Let's hope the Covid blues is not the sound of our summer - Susan Dalgety

The dreaded lurgy has finally hit our household. My husband, who had been complaining of a cold for a couple of days, gave in and tested for Covid, and sure enough the second red line slowly appeared.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

I have quarantined myself in our spare bedroom/office/TV room, but it must only be a matter of time before I too succumb.

I wouldn’t mind, but it means we had to cancel our weekend trip to Bath to see Elvis Costello. Watching five episodes of Come Dine with Me back-to-back just isn’t the same – even if it was the one from in Edinburgh shown recently (Gerald, the creative writer and foie gras fan was my favourite).

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

I reckon we picked up the virus at the Madness concert at the Big Top in the Royal Highland Centre last Sunday. It was our first gig since Covid took hold, and we were very excited to go.

Read More
Edinburgh's Caledonian Brewery is part of the fabric of the city and must not be...

Suggs and Co. may not have been at their best, but it was still a great night. Nothing beats listening to live music with thousands of other people.

But Covid is clearly a risk to live entertainment. The King’s Theatre had to cancel their remaining performances of Sunshine on Leith last week because of the virus. The Lyceum was also forced to cancel a week’s performances of their hit show Laurel and Hardy. Even the seemingly indestructible Rolling Stones had to call a halt to their gig in Amsterdam after Mick Jagger tested positive.

Covid is not going anywhere fast. The latest figures suggest one in 40 people in Scotland have the virus, and experts are concerned that the new variants BA.4 and BA.5 could herald another wave.

Covid is still clearly a risk to live entertainment - and live entertainment a risk to the spread of Covid - with even the seemingly indestructible Rolling Stones having to call off their Amsterdam show after Mick Jagger tested positive for the virus, writes Susan Dalgety. PIC: Alejandro Ernesto/EPA/ShutterstoCovid is still clearly a risk to live entertainment - and live entertainment a risk to the spread of Covid - with even the seemingly indestructible Rolling Stones having to call off their Amsterdam show after Mick Jagger tested positive for the virus, writes Susan Dalgety. PIC: Alejandro Ernesto/EPA/Shuttersto
Covid is still clearly a risk to live entertainment - and live entertainment a risk to the spread of Covid - with even the seemingly indestructible Rolling Stones having to call off their Amsterdam show after Mick Jagger tested positive for the virus, writes Susan Dalgety. PIC: Alejandro Ernesto/EPA/Shuttersto
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

I hope this doesn’t prove bad news for Edinburgh. The city is looking forward to a summer of fun, with the International Festival and Fringe promising to be better than ever. There is something for everyone, from Kyiv ballet to Rage Against the Machine.

It would be a terrible blow if the festivals were disrupted for a third year because of yet another wave of coronavirus. And the cost would not just be financial. Live entertainment is good for the soul and our city has sorely missed it.

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.