Tag: leisure

AfriFest: next weekend at Summerhall

wafrifest

AfriFest – a vibrant celebration of Africa Arts and Culture, and the unique input black performers have made to the artistic and cultural landscape of Scotland.  2 day festival will include live music, dance, workshops, film and food, as well as the culture of people of African descent, supporting artistic expression and the pursuit of excellence and innovation. Performers include the award winning Senegalese kora maestro Seckou Keita.


Saturday 22 & Sunday 23 October
Summerhall, Edinburgh
All events, and food, are free.

Countdown to Octoberfest

octoberfest2

With less than a month until Edinburgh’s fourth Oktoberfest, event organisers reveal the secrets to ‘absolutely enjoy’ the event:

#1: Let’s get bier!

Oktoberfest is fundamentally about beer. On offer is the one-and-only
Oktoberfest beer called Bavarian Festbeer. It is a dark golden lager with
brownish hue and comes with a touch of sweetness and a strong and slightly
bitter aftertaste. The beer has traveled 993 miles from a respected brewery in
Bavaria to Edinburgh in a 24-thousand-liter beer tanker. During the whole
process, the beer is always kept cool in 2°C to guarantee its freshness. Then,
it is pumped into guests’ glasses through a refined craft system.

#2: Get yourself stuffed

“Oktoberfest is much more than just beer”, claims Carsten Raun, festival
director. A selection of typical Oktoberfest food is on offer such as Hendl
(grilled chicken), Schweinebraten (roast pork), Brezel (bread), and of course,
a lot of wurst (pork sausages). Don’t forget to try Bratwurst, German-specialty
pork sausage, pan-roasted and served hot with slightly-pungent yellow mustard
and fermented sauerkraut (cabbage). A cold beer from tap with a plate of
sizzling Bratwurst would complete your Oktoberfest experience.

#3: Dress to impress

No suit or evening gown needed, you can still impress by wearing traditional
Lederhosen and Dirndl. Lederhosen, short or knee-length leather breeches, is
traditionally made for Bavarian men. Mostly considered as leisurewear nowadays,
it is a perfect costume for Oktoberfest. Dirndl, a classical-looking outfit for
Bavarian women, consists of a bodice, blouse, full dress and an apron. It is
believed that the apron knot implies the woman’s marital status. Make sure you
send out the right signal!

#4: The early bird gets … the best seat
The party tent is limited to 3300 people and tickets for the weekend are selling
quickly, so if you want to attend the fabulous party, remember to book tickets
as soon as possible. Tickets are also available at door if the event is not sold
out beforehand. Don’t forget to turn up early to guarantee entry!

#5: “Cash up”

Even though you can pay by card at the events, it is advisory to bring cash on
hand. It will save you unnecessary hassle and spare you more time to enjoy the
wunderbar atmosphere!
General information:

Date: 5- 10 October | Venue: Princes Streets Gardens West, Red Square
Ticket info: Edinburgh-oktoberfest.co.uk
Email: info@edinburgh-oktoberfest.co.uk
Phone: +44 20 3239 5070 | Press: +44 20 3239 5032

Try table tennis at Leith Victoria

table-tennis

Been inspired by table tennis at this year’s Rio Olympics and want to have a go? Now you can at Edinburgh Leisure’s Leith Victoria Swim Centre.

The session will be held at the following times of the week in studio 2:

Day Time
Monday 09:00 – 13:00
Wednesday 12.00 – 17:00
Friday 14.30 -17.00
Saturday 12:00 – 17:00
Sunday 13:00 – 19.00

Nicola Duffy, General Manager at Edinburgh Leisure’s Leith Victoria Swim Centre said: “Table tennis is a great way to exercise the body and mind, whilst developing hand co-ordination. A game of table tennis can be surprisingly intense and can really get the heart pumping. It also improves cardiovascular fitness and endurance levels.

“Table tennis is one of the most accessible sports around – it can be played at any level from the Olympics to an impromptu game in your dining room with a line of old videos as a net or indeed at Leith Victoria. We’ve got the equipment and bats and balls. You just need to turn up.”

Table tennis helped end the Cold War. In 1971, a group of US players became the first Americans to visit China since it had become a Communist state in 1949. The trip, which spawned the phrase “ping-pong diplomacy” is often credited with reviving diplomatic relations between the countries.

Booking is recommended for each 60 minute session. Edinburgh Leisure is offering 50% off prices quoted below from 1 September – 1 December.

Cost
Standard £8.10
Discount Card / Members £6.05
65+ & Concession Discount Card £4.90
Junior & Disability Discount Card £4.10
Young Scot (during timeframe) £2.00

To book in for the event contact: Edinburgh Leisure’s Leith Victoria Swim Centre on 0131 555 4728 or visit the reception at Leith.

For further information, visit:  www.edinburghleisure.co.uk

Life in the fast lane with Edinburgh Leisure

Lane_Fit_image

Appealing to those who want to use swimming as part of their fitness programme, Edinburgh Leisure is piloting ‘Lane Fit,’ which is their new lane only swimming sessions. It is being rolled out at six Edinburgh Leisure sites initially from 1 July, providing more lane swimming opportunities every week across the city.

At the ‘Lane Fit’ sessions, the pool is exclusively programmed for lane swimming  offering slow, medium and fast lanes, making them suitable for all fitness levels and swimming abilities. To enhance the experience, each session will provide floats and pool buoys for swimmers to use and Edinburgh Leisure will be providing guidance on how to use lanes effectively, including lane etiquette.

Shelagh Jackson, Aquatics Manager at Edinburgh Leisure said: “Our customers have told us they’d like more opportunities for lane swimming, whatever their level of fitness and swimming ability. Lane Fit provides this and we’re delighted to offer this pilot in so many of our venues across the city.”

Swimming is an excellent whole body workout and an all-round wonder sport, whatever your age or ability. It improves muscle, tone, strength and improves flexibility. Taking part regularly can reduce your risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and stroke. The support of the water makes it low impact on joints, and done regularly it will improve flexibility and strength.

Edinburgh Leisure offers a swim membership for £33 per month, which gives unlimited swimming across all Edinburgh Leisure pools and access to all of our aquatic fitness classes. Joint, student and 65+ memberships are also available.

For more information:www.edinburghleisure.co.uk/memberships 

Customers are encouraged to download the free Edinburgh Leisure app to reserve their place or book online for the new Lane Fit sessions in July to be entered into a prize draw to win a Speedo giveaway.

Free summer sport and games with Edinburgh Leisure 0107

City’s young people encouraged to ‘Join In’

YOUTH GAMES 2008 045 (2)

With the Olympics just around the corner, Edinburgh Leisure will be inspiring the young people of Edinburgh to try out a variety of sports and games in the Meadows on Friday 1 July – plus there’s a free summer sports programme running from 4 July at various venues across the city.

At the free ‘Join In’ event, children can kick off their summer with American Football, or get into the swing of things with tennis. Old favourites like football, gymnastics and cycling will also be available for youngsters to try as well as football speed shot, tug of war, volleyball and much more. Sport experts will also be present to help them get the most out of their day in the beautiful green setting of the Meadows.

Children’s sedentary lifestyles are a ‘ticking time-bomb’ for the NHS. A recent poll of 1,039 parents conducted by ComRes, found 75 per cent of parents agree that it is more difficult for parents today to encourage children to become physically active than for previous generations, and just 47 per cent of parents thing there are enough affordable opportunities for children to be active in their local areas during school holidays.

Edinburgh Leisure’s Weight Management Development Officer, Conor McLean, said, “We all know about the positive health and mental benefits of getting active. Edinburgh Leisure is passionate about making sport accessible to young people. Last year, over 300 children turned up to experience our taster sessions.

“We run a variety of projects and classes for this age group, and this is a great chance to provide a way in to a healthy and active lifestyle for Edinburgh’s children, as well as a fun day out. And what’s even better is the day is free.”

Children are welcome to come and go as they please at the ‘Join In’ event, which runs from 1pm – 4pm on Friday, 1 July. Children under the age of 9 years must be accompanied by an adult. Children and young people aged 9 and over can attend on their own or with friends. There is no pre-registration or booking required but all young people must register at the sign-in desk on the day.

Edinburgh Leisure will also be running a free summer sports programme at different venues. Events will take place at the Meadows every Wednesday and Friday from 2 – 4 pm, starting 6 and 8 July respectively to 10 and 12 August.

There will also be sports at Saughton from Monday, 4 July – 8 August from 2 – 4pm. Younger children (primary school children, aged 5 and up) will be catered for with outdoor play sessions at Hunters Hall, by Jack Kane Sports Centre, every Tuesday from 2-4pm, which will run from 5 July.

There will be spaces for 60 children at the Meadows, 44 at Saughton and 20 at Hunter’s Hall to get involved in the free sessions. No pre-booking is required but everyone must register at the sign-in desk on the day and it will be on a first come, first served basis.

Andy McIntosh, Youth Development Officer continued: “Giving children a balanced play diet is as beneficial for their development as a balanced nutritional diet and we want to encourage all children to get active and stay active. So let’s get them off their screens and down to Saughton, The Meadows or Hunters Hall for some active fun this summer. Who knows, we may even encourage the future generation of Olympians.”

Participants enrolled in Edinburgh Leisure’s ‘2 Your Future’ project, will be helping to deliver the activities. ‘2 Your Future’, a 16 week programme, provides a combination of sports based activities and tailored employment support for young people not currently engaged in education, employment or training.

All welcome at Community Summer BBQ

COMMUNITY SUMMER BBQ

North Edinburgh Arts

Saturday 18 June 5 – 9pm

bbq

A community event celebrating all of the interesting food, music, dance and people who live in our area. There will be children’s activities in the beautiful North Edinburgh Garden, performances from local musicians, dancers and poets. A BBQ with lots of side dishes from around the world. All for £1 per person (a higher donation is very welcome if you want to contribute more!)

A bar will be available.

You are welcome to come in national dress (kilts, saris etc) if you want to!

Tickets £1 from North Edinburgh Arts or Pilton Community Health Project