As with most flats in the New Town area of Edinburgh, there is a solid, grey stone staircase leading to our second floor lodgings. As I trudged up the steps today I noticed that they were littered with three or four red feathers, which looked like they had fallen out of a flamboyant feather boa (most likely belonging to one of the funny ladies in my flat). But these gaudy, colourful flecks of detritus from some showy costume against the dour, austere and practical Scottish stone seems to sum up the Edinburgh Fringe more than anything else I have seen. It seems to symbolise the transience and fantasy of this wonderful and terrible event. And the cold permanence of this beautiful town. The feathers will soon enough blow away or be swept out into the night, but Edinburgh will remain unchanged. You could batter it for a thousand years with a billion feathers and it would not fall. And those fallen feathers are left behind like the hopes and dreams of so many of the performers here, useless and sad, but offering a slight glint of brightness, a memory of something special.
I like the feathers being there. I hope no one tidies them up for the moment. They make me feel sad and happy at the same time.
Otherwise things progress as before: show good, ribs hurt, no chips, walking, bit tired, counting coins, 5 stars. YAWN.
The 26th
Collings and Herring Podcast is now available for download. We did it last week, after the live podcast and a baked potato and all I remember is that we descended in sleepy hysteria. Hope you enjoy it. We're going to have a week off and we'll be back with more in a fortnight.
I spent most of the day either snoozing or finishing off the programme mail out. These are the names of the people who have not emailed me their address (though things clearly went a bit wrong, so perhaps you did and it got lost in the post) Please email me at herring1967@googlemail.com if one of these is you. Send me your snail mail address and the programme will be straight in the post for you
Ian Mowat
Erica James
Alison G
Paul J
Emma K Thompson
Jesse Simmons
Smilerbull
