Fringe By The Sea offers some summer fun - Fiona Duff

So, it is always good to have something to look forward to. At this point in the year my husband would normally be looking at flights and trying to plan a wee trip abroad in June.
Fun at the seaside in Fringe By The SeaFun at the seaside in Fringe By The Sea
Fun at the seaside in Fringe By The Sea

At this point in the year my husband would normally be looking at flights and trying to plan a wee trip abroad in June. This year he ain’t doing that, although we seem to have quite a lot of credit with RyanAir from cancelled flights last year.

And trying to book into anywhere in Scotland is a bit difficult as prices seem to have shot up and so many places are already booked out for most of the summer. However, one place I shall be visiting this summer is North Berwick. I am no stranger to this town as we have good friends who live there, but last week Fringe By The Sea announced that they were going ahead this summer.

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The festival will look a bit different this year - more venues around the town and stretch tents instead of Spiegeltents – but it will be real rather via Zoom. There are already acts booked such as disco favourite Candi Staton (who seems very popular with the young) and the brilliant Janey Godley who has kept us all chuckling for the past year. Apparently even Ms Sturgeon herself is a fan which shows that, whatever you think of her, she has the ability to laugh at herself.

I am really looking forward to Peat & Diesel, who I wasn’t aware of until I read that they would be appearing. Check out these lads from the islands and I bet you will never have seen a tractor in a music video before.

Of course, the other reason to visit North Berwick is that not only is it a quick train journey from Edinburgh but there is no shortage of rather good fish and chip shops. Not that I let my stomach make decisions for me, but it does often have the deciding vote.

So, good on the organisers of Fringe By The Sea for giving us a glimmer of hope on the horizon. It might be different this year, but at least it looks like it will be happening.

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