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THE BEST EVENTS, TALKS AND SPORT
* Festivals of Light Tramway’s Hidden Gardens lights up for religious festivals of all kinds, starting with Diwali. Fireworks, tasty food and live music help fend off the dark winter nights. Hidden Gardens. Glasgow. from Sat 20 Nov.
* Inspector Rebus Tours Discover the Edinburgh known to our favourite grisly cop from the Oxford Bar to the Old Town. Artcommunity, Wilkie House, Edinburgh, Sat 20 Nov.
* Christmas Lights Switch On Ta-dall The electricity board jumps to illuminate our cities. Princes Street Gardens, George Square, Glasgow, Sun 21 Nov; Edinburgh, Thu 25 Nov.
* Jimmy Reid The trade unionist who helped save ship building on the Upper Clyde. journalist and Communist and Labour Party member discusses his political life. Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow. Fri 26 Nov.
* Arts Market One of the biggest collections of affordable original art and craft works plus some probable kraftwerk (pictured). The Drill Hall, Edinburgh, Sat 27 Nov.
3|: Scotland v South Africa With the football team in post- Berti disarray the Autumn Test Series is your best national sporting option at the moment. Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, Sat 27 Nov.
Good Santa
Wht sOn
Swallow your bah humbug — Edinburgh and Glasgow are cranking up their Christmas sparkles with European panache. Anna Millar gets in the mood.
ycn thc l‘cstiyc scason‘s higgcst cynic must
conccdc that \yhilc thc hiin strcct‘s cmporiums
pcak too soon. nothing can dull thc ill/l} gltm toyyards thc cm] of Noycmhcr \yhcn lhc ('rimho lights go on and thc warming sccnt ot' mullcd \yinc lills thc air.
“all a dccadc on from its lirst outing. lidinhurgh‘s (‘apital (‘hristmas ot'l'crings look hcttcr than cycr this ycar. and arc cxpcctcd to draw a rathcr imprcssiy c hall million visitors. A“ lhc old school playcrs arc sct to rcturn — look out for thc ('hristmas lrcc and official lights switch-on (Thursday 25 Noycmhcr. 5.45pm) in liast l’rinccs Strch (iardcns. thc hackdrop tor thc 'l‘raditional (icrman Markct. lidinhurgh thcl and icc rink. 'l‘hc morc actiyc rcycllcr can opt lor thc Santa Run (Sunday I: Dcccmhcr. Ilaml. \yhcrc l‘olk drcsscd in Santa suits join thc masscs in a l.5km circuit of \VCsI l’l'illL‘Cs Strch (iardcns in aid (it. \thn You Wish l'pon a Star. Music loycrs can cn‘ioy lhc Xtii‘yy'cgiziii .»\d\‘cnl (‘oncct‘t at St (iilcs ('athcdral (Thursday 25 Noycmhcr. 7.30pm) and lhc ();\SlS Adycnt (‘arol (‘onccrt (Monday 2‘) Ntiyc'iiilwi'. 530an at l'cstiyal Squarc. l'olloyycd by mullcd “inc and mincc pics. Finally. it" simply standing back and cnjoying lhc yicyy is morc your stylc. chcck out thc Royal ()hscryatory‘s \Vintcr Talk ('l‘ucsday 3t) Noycmhcr. 7.30pm l.
(ilasgoyy's i‘cstiyc stocking hulgcs \yith cqual l'ci'youi‘: thc rcyclry kicks oil \y ith thc lights s\\ itch-on and iii‘LWVUl‘ks on Sunday 2| Noycmbcr at 5.30pm. Thcrc‘s an castcrn liuropcan tyy ist this ycar as thc city
clnhraccs a .\losco\y-st_\|c \ ilic in (icorgc Stiuarc. Look otlt lor lhc Smict—stylc palacc lagulc at lhc \\ L‘sl sidc (til thc stltllll'c lk‘Sidc this _\c;tl"s (ilasgim (ill lcc. .\'o\ iccs and cxpcrts alikc can gct lhcir skatcs on iron) l‘riday 3o \oycmhcr. Look out too lor lhc ncyy calc har sclling mullcd \yincs and roasch chcslnuts on thc sidclincs. lop tip l'or this ycar is ll'ous/i.’ (Sunday l‘) 'l‘ucsday 2| Dcccmhcrl. an icc shoyy taking placc in (icorgc Squarc and chorciigraphcd hy Olympic gold mcdallist Robin (‘ousins .»\not|icr highlight. and making a \yclcomc rcturn to l'orm. is thc lrn-liru ('hristmas ty \cyy Ycar ('arniyal. complctc with a ncu attraction lhc l‘;tlllll_\ l)rop 'l‘oyycr. a l7 mctrc lrcc—lall ridc ('l‘hursday 23 l)cccmhcr Sunday lo .lanuary. Sli('(‘i.
:\ lllIlL‘ lurlhcr alicld. chcck (llll Santa's (il'iillti ill Loch l.omond Shorcs (until l'riday 34 l)cccmhcri. .‘\s yycll as ol'l'cring an opportunity to mch Santa and pick up a prcscnt. il includcs a ridc on thc Santa lixprcss. a go on thc houncy castlc and a shot on tlic carotiscl. .-\ lamin l'unlair is also in rcsidcncc (until Sunday ‘) .lanuary l. \yith mini rollcrctmstcr and l'crris \sliccl. In ncarhy l’itlochry. look out lor \Vintcr \Vords. a nc\\ lcstiyal taking placc in .lanuary. llostcd hy l’itlochry licstiyal 'l‘hcatrc and hcld oycr l'our days. its cmphasis is (ill Scots-hascd authors. l'.\pccl cycrything l‘rom Rcadings and l’agc to Stagc discussions to a hook lair and .\lcct thc Author cycnts.
Santa may hay c lcl't thc building but thc \y intcr spirit has not.
'- THE LIST 35