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Your first night in edinburgh - getting settled

7/27/2013

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The posters and flyers in our Edinburgh flat. Wish we were joking.
You're in Edinburgh! Hell yeah! But wait, you might have to carry your crap to your house, return a rental vehicle, and all sorts of other admin before you can sit down with a nice cup of tea and start panicking about your show.

Don't worry; we got this. Here's a short list of things to think about on your first night in Edinburgh. We'll make it quick so that tea's not far away.
  • Get keys from the letting agent/landlord. Usually there's an office to pick them up from; have the details on your phone in advance, so you're not frantically Googling.
  • If you're driving, try to get another member of the group to pick up keys - this way you can drop off stuff before stashing your car. Be sure to remove everything remotely stealable if parking, as it's going to be sitting for a month. If you've hired a vehicle, unload it first if humanly possible, then take it to the depot. Make sure you return it on time, or you may get fined.
  • Get your housemates involved when bringing stuff in. We had a shit-load of stuff (see below), and it was raining. Doing it on your own is brutal.
  • Once you're in, check the house for any issues - is anything broken, any cracks anywhere, questionable smells? Make a note of these AS SOON AS YOU ARRIVE, so you can't be charged for anything upon leaving.
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Just some of the stuff brought in upon arrival.
Make a list of house items you may need to buy. It may include any or all of:

A drying rack (check local charity shops),
Toilet paper,
Salt & pepper,
Bin bags,
Sponges,
Washing up liquid,
Big pot (for group cooking - more on that later),
Olive oil,
Cling film and tin foil,
Bleach,
Jay cloths
Fabric softener / washing powder

  • Locate nearest shops for buying food (and cash machines)
  • Get teabags and milk (and coffee)
  • Once you're in and settled, unpack and sort your room straight away - you’ll feel much more at home and less cluttered.
  • Find the wi-fi password (often on the router, or your landlord will have made a note of it) and make sure you can get connected and online. If not, speak to your landlord ASAP, as it will make Edinburgh a damn sight more fiddly if you don’t have wi-fi at home. Write a big note for the fridge.
  • If before 5:30pm, get keys cut! You’ll be grateful of this later, and it allows you all independence to do your own thing.
  • Pick up your posters / flyers, etc from their drop-off point and leave them in your house / producer’s house to prep for publicity campaign.
  • Make a cooking rota - this is great if you’re living with a few people (esp. if you have similar schedules). Give each person a day of the week (depending on numbers you may have to double up), set a budget (£10-15 should do) and stick to it. This’ll be much healthier, and cheaper too. Ritual is important for the Fringe - sitting down with housemates reminds you why you like them, and will help prep / debrief you during a month of shows.

...and breathe. Use the time to have a shower, get some food, sort your home base out, and relax. You’ve got brilliant, exciting, whirlwind ride of a Fringe in front of you. Enjoy the calm before the storm, and prepare to strap in: it’s going to get messy.
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