Local news: Gardening event grows attendance

SCOTLAND'S national gardening show has attracted one of the largest audiences in its history.

The organisers of Gardening Scotland 2011, which ran for three days last weekend at the Royal Highland Centre in Edinburgh, say that 40,000 people passed through its gates this year - an increase of 5,000 on last year's total.

Among the winners was a garden that featured a giant gorilla made from plants standing in front of a door that had been shattered in a police raid.

Gala day hot on heritage

MEMBERS of the public are being given the chance to learn about the Capital's architectural heritage during today's Leith Gala Day.

Visitors will also be able to try their hand at traditional stone-cutting and plastering.

The events run from 11am to 4.30pm at Leith Links.

On stage at the double

Students at Edinburgh's Telford College are set to perform two plays of tragedy and comedy.

The NC acting and performance students from the Performing Arts Studio Scotland will stage Liz Lochhead's Thebans on Wednesday and Alan Ayckbourn's Confusions on Thursday.

Paolozzi as Cold War kid

A SCULPTURE by Eduardo Paolozzi is to be discussed at the National Gallery of Modern Art.

Bill Hare, art historian, will examine Paolozzi's St Sebastian I (1957) in the context of the Cold War. The event is free on Monday, 13 June, at 12.45pm.

Taxis back big charity footie game

Central Taxis in Edinburgh is to sponsor the Craig Gowans Memorial Trophy Challenge Charity Match.

The Craig Gowans Memorial Fund was established in 2006 following the tragic death of Craig, a promising young footballer, in 2005.

The first charity football match was held in 2009 and has gone from strength to strength

This year the match takes place at the Saughton Enclosure on Sunday, June 12 from noon.

Be a sport for the LGBT centre's big races

The LGBT Centre for Health and Wellbeing is hosting a sports day with a twist today at King George V Park, Logan Street, Edinburgh.

Sports teams, business owners and friends and families from the LGBT community and beyond have been invited to a day which is set to be packed with traditional activities.

The school-sports style event will feature egg-and- spoon races, a three-legged race, five-a-side football and the highly competitive event of the day, community tug-of-war.