We may think of August as festival month here in Edinburgh, but the Jazz & Blues Festival starts this week, with performances all over the city, and the Retina Scottish International Photography Festival also offers some outstanding exhibitions. If the weather’s fine (or even if it isn’t) there are lots of outdoors possibilities too, from visits to tiny town gardens to walks up great big Pentland hills (sadly I’ll be filing my nails that day…) – plus books, films, art, music, storytelling, crafts, theatre, comedy – and Redhall Walled Garden’s immensely popular annual Razzmatazz. Have a great week, and please don’t forget to check details before you set out for any event.
MONDAY 13TH JULY 2015
Mini Zoomers’ Messy Mondays: sensory, materials-focused play sessions for children aged 18 months +. Splash, scrape, sprinkle, slide, squish, scatter and scoop messy materials to make, create and explore. Bring a change of clothes! 12 noon-1pm, Yellow Room, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. £4.50 per child (sibling £3.50). The next session will be on 27th July 2015.
Meet the Edible Gardening Team: take a look round the productive garden with the Edible Gardening Project volunteers – find out what needs doing in your own garden just now and have your vegetable growing questions answered. Have a go at sowing seeds and take them home to watch them grow. For all ages. 1-3pm, Demonstration Garden, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. Free, no booking required. Also at same times on Tuesday 14th July 2015.
For Crying Out Loud: screenings for carers and their babies under 12 months old (maximum 2 adults per baby). Babychanging, bottle-warming and buggy parking facilities are available. Today’s film is Song of the Sea (PG) a ‘stunnningly beautiful animated feature ..the soulful and magical tale of a brother and sister on an adventure to save the spirit world’. 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4.50/£3.50 per adult, and may be purchased in person or by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688.
Mini Zoomers: a sensory play space for children aged 0-3 years. Promoting independence, imagination and creativity, Mini Zoomers offers a safe and welcoming space to explore materials, try out new things and make new friends. 9.30-11.30am, Yellow Room, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. £3.50 per child (siblings and babies under 6 months £2.50). The next session will be on 17th July 2015.
Lunchtime Concert: Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament Choir, Christchurch, New Zealand. 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.
Goodbye Carrie I Must Leave You: author Jill Duffield launches her new book, comprising the letters of her grandfather James Hill to his young wife, written 1899-1902. Professor Paul Nugent (University of Edinburgh) will speak about James’ service in the South African war. 7-8.30pm, St John’s Church Hall, Princes Street. Tickets cost £5 (includes wine and nibbles) and may be purchased on the door or via eventbrite here.
Grassmarket Community Project Cinema: Skeletons (15). Critically acclaimed cult British black comedy in which two exorcists literally remove the skeletons from people’s cupboards. 7pm, Grassmarket Community Project, 86 Candlemaker Row. All welcome, free admission: donations very welcome! The Grassmarket Community Project is a charity providing mentoring, training and education to participants, many of whom are amongst the most vulnerable of Edinburgh’s citizens, in a nurturing environment. It operates a community cafe, woodwork and tartan social enterprises, and a range of social integration and educational activities for members, aimed at enhancing life skills and developing confidence. To read about The Edinburgh Reporter’s afternoon at the Project, click here.
Go Set a Watchman Celebration Evening: an after-hours screening of the classic 1962 adaptation of To Kill A Mockingbird. Delicious refreshments will be available throughout the evening, and when the film finishes at midnight you will be able to be one of the first people in the world to read Go Set A Watchman. 9pm, Waterstones West End, 128 Princes Street. Please contact the shop on 0131 226 2666 to find out more.
Picturehouses Culture Shock: the best in cult and genre films. Tonight: Little Shop of Horrors (Director’s Cut) (PG) – a comedy musical based on the stage version of the cult movie, in which the cannibalistic eating habits of a carniverous shrub become insatiable… 9pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0871 902 5723 or online here: prices vary.
Sofi’s Cult Movie Mondays: free screenings of popular classics – with popcorn – in Sofi’s cosy back room. This week’s film is Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas (18) in which an oddball journalist and his psychopathic lawyer travel to Las Vegas for a series of psychedelic escapades; Johnny Depp stars. 8pm, Sofi’s Bar, Henderson Street.
TUESDAY 14TH JULY 2015
Tiny Tales: In the Garden. Storyteller Jane Mather leads a magical morning of songs and nature stories for wee ones, with a sprinkling of fairy dust and clay play. 10am or 11am (40 minute sessions), Storytelling Bothy (in the garden if weather fine), Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £5 (accompanying adult free) and are available from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 556 9579 or online here. Please remember to book a free adult ticket for yourself when you buy your child’s ticket.
Bookbug Baby and Buggy Jog Around! Get moving and singing – cake and coffee at the finish line! 11am-12 noon, Granton Library, Wardieburn Terrace. All welcome.
Lunchtime Concert: The Choir of Trinity Cathedral, Columbia, South Carolina. 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.
The Retina Scottish International Photography Festival: Retina 2015 puts emerging and established international talent firmly in the frame, showcasing the best from the world of photography in a range of venues across Edinburgh throughout July. This exhibition at Out of the Blue will feature work by Luigi Giannetti, Douglas Corrance and Bartek Furdal. Opens today, then 10am-5pm Monday to Saturday, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny Street. Ends 24th July 2015.
Growing Concerns: Edinburgh’s Community Gardening Network. As part of the Year of Food and Drink 2015, Rob Ford, Community Gardening Development Officer, Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust, talks about growing your own fruit and vegetables in the city. There will also be an opportunity to browse related books from the Library’s collections. 11am, National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. Free but booking is required and may be made by calling 0131 623 3734 or online here.
Traditional Tales: a summer season of traditional tales from Scotland. Authentic entertainment and insight, bringing you the truths, the myths and the legends of Scottish folklore, past and present; this week’s storyteller is Senga Munro. For ages 12+. 3-4pm, Library, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £6.50/£4.50 and are available from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 556 9579 or online here. Also at same time on Wednesday 15th and Thursday 16th July 2015, and Tuesday-Thursday each subsequent week in July. Next week’s storyteller will be Stuart McHardy.
Cello in the Church: Tim Cais (cello) and Chris Harding (piano) will play Mendelssohn Cello Sonata No 2, Mendelssohn Variations Concertantes and JS Bach Gamba Sonata No 1. 1.15-2.15pm, St Andrew’s & St George’s West Church, 13 George Street. Free.
A Calendar of Memories: a relaxed session of stories, songs, laughter and reminiscence., hosted by the Life Stories Project, which specialises in sharing stories with older people to help rekindle imagination, trigger memories and increase communication. 2pm, Storytelling Court, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £3 and are available from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 556 9579 or online here. The next session will be on 15th September 2015.
Wild at Art: Andy Goldsworthy invites you to get creative with nature. 2-3.30pm, Water of Leith Conservation Trust, 24 Lanark Road. £4 per child, accompanying adult free. Booking is essential and may be made by calling the Visitor Centre on 0131 455 7367 or emailing admin@waterofleith.org.uk.
Family Secrets and Debut Novels: bestselling food writer Sue Lawrence (Fields of Blue Flax) and leading Irish journalist Ann O’Loughlin (The Ballroom Cafe), in conversation with literary agent Jenny Brown. The writers explore secrets, betrayals and family sagas, and discuss how they approached writing their first works of fiction. 6pm, National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. Free but booking is required and may be made by calling 0131 623 3734 or online here.
Leith Folk Club: Jimmy Livingstone – ‘a refreshingly down-to-earth, beautifully crafted and soulfully uplifting listen’ (Music Week). Support: Under the Dogwood Tree. 7.30pm, Victoria Park House Hotel, 221 Ferry Road. Tickets cost £7 and may be purchased online here or by texting the club’s reservation number: 07502 024 852.
Old Chain Pier Quiz Night: come along for some brainstorming! 9pm, Old Chain Pier, Trinity Crescent.
WEDNESDAY 15TH JULY 2015
Chatterbooks: if you are 8-12 years old and like books and reading, come along to Chatterbooks and meet new friends, talk about books and join in games and competitions. 3.45-4.45pm, Fountainbridge Library, 137 Dundee Street. All welcome! For more information please ask at the counter, call 0131 529 5617 or email Mohammed.boussabou@edinburgh.gov.uk
Summer Fun in the Courtyard: free family activities for children of all ages. Today Mrs Mash the Storytelling Cook returns to enthrall all – everyone welcome! 11.30am-1pm, Courtyard, St Andrew’s & St George’s West Church, 13 George Street.
Visually Impaired Tour and Workshop: The Amazing World of MC Escher. A free descriptive tour and practical workshop for the visually impaired. 10am-3.30pm, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art TWO, Belford Road – meet and collect at the gallery’s back door. To book a place please call the Information Desk on 0131 624 6560.
Origami Wonders! Make a regular sized origami creation, then try a larger one. For children aged 5-12 years: children under 8 must be supervised by someone over 12. 2-3pm, Drumbrae Library Hub, 81 Drumbrae Drive. All welcome!
Marvellous Messy Monoprints. The grounds at Lauriston Castle are teeming with wildlife – Michael Craik invites you to take this as your inspiration and get messy with a variety of monoprinting techniques, materials and stamps to create a colourful woodland masterpiece. 10.30am-12.30pm, Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South. £4 per person: advance booking is essential and must be made via the Usher Hall Box Office, Lothian Road, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here. Please note that these workshops are for families working together: all children must be accompanied by at least one paying adult, and children must not be booked into workshops alone.
Lunchtime Concert: The Choir of Trinity Cathedral, Columbia, South Carolina. 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.
Stamp It: a fun, interactive workshop for children aged 7-12 years, using stamps in games, arts and crafts. Learn about animals through stamps, with Sandie Robb from the Association of British Philatelic Societies. Sandie also works for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. 2-3.30pm, Central Children’s Library, George IV Bridge. Free but booking is required via eventbrite here. Please note this workshop is not suitable for children under 7 years.
Treasures from Europe: The Art Collection of James, 1st Duke of Hamilton. During the 1620s and 1630s James Hamilton acquired a collection of paintings which was to rival that of Charles I, and which formed the basis of the renowned Hamilton Collection, including works by Titian, Bellini, Giorgioni, Rafael, Rubens, Mytens and Van Dyck. The collection was sold in 1919 and is now dispersed around the world. Kate Anderson, Curator, Portrait Gallery, will highlight some of these key works, examining the collecting tastes of this important Scottish nobleman and the impact his collection had in Stuart Britain. 12.45-1.30pm, Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.
Water Bottle Spirals: make a colourful decoration for inside or out. For ages 5-12 years. 3.30-4.30pm, Granton Library, Wardieburn Terrace. All welcome.
Getting Started at the National Library of Scotland: learn how to get a library card (please bring evidence of identity with you if you plan to register), find your way around the library and request materials from the collections. The workshop will include a tour of the Reading Rooms and will last about 90 minutes. 6pm, National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. Free but booking is required and may be made by calling 0131 623 3734 or online here.
Moto Madness: design your own record-breaking vehicle. For ages 5-12 years. 4-5pm, Muirhouse Library, Pennywell Court. All welcome.
Record Breakers Physical Fun & Games: challenge yourself and become a record breaker! How long can you hop on the spot? 2-3pm, Kirkliston Library, 16 Station Road. All welcome!
LGBT: Bi & Beyond Edinburgh. A fortnightly social gathering for people who identify as bisexual and non-monosexual. With organised social activities and refreshments provided, whatever your label or lack of label, we welcome you. 7-9pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For more information please contact biandbeyondedinburgh@gmail.com.
VSO Comedy Night: enjoy a good night of comedy and help to raise funds for this life-changing charity. 8.30pm (doors open 7.30pm), The Stand Comedy Club, 5 York Place. Tickets cost £8/£6 and may be reserved by calling The Stand on 0131 558 7272 or by contacting Cathy Crawford on 0131 620 0552/crawfordcathy@hotmail.com. VSO is an international development charity, creating long term solutions to global poverty by sending volunteers from a range of professions to share their skills with some of the world’s poorest communities.
Girls’ Night In: for ages 12-14 years. 5-7pm, Granton Library, Wardieburn Terrace. All welcome.
Grassmarket Community Project Presents Bill McGillivray. Bill was a missioner with Edinburgh City Mission, Pilton for many years, and is a member of the Magic Circle. He has performed all over the world, entertaining people with his blend of fact, humour and magic. 4.15pm, Grassmarket Community Project, 86 Candlemaker Row. All welcome, free admission: donations very welcome! The Grassmarket Community Project is a charity providing mentoring, training and education to participants, many of whom are amongst the most vulnerable of Edinburgh’s citizens, in a nurturing environment. It operates a community cafe, woodwork and tartan social enterprises, and a range of social integration and educational activities for members, aimed at enhancing life skills and developing confidence. To read about The Edinburgh Reporter’s afternoon at the Project, click here.
Jammin’ At Voodoo: monthly live jam session with some of Scotland’s leading musicians playing lounge grooves from many genres – blues, soul, funk, ska, rock and reggae, jazz and country. Musicians play by invitation only to set a good standard. For over 18s only. 9pm, The Ballroom, The Voodoo Rooms, West Register Street. Free admission.
The Long Lost Trio: guitar-led Jazz and Blues, infused with some Funk, Americana and Soul, from Thomas Dibb (guitar), John Pope (bass) and David Carnegie (drums). Influences include John Scofield, Bill Frisell, The Meters, The Band, Medeski Martin & wood, and Herbie Hancock. 9pm (entry from 8pm), The Jazz Bar, Chambers Street. £5/£4 on the door: please note this venue is cash only.
Heb Celt 20: It may only be Wednesday, but your first chance to get away from it all starts today! Set in the grounds of Stornaway’s Lews Castle and at various other venues throughout Harris and Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Heb Celt offers music from Celtic cultures with contemporary, traditional, indie-folk, rock and world influences. Numerous acts include Salsa Celtica, Raghu Dixit, Idewild, Shooglenifty and Afro Celt Sound System – plus community events, Circus Heroes in the Magpie Big Top, Japanese street theatre with Daiki-san and CHEEKY-san, magic, cookery demonstrations, Blasad dhen Fheis (Taste the Festival), children’s activities, family concerts, Gaelic language tasters, Latin dance workshops, ceilidhs, Highland & Celtic dancing, community concerts, late night sessions – and the Shinty Challenge Cup. Starts today and ends on the evening of Saturday 18th July. Calmac ferries sail daily from Ullapool to Lewis. For more information, including accommodation and travel options, see Heb Celt’s website here.
Boda Bar Quiz: for teams of 4 people. 8pm, Boda, 229 Leith Walk.
THURSDAY 16TH JULY 2015
River Dipping. Get into the river for this favourite activity! 2-3.30pm, Water of Leith Conservation Trust, 24 Lanark Road. £4 per child, accompanying adult free. Booking is essential and may be made by calling the Visitor Centre on 0131 455 7367 or emailing admin@waterofleith.org.uk.
LGBT Age: Salads & Smoothies. A nutritious and vitalising light lunch in good company; recipes and fresh fruit and veg will be provided to enjoy in the garden sunshine. 11am-1pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. Free but booking is preferred; please contact lynda@lgbthealth.org.uk. LGBT Age is a project run by LGBT Health & Wellbeing for LGBT people aged 50+; it aims to promote health and wellbeing and create social opportunities through its befriending service, social programme and information sessions. If you would like to sign up to the monthly LGBT Age e-bulletin, click here.
From Carlins to Carving: walk the full length of the Pentland Hills Regional Park and learn about the two witches (carlines) of Carlops, the dry slopes of Hillend – and a few things in between! Magnificent views! This is a strenuous walk of 12 miles with an ascent of 1,100m. For over 16s only: free. 9.45am-5pm, meet at Carlops Village Car Park. Bring sturdy footwear, waterproofs and lunch. This event is part of the Pentland Walking Festival (16th-18th July 2015); other walks include Teddy Bear Adventures, Northern History and The Ridge – for further information about all walks please contact the Pentland Hills Regional Park Service HQ at Hermitage of Braid 69a Braid Road; call 0131 529 2401 or email pentlandhills@edinburgh.gov.uk.
Art Buffet. Bragela Hornel invites you to explore and be amazed by the gallery’s table of delights! Focusing specifically on abstract paintings, create unique and inspiring works of art. 2-4pm, City Art Centre, 2 Market Street. £4 per person: advance booking is essential and must be made via the Usher Hall Box Office, Lothian Road, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here. Please note that these workshops are for families working together: all children must be accompanied by at least one paying adult, and children must not be booked into workshops alone.
Northfield and Willowbrae Community Council. The meeting will include a discussion with Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust, which is consulting on the design for the new Hamilton Park which, with the new St John’s Primary School, will be one of the largest projects in the area for some time. Come along to this first consultation and get some ideas! 7pm, Northfield/Willowbrae Community Centre, Northfield Road. All welcome.
Public Information: cool/hot, funky/electric modern jazz from the Edinburgh-based quartet of Don Kelman (sax/flute), Iain Carleton (guitar), Ron Ballin (electric bass) and Desmond Travis (drums). Originals and re-arranged standards, plus some lesser-heard material by Ornette Coleman, Miles Davis et al. 9pm (entry from 8pm), The Jazz Bar, Chambers Street. £5/£4 on the door: please note this venue is cash only.
An Evening with Judy Blume: the iconic YA and adult author makes a rare visit from the US to talk about her new novel for adults In the Unlikely Event. Judy will be in conversation with Edinburgh YA author Cat Clarke. 6.30pm, Assembly Roxy, 2 Roxburgh Place. Tickets cost £7 (£5 for Waterstones’ Cardholders) and may be obtained online here (transaction fee applies).
Hot Tin Roof: the Edinburgh-based guitar trio – Andy McKay Challen (acoustic guitar/vocals), Gavin Jack (electric lead guitar) and Kenny Miller (Cajon) – play stripped back, atmospheric blues and soul. 9pm, Old Chain Pier, Trinity Crescent.
FRIDAY 17TH JULY 2015
Flickering Seasons: a monologue about real life, recovery and hope, written and performed by Frances McCann, directed by Adam Tomkins. The performance will last about 30 minutes and will be followed by a talk. 6.45pm, St John’s Church Hall, Princes Street. Tickets cost £7/£5 (unwaged) and will be available on the door. Supported by the Scottish Recovery Consortium.
Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival starts today! Over 150 concerts in venues all over the city, plus jam sessions, a jazz summer school, Mardi Gras in the Grassmarket and the Festival Carnival in Princes Street. Tickets may be purchased online here, by calling 0131 473 2000 or from Hub Tickets, the Festival Theatre and The Queen’s Hall.
Biggest Bubble Blowing Bonanza: will there be a record breaker? Come along and find out! For ages 5-12 years. 2.30-3.30pm, Granton Library, Wardieburn Terrace. All welcome.
In Focus: Quentin Massy’s Portrait of a Man c 1510-1520. Art historian Ola Wojtkiewicz considers one of the Scottish National Gallery highlights, which shows Massy’s meticulous style in one of his best ‘head and shoulders’ portraits set against a landscape background. The painting’s enigmatic symbolism and its fascinating conservation history will be the main focus of this informative and entertaining lecture. 12.45-1.30pm, Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.
Summer Yoga: 10.30am-12 noon today and every Friday until 14th August, Eric Liddell Centre, 15 Morningside Road. £6/£5 (mats provided). For more information please contact fiona@ericliddell.org or call 0131 446 3321.
Beyond Google: an Introduction to Credo Reference and Oxford Reference Online. Learn how to access hundreds of quality reference books online – a basic introduction to the key features of two major resources. 11am, National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. Free but booking is required and may be made by calling 0131 623 3734 or online here. For more information please email enquiries@nls.uk.
Anita Wardell and her Trio: the world-renowned singer with one of the most attractive voice in jazz, sings ballads, scat and swingers. For over 14s only. 6-7.30pm, The Jazz Bar, Chambers Street. This event forms part of Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival: tickets cost £10 (transaction fee applies) and may be purchased from Hub Tickets, Castle Hill in person, by calling 0131 473 2000 or online here. Tickets are also available from the Festival Theatre and The Queen’s Hall Box Offices.
ButeFest 2015: if you’re still looking for an excuse to escape this weekend, another island is ready to welcome you to its shores. Bute is, however, a tad closer to home than the Outer Hebrides; you can take the train or bus there from Glasgow (short ferry trip included), and they’re even laying on a shuttle bus to get you to the campsite. Line-up includes Peatbog Faeries, Treacherous Orchestra, Skerryvore, Stanley Odd, We Banjo 3 and lots more, plus children’s entertainment – Professor Pumpernickel, storytelling, a wandering troubadour and activities throughout the site – locally produced foods, including Henshelwoods and Food From Argyll, breadmaking, coffee tasting, herb growing, preserve making and spice tasting workshops, craft beers and ciders. Starts today, The Meadows, Rothesay, Isle of Bute; ends Sunday 19th July. For more information, including accommodation (free camping is included in the ticket price, but you can also hire a luxury pre-erected bell tent, furnished or unfurnished!) and transport options, see the ButeFest website here.
Get Into Art: if you’re looking to explore a variety of new art techniques, start here with a simple introduction to artworks from the city’s varied and colourful collection with artist Erik Petrie. 2.30-4pm, City Art Centre, 2 Market Street. £4 per person: advance booking is essential and must be made via the Usher Hall Box Office, Lothian Road, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here. Please note that these workshops are for families working together: all children must be accompanied by at least one paying adult, and children must not be booked into workshops alone.
SATURDAY 18TH JULY 2015
Funny Faces: Lauren Wayland invites you to look at some of the amazing portraits in the city’s collection, then create your own weird and wonderful portrait collage, using bits of magazine pages and colourful paper. 2-4pm, City Art Centre, 2 Market Street. £4 per person: advance booking is essential and must be made via the Usher Hall Box Office, Lothian Road, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here. Please note that these workshops are for families working together: all children must be accompanied by at least one paying adult, and children must not be booked into workshops alone.
Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival: Mardi Gras. visiting and local musicians create non-stop entertainment and a party atmosphere. This year’s line-up includes Shreveport Rhythm, Brass Gumbo, Lights Out By Nine, James Brown Is Annie and Oriental Jazz band, plus a Singers’ Stage featuring Edith Budge, Sue McHugh and Marty Waugh. From 1pm, Grassmarket. Free.
The Extreme Stunt Show: Air Battle Sensational monster truck action featuring Extreme FMX, BMX, mountain bikes, quads and a whole lot more. 6pm today and 3pm Sunday, Ocean Terminal, Ocean Drive, Leith. Tickets cost £12/£6 (£14/£7 on the door) and may be purchased in advance here. ‘Extreme is a state of mind’.
Printmaking Demonstration: Photo-Plate Lithography and Photo Etching. Photo-plate lithography concentrates on using light sensitive aluminium photo plates; these plates can produce detailed marks such as painterly washes, linear drawings, photocopied images, photographs, digital images and text. The image can be printed in several coloured layers onto paper; each layer of colour is printed individually, taking care to register each new layer of ink on top of previously printed colours. Photec is a photopolymer film that can be adhered to a metal plate, exposed to a positive artwork on acetate, and developed in such a way that it can produce accurate photographic acid resist. This then allows a photographic image to be etched into a copper plate. This demonstration event, arranged in conjunction with the current Photography in Print exhibition, will give you a glimpse into the magic of these processes. 2-3pm, Edinburgh Printmakers, Union Street. £3 per person or £5 for two: booking is required as places are limited; it can be made via eventbrite here. This event is part of the ACTINIC Festival.
Morningside Farmers’ Market: fresh, local, seasonal food fresh from the producers, crafts, gifts, plants, and refreshments available throughout the market or from The Merlin Pub & Kitchen. 9.30am-3.30pm, The Merlin (rear car park), 168 Morningside Road.
Redhall Walled Garden: Razzmatazz. Live music, plant sales, children’s activities, quiz trail, traditional games, chickens, badge making, fresh vegetables, meat, pond dipping, face painting, cream teas and more, all in the setting of an historic garden. 12 noon-5pm, Redhall Walled Garden, 97 Lanark Road EH14 2LZ. Disabled parking on site, limited parking on Lanark Road, on Lothian Bus Route 44. Entry by donation. Redhall Walled Garden is a Scottish Association for Mental Health service dedicated to mental health and wellbeing for all.
Rumba de Bodas: swing, Latin and upbeat ska from this young Italian group. Infectious rhythms, sultry vocals, hot horns and sweet accordion. 10pm, Tron Kirk, High Street/South Bridge. Part of Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival. Also at same time on Sunday 19th July.
Meet Estelle Maskame: the author of the phenomenal DIMILY series will sign copies of her debut novel Did I Mention I Love You? 1pm, Waterstones West End, 128 Princes Street. Free and unticketed.
Gardening for Health: gardening joy for the over-60s! 10am-1pm, Dr Neil’s Garden, Old Church Lane, Duddingston Village. £10 per session. Also on Saturdays 18th and 25th July and 1st August 2015.
A Stranger Walks into a Bar: when a stranger turns up to drink at the bar alone, he brings with him a wealth of odd tales and an uncanny insight into other people’s lives. As the night progresses, it becomes clear that he is not the only one with a tale to tell… 
A Stranger Walks into a Bar is a play that will grow and change throughout the summer as it moves from one venue to another, collecting stories along the way. Directed by Shilpa T-Hyland. 7.30pm, Storytelling Court, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £8.50/£6.50 and are available from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 556 9579 or online here.
Absolut Piano with Olly Ferrell: an evening of sing along tunes with Sofi’s resident pianist. 7.30pm, Sofi’s Bar, Henderson Street.
Norman Silver and The Gold + Full Moon Freaks + The Hoolits. Edinburgh band Norman Silver and The Gold play ‘country & western-ish punk and.. metal’, Full Moon Freaks are ‘psychosurfoid for the contaminated beach’ and Scottish countryists The Hoolits (featuring members of Junkman’s Choir and The Amphetameanies) play their first Edinburgh gig. For over 18s only. 7pm, The Ballroom, The Voodoo Rooms, West Register Street. Admission £6 on the door.
SUNDAY 19TH JULY 2015
Filmhouse Junior: films for a younger audience. Today: Moon Man (U) The man on the moon is bored; he hitches a lift to Earth on the tails of a passing comet…but all is not well, the Moon Man’s absence from his post means that all the world’s children are unable to sleep… 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4 per person, big or small, and may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688 or online here.
Kite-making and Hula Hooping with Edinburgh’s own Hula Honeys (hoops provided). 10.30am-1.30pm (hula hooping 11am-1pm), Harrison Park (next to Play Area, accessed by Ogilvie Terrace), Harrison Road and Harrison Gardens). Please bring a strong plastic bag. All welcome: under 16s must be accompanied by an adult. For further information please contact Esperanza Martin on 0131 445 4025 or email esperanza@elgt.org.uk. Facilitated by Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust, Scottish Natural Heritage, Friends of Harrison Park and the City of Edinburgh Council.
Hearing Impaired Tour: Jean-Etienne Liotard. A free tour of the exhibition, with portable loops, led by Tessa Asquith-Lamb. 11am-12 noon, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. To book a place please call the Information Desk on 0131 624 6560. The Jean-Etienne Liotard exhibition opened at the National Gallery on 4th July 2015 and will close on 13th September 2015.
Scotland’s Gardens: tiny town garden (50′ x 25′) crammed with a wonderful variety of plants and interesting features, including a Mediterranean-style patio and water feature. 2-5pm, 15 Morningside Park. Admission £3, of which 40% will go to The Citizen’s Income Trust and the net remainder to Scotland’s Gardens beneficiaries. Also at same times on 2nd August 2015.
The Extreme Stunt Show: Air Battle Sensational monster truck action featuring Extreme FMX, BMX, mountain bikes, quads and a whole lot more. 3pm, Ocean Terminal, Ocean Drive, Leith. Tickets cost £12/£6 (£14/£7 on the door) and may be purchased in advance here. ‘Extreme is a state of mind’.
Scotland’s Gardens: Hunter’s Tryst. Well-stocked, mature, medium-sized town garden: herbaceous/shrub beds, lawn, vegetables and fruit, water feature, seating areas and trees. 2-5pm, Hunter’s Tryst, 95 Oxgangs Road EH10 7BA. Admission £3, of which 40% goes to Lothian Cat Rescue and the net remainder to Scotland’s Gardens beneficiaries.
Rumba de Bodas: swing, Latin and upbeat ska from this young Italian group. Infectious rhythms, sultry vocals, hot horns and sweet accordion. 10pm, Tron Kirk, High Street/South Bridge. Part of Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival.
Bee Scene in Edinburgh: join the volunteer bumblebee surveys along the Union Canal and learn more about these fascinating furry creatures and the vital role they play in the environment. Bumblebee sightings will contribute to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust’s national BeeWalk database and to the Scottish Canals environment heritage team, providing up-to-date information on these crucial contributors to the general health of the canal environment. 1-3.30pm, Water of Leith Conservation Trust, 24 Lanark Road. For more information please contact the organiser, Alan Forrester, on 07768 951740.
Picturehouse Vintage Sundays: classic films back on the big screen. Today’s film is Touch of Evil (12A). Shown as part of A Touch of Orson, a season of Orson Welles’ classic films to commemorate the 100th anniversary of his birth, Touch of Evil is a stark, perverse story of murder, kidnapping and police corruption in a Mexican border town. 1pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0871 902 5723 or online here: prices vary.
St Giles’ At Six: Tim Cais (cello) and Chris Harding (piano) will play Mendelssohn Cello Sonata No 2, Mendelssohn Variations Concertantes and JS Bach Gamba Sonata No 1. 6pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free: retiring collection.
Golden Hare Books Presents An Evening with Malachy Tallak. The writer, editor and singer-songwriter launches his new book, Sixty Degrees North, in which he explores the places that share this latitude, beginning and ending in Shetland, where he has spent most of his life. Malachy looks at themes of wildness, community, isolation, engagement, exile and memory – and also at the loss of his own father, and his troubled relationship with Shetland. ‘A wise, questioning and highly sophisticated talent’ (John Burnside), ‘..a brave book in its honesty and exposure..a beautiful book in terms of the subtlety of its thinking and the quality of its descriptive prose’ (Robert Macfarlane). 7pm, St Stephen’s Centre, St Stephen Street. Free tickets may be booked via eventbrite here.
And finally… if you would like to attend the Virgin Money Fireworks Concert at the end of the festivals this summer, tickets are now on sale for this celebration of dance music and spectacular visual extravaganza. International fireworks artists Pyrovision will choreograph this breathtaking display to accompany the Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s performance in Princes Street Gardens on the night of 31st August. Tickets range from £12.50 to £27.50 and may be purchased online here. ‘A truly explosive evening!’.
