The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
5 THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND
From an Oasis tribute band to a fashion show, there’s plenty to enjoy this weekend.
DEFINITELY OASIS
When: today, OGV Podium. While it’s unlikely Liam and Noel will perform on stage together again, Definitely Oasis is ready to give fans exactly what they’re missing. The renowned tribute band are just as beloved as the Manchester duo having toured across the globe to play in front of sold-out audiences.
Playing at Aberdeen’s OGV podium, they are set to perform classic Oasis tunes such as Stop Crying Your Heart Out, Champagne Supernova and Wonderwall.
Tickets are available online via OGV Podium.
When: today, Inverness Cathedral. Based at Inverness Cathedral, the By The River Outdoor Street Market offers visitors from near and far a taste of the Highlands and Morayshire. The event will feature exhibitors showcasing a selection of homeware, photography, textiles, handmade jewellery, children’s clothes and toys, and wax melts. Catering will be provided by independent businesses from across the region as well as home bakes and produce being up for sale. Visitors can spend the day exploring the grounds while enjoying live entertainment throughout the day before heading home with some goods.
The event is free to enter and runs from 10am-4pm.
CLAY NORTH EAST
When: today and tomorrow at The Barn, Banchory.
The dedicated ceramics fair will have talks, demonstrations, hands-on clay play and the chance to meet the artists behind the work. Visitors to the free event will also have the opportunity to vote for the best daffodil-themed piece in support of Macmillan cancer care.
Doors are open from 10.30am to 5pm both days. Go to claynortheast.org for more information.
BOOKBUG
When: today, Orkney Library and Archive.
The Kirkwall Bookbug session invites parents to come along with their babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers to enjoy a family-friendly outing together. Sessions, held between 10.30-11.30am, lasts around 20-30 minutes, where participants can enjoy songs, stories and rhymes.
This is to give families a chance to socialise in a relaxed environment and help boost their youngster’s confidence. Toys will also be available for toddlers after the session.
No booking is required for children, but adults must buy a ticket from Eventbrite.
FASHION SHOW
When: today, Aberdeen Anatomy Rooms. A fashion show by students from Gray’s School of Art in collaboration with CityMoves Dance Agency. It will feature two fashion shows, with a collection of work from fashion and textiles students and Graduates in Residence at Gray’s School of Art.
It will also showcase a sustainable collection designed by students in partnership with Braemar castle.
There are two shows: 6.30pm and 7.30pm. To find out more and get tickets, go to Eventbrite.
MULTI-CULTURAL BACKGROUND INSPIRED SHOW
For some people, the question of where they are from is simple, but for others, the answer is much more complicated.
It is a personal question Ullapool musician, Anne Wood, has wrestled with and is inviting others to explore through her production Where Mountains Meet.
Sharing her story of meeting her Pakistani father as an adult and exploring their heritage and identity, the show is a merging of culture and reflections.
HAPPY CHILDHOOD IN SCOURIE AND EDINBURGH
As a child, Anne remembers happy days in Scourie, Sutherland, with her grandparents before settling in Edinburgh with her mum.
While she knew she had a Pakistani father, he was not part of their lives.
He had returned to Pakistan after his studies in Edinburgh to become a doctor and had an arranged marriage.
She said: “I always said one day I would love to try and find him but it felt like an impossible needle in a haystack-type task because all I knew about him was his name and the fact he was a doctor.”
Years later, Anne was driven to action and found her dad was a professor at a teaching hospital in Karachi.
She wrote a tentative letter and quickly received a warm and excited reply from her dad.
RUDE AWAKENING AS CULTURES CLASH IN PAKISTAN
A few years later, after meeting him for the first time in Edinburgh, Anne’s dad invited her to fly over and explore Pakistan.
However, she was in for a rude awakening.
Her dad’s wife did not want anything to do with her and her half-siblings were not aware of her visit.
Anne said: “What I found was he hadn’t told me anything about the situation I was going into. So this is where the show is telling this story.
“I was brought up with absolutely no shame about being a single child or Pakistani... then when I went to Pakistan, being illegitimate is actually completely shameful.”
One highlight in creating the show for Anne has been the assembling of her “dream band” playing a mix of Scottish form, classical Indian and Pakistani music.
When Mountains Meet is touring Shetland, Aberdeen and Ullapool from April 30 until May 11. To get tickets, visit whenmountainsmeet.com