Coming up

¤ The Friends of the Sick and the Elderly are holding a car boot sale at the Marsalforn car park today. The fee is Lm3 per car.

¤ Three artists - Anastasia Ponyatovskaya of Moldova, and Marija and Imre Kohan of Hungary - are holding an exhibition in aid of the Eden Foundation, at 104, Republic Street, Victoria today and tomorrow from 10.30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

¤ Don Bosco Oratory, Victoria is showing Racing Stripes today at 5.30 p.m.

¤ The Gozitan Missionary Support Group is holding a fund-raising bazaar in Palm Street, Victoria, from tomorrow to Saturday. People wishing to donate used books, tinned food, plants and other items should contact Georgette Bezzina (tel. 2155-5709) or Vicky Said (2155-3282).

¤ The Gozo Tourism Authority (GTA) and the Malta Culinary Association (MCA) are holding the first edition of the Gozo Salon Culinaire at the Victoria Sports Pavilion on Friday from 6.30 to 9 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. and from 6.30 to 10 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. and from 4 to 9 p.m..

Gozitan restaurants and hotels and individual chefs will be participating in three different competitions: The Team Food Competition for restaurants/hotels; the Individual Food Competition for individual chefs; and an Open Static Competition, which will be viewed and evaluated by an international panel. On behalf of the MCA, the judges will select individual chefs to join a team of Gozitan chefs for the third Festival International de la Gastronomie in Istanbul next year. The awards, provided by the MCA, will be presented on Sunday before a gala dinner hosted by the association.

During the competitions, a limited number of visitors will be able to lunch or dine at Lm7.50 (drinks not included). Patrons are invited to taste the dishes made from fresh and genuine Gozo products presented by the competing chefs.

¤ The La Stella Band holds its annual concert at the Astra Theatre in Victoria on Saturday at 8 p.m. The programme includes a mixture of classical music and modern soundtracks, including Marche Slave by Tchaikovsky, excerpts from Andrea Chenier by Giordano and In Omaggio by Joseph Vella. The concert will also feature Parade of the Charioteers by Miklos Rozsa, The Student Prince by Romberg and Romance by S Galea. Professor Joseph Vella will conduct the band. The soloists are Mario Galea (clarion), George Camilleri (flute), Michel Refalo (piston), Christian Abela (E flat flugelhorn), Mark Schembri (althorn) and Anton Sacco (euphonium). Entrance is free; patrons must be seated by 7.45 p.m.

¤ The Transplant Support Group (Gozo Section) is holding a Mass for the repose of the souls of all deceased members of the group and for all those willing to donate their organs after death at the Our Lady of Victory church in Xaghra, on Sunday at 11 a.m.

¤ The Ministry for Gozo is offering a series of six-month courses as part of a project, co-financed by the European Social Fund (ESF), under the Structural Funds Programme for Malta 2004-2006.

The courses include Introduction to Agricultural Studies; Introduction to Business Studies; Introduction to Environmental Planning and Management and Introduction to E-Commerce and Information Technology.

Courses start in December and will be held at the University Gozo Centre, Xewkija on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings. Applicants must be 16 and over and an O-level standard of education is required.

For more information and application forms contact the project manager at the University Gozo Centre (tel. 2156-4559) or e-mail ugc@um.edu.mt.