It's over...

There are only three things I won't miss about this year's festival:

• the hangovers
• the nightly taxi trip home
• bleeding money away like a haemorrage

On the other hand, there is much, much more that I will miss:

• people watching outside the upside-down purple cow at the Udderbelly
• seeing performers in the streets around "the hub" (including a Caesar Twin deep in conversation with Jim Bowen)
• sitting chilling out in the cultured and inspirational calm oasis of the Book Festival
• the bean burgers
• bumping into Patti Plinko at Camille and congratulating her for her show
• the Terrible Infants strolling round Bristo Square serenading punters just because they felt like it
• the organised chaos that was the High Street (especially when Drum Cat were there)
• watching talented young performers mingling in the C bar at Chambers St
• seeing South Koreans in traditional dress and samurai warriors wandering about the streets with no-one batting an eyelid
• the Kirin in the Queen's Hall
• slagging off War of the Worlds at every opportunity
• the urban style of the C Socco
• everything belonging to Lionel Ritchie
• girls with megaphones
• the Caesar Twins doing their Terminator stalking bit
• medicinal beers
• hell, I'll even miss the rain...

But now, it's all over bar the fireworks. It's been great.

*** THIS BLOG IS NOW SEALED UNTIL THE SAME TIME NEXT YEAR ***