Which country sent the first human into space? Who was Pavlov (and what happened to his dog?) Was Ivan the Terrible really such a baddie? Where can you take a train journey that lasts 8 days (and not because you’re waiting for a connection…)? Where is the ‘Venice of the North’? And which famous author cried when he had to do Maths?

The country is of course Russia, and you can find the answers to all these questions on a new website created by the Scotland-Russia Forum, primarily for children aged 5-12 (though I must say I found it very interesting too). Realising that few schools currently teach the Russian language, the Forum decided to introduce children to aspects of the country’s culture in a new way; the website Find Out About RUSSIA covers topics such as Russian food, space travel, folk stories and the ballet – plus a guide to deciphering the Russian alphabet. Contributors range from professional specialists to a 15 year old schoolgirl, with the emphasis on fun (there are recipes, interviews with Russian children, a feature on the Russian New Year festivities, and lots more).

Writing in Scotland Russia Review, Chairperson Jenny Carr says ‘a subject not thought important enough for schools is likely to be dismissed as unimportant by the general population. And from that flows lack of coverage in the media, lack of discussion, and lack of understanding’.

Not only can you find out what life is like now – and was hundreds of years ago – in Russia – there’s also a competition with four activities to choose from. You might like to create a picture of Baba Yoga, a famous witch whose story is told in The White Birds, a traditional tale that you can read on the website.

If you’d like to do more, you are invited to submit a series of six or more original artworks to illustrate The White Birds story – some may be used on the website. If art isn’t your thing, what about retelling a different Russian folk tale in your own (English) words? There are links and suggestions to help you choose a story on the website, and the best entries will be published online. Finally, if you can think up ideas for extra activities on ANY page of the website – from games and puzzles to topics for discussion – you can send these in too. The activities will be judged in three age groups, 5-6, 7-9 and 10-12 years, and there will be a prize for each activity in each group – plus, the first 400 entrants will each receive a mystery gift!

The entry form for the competition can be found on the website, or collected from Blackwell’s, South Bridge (Education department upstairs) while stocks last. All entries must be submitted by post by 1st July 2015, so you’ve got plenty of time to come up with something.

The Scotland-Russia Forum is a registered charity: its dual mission is to raise interest and inform, both from as non-partisan and independent position as possible. The Forum arranges speaker events, social gatherings (including regular coffee and chat meetings at Summerhall, where the Scotland-Russia Institute office and library is now housed), arts events and more; details can be found at www.scotlandrussiaforum.org

‘There’s history and there’s mystery here’

Gordon Stewart is a man with a mission. The Head of Visitor Services at the Scottish Parliament – himself a Canongatian, born in the Elsie Inglis Hospital in Abbeyhill – wants to introduce people to a part of Edinburgh that many of us overlook. We all know that the Parliament is somewhere around there; we’ve maybe even visited the Palace of Holyroodhouse – but down in the Canongate there’s much. much more. Where else, even in Scotland’s capital, can you find gardens, graves, science, poetry, meat extract and meerkats? Where else can you seek sanctuary from your debts (well, you can always try…), see the First Minister in action and visit one of the best preserved closes in the Old Town? And unlike most of Edinburgh, it’s all downhill. (You can take the bus back up).

The Canongate and Holyrood Initiative (CHI) has been set up by a collaborative group of local organisations to promote this fascinating area. CHI (with assistance from Edinburgh World Heritage) has produced an excellent free leaflet Visit the Canongate and Holyrood, which gives you a route to follow and lots of information about all corners of this burgh – for yes, it was a separate burgh, set up by King David I over 800 years ago and not part of the city till 1856. King David founded an abbey at Holyrood in 1128, after he was miraculously saved from an attacking stag while hunting in the park.

The abbey, being outwith the city boundary, became a debtors’ sanctuary; people on the run from their creditors could avoid them by setting up home within the abbey walls and working until they’d paid off their debts. In theory Holyroodhouse is still available to debtors, though the Royal Palaces might have a word or two to say if you tried to pitch your tent next to the fountain these days.

The various monarchs of Scotland were pretty keen on Holyrood; unlike that drafty old castle up the hill, the abbey had fresh air, a proper water supply, and gardens and orchards in which to exercise the royal legs. James IV was the first king to make it his official residence; after the Restoration large parts were rebuilt , but when Queen Victoria started to use it as a stopping point en route to the Highlands, it had become ‘ripe for restoration’ yet again – and she soon got to work on doing just that, sorting out the interiors whilst sending Prince Albert outside to do the rest. (He installed the Royal Mews, the carriage drive and the fountain itself). HM Queen Elizabeth II received the Pope at Holyrood in 2010, and in 2011 the palace hosted Zara Phillips’ wedding breakfast; there is also a garden party and an investiture every July.

Nowadays Holyroodhouse is one of Edinburgh’s major tourist attractions, with an extensive programme of events for all ages – this weekend there’s a Faberge Fun Day, and there are special family activities throughout the Easter school holidays. Once you’ve bought your tickets you can convert them into One Year Passes, allowing you to come back as often as you like – a particularly good deal for locals, especially those with young children (tickets must be purchased direct from the Palace to be eligible for this offer).

Zara Phillips had to get married before the party, of course – and the ceremony took place in the Canongate Kirk, just a little way up the hill. The 17th century kirk has a very distinctive style of architecture, and its graveyard is the final resting place of many famous Enlightenment figures; philosopher and mathematician Dugald Stewart can see his monument on Calton Hill from his place in the kirkyard, whilst the poet Robert Fergusson, who died at the age of just 24, was buried in an unmarked grave here – with a memorial later erected by Robert Burns, and a statue by noted sculptor David Annand installed at the front of the kirk in 2004.

Visitors often seek out the tomb of key Enlightenment player Adam Smith, posing behind the headstone as the ‘hidden hand of the market’. Don’t mock unless you’ve never been snapped with the Tower of Pisa…

Burns’ muse Clarinda  (aka Agnes Maclehose) is also buried here. A new charity, the Friends of the Canongate Kirkyard is working hard to renovate the less well kept graves, and has already produced self-guide leaflets, podcasts (narrated by such modern-day Edinburgh luminaries as Donald Smith, Marco Biagi and Alexander McCall Smith) and an interactive map.

Vice-chair Eric Drake describes the kirkyard as ‘an amazing part of Edinburgh’s social history, with the best view of Calton Hill in the city’. The Friends are also keen to make the kirkyard as ecologically diverse as possible. If you’d like to find out more about the group, take a look at their Facebook page here.

Adam Smith lived at Panmure House, a rare example of a 17th century town mansion, currently undergoing restoration; Edinburgh Business School (Heriot Watt University) bought the house in a derelict state in 2008, and hopes to develop it as a world-class centre for education, events and debates. Just a short distance away is Dunbar’s Close Garden, laid out in the 17th century style by eminent biologist Patrick Geddes, who aimed to recreate the sort of garden that was typical in the 1600s, when the Canongate had many wealthy residents living in impressive townhouses.

The garden was restored to glory by the rather bizarrely named Mushroom Trust in 1978 and and donated to the City of Edinburgh, so it’s open to all. As is so often the case in the Old Town, this beautiful oasis is hidden just out of sight; take time to find it, and you will be rewarded with not only a peaceful interlude but also what has been called ‘the third best cityscape on the planet’ – a stunning view of Calton Hill and the neo-classic Royal High School. See the latter now before it becomes who knows what.

On the opposite side of the Canongate is another unexpected treat: the Museum of Edinburgh is, says City Arts Centre assistant Ernie Rossi ‘ a jewel; a whole suite of galleries with uncommonly wonderful delights, housed in a most interesting building’. There are no gadgets in this museum, which numbers amongst its treasures an original copy of the 1638 National Covenant, Greyfriars’ Bobby’s collar and bowl, and lots about Edinburgh life, from brewing to making biscuits.

Visitors, says Ernie, can let their eyes be their guide; ‘Use your intelligence and curiosity to have a dialogue with the artefacts’. And across the road from Huntly House you can find out even more about daily life in the city; The People’s Story, housed in the old Canongate Tolbooth, has everything from a bookbinder’s shop to a wartime kitchen.

Run by the city council, both museums are completely free for you to enjoy, and the Museum of Edinburgh now has a dedicated Family Activity area;

a brand new cafe, Sugarhouse@Museum of Edinburgh (whose main premises are just nearby at 158 Canongate), will open on 10th April (for the summer months) in the courtyard of Acheson House (which is, by the way, a fine example of  a 17th century town house itself) the HQ of Edinburgh World Heritage Trust, who saved it from dereliction.

And now we come to Russia – yes Russia, or at least the TV version thereof. Seen those meerkats in their shop in Old Moscow Town? The advertisement was actually filmed in Bakehouse Close, right here in the Canongate. (Foyle’s War shot some scenes here too).

So next time you spot Aleksandr Orlov in the Close, be friendly; you might get some free car insurance.

It may be over 200 years since Burns and Fergusson frequented the Canongate, but poetry didn’t stop with them. Just round the corner from Bakehouse Close (thankfully not yet renamed Meerkat Land) in Crichton Close is the Scottish Poetry Library, the only poetry library in Scotland open to the public (though it’s about to close for a few months for renovation). The SPL started life with 300 books; it now has a collection of over 40,000 items, including CDs, vinyl recordings, books in Braille and large print, pamphlets, cuttings and a children’s section with bean bags on which to snuggle – and anyone can access these wonderful resources free of charge.

Although the core of the collection is everything published in Scotland by Scottish poets, there’s a huge international selection too. SPL has an extensive programme of events, exhibitions and educational outreach, and all of these will continue in other venues during the closure. Next week there’s a WN Herbert Poetry Reading (with an open stage section) at Lauriston Hall for the Refugee Survival Trust, plus events at the Botanics, Merchiston Castle School and The Blind Poet. If you’d like to support SPL by becoming a Friend, find out about the benefits here.

After all that walking about, you’re going to be hungry. Fancy some Bovril? You can probably buy this wholesome beverage somewhere in the Canongate, but in the late 1800s it was sometime Edinburgh resident John Lawson Johnston who invented the stuff, having started his experiments in a butcher’s shop at 180 Canongate. Johnston aimed to produce a nourishing drink for the city’s poor; in the process he also made himself extremely rich, eventually dying on his yacht at Cannes in 1900. Generations of Scottish football fans keep his legacy (and, in the deep dark days of winter on the terraces, themselves) alive. Bovril aside, there are numerous excellent places to drink and dine in this area, which in the 19th century had the highest concentration of breweries in the UK  (all the lords and ladies having by then decamped to the New Town). The Scottish & Newcastle was the last to close its doors (the Scottish Parliament is built on its very site), but you can still see the remnants of another at The Tun – it’s now the home of Pizza Express.

Just round the corner in Jackson’s Entry is the wonderful Serenity Cafe, run by people in recovery for people in recovery and for anyone who appreciates ‘good value, good quality food in a relaxed space’. It’s a great place and well worth a visit.

There may be history and mystery (and meat extract…) in the Canongate, but there’s science too. The ‘father of modern geology’ James Hutton was another key Enlightenment figure. Hutton built a house overlooking Salisbury Crags, and it was those very rocks that helped him to calculate the age of the earth itself. Just over 200 years later, Our Dynamic Earth – a 5* visitor attraction telling the story of the planet – opened in the shadow of those same Crags.

Visitors can feel the heat of a bubbling volcano, face the chill of polar ice, or feel the earth shake beneath their feet: it’s all here. The Showdome screens films throughout the year, complete with ‘explosive surround sound’, and of course there are lots of Easter activities, and events for the Edinburgh International Science Festival. Tickets are cheapest online, and you can buy a year’s pass for less than the cost of two separate tickets: bargain! The venue is also available for conferences, birthday parties, meetings, dinners and even weddings.

From ancient rocks to new beginnings…a short walk from Our Dynamic Earth leads us back to The Scottish Parliament. The building, designed by Enric Mirrales, opened in 2004; it may be controversial but it certainly makes a statement, and it has won many architectural awards. It’s very ‘green’ too – the grass is left uncut (and sown with wildflowers) to allow it to blend into the landscape, all of the electricity comes from renewable sources, and there are specially designed and very arty bicycle racks. A rowan tree has been planted at one of the doors to protect Parliament from ‘malevolent beings’: whether it achieves this or not depends perhaps on your point of view.

And if you think the Scottish Parliament only offers debates, think again! You can certainly visit the Parliament in action – First Minister’s Questions is an immensely popular event (for free tickets see the SP website – they go very quickly – or contact your MSP) – but you can also take one of four different tours around the building, focusing on art (the Parliament has a vast collection of modern works), literature, history or the building itself, see many exhibitions (Andy Warhol, Graeme Baxter and the Great Tapestry of Scotland have all been the subjects of SP shows, and this year there will be two major photographic exhibitions), eat in the Parliament Cafe, use the free creche (whilst you’re in the building) or have a look round the shop. The Edinburgh Science Festival has a presence here too: until 30th April 2015 in the Main Hall you can see a replica of Vulcan: The World’s Most Powerful Laser, plus  interactive exhibits, animations, hardware and displays. And of course it’s all free.

So next time you’re in town, take a walk down ‘The Glorious Half Mile to Holyrood’. As Sir Walter Scott apparently uttered (though he probably ‘borrowed’ it from Virgil) Sic itur ad astra or This is the path to heaven.

You’ll be surprised, entertained and educated – and you might even see a Meerkat. Don’t depend too much on avoiding your creditors though; I think HRH is probably a bit fed up with people trying that one.

#canonGREAT

MONDAY 6TH APRIL 2015

Re-Union Boats History Cruise: a two hour cruise to find out more about the history of the Union Canal. How, why and when was it built? What was it used for, and who was using it? This informative and enlightening cruise will include the history of the landmarks along the canal route to Slateford Aquaduct and will look at the many changes that the communities along the canal have seen. 2pm, Lochrin Belle, Edinburgh Quay, 1 Union Path. £10 per person: please contact Re-Union on 0131 261 8529 to book your place, or call in to the Re-Union office on the Quay. Re-Union Canal Boats is a social enterprise based on and around Edinburgh’s Union canal, bringing people together to develop their skills, learn from one another and realise their potential, whilst maintaining and promoting the canal as a remarkable community asset.

Outdoor Learning Easter Programme: the City of Edinburgh Council, Sports and Outdoor Learning Unit’s Easter Holiday Programme of outdoor and adventurous activities starts today: pupils from classes P6-S4 can join in sessions including mountain biking, indoor climbing, archery, kayaking, canoeing and hill walking. You can book for individual days or a full week’s progressive programme and may be able to work towards outdoor skills awards. To book (charges apply), click here – or for more information contact Lynne Crawford on Lynne.Crawford@edinburgh.gov.uk. Most sessions run 10am-4pm, and the programme continues until Friday 17th April 2017.

For Crying Out Loud: screenings for parents/carers and their babies under 12 months, with a maximum of 2 adults per baby. Babychanging, bottle warming and buggy parking facilities available. This week: The Dark Horse (cert tbc): an inspiring true story, based on the life of a charismatic, little known New Zealand hero Genesis Potini. 11am,  Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4.50/£3.50 per adult.

Lunchtime Concert: George Todica (piano). 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.

Puppet Animation Festival 2015: Eco Drama Presents The Worm: An Underground Adventure. Underneath your feet in the muddy brown soil squirms the world’s best kept secret…a wonderful, magical creature called The Worm. Join two nature lovers, Wilma and William on a journey underground, as they discover a family of friendly musical worms and their colourful miniature world. With laugh out loud songs, including one about worm poo, The Worm is a fun-filled musical tale guaranteed to make everyone giggle, wiggle and love the squirmy wonders beneath our feet. After the performance, the audience is invited to see some real worms in a specially designed wormery. For ages 3-7 years: please note that all children must be accompanied by an adult. 2pm, Craigmillar Community Arts, 58 Newcraighall Road. Please contact CCA on 0131 669 8432 for tickets.

Cameo Culture Shock: Blade Runner: The Final Cut (15). Culture Shock brings you the best in cult and genre films. In Ridley Scott’s brooding, doom-laden thriller, a hired killer tracks down a group of androids who have escaped from slavery on a colonised planet. ‘Undoubtedly one of the most influential sci-fi movies of all time….Final Cut is the only version over which Scott had full artistic control, and with its intense atmosphere, breath-taking visuals and lavishly eerie soundtrack by Vangelis it’s an unforgettable big screen experience’.  8.30pm, Cameo, Home Street. Tickets may be booked online here or by calling the Box Office on 0871 902 5723.

Golden Hare Book Group: this month reading Edinburgh author Lucy Ribchester’s The Hourglass Factory. In 1912 London, Fleet Street tomboy Frankie George is drawn into a world of tricks, society columnists, corset festishists, suffragettes and circus freaks. From the newsrooms of Fleet Street to the drawing rooms of high society, Frankie finds herself on the trail of a murderous villain with a plot more deadly than anyone could have imagined… 6.30pm, Golden Hare Books, St Stephen Street, Stockbridge. For more information please contact the shop on 0131 629 1396.

Genetic Me (15): an Edinburgh International Science Festival screening. With the rise of internet-based genetic testing, journalist and neurobiologist Dr Lone Frank has been able to ask questions about issues she and her family have struggled with: depression, difficulty in getting on with people, and more. The film provides new perspectives on the eternal question of ‘How did I become me?’ The screening will be followed by a conversation between Dr Frank and developmental biologist Professor Jonathan Slack. The film is in Danish and English with English subtitles. 6.15pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets may be purchased online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688:

TUESDAY 7TH APRIL 2015

Garden Buddies Club: come along to this new club and help Tom the Community Gardener start work on the Big Lottery Awards for All funded library garden.  For ages 5-12. 2.30-3.30pm, Granton Library, Wardieburn Terrace.

Canongate Kirk Soup Lunch and Fun Bingo; 12 noon (soup lunch served 12-12.45pm), Harry Younger Hall (located through arches opposite Royal Mile School), Little Lochend Close, Canongate. £2. All welcome.

Easter Holidays @ Gilmerton: Rabbit Face Painting. For all ages. 2.30pm, Gilmerton Library, 13 Newtoft Street.

Bookbug: for pre-school children and their parents and carers. 10.30am, Muirhouse Library, 15 Pennywell Court.  Also at same time on Friday 10th April.

South Morningside Easter 2015 Holiday Club: a host of fun activities, including Fimo modelling, sports day, Easter bonnet making and lots more, plus trips to Blair Drummond Safari Park, East Links Family Park, and ice skating. Open to all children of primary school age; morning, afternoon and all day sessions offered. 8.30am-5.30pm (5pm on Fridays), South Morningside Primary School, 116 Comiston Road.  For information about charges, to obtain a programme or to book, please call South Morningside After School Care Club on 0131 447 6800 or email manager@smascc.org.uk

Puppet Animation Festival 2015: The Folding Theatre Company Presents Jabberwocky. An evil prince is ruining the kingdom; he taxes the people something rotten! To make matters worse, a plague of monsters has descended on the poor benighted people – something has to be done! It falls to (somewhat gormless) Quentin to track and slay the Jabberwock – if only he had heeded his father’s warnings! But Quentin is doing it all for his beloved Cynthia – and the prince has designs on her as well…. For ages 5+. 1.30-2.15pm, North Edinburgh Arts, 15a Pennywell Court. Tickets cost £4/£3/£2 and can be booked by calling North Edinburgh Arts on 0131 315 2151, emailing admin@northedinburgharts.co.uk or in person.

Minecraft Tree Challenge: For ages 5-12. 3-4pm, Muirhouse Library, 15 Pennywell Court.

Red Kite Animation Workshops: create an animation of anything you can imagine! Red Kite is a Leith-based award-winning production company, specialising in the development and production of children’s animated content; these workshops are for primary school age children. 2-4pm today, Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th April, Leith Library, 28-30 Ferry Road. You can sign up for all three sessions or just one, and some drop-in places may be available on the day. To book call 0131 529 5517 or email leith.library@edinburgh.gov.uk.

Newington Library Re-Opens! After weeks of renovations, the library opens it doors again at 10am today. Newington Library, 17-21 Fountainhall Road. Please note the library will no longer be open on Sundays.

Easter Children’s Craft Events!  3-4pm, today and 9th, 10th, 16th & 17th April, Piershill Library, 30 Piersfield Terrace. Free.

Lunchtime Concert: Emma Smith (guitar). 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.

Jack and the Land Without Music: Storywalk and Come & Try Harp Sessions. Heather Yule, storyteller and harpist, leads a storywalk around the Scottish Storytelling Centre. Follow Jack through stories, riddles and rhymes as he seeks his fortune and unlocks the mystery of the kingdom that has no music; solve the puzzle to find the lost magical harps and help Jack bring music back to the land. The storywalk will end with a come-and-try session, when you will have the chance to try the harps and learn a simple tune. There are two sessions: the 10am performance is suitable for 5-8 year olds and the 2pm performance is for 9-14 year olds. Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £9 per child, accompanying adult free. Bookings may be made in person, online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579; a transaction fee applies to online and phone bookings. Please remember to book a free adult ticket in addition to your child’s ticket. This event is part of the Edinburgh International Harp Festival, and will also take place at the same times on Wednesday 8th April.

Puppet Animation Festival 2015: Angus Arts Magical Miniature Marvels Puppet Making Workshop. Using a fabulous array of materials and methods, create delightful, daring, charming and champion, amazing, astonishing miniature puppets. Create your own scenery, sound effects, music and lighting and help your puppets perform stunning short shows in magical mini theatres. For all ages – children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult.  (1) 9.45-11.30am, North Edinburgh Arts, 15a Pennywell Court. Tickets cost £1 and can be booked by calling North Edinburgh Arts on 0131 315 2151, emailing admin@northedinburgharts.co.uk or in person; (2) 1.30-3.15pm, Arts South Edinburgh, Inch Community Centre, 225 Gilmerton Road. Tickets cost £1 and can be booked by calling Inch Community Centre on 0131 664 4710.

Bring on the Spring! Free crafts today and every (opening) day in the school holidays (excepting Wednesday 15th April), 2pm, Ratho Library, 6 School Wynd.

Bookbug: for pre-school children and their parents and carers. 10.30-11.15am, Leith Library, 28-30 Ferry Road. Also at same time on Wednesday 8th April.

Kinect Gaming: for under 16s. 6.30-7.30pm, Leith Library, 28-30 Ferry Road.

Bring on the Spring! Free crafts today and every (opening) day in the school holidays (except Thursdays), 2pm, Sighthill Library, Gate 55, Sighthill Road.

Bookbug: for pre-school children and their parents and carers. 11am, Granton Library, Wardieburn Terrace.

Easter Crafts: 2pm, today and every (opening) day until 20th April 2015, Wester Hailes Library, Westside Plaza. Free.

Craigmillar Library Spring Break Activities: Reading Club. 1.30-2.30pm, Craigmillar Library, 101 Niddrie Mains Road. Any child under 8 years must be supervised by a family member over the age of 12.

Morningside Heritage Association Film Night: films on the history of the Dominion Cinema and the Secret Garden at Duddingtson – with complementary ice creams from Luca’s! 6.45pm for 7.15pm, Morningside Parish Church Hall, Braid Road. Tickets cost £3 (members free) and must be obtained in advance from the Convenor of the Association, Bob Cunningham, on 0131 447 4757. Tickets will NOT be sold on the door. Annual membership of the Association costs £12 and is renewable in October of each year. If you decide to join at the meeting, the admission cost of that meeting will be deducted from the membership fee.

Craigmillar Library Spring Break Activities: Art Club with Mark and Helen. 4-5 pm, Craigmillar Library, 101 Niddrie Mains Road. Any child under 8 years must be supervised by a family member over the age of 12.

Artistic Collaborations: The Works of John Burnside and Amy Shelton. Join John Burnside and Amy Shelton for an evening of readings from their collaborative works and a discussion exploring the nature of artistic collaboration, the creation of myth and the relationship between bee health, human health, the environment and the arts. The discussion will be followed by a Q & A session. 7-8pm, John Hope Gateway Restaurant, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. Tickets cost £7 and may be booked via eventbrite here: a transaction fee applies. For more information please contact the Royal Botanic Garden on 0131 552 7171. Amy Shelton’s exhibition Bee Works: Florilegium continues at the John Hope Gateway daily until 5th July 2015.

Linlithgow 1st Step Recovery Cafe Launch: a new cafe opening its doors to offer support, advice and hope to local people suffering from or living with the effects of addiction. There will be speeches and refreshments before the ribbon is cut by Dharmacarini Kuladharini, Director of the Scottish Recovery Consortium, which has given its support to the new cafe. The cafe will be based at the Longcroft Hall and run by people who are themselves in recovery and who are now committed to helping others achieve happier and more productive lives. 12.30pm, Longcroft Hall, Linlithgow.

Craigmillar Library Spring Break Activities: Teen Tuesday. 6-7pm, Craigmillar Library, 101 Niddrie Mains Road.

The Old Chain Pier Pub Quiz: 7.30pm, Old Chain Pier, Trinity Crescent.

Cavalier Tales: come and here author LJB Fraser talk about Rufus’s life in Edinburgh and his trip to the top! 6.30pm, Ratho Library, 6 School Wynd.

Leith Folk Club: Chesko and Karel, with sensational rhythms of the Caribbean and Spain, + support. 8pm (doors open 7.30pm), Victoria Park House Hotel, 221 Ferry Road. Tickets cost £7 and can be purchased on the door (STA) or in advance via the ticket booking text  line: 07502 024852.

WEDNESDAY 8TH APRIL 2015

Puppet Animation Festival 2015: Vision Mechanics Present Twitawoo Puppet Show. A host of fabulous Scottish woodland creatures are brought to life – come and share their fun and mischievous adventures and help them look after their home. For ages 4-8 years and their parents/carers. 1.30-2.15pm, Gilmerton Community Centre, 4 Drum Street. £3 per person; please call 0131 664 2335 to book your places.

Explore Learning: Strange Events and Peculiar Happenings. A young writers’ workshop for ages 7-10 years: all welcome, from reluctant writers to accomplished authors! 2-3pm, Colinton Library, Thorburn Road. Free but booking is required as places are limited; please call 0131 337 7401 to reserve your place.

Easter Holidays @ Gilmerton: Yummy Chocolate Nest Making. For all ages. 2.30pm, Gilmerton Library, 13 Newtoft Street.

Puppet Animation Festival 2015: Lens on Legs – Life On Mars Animation Workshop. Uncover extraterrestrial life in this two-day event – explore storytelling, model making and camera handling techniques to build your own stop-motion film. For ages 10+. 11am-3.30pm, Gilmerton Community Centre, 4 Drum Street. £3 per person for the two days; booking is essential as there are just 10 places – call Pauline on 0131 664 2220. Part Two is at same times on Thursday 9th April.

Craigmillar Library Spring Break Activities: Craft with Sooz. 1.30-2.30pm,  Craigmillar Library, 101 Niddrie Mains Road. Any child under 8 years must be supervised by a family member over the age of 12.

Bookbug: for pre-school children and their parents and carers. 10.30-11.15am, Leith Library, 28-30 Ferry Road.

Craigmillar Library Spring Break Activities: Minecraft with Joe C. 4-5 pm, Craigmillar Library, 101 Niddrie Mains Road. Any child under 8 years must be supervised by a family member over the age of 12.

Making Bird Feeders; make a dinner venue for birds who might visit the new library garden. For ages 5-12. 2.30-3.30pm, Granton Library, Wardieburn Terrace.

Jack and the Land Without Music: Storywalk and Come & Try Harp Sessions. Heather Yule, storyteller and harpist, leads a storywalk around the Scottish Storytelling Centre. Follow Jack through stories, riddles and rhymes as he seeks his fortune and unlocks the mystery of the kingdom that has no music; solve the puzzle to find the lost magical harps and help Jack bring music back to the land. The storywalk will end with a come-and-try session, when you will have the chance to try the harps and learn a simple tune. There are two sessions: the 10am performance is suitable for 5-8 year olds and the 2pm performance is for 9-14 year olds. Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £9 per child, accompanying adult free. Bookings may be made in person, online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579; a transaction fee applies to online and phone bookings. Please remember to book a free adult ticket in addition to your child’s ticket. This event is part of the Edinburgh International Harp Festival.

Red Kite Animation Workshops: create an animation of anything you can imagine! Red Kite is a Leith-based award-winning production company, specialising in the development and production of children’s animated content; these workshops are for primary school age children. 2-4pm today and Thursday 9th April, Leith Library, 28-30 Ferry Road. You can sign up for both sessions or just one, and some drop-in places may be available on the day. To book call 0131 529 5517 or email leith.library@edinburgh.gov.uk.

Edinburgh International Science Festival: Games for Everyone, by Everyone. An exploration of the diversity in games, and stories of successful women in the gaming industry. Dr Jo Twist, CEO of the Association for UK Interactive Entertainment, will discuss diversity in games and share stories of some of the industry’s most successful women. She will also take an in depth look at the UK computing curriculum and the measures that need to be put in  place to attract more women into STEAM subjects like computer science and coding. 8-9.30pm (doors open 7.45pm), Auditorium, Level 1, National Museum of Scotland (entry via Lothian Street). Tickets cost £8/£6 and may be booked online here.

Spring Bulb Planting: for ages 5-12. 3-4pm, Muirhouse Library, 15 Pennywell Court.

Puppet Animation Festival 2015: Angus Arts Magical Miniature Marvels Puppet Making Workshop. Using a fabulous array of materials and methods, create delightful, daring, charming and champion, amazing, astonishing miniature puppets. Create your own scenery, sound effects, music and lighting, and help your puppets perform stunning short shows in magical mini theatres. For all ages – children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult.  10.30am,  WHALE Arts, 30 Westburn Grove. Please call WHALE on 0131 458 3267 for tickets.

Joanna Trollope: Remember Me – A Novelist’s View of Portraiture. Joanna Trollope served as a judge for the BP Portrait Award 2014; she has been writing for over 30 years and several of her novels have been televised. She is also the author of Britannia’s Daughters, a non-fiction study of women in the British Empire, and many historical novels written under the pen name of Caroline Harvey. Joanna Trollope was awarded the OBE in 1996. 12.45-1.30pm, Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Tickets cost £8/£6 and can be purchased in advance from the Information Desk at the National Gallery or by calling 0131 624 6560 with a credit/debit card.

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

Charity Concert: in aid of Drake Music Scotland, with Westfield High School Choir, New Jersey, USA and InChorus, Peebles. 7.30pm,  St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Admission free: donations welcomed to Drake Music Scotland, a charity creating opportunities across Scotland for over 7,000 children and adults with disabilities to learn, compose and perform music independently.

Get Organised Spring 2015: John Kitchen presents a selection of joyous music to celebrate Easter week, including the Easter Hymn from Mascagni’s Cavallaria Rusticana, Guilmant’s Paraphrase on ‘See the conquering hero comes’, Handel’s I know that my redeemer liveth, and works by Boely, Healey Willan and others. 1.10-1.50pm, Usher Hall, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £3 per person and can be booked online here (transaction fee applies) or purchased on the door.

Craigmillar Library Spring Break Activities: Games Tournament. 6-7 pm, Craigmillar Library, 101 Niddrie Mains Road. Any child under 8 years must be supervised by a family member over the age of 12.

eBook Surgery: find out how to borrow eBooks, audiobooks and emagazines using your smartphone, iPad or tablet. Bring your device along with you. 3-5pm (drop-in), Leith Library, 28-30 Ferry Road.

Hamjambo: Music and Verse in Edinburgh’s Other Languages. Understand little but celebrate all with the city’s performers in languages from across the world. This session’s acts: Sylvain Ayite – Wolof, (Senegal) French and Portuguese Creole, Elyssa Vulpes – Italian, Chesko Gonzales – Spanish, Sam Gillespie – Gaelic, and Valeria Efremova – Russian. 7.30-10pm, Area C Coffee House, 239-241 Leith Walk. Hosted by The Common Weal Edinburgh North & Leith. Please note venue is cash only. BYOB (corkage applies).

Edinburgh International Science Festival: The Incredible Power of Light – Plant Vision. How do plants sense the environment? How do they see each other, and react to their neighbours? A talk by Dr Karen Halliday, Director of Edinburgh Plant Science, University of Edinburgh. For ages 15+. 6-7pm, The Scottish Parliament, Holyrood. Free: to book a place please call 0131 348 5200 or email spbookings@scottish.parliament.uk.

LGBT: Just for Men. A relaxed social opportunity for men who want to meet other gay, bisexual or transgender men in one of Edinburgh’s LGBT-friendly bars. For over-18s. 6.30-8.30pm, Woodland Creatures, 260-262 Leith Walk. For more information please contact Alison Wren on 0131 652 3283 or email alison@lgbthealth.org.uk.

THURSDAY 9TH APRIL 2015

Making Grass Head Characters: for ages 5-12. 3-4pm, Muirhouse Library, 15 Pennywell Court.

Blooming Marvellous: a spring craft session bursting with life and fun! 2pm, Water of Leith Visitor Centre, 24 Lanark Road. £4 per child, accompanying adult free. Booking is essential; call 0131 455 7367 or email admin@waterofleith.org.uk.

Red Kite Animation Workshops: create an animation of anything you can imagine! Red Kite is a Leith-based award-winning production company, specialising in the development and production of children’s animated content; these workshops are for primary school age children. 2-4pm, Leith Library, 28-30 Ferry Road. To book call 0131 529 5517 or email leith.library@edinburgh.gov.uk. Some drop-in places may be available on the day.

Craigmillar Library Spring Break Activities: Joe’s Tricks. 1.30-2.30pm, Craigmillar Library, 101 Niddrie Mains Road. Any child under 8 years must be supervised by a family member over the age of 12.

Puppet Animation Festival 2015: The Folding Theatre Company Presents Jabberwocky. An evil prince is ruining the kingdom; he taxes the people something rotten! To make matters worse, a plague of monsters has descended on the poor benighted people – something has to be done! It falls to (somewhat gormless) Quentin to track and slay the Jabberwock – if only he had heeded his father’s warnings! But Quentin is doing it all for his beloved Cynthia – and the prince has designs on her as well…. For ages 5+. 10.40-11.15am, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny Street. Tickets cost £6 (adults)/£4 (children) and can be booked via eventbrite here.

Puppet Animation Festival 2015: Angus Arts Magical Miniature Marvels Puppet Making Workshop. Using a fabulous array of materials and methods, create delightful, daring, charming and champion, amazing, astonishing miniature puppets. Create your own scenery, sound effects, music and lighting, and help your puppets perform stunning short shows in magical mini theatres. For all ages – children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult. 2-4pm, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny Street. Tickets cost £6 (adults)/£4 (children) and can be booked via eventbrite here.

Portrait Gallery Curator’s Talk: Beauty By Design. A monthly chance to chat to the curators about the current exhibitions: this time Kate Anderson, Senior Curator, discusses Beauty By Design. 5.30-6pm, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free: no booking required.

Blackwell’s Edinburgh Presents Quintin Jardine: Last Resort. In the 25th instalment in the Bob Skinner series, the former Chief Constable faces the possible end of his police career when a quiet trip to Catalunya takes on a different flavour. 6.30-8pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. Free tickets may be obtained from the shop’s front desk, by calling 0131 622 8218 or emailing events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk. or via eventbrite here.

The Drawing Room: informal, artist-led drawing sessions led by contemporary artists and reflecting concerns within the artist’s work. 5.30-6.45pm, Scottish Gallery of Modern Art ONE, Belford Road. All materials supplied, no experience necessary. Free but booking is required: please contact the Education Department on 0131 624 6410 or email or email education@nationalgalleries.org.

Refugee Survival Trust and Scottish Poetry Library Poetry Reading with WN Herbert: Journeys – reflecting the refugee experience. Dundee makar WN Herbert will open the session by reading his own poems for half an hour; he will then invite others to read and discuss their poems. Members of the public are invited to contact Sarah at fundraising_volunteer@rst.org.uk if they would like to read a poem in English or another language. Refreshments will be provided. 6.30-8pm, Lauriston Hall, Lauriston Street. Tickets cost £5/£4 and may be booked via eventbrite here.

Fine Art Society Edinburgh Spring Show: a collection of paintings, drawings, photography, craft and design from 21 Dumfries and Galloway artists. Preview tonight 6-8pm – RSVP via eventbrite here, then 10am-6pm Monday to Friday, 11am-2pm Saturdays, Dundas Street Gallery, 6 Dundas Street. Ends 25th April 2015.

Locating ‘True Buddhism’ in the Modern World: a special guest lecture by Professor Stephen Berkwitz (Missouri State University). 5.30-6.30pm, Martin Hall, New College, University of Edinburgh, Mound Place. Free and open to all.

All The Fun of the Fair: selected gallery artists bring all the sights and sounds of the Fairground. New work by Kevin Low, Henry Kondracki, David Schofield, Annette Edgar, and new to the gallery, Lindsey Snedden. Preview tonight 6-8pm, then 10.30am-6pm Tuesday to Friday, 10.30am-5.30pm Saturdays, 12 noon-6pm Sundays, Union Gallery, 45 Broughton Street.

Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church Thursday Club: The Canary Islands – a talk by Boyd McAdam. 2-4pm, Upper Hall, Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church, 18 West Mayfield. All welcome; membership is £3 per year but you don’t need to be a member to come along! Tea 50p per week. Please contact Florence Smith on 0131 662 1234 for further information.

Jewellery Event: meet renowned Scottish jeweller Chris Lewis and enjoy a complementary glass of prosecco whilst viewing his new ranges in the Portrait Gallery shop. The first 50 guests will receive a National Galleries of Scotland goodie bag, and all attendees will receive 15% off purchases made on the night. 5-7pm, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free and unticketed.

AL Kennedy In Conversation: the multi-award-winning author will read from her work and discuss it with Edinburgh University Writer in Residence Jenni Fagan. ‘AL Kennedy’s books should come with a warning: these stories may break your heart’ (The Independent). 6-7pm, Looking Glass Books, 36 Simpson’s Loan, Quartermile. Free: all welcome.

Edinburgh International Science Festival: Expedition Botanics. Join Expedition Botanics in the search for traditional knowledge about Colombian rainforest plants. Learn how to survive using the resources of the forest and help to discover how the people of the Amazon use plants in daily life. Collect stamps in your passport as you complete activities in Forest Survival, Plant Hunters, Food of the Gods, Amazonian Animals, Gardens in the Forest, Wise People and Incredible Edibles. For ages 4+. 11am-3.45pm today and every day until Wednesday 15th April (drop-in – trail takes about one hour), Palm House, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. Tickets cost £5/£3 and may be purchased on arrival on the day, booked online here or by calling the Science Festival office on 0844 557 2686.

Cafe Voices: The Woods are Lovely Dark and Deep. Stories from the forests with much travelled storyteller Daniel Allison, at the Centre’s monthly session in the Storytelling Court, with an open-floor section for storytellers. 7pm, Storytelling Court, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £5 and may be booked in person, online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579; a transaction fee applies to online and phone bookings.

Puppet Animation Festival 2015: Clydebuilt Puppet Theatre Presents 3 Bears.  For ages 3+ and their parents/carers. 1.30pm, Valley Park Community Centre, 37 Southhouse Road. 50p per child, accompanying adults free; please call 0131 664 2210 to book.

Edinburgh International Science Festival: Spotlight On Philosophy and the Sciences. How did cosmology evolve from metaphysics to science? How can the laws of cosmology be tested? What are dark matter and dark energy, and what is the evidence for them? Join philosopher of science Michela Massimi and Peter Davidson, senior curator of Minerals and Meteorites, NMS, to ask the big questions about our universe. For ages 14+. 2-3pm (doors open 1.45pm), Auditorium, Level 1, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Free but booking is required: click here to book online.

Chris Tracy: live acoustic session with a selection of classic tunes, old and new. 9pm, Old Chain Pier, Trinity Crescent.

FRIDAY 10TH APRIL 2015

Identity: an exciting new exhibition based on a collaboration between Art in Healthcare’s Outreach Programme and the NHS Lothian’s Parkinson’s Service. A wide range of artworks will be showcased, all created by service users of different healthcare settings in and around Edinburgh. 10am-5pm, St Mary’s Cathedral, Palmerston Place. Ends 22nd April 2015.

Craigmillar Library Spring Break Activities: Easter Penalties with Joe T. 1.30-2.30pm, Craigmillar Library, 101 Niddrie Mains Road. Any child under 8 years must be supervised by a family member over the age of 12.

Puppet Animation Festival 2015: Yugen Puppet Company Presents Little Princess Goldtree. A wicked stepmother, a beautiful princess and an all knowing, all seeing, magical trout – just the ingredients needed for a fairy tale! For ages 4+ years. 2pm, Craigmillar Community Arts, 58 Newcraighall Road. Please contact CCA on 0131 669 8432 for tickets.

The Edinburgh Science Festival Busking Bike! A great opportunity for children to get involved in some mind-boggling science experiments and dazzling demonstrations as the Edinburgh International Science Festival zooms into the library. 10am-4pm, Stockbridge Library, 11 Hamilton Place.

Puppet Animation Festival: Shoe Kangaroo and the Big Bad Boot. ‘A strapping tale, filled with shoes, which promises to be a load of old cobblers’.  Garlic Theatre takes you on a fantastical journey to the island of lost shoes, with clowning, mime and beautifully crafted puppets. For ages 4+. 2pm, Netherbow Theatre, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £8.50/£6.50 and may be booked in person, online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579; a transaction fee applies to online and phone bookings.

Lichtenstein Easter Art Explosion! Drop in and join in a range of activities exploring the work of American Pop artist Roy Lichtenstein. Make an artwork out of musical notes and hear your crazy composition performed. Have fun designing a comic strip and create your own personal ‘Wall Explosion‘ – the perfect adornment for any home! 2-4pm, Scottish Gallery of Modern Art ONE, Belford Road. Free: no booking required. Also at same times on Saturday 11th April.

Spring Into Leith – Bookbug: for children aged 0-5 and their parents and carers. 10.30am, McDonald Road Library, 2 McDonald Road. Free.

Projection: David McDiarmid. David McDiarmid’s studio practice seeks to examine the concept of megalomania in architecture and the means by which the built environment is often designed, constructed and used as a tool for both power and propaganda. In this exhibition the Glasgow-based artist presents a body of work as a culmination of the last three years of research, featuring a new ambitious site-specific installation involving the large-scale projection of miniature scale models. Preview tonight 6-8pm, then 2-7pm Wednesday to Friday, 11am-2pm Saturdays, Interview Room 11, 38 Castle Terrace.  Note your intention to attend the preview here. Ends 25th April 2015.

Puppet Animation Festival 2015: Vision Mechanics Present Twitawoo Puppet Show. A host of fabulous Scottish woodland creatures are brought to life – come and share their fun and mischievous adventures and help them look after their home. For ages 4-8 years and their parents/carers. 10.30am, WHALE Arts, 30 Westburn Grove. Please call WHALE on 0131 458 3267 for tickets.

Eighties Autism Bash! A fun night in aid of No 6 One Stop Shop – Autism Initiatives Scotland. Performances from Kieron Colville, Xena Gabriellefan Jenny Emma Bruce and Mitchell Noble, a Disco Quiz and a chance to dress up in true 80s style. 7pm-12.30am, Shandon Snooker & Pool, 99 Slateford Road. Tickets cost £5 and are available from The Cafe on the Corner, 24a Hill Street or on the door STA. For more information please contact Autism Initiatives’ Community Fundraiser and PR Officer: Holly.Child@aiscotland.org.uk.

Spring Into Leith – Creating Leith: 3D Mapcraft. For children aged 5-12. 3pm, McDonald Road Library, 2 McDonald Road. Free.

Family Treats: Animated Short Films. Enjoy an eclectic mix of beautiful visual styles and intriguing animation techniques in this collection of short films, all created within the last 18 months. See some musical seals singing for their supper, a delicate friendship between a rabbit and a deer, a cat and dog who fight in a very unusual way, and a workaholic whose dream holiday is interrupted by some very ancient animals! 4.30pm, Netherbow Theatre, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £5 and may be booked in person, online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579; a transaction fee applies to online and phone bookings. This screening is part of the Puppet Animation Festival 2015.

Bookbug: for pre-school children and their parents and carers. 10.30am, Muirhouse Library, 15 Pennywell Court.

Easter at Leith Library: help to make a 3-D map of Leith. For under 12s. 2.30-3.30pm, Leith Library, 28-30 Ferry Road.

Wolfblood: live DJ set. 9pm, Victoria Bar, 265 Leith Walk.

Puppet Animations Festival 2015: Lens On Legs – Life On Mars Animation Workshop. Uncover extraterrestrial life in this two-day event – explore storytelling, model making (claymation) and camera handling techniques to build your own stop-motion film. For ages 10+. 11am-3.30pm, Craigmillar Community Arts, 58 Newcraighall Road. Please contact CCA on 0131 669 8432 for tickets. Booking is essential as there are just 10 places. Part Two is at the same times on Saturday 11th April.

Easter Holidays @ Gilmerton: Badge Making For all ages. 2.30pm, Gilmerton Library, 13 Newtoft Street.

Edinburgh International Science Festival: Dr Bunhead’s Exploding Easter Egg Show! Witness the world’s biggest Easter Egg explosion, rainbow foam fountains, the Easter Bunny bazooka and loads more Easter science shenanigans with the world’s favourite TV stunt scientist. Dr Bunhead ‘turns the science curriculum into a burning, bubbling, exploding ball of fun’ (Sunday Times). For ages 7+. 2-3pm, George Square Lecture Theatre, University of Edinburgh, George Square. Tickets cost £6 and can be booked online here or by calling 0844 557 2686. Also 11am-12 noon on Saturday 11th April.

Easter Holidays @ Gilmerton: Bookbug. For ages 0-4 years. 10.30am, Gilmerton Library, 13 Newtoft Street.

Whose Birthday Is It Anyway? A night of fantastic free folk and falafels! With Grant McNeil, Chris Van Tastic, Jordan Moncrieff, Pete Nicholson, Simon Patchett, The Victor Pope Band and The Mean Reds. 5.25-10pm, Area C Coffee House, 239-241 Leith Walk. Please note venue is cash only. BYOB (corkage applies).

Astronomical Society of Edinburgh: Dr Giles Hammond (University of Glasgow) will speak on The International Year of Light 2015. 8pm, Church Centre, Augustine United Church, George IV Bridge. Non-members welcome: admission free.

Hive Story: Bee-keeping has been enjoying a revival of interest: a new generation of beekeepers is taking advantage of the fact that our cities can provide good foraging for bees. Join members of the Edinburgh & Midlothian Beekeepers’ Association to find out more about bees and what they do for us. For ages 5+. 11am-4pm, Real Life Science Studio, John Hope Gateway, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. Free: no booking required.

Fully Fashioned: The Pringle of Scotland Story. Scotland is the birthplace of the knitwear; it was in Hawick in the Scottish Borders that Pringle of Scotland became one of the first luxury knitwear manufacturers in the world. Marking the company’s 200th anniversary, this exhibition traces Pringle’s history from a small hosiery firm making undergarments to an international fashion brand known for its outerwear. 10am-5pm today and daily, Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street. Free. Ends 16th August 2015.

Edinburgh International Harp Festival starts today! Courses, workshops, concerts, open platforms, therapeutic massage, late night sessions, children’s events and an exhibition all feature in this 34th festival, which covers everything from traditional playing to the role of the harp in healing, and the greater prominence of the jazz and pedal harps. The Festival begins tonight with its Opening Gathering, 7-10pm, Memorial Hall, Merchiston Castle School, 294 Colinton Road. The Gathering is free but numbers are limited: tickets will be distributed on a first come, first served basis at the door (open from 6.45pm). Most of the Festival events will take place at Merchiston, with some at the Scottish Storytelling Centre; ticket prices vary (concessions and discounts are available), see website or brochure for details. Bookings can be made online here, by calling 0131 473 2000 or in person at The Hub, Castlehill. Transaction fees apply. Once the Festival has started, tickets will be available to buy (STA) from the Festival Box Office at Merchiston.

SATURDAY 11TH APRIL 2015

Lichtenstein Easter Art Explosion! Drop in and join in a range of activities exploring the work of American Pop artist Roy Lichtenstein. Make an artwork out of musical notes and hear your crazy composition performed. Have fun designing a comic strip and create your own personal ‘Wall Explosion‘ – the perfect adornment for any home! 2-4pm, Scottish Gallery of Modern Art ONE, Belford Road. Free: no booking required.

Craigmillar Library Spring Break Activities: Treasure Hunt with Sooz. 1.30-2.30pm, Craigmillar Library, 101 Niddrie Mains Road. Any child under 8 years must be supervised by a family member over the age of 12.

Puppet Animation Festival: The Puppet State Theatre Company Presents The Man Who Planted Trees. This multi-sensory theatrical adaptation of Jean Giono’s environmental classic tells the inspiring story of a shepherd who plants a forest, acorn by acorn, transforming a barren wasteland. As much a touching tale as it is an hilarious puppet show, this beautiful, award-winning production shows us the difference one man and his dog can make to the world. ‘Perfect for children and adults’ (The Guardian). For ages 7+. 2pm, Netherbow Theatre, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £8.50/£6.50 and may be booked in person, online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579; a transaction fee applies to online and phone bookings.

Puppet Animation Festival: The Man Who Planted Trees. A special screening of the classic Oscar-winning animated film about the shepherd Elzeard Bouffier, who over 35 years quietly cultivated a magnificent forest in a desolate area of France. 4.30-5pm, Netherbow Theatre, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street. Tickets cost £5 and may be booked in person, online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 556 9579; a transaction fee applies to online and phone bookings.

Gallery of Modern Art Highlight Tours: monthly tours of the Gallery’s collection, focusing on key works. 2-2.45pm or 3-3.45pm, meet at Main Entrance, Scottish Gallery of Modern Art ONE, Belford Road. Free: no booking required.

Edinburgh Comic Con 2015: an extensive selection of talent and traders, numerous special guests, lots of events and (on Sunday) a cosplay competition. 10am-5pm today and Sunday 12th April, Potterow, Bristo Square. Tickets may be purchased for one or both days: prices vary, children under 10 years free but must be accompanied by a paying adult. To book see website here, or pay on the door (cash only).

Spring Into Leith: Easter Crown Making. For children aged 5-12 years. 3pm, McDonald Road Library, 2 McDonald Road. Free.

Edinburgh College of Art Illustration: an exhibition by 4th year students, staff and alumni. 12 noon-5pm today, then 10am-5pm Monday to Friday, 12 noon-5pm Saturdays, Doubtfire Gallery, 3 South East Circus Place. Ends 2nd May 2015,

Edinburgh International Science Festival: Dr Bunhead’s Exploding Easter Egg Show! Witness the world’s biggest Easter Egg explosion, rainbow foam fountains, the Easter Bunny bazooka and loads more Easter science shenanigans with the world’s favourite TV stunt scientist. Dr Bunhead ‘turns the science curriculum into a burning, bubbling, exploding ball of fun’ (Sunday Times). For ages 7+. 11am-12 noon, George Square Lecture Theatre, University of Edinburgh, George Square. Tickets cost £6 and can be booked online here or by calling 0844 557 2686.

Possibilities of the Object: Amplified Tour. A special tour of this new exhibition, with portable FM loops for the hard of hearing. 2-3pm, Fruitmarket Gallery, Market Street. Free but please book by calling 0131 225 2383 or emailing info@fruitmarket.co.uk.

Puppet Animation Festival 2015: Eco Drama Presents The Worm: An Underground Adventure. Underneath your feet in the muddy brown soil squirms the world’s best kept secret…a wonderful, magical creature called The Worm. Join two nature lovers, Wilma and William, on a journey underground as they discover a family of friendly musical worms and their colourful miniature world. With laugh out loud songs, including one about worm poo, The Worm is a fun-filled musical tale guaranteed to make everyone giggle, wiggle and love the squirmy wonders beneath our feet. After the performance the audience is invited to see some real worms in a specially designed wormery. For ages 3-7 years: please note that all children must be accompanied by an adult. 11am-12 noon, North Edinburgh Arts, 15a Pennywell Court. Tickets cost £4/£3/£2 and can be booked by calling North Edinburgh Arts on 0131 315 2151, emailing admin@northedinburgharts.co.uk or in person. The performance will be followed by a free garden workshop, to which everyone is welcome. Come and learn about composting, and enjoy some free soup!

Raoul De Keyser’s Early Works: a talk by Professor Stephen Jacobs (Ghent University). Professor Jacobs, author of Raoul De Keyser: Retour 1964-2006 will focus on De Keyser’s early works featured in the current exhibition in the context of the artist’s oeuvre, demonstrating the way in which certain themes and motifs, which were developed early on, remained important throughout his career. 2pm, Inverleith House, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Arboretum Place. Free but booking is required as places are limited: tickets may be obtained from Inverleith House or via eventbrite here.

Edinburgh International Science Festival: The Incredible Power of Light – Lasers and the Search for Alien Worlds. Over the last decade astronomers have identified hundreds of planets outside our solar system – however planets that could support life are relatively small, so finding them is a massive challenge. This talk will look at how research which began in laser laboratories is making an impact on planet hunting! For ages 15+. 2-3pm, The Scottish Parliament, Holyrood. Free: to book a place please call 0131 348 5200 or email spbookings@scottish.parliament.uk.

Organ Recital: Hannah Gibson (Birmingham Conservatoire) plays Nicholas Bruhns Praeludium ‘The Great’ in E Minor, Robert Schumann Four Sketches for Pedal Piano Op 58, Olivier Messaien L’Ascension (complete), Gabriel Faure Pavane Op 50 and Louis James Alfred Lefebure-Wely March in F Major. 7.30pm, Palmerston Place Church, Palmerston Place. Free.

Puppet Animation Festival 2015: Faux Theatre Presents Celeste’s Circus. Come and join the circus! A first trip for little ones to experience and enjoy the magic of the big top. Thrills and spills, ooohs and aaahs, for ages 0-5 years.  2pm, Craigmillar Community Arts, 58 Newcraighall Road. Please contact CCA on 0131 669 8432 for tickets.

Bruncheon! featuring The Sound of Muesli: local musical talent and DJs creating a chilled out atmosphere, alongside delicious home-made cafe food in the open space of the Drill Hall. Kippers, morning rolls and sweet treats a-plenty! 11.30am-3pm, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny Street. Free entry.

Holyrood Art Club Annual Exhibition: the Holyrood Art Club is one of the oldest – and certainly the largest – art clubs in Edinburgh. It was founded in 1957 and currently has over 100 members. Submissions for its exhibition are selected by an independent professional artist, with approximately 200 being hung. 11am (official opening)-5.45pm today, 10.30am-5.45pm Monday 13th, Tuesday 14th, Thursday 16th and Friday 17th April, 10.30am-4.45pm Wednesday 15th and Saturday 18th April, and 2pm-5.45pm Sunday 12th April, Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place. Ends 18th April 2015.

CoderDojo: a programmers’ coding club for ages 10-16 years – learn all about programming in a fun and sociable environment. 2-4pm today and fortnightly, Drumbrae Library Hub, 81 Drumbrae Drive. Free: for more information, please contact the library on 0131 529 5244.

Buzz Around the Botanics: join the hunt for bees and other minibeasts. Take your ID guide and recording sheet into the Garden, then record your results on the big map. All young scientists will receive a pack to take away. For ages 5+. 11am-4pm, Real Life Science Studio, John Hope Gateway, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. Free: no booking required. With the Bumblebee Conservation Trust and Open Air Laboratory.

Spring Fling 2015! If you are 50+ and looking for inspiration, a new hobby or interest, a volunteering opportunity, ways to get involved in your local neighbourhood – or something else – the Spring Fling is for you. Over 45 stalls (including Scottish Ramblers, Edinburgh Quilters, Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, MECOPP, Police Scotland, Edinburgh Leisure and LGBT Health & Wellbeing) plus giveaways, tasters and music. Refreshments available in the cafe. 11am-4pm, Eric Liddell Centre, Holy Corner, Morningside Road. Admission free.

Edinburgh & Lothians Rock Garden Club Spring Flower Show. Displays of bulbs, alpine and rock garden plants, stalls from six leading nurseries, seeds, sundries and refreshments. 10.30am (show hall opens 12 noon)-4pm, Fairmilehead Parish Church, Frogston Road West. Admission £1. All very welcome!

Portobello Open Door Film Night: The Imitation Game (12A). Based on the real life story of legendary cryptanalyst Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch), the film portrays the nail-biting race against time by Turing and his brilliant band of codebreakers at Bletchley Park during the darkest days of World War II. 7pm, The Wash House Community Centre, Adelphi Grove. Tickets cost £6/£4 and are available from Popeye’s Sandwich Shop, 132 Portobello High Street, or on the door (STA).

Edinburgh International Harp Festival: Tom Pow and Wendy Stewart. Writer Tom Pow and harper Wendy Stewart will talk and play with music and words. These two art forms can express the same emotion in so many different ways yet influence each other dramatically. How can we marry the two without one detracting from the other? Come, listen and reflect. 11am, Merchiston Castle School, 294 Colinton Road. Tickets cost £8 and may be booked online, by phone or in person: see the Edinburgh International Harp Festival’s website here for full details.

SUNDAY 12TH APRIL 2015

Scotland’s Open Gardens: 61 Fountainhall Road. Large walled town garden in which trees and shrubs form an architectural backdrop to a wide variety of flowering plants. Several alpine beds, and three ponds, with and without fish, which have attracted a lively population of frogs. 2-5pm, 61 Fountainhall Road, EH9 2LH. Admission £4, of which 40% goes to Froglife (a national wildlife charity committed to the conservation of amphibians and reptiles) and the net remaining to Scottish Gardens charities. Also open on various other dates throughout the summer: see SG’s website for details.

Portrait Detectives: collect your kit, follow clues and solve a mystery from history! For ages 4-12. 2-4pm, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free: no booking required. Supported by the Friends of NGS.

Filmhouse Junior: screenings for a younger audience – this week Belle and Sebastian (PG) (in French and German with English subtitles). In a small Alpine village in World War II, a little boy and a beautiful sheepdog defy the Nazis to help those who are deserving. Director Nicolas Vanier successfully adapts the 1965 TV series for the big screen. 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4 per person, big or small.

Edinburgh Comic Con 2015: an extensive selection of talent and traders, numerous special guests, lots of events and (today only) a cosplay competition. 10am-5pm, Potterow, Bristo Square. Tickets may be purchased for one or both days: prices vary, children under 10 years free but must be accompanied by a paying adult. To book see website here or purchase on the door (cash only).

Blackwell’s Edinburgh Teenage Book Group: if you love to read or just want to read more, join this group to talk about the latest teenage fiction and your own favourite books. Currently reading Claire Furniss’s The Year of the Rat. 2-3pm, Blackwell’s, South Bridge. If you would like to join (it’s free!) email your details to schools.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk.

Farmyard Animals: Friends and Foes. A hands-on, family-friendly session with activities, storytelling and interactive displays about the lives of farm animals. Scientists from the Moredun Institute show and tell how they help control pests and diseases, leading to happier and healthier sheep, pigs, cows and chickens – and how this is better for the environment. For ages 5+. 11am-4pm, Real Life Science Studio, John Hope Gateway, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. Free: no booking required. Also at same times on Monday 13th April 2015.

Waterstones Presents Irvine Welsh: the author signs copies of his new book A Decent Ride. 11am, Waterstones West End, 128 Princes Street.

St Giles’ At Six: Peter Seivewright (piano) plays transcriptions for piano by Liszt and Rachmaninoff of music by JS Bach and Fritz Kreisler. 6pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free: retiring collection.

Zimbabwean writer, Tendai Huchu, has set his second novel in the city where he now lives. As the back cover informs us, ’The Maestro, The Magistrate & The Mathematician’ tells the story of three very different men, who struggle with thoughts of belonging, loss, identity and love as they attempt to find a place for themselves in Britain.

The Magistrate tries to create new memories and roots, fusing a wandering exploration of Edinburgh with music. The Maestro, a depressed, quixotic character, sinks out of the real world into the fantastic world of literature. The Mathematician, full of youth, follows a carefree, hedonistic lifestyle, until their three universes collide.

In this carefully crafted, multi-layered novel, Tendai Huchu, with his inimitable humour, reveals much about the Zimbabwe story as he draws the reader deep into the lives of the three main characters.

A recent review for the Royal African Society blog commented:’The book is itself a cultural experience: a tour of Edinburgh’s soul: her streets, and landmarks which [The Magistrate] maps with music through his Walkman… it’s a universal and truly illuminating work.’

’The Maestro, The Magistrate & The Mathematician’ has been published in Zimbabwe, and will soon be published in Nigeria and other West African countries, as well as translated and published in Germany and Italy. It will be published in Britain later this year; at present it is available online through africanbookscollective.com and Amazon.

Submitted by Brian Jones

Hibs’ fans yesterday paid tribute to Private Shaun Cole who sadly passed away following a suspected hit and run incident whilst on holiday in Miami where he had been at the Ultra Music Festival along with two friends.

In the 22nd minute of the Championship game against Queen of the South, supporters of both teams stood and applauded as a mark of respect for the young soldier.

Shaun who attended Balgreen Primary and Tynecastle High School was a big Hearts’ fan but rivalries were forgotten on this occasion.

The 22 year-old private with the 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland had completed two tours of Afghanistan and also served in Sierre Leone in January where he was part of a mission to tackle the deadly Ebola virus.

Police said that his body had been  on a pavement and that he had suffered a blunt force trauma to the head.

Shaun’s commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Matt Munro said “The men and women of 1 Scots are shocked and saddened to hear of the death of Private Shaun Cole.

“Only recently back from helping to battle the Ebola virus in Sierra Leone and a veteran of the conflict in Afghanistan, Shaun achieved an extraordinary amount in a military career that was full of promise but was tragically cut short. we will miss him terribly.

“Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with Shaun’s family and this desperately difficult time.”

In a statement released by the Army, Shaun’s family said: “It comes with such regret that we have had to say goodbye to an amazing son, brother, grandson, nephew and friend.

“An extremely popular young man, he had a flair for life and was always the life and soul of everyone he was around. He was an incredible young man who had his life taken from him too soon. We ask everyone to respect our privacy to grieve.”

In a follow up statement released by the Army, Shaun’s family said: “We would like to inform everyone that Miami Police are now following a line of inquiry that would suggest that Shaun was involved in a hit and run incident.

“We would like to thank Miami Police and Consular staff and everyone who has offered support to our family over the last few days.”

SAMH Redhall Walled Garden Easter Extravaganza; a fun-filled afternoon in the beautiful garden, with an Easter quiz and trail, children’s activities, cream teas and plants for sale. 12 noon-4pm, Redhall Walled Garden, 97 Lanark Rd. Entry by donation. Redhall Walled Garden is a Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) service dedicated to mental health and wellbeing for all.

Filmhouse Junior: screenings for a younger audience – this week Shaun the Sheep: The Movie (U). When Shaun decides to take the day off and have some fun, he gets a little more action than he bargained for. 11am, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets cost £4 per person, big or small.

Scotland’s Open Gardens: 61 Fountainhall Road. Large walled town garden in which trees and shrubs form an architectural backdrop to a wide variety of flowering plants. Several alpine beds, and three ponds, with and without fish, which have attracted a lively population of frogs. 2-5pm, 61 Fountainhall Road, EH9 2LH. Admission £4, of which 40% goes to Froglife (a national wildlife charity committed to the conservation of amphibians and reptiles) and the net remaining to Scottish Gardens charities. Also open at same times on Sunday 12th April and various dates throughout the summer: see SG’s website for details.

Art Maker – April: join the art maker club and make your own masterpieces with artists Tessa Asquith-Lamb and Louise Fraser. For ages 4-12. 2-4pm (drop-in), Scottish National Gallery, The Mound. Free: no booking required.  Supported by the Friends of NGS.

Easter at the Castle: have fun in an idyllic setting and try a host of crafts and woodland trails – enjoy Easter cake and lots of other treats, and watch out for lost bunnies! For families: please note that children cannot be booked onto this session alone, they must be accompanied by at least one paying adult. 10am-1pm, Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South. £5 per person: bookings must be made via the Usher Hall Box Office, either in person, by calling 0131 228 1155 or online here.

Time Warp: DJ Lexo presents Time Warp-Party Non-Stop, an eclectic mash-up of music and film, DJ Lexo (ex Scottish Student DJ Champion) has been DJ-ing in clubs since the age of 17, and now brings his new live video show to Edinburgh. Music videos from diverse genres (hip hop, rock and dance) are mashed up and the sampled origins of today’s popular music are explored, brought together and re-edited live. Film and TV show samples are thrown into the mix with the best of their soundtracks, along with the music that inspired them. This is an audio-visual performance on two giant screens and may contain explicit content. 11pm-3am, The Bongo Club, 66 Cowgate. Tickets cost £5 on the door. The Bongo Club is a nightclub, live venue and all-round artistic hub owned by local arts charity Out of the Blue ‘putting the sounds of the underground and imaginative aspirations before the mighty dollar’.

Edinburgh International Science Festival: SciMart. A farmers’ market with a scientific twist, bringing together over thirty food producers (including Chillilicious, Dunbar Bakery, Build Rwanda, Kelvin Valley Honey, Ninja Buns and Rock Rose Gin), researchers and chefs to reveal the science behind some of our foodstuffs. There will be a full programme of talks and treats (click here for details), with demonstrations from award-winning Edinburgh chef Paul Wedgewood and a mini-restaurant of food surprises for younger visitors. 11am-4pm, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. Tickets cost £5 (under 12s free) and may be purchased online here or by calling the Festival Box Office on 0844 557 2686.

Faberge Family Fun Day at the Palace of Holyroodhouse: visit the Palace on Easter Sunday and find out about all things Faberge! Including a Faberge Egg Hunt, Make and Take Faberge  (make your own Faberge egg in the Palace Family Room), Facepainting, Hands On Faberge (handle some replica Faberge eggs), Storytelling, Family Activity Trails and a Family Audio Tour. All activities are included in the admission price. 9.30am-6pm (last admission 4.30pm), Palace of Holyroodhouse, Canongate, Royal Mile. There are various tickets available; see website for full details. Tickets purchased direct from the Palace may be converted into One Year Passes, enabling you to make return visits free of charge (see website for conditions).

Nitekirk: a creative, drop-in experience of church. ‘A place of welcome, a space for stillness, a pause on your journey, an open door’. Come and go as you wish, join in activities, songs and quiet conversation, or just sit in silence. This month’s theme is Surprise. 6-8pm, Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place. This month Nitekirk is piloting the practice of holding two gatherings per month: the second will be on Friday 17th April.

St Giles’ At Six: an organ recital. Peter Backhouse plays Widor Symphonie VI. 6pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free: retiring collection.

The Edinburgh International Science Festival today

Fundraising Fashion Show

Racing at Musselburgh

Art exhibition 

Hopetoun House 

The Science Festival returns this year to Edinburgh’s creative technology hub Summerhall, which hosts the Festival’s flagship visual art exhibition How the Light Gets In.

Co-curated by the Science Festival, Summerhall and ASCUS Art & Science, How the Light Gets In brings together a selection of works by international artists intrigued by light in all its forms and facets, aiming also to illuminate the workings of the brain, mind and consciousness. The exhibition takes inspiration from the UN International Year of Light 2015 and the Science Festival’s Brainwaves strand of events exploring neuroscience, with works exploring the beauty, form and function of light, and its role as a metaphor for knowledge and enlightenment.

Visitors to Summerhall will be greeted by a brand-new commissioned work by UK-based sculptor and scientific glassblower Julia Malle. Malle has created Pattern Repeat – a neon work installed around the pillars of the Summerhall foyer, which after the exhibition closes will remain as a permanent artwork in situ. Malle’s work also features throughout the public spaces and corridors of Summerhall, with several neon sculptures guiding visitors throughout the gallery spaces.

In the Upper-Church Galleries, computer-art pioneer William Latham blends organic imagery and computer animation, using software modelled upon the processes of evolution. His new large-scale Mutator 2 interactive projections show the endless evolution of organic forms steered by the viewer picking and breeding the forms they like. Accompanying the projections are large digitally printed translucent mutation curtains. The projections complemented by early hand drawings, etchings and prints from the 1980s, large computer-generated Cibachrome prints and video art from his time at IBM.

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Edinburgh College events management students ran a fashion show featuring people with dementia as models to raise funds for Alzheimer Scotland.

Service users, carers, staff and volunteers at the charity’s Fife Dementia Resource Centre in Kirkcaldy strutted the catwalk as models at the event, which was organised by a team of four students.

The team raised more than £700 for Alzheimer Scotland with the fashion show, which formed part of their coursework for their BA (Hons) Event Management. The four members of the group, Sara Penn, Laura Presly, Zoe Fraser and Megan Fairley, named their project team Icon Events, and organised the show with the support of their lecturers.

BHS, Wallis, Dorothy Perkins and New Look provided clothes for the fashion show, while a local salon donated handbags and accessories.

Edinburgh College events students have organised 37 events this year, each raising vital funds for a variety of charities.

Team member Sara suggested Alzheimer Scotland as their charity as she regularly volunteers at the Resource Centre alongside her mother and grandmother. Both Sara and Laura’s family members have been affected by the disease, which affects more than 86,000 people in Scotland.

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There will be more horse racing at Musselburgh today, but it’s all about the family.

On Easter Sunday, which features a packed programme of free children’s entertainment, the £25,000 Totepool Musselburgh Gold Cup takes centre stage on a seven card meeting.

• Gates open 11.30am, racing starts at 1.50pm today . For more information visit www.musselburgh-racecourse.co.uk

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We first met Susie Leiper last year at the Hidden Door but this year she has her own exhibition at the Open Eye. She explained the thinking behind her paintings here.

[vimeo 124042693 w=500 h=281]

Susie Leiper talks about her new exhibition from Phyllis Stephen on Vimeo.

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From this weekend you can visit Hopetoun House which has had some sprucing up over the winter.

Tickets and opening details here. They have some great deals on season tickets!

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Hibs suffered their third successive league defeat this afternoon, losing 1-0 to promotion rivals Queen of the South at Easter Road, leaving their hopes of a second place finish in the Championship hanging by a thread.

Head Coach Alan Stubbs made two changes to the starting XI that lost 2-1 to Raith Rovers last Saturday.

Paul Hanlon returned from injury and resumed his place in the centre of the defence with Keith Watson moving to right back following David Gray’s injury.

Jason Cummings replaced the injured Dylan McGeouch with Sam Stanton returning to midfield.

Liam Fontaine captained the side in the absence of Liam Craig and Gray.

The visitors started brightly and almost took the lead in the 12th minute when a mistake by Hanlon allowed Gavin Reilly a clear run on goal however Mark Oxley did well to block his shot. The ball fell to Derek Lyle who lobbed the keeper but Fontaine managed to clear the ball off the line.

On 22 minutes, supporters from both teams stood and applauded in memory of Edinburgh soldier and Hearts’ fan Shaun Cole who passed away following an incident in Miami earlier in the week.

Hibs first chance came on the half hour mark when Fraser Fyvie sent a great through ball to Watson whose cross was just missed by Dominique Malonga.

Just before the break Oxley produced a fantastic acrobatic save from Lyle.

Queens took a deserved lead just after half time when the Hibs’ defenders failed to deal with a hopeful ball into the box from the left and the ball fell into the path of Mark Durnan who slammed it high into the net.

In the 56th minute Farid El Alagui received a standing ovation as he was about to come on as a substitute however when the board went up and the fans realised that he was replacing Cummings, the cheers turned to boos as the opinion of most supporters was that Malonga should have been the player to leave the pitch.

A few minutes later, the Congo internationalist suffered more abuse from the Hibs’ fans after taking too long to tie his laces then getting in the way of El Alagui who was trying to get into an attacking position.

Hibs then dominated possession without creating any clear chances as they searched for an equaliser,

Queen of the South players were warned about time wasting by referee Calum Murray and in the closing stages Ian McShane and Dean Smith were both booked for kicking the ball away.

In time added on, an Allan corner found Djedje at the back post but the strikers shot was blocked on the line.

The result leaves Hibs only three points ahead of third placed Falkirk and five in front of Queen of the South.

Hibs: Oxley, Watson, Hanlon, Fontaine, Stevenson, Robertson, Fyvie, Allan, Stanton, Malonga, Cummings. Subs: Cerny, Forster, El Alagui, Craig, Djedje, Boyle, Handling

Queen of the South: Clark, Holt, Dowie, Durnan, Higgins, McShane, Reilly, McKenna, Paton, Carmichael, Lyle. Subs Atkinson, Kidd, Mitchell, Smith, Pichard, Smith, Hooper.

Referee Calum Murray

Attendance 8773

Collective Gallery on Calton Hill are advertising for a Digital Intern to help them out. There are various conditions as to age which you can read on their site. There is a link below.

This is the text of the advert:

Digital Intern

Collective is looking for an intern who can help to review our current systems and identify and prioritise solutions to support the growth of the organisation.

The Digital Internships programme provides paid internships to unemployed graduates, aged 18–30 with an HND qualification or above.

Interns will gain paid work experience while supporting organisations through six-week projects designed to deliver meaningful digital change and growth.

Apply here.

I feel terrible for admitting it, but my expectations for Noah Baumbach’s follow up to the near perfect Frances Ha were worryingly low. I have a slight issue with Ben Stiller; an actor who has struggled to make a really good, funny film since 2008’s Tropic Thunder. His appearance in a Baumbach film made me uneasy; a director known for comedy that’s slick, natural and engrained in dialogue – the antithesis of Stiller’s style.

Saying this, I knew the time would come when I would want to catch the latest from a personal favourite director of mine. Noah Baumbach is cinema’s go-to man for breezy, natural comedy. There’s a lack of pretence in his work that thankfully is palpable in his latest piece; the sharp and witty, While We’re Young.

For filmmaker Josh (Ben Stiller) and his wife Cornelia (Naomi Watts), life has grown stagnant. A series of failed pregnancies and a burden of a documentary in the making has made their days mundane. But, with a midlife crisis fast approaching, they are given a new lease of life when they become friends with a free spirited couple (Adam Driver, Amanda Seyfried) almost half their age.

To put it simply, this is Stiller’s strongest performance in years; playing a man eager to be influenced and desperate to be respected by anyone. It requires little effort to create this character, but with Baumbach’s influence, he manages to deliver a performance free of the brash sensibilities he’s usually given. Naomi Watts manages to complete the double act with a satisfying amount of lax.

Adam Driver is the true star here; a role most likely written for him as the director’s right hand man, he plays the hipster that seemingly falls at Stiller’s feet. His dialogue feels natural, and his discerning amount of charm is a central part of the film’s great enjoyability.

Plot wise, this might just be one of Noah Baumbach’s most elaborate pieces of work. While a lot of his scripts thrive off of simplicity, While We’re Young feels taut and complex for him; brilliantly thought out and imaginative in its progression. It reminds me, on a certain level of a less infantile Bad Neighbours; more art references than crude anatomical ones. But its characters, as they grow and unfold become multifaceted in the most delicious fashion; right up to a conclusion that, whilst not being overly gratifying, can be forgiven for the film’s strength throughout.

For many people, this was Noah Baumbach’s test in unfamiliar, mainstream waters. Thankfully, he passes with flying colours. We can forgive it for finishing in an unsatisfying way; it is simply dwelling on the way in which we all wind up. While We’re Young’s characters are people above all else; quick-witted and tangible, refreshing and brilliantly performed – allowing us to think that Baumbach might just be Woody Allen’s worthy successor.

While We’re Young opens at the Cameo on Home St on Friday April 3rd

Dug Day: new name but the same doggy fun! A great way to socialise your wet-nosed friend and meet other dog owners from the area. 12 noon, Sofi’s Bar, Henderson Street. Free.

Humanitarian Aid for Ukraine: a fundraising afternoon tea with a glass of bubbly or juice, sandwiches and home baking. 4pm, Ukrainian Club, 14 Royal Terrace. Tickets cost £8 (children £4) and can be obtained by contacting Senia Urquhart on 07920 854 136 or Lesia Demianczuk on 07939 460 500 or emailing ScottishUkrainians@gmail.com.

Portrait Gallery Thematic Tour: Seven Queens of Scotland. Former Senior Curator Susanna Kerr will examine the style of royal portraiture from the 16th to the 21st century. 2-2.45pm or 3-3.45pm, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free: no booking required.

Edinburgh International Science Festival: Reindeer Safari. Experience the city as a reindeer. Hear about the reindeer’s way of life from Timo Jokitalo, Eeva Kemppi, Minja Mertanen and Veera Turunen, members of Finnish live arts collective Other Spaces, then walk – quietly and collectively as a herd would – through Edinburgh. On your return, the materials and ‘data’ collected on the walk will be displayed to the public as an art piece, with the chance to ask questions of the organisers and participants. This piece won the Finnish Environmental Art Piece of the Year in 2011 and has been taking its participants on a wayfaring experience through the semi-urban landscapes of today ever since. It opens up new ways to experience the city and its natural spaces, allowing the senses to sharpen as the group experiences the borderline between nature and human culture. Bring walking shoes, a backpack, water bottle and weather-appropriate clothes – no costumes! For ages 14+. 11am-4.30pm, Old Lab, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. Tickets cost £10 and may be purchased online here or by calling the Festival Box Office on 0844 557 2686.

Polish Rhymetime! For young children and babies and their parents and carers. 11am, Piershill Library, 30 Piershill Terrace. All welcome!

Raoul De Keyser: Curator’s Tour. Curator Paul Nesbitt and Exhibitions Officer Chloe Reith lead an in-depth discussion on the work of Raoul De Keyser and the current exhibition Paintings 1967-2012. 2-3pm, Inverleith House, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Inverleith Row. The exhibition continues until 12th April 2015.

Cowgate Pop-Up Market #2: a one-day, pop-up, multi-venue arts/flea market – art, craft, fashion, music and food, with a dozen Cowgate venues (Movement, Opium, Sneaky Pete’s, The Bongo Club, Dropdick Murphy’s, Three Sisters, Brewdog, The Mash House, La Belle Angele, City Cafe, Cabaret Voltaire and Pilgrim) opening their doors. 1-5pm, Cowgate. Free entry.

Alastair Clark: Lithography Demonstration. Artist and master printer Alastair Clark will introduce his new gallery installation Star Clusters, commissioned by Edinburgh Printmakers for the exhibition Dark Matters. Alastair will then give a demonstration of the printmaking technique used to create the work, the process of lithography. 2-3.30pm, Edinburgh Printmakers, Union Street. Tickets £3 or two for £5 (EP Members free): places are limited so please book in advance via eventbrite here. Dark Matters is a collaborative project between Edinburgh Printmakers, the UK Astronomy Technology Centre and Edinburgh University, curated by artist David Faithfull; it continues until 23rd May 2015.

Edinburgh International Science Festival: Forage on the Farm. Experience the delicious delights of the farm, and find out what it takes to get fresh ingredients from the field to your plate: take a tour around the farm with some foraging on the way, and once your basket is full you’ll have the opportunity to cook up a tasty treat in the kitchen and challenge your palette with an eggy taste test! 2-3.30pm today and every day until 19th April 2015, Gorgie City Farm, 51 Gorgie Road. Tickets cost £6/£4 (under 3s free) and may be purchased online here; please remember to book a free ticket for any child under 3 years.

Open Eye Gallery: New Exhibitions. (1) The Living Mountain – Edinburgh painter and calligrapher Susie Leiper presents an exhibition in tribute to Nan Shepherd and the mountains of Scotland; (2) New Works – Edinburgh-based artist Deborah Cumming’s still life paintings offer vibrant colour, texture and fine detail. 10am-4pm today then 10am-6pm Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm Saturdays, Open Eye Gallery, Abercromby Place. The Living Mountain ends 22nd April 2015; New Works ends 20th April 2015.

Puppet Animation Festival 2015: Mousetale Puppets Present Oscar and the Highland Castle. Answering a call for help, Oscar the mouse leaves his attic home and heads for Loch Ness, where he finds Incy Wincy Spider among the ruins of an old castle. Mysteriously swept back in time, Oscar joins Incy’s campaign to free the castle from English rule and restore Scotland’s independence! For ages 4+/family. 11-11.40am, North Edinburgh Arts, 15a Pennywell Court. Tickets cost £4/£3/£2 and can be booked by calling North Edinburgh Arts on 0131 315 2151, emailing admin@northedinburgharts.co.uk or in person. Please note this show takes place in the dark: please call the centre in advance if this is your child’s first time at a UV performance.

St Cuthbert’s Organ Recitals: Morely Whitehead (Morningside Parish Church). A devotional performance of Alan Ridout’s Stations of the Cross, interspersed with readings. 12.30-1.15pm, St Cuthbert’s Parish Church, 5 Lothian Road. Free: retiring collection.

Edinburgh Central Mosque Dads and Toddlers Group: stories and play in an Islamic environment for babies and children up to the age of 5 and their Dads. 10am-12 noon today and every Saturday, Exhibition Hall, Edinburgh Central Mosque, 50 Potterrow. For more information please email tajzareenok@gmail.com.

Retrograde: live DJ set of deep cosmic grooves with an old school flavour. 9pm, Victoria Bar, 265 Leith Walk.

The Edinburgh Easter Play: On The Edge. ‘A radical new perspective on the Easter story’, seen from the point of view of wives and daughters, soldiers and siblings, the play offers an idea of the way in which Jesus affected the lives of ordinary people around him. The Edinburgh Easter Play is a large-scale community production (now in its 10th year), with a cast and crew of volunteers drawn from groups all across the city. Last year’s production attracted an audience of around 2,500 people. 2pm, West Princes Street Gardens (please note this is an open-air performance). Free.

LateLab – Tron v Tron: Legacy. Kick off the 2015 Latelab season by playing Light Cycle to decide which film, Tron or Tron: Legacy gets the Atmosphere treatment in a special expanded cinema event to complement the Games Master exhibition. Be transported inside the software world of a mainframe computer, where interaction between programmes, good and malicious, is the only way to get back out. Behind the smoke and mirrors, watch out for the bits and bytes. Sean Williams and Matt Collings will be mixing a new 5.1 soundtrack for the audience in the auditorium. For adults and over 14s only. 7.30-10pm, Auditorium, National Museum of Scotland (entry via Lothian Street). Tickets cost £10/£8 and may be booked online here (transaction fees apply). Latelab is a collaboration between the Edinburgh International Science Festival and New Media Scotland, in association with the National Museum.

Distribution Rewired – help up and coming filmmakers

Mary King’s Close

Colinton Village Event coming up! 

Gallery in the gardens is one step closer

Get on the bus

Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) has launched a new initiative called Distribution Rewired to shine a light on the new distribution avenues for new filmmakers.

You can help by contributing to the crowdfunding on Indiegogo. There are perks for those who do!

If you are a filmmaker you can network at the EIFF this summer.

Watch this film to learn more:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUqpcXqMV0s]

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After years of roaming the warren of underground streets hidden below Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, the characters of The Real Mary King’s Close are set to emerge into the spring sunshine taking guests on an overground adventure.

The combined underground-overground offer means there are now even more opportunities to experience Edinburgh’s rich history both above and below ground. With an underground tour of The Real Mary King’s Close followed by an overground walking tour of the surrounding Old Town, visitors to the Close will be able to put this unique site and the city’s heritage into context.

In the company of a character tour guide, visitors will be taken on a historical journey spanning nine centuries of the city’s fascinating past; covering tales from the Toll Booth to the exploration of Closes that were spared the same fate of Mary King’s Close. Whilst surrounded by architecturally diverse monuments and buildings, including the Mercat Cross and St Giles’ Cathedral, guests will discover how the residents of Edinburgh tried to keep crime out of the city walls, learn why execution north of the border had a slight advantage, get to grips with trading and local life as well as hear stories of the more infamous inhabitants of these historic streets.

Tour creator and site expert, Keith Baxter enthused, “The tour itself was developed to give guests an idea of what Edinburgh was like and how the city progressed through the ages linking the past to the present. This tour offers guests the opportunity to discover the real people who lived in Edinburgh, not just its most notorious inhabitants.”

Running four times daily at 13:15, 14:15, 15:15 and 16:15hrs, the hour long tour allows visitors the flexibility to go and come back between tours meaning guests can make the most of their time in Edinburgh. The overground tour is available to those booking a standard underground tour and is £5 on top of a standard tour ticket.

From April 2015 standard ticket prices are, Adult £13.95, Child £8.25* and Concession £12.50. Family tickets are also available at £37.75.** Pre-booking is recommended; advance bookings can be made by calling 0845 070 6244 or in person at The Real Mary King’s Close.

The Real Mary King’s Close is part of Continuum Attractions who offer a host of cultural visitor attraction experiences across the UK, from the hallowed cobbles of Coronation Street to Portsmouth’s iconic Spinnaker Tower.

More details here.

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The National Galleries of Scotland (NGS) says that the major redevelopment project for the Scottish National Gallery has passed the first crucial stage of the Heritage Lottery Fund’s (HLF) application process.

The £15.3 m renovation, entitled Celebrating Scotland’s Art: The Scottish National Gallery Project (SNG Project), will triple the Gallery’s exhibition space and radically improve access to its world-class collection of Scottish art. An application to the HLF for £4.94 m has now received Stage 1 approval.

Designed by the Scottish architect William Henry Playfair (1790-1857) and situated at The Mound in the centre of Edinburgh, the Scottish National Gallery is the most popular UK art gallery outside of London, attracting over 1.295 million visitors in 2014.

The ambition is to have the world’s most important collection of Scottish art realise its full potential, thus helping the public understand both the history and impact of Scottish art nationally and internationally.

The new presentation of Scotland’s art will combine a historical narrative, which will range from the 17^th to the mid-20th century (including the Scottish Colourists), with dynamic and changing displays drawn from the riches of the collection.

The redevelopment will enhance visitor circulation throughout the Gallery and will take full advantage of advances in digital technology, to extend the reach of the collections to new audiences across the world. The project will also include an extensive programme of activity providing a wide range of opportunities for visitors, including digital, to engage with the Gallery and its collections.

Set to commence in 2016, the project will include the creation of a new landscaped public pathway and terrace, from the Princes St Gardens level, which will increase public access to the different parts of the NGS complex.

Gareth Hoskins Architects (GHA) – one of Scotland’s leading architectural practices – will oversee this major refurbishment. The practice has established its reputation for its design of arts and cultural schemes, and the SNG project follows recent major GHA developments, such as the RIAS Doolan Award-winning redevelopment of the National Museum of Scotland.

During the renovation, the Scottish National Gallery will remain open to the public with access to the spaces not affected by these plans. Construction is planned to commence in 2016, with works expected to be completed in the summer of 2018.

***

Residents and visitors are invited to enjoy a new perspective on Edinburgh, by viewing the city from the top of a double-decker tour bus.

Edinburgh Bus Tours’ summer season has just started and with it the return of the Mac Tour and Bus & Boat Tours. Operating from Waverley Bridge seven days a week, Edinburgh Bus Tours is the third most popular paid for visitor attraction in Scotland.

The full range of five tours takes in the capital’s main attractions, from the castle and Old Town to the Royal Yacht Britannia and the three Forth bridges.

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Hailstones fell.  A cold wind blew. Dark clouds flew. You could tell….this was a Scottish spring.  The only warm spot was our fire.  We   piled on the old gorse bushes and bramble in the last burning session before the Easter holidays.  We’ve spent the last few weeks clearing an overgrown field at the wildlife reserve beneath Arthur’s Seat where I volunteer every Tuesday.  We hope to have cattle here shortly to help us create, or re-create, a traditional flower meadow.

This is a place with the alarming name of “Murder Acre.”  In 1677, a dispute between the Trades Association and Edinburgh Town Guard got out of control and the King’s Troops were called in to quell a crowd of 2,000 demonstrators.  The Dragoons began by shooting a women who was watching proceedings from the top a nearby fence.  And as the crowd ran away across our field, they were shot in the back.  History does not tell us how many died. They did not trouble with public inquiries in the 17^th century.

That’s how they did politics then.  So we have come a long way.  We still get the odd demonstration, an occasional riot (in England anyway), a few police charges on horseback, some day-long strikes but, generally, we now decide things by TV debates and the ballot box.

By the time you read this we will all be scoring how the seven party leaders performed in the ITV debate yesterday evening. In the 40 days and 40 nights of the election campaign, this piece of political theatre is just the latest wheeze to keep us engaged.  My letter box has been rattling with party leaflets for the past fortnight. There are leaders’ tours to come, probing interviews, town hall hustings and a shower of promises and economic statistics.  And I wonder what animal will follow the leaders around the campaign trail this year ..…..a chicken, a poodle, a bull, a stag, a wolf, a lamb, a hawk, the elephant in the room ?

As the campaign formally got under way on Monday, the Conservatives asked the voters to stick with their long-term economic plan which had seen growth and employment rising sharply and the government deficit coming down. Labour argued that they too would cut the deficit, but more slowly and more fairly.  The Liberal Democrats want something in between.  By contrast, the SNP say they want an end to austerity altogether.  And although no one wants a coalition after the election, the SNP have been hinting that they might support a Labour government on an issue-by-issue basis.  The pollsters reckon this is the closest election in years which will make the constituency counts in early hours of May 8^th an exciting moment to be alive.

Not surprisingly, there have been more echoes this week of the independence referendum last September.  The prominent businessman Jim McColl has sought to put “full fiscal autonomy” back on the agenda.  The unionist parties have raised their hands in horror, saying the Scottish government having full control of all taxes and expenditure would leave a gaping hole of £7.6bn a year in its finances. But the SNP maintain Scotland could grow its way out of deficit if it had all the tax and spending levers at its disposal.  And just to prove that devolution is an on-going process, this week the Scottish government began collecting the new housing-buying tax (stamp duty) and the landfill tax. It’s the first time new taxes have been levied in Scotland for three hundred years.

Away from politics – or nearly away from politics – we’ve been told by Police Scotland that they want to end the controversial practice of “consensual stop and search.”  Instead they want to move towards a clearer, more legally robust stop-and-search policy.  This follows a report from the Chief Inspector of Constabulary who found considerable fault with the way records are kept. And he particularly deplored the “consensual” stopping and searching of children under 12 years of age, a practice which was supposed to have been abandoned last summer but which was still happening in December.

The first of April was the start date for the new system of care for the elderly and chronically ill. The NHS and council social care budgets are being merged to encourage a more “joined-up” approach to patients on the verge of going into, or out of, hospital.  The system has been successfully piloted in the Highlands but is now being rolled out across the country.  So hopefully there will be no more “bed blocking” and more care for the long-term ill in their own homes.

This week too, it’s all change on the rail network.  The ScotRail franchise has been taken over by the Dutch state-owned company Abellio. It’s promised to introduce 70 new, longer, electric trains on the Edinburgh to Glasgow line and 30 refurbished trains on the lines to the north over the next 10 years.  But it’s starting this month by issuing its staff (the same staff who worked for the old franchise company, the Aberdeen-based First Group) with smart phones so that they can keep up with changes to the schedules.  And we passenger are to get smart cards by the end of the year.  All we need now is some smart arrival times, a seat not next to someone on his smart phone and enough smart places to put our bikes.

Susie Leiper’s new exhibition The Living Mountain opens on 4 April 2015 and runs till the 22nd. We met up with the artist ahead of the opening to talk about the inspiration behind it.

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In her slim masterpiece The Living Mountain Nan Shepherd invites us to look inside the mountain: into the hollows, the chasms, the burns, the lochs. This resonates with Susie Leiper and informs her work, with diaphanous layers and geographical strata drawing us further in. Susie views the process of embarking on a painting as similar to tackling the ascent of a mountain; both are blank canvases on which to trace marks, all of which then become ‘aspects of one entity, the living mountain’.

In Susie’s paintings there is a sense of soothing serenity, parallel to the escapism afforded by the mountains. Susie’s love of Scotland’s Munros, as well as the French Pyrenees and the sacred peaks of China, reverberates through her work.

Susie Leiper is a calligrapher and painter in Edinburgh. She writes and paints on everything from walls and wood to canvases and tiny books, often but not always combining text and painting. This exhibition acts as a tribute to Nan Shepherd and the mountains of Scotland. Most of the painting titles refer to Scotland’s Munros, in translation from the Gaelic.

The National Museum of Scotland is to host an exhibition from next week exploring the history of one of the world’s oldest fashion brands. Fully Fashioned: The Pringle of Scotland Story marks the company’s 2015 bicentenary, tracing its evolution from a small hosiery firm making undergarments to an international fashion knitwear brand, at the cutting edge of style and technology.

Displaying items worn by royalty, celebrities and sportspeople as well as some of the most iconic Pringle of Scotland pieces of the last 200 years, the exhibition will explore the pivotal role the brand has played in shaping the modern wardrobe.

Founded in 1815 by Robert Pringle, the company’s origins lie in the development of the Scottish knitwear industry in Hawick, where it started out manufacturing luxurious knitted stockings and undergarments. By the early 20^th century, it was applying some of the techniques used to create functional underwear to making fashionable outerwear.

Pringle of Scotland made fully-fashioned garments, tailored by machine to follow the shape of the body. Hosiery encased the figure but allowed freedom of movement, and in the 20^th century the comfort which characterised hosiery became a desirable quality demanded of modern clothing and sporting attire.

Georgina Ripley, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Fashion and Textiles at National Museums Scotland said:

“Pringle of Scotland has a long, rich and complex history, and has evolved to become one of the world’s top heritage fashion brands. It is fitting that this touring exhibition will debut in Pringle’s bicentenary year at the National Museum of Scotland – home to one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of fashion and textiles in Britain – and it promises to be a must-see for fans of fashion and design.”

Fully Fashioned: The Pringle of Scotland Story features objects drawn from royal wardrobes, Hawick Museum and the Women Golfers’ Museum as well as Pringle’s own archive. Highlights include a 1960s cashmere cardigan owned by Princess Grace of Monaco, a 1933 golfing outfit worn by legendary golfer Gloria Minoprio, a classic twinset and a blue cashmere cardigan designed by Otto Weisz.

Also on display will be three short films by Michael Clark Company, specially commissioned to explore the role of knitwear in the development of the modern wardrobe.

The films examine the unique properties of knitwear, including its warmth, flexibility and breathability. It was these properties which led to the shift from knitted garments being worn as underwear in the 19th century, to outerwear in the 20th century.

The commission carries on Pringle of Scotland’s tradition of collaborating with Scottish creatives, including artists David Shrigley, Douglas Gordon, Robert Montgomery, and Alasdair Gray.

Alistair O’Neill, Curator of Fully Fashioned: The Pringle of Scotland Story said:

“Fully Fashioned is a useful opportunity to not only mark Pringle’s 200^th anniversary, but to demonstrate the centrality of knitwear to the modern wardrobe. The twinset has such an enduring sense of modernity about it, that it is exciting to be able to set this design classic into a broader context, showing how Scottish knitwear really led the field in modernising the 20th century wardrobe.”

The company’s long-standing commitment to exceptional design will also be explored. The arrival of Austrian industrial designer Otto Weisz in 1934 brought a European sensibility to Pringle’s aesthetic. In the 1950s and ‘60s Weisz recruited designers from Glasgow School of Art, and together they created collections which married cultural heritage with technical innovation.

Pringle of Scotland continues to push boundaries today, and on display is a 2014 cable-knit polo-neck sweater which features 3-D printed plastic stitches combined with hand-knitted construction, linking the traditional with the cutting edge.

The Argyle pattern was pioneered by Pringle and a 1960s cashmere cardigan featuring the signature intarsia diamond pattern is an exemplary piece, showcasing the quality of the brand’s craftsmanship.

A staple of the modern woman’s wardrobe, the twinset – a fitted sweater with a matching cardigan – has been a Pringle of Scotland mainstay since the 1930s. The exhibition showcases examples of the look, including a 2010 twinset designed by Tilda Swinton.

This limited edition piece incorporates a darned elbow, inspired by a love-worn Pringle of Scotland twinset which belonged to the Scottish actress’s grandmother.

Pringle has held the Royal Warrant for the manufacture of knitted garments since 1948, and has supplied underwear and outerwear to many members of the Royal Family. On display will be a sweater worn by HM Queen Elizabeth II, alongside a letter from Her Majesty thanking Pringle of Scotland for the gift.

Image has always been important to Pringle, which recognised the value of celebrity endorsement and artistic partnerships as early as the 1950s. In the post-war era, the company used actresses to promote new designs both on and off the film set. It was the era of the ‘sweater girl’ and stars including Margaret Lockwood and Moira Shearer were photographed wearing their garments.

The company also established a tradition of selecting house models from its workforce. Staff were sent to London for deportment and modelling classes, and this mix of Hollywood glamour with the ‘girl next door’ sought to appeal to a wide market.

Fully Fashioned: The Pringle of Scotland Story comes ahead of the 2016 opening of four new galleries of decorative art, design and fashion at the National Museum of Scotland. The four new galleries are part of a £14.1 million project, which will create ten new galleries displaying National Museums Scotland’s internationally important collections of science and technology, decorative art, design and fashion.

Photo shows Georgina Ripley, Curator of Modern & Contemporary Fashion & Textiles works on the exhibition. Image courtesy of Pringle of Scotland

Fully Fashioned: The Pringle of Scotland Story

Friday 10 April – Sunday 16 August 2015

National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh

ADMISSION FREE

Police are appealing for assistance in tracing an elderly woman who has gone missing from Edinburgh city centre.

Ann Ferguson, who is 61 years old, was last seen in Royal Park Terrace, Edinburgh at 9.30am this morning and her family are worried for her whereabouts. Ann suffers from dementia and other health issues but symptoms may not appear to be obvious.

She is described as 5ft 6in tall, dyed black short hair, stocky build, wearing a green parka style jacket with fur collar, blue denim jeans, and black trainers. She is carrying a black handbag.

Inspector Jonny Elliot said: “Ann was visiting Edinburgh for the day from Glasgow and is not familiar with the city, however it’s possible she may have found her way to Edinburgh bus station or to Princes Street. We are seeking help from the public to trace Ann and anyone who believes they have seen her is urged to contact Police Scotland on 101.”

Hibs’ Head Coach Alan Stubbs insists that there is no need to panic despite seeing his side lose their last two games, at home to Rangers then to Raith Rovers at Starks Park.

Whilst Hibs remain in second place on goal difference, Rangers have a game in hand so tomorrow’s game with Queen of the South at Easter Road takes on an added significance given that on form champions Hearts are heading to Ibrox on Sunday.

Stubbs told the Hibernian club programme: “When you look back at our last two results, naturally we’re disappointed with the outcomes – it underlines the fact that in this division the margins are so fine. As a group, we’ve learned some hard, sharp lessons, but we can’t let that frustration eat away at us – there’s no need to panic because I believe this group is equipped to reach our objective.

“A big positive at Raith Rovers was the return of Farid El Alagui after his successful recovery from an Achilles injury.Throughout his long absence, his attitude was spot on and his recovery is a testament to his professionalism.Thanks to our excellent medical staff for helping Farid to come back from such a serious set-back – his return was a real team effort.

“Since the first day of the season, our goal has been to achieve promotion and, even though we’ve now experienced a couple of recent set-backs, we must keep everything in perspective and stay committed to the cause.The club and the group is a close-knit environment and everyone pulls together. The players have all been fantastic for me and they all understand their roles within the squad.

“They know what I want from them and I know they have the desire, ability and attitude to succeed.At this moment in time, we need to be strong mentally – there’s no time to start complaining about factors that are outside of our control.We control whether or not we win and everybody has to take responsibility, be brave, do the basics properly and make the right decisions on the pitch.

“Defensively, we need to be solid and going forward we need to match fluency with urgency and show a greater degree of ruthlessness in the final third.When we create chances, we must take them. That’s the nature of the game – we have to kill teams off when we have the opportunity.I believe that if we stick to the gameplan then it will all click into place again and, as a unit, we will earn the results that the quality of our performances merit.

“There is a growing sense of expectation as we enter the business end of the season. Of course, that is a pressure, but a good pressure that all good players thrive under. Undoubtedly this is a massive game, one we are very capable of winning. Queen of the South are a good team – their position in the table underlines how good they are.

“Tomorrow we need to produce a strong, but calm performance – challenging them all over the pitch and not allowing the tempo to drop throughout the game.We want to see energy and composure, fitness and spirit, physicality and ingenuity – this is our home and we are capable of getting everything back on track with a complete display.We have got to move on quickly and today’s match presents us with a fresh challenge – an opportunity to refocus, regroup and reignite our challenge for promotion.”

Police are appealing for witnesses following an assault and robbery of two females in the Viewcraig area of the city yesterday evening.

The incident happened around 8.55pm when the two female victims, who are Chinese nationals studying in Edinburgh, were walking on the footpath on Brown Street in the direction of Viewcraig Gardens.

They were approached from behind by two males, who presented them a knife and demanded their belongings. One of the victims received a cut to her forehead during the robbery. The suspects then made off to Viewcraig Gardens where they were lost to sight.

The first suspect is described as white, 15 to 18 years old, about 5ft 6in to 5ft 7in in height, slim build, short dark brown hair, possibly slightly curly, and wearing dark red/burgundy hooded top.

The second suspect is described as white, 5ft 6in to 5ft 8in tall, slim build, 15 to 18 years old and wearing a dark blue hooded jacket with the hood up, dark trousers and carrying a drawstring bag across his shoulder.

Detective Constable John McShane said: “This was a terrifying incident for the two women and we are appealing for anyone who was in the area of Viewcraigs Garden yesterday evening to contact Police Scotland on 101 in order to help us trace those responsible.”

Police are appealing for information after a cyclist was knocked off his bike following a hit and run collision on Craigmillar Castle Road on Monday.

The incident happened around 7pm when the cyclist and a car described as a black Ford Focus were involved in a collision. The car failed to stop following the collision, and police are now keen to trace the driver.

The 47 year old cyclist was taken to ERI to be treated for injuries including a fracture to his elbow.

PC Kevin Worrall said: “We are appealing for anyone who was in the area at the time to come forward to police. We know that a witness stopped to speak to the cyclist and had a description of the car, but left the scene before police could speak with him. If you think you are that witness, we would also urge you to contact police.”

Police in Edinburgh are also appealing for witnesses following a road traffic collision on Great Junction Street, where the driver failed to stop.

The incident happened on Monday morning when a group of pedestrians were crossing Coburg Street from Great Junction Street over to North Junction Street. One of the women in the group was clipped by a car that was crossing Coburg Street onto Ferry Road, and failed to stop.

The pedestrian received a minor injury to her hip and was taken to ERI as a precaution.

Anyone with information should contact Police Scotland on 101.

Durufle Requiem: conducted by Rupert Forbes, Director of Music, and accompanied on the organ by Sheila Chisholm. The Requiem (Op 9) was commissioned by the Vichy regime in 1941; Durufle completed it in 1947, dedicating it to his father. It is written for SATB choir with mezzo-soprano soloists. 7.30pm, St Peter’s Episcopal Church, Lutton Place.

Meet the Brewer: Broughton Ales offer free tasters of Dark ‘N’ Cloudy Oatmeal Espresso Stout, Dark Hunter, Proper IPA, Merlin’s Ale and 6.2 IPA. 7pm, Sofi’s Bar, Henderson Street. Free.

Scott Methven: Child’s Play – A Retrospective Playtime. A new collection of work by Scott Methven, who works predominantly in Indian ink, oil pastel and ceramic paint to create multi-layered, exploratory and often surreal works.  Launch 7.30pm tonight with bubbly and nibbles, then usual opening hours, Boda Bar, 229 Leith Walk. Ends 30th April 2015.

Four Corners: good time soul music for dancing and the perfect start to your weekend –  ‘a rapturous blend of soulful dancefloor music, new and old, from right across the map’. Deep funk, jazzy breaks, afro-latin and dub reggae with DJs Simon Hodge, Astrojazz and Johnny Cashback. 11pm-3am, The Bongo Club, 66 Cowgate. £3 before midnight, £5 after. The Bongo Club is a nightclub, live venue and all-round artistic hub owned by local arts charity Out of the Blue ‘putting the sounds of the underground and imaginative aspirations before the mighty dollar’.

Edinburgh College of Art Friday Lecture Series: AND Publishing. Eva Weinmayr is a London-based artist with a long-standing engagement with independent publishing. She is a founder member of AND, an independent publishing platform exploring the creative and social possibilities of print-on-demand technology and new modes of distribution. Eva has exhibited internationally, and since 2010 has run The Piracy Project, an international exhibition and publishing project, with Andrea Francke. 11.30am-1pm, Lecture Theatre 22, Edinburgh College of Art, Lauriston Place

New homes in Niddrie

Great Saughton Teddy Bear Hunt

Be green this Easter

Busking Bikes

Award for the Grove Community Garden

Work is now underway at a new housing development in Niddrie as the first home arrives on site at the development of 66 new homes.

The photo above shows L-R

• Norrie Davies, Chair, Craigmillar Community Council

• Mark Harris, Head of Development, EDI Group Ltd

• Alister Steele, Managing Director, CastleRock Edinvar Housing Association

• Bruce Lindsay, Development Manager, CCG (Scotland) Ltd)

• Councillor Mike Bridgman, Member of Parc Craigmillar Ltd Board

• Janet McKay, Chair, Niddrie Mill Residents Association

• Calum Murray, Director, CCG (Scotland) Ltd)

• Carole Clydesdale, Niddrie Mill Residents Association

• David Harrold, Regional Director, Halliday Fraser Munro

‘The School House’, which is on the site of the former Niddrie Mill Primary School, will mean that construction and manufacturing specialist CCG (Scotland) Ltd can use the latest off site construction methods to build high quality and environmentally efficient homes in the quickest time possible. The School House will comprise 66 residential properties including 34 flats for social and mid market rent and a further 17 flats and 15 houses for private sale. The sale of private homes will be available with support from the Help to Buy (Scotland) scheme and prices will be released shortly by sales agents, Savills .

The development will sympathetically retain the frontage of the original school building and create vibrant new green space including around the Category C listed memorial for Major General Andrew Gilbert Wauchope of Niddrie Marischal House which will remain at its original location in front of the school building.

The School House forms part of the regeneration programme for Craigmillar being delivered by PARC Craigmillar Ltd. that will see 2,000 new homes, built in the area.

This is what the building looked like on a sunny April day last year, but planning permission was granted to PARC in 2010 to redevelop the former school.

***

The popular Great Saughton Easter Teddy Bear Hunt will take place this Saturday, 4 April in Saughton Park.

Thirty teddies will be hidden throughout the grounds, with prizes awarded to the children who manage to track down all the bears. There will also be lots of art and craft activities and storytelling at what is sure to be a fun day for all the family.

The hunt will start at 12 noon in the Park’s Winter Gardens and children of all ages are welcome to take part.

The last Teddy Bear Hunt attracted hundreds of people and organisers are hoping that this weekend’s event will be every bit as popular.

Environment Convener, Councillor Lesley Hinds, said: “This is a fantastic day out and a great example of the many events and activities that take place in Edinburgh’s parks throughout the year.

“We are very lucky to have so many wonderful outdoor spaces and I would encourage people to visit their local parks and make the most of them over the Easter holidays.”

The event will also be an opportunity for people to take part in the Saughton Park Consultation, which closes on the 6 April. The historic park is set to undergo a £5.3m renovation to restore some its original 17th century features and members of the public are being asked to comment on the proposed master plan.

Questionnaires will be available at the Bear Hunt and can also be found online.

***

Zero Waste Scotland’s top tips to being greener this Easter:

1. When you’re choosing Easter eggs, think about how much packaging they have and check if the packaging can be recycled before you buy.
2. Consider a homemade alternative to Easter eggs, such as chocolate nests or brownies – you might even be able to use up some ingredients lurking at the back of your cupboard.
3. Make sure packaging is recycled where possible – you can check the on-pack labelling to find out if it can be recycled. www.recycleforscotland.comhas a handy postcode finder to show you where you can recycle it.  Or why not keep colourful foil for arts and crafts?  The plastic shell for your Easter egg can be kept and used as a mould for next year.
4. If you’re making an Easter meal, make sure you check the cupboards and make a list before shopping – this will stop you buying more than you need.  Leftover ingredients can be used again the next day – why not make stock from your chicken bones or hash browns from excess potatoes?

***

Spectacular street science is expected to attract large crowds to Edinburgh’s town centres this weekend.

The ‘Busking Bikes’ project is part of the Edinburgh International Science Festival and the City of Edinburgh Council is supporting six performances from 4-14 April.

Each trike carries a box full to the brim with impressive, explosive, messy, and down-right weird science experiments. From the power of water to finding out how carbon capture could save the planet, each demo will explain some of the most interesting science happening today.

As well as watching expert performers do some unforgettable demonstrations, the audience can get stuck in too and learn their own science tricks, from skewering a balloon to launching a rocket.

Councillor Frank Ross, the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “This is a really exciting project as we expect the bikes to draw large crowds to each area creating a vibrant atmosphere, colour and life where ever they go. The ‘Busking Bikes’ project is being funded as part of the Council’s Town Centre Strategy to build stronger town centres by driving up footfall to support local businesses.”

Programme:

Saturday April 4 – Portobello Market

Sunday April 5 – Gorgie City Farm

Friday April 10 – Stockbridge Library

Friday April 10 – Morningside Library

Friday April 10 – Costorphine Library

Tuesday April 14 – McDonald Road Library

***

A total of 25 community gardening groups across Scotland have been awarded grants totalling £30,000, by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). This is the second part of a three-year funding programme designed to support community growing across Scotland.

Over 70 groups applied for grants from the charity to help fund local projects.  The RHS awarded up to £2,500 to 14 projects and a further 11 projects received small grants of up to £300.

Projects supported by the scheme include The Grove Orchard Project in Edinburgh, awarded £1,500 which will help the group to create a mini orchard on an area of wasteland near the City Centre, as part of a vibrant community growing project using portable planters and recycled materials to transform the site.

We took these photos just after it had opened.03

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ROCKS AND RIVERS: MASTERPIECES OF LANDSCAPE PAINTING FROM THE LUNDE COLLECTION OPENS TOMORROW 3 APRIL 2015

The Scottish National Gallery is to host an exhibition of masterpieces from one of the world’s finest private collections of 19^th-Century Norwegian and Swiss landscape paintings. Thirteen stunning works, by artists such as Johan Christian Dahl, Alexandre Calame and Thomas Fearnley, will be lent by American collector and leading expert Asbjörn Lunde, and thanks to this long-term loan, are being shown in Scotland for the first time.

Rocks and Rivers will showcase an important but little-known chapter in 19th-century landscape painting. The artists represented, who include Caspar Wolf, Robert Zünd and Giuseppe Camino, travelled extensively, producing expansive views and intimate nature studies of locations in Scandinavia, Italy and Britain, as well as renowned sites in the Alps, such as Lake Lucerne and the Bernese Oberland.

Works by these masters are extremely rare in British public collections, and, for the duration of the loan, the Scottish National Gallery is set to be the only gallery in the UK where visitors can explore such a variety of their paintings.

The history of Norwegian landscape painting can be largely traced back to Dahl (1788-1857) and Fearnley (1802-1842). Born in Bergen and trained in Copenhagen, Dahl settled in Dresden, the cradle of German Romanticism, in 1818 and befriended the German artist Caspar David Friedrich. However, he returned to Norway five times thereafter and this is where he found inspiration for the three outstanding paintings included in the exhibition; View at Skjolden in Lyster (1843); Shipwreck on the Coast between Larvik en Frederiksvern (1847); and Study of a Rock from Nystuen on Filefjell (1850). They demonstrate the artist’s breadth and superb skills, with View at Skjolden in Lyster a perfect example of Dahl’s ability to capture the atmospheric Norwegian landscape.

Fearnley is regarded as Dahl’s outstanding pupil. He travelled widely, and in 1836-38 visited England, from where his grandfather had emigrated to Norway. Fearnley’s Fisherman at Derwentwater (1837) is a sublime depiction of the Lake District. Himself a keen fisherman, Fearnley included a figure carrying his catch and rod, the latter’s bold sweep dominating the composition.

Widely regarded as Switzerland’s greatest landscape painter, Alexandre Calame (1810-1864) created striking views of expansive mountains, dense forests and rushing torrents, which are indebted to the work of 17th-century Dutch landscape artists such as Jacob van Ruisdael. Calame trained in Geneva with François Diday, setting up his own studio in 1834 and soon becoming his teacher’s rival. Calame’s grand alpine landscapes were highly successful and he sold pictures to clients across Europe, Russia and the United States. Exhibited is Calame’s impressive A View of the Jungfrau Massif seen from above Interlaken, of about 1854-60. This iconic view is dominated by the Jungfrau (4,158m / 13,642ft), flanked by the Mönch, with the Eiger just visible top left. The heart of the Bernese Oberland, this region has been listed UNESCO World Heritage since 2001. Studies such as the mesmerising The River Lütschine near Lauterbrunn (1862), however, were exercises and records from his travels and Calame kept them in his studio.

Asbjörn Lunde, the son of Norwegian émigrés to the United States, began collecting in 1968. The first works he acquired were by Fearnley and fellow Norwegian Knud Baade. Now one of the world’s leading experts and collectors in this area, Lunde has since lent and gifted works to prestigious cultural institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum (New York), the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute (Williamstown, MA), and The National Gallery of Australia (Canberra).

Michael Clarke, Director of the Scottish National Gallery, said: “It is a privilege and a pleasure for the Scottish National Gallery to show these outstanding paintings from the Lunde Collection. We are delighted to present to our audiences the stunning works of these landscape masters, highlighting an important yet little-known chapter in nineteenth-century landscape painting”.

SCOTTISH NATIONAL GALLERY The Mound EH2 2EL

Admission FREE | 0131 624 6200

Paul Wheelhouse the Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs  paid a fairly low key visit to North Edinburgh this morning when he met with representatives from local groups to find out for himself what is happening there and how the Scottish Government might help.

The Minister spent two hours with local groups and visited Link Up’s Open Café where he met some locals struggling with addiction problems. A local young mother helped to establish the café with support from Link Up. Since 2013 it has offered a place to socialise over a cup of tea and a bacon roll. It was not initially set up to support those in recovery but it certainly now provides an important centre for those who need some peer support.

Also included in the tour was the Muirhouse Community Shop and the North Edinburgh Arts Centre where he had a look at the work being done in the garden there.

Robert Pearson Chair of TRIM said: “It was great to have Paul visit our community. I was able to talk to him and explain how TRIM came about, help him understand the vital role that Muirhouse Link Up played in the infancy of our group. He was very interested in how TRIM has become so successful and he repeated several times during our chat that it was all down to our sense of community.”

Others who met the Minister this morning included  representatives from Inspiring Scotland. Celia Tenants who is the CEO was there along with Andrew McGowan and Helen Chambers who spoke very passionately about Muirhouse Link Up and explained how that organisation has achieved so much in this community.

Finally he met with Christine Mackay of Total Craigroyston who explained about the new Community Leadership College which is a natural evolution from several other projects in the area. The college aims to engage and build the capacity of around 40 people in the area over the next two years so that they can better influence what goes on there.

The Minister is photographed second from the right with Christine Mckay Total Craigroyston, Mark, Sean, Robert Pearson Chair of Tenants and Residents in Muirhouse (TRIM) and Joanne Stewart from Link Up.

A man has been jailed for over three years after admitting possessing explosive substances, after a significant number of items were found in two properties in Edinburgh last year.

Faris Al-Khori, aged 62 pleaded guilty to an offence under the Explosive Substances Act 1883, Section 4 in February 2015, following the recovery of material from two flats in Fidra Court and Persevere Court in April 2014. He was today, Thursday 2 April 2015, sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh to three years and four months imprisonment.

The items were discovered following a fire within the rubbish chute at the Fidra Court flats on Friday 18 April 2014. When the Fire Service gained entry to Al-Khori’s home address adjacent to the chute, police and army Explosive Ordnance Device (EOD) experts were called and the building was evacuated whilst the items were recovered. A subsequent search of another flat in Persevere Court uncovered further suspect items and this building was also evacuated whilst they were recovered by the EOD team.

Detective Superintendent David Gordon, who led the investigation, said: “This was a significant and complex inquiry for Police Scotland, to safely deal with these volatile items and seek to establish Al-Khori’s motives for storing them.

“A thorough investigation by the Organised Crime and Counter Terrorism Unit and Crown Office found no known links to terrorist offences and we believe Faris Al-Khori was acting independently. However, he showed utter disregard for the occupants of both buildings.

“Thanks to the swift actions of our partners in the Fire Service and armed forces, we were able to quickly assess the contents of the flats and make them safe by removing a number of items for forensic examination or controlled explosion. I am also grateful to the City of Edinburgh Council for their work to re-house vulnerable residents whilst we carried out our searches. Public safety was at the forefront of our response to this incident and all agencies worked together to minimise any risk to the public.

“Al-Khori’s activities went unnoticed for many years, demonstrating the importance of community vigilance in our efforts to keep Scotland safe. I would urge anyone noticing anything unusual in their neighbourhood to contact police straight away, by dialling 101 or the anti terrorist hotline on 0800 789 321. In an emergency always call 999.  Counter terrorism is one of Police Scotland’s highest priorities, and whilst Al-Khori has no such known links we will always treat all information received with the utmost importance where any risk to the public is identified.”

Lindsey Miller, the Crown Office’s Procurator Fiscal for Organised Crime and Counter-Terrorism, added: “The conviction of Al-Khori is a good example of agencies working closely together to protect the public.

“Al-Khori possessed a significant number and volume of explosive substances across two properties in Edinburgh as well as recipes for explosives. We worked closely with Police Service of Scotland and other agencies to prepare the case to ensure that Al-Khori was brought to justice.

“I want to reassure the people of Scotland that we take any such offences extremely seriously, and our specialist prosecutors will continue to treat them as an absolute priority.”

Scottish Cup semi-final tickets for Hibs v Falkirk on Saturday 18 April go on sale to season ticket holders this morning.

Supporters are encouraged to beat the queues by booking tickets online for this match.

10 Loyalty Points are available for every ticket assigned to a unique Client Reference Number.

Tickets will also be on sale from the Ticket Office. Fans buying for a group and wish to accumulate the individual Loyalty Points should arrive with a printed out and completed form (which you can download as a PDF using the link below).

As everybody will appreciate, the demand to attend this match will be huge, so fans can avoid the queues by booking online.

A reminder of the following sales procedures for semi-final tickets:

Existing season ticket holders will be entitled to purchase an unlimited amount of tickets during the priority period which will commence at 10am on Thursday 2 April through to midnight on Monday 6 April. With well over half of Hampden available to Hibernian supporters, this process has been designed to allow and encourage families/groups to be able to be seated together.

Supporters can also book online, visit the Ticket Office or by telephone the call centre on 0844 844 1875 option 1

*Please note that if purchasing online or by phone and select collection, you must allow at least 48 hours before collecting as we need time to sort these tickets.

It should be noted that on Saturday 4 April semi-final sales at the Ticket Office will only be from 10am to 1pm and then again post-match. This is because of the amount of Ticket Office traffic associated with a home matchday.

The public sale of tickets will commence at 10am Tuesday 7 April, and again supporters will be able to purchase an unlimited amount of tickets per transaction.

Ticket Prices

South Stand – £23

North Stand – £23

East Stand – £15 Adult / £5 Concessions (U16/O65 and Ft Students)

*Please note for family groups the SFA recommend a ratio of one adult accompanying up to four children and up to three adults accompanying one child

Disabled Supporters

Season Ticket Members

All Disabled Season Ticket Holders should have now applied. If you still have to do so please contact us asap on the Disabled Helpline, 0131 656 7066, or call 0844 844 1875 option 2 to apply, alternatively email disabledtickets@hibernianfc.co.uk. The club will be in contact with you in due course with regards to these tickets. Fans should not come to the ticket office.

Any disabled supporter who is not a season ticket holder will be able to apply for any remaining Disabled Tickets from Monday 6 April via the telephone numbers and email address listed above.

Acclaimed folk singer and song writer Bella Hardy is appearing at the Queen’s Hall on 1st May to promote her seventh solo album ‘With The Dawn’ .

The album is her first since being named BBC Radio 2 Folk Singer Of The Year in 2014, but isn’t just the latest collection of songs from this prolific and ingenious artist, it is an account of one year of her life. Where previously Bella has adapted and explored traditional ballads and fables to tell her contemporary folk tales, the stories that inspired these songs are her own experiences: good and bad, happy or sad.

‘With The Dawn’ is a more intimate and reflective album than before. Working with producer Ben Seal, the arrangements are more instinctive, more reactive, as befits the mind-set that informed the lyrics. Vivid brass gives way to lonesome piano; choral voices peal; banjos emerge out of beats and blips. Elements of the initial demos, sometimes recorded into a phone as the thoughts occurred, have been kept. Whatever instrument was nearest to hand was grabbed and deployed whenever and wherever (even on one occasion in the bath) giving ‘With The Dawn’ its striking immediacy.

These are songs written on the road, full of that sense of displacement, longing and contemplation that all itinerant musicians know. This was a time for a turning-30 Bella where nothing was stable. Documenting that flux as an album was a way to make sense of it all. On ‘With The Dawn’, Bella’s soaring kite-like voice is married to lyrics that poetically question everything she’s seen and done up till now; letting go of expectations, both other people’s and her own. But with closing lullaby And We Begin there’s a light at the end… or rather the beginning.

Only one song didn’t spring directly from Bella’s year of touring and tumult. ‘Jolly Good Luck To The Girl That Loves A Soldier’ was commissioned by Songs For The Voiceless, a project which gathered the country’s best folk artists to sing some of the lesser known stories of World War I. The resulting album was one of many bold paths Bella Hardy’s career has taken in recent years. From collaborating with Martin Simpson, John Smith and others on the hugely acclaimed Elizabethan Sessions, to a joint tour with Edinburgh miserablist Blue Rose Code, and an international songwriter exchange with Canada’s Cara Luft who also guests on this album.

Bella grew up in Edale in the Peak District but now lives in Edinburgh. Although the Hardy family sang in the local choir, it was a combination of her childhood love for ballad books and visits to local folk festivals that decided her future. At 13 she began performing at Cambridge and Sidmouth festivals and in 2004 reached the final of the BBC Young Folk Award, having taught herself to fiddle sing. Following a BA in English Literature and a Masters degree in Music, Bella released her debut album Night Visiting in 2007. One of its songs, Three Black Feathers was nominated for a BBC Folk Award. It was her first original composition.

Since then Bella has continued to record and perform at a tremendous rate; appearing on numerous BBC radio and TV programmes, singing solo in a sold-out Albert Hall at the Proms, composing the music for a Radio 4 documentary on the Post Office, writing with former Beautiful South founder David Rotheray, forming an all-female fiddle group with folk royalty Eliza Carthy, and winning yet another Radio 2 Folk Award for her original song The Herring Girl. Her 2013 album battleplan, a collection of reimagined traditional songs, received the best reviews of her career, with multiple stars showered on it from the broadsheets and folk press alike.

With The Dawn Tour – Spring 2015

April

21 Keswick Theatre by the Lake

23 Newbury New Greenham Arts Centre

24 Birmingham The Mac

26 Buxton Buxton Opera House

30 Bury The Met

May

1 Edinburgh Queens Hall

2 County Durham Witham Hall

3 Sheffield Greystones

5 Hull Fruit

6 Exeter Exeter Phoenix

7 Swansea The Welfare

8 Worcester Huntingdon Hall

9 Bristol Colston Hall

12 London The Borderline

13 Peterborough Key Theatre

14 Guildford The Boileroom

16 Southport The Atkinson

19 Cornwall Tolmen Centre

20 Tewkesbury Roses Theatre

21 Totnes South Devon Arts Centre

22 Exmouth Exmouth Festival

23 Annan Corner House Hotel

Edinburgh Reads: The Curious Incident Giant Book Group Event. To mark World Autism Day a panel of speakers, including Cerin Richardson (Festival Theatre) and Matthew Day (Autism Initiatives), will discuss some of the challenges faced by people living with autism. To enjoy this event fully you are advised to read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time beforehand, so that  you can participate in small group conversations prior to the panel discussion; copies of the book should be available in all city libraries. There will be a draw for two pairs of tickets to a performance of the stage version of the book, kindly donated by The Festival Theatre, and Cerin will be sharing some of what is involved in translating ‘the page to the stage’. Individuals and books groups all very welcome.  6.30-8pm, Central Library, George IV Bridge. Free but please book via eventbrite here.

Scotland-Russia Forum: sparkling Russian/English conversation over tea and cakes – no charge apart from any food or drinks you may wish to buy. No booking needed – just turn up, you will be warmly welcomed. 11am, Summerhall Cafe, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall.

World Autism Awareness Day Charity Fundraiser: Science Fiction Double Feature! A night of paranormal stand-up comedy in ‘the most haunted pub in Edinburgh’, featuring Des O’Gorman and Ross Hepburn – two quality shows back-to-back, each comedian ’embracing the films of nostalgia, inspiration and devotion’. 7.30-10.30pm, Banshee Labyrinth Chamber Room, 29-35 Niddry Street. £2 on the door: all proceeds to Autism Awareness. For more information please contact Autism Initiatives’ Community Fundraiser and PR Officer: Holly.Child@aiscotland.org.uk

Lunchtime Concert: Music for Holy Week. Music by Handel and Purcell, performed by students from the University of Edinburgh’s Reid School of Music, with Emma Aitken (soprano), Katy Cavanaugh (oboe), Beatrice Langford-Powell (violin) and Henry Pemberton (tenor), accompanied by Gina Baker (piano). 12 noon-12.45pm, Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place. Free. A concert as part of the Spark Greyfriars Festival of Worship and the Arts 2015.

Africa in Motion Film Festival Special Screening: White Shadow (15). Not only an ancient tradition but still a modern-day practice, the underground trade in albino body parts still exists in Tanzania, a country with one of the highest percentages of albinism in the world. In Noaz Deshe’s film Alias, an albino youth on the verge of adolescence, must learn to navigate a world in which he is not just an outsider, but actual prey. ‘Despite the pervasive, often harrowing amorality of this world, it’s one not entirely bereft of hope’. In Swahili with English subtitles. The screening will be introduced by Justine Atkinson, Director of Aya Distribution. 8.35pm, Filmhouse, Lothian Road. Tickets can be booked online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 228 2688.

Memoirs of a Feminist Mother: Carol Fox, the lawyer known in Scotland for successfully fighting mass equal pay cases for low paid women, launches her book, a memoir of her positive decision to become a single parent by choice. Carol obtained fertility treatment in London in the early 1990s and her daughter was born in 1992, following battles against judgemental attitudes that seem almost vindictive to most of us now.  Carol’s story has attracted media coverage, sparking debates on motherhood and the right to be a single parent in the UK; it will be of interest to a wide audience of women, young and old, mothers and non-mothers, as it records changing social attitudes over the past 25 years. 6.30pm, Word Power Books, West Nicolson Street. Free: all welcome – donations also very welcome!

Live Music Now: Grainne Brady and Ryan Murphy. Grainne Brady and Ryan Murphy are a duo from Ireland playing traditional Irish music: their programme is entitled The Irish During The Great War, and mixes regular favourites with tunes reminiscent of the war and its aftermath, such as The Homerule and Easter Rising. 6-6.30pm, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street. Free: no booking required.

Edinburgh College of Art Thursday Research Seminar Series: Derek Jarman Gets Medieval. Chaired by Dr Robert Mills (UCL), whose recent work has looked at Jarman’s engagements with medieval art and literature, with a particular focus on the artist’s conceptions of time and history. The seminar will be followed by drinks in the Minto House Common Room. 5.15pm, Lecture Room 1, Minto House, University of Edinburgh, Chambers Street. All welcome: free.

Books in Focus: Kandinsky’s Klange. The ‘Books in Focus’ series focuses on artists’ books held in the special collections of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. This session will look at Wasilly Kandinsky’s book Klange, published in Munich in 1913. Klange means ‘sounds’; the book contains a series of woodcuts that trace Kandinsky’s journey into abstraction, together with writings and poems exploring his ideas about art. 11.30am-12.30pm, Reading Room, Scottish Gallery of Modern Art TWO, Belford Road. Free but places are limited and booking is essential: please email gmainfo@nationalgalleries.org or call 0131 624 6268.

Lunchtime Concert: Bakersfield Youth Symphony Orchestra, Bakersfield, California, USA, with director Maxim H Eshkenazy. 12.15pm, St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street. Free.

The Last Treasure Hunt: Edinburgh author Jane Alexander launches her debut novel. At the age of thirty, Campbell Johnstone considers himself a failure; when he tries to rekindle his relationship with former friend and rapidly rising Hollywood star Eve Sandler, a single shocking night changes everything in ways he could never have predicted. When the dust settles, Campbell’s life is transformed – but at what cost? The Last Treasure Hunt examines our obsession with fame and celebrity – ‘a modern media morality tale with bite’. The evening will be chaired by Peggy Hughes. 7-9pm, St Stephen Centre, St Stephen Street, Stockbridge, Free tickets may be booked via eventbrite here.

Scottish Poetry Library Translation Workshop: Gaelic Poetry with Aonghas MacNeacail. The Gaelic poet, songwriter, scriptwriter, broadcaster, translator, journalist and librettist will share two or three of his own poems, with literal translations. With Aonghas’s help, attendees will (individually or in pairs) then create English translations from the literal versions. The translations and the process of translating will then be shared and discussed. There is no need to able to speak or read Gaelic, or to have translated before, to attend the workshop, although those with experience are welcome. 6-8pm, The Saltire Society, 9 Fountain Close. Tickets cost £5/£4 and may be booked via eventbrite here. For more information please contact jennifer.williams@spl.org.uk.

The GTs Live @ The OCP: an evening of fantastic foot-stomping music! 9pm, Old Chain Pier, Trinity Crescent.

Pat Kane: Culture, Sustainability and Political Change in Scotland. An evening with The Common Weal board member, musician and writer. 7pm for 7.30pm, Area C Coffee House, 239-241 Leith Walk. Hosted by The Common Weal Edinburgh North & Leith. Please note venue is cash only. BYOB (corkage applies).

Nothing Ever Happens Here Presents Paws + Algernon Dog + Le Thug. For over 18s only. 8pm-1am, Dissection Room, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall. Tickets cost £10 and may be purchased online here or by calling the Box Office on 0131 560 1581.

Lach & Friends: Duglas T Stewart (BMX Bandits), McGuire and The Pure Gallus. 8pm, Woodland Creatures, 260-262 Leith Walk. £5 on the door.

Turn the Melville Monument blue tonight!

Golf this Friday for schoolchildren

Easter holiday advice from NHSScotland

Abbeyhill clean up

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 

You can show your support for World Autism Awareness Day later today by making the lights on the Melville Monument in St Andrew Square change to blue which is the condition’s symbolic colour.

You have to tweet #blue to the City of Edinburgh Council’s Twitter account @Edinburgh_CC to mark the awareness day tonight.

Autism affects around 5,000 people in Edinburgh and is a lifelong developmental disorder which can affect people with or without a learning disability – sometimes known as Aspergers Syndrome. It affects both children and adults, and can have a profound effect on the way a person understands and interacts with the world around them.

The Council runs a number of services and offers support to those with the condition and their families through its Autism Edinburgh campaign and its autism plan. Support includes trained autism champions; Aspire, which helps young people move on from school and college into further education or work; family support through Positive Pathways, and a specialised online training programme.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon will be discussed at the Giant Book Group in the Central Library from 6.30pm tonight, in advance of the stage adaptation at the Festival Theatre later this month.

A panel consisting of Health, Social Care and Housing Convener, Councillor Ricky Henderson, Cerin Richardson from Edinburgh Theatres, Matthew Day from Autism Initiatives and parent Amanda Wilson will launch the event, at which members of the public will form groups to talk about the book.

Clubbers will celebrate the day at Dance Back to the Future at Electric Circus from 10pm tonight, while a live music event featuring Pet, the Just Joans and The Fast Girls is being held tonight at Upward Mobility in St Margaret’s House on London Road from 7pm.

Cllr Henderson said: “World Autism Awareness Day is a fantastic opportunity to consider how some of us struggle every day through no fault of our own, and reminds us to show compassion and understanding.

“The Council is committed to supporting those in need to reach their full potential and to lead happy and independent lives.”

You can find out more information about World Autism Awareness Day on the Autism Speaks website.
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Family golf will be available this Friday afternoon at the Wee Braids courtesy of Edinburgh Leisure.

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You are reminded about this year’s Be Health-Wise This Easter campaign.

With coughs and colds still common during Easter, Dr Owl – the wise and memorable character from the NHSScotland campaign –  is urging people to take a few simple steps to look after their health.

If you know when your GP surgery is open, you restock the medicine cabinet and ordering and collecting repeat prescriptions in plenty of time for Easter, you can ensure you make the most of the holiday weekend.

This year many GP surgeries will close for four days from Good Friday 3 April 2015 to Easter Monday.

General advice and information on how to stay healthy this Easter can be found at www.nhsinform.co.uk or contact NHS inform on 0800 22 44 88.

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School pupils, teachers and other members of the community all joined forces to spruce up Abbeyhill as part of a day of action last Friday

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Happy Birthday to Cairngorm Cafe on Frederick Street. They are celebrating their first birthday today with coffee and of course grilled cheese sandwiches……

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