I never posted a Wimbledon report either
so I think I ought to make sure I post an Edinburgh one.
Luckily most of the others who I met have told you the main things so I need only add 'my point of view' (for want of a better description).
When booking my hotel I made the slight mistake of asking jayfan where she staying, and then booking it without thoroughly checking it out. It was only about two days before I went that I found out there were about six steps to the front door. Bit difficult to manage with my luggage and my 'wheels' (rollator) but the reception staff came and carried all the stuff up so I just had to manage myself.
I arrived about an hour and a half before the official checking-in time of 2pm but only had to wait a few minutes before my room was ready so I then had plenty of time to get myself organised for the evening.
I met Jelly_L at the Omni Centre and as neither of us were too particular about where we ate we decided we'd try 'the first place we came to' which was The Slug and Lettuce. It was very busy but they found us a table at the end of a bench which was very handy as a bit later on Speedy found us and was able to join us without too many problems.
Jelly_L told me about her room problems and how she was now going to be sleeping in George Clooney's bed that evening. I told her that she
had to begin her Edinburgh report with 'I'm writing this in George Clooney's bed' and spent the rest of the evening lol'ling at the thought of everyone's faces when they read that.
After food we headed to the theatre and met DeiseDays, PollyT and her sister. At least four of us were sitting in the circle, but in different places, though I could see DD, Speedy and Jelly-L.
As before, I absolutely loved the hip-hop dance to 'I want it that-a way' and Robin and Anya's waltz (VW?) to 'A thousand years' meant so much more now I know the song.
Here I must make a confession - and please don't throw me out of the thread - I never liked Jaliona's rumba to 'Falling slowly'. But I really like it to 'Run'. Strange what a difference a song can make.
After the show we all met up, decided that we wouldn't do the stage door, and then headed for a drink. Trouble was, everywhere was busy until I suddenly remembered that my hotel had a bar. Turned out that the 'Dubliners' were also staying there so four of us had a very short walk to our beds when we finally left the bar just after it closed at 1 am.
In between times, we had a good natter, and a lot of laughs, especially when Speedy was texting Jnb about a message to write on a card for Jay. It's a wonder that we weren't thrown out!
Saturday was a lovely day, but quite cold. I met jayfan, Speedy and DD for 'lunch' and we found a little place almost next door to the theatre. Jayfan was at the bar, ordering, when this guy - who I recognised immediately - walked in. The other two had their backs to the door so I was able to tell them that 'Vin's just come in'. When jayfan came back to the table I told her as well, and then she scuttled off to find him.
A while later, when he left, he looked across at our table, so I smiled and waved at him - and then spent the rest of the day saying 'I waved at Vin'. How sad am I?
Unfortunately because I couldn't negotiate all the stairs to the stalls I had to sit in the circle again, so I missed meeting a lot of other Jalionistas. Sorry everyone, I really would have liked to have met you all.
After the matinee we said our farewells to DD and PollyT, and hello to Stella and her daughter and Linda before again heading to the Omni Centre in search of food. We would have liked to have gone to the Theatre Bar but it was full of people watching football.
Then back to the theatre for the last show. I was a bit disappointed that the questions in the Q&A were the same at every performance. Whilst I appreciate that most people would only go to one performance I'm sure that if different questions had been asked each time the answers would have found their way back to the public via 'social media'.
I tried to put the light on my phone but failed miserably at the end of the rumba, and of course at the end of whole show the lights shine on the audience so my puny little light wouldn't have shown up.
(
So missed Jnb organising 'lights for Jay and Aliona'.)
After the show, we again tried to get into the Theatre Bar but without success, so again it was back to the Holiday Inn Express bar. Though I nearly didn't make it across the road because I was laughing so much at Jelly-L's disclosure that she'd said 'Sorry sweetie' to someone she'd bumped into without knowing it was Vin. (I confess to having the weirdest sense of humour. I can laugh for days at the silliest thing. Still grin like a loon remembering going on holiday one year before we owned a car. We hired the car, put the luggage in, I was sat in the back seat, dad stood holding the passenger door open for mum. Mum walked down the path, opened the car door, and got in. Dad and I looked at each other and burst out laughing. Mum got cross and told dad to get started - so he handed her the car keys. It took a few seconds for her to realise that she was sitting in the driver's seat, though she did say 'I thought there wasn't a lot of room'.
Sorry, I digress.)
Speedy didn't stay long as she was tired and had a long journey the next day, with part of the M74 due to be closed. But she was there when I proposed a toast to Jay and Aliona, the thread, and friends.
So then there were three - jayfan, Jelly_L and me. We didn't stay as long as the previous evening as we were all a bit tired due to late nights/early mornings.
Jayfan and I met for breakfast before she dashed off for yet another train, and I put on some slap in case I should see a certain someone at the airport. I didn't, but most of the passengers on a Heathrow flight would have been going through security by the time I arrived.
So now I'm back home, reliving some wonderful times not just from Edinburgh, but from the o2, Wimbledon, and Plymouth, and singing the songs from 'Big'.
My thanks to everyone for their patience with my mobility problems; thanks to Arnostae and jayfan for the videos.
And while I'm saying it - thank you to everyone on the thread for photos, poems, spreadsheets, other videos, gifs, etc. I love this thread.
