A GOOD TIME TO BE IN EDINBURGH
August 26th, 2011
The Edinburgh Festival is on, and I’m heading over there today. Actually, it’s not just one festival, but about three (you’d know that if you’d read STARBURST!) and what’s known as the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is the largest arts festival in the world – but it seems not a lot of people know that, not least the boss of my US publishing company who, when asked if she had enjoyed reading STARBURST, remarked, “So, so – I’m not that interested in some talent contest held in the wilds of Scotland.” Well, that didn’t bode well for sales Stateside.
Anyway, Florence, my youngest daughter, is there for her fifth year, working front-of-house at a venue called the Udderbelly, which is, believe it or not, a huge upside down purple inflatable cow. I’ve been over already to see a couple of acts – one was Free Run, which features the extreme sport of free-running – an hour’s worth of high octane entertainment, I can tell you – and the other was Michael Winslow, the guy who made funny noises in the film, Police Academy. Actually, I have to say that I met him after the show (that’s the glory of the Fringe – all the entertainers mix with the audience after their acts,) and he wasn’t that easy to talk to. I said this to Florence and she said, “Well, he does just make noises for a living, Dad.”
Florence always comes up with the right thing to say. Once, when she was eleven years old, she and I went to the local Tesco supermarket to buy something for supper. On the way there in the car, she was very silent and then said, “Dad, did you marry Mum for her looks or her personality?” I immediately remarked that it was a very good question, and then went on to explain that we were very young when we met, that we became really good friends and that she was (and still is, I have to say!) very pretty. “So,” I said, “it was a mixture of the two things.”
“Right,” said Florence. She seemed satisfied with my explanation because she didn’t say anything until we had completed our shopping and we were heading home in the car.
“Dad,” she said eventually.
“Yes, Florence.”
“I think Mum probably married you for your personality.”
Out of the mouths of babes….
If you haven’t been to the Edinburgh Festival, you should really try to get there. The atmosphere is quite incredible. Or, alternatively, you could read STARBURST…