So, I've arrived in Edinburgh - what now? Well, this was certainly one of the most enjoyable and memorable weeks of this year, if not my life in general. To recap....
I arrive at George Heriot's school, a monolithic structure facing the back of Edinburgh Castle no less - epic indeed, especially as the TATOO has been erected next to it.
A caretaker named Norry kindly shows me round everywhere, lets me freshen up and directs me to a Starbucks to get some zzzs! when I return Ann-Marie and others are in the rehearsal room, and we chat and set up for the evening rehearsal. When all is done, she drives us to the flat in Riego Street - turns out they're Napier University Halls! I dump my stuff and try to kip a bit longer - all a bit blurred at this stage. When I wake, 2 others have arrived in the flat, both total weirdo's! One guy is a bassoonist called Phil, who struggles to put a sentence together and has a red zit under one eyeball! The other is an elderly gent cellist who can't even answer me straight whether he prefers Stravinsky to Beethoven!! I avoid him throughout the week, but Phil features more often...
Upon returning to the rehearsal room Lev is standing up at the front - what a reassuring sight he is, and I shake his hand wholeheartedly like a long lost friend! We smalltalk about Holloway people and Carl Woodcroft's awful dreamteam line up (apparently Lev's wife finished higher than him!), and my headstart on the 'Girl Crazy Overture' (which he conducted earlier in the year @ Holloway!! Other conductor Bob takes us through Die Fledermaus Overture. At this point Dave, the first trombonist, moves next to me and we begin what is to be some legendary banter. Oddly, when he first called out 'Stand up' as a quip to Lev, then made other comments quite loudly I tbought i wouldn't get on with him - how wrong I was! He is half Indian and gay, which I don't cotton onto until later!
I presume the same about his mate Mike when he calls back 'Are you coming for a curry with us later'? He too is a sound bloke, a trumpeteer and History student from Cambridge, who is our walking, talking map throughout the week! The last main dude within the trio who know each other from previous years is Ed, a double bassist from Wimbledon, about to go to Uni in Sheffield (or Leeds?).
Within seconds of leaving the school, I feel at home with these guys, as they mention a hilarious moment the previous year, where dave was forced on stage at some live comedy and wrote M.W.A (instead of NWA) on a whiteboard!! we head on up to the nearest Indian, orginally named 'Gandhi's', and stock up with glorious food. Within 30 mins the others find out why I am often referred to as the hoover!! Anyway, from what I remember we drink lots of beer and hit the blue blazer pub at some stage. Dave introduces us to his 'Indian-english', in which he is supposedly fluent:
Aim TELLING you (= I told you so)and
'Ohhhhw Godd'were my personal favourites! I was flaggin for sure towards the end but didn't want to look like a pussy so foolishly stayed til the bitter end - as i did every night thereafter!