party in Ilarycy Nichols. Kniglitsbridge. The lucky winners get to dance to tunes spun by Pam llngg and lidith Bowman. drink whisky cocktails and mingle with the likes nl' .lasmine (itlllllless and Margo Stilley. You can alsn win lu\ur_\ breaks in (ilasgnw and Iidinburgh. \'isit w w w.\ isit scntland.cnm/har\eynichnls to enter.

l’lcnty nl airlines are alsn having .lanuary sales. Bonk any llight with British Airway s t w w w .ba.cnnll bel'nre 23 .Ian and get tip to a quarter oll. while Virgin .Atlanlic (w w w.\irgin-atlantic.cnml also has discount Meanwhile. pt‘o\idlllg you are lle\ib|c. why not try a courier lilight‘.’ All mainr courier companies tise commercial llights to transport their goods and need someone to hand in er the paperwork in person when the plane reaches its destinatinn. in return they offer deep discounts on single seats on mainstream routes. The downside is that the companies only leave for limited destinations

deals.

from London lleathrnw. but it

you're trying to gel to somewhere e\otic on the cheap this could be your best option.

New Year, new look According to Mary .\lc(inwne. founder of the Scottish Style Awards. the January designer sales. which offer up tn 7(l‘i in the final weeks. are the time to pick up quality clothing that would normally be nut of budget.

'Try tn avoid trendy places as these w ill date quickly] she advises. 'll‘ they are in the sale they are probably on their way nut already. Always ask yourself if you would

' f m It'l- l'fil In) it

Bag a bargain at Harvey Nichols

have paid full price for an item. If

not. leave it on the shell?

Sale shnpping. she claims. should he abnut snapping tip classics that can be mixed and matched with vintage pieces tn giye you a unique look.

'|)esigner shops like (rinse and Harvey Nichols have excellent sales and offer great value for mnney.‘ she says. For a tree makeover book and style ttd\istit‘ service. head litil'

(ilasgnw‘s Argyle Street branch nl

'l'npshnp. An advisnr will gn nver your budget. likes and dislikes when you book and have all the garments in apprnpriate si/es waiting in the VIP dressing rnnm when you arrive. ‘ll' someone just wanted a few sale pieces we could cater for that.' explains (‘heryl (itiylL‘. senior sales advisor. ‘We have tnps from £6. ()r it they wanted tn try nut a new look they had seen in a magazine we cnuld shnw them how tn copy it on a budget.‘ There is no obligation tn buy. In the capital try similar services at Harvey Nichols. Frasers and Jenners.

Cheap cuts

Winter is the ideal time tn curl tip with a tnnvie. There’s £l nt’l‘ all tickets at lidinburgh‘s (‘amen nn Mondays. and membership costs £25. which gets you £1.50 off each visit. free access tn Sunday alternnnn matinees and invites tn

special events. It you can bunk off

work early on a Friday al'ternnnn l'ilms starting before 5pm at the Filtnhnuse are just £3.50.

Exploit the myriad of discounts at the l' J

(‘inewnrld‘s L'nlimited discount card costs £14.99 per month. giving you access as often as you like. For a one-nit payment of £30. (ilasgnw's (EFT will give you £1 off each ticket purchased. as well as limited vouchers tn bring a friend for free pltis money off in the cafe bar. while Friday afternoon flicks are a ship at £3.

Cut-price courses (ilasgnw' Philosophical Society lwww.rnyalphil.arts.gla.ac.uki hnlds regular tree lectures at Strathclyde l'niversity's John Anderson building which have proved enormously popular and surprisingly sncial. ()n the east coast. tickets for the nnw annual lidinburgh lectures (www. edinburghlectures.nrgl almost always sell out. All the city universities nf‘l'er evening and lunchtime public lectures and both the National Mtiseums of Scotland tNMSl and the National (ialleries nf' Scotland tNGS) hold talks tied to new shows and existing exhibits. NUS alsn offers a Friends package l'nr £35. which gets you a more extensive lecture package as well as unlimited free entry to exhibitions and invites to previews.

If you‘re a secret scribbler why not join a writer‘s grnup'.’ The Scottish Poetry Library tww‘w.spl. nrg.uk‘) has a good list of free literary circles. Alternatively. check

Stitch 8- Bitch is all the rage

cinema

These sites will help ease the spend and increase the potential for fun in 2008

I www.9umtreo.com So. you promised to get fit, learn a new skill and make the most of your life but those New Year resolutions aren't impOSSible. Joining your local football, hockey or running team can be a great way to motivate yourself when it's cold and wet outside. Both the Edinburgh and Glasgow sections of www.gumtree.com have a number of posts from people looking for new members for everything from five-aside football teams to horse- riding meet-ups and even joining a band if you are of a musical bent. It is also packed with posts offering language swaps: exchange English lessons for tuition in Spanish, Polish or Arabic.

t' at? ' - . Ir. K ‘.

.w’h

I www.dada.co.uk The first month's membership is free. after which there is a £5.99 charge though the fee may be waived in the near future. DADA sends out short notice invites to free events such as new bar and restaurant launches. high street store fashion shows and film. theatre. opera or ballet previews. 'It depends on your interests and profile.’ says Jenny Wallace. head of events. ’but you could get invites to around seven or eight events a month. The idea is that you get to try out something you might otherwise not usually go for.

Events on DADA’s books in Glasgow in the next month include the launch of the Alea Casino in Pacific Quay. a new magazine launch, and a film club event at the GFI'. In Edinburgh, look out for events in collaboration with the Royal Lyceum Theatre and fashion retailers Reiss and Daks.

I www.lovofllm.com This mail order DVD service is currently offering a 14-day trial - you need never leave the sofa again.

17—31 Jan 2008 TH! LIST 19