THE LIST
Issue No 46 24 July—6 August 1987
Cover Dublin group U2.
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Pierre i’errone meets the hugely successful band as they arrive in Scotland.
6
Chronicle ota Death Foretold
Allan iiunter talks to the cast of i-‘rancesco Rosi‘s new film.
8 Tommy Smith
.loe Alexander talks to (iary Burton about Edinburgh‘s talented young saxophonist.
1o Loch Ness Monster
Well. does it exist or not‘.’ The List assesses the evidence.
11 Listings
Full guide to events this fortnight.
Arts 32 Music 2-1 ('abaret 1‘) Open 23 Film 11 Sport 22 Kids 20 Theatre 18
Media 38
CONTRIBUTORS
Publisher Robin 1 lodge.
Editors Nigel Billen. Sarah i lemming. Associate Editor Allan l iunler.
Design Simon iistcrson. Advertising 8: Circulation Robin iiodge. Steve
.\ic( ~ullough. Sheila Macican. Accounts (icorgctte Renwick. Richard (iray. Typesetting Jo Kennedy and HewerText. Margaret Mallon. Production Editor Paul Keir. Production Assistants Margaret
Mailon. Andrew Young. Art Sally Kinnes.
Books Alan Taylor. Classical Music (‘arol Main. Dance Alice Bain. Film Allan iiunter. Trevor Johnston. Folk/Jazz Norman Chalmers. Kids Sally Kinnes.
Nightlife Stuart Raiker. Open Nigel Billcn.
Rock (Edinburgh) Alastair Mabbott. Rock (Glasgow) John Williamson. Listen! Alastair Mabbott. John Williamson. Sport Kenny Mathieson. Theatre Sarah liemming. Camera Edinburgh Make-up Services. Cover ti: Cover Design Nigel Billen. i’aul Keir.
Published by The List Ltd. 14 High Street. iidinburgh. 5581191.
MAKING CONTACT Ness Raison visits a vital link.
‘Recently a guy came into Contact Point and he was very polite and very restrained and he said. ‘ ‘i’d like you to know i‘m Jesus Christ. And my needs are quite simple — i‘m designing space ships and i need a large space.’
So recounts Donald MacDougall. a social worker at Barony Housing Association's drop-in centre for lonely and vulnerable people. iie continues. ‘in that kind ofsituation it‘s terribly tempting to go into that person's fantasy— wow. tell me about the spaceships — when really you should be asking questions like. where are you living and do you have a G.P.‘." These are prominent problems for schizophrenics. who find difficulty in securing accommodation because of their irregular behaviour. and of whom many have daily medication.
The main purpose of(‘ontact Point. open to anyone over 18. is to offer support and practical advice on welfare. housing and employment. catering especially for ex-offenders or those with mental health problems. People are also encouraged to develop their creative and social skills. with a men's group and women‘s group once a week. a social evening on Thursdays. and music and art groups. MacDougall believes that creativity is a powerful way of breaking down barriers of communication. both by the process ofworking in a group and through the expression of the work. and a useful way ofgaining self-confidence andindependence.
‘The most exciting range of artwork is produced by the most unlikely people . . .Some guy who says he can‘t paint at all produces great work.‘ he says and recalls one woman who was an extraordinary artist. but a schizophrenic.
‘When drugged to the eyeballs she was socially acceptable. but could not paint a thing. and when she was crazy. when she missed out on her medication. the other parts of her life would fall apart. but her paintings were wonderful.‘
Future plans for activity in (‘ontact Point are photography. and furniture restoration. a useful training which could beCome a source of income for users of the centre.
The Work of(‘ontact Point is a sub-division of Barony Housing Association. one of a few housing associations which works specifically to provide supported accommodation for those recently released from prison or from psychiatric hospitals. Staff Manager. ian Macintosh. explains that many people used to an institutionalised life. feel isolated and lonely living on their own. Some. unable to cope. suffer an increase in ill-health. and many ex-prisoners will risk stealing. with the feeling that. ifthey are caught. they return to an institutionalised life they know. and. if they are successful. they have earned some money. Barony‘s
answer is to provide a range of transitional housing in the central parts of Edinburgh. mixing tenants from differing backgrounds. whether male or female. HiV positive. ex-offenders or mentally ill. Tenants have a key to their bedroom and share kitchen and bathroom facilities. and each has a support worker. with whom they meet on an average ofonce a week. Barony also works in conjunction with other Housing Associations. such as Edinvar. whereby they take a tenancy for a year. guaranteeing rent and social work support. When the tenant is self-sufficient. Barony submit responsibility for the tenant to the Housing Association.
Macintosh and MacDougail agree that the causes of mental illness are hard to ascertain. although a combination of inadequate housing and lack of work are important factors. Numbers too are elusive. although Barony can accept only one in five referrals. so many other vulnerable people in Edinburgh. if unable to gain support through other agencies such as Penumbra. Edinburgh Association for Mental Health. Link Housing Association (which agencies are currently working to develop an integrated referral system). are forced to live in isolation. perhaps in insecure accommodation such as bed and breakfasts. and with a greater risk of reaching crisis point and being re-institutionalised.
('ontaet Point is Ito/ding a Benefit ( ‘oneert on Sat 25 J uly at 8pm (doors open 7pm) at the Queen 's Hall. ('lerk Street. lidinburgh. featuring The ( 'rows. Tri.t'.t' and The Shattered family. and Festival Fringe cabaret acts. Tickets are [3. 50 and [2. 50 (‘oneessoins. available/rum the Queen 's Hall or ('ontaet I’oint. () 7a York Place. lidinhurgh. ()3 I 557 323‘).
MENACE ON THE MOVE
In a whirlwind move. Lavender Menace bookshop leaves its premises in Forth Street. Edinburgh at (rpm on 1 July and starts trading at 23a Dundas Street at 9am the next day. The new shop. bought by co-owners Bob On and Ray Rose with the help of the Bank of Scotland. is to be called West and Wilde after — yes — ()scar Willie and Vita Sackville-West. As Bob ()rr explains. Lavendar Menace. name of a group of lesbians in America and nickname for Oscar Wilde. is ‘seventies sounding' and ‘ever so slightly outrageous‘. while the new name is of more general appeal. This reflects the stock of the shop. which will increase the core of lesbian and gay literature. while also bringing in more books for women. it will be a welcome addition to Edinburgh‘s bookshops. after the demise in November 1986 ofthe women‘s bookshop. Womenzone. and even in spite of the extensive Waterstones and other alternatives. which. as ()rr- says. are ‘great for browsing. but there isn‘t a great deal aimed at young people. women. people into alternative lifestyles.‘
West and Wilde offers new extended opening hours. from 9am to 9pm. Monday-Friday. 9am to 7pm on Saturday and l2noon to (rpm on Sundays. Two opening launches with celebrity guests and food and wine are on 1 and 8 August. The second. aimed more specifically at women. will have in attendance Ellen (ialford. author of Moll (‘utpurse and Fires of Bride and probably Jeanette Winterson. who recently published The Passion. and is renowned for ()ranges A re Not the Only Fruit. All are invited.
THE SCREEN SCENE
As plans fora new multiplex cinema in Glasgow are announced. Allan iiunter looks at the changing fortunes of film in Scotland.
The Maybox plan for Glasgow
it doesn’t seem that long ago since some learned document statistically predicted that by the late l‘)8(ls the habit of regular cinemagoing would be as archaic as dinosaur hunting. Well. you know what they say about statistics and. fortunately. the wonderfully unpredictable mass audience has once again confounded the experts.
Having absorbed the once petrifying threat of the video boom. the British cinema industry has been rewarded with a steady increment in audience admission figures over the past few years ( in 1984 there were ()4 million cinema admissions: last year this had risen to 73 million). in a welcome reversal of fortunes there is now a clear demand for extra screens that is about to be met by a series of ambitious development and investment projects.
Today (July 2-1) in High Wycombe. the (‘i(‘ Theatre (iroup open their first six-screen multiplex at a cost of £43 million. However. over the next few years central Scotland becomes the focus of much ofthe activity. The Scots are more avid cinernagoe rs than anyone else in Britain and frequently return the best box-office figures outside of i .ondon. not only for James Bond and ('roeodi/e Dundee but also for more ‘specialist' fare like I’riek ( 'p Your Furs or My Life As A Dog. Realising the commercial potential for expansion in Scotland. several companies are now in the race to build our first multiplex.
The Maybox (iroup have announced plans for a fourteen
2 The List 24 July — (i August