special performance with free creche facilities.

musical is anything like the publicity.

you can expect plenty of hunky male

Edinburgh Mondays :

Groups

Gay Men’s Swimming Group Call 226 4476. 8pm. Weekly. Informal swimming session. Call for more information.

Clubs

Trendy Wendy Planet Out. Greenside Place. 524 0061. 10.30pm-3am (bar from 6pm). Free. Fortnightly. DJ's every week and Trendy Wendy doing her thing every fortnight (Mon 4 Mar).

Bars

Diverse Drinkers Holyrood Tavern. 9a Holyrood Road. 556 5044. 8pm. Free. Mon 4 Mar. Monthly. Appreciation of real ale in a gay friendly environment.

flesh on display.

Comedy GOT On Tuesday The Stand, 6 York

3 Place. 558 7272. 7.30pm. £5 (£4). Tue 12

Mar. Monthly. The Stand's monthly dose

. of camp comedy and gay friendly laughs.

Host Craig Hill introduces Deirdre

O‘Kane while Jill Peacock oversees the Campest Link competition.

Cinema

Aimee a Jaguar Cameo. 38 Home Street. Tollcross. 228 4141. 6.30pm. £3.50—£5.20 (£1—£3.50). Tue 5 Mar. A

lesbian romance set in war-time Berlin so

jaw-droppingly implausible that it can only be true.

HISTORICAL NOVEL

SARAH WATERS

Flngersmith (Virago £12.99) eeee

At 548 pages, Fingersmith might be

rather daunting, but this bodice- rlpplng, Victorian set melodrama keeps you on tenterhooks and ultimately makes a great read.

Sarah Waters’ third novel is about Sue, a young orphan living in a den of thleves in London’s East End,

listings Gay

Waters takes on Wilkie

who is whisked off to a creepy gothic country estate, where she hopes to dupe plain young heiress Maud out of her fortune. However all is not as it seems, as we go on a densely-plotted journey taking in lunatic asylums, country ldylls and a secret club of gentlemen pornographers.

Never letting up for a page, Fingersmith takes Wilkie Collins’ The Woman In White as a role model and utterly subverts it. For Waters, this novel is about using all the things she loves about 19th century fiction for a lesbian agenda. The book in part deals with the intimate relationship between

; Edinburgh Wednesdays

Groups

Women's Group Drop-In LGB

Edinburgh Tuesdays 3

Clubs

Fairy Liquid Loca. 235 Cowgate. 225 5413. 10pin—3am. £tbc. Weekly. New weekly gay night promising uplifting chart and dance.

Theatre

A Streetcar Named Desire Until Fri 15 Mar. See Thu.

Mame L'ntil Sat 9 Mar. See Thu. Godspell Festival Theatre. 13/29 .\'icolson Street. 529 6000. 7.30pm (Sat & Thu matinees 2.30pm). £6.50—£21 (£4.50—£l8). Tue 12—Sat 16 Mar. lfthe

Centre. 60 Broughton Street. 478 7069. 7pm. Free. Weekly. Informal drop in group for women.

dlnburgh Gay Women's Group Nexus. Broughton Street. 557 8847. 7pm. Free. Weekly. Social group.

: lcebreakers CC Blooms. 23—24 : Greenside Place. 556 9331. 8—9.15pm.

Free. Wed 13 Mar. Monthly. Group for lesbians. gay men. bisexuals. and transgender people.

. Theatre A Streetcar Named Deslre L'ntil Fri 15 Mar. See Thu.

Mame Until Sat 9 Mar. See Thu. Godspell Until Sat 16 Mar. See Tue.

mistress and maid, and the possible shift of that power dynamic.

Waters’ 1998 debut novel, fipping The Velvet is a raucous adventure set in the cross-dressing world of Victorian music hall. For her lesbian characters, she appropriates the world of the upper class 18905 homosexual male and ' their love of ‘rough trade’. Emma Donoghue called it ‘a lesbian Rake’s Progress’ and Andrew Davies, TV adaptor extraordinaire, is making a three-

part series of the book for BBC2.

Her second novel Affinity was an altogether darker affair and explored lesbian desire in a Wctorian Millbank prison. It won the Somerset Maugham award, and helped earn Waters the Young Writer Of The Year award from

The Sunday Times.

Fingersmith, Victorian slang for pickpocket, only adds to Waters’ reputation. The story never becomes hackneyed and is filled with a gallery of larger than life characters, including a collection of thieves who are the heroine’s ‘alternative family’. Fingersmith is passionate, thrilling and a great

mystery all at once. (John Binnie)

Clubs

Bonnets 90 Glassford Street. 552 5761. 1 lpm—3.30am. £3—£6 (£2—£5). Bennets recently celebrated it's twentieth birthday and is open for fun five nights a week with excellent dance action Wed to Sun and a student night on Thu.

Cube 34 Queen Street. 226 8990.

l 1.30pm—3am. £3 (£2 with flyer). Formerly known as Planet Peach this revamped club holds gay nights on Mon and Tue with Passionality and FUN. both playing cheesy chart and handbag house.

Polo Lounge 84 Wilson Street. 553 1221. 10pm—3am. £5. If you're up for a dance downstairs in the P010 is the place to be with club nights Fresh. Lush! and Carry on Polo Fri to Sun.

Bars

Candle Bar 20 Candleriggs. 564 1285. 9pm. Free. This lively bar has a disco flavour on Wed. Fri and Sat. with an intriguing mix of gossip. trivia and karaoke in the company ofAngieO on a Sun.

Court Bar 69 Hutcheson Street. 552 2463. 6.30-10pm. Free. A popular traditional bar where you can chill all week apart from Sun when it's karaoke time.

Delmonlcae 68 Virginia Street. 552 4803. 9pm. Free. Dels has a week packed full of things to keep you amused with DJs on Fri. Sat. Mon and Tue. a quiz on Thu. karaoke on Sun and a games night on Wed.

L BT Centre 11 Dixon Street. 221 7203. 1 lam—12am. Free. The bar/cafe in the LGBT is not only a perfect venue for coffees. food and drink but also has karaoke from Fri to Sun.

Polo Lounge 84 Wilson Street. 553 1221. lOpm—lam. Free. Entertainment from Mon to Thu with everything from laid back sounds and live music from Tom and .Vlarj at the beginning of the week to funk. disco and request fun nearer the weekend.

Revolver 6a John Street. 553 2456. 8.30pm. Free. Weekly. Popular newish

bar which hosts arcade game and quiz nights on Sat afternoons and also has what is becoming a legendary free jukebox with over 5000 top tunes to choose from.

Sadie Frosts 8—10 West George Street. 332 8005. l2pm—12am. Free. There‘s a little something for everyone throughout the week with DJs (Fri. Sat and Mon). karaoke (Thu and Sun) and quizzes (Tue and Wed). Just to be different Tue blends the quiz and karaoke and comes up with quizoke while Sun is women only in the Blue Room.

Waterloo Waterloo Street. 229 5891. l2pm—12am. One of Glasgow‘s best known gay bars.

Shopping

Clone Zone LGBT Centre. Dixon Street. 221 7203. Mon—Sat l 1am—9pm. Sun 12pm-9pm. Wide range of videos. magazines and toys.

GLASGOW GROUPS

BI-G-Les C/O LGBT. 1 1 Dixon Street.

221 7203. Group offering befriending

and support network for lesbians.

bisexuals and gay men under the age of 5

Body Posltlve 3 Park Quadrant. 332 5010. Support and advice for those affected b HIV/AIDS.

Centre or Women's Health 2 Sandyford Place. 21 1 6700. Offering a range of information and services to women and specific services for lesbians.

Glasgow Lesblan Llne PO Box 686. G3 7TL. 552 3355. Giving advice and support either on the phone or by SAE.

Glasgow Women’s lerary 109 Trongate. 552 8345. Open Tue—Fri 1-6pm; Sat 2-5pm. A library full of women's literature as well as the lesbian archive. An ideal place to find out about women's events happening across Scodand.

Phace West 49 Bath Street. 332 3838. The main service in the West of Scotland for people who are affected by HIV/AIDS.

Steve Retson Project 2 Sandyford Place. 21 l 8601. Open Tue 8; Thu 5.30—8.30pm. Sexual health advice and counselling for ay men. Strathclyde esblan a Gay Switchboard PO Box 38. (12 201i. 332 8372. Open 7—l()pm daily. Confidential advice for all gay men and lesbians.

EDINBURGH SCENE

Clubs

C.C. Blooms 23—24 Greenside Place. 556 9331. 10.30pm—3am (bar from 6pm). Free. A bar and club with a whole host of high camp and disco classics.

Bars

Blue Moon Cafe 1 Barony Street. 557 0911. Mon-Fri l lam—1 1.30pm. Sat—Sun 9pm—12.30am. Free. Edinburgh's longest running gay cafe. Nexus 60 Broughton Street. 478 7069. llam—l 1pm. Free. This cafe/bar is part of the LGB Centre and serves up tasty food as well as being a great place to find out what‘s going on.

C.C. Blooms 23—24 Greenside Place. 556 933 l. 10.30pm—3am (bar from 6pm). Free. A bar and club with a whole host of high camp and disco classics. Habana Greenside Place. 558 1271). 12pm—lam. Free. A popular place to go for a drink and a mingle.

Flashback 9 Hope Street. 226 0901. 4pm—lam. Formerly Flares this new gay venue has yet to prove its metal htit promises a 70's and 80‘s feel with cheesy disco and pop every night.

Frenchlea Rose Street. 225 7651. lpm—lam. Free. A place to chat and chill or wait until Sun for the trivia quiz or Wed for karaoke with Titty Galore. The Gilded Saloon 233 Coyvgatc. 226 6550. 9pm-lam. Free. Every Sun the Saloon holds the oh so convenient pre-club session for Taste at the Honeycomb.

The Laughing Duck 24 Hotte Street. 220 2376. .‘v‘lon—Thu l 1am~l 1pm. Fri & Sat 1 lam—lam. Stin

11.30am—l 1pm. It's back and it's gay again. Stylish. comfy bar. conducive to chatting and merrymaking. Doyy nstairs

club for open mike. goth and rock sessions beginning late January.

New Town Bar Dublin Street. 538 7775, Mon Thu 12piii~lam. FrieSat 12pm 2am. Sun 12.30pm—lam. Gay cruise hai' attracting a slightly older crowd and their aditiircrs. Sexy underground club at v. eekends.

Planet Out (ircenside Place. 524 ()061. .\ion --i:l'l 4piii—lam. Sat—Sun 3pin~ lam. l‘i'ee. .-\ darn line bar with DJs every .\lon night. a quiz on Tuesdays and Trendy Wendy ol'l'ackno lame doing her sttill ey cry l‘oi'tniglit and Lush? DJ's Craig and Dale doing their thing every Sat night.

Shoppmg Out of the Blue Barony Street. 478 7048. Mot: 1511 llaiii-~7pm. Sat

11am opm. Finn 12pit1--(ipin.(iay and Lesbian shop located downstairs from the Blue Moon (are \\ ith a \\ ith hooks, mags. toy s and \ ideos.

Bobbie’s Bookshop 22t).\1orrison Sll'ct‘l. .558 711(1‘). .\itlll Sal

10am 5.30pm. Stocks a \\ ide selection of gay maga/incs from the 1K and abroad.

EDINBURGH GROUPS

A.D. (‘ontact 556411-11).(iroupl‘or lesbians over 41). .\leets monthly to plan social eyeiits. Newcomers welcome. ('all for more details.

Dykes Night Out Pt) Box 169. EH1 3l.l'. lllltll'lllttl get togethei's and social evenings for women.

Lesbian Line 55711751. .\lon & Thu 7.3(1 ltlpm. llelplinc.

LGBT Police Link 1.013 Centre. 60 Broughton Street. .\lon 6—7pm. Weekly. (‘all 6205138. (330 5140 il‘you want a chat \\ ith your community ol'licer. Lothian Gay & Lesbian Switchboard 556 41149. 7.3(l—ltlpm every day. (iay and lesbian helpline giving all types of ady ice including sexual health and HIV/AIDS. Stonewall Youth Project Contact (12: 33M) tUlliccl 11111845 1131) (1(15 (Yotitlilinel. Regular meetings and social eyeiits for lesbians. gay men. hise\tia|s and the tiansgeiidered tinder lllL‘ tlgc‘ til 30.

f 3.7" THE LIST 69