Here we go again.

Back to school in Edinburgh today, with the usual dislocation as city families return to routine life while the visitors party on.

The mismatch is a result of it being conceived of during WWII in Glyndebourne (Rudolf Bing). The resources didn't exist there to run it, so he approached Oxford city. That didn't work so in 1944 he started looking elsewhere. The head of the British Council in Scotland got to hear of it and suggested Edinburgh. The provost thought it would be a good commercial as well as cultural boost and the City Council voted yes. It was obviously not thought of as something for holidaying Edinburghers - whether they a were families or not - as the dates chosen were 3 weeks starting on 24th August, a month after the Trades holiday and at least a week after the start of the school year.

And so it continues (unless you live to the English school year, as most private schools do). And whose bright idea was it to move the fireworks from a Saturday night (long lies possible the next morning) to a Sunday (groans and moans around the city the next day as young scholars are dragged out of bed)?

We LOVE what the Festival brings but the timing is VERY frustrating, so thank goodness the Fringe starts earlier.