Friday 28 November 2014

My six Edinburgh things to do this weekend

There are six things this weekend for you to get involved in! Some are self-interested, some are a worthy, most are creative, and all are connected with Edinburgh.

1. Fast for the climate. Could you go without food on the first day of each month in solidarity with people affected by climate change, and to call for a strong international climate deal? I'd really like a few virtual friends to join me in this as frankly going without food is a slightly traumatic prospect. Would you? Find out and sign up at fastfortheclimate.org and let me know on twitter @eleanormharris. Let's #fastfortheclimate with people round the world on Monday.

2. Souper Saturday postcard art fundraiser, this Saturday 4-7pm, St John's Church, Princes Street. Help raise vital funds for great project to give homeless people food and love every week. You can also buy original artwork by tremendous Edinburgh artists, and me. More details here.

3. Join the Labour party. Actually, consult your "ain lichts" and join whichever party you prefer: political involvement is the thing in Scotland, even for chronically floating voters like me. But if you join the Labour Party before Monday you can vote for the new Scottish leader, and particularly for my favourite MSP Sarah Boyack whose programme of social, environmental and economic justice, policy of local empowerment, and style of dialogue and collaboration seems to me outstandingly better than anything else around.

4. Buy my Christmas cards. Many involve Christmas carols. Some feature Edinburgh and/or history. Several involve small creatures in Santa hats. And there's a whole range with spaniels. They're all in my online shop.

5. Read my novel. It's called Ursula, it's funny and thought-provoking, and it's set on Calton Hill - with jaunts to Morningside, East Lothian, Mull and London - and it costs less than a pint of Deuchars on Kindle. Have a look at the reviews. If you've read it, I'd love a review on Amazon or Goodreads, or a mention of it to a friend: it's indie-published so has no champions but its readers.

All the proceeds from Ursula and the Christmas cards will help me refurbish Blair House, my field centre in the Angus glens, which you can read about here.

6. Visit the Georgian House on St Andrew's Day, it's open for free! I am a volunteer room guide on Sunday afternoons so if you come between 1-3pm do hunt me out. Bring your questions on life in the Regency West End (I have a PhD in it!) I'm proud of them just now because today they've won a Green Tourism Gold Award, another ambition for Blair House. More info here.

6. Come to Advent Carols. End the weekend in a warm, peaceful, candlelit church and our singing waft you into the new church year. Music by Palestrina, Lloyd, Stanford, Leighton, Rachmaninov and much more. Please blow out your candle before snoozing. 6pm in St John's Princes Street. And give us a shout-out afterwards at @stjohnschoir.

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