Karen Koren - Gilding the Balloon

THE heatwave last week was brilliant. I made full use of it and padded about in short sleeves and with no tights, it was great... obviously, I was wearing a dress too.

Now that we are back to the normal weather, gusty wind, a bit of rain, freezing cold and dark mornings, it’s time to brace for the long, hard winter, which I absolutely believe is coming, so much so that I bought a snow shovel the other day. A good sturdy one.

I was caught out last year and ended up trying to clear the drive with a dustpan - it really didn’t work.

I’m off to Norway this week to close up the summer cottage. That will be fun, my brother and I struggling with shutters and the boat.

We are hoping to get last week’s warm weather in Norway, because usually the weather moves from here to over there.

Before that, though, I am going to Den Store Norske Humorfestivalen – The Big Norwegian Comedy Festival – where Jarred Christmas is performing and I am accompanying him.

Known as Mr Pot Noodle himself, Jarred is a very funny and lovely man. I’m looking forward to seeing what the Norwegians make of him.

I have been to this festival before. I took Jo Brand over on the very day Tony Blair won the General Election and a few years later it was the turn of Bill Bailey. He and got a six-dice review – no stars but dice in Norway.

A couple of years later I went with Stephen K Amos, Glen Wool, Sarah Kendall and Nick Wilty - they did a British stand-up show.

The last time I was there however, was with Tim Minchin, who still uses his review in his publicity – in Norwegian, of course.

Let’s see if I can find a Norwegian stand-up to bring to Edinburgh. Not that Norwegians are known for their hilarity - believe me, I know.