We don't print money... anymore!

I saw this advertising board on the way home tonight and it made me laugh. This print shop is located in the same premises as the former Print Link print shop, which did print money. And they got caught. Hopefully these guys are being deliberately ironic...

They Came From The Stars, I Saw Them

This gig poster caught my eye today, not only for the cool band names, but also because it seems that some bright spark is now running loads of gigs at The Captain's Rest, one of our local pubs. It's being repainted at the moment, I just hope this is not part of some huge horrid re-furb into a trendy venue. I like it the way it is.

Home

Good to be home with familiar things all around me.

Time for Tim!

This is Tim, our Tour Manager. Tim did all the driving on the tour, did all the accommodation booking, all the set up and plugging in all the boxes and leads and other technical stuff that I don't understand, manned the sound desk for the cabaret and the band, taking everything apart after, loading the van (often while we were all getting pissed with Jazzbadger's groupies), driving us miles in the dark on rollercoaster country roads to our accommodation (and didn't crash!), made sure we caught all the early morning ferries and flights, somehow survived on 3-6 hours sleep a night and last but not least, put up with a noisy smelly minibus full of us numpties. And amazingly, he was always cheerful and happy, great company and good chat, and even took us on wee mini-guided tours to see the sights in places like Mull, Orkney and Shetland.

What a saint!

Thank you Tim!


(And of course thanks also to Dave who provided this role for the Forres leg of the tour, which I've almost completely forgotten now! Thanks Dave!)

Reading material for the journey

... Featuring a foreword by Sir Clifton Sainsbury

Never read reviews...

We made the Press & Journal! Hopefully I'll get some copies of the other shots taken at the pre-show photocall.

Eden Court Theatre

Featuring the Very Old Bit That Looks Like A Hammer Horror House to the right; the Oldish Bit That Looks Like The Crystal Maze in the middle and the Brand New Bit That Looks a Bit Stupid just out of shot to the left.
(Jokes aside, they've done an amazing job at ECT- it's a fantastic facility. Even if the new bits look awful from the outside!)

View of the River Ness

Featuring the magically half invisible ghost car of Inversneck giving Nessie a run for her money.

Patience

... backstage pastimes

Leggy backstage at Eden Court

Attempting a pinup pose, but only managing to convey a need for the toilet.

Louise backstage

This photo has been censored at Louise's request as she thinks it makes her look like Bella Emberg.

Leggy's fluffy bits

Kozmik Colin rocks

Malcolm has a Dairy Milk moment

Chris gets rhythm

Paddy Bonner, Actor

In the theatre. *theatre*, luvvie!

The theatre, darling, the *theatre*

Eden Court Set Up

On the road again

Heading to Inverness for the last show of the tour. It's been mental ("MENTAL!"), but great fun. Not to mention seeing some amazing places. I'll miss this stinking minibus.

What's the story...

... As promised, here's my attempt to capture the Bala-glory of Tobermory. Taken in haste en route to pub for dinner.

Night off at home

Tomorrow is the last show of the tour, and tonight we have a night off home in Glasgow. I'm spending the evening watching telly and playing Scrabble with my nearest and dearest.

Glencoe

On the road home

IKB gets lubricated

Backstage at An Tobar, Mull

Looking back on Mull

View from the ferry

Bruck

Muckle truck o bruck

Recycling lorry waiting for the Fishnish Ferry

Ben More, from Mull

Ulva, seen from Mull

View from Croig, Mull

Our tour manager, Tim, grew up on Mull so this morning he's showing us some of his old haunts. This is the view from Croig where he worked on fishing boats as a lad.

Mull make up table

This is where the glamour happens. Yeah!

An Tobar Dressing room view

This one's courtesy of Paddy. Thanks Paddy!

4

I think it's getting silly now.

3...

2...

A wheel within a wheel...

... Never ending or beginning... How many photos of a photo can I do?

Snack size fish supper

Almost forgot this one

View from An Tobar

The view from our dressing room window. Hoping to get a 'Balamory' shot at some point...

Paddy and Hamish

Mull

Three quarters of Quinn

Heading for Lochaline

... On the Ardnamurchan Peninsula

Corran Ferry

West Highland Way

Waiting at Tyndrum

Our award winning snack size fish suppers should be ready any second...

Bird watching at Tyndrum

View from Orkney Ferry

Mmmm

Treating myself to an in-journey snack of organic cashew nut butter on ryvita. Well it beats a Ginsters.

Stitching time

Using minibus time to do some repairs to Doreen Percy's favourite dress. She's a big lass and the strain was beginning to show...

A9

Heading home tomoro...

A stopover in Orkney tonight. So good to have a second free evening. We checked in to the b&b at 4.30, then our lovely tour manager took some of us to have a look at some of Orkney's sights- Ring of Brodgar, Skara Brae and a daunder along Victoria St in Stromness, which is exactly as pretty as I remember.
Tomoro it's the 12noon ferry, then hit the A9 heading for home. Only for one night as it's off to Mull on Tuesday- but I'm really looking forward to some home comforts.
Meanwhile, for tonight home is a Kirkwall B&B, which seems pleasant enough but I'm so tired I've hardly noticed what it's like!

Church in Stromness