Monday 19
Activities & Events
* Return of the Rock Doctors Hunterian Museum. (iilbert Scott Building. L'niversity of Glasgow. 330 4221. 10am 3pm. Free. Bring your favourite rock. mineral or fossil for identification. Keep on rocking in the free world. Part of the Scottiin (ieology Festival. See Ilitlist.
Talks
Creative Writing Classes with Alistair Paterson Borders Books. 98 Buchanan Street. 222 7700. 6pm. See Mon 12.
Tuesday 20
Activities & Events
* Return of the Rock Doctors Hunterian Museum. (iilben Scott Building. I'niversity' of (ilasgow. 330 4221. l0am~3pm. Free. See Mon 19. Stitch and Bitch (ilasgow' Women's Library. l09'1‘rongate. 0141 552 8345. 6.30pm. L'nwind wool and any pent tip gossip at this close knit knitting group. (‘all beforehand as places are limited.
Wednesday 21
Activities & Events
* Return of the Rock Doctors Hunterian Museum. (iilbert Scott Building. L'niversity of Glasgow. 330 4221. 10am-3pm. Free. See Mon 19. Mlight Tour of the Tombs Necropolis (‘emetary. (‘aledonia Road. (iorhals. 287 551 I. 6pm. Free. donations welcome. Pan of the Mere/tun! ( 'iry- Festival 2005. See panel.
Talks
Curator’s Favourites Burrell Collection. 2060 Pollokshaws Road. 287 2550. 12.30pm. Free. .\'oorah Al-(iailani. curator of Islamic civilisations. discusses an Islamic celadon ceramic dish from 13th century Iran.
Activities & Events
* Return of the Rock Doctors llunterian Museum. (iilben Scott Building. University of Glasgow. 330 4221. 10am~3pm. Free. See Mon l9. Urban Rocks Corinthian. l9l Ingram Street. 552 1 10]. 7pm. £20. Part of the .i’Ir’I'r‘hunl ( ‘iry‘ l’i’.\'lfl'(l/ 2005. See panel.
Workshops
Hip Hop Dance Classes (‘(‘A. 350 Sauchiehall Street. 352 4900. 7 8pm. £5 (£4). See Thu 8.
Edinburgh
Activities & Events
Smirnoff Purification Installation Leilh Docks (outside Malmaison). 1 Tower Place. noon- 10pm. Previously the only people to drink water from Leith Docks are those who have had one too many drinks on the Shore and ended up bathing in it. If you‘re over 18. here's your chance to drink it for real. Only after extreme purification of course.
Actuvrties & Events
* Endangered Species Evening lidinburgh Zoo. (‘orstorphine Road. 314 0350. 7-9 )m. £10. See Ilitlist.
Smimo Purification Installation Leith Docks (outside .‘vlalmaisonl. 1 Tower Place. noon- l0pm. See Thu 8.
Saturday 10
Activmes & Events
Smirnoff Purification Installation Leith Docks (outside Malmaison). 1 Tower Place. noon 10pm. See Thu 8.
Fairs
The Leith Market (‘ommercial Quay. Ocean Drive. 467 9422. A permanent market with food. fashion. design. antiques. furniture. books and music.
Food & Drink
Edinburgh Farmers’ Market (‘astle Terrace. 652 5940. 9am 2pm. Due to the frenzied desire of Iidinburghers to fill their cupboards with local. quality. ethical produce. the (‘astle Terrace markets are now a weekly institution.
Activities & Events
Filmhouse Movie Quiz I-‘ilmhouse (‘afe Bar. 88 Lothian Road. 229 5932. 9pm. Test your film knowledge at the phenomenally successful and unique monthly film quil. Teams of up to eight must be seated by 9pm. (iet there early to get a seat.
Bird Waders Identification Event (‘ramond Foreshore. Public (‘ar Park. (‘ramond. 447 7145. Times vary. l-‘ree. Brush upon your bird skills with an experts
guide booking is essential. Fairs
The Leith Market (‘ommercial Quay. Ocean Drive. 467 9422. See Sat 10.
Spon
* City of Edinburgh Sports Fair Meadowbank Sports Centre. 139 London Road. 661 5351. 1 1am- 4pm. Free. See llitlist.
Activrties & Events
* Blackford I-Iill - 400 Million Years Old Top of ()bservatoty Road. Blackford Hill. 2.30pm. Free. A pleasant stroll through ancient lavas moulded by ice and spectacular views of the city. Part of the Scottish (ieology Festival. Sec llillist.
Workshops
The Bongo Social Swing Club The Bongo ('lub. Moray House. 37 llolyrood Road. 558 7604. 7pm. £4 for one class £6 for both (£3 for one class £5 for both). Learn swing dancing with instructors from the award winning lilyright dance company. The first hour is for beginners. the second for improvers and at 9pm the tutoring ends and social dancing begins. No need to bring a partner.
Wednesday 14
Activities & Events
New Frontiers in Furniture Design Royal Mtiseum Lecture Theatre. 2 (‘hambers Street. 247 4219. 6.30 7.30pm. Free. A discussion event exploring ideas about the future of furniture design in the 21st century. Booking advisable.
Workshops
Strictly Dance Fever Kirk ()‘I-‘ield Parish ('hurch. Brown Street. Pleasance. 07900 215 566. 8.30 10.30pm. £5. (iel your bobby socks on and get ready to learn this fun dance. Absolute beginners welcome. no partner necessary. Beginners class 8.30pm. improvers at 9.30pm.
Fairs The Leith Market (‘ommercial Quay. Ocean Drive. 467 9422. See Sat 10.
Food & Drink
Edinburgh Farmers’ Market (‘astle Terrace. 652 5940. 9am 2pm. See Sat 10.
Sunday 18
Fairs
Antique and Collectors Fair Royal Ilighland ('entre. lngliston. 558 8720. See Sat 17.
The Leith Market ('ommercial Quay. Ocean Drive. 467 9422. See Sat 10.
Around Town
REVIEW
FESTIVAL OF POLITICS: ANDREW MARR & VANESSA REDGRAVE
The Scottish Parliament, 24—26 Aug 00. moo.
You can see why Holyrood decided to run a political festival at the end of August - not only is Edinburgh busy as hell, but the overlap with the Book Festival means that some speakers can combine appearances at both. The danger, of course, is that their voices are lost in the tumult.
This inaugural three day event consists of workshops, performances and speeches, with Neil Kinnock, Vanessa Redgrave and Andrew Marr the biggest draws. Marr is tight-lipped over the Gilligan affair and the war in Iraq, and anyone expecting controversial candour from a man about to start a new job for his old employer - as the presenter of Sunday AM, the BBC’s new politics show — will have gone away disappointed. Instead, Marr (David Puttnam was supposed to be here too but bad weather at Cork has kept him away) talks about the best questions to ask politicians, why newspapers should be more dull and how spin sprung out of the collapsing Conservative party. It’s intelligent and enjoyable stuff — Marr has always been good at making complex issues understandable - and some of the crowd are plainly excited, not least to be standing in Scotland’s clean, spacious political engine room.
If Marr’s skill comes in making politics accessible, Vanessa Redgrave makes few concessions to entertainment. She speaks solidly for half an hour before taking questions from the gallery, recalling the 19405 when, as a child, she listened to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on the radio. Needless to say, the unilateralism of Blair and Bush has not made her too happy.
80 she talks with compelling passion about Dacchau, Chechenia and Belmarsh, and about the allegations that Jean Charles de Menezes was shot not by the police, but by a military unit. She does not talk about the theatre, and no one seems to mind. Both Marr and Redgrave are preaching largely to the converted - to those who already read newspapers, listen to speeches and believe that democracy can and should transform the world. But both make a fine job of it: the Festival of Politics is a worthy addition to August's festival season. (James Smart)
Tuesday 20
Talks
The Emergence of a World Spirituality National Library of Scotland. (ieorge I\' Bridge. 226 4531. 10am 4pm. £10 (£51. A one-day workshop led Professor Ravi Ray indra exploring the role of spirituality in the modern world. limail
neiIlw-(a hotmailcom to register.
Wednesday 21
Workshops
Writers’ Group North lidinburgh Arts ('entre. 15a Penny well ('ourt. 315 2151. 6.45pm. £3 (£1.50 £2). Share ideas with fellow sct‘ilililcl‘s in these themed workshops.
Strictly Dance Fever Kirk ()‘Iiieltl Parish (’hurch. Brown Street. Pleasance. 07900 215 566. 3.50 10.30pm. £5. See
Susan Curtis ()ttakat"s. 57 (ieorge Wed 14.
Street. 225 4495. 7pm. £5. A qualified
homeopath for over 25 years. ('urtis is W joined bv herbalists and aromatlierapists
Trom Neal‘s Yards Remedies as she Talks
Joan Lingard National Library of Scotland. (ieorge l\' Bridge. 623 3545. 7pm. Joan Lingard MBI-I. the celebrated. best-selling author of both adult and children's literature. launches her latest work l-[m't/milu'y .luurnrv. Marrying fact with fiction. this evocative literary novel is set in I920s Spain and lidinburgh's New Town.
discusses some natural alternatives to keep its in tip-top shape.
Workshops
The Bongo Social Swing Club The Bongo ('lub. Moray House. 37 Ilolyrood Road. 558 7604. 7pm. £4 for one class £6 for both (£3 for one class £5 for holhl. See Tue 15.
Se; f K 5 THE LIST 25