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Around Town

Pinky and the (bike) chain Kirstin Innes finds out about a new women-only cycle ride raising funds for breast cancer research

If you go down to the park today, you’d better go in disguise. And that disguise had better be pink. Breast Cancer Campaign’s women-only, pink-clad cycle ride, Pedal It Pink, is set to turn Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park pleasantly pastel this fortnight.

‘Our mission is to beat breast cancer by funding research, and we’ve been doing that in Scotland for 13 years now, raising £2.5 million for Scottish-based research,’ explains Catriona Wright, Breast Cancer Campaign’s events manager. ‘One of the ways we do that is through fundraising events: walks, runs, sky dives. But we wanted to run a really big mass participation event. Breast cancer affects so many people across so many different communities, so it’s always great to get as many people from across the spectrum together and raising funds in the same place. There are loads of sponsored walks and runs happening all over the place, so we wanted to do something a bit different, and I don’t think there are any other women-only cycle rides.’ Pedal It Pink launched last year, with two ride-outs in Liverpool and Nottingham. They went so well that the charity decided to launch a UK-wide event. Wright personally is delighted to be launching the event here. ‘Edinburgh’s my home town, so it’s great to have an excuse to come back up, and I think Holyrood Park will be perfect for Pedal It Pink.’

If you’re a bit saddle-shy (don’t worry, we hear it’s

just like riding a bike), you’ll be pleased to hear there is a choice of rides: women riders can sign up for a marathon-length endurance cycle or an easier-on-the- thighs half marathon. There’s also a family 5K stretch, which is open to men and children. ‘That’s really important, too,’ says Wright. ‘Although the main ride is in part about female solidarity, about getting all the girls together down at Holyrood, men can of course get breast cancer too, and can be affected by it just as intensely.’

They are still expected to take the dress code seriously, though. ‘We give everyone who takes part a pink T-shirt, but people are encouraged to go as pink as possible. At previous rides, we’ve had people turning up in pink tutus, pink wigs, pink helmets even two people on a pink tandem once. Everyone really goes for it. A lot of people are taking part because they’ve been affected by breast cancer, and they write messages or the names of the people they’re cycling for on their backs.’ In pink, of course.

Pedal It Pink, Holyrood Park, Edinburgh, Sunday 16 May. All participants will need their own bicycle and helmet. Entry to the marathon costs £15, 1/2 marathon £10 and family 5K lap £5. See www.breastcancercampaign.org or email pedalitpink@breastcancercampaign.org for further information.

www.list.co.uk/aroundtown Hitlist FOOD, NUDES & RADICAL DUDES*

✽✽ 65th Anniversary of the End of WWII Unbutton your stiff upper lips for this all-out celebration of VE Day, with events, exhibitions, music and a screening of Alexander Rogozhkin’s film The Cuckoo. Trongate 103, Glasgow, Sun 23 May. ✽✽ Meet the Producers . . . An Evening at a Scottish Market Part food market, part knees-up, revellers at this ‘gastronomic ceilidh’ are advised not to overindulge on gourmet vol au vonts beforehand. Valvona and Crolla, Edinburgh, Thu 13 May. ✽✽ Radical Independent Book Fair Project A wealth of counter-culture publications, new works from small press publishers and radical reading material to rummage through at this much-loved fair. CCA, Glasgow, Sat 15 & 22 May. ✽✽ All the Young Nudes Life Drawing Club And the prestigious Event Title of the Fortnight gong goes to the Flying Duck’s hipster nudie sketching club, because we love a Mott The Hoople reference round this way. Flying Duck, Glasgow, Tue 18 & 25 May. ✽✽ Graffimenco Finally, someone corners the live graffiti art/flamenco market! See picture, page 31. Dovecot, Edinburgh, Fri 21 & Sat 22 May. ✽✽ Southside Festival The annual neighbourbood fiesta-fest shimmies about in Queen’s Park for another year. See picture, page 30. Queen’s Park, Glasgow, Sat 22 May. 13–27 May 2010 THE LIST 29