www.list.co.uk/aroundtown Around Town
Edinburgh Activities & Events Supernatural History Tours £10.50 (£9.50; children £6). The Real Mary King’s Close, 2 Warriston’s Close, High Street, 0845 070 6244. Visit one of Scotland’s allegedly most haunted locations. Tours run every 20 minutes.
✽✽ FREE Games Night at the Big Red Door Sun 6 & 13 Dec,
6pm–midnight. The Big Red Door, 10 Lady Lawson Street, 228 4567. See Hitlist. Christmas on the Closes Sat 5–Sun 20 Dec (not 7–11 & 18), 3–5pm; Sat 6–9pm. £12. The Real Mary King’s Close, 2 Warriston’s Close, High Street, 0845 070 6244. Find out what a traditional Christmas would have been like on the Edinburgh closes from the 1500s–1800s on the festive version of the spooky underground tour. FREE Christmas Bells Sun 6 Dec, 12.45pm, 1.45pm & 2.45pm. National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, 225 7534. Join the Parish of Dunkeld Handbell Ringers as they chime in the festive season. Dr Sketchy’s Anti-Art School Sun 6 Dec, 4pm. £7 (£6). The Jazz Bar, 1 Chambers Street, 220 4298. Where cabaret meets life drawing. Storytelling Café: Fire and Ice Wed 9 Dec, 7pm. £4. Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. A monthly event incorporating tales, poetry and music in a relaxed atmosphere. Hosted by Ron Fairweather. Bond Night Fri 11 Dec, 7.30pm. £7. Edinburgh Prison Officers Club, Longstone Road. Everyone loves James Bond. No one can say no to charity. Combine the two in night of Bond themed fun with champagne, canapés, roulette, blackjack, a Bond Memorabilia auction, music and a disco. Mary, Queen of Scots and the Birth of James IV Sat 12 Dec, 11am, noon, 1.30pm & 2.30pm. Included in admission: £11 (£8; children £6). Edinburgh Castle, Royal Mile, 668 8858. Hear about Mary, Queen of Scots and the birth of her son, James. FREE The Royal Blind Children’s Lantern Parade Sat 12 Dec, 3.30pm. Ross Theatre Bandstand, Princes Street Gardens, www.edinburghschristmas.com. Local schoolchildren parade from the Ross Bandstand with home-made lanterns, followed by a show by Hoop La La and the arrival of a certain Mr Claus. Part of Edinburgh’s Christmas. Christmas Past and Present: 500 Years of Christmas Sun 13 Dec, noon–3.30pm. Included in admission: £11 (concessions £8; children £6). Edinburgh Castle, Royal Mile, 668 8885. A series of performances telling the story of how Christmas as we know it has evolved over the last 500 years. The Red Bus Christmas Trips: Evening Trip to Winter Wonderland Sun 13–Thu 17 Dec (not Wed), times vary. £5 (£3). Various venues, 07599 912687. Return trips to Princes Street’s Winter Wonderland on a decorated Routemaster bus with live fiddling on route. The Red Bus Christmas Trips: Evening trip to the Castle Sun 13–Thu 17 Dec (not Wed), times vary. £6 (£4). Various venues, 07599 912687. A scenic trip up the Royal Mile to the Castle Esplanade with on-board fiddler Roland Fraser, hot punch and spectacular views of Edinburgh’s Christmas lights. Yule Night Thu 17 Dec, 7pm. £10 (£8). Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. Donald Smith, Lawrence Tulloch, Judy Paterson and Danny Jamieson come together for a night of stories, music and mulled wine to celebrate the midwinter festival. Fairs & Markets J & J Antique and Collectors Fair Sat 12 Dec, 10am. £1.50. Freemasons Hall, 96 George Street, 225 5304. A
Undercover shopping Last fortnight we did a round up of the unusual quirky markets springing up in Glasgow to make this heady season of consumerism that little bit more bearable. Now Edinburgh’s getting its shopping quirk on, starting off with the return of an old faithful. The annual Funk Fair (pictured) will be mobbing Christ Church hall on Morningside Road on Saturday 5 Dec, with a groovy retro selection of vintage and new clothing, jewellery, collectibles, art, textiles and furniture from vintage dealers, local independent shops and young designers. The Grassmarket’s festive offering is called Glisten! (exclamation mark theirs), an eco-friendly market in a specially-erected sparkly tent; down at the Out of the Blue Drill Hall in Leith, local artists are running an Arts Market, and even Ocean Terminal is getting in on the act, with a selection of cheeses, knitwear and nibbly gifty goodness from artisan producers and local businesses. ■ Christ Church Hall, Holy Corner, Sat 5 Dec; Glisten! The Christmas GrassMarket, Grassmarket, Thu 17–Tue 22 Dec; Arts Market, Out of the Blue Drill Hall Sat 5, 12 & Sun 13 Dec; Ocean Terminal Christmas Craft and Producer Fair, Sun 13 Dec.
variety of stalls with clocks, coins, stamps, silver, plate, china, paintings, gold, silver, costumes and jewellery. Winter Wonderland Ice Rink Until Mon 4 Jan 2010 (not 25 Dec), times vary. Prices vary. East Princes Street Gardens, Princes Street, 226 6550. The ice rink returns to Princes Street Gardens. Part of Edinburgh’s Christmas. FREE Creative Christmas Fair Fri 4 Dec, 10am–3pm. South Bridge Resource Centre, Infirmary Street, 558 3545. Christmas gifts created by learners and staff plus music provided by Totally Sound. Funk Fair Sat 5 Dec, 10am–5pm. £1. Christ Church, Morningside Road, 667 3633. See picture, above. Foodies Christmas Festival Sat 5 & Sun 6 Dec, 10am–4pm. £10 (under 14s free). Assembly Rooms, 54 George Street, 0871 230 5573. A place to pick up festive food and drink and get some inspiration from demonstrations by top chefs and masterclasses. Arts Market Sat 5, 12 & Sun 13 Dec, 11am–7pm. 80p. Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 30–36 Dalmeny Street, Leith, 555 7101. See picture, above. Erskine Edinburgh Christmas Fayre Sat 5 Dec, 2–5pm. £2 (children £1). The Erskine Edinburgh Home, 468 Gilmerton Road, www.erskine.org.uk. A yuletide fair for the Edinburgh Erskine Home for Ex-Service Men and Women with stalls, tombola, a raffle and a special guest visitor (Mr Claus, we presume?). FREE Magpie Market Sun 6 Dec, noon. The Lot, 4–6 Grassmarket, 225 9922. See picture, above. Got an opinion? You can now Comment on all our articles at list .co.uk
FREE Ocean Terminal Christmas Craft and Producer Fair Sun 13 Dec, 10am–4.30pm. Ocean Terminal, Leith, 555 8888. See picture, above. FREE Glisten! The Christmas GrassMarket Thu 17–Tue 22 Dec, 11am–6pm. Grassmarket, www.grassmarket.net. See picture, above.
Sport Jingle Jump Sat 5 Dec, 9am. Arthur’s Seat, 0845 450 2000. Minimum sponsorship £60. Dress up in the Christmas-themed outfit of your choice and abseil down the ‘Black Chimney’ area of the South Quarry of Arthur’s Seat for Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland. Ages 8+. Gymnastics Christmas Display Sat 5 Dec, 10am. £5. Meadowbank Sports Centre, 139 London Road, 661 5351. Over 700 young gymnasts showcase their talents at this annual display. Edinburgh Christmas Walk Sun 6 Dec, 9.30am & 11am. £8–£10 (£7–£8; under 5s and dogs £2). Inverleith Park, Arboretum Place, 208 2500. Help to raise funds for RSPB Scotland with a six-mile walk, 5K (three mile) fun run or Golden Tinsel Mile (one-mile walk). Hopetoun House Race for Life Thu 10 Dec, 11am. £12.99. Hopetoun House, Shore Road, South Queensferry, 08716 412282. Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life 2009. The Great Scottish Santa Run Sun 13 Dec, 10am. £10 (£5). West Princes Street Gardens, www.thesantarun.org.uk. Thousands of Santas dash to raise funds for the ‘When you wish upon a star’ and Radio Forth’s Cash for Kids charities. Part of Edinburgh’s Christmas. Talks Edinburgh Lecture: John Byrne in Conversation Thu 3 Dec, 6.30–8pm. £3. Royal Society of Edinburgh, 22–26 George Street, 473 2000. The Glaswegian artist and playwright discusses his varied career and reflects on Scottish art and
culture. See www.edinburghlectures.org FREE Meet the Artist: Emily Learmont Sat 5 Dec, 11am–1pm. Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. Meet the artist behind the centre’s Christmas exhibition. FREE Paul McCarthy’s ‘Painter’ Mon 7 Dec, 12.45pm. Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, 75 Belford Road, 624 6200. Curator Daniel F Herrmann talks about notions of artistic genius since the 60s.
✽✽ Edinburgh Lecture: Hannah McGill – Creating Scotland on Film Wed 9 Dec, 6.30pm. £3 admin fee. Filmhouse, 88 Lothian Road, 473 2000. See Hitlist. Centenary Budongo Trail Talk Wed 9 Dec, 7.30–9pm. £6 (members £4). Edinburgh Zoo, Corstorphine Road, 314 0350. The keepers introduce you to some of the recently-created Budongo Trail’s residents. Booking recommended. FREE Artists’ DIY Soapbox Thu 10 Dec, 6–9pm. Collective Gallery, 22–28 Cockburn Street, 220 1260. Come along and find out what’s going on at the grass roots in Scotland, and be inspired by some of the country’s newest ventures.
Workshops We are 3 Thu 10 Dec, 6–9pm. From £5. Imagination Workshop, 136 Marchmont Road, 466 0148. Celebrate the third birthday of the Imagination Workshop with what they do best: a craft night, plus fizz and mince pies. Singing4Fun Sat 12 Dec, 2–5pm. £24 (£12). Gillis Centre, 100 Strathearn Road, 229 2005. A relaxed singing workshop with Wendy Carle Taylor, designed to be uplifting. No experience necessary. Registration starts 15 minutes before the workshop. A Very Sparkly Christmas Tue 15 Dec, 10.30am–3.30pm. £15. Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South, 529 3963. Make a selection of unique Christmas cards using a variety of textures and fabrics. Ages 16+. Book in advance.
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