The Fringe is full of Oddbods ........

I adore them, every single one of them ....... the oddbods that explode onto the streets of Edinburgh during the Fringe. You can't escape them, they are all around you, popping up when you least expect them, crazy people with a wicked sense of humour. They could be promoting a play, showcasing their own particular brand of comedy, thrusting snippets of their shows at passers-by, spreading fun and laughter and more than a few bemused looks as people gather round. This is maybe the epitome of the Edinburgh Fringe, a plethera of characters sitting, standing, dancing, singing .... or indeed doing very little. You have to stop awhile and watch, apprehensive but curious, mindful that at any moment you could be drawn into their world, participating in the weird and the wonderfully bizarre. And it must be said that there are more than a few members of the public who are equally as whacky as the performers. It must be something in the air, maybe a tot too far from the whisky bottle, a strange reaction to an over-indulgence of haggis ..... or just "Fringe syndrome", the result of prolonged exposure to the lunacy that is the festival season.
Oddbods abound along the High Street, draped in camoflage nets, residing on benches with seagulls perched precariously on bowler hats, Michael Jackson moonwalking across the cobbled streets, ducks from outer space performing song and dance acts. And talking of singing, one talented young lady, reminiscent of Victoria Wood, took to the stage dressed as a toilet! Flushed with success, maybe? No, please don't groan. It's purely a mild case of Fringe syndrome ...... At least she didn't need to take a seat - she was wearing one. Did her act go down the pan (groan). No, I don't think so ...
It is not just peculiar folk that spring up come August, oh no. Dogs that perform magic tricks, out-of-the-ordinary puppets, the odd passing bath, balloons twisted into every shape known to man, the Fringe has it all. Young ladies popping in and out of coffins, bodies tied up, chained up, up ladders, down ladders ..... where else could you find all this but
Scotland's stunning capital city during August.
If you have never been to the Fringe, make it a must for 2014. You are missing out on so much fun and laughter, so much talent, so many comical interludes. And I challenge anyone to go away without a smile on their face. The world comes to Edinburgh during festival season, embraces its culture and laughs with its people. So join them, soak up the atmosphere, be a part of one of the most important events in the city's calendar. Bring a little sunshine into your life, relax and prepare body and soul for the lead up to Christmas. Did I just say Christmas? Sorry ........ 

Street Performers Juggle at the Fringe

How lucky Edinburgh has been so far for the first few weeks of the Fringe. Apart from a shower or two the weather has been kind, the sun has been out and the skies for the most part have been blue. And for those performing on the streets, with little or no shelter from the elements - and believe me, they can be really unkind north of the border - a sunny day can be a real bonus. Crowds are bigger, people are smiling, children are content to sit and watch ..... and folk are more willing to put their hands in their pockets and pop a pound or two in the collection.
I love the street performers. Unpredictable, zany, risk taking, breathtaking, entertaining, they are for many the highlight of the festival. Descending on the city from across the globe, countries as far-flung as Australia and New Zealand, Canada, the Far East and Europe, their amazing skills leave many audiences gasping, daring the performers to take their act to another level, to push themselves to the limit.
And they do. Time and again these daredevil lunatics astound and astonish with their skill and dexterity - none more so than the jugglers.
I could stand for hours and watch the jugglers. If you can pick it up, they can juggle it. Balls, swords, traffic cones, skittles, guitars, vinyl records (remember them), stuffed toys, flaming torches, even chainsaws, they are all there, thrown into the air and caught again, over the head, behind the back, between the legs, three, four, five, six at a time ...... and rarely dropped. If they do, then it's all part of the act, or so they say! And they don't all stand still. On a unicycle, balancing on a make-shift see-saw, climbing on the back of an unsuspecting member of the audience, teetering on an upturned suitcase, it's all been tried, and very successfully.
These performers love audience participation. Some acquired their skills in a circus, others were self-taught. Many pick on members of the audience to come out, assist, join in the fun. And there is no point hiding at the back or pretending you are busy with your camera. If they want you, they will come and get you. So be prepared to dress in strange hats, catch, throw, lay down, stand up, be climbed over. People will laugh, whistle, cheer, applaud loudly - and think quietly to themselves "Thank God that wasn't me" But you may be next, so don't be smug, don't get complacent. 

Edinburgh Festival Fringe is fun, it is great fun. And this is how you must approach it. Laughter is the order of the day. Join in, embarrass your family - especially the kids - laugh at yourself, laugh at everybody else. Above all, enjoy yourself. Go home with memories of the batty, the bizarre and the brilliant. Go to bed with a smile on your face, wake up with that smile still firmly in place, and go back for more. You never know ..... there may be a secret juggler inside of you bursting to get out. Start with balls and work your way up. And you could be out there next year, cap in hand, entertaining the festival crowds. Anybody can get out there and perform. The whole world is a stage ...... and Edinburgh is a small, but very important, part of that stage. So what are you waiting for. Need any ideas? Well, I didn't spot anyone juggling haggis. But someone out there may know better .......

Music at the Festival Fringe

Strolling around the streets of Edinburgh during festival season, you cannot help but be drawn by the many talented musicians who pop up and play on the High Street, on The Mound - indeed anywhere they can find a spot to get out their instruments and delight us with sounds from an assortment of musical genres. Men, women, even children, have us clapping our hands and tapping our feet, whether it be to the strains of the classics, pop, rock, jazz, the blues ........ it's all here, played well, played not so well, but nonetheless drawing us in, encompassing us in a moment of musical relaxation.
It is not just the music that is varied, but the instruments played. Everything from the saw to the saxaphone, the exotic to the ordinary send notes echoing around the ancient streets, reverberating from architectural wonders, buildings of columned greatness, to more modern mixes of shop and restaurant. Magic fingers create a cauldron of sound, entrancing, mystifying, melancholy, fast-moving, melodious. You have to stop, have to tarry awhile and listen to musicians playing on the world's most accessible stage, a stage free to all who love music, free to all with a desire to entertain, to showcase their talents, to bring happiness to the streets. Classical guitar, drums, trumpet, xylophone, some I don't know the name of, some I should know the name of but can't bring to mind, they are all here. Individuals, groups, crazy folk dancing and playing at the same time, all bring a multi-cultural melee of music to the streets of the capital city.
Vocalists, too, angelic voices, strong voices, beatbox, the whole range is here to raise the roof - or should that be the sky - reeling us in as we pass by, daring us to continue on our way without pausing to listen, to enjoy, before going on our way, elated, a spring in our step that was not there before. And boy can some of them sing. A delightful young lady, and she was young, held her audience spellbound as they gathered at The Mound to wonder at such a mature voice on such young shoulders. Didn't catch her name, but she is pictured with the pink flower in her hair. If you spot her, stop. It is well worth a few minutes of your time and you won't be disappointed. I loved her!
Many of the shows at the Fringe are musical, and many take advantage of that wonderful performance space that is the High Street to give passing audiences a taste of all they have to offer. Nowhere else will you find such variety, such a mix of comedy, classic, new, traditional, bizarre, baffling, as here in Edinburgh right now. Choirs, a capella groups including the amazing Out of the Blue, African drummers, rock, piano recitals, Bach, the big band sound, if you like it then it's probably here in one form or another. In fact everything is here, absolutely everything. So don't go around muttering under your breath there is nothing here that you like. You are obviously not looking - and you don't need to look very hard! If you love music, you will love something. And if you don't, you may well find that you do. Samba, samurai, harps, organs, ukeleles, traditional bagpipes, the weird and the wonderful - go seek them out and be amazed. Rick Wakeman is here .... yes, THE Rick Wakeman. Now you must know him ....... musical legend playing his music interspersed with amusing anecdotes. Comedy and keyboards in one show. What more could you possibly want. You do want more?

Well read on!

Love vocalists, love opera, love musicals? All this is very much in evidence as well. Funny, serious, new, old, improvised, nothing is left out. Purcell, Ivor Novello, Gilbert and Sullivan, Sinatra ..... well-known musicals including Godspell, Grease, Les Miserables, and Oliver are filling stages and filling seats. And of course, this being the Fringe, there is a whole splattering of the bizarre, the unusual, new takes on old favourites, and some quirky titles to boot. Could you possibly resist such oddities as Zombie Prom, Much a Shoo be Doo About Nothing, King Kong the Musical, Almost Eurovision, and Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens ..... hmmm. Curiosity aroused? Taste buds tickled? Then you are as strange as me, but in a nice, fun-loving way.

Okay, so now you know all about music at the Fringe. Can't afford tickets, tickets all gone? Then get out there onto the streets of Edinburgh and listen for free. It costs nothing but your time - and maybe a few coins to toss in the performers' hats. See you there .........

     

Edinburgh Festival Fringe ....... Drama all the way

Diverse, vibrant and imaginative, tinged with a touch of eccentricity and peppered with an element of the bizarre - these are the Virgin Money Fringe Street Events. It's all here, all taking place on the streets of Edinburgh, packing every inch of pavement, reclaiming the roads from the city's cars and buses. World-class street performers, buskers, a plethera of Fringe show previews, arts and crafts markets rule the roost for August accompanied by a ticker-tape parade of flyers and posters in every conceivable size and colour. Transformed into vast outdoor performance areas, the High Street and the Mound Precinct are now the centre of the Fringe, the core from which all else radiates. Sixteen stages of one kind or another are spread across these areas, welcoming thousands of artists who bring over 250 shows a day to the city. Everyone has the opportunity to showcase their talents. None of the acts are selected by the street events organisers, there are no auditions to pass, no-one tells you that you are not good enough to get out there and do your own thing. This is a real chance for seasoned professionals to
work side by side with complete beginners. And every talent known to mankind is out there entertaining the festival crowds.
I love the High Street, the crowds, the noise, the chaos that seems to eminate from every corner of the Royal Mile. Surrounded on all sides by the history of this beautiful city with its stunning architecture and cobbled streets, a cavalcade of colour and costume fills the senses with dramatic anticipation. So many shows, so much to see, it reminds one of a tasting menu in one of the city's exclusive restaurants. Try before you buy your tickets, test the water before popping into one of the many free performances ....... surprise yourselves. Look, listen, enjoy, use your imagination, try something new.
Drama plays a huge role in the Fringe, drama of every kind, bringing the world to Edinburgh. Shakespeare is much in evidence - Shakespeare as we know it, Shakespeare as we have never seen it before, Shakespeare almost beyond recognition. Many of the classics are given the Fringe treatment - Alice in Wonderland, The Canterbury Tales, Northanger Abbey, The Secret Garden to name but a few. Quirky, eccentric, almost unrecognisable in places, but they are there, touched up, tipped upside down, re-invented, totally original at times, but all an integral part of the festival. All ages, all abilities are on the streets, enticing you, winding you in, posing for countless photos in the hope you will include their show in your hectic itinerary. Oh to be able to see every show, reward all the hard work, the unwavering belief that their show is the best, is worth a few moments of your time. Some are undoubtedly talented - some are not, and they don't care. This is their chance to put themselves out there, to draw attention to all they have to offer.
Weird without doubt plays more than a little part in Fringe drama. I love it all - fact, fiction, fantasy, the crazy, the absurd, the senseless and the insane. Potty names for potty shows with equally potty characters. Fleabag, Faileontology, Squidboy, The Vacuum Cleaner, the list is endless. And of course there is serious drama, poignant, thought-provoking, hard-hitting at times, factual, plays based on current issues, plays centred on history, performances designed to make us sit up and take note. Individual performances, theatrical groups, students, young and old, amateur and professional, they are on stage giving their all, making the stage their own, sharing with you the highs and lows of thespian life. This is what the Fringe is all about, offering everyone a chance to shine before life returns to normal. I am savouring my time amidst this roller coaster of incentive, innovation and intensity. I am grasping every second I can, walking, talking, soaking up the atmosphere. The Fringe has made the High Street theirs for the month. Make sure you are a part of it as well. And there is more to follow very soon ........

Science Festival Under Way

The Edinburgh International Science Festival is well under way, so popping in and out of the National Museum of Scotland is a must. Away from the arctic conditions outside, spending an hour or so in the warm whilst broadening my horizons and topping up my virtually non-existent understanding of science and technology was an excellent idea. Amongst the exhibitions is one by MASTS - the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland - an organisation I freely admit I have never heard of. They are a consortium of organisations engaged in marine science, representing the majority of

Scotland's marine research capacity, and have a wide-ranging remit. MASTS cover many topics, including energy and food security, marine biodiversity, marine energy, aquaculture, and understanding the current and future climate of the earth and how this will impact on the ocean's sustainable resources. They also have many physical assets, from large ocean-going research vessels to inshore craft, remotely operated vehicles, diving facilities and specialist equipment. So now you know, and I know, just how vital this organisation is to our planet. And two of their assets are on display in the Museum. 

ROV - or Remote Operated Vehicle (top pic) - is a clever chappie, having the capacity to undertake operations to a depth of 1,000 metres. It was designed to work in enclosed places such as tunnels as well as taking part in fly away operations in deeper offshore waters, places inaccessible to divers.The other remarkable piece of marine technology making a guest appearance at the Science Festival, is the Abyssal-Lander (bottom pic). This is a deep sea camera system that can operate to depths of 6,000 metres. It also has a crafty trick up its sleeve. By using bait, it lures deep-sea fish and crustaceans, allowing them to be photographed, taking a picture every sixty seconds. A heavy steel weight causes the Abyssal-Lander to sink to the seabed, floating back to the surface when the weight is released. Simple, really. So little is known about the diversity of life in the deepest seas, so equipment such as this can open our eyes to so much more. Cold water corals are just one recent discovery. And marine biotechnology - or the use of organisms found in the sea to provide useful materials such as medicines - can only benefit as well. Follow the Science Festival if you are able. There is so much to learn, so much to discover. And if I can understand it, anyone can.