A peep over the Dean Bridge to the valley below shows the trees beginning to take on Autumn colours.

Autumn's also the season when orchestras and theatre companies rise from whatever summer slumber they've managed to enjoy.  The Citizen's Theatre over in Glasgow has emerged from about seven years of semi slumber during which they performed in various venues while their building was refurbished.   It looks good in media reports but I haven't managed to get over to see it yet.

On this side of the country though I managed to see the Lyceum's first production, The Seagull, which I enjoyed very much.  The last time I can remember seeing it was an outdoor production in Duddingston Kirk's grounds. I'm sure it was fine but it was probably a bit parky and the seating less than comfortable.  On those grounds alone even in restricted view seats The Lyceum experience was much better.

I also saw at The Traverse (which hasn't been slumbering) a new play called Black Hole Sign.  It's set in an NHS hospital during a night shift and shows the staff coping with one thing and another, including a hole in the ceiling.  It's been pretty well universally acclaimed but while I enjoyed it I didn't find it particularly enlightening about the NHS or the action very dramatic.  For a more positive opinion try here or even more positive The Indiependent.  That's the sort of minor spelling difference that could lose you a fortune in a scam email!

On the music front I went with Sarah to hear the SNJO play the music of Weather Report.  This was their first gig since the resignation of Tommy Smith.  It suffered from the loss of his practiced skill with apposite anecdotes but stood up well musically.  We had a meal beforehand at a little place near the Queen's Hall, Cafe Andamiro, which is well worth a visit. 

The RSNO and the SCO both got their seasons underway.  The former gave us Ravel's Piano Concerto in G which was lovely and Mahler's 7th Symphony which entertained me less. I'm more enthusiastic about the SCO's second concert of the season (I missed the first one) which included  two choral works, Poulenc's Gloria and Vivaldi's Gloria.  I loved both but particularly the Poulenc.  I daresay it's because I can't sing a note that I enjoy choral works.

Thanks to Claire I managed to catch an exhibition of John Bellany self portraits just before it closed.  They covered his whole career from his student days to his final stay in hospital.  Magnificent stuff.  

During the festival I went with Claire and Ross to see Scottish Ballet's production of Mary Queen of Scots.  We enjoyed it so much that we booked to see it again on its return to Edinburgh.  This time we were in the second front row rather than somewhere in the back stalls.  The benefit was considerable.  We had a much better view of the detail of all the facets of the performance, dancing, choreography, acting even the music.  And we'd a better idea of the storyline they'd developed which helped us follow what was going on.

Claire's sister Ruth was up here for a few days around her birthday and I joined them for lunch one Sunday at The Shore, one of my favourite places though I hadn't been there for yonks.  The late Brian Kellock used to provide a jazz accompaniment to Sunday lunch and the tradition has been continued with a pianist and bass player whse names I don't know.