www.1ist.co.uk/aroundtown

287 2594. 7.30pm. £4 (members free). A talk by Dr Jude Currivan. Pitt) as part of the Scottish Society for Physical Research lecture progratnme. FREE Wretched Stars, Insatiable Heaven The Glasgow School of Art. 167 Renfrew Street. 353 4526. Wed 8 ()ct. 5.30pm. A discussion about Steven Campbell's work. currently being exhibited at the Glasgow School of Art. with Sandy Moffat attd .Mark Sheridan. plus a performance of The ( ‘amplwll Variations by the Mark Sheridan linsemble. which is inspired by the works.

An Evening with Ray Mears

Mon 13 ()ct. City Halls. Candleriggs. 353 8000. 7.30pm. £20. The legendary survivalist presents his first Scottish tour with a two hour show exploring his era/y wild world. followed by a question and answer session.

Workshops

FREE Singing Workshop with the Russian Choir Sat 4 ()ct. City Halls. Candleriggs. 01382 858541. 2pm. Tune up those vocal chords with sotne tips from The Russian Choir. who formed in Glasgow in 2004. Don't worry neither reading Russian nor music is required. Nightschool .Mon 6 & 13 ()ct. Citizens' Theatre. 1 1‘) Gorbals Street. 42‘) 0022. Times vary. £70 for nine sessions (£45 1. The sttn goes down and out come the budding thesps. This is a fun and informal intrtxluction to acting skills using texts frotn past. present and future Citizens’ Theatre Company productions and led by a professional drama director. Ages 22+ with beginner (5.30pm) and intermediate (7.30pm) levels.

Edinburgh

Activities & Events

Public Evening at the Royal Observatory Fri 3 & 10 ()ct. Royal Observatory Visitor Centre. Blackford Hill. 668 8404. 7 8.45pm. £4 (£3). Hear about the history of the observatory and journey through the solar system. Booking essential.

Firewalk Challenge Fri 3 ()ct. lidinburgh Zoo. Corstorphine Road. 314 0350. 8.30pm. Spectators £5 (£3). Raise £150 for The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland plus you'll have the pleasure of walking over a bed of hot cinders. Register at 0131 314 0374 or email developmentw r/ss.org.uk. Spectators: ages 10+.

FREE Regimental Redcoats Sat 4 & Sun 5 ()ct. National War Museum ()f Scotland. lidinburgh Castle. 225 7534. 12.30pm. 1.10pm. 2pm 8; 3pm. Watch marching and mtisket drills by the resident redcoats. 11qu Two. three. four. Storytelling Café: Harvest Wed 8 ()ct. Scottish Storytelling Centre. 43 45 High Street. 556 ‘)57‘). 7pm. £3. Storytelling. mttsic and song in a cafe atmosphere with Marie Louise Cochrane. FREE Signs of Autumn Sat I 1 ()ct. Royal Botanic Gardens. Royal Botanic Gardens. Arboretum Place. 552 7171. 22.45pm. llutnans get out their woolly jumpers and prepare for a few months of soup and curling up on the sofa. but how do animals prepare for winter‘.’ Find out from the garden rangers.

Fairs

Scottish Home Improvement 8. Self Build Show Royal Highland Centre. lngliston. 335 6210. Sat 4 & Sun 5 ()ct. l0am—-5pm. £7.50 (£5 advance). ()ne of the largest attd most exclusive self build.

renovation and home improvement shows in Scotland. l-‘ind inspiration and advice on how to improve. refurbish. convert or renovate your home. Tickets from ()844 477 1000 cover entry for both days. National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies Fri 10 ~ Sun 12 ()ct. Royal Highland Centre. lngliston. 335 6210. l’ri 10 & Sat 11 ()ct ‘).30am 7pm; Sun 12 ()ct ‘).30am~~5pm. £‘)- £13. National show of this highly skilled flower arrangement society.

Festivals

The Scottish Mental Health

Arts and Film Festival Thu 2 Sun 1‘) ()ct. Various venues. Scotland. 572 ()125. Times and prices vary. See Glasgow.

Hispanic Festival 2008 Thu

16~Sun 1‘) ()ct. Various venues. times and prices vary. The festival is back for a third year. A celebration of tnusic. dance and theatre from across Spain and Latin America. The programme is spread across the Scottish Storytelling Centre. the Caves. the Lot and l)ancebase.

Food & Drink FREE Edinburgh Farmers’ Market Sat 4 & 1 1 ()ct. Castle Terrace. 652 5‘)40. ‘)am 2pm. More local. quality. ethical produce than you could shake a stick at.

FREE Apple Day Celebration

Sun 5 & Mon 6 ()ct. Royal Botanic Gardens. Royal Botanic Gardens. Arboretum Place. 552 7171. 10am 5pm. Join in the apple fun. See the Scottish apples grown by the Children‘s ()rchard and bring along some of your own for juicing. New Zealand Wine Edinburgh Tasting Tue 14 Oct. The Round Stables. Prestonlield House. Priestlield Road. 6.30 8.30pm. £16. The annual tasting of New Zealand's finest. featuring over 200 wines.

Politics

FREE Edinburgh Stop the War Wed 15 ()ct. Friends Meeting House. 7 Victoria 'l‘errace. 078661 76‘)60. 7.30pm. Regular meetings by the anti-war organisation continue featuring talks by guests.

FREE Found Forest ('ale. 3 Bristo Place. 220 4538. Mon 13 ()ct. 8pm. See Glasgow.

Spon

Run for Relief in Burma Sat 4 ()ct. Jawbone Walk. The Meadows. 1 lam. £10 (£8 for Scottish Athletics Members). A 5k tun/walk to raise money for Partners Relief and Development l'K who provide relief for Burmese refugees. Register online or on the day from

10am. Contact info(0 mnforburma.org for tnore information.

FREE Bank of Scotland National Junior Badminton Championships 015/19 Sat 4 & Sun 5 ()ct. Meadowbank Sports Centre. 13‘) London Road. 661 5351. Times vary. The 1715 and 171‘) Scottish National Junior Badminton Championships. livents in all age grotIps include categories for boys and girls singles. doubles and mixed doubles.

Talks George Forrest: A Scottish Plant Collector in China Thu 2 ()ct. Royal Botanic Garden (Lecture Theatre). 20a lnverleith Row. 552 7171. 7 8pm. £3 (£2). Leonie Paterson discusses the travels of Scottish botanist George Forrest to Yunnan in south-west China. between 1‘)04 and 1‘)32.

Sleep No More! Macbeth

Does Murder Sleep Fri 3 ()ct. Royal Lyceum Theatre. Grindlay Street. 248 4848. 6pm. £3. A pre-show discussion with Professor Willy Maley exploring how tnental health has been depicted throughout history. l’art oft/iv .S'r'uttish Mental IIt'rl/l/l Arts & I‘l/lll I'k's‘til'al.

Are We Alone? Wed 8 Get. Our Dynamic Iiarth. Holyrood Road. 6.30—7.30pm. £3. Professor Monica Grady tackles the issue of whether there‘s anybody else out there in the universe. Booking is essential.

FREE RCAHMS Centenary Lunchtime Seminars: Faces and Places Mon 13 ()ct. John Sinclair House. 16 Bernard Terrace. RCAHMS. 662 1456. l—‘2pm. In honour of their centenary the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland are opening their lunchtime seminar programme to the public. Lesley Ferguson will deliver Fan's and Places. FREE Hero or Heroine? Caroline Norton’s Appeal to Justice Tue 14 ()ct. Weston Link. llawthornden Lecture Theatre. National Gallery. the Mound. 624 6560. l2.45—-1.30pm. Caroline Sheriden Norton battled to have the ‘non- existent' status of married women changed. but her part in reforming the laws for women and their place in society has remained largely unacknowledged. Celebrated author Teresa Ransom discusses the trail-blazing author and reformer. who features in the Heroes exhibition at the Portrait Gallery. Modern Day Plant Collectors in China Thu 16 ()ct. Royal Botanic Gardett (Lecture Theatre). 20a lnverleith Row. 552 7171. 7 8pm. £3 (£2). l)r l)avid Long and Dr Mark Watson present a talk about the remote mountainous region of the Gaoligong Shan on the China/Burma border. where the RBGli has been involved in an international project to collect and document the plants and anitnals of the area.

Workshops

Art for Absolute Beginners Fri 3 & 10 ()ct. Weston Link. llawthornden Lecture Theatre. National Gallery. the Mound. 624 6560. 1.30—3.30pm. £2. Artist Ann McCluskey is on hand to guide

University (31‘ Glasgow

CRCEES Winter Festival 2008-09

The Centre for Russian, Central & East European Studies (CRCEES) have great pleasure in hosting a major Festival of Arts and Cultures in the Autumn/Winter season of 2008-09.

Highlights of the Winter Festival include:

I H’Art in Scotland: A celebration of Hungarian Culture

I Literary readings at Waterstones in Glasgow and the Scottish Poetry Library in Edinburgh.

I Music from Estonia, Latvia and Hungary I Films from Central and Eastern Europe I Exhibitions of photography and posters

I Conferences on Hungary and Latvia and a special symposium entitled ’Intercu/tura/ Crossings’

Why not come along to one of our language 'taster' days? More information is available at the CRCEES website.

For details of times, location and admission visit ‘events’ at CRCEES: http://www.gla.ac.uk/crcees

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Around Town

you through the daunting task of getting started in the act of artistic self expression. Monting sessions consist of an introduction to and discussion about art; in the afternoon you’ll get your own creative hat on. Booking required.

Chinese Woodblock Printing Sat 4 & Sun 5 ()ct. Royal Botanic Garden. 20a lnverleith Row. 552 7171. 10am—4pm. £45 (£40.50). A two-day course in printing and binding led by Suzanne Chong of Ricetield Arts and Cultural Centre. Singing for Soloists Workshop Sat 4 ()ct. Gillis Centre. 100 Stratheam Road. 623 891 1. 10am—4pm. £60—£70 (inc lunch). Build confidence in solo singing within a supportive setting with voice coach Wendy Carle Taylor.

Scots Song from Scratch Workshop Sun 5 ()ct. Gillis Centre. 100 Stratheam Road. 623 891 l. 10am—«4pm. £20—£50 (inc lunch). Learn traditional and contemporary Scots song with voice coach Wendy Carle Taylor.

Turkish Mystic Sufi Literature Sat 4 Oct. The Augustine Church. 41—43 George [V Bridge. 668 201‘). 10.30am—4pm. £20 (£15). A workshop covering the development of Sufi mysticism within the religion of Islam. with an emphasis on artistic expression. such as poetry. storytelling and humour. Registration from 10am.

FREE The Drawing Room Thu ‘)—16 ()ct. National Gallery of Modern Art. 75 Belford Road. 624 6410. 5.30—6.45pm. [Explore different ‘mark-making' processes in these monthly. experimental drawing sessions inspired by the tnodern collection. All materials are provided. Suitable for adults and young people over 15.

The Playwright’s Toolkit Mon 13 ()ct. Traverse Theatre. Cambridge Street. 228 1404. 7—‘)pm. £60 (£40). The renowned playwright Zinnie Harris leads workshops for adult writers. For writers aged 26+. Booking essential.

I ,- 4 o "

2—16 Oct 2008 THE LIST 31