|0.30am noon. £3 (£2). Find out more about Buddhism at these weekly beginners' sessions.
Hip Hop Dance Classes livery 'l‘hu. ('(‘A. 350 Sauchiehall Street. 352 4900. 7 8pm. £5. Apparently it's your civic duty to shake your booty. Kneepads and booking recommended.
Tchai Ovna Knitting Circle livery Thu. 'l’chai ()vna. l69 |)eanston Drive. 649 7258. 8pm. Free. Tea and knitting. what else is there.’
Introduction to Drawing and Painting livery Still. l’ollok llotise. Pollok Country Park. 2060 l’ollokshttws Road. 616 64 ll). 2 4pm. £8 (£6). l.ucinda Wilkinson leads these adult workshops based in and around Pollock House.
Tchai Ovna Craft Class livery Tue. 'l'chai ()vna. I69 |)eanston Drive. 649 7258. 7pm. (ilass painting class with full tuition.
Drop in Meditation Tasters livery Wed. (ilasgow Buddhist Centre. 328 Sauchiehall Street. 333 ()524.
I230 lpiii. £2. Chill out in your lunch hour.
Edinburgh
Talks
* Talking Teachers Dynamic lianh. Holyrood Road. 0208 780 739l. 7pm. See llitlist.
Food & Drink
Chocolate Connoisseur Evenings Coco of Brunstfield. Bruntsfteld. 228 4526. 7.308.30pm. £l0. Learn all about chocolate and how it's made.
Activities & Events
Brain - Electronic Music Improvisation North lidinburgh Arts Centre. |5a Pennywell Court. 3|5 215l. lprn. £4 (£I.50 £2). Public demonstration of Prof liduardo Miranda‘s device which enables people to improvise music through their brainwaves. I’ar! oftlie Sonic Fusion l-lnvrivul.
PBFA Book Fair Assembly Rooms. 54 (ieorge Street. 220 4349. |0am»——5pm. £I. Booksellers frorn around the UK will be offering for sale a wide range of antiquarian. rare. collectable. and out—ollprint books. maps and prints.
Politics
May Day Celebration and Book Launch Counting House. West Nicolson Street. 667 0876. 2pm. Join the
Communist Party for this (belated) spring
celebration and the Scottish launch of The EU ~ Bat/fur Britain: A Trade Union View.
Spon
Race for Life 2006 Hopetoun House. Shore Road. South Queensferry. 331 2451. Annual 5km fun run open to women of all ages in aid of Cancer Research UK.
Tuesday 1 6 5
Activities & Events Walk on the Wildside Edinburgh Zoo.
(‘orstorphinc Road. 334 9l7l. 7 9pm.
£ l0 (£8 members). Discover everything you es er wanted to know about our feathered friends by joining the roo's bird keepers for this evening tour.
Wednesday 1 7
Talks
The Witch Hunt in the Lothians National Library of Scotland. (ieorge IV Bridge. 226 4531. 7pm. Free. ticketed. Writer Roy Pugh talks about some of the most terrifying periods of witch hunting in Scottish history.
ActIVIties & Events
Re: Creation - Heriot—Watt University Fashion Show 2006 Mansfield Traquair ('entre. l5 Mansfield Place. 0l896 892l63. 8pm. £ | 2. Annual fashion show from the H\N textiles students.
Saturday 20
Activities & Events
Highland Wildlife Park Tour lidinburgh Zoo. Corstorphine Road. 334 9l7l. 8.30am. £20 (£l5l. Meet clks and Scandinavian wolves on this guided tour and coach trip to the Highland Wildlife Park.
Workshops
Scotland and the Holy Grail lidinburgh Castle. Royal Mile. 650 4400. l0am» 3pm. Free. Historians and folklorists Mark ()xbrow and Stuart Mcllardy lead this study day to coincide with their forthcoming book. ())i the Trail oft/re HUI)” (il‘ail.
Sonic Music Workshop Italian Cultural Institute. 82 Nicolson Street. 668 2232. 4pm. A chance to explore the musical research undertaken at the Centro Tempo Reale. Florence.
Activities & Events
Beating Retreat by the Scottish Combined Cadet Force (‘astle lisplanade. lidinburgh Castle. Royal Mile. 225 1 I88. 8- 8.30pm. Free. A display of pipe band music and dancing by approximately I50 pipers. drummers and dancers from Scottish C(‘F schools.
Food & Drink
Sine: Fine Dining for Single People Reform Restaurant. 267 Canongate. 558 9992. 7pm. £35. Hosted fine dining evening where you might meet that special. like- minded somebody. limail info(0‘sine-events.co.uk for more information.
Thursday 25
Food & Drink
Edinburgh Fine Food Market (‘astle Street. 4-8pm. The perfect place to find a tasty snack to fuel that bout of late night shopping. or pick up something special to take home for dinner.
Ongoing Edinburgh
Activities & Events
ECA Fashion Show Thu ll & Fri l2 May. lilinburgh College of An. 74 Lauriston Place. 0870 220 l I I6. 9pm.
£ l 3—£ 14. The annual Edinburgh College of Art fashion show featuring the work of the 33 graduating fashion. performance costume and textile students.
Mary King’s Ghost Festival Fri l2—Sat 2l May. Various venues. 225 5445. Times vary. Edinburgh's dark tales and strange paranonnal activity will once again come to the forefront for this annual festival. Highlights include a series of ovemight investigations featuring high profile paranomial types such as Carol Stirling and Phil Wyman. plus psychic
sessions with Ruth l'rquhan. lan lawman and Donna Stewart. Visit edinburghburghghi)stfest.co.uk for details. See also Phil Wyman profile.
Scottish Beauty 2006 Sun l4 & Mon l5 May. Royal Highland Centre. lnglision_ 335 6200 10am 5pm.
Show case of the latest beauty products. treatments. equipment innovations and training courses for therapies.
* Mertoun House Tours Mon l5 May Fri l6 Jun (not Sat/Sun). National (iallery of Scotland. The Mound. 624 6200. 9.l5am l.45pin. £l2 (£10). See Hitlisl.
Celebrating Spirit Wed l7 Fri 26 May. Scottish Storytelling Centre at Netherbow Ans Centre. 43 45 High Street. 557 5724. Times vary. Music and P‘ietr)’ from Christine de l.ucca and Ron Butlin to launch a series of events by the Iona Community.
Edinburgh Hush Festival Fri l9 Sun 28 May. Various venues. Annual performing arts festival featuring an eclectic mix of music. poetry. theatre and art. See edrtishcom for details.
Scottish Kennel Club Championship Show l-‘ri l9 & Sat 2() May. Royal Highland Centre. lngliston. 335 6200. Championship show featuring the country's finest hred dogs.
Exhibitions
A Bright Glade l'ntil Sat 3 Jun (not Sun). Scottish Poetry Library. 5 (‘ricliton's Close. (‘anongatc. 557 2876. Mon Fri llarn 6pm; Sat l 5pm. Free. An exhibition of books and prints by Thomas A Clark and lgiurie Clark. Leopold Sédar Senghor 1906-2001 l'ntil Fri 30 Jun (not Sun/Mon). lnstitut Francais d'li‘osse. l3 Randolph Crescent. 225 5366. Mon Wed 8; Fri 9.30am 5.30pm; 'Iliu
noon 5.30pm; Sat 9.30am 2pm. Free. Documentary exhibition celebrating the former President of the Republic of Senegal.
The New Scots Until Mon 22 May.
National Library of Scotland. (ieorge lV Bridge. 226 453i. Mon Sat l0am 5pm; Sun 2 5pm. Free. This exhibition of photographs by Herman Rodriguez explores the diverse range of South Asian
communities in Scotland and the deep
rooted connection between the two locations.
Fairs
Christian Aid Book Sale Sat l3 Fri
I9 May (not Sun). St Andrew's and St (ieorge's Church. 1.3 (ieorge Street. 225 3847. l0arn 3.30pm (Sat |0arn 4pm: 'l‘hul0am—8pm). Rifle through literary wonders old and new while doing your bit for charity.
Food & Drink
Edinburgh Farmers’ Market livery Sat. Castle Terrace. 652 5940. 9am 2pm. Fill your cupboards with local. quality. ethical produce.
Teatastings livery Fri. Chai TeahoUse. West Richmond Street. 662 0990. l0am~6pm. Free. Try out a range of global teas ~ from jasmine dragon pearl to chrysanthemum flower.
Workshops
Style'lrialz Beginners’ Breakdancing Classes livery Sun. The Bongo Club. Moray House. 37 Holyrood Road. 558 7604. 2 ~3.30pm. £3. [cum all the tricks of the B—boy trade. from a friendly bunch of very willing teachers.
Zoot Swing livery Mon. Cafe Royal. l7 West Register Street. 556 2549. 7pm. £4.50 (£3.50). Swing that thing at these fun classes (beginners 7pm. improvers 8pm) followed by big beats and jazz tunes from 9pm.
Social Swing Night livery Tue. The Bongo Club. Moray House. 37 Holyrood Road. 558 7604. 7pm. £4.50 (£3.50). Tutored session with swing dance champion Yasmin Bushby. Beginners start at 7pm. followed by improvers at 8pm. Free social dancing from 9pm!
Around Town
Hams Phil Wyman
Job Paranormal Investigator How did you become Interested in the paranormal? I believe I saw the ghost of one of the family cats when I was about 14 or 15. it walked past my bedroom door so I got up and had a look into the corridor but it had walked into a dead end. I also used to go to the library a lot with my father. I used to ask him to get me books on myths and legends. werewolves and vampires so I sort of moved on from there.
Why is it Important to have ghost festivals? l think it's becoming such a popular subject with the interaction of TV programmes such as Most Haunted. The general public normally don't get access to locations like Mary King's Close overnight, so it's a great chance for them to experience it for themselves. It also gives the public a chance to meet the people that do the investigations and increase their knowledge base of ghosts and hauntings. What was your last experience of Mary King’s close like? Mary King's close is one of my favourite locations. but last time I was there the medium that came with us got possessed — he just collapsed when he was walking round with us. which was very, very odd.
Do you do any kind of preparations before an investigation? I don’t pre-form any ideas of what '3 going to happen or what I'm going to see. Basically the idea is to let them come to you. rather than you running after them. I've always believed in that.
What’s the best bit about your job? Being able to go to some amazing locations. The United Kingdom has so many fantastic buildings that date back hundreds and hundreds of years. Being in the places that have seen so much turmoil and violence and important historical occurrences is just fantastic.
I Phil Wyman will be appearing as part of the Mary King ’3 Ghost Fest on Saturday 20 May for an exclusive overnight investigation. For details call 0131 225 5445 or visit edinburghghostfestco. uk.
11—25 May 2006 THE LIST 27