Saturday in Edinburgh – What’s On Today

Garvald Christmas Bazaar: handcrafted goods made by members of Garvald Edinburgh, live music, children’s activities, refreshments. 10.30am-1.30pm, Garvald Gorgie Workshops, 454/1 Gorgie Road. Entry by donation. Garvald Edinburgh is a Scottish charity offering creative opportunities and support for people with learning difficulties.

Advent Fair: want to celebrate Advent in the countryside? The Pishwanton Community Wood near Gifford will be holding its Advent Fair today, 11am-3pm: traditional crafts and products for sale (cards, books, jams, baking, gifts), craft activity workshops – make an Advent wreath or a candle holder, – homemade organic food, hot soup and rolls, hot punch and cakes.  From 3-5pm there will be a candlelit concert with music from Peaty Millers and Frank’s Folk Group and readings and poems with Charles Lawrie. Pishwanton Community Wood, Longester, Near Gifford, East Lothian. Free entry to the fair, suggested donation of £5 for the concert. For more details contact The Life Science Trust on 01620 810259 or email admin@pishwanton.com.

Enchanted Edwardian Christmas: a craft workshop for families with the Lauriston team. Enjoy Lauriston’s very special Edwardian Christmas experience, evoking the memories and atmosphere of a past era, and take home some charming crafts. Christmas snacks included! 10am-1pm, Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South. £7 per person: booking must be made via the Usher Hall Box Office, in person, by phone or via the Usher Hall website. Also available at same times on Sunday 30th November.

GENERATION tours at Modern One: free, discussion-led tours of the exhibition, focusing on key themes and artists. 11-11.45am or 1-1.45pm, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ONE, 75 Belford Road. Free and unticketed.

Linlithgow Advent Fair: 10am – craft fair in The Burgh Halls and a street fair around The Cross Well; 4.30pm – torchlight procession from Low Port Centre/School along High Street; 6pm – Christmas Tree Lights Switch-On at Linlithgow Cross.

Santa Cruises with Re-Union Canal Boats! A fun, unique and memorable trip along the Union Canal and a special visit from Santa himself. Games, songs, craft activities, seasonal refreshments and a gift from Santa for every child. Begins at Re-Union Canal Centre, 1 Union Path. £10 per person, babies under 12 months go free (but must be included in booking). Booking & prompt arrival essential: see website: trips will run three times a day every weekend until Christmas, with an additional three trips on December 22nd.

Portobello and Joppa Parish Church Guild Table Top Sale: baking, stocking fillers, jewellery, cards, arts and crafts, bespoke gifts. Visit Santa’s Grotto! 10am-12.30pm, Portobello and Joppa Parish Church, 1 Brunstane Road North, Joppa. Admission free: refreshments for sale.

National Gallery Highlight Tours: An introduction to, and tour of, the Gallery’s permanent collection, focusing on key paintings. 2-2.45pm or 3-3.45pm, National Gallery of Scotland, The Mound. Free and unticketed.

Mrs Mash The Storytelling Cook: join Mrs Mash for a generous serving of Scottish stories about our nation’s fabulous food. Taste for yourself the Queen’s ‘Balmoral drop scones’, which will be made on Mrs Mash’s very own cast-iron girdle. For ages 4+. 10.30-11.30am, Storytelling Bothy, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. £5 per child (accompanying adult free). Book via the Box Office on 0131 556 9579 or online – please remember to select a free adult ticket as well as a ticket for your child.

Edinburgh Palette Winter Open Studios: the artists, makers and craftspeople of St Margaret’s open their studios to the public in this weekend-long event. Family-friendly workshops, a craft fair, a cafe and one-off performances will take place across the building’s eight storeys. 10am-6pm, St Margaret’s House, 151 London Road. Also on Sunday 30th November, 10am-5pm. For full programme click here or see event Facebook page.

The Makers’ Fair: as part of St Margaret’s Open Studios event, a cluster of St Margaret’s artists will offer paintings, cards, prints, ceramics, soaps, candles and textiles in this special two day fair. 11am-7pm, Gallery 2, St Margaret’s House, 151 London Road. The fair will also be open 10am-5pm on Sunday 30th November.

Murder At The Fruitmarket: as part of Book Week Scotland the Gallery hosts an evening of crime, which will include readings from Tartan Noir author Doug Johnstone, a specially commissioned short story from Hannah McGill and a private viewing of the Stan Douglas exhibition, whilst an exclusive performance from jazz chanteuse and La Clique star Becc Sanderson will take you back in time to the post war era. 7.30-10.30pm, Fruitmarket Gallery, Market Street. Tickets cost £5 and are available via eventbrite.

Lunchtime Concert: Giacomo Scinardo, piano. 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.

Cramond Kirk Christmas Fair: gifts, crafts, toys, cakes, hampers, candy, refreshments, Santa, face painting, lunches. All proceeds will go to Fresh Start and the Forget Me Not Therapeutic Garden and Tea Room Project.  11.30am-2pm, Cramond Kirk Hall, Cramond Glebe Road.

The Torrance Gallery Christmas Exhibition: including jewellery by Sheana Stephen, inspired by gardens, sea and shore. Plus over 220 paintings by over 70 artists, sculpture, ceramics and glass -gifts from under £50 to £5,000! 11am-6pm Monday to Friday, 10.30am-4pm Saturdays, from today until 10th January 2015, Torrance Gallery, 36 Dundas Street.

Blackwell’s Edinburgh Presents Hugh Cornwell: Arnold Drive. Nothing much has ever happened to the Reverend Arnold Drive…until the day his church is sold off to property developers. Thrust into the modern world, for which he is utterly ill-equipped, Arnold is faced with a series of moral dilemmas that test his faith, his judgement and his understanding of human nature. ‘The story of a man’s journey from innocence to experience.’ Hugh Cornwell was the original guitarist, singer and main songwriter for The Stranglers and is one of the UK’s finest songwriting talents and accomplished live performers. After the talk Hugh will sign copies of his book; please note he will not be able to sign any Stranglers’ or other music memorabilia unless a copy of the book has been purchased. 2-3.30pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Free tickets can be obtained from Blackwell’s front desk, by calling 0131 622 8218 or emailing events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk.

Gavin Francis: Empire Antarctica. Gavin Francis, non-fiction category winner in the 2013 Scottish Book Awards, talks about Empire Antarctica: Ice, Silence and Emperor Penguins, based on his experience as a resident doctor with the British Antarctic Survey, ‘the last great wilderness on earth’. 2.30-3.30pm, Central Library, George IV Bridge. Free tickets should be booked via eventbrite.

The Scottish Gallery: four new exhibitions. Ed Kluz: Architecture of the Enlightenment (collages exploring the architecture of the New Town); Beth Legg: Surfaces (jewellery inspired by the Scottish landscape); Frances MacDonald: Beyond the Island of Storms, and Jill Fanshawe Kato: Nature’s Garden (ceramics). 10am-6pm Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm Saturdays, until 24th December 2014. The Scottish Gallery, 16 Dundas Street.

James Oswald: Dead Man’s Bones. James Oswald is the author of the Inspector McLean series of detective mysteries set in Edinburgh, the first two of which were shortlisted for the CWA Debut Dagger Award; he has also written The Ballad of Sir Benfro, a classic fantasy series inspired by the language and folklore of Wales. 3-4pm, Muirhouse Library, Pennywell Court. Please book via eventbrite. A Book Week Scotland event.

Millie Gray: When Sorry Is Not Enough. Sally Stuart’s adventures in post-war Leith continue with this thrilling sequel to The Tangling of the Web. Millie’s reading from her new book will be followed by a Q & A session and signing. Refreshments provided! 2.30-4pm, Leith Library, 28-30 Ferry Road. Free, but as space is limited please drop in to book with library staff or call them on 0131 529 5517.

LGBT Trans Action Theatre and Activism Workshop: a fun and supportive theatre workshop for trans people. Explore drama skills and ways to boost your confidence through voice and movement; no experience necessary – just a willingness to have a go. 2-5pm, LGBT Health and Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. Booking essential via this link, which also has more details about the workshop.

Philip Guston: Late Paintings. A reception to celebrate the publication of this book, which documents the acclaimed 2012 Inverleith House exhibition and includes photography by Michael Wolchover and text by David Anfamm, Paul Nesbitt and Philip Larratt-Smith.  1-3pm, Inverleith House, Royal Botanic Garden, Inverleith Row. Free, no booking required. A Book Week Scotland event.

Portobello Poetry Circus Presents Twenty Poets: two hours of Pulsating Poetry Performance on the Prom. 7.30 for 8pm, Dalriada, 77 Promenade, Portobello. £3: tickets available from the Dalriada. For further details contact max.scratchmann@btinternet.com.

Winter Guided Walk: join a garden guide for a leisurely afternoon walk around the Garden. Discover stunning seasonal highlights and learn about the history of the Garden and its plants. For ages 14+. 2pm, Royal Botanic Garden (meet at John Hope Gateway reception), Inverleith Row. £5 per person, no booking required. Also available at same time on Sunday 30th November.

The Naming of the Shrew: A Walk with John Wright. Join John Wright, forager and author, on a stroll round the Garden to explore the stories behind the names we use to organise nature, and the humour and humanity of the people who devote their lives to giving names to it (over 2,000 new plant species are named each year). Expect to be entertained and to be left forever wondering about the people and stories behind the names. For ages 12+. 12.30-1.30pm,  Royal Botanic Garden (meet at John Hope Gateway reception), Inverleith Row. Free, no booking required. John will also give a free talk about his new book The Naming of the Shrew at 2.30pm in the Real Life Science Studio, John Hope Gateway.

Lau-Lau Festival Club feat. Anais Mitchell, Kris Drever and Eamonn Coyne, Mystery Juice and Martin Green: Celebrate the end of Lau-Land with this after show club party extravaganza. Sessions, tunes and cocktail invention competition. For ages 18+. Doors open 10pm, The Dissection Room, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. £5 – book via Summerhall website or call box office on 0131 560 1581.

Pop Maskulinity: a new, thought-provoking, collective exhibition by Polish, British and international artists. Eleven artists at different stages of their artistic practice will investigate the underexploited subject of masculinity in the 21st century. Via photography, painting, drawing, collage and sculpture the artists will provoke a discussion on the status of men and the meaning of masculinity in the contemporary world. Opening tonight at 5pm, then 10am-6pm every day until 11th December 2014, Gayfield Creative Spaces, 11 Gayfield Square. Organised by The Polish Contemporary Art Organisation.

Meet Your Maker: Jewellery. Join six makers in celebration of Scottish craft as they showcase the design, process and techniques behind their work. 10am-4pm, Learning Centre, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Free drop-in, but please note that some makers will be unavailable at certain times – see website for details. Also available on Sunday 30th November.

Children’s Puppet Show and Storytime: Tania from Le Petit Monde is a native French puppeteer who introduces young children and their parents/carers to her language and culture through shows and workshops: for ages 3-5. 12 noon-12.30pm, Blackhall Library, 56 Hillhouse Road. Free but booking required: drop into the library in advance or call them on 0131 529 5595.

Holomodor Commemoration: organised by the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain Edinburgh branch. A representative of the Scottish government will attend and all are welcome. 2pm, Edinburgh Ukrainian Club, 14 Royal Terrace.

Morningside Makers Market: over 40 talented makers will be exhibiting their work. Jewellery, woodwork, cards, toys, soaps, bags, glasswork, photography, candles, decorations and more.11am-4pm, Columcille Centre, Newbattle Terrace. Also at same times on Sunday 30th November.

German Speaking Congregation of Edinburgh Christmas Bazaar: 2-4pm with carol singing at 3.30pm, German Church, Laudate House, 1 Chalmers Crescent.

Edinburgh Greek Film Festival continues today with Wild Duck/Agriopapia (‘the Greek Watergate’), Cert 18. The screening will be followed by a Q & A session with director Yannis Sakaridis. Film shown in Greek with English subtitles. 8.20pm , Filmhouse, Lothian Road. For prices and tickets contact the Box Office on 0131 228 2688 or book online.

The Line of Best Fit: place + platform presents a collaborative exhibition and event featuring MR CHOON!, Deejay Yourself, The Occasional Flickers, Krishkrush, The Beirdo, Two Wrongs, Urvanovic and Edyta. Artists have been invited to respond to the theme on paper: musicians and performers will respond to it live on the night. 8pm, Settlement Projects, 34a Haddington Place, Leith Walk. Free entry.The Edinburgh Settlement is a multi-purpose voluntary organisation with a rich history spanning more than 100 years.

Portobello Pop Up Festive Market: ceramics, textiles, organic soaps, homewares, photography, art, jams & preserves, gifts, illustration & print, glass, jewellery and accessories, writing and poetry! 12 noon-5pm, Dalriada, 77 Promenade, Portobello. Free entry.

Souper Saturday Annual Fundraising Jamboree: Souper Saturday provides food and friendship for those in need in St John’s Hall on Saturday mornings. Today you can help to raise funds for this worthwhile cause by buying postcard art by local artists, whilst enjoying live music – and of course, soup! 4-7pm, St John’s Episcopal Church Hall, Princes Street.

Winter 2014: a mixed exhibition including works from Michael G Clark, Simon Rivett, Linda Park, Alan McLeod, Mark Robertson, Laurna Ogilvie, Jane Gray, John Gardner, Annie Broadley, Anupa Gardner and John Wilson. 10am-5pm Monday to Friday, 12 noon-5pm Saturdays, Doubtfire Gallery, 3 South East Circus Place.

Scots Music Group Ceilidh with the Canongate Cadgers: licensed bar (no BYOB), free water available. 8pm (doors open 7.30pm) -12 midnight, St Brides Centre, Orwell Terrace. Tickets £8/£6 in advance from St Brides (in person or by calling 0131 346 1405) or the Scots Music Group, £10/£8 on the door.

Calum Colvin: Artist’s Talk: Calum has created the stunning exhibition using the boarded-up windows of the former North British Rubber Factory at the Castle Mill Works in Fountainbridge; he uses a mixture of painting, sculpture and photography to create his beautiful images. Edinburgh Printmakers has won Heritage Lottery funding to transform Castle Mill Works into a new centre for printmaking and creativity opening in 2017 – in the meantime come and meet Calum and find out the secrets behind the making of these eye-catching artworks (more exciting exhibitions using the outside of the building coming up next year!) This talk is outside the building at 12 noon and is open to everyone, but please RSVP to Hannah Rye at communitylearning@edinburghprintmakers.co.uk.

Interfaith Shabbat Service: the service will be led by Rabbi Mark Solomon and will last approximately 1 hour 45 minutes; it will be followed by a special kiddush. Everyone is welcome, but please contact norman.crane@googlemail.com giving the names of all those intending to attend. 11am, St Mark’s Unitarian Church, Castle Terrace. Part of Scottish Interfaith Week.

Selected: a selling exhibition of craft and design bringing together 27 Scotland-based makers. Ceramics, jewellery, furniture,textiles, glass and silver from some of the most talented makers in Scotland today, hand picked by an industry panel. 10.30am-5.30pm, today and then Monday to Saturday until 21st December 2014, Dovecot Studios, Infirmary Street.

Faith In Women: Fresh Perspectives – Seeing Through Young Women’s Eyes. 10am-12.30pm, St John’s Church Hall, Princes Street. Part of Scottish Interfaith Week.