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Loads of exhausting fun with the family today. For the first time in my life I went to Portobello Beach and my sand-hungry daughter had the time of her life making and then destroying hand-crafted sandcastles and then even more fun making a sand man with facial features made of shells and pebbles and arms made of twigs. The wind blew sand into our eyes and mouths and made the beach seem alive as fine sand swirled like clouds of insects. We had parked next to a soft play facility and went in to have a look around, only intending to get a coffee in the cafe. That turned out to be for ticket holders only, but we were swept into the area like sand caught in the wind and no one asked for money. As we were only intending to drink a coffee and get the lay of the land we decided not to confess that we had gatecrashed. We saved £2.50 as a result, but they made money out of us on the drinks. And we didn’t stay for too long as I was nervous about letting Phoebe tackle the main portion of the soft play which was for 5 year olds and above. Later on I saw parents with wee children in there. Maybe we’ll got back and let her fend for herself amongst those older kids.
Then my wife went off for lunch and it was daddy and daughter afternoon, which seemed to last forever in my tired state. We went to the playground where Phoebe had bonked her head and to make up for my earlier wussiness, I lifted her up on to the very high up bit of the climbing frame. I regretted doing so as there were loads of places she could fall off, so I got up with her and then felt a little woozy from the height and a bit scared when it came to coming down and realising there was no obvious exit for a 2 year old who didn’t know how to come down a rope ladder or a fireman’s pole, or indeed a 50 year old who had no sense of adventure and was afraid of everything. Luckily I managed to get her down without another visit to the hospital.
We had fun with a bubble sword - to be honest I think she was as impressed by my ability to create bubbles as she was with the Amazing Bubble Man. As we walked up the road after some of our neighbours commented that we’d been enjoying the bubbles, which had rained down on them too. They didn’t seem to mind.
It was Fringe super Saturday and I’d been sold out for a while, and the gig was a good one, with the audience singing along to the intro music spontaneously (Celebrate Good Times by Kool and the Gang). I did comment later that it was going to be hard to keep up with that level of entertainment, but it was a pretty good show. And I did an extra gig at the thoroughly enjoyable “Abigail’s Party” (not the play - that would have been weird) starring the very talented Abigail Burdess. She does some brilliant characters and it’s a show about growing older and having less sex, so I fitted right in.
And in other good news just before I left for my gig I completed the 500th question for the new Emergency Questions book, which will be out for Christmas and which we’re going to use to kickstart the next series of RHLSTP (and also itself weirdly, as the books are now as much a thing as the podcasts). I think you’ll have fun with this one over the Christmas dinner table. We’re also getting pretty close to releasing an app.
Joining John Robins for the bonus, un-listed RHEFP on 25th August at 3.40pm will be the amazing Tiffany Stevenson. It should be a great afternoon.
Come along if you can.
Looks like we should have over 100 in which is all I wanted, but if the word gets round then it could be more than that. It will be a fitting end to the Fringe. And will of course go up as a podcast like the others.
Still a few chances to see Oh Frig I’m 50!
Book ahead (especially if you’re hoping to see it at the weekend).
