For more information on courses visit www.list.co.uk
New day rising Whether you’ve had a full year of vice, or just too many mince pies over Christmas, January is the perfect time to swap bad habits for good ones. Niki Boyle provides some inspiration for your New Year’s resolutions and shows you where, and how, to get involved in some admirable self-improvement
Cooking Mania
resolutions lists. Specialists such as Alliance Francais in Glasgow (www.afglasgow.org.uk) are probably best if you have your eye on something specific (like French, for example). If you fancy choosing from a variety of options, there are also the traditional educational establishments such as the Institute for Applied Language Studies at Edinburgh University (www.ials.ed.ac.uk) and the G l a s g o w U n i v e r s i t y Modern Language Department (www.gla.ac.uk/departments/smlc) whose Language @ Lunchtime course costs £190 for 16 weeks (with discounts for staff or students). Dance Base
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I resolve to eat well
There are a few standard rules of healthy eating: low carb intake; five-a-day etc. But instead of advocating these shallow mantras and (supposedly) quick fixes, we’re opting for the ‘eat well’ approach. There are numerous establishments equipped to help broaden your culinary palate. Cooking Mania (Davidson Mains, Edinburgh; cookingmania.co.uk) will encourage you to try cooking various cuisines including Japanese and Spanish, as well as vegetarian and seasonal menus. It’s also fully child-friendly, with classes for kids and students available. Courses range from £40 for a single adult’s evening to £300 for a week-long kid’s course. In Glasgow, T h e C o o k e r y
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School (Merchant City, Glasgow; www.thecookeryschool.org) offers a comprehensive selection of cookery courses, with kid’s options and speciality classes such as wine, chocolate and cocktail evenings also available. Prices range from £29.50 for a few hours to £399 for a five-day course. After you’ve learned to cook something nourishing, you’ll need to avail yourself of the best ingredients – R e a l F o o d s in Edinburgh (branches at Broughton St and Brougham St) have an extensive selection of the best natural, organic and vegetarian options for guilt-free treats.
. . . learn something new
Learning a new language is a common feature on New Year’s
If you’d rather improve your body language, D a n c e B a s e in Edinburgh (www.dancebase.co.uk) offer classes in pretty much everything dance-based (as you’d expect) including classical ballet, tango, and jive. Dance House in Glasgow (www.dancehouse.org) does similarly good work on the west coast, with some interesting diversions into flamenco and Butoh (traditional Japanese movement). Less strenuous forms of self- expression can be experienced at the Ramshorn Theatre, part of the University of Strathclyde Drama Centre (www.strath.ac.uk /culture/ramshorn). Classes run in the evenings and cost £90 (or £60 for members), and cover a variety of theatrical skills, including directing, script-writing, acting and stand-up comedy.
Some traditional educational
left-field establishments do courses if you fancy something a bit different: in among their textiles and fashion courses, Te l f o rd C o l l e g e (www.ed- coll.ac.uk) also run part-time and evening courses in Floristry; Napier University (www.napier .ac.uk) run a full-time MA in Screenwriting; and Strathclyde University (www.chem.strath .ac.uk) offer a ten-week course on novel-writing. Check out individual prospectuses for more details. Musos should head for recording studio Sound Sound (www.soundsound.co.uk) who offer an array of recording equipment and opportunities. . . . get fit
As a break from the regular grind of jogging and gym memberships, be adventurous – skiing and snowboarding lessons & facilities are available at Glasgow Ski and Snowboard Centre (www.ski- glasgow.org) and the Midlothian Snow Sports Centre at Hillend, Edinburgh (tinyurl.com/ydnbxoq). If you’d rather go up than down, climbing facilities are available at the Glasgow Climbing Centre on Paisley Road (www.glasgow climbingcentre.com), with prices starting at £7.10 for adults, and monthly/annual pass options available. In Edinburgh, such facilities are provided by Alien R o c k, Newhaven (www.alien rock.co.uk), with a starting rate of £6.70 and similar monthly/yearly options. Alternatively, all these activities are available at Glasgow’s Xscape at Braehead (www.xscape.co.uk/snow/ braehead), which boasts ‘real’ snow as opposed to dry slopes, climbing walls and an aerial adventure course. One-hour skiing and snowboarding lessons start at £27; passes for various durations start at £12 for an hour.
Alien Rock