7 Sept 2008 Sunday - Highland fling

Down to the Town hall courtyard for the woodwind orchestra concert. Once again the concert is inside to escape the loud noises outside. The chairs are all higgledy-piggelty and over half the seats are taken. The plant has been moved to the side of the room so there is a better view. Once again there are dogs in the audience and a sprinkling of small children. The children turn out to have the attention of gnats, and one family has to leave when it becomes obvious that their two little boys are not going to sit down or behave.
The orchestra plays a variety of tunes, two of which are by Ralph Vaug han Weeleams. There is also the sailors' hornpipe.
After the concert we head home to prepare for the evening show – The life of Julia. This promises comedy and music. Will it be a play?
We arrive half an hour early, and get a bench seat. The stage is wreathed in smoke. Perhaps they have had a small fire?
The performers take to the stage about 20 minutes later than advertised. Once again there is a brass section, guitarist, drums and keyboard. This is no play, but is really a musical review using the life of a girl called Julia from the age of 12 upwards. As a dancer she travels to many different parts of the world. This gives the female dancers in the troupe, the excuse to appear on stage in many different thongs and feathers, as well as in Russian costume and even what passes for highland dress.

We last out for over an hour before our backsides start to protest at the hardness of the seats. We leave Julia to finish her adventures and wander through the fair, before choosing a restaurant in the old town for something to eat.
I don’t know what it is about today but there is even more dogshit around than usual, and it smells particularly foul. We do not choose the restaurant with a huge, mega-whiffy crap adjacent to the outside tables.

After the meal, we head home and give the evening ball a miss again