Zlata Fillpovic

When Zlata Filipovrc started her diary just before her eleventh birthday. she was just like other ordinary western European ten-year-old girl; she didn't understand politics. she conscientiotrsly worried about school. and her idea of heaven was a four seasons pi/za with MTV. B tit her city was extraordinary. and for the next two years she chronicled a child‘s life it) Sarajevo. ln her last diary entry on 17 October 1993. she still doesn't understand politics. btrt

everything else has changed: gtmfire

interrupts her homework. the sight of

an arrnftrl of food makes her cry. and

alter the previous day‘s bombardment

: of 590 shells. her family has to go into

the cellar for shelter. 'lnto the cold dark. stupid cellar which I hate.‘ she

wrote. ‘We were there for hours and

hours. They kept pounding away.‘ Hailed as the .Anne Frank of Sarajevo, Zlata comes across as a resourceful. strong httt sensitive girl. whose innocence has been wrought away front her too soon. who remains resilient even when her world literally crttrnbles around her. Unlike Anne Frank. Zlata fotmd safety; she and her family llevv to France on a l‘.\’ plane last Christmas. But like Anne. Zlata's simple. straightforward descriptions of the growing horror surounding her touch both children and adults. Multiply her story thousands of times and you have a glimpse of all the individual tragedies being lived out in Sarajevo. ((iabe Stewart) [Ia/(1's Diary, A ('lii/tl's life in stint/(1w. is [HI/)ffv'flt‘t/ 12v liking (ll £9. 99.

_ Going looo

What do Phil Collins, Frank Sinatra and Neil Young have in common (apart from all having sung ‘My Way’)? Astonishingly, they’re all model rail enthusiasts. You or your children may not have the wherewithal to indulge in room-sized layouts, but wander through the 30 layouts at the SECC’s Model Bail 94 Exhibition, and tantasize . . .

Living in a world at tantasy, enthusiasts control and create their own fantastic landscapes. ‘Some enthusiasts (allow their fancy and let their imagination run wild,’ says Douglas Boyle, secretary of the Association at Model Bail Societies in Scotland, who is organising the exhibition. ‘Whereas the “rivet- counters” will make sure every nut and bolt is a true representation at the original.’

Layout scales on show range trom ll guage (2mm to the loot) to guage 1 (where a typical loco will be 24‘ long); the smallest layout is ten feet long; the largest, complete with model houses, tactories and trees, is 50 feet long; and trains teatured will include steam, diesel and electric. Boyle highlights the probable tavourites. ‘We’re showing a tiny Thomas the Tank, children love that; and there’s a spectacular scale replica of an oil refinery, exhibited in dim light - the trains look miniscule amongst the

58 The List 25 February l0 March l994

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labyrinth of pipes. There’s also an old Glasgow layout, with about halt a dozen trams amongst the tenements.’

Supporting the exhibits will be twenty trade dealers’ stalls selling everything from complete layouts to the tiniest components, on the ott- chance Junior gets inspired. They may not get a very good press, but on balance I think I’d rather my son grew up to be a model railway tan rather than an axe murderer. For a start it’s marginally less messy. (Gabe Stewart) Model Bail 94 is at SECC, Fri 25—Sun 27 Feb.

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

Outdoors

\ w \ I \

Activities and Fun

I Mugdock Conservation Volunteers Craigend Visitors Centre. Mugdock Country Park. Craigallian Road. near Milngavie. 956 6100. Sats 26 Feb and 5 Mar. 10am -3pm. Free. Come and muck in at Mugdock.

Activities and Fun

I Bird watching in Musselburgh Meet at the mouth of the River Esk (the end of (ioosegreen Crescent. Musselburgh ). Details from YOC leader Malcolm l’orteous. 447 053‘). Sat 26 Feb.

2 ~4.3()pm. Free. Plenty of seabirds and waders to be seen in these rich feeding grounds.

I Birdwatching at Duddingston Loch

Y()C leader Malcolm l’orteous. 447 053‘). Sun 6 Mar. 9- l lam. Free.

Indoors

l__..

Activities and Fun

I Model Bail 94 Scottish Exhibition Centre. Finnieston Quay. 2-18 3000. Fri 25---Sun 27 Feb. Fri Ham—8pm. Sat 10am—6pm. Sun 10am—5pm. last admission one hour before closing each day. £3 (£2). family ticket £9. ()v er 25 layouts in ()0. ll(). l’J and () scale. Knowing w hat all these letters tnearr isn't a pre-requisite to appreciating modelling expertise. Anyway. it's something for Junior to aspire to _ . See panel.

I Javanese Percussion Workshops Strathclyde Arts Centre. Washington Street. 22l 4526. livery Sunday. l0.30ani -l2.30prn. Free. 7+ years. Beat your own drums. Fastern style; gongs. xylophones. flutes. and singing too. Booking advised.

I Cratts workshops St Mungo Museum. 2 Castle Street. 553 2557. Sat 26 Feb (making Chinese lanterns) and Sat 5 Mar (making Japanese dolls). 2-4pm. Free. 8—12 years. Bookings taken at the enquiry desk until 2pm.

I Youth Puppet Theatre workshops The Scottish Mask and l’ttppcl Centre. 8 -l() Balcarres Avenue. Kelvintlale. 339 6185. Mon 28 Feb and 7 Mar. 6—7.30pm. £6 per night. 9--ll years. First of a twelve- session course. culminating in a performance at the centre on 18 June. Flach session starts with a short

introduction to some aspect of puppetry. followed by practical work on sound. lighting or puppet making. The first session (28 Feb) will show a video production by ten-year-old puppeteers. followed by a discussion on a name atttl logo for the company. the play to be performed. and sketches of the puppets to be made. The following week (5 Mar). children discover the roots of shadow puppetry followed by puppet-making.

Cinema I The Tale ot the Fox Glasgow Film Theatre. 12 Rose Street. 332 6535. Sun 27

Feb. 5.30pm and 7pm: and Mon 28 Feb. 1.30pm and 3pm. £3 (£2). This I930. French (with English subtitles) animated classic. about a wily fox who runs rings round his fellow animals. includes comic intrigue and burlesque spectacle. Adults will be fascinated. children will feel sophisticated.

Theatre

I Scottish Tales from Long Ago Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre. 8~l(). Balcarres Avenue. Kelvindale. 33‘) 6185. Sat 5 Mar. 2pm. £2.50 (£1.50). 5—-ll years.

5 Activities and Fun

9 I Botanic Illustration School's- Activity

Area. Exhibition Hall. Royal Botanic

; Garden. lnverleith. 552 717! ext 480. Sun

' 27 Feb. l().30am—il2.30pm. Part of a

I ‘llands-on Plants" series of workshops

aimed at families. this simple introduction

7 to botanic illustration gives all the fatnin

. . . t a chance to tr their artistic hand. and to Meet at car park beside loch. Details tronr ' )

take a herbarium specimen home

, afterwards.

I All about OWIS Conference Roorn l. Royal Botanic Garden. Contact Y()C

: leader Damion Willcock. 556 5856. Fri 4

i Mar. 7—8.30pm. Fun (dissect an owl pellet . and find otrt what owls eat) and games

(owl and mouse - what a hootl). free to

Y()C member's.

§Cinema

I MGM Film Centre Saturday Matinees

l.othiatt Road. 22s ms. £1.50. Films start at 11am. doors open l0.~15am. 26 Feb

i

722m (Hit/.lt’l'l'l', The Movie l L’): 5 Mar as

: yet unconfirmed. check Film listings for details.

I Filmhouse Saturday Matinees l.othian Road. 228 2688. £2. Films start at

2.30pm. 26 Feb Animal l'tll'lll (PG): 5 Mar

him [he ll’i'vi’ (l’C ).

mamma-

Activities and Fun I Watching the Wildlife ot Lochwinnoch

Meet at the Watersports Centre. Strathclytle Country Park. Hamilton. Contact \'()(‘ leader (irahant llogg. ()698 88740). Sun 27 Feb. 10am 4pm. Free to Y()(' members. Come arid see this wild littllll't‘ reserve.

I Kite Flying at Newmains Monte-m ell

District Ranger Service. Mornrngsitle Road at Newmains Roundabout. Tel

Mother'w ell leisure Centre. 0698 269696. Sun 27 Feb. 2pm. Free. All you need to build and tly your kite will he provided. The wind is in the lap of the gods.

I Act II Children’s Theatre Company

l-trrmwood Community Centre.

Forgewootl. Motherwell. 0698 266l66 ext 25-19. livery Saturday llam lpm. £l.

9 -l-l years. Rehearsals and workshops are

already in swing for a performance to take place in April at the Community Centre. btrt it's not too late toglorn this energetic

and talented group. Simply come along this Saturday. with clothes and shoes suitable for dance and nroverrtetrt.

I National Book Survey Culter (filer). near

Biggar. Contact Y( )C leader (iraharn

llogg. 0698 88740]. Sat 5 Mar. Meet at Baron's llaugh Car Park. Hamilton

noon-4pm. Free.