The Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home Valentine’s Ceilidh: share the love and have a great evening at Summerhall – which used to be the Dick Veterinary Hospital, where many of the Dog & Cat Home’s residents were taken for treatment. Dance the night away with ceilidh band The Cannongate Cadjers in this impressive building; all profits will go to help stray and unwanted animals. 7.30pm-12 midnight, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. Tickets cost £8 (+ booking fee) in advance from eventbrite or £10 on the door. For more information please call EDCH on 0131 669 5331.
A New Adventure For Lapin! Le Petit Monde warmly invites you to a taster for its new production starring Lapin and his French-speaking chums. This presentation, scheduled in the early stages of the show’s development, will be an opportunity for families to give Tania Czajka, Le Petit Monde performer and artistic director, and Alasdair Satchel, director, feedback to help them create a top new bilingual adventure for the little rabbit. In English and French, for children aged 3-5 years and their families. 11.30am-12.30pm, Institut francais d’Ecosse, 13 Randolph Crescent. Free, but space is limited so please book your places in advance by contacting accueil@ifecosse.org.uk or 0131 225 5366. Le Petit Monde is a puppet theatre company based in Edinburgh.
Edible Gardening Weekend Activities: fancy growing your own vegetables but don’t know where to start? Focusing on seasonal gardening information, the team will be on hand with friendly advice, fun activities and garden produce tasters. 12.30-3.30pm, Real Life Science Studio, John Hope Gateway, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20a Inverleith Row. Free. Also at same times on Sunday 22nd February 2015.
Calm Yer Beans! A fundraising night in aid of Edinburgh NW Foodbank. Live music and spoken word from Wounded Knee, Little Love and the Friendly Vibes, Dirty Red Turncoats, Harry Giles and Katherine MacMahon, 7.30pm, Area C Coffee House, 239 Leith Walk. All welcome. BYOB (corkage applies).
Vintage Kilo Sale: over 5 tonnes of quality mixed vintage fashion and accessories – only £15 per kilo! Stock is replenished throughout the day. Earlybird entry 11am-12 noon, £3; general entry 12 noon-4pm, £1.50, (private trade hour 10-11am), Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny Street.
Lothian Centre for Inclusive Living: are you a disabled person or do you have a long-term health condition? Do you want to live a more independent life? The Lothian Centre for Inclusive Living invite you to drop in to Kirkliston Community Centre today for a cuppa and a chat – make friends, share your stories and experiences, ask any questions you may have, and have a bit of fun! Transport can be arranged if required. 1-3pm, Kirkliston Community Centre, 16-18 Queensferry Road. For more information and to register your interest please call Elspeth or Kelly at LCIL on 0131 475 2350, email elspeth.ferguson@lothiancil.org.uk or kelly.jack@lothiancil.org.uk or call Callum Gibson at the Community Centre on 0131 333 4214.
St Bride’s Family Cinema: see your favourite films for free! Juice and choc ices available in the interval for 50p each. Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Today’s film: Lady and the Tramp (U), next week: Despicable Me (U). 10.30am-12.30pm (includes interval), St Bride’s Centre, 10 Orwell Terrace, Dalry.
The Domestics: 9pm, Dalriada, 77 Promenade, Portobello.
Bookbug: songs and rhymes for young children and their parents/carers. 10.30am today and every Saturday and Tuesday, Corstorphine Library, 12 Kirk Loan. Free: all very welcome!
LGBT: T Time in Edinburgh. An informal monthly social gathering open to all transgender people and supporters. Come along for tea/coffee and a chat in a friendly, relaxed environment. The first meeting of each quarter is family-friendly, and an optional event runs alongside each T Time. Today Beyond the Label: if you are a trans-identifying person, the trans label or experience may be an important part of your identity, but it is also important to make the time to explore and nurture other aspects of your identity. This is an opportunity to explore what you feel is important or of interest about you beyond the trans/label experience, and how these other aspects of self relate to, or are affected by, trans identity. T Time 1-4pm, Beyond the Label 2-3.30pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing Centre, 9 Howe Street. For more information contact Jules Stapleton Barnes on 0131 523 1104 or jules@lgbthealth.org.uk.
What if the paintings came to life? Inspired by James Mayhew’s picture book Katie and her gallery adventures, bring artworks to life by making puppets inspired by paintings. What happens next when these characters come to life? You decide… 2-4pm (drop-in), Main Gallery Floor, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.
Scandinavian Young Fiction – Meet the Authors. We’ve all heard of Pippi Longstocking, The Ugly Duckling, Sophie’s World and The Moomins, but what kind of books are being written for children and young adults in the Nordic countries today? Come and meet a group of exciting authors, hear them talk about their creative process and read extracts from their work, and ask them questions about their writing. This family-friendly event (in English) will feature Danish author Merete Pryds Helle together with Norwegian authors Maria Parr and Harald Rosenlow Eeg. Bjarne Thorup Thomsen will lead the discussion, and light refreshments will be served. 11am-1pm, Danish Cultural Institute, 3 Doune Terrace. Free but ticketed: please rsvp to dci@dancult.co.uk.
Portrait Gallery Architecture Tour: monthly architecture tour of the magnificent Arts & Crafts building designed by Sir Robert Rowand Anderson. 2-2.45pm, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Booking essential: please call the Information Desk on 0131 624 6560.
Wasabi Disco with Young Marco (Rush Hour, Amsterdam): ‘mutant disco and sleazy electro throbbers spun till late’. 11pm, Sneaky Pete’s, Cowgate. Tickets cost £5 and can be booked online here (transaction fee applies).
The Enchanted Forest Adventure: Brooke Laing performs and delights in this interactive, action-packed adventure through an enchanted forest where a miserable witch has been up to mischief. Can everyone save Bottom and his fairytale friends from the witch’s spells before Big Ben chimes midnight? For ages 3-6 years. 12 noon-12.45pm, (10.30am performance sold out), Storytelling Court, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £6 per child, accompanying adult free, and may be booked online here or by calling the Centre on 0131 556 9579. Please remember to book a free adult ticket too.
Edinburgh Society of Musicians: cellist Veronica Hendry plays works by JS Bach. 7.30pm prompt, Edinburgh Society of Musicians, 3 Belford Road. Free admission: all welcome. The Edinburgh Society of Musicians has promoted practical music making in Edinburgh since 1887.
Me and The Devil: unorthodox party music played by the ‘subversive record selectors’ – expect disco,world groove, psychedelia, new wave, krautrock and ‘other buzz words’. Victoria Bar, 265 Leith Walk. Free admission.
