THOM HARDMAN, 22, is a coffee apprentice at Eteaket on Frederick Street. He lives in Leith
1 What is your earliest memory of Edinburgh? Stepping out of Waverley Station and looking out from North Bridge, instantly realising that this was exactly where I wanted to be.
2 What are your memories of school? I went Tarporley Community High School in Cheshire, a school that thankfully tolerated and even encouraged individuality and a touch of eccentricity – more than enough preparation for Edinburgh.
3 Where is your favourite place in Edinburgh? There is nowhere finer than the Meadows on a sunny day – jugglers, illicit barbecues and the occasional stray Frisbee are what summer is all about.
4 What are the best things about Edinburgh? Edinburgh loves and supports quirkiness. Not only with the Fringe influence, but you can see it in the independent shops and cafés that really offer something different to the usual high street blandness.
5 What would you change about the city? Fewer hills. Fewer steps. Simple really.
6 Describe a perfect Edinburgh day/night out? Edinburgh takes on a whole new life in August. Even if the price of shows keeps creeping upwards, it's still possible to seek out the Fringe spirit.
So, a perfect night out is putting on a three-piece suit at 10 o'clock and heading out with no plan and no idea of what kind of encounters you're going to find in the weird and wonderful atmosphere of the Festival.
7 Which sports interest you? Not so much a sport, but I've been quite involved with parkour in the past (think the beginning of Casino Royale but somewhat less death-defying). Nothing connects you with a city like falling on to it repeatedly on a wet winter night. Parkour makes you rethink how you can interact with your environment and anything can become a playground.
8 What was your most embarrassing moment? I tend to be quite prone to slapstick moments – falling on my face at inappropriate times. But one instance in particular sticks in my head because at the time I was in costume for a street show. For no reason I suddenly hit the ground while wearing a purple top hat and dropping a large metal ball that escaped down The Mile, with me grazed and bruised chasing after it.
9 What is your greatest achievement? That I can be happy with who I am and where I am in life without having to sacrifice my individuality.
10 Sum up Edinburgh in three words. Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The full article contains 430 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
