The winner of the ’Best Kids Show’ at the Sydney Fringe is headed for Edinburgh.

Grossed Out Game show is riotously noisy fun for kids of all ages, a sell-out, smash hit Australian special event for kids of all ages. In this anarchistic live and interactive game show two guest team captains each lead half of the audience in a battle of physical challenges and trivial absurdities in order to win! The team that wins the challenges earns litres of slime to pour over the other team captain!

Quite simply the team that wins more, SLIMES more!

Multi coloured host Matty Grey is the master of munchkin mayhem, orchestrating this riotous whirlwind of insanity and as judge always has the final word. Joined onstage by his two assistants, Prof. Kit E Kat and Dr Cool, Matty is no stranger to bias, letting creative cheating slip by unnoticed. He leads us all on a merry dance towards a green finale that has to be seen to be believed.

Winner of Best Kids Show at the Sydney Fringe the show sold out its entire season at the 2014 Melbourne Comedy Festival in just 10 minutes.

Matty Grey is a Sydney based professional kids comedian. He is especially fond of creating interactive shows that encourage kids and their parents to laugh together, to get out of their seats and participate.

*No audience members get SLIMED during this show…it’s just lots of good clean fun.

Grossed Out Game Show
Assembly George Square Gardens Bosco (Venue 3)
7-9, 14-16, 21-23, 28-30 Aug (each Fri, Sat and Sun)
11.15am (60mins)
Tickets here http://www.assemblyfestival.com

Submitted by Martin Mouth

Police are appealing for witnesses following a serious assault in the city centre which  happened at around 3:10am on Friday  on Hanover Street outside Bella Italia.

A 31-year-old man was walking towards Princes Street where he planned to catch a night bus home when he became aware of a group of  males and females walking in front of him.

He was confronted by one male who punched him several times in the head and body. The victim fell to the ground at which point the suspect’s friends or passers-by intervened and pulled him away.

The victim suffered serious facial injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment before being discharged.

Police were informed of the assault on Friday afternoon and have since been carrying out various local enquiries. Officers are now asking anyone who can assist with their investigation to come forward.

The suspect is described as a white male, believed to be Spanish,  around 20-25 years old, 5ft 6ins tall with a medium build and wearing large gold frame glasses. He was also wearing a grey hooded top with black horizontal stripes on the upper arm, black trousers and black shoes.

Detective Sergeant Lynsey Thomson from Gayfield CID said: “This appears to be an unprovoked attack on a man which could have been much more serious had persons not intervened.

“I would appeal to anyone who has any information relating to the incident to come forward.”

Those with information that can assist with the investigation are asked to call the non-emergency number 101 or contact the charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Dr Book at the Urban Garden: storytimes and reading prescriptions from Dr Book all this week at the new George Street ‘parklet’. Come and see the new book benches! Storytime: 11am or 12 noon today, Thursday and Friday, Dr Book: 11am, Tuesday and Wednesday, George Street Urban Garden (near the Assembly Rooms). Read The Edinburgh Reporter’s article about the launch of the new book benches here.

Grassmarket Free Cinema: Dirty Pretty Things (15). An illuminating and nuanced film about the exploitation of illegal immigrants, Dirty Pretty Things tells the story of Okwe, a kind-hearted Nigerian doctor, and Senay, a Turkish chambermaid, who both work at the same London hotel. A thriller steeped in social commentary with powerful, evocative performances that picked up multiple awards. 7pm, Grassmarket Community Project, 86 Candlemaker Row. All welcome; free – donations to the Project also very welcome. The cafe will be open – please use it!

Caroline Dunford: Playing For Love. The acclaimed author launches her new warm-hearted novel, set against the backdrop of the Edinburgh Festival. 6.30-8pm, Portobello Library, Rosefield Avenue. Free but please book via eventbrite here.

Record Breakers Nature Hunt. Make your own journal, then go outside to see how many birds, bugs and plants everyone can spot. For ages 5+. 2.30pm, Corstorphine Library, Kirk Loan.

For Crying Out Loud: screenings for carers and their babies under the age of 12 months (maximum of 2 adults per baby). Babychanging, bottle warming and buggy parking facilities are available. This week’s film is The Salt of the Earth (12A) (In French, Portugese and English with English subtitles). Photographer Sebastiao Salgardoa embarks on the discovery of pristine territories, of world fauna and flora and of grandiose landscapes, as part of a huge photographic project in tribute to the planet’s beauty. 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4.50/£3.50 per adult and may be purchased from the Box Office in person or by calling 0131 228 2688.

Bailey On… Warhol: a screening of the 1973 documentary, introduced by Dr Glyn Davis (University of Edinburgh). David Bailey, self-taught photographer and one of the prime architects of the Swinging Sixties, broadened his horizons in the late 1960s and early 70s, making three high-profile documentaries for Lew Grade’s ATV channel. Bailey was given unprecedented access to his subjects, including Andy Warhol. The documentary was infamously banned on the grounds that it was offensive and indecent, the verdict later overturned and the programme finally transmitted. 6-7.30pm, Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.

Picturehouses Culture Shock: the best in cult and genre films. This week: The Terminator (18) – from the wasteland of 2029 Earth, two survivors are sent back in time to 1984 Los Angeles to influence the outcome of a conflict that has yet to take place. 9pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0871 902 5723 or online here: prices vary.

Arctic Convoys: Men and Ice. In November 2014 St Mary’s Cathedral hosted the award ceremony of the Ushakov medals, presented by the Russian government to local British sailors and marines who had served on the Russian Convoys in World War II; thirty five veterans came from Edinburgh and the Lothians to receive their medals from the Russian Consul General. This festival exhibition aims to show how war totally changes people’s lives, taking them out of familiar surroundings and leading them to endure the most appalling hardships and dangers in unknown and hostile situations; it will consist of tapestries by weaver Katie Russell, interviews with and photographic portraits of sixteen veterans by Sandra Marwick and Colin Dickson, and fourteen beautifully embroidered banners linked to the veterans’ backgrounds, loaned by the Trades Maiden Hospital. 9am-1pm and 2-5pm Monday to Saturday, 12 noon-3pm Sundays (except Wednesday 19th August: 9am-12.15pm only), St Mary’s Cathedral, Palmerston Place. Free: collection for Legion Scotland (formerly Royal British Legion Scotland) throughout the exhibition. Closes 31st August 2015.

Consider the Flowers of the Field: an exhibition of paintings by Janet Dyer, botanical artist and priest. 9am-1pm and 2-5pm Monday to Saturday, 12 noon-3pm Sundays (except Wednesday 19th August: 9am-12.15pm only), Resurrection Chapel, St Mary’s Cathedral, Palmerston Place. Free.

Edinburgh Playday

Bailey on….Warhol

Rhino Birthday Party

The Dougie Maclean Project

Stewart’s Melville RFC

This Wednesday you can bring your little ones to the Grassmarket and let them run wild.

Edinburgh Playday is an open access, family friendly event with simple play activities in an exciting environment. Playday 2015 will be on Wednesday 29th July and is open to the public from 12:30 – 4:30pm right in the centre of the Grassmarket.

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David Bailey’s exhibition Stardust has just opened at the National Gallery of Scotland. It is a fabulous collection of images he has created since the 1960s including some of Andy Warhol. Tonight at the Hawthornden Lecture Theatre the film Bailey on….Warhol will be screened at 6:00pm. Free and unticketed.

This is a documentary made in 1973 which was originally banned on indecency grounds. The film will be introduced by Dr Glyn Davis of University of Edinburgh.

This is one of the many events in our What’s on listing this week. If you have any events to add to it then please get in touch! 

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How do you celebrate a rhinoceros’s birthday? Well here is how they did it at Edinburgh Zoo!

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The Dougie Maclean Project is coming to The Queen’s Hall next month.

Get your tickets here and listen to him by clicking on the video below!

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At Stewart’s Melville RFC the first official match day lunch is on Saturday 12 September v Edinburgh Accies FC (ko 3pm)

Hospitality will start at 12 noon and will consist of 2 courses, match ticket, programme and parking and is only £20 pp!

To book email lindseygeddes@gmail.com

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Andrew Kerr takes up his new job as Chief Executive of the City of Edinburgh Council today.

Mr Kerr is joining the council straight from a post as Chief Operating Officer at Cornwall Council, succeeding Dame Sue Bruce who retired last week following 40 years of public service.

Councillors unanimously approved a report recommending his appointment during May’s council meeting, following which he has made a number of trips to the capital to familiarise himself with the role.

He said today: “This is a tremendous opportunity to lead one of the most high profile local authorities in the UK.

“There are undoubtedly major challenges ahead with increasing demands for council services and reducing budgets but I will do my utmost to ensure that the Council continues to work hard for the city and everyone who lives, works, visits and invests here.

“A great deal has been achieved in Edinburgh in recent years, and still much more to aim for, and I am looking forward to working closely with elected members, officers and our partners to ensure that we build on those successes.

“Of course, on a personal level, it is also great to return home, particularly when I still have family, including my parents, based here in Scotland.”

One of Andrew’s achievements in his previous role came earlier this month, successfully negotiating a Devolution Deal for Cornwall – the first rural authority in England to be offered one. This could be a useful exercise as Edinburgh is currently working with its five neighbouring local authorities to pursue a similar deal for the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region.

Council Leader Andrew Burns said: “It was clear from the recruitment process that Andrew had the qualities required to take on the role and I look forward to working closely with him to ensure the continuing prosperity of our city.

“He brings significant experience of leading and delivering change in the public sector and has achieved recent success in securing a Devolution Deal for Cornwall – all of which is very encouraging as he moves into his new role. I’m sure he’ll hit the ground running.”

Andrew Kerr began his career with the District Council in Falkirk where he was born. His 32-year public sector career has since included over three years at Birmingham City Council, where he led the national award-winning Birmingham BEST organisational development programme. From 2005 he led the turnaround of North Tyneside Council as its new CEO.

He was appointed Chief Operating Officer of Cardiff Council in March 2012 where he delivered a £900m joint venture in waste management. He has led transformation programmes in his last three authorities delivering more than £100m worth of savings.  In his most recent post with Cornwall Council he led a programme planned to deliver £196m savings in the next four years.

Andrew has also represented Great Britain in international athletics (400m). He is married with three children.

The debut theatre show from master of the spoken word, directed by Fringe First winner Joe Murphy (Soho Theatre/nabokov). What I Learned From Johnny Bevan is a compelling story of friendship, class and the death of New Labour… and a really bad idea for a festival.

The story tells how journalist Nick has fallen out of love with London and his life. Forced to review the launch of 
URBANIA, a new inner-city festival, he starts to remember his shattered friendship with Johnny Bevan, the whip-smart, mercurial kid from an Essex council estate. Back at university Johnny inspired him and saved him from living his father’s life. Then their relationship came to its tragic end. Twenty years later, can he save the world-weary Nick all over again?

Written and performed by Luke in deft visceral, punchy verse, with a score by Ian Catskilkin from the band Art Brut, What I Learned From Johnny Bevan is a breath-taking poetic monologue about the British relationship between class and politics. Funny, poignant and full of dynamism, Wright’s first collaboration with Soho Theatre Associate Director and nabokov Artistic Director Joe Murphy is also his first ever theatre piece.

Luke Wright has also written eight poetry shows, three books of verse and four spoken word albums. He tours the world each year with his unique brand of poetry, and is often seen with John Cooper Clarke. His verse documentaries on Channel 4 have been enjoyed by millions of viewers and his poems can often be heard on BBC Radios 3 & 4, sometimes further afield. He is a regular contributor to Sony Award-winning Saturday Live and has numerous main channel TV appearances under his belt. He curates the spoken word line-ups at The Latitude Festival, Festival Number 6 and The Edinburgh International Book Festival.

Director Joe Murphy won a Fringe First with nabokov for BUNNY (Underbelly) and universal acclaim for BLINK (Traverse), both of which transferred Off-Broadway. As Artistic Direcor of nabokov he also directed the hit production of Nick Payne’s INCOGNITO at the Bush. Most recently Associate Director on the mega-hit and Broadway transferred Wolf Hall, Joe is now Associate Director at Soho Theatre.

Luke is also performing his latest touring show, Stay-at-Home Dandy at Underbelly at 18.30 daily and curates Babble On at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.

What I Learned From Johnny Bevan
Summerhall, Demonstration Room Venue 26
7-30 Aug (not 18), 16.55 (60 mins)
Book here http://www.summerhall.co.uk

Submitted by Martin Mouth

If you thought Irish dancers were all curly-haired cutie-pies with perfect posture, meet a scowling girl from London in this outrageous antidote to Riverdance.

The Bad Arm – Confessions of a Dodgy Irish Dancer is an irreverent yet poignant one-woman play by London-Irish writer-performer Máire Clerkin. Amid astounding bursts of rhythm and physical theatre, this ugly-duckling-never-quite-swan, recounts her experiences of sex n’ pubs n’ rockn’ roll like only a convent-educated Irish Catholic girl can.

This August in Edinburgh, Máire Clerkin jumps in and out of Irish dancing shoes, clicking and kicking her way across the Gilded Balloon stage in this percussive account of being English in Ireland, Irish in England and a pink-haired punk in a grey city. Pungent vintage photos of not-so-swinging London illustrate Clerkin’s personal history as the disappointing daughter of a successful Irish dancing teacher in 1970s London

Directed by Dan O’Connor (Impro Theatre’s Artistic Director) at Bang Theatre in Hollywood, the show was LA Weekly’s Theater Pick and was the featured opening presentation at 2008 LA Irish Film Festival. Since then, Máire has toured The Bad Arm to wide acclaim in New York, Chicago, Santa Cruz, Santa Monica, Hollywood, and Dublin, Ireland. Performances in Minneapolis, Atlanta, Vancouver, Jacksonville, Sacramento and San Diego followed, with numerous return appearances at Theatre Asylum in LA.

Máire Clerkin grew up in North London with her parents and four siblings where she was taught to dance by her mother. Later, after graduating in Performing Arts, she went on to fuse drama with comedy and Irish dancing by forming The Hairy Marys with her sister, Angela Clerkin. They performed at the Edinburgh Festival, Dublin Street Carnival, Brighton Festival, in London with The Pogues and at many arts events throughout UK and Ireland during the 80s and 90s.

Máire’s subsequent company, Clerkinworks, toured the UK with Centenary Knees Up, Big Sister and Malice in Wonderland, funded by the Arts Council of England, and she staged Unconnected Soundings at the Clore Studio, Royal Opera House. The Clerkin sisters also had success with their double act The Smarmy Old Sods on London’s comedy circuit.

Máire has choreographed work in London for the South Bank Centre, Greenwich Dance Agency, Theatre Centre and has run youth theatre programs for Lewisham Theatre. In 2000, she assisted Colin Dunne and Jean Butler with Dancing on Dangerous Ground at Theatre Royal Drury Lane and New York’s Radio City Music Hall. In 2007 Máire staged A Gaelic Gathering at Walt Disney Concert Hall, featuring top traditional musicians and professional dancers. A Gaelic Gathering has since been adapted for school assemblies in Southern California, with a grant from the Barbara & Sheldon Pinchuk fund. Since moving to the USA in 2003, Máire has choreographed 7 regional drama winners and 2 national medalists.

Edinburgh Fringe

THE BAD ARM:
CONFESSIONS OF A DODGY IRISH DANCER
written and performed by Máire Clerkin

The Gilded Balloon Teviot
Dining Room
Wed August 5 – Monday August 31
16.30(1hr)

http://www.gildedballoon.co.uk
0131 668 1633

Tickets:
£5 – £12

Day off August 17 & 24

Submitted by david burns

Wil Greenway: For the Ground that Grew Me

“I’m going to tell you how my Grandad lost his eye. I’m going to tell you the secret to making the best roast potatoes in the world. And I’m going to tell you how a costume party can ruin your life. Family history 100 years old. Our roots have stories. These are mine.”

[tweet_box design=”default”]Award-winning storyteller Wil Greenway weaves a brand new tale of hilarity, heartbreak and home truths.[/tweet_box]
Wil is exactly six feet tall, just like the tower of dirt they’ll bury you beneath when you’re gone. Fresh from taking his previous creations “A Night to Dismember” and “Vincent Goes Splat” through London, Brighton, Melbourne, Auckland and Oslo, Wil arrives with a brand-new show, premiering at the Edinburgh Fringe 2015.

Award-winning all-male a cappella group return to the Fringe for theirsixth consecutive year taking you on a journey from retro classics toTop 40 hits

Tight vocal harmonies and signature dance moves from this
internationally celebrated group have been enjoyed by audiences across
the globe, from South Korea to Italy and the USA. Already
‘heavyweights’ (Telegraph) of London’s West End, this year saw All
the King’s Men make their Broadway debut. The only British a cappella
group to have reached the finals of the International Championships of
Collegiate A Cappella in New York City for a third time, their latest EP
is available on iTunes.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvmME4DtxJY?feature=oembed&w=696&h=392]

Having proved themselves on the international stage, All the King’s
Men are ready to entertain and charm discerning Edinburgh audiences once
again. These world class vocalists cater for every musical taste in a
light-hearted production for the whole family to enjoy. Skilfully
combining musical excellence and infectious energy in their
performances, they perform original arrangements of a wide variety of
popular tunes ranging from Ike and Tina Turner to Sia and Sam Smith. One
thing is guaranteed: the audience will leave smiling and utterly
entertained.

http://www.All-The-Kings-Men.com

LISTINGS INFORMATION
Venue: C, venue 34, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Dates: 5-22 Aug
Time: 15:20(1h00)
Ticket prices: £9.50-£11.50 / concessions £7.50-£9.50 / children
£5.50-£7.50
C venues box office: 0845 260 1234 / http://www.CtheFestival.com [3]
Fringe box office: 0131 226 0000 / http://www.edfringe.com [6]

Submitted by George Fowler

An homage to classic sci-fi and literature, Moby Alpha tells the story of a mad captain’s quest for revenge on the amorphous energy cloud that temporarily took his leg. More simply, Moby Alpha is a comic Moby Dick in space

Moby Alpha is written and performed by the Seattle comedy duo ”Charles”, aka Chuck Armstrong & Charlie Stockman, who play a dozen different characters in a universe populated by jaded cannibals, holographic spammers, melancholy computers, and of course, energy clouds. The show is staged entirely in the dark, with the only light emanating from custom-built, million color LED space helmets, as Armstrong & Stockman switch from one character to another at the push of a button.

This futuristic adaptation of the Herman Melville classic has plays to packed houses and rave reviews wherever it goes.

Chuck Armstrong is a writer and comedian from Seattle, WA currently working in Los Angeles. He and his writing partner, Charlie Stockman, compose the two-man sketch comedy duo Charles, winners of ”Best Writing” and ”Best Sketch Comedy” at the 2012 Los Angeles Comedy Festival. Outside the group, Chuck was a staff writer for Stanford University’s humor magazine The Chaparral, and has worked as a contributing writer for Splitsider and The Onion.

Charlie Stockman is a writer/performer working in Los Angeles. He and his writing partner, Chuck Armstrong, compose the sketch duo Charles, who have performed throughout the US and Canada including annual appearances at the San Francisco, Chicago, and Toronto sketch comedy festivals. Outside the group, Charlie was editor-in-chief of the Stanford University humor magazine The Chapparral, and has contributed humor pieces to McSweeney’s and Splitsider.

MOBY ALPHA

Assembly George Square
Studio 5

Thurs 6 August – Monday 31 August 16.10 (60 mins)

http://www.assemblyfestival.com < http://www.assemblyfestival.com>
0131 623 3030

Tickets:
£5 -£10

Submitted by david burns

Hearts were beaten 3-1 by Everton in a pre-season friendly at Tynecastle on Sunday.

The home side’s Callum Paterson scored the opening goal after just nine minutes when he headed home Kevin McHattie’s corner. However, the English Premiership side, containing many of their first team stars, soon took control of the game.

Lukaku equalised with a penalty kick which was controversially awarded by referee Willie Collum – not the first time the word ‘controversial’ has been associated with the whistler. Barry’s effort on goal was blocked by Hearts new captain Alim Ozturk but Mr Collum decreed the defender had handled the ball and awarded the spot kick.

Ten minutes before half-time, Lukaku grabbed his second from some ten yards out to put the visitors in front. Early in the second half, the talented Belgian grabbed his hat-trick with another penalty kick after McHattie brought down Mirallas.

Hearts were well beaten in the end and Head Coach Robbie Neilson has much to ponder ahead of Thursday evening’s League Cup tie with Arbroath at Tynecastle.

It was a delight to see Hearts and Everton legend Alex Young on the Tynecastle pitch. Young, nicknamed ‘The Golden Vision’, was an integral part of Hearts all-conquering team of the 1950s before he moved to Everton. The gifted player, now 78, received a standing ovation from both sets of supporters.

Meanwhile, Hearts have confirmed that forward Soufian El Hassnaoui has been ruled out for four months after picking up a knee ligament injury in a pre-season friendly at Preston last weekend.

Hearts: Alexander (Hamilton, 77′), Paterson, McHattie, McGhee, Ozturk (King, 46′), Rossi (L. Smith, 69′), Gomis (Anderson, 67′), McKirdy (Buchanan, 78′), Nicholson, Walker (Oliver, 78′), Sow (Reilly, 65′).

Referee: Willie Collum.

A UK based multinational company that creates a unique blend of circus and theatre is to make its Fringe debut at The Underbelly Circus Hub.

The Hogwallops by Lost in Translation Circus is slapstick fun for all the family from a multi skilled circus and physical theatre troupe. Thrillingly spectacular circus skills blend seamlessly with physical comedy, clowning, juggling, theatrical storytelling and slapstick in this colourful, loud and funny dramatisation of the domestic adventures of a chaotic, dysfunctional family of misfits.

Inspired by Roahl Dahl’s The Misfits and Ettora Scola’s film Bruti, Sporchi e Cattivi (Ugly, Dirty and Bad), this is a treat for the eyes and ears. The Hogwallops are a vulgar, grotesque family who constantly bicker, scheme and play practical jokes on each other. Their crazy home is more like an adventure playground where the ordinary inevitably becomes extraordinary! Everyday activities take on extreme forms, simple tasks like hanging out the washing become a clothes fight of swinging, flying bodies and fabric. Dinner time becomes a teasing game of animalistic juggling and a cooking lesson takes on dangerous proportions as household furniture stacks to the roof in a precariously balanced fashion.

Fast rising UK based contemporary circus company Lost in Translation display heart stopping virtuosic skilful aerial and floor acrobatics and a specially composed live score contributes to the mix creating a dysfunctional, quirky and comic family show in the true sense. With thrills, gasps, laughs and drama there’s plenty for both adults and children to enjoy.

Lost in Translation are UK based company but with a multi-cultural membership and strong links to Belgium, Italy and Australia featuring performers originating from Italy, France, Ireland and Australia. Founded by Circus Space graduates in 2006 as an acrobatic duo, the company has toured widely throughout the UK and Europe ever since. Transformed into a full-blown ensemble in 2011 the company moved to Norfolk in 2013 to become company in residence with Seachange Arts where they run the circus education program.

Now they are especially keen to share their vision of a world of fun, acrobatics and laughter with everyone!

The Hogwallops
Underbelly Circus Hub, The Lafayette Venue 360
7-29 Aug (not 17, 24), 11:25am (60 mins)
Tickets here http://www.underbelly.co.uk

Submitted by Martin Mouth

This Summer, the highly acclaimed Australian opera singer turned cabaret sensation, Ali McGregor is set to storm the UK and win over the hearts of the whole family with her jumping’ jiving jazz extravaganza Jazzamatazz.

Led by the insanely talented cabaret star Ali, this hour of jazzy beats and early 90’s references will get the kids singing and prancing, twisting and dancing. Relatives and friends are welcome to join in or grab a drink and watch as their young ones tire themselves out on the dance floor. A set list that includes Who Let The Dogs Out, A-Tisket, A-Tasket and Single Ladies is guaranteed to get everybody shufflin’ to a host of be-bop beats and hep-cat treats. Ali and her band are joined by two dancers who rock n roll, swing and jive with the kids, teach them some moves to create a world of unadulterated fun!

Ali McGregor traverses the worlds of opera and popular culture like no other. As an award winning principal soprano with Opera Australia, an internationally renowned cabaret artist and a regular guest on TV shows such as ABC Australia’s Spicks & Speck, and host of the BBC Radio 4 show ‘Curiosity Killed the Cabaret’ she sports several different hats with glamour, panache and style.

As an actress her most recent role was Polly Peachum/Grace Madden in the Convict’s Opera for The Sydney Theatre Company and Out of Joint directedby Max Stafford Clark. Over 5 years as a principal soprano with Opera Australia, she played over 25 roles and won aGreen Room award for her portrayal of Clorinda in La Cenerentola. Her most recent operatic performance was the title role in Lehar’s The Merry Widow for Melbourne Opera. After literally running away with the circus in 2005 when she travelled the world in the hit cabaret show La Clique (now La Soiree), she has gone on to become one of the leading international cabaret artists at the top arts festivals around the world. Her shows Opera Burlesque, Jazz Cigarette, the Late-Nite Variety-Nite Night and most recently ALCHEMY have all been huge hits at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Adelaide Cabaret Festival.

AUGUST 6 – 30
Assembly George Square Gardens – Edinburgh
(Days Off – Mon 10th, Mon 17th, Tue 18th, Mon 24th, Tue 25th)
11am – 12noon
Previews: £5
Peak price: £8
Off Peak price: £6

Submitted by david burns

MONDAY 27TH JULY 2015

Dr Book at the Urban Garden: storytimes and reading prescriptions from Dr Book all this week at the new George Street ‘parklet’. Come and see the new book benches! Storytime: 11am or 12 noon today, Thursday and Friday, Dr Book: 11am, Tuesday and Wednesday, George Street Urban Garden (near the Assembly Rooms). Read The Edinburgh Reporter’s article about the launch of the new book benches here.

Grassmarket Free Cinema: Dirty Pretty Things (15). An illuminating and nuanced film about the exploitation of illegal immigrants, Dirty Pretty Things tells the story of Okwe, a kind-hearted Nigerian doctor, and Senay, a Turkish chambermaid, who both work at the same London hotel. A thriller steeped in social commentary with powerful, evocative performances that picked up multiple awards. 7pm, Grassmarket Community Project, 86 Candlemaker Row. All welcome; free – donations to the Project also very welcome. The cafe will be open – please use it!

Caroline Dunford: Playing For Love. The acclaimed author launches her new warm-hearted novel, set against the backdrop of the Edinburgh Festival. 6.30-8pm, Portobello Library, Rosefield Avenue. Free but please book via eventbrite here.

Record Breakers Nature Hunt. Make your own journal, then go outside to see how many birds, bugs and plants everyone can spot. For ages 5+. 2.30pm, Corstorphine Library, Kirk Loan.

For Crying Out Loud: screenings for carers and their babies under the age of 12 months (maximum of 2 adults per baby). Babychanging, bottle warming and buggy parking facilities are available. This week’s film is The Salt of the Earth (12A) (In French, Portugese and English with English subtitles). Photographer Sebastiao Salgardoa embarks on the discovery of pristine territories, of world fauna and flora and of grandiose landscapes, as part of a huge photographic project in tribute to the planet’s beauty. 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4.50/£3.50 per adult and may be purchased from the Box Office in person or by calling 0131 228 2688.

Bailey On… Warhol: a screening of the 1973 documentary, introduced by Dr Glyn Davis (University of Edinburgh). David Bailey, self-taught photographer and one of the prime architects of the Swinging Sixties, broadened his horizons in the late 1960s and early 70s, making three high-profile documentaries for Lew Grade’s ATV channel. Bailey was given unprecedented access to his subjects, including Andy Warhol. The documentary was infamously banned on the grounds that it was offensive and indecent, the verdict later overturned and the programme finally transmitted. 6-7.30pm, Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.

Picturehouses Culture Shock: the best in cult and genre films. This week: The Terminator (18) – from the wasteland of 2029 Earth, two survivors are sent back in time to 1984 Los Angeles to influence the outcome of a conflict that has yet to take place. 9pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0871 902 5723 or online here: prices vary.

Arctic Convoys: Men and Ice. In November 2014 St Mary’s Cathedral hosted the award ceremony of the Ushakov medals, presented by the Russian government to local British sailors and marines who had served on the Russian Convoys in World War II; thirty five veterans came from Edinburgh and the Lothians to receive their medals from the Russian Consul General. This festival exhibition aims to show how war totally changes people’s lives, taking them out of familiar surroundings and leading them to endure the most appalling hardships and dangers in unknown and hostile situations; it will consist of tapestries by weaver Katie Russell, interviews with and photographic portraits of sixteen veterans by Sandra Marwick and Colin Dickson, and fourteen beautifully embroidered banners linked to the veterans’ backgrounds, loaned by the Trades Maiden Hospital. 9am-1pm and 2-5pm Monday to Saturday, 12 noon-3pm Sundays (except Wednesday 19th August: 9am-12.15pm only), St Mary’s Cathedral, Palmerston Place. Free: collection for Legion Scotland (formerly Royal British Legion Scotland) throughout the exhibition. Closes 31st August 2015.

Consider the Flowers of the Field: an exhibition of paintings by Janet Dyer, botanical artist and priest. 9am-1pm and 2-5pm Monday to Saturday, 12 noon-3pm Sundays (except Wednesday 19th August: 9am-12.15pm only), Resurrection Chapel, St Mary’s Cathedral, Palmerston Place. Free.

TUESDAY 28TH JULY 2015

River Dipping: get into the river for this favourite activity! 2-3.30pm, Water of Leith Visitor Centre, 24 Lanark Road. £4 per child, accompanying adult free. Booking is essential and may be made by calling 0131 455 7367 or emailing admin@waterofleith.org.uk.

Peter Rabbit Picnic at the Baby Cafe. Summer songs, craft and snack. 10.30-11.30am, Stockbridge Library, Hamilton Place. Free.

WHALE Arts Summer Festival: fun activities for children and families. Today: Build A Band – form a band, write lyrics and perform live! For ages 10+. Please bring a packed lunch. 10am-3pm, WHALE Arts, 30 Westburn Grove. Free but please book by calling 0131 458 3267 or emailing info@whalearts.co.uk – or ask in the Centre.

Leith Folk Club: Gavin Pennycook. Fiddle, whistle and nyckelharpa player Gavin began his career playing mostly Irish music, but has gone on to include Scottish, Scandinavian, Breton, Asturian and other European and North American music in his repertoire. Support: Kenny Butterill. 7.30pm, Victoria Park House Hotel, 221 Ferry Road. Tickets cost £7 and may be booked online here or by texting the club’s dedicated booking line on 07502 024 852. Pre-reserved tickets must be collected by 7.30pm on the night.

Word Power Books Presents The Raven’s Song: Nalini Paul and Catherine Hiley launch their new collection of poetry and art. Drawing on raven and crow myths from Orkney, Shetland and Canada, the work charts the trickster’s wicked and knowing ways through changing landscapes of memory, revenge, punishment and redemption. This is Nalini Paul and Catherine Hiley’s second collaboration; their first, the limited edition Artist’s Book of Hrafn Floki (a joint project with Edinburgh Printmakers and the Scottish Poetry Library), was purchased by the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and Edinburgh University Library. 6.30pm, Word Power Books, West Nicolson Street. Free: all welcome – donations also welcome!

LGBT Language Cafe: a groundbreaking new project, beginning with four facilitated sessions for LGBT people whose first language is not English. The opportunity to meet others in a safe and supportive environment, with games and activities to help you improve your spoken English. For ages 16+. 6.30-8pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For more information and to book your free place, please contact Jules Stapleton Barnes on 0131 523 1104 or email jules@lgbthealth.org.uk. Booking is preferred, but you are also welcome just to turn up.

Stalkers and Divas: ten well-established artists offer a brief look into their amazing and weird worlds. This exhibition is the brainchild of artists Gosia Walton and Freddie Thomas, who believe that art is about freedom of expression. 10am-5pm, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny Street. Closes 31st July 2015 (with a closing event 6-9pm).

WEDNESDAY 29TH JULY 2015

Edinburgh’s Playday: lots of free activities for children and families! 12.30-4.30pm, Grassmarket. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Record Breakers Record Smashers: will you be able to set a library record? Lots of fun and sporty activities. 2-3pm, Drumbrae Library Hub, 81 Drum Brae Drive. Free.

Summer Fun In The Courtyard: free family activities every week in July. Today Angela Grant brings a favourite Bible story to life, exploring Noah’s Ark through Godly Play. 11.30am, Courtyard, St Andrew’s & St George’s West Church, 13 George Street. Free: participants will also receive a voucher for use in the Undercroft Cafe.

Meet the Author: Jenny Harper. Jenny will read from her new book, People We Love, the fourth in the popular Heartland series of romantic novels set in the fictional Scottish town of Hailesbank. 2.30-3.30pm, Morningside Library, Morningside Road. Free but please book via eventbrite here or call the library on 0131 529 5654.

A Tale of Two Canals: explore the history of the Union and the Forth & Clyde Canals and the building of the Falkirk Wheel with the Scottish Waterways Trust – free walking tours packed with quirky facts and fascinating stories! Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult; please wear sturdy boots or shoes and waterproof clothing. 1-3pm, The Falkirk Wheel, Lime Road, Tamfourhill. Book your free place via eventbrite here. Also at same time on 5th August 2015.

The International Chorale: popular and sacred tunes. The International Chorale is based in Dunedin, Florida. Director/organist/pianist: JoAnn Metropoulos. 10am, Sanctuary, St Andrew’s & St George’s West Church, 13 George Street.

Dr Book’s Surgery. Stuck for something to read? Looking for new and exciting authors to explore? Dr Book will dispense reading advice and suggestions to cure all of your reading ailments. For ages 7+. 2.30pm, Corstorphine Library, Kirk Loan.

New Pattern and Possibility: Eastern Influence in 18th Century Western European Dress. Georgina Ripley, Curator of Fashion and Textiles at the National Museum of Scotland, explores some of the garments represented in Jean-Etienne Liotard’s portraits and considers the seductive charms of the East and its impact on European style. Liotard’s work documents the increasing cultural interchange between the Near East and Western Europe and the consequent influence on informal fashionable clothing. 12.45-1.30pm, Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.

Lunchtime Concert: Piano Speak with Will Pickvance. 12.15pm, St Giles Cathedral, High Street. Free.

Go Set A Watchman: if you are bursting to share what you think of Harper Lee’s newly published work, Waterstones are hosting various get-togethers tonight –  discuss the book and enjoy nibbles, treats and games! 6pm, Waterstones Cameron Toll, Cameron Toll Centre, 6 Lady Road, 6.30pm, Waterstones Fort Kinnaird, 26 Kinnaird Park, 6.30pm, Waterstones George Street, 83 George Street (please note that booking is required for this event – call the store on 0131 229 3436 or call in) and 6pm, Waterstones West End, 128 Princes Street.

The Campbell Normand Trio: the swinging pianist promises a hugely enjoyable set, with backing from bassist Ed Kelly and drummer Bill Kyle. 9pm (entry from 8pm), The Jazz Bar, Chambers Street. £5/£4 on the door: please note this venue is cash only.

WHALE Arts Summer Festival: fun activities for children and families. Today: Mini Band – form a band, write lyrics and perform live! For ages 5+. Please bring a packed lunch. 10am-3pm, WHALE Arts, 30 Westburn Grove. Free but please book by calling 0131 458 3267 or emailing info@whalearts.co.uk – or ask in the Centre.

Mary Queen of Scots Afternoon: on this day 450 years ago, Lord Darnley and Mary Queen of Scots were married in the Chapel-Royal of Holyroodhouse. Come along to this family-friendly event to discover how they danced, what food they ate and what clothes they wore. Original Mary Queen of Scots documents will be on display. 2-4pm (drop-in), National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge. Free

Blackwell’s Edinburgh Presents Douglas Watt: Pilgrim of Slaughter. The Edinburgh author launches his much awaited new novel, which continues the adventures of Gaelic speaking lawyer John MacKenzie, and his sidekick Davie Scougall. On the eve of the Glorious Revolution of 1688, John and Davie discover a series of gory murders; drawn into a world of papist plots, Presbyterian secret societies and religious and political upheaval, the pair follow a trail of clues left by a self-proclaimed ‘Messenger of God’. 6.30pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Tickets are free and may be obtained from the shop’s front desk, by calling 0131 622 8218 or emailing events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk.

Celebrity Organ Recital: Daniel Cook (Westminster Abbey) plays Bruhns Praeludium in E Minor, Whitlock Sonata in C Minor (ii) Canzona (iii) Scherzetto, Alain Suite pour orgue, Anton Heiller Tanz-Tocata and Schumann Six Fugues on the name B-A-C-H. 8pm, St Giles Cathedral, High Street. Tickets cost £8/£5 (students), accompanied children free, and may be purchased from the Cathedral shop (0131 226 0673) or on the door (sta).

Beatrice Gibson: taking American author William Gaddis’ epic modernist masterpiece JR (1975) as its departure point, Crippled Symmetries is a new film by Beatrice Gibson. An eerily prescient, biting social satire that turns the American Dream on its head, JR tells the story of a precocious 11 year old capitalist who inadvertently creates the single greatest financial empire the decade has seen, spun largely from the invisible confines of the school payphone. Using the novel as a score for its production, and orientated around an experimental workshop for children, the film also draws on the work of radical educators and composers Brian Dennis and John Paynter, who infamously took the work of Cornelius Cardew, John Cage and Karlheinz Stockhausen into primary and secondary schools and were at the forefront of radical post-war utopian shifts towards child-centered pedagogy. Preview tonight 5-7pm, then 10am-5pm Tuesday to Sunday (10am-6pm Monday to Sunday in August only), City Dome, Collective Gallery, 38 Calton Hill, Ends 4th October 2015. Part of Edinburgh Art Festival.

David Sinclair Four with Lorna Reid: London rock & roll group David Sinclair Four join forces with jazz singer Lorna Reid for a special show to launch their new single Coming Out of the Rain, ‘a bittersweet harmony duet located at the emotional crossroads between love and loss and the cultural intersection between rock and country – a London barroom ballad transported to a windswept stretch of the Scottish Borders’. The song is the standout track on the David Sinclair Four’s acclaimed new album 4, which was launched earlier this year. For over 18s only. 7.30pm, The Speakeasy, The Voodoo Rooms, West Register Street. Tickets cost £6 and may be purchased online here (transaction fee applies).

Girls’ Night In: gossip, mags, quizzes, snacks and wi-fi. For ages 12-14 (P7+), 5-7pm, Granton Library, Wardieburn Terrace. Free: all welcome!

THURSDAY 30TH JULY 2015

Super Sedan Chairs. Sedan chairs carried people through the streets of Edinburgh, particularly in the Old Town. Take inspiration from the museum’s sedan chair to make and decorate your own miniature one, with Lauren Wayland. 2.30-4pm, Museum of Edinburgh, Huntly House, 142 Canongate. Tickets cost £4 and must be booked in advance via the Usher Hall Box Office, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here. Please note that these workshops are intended for children and adults to experience together; children must be accompanied by at least one paying adult, and no child should be booked into a workshop alone.

Festival Exhibition: Gordon Mitchell RSA. The acclaimed and prolific Edinburgh artist describes himself as an ‘abstract expressionist’, and intends his work to be thought-provoking. 11am-5pm, Tuesday to Saturday, Scottish Arts Club, 24 Rutland Square. Ends 30th August 2015.

Hanne Darbovan: accepting anything among everything. German artist Darbovan (1941-2009) created a vast body of idiosyncratic works, documenting her attempt to index life as it is lived; amongst the weight of world history and culture. accepting anything among everything is centred on the work Life/Living (1997-98), a monumental installation of hundreds of framed works that form a systematic representation of the years 1900-1999. Darbovan was one of the last century’s most important conceptual artists; this exhibition will create a spectacular monument to an extraordinary individual. Preview tonight 6-8pm, then 10am-5pm Monday to Friday, 12 noon-5pm Saturday & Sunday in August only, then 10am-5pm Tuesday to Friday, 12 noon-5pm Saturdays (closed Sundays and Mondays) in September and October, Talbot Rice Gallery, Old College, University of Edinburgh, South Bridge. Ends 3rd October 2015. There will be a curator’s talk about Hanne Darbovan at 4pm on Friday 31st July: booking is required – see listing. Part of Edinburgh Art Festival.

Meet the Glasshouse Staff: find out more about this stunning collection of plants from the people who care for them. Every month meet a different member of the indoor horticulture team, each with different specialist knowledge. 1-2pm, Glasshouses, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. Free with Glasshouse entry (£5/£4, children under 5 and essential carers free).

Nordic House: an exhibition of art work from the five Nordic nations, featuring Arctic seascapes, Icelandic lava fields, Denmark’s oldest allotment gardens, women fishing on the Baltic and a subsidence-threatened Swedish mining town. For five weeks the Scottish Storytelling Centre will become a visible symbol of Nordic/Scottish cooperation,with all national flags flying together outside, and a model of the North Atlantic linking Scotland with all the regions depicted on the floor inside. Curated by Graham Hogg of Lateral North. Throughout the exhibition there will also be a children’s trail with Nordic soft toys, and the centre’s cafe will feature Nordic dishes. 10am-6pm Monday to Saturday, 12 noon-6pm Sundays, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Ends 5th September 2015.

WHALE Arts Summer Festival: fun activities for children and families. Today: Street Arts Drums – fun rhythms and drumming! 10am-12 noon for ages 5+, 1-3pm for ages 8+, WHALE Arts, 30 Westburn Grove. Free – just drop in.

Edinburgh Art Festival starts today! Founded in 2004, this is the UK’s largest annual festival of visual art, bringing together the capital’s leading galleries, museums and artist-run spaces, alongside new public art commissions by established and emerging artists, with an innovative programme of special events. Artists’ talks, theatre, children’s activities, music, guided tours, film screenings, plus Art Late – a special programme of late openings and live events. Featured artists include Charles Avery, Derek Michael Besant, Toby Patterson, Marvin Gaye Chetwynd and Beatrice Gibson. There will be free guided tours of the venues at 2pm Saturday-Thursday, leaving from the Festival Kiosk, 9-11 Blair Street (no booking required, just turn up). The festival takes place throughout the city and also at Jupiter Artland in West Lothian; most events are free. Please see the festival’s website here for further information and to book for ticketed events. Ends 30th August 2015.

Blackwell’s Edinburgh Presents Ron Butlin: The Magicians of Scotland.  The themes of this new collection from Edinburgh’s former makar include Scotland’s past, present and future, its landscapes and people, its myths and politics, from Bannockburn to Donald Trump. 6.30pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Tickets are free and may be obtained from the shop’s front desk, by calling 0131 622 8218, emailing events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk or via eventbrite here.

Scrapheap Art: get creative with rubbish – including the scrapheap boat race! 2-3.30pm, Water of Leith Visitor Centre, 24 Lanark Road. £4 per child, accompanying adult free. Booking is essential and may be made by calling 0131 455 7367 or emailing admin@waterofleith.org.uk.

Fabienne Hess: Hits and Misses (from the archive). Swiss-born Hess explores the disorientation and bewilderment we feel in the face of the vast quantities of digital information surrounding us, questioning how we begin to navigate this maelstrom of images we produce, consume and distribute in everyday life. Preview tonight 6-8pm, then 10am-5pm Monday to Friday, 12 noon-5pm Saturday & Sunday in August only, then 10am-5pm Tuesday to Friday, 12 noon-5pm Saturdays (closed Sundays and Mondays) in September and October, Talbot Rice Gallery, Old College, University of Edinburgh, South Bridge. Ends 3rd October 2015. The artist will be in conversation with University of Edinburgh Art Collections Curator Neil Lebeter at 6.30pm on Saturday 1st August: booking is required – see listing. Part of Edinburgh Art Festival.

An Evening with Gavin Francis: having won Scottish Book of the Year in 2013 with his outstanding travel narrative Empire Antarctica, Gavin Francis is back with Adventures in Human Being, a very different book – a cultural map of the human body. 6pm, Waterstones West End, 128 Princes Street. Please call 0131 226 2666 for further information.

Cafe Voices: Norse Myths & Legends. Join storyteller Calum Lykan, in full Viking dress, to be transported to the Norse lands in an evening of sagas surrounded by the dramatic Nordic House exhibition in the Storytelling Court. Plus an open-floor section for people to tell their own tales. 7pm, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £5 and are available in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579 or online here.

Maidan (12A): a special showing of Sergei Loznitsa’s film, which captures the trajectory of the Ukrainian civil uprising in 2013/2014, from peaceful rallies to bloody street battles. In a minimalist style and with still, long shots, the film depicts the point of view of the crowd, peeking into the organised chaos of a revolution. 6.30pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online here; prices vary.

A Potter, A Painter and A Poet. Potter Paul Tebble, artist Anne Gilchrist and poet Elizabeth Burns have worked together over several years, exploring their shared creative processes. In this exhibition they will focus on the natural world and make connections between their work, showing crystal-glazed stonewear, porcelain and multi-textured golded pots, paintings, drawings and installations growing from a deep relationship with pottery and an ancient Perthshire landscape, and poetry exhibited and read around the galleries. The artists will work alongside invited projection artist Sophia Lindsay Burns, and the exhibition will take place over the entire third floor of the building. Opening preview tonight 6-9pm, then 10am-6pm daily, Third Floor (galleries 1,2 & 3), St Margaret’s House, 151 London Road. Ends 30th August 2015.

In Other Words…Derek Michael Besant: the highly acclaimed Canadian multi-media artist presents a dynamic new exhibition. In Other Words… explores our means of visual perception and the scientific resolution that the eye is a faulty mechanism and the brain compensates for this by assembling data we observe to construct what we see. Besant has researched the idea that one part of our brain ‘sees’ while another part ‘reads’. ‘Everyone has two selves. This exhibition will reveal both…..one we wear outward…the other, we wear inside’. Talk and tour by the artist tonight 6-7pm, launch follows 7-9pm, Edinburgh Printmakers, Union Street. Free; all welcome to both events, but tickets are required for the artist’s talk and may be obtained via eventbrite here. Derek Michael Besant will also give a lecture on 1st August about his concept for the exhibition and for the public art facade integration at Castle Mill Works, Fountainbridge (which will be launched on 31st July), along with four other related projects that draw from public collaboration in other cities.

The Bonzai Quartet: groovy instrumental jazz-fusion from guitarist Dan Abrahams and his eclectic band, with Rob Harrison (keys), Charlie Nash (electric bass) and Italian drummer Davide Rinaldi, playing a varied range of originals and catchy jazzy/funky tunes, with influences from all over the world. 9pm (entry from 8pm), The Jazz Bar, Chambers Street. £5/£4 on the door: please note this venue is cash only.

Charles Avery: The People and Things of Onomatopoeia. This exhibition will include new drawings and sculptural works, all of which stem from the fictional port of Onomatopoeia, the main town in Avery’s epic project, The Islanders. 10am-6pm Monday to Saturday, 12 noon-5pm Sundays in August only, Ingleby Gallery, 15 Calton Road. Ends 3rd October 2015. Part of Edinburgh Art Festival 2015.

Hanna Tuulikki: Sing Sign: A Close Duet. An intimate performance devised for the closes of the Old Town. Composed by Hanna Tuulikki and performed with Daniel Padden, the work combines music and gestures drawn from British Sign Language to reflect on how our experience of the city is inseparable from the languages that we speak. 5pm or 6.30pm, Fountain Close, 22 High Street. Free: please contact Edinburgh Art Festival for booking information. Also on various dates throughout August – see Edinburgh Art Festival programme for details.

Ragged University: Psychology of Obedience and Authority and An Ancient Syrian All-Girl Band. The first talk this evening, by Professor Ray Miller, will look at what we can really learn from psychology about the extent to which we are controlled or are in control – are we really open to manipulation against our better judgement? After a break for refreshments, in the second part of the evening, Warwick Ball will focus on the Maryamin Mosaic (from Maryamin, Near Hama in Syria), one of the most extraordinary works of art to have survived from the ancient world. The mosaic represents a snapshot of an actual event – a live musical performance – and is an important source of information on the development of music and musical instruments, their spread from the Ancient Eastern Mediterranean to Medieval Europe, and also on ancient costume. 7-10pm, The Counting House, West Nicolson Street. Free, no booking required, just drop in. Please bring an item of food to put on the table to share if you can.

Ariel Guzik: Holoturian. For the last ten years, Mexican artist, musician, illustrator and inventor Ariel Guzik has searched for a way to communicate with whales and dolphins. His new work, commissioned by The Arts Catalyst, brings him closer to this goal; for his first UK exhibition, Guzik is constructing a beautiful capsule, the Holoturian, designed to send a living plant and a string instrument into the depths of the sea for a period of time. Imagined and re-imagined by Guzik in a series of extraordinary drawings made over the past decade, this ship has instrumentation, which expresses life, space, harmony and brightness as primary messages, and is dedicated to sperm whales and other deep ocean creatures. 10am-6pm daily, Trinity Apse, Chalmers Close, High Street. Ends 30th August 2015. Part of Edinburgh Art Festival.

Southern Fried: your first chance to get away this weekend isn’t too far from home – it’s Perth’s festival of American Roots music, featuring country, Americana, rockabilly, blues, soul, bluegrass, gospel, funk, cajun and folk. Acts include Punch Brothers, Rhiannon Giddens, McCray Sisters, the Fairfield Four, and many more – there’s even an all-women celebration of the songs of Dolly Parton. There’ll also be a free daytime outdoor stage, open mic session, ‘country-oke’, free gigs, a cinema programme, a hot rod and custom cars meet, and plenty of Southern Fried soul food. Most events are held inside at various venues around Perth, so this is one where you don’t have to worry so much about the weather. Launch party tonight (sold out), then various acts and events throughout Friday 31st July, Saturday 1st August and Sunday 2nd August. For more information and tickets, see www.horsecross.co.uk here or the festival’s Facebook page here.

Man of Moon: the Edinburgh two-piece rock band have supported We Were Promised Jetpacks, Phantom Band and The Subways. 7pm, The Speakeasy, The Voodoo Rooms, West Register Street. For over 18s only. Tickets cost £6 and may be purchased online here (transaction fee applies).

FRIDAY 31ST JULY 2015

Miskantti Ladies Choir Concert: Songs from Finland to Scotland. Miskantti Ladies Choir was founded in 1910 – originally as part of a workers’ association – and is one of the oldest choirs in Finland. The choir is based in Tampere, the birthplace of Finnish industry; Scottish factory owner James Finlayson was an important person in the making of Tampere’s industrial history. The choir’s programme today will include Motet, Sibelius’s Finlandia Hymn (a protest song composed at a time when Finland was still under Russian rule), Summer Song, Adiemus, Oh Danny Boy, and lots more. Conductors: Tarja Rantala and Denise Ward. 1pm, Polwarth Parish Church, Polwarth Terrace. Free: all welcome!

WHALE Arts Summer Festival: fun activities for children and families. Today: Gallery Trip – a visit to the National Gallery of Modern Art. For ages 7+. 12 noon-3pm, WHALE Arts, 30 Westburn Grove. Free but booking is essential; call 0131 458 3267 or email info@whalearts.co.uk – or ask in the Centre. Next week will be Art Week.

eee e o ee e i a ae e a : a group exhibition bringing together a range of new and existing work from artists Anne-Marie Copestake, Alexa Hare, Sophie Mackfall and John Robertson. Drawing, collage and other exploratory material-based investigations, with works highlighting visual, tactile and sensual experience. Preview tonight 7-9.30pm, then 12 noon-5pm Friday to Sunday (or by appointment), Rhubaba Gallery & Studios, 25 Arthur Street. Closed 31st August 2015.

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.

Record Breakers – Knitted Scoobies! Come and join in the library’s attempt to make the longest scooby ever. For all ages. 2.30-3.30pm, Stockbridge Library, Hamilton Place. Free.

Record Breakers Record Breaking Quiz! 2pm, Blackhall Library, Hillhouse Road.

In Focus: Titian’s The Three Ages of Man (c.1512-1514). Art historian Andrew Paterson explores the Venetian context of this perennially popular early work by Titian, a tender meditation on the great themes of sexual love and mortality, and its allusions to classical literature. 12.45-1.15pm, Ground Floor, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free and unticketed.

Edinburgh Art Festival: Friday Walking Lunch Tour. Armed with a brown-bag lunch, this tour is designed to give you a snapshot of the festival during your break. 1pm today and each Friday in the festival, starts from Festival Kiosk, 9-11 Blair Street. Tickets cost £4 and must be purchased from the Kiosk at least 24 hours in advance.

The Guid Crack Club: Stories of Second Sight and the Ceilidh Quilt. Join Lizzie McDougall and her fantastic ceilidh quilt for a colourful celebration of songs and stories of second sight that have a key role in keeping Highland traditions alive. Edinburgh’s monthly storytelling night: accompanied young adults welcome. 7.30pm, The Waverley Bar, St Mary’s Street. Entry by suggested donation of £3.

Hanne Darbovan: und und und – Curators’ Talk: curators from Talbot Rice Gallery and the Hanne Darbovan Foundation, Hamburg, will discuss the remarkable life and work of the artist. 4pm, Talbot Rice Gallery, Old College, University of Edinburgh, South Bridge. Free but booking is required and may be made via eventbrite here. The new exhibition of Hanne Darbovan’s work, accepting anything among everything is open at Talbot Rice Gallery until 3rd October 2015.

The Macular Society: a talk by artist Juliana Capes, who leads descriptive tours of the National Galleries and others. 10.30am, Church Hall, London Road Church, corner of London Road and Easter Road. All very welcome; feel free to bring a friend. The Macular Society was formed to help those with macular degeneration to understand their situation and find resources of help and support; through the society, people can receive information about research, discover their capabilities and discuss problems and solutions with others who have macular problems. The main Edinburgh branch meets on the last Friday of every month except December, and there are also local support groups meeting regularly in Morningside, Stockbridge and Portobello. For more information contact the group leader on 0131 449 7716 or deputy leader on 0131 667 3598. Further information may also be found on the Macular Society’s website here.

Thresholds: Toby Paterson. An exhibition bringing together the series of constructed relief works that Toby Paterson has made specifically for the seven Maggie’s Centres across Scotland. The works are presented alongside memory drawings and models, giving the audience an insight into the inspiration, contexts, and the process of creation and production involved in their development. After the exhibition, each work will be relocated, one in each of the Maggie’s Centres. The exhibition is curated by Judith Winter. Opens tonight 6-8pm, with an introduction from the artist and the curator 6-6.30pm, then 11am-5pm Monday to Saturday, Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, Hawthornvale. Ends 30th August 2015. Toby Paterson and Judith Winter will also be in conversation at ESW 3-4pm on Saturday 8th August.

Braw Gigs and Nothing Ever Happens Here Present Summerhall Foodbank Night! A fundraiser for Edinburgh’s local foodbanks, with live music and DJ Sets. For over-18s only. 7pm-3am, The Dissection Room, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. Tickets cost £7 till 11pm (for the live bands), £3 11pm-3am (for the club only), or £10 for the whole session, and are available from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 560 1580 or online here. Further donations of money or non-perishable food items for the Food Banks are welcome on the night.

Reforging The Sampo: ‘a multi-voiced musical mash-up of mythological and contemporary social commentary across a landscape of love, loss and endless questioning for the Shamanic holy grail of Finnish legend’. A spoken word performance with improvised music and sound effects, unique in contemporary poetry. Bob Beagrie and Andy Willoughby, supported by a ‘raggle-taggle’ band of folk and jazz musicians, take their cue from the national Finnish epic Kalevala to weave travelogue with love lyrics, folk song and a witty graveyard humour typical of their Teeside roots. 7.30pm, Netherbow Theatre, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £10/£8 and may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579 or online here.

Derek Michael Besant: Edinburgh Printmakers Temporary Artworks Programme. Launch event and artist’s talk. 6-8pm tonight, Castle Mill Works, Gilmore Place, Fountainbridge. All welcome.

Dimmi (Tell Me): a new group exhibition by recipients of the Royal Scottish Academy John Kinross Scholarship 2014, showing work made during or in response to the time the artists spent in Florence. A rich variety of drawing, printmaking, sculpture, film and photography. Open preview tonight 7-9pm, then 12 noon-6pm Tuesday to Sunday, Patriothall Gallery, 1D Patriothall (off Hamilton Place), Stockbridge.

Kwang Young Chun: Aggregations. The first solo exhibition in Scotland by the renowned Korean artist, who unites the traditions of making and Eastern philosophy with his interest in American Abstract Expressionism. 10.30am-5.30pm Monday to Saturday (closed Sundays), Dovecot Studios, Infirmary Street. There will be curator’s tours of the exhibition on 7th amd 13th August 2015: see website for details. Ends 26th September 2015.

Bernat Klein: A Life in Colour. A retrospective exhibition featuring tapestries by Serbian-born Bernat Klein (1922-2014) woven by Dovecot Studios, alongside other works by the designer, whose signature vibrant mohair and tweed textiles were produced in the Scottish Borders for fashion houses in Europe. The exhibition recognises the lasting contribution Klein (who studied textile technology in Leeds in the 1940s) made to Scotland’s international reputation for textile design and making. 10.30am-5.30pm Monday to Saturday (closed Sundays), Dovecot Studios, Infirmary Street. There will be a panel discussion about Klein’s work on 4th August and curator’s tours on 14th and 18th August – see website for details. Ends 26th September 2015.

kennardphillipps: Here Comes Everybody. An exhibition of work by the collaborative practice of London-based artists Peter Kennard and Cat Phillipps, consisting of a large accumulation of photographic imagery, comprised of photo-montage, digital prints and found newspapers, as well as a major new installation exploring ideas around image consumption, production and camera surveillance. Here Comes Everybody represents a continuation in the artists’ interest in making work that is a critical tool connected to international movements for social and political change.’We see the work….as the visual arm of protest’. 11am-6pm daily, Stills, 23 Cockburn Street. Ends 25th October 2015.

Keith Edwards Quintet: ‘hard bop’ swinging arrangements by Keith Edwards (sax) with Donald Corbett (trumpet/flugelhorn), Robert Pettigrew (piano), Ed Kelly (bass) and Bill Kyle (drums). Sets include original compositions by trumpeter Corbett, some rarely heard jazz tunes, and pieces by multi-instrumentalist jazz hero Tubby Hayes and Scots trumpet legend Jimmy Deuchar. 9pm (entry from 8pm), The Jazz Bar, Chambers Street. £5/£4 on the door: please note this venue is cash only.

Speyfest: your second opportunity to escape Edinburgh this weekend is a festival offering the best in traditional and contemporary Celtic music. Now in its 20th year, Speyfest is jam-packed with concerts, ceilidhs and stomps, plus a craft and food fair, yoga, workshops, children’s activities, arts and crafts, cooking challenges and whisky tastings. Acts include Phil Cunningham and Aly Bain, Sandi Thom, Seth Lakeman, Blazin Fiddles, and lots more. Opening concert tonight, 7-10pm, followed by a stomp till late, then the programme continues on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd August, Fochabers, Moray. For more information, including tickets and travel and accommodation options (there is no designated festival camping), see the festival’s website here.

Lunchtime Concert: Symphonic Wind Orchestra United Winds, Soltau, Germany. 12.15pm, St Giles Cathedral, High Street. Free.

SATURDAY 1ST AUGUST 2015

Farm Fest 2015: a one day, free entry, gala extravaganza celebrating the farm’s work – a fun day out for all ages. Arts and crafts workshops, bouncy castle, bucking bronco and from 1-4pm, a mini-festival with live music from local bands, performances from Elite Studio Centre Dancers, refreshments from local Edinburgh breweries, plus the farm’s very own barbecue. Castle FM will broadcast live from the event. 11am-4pm, Gorgie City Farm, 51 Gorgie Road. Free: donations welcome!

Tiger Tales: stories and craft for children aged 4-8 years. 3-4pm, Fountainbridge Library, 137 Dundee Street. All welcome! The next session will be on 22nd August 2015.

Artist’s Talk: Mexican artist Ariel Guzik will discuss his lifelong project to communicate with dolphins and whales with Nicola Tricsott, director of Arts Catalyst and marine biologist Mark Simmonds OBE. 11.30am, Trinity Apse, Chalmers Close, High Street. Free but booking is required and may be made by emailing rsvp@edinburghartfestival.com. Guzik’s exhibition Holoturian is at Trinity Apse until 30th August 2015 as part of Edinburgh Art Festival. 

Artist’s Perfromance: Ariel Guzik – Holoturian. A unique opportunity to hear the Mexican artist perform live in a specially devised set combining electronic music with field recordings of whales and dolphins. 7pm, Trinity Apse, Chalmers Close, High Street. Free but booking is required and may be made via eventbrite here.

Janis MacKay: Wild Song. The award-winning author and storyteller presents her new novel, written while she was living on an island in Finland as a writer in residence. Through live storytelling, Janis will share how 13 year old Niilo overcomes his fears, learns about storytelling and surviving on a desert island, and discovers the ancient Saami custom of joiking – a form of singing to help us remember who we are. For ages 8-14. 2.30pm, Storytelling Court, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £5/£3 and may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579 or online here.

The Art of Giving: a mixed exhibition of work by local artists, including Tommy Fitchet, Ros Was-O’Donnell, Mary Tully, Anna Smith, Liz McHugh and Jamie Johnson. All art is for sale, and 40% of all sale proceeds will go to International Voluntary Service. 10am-4pm, Undercroft Cafe, St Andrew’s & St George’s West Church, 13 George Street. Ends 31st August 2015. There will be an opening gala, with an opportunity to meet the artists, on 8th August from 3pm to 7pm.

Celtic Summer School: Inventing Scotland. How did Scotland come to be? Who and what made it a geography, a nation and a society? And who are the Scots? A session led by Donald Smith. 11am, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £7/£5 and may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579 or online here. The Celtic Summer School runs from today until 7th August 2015; you can buy tickets for individual events, or save money with a day or weekly pass – see the Centre’s website for details.

Birlinn – From the Page to the Wall; the art of Birlinn. A mixed exhibition of original illustrated and printed work. 10am-5pm Monday to Friday, 12 noon-5pm Saturdays, Doubtfire Gallery, South East Circus Place. Ends 29th August 2015.

Allan McNally: Festival Exhibition. Contemporary Scottish landscape and seascapes by the Scottish watercolour artist. Opens today, then 9am-10pm daily, Circus Bistro, 8 St Mary’s Street. Ends 31st August 2015.

The Big LGBT Music Jam: a creative and supportive space for making music. Play, sing your own song or just be an appreciative listener; all music tastes welcome. Bring your own instrument, some percussion supplied. 1-4pm (doors open at 1), LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For more information contact biglgbtmusicjamedinburgh@gmail.com. No booking required; just come along!

Marvin Gaye Chetwynd: The King Must Die. Known for her deliberately shambolic and lo-fi performances, Marvin Gaye Chetwynd’s new work The King Must Die explores the Ancient Greek cult of the Mother Goddess; an intense and supremely pagan celebration of femininity and female power. The performance will require some audience participation. For ages 16+. 2pm, Old Royal High School, Regent Road. Free but booking is essential and may be made via eventbrite here. Further performances will take place on various dates throughout August. Part of Edinburgh Art Festival.

Garage Presents Her Wilderness: a film by Frank Mosley. Her Wilderness weaves an elliptical, minimalist narrative of a lost, wandering child in the wake of an affair that may or may not have happened. 2.30pm or 4pm, GARAGE, Northumberland Street North West Lane. Free: part of Edinburgh Art Festival. GARAGE is a unique, DIY, not-for-profit art space. The film will also be shown at the same times on Sunday 2nd August.

Edinburgh Printmakers: Derek Michael Besant. A lecture on the Canadian artist’s concept for his new exhibition In Other Words…  and for the public art facade integration at Castle Mill Works, Fountainbridge, along with four other related projects that draw from public collaboration in other cities.  A fascinating insight into the artist’s response to the heritage of Castle Mill Works (formerly North British Rubber Co HQ) and how this shaped, informed and inspired the work, which was commissioned by Edinburgh Printmakers. 2-3pm, Edinburgh Printmakers, Union Street. Free, all welcome, but tickets are required and may be obtained via eventbrite here.

Celtic Summer School: Patrick Geddes. Geddes harnessed the idea of evolution to consciousness, culture and community; he is a 21st century inspirer, and the person who sparked Scotland’s modern renaissance. Learn more with Mairi McFadyen. 1pm, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £6/£4 and may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579 or online here. The Celtic Summer School runs from today until 7th August 2015; you can buy tickets for individual events, or save money with a day or weekly pass – see the Centre’s website for details.

Modern Art and Scotland’s Masterpieces: artist Lynda Frame invites you to explore abstract and modern works (still life, portraiture, sea, land and urban scapes) in the gallery’s vast collection, make your own sketches then create your own special masterpiece in colour. 10am-3pm (bring packed lunch), City Art Centre, 2 Market Street. Tickets cost £4 and must be booked in advance via the Usher Hall Box Office, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here. Please note that this workshop is intended for children and adults to experience together; children must be accompanied by at least one paying adult, and no child should be booked into a workshop alone.

Back to Basics Jazz Quintet: ‘swing is king’ from this troupe of well-established jazzers; classic/modern/mainstream jazz, plus ‘Back To Where It All Came From’ New Orleans Roots and Dixieland sound. The 5-piece consists of Colin Steele (trumpet), John Burgess (sax), Brian Kellock (piano), Ed Kelly (bass) and Bill Kyle (drums). Swing dancers welcome! 9pm (entry from 8pm), The Jazz Bar, Chambers Street. £5/£4 on the door: please note this venue is cash only.

Lorna Fraser: The Herbarium, An Artist’s View. An exhibition of new ceramic and print work by Edinburgh based artist Lorna Fraser, inspired by the plant specimens from the RGBE Herbarium. 10am-5.45pm, Gateway Gallery, John Hope Gateway, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. Free.

Organic Garden Open Day: Mike & Susan Burns invite you to visit their large, wildlife-friendly garden, which they have tended for 28 years and which includes a mini orchard, pond, kitchen garden, mixed borders, greenhouse, conservatory and secret garden. Refreshments available: teas 20p. 2-5pm, 39 Nantwich Drive, Edinburgh EH7 6RA. Entrance £1/50p: all proceeds will go to Garden Organic, a charity bringing together thousands of people who share a common belief – that organic growing is essential for a healthy and sustainable world. Also at same times on Sunday 2nd August. For further information please call Mike Burns on 0131 669 0335.

Summer Storytime: The Tiger Who Came To Tea. Come and listen to Judith Kerr’s wonderful book, then join in arts and activities related to the story. Waterstones Ocean Terminal, 98/99 Ocean Terminal, Ocean Drive. Please call the store on 0131 554 7732 to check time.

Fabienne Hess: Hits and Misses (from the archive) – Artist’s Talk: the artist will discuss her work with University of Edinburgh Art Collections Curator Neil Lebeter. 6.30pm, Talbot Rice Gallery, Old College, University of Edinburgh, South Bridge. Free but booking is required and may be made via eventbrite here. Hits and Misses (from the archive) is open at Talbot Rice Gallery until 3rd October 2015.

LGBT: Edinburgh Trans Women. Support group aimed at transsexual women at any stage of transition, women who are transgender and live as women full-time or part-time, or for those who are questioning their gender identity. 7.30-9.30pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. Please email the group before attending for the first time: info@edinburghtranswomen.org.uk.

100 Small Works for the Art of Music: small artworks inspired by songs, orchestras, venues, festivals, instruments, musicals, musicians, album artwork…. 10.30am-5pm today, 11am-5pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 1-5pm Thursdays, Space Artworks, 410 Morningside Road. Ends 31st August 2015. Space Artworks promotes artwork from adults with long-term health issues, including physical and learning disabilities and mental health challenges, and from carers.

Summer Storytime: Julia Donaldson. Come and listen to books by the wonderful children’s author, and join in arts and activities related to the story. 12 noon, Waterstones West End, 128 Princes Street. Please call 0131 226 2666 for further information.

Celtic Summer School: Gaelic and Scots Song. Dip into the treasure stores of Scottish song with expert guide Patsy Seddon, and listen or sing along as you choose. 2.30pm, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £9/£7 and may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579 or online here. The Celtic Summer School runs from today until 7th August 2015; you can buy tickets for individual events, or save money with a day or weekly pass – see the Centre’s website for details.

GARAGE Presents City Vegetables: a new solo project by cartoonist Malcy Duff. Using unrecyclable packaging, recordings and voice, sounds are created from reading drawn scores. 3pm, GARAGE, Northumberland Street North West Lane. Free: part of Edinburgh Art Festival. GARAGE is a unique, DIY, not-for-profit art space.

Lunchtime Concert: Ben Kearsley (classical guitar). 1.10pm, St Mary’s Cathedral, Palmerston Place.

Portrait Gallery Thematic Tours: The 1715 Jacobite Rebellion. Susanna Kerr, former Senior Curator, Portrait Gallery, will lead a tour round the Gallery, examining the rebellion that almost ended the reign of George I. 2-2.45pm or 3-3.45pm, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free and unticketed.

Sarah Hardie: songs for someone who isn’t there. An evening of ‘lullabies’, performances of song and poetry, through the streets of Edinburgh, featuring artists Ed Atkins, David Austen, Marco Godoy and Sarah Hardie, and poet Crispin Best. These city-wide ‘lullabies’ represent not the idealised togetherness of typical lullabies, but rather the pained isolation of our contemporary age of broken encounters, the lover’s hope, materialised in song, against the stony silence of public space today. 9-9.40pm, meet at corner of Chambers Street and West College Street, Old College, University of Edinburgh. Free but booking is required and may be made via eventbrite here. Part of Edinburgh Art Festival.

Summer Storytime: There Was A Wee Lassie Who Swallowed A Midgie. Come and listen to this tale by Rebecca Colby, and join in arts and activities related to the story. 3pm, Waterstones George Street, 83 George Street.

Spotlight Tours of Scottish Art: People, Places, Ideas. A guided tour of the City Art Centre’s Scottish Art collection. 11am or 3pm, City Art Centre (meet at reception), 2 Market Street. Free: suggested donation £2. Part of Edinburgh Art Festival.

Retrograde: ‘deep cosmic grooves with an old school flavour’. 9pm, Victoria Bar, 265 Leith Walk.

Vegas! Scotland’s award-winning retro club night – an evening of cocktails and cool, showgirls and swing, roulette and romance, with DJs Frankie Sumatra, Bugsy Seagull, Sam Jose and Nuno Endo, plus Nikki Nevada and The Vegas Showgirls, and The Fabulous Scott Brothers croupiers. Ballroom, The Voodoo Rooms, West Register Street. For over 18s only. Tickets cost £6 in advance and may be purchased online here (transaction fee applies), or £7 on the door (sta).

Marion Drummond and Paul Kennedy: a new exhibition. 11am-5pm Tuesday to Saturday, The Leith Gallery, 65 The Shore. Ends 29th August 2015.

SUNDAY 2ND AUGUST 2015

Organic Garden Open Day: Mike & Susan Burns invite you to visit their large, wildlife-friendly garden, which they have tended for 28 years and which includes a mini orchard, pond, kitchen garden, mixed borders, greenhouse, conservatory and secret garden. Refreshments available: teas 20p. 2-5pm, 39 Nantwich Drive, Edinburgh EH7 6RA. Entrance £1/50p: all proceeds will go to Garden Organic, a charity bringing together thousands of people who share a common belief – that organic growing is essential for a healthy and sustainable world. For further information please call Mike Burns on 0131 669 0335.

Filmhouse Junior: screenings for a younger audience. This week’s film is Moomins on the Riviera (U). 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4 per person, big or small, and may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online here.

Edinburgh Art Festival: Julie Favreau, Kemang Wa Lehulere, Marvin Gaye Chetwynd and Sorcha Carey – a Roundtable Discussion. The panel of participating commissioned artists and the festival director, chaired by Edward Hollis (author of The Memory Palace), will explore the theme of The Improbable City, a title taken from Italo Calvino’s collection of poems, Invisible Cities. 11.30am, Festival Kiosk, 9-11 Blair Street. Free but booking is required and may be made via eventbrite here.

Celtic Summer School: Traditional Music of Scotland. Follow the streams that join to make Scotland’s rich music traditions. What are the key instruments and sources? And how are those traditions continuing today? A session led by David Francis. 11am, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £7/£5 and may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579 or online here. The Celtic Summer School runs from today until 7th August 2015; you can buy tickets for individual events, or save money with a day or weekly pass – see the Centre’s website for details.

Picturehouses Vintage Sundays: classic films back on the big screen. This week: Sunset Boulevard (PG) ‘the definitive statement on the dark and desperate side of Hollywood’, directed by Billy Wilder and starring Gloria Swanson and William Holden. 1pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0871 902 5723 or online here: prices vary.

Celtic Summer School: Scottish Gaelic Literature and Tradition. Gaelic language embodies a civilisation that is central to the making of Scotland. Learn more about the culture and why everyone should learn more Gaelic. A session led by Donald Smith. 1pm, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £6/£4 and may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579 or online here. The Celtic Summer School runs from today until 7th August 2015; you can buy tickets for individual events, or save money with a day or weekly pass – see the Centre’s website for details.

Edinburgh in the Shadows: stories the travel brochures will never reveal. ‘A spoken word journey of death, drugs and disaster exploring Edinburgh’s lesser-known miscreants, unfortunates and flawed geniuses…’ Beattie and Scratchman, Edinburgh’s popular spoken word artists, present a breathtaking preview performance of their Fringe show, telling it like it really is in this blackly funny show about the city’s sinister side, with tales and poems of murder, muck and mayhem that reveal the truth behind Edinburgh’s most celebrated sites and characters. 3-4pm, The Skylark, 245 Portobello High Street.

Celtic Summer School: Dance Traditions of Scotland. Mairi Campbell shares her expertise in the rich diversity of dance in Scotland, with some practice examples and gentle participation for those who choose. 2.30pm, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £9/£7 and may be purchased in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579 or online here. The Celtic Summer School runs from today until 7th August 2015; you can buy tickets for individual events, or save money with a day or weekly pass – see the Centre’s website for details.

Garage Presents Her Wilderness: a film by Frank Mosley. Her Wilderness weaves an elliptical, minimalist narrative of a lost, wandering child in the wake of an affair that may or may not have happened. 2.30pm or 4pm, GARAGE, Northumberland Street North West Lane. Free: part of Edinburgh Art Festival. GARAGE is a unique, DIY, not-for-profit art space.

Simon Thacker’s Ritmata: the Edinburgh classical/flamenco/jazz acoustic guitarist with his pre-tour stellar line-up of some of Europe’s most gifted musicians – Paul Harrison (piano), Mario Caribe (bass) and Stu Brown (drums/percussion). ‘Stunning original patterns woven seamlessly into a new aural fabric, the delicious shock of the new alongside a further dismantling of musical boundaries, and total absorption in creative expression’. 3-5.30pm, The Jazz Bar, Chambers Street. £5/£4 on the door: please note this venue is cash only.

Nitekirk: a monthly, creative drop-in experience of church. A time of reflection, gentle music, candlelight and, throughout the sanctuary, places of optional activity such as poetry, art and prayers. Come and go as you like, join in as much or as little as you wish. The theme this month is Deepening. 5-7pm, Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place. All welcome. ‘A place of welcome, a space for stillness, a pause on your journey, an open door’.

William Young and his Trio: an evening of superb vocals from the ex-Cincinnati Soul/Blues/Jazz vocalist, backed by a top-drawer jazz trio, featuring swinging pianist Peter Johnstone. 9pm (entry from 8pm), The Jazz Bar, Chambers Street. £5/£4 on the door: please note this venue is cash only.

UEFA have released the fixture-list following yesterday’s Group draw in St Petersburg which pitted Scotland in Group F alongside England, Slovakia, Slovenia, Lithuania and Malta

Scotland will face England at Wembley on Friday 11th November next year then at Hampden on Saturday 10th June 2017.

Gordon Strachan’s men  will begin their FIFA 2018 World Cup qualification campaign with a trip to Malta on Sunday 4 September 2016 then after that opening game in Valletta the Scots will welcome Lithuania to Hampden on October 8th followed by Slovakia away three days later.

Scotland will finish their campaign with an away trip to Slovenia on Sunday 8 October.

FIXTURE LIST IN FULL

Sunday 4 Sep 2016 – Malta (a) – ko 7.45pm

Sunday 8 Oct 2017 – Slovenia (a) – ko 5pm

Roads have been closed off in Newbridge after police were called at 8am this morning following reports of a series of loud bangs.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Police in Edinburgh were called to Riverside, Newbridge at around 8am on Sunday following reports of a suspicious incident.

“It is understood a series of loud bangs were heard in the area.

“Cordons have been put in place to safeguard the public while officers from Police Scotland and partner agencies carry out an investigation.”

Police are appealing for witnesses following a fire in South Queensferry which happened around 8.40pm on Thursday 23 July at a building site near the Forth Road Bridge.

Entry had been forced to the site and a fire started near some industrial rubbish.

There have been a number of similar incidents in recent weeks, and officers are keeping an open mind as to whether or not these are linked.

Detective Sergeant Andrina Cunningham of Corstorphine CID said: “This was a reckless act which threatened the safety of those in the area and we’re urging anyone with information about this, or any other incidents, to come forward.

“We are also eager to speak to the owner of a black Audi A3 that was seen on the new road from South Queensferry to Winchburgh at the time of the incident, and who may be able to assist with our enquiries.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

In July 1995, alone in his cramped study, among thousands of showbusiness artefacts, film stock and memories the comic legend Bob Monkhouse realises his treasured joke books have been stolen. This is something of a disaster in the world of the obsessive performer and joke-smith. As the reality of the situation sinks in, he is forced into an uneasy introspection.

The Man Called Monkhouse traces his life through a difficult childhood, via the vertiginous heights of television superstardom, the dent in his status during the ‘new wave’ comedy of the late ‘80s and finishes with a re-born Bob, back on TV and finally feted as the comic genius he undoubtedly was.

Regarded as a man with a ‘Teflon’ showbiz veneer, at the height of his fame Bob Monkhouse divided the viewing public. Among many accolades that were bestowed upon him, he was simultaneously voted Most Loved and Most Hated Entertainer in a 1978 TV poll. Alex Lowe (Barry From Watford BBC Radio 4) writes and Bob Golding (Olivier Award winning – Morecambe) directs Simon Cartwright in the part he was born to play. The Man Called Monkhouse is an affectionate, funny and moving exploration of the life and personality of one of this country’s best loved and possibly most misunderstood comedians.

Since attending the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Simon Cartwright has performed on numerous TV shows including Opportunity Knocks with Mr Monkhouse himself and later on Sky Star Search ITV, Pot of Gold ITV, and Who Do You Do? ITV/SKY. He also contributed to The Monkhouse Amuseum for Radio 4 Xtra.

In the eighties Simon formed a double act with Alistair McGowan appearing at the London Comedy Store as the McCarthy Boys and subsequently performing all over the UK. Bob Monkhouse is a large part of Simon’s life and he has often been invited to speak on broadcast documentaries on Bob’s life. More notably Simon was the voice of ‘Bob’ on the Prostate cancer campaign TV commercial that ‘brought Bob back from the grave’ in 2007. Simon formed a friendship with Bob Monkhouse and over the years Bob followed Simon’s career with great interest once proclaiming “You do me better than I do”.

Alex Lowe is a writer and actor who’s previous writing credits for Edinburgh include Shooting from the New Hip in 2013 and Let’s Get On With It in 2006, both for the Pleasance. As a solo performer, in 1998 he adapted and performed Simon Garfield’s book The Wrestling and in 1999 he adapted and performed Garfield’s book The Nation’s Favourite, both for the Pleasance. His TV writing credits include. Maracattack with Miranda Hart, Common Ground for Sky Atlantic, The Watson and Oliver Show BBC, Paul O’Grady Live ITV, The Big Impression BBC. Other writing credits include: two plays for BBC Radio 4 Drama; My Pregnancy Test and The Block.

He also wrote from 2003-4 for Radio 4’s Loose Ends, Jamie Theakston’s Heart Breakfast Show and regularly writes for Christian O’Connell’s Absolute Radio Breakfast Show. Since 2009, he has been written and performed as Barry from Watford for Radio 2’s Steve Wright in the Afternoon. He is currently writing a series commissioned by Radio 4 Comedy called Barry’s Lunch Club in which he plays his own creation; Barry from Watford.

Bob Golding has had a varied career as an actor, a director and voice artist and musician. His theatre work is extensive and has taken him all around the country. Best known for his embodiment of Britain’s best loved comedian Eric Morecambe in Tim Whitnall’s Olivier Award winning play Morecambe for which he himself received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actor in an Entertainment.

The original production of Morecambe premiered at the Assembly venue Rainy Hall at the 2009 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and was immediately snapped up for a West End run. It has since enjoyed two successful major tours. Bob also performed as Eric at the Royal Variety Show . His TV work includes, Mr Selfridge (ITV drama), Peter Kay’s Britain’s Got the Pop Factor & Possibly a New Soapstar Super Strictly on Ice, comedy sketch show Watson & Oliver. He has been co-host on Dave Gorman’s Sunday Morning Show on Absolute Radio and provided the voices of ’Milo’ and ’Max’ in BBC’s Tweenies. Bob was last at The Edinburgh Fringe in 2013 directing the play No Direction by Albert Welling.

Edinburgh Fringe

THE MAN CALLED MONKHOUSE

Assembly Hall – Rainy Hall

Thurs 6 August – Monday 31 August
15.15 (70 mins)

http://www.assemblyfestival.com < http://www.assemblyfestival.com>
0131 623 3030

Tickets:
£10 -£14

Submitted by David Burns

Man to Man, written by German playwright Manfred Karge and translated by George Divine winning playwright Alexandra Wood, recounts the life of a woman who, following the death of her husband, is forced to assume his identity in order to survive the challenges of 20th Century Germany.

The play is based on a true story inspired by a woman who took on her deceased husband’s identity to save his job during the great depression. Stirred by this story, Karge created Ella, later to become Max, and wrote of the experiences she would have lived through – the social history of the century including the radical changes as the Nazi’s rise to power, the cold war and the Berlin Wall coming down.

Audiences can expect an incredible physical performance by Glasgow born actress Margaret Ann Bain as Max/Ella as well as a vivid and intense rollercoaster ride through her astonishing life. The production will make an audience think long after the curtain comes down about how they would have met the challenges of her life had the same challenges been thrown at them.

Man to Man was first performed by Tilda Swinton at the Traverse in 1987. Manfred Karge’s second play The Conquest of the South Pole starred a young Alan Cumming, Ewen Bremner, and a stellar Scottish cast. Both plays then became films.

This German classic has been reworked into an all-consuming piece of physical theatre, beautifully directed by Stirling born Bruce Guthrie (Associate Director for Sam Mendes on his world tour of Richard III, director of Twelfth Night and Othello, for the Singapore Repertory Theatre) and Frantic Assembly’s Artistic Director Scott Graham (director of past Festival hit Beautiful Burnout & Olivier and Tony award nominee for his movement direction on The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time).

Design by West End & Broadway designer Richard Kent, lighting design by Tony and Olivier award winner Rick Fisher (Billy Elliot The musical & An Inspector Calls) and sound design by Olivier award winner Mike Walker.

Man to Man is produced by Siobhán Daly for Wales Millennium Centre. This is the centre’s first production at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Man to Man is at the Underbelly, Topside from the 5-31 August at 17.40 http://www.edfest.com

Submitted by Bethany Arnold

Process Studios Festival of Making: Edinburgh Contemporary Crafts offer a full weekend of workshops, demonstrations, live music and food! The chance to have a go at crafts (wheel throwing, sublimation textiles, smoke fired ceramics and forging), attend talks and demos by luthiers (guitar and violin makers), upholsterers and weavers and join in workshops to make your own screenprinted apron, silver ring band, quilted button purse, kiln fired glass tile, slip-cast earthenware bowl or Japanese bound book. From 12 noon, Process Studios, (formerly Edinburgh Contemporary Crafts), Abbeymount Techbase, 2 Easter Road. Workshops cost £10 per person and should be booked in advance here.

Lunchtime Concert: Nightingale. A concert of Japanese, Chinese and German songs – and one famous English one to sing along to! 12.30pm, St John’s Church, Princes Street. Free: all welcome.

Scotland’s Gardens: 45 Northfield Crescent. A delightful garden with a wide variety of shrubs, herbaceous, bedding and dahlia plants. Large pond with a small waterfall and a colourful decking area. Vegetable patch with raised bed; greenhouse with award-winning pot plants. The garden is the current holder of the Oatridge College award and has won several gold medals. 2-5pm, 45 Northfield Crescent, Longridge, Bathgate EH47 8AL (for directions click here). £3 per person. 40% of the proceeds will go to World Cancer Research, the net remainder to SG beneficiaries. For nore information please contact Mr Jamie Robertson on 07885 701642 or email jamierobertson04@hotmail.co.uk.

Filmhouse Junior: screenings for a younger audience. This week’s film is Labyrinth (U), directed by Jim Henderson and starring David Bowie as the Goblin King and Jennifer Connelly as the young girl who must travel through the labyrinth to save her baby brother from him. 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4 per person, big or small, and may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online here.

Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway Summer Diesel Gala: an event primarily for diesel enthusiasts, with trains on the railway this weekend being hauled by some of the society’s impressive collection of diesel locomotives, and other locos on show. Relive the sights – and smells – of these great diesel engines of the Swinging Sixties, which took us to work and for days out at the seaside until the 1980s. Special timetables and fares will apply. The Station Buffet at Bo’ness will be open for delicious home made food each day, and there will be an on-train buffet serving snacks and real ale. Today’s first train departs at 9.30am, Bo’ness Station, Union Street, Bo’ness. The Gala ends tonight, with the last train departing from Bo’ness at 6pm. For details of timetables and tickets, please see the railway’s website here.

Edinburgh International Fashion Festival: Pringle Open Day. Celebrate 200 years of Pringle of Scotland with knitting workshops and the chance to share your Borders-made knitwear treasures with the experts. The workshops are (1) Learn to knit a snood with Coats Crafts and (2) Creative hand-knitting with Eribe Knitwear; each workshop will run 12 noon-4pm on a drop-in basis and both are free. From 1 to 2.30pm, you can share your Pringle treasures with James Robinson, NMS Keeper of Art & Design, and Borders knitwear specialist Dr Jamie Mulherron (please note no valuations can be given, and places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis).  12 noon-4pm, Grand Gallery and Events Space,  National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Free.

Edinburgh International Fashion Festival: A Passion for Pringle. Former Pringle designers Wallace Shaw and Lesley Brown discuss designing for machine-made knitwear and their contribution to the fashion revolution of the 1960s and 70s. For ages 14+. 2-3pm (doors open 1.45pm), Auditorium, Level One, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Free but booking is required and may be made in person at the Museum’s information desk, by calling 0300 123 6789 or online here.

Me & T Monthly: a supportive space for people who have friends, family or partners who are trans*, non-binary or exploring their gender. An opportunity to discuss experiences, questions or concerns. 2-4pm, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street. For more information please contact me.and.t.scotland@gmail.com at any time.

Edinburgh International Fashion Festival: Digital Relevance Symposium. Danielle Bennison Brown (Conde Nast Digital), Raven Smith (Nowness), David Lindsay (FarFetch) and Scottish journalist Anna Burnside discuss the media’s ever-changing roles. Chair: Rachel Arthur (WGSN). For ages 14+. 11am-12.30pm, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Free but booking is required and may be made via eventbrite here.

Over The Rainbow: the monthly screening strand for new and classic queer cinema and events. This month Over The Rainbow makes its first retropsective selection: Orlando (PG), a ‘bold, unsentimental and strikingly cinematic reworking of the 1928 novel (by Virginia Woolf) long considered a classic in both feminist and gender studies. Directed by Sally Potter and featuring Tilda Swinton in the title role. 6pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online here; prices vary.

LGBT: A Decent Proposal – Meet Up & A Movie. An invitation for men, masculine-identified people, trans* men, non-binary folk and anyone who doesn’t primarily identify as a woman. LGBT Health & Wellbeing wants your ideas and opinions on what kind of monthly social opportunities you are interested in attending. A relaxed get-together with some complementary drinks and nibbles to get the conversation started, followed by the option to see a film (see above). 3-5pm, Filmhouse Cafe Bar, Lothian Road. The meet up is free but booking is required and may be made here – or contact Alison Wren on 0131 652 3283/email: alison@lgbthealth.org.uk. Optional film ticket £9/£7.20.

Anyone Can Play Guitar: Sofi’s new alternative open-stage evening – an unplugged and intimate night for all but guitars. Performers get a free drink! Hosted by Lost Proclaimer. 8pm, Sofi’s Bar, Henderson Street.

St Giles’ At Six: The Nenthorne Ensemble from the Borders play Elgar Serenade for Strings and Grieg Holberg Suite. 6pm, St Giles Cathedral, High Street. Free: retiring collection.

House of Lords Devolution Enquiry

The Perfect Murder

At Our Dynamic Earth

Reviews on the Fringe

Gallery on the Corner needs you

Watch this film by Lord Lang of Monkton to find out what the latest House of Lords enquiry is all about. Just in case though this is what the House of Lords tell us the enquiry will deal with:

“The Committee is concerned that the current devolution settlement is the result of ad hoc, piecemeal, change rather than the result of a considered and coherent process that takes into account the needs of the UK as a whole. Its inquiry will therefore focus not only on devolution but on the Union itself, to try and identify what binds the constituent parts of the UK together in a single Union, and to consider ways in which that Union might be strengthened and reinforced.”

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As if we haven’t got enough to deal with at the moment with everything that you can go and see here in Edinburgh at the moment we are told that the King’s will be staging The Perfect Murder – next February. But at least it gives you another chance to go and see the lovely Dome that John Byrne created.

Just time to book a ticket or two then!

Following the recent success of the stage adaptation of crime author Peter James’ Dead Simple, he and producer Joshua Andrews are pleased to announce that Shane Richie and Jessie Wallace will appear on stage together for the very first time in the 2016 production of The Perfect Murder. Opening at the Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham, on Tuesday 2 February 2016, The Perfect Murder will then embark on a major UK tour, playing at the King’s Theatre EdinburghMonday 29 February to Saturday 5 March.

Book tickets here. They are on sale now.

(Photo of the Dome by Colin Hattersley Photography – 07974 957 388)

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A section of the world’s biggest scientific experiment – the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) – will be part of an interactive exhibition at Edinburgh’s Dynamic Earth starting Friday 31 July.

A life-sized mock up of part of the 27-kilometer particle accelerator will be on display at the attraction until 24 August – one stop on a national roadshow that celebrates the UK’s involvement in the groundbreaking discoveries made by the LHC.

The exhibition, which has been created and loaned by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), will feature a 6m long x 2.8m wide ‘walk through’ section of the LHC tunnel and accelerator. This is the machine that confirmed the existence of the Higgs Boson particle – proposed by University of Edinburgh professor Peter Higgs, who shared the Nobel Prize in Physics for the discovery with François Englert in 2013.

Hermione Cockburn, Scientific Director at Dynamic Earth, said: “The CERN Hadron Collider is pushing the boundaries of scientific discovery, and changing what we know about the composition of our Universe. It’s incredibly exciting to have a section of the world’s largest experiment on display, and fitting that it should visit us here in Edinburgh, where Professor Higgs theorised the existence of his proposed particle.”

Eilidh Massie, Marketing Manager at Dynamic Earth, adds: “Alongside this impressive machine section, there will also be iconic and stunning images from the world of science, and a host of interactive exhibits. This is certainly an event not be missed at Dynamic Earth, and we’re sure our visitors are going to love it.”

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What are you desperate to see at the Fringe? Are you experienced enough to review a show or two for us?

Submit your review in no more than 150 words of the last show you went to see and we will consider publishing it (if it was in Edinburgh!) and consider adding you to our team of reviewers.

If you include photos they have to be your own.

Use our Submit your Story feature for this! We look forward to hearing from you.

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Hibs’ Head Coach addressed a packed press conference after seeing his side lose 6-2 at home to Rangers and was immediately pressed on Scott Allan’s future at the club.

Allan had started the game on the bench where he had to listen to Rangers’ fans singing ‘He’s One of our Own’ and ‘There’s only one Scott Allan’ although he also received warm applause from the Hibs supporters when warming up in front of the Famous Five stand.

Clearly frustrated, Stubbs replied: “I will answer with three words. NOT FOR SALE

“I am not going to keep answering questions on it. You have to respect a club’s stance when you say a player is not for sale.

“I spoke to him before the game. I don’t think it would have been right for me to have put Scott in the game today with what has been going on, the circus of the last few days.

“He is a professional footballer, he is a human being, it would have affected him.

“The most important thing was the team and the club. I said to Scott that I was doing it for him and the club.”

Media reports last week suggested that the midfielder had asked to be allowed to move to his boyhood idols but when Stubbs was asked whether this was the case he responded:  “It’s irrelevant. He’s got one year on his contract.

“He can go for nothing at the end of the season. He can sign a pre-contract in January. He will have very good options if he sticks it out.”

Scotland have been paired with England in 2018 World Cup qualifying Group F.

Slovakia, Slovenia, Lithuania, Malta complete the Group.

The draw took place in 
St Petersburg at 5pm today.

Hosts Russia will qualify automatically. The winners of each group will qualify while the eight best runners-up will take part in a play-off in November 2017

Gordon Strachan’s team will face England in a World Cup qualifier for the first time since 1950 in what is sure to be the pick of the games.

Group F
England
Slovakia
SCOTLAND
Slovenia
Lithuania
Malta

Dates of the qualifying fixtures will be announced tomorrow at 11.30am with venues and times decided at a later date.

Police in the capital  ensured that a significant policing presence was put in place to keep the public safe during the first round of the Petrofac Training Cup between Hibernian and Rangers at Easter Road Stadium.

Six people were arrested for various offences, of which three men aged 20, 30 and 39 were charged under the Offensive Behaviour at Football & Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act 2012 following sectarian singing.

Of these six arrested, a 43-year-old man was also charged for anti-social behaviour, a 17-year-old man was charged following a smoke bomb being set off in the stadium, and a 22-year-old man was charged following damage to a seat within the stadium.

A seventh person was charged for allowing alcohol consumption on a public supporters coach attending the match.

Chief Inspector Bob Paris said: “The behaviour of the majority of Hibs and Rangers fans in attendance today was commendable and I’d like to thank them for that.

“It’s disappointing when the reckless conduct of a few people threatens the safety, wellbeing and enjoyment of other supporters. Police Scotland will be applying to the Courts for Football Banning Orders to be placed on the individuals involved.

“We will not tolerate behaviour of this nature and, with the cooperation of other supporters and the assistance of the Football Clubs, officers were able to act swiftly to successfully apprehend these individuals.”

At the building site on Pennywell Road they are celebrating their most recent award even before the houses are complete.  The development has received a silver award from The Considerate Constructors Scheme.

The Pennywell Living development – which is currently being built by Urban Union on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council and 21^st Century Homes – received the silver accolade at the annual Scottish Considerate Constructors event, held in the capital.

The Considerate Constructors Scheme is an initiative introduced by the construction industry to improve and enhance relations with communities where building works are taking place.

The Scheme encourages sites to adopt best practices beyond what is outlined in statutory requirements with the main areas focusing on impact on the general public, workforce and the environment.

The development in Pennywell was reviewed in five categories: appearance, respecting the local community, protecting the environment, safety and valuing its workforce. It received the silver award as it was deemed to have excelled across all five areas, since its launch last summer.

Graeme Nicol, managing director, Urban Union, said: “We are all delighted with this recognition from the Considerate Constructors Scheme.

“Our construction manager Brian Pettigrew and his team take great pride in delivering the Pennywell Living project to the highest standard.

“Most recently, as part of our commitment to the local community, a team of employees and our Urban Union mascot Ivor Goodsite, visited Craigroyston Primary School to teach pupils all about the different types of plant machinery and safety on site. This is an example of the work we do to ensure the local community is aware of the work going on, on their doorstep.”

Pennywell Living is one of Scotland’s largest housing-led regeneration projects, which is set to provide 356 social and mid-market rent homes, along with 363 new properties for private sale.

The extensive development, which is being built by regeneration experts Urban Union, is a result of a major investment of £42 million by the City of Edinburgh Council and includes £7.9 million grant funding from the Scottish Government.

Police in Edinburgh have arrested and charged a 20-year-old man following an attempted robbery on the High Street and a robbery on Nicolson Street on Wednesday 22 July.

A 22-year-old woman has also been arrested and charged in connection with these incidents.

Both are due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday 27 July.

Once again, supporters hoping to see a new face were disappointed as only keeper Antonio Reguero, who was listed as a substitute was not at Easter Road last season.

Hibs started brightly and should have taken an early lead when Lewis Stevenson set up Malonga but the striker’s first time effort flew well over.

The home side however took a deserved lead in the 12^th minute when Sam Stanton picked up the ball on the half way line then drove forward before firing an unstoppable left foot shot into the corner of the net.

Holt then went close for the visitors but at this stage Hibs were dominating possession.

Just before the break however, Rangers struck twice. The first came from a superb free kick from the impressive James Tavernier after a dubious award from Willie Collum then just on half time Martyn Waghorn added a second from close range after a cut back from Holt.

Waghorn made it 3-1 within a minute of the restart with a fine effort from an acute angle after latching onto a long clearance.

Defender Forster was then forced to go off with a hamstring injury and was replaced by Scott Allan who received a standing ovation from both sets of fans.

Jason Cummings pulled one back from the penalty spot in the 59^th minute after Wilson brought down the youngster inside the area but Hibs hopes of a comeback were dashed within seconds when Andy Halliday curled a left footed strike from 25 yards into the top corner of Oxley’s net.

Rangers made it 5-2 in the 76^th minute after Miller tapped the ball home from close range following a Nicky Clark cross from the right wing.

Lewis Allan went close moments later then Gray had the ball in the net from a Stevenson cross but his effort was ruled offside.

Miller grabbed his second and Rangers sixth in the 81^st minute, tapping in from close range after a fine Barrie McKay cross.

Rangers: Foderingham, Tavernier, Keirnan, Wilson, Wallace, Holt, Halliday, Law, Templeton, Waghorn, McKay. Subs : Kelly, McGregor, Aird, Thompson, Shiels, Clark, Miller

Attendance 11,223

In case you haven’t noticed there is a fashion festival going on right here and right now! Influential figures from across the UK’s textiles industry travelled in style on board the Caledonian Sleeper to get to this year’s Edinburgh International Fashion Festival.

The group reached the capital after enjoying a tasting event with Scottish handcrafted premium gin brand, Caorunn, on board the overnight service as they travelled from London.

Forming part of a calendar of Caledonian Sleeper on board experiences, the event offered guests the chance to sample the gin while mingling with fashion VIPs taking part in this year’s festival. This included Scottish designer Jonathan Saunders and head of Stella McCartney’s sustainability programme, Claire Bergkamp.

Speaking of the on board event, Ryan Flaherty, Guest Experience Director at the Caledonian Sleeper, said: “We are committed to partnering with Scottish brands to showcase the country’s best cultural events, attractions and food and drink offering. The gin tasting and fashion festival experience was a great opportunity for our guests to learn more about some of our fantastic Scottish produce whilst relaxing in the comfort of the lounge car.”

Anna Freemantle, Director of the Edinburgh International Fashion Festival, added: “We are very excited to have partnered with the Caledonian Sleeper for this year’s festival. The on board event was a great way of showcasing some of the country’s greatest talent and the latest trends.”

Ibolya Bakos-Tonner, Global Brand Manager Caorunn, continued: “It has been great to be involved in such a different and creative event and to showcase Caorunn’s wildly sophisticated range of classic and contemporary cocktails to a new audience.”

Taking place until Sunday 26 July and now in its fourth edition, the Edinburgh International Fashion Festival has this year collaborated with Zero Waste Scotland to focus on the themes of sustainability, education and digital relevance. Over the course of four days, the festival presents a series of exhibitions, shows and workshops across the city’s most unique venues.

Photos   Greg Macvean – 07971 826 457

Livingston Designer Outlet, Scotland’s largest Outlet destination, has added The North Face to its existing retailer line up.

The North Face, the world’s leading outdoor brand, will open the doors of its first outlet store in Scotland this morning at the outlet centre in West Lothian.

The new The North Face store will offer a wide range of products in a store over 120m2, from Trail Running to Mountaineering and Hiking to Urban collections. Each season, new collections will feature innovative product technology that aim to protect and help push limits in the great outdoors. Experienced staff will be readily available to give expert advice on what is needed for exploration adventures.

Karen Stewart, Centre Manager at Livingston Designer Outlet, said: ‘Securing The North Face’s first outlet in Scotland is a fantastic for us and cements Livingston Designer Outlet’s reputation as one of Scotland’s finest retail destinations. We have a wide range of iconic fashion and high street brands and The North Face compliments them perfectly. We’re very much looking forward to welcoming them.”

Juniper Green Farmers’ Market: stalls with an extensive range of products, including breads, cakes, cheeses, fish, meat, pies, preserves, coffee, Fair Trade goods, hot snacks and drinks. The market also offers local residents the chance to meet with their local councillors, community councillors, MP and MSP. 9am-1pm today and every fourth Saturday of the month, Juniper Green Village Hall, 1A Juniper Park Road. Organised by Juniper Green Community Council.

Scotland’s Gardens: 45 Northfield Crescent. A delightful garden with a wide variety of shrubs, herbaceous, bedding and dahlia plants. Large pond with a small waterfall and a colourful decking area. Vegetable patch with raised bed; greenhouse with award-winning pot plants. The garden is the current holder of the Oatridge College award and has won several gold medals. 2-5pm, 45 Northfield Crescent, Longridge, Bathgate EH47 8AL (for directions click here). £3 per person. 40% of the proceeds will go to World Cancer Research, the net remainder to SG beneficiaries. For nore information please contact Mr Jamie Robertson on 07885 701642 or email jamierobertson04@hotmail.co.uk. Also at same times on Sunday 26th July 2015.

The Ancient Art of Fine Silk Embroidery: an exhibition by Su Embroidery Studio, showcasing an art developed more than 2,500 years ago, and the skill and delicacy required to produce fine hand-stitched silk works. 10am-6pm Monday to Friday, 11am-2pm Saturdays, Dundas Street Gallery, 6 Dundas Street. Ends 7th August 2015.

Record Breakers Rubik’s Cube & Post-It Challenge! For ages 5+ years. 2.30pm, Corstorphine Library, Kirk Loan.

This Is My Rite: dance artist and choreographer Charlotte Jarvis performs this unique form of poetic dance drama, exploring the seasons and emotional landscapes of human life. ‘This is dance as a quest for truth, freedom and love’. The performance will be followed by an informal Q & A session. Directed by David WW Johnstone. For ages 14+. 7pm, Netherbow Theatre, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £8/£6 and are available in person, by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579 or online here; price includes a free drink.

Out of the Blue Flea Market: over 45 stalls full to bursting with clothes, jewellery, small furniture, music, books, bric a brac and more, The Drill Hall Arts Cafe will be open for the purchase of delicious home-made cakes, snacks and light lunches. 10am-3pm, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny Street.

LGBT Summer Fete: a bonanza of activities and celebrations await at this annual event for the whole community – bring your friends, family and supporters. 1-5pm, Tollcross Community Centre, 117 Fountainbridge. For more information please contact Jules Stapleton Barnes on 0131 523 1104 or email jules@lgbthealth.org.uk.

LGBT Community Groups Fair @ Summer Fete: come and meet people from some of the many LGBT groups and organisations in Edinburgh, representing different interests and providing an array of activities and support for LGBT people. Stalls will include Bi & Beyond Edinburgh, Our Tribe, Edinburgh Trans Women, ROAM, Gay Men’s Health, Me & T Monthly and LGBT Basketball.  1-5pm, Tollcross Community Centre, 117 Fountainbridge. For more information please contact Jules Stapleton Barnes on 0131 523 1104 or email jules@lgbthealth.org.uk.

Bohemia Moon Art & Craft Fair: over 35 stalls with artist-makers from all over Scotland. Summer cafe open for light refreshments. 11am-4.30pm, Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place. Free entry, all welcome – dog friendly!

Summer Storytime: There Was A Wee Lassie Who Swallowed A Midgie. Come and listen to this tale by Rebecca Colby, and join in arts and activities related to the story. 12 noon, Waterstones West End, 128 Princes Street. Please call 0131 226 2666 for further information.

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

Summer Storytime: The Worst Princess. ‘Once upon a time in a tower near you, Lived a sad princess, the Princess Sue. “Some day” she sighed “my prince will come. But I wish he’d move his royal bum”‘. Come and listen to Anna Kemp’s story, then join in arts and activities related to the book. 3pm, Waterstones George Street, 83 George Street.

Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway Summer Diesel Gala: an event primarily for diesel enthusiasts, with trains on the railway this weekend being hauled by some of the society’s impressive collection of diesel locomotives, and other locos on show. Relive the sights – and smells – of these great diesel engines of the Swinging Sixties, which took us to work and for days out at the seaside until the 1980s. Special timetables and fares will apply. The Station Buffet at Bo’ness will be open for delicious home made food each day, and there will be an on-train buffet serving snacks and real ale. Today’s first train departs at 8.30am, Bo’ness Station, Union Street, Bo’ness. Gala ends Sunday 25th July 2015 (last train departs Bo’ness 6pm). For details of timetables and tickets, please see the railway’s website here.

Abstract Experiments! Join Lauren Wayland and try lots of strange art techniques, using colour, shape and texture – then create your own piece of abstract art. 2-4pm, City Art Centre, 2 Market Street. Tickets cost £4 and must be booked in advance via the Usher Hall Box Office, in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here. Please note that this workshop is intended for children and adults to experience together; children must be accompanied by at least one paying adult, and no child should be booked into a workshop alone.

John Chamberlain: Sculptures. The first solo exhibition with a UK public gallery by the American artist includes monumental twisted metal foil sculptures placed both in the light-filled rooms of Inverleith House and throughout the Garden. Chamberlain (1929-2011) is best known for creating vibrantly coloured, dynamic metal sculptures made from salvaged materials and car parts; seen in the context of the Garden, the presentation accentuates the surprisingly natural, organic qualities of his work. 10am-5.30pm Tuesday to Sunday (closed Mondays), Inverleith House, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. Free. Ends 4th October 2015.

Edinburgh International Fashion Festival: Sustainability Symposium. 80% of a product’s environmental impact is determined at the design stage; everything from kettles to furniture to fashion follows trends and styles that are becoming faster and faster, whilst global resources are drastically reducing. This panel discussion, presented in partnership with Zero Waste Scotland, will discuss whether a sustainable fashion industry is achievable. The panel will feature Claire Bergkamp (Head of Sustainability, Stella McCartney), Sofie Rogers (Sustainability Manager, IKEA Scotland), Massimo Nicosia (Head Designer, Pringle Scotland), Hannah Lane (Communcations Director, Redress), Lynn Wilson (Zero Waste Scotland) and Andrew Kerr (Edinburgh Centre of Carbon Innovation). For ages 14+. 11am-12.30pm (doors open 10.45am), Auditorium, Level One, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Free but booking is required and may be made via eventbrite here.

Gasland: a film about fracking. 7-10pm, Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh (ACE), 17 West Montgomery Place. ACE is a self-managed social resource centre, open for the use of groups and individuals who are trying to make a better society and improve their lives. It hosts a variety of projects, including The Leith Wholefoods Co-Op and the Scottish Radical Library. For more information visit ACE’s website here.

Process Studios Festival of Making: Edinburgh Contemporary Crafts offer a full weekend of workshops, demonstrations, live music and food! The chance to have a go at crafts (wheel throwing, sublimation textiles, smoke fired ceramics and forging), attend talks and demos by luthiers (guitar and violin makers), upholsterers and weavers and join in workshops to make your own screenprinted apron, silver ring band, quilted button purse, kiln fired glass tile, slip-cast earthenware bowl or Japanese bound book. Plus an evening of live music and performance, including appearances by three-piece Edinburgh band Sink, Mina Hewes and a celidh led by Heid. From 10am, Process Studios, (formerly Edinburgh Contemporary Crafts), Abbeymount Techbase, 2 Easter Road. Also from 12 noon on Sunday 26th July (evening entertainment Saturday only). Workshops cost £10 per person and should be booked in advance here.

Edinburgh International Fashion Festival: The True Cost (12)  A documentary about ‘fast fashion’, about the clothes we buy and the people that make them. Social Tailor and Fashion Revolution present this film by LA writer and director Andrew Morgan. Taking you on a journey around the world, The True Cost follows clothing from design to manufacture to shop floor, showing the huge profits alongside a standard of living and working that is both shocking and horrifying. For ages 14+. 1-2.30pm (doors open 2.45pm), Auditorium, Level One, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Free but booking is required and may be made via eventbrite here.

Edinburgh International Fashion Festival: Louise Wilson Remembered. Sarah Mower leads a conversation on Louise Wilson’s remarkable career. As one of the foremost educators of her generation, Louise Wilson’s legacy continues through the many designers and fellow educators whose careers began under her legendary guidance; her former students include Alexander McQueen, Jonathan Saunders, Christopher Kane, Marios Schwab, Peter Jensen, Richard Nicoll, Christopher Shannon and Sophia Kokosalaki. Joining Sarah in the discussion will be Jonathan Saunders, Professor Christopher Breward, Fleet Bigwood and Alistair O’Neill. For ages 14+. 3-4.30pm (doors open 2.45pm), Auditorium, Level One, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Free but booking is required and may be made via eventbrite here.

Neu! Reekie! Anywhere But The Cities Tour. Dewars, Neu! Reekie! (‘Scotland’s favourite avant-garde noisemakers’ [The Skinny])and FOUND take to the road, with anarchic music and poetry from guests The Sexual Objects, Hollie McNish, Michael Pedersen and Kevin Williamson. 6.30pm, Linlithgow Palace Undercroft, Kirkgate. ‘A lustre-drenched meeting of brilliance’. Tickets cost £10 (includes drinks) and are available from Brown Paper Tickets here (transaction fee applies).

Over The Rainbow: the monthly screening strand for new and classic queer cinema and events. This month Over The Rainbow makes its first retropsective selection: Orlando (PG), a ‘bold, unsentimental and strikingly cinematic reworking of the 1928 novel (by Virginia Woolf) long considered a classic in both feminist and gender studies. Directed by Sally Potter and featuring Tilda Swinton in the title role. 3.45pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 228 2688 or online here; prices vary. Also showing at 6pm on Sunday 26th July 2015.

Company of Wolves: A Brief History of Evil (previews). A duet about the lies we tell each other, and ourselves: how easy it is to lose our way, and find ourselves somewhere shocking, doing things we’d never imagined. With humour and darkness, sorrow and light, Company of Wolves, a physical theatre company from Glasgow, investigates what happens when we listen to the voices inside us – or not. For ages 15+. 7.30pm, Anatomy Lecture Theatre, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. Tickets cost £8/£6 and are available from the Box Office in person, by calling 0131 560 1580 or online here. Also at same time on Sunday 26th July 2015, and in the Fringe 7-11th August 2015.

Saturday Session: Hoban and Scott. New to Edinburgh, an Americana, country, bluegrass and harmony vocal duo. 2pm, Sofi’s Bar, Henderson Street. Free entry.