Ah London town, how I have missed you. Even with your streets sodden with rain, I felt warmed and heartened to be back where I belong - however briefly. Once again I felt like I had been away for months.
I headed out for dinner with a friend tonight feeling happier than I have for a while, not least because some thirty minutes earlier I had finally put the finishing touches to my script and emailed it off. Had I waited another three days the script would have been three months late, but I got it in before the three month late deadline and think I can be proud of myself for that. Actually, given how much else I have been doing and how little time I have had to actually sit down and work, I got the thing done remarkably quickly. It's mainly come together in the last fortnight and mainly on just four or five days where I had time to ponder and work, so I am not too scared at the prospect of having to spend the rest of the year writing scripts for two series. That's only if both shows come off. There is a chance I will be writing scripts for no series. Only time will tell.
But at least I could allow myself a night to relax, before starting to worry about the fact that I have two months to write an hour of stand up for Edinburgh and I walked through the rain, past the green with a big smile on my face, making myself indistinguishable from all the other lunatics who hang around there.
As I descended into the tube station I was hit by the dirty, electricy, oily smell that hangs in the air down there. It's not a smell you notice on a day to day basis, as you become used to it and it fades into the background. But it's been a while since I have taken a tube and the smell was all too noticeable. It's neither pleasant or unpleasant, but it spoke to me of being home and again made me stupidly smiley.Further up the platform I stopped to tie up my shoelaces on the plastic benches, where another man was fussing over his possessions. I was hit by a different smell, the smell of uncleaned tramp and for a second I worried that my damp trainers and ragged jean bottoms were causing the stench. Then I realised it was actually the man I was next to, who on closer inspection was a hobo (and not the littlest one, which would have been cute at least). This smell didn't make me smile and I walked further up the platform to escape it. You can look at London through rose-tinted glasses, but until someone invents rose-smelling nostril guards then it will never appear truly perfect.
Good to be home. Good to have that monkey off my back. Good to look at the tour schedule and see it's down to a more manageable number of gigs, even if there is a slightly ridiculous level of travel to get through this week.
OK, it's that time of year again when you get your chance to get your name in my Edinburgh programme. Simply visit
my justgiving website and donate AT LEAST ten pounds and you will not only see you name up in ink, BUT ALSO be sent a signed limited edition of the programme as soon as it is ready AND ON TOP OF THAT get entered into a draw to win signed scripts, DVDs and other junk lying around my office. But the more money you donate, the bigger your name will be in the programme and the person who donates the most money will win a special prize of some kind (to be announced -it will be something good and will include limited edition programme number 1). So go and donate some money at www.justgiving.com/richardherring40 and then email your home postal address to herring1967@googlemail.com (or otherwise you won't get your free stuff) Please state in the email what name you want to appear in the programme. I am afraid that this year I can only accept money through the website as receiving cheques through the mail causes too much administration, so the only way to get your name in the programme is to donate on line.
If you are a business or charity that want to advertise yourself in the programme (or know anyone who might be interested) please email me to find out rates. The programme is given free to 10,000 comedy fans during Edinburgh and any subsequent tour.
All money raised goes to
SCOPE, which is an excellent cause, so you'll not only be insuring your name goes down in history, getting a special programme (probably worth more on ebay than ten pounds) and getting the chance to win some extra goodies, you're also being charitable. It's like a national lottery where everyone wins. Do not delay, as the programme will have to go to print pretty soon, so you will need to have donated by 22 June to be sure of getting your name in the programme. I look forward to hearing from you.
