under another sun

A bit of a medical theme, today. I had to get up early and walk off to have a blood test first thing. The nurse achieved a hole in one in my vein, which is a refreshing change. I walked home, and eventually was able to speak to Mum at the Royal Free. She was sounding pretty good, and the procedure yesterday didn’t leave her too uncomfortable. I also spoke to Mas, who was complaining about the number of people who had called around to check on him. Then after walking home, Lorraine and I went to have our feet done at a podiatrist called Sole Sisters. I’d never been to a podiatrist before. But having my feet sorted out (I have slightly ingrowing toenails) was great. The Kenny feet felt far more balletic right away. I am not particularly fond of my feet, but Lucy the podiatrist led me to believe that she had seen far grizzlier sights. Afterwards Lucy did Lorraine, while I drank a coffee in the café next door. In the afternoon, we dropped some baby clothes to Sam's old pal John Ma...

So lovely to wake up in our own bed, even if it was to the selfish promptings of Brian and Calliope. Staggered downstairs, to feed the cats and make tea and lurch back. Rosie and Innis who had stayed the night shot off early. Innis with a copywriting job. Lorraine and I pottered about and getting unpacked. In the afternoon, we walked over to see Anton's house and had a barbecue. Anton in good health, and says he is feeling lots better. He has been eating incredibly healthily vegetables and fruit in abundance, and grains and other things his former self would have sneered at, and feel full of springiness. He has also been walking steadily more each day. His doctors suggested he have a glass of red wine every day too, one of the few instructions (along with a square of dark chocolate) that he really liked.  The new drinking is a glass of wine, and a bottle of sparkling water. I followed this model, having drunk my fill and more lately. Good to see him looking so well though. Toda...

So another big breakfast, and packing this morning. Beth's lovely bestie Olivia came to the hotel this morning (she had a day off from working in the Leeds Dungeon).  Then all off to the station, there is an entrance a stones throw from the hotel. Sam surprised Lorraine as we dragged our cases through the gates. Hugs with him, before Pat, Maureen, John, Beth Lorraine and I set off for Kings Cross. Maureen had a migraine on the train and felt rotten, but she and Pat and her caught the Ashford Train at St Pancras, and they were met by Lorraine's brother Ken at the other end. Lorraine and I with John and Beth then got the Brighton train. Beth, Lorraine and I catching a cab from Preston Park home. Here Rosie and Innis, who had been looking after Calliope and Brian for the last few days, had cooked us a lovely meal and bought beers. Had a cheery drink and a meal with them, before Lorraine and I dragged ourselves off to bed. Beth, having done some laundry, went off to John's wi...

Feeling reasonably fresh and non hungover this morning. Must be the fact I drank lots of water judiciously yesterday, in between the positively good for you vegan beers, and the vigorously funktastic free dance I was doing at the end of the night. Very, very tired though. A slow breakfast in the hotel, with Pat and Maureen, and John and Beth. It was a help yourself buffet breakfast, so I started with porridge, then ate a cooked breakfast for good measure, with cups of coffee and orange juice. Lorraine and I then went for a walk into town with Pat and Maureen, pausing to have a nice coffee somewhere. The space under the station runs with canal weirs, and is weirdly lit. Pat and I were speculating that it would be a good place for a murder story to start. Home again, and a brief snooze. Before regrouping with Beth and John, Pat and Maureen and heading off to the Town Hall Tavern, where we met Sam and Jade and Sian. Lorraine and Sian are already getting on splendidly.  I really ...

Sam and Jade's wedding day today. I squeezed in my suit, somewhat snugger than it was before a week in Edinburgh, and Lorraine donned her glad rags, and readied her fascinator. Despite glowering clouds first thing, the weather was sunny and cheerful for the wedding. We descended in the Schindler's lifts, as pointed out by Pat, into a taxi bound for Leeds Town Hall. John had walked off with Sam and his groomsmen early. And Beth had melted away in the morning, being a bridesmaid. So that when Lorraine, Pat, Maureen and I arrived by taxi. Sam with his groomsmen, some of the bridesmaids and other guests all looking very smart outside. We went inside to a simple but pleasant room inside for the ceremony itself. Lorraine very happy all day, and had tears of joy in her eyes when Jade appeared with her bridesmaids, which included Beth. I felt very happy for them both too, and found everything quite moving. Sam and Jade looked lovely. Jade in a simple but lovely white dress, and t...

Blearily, everyone got up and started cleaning the flat, before we had to vacate it at 11-ish. Lorraine having to go of and get her hair washed and set ready for tomorrow's wedding first thing too. Fond farewells with Amy, who is staying in Edinburgh, and then the rest of us cabbed to Edinburgh station. Fond farewells with Kitty and Matt there, before Beth, Lorraine and I caught the train to York, before scrambling, heavily laden, across the platforms to catch the trans pennine to Leeds. Mixed feelings about leaving Edinburgh. Quite nice to be able to relax, but also lots left to see and experience there. I really liked it. The Hilton Double Trees hotel is near the station, but we all arrived tired. Here I had a much needed shower, and Beth and Lorraine nipped back to the station to collect Pat and Maureen, and John who had travelled up with them from Brighton. Later we had a cheery meal in the hotel restaurant, and then went up to the 13floor where there is a Sky Bar, that is ...

Last full day in Edinburgh. I went with Amy to see the show she was also tech for, a comedian called Cally in a show called Super Cally Fragile Lipstick. The room wasn't great, and the lighting failed a couple of minutes before the show. So the performance had to be done in just the room lights. This killed the atmosphere, and I didn't love her material, either. Amy and I made our way back home, and I sat in the café and had carrot cake and coffee, and went to meet Lorraine from the bus, who had just had her nails done. Off to the wee Sainsburys where a man was being thrown out for attempted shoplifting, he been in there before trying to steal steaks apparently. The origin of calling Edinburgh Auld Reekie, due to the smell from various local breweries, was explained to us by a man at the till. Rather friendly and knowledgeable for a bloke on a till. So last performance of A Glass of Nothing tonight at the Surgeons’ Hall. A bit of a disappointing audience, but Jane Postle...

A leisurely breakfast in the Hideaway cafe with Lorraine and Betty, although I had to send back our breakfasts because they were different to what we had ordered. I was given a free coffee as an apology.  Off then into town. To do a spot of shopping with Lorraine, and meet the others to see   Jenny Collier , one of the Nasty Women we had seen the other day. A natural comedic talent I thought. She has a section where she talks about farts, and used the phrase 'a barking spider' to describe one, which made me chuckle because its so mad. Although the strange melting away of six people at the same time to go to the toilet seemed to throw her a bit. Lorraine and I walked past Greyfriars Bobby at one point, its nose gleaming where people touch it for good luck. Lorraine and I had fish and chips in very busy cafe opposite the Surgeons' Hall. Excellent it was, with absolutely delicious fish. Then across the road, to the Surgeons' Hall to fret and flyer till show time. Anot...

A bit of a slow start for Lorraine and I today. Beth and Amy into town to meet up with Sarah and Suzie and Ollie. Lorraine and I, along with Kitty caught a cab into the old part of town. En route we passed a poster for our show. There are quite a few around town, but given there are a bazillion posters and flyers around town it is a drop in the ocean. When you realise just how much of the centre is given over to Fringe stuff, and how often one gets approached with flyers it is amazing. We four went off to see Jane Postlethwaite , who Kitty knew slightly and we saw at the women standup show we saw a couple of days ago. A really entertaining and imaginative show called The House , which had us four in it, two others, a critic and a fellow actor in the audience. Matt, Kitty and I were dragged onto the stage. After this show, and Jane saying she may come to ours, Kitty discovered that her bank account had been hacked in India, and her bank urgently called her. All sorted quite soon, howe...

Flyering. Not flyering is more stressful than flyering, because at least I feel like I am doing something to promote the show. Beth went to an free education session about promoting a show, which laid on by theSpace this morning. I went off for a solo flyering mission. Although sunny, obviously rained when I set to work. I have found my own technique which is to have half a pint of beer first, and then chat to people warmly. Although this is outside my comfort zone, I realised I still have it in me to do it fairly well. People end up asking lots of questions. It is time consuming, but I am hoping a qualitative rather than quantitative approach might work. Beth, Kitty and Matt all flyering too at different times and other places. One woman gave me her card, she is connected with the theatre in Dundee. I also went alone to see the show by the Swiss folks, called Idle Time. It was in German, with plot pointer subtitles. It was very odd, with the cast all dressed in white and lying on ...

A day off, and much needed regrouping and de-shattering. A rainy, cold day in Edinburgh. Lorraine and I rested lots and then went for a walk around and about in Leith, mooching about by the old docks, which have been transformed, and government buildings. We also went to a place called Toast, which had opened today, for a snack. Good food, nice coffee, but a stress atmosphere caused by it being everyone's first day. Nice to have a bit of quality time with Lorraine. In the evening, we all went off to see a show of high-quality women comedians in a show called Nasty Women on the Fringe . Matt got picked on and brought up into one of the acts. Loads of laughs through the night. A great line up and we are going to see some of the women next week if we can. It was free to get in, but you had to pay to leave. Well worth it. Below a view from one of our rooms, if you enlarge it you can see the bird corpses rotting in the wirework. Then old rails, the stairs leading up to our nice a...

Up to a full house. With Sam and Jade in the front room. A large and military style breakfast this morning, cooked by Lorraine and aided by her chief kitchen porter. Beth and I off to the grand meet the press session at one o clock. It was advertised as a chance to pitch your piece to the press. Naively I had seen this as a few minutes to a room full of journos etc. The reality was very different. An enormous queue snaking out of a university building down the street. Once you got inside, having queued for an hour, then each publication had a desk and there were long queues for this. Hours of standing about, but we managed to get to speak to three different publications. After this Beth and I had a much needed reviving coffee, and a diabetes inducing piece of millionaire shortcake. While we had been doing this, Kitty and Matt had been flyering, giving hundreds of flyers away. Home, and we all regrouped, somewhat tired and frazzled. Lorraine, who had been with Sam and Jade, cooked a...

A nervy day before our first public dress rehearsal. We had a team breakfast in the Hideout Cafe a few doors down the street. Into town this afternoon. Lots to organise, and I had to find a local printer and copy lots of press releases, a simple thing but it added to the last minuteness of stuff. Beth, Kitty and Matt doing flyering for the show in Edinburgh. Lorraine and I zooming about dropping flyers and posters off at various Space venues. Then back to Mimi's a cafe near us where I had a steadying half a beer.  Then off in the evening in the bus, Beth, Kitty and Matt flyering outside for a bit too. The weather not our friend today. Really rainy and dreary all day.  I had to calm myself down at one point. I have been doing some meditation again lately, and I took ten minutes out midday for some mindful time. Really pleased I did. Also deciding that whatever happens in our run in Edinburgh, it is a win. So nice to have Lorraine with me at a time like this. So, the ...

Up at an ungodly ten past five, and frenzied around before out taxi came at ten to six. Down to Brighton station, and caught the slow train up to St Pancras. Nice to be doing this commute without having to work in an agency. The train broke down a couple of stops before St Pancras, but this only added a small delay, and we met Kitty and Matt at Kings Cross and caught the Edinburgh train in good time. About four hours and twenty minutes later, we disembarked in Edinburgh. Chatted to Mum and Toby on the train, and texted Anton. A pleasant journey up, zooming through downpours and sunny spells. Amy met us on the platform, and we cabbed to our digs in Leith, an air b'n'b flat at the top of rather posh tenement buildings. A nice smart interior, but the sixty stairs leading up to it, time worn with people's feet. Then a bus to Edinburgh for our tech rehearsal. Collected some of the props we had preordered from Argos first, and had a coffee and a snack. Then to the Surgeons...