Festival Time

Hope you'll excuse me. I'm just catching up with everything after a hectic several weeks. The blip is well late but as it was an exciting day, I thought I'd better tell the tale.

It was Edinburgh festival time and R had promised me tickets for a few things. First was a talk by David Campbell and Linda Williamson: Reignighting a Travellers Tale. The talk was introduced by Edinburgh Poet Laureate Ron Butlin , a rather striking looking man with white hair. I didn't even know Auld Reekie had a poet laureate.

David Campbell was resplendently dressed in a kilt, a bright yellow shirt and ehhhh Ecco sandals. Fortunately, he had tasteful socks. The talk was ok, but maybe not as described. Linda Williamson sang a few wee ballads but her eyes gave me the heebie jeebies. Eyes are important.

Unsurprisingly, the festival was full of people who looked like either book worms or authors! Fortunately, R has that intelligent academic look, albeit an athletic one so she fitted in. I was impressed that she bought a book by one of my favourite Guardian columnists, George Monbiot. Sheesh man! I have a favourite Guardian columnist and never got pissed on my birthday! Where did my hedonistic streak go?

We then pedalled up to the High Street to pick up tickets for our next show. This was after a brief interlude to watch very bendy limbo black dudes doing very bendy things in the Grassmarket.

R knows I love dance and bangy beats so she had skilfully picked a show by Spanish troupe Cambuyón. Timing was spot on for us to have just enough time to go to BrewLab for a coffee. They had the same Has Bean Guatemalan on that I had in Aberfeldy at the Weekend. Much more balanced cup!

Cambuyón "a group mixing tap dance, body percussion, hip-hop, voice, percussion and theatre to tell a story about rhythm fusion" were flayming awesome. I was jigging in my seat, the music was wonderful and I was a happy man. I would have been a delirious man if the announcer hadn't said "no photography" at the start of the show. I am convinced that Rosemary had an internal chuckle at my dismay!