Things come in cycles, and the Festival is merely a part of this.

Whether it be the ‘wacky’ ways people think of to promote their shows – which are then copied until they become so ubiquitous as to be neither wacky nor effective and therefore fade for a few years before returning as if new and exciting – or fashions in comedy or theatre (this year seems to be about darkness. Everything is gritty and miserable. Let’s not mention the economy, okay?). Or in clothing and accessories…

Peggy here, mainstay of the Literary world in Edinburgh and St Andrews (watch out for her at the Edinburgh Book Festival) has been ‘rocking’ the retro glasses for a few years now, receiving nothing but approval from her peers.

But now the secret – that as far as glasses are concerned, old is new and sad is hot – is out, it seems.

Up and down the streets and venues of Edinburgh this year, big plastic frames are the thing to wear.

Whether performing…

Flyering (so much yellow!)…

Walking about taking in the atmosphere…

Grinning like a mad northerner (this isn’t racism, he was fron The North)…

Or creating eccentric promotional accessories…

Now that I’ve pointed it out, you’ll see them everywhere. Because they really are everywhere. I don’t think I’ve ever been so aware of people’s glasses as I am at the moment; if I didn’t feel a need to repress any memories (or photographs) of the time when I wore ‘tragic’ specs, I would surely be jumping on this bandwagon. Geek chic? Apparently so.

What next?

Coming soon: A Book at Bedtime (and the rest of the day)