Tag: leisure

‘Just Like You’: Mercat Tours launches new Witches Tour

Mercat Tours has announced a brand-new history tour Witches; Trial and Truth launching this Easter weekend, Saturday 8 April, and running every weekend. Members of the team gathered at Edinburgh Castle Esplanade to visit the very place where the accused were once tried and executed.

Delving into injustices of the past and telling the truth about the witch craze which gripped Edinburgh, the adult-only tour aims to shed light on this dark period of paranoia and persecution. Promising to bring an immersive experience, the tour will transport visitors back to the past and separate facts from commonly held myths.

Starting at Mercat Cross visitors will learn when Scotland was ruled by an irrational king and his obsession with the dark arts. Mercat Tours’ five-star, award-winning Storytellers will walk visitors back two centuries as they follow the accused’s tragic last steps through the cobbled streets of Edinburgh’s Old Town and its centuries-old closes to uncover the historic tales before finishing at Edinburgh Castle Esplanade. 

As part of the tour launch, Mercat Tours have introduced a campaign highlighting that Edinburgh’s ‘witches’ were really ordinary, innocent, people ‘Just Like You’.  It illustrates how the company celebrates diversity in their team and visitors by making a connection between the injustices and lack of diversity of the past vs now. 

Putting its own team members at the centre of the campaign, which is important to Mercat as an inclusive employer, it shines a spotlight on individuals who would’ve been targeted for their differences in the past.

Drawing parallels between their team today and the real stories of those who suffered reveals they were #justlikeyou ie someone who can heal such as Janet Boyman, an independent business women like Agnes Finnie, and those who speak a foreign language, to reflect modern times and a more inclusive society that exists today.

Kat Brogan, managing director at Mercat Tours said: “Inclusion and belonging is at the heart of everything we do at Mercat, its what we are valued for by the team and our visitors. It was important to reflect this through our new tour as we identify real life stories today that in the past would’ve led to something very different and considered a crime. 

“Mercat have been making connections between people and the past by giving history a damn good telling since 1985. We want visitors to make a thoughtful connection with injustices of the past and form their own thoughts about it.”

For more information and to book your tickets in advance visit:  

www.mercattours.com

Loch Ness Centre on the hunt for Nessie’s number one fan

Loch Ness Centre announces recruitment drive including a special role for Nessie’s number one fan following £1.5 million investment 

It’s a legend that has intrigued and enthralled for centuries. Now, aspiring Nessie-hunters will be thrilled to learn that the Loch Ness Centre is recruiting for staff in advance of its imminent re-opening. The Centre is also looking for Nessie’s number one fan to preview the upgraded attraction before opening to the public. 

For one of Scotland’s most famous tourist destinations, the new recruitment drive follows the refurbishment of the centre after Continuum Attractions took over earlier this year, investing £1.5m on upgrades to enhance the visitor experience of exploring the legend and myths of Loch Ness.

As part of its recruitment plan, the centre is on the hunt for Nessie’s number one fan to fulfil a special role. Ahead of opening the lucky candidate will be the first to try and test the unique one-hour tour.

The newly upgraded tour will offer a truly immersive experience allowing guests to become part of the story and delve deeper into the real stories of Loch Ness.

During the tour guests will go through seven rooms to explore the real story of one of the world’s most famous monsters, uncover ancient myths and legends, take a journey through the majestic Highlands and learn about the scientific research. 

To facilitate the day-to-day running of the centre, it is looking to hire two Operations Duty Managers, one fixed-term and the other permanent. Aimed at individuals with a passion for the tourism industry and an enthusiasm for providing exemplary customer service, the roles focus particularly on candidates’ leadership skills, flair for communicating with customers and visitors, and willingness to adapt and work well under pressure. 

Additionally, the Centre is on the hunt for an Inverness-based Marketing Manager. As the public face of the attraction, candidates will need to be creative and experienced marketing professionals with the willingness to network and build strong relationships with key stakeholders in the region. Driving growth and revenue will be a key objective, so enthusiasm for the brand and knowledge of what makes visitors tick are also crucial qualities in interested applicants. 

All the roles will offer successful applicants a generous salary and holiday allowance, health plan and pension scheme, along with additional perks such as discounts on visitor attractions and other leisure activities. 

Paul Nixon at Loch Ness Centre said: “Nessie’s story is one that lives in hearts and minds all over the world. As we prepare to reopen the Loch Ness Centre following extensive refurbishments, we’re looking for talented, enthusiastic people to join us in our passion and mission to share Nessie’s story even more widely.

“In exchange, the right candidates will receive a generous salary and benefits package along with the unique opportunity to engage with audiences from around the world and share Scotland’s legendary history with them”. 

Interested candidates can find further information at:

https://www.continuumattractions.com/join-the-team/jobs/

If you believe you’re Nessie’s number fan, you can be in with a chance of securing an exclusive preview of the new Loch Ness Centre tour by submitting a short video of no longer than two minutes explaining why you are the best person for the job. To apply, submit your entry to marketing@continuumattraction.com

** New City Hunt Game Alert **

Return to Wonderland with Escape Hunt Edinburgh

Escape Hunt Edinburgh is giving players the opportunity to step into Alice’s shoes in it’s brand-new City Hunt adventure, Return to Wonderland – launching at Escape Hunt Edinburgh, located in the Omni Centre on 23rd March. 

This epic city hunt transforms the streets of Edinburgh into a Wonderland-themed outdoor experience. Imagine an escape room with no doors, a treasure hunt with more challenges, and a city like you’ve never seen it before.

Players must take to the streets of Edinburgh, to find the virtual lost characters of Wonderland scattered across the city. Explore with a digital map to crack clues, complete puzzles and solve challenges along the way. With just 90 minutes – players must work together to find the characters, return them to wonderland and save the Mad Hatter from the Queen of Hearts. Chop Chop. 

Launching in time for the Easter Holidays, the experience is open to teams of between two and six players, perfect for friends and family members who want to try their hand at the puzzles of Wonderland. And what’s more, kids under 8 go free.

For tickets, or for more information on how to book, go to:

https://escapehunt.com/uk/edinburgh/games/return-to-wonderland/

Musselburgh Racecourse unveils Easter extravaganza

Neigh ‘horsing around’ as East Lothian venue hosts highest value raceday this year

PARTYGOERS, families and sports enthusiasts will don their most royal outfits as they flock to the Easter Saturday meeting at Musselburgh Racecourse.

Celebrations will take place on 8 April and will culminate in the venue’s highest value race, the prestigious Queen’s Cup, with £100,000 worth of prize money.

The Queen’s Cup received its name following Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to Musselburgh Racecourse for its Bicentenary Raceday in 2016. The racecourse has a proud Royal heritage with The Queen’s Stand also opened by Princess Anne.

The venue will be bringing back its popular ‘Pommery domes’ for the event – which were a huge hit for revellers on New Year’s Day – with a bottle of Pommery Champagne and charcuterie board to enjoy while soaking up the race day atmosphere.

For families, an abundance of free activities for young ones are on offer, with a dedicated ‘Clip Clop Zone,’ offering free funfair rides for all ages and face painting. 

Aisling Johnston, Marketing Manager at Musselburgh Racecourse, said: “Easter Saturday is one of our biggest social events in the calendar. It promises to be a day full of music, dancing, street food vendors, champagne bars and of course, first-class racing.

“We also have a host of free entertainment planned for those looking to bring the little ones, including the return of the hugely popular and highly-anticipated Easter Bunny which is sure to go down a treat! The best part is that all kids under 17 are free when accompanied by an adult.

“With a huge variety of exciting activities planned, there is something for everyone to enjoy no matter what your age.”

As well as the Queen’s Cup, there will be a series of key races taking place throughout the day, including the Royal Mile Handicap, the Silver Arrow and Scotland’s fastest race, the Scottish Sprint Cup, which attracts top sprinters from across the country.

Prize money that will be awarded across the day will total £226,000 – the venue’s highest value offered this year. ITV Racing will cover the full sporting event.

Aisling added: “After the last race, revellers will be able to enjoy some music and dancing with the memorable ‘Funkwagen’ party van experience.

“So, strap on your best dancing shoes and come and join us for an unforgettable Easter experience. Tickets are selling quickly, so act now to have the chance of grabbing one for yourself – you won’t regret it!”

Vendors at the event will include some of Scotland’s best street food offerings, such as Well Hung and Tender’s burgers and chips, Dog N Bon’s hot dogs and loaded fries and Bonnie Burrito’s Mexican cuisine.

Purchasing a ticket before midnight on the 7th April will result in a saving of £5 per person. On the day gate admission will be £35. Children 17 years and under go free.

Gates open at 11:30am, with the first race at 13:50pm and the last race at 17:20pm. Times are provisional and can be found here: https://www.musselburgh-racecourse.co.uk/fixtures

Musselburgh Racecourse provides year-round racing action, with 27 race days across the flat and jump racing season – weekend, midweek and evening.

Every race day offers quality racing with outstanding facilities and an atmosphere to match. Its ‘Sensational 6’ includes New Year’s Day, Scottish Cheltenham Trials Weekend, Easter Saturday, The Edinburgh Cup sponsored by Edinburgh Gin, Stobo Castle Ladies Day and The Summer Finale weekend.

For further information on Easter Saturday and to book tickets now, visit: 

https://www.musselburgh-racecourse.co.uk/tickets/easter-saturday-08-04-2023

Treble up for Musselburgh

Musselburgh Racecourse gallops ahead with three industry awards

Musselburgh Racecourse has strengthened its position as Scotland’s leading horse racing venue with three accolades from leading industry and visitor attraction organisations.

The East Lothian course was awarded Gold Standard status by the Racehorse Owners’ Association (ROA), one of only 12 UK courses to achieve the standard and ranked third behind York and sister course Chester.

Musselburgh was assessed as having an overall quality score of 89% and received 100% ratings in four categories including for cleanliness. The ROA said the Gold Standard was awarded to courses which provide an outstanding race day experience for owners and demonstrated a “truly exemplary performance”.

Sixty courses participated in the scheme scoring an average quality score of 80%. Musselburgh achieved an 89% rating with an owner’s feedback score of 4.4 out of five against an average score of 3.7%.

The Racecourse Association’s (RCA) Quality Assured Racecourse Scheme assesses the raceday experience from the perspective of customers, with each racecourse visited by a trained assessor from VisitScotland. The assessments analyse all touchpoints of the customer experience including pre-raceday information, the on-course experience and post-raceday communications.

Musselburgh was awarded an RCA Excellence Accolade for its Staff Customer Service and also retained its five star visitor attraction status, meaning it is considered an “exceptional” venue by VisitScotland.

The RCA said 2022 had been a particularly challenging year for sport and leisure venues, and the retention of the prestigious five star rating demonstrated the ongoing investment in Scotland into the raceday experience.

Paul Swain, the RCA’s Raceday Experience & Communications Manager, said: “The scheme demonstrates the RCA and its members’ ongoing commitment to reviewing and enhancing the raceday experience.

“It has been a challenging year for racecourses with inflation, soaring energy bills and the wider cost of living crisis. This, along with the difficulties of securing staff, has meant that racecourses have had to adapt and innovate to continue to offer the experiences our racegoers are accustomed to.”

VisitScotland’s Quality Assurance Manager, Angie Fowler, said: “We congratulate the Scottish racecourses in retaining their excellent quality visitor attraction ratings, with three of them retaining our top accolade. 

“A commitment to quality is clearly demonstrated across these racecourses and in particular, their dedication to providing an inclusive and accessible experience for all visitors is helping to inspire other attractions across Scotland. 

“Their determination to maintain and improve standards is about much more than just a star rating, it is about providing a visitor experience consistent in standards across all areas. Quality and value-for-money are important to consumers, especially during challenging economic times, and delivering experiences that meet and exceed visitor expectations is crucial in making Scotland a must-visit, must-return destination.”

Musselburgh Racecourse general manager, Bill Farnsworth, said: “It is important and useful to be able to measure our performance and the race day experience we offer across multiple metrics and I am delighted that Musselburgh continues to be one of the best performing and value for money sports and visitor attractions in the UK.

“The bar is set high but we are always striving to find new or improved ways of making sure everyone who visits Musselburgh, be that regular racegoers and owners or casual visitor, leaves feeling they have enjoyed the day and will want to return.

“Maintaining these high standards is only possible because of the energy and commitment of our permanent and race day staff who work with key partners to ensure consistent quality across all our operations and these awards are recognition of their efforts.”

Royal Rumble: 5 Surprising Statistics

Since its start in January 1988, the Royal Rumble has become a popular mainstay on WWE’s calendar, known for its surprise appearances and unexpected winners. 

Wrestling-World.com have provided a fascinating guide on everything you need to know about the current champions, records, and stats from Royal Rumble history: 

1. The most viewed Royal Rumble matches on YouTube 

WWE’s YouTube channel is currently the 8th most subscribed to channel worldwide, with 92.7 million followers. WWE often upload full matches to YouTube for fans to rewatch, so below are the most popular Royal Rumble matches on the verified WWE channel. 
Currently, the most viewed match on YouTube is the 2017 Royal Rumble, with 128 million views. The 2017 Rumble was a star-studded affair, featuring superstar legends such as The Undertaker, Brock Lesnar, Chris Jericho, Goldberg, Randy Orton, and several other top stars from modern-day WWE.  

The most viewed women’s Royal Rumble match, and the seventh most viewed overall, is the 2019 Royal Rumble won by Becky Lynch, with 33 million views. 

The most viewed Royal Rumble matches on YouTube 
Rank Year Views Men’s/Women’s 
1. 2017 128,298,794 Men’s 
2. 2020 89,239,597 Men’s 
3. 2018 80,421,380 Men’s 
4. 2008 74,001,113 Men’s 
5. 2016 57,912,789 Men’s 
6. 2010 36,930,412 Men’s 
7. 2019 33,764,419 Women’s 
8. 2019 31,082,495 Men’s 
9. 2012 27,972,770 Men’s 
10. 2020 24,409,067 Women’s 

2. Wrestlers with the most appearances in the Royal Rumble 

  1. Kane/Isaac Yankem/Diesel (20 appearances)
  2. Dolph Ziggler (15 appearances)
  3. Kofi Kingston, Randy Orton (14 appearances)
  4. Goldust, The Miz, Rey Mysterio (13 appearances)
  5. Big Show, Shawn Michaels (12 appearances)
  6. Chris Jericho, Shelton Benjamin, The Undertaker (11 appearances)
  7. Mark Henry, Rikishi (10 appearances)
  8. Great Khali, Mabel/Viscera, Sheamus, Triple H (9 appearances) 
  9. Booker T, Cody Rhodes, Edge, Godfather, John Cena, John Morrison, Matt Hardy, R-Truth (8 appearances)
  10. Baron Corbi, Billy Gunn, Bob Holly, Cesaro, Jake Roberts, Rick Martel, Owen Hart (7 appearances)   

Kane unsurprisingly still holds the record for the most Royal Rumble appearances, competing in 20 matches in the event’s history, including appearances from Dr. Isaac Yankhem and Fake Diesel. He also holds the record for cumulative eliminations at 46. Dolph Ziggler ranks in second place with 15 Royal Rumble entries, with Kofi Kingson and Randy Orton following behind with 14 entries each. 

3. Who holds the record for the most Royal Rumble victories? 

Stone Cold Steve Austin currently holds the record for the most Royal Rumble victories, emerging victorious in 1997, 1998, and 2001. Although technically eliminated from the 1997 Royal Rumble, Austin snook back into the ring while the officials were distracted and eliminated Bret Hart to win the match. 

Just eight wrestlers have won the Rumble twice; Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Brock Lesnar, Batista, John Cena, Randy Orton, and Edge. 

Wrestlers with the most Royal Rumble victories 
Wins Wrestler Year 
3 Stone Cold Steve Austin 1997, 1998, 2001 
2 Hulk Hogan 1990, 1991 
2 Shawn Michaels 1995, 1996 
2 Triple H 2002, 2016 
2 Brock Lesnar 2003, 2022 
2 Batista 2005, 2014 
2 John Cena 2008, 2013 
2 Randy Orton 2009, 2017 
2 Edge 2010, 2021 

4. Wrestlers with the longest cumulative time spent in the Royal Rumble 

  1. Chris Jericho (4:59:33) 
  2. Randy Orton (4:34:08)
  3. Rey Mysterio (4:14:45)
  4. Triple H (4:00:50)
  5. Shawn Michaels (3:47:32)
  6. Edge (3:31:51)
  7. Kane/Diesel/Isaac Yankem/DDS (3:19:40)
  8. Dolph Ziggler (3:08:40)
  9. Cody Rhodes/Stardust (3:06:45)
  10. John Cena (2:48:32) 

Chris Jericho currently holds the record for overall time spent in the Royal Rumble match across a superstar’s career, with 4 hours, 59 minutes, and 33 seconds. In second place is Randy Orton with 4 hours, 34 minutes, and 8 seconds and in third place is Rey Mysterio, who could potentially take second place this year if he lasts over 20 minutes in the ring. In women’s matches, Charlotte Flair holds the record with 2 hours, 21 minutes, and 28 seconds. 

5. Wrestlers with the most career eliminations in the Royal Rumble 

  1. Kane (46 eliminations)
  2. The Undertaker (40 eliminations)
  3. Shawn Michaels (39 eliminations)
  4. Stone Cold Steve Austin (36 eliminations)
  5. Braun Strowman (33 eliminations)
  6. Big Show, Roman Reigns, Triple H (32 eliminations)
  7. Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton (29 eliminations)
  8. Hulk Hogan (27 eliminations)
  9. John Cena (25 eliminations) 
  10. Edge (23 eliminations) 

Kane currently holds the record for the most cumulative eliminations in Royal Rumble history after throwing an incredible 46 superstars over the top rope during his two dozen appearances in the company’s flagship battle royal. WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker ranks second, with 40 total career eliminations, followed by Shawn Michaels in third place, with 39 eliminations. 

A spokesperson for Wrestling-World.com commented on the findings: “The WWE Royal Rumble is one of wrestling’s most legendary events, kicking off the year and setting the tone for what is to come for WrestleMania season. 

“The Royal Rumble has a rich and interesting history since its beginning in 1988, with a lengthy list of legendary wrestlers setting some iconic records along the way. The following facts and statistics offer a fascinating insight into which matches are clear fan favourites and which superstars hold the most records to this day.”

This research was conducted by Wrestling-World.com, a portal dedicated to everything about the sport of wrestling, which strives to provide readers with daily news updates from around the wrestling world. 

16% of social posts about Edinburgh Xmas Markets evoke feelings of anger, sadness and disgust

With just a week until Christmas Day, Christmas markets up and down the country are bustling with people, visiting their nearest towns and cities with the hopes of getting in the festive before the big day.

It’s an annual tradition which transforms towns and cities into festive wonderlands stuffed with mouth-watering food, drinks, and stalls laden with great gift ideas.

A new study by Envirofone, reveals the most and least popular Christmas markets in the UK this festive season, taking into account the general publics reaction to the markets since they opened a month ago.  

SCOTLANDS TOP CHRISTMAS MARKET EVOKES FRUSTRATION AMONGST VISITORS 

In total, 15 UK Christmas markets were ranked, scraping 63,160 social media posts that mentioned each Christmas market during last year’s opening period to analyse the emotional sentiment – identifying tones of anger, disgust, fear, joy, sadness, and surprise to reveal the percentage of positive and negative mentions. Additionally, we collected data from Instagram hashtags and TikTok views to see which are the most popular across those social media platforms.

Whilst overall Edinburgh Christmas markets take 2nd place when taking into account overall social listening, TikTok views and Instagram mentions, 16% of the social media posts mentioning the markets between October 2022 and the first week of December indicate feelings of anger, disgust and sadness towards the event. 

Although many praised the markets for their variation of gift stalls and the range of food and drink on offer, the majority of the negative comments come from those commenting on the overcrowding and queues that have been in place to enter the markets.

People have taken to social media to comment on the unnessesary amount of food vendors at this years event, slamming the prices of the food and drink on offer at them.

However, we cannot forget the hidden wonders that Edinburgh Christmas markets offers, including a Christmas tree maze, theatre performances and concerts unsurprisingly has been viewed the most out of all the Christmas Markets on TikTok, with 12,516,000 views.

Mentioned a total of 6,700 times on social media during 2021’s festive season, 17% of these posts evoked feelings of joy, with the markets being noted for their festive feel, the number of activities that the event offers and the range of winter warming food available.

London’s Hyde Park Winter Wonderland ranks first as our festive front-runner, boasting 65,780 Instagram hashtags, over 10.5 million views on TikTok and 14,000 search mentions.

A favourite in the North of England, Manchester takes home third place with 16% of the social mentions evoking feelings of joy around the festive feel of the markets from those mentioning it.

NEWCASTLE IS RANKED THE LEAST ENJOYABLE

Newcastle sits at the bottom of the leader board, with 7% of mentions of the markets being of anger and fear. As “COVID” was a popular term used in conjunction with both Newcastle and Cardiff markets, this indicates that last year COVID was still affecting the running of the events.

Although 16% of Blenheim Palace mentions are joy, it’s high ticket prices pull down the ranking of the event, placing it in fourteenth place. 

RANKED: CHRISTMAS MARKETS FROM MOST TO LEAST POPULAR

RankChristmas MarketInstagram (no of hashtags)TikTok (no of views)Total mentions% Positivementions% NegativementionsAverage Index Score
1Winter Wonderland65,78010,596,07914,00017%9%0.75
2Edinburgh47,21412,516,4006,70017%12%0.78
3Manchester62,4625,041,5427,50016%13%0. 83
4York9,315445,8429,40012%14%1.27
5Lincoln12,275494,3132,90014%26%1.28
6Birmingham17,789525,9784,80016%7%1.34
7Belfast8,6704,213,1563,6009%23%1.46
8Bath31,42221,9952,20020%6%1.68
9Nottingham4,877120,1353,1008%31%1.73
10Winchester7,90834,7791,40023%2%1.84
11Liverpool3,600602,2043,10010%10%1.84
12Exeter3,29425,27091821%4%2.09
12Cardiff4,072155,9231,20011%8%2.13
13Blenheim Palace6,93796,30844216%1%2.24
15Newcastle2,2483,7801,90011%7%2.40

Many other Christmas markets stand out when looking at individual metrics. York sits in second place for total social mentions, Belfast is ranked at number four on TikTok, gaining 4,213,156 views, whilst 23% of Winchester Christmas market social mentions were positive.  

For the full study, please visit, here.

Musselburgh on home straight with final two race meetings of 2022

Musselburgh Racecourse will see out 2022 with two Christmas racedays on Mondays 5 and 19 December before preparing for an expected sell-out occasion on New Year’s Day.

The Festive Jumps meeting on Monday (5 December) is an £80,000 seven race card with the feature race the two-mile Everyrace Live on Racing TV juvenile hurdle, supported by a £15,000 three mile handicap hurdle.

Members of the neighbouring Elite Loretto Choir will get racegoers into the festive spirt with a selection of seasonal tunes and representatives from the East Lothian Foodbank (ELF) will be at the racecourse to raise funds.

Supported by the Trussell Trust, ELF are working to provide Christmas boxes for local families to ensure they have the ingredients to enjoy a festive meal. As part of a continued partnership with ELF, the racecourse will provide a free adult ticket to the race meeting on Tuesday 3January for all recipients living in the Musselburgh area.

The £50,000 Christmas Jumper Race Day on 19 December is another seven race card with the feature race the £10,000 Watch on Racing TV novice handicap chase over 2 miles 4 furlongs. Musselburgh staff will be wearing Christmas jumpers and are encouraging race goers to do the same, with prizes for the best festive jumpers.

Aisling Johnston, Musselburgh Racecourse marketing manager, said: “Monday racing in the run up to Christmas can be a nice escape from the frenzy of city centre shopping, but we will be doing our bit to spread good cheer and to get race goers in to the festive spirit.

“We are happy to welcome again East Lothian Food Bank and to support them supporting local families, and we are delighted that the talented choir from neighbouring Loretto School will be here on 5 December.

“At our meeting on 19 December we are hoping to see lots of race goers sporting Christmas jumpers at what will be our last race day of 2022 before we prep for the big meeting on New Year’s Day.”

Gates open on both days at 11am and general admission tickets priced £20 can be purchased online by visiting www.musselburgh-racecourse.co.uk

Musselburgh Racecourse kicks off jumps season with new race in honour of the late Duke of Edinburgh

A new race commemorating the HRH Prince Philip will be launched tomorrow (Wednesday 2 Nov) at the opening meeting of Musselburgh Racecourse’s jumps season.

The East Lothian course received Royal approval to mark the late Duke of Edinburgh’s visits to the course by staging the Prince Philip Perpetual Challenge Cup, a £25,000 stayers’ chase over three and a half miles.

Highlights of Musselburgh’s 11-fixture National Hunt season include the traditional New Year’s Day meeting, the bet365 Scottish Cheltenham Trials weekend in early February, and the Go North festival in late March.

With advance ticket sales for New Year’s Day doing well, racecourse general manager Bill Farnsworth revealed the track capacity has been increased to 7,000, which if it sells out would be a modern day record attendance at a Musselburgh jumps meeting.

He said: “We were heading for a sell-out last New Year’s Day but due to the pre-Christmas Covid spike the meeting had to be held behind-closed doors. That was obviously very disappointing, but we hope to build on this to kick off 2023 in great style, and with a full house at Musselburgh there is no better place to be on the first of January.”

On top of an excellent race card, race goers will have the added bonus of witnessing the running of the world’s oldest amateur athletics race as the famous New Year Sprint returns to Musselburgh after a short break.

The bet365 Scottish Cheltenham Trials over the weekend of 4-5 February will boast prize money of more than £250,000 with the Scottish County Hurdle and Edinburgh National races on the Saturday carrying prize money of £40,000 and £50,000, respectively.

The feature race on the Sunday is the Scottish Triumph Hurdle Trial which has increased prize money from £25,000 to £40,000. Bill Farnsworth added: “This is Musselburgh’s only Class 1 race and with the support of the British Horseracing Authority, which recognised our Triumph Hurdle as a key prep race for the Cheltenham showpiece in March, we are delighted to have been able to increase the prize fund.”

The Go North Race Day on Friday 24 March closes Musselburgh’s jumps season and is part of a weekend festival of racing which includes Kelso and Carlisle racecourses. Go North celebrates the horses and trainers who have competed on the Northern circuit throughout the winter months and features seven £30,000 finals over the three tracks.

Bill Farnsworth added: “We had a great crowd at last year’s Go North finale and hope to repeat that in 2023 but we have a lot of racing to get through before that. The course is in fantastic condition and we can’t wait to get started and to welcome people back for an exciting jumps season.”

To find out more information, full fixture details, and to book tickets, visit:

www.musselburgh-racecourse.co.uk

Live from Covent Garden: La bohème in cinemas this week

THIS week, Puccini’s opera of passion, friendship and heartbreak hits the big screen. On Thursday 20 October 2022, La bohème will be broadcast live from Covent Garden to 900 cinemas in 34 countries around the world.

Puccini’s masterpiece has enchanted audiences since its premiere in 1896, quickly becoming one of the most frequently performed operas worldwide. Richard Jones’ production offers superb lighting by Mimi Jordan Sherin and stunning sets and costumes by Stewart Laing – starting with a freezing garret under the stars, and perfectly evoking fin-de-siècle Paris. A timeless love story, it is both the perfect starter opera for cinema fans, and a treat for even the most seasoned operagoers.

Kevin John Edusei makes his Royal Opera debut conducting a world-class, international cast: American soprano Ailyn Pérez as Mimì; Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez as Rodolfo; Moldovan baritone Andrey Zhilikhovsky as Marcello; Australian-American soprano Danielle de Niese as Musetta; British baritone Ross Ramgobin as Schaunard; and British bass-baritone Michael Mofidian as Colline. Encore screenings will run from Sunday 23 October 2022.

Our cinema programme has brought opera and ballet to audiences across the globe since 2008. For the 2022/23 Season, an astonishing 13 productions from The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera will be broadcast to more than 1,300 cinemas from the UK all the way to New Zealand.

Each broadcast offers audiences the best seat in the house, and includes exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, interviews and insights into the rehearsal process.

The programme forms an integral part of our plan to secure our future, expand audiences and continue to help facilitate the vital recovery of cinema domestically and internationally.