I have gratefully stepped away from all of the badness, and wrapped myself in all the goodness of Fringe by the Sea. A timely, much-needed reminder of what a community can be. 

Last night, Eddi Reader brought the house down. The woman is talent personified. Funny, intelligent, and a voice that gets you right in the guts. My mum and I could be seen dancing away at the back of the tent, singing "it's got to bee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-eeee... perrr-fect!" at the top of our voices and generally getting into the spirit of things.

Today is a Maggie O'Farrell-Kris Drever double whammy. It is pissing with rain. The spiegeltent is leaking, the volunteers are dripping, the outdoor picnic tables (the very definition of wishful thinking) are rattling in the wind, but the smiles are firmly in place. This morning my mum checked the weather forecast and announced excitedly that it would "only" be drizzling tonight. Hooray!

Perfect, indeed.