Mind the cracks

The last eleven months, when Edinburgh seemed to do little but renovate, repair and plan for the Festival, it was easy to forget that the month of August itself has little to do with the people who live here. Much of the audience is from away, as are the performers and a substantial number of organisers and writers.

It's an awkward embrace, sometimes. Take this tip from the ThreeWeeks Ladies McMonthly column:

Fresh fruit and veg are scarce in central Edinburgh which may leave you feeling bloated and static stooled. Our tried and tested remedy involves heading for one of Edinburgh’s charming late night kebaberies...

...there follows some unpleasantness about food poisoning. It probably doesn't need saying that I have no trouble buying vegetables near my downtown flat. But, the joke goes, Scotland isn't sophisticated enough for greens. Or something?

It almost makes me appreciate our local nationalist chalk writer, who keeps "End London Rule" scrawled across Hume on the Royal Mile. If it makes a few visitors think about local politics for a few minutes, it might forgive said writer's relentless lack of creativity.

But sometimes the commentary is mostly cute. Take this ad for a sketch comedy show, chalked on the Royal Mile.

From Edinburgh

Well, I giggled. Maybe it's the latent foreigner in me. The first thing I did in this city was trip on some cobblestones and scrape myself up in the middle of traffic.