Dawn Kofie

Dotty about all things mid-century, Ian Hughes and Helen Monaghan, also known as the Vintage Vendors, have been purveyors of the period's ceramics, glassware and homeware since 2011. The Edinburgh-based pair also organise seasonal vintage fairs A Spoonful of Vintage, so we had a chat with Helen about the couple's love affair with stylish, postwar pieces. What attracts you to the mid-century design aesthetic?'I love how contemporary it still looks - particularly the furniture. It's all about the legs, the lovely tapered legs, that you find on so much of the furniture. And textile designs by the likes of Lucienne Day and Robert Stewart are still being reproduced today and influencing new designers. Equally, if you go to John Lewis, a lot of the furniture has that mid-century aesthetic, but it's a lot more expensive. I think that the quality of the workmanship in an original piece is far superior.' How did the Vintage Vendors start?'About 15 years ago we were given a 1950s kitchen dresser which sparked our interest. We started collecting ceramics and it grew into an obsession! Because we'd amassed a lot of things, we decided to sell some of the early purchases to make room for new additions. We took part in a Funk Fair in November 2011 and then decided to organise our own. The first one took place at Spoon in April 2012.' How have things changed since then?'I think that we've seen a resurgence since high street shops like John Lewis and companies like made.com began to reproduce

Lady-clubbers of Edinburgh, rejoice! Dance Dance Party Party (DDPP) is back in the capital after a summer break. Never heard of it, please explain. It's a booze-free, women-only freestyle dance fest that was started by two female friends in New York in 2006. They loved dancing in clubs, but were hacked off with shelling out for extortionate entrance fees, attracting unwanted attention and stinking of drink and fags when they got home. So they organised sessions where likeminded ladies could focus on carefree booty shaking. There are DDPPs all over the world from LA to London, and the Edinburgh chapter started a year and a half ago. Isn't dancing around in public with a bunch of strangers (and without a few wines to help things along) a bit weird? Not really. OK, it's probably not what you're used to dancing-wise but, rest assured, the DDPPers are normal, welcoming and friendly. And after the first song, you relax, forget that you're sober and just have a bloody good time. What's it actually like? Surprisingly good fun and, unlike a high-intensity interval training class, it doesn't make you feel like throwing up afterwards. It lasts for an hour, and typically between five and 15 folk of varying shapes, sizes and ages turn up to give it some. There's no self-consciousness or watching, pointing and laughing (this isn't a high school movie, people). Everyone's too caught up in their own little world to notice whether your moves are cribbed from the golden-thighed goddess that is

This Saturday will see the grand opening of an artisan market in Leith. The home of the latest addition to Edinburgh's port's shopping scene will be the Dock Place car park at the Shore. Goodies on offer include street food, locally-grown produce, original artwork and creative crafts. Leith resident Beth Berry came up with the idea for the new market following similar ventures in Stockbridge and the Grassmarket, both of which have become local institutions. Her latest venture has been two years in the making. Berry has strict rules when it comes to what her traders sell - they have to have made it, grown it or imported it themselves. Her main aim is for market goers to enjoy a better shopping experience than they'd have at their local supermarket. There'll initially be around 20 stalls, but this could rise to up to 50 as the market becomes more established. Leith Market will be open every Saturday, all year round. Leith Market, Dock Place car park, Leith, every Saturday starting Saturday July 11, 10am-5pm. See Time Out's guide to Edinburgh's best food markets.

A one-day festival in Edinburgh this month will see the creation of a gigantic, edible map of the city made out of cake - which will then be given away free to lucky visitors. Cake Fest Edinburgh, which will take place in the Royal Botanic Garden on Midsummer's Day, is one of the main highlights of the Year of Food and Drink 2015 Scotland.     The event's the brainchild of Simon Preston, a food consultant and innovator, who got the idea from an article about the sudden upsurge of interest in home baking. For him it's all about, 'bringing people together and creating something that allows them to celebrate, and be proud of, where they live'. 55 teams of amateur and professional bakers have signed up to produce cake versions of Edinburgh's most famous buildings, memorials and locations. These include: the Castle, Cramond Island, the Scott Monument, the Scottish Parliament Building, the Royal Yacht Britannia, Greyfriars Bobby and the Meadows.   As well as the city's best-known places and edifices, local landmarks like the Dominion Cinema and Cable's Wynd House (commonly known as the Banana Flats), will be replicated in cake form too. Map building kicks off at noon, and the goodies and activities on offer will include free workshops (which will give festival-goers the chance to take part in the proceedings by assembling the map's roads, rivers, trees, people, taxis, buses and trams); street food; a producers' market; an exhibition on the history of tea; and tea masterclasses an

The World Naked Bike Ride is returning to Edinburgh this month as a protest against oil dependency and the domination of car culture. The event also aims to highlight cyclists' vulnerability on the road. Since 2004, when the first events were held, the idea has spread and there are rides everywhere from Australia to Venezuela. Depending on the laws of the land in which their ride takes place, participants either cover their modesty with strategically placed decorations, or wear nothing but their birthday suits, a spot of body paint and a smile. The Edinburgh event has been organised by Critical Mass, a loose collective of like-minded cycling activists who get together for a group bike ride on the last Friday of every month. We spoke to two people who'll be taking part and baring (almost) all in the name of cycling activism. Pepa Palma, who's 35 years old, is originally from Cordoba in Spain and lives and works in Edinburgh. Pepa Palma Christopher Boyce, who's 34 years old, came to Scotland two years ago. He lives in Edinburgh and is a degrowth activist and researcher working in Stirling. Christopher Boyce       Have you taken part in the Naked Bike Ride before? Pepa: No, it's going to be my first naked ride! Christopher: Yes, my first was last year, which was the first naked ride that had been held in Edinburgh for some time. I'd like to see a ride in Scotland every single year. So how are you feeling about it?P: For me being naked is quite a natural thing because, in Spa

When it comes to naming their businesses, some independent shop owners choose something that's poetic, descriptive or to the point. But others go for a spot of wordplay to make sure that their stores aren't easy to forget. Here are some of Edinburgh's finest, punniest shop names.        <img id="965a4b4d-9273-7421-1478-bb8369ebf890" data-caption="" data-credit="" data-width-class="" type="image/jpeg" total="131935" loaded="131935" src="http://media.timeout.com/images/102512821/image.jpg" class="photo lazy inline">       A pooch-pampering pun with a generous helping of nudge nudge, wink wink humour.Location: Broughton.     <img id="465e1e26-6bb0-6deb-9a9a-a8693da60fa9" data-caption="" data-credit="" data-width-class="" type="image/jpeg" total="197940" loaded="197940" src="http://media.timeout.com/images/102512801/image.jpg" class="photo lazy inline">         How's this for a piece of gloriously bad-taste Disney referencing?Location: Leith.     <img id="019429e7-2bb1-3795-ac0b-fe046d0c690a" data-caption="" data-credit="" data-width-class="" type="image/jpeg" total="432803" loaded="432803" src="http://media.timeout.com/images/102512803/image.jpg" class="photo lazy inline">               This locksmiths and cobblers likes to think that it's a step ahead of the rest.Location: Newington.           &

If you love nothing more than hunting for bargains and hidden gems then Edinburgh offers plenty of places to search for unique treasures. Here's a look at six vintage and second hand fairs you should check out in the city. Out of the Blue Flea MarketIf you're in your element unearthing random, pre-loved treasures then give this market a go. There are over 45 stalls crammed with bric a brac, jewellery, small pieces of furniture, books, music, homeware and (vintage) clothes. And when you're shopped out and in need of some sustenance, you can have a bite to eat the cafe.Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny Street, Leith, the last Saturday of the month, 10am-3pm. A Spoonful of VintageEdinburgh duo The Vintage Vendors are the brains behind these seasonal fairs which usually take place in the retro setting of Spoon Restaurant on Nicolson Street. They'll be venturing into Stockbridge for their next event which will be happening sometime in the autumn. Expect a selection of ceramics, collectables, homeware from the 1950s-1970s, mid-century furniture and vintage fashion, jewellery and accessories. To complement all this there'll be a pop up cafe and a vintage soundtrack.For dates check the Spoonful of Vintage Facebook page. Edinburgh Vintage Kilo SaleA massive five tonnes of mixed vintage fashion and accessories are up for grabs at this popular rummage-fest. The dresses, denim, menswear, jackets, jeans, jumpers, blouses, shirts, shorts and t-shirts on offer are hung up on rails, or

They're fast. They're fearsome. They go by names like Bint Imperial, Sharlotte Fever, Ciderella and Pope John Brawl. Who are they? Members of Auld Reekie Roller Girls (ARRG), Edinburgh's all-female, flat track roller derby league. On Saturday May 2 ARRG will take on the country's finest as part of the British Roller Derby Championships Premier League at Meadowbank Stadium. They'll meet their west coast counterparts Glasgow Roller Derby in the Derby Derby, the final game of the day. As well as plenty of skating action there'll also be stalls, cakes, competitions, raffles, entertainment and a kids' craft corner. Roller derby's a fun, frenetic full contact sport played on quad roller skates (the retro kind) by two teams hurtling round an oval track. There are five players on each side – one jammer (the point scorer), three blockers (attackers as well as defenders) and one pivot (a special kind of blocker). The blockers' job is to do everything they can, within the rules, to stop the other team's jammer, and clear a path for their own. It can be brutal. Skaters can send their opponents flying by using specific parts of their bodies to shove them out of the way or knock them to the ground. Unsurprisingly, learning how to fall, and stop, in the right way's essential in Derbysville. ARRG was set up in 2008. They're a not-for-profit, committee-based group that had their first public bout in 2009. They were the first Scottish member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA),

Illegal Jack's, the popular Edinburgh restaurant which was forced to shut its doors last year, is aiming to make a comeback with a Kickstarter campaign to help its owner secure new premises. The Lothian Road-based temple of Tex-Mex was forced to close last year after the ceiling caved in because of a leak from a neighbouring property. Wasted stock and cash flow problems meant that owner Jack Muir's best option was to shut up shop and then reopen. But despite the fact that Illegal Jack's had been open since 2009, and was an undeniable success, Muir was unable to secure a loan from the banks he applied to. He says this is because they're wary of supporting what they see as a startup instead of an established business. At the time of writing, the campaign had raised £27,200 of the £75,000 needed for a smaller, redesigned restaurant on St Patrick Square near Edinburgh University. Author Ian Rankin, creator of curmudgeonly Edinburgh detective John Rebus, is one of many proud 'Jackaholics.' He features in a tongue in cheek video of support on the page for the campaign, which has been named The Jackstarter. The campaign ends on Friday May 8 and you can donate at The Jackstarter. If it meets its target, as well as a nice warm feeling inside, supporters will get Illegal Jack's goodies, or some of its much loved fajitas, tacos and burritos. See more Time Out's guide to the best cheap eats in Edinburgh.