Inspire Me: 10 great things to do this week

Nineteen Hundred Bar and Lounge at Hilton Carlton Hotel on North Bridge

CHRISTMAS COCKTAILS

HEAD to North Bridge, and to the Hilton Carlton Hotel’s luxurious new Nineteen Hundred Bar, where you and your friends can book an exciting hands on Christmas Cocktails Masterclass with Food Pairing Menu.

Available for groups at £25 a head, it includes three cocktails and a grazing menu. Perfect for a very merry Christmas night out with a difference.

To book, contact the hotel on 0131-472 300 or [email protected]

THEATRE

EDINBURGH Graduate Theatre Group bring the play Beachy Head to the Assembly Roxy.

Amy is collecting her husband Stephen’s belongings. It has been a month since he jumped from the cliffs at Beachy Head. There was no warning. There were no signs. The memories of their last night together rewind, replay and ultimately unravel... why?

Beachy Head, Assembly Roxy, Roxburgh Place, until Saturday, 7.30pm, £10, www.egtg.co.uk

EROS REUNION

DJ Jim Etherson hosts a massive Eros Old Skool Reunion at The Cav, Tollcross, this weekend at which there’s a rare chance to see happy hardcore favourites QFX, above. Joining Etherson on the decks on the night will be Lee Haggath and Stevie Horsburgh. Expect all the Eros anthems, mash ups and Old Skool bangers.

Eros Old Skool Reunion at The Cav, West Tollcross, Saturday, 10pm-3am, £10

FAMILY MOVIE

FANTASTIC Beasts and Where to Find Them is JK Rowling’s latest exploration of the magical world of Harry Potter. Join Newt Scamander on his adventures in New York’s secret community of witches and wizards 70 years before Harry reads his book in school. It’s 1926, and ‘Magizoologist’ Newt (Eddie Redmayne) arrives in New York City for a meeting with the Magical Congress of the USA. He doesn’t arrive alone, however...

Currently playing in cinemas across the Capital.

A DAY AT THE RACES

MUSSELBURGH, the Honest Toun, famous for its racecourse, is just a short bus ride from the city centre. Head out to the picturesque East Lothian town on the banks of the Firth of Forth and you can also discover the delights of Luca’s Cafe, famous for its ice-cream. And don’t forget, you can book now for Musselburgh Racecourse’s Christmas Jumps Meeting on 14 December.

Tickets available from www.musselburgh-racecourse.co.uk

EVENTS

EDINBURGH’S Christmas is in full swing.

The aroma of mulled-wine pervades Princes Street. George Street glitters and glistens with the thousands of bulbs that make up the Street of Light and in Festival Square they’re doing a conga with the bouncy cast of Five Guys Named Moe. The city is once again a winter wonderland with something for everyone.

Check out all the best the festive spectacular has to offer on page 7.

THE FILTHY TONGUES

FORMER members of the Capital’s most notorious band Goodbye Mr MacKenzie have reformed under the new name The Filthy Tongues and play the Liquid Room, Saturday.

The Mackenzie’s, who featured Shirley Manson as a backing vocalist, hit the charts with The Rattler in the late eighties and also toured with Debbie Harry and The Ramones. Now singer Martin Metcalfe and co-writer Derek Kelly have reformed with Mackenzie’s bassist Fin Wilson to create dark tales about Auld Reekie. Their debut album, Jacob’s Ladder, has been praised by Rebus author Ian Rankin: “The New album by the Filthy Tongues is terrific. Think Nick Cave, but Scottish. Lou Reed, Bowie, Alex Harvey, etc in the mix, too.”

The Filthy Tongues, Liquid Room, Saturday, 7pm, £12.65, 0131-225 2564

GRASSMARKET CHRISTMAS

SANTA and Scroggie launch Christmas in Edinburgh’s Old Town tonight at 7pm.

Don’t miss the Christmas lights switch-on, free family show, mince pies, mulled wine, late -night opening and a Christmas singalong.

From 7pm, historical Grassmarket characters such as Half-Hangit Maggie and Ebenezer Scroggie – the inspiration for Scrooge – will join Santa in meeting children and visitors. From 7.15pm, carol singers will lead a Christmas singalong.

At 7.30pm there will be a free preview of The History Tour Christmas Special by Theatre Techno Reactivated History Tours. A family friendly show, it tells of Charles Dickins’ visit to the Grassmarket where, after confusing ‘Meal Man’ with ‘Mean Man’ on Scroggie’s gravestone, he created the character Scrooge for A Christmas Carol.

MUSICAL

Local lad Phillip Ryan stars as Sky in the Abbatastic Mamma Mia!, the ultimate feel-good musical. A love story set on a Greek island featuring all the hits of Abba. What more could you ask for?

Mamma Mia, Playhouse, Greenside Place, 29 until 7 January, various times, £15-£59.50, 0844-871 3014

THE REFINERY

BE amongst the first to check out the new kid on the block. The Refinery has opened on St Andrew Square, Perfectly located in the heart of the Capital, the latest addition to the city’s thriving drinking and dining scene is housed in a stunning setting combining industrial sophistication with Scottish comforts.

Day or night, from business breakfasts to long dinner dates, it’s the chic place to be.

The Refinery, St Andrew Sq, book now 0333-210 0017