Edinburgh International Book Festival, Charlotte Square

11^th August

Charlotte Square is the large square in the West End of the New Town of Edinburgh.  The square is transformed for the Book Festival and there are a lot of events in the main tents and studio areas. 

I visited the square on the first day, a Saturday.  We had been walking along Heriot Row and paid our respects to Robert Louis Stevenson (RLS) before dropping into the square for a coffee, enjoying the sunshine and hearing book fans queuing up (standing in line) to hear their favourite authors.  Alexander McCall Smith was the attraction and I almost bumped into actor Simon Callow who was apparently taking a photograph. 

Entrance to the festival is free and the programme is very interesting as it is not just about book plugging, although there are a lot of book signing opportunities too.  Some of the talks are quite serious, philosophical and there are even some science sections.

I can’t resist doing a repeat of my “lucky bag” scene from last year. In the Saturday evening only the Scotsman were offering a goody bag” for £1.30. The contents were as follows: Scotsman Paper, a limited choice of books, a Robert Burns CD and coffee and sweets.  A great tradition. 

According to the Book Festival Green “policy” a green friendly canvas bag is being given for book customers. Hmm.

August 24^th 2012

I went to Charlotte Square and the Scotsman seller outside was filling a plastic goody bag for the Friday issue.  This was £1 with Robert Louis Stevenson Kidnapped in graphic comic format, another Burns CD, coffee and sweets. I noted a few Guardian canvas shoulder bags being carried around.  

On entering the Book Festival site I made some enquiries of that evening’s events.  A very helpful staff member ran through the schedule.  From the Daisy CD which the festival had sent me by post, I could navigate to what was on on a daily basis.  Some of the events had been sold out but I was advised that returns were usually available in an hour before the event. 

I had been interested in a Simon Armitage and an Alastair Darling talk.  I was recommended to try out the Amnesty Scotland talk about Imprisoned Writers and was ticketed (this is a free event) and guided by Alva to the tent (Peppers Theatre) where the talk was about to start.  Alva checked that I was aware of the decking and facilities and at the theatre Sophia guided me to my seat. 

Speakers included Ron Butlin, Emylia Hall and Jane Rogers and an interesting selection of readings were made with extracts from Zimbabwe, Iran and Colombia.  In the case of Colombia I was unaware of the everyday life of a primary schoolteacher who has to carry a loaded gun to school.  The school is in a rundown area of an energy rich province and little money trickles down from the sale of hydrocarbons.  I expected drugs instability from news reports but our coverage of Colombia Is usually limited to the cocaine cartels. 

This was a very thought provoking meeting and though we take for granted some element of free speech and ability to write, it is worth listening to those people from countries with no freedom, whether from state sponsored terrorism or from effective “wilful blindness”.  I had been to Bogota in the 1980s and had hoped things had improved. 

At the end, Sophia came to my seat and as I wanted to hang around for a returned ticket, I asked to be taken to a coffee outlet (There is a choice of bar or signing area.) I picked the signing area and enjoyed eavesdropping on comments as I was drinking my coffee. 

I checked the box office for returns and estimated the length of the queue. I was going to have to choose between Simon Armitage and Mr Darling, so took a break and joined the returns line.  Having got a ticket I was able to register with the RBS Tent and my name was taken.  By this time I had made friends with others in the waiting area and we talked about tactile crossings, books and screen readers.  A small world I one in this group was a former mobility officer with a later academic record. 

The talk itself was the Conversation style with Jim Naughtie and the former Chancellor of the Exchequer.  Mr Darling has a good radio presence so it was no surprise to listen to him.  He throws in “Across the piece” in almost every interview I have heard him do since Northern Rock and he did it again. Many anecdotes about Gordon Brown, Frau Dr Merkel and the financial crash in the Eurozone.  James Naughtie appeared to be more coherent in this format.  He did not ramble and with an hour in fairly relaxed surroundings (there were hecklers outside) we were treated to an interesting discussion.  The event was well stewarded and I really enjoyed my evening in Charlotte Square. 

Tip

Take care crossing over to Charlotte Square as there are steps which appear suddenly.  Use the tactile directional and controlled crossings.  Once inside the area check out the orientation.  For next year, get the event listing and though events may change there is bound to be something of interest.  Some of the Edinburgh visually impaired community were going on the Wednesday evening but had not known about the Daisy CD availability.

Many thanks to the organisers especially Nicola Robson who answered my comments by email and sent me the Audio CD in Daisy format.

I had mentioned that visually impaired people are large consumers of books in alternative formats and that we often buy a hard copy and get it signed.  On the last day of the festival Deborah Levy was speaking in Charlotte Square.  I had met her a couple of times in Camden Arts Centre in London and she not only signed a book for me but also wrote the name and dedication for a gift to a friend as I can no longer write.  So, our book purchases are not just limited to audio books or e-books.  We do spend money on hard copy too!

Related links:

My post from last year’s visit:

http://profwhitestick.blogspot.com/2011/08/edinburgh-international-book-festival.html

Edinburgh International Book Festival website:

http://www.edbookfest.co.uk/

Adam Spotting, Plane Spotting: Architecture and the Visually Impaired

Robert Adam was responsible for the design and execution of many works.  There are numerous websites for lists of the Adam family achievements and it is amazing how prolific Robert Adam was in both London and Edinburgh.  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Adam)

Growing up in Edinburgh one seemed never to be far from the Adam family. During last summer I visited some of the buildings in the Edinburgh area and though it is not always possible to gain access inside, much can be appreciated from the outside.  Steps can be climbed, railings can be rattled with a cane and the exterior can be touched.  It is surprising how the clear lines of a Robert Adam designed house or some of the interior features in the house can be accessible to visually impaired people.    

This post covers a few properties with Adam family links and while these are not always accessible on one’s own (often not open to general public), they make an interesting side trip with friends

Edinburgh area

Charlotte Square Edinburgh.

Bute House - Charlotte Square, Edinburgh
© Professor Whitestick

The north side of Charlotte Square in Edinburgh was designed by Robert Adam and presents the New Town plan by James Craig.  Charlotte Square is a useful place from which the New Town can be explored and the National Trust for Scotland has several properties in the square. 

During the Edinburgh Book Festival the garden within the square is occupied with tents and though the site resembled Glastonbury in the rain on the day we visited, it was fine as shown (take my word for it). (http://profwhitestick.blogspot.com/2011/08/edinburgh-international-book-festival.html)  The Georgian House is open though Bute House is used for Scottish Government functions and is the official home of the First Minister. 

http://www.scran.ac.uk/ada/documents/square/charlotte_square.htm

Edinburgh University Old College Quadrangle

2 August 2012

The quadrangle reconstruction gradually approaches the plans as envisaged by Robert Adam and Playfair.  The car park has been removed and the area is used for events during the Festival. 

General Register House, Edinburgh

A Robert Adam design

(http://www.scran.ac.uk/ada/documents/register/register_house.htm)

Dalkeith Palace

Dalkeith Palace, Front view

Midlothian, Scotland
© Professor Whitestick

Dalkeith Palace was a major home for the Dukes of Buccleuch and while the house itself is now leased to a university in Wisconsin, the country park is open to the public, for a fee.  The estate is walled by the Duke’s Dykes and although having driven myself and been driven more recently around the perimeter, I had never visited the park.   I had, however, observed the house and grounds from the air as the approach to Edinburgh Airport is frequently overhead.

 View of Dalkeith Palace from the Montagu Bridge
© Professor Whitestick

The Rivers North Esk and South Esk flow by the house and the confluence is in the park. The house was rebuilt by James Smith of Newhailes fame and William Adam and his sons had some input on the works.  The Montagu Bridge was designed by Robert Adam and built around 1792.

Montagu Bridge
© Professor Whitestick

http://www.eskvalleytrust.org/dalkeith.html

http://profwhitestick.blogspot.com/2012/02/all-weather-walks-in-edinburgh-area.html

London

Syon House

Syon House
© Professor Whitestick

The property is in the family of the Dukes of Northumberland (Alnwick Castle).  Robert Adam adapted the earlier building and formed a quadrangle which ought to have been covered to form a salon but this was never realised. 

Again, I often flew over this property on the approach to Heathrow.  It can be reached by bus from Gunnersbury Station, and as an accompanying guest goes free, there is little point in attempting this on one’s own. 

The audio guide is standard and, unlike Osterley House, no provision for visually impaired customers is made (audio wise) though the human guides are very helpful. My visit to Osterley was made more or less on my own (http://profwhitestick.blogspot.com/2011/07/osterley-house-and-park.html) and I would suggest trying out Osterley before attempting Syon.  

My cane was inspected by security (also at Osterley) and there are some treats in the house.  For example, there is a touchable model of how the scagliole floor was made.  The floor itself, however, is off limits for a cane. 

Another treat is the quadrangle, which for me was a highlight. It is open to the heavens and is on the approach to Heathrow with a plane going over every minute or so.  Staring up and listening to the sound of the jets is fascinating and I tried to predict the flight path with the sound reflected off the four walls of the interior façade.  Occasionally a plane could be picked up on my peripheral vision as it descended on the way to Heathrow. 

Mega scones in the tea room make a visit complete! 

http://www.syonpark.co.uk/

Chandos House

In an exchange with Ken Titmuss (OldMapMan) we discussed Robert Adam in London and having visited Syon House with a friend, I bought a small guidebook to Robert Adam.  Last summer, I arranged to meet Ken in central London and we walked to Chandos House and Fitzroy Square.  

There was something strangely familiar about Chandos House and the building reminded me of Edinburgh.  Ken explained that Robert Adam and his brother speculated on building the house for the Duke of Chandos and had brought the stone from the Craigleith Quarry in Edinburgh.  No wonder it looked familiar to me!  My old school had been built from the same stone and it stands out against the Portland stone used in the surrounding buildings.   And like the stone, the clear lines of the Adam building stand out on my peripheral vision.

http://www.chandoshouse.co.uk/

Fitzroy Square

The South and East sides of Fitzroy Square were designed by Robert Adam.  The area around the square is quiet though it is not far from some very busy roads. The south side was damaged by bombs during WW2 and some restoration was underway during our visit.  The square is a pleasant and relatively traffic-free oasis and coffee shops are not far away.

Ken Titmuss (aka oldmapman) can be contacted via http://londontrails.wordpress.com/

So, while climbers in Scotland can do Munro Bagging, there are opportunities for visually impaired people to enjoy Adam Spotting, and even Plane Spotting given the acoustics and locations of Adam properties in and around airport flightpaths!

Edinburgh International Book Festival: a tale of two lucky bags

Update: 29 December, 2011


** end of update

The merits of the cloth bag

My Guardian cloth bag survived a return trip to London but has only been used once in the capital.  It is too impractical when used with a cane as the strings round the bag are a distraction.  According to the In Our Time programme which included Tony Ryan, Athene Donald and Charlotte Williams (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b018grhm ), a cloth bag has to be used a 130 times to justify the high energy inputs in manufacturing the fibres and making the cloth.  Given that a plastic bag can be used about 10 times before falling apart, this cloth bag of mine would have to be used 1300 times to make a fair comparison.  The cloth bag was not suitable in wet or windy Edinburgh and the Scotsman bag proved to be effective in the ‘Athens of the North’. 

The Edinburgh International Book Festival can be found in Charlotte Square at the west end of Edinburgh’s New Town.  This is a very attractive square and the facades of the buildings are well worth an inspection.  It is possible to visit the Georgian House on the north side of the square which is convenient for a visit to Mr Salmond’s official residence as First Minister in Bute House.  The gardens in the square itself are currently taken over by the book festival and this gives a chance to attend talks, get books signed and meet other bookworms. 

I was initially disappointed on asking about any specific talks on audio books or eBooks.  It may be that I asked the wrong person.  The location is primarily designed for book selling and signing and very heavy promotion.  On the day I visited there were talks by authors such as Jonathan Agnew and Orlando Figes, discussions by Katharine Birbalsingh and Justin Cartwright as well as book signings by Jim Johnson and William McIlvanney among others.  I didn’t quite have the brass neck to go up to an author with my ‘autograph book’ and say “I enjoyed your book which I listened to on the RNIB talking books list” or “I enjoyed your audio book which I borrowed from the library”.  I assume authors still get a cut of such publishing formats, though it is worth acknowledging that many publishers and authors waive fees when the books are recorded for the visually impaired or ‘print disabled’.  On the other hand, if you had enjoyed a talking book or you knew that a friend liked a particular author, this book festival is a good chance to get a signed copy and even a dedication for a present. 

It’s also quite a social event and caters for the Edinburgh weather.  The tents include signing areas, bookshops, bars and cafes, shows, talks and these can all be arranged on the day or booked in advance.  It was very pleasant to wander around within the gardens.  There is a covered walkway which protects you from both the mud and the rain and in case of good weather there are deck chairs to sit out and enjoy the sun. 

And now for the tale of two lucky bags …

A lucky bag was a tradition which I can remember from my childhood.  From memory, they cost 3d (three old pence) and there was an assortment of various sweets and toys, rather like the contents of a cheap Christmas cracker.  At one time, they would have been made up by the newsagent/sweetshop and were allegedly more hygienic than the ‘penny tray’ or ‘twopenny tray’ which other children had probably laced with all the germs one caught as a child.  The lucky bag was a commercial variant of the “soiree bag” (pronounced surree bag) which was something else.  The concept of a lucky bag has probably been usurped by such expressions as “a freebie” or a “goodie bag”. 

At the entrance to the book festival, both the Guardian and the Scotsman were offering ‘lucky bags’.  An analysis is made as follows:

The Guardian Lucky Bag

Cost: £1. 

Contents: copy of the day’s Guardian in a eco-friendly cloth bag with a quote from AS Byatt’s Possession: “Literary critics make natural detectives.”   

Comments:  bag not very practical for harsh Edinburgh weather as newly signed book would be liable to get wet and the signature ruined! 

The Scotsman Lucky Bag

Cost 85p. 

Contents: 1 thick plastic bag, copy of the day’s Scotsman, a small packet of Lavazza coffee, a small packet of Mile and Ike’s fabulous fruits (chewy candies) and a choice of book between Skinnner’s Festival by Quintin Jardine or Eat Well by Nell Nelson. 

Comments: This was in the true tradition of a lucky bag, so I bought two!  Enjoyed the sweeties, will enjoy the coffee, bag very practical and I now have two books for some unsuspecting friends to receive at Christmas time! 

Verdict: the Scotsman wins hands down in maintaining the tradition of the lucky bag, though in some parts of London my street ‘cred’ may be enhanced with the Guardian eco-friendly cloth bag. 

Tip: Charlotte Square is quite easily found.  Most of the buses going to Princes Street will drop you near it.  Buses going along George Street will take you there as well.  Make a point of visiting the Georgian House (a National Trust for Scotland property) as it gives a fascinating example of life in a Edinburgh townhouse.  Take great care when crossing into the gardens from the square as traffic will appear to come at you from several directions.  This part of Edinburgh is not particularly blind friendly as you have to climb stone steps to get from the road into the gardens and on and off the pavement as well.  Remember that the orientation of the New Town of Edinburgh is east-west with Princes Street, George Street and Queen Street being the east-west parallel lines.