As another August has been an gone it takes with it any chance of a decent summer and another Edinburgh Fringe.
I had another great time performing at the Fringe this year and very thankful to all those who came along on the nights.
Performing at the fringe requires a whole set of planning, organisation and marketing skills, the most important being transport to and from the venue.
Everyone will be aware that driving in Edinburgh is a no no, particularly during the Fringe, however when faced with the alternative of The Last Train Home, these 2 options are close contenders for which is the lesser nightmare.
This year i chanced both options.
My first attempt to visit Edinburgh for a comedy show this year failed due to inclement weather (flash floods on the railway lines). As a result trains were cancelled, roads were blocked and i missed the show.
so.. for my first gig i though it better safe than sorry and decided to take the car. However due to my planning expertise, I had chosen the date and time of my gig to coincide with Hearts biggest european game in decades - Hearts vs Tottenham at Tyncastle - only 500m from the venue. This resulted in huge traffic congestion, nowhere to park and 1hr 40mins journey time from Glasgow to Edinburgh. Major headache.
The following week having learned my lesson, I opted for the lottery of train travel.
I had to fight my way through hordes of zombies, not unusual for a Friday night in Glasgow, however this was due to the filming of the Brad Pitt film World War Z. Apart from that, 45 mins on the train, no bother!
Great gig, a few beers and it was time to head home. We decided to get an earlier train to avoid 'The Last Train Home' however this was soon to be regretted. It turns out that the 11pm train stops aeverywhere on the way home!. 1hr 30mins, and 1 severely zombied escapee with a sore head who awoke on the train in Edinburgh (having fell asleep and missed his stop) meant that every single passenger was on a red alert for their own safety.
It seems the odds are stacked against you when trying to get back late at night to Glasgow, although traveling by public transport means there is no need to visit Edinburgh Zoo, or indeed watch Brad Pitts forthcoming zombie film.