AROUND TOWN | Events
Eliot Prize-winning poet Ciaran Carson, Stevie Jackson (Belle and Sebastian) and Eugene Kelly (Vaselines), plus a multimedia interpretation of ‘Tam o’ Shanter’. Prestonfield’s Annual Burns Supper Thu 23 Jan, 7pm–midnight. £50. The Stables, Prestonfield House, Priestfield Road, prestonfield.com Toast Rabbie at this fundraiser for Prostate Scotland. With speeches from Grant Stott, Bill Copeland, George McNeil and Jo Caulfield and traditional music from Brigid Mhairi & Richard Dunn. Fripping – Charity Clothing Swap Fri 24 Jan, 8–11pm. £10. Hemma, 75 Holyrood Road, 629 3327. Bring in quality duds you’ve grown tired of and swap them. Ticket price includes bubbly and a buffet, with proceeds going to Aberlour Childcare Trust.
✽ FREE Meet the Mammoths Sat 25 & Sun 26 Jan, noon–4pm.
National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, 0300 123 6789. They’re heeeeere! Enjoy plenty of ice age-themed activities to welcome our furry friends to NMS. Burns Supper Sat 25 Jan, 5.30–10pm. £35. Edinburgh Larder Bistro, 1a Alva Street, 225 4599. Celebrate with a local three-course set menu, a dram of whisky, guest speakers from artisan producers and live Burns Night tunes. Burns Night Ceilidh Sat 25 Jan, 8pm–12.30am. £8. Lauriston Hall, 28 Lauriston Street, 339 5374. The Flaming Heather ceilidh band and caller Ken Gourlay, with folk dancers and a piper. FREE Hot Rocks Sun 26 Jan, 9am– noon. Holyrood Park, Holyrood, 652 8150. Explore the geological history of Edinburgh’s biggest hill (and former volcano) and find out how it inspired much of modern geology. Wear outdoor- appropriate clothing and footwear. Ages 16+. Booking essential. Edinburgh Fashion Swap Sun 2 Feb, noon–4pm. £5 for 1–5 items; £7 for 6–10 items. 99 Hanover Street, 99 Hanover Street, 07596 596688. Swap out some of your old outfits for brand new threads. FREE Sofi’s Knitting Club Tue 4 Feb, 8–11.30pm. Sofi’s, 65 Henderson Street, 555 7019. Friendly monthly knitting session. Knitting masters Christel and Kaeli will show you the ropes for a small donation. FREE Coolest Walk on Earth Sun 9 Feb, 9am–noon. Holyrood Park, Holyrood, 652 8150. A two-hour guided walk discovering how the magnificent geological features around Arthur’s Seat and the crags were shaped and sculpted by ice. Booking essential. FREE Illuminated Letters Workshops Wed 12 Feb, 1.30–3.30pm. Leith Library, 28–30 Ferry Road, 248 9969. Glasgow Women’s Library helps you create your own illuminated letter in tribute to your favourite hero of the womanly persuasion. FREE We Love Scottish Beavers Sat 15 & Sun 16 Feb, 11am–4pm. Royal Botanic Garden, Arboretum Place, 248 2909. Sad: beavers were hunted to extinction in the UK 400 years ago. Happy: in 2009 some of the furry guys were put back into Knapdale Forest. Learn how they’re doing at this event. FREE Edinburgh Skeptics Thu 20 Feb, 7.30pm. The Banshee Labyrinth, 29–35 Niddry Street, 07896 745991.Enquiring minds meet up to break down doctrine and drink beer. Today’s discussion comes courtesy of Kathryn Ford, with ‘That Guilty Look: The Modern Face of Physiognomy’.
Fairs & Markets FREE Out of the Blue Flea Market Sat 25 Jan, 10am–3pm. Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 30–36 Dalmeny Street, Leith, 555 7100. Bargain buys including furniture, clothes, music and more. NCT Nearly New Sale Sat 25 Jan, 10–10.30am. Free but ticketed. St Stephen’s Church, East Fettes Avenue Comely Bank, nct.org.uk A range of gently used kids’ equipment, toys and clothing for sale, with proceeds going to 40 THE LIST 23 Jan–20 Feb 2014
his drawings, etchings and paintings. Booking essential. FREE Insanitary City: Edinburgh in 1865 Thu 13 Feb, 6pm. National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, 623 3748. Find out why Edinburgh was such a dirty city in the 19th century despite its wealth. Paul Laxton and Richard Rodger discuss the diagnosis made by Edinburgh’s first Medical Officer of Health, Dr HD Littlejohn, many years ago. Glenmorangie Annual Lecture: Cornelia Parker Thu 13 Feb, 7–8pm. £6 (£5). National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, 0300 123 6789. Sculptor and installation artist Cornelia Parker talks about her found art practice and her take on Henry Moore’s sculptural mantra ‘Truth to Materials’. Winter Talks Mon 17 Feb, 7.30– 8.30pm. £3 (£1.50) per lecture; season ticket £20 (£10). Royal Observatory Visitor Centre, Blackford Hill, 6688263. Today, Ian Robson discusses submillimetre astronomy (ie, the study of the dust emission that may yield secrets about how stars are formed). Dial M for Murder: Theatre Talk Wed 19 Feb, 6.15pm. £5. King’s Theatre, 2 Leven Street, 529 6000. An insightful talk about the play. Workshops Landscape Painting for All Levels Every Sat 25 Jan–29 Mar, 11am–1.30pm. £175 for ten weeks (drop-in class £20). The Edinburgh Drawing School, 13A Great King Street, 07791 121313. Take real-life studies then turn them into paintings, with instruction from Paul Mowat. FREE Workshop with Sarah Reay Sat 25 Jan, 2–4pm. The Forest Café, 141 Lauriston Place, 229 4922. Create bangles from waste materials, including cardboard and fabric in this workshop, which coincides with the Discardboard exhibition in Interviewroom 11. Materials provided. Impro FX’s Improvised Comedy Workshops Tue 28 Jan & 11 Feb, 7–9pm. £5. The Canons’ Gait, 232 Canongate, 556 4481. Flex your improv muscles. No need to be an expert – just turn up and join in. FREE Historical Embroidery Thu 30 & Fri 31 Jan, 10.30am–12.30pm & 2–4.30pm. Thu 20 Feb, 10.30am– 12.30pm. Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street, 624 6200. An introduction to the wide variety of stitching found on textiles and costumes in the gallery collection, led by Helen McCook, a teacher at Hampton Court Palace’s Royal School of Needlework. Materials provided. Screen Printing Inspired by Gauguin and the Post- Impressionists Sat 1 Feb, 10.30am– 4pm. £60 (£55). Scottish National Gallery, The Mound, 624 6200. Artist and printmaker Sarah Gittins leads this workshop, in which drawings made in the gallery are developed into three-colour prints. Booking essential. Illustrating Books for Children Fri 7 Feb, 10.30am–12.30pm. £12 (£10). Scottish National Gallery, The Mound, 624 6200. Ross Collins and Lesley Barnes share their techniques. Booking essential. FREE The Drawing Room Thu 13 Feb, 5.30–6.45pm. Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art One, 75 Belford Road, 624 6200. Experimental drawing session inspired by works in the collection, led by a contemporary artist. Materials provided. Booking essential. Starting with Folk Song Sat 15 Feb, 10.30am–4.30pm. £36 (members £30). Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. Discover your own voice with Mairi Campbell. For complete beginners up to experienced artists. Working with Materials and Techniques Thu 20 Feb, 1.30–4.30pm. £15–£18. Scottish National Gallery, The Mound, 624 6560. Artist Rosie Lesso helps you get familiar with a particular medium. Today, it’s watercolour.
R R A C Y N N A D
PING PONG
The table-based version of Wimbledon has been enjoying a resurgence in popularity recently, with nights in both Edinburgh and Glasgow offering opportunities for paddle-wielding enthusiasts to strut their stuff. Rock’n’Roll Ping Pong (Bongo Club, Edinburgh, Sun 26 Jan) is a monthly affair that enthusiastically encourages newbies to participate over a beer and a handjive, while Wiff Waff Wednesday (Out of the Blue Drill Hall, Edinburgh, dates tbc) is a semi-regular happening that caters for the slightly more experienced amateur crowd. Glaswegian paddlers are advised to head along to Ping! (Hillhead Bookclub, Mondays), which offers friendly tournaments on a weekly basis. (Niki Boyle) ■ Ping!, Hillhead Book Club, Glasgow, weekly Mondays; Rock’n’Roll Ping Pong, Bongo Club, Edinburgh, Sun 26 Jan; Wiff Waff Wednesdays, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, Edinburgh, dates tbc.
the UK’s largest charity for parents. FREE Stockbridge Market Every Sun, 10am–5pm. Saunders Street, Stockbridge, 551 5633. Artisanal food and craft market by the Water of Leith. FREE Loppis Sat 8 Feb, 2–4pm. Victoria, 265 Leith Walk, 555 1638. Swedish-style junk sale.
Sport FREE Rock’n’Roll Ping Pong Sun 26 Jan, 7–11pm. The Bongo Club, 66 Cowgate, 558 8844. Free table tennis club with DJs Ding and Dong providing the music. If you’re feeling brave, it’s £1 to enter the sudden death tournament. See preview, above. Cherry Bombers vs Leithal Weapons Sat 1 Feb, 2–5pm. £5 (accompanied under 14s free). Meadowbank Sports Centre, 139 London Road, 661 5351. Roller derby bout. Talks FREE Charlemagne: Life, Legend and Legacy Tue 28 Jan, 4–6pm. Old College Lecture Theatre, University of Edinburgh, South Bridge, 651 1254. Discussion on the occasion of Emperor Charlemagne’s 1200 death-iversary. FREE Invented in Scotland Tue 28 Jan, 6pm. National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, 623 3748. Allan Burnett explores the innovation and inventiveness of the Scots, looking to inventions featured in the library’s current exhibition, Wha’s Like Us?: A Nation of Dreams and Ideas. Burns: Visual Representations Sat 1 Feb, 3pm. £6 (£4). Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. Artist Calum Colvin discusses the influence of Burns on the visual arts
with professor Murdo Macdonald and art consultant Sheilagh Tennant. Burnsfest. FREE Webs of Enchantment?: The Watercolours of Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh and Frances Macdonald McNair Mon 3 Feb, 12.45–1.30pm. Scottish National Gallery, The Mound, 624 6200. Senior Curator Pamela Strachan explores the watercolours of the Macdonald sisters. Winter Talks Mon 3 Feb, 7.30–8.30pm. £3 (£1.50) per lecture; season ticket £20 (£10). Royal Observatory Visitor Centre, Blackford Hill, 6688263. Today, Vanessa Smer discusses the astronomical theories of the Mayan, Aztec and Incan people. Spotlight On: Mammoths in Scotland Thu 6 Feb, 2–3pm. Free but ticketed. National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, 0300 123 6789. Curators Andrew Kitchener and Nick Fraser share what researchers know about the presence of mammoths in Scotland. Andy Torbet: Operation Iceberg Thu 6 Feb, 7.30–9pm. £8 (free). Appleton Tower, University of Edinburgh, Crichton Street, andytorbet.com See Glasgow, Talks. FREE Criminal Justice and Social Change: Reforming Services for the 21st Century Tue 11 Feb, 6pm. National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, 623 3748. Get familiar (in a figurative way) with penal systems from America to Sweden as Criminology and Social Work professor Fergus McNeill examines issues of punishment, rehabilitation and social justice. FREE Walter Geikie (1795–1837) Thu 13 Feb, 2pm. City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, 529 3993. Curator Helen Smailes examines the life of Geikie and takes an in-depth look at some of