We met Kasia from Malishka Photography while we were looking for a wedding photographer and decided…read moreto choose her for a number of reasons the photographs in her portfolio were stunning and she put together exactly the package we wanted for an extremely reasonable price (especially by comparison to some of photographers in Edinburgh!) and didn't try to force us to buy other bits and pieces we didn't need. The other big plus for us was that she gave us the right to reproduce the images as we wanted we couldn't believe the number of wedding photographers we contacted who expected to retain the copyright and for you only to get reproductions done by them. What turned out to be a real bonus for us however, as neither of us are big fans of having our photograph taken, was the pre-wedding shoot included which gave us a chance to get used to being photographed, and for Kasia to get used to working with us. Any anticipation or nerves we felt about being in front of the camera were completely removed by Kasia's warm manner and approach and the images she produced for us from the pre-wedding shoot gave us total confidence (and even some excitement!) about having her as our photographer for the wedding. On the wedding day she must have been everywhere but virtually invisible as at no point did she intrude - even our guests commented on how discrete she was by comparison to their experiences at other weddings. The best bit however had to be, without a doubt, the end product and our wedding photographs are absolutely stunning; she managed to capture the feeling of the day and the venue beautifully as well as lots of wonderfully informal ones from the ceremony and reception. She even managed to surprise us by having taken pictures of lots of elements, like our cake and the place settings, which we wouldn't even have thought to have asked to be photographed. Her approach remained flexible even after the wedding and it was no problem for us to add on extra images to our order when we'd seen the proofs as there was too many we loved! Overall we can't thank her enough for capturing our day so well; we wouldn't hesitate to use her again ourselves and would definitely recommend her to anyone especially those put off by half of the overpriced, stuffy professionals you meet at wedding fairs!

Fab photos and service…read more I hate getting photos done. Passport one's are the worst too - no smiling, weird, still face, hair has to be a certain position and photo booths are horrendous! Had to bite the bullet though as passport has expired and I'm off abroad for work soon, so need photos for passport... Turned up Good Friday to get photos done. I had been running late all day and I got here just as the owner was packing up. After explaining I couldn't come back, he stayed behind to do my photos which was fantastic as I needed them done there and then. They were great quality (£10) for professional photos and you now pay around £6 for the horrendous photo booth one's. Here, unlike the booth, the light can be adjusted so you look normal, not casper the friendly ghost. So, well worth it for not much extra but really great photos. Donald was lovely, putting me at ease to make sure I looked comfortable in the photos and very professional. I'll definitely go back here to get photos taken and I've already recommended to friends too!

Unassuming though this place is perfect for overseas who need passport photos - they trunked them…read moreto specifications and do them professionally so no more photo booth mare! Prices are reasonable and good bus facilities as just off gorgie road.

I used Loxley recently for printing out the photos for Yelp's Gallery of Glasgow. While I did…read moreconsider using a cheaper option, like Costco, Loxley's customer service and great looking prints won out. I was recommended to them by a friend, and I found their customer service whenever I phoned really helpful. They have a great website and ordering system which is really easy to use. When I placed the orders, I did it through a program called Loxley ROES which is free to download, but I now see they offer online ordering which looks like it would be even simpler. Their options for delivery are really good as well - Royal Mail, courier or collection from them in Cumbernauld. I did have a slight hitch with some Royal Mail postage but that wasn't Loxley's fault. And when the first photos I ordered were too low resolution, they phoned to let me know rather than post out sub-standard photos. I'd definitely use them for all my photo printing needs in the future.

I used Loxleys for the first time a few days ago and found the staff very friendly and helpful the…read moreservice is second to none and the photos I received were as I wanted, a big thank you to everyone.

this is a huge card shop situated in the howgate centre. it is one of two in the howgate but has a…read moremuch bigger selection by far. granted the cards are slightly more expensive but they look so much better and are excellent quality. this shop has many other items that you need for birthdays or any other special occasion, such as wrapping paper, gift bags, banners, mugs, teddies, badges, pens, stamps and much much more. the staff are very helpful in here and are glad to point you in the right direction of what you are looking for. the shop is always very busy but there is plenty of room between the aisles, so there is plenty of room for moving around with prams and such like.

this is a great big card shop in the middle of the mall, falkirk. it has a huge selection of cards,…read moregifts, balloons, banners, cuddly toys, pens and much more. it's the biggest in falkirk. it is part of a huge chain all over the country. the cards are great quality, but sometimes are a bit overpriced. it is a very busy shop and there always seems to be a long line at the till points. they have also now gotten in a large selection of calenders . the staff here are really nice and very helpful, they always are very polite when you ask them for any help. they have a machine in the shop where you can design your own card and print it right then and there.

The great thing about this Matalan is the size. It's huge! It was made even bigger a couple of…read moreyears ago when a new section, M Party, was joined onto the store, making it one of the biggest units in the retail park. The thing I never really understand about Matalan is the need for cards. Why do they have them? It used to be that you had to have a card to buy anything, but on my more recent visit, I noticed they had slackened up on that, and it's now used for more of a rewards card than store ID. This store has everything; kids, women's and men's clothes, shoes and home ware. They have a brilliant underwear section and sell branded bras at less than half price. They even have Calvin Klein boxers at £9 a pack, which is less than half price, ideal for Xmas or Birthday pressies! I used the services that M Party provides for my 21st birthday party, and had cream and pink balloons with lovely little shimmery weights and bits and bobs for decorating the hall, all for under £100, which was amazing value! You have to collect the balloons yourself but that wasn't a problem. They have table decorations, age specific decorations and buffet ware, which is all fairly priced and available in every colour imaginable! They also make up banners if you want them, although I felt they were a bit pricey. Huge store with loads of bargains! The clothes in Matalan are getting nicer by the season, and I would highly recommend it for summer holiday clothes.

Excellent store with a wide range of clothing and household goods at good prices Recommended for…read moreFashion and Value. Has many goods that other Matalan stores don`t have.

A beautiful card shop which sells cards and gifts for every occasions. Special gifts are on sale…read morehere including the me to you range. Within the shop they also have a great selection of Thornton's chocolate. The shop is lovely and bright and very clean and the card displays are lovely. I love the way the windows are dressed up for special events. The cards are lovely but I feel some are very overpriced and with a few card shops in Motherwell there is a lot of competition. The staff are extremely helpful and pleasant. They also sell lovely soft teddy bears.

There are very few opportunities in life where someone tells you to jiggle your thigh fat and you…read more don't want to punch them... The opportunities where someone tells you to jiggle your thighs and you not only WANT to but you greatly enjoy the process and laugh the whole way through, while listening to great music tracks, swinging feather fans, peeling gloves & cracking jokes? Those are unicorns.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Academy of Burlesque and Cabaret's beginners course so a group burlesque…read morelesson was an obvious choice for my recent hen party. Our instructor Gypsy was fabulous, she immediately put the group at ease. Even the most uncoordinated people in the group managed to follow her instructions which she delivered in a simple but entertaining way. Everybody had a blast, even those who were a bit nervous beforehand. By the end of the lesson even my mum and future mother-in-law where twirling their tassels like a pro! I am sure we will see some fabulous poses in the wedding photos and I guarantee that everybody will be trying the tassel twirling at home! I shall definitely be booking myself into their next course of lessons when I come back from my honeymoon! -Erika Birse

Zoo Southside is one of the largest venues in the Fringe. On Nicholson Street, one of the busiest…read moreroads during the festival, it is obvious as an old converted church, immediately giving it an impressive appearance. Inside, the venue is huge as well, seating about 240 people. In addition to the large capacity, the fact that it was a church and has high ceilings means that it stays relatively cool, even when full, which is a nice change from the majority of venues. As it is one of the bigger venues, they attract good acts as well. Though less likely to see some of the top comics around, there are always good theatre productions. Occasionally these are a bit amateur, but generally they are pretty well done. As well as theatre, it hosts a bit of everything - music (jazz / classical / contemporary), magic, dance, cabaret and acrobatics, and as there is fierce competition to get a place here, the acts are normally top class. If you are looking for one of the famous comics, then this is not the place to go to, but if you want a bit of culture, or even less famous comedians, this is one of the best venues in the Fringe to go to.

This is actually a review of a show I saw last night (13/08/14). Go and see it!…read more Pss Pss Zoo Southside (Venue 82) Aug 14-17, 19-25 18:50 £10-£12 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykXvXsC8M3o Cirque du Soleil award winners, The Baccalà Clown premiere at Edinburgh Fringe festival this year with Pss Pss, directed by Louis Spagna. Former students of the Teatro Dimitri school in Switzerland, clown duo Simone Fassari and Camilla Pessi have since united to create an intricate clown act that ranges from compelling comedic simplicity to intricate aerial circus theatre. Taking inspiration from Buster Keaton, Federico Fellini and of course Charlie Chaplin, until 2010, they largely played circuses and cabarets, before turning their hand to theatre-based clowning. Together they compliment each other's opposing characters. Fassari portrays the older more mature of the two with a silent-movie appearance, who tries to remain sensible throughout, while Pessi in a bright concoction of tights and bloomers, is the mischievous, childlike and needy younger 'sister' with her wide-eyed expressions. The show is as much about their relationship as it is the stunts. The curious blacked out stage comes to life and the lights gently come up, a bare stage. Pessi enters with a lunch box containing an apple they are oblivious to the audience, as they squabble over the apple. Sudden realisation on our presence, the stop, shocked, eyes popping out. Nervously and awkwardly, they attend to entertain us. She bows in victory because she managed to juggle a single apple! They continue to build on their skills, each stunt improving from the last, until Pessi balancing with one hand on Fassari's head. Their reactions are precise and unexpected, even they appear surprised by what they have achieved. Their timeless performance of hilarious mishaps, simple gestures and outstanding acrobatics is utterly charming. The old-fashioned music hall act maintains a clumsy connection, communicating with the universal language of expression and action. From daft distracting dances, diablo misfortunes, long hugs, audience participation, banana delight, a musical ladder and tense trapeze slapstick, they had the audience giggling throughout the performance. Their volatile relationship takes us through emotions such us desire, disenchantment hope, yearning and a bit of tomfoolery. Although this show is extremely family friendly, sadly they only allow over eight year olds to attend, claiming it to be a clown show for adults. Either way their light, honest mime and acrobatic act is an all time good fun, world touring show and a must see this festival. Four funny stars!