Around Town
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THE BEST EVENTS, TALKS AND SPORT
1 International Kendo Enbu Talkal 2006 A celebration of Japanese culture and martial arts, including demonstrations of classical sword arts (pictured). traditional tea ceremonies, flower arranging, origami and calligraphy. Centre for Sports and Exercise, 46 P/easance, Edinburgh, Sat 24 Jun.
1 Sussurus David Leddy has transformed A Midsummer Night's Dream into a part-radio play, part-audio tour that's bound to radically alter your view of both Bard and Botanics. Botanic Gardens. 730 Great Western Road, Glasgow, Mon 26 Jun—Sat 22 Jul (not Sun).
* Edinburgh World Justice Festival A year on from the Make Poverty History march this festival looks at what has been achieved and what is still to be done, with lots of stalls. workshops, live music and speakers. The Augustine Church, 41—43 George IV Bn'dge, Edinburgh, Sat 1 Jul.
1 Sunday Social Get in the South American spirit (if you aren't already with all the Brazilian football action) and whet your appetite for salsa at this informal afternoon of dance and socialising. Fave/a, 17 John Street, Glasgow, Sun 2 Jul.
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Timetea
It’s not just Scotland’s immaculately preserved historical properties that have an intriguing past, as Colan Mehafiey discovers on an urban exploration.
ow often have you walked past a grand. old
abandoned building and mused on its past. its
current decaying condition. and landed haying a nose inside before it‘s flattened. to be replaced by a set of boxy apartments'.’ Most ol~ us were kids when we last acted on this natural curiosity. but an ey'er growing hobby known as urban exploration is allowing people to actively investigate yacant sites. hoping to catch a glimpse of history before it‘s oy'ertaken by urban sprawl. ()n a chilly Saturday morning I joined two dedicated explorers to discoyerjust how it‘s done.
My guides for the adventure were the enigmatic 'l‘urbo/utek and l)a//.ababe.s. two of Scotland's most renowned ‘extreme historians‘. who took me to Broomltill llospilal in Kirkitttillocli. a Victorian stack that has been closed for nearly a decade. They were understandably cautious about revealing their true identities. given the misconception that explorers are yandals. illegally breaking into sites. In fact they
neither yaiidalise nor break into sites. only entering if
there is already access. which is permissible under the Scottish ()utdoor Access (‘ode. Turbo explains that in many cases they'll seek the ady'ice or assistance of the reley'ant public bodies and are always compliant with security. ‘There's an etiquette to urban exploration and we research places before we explore them. which helps when discoy'ering any secret historiesf
Broomhill certainly has history. Opened in lb’7o. and formerly known as a ‘Home for lncurables'. the hospice cared for young people with terminal diseases for more than a century. There was an eerie atmosphere as we carefully made our way along
darkened corridors and past empty wards with yacant beds. Dal/a called this the personality of the building. "They‘re all dillerent. just as the people who inhabited them were. and this lends them an intangible leeling.’ But we also found clues as to the purposes ol the unions rooms in the lascinating hospital records that had lain there untouched l'or decades.
In the huge l‘ormer recreation room. pigeons perched on the stage where the dying patients would haye seen local troupes pct‘lorm. although si/eable sections ol' lloor haye cayed in. Turbo saw this as a better way lor the structure to unlold. 'Nature can rapidly destroy a building. btit it's inluriating when you Visit a place otin to discoy'er areas that haye been burnt out or destroyed by y'antlals.‘ It‘s also a reminder that urban exploration can be a dangerous hobby: one which shouldn't be taken without precaution. The guys adyise that ‘newbies‘ shouldn’t explore without someone more experienced who can easily be l'ound through websites such as The System. loutlded by Turbo three years ago. ‘The primary purpose is to display photos ol locations yisited but we've also built up a large set ol‘ tisers around Scotland who we can exchange exploration ideas w ith.‘
If you’re interested in urban exploration, check out www.turbozutek.f25.com/index.php or www.explorationstation.co.ukl
Before Exploring, please read the Scottish Outdoor Access Code 2004 at www.snh.org.uk Urban Exploration can be dangerous so please use the proper resources before attempting it.
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