EDINBURGH LIFE

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A quick look at Ultimate

What is it? Uitimate is the organised version of the game you may have played

I watt: your dog; it the park on Sundays, You can (all it Frisbee :t you like, but that

(3 (ion; one tyne of ‘piz‘itté'

How do you play it? Two teams ot footbail pitt'i: The Iast 25 yards are by passion tit-3 (1's; to a It-‘JtTt-JTTJIC

cwt’i 2'10 '_i.8’., and (it‘. rerervrno

:nly r be: iY .iitr '.r.t:

seven play on an area roughly the size of a known as the 'endzone’, wrih goals scored inside it. Similar to netball, you cannot run

t you must release It Within ten seconds You lose :-r= .f the (flit-i? ranches tire ground or :i your opponent catches :t The

.s, that your team has to have a Silly name

i Who are the top clubs in the country? Sneekys and Ro-sham-t‘io from

E‘.lt.'il)lll"}lll Word

etirttirt‘ from Glasgow, Flying Sorcerers from St Andrews,

Dun-tree's Shooting Stars and Petroleum from Aberdeen These and other less (yttrxetrretf plays-W ‘.'-.'.'t| mr-et up tor :) ir-(ijor two-day event at I~.'ieadt‘r.'.tbattk in

February

What is the ultimate in Ultimate? August sees 2000 players descendant; on St Andree-rs fer 3th“ \.'*.r'-:,-:il.i Chamaior‘ishrps T‘."‘JO Scottish teams val! be not forward to." trie- ('oinptzs 'itj. lTit?.'TEl;t'."S of {tie exrstinri teams

'_ it'f.‘ kin") yjlrte" rt.) i’):‘ Mew: 10.75 f’l 19!: )t/ndd,’ (if 40.]:

r W l Historic Scotland Tim 7. wot i t -'l‘iiu l4_ \\‘ed 20 Thu 2| .l.ii.. It)a:n---lpni. £6 t£~15()/£I 5th. lidztibtti'gh (‘asiia .tilo. 668 8530 The Historic Scotland season continues w ith iiioi'c‘ Pei'ltii’iiizitic‘cs of living history. drama and comedy. Alba Adv eriture (.‘oinpany present xi Smitty/r ('lurrvruim. who will describe the clothing and the weaponry at his disposal. Ultimate Sun l0 A- !7 Ian. 2pm. The Meadows. info: 225: X534 See photo caption.

Morningside Justice And Peace Group Wed I3. 20 Ian. ll).3l)aiii. 50p. Open Door. Moi'iiingside Road. info. 445 l62B/22‘) l02l) The group's spring programme continues with ittlllllitll'glt University‘s Professor John (irace and lil\ Illlk H'llllll Ilii Ur) .rl/Hli'ii' (“/fIHHft' C/Itllig‘t’ (“'60 I3 .ltllt‘i Itilltiys Cd 0} Glasgow I‘iii's Prof. Bill Wallace \\lIll .‘lllUI/Il’l' lint/t :l.’ RUM/(r (\Vetl It) Jan) Scotland's Rich Moss Flora Thu 14 Jan. 3pm. I‘i'ce. Royal Botanic (iarden. liivei'leith Row. 248 2S4) l)ave long RCiliii. presents it lecture on the flora til Scotland and the maritime climate of the nation which allow s for one of the richest and most interesting byrophyte (that's moss and hver'mort for the uninitiated) Iloras in lzuiope

30/20 Craft 8i Design Fair Sat lo .lan. l0am--4, 30pm Assembly Rooms. (ieorge Street. 220 434?; 3I)/2l) follow tip their Christmas l‘ttll‘ successes with more ware-selling. Take your pick from goods lashioned from silk. ieweller'y. ceramics. wood and testiles. sold to you directly by the hands that made them.

Antique 8r Collectors Fair Sun i7 .Itiri. l0am-5pm. Meadow batik Sports (‘entro London Road. 66) 535 l. Another chance to pick tip some tasty pieces for the drawing room. or add to your no doubt

cut 1/5 .23.er l(«/ rufo

already iinpressiv e collection of model railway accessories.

Costa Bean Tastings Tue to Jan. 7.30pm. (‘osta. Shandwick Place. 22‘) 9328. The recent boom in the IFK cafe society has been pioneered by the likes of Costa. the Italian real coffee experts. So here's your chance to get to know your beans courtesy of (ieimaro Pelliccia with an introduction to the origins of the brew. a tasting session and a chance to learn how to make the perfect espresso.

PERMANENT ATTRACTIONS

Camera Obscura

(‘astlehill (Royal Mile). 226 370‘). Daily l0am~5pin Pick up a pedestrian in your hand at this attraction. which gives visitors a real-time. sot)" image of the city. There is also an exhibition devoted to holographs and photography on the lower floors

Craigmillar Castle

Niddrie Mains. 66l 4445. .\lonw\\'ed iv Sat 9.30am—4.30pm; Thtr 9.30am ~ lpm (closed Fri); Sun 2 -4.30pm. Steep yourself in history at this fantastic castle. the scene of much plotting during the reign of Mary Queen of Scots.

Deep-Sea Word North ()ueensferry. life. 0 l 3H.) 4) IBM). Mon-(Sun l0am- 5pm. £6. l5 t£3.55~£4.25). l‘dll)t)ll.\ lor its underwater tunnel. vs hich brings visitors t;ice-to-tace with .l huge collection of fish tiativ e to our coastlines. Deep-Sea World also houses an :\lt).’t/tilil;'l‘. ram toi'est display. a touch-pool .iiid educational facilities

Edinburgh Castle l-idmbtirgh. 225 ‘).\'4(i, Daily 0.30anin5pin. £6 t LL50 £4.50) Although much of the castle's medieval character was lost when it was converted

into barracks iii the 19th century. continuing excavations aim to redress this. Other attractions include James lV‘s famous cannon. Mons Meg. lots of military silverware and. ofcourse. The Stone Of Destiny.

Huntly House

I42 (.‘anongate. 52‘) 4 I43. M on—Sat 10am-5pm. Packed with historic artefacts. this restored l6th century mansion tells the story of Edinburgh's past and its people. and houses important collections of iidinburgh silver and glass. Scottish pottery and shop signs.

Mary King's Close Tours Meet at Mei‘cat Cross (beside St (.iiles‘ Cathedral). 225 65‘) l. £5 (£4). Mon ck Tue l 1.30am. 2.30pm. 3.30pm. 8.30pm & 9.30pm; Wed-Sun ll.30am. 2.30pm. 3.30pm. 7.30pm & 8.30pm (no I 1.30am tour on Sun). Advanced booking necessary. Literally. a trip to Edinburgh's underworld. Mary King's (‘lose is part of a now subterranean network of streets. walled off in the middle ages during an outbreak of the plague. Visit the restored street and hear the horror stories of the residents left to die.

Midlothian Ski Centre Hillerid. 445 4433. Mon—Sat s).3()am~9pm; Sun 9.30am—7pm. £61113). liiirope's longest artificial ski slope is the perfect place to learn or hone ski-mg and snowboarding skills. The centre also houses a competitively priced ski repair and maintenance facility.

Museum Of Scotland Chambers Street. 247 421‘). Mon—Sat l0am- 5pm; Sun noon-5pm; Tue mam-Spin. £3 l .50): children free. This is the newest addition to our national museums and the only one dedicated solely to Scotland's history and heritage. The budding contains five thematically-arranged eshrbitions. moving from pic-history. through the Industrial Revolution. to the present day.

Newhaven Heritage Museum Newhaven Harbour. 55I 4165. Daily noon -5pm. Free. Memorabilia arid reconstructed scenes tell the story of Newhaveti and its sea-going heritage. from its origins as a naval dockyard to its Continued use as a fishing port. Also show mg: I’l'IltftIIC'IYl/illlt‘ .llr'nrorrt's. See lidiiiburgh Art listings. page 63’.

Palace of Holyroodhouse Royal Mile. 556 I096. Daily ‘).3()arn»4.30pm. £5.30 (£2.60); family ticket £l3. Starting life as a l3th century abbey. the palace has evolved into a sumptuous regal residence crammed full of paintings and artelacts dating back primarily to the l7th century. The tower apartments housed a sad and lonely Mary Queen of Scots for a time. bill with a spectacular view of .-\rthur's Seat. and magnificent gardens to look at. it's hard to feel too sorry for' her.

Queensferry Museum 53 High Street. South Qtieensterr'y. 33I 4 165. Mon. Thu. Fri (k Sat l0arn- lpin tv 2. l 5 5pm; Sun noon 5pm. Free. The natural and historical heritage of Queensferry are explored. from its roots on the medieval pilgrimage trail to the building of the l’ot'th bridges and the wildlife of the l-‘orth estuary.

Royal Botanic Garden lnveileith Row. 552 7l7l. Mon—Sun 0.30am—4pin. I‘r'ee. A sea of tranquillity in the liubbub of the city. the Botanic Garden is home to a wealth of flora and fauna from all over the world. The glasshouses are also home to some fascinating tropical plants. Also showing: I’umi/v, See Edinburgh Art listings. page 68.

listings EDINBURGH llFE

Royal Museum of Scotland

2 Chambers Street. 247 42l9. Mort—Sat l0atn-5pm; Sun noon-5pm: Tue l0am—8pm. £3 (£1.50). A l9th century museum housing international collections of natural history. geology. science. technology and the decorative arts. plus two permanent exhibitions: xtrr & [lit/us!va and The Ii'v Wu Gallery. Also showing: ('liiiit'se Lacquer. See Edinburgh Art listings. page 68.

Royal Observatory Visitor Centre Blackford Hill. 668 8405. Mon-Sat l0am—5pm: Sun noon—5pm. £2.50 (£1.50). This attraction is a mine of information on the heavens. from the latest interactive CD-Roms on space and astronomy to the observzitory‘s on-going work in Hawaii and Australia. Public star-gazing sessions take place every Friday night from October to March.

Royal Yacht Britannia

Ocean Drive. Leith. 555 5566. Daily 10.30am-6pm (last admission 4.30pm). £6.50 (£3.75—£5). The former royal yacht has recently opened its doors to members of the public after a £25 million refit. The on-shore visitor centre contains historical information on the boat and its furnishings. while on the yacht itself. members of the public cart have a good nosey round the royals' former quarters.

The People's Story

(.‘anongate Tolbooth. I63 Canongate. 52‘) 4057. Pylon—Sat l0am—5prn. Situated in the Canongate Tolbooth. the sights. sounds and even smells of [Edinburgh folk from the listh century onwards are faithfully reproduced.

Witchery Tour

.‘yleet outside The Witchery restaurant. (‘as‘tlehill (Royal Mile). 225 6745. £7

(£4 i, 0pm & )0pm. btrt additional tours are available during peak seasons. Take a trip to the dark side of lidinbut‘gh with your guide. Adam |.yal deceased. who will regale you with stories of torture. murder and witchcraft - but watch out for ghosts and ghouls lurking in the shadows.

Writers 'Museum lady Stair‘s House. l.ady Starr's Close. 52‘) 4U0l. .\‘Itiltv~~S;lI l0arii 5pm. A treasure-house of items relating to three of Scotland's most famous \\ ritcrs: Robert Louis Stevenson. Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott.

OUTSIDE THE CITIES

Roamin' On The Wild Side Sun it;- Jan. IUam—noon. Caldet‘gleri Country Park. Strathaven Road. Fast Kilbride. 0I355 236644. Shake off those New Year blues with a stroll along the forest tracks at .-\rdochrig. a little known but eye- pleasing corner of South latiarkshire. The Countryside Ranger is your guide as long as you bring warm clothing and walking boots.

Howden Park Centre Workshops Howden Park Centre. Livingston. 01506 433634. Anyone with a modicum of energy left after the festive pigging-out. can take their pick from a triptych of courses running through to the spring. First up is Lil. Hyde's Egyptian Belly Dance classes exclusively for women. which aids therapy vra the fluidity of movement (Thu )4 .laii-Thu 25 Mar. 7~-8.30pm. £40 (£30) for ten sessions). .~\Iternatively. there is Gillian Love and the red hot rhythms of I aim Atiierican dance (Mon IS Jan—Mon 2‘) Mar. 6.30—7.30prn for beginners; 7.30—8.30pm for previous attendees. £30 (£20) for ten sessions). Finally. if you want to get some aggressive or creative tension released. how about the Taiko Drum course where you can learn about the history and development of the Japanese drum as well as beating the hell out of it (Tue I‘) Jan—Tue 23 Feb. 7.3()«‘).30pm. £36 (£24) for six sessions).

7—2) Jan 1999 THE LIST73