EXTRA TIME

TRUCKFEST Royal Highland Showground, lngliston,

info: 01775 768661. Sat 1 & Sun 2 Aug. 9am. £7.50 (£3.50).

EastEnders' 'hunk’ Ross Kemp alias that nasty piece of work Grant Mitchell and the slightly less hefty Kristy Lee Wright (Chloe from Home And Away) are among the stars appearing in this year’s celebration to all things truck- like. Among the attractions will be the monster truck Goliath as recently featured on telly's Don’t Try This At Home, some vintage golden oldies, huge American Iandtrains and the Royal Artillery's motorcycle display team, The Flying Gunners. Among the new additions is Emergency Truckfest with vehicles from all the emergency services you know, police, fire, ambulance, coast guard and mine rescue stuff.

This section gives details of special selected events taking place within Edinburgh and Glasgow and around the Central Belt this fortnight. Listings are compiled by date, place and then event. Extra Time listings compiled by Brian Donaldson.

THURSDAY 23

Glasgow

Glasgow City Walks Various venues. info: 637 27‘)l. until 30 Sep. Allow the members of the Scottish Tourist (iuides Association to lead you astray in either The Heart 0/ Glasgow ~ around George Square and the h'lerchant City (Mon—Fri 6pm; Sun 10.30am) ~ or The (‘ut/n'tlrul Walk ~ Strathclyde University Campus and Cathedral Precinct (Sun 8; Wed 2.15pm).

Edinburgh

The Robert Burns Tour John Knox House. High Street. info: 556 9579/2647. until 31 Aug. Mon -Sat lptn & 3.30pm. £6. Meet the nation‘s top Bard (well. presumably some bloke doing an uncanny impersonation) on a tour of Canongate as he regales you with songs. stories and poetry. Find out the loves and passions which inspired his work and allow him to dig the dirt on his friends and enemies.

Macallan Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour The Beehive lnn. Grassmarket. info: 226 6665. 6pm & 8.30pm. £6 (£5). Educate yourself through booze as the tour follows in the footsteps of Rabble. Sir Walter. Robert Louis and Irvine Welsh across the ale houses of the city. The show will run twice daily until the end of August.

St Andrews

The Secret Bunker The Secret Bunker. Crown Buildings. 01333 3l()3()l. until Nov. t0am—5pm. £5.95 (£4.95/£3.25); famin ticket £|6.50. The threat of a nuclear holocaust seems to have abated in recent times. though when blokes like Sadaam get that glint in their eye. you never know what might happen. Here is a chance to see where our beloved leaders would have fled to in the event of such global devastation.

90 THE UST 23 Jul—6 Aug 1998

SATURDAY 25 Falkirlt

Falkirk International Food Festival Various venues. info: ()l 324 6| l2‘)3. tmtil Sun 2 Aug. The success of last year's inaugural event is followed tip by another celebration of the best that the area has to offer in culinary affairs. TV chef Brian Turner will be launching the event at the Beancross at noon w itli a short presentation followed by a short ()&A session. Later highlights include the greatest Hot Dog in the world. tltc Chicago Blues Brothers extravagan/a. a red chilli eating contest and a gourmet dinner with piano accompaniment.

Edinburgh

Hopetoun House Fair Hopctoutt House. South Queensferry. 33! 245 l. 10am—5pm. £4 (L' l .50/free for under

S *5“ a‘ «is:

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five's). The fifth annual Hopetoun House bash includes the spectacular trape/e entitled the Heir of Insanity. See photo caption.

SATURDAY 1 Edinburgh '

Truckfest Royal Highland Showground. lngliston. info: 01775 76866I. until Sun 2 Aug. 0am. £7.50 (£3.50). Celebs and hair-raising monster vehicles are the order of the weekend for this deeply popular event. See photo caption.

Peeblesshire

Traquair Fair Traquair House. lnnerleithen. ()IS‘J6 830323/83 l 370. until Still 2 Aug. llam 6pm. £l0 (£5/under five's free): family ticket £25. The Traquair Fair returns after last year's sabbatical with over 30 acts performing each day. Among the main attractions are stiltwalker Pip Jones. the

Theatte ol lttcurable Players. a

coinpletnentary therapy area and the

chance to sample the local ale in the 18th century brewery.

Nationwide

Scottish Football Season Various venues. Hardly seetns like the World Cup is over and the domestic season is now upon us. As ever. the close season has meant Rangers spending the footballing equivalent of the (iross National Product on a new team while (‘eltic have conducted their annual ‘finding a new coach' fiasco. Special intrigue this season with the lbros club under the tutelage of their first ever foreign coach in the bulky shape of Dick Advocaat while Celtic will be defending their crown with Dr Jo/ef \'englos iii charge the man who reputedly left Aston Villa in l‘)‘)l because he couldn't understand the Brummie accent. The main challenge will again come from Hearts while Aberdeen and Dundee United will hope for better fortune this year. (‘eltic have their flag day today against Dunfermlinc while Hearts play host to Rangers 2-1 hours later.

Edinburgh

European Juggling and Circus Skills Convention Various venues. info: 0076 32086-1. until Sat 6' Aug. The 2 lst

convention is held in litlinburgh this year

with much of the era/y goings-on centrtng around Meadow batik Sports (‘entre btit venturing around the capital. ()ver 2000 iugglcis‘. tight wire and [rape/e artists. stilt walkers. acrobats and clowns w ill be entertaining you with a series of performances and workshops for those who always wanted to rttrt away to the circus.

THURSDAY 6

. Gleneagles -

McDonald's WPGA Championship Of Europe King‘s Course. (ilelteagles. info: 01764 6944-18. l'ntil Stm ‘) Aug. The third year of this golfing event which simultaneoust iaiscs many thousands for health. education and social needs of children across liurope. as well as platfornnng the cream of the ladies' game. The defendinfg champion. Sweden's Helen Alfredsson will be there. as well as contenders for the Solheim Cup team and former liuropean LPGA

w ittttet's. '

HOPETOUN HOUSE FAIR Hopetoun House, South Queensferry, 331 2451. Sun 26 July. loam—5pm. £4 (£1.50/free e

for under five's). The fifth annual fair at Hopetoun House sees a trapeze troupe cal

d the Heir of lnsanitL " a s,

topping the bill. accompanied by an axe racing team from Wales. Other favourites are the Big Tops Earth parachute games, kite and bubble-making workshops and Scott Lovat's Punch and Judy show.

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