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For a few fleeting moments last night, I was one of the beautiful people, rubbing shoulders with Tracy Emin at Edinburgh’s most exciting addition to the modern art gallery scene…

Art Late was the closing fling of the Edinburgh Art Festival which I admit I’ve paid no attention to in the crazy mix of other things I could go and see instead. So various of the galleries threw their doors open from 6 - 9pm last night so the beautiful people could go decorate their floor space.

I could have tried a bit harder but we only made it round 3 galleries - Stills (an extraordinary giant bookcase where visitors are invited to ‘interact’ with the books - which surely means read them), the Collective (a lovely almost pop art style exhibition themed around what an alien visiting our society might make of it) and this newest addition, the Ingleby.

Now this is certainly a gallery worth a visit. Aside from the fact that Tracy was propping up the wall, they had some work from David Austen of whom I had never heard because I’m not cool enough but now hanker for some of his prints. And also from Kay Rosen. Also never heard of her as I am not cool enough but she did some pretty fun stuff too which is well worth checking out. That is her work above.

Much more my cup of tea than the terrible collection of sticks and stones that Alan dragged us along to last year…

A brilliant headline from the Daily Mail who have a lovely article on Harvey Nics’ use of Wallace and Gromit to promote their new Bristol store.

My favourite moment in the past few weeks at work (apart from the brilliant prank we played on hankering-after-T-in-the-Park-tickets-Kenny) was when discussing the Oasis ad featuring the so-called cactus kid for the nth time, desperately trying to make sense of it, and Brie suddenly said: “I mean I don’t know why they do it. The cactus kid doesn’t even exist.”

Good point, Brie.

Go here to vote on his final fate if you can really be bothered.

There hasn’t been anything much in this year’s festival with quite the same degree of spectacle that Fuerzabruta brought to the party last year.

So I was delighted by Mortal Engine on Tuesday. It was nominally a dance show but really, a light show with a few dancers thrown in to justify its inclusion in the International Festival. But it was the most spectacular light show I have ever seen. So we’ll not split hairs.

Have a look at the video clips on the website. They totally don’t do it justice but imagine them magnified many times in a giant hot and sweaty theatre with a rapt audience. It got them a (albeit very uncommitted) standing ovation.

My amazing if slightly freakish blog of the day.

I want to be as cool as her…and she’s only 12.

I’m negelecting this poor blog sorely just recently for which I can only apologise.

It’s an interesting insight into how many ’spare words’ I have battering around in my head.

I’ve been reviewing for the Evening News this festival so bashing out 200 words a pop for whatever I’ve been seeing. I think I’m up to about 20 shows so far which is a tribute only to the fact that I haven’t done any washing or seen any family or friends (unless at shows) for the past 3 weeks.

I think I’ve just completed my quota of shows to review. Though I have a lurking suspicion that an overlooked show will suddenly rise up to naggingly nip my forgetful mind.

So I promise to be a more assiduous blogger in future.

now appreciating the Orange campaign as a properly rounded entity (though not in a terrible pompous way!).

I love the new(ish) Mark Beaumont ad. It seems to me that this is the ad they should have launched with rather than the previous poor attempt at squeezing Everyman into 30 seconds. Hats off to them.

Another couple of (debauched) days in the Lake District with AG Barr last week.

So I thought I’d post some photos of the Land That Should Be Razed To The Ground. Just for Ed, you understand.