Evening! 🎃 Halloween's packed away, it's dark by teatime, and Thursday's Bonfire Night, so at least there's a bit of a glow to look forward to. Firelight at the Castle is the pick of that. Before the fun stuff, though: extra late-night trains north of Inverness, and the council wants to hear how you'd close a £39.2m gap (eh... above my pay grade?!) Then there's Hadestown on the big screen, a walk-through show at Eden Court, and a few nights worth booking before they go.

Worth Knowing

The bits that might change your week (or your bill!).

• Extra late-night trains north of Inverness: Extra late-night trains are being brought in on the line north of Inverness, and the city's business chiefs are delighted, calling them a valuable boost for the local economy. If you've ever had to leave a good night early to catch the last train home, this one's for you.
• Have your say on the council budget: Highland Council has a £39.2m gap to close. It's going to invite the public, community groups, businesses and young people to share their views on how it balances the books and plans spending over the next three years. Not the cheeriest homework, but better to be asked than not, I suppose!
• Short-term let control areas approved: The Scottish Government has approved the short-term let control areas for Inverness and Highland. Highland Council voted for them on 28 September to tackle the lack of affordable housing. If you let a flat to visitors, or you'd been thinking about it, this is the one to read up on.
• Cremation fees could come down: Inverness has the highest direct cremation fee in Scotland at £820, and it could drop to £565. Nobody wants to think about it, but that's a fair chunk off a bill that lands on families at the worst possible time.
• Truck stop approved at the Caley Thistle car park: Highland Fuels' plans to turn the stadium's north car park into a camera-controlled secure truck parking stop, with a refuelling station, have been approved.

New & Noteworthy

A few changes in the paperwork, so read these as signs, not announcements.

• Old Market Inn could be changing hands: The current holder of the premises licence for the Old Market Inn on Church Street has applied to transfer it to INVR 1746 Ltd, and it went to the Licensing Board on 27 October. That usually means a change of owner or operator, though the record doesn't say how the board decided. A company with 1746 in its name might raise an eyebrow or two round here, mind..? 😆
• Hotel Chocolat and Pizza Hut hand back their licences: Two premises licences were surrendered at the same meeting: Hotel Chocolat in the Eastgate Shopping Centre and Pizza Hut at Inverness Retail & Business Park. We know Pizza Hut closed down (you tried the new Wings at WingStop Yet??), but is this a change for the Hotel Chocolat Cafe?
• A grocery shop company on Grant Street: A new company, Riverness Shop Limited, has registered on Grant Street, listed as a groceries and convenience shop. A registration isn't an opening, so don't go looking for the door just yet, but it's one to keep an eye on.

Midweek

Four good reasons to get off the sofa before Friday.

• Hadestown: The Musical: Eden Court, Tue 3 Nov, 19:30. The international hit musical on the big screen, winner of eight Tony Awards in 2019 (Best Musical among them) plus a Grammy in 2020. A proper Tuesday treat, and if Tuesday's no good there's another showing on Sun 8 Nov at 14:00.
• Confluence: Eden Court, Wed 4 Nov and Thu 5 Nov, 18:45. A guided journey through the Eden Court building, with five intimate live performances along the way, spanning music, movement, drama and dance. Something a wee bit different, and there are more showings through to Sun 8 Nov.
• Firelight at the Castle: The Inverness Castle Experience, Thu 5 Nov. Bonfire Night up on Castle Hill, with the atmosphere and the views over town doing the heavy lifting. They say wrap up warm - probably an understatement for an Inverness November Eve! Although it was weirdly warm at the weekend... 🤔
• National Theatre Live: Golden Boy: Eden Court, Thu 5 Nov, 19:30. Josh O'Connor leads a revival of Clifford Odets' American classic, set in 1930s New York. If fireworks aren't your thing, this is your Thursday, and there's a matinee on Sat 7 Nov at 14:00 too.

Book Ahead

Worth getting tickets sorted now, before somebody else does.

• Session A9 Still Alive @ 25: Eden Court, Tue 10 Nov, 20:00. Twenty-five years of being one of the best live bands in the country, and this is the birthday night. These ones tend to go.
• The Tailor of Inverness: Eden Court, Wed 11 Nov and Thu 12 Nov, 19:30. Matthew Zajac's show about his Polish-Ukrainian father has entranced over 40,000 people, and it's two nights only, in the town it's named for.
• Karen Dunbar: Nairn Community & Arts Centre, Sat 7 Nov, 21:30. Karen's Scottish tour stops in Nairn for a night of laughs. Worth booking now rather than chancing it on Saturday.
• Raymond Mearns: Beaufort Hotel, Fri 13 Nov, 19:00, from £13.50. Scottish comedy legend, live stand-up, on Friday the 13th. Lucky for some 😆

Have a good week! Wrap up for Thursday, keep the dog in when the fireworks start, and if you only get out once, make it Hadestown.

Cheers! Colin