'
We welcome submissions for this section, but cannot guarantee inclusion. Send details to our offices at least ten days before publication. Edinburgh Life listings compiled by Maureen Ellis.
Thursday 4
Book events
National Poetry Day National Portrait Gallery. 1 Queen Street. 6246200. 12.45pm. Free. For National Poetry Day. Shetland-born poet Robert Alan Jamieson gives a special reading.
A High Road To The Deep North Scottish Poetry Library. 5 Crichton's Close. Canongate. 557 2876. 1pm. \‘erse at the Poetry Library with virtual host poet Kevin McNeil.
Des O’Connor Waterstone's. 13—14 Princes Street. 556 3034. 6pm. Free. Star of stage and screen O‘Connor signs copies of his autobiography.
National Poetry Day Netherbow Arts Centre. 43-45 High Street. 556 9579/2647. 7.30pm. £5 (£3.50). Scots poetry presented here in lyric. verse and traditional ballads. Poet l.i/ Niven collaborates with ballad master lock Duncan to celebrate the event. Journeys Scottish Poetry Library. 5 Crichton's Close. Canongate. 557 2876. 7.30pm. £4 (£2). Allison Funk and Katerina Anghelaki-Rookc appear in association with the StAn/a Scottish Poetry Festival.
Other events
Life Drawing Bongo Club. 14 .\'ew Street. 558 7604. 7.15-9.15pm. £3.50. Try your hand at life drawing in a relaxed and friendly environment.
Book events
Christopher Brookmyre Waterstone's. 128 Princes Street. 226 2666. 6pm. Free. Funny-man Brookmyre talks about his new work. A Big Boy Did I! And Run Anny.
Spons
Edinburgh v Biarritz Myreside. Myreside Road. 346 5252. 7.30pm. £15 (£5). Heineken Cup rugby match.
Talks
Artists And Their Families National Gallery of Scotland. The Mound. 624 6200. 12.45pm. Free. Writer and critic Bill Hare discusses Berthe Morisot's painting. A Wotttan And Child In A Garden.
Other events
Playing With The Bones Netherhow Arts Centre. 43—45 High Street. 556 9579/2647. 1.30pm. £9 (£6). Games will include confidence building exercises. finding and remembering stories. timing. suspense and the rhythm of language.
All Telt Ye! Netherbow Arts Centre. 43—45 High Street. 556 9579/2647. 7.30pm. £5 (£3.50). Stories and song from the folk tradition.
Permanent attractions
Carberry Candle Cottage
Musselburgh. 665 5656. Mon—Sat 9am—5pm: Sun noon—5pm. Free. If you've a passion for candles. then take a drive out to this treasure trove of all things wax. Their factory shop is full
Tours
of perfumed. aromatherapy and feng shui candles. plus a bargain clearance corner and a permanent Christmas section.
City Of The Dead’s Haunted Graveyard
Meet by St Giles Cathedral. Royal Mile. 447 2230. £5 (24). Join this spooky tOUr if you dare. and you'll be guaranteed all manner of paranormal frights.
Penicuik Silver Band Harry Miller Hall. Kirk ‘0' Field Church. 7.30pm. 70p (35p). Musical evening with a performance frotn this local band.
Saturday 6
Spons
Abseil 4 Life Western General Hospital. Crewe Road South. 01786 464633. Sponsored abseil in aid of Imperial Cancer.
Talks
Gallery Talk Fruitmarket Gallery. 45 Market Street. 225 2383. 2pm. Free. Richard Murphy talks about his work.
Other events
3D/ZD Craft & Design Fair Assembly Rootns. 54 George Street. 220 4349. l().30am-—4.30pm. 90p (60p). Contemporary craftwork.
Book events
Such Strange Joy: Ten Years Of Shore Poets The Canons' Gait. 232 Canongate. 556 448 l. 8pm. £2 (£1). Although predominantly a book launch. the event will also feature readings from some of the book's contributors.
Spons
Abseil 4 Life Western General Hospital. Crewe Road South. 01786 464633. See Sat 6.
Charity Bike Challenge Holyrood Park. 556 1761. 8.30am. £9.50 (£7.50). 35- mile bike ride frotn Edinburgh to Dunbar in aid of the Meningitis Research Foundation. Spokes Sunday Ride L'sher Hall. Lothian Road. 445 7073. 10am. Gentle 30- mile ride. stopping off for lunch along the way. Meet at L'sher Hall.
Other events
Car Boot Sale Western General Hospital Car Park. Crewe Road.
1 lam—2pm. £7 per vehicle. In aid of
Maggie's Centre.
Monday 8
Book events
Geoff Thompson Waterstone‘s. l3—l4 Princes Street. 556 3034. 6.30pm. Free. Thompson appears to discuss his latest work. which chronicles his time as a bouncer at some of the world's roughest clubs.
Talks
Pop Art: Works In The Collection National Gallery of Modern Art. Belford Road. 624 6200. 12.45pm. Free. Lucy Askew gives a talk on the gallery‘s Pop Art collection.
Tuesday 9
Book events
Francesca Simon ()ttakar‘s Bookshop. L'nit 16. Cameron Toll Shopping Centre. 6 Lady Road. 666 1866. 10am. An
including the infamous McKenzie Poltergeist. Craigmillar Castle Craigmillar Castle Road. 661 4445. Mon—Wed 8. Sat 9.30pm—4pm; Thu 9.30am—noon; Sun 2pm-4pm. £1.80 (£1.30): children 75p. For a real taste of histOry. take a drive out to this ramshackle old castle. which although not quite as intact as Edinburgh Castle. is far more atmospheric and
edinburgh©list.co.uk
Edinburgh life
TALK MEET THE ASTRONAUT Dynamic Earth, Thu 18 Oct.
Interest in space travel doesn't seem to have bridged the generation gap. If. like me. yOur fascination with space travel stretches about as far as Buzz Lightyear. then this might just be the opportunity to reawaken a desire to learn more about the worlds beyond our meagre stratosphere.
But what makes someone devote their life to cosmic endeavour so far removed from our modern world? Well if you're Dr Umberto Guidoni, you've a physics degree. a PhD in Astrophysics and a post-doctoral fellowship in thermonuclear fusion. Not quite the Armageddon-esque motley astronaut assemblage of crims and freaks that we've come to expect from popular culture.
Dr Guidoni was selected to attend the NASA Astronaut Candidate Training centre in 1994 after working successfully for five years with the Italian Space Agency. His training later took him to the Johnson Space Center in 1996 where two more years of training and evaluation paved way for him joining the Astronaut Corps of the European Space Agency. Logging over 650 hours of space flight during his career. Guidoni was then selected this year as a crew member of the Endeavour. His mission to the International Space Station was to install equipment and deliver supplies. He was the first European to set foot on the station which has been jointly constructed by the US. Europe. Russia. Canada and Japan.
But the purpose of the work goes beyond mere curiosity. The 47-year-old Italian is investigating new sources of electricity production and microgravity experimentation. And at a time when our world's stability is wavering. this talk might be a useful way of putting things in perspective. To infinity and beyond indeed. (Maureen Ellis)
opportunity to meet the author of the Horrid
Henrv series.
Deborah Moggach Waterstone‘s. 128 Princes Street. 226 2666. 6pm. Free. Critically acclaimed Moggach reads from and discusses her new novel. Final
Demand.
Talks
Does That Make Things Clearer? Royal Observatory Visitor Centre. Blackford Hill. 668 8405. 7.30pm. Free. Dr Adrian Russell gives an overview of the centre's contribution to astronomy. Radio In The Frame National I Library 01' Scotland. George IV Bridge. 1 226 4531. 7pm. Free. Award-winning novelist. Ronald Frame. discusses the craft of creating radio drama.
Wednesday 1 0
Book events
Douglas Hurd Waterstone‘s. 128 Princes Street. 226 2666. 6pm. Free. The former Foreign Secretary reads from his latest novel Image In The Water:
the scene of much plotting during the reign of Mary. Queen of Scots.
Edinburgh Castle Royal Mile. 225 9846. Daily 9.30am—5pm. $27 ($22—$25). Although much of the castle's medieval character was lost when it was converted into barracks in the 19th century. continuing excavations aim to redress this. Other attractions include Mons
Talks
industry.
Portugal.
video.
The Future Of Farming Open Door. 420 Momingside Road. 447 l 103. 10.30am. £1. Kevin Volans from the Scottish College of Agriculture discusses the way forward for the agricultural
The Strange Case Of ILL. Stevenson: ILL. Stevenson by Count Nerli National Portrait Gallery. 1 Queen Street. 624 6200. 12.45pm. Free. Medical doctor Richard Woodhead discusses this work by Count Nerli.
Other events
Peter Green 0. Co Wine Tasting Queen‘s Hall. Clerk Street. 668 2019. 7.30pm. £12.50 (£25 inc supper). A tutored tasting of wines from Spain and
A Book At The Opera The Hub. Castlehill. Royal Mile. 473 2000. 2—3.30pm. Five weeks £25 (£20). The relationship between classic texts and the world‘s finest operas is explored by Kirsteen McCue through text. music and
Meg. the One O'Clock Gun. lots of military silverware and The Stone Of Destiny. Edinburgh Zoo Corstorphine Road. 334 9171. Daily 93m—4.30pm. 927 (24—925): family ticket 9220—22460. Widely accepted as one of the finest zoos in Britain. there's plenty here to while away an afternoon. or even a whole day if you take
your time.
Mary King’s Close Tours
Meet at Mercat Cross (beside St Giles' Cathedral). 557 6464. £5 (£4); children £3. Advance booking required. Literally. a trip to Edinburgh's undemorld, Mary King's Close is part of a now subterranean network of streets. walled off in the middle ages during an outbreak of the plague.
4-18 Oct 2001 THE LIST 101