On 1 February 2012 The Traverse is staging Polaris, a story of waiting for help that never arrives. It is part of the Manipulate Visual Theatre Festival taking place this month.

manipulate Visual Theatre Festival 2012 from PuppetAnimationScotland on Vimeo.

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On 2 February 2012 House Concerts @42 will host the wonderful Shetland fiddler Kevin Henderson.  To get tickets you have to subscribe on the website.

Dean Owens playing at The House in December

Kevin Henderson + Mattias Pérez with Dean Owens
Awesome Shetland fiddler returns to the house with Swedish guitarist Mattias Pérez. The duo will be showcasing tunes from Kevin’s latest album release Fin da Laand Ageen. Also appearing is house favourite Dean Owens who will be playing a solo set.

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There are two International rugby fixtures to be played at Murrayfield Stadium this month. The first on 4 February 2012 is Scotland v England playing for the Calcutta Cup, and the second is between Scotland and France on 26 February. Try the Scotland website for tickets first, but then you might have to beg borrow or steal some, particularly for the England fixture….

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Hopetoun Farm Shop are running a class on 8 February 2012 to show you how to cook the perfect Valentine dinner.

“Why not come along to our Valentines Day Dinner master class with award winning chef Wendy Barrie.

On the evening Wendy will prepare a three course menu using fresh local produce from our VisitScotland five star Farm Shop.

With a focus on stimulating the senses the menu for the evening is:

Summer Isles Smoked Salmon Pockets with Dill Sauce and Caviar

Valentine Hopetoun Lamb with a Pink Peppercorn Sauce

Meringue Nests with Cranachan and Raspberry Gin Fizz. 
This three-course meal will be cooked in store with tastings, full instructions and recipes provided for all.
Valentines Master Class tickets cost just £5 each and can be bought in advance at the Farm Shop or you can call 01506 830716 to book a place.”

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Join the Book Club at Eteaket! The nice people at Eteaket tell us:-“We’ve managed to arrange for bestselling Edinburgh author Sara Sheridan to come along to our next meeting to chat about her new book Secret of the Sands. The meeting is now on Wednesday 8 February from 5.30pm to 7pm but from then on we’ll meet on the 1st Wednesday of every other month!

Here’s a wee summary of the book: “Set against the backdrop of the British abolition of the Slave Trade in 1833 Secret of the Sands is based on the travels of Indian Navy Lieutenant, James Raymond Wellsted, who crossed the Arabian Peninsula. Wellsted was a celebrity in his day – particularly noted for being open-minded. A precursor of Burton, Lawrence and Thesiger, the auther wanted to evoke the danger this dashing naval officer faced, both from his native travelling companions and the hostile terrain. Of course, the story would not have been complete without the character of Zena, the Abyssinian slave girl with whom he falls hopelessly in love.” http://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Sands-Sara-Sheridan/dp/1847561993/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326124977&sr=1-2

Should be a fun meeting with plenty of tea and nibbles.”

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Something for your other senses might be to start appreciating some art in the various galleries in the city. We have a list of at least some of the various art galleries in the city here. (If you know of any others that should be on the list then please let us know!

One exhibition you might go and see is not in an actual gallery though….

How the Land Lies is a new film, photography and glass work by Alastair Cook and runs from 10 February – 24 February 2012, Mon – Sat, 10am – 5pm at Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny Street, EH6 8RG

www.outoftheblue.org.uk
How the Land Lies is an exhibition of Alastair Cook’s recent film, analogue photography and glass work: it draws together work from his solo show Analogue Decay, exhibited at The Howden in April 2011, alongside the Five Seascapes Commission and most recently the Kilned Collodion work, a technique pioneered by Alastair while on residency at North Lands Creative Glass in Lybster, delicately combining wet plate Collodion photography and kiln-forming. At the opening event, Alastair will present screenings from his Filmpoem project with readings from the poets, accompanied by Italian composer Luca Nasciuti.

Alastair works predominantly with lens-based media as an analogue photographer concentrating on antique photographic technologies and as a filmmaker using 8mm and 16mm film, combining these with digital technology to great effect. His award winning film and photography is driven by his knowledge, skill and experience as a conservation architect: this mercurial work is rooted in place and the intrinsic connections between people, land and the sea.

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24 February 2012

Ceilidh for Childline at the Counting House 36 West Nicolson Street with ceilidh band Whisky Kiss. Tickets £10 each from NSPCC Scotland. scotlandevents@nspcc.org.uk or phone 0844 8920212

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One for the girls (or indeed those who are getting in touch with their feminine side) among you.  Until 31st March enjoy a Shellac mini manicure at Chamomile Sanctuary for just £19.  A saving of almost fifty percent.  With more than 24 colours to choose from, why not book a few treatments and brighten up the dull winter months.

Visit www.chamomilesanctuary.com or call 0131-220 1000 to book.

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Slow Food is a global, grassroots movement with thousands of members around the world that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment and there is an Edinburgh branch.

Slow Food Edinburgh: Meals on Reels, a celluloid celebration of Scottish food and drink

Tuesday, 28 February, 2012, 19:00 at The Scottish Café, The Mound,Website
slowfoodedinburgh.co.uk/Email
fionarichmond_836@hotmail.com

Join us for an evening of food, film and conversation to celebrate our great Scottish food traditions.

In collaboration with Regional Screen Scotland, we’re hosting the inaugural screening in Edinburgh of Meals on Reels, a series of films and extracts from the collection of Scottish Screen Archive at the National Library of Scotland. We’re delighted to be joined byCatherine Brown, Scotland’s award-winning food writer.
The evening will be a nostalgic look at food and drink products, showcasing bygone products, methods of production and advertising before, during and after WW2.  Divided into a ‘menu’ of footage, it features everything from Arbroath Smokies, Dundee Peh and Black Pudding to Dunlop Cheese, Lofty Peak cake and, of course, whisky.
You will be welcomed with a glass of wine and, before settling down for the screening and discussion, there’ll be a supper of warming bowls of Scottish fare, featuring products inspired by the film:
• Crispy Findlay’s of Portobello Haggis and Stornway Black Pudding balls and Smokehead Whisky Sauce
• Mug of Creamed Cullen Skink with shards of toasted bread
• Mini homemade Inverurie steak and Deuchars IPA pies with mashed tatties
• Vegetarian options will be available on request (please say so when booking)
The cost is £25 per person. Additional drinks, including tea and coffee are available.
The Scottish Café, in the heart of Princes Street Gardens, is proudly committed to promoting Scotland’s culinary culture and supporting local suppliers, and is therefore the perfect venue for this celebration.
For any enquiries and to book, please e-mail Fiona Richmond or phone at 07762 772014. Please advise of any dietary requirements. We look forward to welcoming you to The Scottish Café for what will be a wonderful celebration of our Scottish food heritage.
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The new restaurant Steak opens this month in Picardy Place. Here are the people responsible for it discussing the concept:
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