[HDNG]CITY:[EHDNG][PARA][GRPH]E3[EGRPH][STAT][BULL] Price of a pint of beer: ú1.50 [BULL] Glass of wine: ú1.20[ESTAT][PARA][BOLD]Festivals: [EBOLD][ITAL]Edinburgh is never short of entertainments,[EITAL] but there is [ITAL][PARA]a positive glut[EITAL] during August when the city is overrun by [PARA]Festivals, not just the main Edinburgh Festival (in itself the largest[PARA]arts event in the world), but at the same time the Fringe (which [PARA]includes hundreds of student productions), Film, Dance, Jazz and[PARA]Book Festivals (and probably many others; the whole thing has [PARA]been described by Robert Llewellyn (aka Kryten from 'Red [PARA]Dwarf') as the 'Festival of theatre, music, dance, poetry, opera, [PARA]jazz, film, television and shagging'). [ITAL]The city springs into life with [PARA]buskers and performers and it's impossible not to enjoy it, even if[PARA]all you do is walk (slowly) around the streets.[EITAL] Of course, this is [PARA]outside term time, but students should take advantage of their [PARA]situation at least 1 year out of their 4-year stay. (See [PARA]'Accommodation' for a money-making idea for students who [PARA]don't stick around for the Festivals).[PARA][BOLD]Cinemas:[EBOLD] There are 6 cinemas around town with a total of 28 [PARA]screens. The Filmhouse and the Cameo are both fairly arty and [PARA]host the Edinburgh Film Festival.[PARA][BOLD]Theatres:[EBOLD] Strictly speaking there are 13 theatres, but each year [PARA]the Festivals find literally hundreds of performance venues. The [PARA]Festivals have a knock-on effect for the rest of the year and [PARA]Edinburgh brims with exciting and experimental theatre and [PARA]dance, as well as mainstream arts, throughout the year. The [PARA]Royal Lyceum and King's Theatre are among the hardy [PARA]perennials. The new Traverse Theatre is the first theatre [PARA]dedicated to new writing since Shakespeare's Globe.[PARA][BOLD]Pubs:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Quite apart from being as popular as Take That's pants[EITAL], [PARA]most pubs are open till 1am. [ITAL]Students who want to make the [PARA]most of an Edinburgh education will develop a taste for whisky. [PARA]The best places to do it are Maggie Dicksons (good grub), [PARA]Sneaky Pete's (for the serious quaffer), Black Bo's (cheap) and [PARA]Rekties which has a back wall mirror - beware.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Clubs/discos:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Just because there's so much fun to be had [PARA]watching and listening, Edinburgh doesn't slack on more active [PARA]entertainment. [EITAL][PUSH]push[EPUSH][ITAL]plugs: Pure (industrial techno at The Venue, [PARA]ú3-ú5); Shaft at Moray House (funky fun student venue, ú2.50); [PARA]indie/studenty goings-on at Wilkie House and the Vaults (ú2-3). [PARA]For the perverse, there's Misery at the Venue, where the point is [PARA]to have a foul time, with crap music. [EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Music venues:[EBOLD] [ITAL]The remarkable thing about the number of live [PARA]music venues is how they can all continue to make a profit. [PARA]Maybe they don't. Maybe they do it for fun[EITAL]. Apart from the [PARA]following, live music spills out from many a pub, club and meeting[PARA]place. [PUSH]push[EPUSH][ITAL]plugs: [EITAL]Usher Hall (classical, including the Scottish [PARA]National Opera); Queen's Hall (classical and jazz, converted [PARA]church); Playhouse (Proclaimers, East 17); The Venue (dancey [PARA]stuff); Rocking Horse (metal mayhem).[PARA][BOLD]Others:[EBOLD] Among the many other [ITAL]endless [EITAL]entertainments, [ITAL]it's [PARA]worth mentioning the phenomenal amount of cabaret and[EITAL] the [PARA]Tattoo, a military parade at the castle. [ITAL]Americans like it.[EITAL][HDNG]UNIVERSITY:[EHDNG][PARA][GRPH]E2[EGRPH][STAT][BULL] Price of a pint of beer: ú1.15 [BULL] Glass of wine: 80p[ESTAT][PARA][BOLD]Bars:[EBOLD] There are 11 bars in the various sites of EUSA (see below) [PARA]and at the King's Buildings Union.[PARA][BOLD]Theatres:[EBOLD] There are 3 theatres around the University and its [PARA]students staged more shows at last year's Edinburgh Fringe [PARA]Festival than any other university, but then, it does have a [PARA]geographical advantage. Edinburgh students never let a little thing[PARA]like a lack of a venue stop them putting on a show.[PARA][BOLD]Cinemas:[EBOLD] The University film club - the largest in the country with [PARA]more than 2,500 members - shows 140 films a year, a [ITAL]broad [PARA]range beyond the usual pap[EITAL]. Recently, for instance, Cross of [PARA]Iron, Night on Earth.[PARA][BOLD]Clubs/discos:[EBOLD] There are dance venues all over the place in [PARA]EUSA's various centres, with capacities ranging from 400 at [PARA]Potterrow to 1,800 at Teviot Row, hosting the [ITAL]highly popular [EITAL]Juice [PARA]on Fridays. (The Teviot Debating Hall, cap 500, has the largest [PARA]disco lighting rig in Scotland). [ITAL]Students never have to go to bed [PARA]without their legs aching from dancing for hours and their throats [PARA]sore from shouting over the music which still pounds in their ears.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Music venues:[EBOLD] The Teviot Debating Hall and Potterrow (cap 400) [PARA]feature regular live bands including recently One Dove, Jools [PARA]Holland, Catherine Wheel, and many, many smaller bands.[PARA][BOLD]Cabaret:[EBOLD] At the Pleasance, weekly cabaret nights keep those [PARA]tums vibrating with chuckles, featuring recently Bob Downe and [PARA]the Doug Anthony Allstars.[PARA][BOLD]Others:[EBOLD] Regular quiz nights and a couple of balls a year (ú15 to [PARA]ú25).[HDNG]EATING OUT:[EHDNG][PARA]The University itself doesn't actually provide any eateries, but [PARA]there are cafeterias in all EUSA's main sites open from 8.30am [PARA]till late at night. In total, there are 13 EUSA food outlets, but, if [PARA]that's not enough, local pubs often serve snacks with the [PARA]ever-flowing drinks. [ITAL]Some of Scotland's best restaurants are in [PARA]Edinburgh,[EITAL] serving everything from cordon bleu cuisine to brown [PARA]sauce cookery. [ITAL]The only drawback is that eating out in [PARA]Edinburgh will unfill students' pockets faster than it fills their [PARA]stomachs. [EITAL][PUSH]push[EPUSH][ITAL]plugs (among many others): Henderson's Salad [PARA]Table (vegetarian hang out); Dario's (value Italian); Kalpna [PARA](gorgeous Indian veggie); Howie's (French/Scots - a scrummy [PARA]marriage).[EITAL][PARA][PARA]
