers at the llawick Race Course.
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 reach our Edinburgh office ten days before publication and be accompanied by a contact phone number for our information. Days Out compiled by Thom Oibdin.
BORDERS
I BORDERS VINTAGE AUTOMOBILE CLUB SILVER JUBILEE HISTORIC MOTORING EXTRAVAGANZA Sun 2. 11am—5pm. Mellerstain llouse. Kelso. £5 (kids free) includes admission to .Vlellerstain House. Sei‘ious l)u\'\ ()ur frenzy begins here at the 2501 year of this quality event. Over l000 cars and commercial. military and agricultural vehicles will be on display to celebrate I00 years of British motoring. including veteran. vintage and classics of all persuasions. Star of screen Chilly Chitty Bang Bang will be on hand. there will be an acrobatic display by a Pitts Special. an antojumble. wheel changing competition. trade stands. food stands and even the odd celebrity
I HAWICK COMMON RIDING Thurs 6--Sat 8. Various venues around Hawick. Free. See photo caption.
I SHEEPDOO TRIALS Sat 1. Sam-6pm. Haylodge I’ark. Neidpath Road. Peebles. (Opposite the cemetery at the west end of town on the A721. I‘ree. local. national and international sheep dogs and their owners go through their sheep herding paces. Hot and cold snacks and drinks will be available all day with the vital added attraction of a beer tent .\'o piglets are allowed to complete.
LD'I'HIANS & FIFE
I BAWSINCH RESERVE OPEN DAY Sun 9. 11am—5pm. Bawsinch Wildlife Reserve. Duddingston l.och. (Enter by the wicket
gate. Duddingston Road West. 200 yards south of Church Lane Junction). ()l 31 661 3-1-14. Free. A chance to look round Edinburgh's own wildlife reserve with its heronry. new sandbank to encourage nesting sand-martins. wildfowl. reed beds and mixed woodland. Members of the Scottish Wildlife Trust who manage the reserve. including Duddingston Loch. will be on hand to provide guided walks during the day.
I BODGING FOR BEGINNERS Sat l/Sun 2. 9.30am—5pm. Hill of Tarvit Mansionhouse. by Cupar. Fife. £40. 01334 653127. Ken Grieve of Brutus Rural Crafts runs this two-day course on the art of bodging. That's pole lathe- turning with green wood before you ask. and is a pretty neat and right-on way to make everything from chair legs to spurtles. Ken Grieve will be running a further weekend at Preston Mill. East I.othian (01620 860426). on Sat S/Sun 9. Booking is essential for both weekends. I CANAL WEEK Sat I-Sun 9. Various venues along the Union Canal. See photo caphon.
I CRODUET Sun 2 and weekly throughout June. 2.30pm. Aberdour Castle. Aberdour. £1.50 (£1). 01383 860519. The fun and tactics of this most vicious of lawn games are demonstrated every Sunday afternoon during June by members of the Scottish Croquet .>\ssociation. Visitors will get their own chance to swing the mallet. Price includes entry to the 14th century fortified residence run by lltstoric Scotland which is open daily 9.30am—6.30pm (Sunday 2—6.30pm).
I FORTH BRIDGES RAFT RACE Sun 2. l—Spm. The Promenade. South Queensferry. Free. Hugely popular afternoon organised by the South Oueensferry Rotary Club with entertainments both on and off the water. On shore events include the International Rescue Organisation. RNLI. Fly On The Wall and catering. Offshore. the raft races
range from the ‘funsters' (we aim to get wet) to the heavy duty river-rafting crews who are fiercely competitive. as crews between six and eight make their way up river past the road bridge and back.
I MEADOWS FESTIVAL Sat 1. 10am—6pm/Sun 2. noon»~6pm. The Meadows. Edinburgh. 0131 620 9108. I‘ree. See photo caption.
I MIDLOTHIAN SAFETY DAY Sun 2. noon—5pm. Arniston Estate. Near Gorebridge. Midlothian. £3 (car) it (pedestrian). 01968 660346. If you're going to keel over. then this is the place to do it: the emergency services. including the police. fire brigade. ambulance. lifeboat. Red Cross and mountain resctte services do their things in a series of ‘comprehensive exhibits and exciting displays'. Other attractions include free- fall parachutes. helicopter rides and a rifle
I TREFOIL FAIR Sat 8. 10.30am —5pm. Charlotte Square. Edinburgh. £1 (50p). 0131 33‘) 3148. Your traditional fair with a dozen marquee-covered stalls selling a huge variety of goods at bargain prices. There is also a full programme of entertainment. including music. dance.
displays and Radio l-‘orth's Scott Wilson with the roadshow. Food and drink will also be available.
I WALK FOR LIFE Sun 9. 2pm. St John's Church. West End of Princes Street. Edinburgh. Free. I-‘ull details from freephone 0500 01 l 696. A 10km sponsored meander through the city to benefit AIDS charities in Scotland. Dress up. bring your pals. get loads of sponsors and have a good time.
THE NORTH
I YTNAN RAFT RACE Sat 1. 12.30—5pm. The Bridge. EIlon. Grampian. Free (for spectators). 01358 720163. The largest raft race in the UK just keeps getting bigger and bigger: this year over 200 rafts are expected. crewed by 1000 people. The race starts from the New Inn Car Park. Ellon and finishes at the Logic Buchan Bridge. Rafts of all shapes and sizes take part. from monsters created using CAI) by the design teams from off-shore oil companies to schoolkids' rafts made from a couple of rubber tyres lashed together by binder twine. Stalls and entertainments start in the morning.
I MEADOWS FESTIVAL Sat 1, 10am—6pm/Sun 2, noon-6pm. The Meadows, Edinburgh. 0131 620 9108. Free. As ever, over 150 new and and second-hand stalls are the big attraction at the Meadows Festival with bands playing live on stage on both days (including Oominic Waxing lyrical, pictured above — see Rock Listings for full details of times and bands). This year there is the added attraction of free . workshops by the People From Tollcross State Circus, the Channel 4 Roadshow with kids’ games and wacky Crystal Maze-type games (which will not be televised) and
an all-afternoon ceilidh on Saturday.
78 The List 31 .\Iay- l 3 Jun 1996