Monday
Delighted to be invited to co-host this years Great Scot Awards. I have been involved with the judging panel for 8 years now and it is the most important date in annual calendar to meet and talk to the unsung heroes that are The Great Scots. The lovely Jenny Falconer will be co-hosting with me. I haven’t yet put in a bid to be as far away from her on the podium as possible to avoid us looking like the before and after of the Slim Fast Diet. I h ave been trying to stick to salad but there is something about these wild windy, wet, foggy days that just make me want to eat pies. Louis and David are going camping tomorrow for 2 nights to Perthshire.It’s the first time Louis has ever gone and he is keyed up with his rucksack packed full of clothes. Boys don’t change that much when they’re camping Dave told him which put an even bigger smile on his face.
Tuesday
Waved the boys off at 7am as I got into the shower. Louis has even put a pillow in . Really that boy doesn’t know hardship. He is more interested in the provisions food wise than anything else. Yes they have a wee stove, a wee pan and I suspect a slim chance of eating at all as they are hoping to cook the fish they catch. I had bought a couple of burgers for them to put in their cool bag but optimistically or foolishly – we shall see -they have left them in the fridge which is fine as Dynamite is staying with me tonight and we are going to watch the taped Dragons Den, eat burgers and stay off the wine.
Wednesday
Woken up at 5am with rain that would be more at home in a monsoon. Immediately I have visions of the River Lyon swelling and sweeping my two boys away in their tent. I text Dave but of course there is no signal. I wait with bated breath. Keep busy to distract myself and head off to the vet with half dog half Womble Flora who has something stuck in her nose. Really the vet just smirks when he sees me – usually I am with Sam the lab and he knows to get the glove on – but on this occasion Flora is nasally prodded and the verdict is she has kennel cough which is apparently rife in Edinburgh just now. She has been inoculated but apparently that just means they get less symptoms so I take the old snuffler back home and put her on the couch as I wait to hear from the two windswept , starving wet boys.
Thursday
Still no word from the camping twins. Trying not to worry but have no way of contacting them. This is how it was in the old days of course but I am so used to several silly texts a day that even my hair is clenched. I am walking down the road worrying when suddenly I hear a shout ‘Hey are you looking for a toy boy?’ shouts a cheeky young man. ‘No! I am not!’ I say unable to prevent a laugh flying out of my mouth ‘ Oh well would you like a chip then?’. The charm of the young.
Had Coreen Scott and Andrew Dallmeyer on the Radio Program today talking about their new fringe production ‘The Battle of Pots N Pans’ aka The Battle of Prestonpans . Apparently it lasted 7 ½ minutes but the Scots victorious celebrated for about a fortnight. I liked the cut of their jib. I like the sound of living in 1745 until the Battle of Culloden which didn’t sound quite such good crack obviously. Anyway it is a modern day take on the whole thing and sounds great. Coreen the singer with Laverock has a magical voice and sings songs that intersperse with the story. Anyway they’re on til the 10th at St. Cuthberts Church – a bit of Scots history for the family.
Friday
It’s the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival so I have two of the Dizzy Gillespie All Stars on today. Nice blokes performing in Edinburgh it’s hard for them to sound too enthusiastic about Edinburgh when they have barely seen it through the mist, fog and damp that has been this week. But they claim to love it anyway. Bless. Half way through the show a bloke rushes into the studio and starts hitting the alarm casings – what are you doing? – testing the alarms he tells me. His name is Andy from ADT and he is a regular reader of this column. He asked me ‘ how do you fit so much in ?’ I asked him the same question honestly if anyone wrote down what they do in an average week they would surprise themselves. Just as he departed I spotted 3 firemen in full fire gear in the studio through from mine. Swoon. There was nothing to worry about it was just a fire alarm drill.Several of the girls were pretending to faint and hoping to be carried out of the building but the guys saw through them immediately. I know what Dave’s getting for Christmas.
Saturday
Had a reunion of Aberdonians last night. All the folks we hung about with when we were teenagers. We were thick as thieves in those days and tonight we were in the pub from 7pm until 1am. 7 of us live in Scotland, 1 in London, 1 in Hong Kong and Dave the bass player came all the way up from Guildford on his motorbike. In fact the engine on his bike is bigger than the one in my first car but he was still a but sore round the hurdies. I was impressed with everyone’s stamina last night – especially mine – but not so much this morning. Having sworn off wine, gin is getting my custom these days. My first drink was a double and then the kitty kicked in so I assumed I was getting singles but when I awoke this morning with a head like a bag of bolts it seems there wasn’t much tonic in any of them. Lie still. Quiet. Peaceful but it still feels like I have 76 trombones in my skull. Round to mother-in-laws tonight for a Chinese carry out which is ideal. We sit in the garden, eat Chinese food and all get quite hysterical unable to stop laughing at one point. Early night and looking forward to feeling fresh and cleansed tomorrow.
