FUNDRAISING EVENT EDINBURGH MOONWALK
Anyone out for a quiet stroll across the Meadows in Edinburgh might be in for a surprise, as 8000 women (and a few men) from all over Scotland descend on them, wearing decorated bras and pink baseball caps. This is the Edinburgh MoonWalk - not a genteel take on Michael Jackson’s trademark move, but a fundraising power- walking marathon around the city centre in aid of breast cancer care. And you do it in your bra, at midnight. The walk is another three months away but places are filling up fast. The good news is that, if you hurry, you can apply for one of five places the organisers have reserved for List readers (see below).
The MoonWalk has been running for ten years in New York and London, but last year’s extravaganza was the first Scottish event, and everything raised will go to Scottish breast cancer charities. At time of going to press, organising charity Walk the Walk reported that last year’s event had raised £1.7m and was still rising.
The huge popularity of the event is testament to the fact that breast cancer awareness is an issue that can unite women like no other. There’s also something interestingly pagan and ritualistic about the idea of
women congregating at a new moon (this year’s Edinburgh MoonWalk is on Saturday 16 June and the New Moon falls on Friday 15 June) for a common cause. Then there’s the bras. If you’ve long nursed a secret ambition to march through the streets after dark with your underwiring on the outside, this may well be your chance. There are bra-printed T-shirts if you’re feeling modest, but the organisers encourage women to get creative with their underwear. Last year’s walkers (pictured) used feathers and fake flowers, coconut shells and fake fur, and there were a few Madonna-inspired conical bustiers (might chafe a bit after 26.2 miles, surely?). It’s definitely good exercise, and there might be a tongue-in-cheek attitude to proceedings, but underpinning the MoonWalk is an idea of female solidarity that’s worth walking for. I Applications for this year's event are being accepted at the moment. and although Walk the Walk have upped the capacity to 10.000. places are filling up fast. You can apply online at www.walkthewalk.org, or you can try and win yourself one of the five places the organisers have held for List readers. Just send an email with your name and address, and the subject line ‘One small step . . .' to aroundtownCailist.Co.uk. The first five entries pulled out of our specially-customised corset wins. Usual List rules apply.
history and politics of herbal medicine. with a workshop on how to make infttsed oils. ointtnents. teas and tinctttres. Women only (trans welcome).
Wednesday 7
Politics
Going Green and Overcoming Local Problems Open Door. 420 Morningside Road. 447 9757. 10.30am. £1. The .\rlorningside Justice and Peace Grottp probe the issues. with gttest speaker Dora lilliot.
Thursday 8
Actrvrties & Events
Drop in and Draw National Gallery of Modern Art. 75 Belford Road. 624 6410. 5.30-6.45pm. I’ree. Informal. artist-led drawing sessions using the collections for inspiration. Please call 0131 624 6410 to reserve a place.
Activates & Events
* Edinburgh Charity Fashion Show (‘orn Iixchange. l I New Market Road. 477 3500. £15. Second show Sat 10. See llitlist.
Saturday 10
Activities & Events
Scottish Motorcycle Show Royal Highland (‘entre. lngliston. 0870 730 0194. 9am- 5pm. £14: £12 in advance (£7; l'nder 15s free). Live stunt shows. extreme bike trials and celebrity hog- straddlers. When did you fall for the leader of the pack‘.’ Vroom. 1'ntil Sttii 1 I.
Spon
Scotland v Ireland Murrayfteld Stadium. Roseburn Street. Murraylield. 346 5000. 1.30pm. £3()—£60 (£10 £30). Part of the RBS Six Nations (‘hampionships 2007.
Activities & Events
Mindful Peace Walk Royal Botanic Garden. 20a lnverleith Row. 552 7171. 9 -l0.30am. I‘ree. A silent meditation walk led by members of the Iidinburgh Sangha of the (‘ommunity of lnterbeing. Includes brief introduction to mindful walking as a tneditation practise. This is not a protest march: please do not bring any banners. Part of the Iz‘t/iit/uoy/t International I‘i'slit'u/ ol'Midd/e Eastern .S'pirimu/ilv and Peace 2007.
Food & Drink
Cockburns of Leith Spring Wine Tasting Merchant‘s Hall. 22 Hanover Street. 53008.30pm. £5. Try a large range of new wines frotn around the world. Hooking advised call 0131 661 8400 or email Morag Leitch at
morag (0‘cockburnsolleith.co.uk.
Politics
Scotland and the Union: The Death of Unionism? Mcliwan llall. Bristo Square. 650 4381. 6pm. Free. .Valionu/imt um! Devolution since I960. The lTniversity of Iidinburgh presents a series of high-profile lectures and debates to mark the Anglo-Scottish union of I707.
Wednesday 14
Activities & Events
Off the Wall for the Visually Impaired National Gallery of Modern Art. 75 Belford Road. 624 6200.
10am -3.30pm. A descriptive tour and practical workshop about ()fli/It‘ ll/Zi/l.
Politics Election 2007: The priorities of
Around Town
the Conservative Party Open Door.
420 Morningside Road. 447 9757.
10.30am. £1. Inclined to pooh-pooh the Tories? Fair enough. but give them a chance to speak first. Cllr Mark Mclnnes
, takes the floor at the Momingside Justice
and Peace Group.
E Activities & Events
Urban Elegance ligo. l4 Picardy 3 Place. 478 7434. 8pm-—3am. £5(£4); VIP ticket £10. Fashion/DJ event in aid of Maggie’s (‘entre all hosted by ex-Blue Peter and Wheel of'l'orttme presenter
John Leslie. Fashions come from a host of local boutiques with music for i ; dancing from the likes of Termite. Dan '
Bland. .Vleldrum and Wolljazz. Food & Drink
Jolly Toper Tastings The Tolbooth Tavern. 167 (‘anongate 7.30pm. £20.
Long-running bi—monthly whisky tasting session at one of the best-stocked bars in town. typically including live malt wliiskies at cask strength. Tickets tnust be booked in advance: call 0131 556 5864 or email chws(n‘ wmcadenhead.com to reserve.
Ongoing Edinburgh
. Activities and Events Amazing Rare Things: The Art of
Natural History in the Age of - Discovery The Queen’s Gallery, Palace 1
' of Holyroodhouse. 556 5100. rm 2
Mar-Sun 16 Sep. Daily 9.30am—6pm;
9.30am—2pm ((‘losed ). £5 (free—£4.50:
family ticket £13). (‘urated by the Royal
(‘ollection in collaboration with Sir
David Attenborough. this exhibition brings together the work of fottr artists — Leonardo da Vinci. (‘assiano dal Pozzo. Alexander Marshal. Mzu‘ia Sibylla Merian and Mark (‘atesby — who have helped shape contemporary understanding of the natural world. No jokes about the Da Vinci toad. please.
>l< Pixar: 20 Years of Animation Museum of Scotland. (‘hambers Street. 247 4219. Fri 2 Mar—IVIon 28 May. Mon & Wed—Sat 10am—5pm; Tue 10am-8pm; Sun noon—5pm. £6 (Br-£5). The (‘law!
The Claaaw! Drawings. paintings.
sculpture and computer-generated . multimedia artwork demonstrate the creativity and skill of the company
behind some of the best-loved animated films of recent times. Like 'loy Story.
()oooohl
Scottish PEN 1927-2007: 80
Years in Scotland Writers’ Museum. Lady Stair‘s Close. Lawnmarket. 529 .
' 4901. Sat 10 Mar—Sat 5 May (not Sun).
10am—5pm. Free. An exhibition
5 celebrating 80 years of the Scottish
branch of the worldwide writers association. set up by Httgh MacDiarmid. Scottish PIiN works on behalf of oppressed writers all over the world. and strengthening the international impact of Scottish voices.
Food & Drink Edinburgh Farmers’ Market (‘astle
. Terrace. 652 5940. 9am-r-2pm. More
local. quality. ethical produce than you could shake a stick at.
Workshops
Dance Base Classes Dance Base. l4---l6 Grassmarket. 225 5525. For information on a myriad dance and relaxation classes. frotn tai chi to vogtteing via hip-hop and tango. visit wwwdancebase.co.uk.
Shoe Swing (‘ounting House. West
v dancers. lindy-hoppers and jivers of all
Nicolson Street. 667 0876. 7pm. £4.50 or £8 for couples (£3.50 or £6 for couples). A brand new swing dance workshop run by lidinbop every Wednesday night. 'l'utored classes from 7pm and social dancing from 9. Swing ' persuasions very welcome. No need to , book, and you don‘t even have to have a partner.
1—15 Mar 2007 THE LIST 25