Scattering Mum's ashes

Talk about being stuck in the Edinburgh bubble, I've been writing blogs about everything apart from, arguably, the most important event of the week. We scattered Mum's ashes over her rock, up Glen Esk.

And what fun it was to try and find our way there, with Doug taking the lead. The family had actually driven up there yesterday for a run through, which was useful because the dirt track we were in seemed so unlike an actual road it didn't look like it was going anywhere fast. Indeed we had to reverse back on ourselves for a it, having taken a wrong turning and ending up about to drive into a river.

As a three year old, Mum was evacuated from Montrose to Glen Esk, it being World War 2 and all, and she, Bill and Nana lived in the But & Ben, with no electricity or running water. For quite how long they did this, I'm not sure any of us knows. Frankly, if the roads were as non-existent as they are today, they weren't well-placed to nip home in a hurry. My guess is they were up there for a couple of years, I'm sure Jude will correct me that it was only a matter of months.

The rock you can see in the picture was Mum's playhouse. In our childhood holidays she would take Jude and I up there, walking across the Shakin' Briggy which is no longer there (hence our tortuous route by car), and Jude still remembers in detail which bit of the rock was the imaginary kitchen, the front room etc. There was a war on, you had to make your own entertainment.

The only major part of Mum's funeral arrangements that couldn't be strayed from was that her ashes were to be scattered over her rock, and it was a pleasure to be able to oblige. Jude, Doug, and Heather did the hard work in finding the way there, and getting permission from the farmers on whose lands we were trespassing. The But & Ben now has a satellite dish and is surrounded by dog poo. Truly World War Two was a long time ago.

Jude and the family have been doing the rounds of the extended family, after the best part of a week in Edinburgh which they seem to have greatly enjoyed. They'll be off home soon, and it's been good spending time with them.

Meanwhile a day up Glen Esk (two and a half hours there, two and a half hours back, and a stop for lunch) meant that I missed a day's flyering. Well timed it turned out as Edinburgh was deluged by the worst rain it had seen all years, with shows being closed, streets flooded, and flyering impossible.

Until August 25th, The Scottish Falsetto Socks ROLL UP! at the Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose 9.30pm, every night of the Edinburgh Fringe 2019. On sale now!