Last time I wrote to you I was sat in my three piece suit in the restaurant on the top floor of Harvey Nichols. All very glamourous and glitzy… and so was Harvey Nichols! I was waiting to meet up with my girlfriend. Now I am writing from a little pokey student accomodation room with the sound of bagpipers practicing somewhere nearby and my girlfriend has gone home.

Watching fireworks from Harvey Nichols

I don’t mind saying that I have been feeling rather sad without her and have been missing her as soon as I waved her goodbye at the train station. Having spent the previous couple of weeks bodding around Edinburgh together, I now find myself having to do all the same things on my own. As I walked around yesterday I was aware of the silence, of the sound of cars going by and the sound of hoovering from flats I passed, whereas a couple of days before, we would have been merrily chatting away.

As I sat in Harvey Nichols on the 11th, I had just done my show and was looking forward to my day off. I should say that a member of the audience from that show turned out to be booking for a festival in Leeds in September and asked me to take the show there! Look out for my show about shoes soon, Leed-ites!

 
Once I met up with my girlfriend, we had something to eat and later we saw Daniel Kitson and Gavin Osborne at the Stand – which was predictably, tediously, yet another amazing work of genius. That finished late. We got in about three.

On my day off, we had out annual visit to the Kitchin and enjoyed an amazing lunch. Whenever we decide to come to the Fringe, it’s the first thing we book. What’s the most important thing at an arts festival? Michelin-starred food. It makes a change from burgers anyway.

My starter – Pork Cannelloni

Desert – Coffee Souffle and stout ice cream

Then we went to see Ivo Graham. I wasn’t sure what to expect except it had been recommended by friends. He was great! Very dense, punchline-filled stand up. Then we managed a quick visit to the 10 to 10 to share a curry (Curry count: 3 and 1/2) before seeing Nick Helm in his Two Night Stand at the Grand. Which was… enormous!

Helm! Helm! Helm! Helm!

The next day, we got up early and I saw Kerry to the train station and waved her goodbye. I then had to race back to the flat, pack up and move out to Pollock Halls, where I am now. I had the remainder of the curry from last night and a fried egg for breakfast (Curry count 3 and 3/4).

I wasn’t very good at flyering that afternoon as I was on my own and feeling a bit blue. But I got an audience in for the show at 6.20pm. Though there was a large contingent of teenage girls – who got none of the many nineties references. Though it was fun editing out the swearing as I went. Words like “silly-billy” came into play for the first times in years.

After the show I came straight back to halls. We hadn’t watched any of the DVDs I brought up. I got through the whole first TV series of Utopia in one night. So whilst I am missing my girlfriend I may at least catch up with some of the TV programmes I have missed.

 
… I am prevaricating a little by writing this blog. I should be doing a run-through. I have a reviewer coming in today the show today. I’d better get on…