Ed Blog #2 4th Aug

Today was our full day in Edinburgh without any shows to see (not even the previews have started yet) so I set about doing alternative things, some necessary and some just for the sake of it. The first thing I did was run across the road first thing in the morning and book myself a hair cut which was neither quite necessary but also not just for the sake of it. Then, my mum, my brother and I walked up to the Royal Mile for breakfast. This was strange as the flyering hadn’t started in earnest but there was the odd peculiarly dressed people advertising shows.

I booked all my tickets for the shows I’m seeing in the last week I’m here which was much more successful (and cheaper) than I anticipated. Only one show was sold out so I got most of my wishes. The only problem with booking the tickets was that I’m pretty much going to be alone during the days in the last week so all the shows I booked, I’m going to see alone. To avoid confusion and repeating myself too much I told the guy at the counter before I began booking that I was getting a lot of tickets and all of them were just one ticket for each. He, however, didn’t quite understand the concept of one going to watch a show alone so kept on asking at regular intervals if it was still just the one ticket I wanted for these shows. I’m sure he wasn’t trying to be mean but it just kept on drilling the point home that I am going to be on my own for most of my time during the last week. I hadn’t even really thought about it before this moment. It didn’t occur to me as a problem. Sure, I’ll be alone but I’ll be doing the thing that makes me the happiest in the world, seeing live comedy. Some of the acts I know well, some are new experiences, either way, I can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing. However, his lack of grasping the concept of being alone made me think for minute if I’ll be ok. Not for long though, I soon snapped out of it. I saw what felt like a million shows mostly by myself last year and I loved it. It’s not like I’ll be spending the evenings by myself. With any luck I’ll be drinking ridiculous amounts with lovely and funny people every evening until I’m due to go home. So there, Fringe box office man. Ner! That was the necessary thing.

The just for the sake of it thing was the underground vaults, ghosty type tour of Edinburgh. It has been recommended to me by a few people so all three of us went along. I’m not very good with scary stuff. I’ve never been a fan of horror movies and I’m not one of those who get pleasure out of being scared. I know full well that no such thing as ghosts exist but for some reason the wuss in me’s heart rate still speeds up. Even though I know what they’re saying is a mixture of folk tale and pure unadulterated fiction on behalf of the tour company, even though I can spot when they’re being suggestive in order to get the experiences, feelings and reactions from their audiences that they need, I’m still agitated and would rather not be there, especially when they switch off all the lights and blow out all the candles. I obviously need to go to a few more Sceptics In The Pub meetings. All in all I think the underground tour of one of the other areas that focuses on the social history of the place sounds far more interesting and worthwhile but that is just me.

We start seeing shows tomorrow which I am very excited about although I’m slightly concerned about the crowd sizes, I don’t want to make up the entire audience but I’m sure it’ll be fine.