Another month almost gone and I’ve only been in Edinburgh for seven days of it; after only a few days back from my European wanderings, I was summoned down to Yorkshireland. Busy, busy, and two sick pooches as well. Oh, they’re both fully recovered now – now that I’ve left.

I’m still working through all the photos, videos and occasional scribbles from my trip. As a matter of curiosity, this afternoon I went quickly through which songs I’ve taken videos of, and surprisingly there are none of Babestation, I know! Really?! Hot Blondes and Lost In You have the most clips, followed by Merry-Go-Round, Mock Marble Linoleum and Dans Le Jardin. Some will pop up randomly on Instagram, but I do intend to put them in some semblance of order later (mind, good intentions can just stay that way).

I am without tv to distract me – it says there’s no signal. It actually happened back halfway through April but as I had a lot to sort out I just left it. I’ve plenty to be getting on with now, so it can stay off, well the tv can, I do have a number of tv series on dvd that I can watch; there’s radio shows too. I’ve been listening to That Mitchell and Webb Sound on Spotify, still as funny and sharp as it was (on the Radio 4 early evening comedy slot between 2003 and 2013). I’m now on series 4, particular favourites are the Stargate sketches and the Old Lady Job Justification Hearings, so bitingly funny.

Missing watching tv at teatime, I dug out my old Coupling dvds, a tv comedy sitcom by Steven Moffat from about twenty years ago, loved it then and still do, especially Richard Coyle as Geoff. Some of the monologues would make brilliant set pieces in a stand-up routine. If anyone does snaffle the cushion speech by Steve, I’d know it from about six words in!

Last night I finally got round to watching Ash vs Evil Dead, it’s only been in a drawer unwatched for, oo, fifteen years?! OMG, it is so good! No, I don’t know why I never got round to watching it before, I think it was going very cheaply when the HMV store on Princes Street was closing down, I did buy a number of dvds at the time. I will definitely be looking for the second and third series at some point. Yeah, so no tv signal but I have plenty to entertain me.

There’ll be plenty to entertain this weekend, the first full weekend in June so it’s Meadows Festival time. The rain gods are being canny this year, rather than a wet weekend, there’s heavy rain everyday up until then, the ground will be pretty soggy and with all those feet traipsing everywhere – there will be mud. Saturday evening I’m off to see The Crow in the cinema, I’ve never seen it so grabbed a ticket for the 30th Anniversary Re-Release, better late than never, as they say.

It’s only two weeks until the full printed Edinburgh Fringe 2024 programme comes out, oh yay. Yes, I’m still being good and not peeking. Okay, so I know some shows that are up through social media, and ones that aren’t, like Aidan Goatley who’s not bringing his new show Looking For Edith, noooo!! If he’s doing it in your area, lucky you, bloody go see it and be thankful! The other Aidan, Aidan Sadler will be back, yay. And very exciting, just spotted this evening, John Robertson is finally doing another stand-up show at the Fringe, happy happy, joy joy!!!

It’s very late so I shall away to bed and leave you with, well, is it just a sign or sage advice?!….