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The Fringe's final fling

We've had a very good day out in Edinburgh, catching the tail end of the Fringe Festival craziness on the Royal Mile.
Although they've been at it for three weeks or so now, there was still an amazing amount of energy being exerted by troupes of actors, flamboyant individuals and bands of undergraduates from all over the place.  Mostly young things eager to entertain and be different.  The Royal Mile offers us free entertainment as well as a platform to performers to show snippets from some of the 2,700 shows which have been on offer over the past weeks. No wonder the place is jumping!

Here we have a lively group dancing away to the tunes of the 1940s.  They were loving every minute and so was the crowd.
Brave individuals invite the hoards to witness their antics.  Some despair as laughter is a bit on the thin side, others get a healthy reception.  But that's the Fringe for you.  Zillions of acts, some are dire, others are brilliant, most are somewhere in between.
 Tools of the trade.
This weekend is the last gasp but there are some tickets left.
Promotional leaflets are still being flung into your hand as you progress up the Royal Mile.
Some take a rather more sedate approach to advertising a show!
 Some lie down on the job
 and others flaunt banners, or use a singer, as well as leaflets,
and a few use winsome and gentle persuasion to promote their performance,
or wear a tee shirt
Every possible surface throughout Edinburgh is plastered with posters.
There is much to see and hear, and it's all great fun.
There were some really good craft stalls in front of St Giles Cathedral. 
Which of these two will be packing up at the end of the day and enjoying a long hot soak in the bath?
Once we reached George IV Bridge we walked down The Mound to the Playfair Steps.  All too soon, after a spectacular firework display next Sunday, 1 September, which will bring the Edinburgh International Festival to a close, the throng of visitors will all start to drift away and the streets of Edinburgh will become manageable again!  No more shuffling along behind time-careless festival goers and dodging around those who just want to stand and stare at such a beautiful city.  Frankly, if you live and work in Edinburgh, it's a huge relief to get the city back! However, before that happens, there are still streams of people to negotiate at every turn.
Street entertainment is not confined to the Royal Mile.  Outside the National Gallery and Royal Academy of Arts there are others doing their bit to entertain.
This is the most decorative clown I have ever seen, from top
to toe.


Even the Academy has risen to the occasion with some colourful columns, giving Princes Street a bit of a lift!
Edinburgh is looking very beautiful, as always.  George Street has completely given itself over to the spirit of the Festival with lots of places to sit with a glass of wine, chill out and watch the world go by.

It all seems to have gone very well this year, with the strong arm of the law to keep a watchful eye over the proceedings, of course.
And now the party is nearly over.  










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