By Matthew Bellwood
Tweet

Beloved, Let Us Once More Praise The Rain

Blimey! Who knew Edinburgh had so much rain in her? It was so wet yesterday that I had to sacrifice my principles and buy a Daily Telegraph - just so as to be able to get the free umbrella that went with it. It's very embarrassing having to wander around flyering people whilst simultaneously advertising the right-wing press and I felt very much as though something had died within me - although such was the sheer velocity of the rain that I imagine whatever it was has been washed a long way away now.

Weirdly though, despite the weather - or perhaps because of it - I actually really enjoyed all the flyering. My dedication to the cause seemed to make everyone oddly sympathetic and a good 70% of the people I approached actually seemed very happy to stop and listen to my little pitch. What's more, quite a few of them bought a ticket, and I returned home bedraggled but elated. The only downside is that the eagle puppet I made in order to make myself more noticeable has become iredeemably soggy and is now held together by little more than dreams and its own determination.

Flyering is a funny old game. I've tried a number of approaches now and I have decided that polite sincerity is the best way forward - much as it is in other situations. Of course, I am aware that consciously setting out to appear politely sincere is slightly disingenuous but I try not to think about this too much as it makes my head hurt.

Other than the weather-related sympathy I've been getting, I think that the other reason I'm enjoying myself so much at the moment is the fact that I had a day off on Sunday. And I mean a day off. I stayed in bed all morning, read a film magazine, had a walk in the park, got molested by a wingless bee (surprisingly inquisitive about the contents of my trousers), met up with some friends, went out for dinner and watched Allo Allo on YouTube.

I really like Allo Allo. For all its veneer of racism, sexism and homophobia, it is, deep down, rather charming - one of those brilliantly stupid and good-natured sitcoms that people don't seem to make very much any more.

Also, I did my very best to take no notice of the Fringe at all. Other than uploading an entry to this blog (which I had written in advance and which I did not post until the very end of the day) I tried to pretend that I was somewhere else entirely. Of course this self-deception was not helped by the fact that the entire city is currently encased in a sheath of advertising, but I found that if you squint a bit, you can just pretend that it's all part of a slightly dodgy mural. And as a long-time lover (and occasional perpetrator) of bad figurative art, I found this to be pleasing in the extreme.

So yes, I think the rest has done me good. I'm firing (and flyering) on all cylinders again and looking forward to the rest of the week. And as for the rain, I have decided to enjoy it. After all, there's been a drought in Somalia, so it seems a little churlish to complain.

- by Matthew Bellwood

Any opinions expressed above do not represent the view of Whatsonstage.com nor any of its staff or contributors beyond the bylined author.

Related Content

Other Posts By Matthew Bellwood
	Win, Lose Or Draw - 29th Aug 2011 blog
	Something For Nothing? - 27th Aug 2011 blog
	Market Forces - 24th Aug 2011 blog
	Slightly Alan - 14th Aug 2011 blog
	Awe and Wonder - 12th Aug 2011 blog
	Creative Advertising - 10th Aug 2011 blog
	Washes Whiter - 6th Aug 2011 blog
	Mild Blasphemy - 4th Aug 2011 blog
	Good Omens - 4th Aug 2011 blog
	Child Psychology - 1st Aug 2011 blog
	More...