We welcome submissions for this section. Please send details to our offices at least ten days before publication. Edinburgh life listings compiled by Maureen Ellis.
Book events
Ruari McLean National Library ()l‘ Scotland. (ieoi'ge l\' Bridge. (122 4807. 7pm. liree. The author is in conversation with Ian .\lc(}o\\'an as he discusses his wartime exploits as a submariner in the nayy. Rel‘i‘eslunents \y ill be made ayailable. For tickets e-mail eyentsm nls.uk.
Talks
Can Both The Left And Right Claim Adam Smith? ()ltl (‘ollt-ge. Playl’ait‘ library. l’niyersity ol‘ lidinburgh. South Bridge. (i50 2252. (tpm. Free on door £3 in adxance. King's (’ollege lecturer limina Rothschild and Rt Hon (iordon Brown Ml’ lead a proyocatiye discussion on the political implications of tlte \york ol‘Adam Stiiitli.
Other events
Book Clearance Portfolio Gallery. 4.3 (‘andleinaker Ron. 220 WI 1.
.\'oon 5.30pm. Art and photography books and catalogues at hall price or less.
Film Screening With Panel Discussion Royal .\ltiseum. 2 ('hambers Street. 247 42 l‘). (3.30pm. Free. Anne Wheeler's one-hour documentary The ()I‘ls'llt’t' Lur/ [CllS lllL‘ \lUI'} til the ills! litiropean woman to set loot in ('anada. The screening is t'ollim ed by a panel discussion.
Talks
Hugh Miller Guided Tour Royal .‘yltiseuin. 2 ('hambers Street. 247 42 ll). l2..‘~0pm. liree. Volunteer guides lead a gtiided tour of the Hugh .\liller exhibition. Landscape With Apollo And The Muses By Claude Lorrain National (iallery of Scotland. The Mound. 02-1 (i200. l2.-15Pm. liree. (‘olin (‘ruise l‘rom Stal‘l‘ordshire l'niyersity giy es a talk.
Other events
Book Clearance Portfolio (iallery. 43 ('andlemaker Rim. 220 I‘)l l.
.\'oon 5.30pm. See Thu 25.
Book events
Poetry Workshop lloystlcn l’ark (’entre lloys den. l.i\ ingston. (H500 43363-1. l0am -1pm. £14 (£8). Valerie (iillies hosts a \torkshop e\ploring the processes iii\ol\ ed in “riting poetry.
Spons
Hawick Sevens Rugby Tournament Mansfield Park. Mansfield Road. llauick. 0870 0080-10-1. I..i0pin. £10. Annual rugby \L‘\ ens tournament.
Craigmillar Castle Craigmillar Castle Road.
more atmospheric. Dynamic Earth l-lolyrood Road. 5:30 H300. 10am-0pm. S"/.E):')(S‘/1.f)()). Willi volcanoes erupting beneath your feet. a tropical rainstorm
Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Rugby League Challenge Cup Final Murray lield Stadium. Riyersdale Crescent. (H l.3 232 9444. 2.45pm. £l5 £50.
Murray tield plays host to the prestigious challenge cup linal.
Hibernian v Dundee liastcr Road. 12 Albioti Place. (mi 1875. 3pm. £l7 £22 i£l0). Sl’l. football match.
Talks
Hugh Miller Guided Tour Royal .\liiseuin. 2 (‘hainbers Street. 247 42I‘). l2.30pin. l'l‘CL‘. See l‘ri 26.
Other events
Mapping The Future - The Way Ahead lloyyden l’ark ('entre. lltM'dCtl. I.i\‘ingston. 220 4-160. l0am --1pm. £5. A seminar for voluntary arts organisations. Painting On Pottery Royal Botanic (iarden. Inyerleith Row. 552 717].
Want 3.30pm. £60. Design and decorate earthenware pottery tising inspiration from plants found in the garden.
Record Fair Assertiny Rooms. 54 (ieorge Street. 220-1341). 10am -1pm. £1. Browse or buy from a range of (‘l)s and
\ iny I.
Botanical Photography Royal Botanic (iarden. lmerleith House. 248 297‘). main -1pm. £50. A weekend uoi'kshop offering the tnore advanced photographer helpful hints on capturing plant images.
30/20 Craft 8. Design Fair Assemth Rooms. 54 (ieorge Street. 220 434‘). l0.30am 4.30pm. £1. (‘onteinporary ci'altyyork sold direct by the makers. Book Clearance l’ortl‘olio (iallery. 43 (‘andleinaker Roxy. 220 11)] l. l lam 5pm. See Thu 25.
Sunday 28
Spons
East Lothian Junior U16
Meade“ mill Sports (‘entre. 'l'ranent. 0l875 (0-1900. l'nder lbs badminton competition. Hearts v Celtic 'I'ynecastle Stadium. (iorgie Road. 200 720l. 3pm. £l‘) (£10). Sl’l. football match.
Talks
Hugh Miller Guided Tour Royal .\ltisetiin. 2 (‘hambers Street. 2-17 -12l‘). l2..‘~0piii. Free. See lii'i 2o.
Chuck D George Square Theatre. l'niyersity ()l~ lidinbui‘gh. (ieorge Square. ()50 S40l. 6pm. £8. The forthright leader ol‘ l’ublic lineiny discusses his perspectives on music. politics and society. Part of Iri'p'lyi'li.
Other events
Painting On Pottery Royal Botanic Garden. lnyerleith Rots. 552 7 l 7l.
l0am 3.30pm. £60. See Sat 27. Botanical Photography Royal Botanic (iarden. lmerleith House. 248 207‘). Want -1pm. £50. See Sat 27. Spring To Attention Hermitage llotise. Braid Road. Morningside. -1-17 7145. 2 4pm. An opportunity to see Spring iii bloom.
(5"2—5‘0). 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
(301 4/1/15). Daily 9.1%0ain-t3pin.S‘lBO ($1.30: children /':">pi.
l or a real taste of history. take a drive out to this ramshackle old castle. which although not riiiite as intact as
l dinbuidh Castle. is far
pouring down. earthquakes and tidal waves at every turn. the history of the earth has never been more interesting.
Edinburgh Castle Royal Mile, .725) 08/10. l)ai|y 0.30am (3pm. 5‘8
attractions include .Jaiiies lV's famous cannon. the One O'Clock Gun, lots of military silverware and The Stone Of Destiny. Edinburgh Dungeon 1&1 Market Street. 0870 8/100 (300. Daily
TORCHLIGHT PARADE
BELTANE FIRE FESTIVAL
Calton Hill, Tue 30 Apr
Edinburgh life
C’mon baby light my fire
Horror films are full of people reviving ancient traditions and meeting grisly ends. If the recently re-released Wicker Man is to be believed, those investigating them can end up playing a surprisingly pivotal and decidedly
unpleasant role in the proceedings. In real life, though, the Beltane Fire Festival
has been going strong for fifteen years with hardly a mishap in sight. And the people behind it are decidedly commonsensical: they even use email.
‘Some people have a strong sense of the rituals involved and others have a stronger sense of it being theatre; you take what you want from it,’ says Beltane Fire Society chairperson Helen Moore. ‘But we feel we are working with forces that are bigger than ourselves, the transition of darkness to light and winter to summer, and there is a sense of being in touch with these deeply human things that you can so easily forget living in a consumer society.’
Beltane is one of four seasonal Celtic festivals (the others are Lughnasadh in
August, Samhuinn in October and lmbolc in February), but it is the only one celebrated on such a scale: last year almost 15,000 people converged on Calton Hill, making it the largest fire festival in Europe. The festival heralds the arrival of spring with a ritual meeting and joining of the May Queen and the Green Man, while the Red Men, symbolising fertility, seduce the White Women,
symbolising purity.
It’s also an excuse for a bloody great bonfire and, as every child knows, flames are cool. The organisers are understandably keen, though, to discourage the public from starting their own fires and, with numbers swelling every year, unofficial blazes are now banned.
Pyromania is not the only difficulty the organisers face. ‘A substantial section
of Edinburgh does come up Calton Hill,’ says Moore. ‘lt’s a shame we’re not
more recognised by the council, because we’re a non-profit organisation and
we put a lot of energy into the festival and foot the whole clean-up bill.’ Pagans with a conscience should pop a couple of quid in the collection
buckets. (James Smart)
Monday 29
Book events
\\ ill co\ er topics such as \\ riting l'or performance. editing. \oice. theatre.
humour. iiitisicality and set construction.
Performance Poetry Workshop
Quaker Meeting House. 7 Victoria ‘l‘eri'ace. 555 2797. 7 0pm. £35 (£25). Big Word's Jeni Rolls and Anita (iman host a series ol' l\\()-llolll‘ workshops in performance poetry techniques. Designed for nets and experienced perl'orniers. the uorkshops
10aiii—(3pm. $70.05) (SI/1.9543505). The 15th century vaults El(l]()llilllg
Waverley train station
have been converted to house over (.000 sq metres of ghastly artelacts, a nerve )angling boat tour and all ltiZililt(}r ()l unmentionable graphic re enactments. Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour
Meet at The Beehive Inn.
18—20 Gr‘assmarket. 220 (3005). Thu- Sun
Talks
l‘)2l)--10.
r'BOpm. 8‘] it‘s). An excellent way to imbibe culture by Visiting) the lavouiite \‘Jatei‘inu holes of Scotland's lll(}t£ll\ heroes. including) Sir Walter Scott. Robert Burns and livine Welsh Edinburgh Zoo (Ioistoiphine Road. 3.3-1 01 f 1. Daily Slam (3pm. $7031 S‘fn; liill‘ll\ ticlset 5‘70 597-450. \Vitlely accepted as one of the finest /()o:; in Britain. there's plenty here to
while away an afternoon,
Printmaking In Britain 1920-40 National (iallet‘) ol' Modern Art. Bell'ord Road. 024 o200. l2.-15piii. iiree. l’atrtck
lilliot discusses British printmaking iron]
or even a ‘.'.’lt()l(} (lay ll you take your time. Gladstone’s Land .ll'l'b l llttlt Street. 776 fit-3:30, Mon Sat
lttaiit fipiii; Sun
‘ Inuit. 53.150 (SM/bib:
iaiiiili, ticket 8‘050.
Restored to the splendoui enjoyed by the iiieicliant classes in the li'th century. (‘ilaiistone's land gives an authentic iepiesentation of life in the 'l‘(‘.".ll("..'il ()ld lown
.it this time.
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