www.list.co.uk/aroundtown
environmental and mental health organisations with a speech by Bill Torrance of BBC Scotland’s Beechgrove Garden. Magnificent Machines Sat 26 & Sun 27 Sep, 10am–5pm. £8.50 (free–£6.50). National Museum of Flight, East Fortune Airfield, 247 4238. A beauty pageant of automotive land and air vehicles from macho monster trucks to graceful vintage cars, sporty motorbikes and flashy sports cars. FREE Doors Open Day: John Knox House Sat 26 Sep, 10am–5.30pm. Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. Find out about this Reformation character and his house, the oldest mansion on the Royal Mile. With period music from John Sampson and family activities. FREE Active Archaeology Sat 26 Sep, 1pm. Holyrood Park Education Centre, 1 Queen’s Drive, 652 8150. A longer walk focussing on the rich archaeological history of Holyrood Park – enjoy the chance to get out and about and benefit from the expert knowledge of a park ranger. Booking essential. FREE The Archaeology of Traprain Law Sun 27 Sep, 10am–5pm. National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, 225 7534. Explore the archaeology of Scotland’s most important hill fort with Dr Fraser Hunter. Bring solid boots and waterproofs, and be prepared for a steep climb. Book in advance. Ages 16+. FREE Ladyfest Gallery Walk Sun 27 Sep, 2pm. Fruitmarket Gallery, 45 Market Street, 225 2383. Walk and talk about women in art. Part of Ladyfest. FREE Films at the Brass Monkey Sun 27 Sep, 8pm. Brass Monkey, 14 Drummond Street, 556 1961. A selection of films in a lovely pub venue. Part of Ladyfest. FREE Craft Guerrilla DIY Craft Evening Wed 30 Sep, 7pm. Boda Bar, 229 Leith Walk. See Hitlist. Owl Flights Thu 1 Oct, 6.30–8pm. £16 (members £12.50). Edinburgh Zoo, Corstorphine Road, 314 0350. Get up close to these beautiful birds. Booking required. FREE Tales to Relax By Fri 2 Oct, 10am–4pm. Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. A relaxing day of storytelling for adults and children with free refreshments. Part of the Mental Health Arts and Film Festival. Firewalking Challenge Fri 2 Oct, 6–10.30pm. Spectators £5. Edinburgh Zoo, Corstorphine Road, 314 0350. Raise £150 in sponsorship and you’ll have the pleasure of walking over a bed of hot cinders. Register at 0131 314 0374 or email development@rzss.org.uk. Spectators from 8pm; ages 10+. FREE Painting Edinburgh Green! Sat 3 & Sun 4 Oct, Sat 11am–4pm; Sun 10am–4pm. Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 30–36 Dalmeny Street, Leith, 555 7101. Environmentally-themed events with information about community activities.
Fairs Scottish Quilt Fair Championships Fri 25–Sun 27 Sep, 10am–4.30pm. £6.50 (OAP £5.50; children £1.50). Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, 335 6200. Workshops, demonstrations and exhibitors selling a wide range of fabrics and accessories. FREE Royal College of Physicians Wedding Fair Sun 27 Sep, noon–4pm. Royal College of Physicians, 9 Queen Street. Drinks, canapés and fashion shows throughout the day to get you ready for tying the knot. Scottish Home Improvement & Self Build show Sat 3 & Sun 4 Oct, 10am–5pm. £8.50. Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, 08452 255195. Back for a fourth year running. Features free seminars, master-classes and professional advice. Festivals Ladyfest Fri 25–Sun 27 Sep, times vary. Prices vary. Various venues, www.ladyfestedinburgh.com. See picture.
Food & Drink New Zealand Wine Fair Edinburgh Wed 7 Oct, 6.30–8.30pm. £15. The Stables, Prestonfield House, Priestfield Road, www.newzealandwineevents.co.uk. The annual tasting of New Zealand’s finest wines featuring the 2009 vintage, new varieties and old favourites. Sport Hassle at the Castle Sat 26 Sep, 12.30pm. £7 (£5; accompanied under 14s free). Meadowbank Sports Centre, 139 London Road, 661 5351. Auld Reekie Roller Girls’ Twisted Thistles team takes on its rivals, Glasgow’s Irn Bruisers, in a fierce Roller Derby bout to see who will take home the Scottish victory. Tickets on the door or from info@arrg.co.uk Cancer Research UK Run 10k Sun 27 Sep, 11am. £19.50 to enter. Hopetoun House, Shore Road, South Queensferry, 0871 641 2401. It’s only ten kilometres! What’s stopping you? Enter at www.run10k.org The Big One 2009 Sat 3 Oct, 8am–8pm. Prices vary. Edinburgh International Climbing Arena, Ratho, 260 3720. Indoor charity climb for Macmillan: raise £110 sponsorship per person (plus a registration fee of £350 per team of 10) to take part in hi-octane activities like diffusing a bomb and abseiling in the 12- hour challenge. Big Fun Run Sat 3 Oct, 11am. £10 (£8). Holyrood Park, www.bigfunrun.com. A 5km fun run through Holyrood Park with concessions available for those running for a good cause.
Talks FREE Rome: Sunset from the Convent of San Onofrio on the Janiculum Fri 25 Sep, 12.45pm. National Gallery Complex, The Mound, 624 6200. Dr Patricia Andrew discusses David Roberts’ striking vista and how they represents the end of an era for British artists in Italy as the Grand Tour wound down in favour of railway travel. Centenary Conservation Talk Fri 25 Sep, 7.30–9pm. £6 (members £4). Edinburgh Zoo, Corstorphine Road, 314 0350. A talk about invasive, non-native species. FREE Feed Your Face Sun 27 Sep, 3–4pm. Royal Botanic Garden, 20a Inverleith Row, 552 7171. Hooray! Slathering our faces with hummus is good for crows’ feet! Ok, maybe not, but some food products can make great beauty treatments. Try samples and learn how to make your own. Ages 12+. FREE Gallery Talk Sat 3 Oct, 2–3pm. Edinburgh Printmakers, 23 Union Street, 557 2479. Artists Sarah Taylor and Norman Shaw discuss the importance and relevance of the contemporary image of the hunter in relation to the artwork in current exhibition Beautiful Trophies.
✽✽ A Gude Cause Maks a Strong Arm Tue 6 Oct, 10.30am. £8. Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South, 529 3963. On 9 October 1909 hundreds of Scottish women from all backgrounds took to the streets to campaign for their right to vote. Lesley Orr gives an illustrated talk on the procession and its effects. Book in advance. See Hitlist.
✽✽ FREE Elsie and Mairi Go to War Tue 6 Oct, 7pm. National
Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, 623 3918. Diane Atkinson and two actors tell the story of the only two women to nurse on the Front Line during WWI. See Hitlist. FREE The Thistle and the Jade Tue 6 Oct, 7pm. National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, 623 3918. Clara Weatherall talks about the Scottish adventurers who founded the Scots firm of Jardine, Matheson and Co in China in 1832.
✽✽ Wearing the Colours: Suffragette jewellery Wed 7 Oct,
7pm. £5 (£4; members free). National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, 225 7534. Dr Elizabeth Goring relates the
Around Town
Ladyfest After the success of last year’s month-long lady-focused extravaganza, Edinburgh’s own feminist festival has gone
for a more boutique look this year in the lead up to the Gude Cause event (look out for our feature next issue). Still, they’re packing a whole lot of power into a weekend: a comedy night with the very ladylike Sian Bevan on Thursday, workshops and a gig featuring some splendid and exciting local female artists on Saturday, a secret and reputedly awesome movie night at Brass Monkey on Sunday, and, most excitingly, a very rare chance to catch the brilliant San Franciscan performance art and poetry collective Sister Spit, headed up by Michelle Tea (pictured), on Friday night. Full listings at www.ladyfestedinburgh.com ■ Various venues, Edinburgh, Thu 24–Sun 27 Sep.
remarkable story of suffragette jewellery, worn to declare the wearer’s commitment to the cause. Booking essential. See Hitlist. Centenary Carnivore Talk Thu 8 Oct, 7.30–9pm. £6 (members £4). Edinburgh Zoo, Corstorphine Road, 314 0350. A talk about the zoo’s meat-eaters, including the giant anteater, porcupine, wolverine and ratel. Booking recommended. Life on the Edge – Benedict Allen Thu 8 Oct, 7.30pm. £6 (free–£3). McEwan Hall, Bristo Square, 650 4381. One of a series of talks organised by the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, this time Allen reveals how he filmed ‘authentic’ journeys for television, without a film-crew, isolated in potentially hostile environments. Tickets available on the door. Workshops Ladyfest at the Bowery Sat 26 Sep, 11am–5pm. Weekend ticket £10. The Bowery, 2 Roxburgh Place, www.thebowery.org.uk. Workshops in punk knitting, theatre combat, herbal creams and more, all in celebration of the XX chromosome. Part of Ladyfest.
Quirky Handmade Felt Tea-Cosies and Topsy Turvey Teapots Sun 27 Sep, 10am–3.30pm. £20. Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South, 529 3963. Have fun decorating teapots with bright, individual designs, and then complete the outfit with a handmade tea- cosy. Ages 16+. Book in advance. Storytelling and Mental Health Sat 3 Oct, 10am–4.30pm. £32 (£10–£26). Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. Explore storytelling in the context of health and wellbeing. Part of the Mental Health Arts and Film Festival. Scotland-wide
Food & Drink World’s Biggest Coffee Morning Fri 25 Sep, times vary. Donations. Various venues, Scotland, www.macmillan.org.uk/coffee. Host a coffee morning wherever you can as part of a national event and ask friends/ colleagues for donations to help improve cancer care facilities. To register call 0845 602 1246. 24 Sep–8 Oct 2009 THE LIST 31