llain or shine, our bumper festive at-a- glance guide will see you through. Events are listed under outdoors or indoors columns, and then divided by city. ltids listings compiled by Gabe Stewart.

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Actrvrtres and Fun I Mugdock Commotion Volunteers Craigend Visitor Centre. Mugdock Park. 956 6100. Sat 4 Dec. 10am—3pm. Free.

I Christmas Capers Linn Dipper Club. Mansion House. Linn Park. 637 1 147. Sat 11 Dec. lOam--noon. Free.

I Deck the Halls Young Naturalists Club. Lecture Room. Pollok Country Park. 632 9249. Sat 4 Dec. 10am. Free. First. get yourhony...

EDINBURGH

Activities and Fun 4

I Christmas Steam Specials depart from Waverley Station Edinburgh. lnverkeithing and Kirkcaldy stations. Enquiries Dalgety Bay 0383 822944 or Kirkcaldy ()592 204961. (Mon—Fri. 7—9pm only) Suns 5 and 12 Dec. Departures from Waverley 10am. lst/2nd class tickets: adult £24/£17; child £12/£8; infant £2. Travel on the elegant 6009 Union of South Africa. up to Perth. back to Edinburgh. chunter round the Edinburgh suburban line. dropping off at lnverkeithing and Kirkcaldy before returning to Waverley at 2.40pm. Every child aboard will receive a gift from

Santa. Booking forms available from Tourist Information Offices.

I Big Bird nay Hermitage House. Hermitage of Braid. 69a Braid Road. 447 7145. Sat II Dec. 10am—4pm. Free (small charge for any materials used). Bird- related activities on throughout the day include short guided walks. bird watching. games. RSPB films. bird box and bird feeder making. and there‘s an RSPB gift shop and refreshments room too.

I Activities and Fun

I Photographic Christmas Card Workshop Street Level Gallery and

Workshop. 279—281 High Street. 552

2151. Sat 4 Dec. 10.30am—1pm. £6 (includes all materials). 11—16 years. Each person will get a chance to make at least

; five cards using their own black and white T photographic prints on a Christmas theme.

decorating them with paints and glitter. and mounting them on card.

9 Christmas Shows

I The lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe Citizen’s Theatre. 429 0022. Until Sat 22 Jan 1994. 2pm. 7pm. £6—£8.50. children £3.50—£4.50.

I Fly to the Moon with Mr Boom Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. Ticketlink 227 5511. Sats 11. 18; Sun 26—Tues 28 Dec. 11am. 2pm. 5pm on various days. £4.50 (£3.50) 3—10 years.

I Christmas in Kettleland SECC.

Ticketlink 227 5511. Thurs 2-Tue 7 Dec. I Thurs l6—Wed 29 Dec. 2.30pm (occasional shows at 1 lam. 6pm. 7pm.

check theatre listings for details). £7.£6

(£6. £5). 4-10 years. i I Jack and the Beanstalk Mitchell

Theatre. Granville Street. 221 3198. Until

. Sat 4 Dec. 7.30pm. Sat 2.30pm. £6.

I The Magic World of Aladdin Mitchell

429 1202. Until Sun 9 Jan 1994. Mon-Sat lOam—Spm; Sun 2—5pm. Free. You can see. feel. hear and taste in this hands-on exhibition. Under 10s must be accompanied by an adult. For safety reasons. under 6s are not allowed in the exhibition. Open to the public at weekends; booked school parties only on weekdays.

I From Here to Maternity People’s Palace. 554 0223. Until Sun 9 Jan. Mon—Sat 10am—5pm; Sun 11am-5pm. Free. Not. strictly speaking. one for the kids. but wherever they are. mothers are not far behind. This exhibition attempts to capture the emotions involved in pregnancy and childbirth. including a comparison between women’s own words and medical opinion.

Theatre

I lloddy Theatre Royal. Hope Street. 332 9000. Box Office Mon—Sat 10am—6pm. Performance until Sat 4 Dec. 1.30pm Mon—Sat plus various 10.30am. 5pm. 6.30pm performances. £3.50—£ 10.50 (£2 off top prices for concessions). Family ticket (two adults full-price. two children half-price). 3+ years. Noddy. Big Ears and Mr Plod take to the big stage in this colourful musical adaptation of Enid Blyton’s original. Director David Wood’s previous successes include Roald Dahl’s BF G and The Witches.

Activities and Fun

I Christmas Celebrations Nelson Hall. McDonald Road Library. 556 5630. Free. Wed 15 Dec. 2—4pm. Seventy-five tickets available from the Library. Music and dance from around the world

I Cinema

I MGM Film Centre Saturday Matinees Lothian Road. 228 1638. £1.50. Films start at 11am. doors Open 10.30am. 4 Dec Addams Family (PG); 1 1 Dec Home Alone (PG).

I Filmhouse Saturday Matinees Lothian Road, 228 2688. £2. Films start at 2.30pm. 4 Dec Pee-Week Big Adventure (PG) (No matinee on 11 Dec).

Christmas Shows

I Cinderella Royal Lyceum Theatre. Gn’ndlay Street. 229 9697. Fri 17 Dec-Sat 8 Jan 1994. 2.30pm. 7pm; £4.50. £9.50. £12.50. children half' price. With further adaptations by Forbes Masson since its appearance at the Tron last year. this production features a smaller cast than of yore. and fewer interruptions for songs. but with added gallus humour and outrageous characters who quite rightly

. question Cinders‘ choice of beau.

i I Jolly Robert and the Pirates trom

Theatre. Granville Street. 227 5511. Thurs

9 Dec—Sat 15 Jan 1994. 2.30pm. 7.30pm. £8 (£6).

; I Dick Whittington King‘s Theatre. Bath

Street. Ticketlink 227 5511. Until Sat 29 Jan 1994. Mon—Sat 2.15pm. 7pm. £4~£10 (from £3).

I Peter Pan Theatre Royal. Hope Street. 227 5511. Thurs 9—Fri 24 Dec. 7.15pm plus 2.15pm Sats. 1.30pm weekdays. £3.50—£32. children half-price.

I Snow White Tron Theatre. 63 Trongate. 552 4267. Until Sat 8 Jan 1994. 7.30pm

I plus various other times. Up to Wed 8 Dec £7.50 (£4.50) family ticket £20; after 8 Dec £8 (£5).

I Mr McScrooge Pavilion Theatre. 121

. Renfield Street. 332 1846. Until Sat 29

Jan 1994. Sun—Fri. 2pm. 7pm; Sats 19. 26 Dec. 2. 9 Jan. 2pm. 5.30pm. £8.75

, (£5.75). £6 (£5). i Exhibitions . I Discovering Scotland Scotland Street

School Museum. 225 Scotland Street 3 (opposite Shields Road Underground).

' Space Theatre Workshop. 34 Hamilton

Place. 226 5425. Mon 6-Fri 17 Dec.

5 10.30am. 1.30pm; Sat l8—Fri 24 Dec.

7pm plus some 2pm shows. £5 (£3) £12 family ticket. 5+ years.

I Joy to the World - The Puppet Mysteries Netherbow Theatre. 43—45 High Street. 556 9579. Every Fri and Sat until Fri 24 Dec. Fri 2.30pm; Sat 1 lam. 2.30pm. £2.75 (£1.75). 3+ years. Ian Turbitt’s Puppet Theatre presents a musical Christmas story complete with shepherds. kings. parents and baby.

I Jonathan liickard’s Children’s Theatre Stepping Stones. Grassmarket. 225 3247. Fri 17-Fri 24 Dec. £3.50 (£2.50). Kenneth Grahame’s The Reluctant Dragon.

5 Contact venue for times. 4—10 years.

Exhibitions I It’s Only a CameCity Art Centre. 2 Market Street. 529 3541. Until Sat 8 Jan

5 I994. Mon—Sat. lOam—Spm. Free.

Explore the development of war toys. I from the birth of their production. up to

the present day. as represented by Ninja

Turtles and Transformers.

OUTSIDE THE CITIES

Activities and Fun

I Santa Special Steam Trips Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway. Bo‘ness. Postal bookings to The Santa Booking Officer. Scottish Railway Preservation Society Railtours, 99 Greenbank Road. Edinburgh. Enquiries (7—9pm only) 031 441 1374 or 041 779 2899. Trips every Sat and Sun until Sun 19 Dec. Trains depart Bo’ness Station 11am. 12.15pm. 1.45pm. 3pm. £4.50 (£3.50). During the seven-mile round steam trip. Santa presents each child with a gift. while adults enjoy complimentary seasonal refreshments.

I Santa Cruises Bridge Inn. Edinburgh Canal Centre. Ratho. Midlothian. 031 333 1320 or 1251. Every Sat and Sun until Sun 19 Dec. then every day until Fri 24 Dec. Depart at intervals between 10.30am—4.30pm. £4.50. One-hour tour to see Santa in his secret grotto with his friends on Duck Island.

I Santa Specials Almond Valley Heritage Centre. Livingston Mill. Millfield. Kirkton North. Livingston. West Lothian. 0506 414957. Every Sat and Sun until Sun 19 Dec. 10am—5pm. Free admission. Festive entertainment includes tractor-drawn ‘sleigh' rides and Santa’s grotto.

I Dance Workshops J erviston Community Centre. Motherwell. 0698 264385. Every Wednesday. 5.30-6.30pm (5—8 years); 6.3()—7.30pm (9—12 years). £1. Wear loose comfortable clothing.

I livingston Children’s Carnival Marco‘s Forum. Alrnondvale. West Lothian. contact E. P. Fyfe. 0506 413432. Sat 4 Dec. 11am—4pm. 50p entrance. then once inside, all entertainments are free. all day. Attractions include a simulator. puppet shows. bouncy castle. a circus ring with continuous professional performances from the likes of Crooked Jack and Sparky the Clown. and. of course. Santa’s grotto. Only hope Santa's knees can face the challenge of up to 1500 children sitting on them.

I Model Railway Exhibition Falkirk College of Technology. Grangemouth Road. Falkirk. 0506 845887. Sat 4 and Sun 5 Dec. 10am—5pm. £1.30 (70p) family £3. Eleven layouts on show.

Christmas Shows

I Cinderella MacRobert Art Centre. Stirling. 0786 461081. Box Office open Mon—Sat l 1am—6pm and one hour before every performance. Fri 3 Dec-Sat 8 Jan. Matinees 2pm or 2.30pm and evenings 7pm or 7.30pm plus 10.30am on Mondays. £9(£6). £8 (£5.50). £24 family ticket. Written by Jimmy Chisholm.

I Magical Puppet Double Bill Bellshill Cultural Centre. Motherwell. Advance booking office. Mothenvell Theatre. 0698 267515. or through any Motherwell District Library. Sat 4 Dec. llam. £1.75. 4—8 years. Pavla's Puppets present two traditional stories with East European roots: The Gingerbread House and Stone

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I Christmas in ltettleland Marco‘s Forum. Livingston. 0506 419191. Thurs 9—Tue 14 Dec. School shows 10am. 1.30pm. family show times vary 11am. 6.30pm. 7pm. £7. 4—10 years.

58 The List 3—16 December 1993