www.list.co.uk/aroundtown
FREE Freak Screen Mondays. The Bongo (‘lub. Moray House. 37 llolyrood Road. 558 7604. 8pm midnight. freestylin' film night (from docs and skate moyies to honor) followed by funk-fuelled eclectica from (‘ommanderson and (ieneral B- Battenburg. We admire their alliteration. Main features are Zeitgeist t7 Jtil) and Riki/re Sun 1 I4 Jul). Ceilidh Club 'l'uesday s. The l.ot. 4 (irassmarket. 225 9922. 8pm. £6. (‘eilidh dancing. furioUs liddlcrs and callers to lead you through the steps featuring lleeliegoleerie (8 Jill) and Norman MacKay ‘s ('eilidh lisperience ( l5 Jul). l)on't worry. We think ‘furious liddlers’ refers to the speed of their y iolin playing rather than their anger-management lssllc‘s. FREE Arthur’s Secrets Wed 9 Jul. llolyrood l’ark liducation Centre. I Queen's I)ri\e. (i52 8l50. l 3pm. Take a wee walk up the peak and find out about the ghosties and goblins w ha' can be glimpsed in the mist. ()oh. Meet at llolyrood Park Information (‘entre. Teannaich Fri 1 l Jul. l’ollock llalls. llolyrood Park Road. 7.30pm. £8 ([6). Dance to a funky ceilidh band with mandolin mischief.
FREE Garden of Delights
Royal Botanic (iarden. 20a lnyerleith Row. 248 2908. l lam 4pm. Seek out one of the story tellers secreted around the garden and settle at their feet (you should probably bring something to sit on) for some magical stories. FREE Evening Walks llolyrood l’ark liducation ('entre. l Queen’s l)riye. ()52 8150. () 7.30pm. (iet away from the hustle and bustle of the city with a relaxing. ranger-led eyening stroll. l’lease wear sensible shoes and warm waterproof clothing. and phone in adyance for meeting \enue. Booking essential. FREE A Slice of Life Thu 17 Jul. National MUseum of Scotland. (‘hambers Street. 247 4422. l0.30am l2.30pm t& 2 4pm. Drop in to hear stories of the olden days from the people who were there: from a steam engine driy er. a doctor and a woman in the stocks awaiting sentencing. We assume that this means actors. rather than actual reanimated corpses. because w e‘re not sure our stomachs could take that.
Exhibitions
FREE Dialogues of Wind and Bamboo Royal Botanic Garden. 20a lnyerleith Row. 552 7l7l. l'ntil Sun l3 Jul. l()am 7pm. Artists Stisie Bown and Ziggy (‘ampbell (from lidinburgh band l-'()l '.\'l)). along with composer KiInlio lp. create a soundscape from bamboo. See rey iew. in Music. page ()9.
FREE Extremes: Life in Subarctic Canada National Museum of Scotland. ('hambers Street. 247 4422. l'ntil Sun 5 ()ct. l()am 5pm. A collection of objects collected by Scottish fur traders in the l850s and ()()s from the tribes liy ing in the ('anadian subarctic. and further objects purchased recently.
FREE lmprentit: 500 years of the Scottish Printed Word National library of Scotland. (ieorge l\' Bridge. ()23 3845. l'ntil Stin l2 ()ct. l()am 8pm: l()am 5pm: 2 5pm. lixhibition celebrating the achiey ements of 500 years of printing and publishing in Scotland.
FREE It Didn’t Happen Here Mtiseum oi lidinburgh. lluntly llouse. l42 ('anongatc. 529 4l43. l'ntil Sat 29 .\'o\ (not Sun). Mon Sat l()am 5pm. lishibition examining lidinburgh's links with the slay e trade.
FREE John Hutton Balfour (1808-1884) Royal Botanic Garden tlnyerleith House). lny‘erleith Row. 248 2983. l’ntil Sun () Jul. l()am 5.30pm. A bicentenary exhibition celebrating one of the gardens' Regius Keepers and featuring botanical teaching diagrams and models. FREE National Gallery of Modern Art Highlights Tours National (iallery of Modern Art. 75 Belford Road. (i24 (i200. Sat l2 Jul. 2.30 3.l5pm 8; 3.30 4. l 5pm. An intrtxluction and tour of the National (iallery 's permanent collection. focusing on key paintings. FREE Scotland: A Changing Nation National Museum of Scotland. (‘hambers Street. 247 4422. Hi ll Jul Wed 3] Dec. l()am 5pm. A major new permanent exhibition charting the history of the people of Scotland in the 2oth and 2lst Century. (‘ontains personal stories. gigantic 'l‘unnock's 'l‘eacakes and Lulu. See feature. page l4.
Fairs
Antique and Collectors Fair Sun () Jul. Meadowhank Sports (‘entre. I39 London Road. 66] 535l. l()am 4.30pm. L'l (accompanied children free). (io rummaging envy and find yourself an heirloom. Jtist watch out for l)ayid Dickinson lurking behind the china figurines.
Food & Drink
FREE Edinburgh Farmers’ Market Saturdays (‘astle 'l‘errace. ()52 5940.
9am 2pm. More local. quality. produce than you could shake an organically-
hew n. ethically produced breadstick at. Jolly Toper Whisky Tastings Thu 10 Jul. ’l’he 'l‘olbooth 'l‘ay‘ern. l()7 ('anongate. 556 5348. 7.30pm. £l7 £20. Long-running bi-monthly whisky tasting session at one of the best-stocked bars in town. typically including liye malt whiskies at cask strength. 'l’ickets must be booked in advance: call 0131 556 5864 or email chw's(0 wnicaulenheadcom it) I'L‘SL‘I’VL‘.
Talks
FREE ‘Right to Die’ Debate and Book Launch Thu .3 Jul. St (‘olumbas- by -the-(‘astle. Johnstone 'l‘errace. 030an Debate on assisted suicide chaired by Prof Kenneth Boyd. RSVP to (‘hani McBain on (H31 225 4326 or chani.mcbain((I luath.co.uk.
FREE Portrait of the Month for July Sat 5 Jul. National Portrait (iallery. 1 Queen Street. ()24 (i200. l l l 1.30am & noon l2.30pm. Monthly talks about one of the famous faces in the galleries. FREE Three Blows: Thinking Music Part II Sun (3 Jul. St (‘ecilia's llall. .\'iddry Street. 473 2000. 2pm. 'l’icketed. Discussion with Mayo 'l'hompson and Keith Rowe. chaired by Sarah l.owndes.
A Dash of Gentility Wed 9 Jul. l.auriston ('astle. 2a ('ramond Road South. 529 3963. l0.30am. £8. l‘urniture for the lidinburgh Town House and Suburban Villa. I805 I830. A talk by Day id Jones. lecturer at the School of Art History. l'niyersity of St Andrew s. FREE In the M009 'l‘hu l0 Jul. National Mtiseuin of Scotland. ('hambers Street. 247 4422. 3pm. 'l‘reyor l’inch giy es a talk subtitled "l‘he Social ('onstruction of the lilectronic Mtrsic Synthesi/er'. We prefer his title. We might actually be in love with him. based on his choice of title. Ach. it’s been a long fortnight. Booking required. ('ontact Maureen Kerr on 0l3l 247 4274.
FREE Sense and Sensibility in No Paintings by Greuze Fri 1 l Jul. National (iallery of Scotland. The Mound. 624 (i200. l2.45 l.l5pm. Belinda 'l'homson. independent art historian. discusses (ii'ett/e‘s ‘A Boy with a Lesson-book and ‘A (iirl with a Dead ('anary '.
FREE Scottish Swordsmen of Legend Sun l3 Jul. National Museum of Scotland. ('hambers Street. 247 4422.
Send in down The Arches’ long-running circus school rolls
Around Town
around again, headed up by the ever- excellent performer, artist and professional buffoon Al Seed (pictured). It’s a week-long intensive course open to anyone between 15 and 25, during which time you’ll train in stilt-walking and plate-spinning, clowning and falling, and put together an entire show by the end of it. I Circus Summer School, The Arches. Glasgow, from Mon 14 Jul.
l2.45pm. l.45pm 8; 2.45pm. l’aul MacDonald gets to the point about battlefield weaponry. lo the point! (leddit? Because swords have points..'.’
Koala Alert 'l‘ue l5 Jul. lidinburgh '/.oo. ('orstorphine Road. 3 I4 0350.
7 8.30pm. £4.50 (members £4). There are fewer than 100.000 koalas left in the wild. l‘ind out from the (‘li() of the Atistralian Koala Foundation what is being done to saye these eucalyptus-
munching marsupials. Booking essential.
See picture caption. page 35. and go ‘aw ww w".
Workshops
FREE Drummers Do Sun () Jul. The Jan Bar. l (‘hambers Street. 220 4298. 2 5pm. Oh they do. belieye us. l-‘eaturing sessions by local drummers. (3&A sessions. demos and technical advice.
Plants with a Purpose Tue 8 Jul. Royal Botanic (iarden. 20a lny'erleith Row. 248 2968. l0.30am. £4. (‘ome and find otit some of the culinary. medicinal and practical Uses for plants and trees. Booking ady'isable,
Shoe Swing Wednesdays. ('ounting llouse. West .\'ico|son Street. £4.50 singles £8 couples (£2 social dancing only). A swing dance workshop run by lidinbop eyery Wednesday night. 'l'utored classes from 7pm and social dancing from 9pm. Swing dancers. lindy-hoppers and jiyers of all persuasions very welcome. No need to book. and you don‘t eyen have to have a partner. FREE The Drawing Room in April 'l'hu l0 Jul. National (iallery of Modern Art. 75 Belford Road. 624 (i200.
5.30 b.45pm. lixplore different methods of tnaking your mark in these monthly experimental drawing sessions. led by a contemporary artist and inspired by the modern collection. To book a place call ()l3l (32-16—1l0.
Extremes Event: Get Creative: Beading Workshop Sat l3 Jul. National Museum of Scotland. (‘hambers Street. 247 4422. l lam 8: 2pm. £5 (£4). lixtreme beading‘.’ Oh yes. Actually. it's a chance to learn how to decorate bags and scaryes like the 'l’licho people of sub-artic ('anada. to tie in with the lit/remas- exhibition. But it’s still pretty exciting. Ages 16+.
.3 l/ Jul 2008 THE LIST 35