Dundee Literary Festival - A L Kennedy

Good to see a Dundonian return to the local Literary Festival.  And what a local lass. Funny, nervy, erudite - a woman who couldn't wait to leave Dundee High School and head for brighter lights elsewhere.  Glad to hear her say that had the city had a theatre studies course she may have stayed.  Not that we'd ever be able hold such a wide ranging talent.  

She reminisced with the packed audience about her early Dundee life: the uncool DHS uniform, the peripatetic old Rep theatre and how the new one was built on the fundraising of tablet sales!  How Tayside House had never looked better (as a mound of rubble) and how great the future looked for the city.

Her first reading was about the past too.  Her grandfather sounded like the ideal we'd all have liked to have.  An ex-boxer who taught her about life, chiefly to not be afraid.  The first time he entered a ring he was afraid.  He lost not to his opponent, but to himself because he didn't believe he could win.  The second reading was also another warm one about waiting at a railway station, thinking of her godchildren and their waiting welcome; whether they were getting too old to hear her stories, and how they had begun to write them for her instead.

The last was a proper rant about workshops.  How, by being on the other side as a participant, led by a magician who so bullied and tormented it created a toxic impression.  No matter how tired she is when she's leading one, or irritable she feels with those who participate, she remembers being on the other side, and wants to be remembered as educating, enlightening and amusing. 

Why A L? Not, she said, because of feminism, or fear of sexism, but because her younger self was still too afraid of her opinions.  She liked the anonymity; no one was going to turn up at her door and berate her writing or disagree with her views if they didn't know her real name!

Alison Louise - you were brilliant; a much warmer person than the media image sometimes portrays.

Photo:H.Boellstiftung http://www.flickr.com/photos/boellstiftung/7209076348/

Dundee Continental Market 2013

Dundee Continental Market, City Square was a delight.  

The revamped square works wonderfully as a venue, all the various food smells mixing temptingly in a relatively small area.  

The sun was shining, with everyone in a cheery mood tapping their feet to the fabulous sounds of the Rock Choir.  

There was a good trade at the German and Italian meats and, if you fancied something even more exotic, you could have kangeroo, ostrich and more.  

I stayed with the more traditional pies and cheeses, and whilst, temptation went into personal overdrive at the dark, shiny, velvet chocolates - I found a will of iron to resist.

There was a tabled area by the sound stage if you simply couldn't wait to sample some hot food, and wanted to wash it down with a selection from the euro beers.

2013 Flower & Food Festival

Well that was an interesting first visit.  The sun shone and the crowds were out.  Had a brief glimpse of Great British Bake Off's Paul Hollywood's hand on the overhead screen in the mobbed food tent before I decided I get a better view on the telly an home.  Instead, of telly heroes, went off to find some local food heroes.  
 
As a cheese-a-phile, were lots of types to try - cranberry and other fruity varieties were my favourite, although there lots of smoky and chilli blends too.  With nibbles of cheese, organic chocolate, oatcakes/crackers with preserves, and spicy dips - no lunch was needed.  All this was washed down with a few tots of declicious fruity ciders, wines and whiskies - trying to figure out how many tots make a unit was impossible - honest Mr Constable, I've not been drinking, hic!

There were lots of pretty, flawless flower blooms that people must have spent a bonkers amount of time perfecting.  

There was also the over-sized veg section ... ooh resist the temptation to ask if that's a giant marrow in your hand or are you really pleased to see me? 

 
Lots of non-food stuff too - craft tent had lots of pretty things that tempted pound notes from my wallet. As a novice gardener, there was advice a plenty on improving soil, encouraging worms and attracting wildlife.
 
 
 The musical entertainment was varied with the Rock Choir and Havana Swing.  

A big cheer to the marshalls for the car parking arrangements - I was dreading long tailbacks in/out, but compared to some other events, it was so easy to arrive and leave with barely a queue.

A big boo to the organisers though, for not giving any timetable information.  I missed a couple of musical acts I would have like to see because I didn't know when they were on - and inside the tents you couldn't hear the PA announcements.  There was a map at the entrance, so would it have been so difficult to add a schedule there as well!