EDINBURGH LIFE listings
EDINBURGH LIFE: SPECIAL EVENTS cont.
Caledonian Canine Dog Show Sat 5 Feb, 9am—4pm. Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, 333 3036. A particularly Scottish sounding dog show.
Homes Overseas Exhibition Sat 5—Sun 6 Feb, 11am—6pm. £2.50 (children free). Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, 333 3036. Find out all you need to know about buying your dream home in the sun at this exhibition, with hourly seminars regarding hotspots such as Spain, Portugal and Florida. Una paloma blanca . . .
Inde endent Traveller's World
Exhi ition Sat 5—Sun 6 Feb, Sat lOam—6pm; Sun 10am—5pm. £4—£5. Assembly Rooms, 54 George Street, 220 4349. If you’re planning on going globe- trotting, then head along to this exhibition first, featuring experts from travel companies with advice on everything from transport and accommodation to working abroad and health guidelines. There will also be a wide selection of talks such as Dancing in Cuba and Vietnam on a Motorbike. Go pack your bags!
Antique 8r Collectors Fair Sat 12—Sun 13 Feb, Sat 10am—5pm; Sun 9am—5pm. £3. Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, 333 3036. Ornaments, furniture and collectibles from one of Britain’s largest antique fair organisers.
Sport
Scottish National Senior Championships Fri 4—Sun 6 Feb, £1.50—£3 (75p—£1.50). Meadowbank Sports Centre, 139 London Road, 661 5351. Events to establish the Scottish national badminton champions.
Talks
She Was Aye Working Wed 9 Feb, 12.30pm. Free. Huntly House, 142 Canongate, 529 4143. Helen Clark, keeper of Social History at City of Edinburgh Council gives a lunchtime talk.
A McDonald In The Camp Of Sitting Bull Thu 10 Feb, 6.30pm. £2. Royal Museum Of Scotland, 2 Chambers Street, 247 4219. Writer and historian Dr Jim Hunter looks at a Scottish emigrant’s family's cultural experiences in North America. The talk takes place in the Lecture Theatre, entrance via Lothian Street, and tickets are available from the Information Desk, 10am—5pm.
The Philosophy Cafe Thu 17 Feb, 7—9pm. lnstitut Francais d'Ecosse, 13 Randolph Crescent, 225 5366. Get your teeth into some weighty philosophical debate at the French Institute. The proceedings are conducted in English and this week‘s topic is The Nation: An Outdated Notion.
Other Events
life Under Siege Thu 3 Feb, Thu 10 Feb, Thu 17 Feb, 10am—4pm. £6.50 (£2—£5). Edinburgh Castle, 225 9846.
Alba Adventure Company’s living history demonstration recreates the time of the Jacobite uprising.
All For The Prince Fri 4 Feb, Fri 11 Feb, lOam—4pm. £6.50 (£2—£5). Edinburgh Castle, 225 9846. The Jacobite redcoats and Highland clans do battle in this exciting re-enactment from Alba Adventure Company.
Chinese New Year Celebration Sun 6 Feb, 1pm. £3.50. Festival Theatre, 13—29 Nicolson Street, 529 6000. Join the Edinburgh Chinese School to celebrate the Year Of The Dragon, featuring the dragon dance, traditional Chinese music, acrobatic display and a martial arts demonstration. Prior to this event you can watch the colourful Dragon Parade, departing from the St James Centre at 11am and winding it’s way up to the Festival Theatre. See photo caption.
PERMANENT ATTRACTIONS
Deep-Sea World
North Oueensferry. 01383 411880. Mon—Fri 11am—5pm; Sat—Sun 10am—6pm. £6.15 (£3.55—£4.25). Famous for its underwater tunnel, which brings visitors face to face with a huge collection of fish native to our coastlines, Deep-Sea World also houses an Amazonian rain forest display, a touch- pool and educational facilities. Expert staff are on hand to answer questions and, thanks to the latest communications technology, visitors can even talk to divers as they feed the animals in the aquarium.
Dynamic Earth
Holyrood Road, 550 7800. Wed—Sun l0am—5pm (winter hours). £5.95 (£3.50—4.40); family ticket £16.50. With volcanoes erupting beneath your feet, a tropical rainstorm pouring down. earthquakes and tidal waves at every turn, the history of the earth has never been more interesting. Edinburgh’s brand new visitor attraction uses stunning new developments in interactive technology to piece together the history of the planet, creating a thoroughly modern way to step back in time. For temporary exhibitions. see Edinburgh Art listings, page 70.
Edinburgh Castle
Castlehill, 225 9846. Daily 9.30am—5pm (last admission 4.15pm). £6 (£2—£5). Although much of the castle‘s medieval character was lost when it was converted into barracks in the 19th century, continuing excavations aim to redress this. Other attractions include James lV‘s famous cannon, Mons Meg, lots of military silverware and, of course, The Stone Of Destiny, used to crown Scottish kings since time began.
Museum Of Childhood
42 High Street, 529 4142. Mon—Sat lOam—Spm. Free. Founded in 1955. the museum has five public galleries with all
...art classes for all
Our range of printmaking classes has something tor everyone; from the complete beginner to the professional artist
Come and use our superb studio facilities and discover what a
great place It is to learn
Classes are carefully structured to offer great value for money
Contact us for your ‘ ' February and March 2000
Edinburgh Printmakers 23 Union Street Edinburgh EH1 3LR
brochure, outlining our classes for
T 0131 557 2479 E printmakers@ednet.co.uk
'SPJE‘EXRGJ' C“*°'“.-:E-"“~'°‘l
76 THE UST 3—17 Feb 2000
eccentric.
Enter The Dragon
Why is Chinese New Year different? The traditional Chinese calendar is a lunar one, With months calculated between new moons. Within a twelve-year cycle, each year is represented by an animal, from the monkey to the ox.
Which animal is it this year? 2000 is the Year of the Dragon, and people born this year are expected to be natural leaders, passionate, demanding and a little
What can I expect to see? The colourful Dragon Parade, organised by Edinburgh
Chinese School, leaves the St James Centre at 11am, and winds its way up to the
Nico/son Street, 529 6200.
manner of archive material and old toys relating to childhood through the ages. From antique dolls to 1980s computer games. there's plenty here to send you off on a trip down memory lane. For temporary exhibitions. see Edinburgh Art 7 listings, page 70.
Museum Of Scotland
Chambers Street, 247 4219. Mon—Sat ltlam—Spm; Sun noon—5pm; Tue 10am—8pm. £3 (£1.50—children under 18 free). Devoted solely to the history and heritage of Scotland. the building contains five thematically-arranged exhibitions, moving from pre-history, through the Industrial Revolution, to the , present day. at which point national heroes such as Billy Connolly and Elaine C. Smith get involved.
Palace Of Holyroodhouse
3 Royal Mile. 556 1096. Daily
‘ 9.30am—4.30pm. £5.50 (£2.70—£4); family ticket £13.50. Starting life as a 13th century abbey, the palace has evolved into a sumptuous regal residence crammed full of paintings and artefacts dating back primarily to the 17th century. The tower apartments housed a sad and lonely Mary Queen of Scots' for a time. but with a spectacular view of Arthur's Seat. and magnificent gardens to look at, it’s hard to feel too sorry for her. For temporary exhibitions. see Edinburgh Art listings, page 70.
Royal Botanic Garden
Inverleilh Row, 552 7171. Daily 9.30am-5pm. Free. A sea of tranquillity in the hubbub of the city. the Botanic Garden is home to a wealth of flora and fauna from all over the world. The glasshouses give you the opportunity to
Festival Theatre. The main celebration features a Chinese orchestra, singing and dance along With acrobatics and kung fu demonstrations.
What about the dragons? Fear not, there Will be plenty of dragons, not to mention lions When spectacular traditional dances are performed.
.4 Chinese New Year Celebration, Sun 6 Feb, 7pm. £3.50. Festival Theatre, 13—29
check out tropical plants as well. The site
also hosts art exhibitions, horticultural
courses and various countryside events, including daily guided walks in the
Royal Museum Of Scotland
2 Chambers Street, 247 4219. Mon—Sat 10am-5pm; Sun noon—5pm; Tue 10am—8pm. £3 (£1.50—children under 18 free). A 19th century museum housing international collections of natural history, geology, science, technology and the decorative arts, plus two permanent exhibitions: Art & Industry and The Ivy il'a Gallery. For temporary exhibitions, see Edinburgh Art listings, page 70.
Royal Observatory Visitor Centre Blackford Hill, 668 8405. Mon—Sat
; 10am—5pm; Sun noon—5pm. £3 (£2);
family ticket £7. This attraction is a mine ‘ of information on the heavens, from the
latest interactive CD-Roms on space and astronomy to the observatory’s on-going work in Hawaii and Australia. Public
1 star-gazing sessions take place every
Friday night from October to March.
The People's Story
Canongate Tolbooth, 163 Canongate, 529 4057. Mon—Sat 10am—5pm. Free. Situated in the Canongate Tolbooth, the sights, sounds and even smells of Edinburgh folk from the 18th century onwards are faithfully reproduced.
Writers' Museum
Lady Stair’s House, Lady Stair‘s Close, 529 4901. Mon-Sat 10am—5pm. Free. A treasure-house of items relating to three of Scotland's most famous writers: Robert Louis Stevenson, Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott.