Embra

06:00 I've never been to the David Lloyd centre as it opens before. I thought it would be largely deserted but the closer I got, the more cars there were, metal bees descending on a concrete hive where they deposited their lycra-clad pollen. Exercising first thing is never actually as bad as the prospect of doing it, though, and at a shade after seven I was ordering a coffee and buzzing after my swim.

08:00 The reason for my early start was to get back to Kirkby Lonsdale in time to meet Abi for breakfast. This was my last chance to see her for a couple of weeks as she's going back to Cape Town with her mum. She was, as she usually is, great fun although a little anxious about seeing her grandmother ("Ouma"), who's very ill.

10:22 (delayed): From Oxenholme to Edinburgh, travelling cheaply yet first class thanks to the Minx's commendable ticket buying skills. I still remember the first time I stepped off the train at Waverley Station and walked up the steps onto Princes Street, the unexpected feeling excitement mixed with an odd sense of belonging. We couldn't check in until three, so we found a pub for lunch.

16:30 Many years ago - but, I think, in the very early pages of this blog when it was on Tumblr - I met up with a Twitter friend, Kerry, who was visiting from Boston. She subsequently lived in Manchester for a while and then moved up to Edinburgh. She had a rough couple of years a while back but this afternoon we met up with her in The Hanging Bat and in was wonderful to see her back at full strength and firing on all cylinders.

20:30 The Weddoes! The reason for today's trip was to see The Wedding Present playing live. I guess they must be our second most gigged band after Public Service Broadcasting. Tonight they were playing the whole of the 'Bizarro' album plus a handful of other tracks. High points for me were 'Kennedy', 'Take Me I'm Yours' and, 'Let's Make Some Plans'. I've never seen them play the last of these before: it's a b-side from 'The Hit Parade', which is the collection of twelve 7" singles released monthly in 1992. (Sadly there was no 'Flying Saucer' or 'Click Click', although it would appear the drummer is to blame; David Gedge announced from the stage that it's he who picks the set lists.)

22:20 I had hoped that while we were here we'd be able to meet up with our friends Shelagh and Gibbzer. However, both were in London, today, and so it seemed our only chance of meeting up would be after the gig. There was a tentative plan to rendezvous near our hotel but as we came out of Summerhall I saw that I had a text from Shelagh saying they were both bushed. I thought that was the end of our chance of seeing them but she went on to say they were in a pub near Gibbzer's house, so we hoped into a taxi and met them there. At this point, I thought we'd have a couple of drinks and call it a day. I didn't anticipate that a couple of hours later we'd be back at Gibbzer's, still drinking, and dancing to Talking Heads amongst others. (I've just remembered at one point Gibbzer and I improvising a dance routine to 'Burning Down The House'.) Hand on my heart, I have never had a dull evening with these ladies. 

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-12.4 kgs
Reading: 'Jog On' by Bella Mackie