This year, as I'm sure I've mentioned before, is the 20th Beltane Fire Festival in Edinburgh. I know a lot of people think they've no chance of joining in at this late a date, but that's not true! There's still time to join in, we still need processional stewards and a couple of torchbearers. Here's what's still to come.

• Thursday 19 April, 7pm: practice on Calton Hill - meet at corner of observatory wall by the cannon.
• Sunday 22 April, 12.30pm: first full all-Beltane walkthrough on Calton Hill - attendance at at least one of the two walkthroughs is mandatory, so if you're interested in signing up, but can't make this one, please let me know. This is followed by a Health and Safety briefing (again, attendance at one of these is mandatory, but there's another chance on Saturday 28 April
• Thursday 26 April, 7pm: crowd control workshop on the Meadows - not compulsory, but rather useful
• Saturday 28 April, 2pm: Second Health and Safety briefing in te Pooka office, Lady Lawson St - only if you weren't at the first one. If you really can't make either, let me know and we'll try and fit something in
• TBA after Thursday but no later than 6pm on Sunday 29 April - fireproofing session: misting the clothes you'll be wearing on the night with fire-retardant.
• Monday 30 April, 12.30pm: Second full walkthrough: it's best to have been to two walkthroughs, but if you can't make this one, please let me know. After the walkthrough, there's time to eat something and go get ready (appropriate clothes, costumes, facepaint) before coming back up the Hill (torchbearers for about half eight, stewards earlier) and ready to be in position on the Acropolis by half nine or so.
• Tuesday 1 May: 1.30am: stand down, relax, have fun, then off to the Beltane after club (with live music and 5am licence: stewards get in free, rest of performers get a reduced entry if tickets bought soon) - you probably don't want to have work to go to

There are other things happening in the next couple of weeks: torch ball making sessions for those who can manage them, fund raising busks will be needing people to shake buckets or give out flyers, the opening of the photo exhibition, an elemental Karaoke night, but that's the bones of it.

Bottom line: if you can make a walkthrough and a health and safety meeting, we can use you. If you've done any form of stewarding before, that's fantastic, but if you haven't, you'll be amazed how much you can learn in one Thursday evening session.

Come and be a part of the start of summer!

[Thanks to akicif for the words of this post]