Around Town

Events are listed by date, then type. Submit listings at least ten days before publication to sportOlist.co.uk for sport or morag.bruce@list.co.uk for all other events. Listings compiled by Morag Bruce and Rachael Street.

Glasgow amm—

Activities & Events

Indian Head Massage Borders Books. Fort Retail Park. 390 l’royan Walk. 773 2910. 6 8pm. £8. The perfect pre-weekend wind—down with resident therapist Lil Forrester. liach massage lasts around 15 minutes.

GOMA Open Volunteer Session Gallery of Modern Art. Queen Street. 276 9381. 6pm. Free. Find out all you need to know about becoming a guide in one of Glasgow’s most dynamic and exciting galleries.

Poplifel 13th .\'ote Cafe. 5060 King Street. 553 1638. 8.30pm. £1. In this monthly pop quiz the questions are secondary to getting drunk. singing along to Spandau Ballet and moaning about the

Talks

Ronnie Scott: Death by Design Borders Books. 98 Buchanan Street. 222 7700. 6.30pm. Free. Discover the true story behind the lamous Glasgow Necropolis w itlr cemetery historian. Scott.

Workshops

Polestars Archies. 27 Waterloo Street. 020 8678 1269. £130. Learn the art of poledancing in this six-week course. It's an invigorating. playful and accessible keep fit alternatiye. much fosier than step aerobics any way.

Talks

2005 West End Lectures Wollson Medical School. Glasgow L'niyers‘ity. L'niversity Ave. 330 1853. 10am 5pm. £32 per day. Hosted by David Martin .\1BF.. Experts on Glasgow's Victorian and Edwardian West Iind present illustrated lectures on its architecture. indirstrial archaeology and local. social. and family histot}. Part of the West [furl festival 2005.

Activities & Events

As Sure as the Clyde Flows GilmorehillGl2. 9 L'rriyer‘sity' Avenue. 330 5522. 2.30pm. £3. A group of writers from Multistory address the issues of poverty and the G8 Summit through poetry. sketches and a wee bit of music. Part of the ll'r'xl Iz'ml I'i’.\lfl'(ll 2005.

Fairs

Scotland’s Garden Scheme Kibble Palace. Glasgow Botanic Gardens. 730 Great Western Road. 334 2422.

1 1am 4pm. Free. A large selection of plants for sale and an opportunity to \ isit the orchid. begonia and fern greenhouses. Japanese Matsuri Wellington Church. 77 Southpark Avenue (off Lniyersity Avenue). 330 3701. 2--5pm. Free. Find out more about Japanese culture at this event with traditional costume. origami. drumming and games. Part of the Hi'sl Ifml l'i'Slfl'U/ 2005.

Food & Drink

Mansfield Park Farmer’s Market Mansfield Park. llyndland Street. 287 2000. 10am-2pm. A chance to buy produce direct from farmers.

Spon

* The Big Wheel Kely ingrove l’ark. ()tago Street. 334 6363. 10.30am 2.30pm. £10 (£5 for children): family ticket £20. (‘harity cy cIe-athon all the way to the

30 THI LIST 9—23 Jun 200:":

STREET FESTIVAL WEST END FESTIVAL

Byers Road and various venues, Glasgow, Fri 10—Sun 26 June

The West End Festival brings a little bit of Rio to the Byres Road area every June. And this year there’s another feast of events, from the cerebral to the celebratory, across the two weeks. According to Michael Dale, festival director and founder of other big events such as Fringe Sunday, they are all a great day out. ‘Big, popular events can only be sustained by putting quality stuff on,‘ he says. ‘A line of hamburger vans and a funiair does not constitute a good event.

People in Glasgow expect quality.

‘1 want to get Glasgow on the map. I want people to come and see what’s happening and think, “Wow, how can I be part of that?”

The opening bash on the Byres Road, which is expected to draw at least 40,000 people, is a mix of five stages, 22 bands, street entertainers and a parade of carnival folks resplendent in costumes any Miss Brazil would happily don. Bands providing the parade soundtrack are Samba Ya Bamba, the Edinburgh Samba School, She-Boom, Beats of Brazil, Barracudas, Partick Beat and Barulho. Their name is Portuguese for noise, and you can expect plenty of that. Other events include the chance to join Scottish Arts Council chairman Richard Holloway in a debate, as well as a creative writing conference and a lengthy musical programme covering classical, jazz and folk genres.

Festival goers from last year will remember the idyllic sunny day in the Botanics with Belle and Sebastian. Will the sun have his hat on this year, and does it matter? ‘It would have to be absolutely terrible for us to cancel,’ says Michael. So come rain or shine, these two weeks are definitely Glasgow’s

samba time. (Morag Bruce)

I See listings for event information. www.westendfestival.ccuk

Falkirk Wheel. Register by clicking on w w w.thew aterw ay strust.org.uk/e\ ems/big wheelshtntl. See llilist.

Talks

2005 West End Lectures \Volfson Medical School. Glasgow University. L'niyersity Ave. 330 1853. 10am 5pm. £32 per day. See Fri 10.

Workshops

Tai Chi (‘I‘ookston ('astle. 'liillcr'oss Park. 25415 Wellshot Road. 882 3025. 2 4pm. Free. A beginner's' ’l‘ai ('hi session. as well as a martial arts demo, storytelling and healthy living information.

Fairs

The Byres Road Street Party and Opening Parade Bytes Road. 341 0844. 2 7pm. Free. Food. drink. stalls. strect entertainers and more than 50,000

people and dozens of hands. all to celebrate the 112's! Iz‘m/ It's/nu] 2005.

Talks

2005 West End Lectures Woll‘son Medical School. Glasgow University. L'niyersity Ave. 330 1853. 10am-5pm. £32 per day. See Fri 10.

Activities & Events

The Local Pool Tournament The Local. 427 Sauchiehall Street. 332 8100. 7pm. £10 per team. Sharks at the ready. get set to win £250 in teams of two. Drinks promos and DJs keep you entertained when not playing.

Talks

Francis Bacon: Portraits and Heads Gallery of Modern Art. Queen Street. 229 1996. 12.45 1.30pm. Free. Lunchtime lecture by Philip Long. senior curator at the Gallery of Modern Art.

Workshops

Stitch and Bitch Glasgow Women's Library". 109 Trongate. 552 8345. 6.30-8.30pm. Free. L’nwind wool and any pent up gossip at this close knit (did you see what 1 did there?) knitting group. Call to say you‘re going along as places are limited.

Wednesday 15

Activities & Events

Asylum Matters for Scotland: Working better with asylum seekers Hamish Wood Building. Caledonian L'niversity'. 287 8230. 9.30am-4.30pm. Free. A workshop-based conference and exhibition organised by Atlas Partnership offering people from mainstream and specialist organisations the chance to leam how to work more closely with asylum seekers. Part of Refugee “Wk 2005.

Talks

Curator's Favourites Burrell Collection. 2060 Pollokshaws Road. 287 2550. 12.30pm. Free. Emma Leighton. curator of (‘hinese and oriental civilisations. gives a talk on (‘hinese Tang Dynasties treasures.

Workshops

Putting it all Strangely Together Hillhead Library. Byres Road. 339 7223. 1pm. Free. Let local linguist and phonetician Derek Rogers guide you through the word jungle and find out why language is such crazy beast. Part of the Wm! [5nd festival 2005.

Actrvrties & Events

Indian Head Massage Borders Books. Fort Retail Park. 390 Provan Walk. 773 2910. 6—8pm. £8. See Thu 9.

Battle of the Books Hillhead Library. Byres Road. 339 7223. 7.30pm. Free. Join West 1an book groups as they champion and vote for their favourite book as part of the libs! Em] rum-at 2005.

Fairs

Continental Market St Enoch Square. 204 3900. Sample the best of the continent at this annual market.

Spon

WWE: Smack Down Summer Bash SIZCC. Finnieston Quay. 0870 040 4000. 7.30pm. £25—£45. The real deal WWIi superstars of ['S wrestling bring the pain to the (K.

Talks

ArtBites! .‘ychellan Galleries. 270 Sauchiehall Street. 565 4100. lprn. Talk on ‘Flowers in a Chinese Vase' by Leslie Hunter.

Workshops

How to be a City Gardener: Summer Window Box The Hidden Gardens. 'l'ramw'ay. 25 Albert Drive. 0845 330 3501. 1.30-7 2.30pm. Free. Improve your gardening skills in these weekly workshops. This week create a colourful window box with flowers. herbs and veg. Booking required.

Activities & Events

Write to the Point Glasgow L'niversity'. University Ave. 8.30am. £5 early registration; £10 on the day. Spend the day with other lovers of literature. writers. readers and publishers. Take part in debates over issues affecting literature in Scotland. with readings and workshops open to all. Register by emailing writetothepoint (darts.g1a.ac.uk.

Fairs

Continental Market St Enoch Square. 204 3900. See Thu 16.

Saturday 18

Fairs Hoiyrood Garden Fete Holyrood Gardens. Hoiyrood Crescent. 1—4pm. A