What’s on this week? – 11th October 2010

The full council meet on Thursday 14th October at 10am. The trams are on the agenda. See our report on where we are with the trams in our article Trams as at 10th October 2010

The special meeting of the Education, Children & Families Committee takes place on Tuesday 12 October 2010. The agenda is on the Council website which you can access here.

The Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival returns for another year and The Scottish Storytelling Centre is hosting events to help remove the taboo surrounding mental health and get people talking. The monthly Storytelling Café is hosted by Michael Williams and provides the perfect opportunity to hear and share relaxing, healing stories in the informal café setting on Wednesday 13 October at 7pm.

Meet Iain M. Banks at Waterstone’s Edinburgh West End. He’ll be reading from his new book ‘Surface Detail’ and signing copies afterwards on 12th October at 6pm at Waterstones West End branch. More details here.

There will be a sale of jewellery and silver at Lyon & Turnbull on 12th October. More details here. 33 Broughton Place
Edinburgh EH1 3RR tel: +44 (0)131 557 8844

The Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce are holding a cocktail soiree on 12th October at 5.30. You can learn how to make your own cocktails. Full demo and networking.

Saturday 16th October at Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh Scottish Opera are putting on a performance of Carmen. This is a piano accompanied version so no big orchestra! Scottish Opera’s General Director, Alex Reedijk says, ‘Carmen is an intense story of obsessive love with some truly beautiful music that everyone will recognise. I’m sure some of the most famous arias – Habanera, Toreador’s Song and The Flower Song – will have people humming them long after the show finishes!’

You can get down and dirty at The Big Leith Clean-up! This week it is being held on 16th October at Leith Links and you should meet there at 11am at the Bowling Clubhouse. The clean-up lasts till 2pm. You are advised to wear sturdy boots and outdoor clothing. Children are welcome but must be supervised by an adult at all times. More information on The Greener Leith Social page here.

There are some well-known chefs in Edinburgh this week. The Love Cooking Festival is putting on a demonstration at The Playhouse on 12th October. James Martin, Gary Rhodes, Gino d’Acampo with Edinburgh’s own Mary Contini and the Irish colleen herself Rachel Allen will be followed by Ainsley Harriott and our Tom Kitchin. You can buy a ticket for each session and get further details here

And tomorrow Tuesday 12th October 2010 at 12.45 till 1.30pm an interesting lunchtime lecture at Hawthornden Lecture Theatre – Weston Link, National Gallery Complex – Anthony Gormley’s Six Times . This is free and unticketed.

Philip Long, curator of Antony Gormley’s project for Edinburgh, describes the complex process of organising this major sculptural installation. Further details here.