[HDNG]THE 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: 90p[ESTAT][PARA][BOLD]Bars:[EBOLD] There are 3 bars run by NSA. The most popular is at [PARA]Merchiston (cap 200), known as 'the Merky' or 'Bertie's Bar', [PARA]because it's run by the [ITAL]ebullient[EITAL] Bert. A new bar is now open at [PARA]Sighthill (300) and the smallest is near the hall at Craiglockhart [PARA](125). They all serve snacks as well as a swift pint.[PARA][BOLD]Theatres:[EBOLD] Students didn't even manage to muster a production [PARA]for last year's Edinburgh Festival on their own doorstep.[PARA][BOLD]Clubs/discos and music venues:[EBOLD] There's a spanking new venue, [PARA]the Shack (cap 500), where terpsichorean trickery is possible 4 [PARA]nights a week. The Grid, Oui 3 and the Wishplants were recent [PARA]visitors, in a musical capacity.[PARA][BOLD]Cabaret: [EBOLD] Last year, the Shack played host to ho-hos from Stevie [PARA]Starr and Alan Parker.[PARA][BOLD]Others: [EBOLD]NSA usually manages to arrange at least one event each[PARA]week including quizzes, ceilidhs and the like. Occasional balls [PARA]too.[HDNG]EATING OUT:[EHDNG][PARA]There's a University refectory at Merchiston and 2 at [PARA]Craiglockhart, open from 8.30am until 5pm. All 3 NSA bars [PARA]serve snacks - pie, beans and chips at Merchiston, fast food [PARA]lunches at Sighthill and Craiglockhart. Don't get caught in the [PARA]stampede. [BOLD]Eating out in Edinburgh:[EBOLD] see [ULNE]Edinburgh University[EULNE].[PARA][PARA]
