GLASGOW LIFE

SPECIAL EVENTS

Concentric Cities Throughout the year. Info: 287 1999. Part ofGlasgow 1999. this is essentially a do-it-yourself guided tour to the city. Split into three parts. it highlights many significant landmarks throughout Glasgow. to create the largest ‘exhibition‘ in the world.

Dazzle Until Sun 25 Apr. 10am. Royal Concert Hall. Sauchiehall Street. 332 6633. One in every 1.000 Brits have bought from a Dazzle exhibition. which is a lot. Among those who have purchased anything from jewellery and metalwor'k to tea strainers and cufllinks are Salman Rushdie. Julie Andrews. Siobhan Redmond and Elton John. so you'll be in good company.

Grassroots Cookery School Thu 15. Sat 17 & Sat 24 Apr. llam—3pm. Grassroots. \Votxllands Road. 353 3278. The spring season at Grassroots continues with Kathryn Hamilton's lntrm/uetion 7o lilgeturiun Cooking (Thu 15 Apr) while Raymond Danks ofAir Organic talks about the making of a yakatori lunchbox (Sat 17 Apr) and Ms Hamilton returns with tips on North African and Moroccan cooking (Sat 24 Apr). Call the above number for further details and prices.

Orchids For Beginners Thu 15 Apr. 2pm. £2.70 (non-members); £1.10 (members). The Botanic Gardens. Great Western Road. 334 2422. The Botanics' resident orchid guru [)avid Menzies presents a workshop providing beginners and the more advanced with tips on purchasing. growing and showing this most florid of flowering plants.

Scottish Grand National Sat 17 Apr. Ayr Racecourse. Whitletts Road. Ayr. 01292 264179. See photo caption. Glasgow Book Market Sat 17 & Sun 18 Apr. l0am—5pm. Free. Hopkirk Room. Botanic Gardens. Great Western Road. info: 01560 600349. A host of rare and secondhand books. maps and vintage film magazines for sale. plus valuations for any tomes you may wish to bring along

Weekend Orchid Fair Sat 17 8; Sun 18 Apr. 10am—5pm. Botanic Gardens. Great Western Road. 334 2422. The Botanics houses one of the largest orchid collections in the country. so it's no surprise they're holding this fair. The event also incorporates the Glasgow Evergreen April Show.

Women Inspired: A Day Of Complimentary Wisdom Sat 17 Apr. I0am—5.l5pm. £25--£45 (£20). Clyde Auditorium. Finnieson Quay. 287 7777. Kaye Adams hosts a day-long programme of events designed to inspire women and help them 'wake up and enjoy lifel' and in case that doesn't work there are stalls selling chocolates and make-up. so you can fall back on the old favourites.

Behind The Headlines Tue 27 Apr. lpm. £3.50 (£3 in advance). Royal Concert Hall. Sauchiehall Street. 287 5511. The Glasgow Airport Conversation Pieces series continues with the ever-intrepid Kate Adie taking time off from the Kosovan fr'ontline to chat about her life iii the world's hotspots.

Cornerstone Lecture Series Thu 29 Apr. 7.30pm. St Mungo Museum. info: 248 4970. The first in a series of illustrated lectures organised for Glasgow's spell as City of Architecture. Dr Richard Fawcett of Historic Scotland gets the ball rolling with “Glasgow's Cathedral: Why Was It Built And How Was It Used‘.

Dance Classes Various venues. Get your limbs moving in a l.atin-stylee with these salsa classes -— Academia de Salsa is at Porters. Sauchiehall Street (Mon 6.30pm for intermediates; 8.30pm for advanced; Tue 6.30pm for beginners; call 564

80 THE llST l‘,)--29Apr 1999

1983); Salsa Sabrosa at 13th Note Club. Clyde Street (Tue 8—10. 15pm for beginners and intermediates; call 339 4193). Salsa Sabrosa is also at Bar Havana. Hope Street (Thu 8—9.30pm for beginners; call 339 4193). Ifjazz and street dance is more your thing then jazz- based exercise and dance classes (jazzercise) are available at Northcote Street Hall. Victoria Cross. Hyndland on Sat 10.45 & 11.45am. Bring loose clothing and trainers for this one.

PERMANENT ATTRACTIONS

Burrell Collection

2060 Pollokshaws Road. Glasgow. 649 7151. Mon-Sat 10am—5pm; Sun llam—5pm. Free. Sir William Burrell's world famous collection of beautiful art objects from around the globe. housed in a specially designed. award-winning building.

Chatelherault Country Park

Carlisle Road. Hamilton. 01698 426213. Mon—Sat 10am—5pm; Sun noon—5.30pm (house open Mon—Thu & Sat 10am 4.30pm; Sun noon-4.30pm). Free. Named after the Duke of Hamilton's hunting lodge. restored to its former glory in 1987. the park also contains the ruins of Cadzow Castle and extensive woodland walks. some through ancient native forest. Exhibitions about the area‘s history and wildlife are complimented by a full programme of ranger-led activities (call for further details).

Coats Observatory

49 Oakshaw Street West. Paisley. Glasgow. 889 2013. Tue-Sat l0am—5pm; Sun 2—5pm. Free. Built as the result of an endowment from a local philanthropist in 1880. the observatory now acts as the major seismic station for south west Scotland as well as tiling daily weather reports to the Met Office. The telescopic equipment is still operational and the building houses a library of specialist books

David Livingstone Centre

165 Station Road. Blantyre. Glasgow. 01698 823140. Mon—Sat 10am—4.30pm; Sun l2.30—4.30pm. £2.95 (£1.60—£l.75). This museum. situated in the tenement where Scotland's most famous missionary-explorer was born. features memorabilia from his life. both in Scotland and in the heart ofAfrica.

Fossil Grove

Victoria Park. Glasgow. 287 2000. Daily noon—5pm. Free. Glasgow‘s oldest tourist attraction. designated as a site of special scientific interest by Scottish Natural Heritage. provides interpretative displays and the opportunity to examine geological specimens dating from 350 million years ago.

Glasgow Botanic Gardens

730 Great Western Road. Glasgow. 334 2422. Grounds open dawn till dusk: Kibble Palace. daily 1 lam—4.45pm. Free. This 19th century garden and glasshouses are home to an interesting and educational selection of plants. as well as featuring in the film Jm/e.

Glasgow Zoopark

Calderpark. Uddingston. Glasgow, 771 1185. Daily 9.30am—5pm (last entry 3.30pm). £4.60 (£2.70). A popular haunt on school trips. Glasgow Zoopark boasts a varied collection of animals. frorn lions to guinea pigs. as well as a well~stocked reptile house. There is also a full programme of interactive events. such as snake-handling and birds of prey flying displays. plus a Children‘s Farm. amusements and an orienteering

Hunterian Museum

University Avenue. Glasgow. 330 4221. Mon—Sat 9.30am—5pm. Free. Dating frorn 1807. the Hunter'ian is Scotland's oldest public museum it lost its artworks in 1980 with the opening of the purpose-built art gallery in the grounds. but it is still home to a collection of the university's treasures. Also on show: The History ()fSeottis/t Bunk Notes and The Animal Construction Company see Glasgow Art listings. page 74.

Hutcheson's Hall

158 lngram Street. Glasgow. 552 8391. Mon-Sat 10am—5pm. Free. Built by the philanthropic Hutcheson brothers in the 19th century. the hall has recently been completely refurbished to give a taste of its former glory. The site also includes a ten-minute audio-visual display about the Merchant City. Note —- viewing is subject to functions in the main hall. Also on show: On The 7i/e.v see Glasgow Art listings. page 74.

Motherwell Heritage Centre 35 High Road. lvlotherwell. 01698

251000. Mon—Sat 10am—5pm (7pm Thu);

Sun noon—5pm. Entry to local history laboratory £2 (£1). The centre's fully interactive exhibitions tell the story of Mother'well's people and landscape from Roman times. through the Industrial Revolution. to the present day. Highlights include computer consoles which allow you to follow local people as they journey through life. and the tower. which allows you to view the effects of Motlierwell's industrial heritage on the landscape of North l.anarkshire.

Mugdock Country Park

Craigallan Road. Milngavie. Glasgow. 956 6100. Free. This country park on the north east side of the city has a full programme of ranger activities as well as numerous woodland paths and walkways. The visitor centre is open 9am-5pm every day of the year. Call for more details on the opening times of the gift shop and crafts unit. or for a full itinerary of countryside events.

Museum Of Transport

Kelvin Hall. 1 Burnhouse Road. Glasgow. 287 2720. Mon—Sat l0am—5pm; Sun 1|am—5pm. Free. A museum crammed with buses. trams. fire engines. ships and other paraphernalia. devoted to the history of transport. Permanent exhibitions include Shipbuilding ()n The River Clyde. a large mural by David h'lcFarlane; Hit/king Drum. an interactive sculpture by Stephen Healy; and l‘ir'tintv ()/ 7i'onv/mrt by Justin Carter. Also on show: lulu/mines: The Hunuut ('oit see Glasgow Art listings. page 74.

SCOTTISH GRAND NATIONAL S

at 17 Apr, Ayr Racecourse, Whitletts Road,

People's Palace 8: Winter Garden Glasgow Green. Glasgow. 554 0223. Mon—Sat 10am—5pm: Sun 11am—5pm. Free. Glasgow‘s best-loved institution has recently undergone a major facelift to celebrate its centenary year. The new displays are set out thematically with subjects including The Putter. Visions Of The City and Crime And Punishment.

Pollok House

Pollok Country Park. 2060 Pollokshaws Road. Glasgow. 616 6410. Mon—Sun l0am—5pm. £3.20 (£2.20); family ticket £8.60. One of the most elegant 18th century buildings iii the country. this historic house features some of the finest Spanish paintings in Britain from the collection of Sir William Stirling Maxwell.

Scotland Street School Museum Museum Of Education. 225 Scotland Street. Glasgow, 429 1202. Mon—Sat 10am—5pm; Sun 2—5pm. Free. Designed in 1904 by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and now home to archive material on education in Scotland frorn 1872 onwards. Reconstructed classrooms give a flavour of Victorian. Edwardian. World War 11 and 1960s school days. Also on show: l’ui.vuk/ti Banners: Sikh Faith And Culture and The Three Fingered F ete/r see Glasgow Art listings. page 74.

Scotland's Theme Park

Strathclyde Country Park. lvlotherwell. 01698 333999. Admission to the site is free. btrt you pay for rides and amusements. Indoors open lOam—lOpm: outdoor rides open l—10pm. The outdoor theme park has a huge selection of fair'gr'ound rides. including the ‘Tornado'. Scotland's largest roller-coaster. And. when that shuts in November (or on any other occasion when the Scottish weather is such that you'd rather be inside). there's an indoor amusement arcade with a themed food court and a children's soft play area.

St Mungo Museum of Religious Life And Art

2 Castle Street. Glasgow. 553 2557. Mon—Sat 10am—5pm; Strn 11am—5pm. Free. A museum of world faiths. featuring a '/.eu garden. priceless art works from the world's six major religions. Dali's ('hrivt ()fSoint John (21' The Cross and the story of religion in Scotland through words and pictures.

Tenement House

145 Bttccleuch Street. Garnethill. Glasgow. 333 0183. Daily 2—5pm. £3 (£2). This typical Victorian tenement flat of 1892 provides a fascinating look at Glasgow life during the first half of the 20th century.

Ayr, 01292 264179. If the dangerous excitement of the Aintree national event wasn’t enough for you, there's the opportunity to have a flutter with the Scottish variety. It's a full fifteen years since Scotland's last trained success and hopes appear to be resting on Jim Goldie with Bright Destiny. Whoever wins, they will be taking home a fair whack of the

£70,000 prize money.