4 fun family time things to do in Inverness this weekend
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Big movie is Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts, there's the chance to stay at home and stream Mummies, try tennis or head for Outlander Day ...
1 Transfomers – a new generation
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (12A) will take audiences on a 90s worldwide adventure. A new kind of Transformer discovered on earth provides the Autobots a chance to return to their home planet. From Friday, June 9 at Vue Cinema.
2 Watch like an Egyptian
Mummies (U) is available now on Amazon and other download and streaming services, available to rent from Monday. The comedy animation includes the voices of Joe Thomas, Hugh Bonneville, Sean Bean, Celia Imrie, Shakka and Dan Starkey. Beneath the shifting sands of the mighty pyramids, the Pharaoh (voiced by Sean Bean) presides over a secret afterlife for Egyptian mummies. In this subterranean kingdom, the Pharaoh calls upon Hathor, goddess of love, to help his daughter Princess Nefer (Eleanor Tomlinson) find a worthy suitor so she may ascend the throne with the royal family’s treasured ring on her wedding finger. Hathor’s messenger, a fiery phoenix, chooses charioteer Thut (Joe Thomas) and he is entrusted with the ring for the seven-day period leading up to the nuptials. But fame-seeking archaeologist Lord Sylvester Carnaby (Hugh Bonneville) and bumbling hench-twins Danny and Dennis (Dan Starkey) steal the heirloom and spirit it away to the Carnaby Museum in London. The soon-to-be-weds give chase along with Thut’s younger brother Sekhem (Santiago Winder) and their pet crocodile. A single running gag – the chief villain’s obedience to his well-to-do mummy (Celia Imrie) – carries the story on. Chase sequences by chariot and a red London bus are well done with the introduction of a pet baby crocodile that communicates in breathy squeaks like a dog toy fulfils the brief of a cute critter to charm young viewers.
3 Try tennis for free
There are free coach-led tennis sessions for age 12 and over at Bellfield Park Tennis Club, Inverness, on Saturday, June 10 from 1-2pm.
4 Step back in time ...
Step back in time This year, Outlander Day will be taking place from 11am to 4pm on Saturday, June 10 at the Highland Folk Museum. in Kingussie. Based on the popular books by Diana Gabaldon, the 2014 series Outlander has built a mass following, with many fans visiting the mile-long Highland Folk Museum to take in the sights and locations used as part of the film set. Responding to public demand for more Outlander content at the museum, Outlander Day started in 2015 in collaboration with the Inverness Outlander Group, to provide an exciting annual programme of talks, tours, special demonstrations, traditional skills, and living history. Joann Hopkins, associate operations manager for High Life Highland, said: “Similar to last year, visitors will be able to wander through the Highland Folk Museum while re-enactments of what life would have been like in the 1700s take place by ‘inhabitants’ of the Township around them, including weaving, spinning, dyeing, pole lathing, and more. Grantown Museum will also be present on the day so that visitors can dress up and have their photograph taken in period costume for the authentic 18th century Township experience. As ever, members of the public are also invited to join in on our friendly costume competition. Maggie Craig, author of several historical novels set in Scotland, who will be sharing the story of The Scottish Jacobite Doctor Who Became an American Hero and staying for book signing opportunities. The popular ‘waulking group’, Comhlan Luadh Bhàideanach, will also be there – and have recently gone viral on social media thanks to a repost from Diana Gabaldon herself! These viral videos are viewable on Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok. Entry to Outlander Day and to the museum itself is completely free, but donations play a vital part.
HEADS UP
Get Set For Summer
A Big Family Fun Day is planned for Inverness's Northern Meeting Park on Saturday, June 24 from 11am-5pm. The day has been planned to give everyone a break from cost-of-living crisis worries while also celebrating the Highlands. The hope is it will bring thousands flocking to the city centre. A free entry day of live entertainment – including, family games, sporting activities, charity challenges and games – is being promised after High Life Highland and concert organiser LCC Live joined forces for the special free family fun event. Steve Walsh, chief executive of High Life Highland (HLH), said: “We are hoping the park will provide the perfect location for locals and visitors alike to meet, eat, and play for the day. Over the next few weeks, we will be announcing some of those attractions, charities and vendors on our dedicated Get Set For Summer Facebook page, so we’d encourage people to keep an eye on our social media to watch as the event develops and grows. The Northern Meeting Park has always been a great place to meet and to play in the city and it is fitting that Get Set for Summer will be one of the final major events to take place in the Northern Meeting Park prior to refurbishment works taking place at the historic city location.”
HEADS UP
Ready to bloom next month, Simpsons Garden Centre is planning some fun-filled summer holiday activities for youngsters. The focus will be on bees and pollinators to fit in with the garden centre's Bee On Board campaign. Activities will be available every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from July 11 to August 3.
