list.co.uk/aroundtown AroundTown
FREE Now That’s What I Call Entertainment Sat 27 Aug, 8–9pm. Superclub, 11a Gayfield Square, info@superclubstudios.com Nick Anderson, under the alias ‘Amplifier’, presents a piece he’s been working on since 1 Aug: involving the temporary festival community in a performance piece that attempts to understand what all the fuss is about. Hopetoun Highland Games Sun 28 Aug, 1–5pm. £10 (£6; children £3; under 7s free). Hopetoun House, Shore Road, South Queensferry, hopetoun.co.uk Hopetoun House holds its first highland games since 1986, with a varied programme including heavy events, live music, clay pigeon shooting, falconry and pipe band displays. FREE Ready, Steady, JEWEL! Tue 30 Aug, 6–8.30pm. Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 30–36 Dalmeny Street, Leith, 555 7100. An opportunity to bid on handmade jewellery from established silversmiths as well as recent graduates at this charity auction hosted by Craig Hill. FREE West End Hotel’s 5th Anniversary Party Fri 2 Sep, 5–10pm. The West End Hotel, 35 Palmerston Place, 225 3656. To celebrate the hotel’s fifth birthday, the nice folk there are holding a party/fundraiser for the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, with live music from Andy Chung, drinks and food. RSVP to info@thewestendhotel.co.uk. FREE Festival Pecha Kucha Fri 2 Sep, 8pm. Inspace, 1 Crichton Street, 650 2750. We all know the Pecha Kucha drill by now, right? A bunch of participants from all manner of creative disciplines get to show 20 slides for 20 seconds each, presenting their work, their ideas, or whatever they fancy in a manner that’s punchy and succint. LovePets Scotland Sat 3 & Sun 4 Sep, 10am. £8 (£5; children £1; family ticket £17). Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, 335 6200. A show for owners of all kinds of pets, with expert advice and products for sale.
✽✽ Edinburgh Mela Sat 3 & Sun 4 Sep, noon–8.30pm. £2 in advance;
£2.50 on the gate. Leith Links, Leith, 473 2000. Edinburgh’s cultural diversity fête hosts a varied programme at an outdoor site in Leith. There are theatrical performances, live music shows, a fashion show, cricket match, family entertainment and, most famously, a market with food from all over the world, be that Lahore, Jaipur, Beijing, Uganda or up the road. FREE Edinburgh BlogTogether Tue 6 & 20 Sep, 6–8pm. Sofi’s, 65 Henderson Street Leith, 555 1979. Sofi’s provide the blogging essentials (extension leads and biscuits) so you can focus on the serious business of expounding your opinions online, and meeting others who like to do the same. Real life human contact – it’s all the rage you know. FREE Sofi’s Knitting Club Tue 6 Sep, 7.30–9.30pm. Sofi’s, 65 Henderson Street Leith, 555 1979. Friendly monthly knitting session for all y’all purlers and garterers out there. FREE Coup Red’s Select Wed 7 Sep, 6.30–8pm. Sofi’s, 65 Henderson Street Leith, 555 1979. Artist gatherings hosted by arts initiative Coup Red. Submit anything that’s caught your eye – artists, exhibitions, quotes or text – to mail@coupred.com. Ceroc Scotland Charity Championships Sat 10 Sep, 11am–1am. Spectators £8–£15; competitors £7–£10. Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, 07528 694901, cerocscotland.com Partner dancers from across the UK compete. FREE Bruncheon! Featuring The Sound of Muesli Sat 10 Sep, 11.30am–3pm. Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 30–36 Dalmeny Street, Leith, 555 7100. Brunch and live music, of course. FREE Trash or Treasure? Sat 10 & Sun 11 Sep, 1–4pm. National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, 0300 123 6789. Bring along that old pot you dug up in the back garden and let Museum experts decide if it’s a priceless antique,
or just something from Ikea that’s had a rough time of it. Part of Scottish Archaeology Month. FREE Forensic Archaeology: Move Over Indiana Jones? Sat 10 Sep, 2.30–3.30pm. National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, 0300 123 6789. Good old fashioned digging still throws up some interesting finds, but increasingly it’s the laboratory where archaeological breakthroughs are made, triggered by everything from tiny traces of pigments to intestinal parasites. Forensic experts talk through their most interesting finds and invite audience questions. Part of Scottish Archaeology Month. Ladies Driving Challenge Sun 11 Sep, 9am–5pm. £21. Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, 335 6200. Have a go at driving a monster articulated lorry, a double-decker bus, a digger, a penny farthing bike and a quad bike, and raise some funds for Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland. Minimum sponsorship £95. FREE Summer Astronomy Evenings Fri 16 Sep, 7–8.45pm. Royal Observatory Visitor Centre, Blackford Hill, 668 8404. Stare at the moon (if it’s visible) and find out what to look out for during the hours of darkness. Booking essential. FREE Archaeology Day Sun 18 Sep, 11am–3pm. Holyrood Park, 652 8150. A day of short guided walks and fun activities based around Iron Age life. Part of Scottish Archaeology Month.
✽✽ Take One Action Film Festival Mon 19 Sep–Sun 2 Oct, times vary. Prices vary. Filmhouse and other venues, 88 Lothian Road, 228 2688. Film festival focusing on international politics, with myriad events including film screenings, music, lectures, live music and workshops. See picture, page 77, and feature, page 67. FREE Sofi’s Clothes Swap Wed 21 Sep, 7–8pm. Sofi’s, 65 Henderson Street Leith, 555 1979. Swap your tired old items for someone else’s new and exciting threads. It’s like shopping but it’s free and there’s a bar – what could be better?
Exhibitions FREE Jungle City Until Sun 4 Sep, 10am–6pm. Royal Botanic Garden, Arboretum Place, 248 2909. Over 100 artist-decorated exotic animals have taken up residence in the Botanics as part of a project raising funds for seven deserving conservation charities. The animals will be auctioned off for charity on Thu 29 Sep. FREE Banned Books Until Sun 30 Oct. Mon–Fri 10am–8pm; Sat 10am–5pm; Sun 2–5pm. National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, 623 3918. Interesting exhibition looking at the history of book censorship. FREE World Press Photo Exhibition 2011 Until Sat 27 Aug. Mon–Fri 10am–5.30pm; Sat 11am–5.30pm. Scottish Parliament, Holyrood Road, 348 5200. The annual display of the best of the world’s press photography. FREE Benghazi Speaks: Revolutionary Images from the Libyan Uprising Until Sun 4 Sep. Daily 10am–10pm. Filmhouse, 88 Lothian Road, 228 2688. Images of the revolutionary graffiti and cartoons that appeared on Libyan walls, buildings and streets during the recent uprising,. FREE David Hume, 1711–1776: Man of Letters, Scientist of Man Until Sat 17 Sep, Mon–Sat 10am–5pm (also Sun 28 Aug, noon–5pm). Writers’ Museum, Lady Stair’s Close, Lawnmarket, 529 4901. Celebrating the 300th birthday of one of Edinburgh’s brightest intellectual lights, this exhibition includes a plethora of Enlightenment artifacts.
Fairs & Markets ✽✽ FREE Canongate Pop Up Shop Until Sat 27 Aug, 2–6pm. 20
Queensferry Street, canongate.net Sofas, cakes and good books from Canongate’s formidable oeuvre, with daily events at 5.30pm from authors including Michel
Glasgow Doors Open Days
This year, over 100 buildings are opening their doors for free to assorted architecture junkies, history nuts and the just plain nosy. Some of the more exciting venues you can take tours of include the Tennent’s Brewery, the soon-to-be-demolished Red Road flats, almost every major arts venue from the old Victorian heart of the Citizens Theatre to the GFT, including the brand new Scottish Ballet building at Tramway, and – the one we’re most excited about – a new tour underground of Glasgow Subway. See glasgowdoorsopenday.com for the full list. ■ Various venues, Glasgow, Sat 17 & Sun 18 Sep.
Faber, Alasdair Gray, Don Paterson and James Robertson. Visit list.co.uk/offers to win a set of 12 launch titles from Canongate’s new imprint, The Canons. FREE I’ve Zine You Sun 28 & Mon 29 Aug, 9am. Scottish Book Trust, Sandeman House Trunks Close 55 High Street, 524 0160. A showcase of artists who print their own publications, zines, comics and books. Edinburgh Printmakers Summer Fayre Sun 28 Aug, 11am–4pm. £1 (under 5s free). Edinburgh Printmakers, 23 Union Street, 557 2479. Tour the studio and watch demonstrations, enter a tombola, eat ice cream, and buy treats from the ‘multiples market’ including cards, prints, books, postcards, jewellery, zines and more. The Great Big Ghillie Wedding Fair Sun 28 Aug, noon–6pm. £3 (includes tea/coffee). Ghillie Dhu, 2 Rutland Place, 222 9930. Pick up ideas for matrimonial mirth. FREE Morningside Makers Market Sat 3 Sep, 11am–4pm. Columcille Centre, 2 Newbattle Terrace, 447 7404. Monthly boutique craft and design market. FREE Ghillie Dhu Makers Market Sat 10 Sep, 10am–3pm. Ghillie Dhu, 2 Rutland Place, 222 9930. Designs by independent makers and artists from around Scotland. Out of the Blue Arts Market Sat 10 Sep, 11am–5pm. 80p. Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 30–36 Dalmeny Street, Leith, 555 7100. Over 40 artists, makers and traders punt their wares.
FREE Out of the Blue Flea Market Sat 17 Sep, 10am–3pm. Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 30–36 Dalmeny Street, Leith, 555 7100. Bargain buys including furniture, clothes, music and more. Sport FREE Joseph Pearce’s Jogging Club Tuesdays, 7–8pm. Joseph Pearce’s, 23 Elm Row, 556 4140. Weekly running club. Edinburgh Forget Me Not Walk Sun 11 Sep, 10am. £7.50 /£10 on the day (under 12s £5; family £20 /£25). Holyrood Lodge, Holyrood Road, 669 7862. A 5km charity walk around Edinburgh’s scenic Holyrood Park in aid of Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research. Fun Run Sun 18 Sep, 10.30am. £5–£10. Victoria Park, Ferry Road. A fun run in aid of St Columba’s Hospice, with a 1K run for Under 13s and a 2.5-5K run for Over 13s, plus kids’ activities including a bouncy castle.
Talks FREE Saturday Social Saturdays, 3pm. Talbot Rice Gallery, University of Edinburgh, South Bridge, 650 2210. A weekly session offering a relaxed introduction to the current exhibition. FREE Elsie Inglis: Surgical Pioneer Mon 29 Aug, 12.30pm. Surgeons’ Hall Museum, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Nicolson Street, 527 1649. Find out about Inglis, a leader of the Suffrage movement, champion for women’s rights to a medical education and respected female doctor.
25 Aug–22 Sep 2011 THE LIST 79