Reading Festival

This is a work in progress

Monster Trucks!

Just a quick post to say that I WENT TO A MONSTER TRUCK RALLY!!! It was awesome! The noise that those things make, the smell of burning fuel and the shear stompyness of it all was so cool!!!


It was all Tansy's idea and she gets massive kudos for this one! I wasn't told where we were going, just given a matchbox truck and told it was a hint =) They initially had races around a course with jumps over the cars but then had a freestyle session without the ramps where some serious car crushination and over reving of engines took place. At one point one of the trucks span sideways off the cars and rolled over. The driver was fine and 30mins later he was racing again. Awesome!




As well as that they had guys doing stunts on dirt bikes and all the rest of the fun of the fair. Cheesey rides, shoot the targets and win a prize stalls etc. It was like the Easter Show with Monster trucks =D


vrooom, vrooom, VRRRAAAAUUUUUOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!

Edinburgh Fringe Festival

What can I say? If you're even vaguely interested in the arts and do not make it to this festival at least once in your lifetime then you have not lived!
The Fringe Festival is an offshoot from the more prestigous traditional International Edinburgh Festival which is commonly associated with opera, classical music and, of course, the Edinburgh MilitaryTattoo. It starting in 1948 when a bunch of uninvited performers turned up at the International Festival in order to take advantage of the theatre crowds already present. It is now the world's largest arts festival this year having 380 venues throughout the city (many with more than one theatre) and 1800 acts throughout the three weeks it runs for - it has to be seen to be believed! Just being in the city of Edinburgh during the festival is an experience in itself. There's street theatre all over the place, particularly on the pedestrianised Royal Mile, which is both performers advertising their shows and buskers hoping for your spare change. Wherever you go there are posters advertising shows and leaflets and brochures thrust at you left right and centre as the various artists try and get you to choose their show out of the 1800 available. The atmosphere is electric and with most shows between 5-12 pounds I would go to two or three a day and spend the intervening time watching street theatre. Fantastic!
The type of works available are widely varied from stand-up comedy to modern dance to emotional drama and art exibitions. I only had five days to see what I could and in the end settled for:

Why You're Fat and Ugly and Everybody Hates You
A youth theatre musical with my Uncle's partner's son in it. Not particularly good but amusing enough and I was there because of the family connections.

The Pilgrimage
Produced by my Uncle's partner this one was youth theatre production and a serious piece. But it was very well done even though the acting was rather shaky in parts and I rather enjoyed it.

Rock and Roll Penguin
Silent Japanese clowns dressed as penguins. This was one of the two best shows I went to as these guys are comic geniuses!

Tony Blair - The Musical

Political satire is not normally my forte but this musical with all it's charicatures was very well done and incredibly funny.

Idiots of Ants

Comedy sketch show by four very funny guys - great!

Eurobeat - Almost Eurovision
If you're not familiar with the Eurovision Song Contest then you wouldn't understand this one but it's basically taking taking the Mickey out of that. I absolutely loved it! It got rave reviews and they were totally justified. This was the other of my two favourite shows.

Dan Atkinson Knows the He Knows Nothing
Stand up comic. Excellent artist, great laughs!

Potted Potter
Technically a kids show but what's not to love about two guys trying desperately to do the first six books in 60 minutes? Another winner!

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is an experience I'll never forget =D