What did we see
Along with many other journalists we went to hear what Deputy First Minister, Kate Forbes had to say at a political event at Summerhall arranged by The Herald. After a week during which she announced her imminent retirement from Holyrood at the 2026 election by which time she will be 36, the most pressing question was of course why she has decided to step down.
She answered interviewer and journalist Andrew Learmonth that she really does want to spend more time with her family. She has a young daughter of three as well as three teenage step-daughters and her husband to consider. They had all been on a family holiday in India earlier in the summer, and when visiting an orphanage it came home to her what her future path should be.
She said: “I was so overwhelmed at the realisation that these kids, these really precious kids didn’t have something that my daughter did have, and that my absence from home so often was a serious matter. I realised that by signing off for another five years ai was choosing to essentially say goodbye to my daughter every Monday morning and say hello again, hopefully on a Friday night on a good week, sometimes on a Saturday night and sometimes leaving again on a Sunday night. And I just didn’t have the heart to do that for another five years.”
She admitted that it was a difficult decision, and conceded that not everyone would make the same choice, but that she came home from India in mid July knowing what she needed to do.
She said she could not move everybody down to Edinburgh, saying “that’s a really big ask. It’s asking a lot of my husband, and it is asking a lot of three teenage girls for whom Dingwall is their home.”
She continued: “This career is my choice and I accept that with this job comes the unforgiving hours, the high profile scrutiny, the people who love you, the people who hate you that comes with the job. None of their names are on the ballot paper. It’s my name is on the ballot paper. So why should they all five of them have to face that level of disruption and upheaval?
“And so that’s where – every angle I looked at it from, it kept being very self oriented and at the end of the day, I realised it’s a choice. It’s a choice for me that I have to make, and I have to be big and brave enough to make choices and they’re sometimes quite uncomfortable.”
And she shared with the audience that there were many hours of silence after she put out her statement, all down to Storm Floris which caused the phone service and broadband to completely close down until 8am on Tuesday morning.
Today’s top tip
Get along to Not Another Quiz Night. Do not even think about the lateness of the start time (11.20pm since you ask). And either make sure you have some great quizzers with you, or team up with random people who turn out to know the answers to so many questions that your team comes second. (And actually Jake Bhardwaj – where was the prize for being second?)
The rounds are fast and furious, the guests are brilliant VIPs like one of the Gallagher brothers (no idea which one but he was wearing sunglasses) – and Freddie Mercury among others.
And you will no doubt be wondering why you get two toilet rolls per table at a quiz night – well just go along and find out.
Fast paced and fun, this is a great night out that is entirely unexpected- and every night will be different as they change the questions.
Even Joe Lycett calls it the perfect Fringe night – and it is. (Just remember there are few buses at that time of night from Bristo Square!)
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/not-another-quiz-night
What is on this week?
Since other people will be thinking of mega pop band Oasis today let us tell you about some real old school pop royalty.
Singer Chrissie Hynde has an exhibition in Edinburgh. The art exhibition is called Hynde Sight II that has just opened in Edinburgh and runs until 23rd August 2025, running alongside Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This new exhibition follows on from Chrissie’s acclaimed exhibition Hynde Sight which took place end of last year in London, at Cromwell Place.
The collection abounds with colour, texture and urgency, showcasing Chrissie Hynde’s dynamic still life, abstract work and self-portraits in vibrant oils. Each piece is a testament to Hynde’s gutsy and beautiful style, incorporating a wide variety of subjects. Table furniture, flowers and instruments shudder out of their surroundings, full of boldness and light. Her self-portraits blaze with profound vulnerability and power.
Hynde Sight II is at Harvey and Woodd, 4 Dundas Street, Edinburgh.
Please click here to view the exhibition catalogue.
Scottish Water carrying out urgent manhole repair in Edinburgh’s Albion Road
Albion Road is closed while Scottish Water carries out repair work to a collapsed manhole.
The manhole is on the footpath at Albion Road, with the road now closed from the junction with Easter Road to the Harrismith Place junction to ensure the safety of pedestrians and other road users. Local diversions are in place via Albion Place and St Clair Street.
A team from contractor Clancy will be carrying out urgent repairs involving the excavation of the area surrounding the manhole, with reinstatement work then required to return the affected area to normal use.
A Scottish Water spokesperson said: “Our team on site will do all they can to complete their work safely, quickly and with as little disruption as possible, but we would like to apologise to residents and road users in the area for any inconvenience caused while we carry out this essential repair.”
Our Fringe reviews
Thank you to our reviewers who have been busy scribbling notes in dodgy handwriting in the dark at Fringe shows this last week.
You can read all of our articles here – and there are two five star reviews so far.
