Neil McIntosh Editor of The Scotsman

 

 

The weather may have broken in Edinburgh this week, but the festival spirit has not - the city continues to vibrate with the thrill of thousands of shows.

 

It's been a delight to see so many people - including more than a few friends and family - in town over the last few weeks to enjoy all the city has to offer.

 

We've announced our second batch of Fringe First award-winners today, celebrating the best new writing as judged by our team of critics.

 

 

 

Those awards are a big part of ensuring The Scotsman takes up its familiar role as the Festival Newspaper, and the response from our readers has been huge. Thousands of you have signed up to our newsletter, subscribed online, bought newspapers and taken advantage of our ticket offers. So, to our readers old and new, thank you. We hope you're enjoying it.

 

 

 

To news, and the joy of the festival distracts, helpfully, from problems lying quite literally closer to home - Edinburgh cleansing workers have gone on strike, and could be out a while. Rubbish is already piling up on city streets, and colleagues across the nation could be following suit. It could be a smelly, and rancorous, end to the summer: we'll be sure to keep you informed on what's happening, why it's happening, and what paths there might be to resolution.

 

Elsewhere, Joyce McMillan's column today is getting a lot of interest from readers: she reminds us "you can't eat a flag", with reference both to the Conservative party's "flag-wrapped patriotism" and those "pro-independence extremists long disassociated from the SNP" who turned up to abuse attendees at Tory hustings this week in Perth.

 

Looking to the weekend, we'll have plenty of analysis of the strike action across the country, asking who's to blame - and what the possible routes to resolution might be. And with the cost of living crisis taking on ever-more worrying dimensions, we'll be asking if our High Streets will survive in anything like recognisable form. In the magazine, Rose Murray Brown highlights the best German white wines, Allan Massie reviews 1989 by Val McDermid, and we have all the news, sport and analysis you'd expect. We hope you'll enjoy it.

 

 

 

Finally, I couldn't let this week's letter pass without mention of the sad death of Darius Campbell Danesh, aged only 41. The Scottish singer-songwriter and actor has been the subject of countless tributes, one of the most fitting - and eloquent - coming from fellow actor, and great friend, Gerard Butler, who called Darius his "brother in arms" and praised his "heart of a lion", "bigger and brighter than the sun and an energy so contagious he could light up a room in seconds."

 

 

That wasn't Hollywood hyperbole, I can confirm: I had the pleasure of meeting Darius last year at a Scotsman event in Glasgow during COP26, and stayed in touch since. He was a truly charming, charismatic figure, and I know he will be sorely missed by family and many friends. My thoughts remain with them.

 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Thank you, as ever, for your support of The Scotsman.