Edinburgh Book Festival

We went back to the Book Festival again this year - we were organised too - took lunch, water and remembered our rain jackets (we needed them!). We were extremely lucky to get a couple of ticket returns so Lucy and Adam could get in to see Jacqueline Wilson and then even luckier when a woman behind me in the queue said she had a spare ticket and gave it to me so I could go in too (and she wouldn't take my money either - nice lady). JW gave an hour long talk with question time at the end and was really lovely. Really interesting and easy to listen too. The only tiny disappointment was that we didn't manage to get Lucy's book signed as she had to limit the numbers due to her health, but we were all thrilled to have seen and heard her. She is teeny!



I also met up with a lady from the Open University (they are one of the sponsors of the BF and had an area there) that had helped me when I returned to study with them 3 courses back. She was extremely helpful to me at that time, although I had never met her in person, and so I was delighted to finally meet her face to face and be able to thank her in person.

After all that excitement, we traipsed in the rain to watch the street performers in the rain at the Mound. I seem to remember it raining at the Mound last year too! It was fun though - the kids absolutely love it.

So, a good day had by all including Dave who even managed to avoid all tram works and find a very handy parking space.

Festival Frolics

Last week the children and myself went off on the bus to Edinburgh to visit the Book Festival. Lucy and Adam LOVE going on the bus so it was a real treat for them (I remember when going in a car was a treat. Oh dear, showing my age...) and of course we had to go over the Forth Road Bridge - much excitement looking out of the windows over the edge of the bridge to the waters way beneath us!!



We hung around the Book Festival for a bit exploring the bookshops, having a coffee (very expensive) and attending the free storytelling (I think Adam felt he was a bit too 'grown up' for that sort of thing - until the storyteller asked if she could use his 'name' in her story!).



There was some art at the book festival which consisted of a shed and some blue bins half buried in the grass. Miss Lucy was not impressed and said in a very loud voice that that 'was NOT art'. On leaving the book festival, she decided to take some 'artistic' photos (just to show the difference between 'art' and 'NOT art' you understand!). So here they are...

1.


2.


3.


Artistic moment over, we headed down to Princes Street to see what else was going on. There were a lot of film crews around as there was quite a lot of street theatre/performance - you can see a camera set up in the road just next to Lucy here. Just after I took this pic the one o'clock gun went off up at the Castle and frightened us half to death - we loved it!



We found some fire jugglers, escape artists, and a young man who could dislocate his shoulders at will - which thrilled Lucy and Adam no end (but not me - ewww!).



I just love the architecture in Edinburgh, and the atmosphere around festival time is just brilliant - no one cares if it rains!

Hamish came with us - he is quite the cultured coo you know.



We would have stayed much longer if it hadn't been for the weather. We ended up getting rather soaked and hungry and had to head away from the entertainment in search of sustenance and the bus home, but all in all a good day out.