Edinburgh's Fringe Festival (Edinburgh Festival Fringe)

Member Name: Joe1976

Product:	Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Date:	18/06/08 (47 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Meet loads of good people

Disadvantages: Scottish weather

Once more the Fringe festival is almost upon us, Princes St. all the way up round Cockburn St. and the Royal Mile are totally buzzing with people from all walks of life. Japanese, Americans, Canadians, Germans and one or two Polish, they turn the City into a month long party for anyone who loves a bit of culture.

Some folk go and don't spend a penny (culture vultures), the amount of street performers makes sure of this, as they are allotted a certain amount of time to each act at each part of the city, other entertainers then move in eagerly. Fire breathers (not the pub goers), Jugglers, people doing back flips and sometimes people breathing fire whilst juggling and doing back flips, it is brilliant, I hear that anyone playing Bagpipes on the Mile now, is to receive an ASBO, which I think is just insane, these are talented people who are not sitting with a dog and sleeping bag asking for handouts.

One of the live shows I would recommend would be the Freak Circus, with 3 hrs of people with bizarre talents like Mr. Stretch (who can stretch the skin from his neck, over his face), and others from which I was too high to remember.
I DO remember the year I went and didn't know that, what turned out to be "Lady-Boys from Bangkok", were, too me, extremely good looking Thai chicks.....with d***s, so beware you have been warned.

The general atmosphere is easy ozy, no hassle and everything at your own pace, whether you decide to sit in the gardens and catch some rare Scottish sun whilst watching it all happen, or going round the city watching the different acts, is entirely up to you.

If you do decide to visit, from England per se, get a hotel in Bathgate, there's a couple there (the Fairway hotel, the Holiday Inn and the Cairn hotel all at 35 pnds for a night, haggle a deal) all are only 2 minutes from the train station, which is 20 minutes from Edinburgh, as some hotels and B&B's can charge time and a half on top of the normal rates.

Everything you'll ever need is in Edinburgh, helicopter rides over the festival the Forth Road & Rail Bridges, and hunting that elusive creature, the Haggis, remember always eat what you kill! but to be fair, it is an expensive place so don't spend all your money in one go.

Summary: If you can go, do, it is something else