Toy collection

Big Hearts Community Trust are collecting new unwrapped toys on Thursday 28 November between 4pm and 7pm at Foundation Plaza in Gorgie – which for the non football fans among you is outside Tynecastle Stadium

This is part of their Mission Christmas in the Cash for Kids initiative.

Carol service

Choir of St John’s Edinburgh is performing Advent Carols on 1 December at St John’s Princes Street at 6pm.

There will be music by Byrd, Ramsay, Praetorius, Joubert and Bruckner.

It is worth going just for the songs – but also for the ceiling. It is quite beautiful. Our photo below was taken by the late John Preece at the opening of the Just Festival in August 2021. You will no longer see the paper cranes – but you will see the beautiful ceiling beyond while you sing your heart out.

Just Festival Launch, St. John’s Church, Edinburgh, 6th Aug. 2021 © 2021 J.L. Preece

Leith Collective need trees and decorations

If you have unwanted Christmas trees and decorations then The Leith Collective can make use of them. They will donate them to families in emergency accommodation who need trees and decorations to make this festive season a bit more special.

And anyone who would like to have a tree or decorations is encouraged to go to one of the shops and help themselves.

Donate at the Leith Collective at Fort Kinnaird, Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre, Overgate or Waverley Market.

More information here.

Trading Post 2024

At Custom Lane this weekend the Trading Post returns to Custom Lane. This is a modern marketplace “carefully curated by Custom Lane and Rogue Village. Trading Post is a design-led marketplace, featuring some of the country’s most exciting independent designers, retailers and producers.”

As well as all manner of gifts there will be an indoor foodhall.

More information here.

The panto

There is a trick to staging a panto – it is to pack it full of double entendres to keep both the adults and children happy. In the case of the King’s Panto – which is on at the Festival Theatre this year and next while the Old Lady of Leven Street is revamped – the jokes have been hand crafted for maximum effect. So much so that it is sometimes the cast (and in particular the three panto stalwarts, Allan Stewart, Grant Stott and Jordan Young) who corpse into uncontrollable fits of giggles on the stage.

Read Líam Rudden’s five star review here on his Must See Theatre SubStack.

Líam has also contributed his usual two pages to our December paper which will be out this weekend and fields twelve shows you really must see in Edinburgh. Watch out for it – and remember that a subscription to our paper makes a great gift for you or your loved ones…

Buy a subscription here.

Here are some lovely production photos by Douglas Robertson

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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.