Edinburgh fringe 1977
We cycled on pushbikes up and down Princes Street wearing these habits, during the main Edinburgh Fringe procession. Gordon Strachan dressed up as John Knox (considered the founder of the Presbyterians) who was hand in hand with Mary Queen of Scots (who took that role, Sam?) with occasional ride-pasts on our velocopeds. I felt we stole the fire from the other marchers, who lacked our mobility (or was it our dashing good looks(?)
I think this photo is from the farewell concert – we came on in habits at the beginning of the 2nd half, just after the pyrotechnics immortalised on the ‘Caedmon Live’ CD insert.
When we did the fringe procession with the habits I ended up going back to the flat to collect something. I met an elderly neighbour on the stair who asked, in a hesitant but courteous retired-Colonel kind of voice, “excuse me, but are you a Franciscan?” I had to explain that I was just in costume.
Mary QoS was played by Linda from Dunfermline. She worked in the Netherbow cafe. I don’t remember her maiden name but she later married (and was divorced from) Dougie Small, one the Dundee and Glasgow crowd that included Ricky Ross and Andy Thornton.