The late Mr. B or Nightmare on the national Express

My goodness, Sunday turned out to be a day and a half - understatement. Up early as usual after another restless night, pottered about and got all packed for my trip away.

Sparky arrived at 11.30 a.m. and we headed down to Bonnyrigg to the Committee meeting of the OSM - Soutra Isle, and arrived to discover that we were nearly an hour late !! with members wondering where we had gone to . However, the meeting, which was well attended finished and the office bearers remained for a somewhat chaotic rehearsal, just like the theatre, you just hope that it will be all right on the night , so to speak. Poor Mark was somewhat bemused as he has never been to one of these rehearsals before.
Left about 1 p.m. to head into town to catch my 2 p.m. train from Waverly - sounds simple, But - we ran into long queues of traffic about a mile from the station so I decided to get out and walk - this was the wise decision of the day , as everything around the Royal Mile, was stationary due to a parade assembling near the Worlds End Pub ( notorious for the double murder many years ago). passing through the parade spotted an ancient !!! motorcycle cop, another "Sparky" who i had not seen for ages causing mayhem in the road - so he and i had a conversation over his radio via his mate.
Into the Station in good time, managed a beer and was waiting on No 11 when the 2 p.m. train arrived - found my seat, sat down and waited , and waited and waited. Guard kept telling us there was a signal fault East of Edinburgh ( Drem) and that the train before us (1.30) was also held up. About 2.40 p.m. we were told our train was cancelled and we had to join the other on platform 2 - so there we were trying to get a full train packed into another full train !!! just like pouring a pint into another pint - does not work , No seats, bodies everywhere and tempers getting frayed. The Guards who I had passed were saying how stupid it was and then disappeared for their own safety.
At 3 pm. the next batch of passengers , for the 3 p.m. London train arrived and they tried to jam in as well !! getting worse - and then eventually we were told that the train was going to be diverted across country to Carlisle and then back over to Newcastle before going down the East Coast - so off we set. Problem then was that we were being slotted in between other trains and had to keep stopping and starting , and that the route from Carlisle to Newcastle is not high speed so we were over two hours late by the time we reached Newcastle. Due to the crowding the buffet car was not opened but some of the more vocal passengers raided the car and set off down the train dishing out "free" bottles of water, etc.
We were at Peterborough, two hours late, when things began to return to a semblance of order and seats were again available for everybody . Some folks had been sat in the toilet corridors, for four hours, and even the toilets were failing due to the strain.

Eventually arrived at London at 9.05 , some 2 hrs 20 mins behind schedule, onto the Tube and when I did get to the hotel, there was no reservation for me !!! Got that sorted and it was 10 p.m. before I had a a sight of a bed!!

Quick wash and took myself out into the night air for a wander, pizza and beer.
So now we wait to see what this fine day has to offer.

A (First Class) day in Glasgow

Headed for Glasgow on the train from Edinburgh, accompanied by a number of the Tartan Army making their way the International between Scotland and Macedonia ( which we won 2 - 0) eventually.

Took ouselves off for a walk in the rain and saught shelter in the St Eonochs Cetntre, Frasers, the Princes Mall where we had lunch at D'Arcays; the Buchannan Galleries; john Lewis.

Eventually made it back home on a quieter train , First Class for some peace and quiet, and have to say that the staff were superb ( both ways). Our Steward on the way home was superb and had a wee wind up with one of his friends which kept everyone on the train guessing.

Home to Edinburgh to The Mecat where I met Ian Anderson , a former social worker from Dalkeith who was a member of one of my Crime Prevention Panels in Midlothian, nice to see him again apart from the fact he seemed to think my shadow was a bit bigger than he remembered!!!

Eventually, out to Penicuik, and after a lot of walking had our dinner at The Craigibield, but honestly - I should have stayed at The mercat for my steak

Stewart's mico brewery, Loanhead

Friday , p.m, made it home and headed back to Loanhead to see how Steve Stewart was doing at his open day at his mico brewery - answer being, very wll , with a great response, so much so that he ran out of beer, burgers and sausages. And to make my day, on of the lads helping out was doing his brewery course at Heriot Watt Uni , was a flat mate of or young chef Chris who is coping with his lady friend ( our neeve) good day had by all, but what else do you expect with such good beer.

H & S and Holidays

Butterflies as promised the other day, however the poor things would have drowned today with all the rain we are having.

Took my medicine like a man last night and fell into bed at 10 p.m., to waken bright as a button at 5.30 a.m.

Despite having the day off to get organised, there was no way I was getting a long lie as the Water Board contractors arrived as promised and drilled and banged, but got my wonky manhole covers up and replaced.

Tried to get in touch with the railway people, but they like many other organisations, have a better record at sales than after sales !!

Headed into town to see Alan and Arlene at KB, both up to their eyes in Health and Safety paperwork - looks like it will soon be impossible to get tradesmen at all due to all the red tape being generated by our wonderful bureaucrats.

Headed off to the Mercat Bar where everyone in West Maitland Street was being subjected to the most terrible ear battering from the blokes who were marking the roads at the junction - did not take a photo but they are moving the temporary pedestrian crossing all of six feet - just how much is this insane project costing with all these enforced moves made to be compliant to H & S, etc.

Young Liam Wilson has done well, he had got himself a place at Aberdeen University where he is going to study Architecture, so we will lose a good member of staff and his Mum will get a bit of peace and quiet !!

Headed home, and after a couple of long phone calls managed to get us sorted for a birthday Holiday to Egypt at the end of October which was the wish of Mrs B. so not only will she go on holiday with some old relics she will get the chance to see many more - between Cairo and sailing down the Nile from Luxor. Something to look forward to.

back to the bar in the morning, then out to an Installation at Newbattle of Dundas R A at night.

A long long trip

Nice early rise today, but surprisingly, after everything I say - i woke during the night but dozed off and needed the alarm for 4.20 a.m. Off on the road, and the very first motor to pass me was a "white van man" - going like the clappers - as usual.

Through to Glasgow to see Mr Dunk - crabbit old fart - looking forward to his bottle of port tonight.

Southwards without incident , but past the M56 and the M6 was very busy - including all the fruitcakes on four wheels.

into Central Birmingham, made a mistake and took the wrong exit but it was only a case of up and over.

Arrived at the office but could hear alltrhe fire engines etc, nearby, so when I left I was stuck in a jam because a certain "black" gentleman had sort of over run the roundabout and ended up in a garden which wa going to need a good tow truck to get him out.

Headed north and into Runcorn to see Jill and Lorraine, and despite 96 hrs notice , the ladies were still not organised !!! so what's new?

Weather was not brilliuant heading home, and there was a spectacular three care crash near en route, otherwise a good run. Passed two sort of high tech Metropolitan Police vans, plus two army type motors near Carlisle - odd.

At abington was passed by an Audi, doing about 110 mph, not wasting time - and then I tagged onto a motor cycle who sat at a steady 85/90 all the way into Glasgow. ?????? What is the speed limit.

After my stop at Glasgow I decided to go across country, Newmains, Carluke, Carnwarth, and West Linton to miss the chaos at Hillend on the A 702, and made it home by 5.15 p.m. 720 miles since leaving. bit knackered, but nothing a drop of red wine cannot cure.

call from William and Sandra in Spain, sunburnt and happy.

Some have a cheek and others are cheeky !!!

Missed all the traffic chaos at Hillend, which was already starting at 6.45 a.m. , and the traffic report said that they were working all night - not true.

Into the Bar, opened early and raring to go, with a few in for breakfast.

Late morning this group of lovely young art students from several art colleges in Southern Ireland arrived, over to take in some of the arty things at the festival. They were a real cheery bunch and doing their best to wind me up, said they were my worst nightmare come true!! However, I said that having been married for 39 years it would take more than them to upset me. So girls, Adeline; Orlagh; Evelyn; Linda; Ciara; Michelle; Niamh; Maria; and Grianne - hope you had a nice trip home and enjoyed your trip.

A white van arrived at 0830 hrs and parked in the loading bay, while the driver, a tradesman went to work upstairs - the van was still there five hours later !!! But - there was a nice blue Disabled drivers badge on the windscreen , which was all that was stopping the driver getting booked.


Left sharp to do a couple of jobs on the way home. So now, sitting having a quiet night in before my long haul to Glasgow, Birmingham and Runcorn in the morning.

Bit jealous of William and Sandra who are sunning themselves and taking red wine in Spain for a few days.

Dummy Run

4.30 a.m. wide awake again , but 24 hours too early - so not being able to sleep it was a case of get up and get occupied.

Sunday we had a call early from young Craig and Maureen who we met at their wedding in Barbados four years ago, and it was their intention to come through to Edinburgh for the day with baby Cameron and meet us for a bite to eat - good plan.

However, when they were on the train the baby took ill and they felt it was better that they take him home and let him recover in familiar surroundings - better luck next time.

Having got ourselves organised and into Edinburgh we remembered that there was also a birthday girl on the loose, young Brenda , who was celebrating yet another 21st, so a couple of calls letter we discovered where she , Graham and friends were going out for lunch and thought we might go and surprise them. So, there they were all quiet and content in the Hotel Du Vin , when RGB, Jo , Ann and myself appeared !! and we were all able to join two tables and have a pleasant meal in quiet surroundings. After dinner we all headed round for a drink at "The Doctors". a nearby pub round by the old Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, so we could quite honestly say that we had to go so The doctor on Sunday !!
Many moons ago, when I was a patient in the Hospital having tests done , I was allowed out the ward during the evening and used to go up to the same pub , till one night I was a bit later and when the shifts changed on the ward and I was not there so the Staff Nurse had to come and fetch me - tied to the bed after that.

Monday , had a long fairly quiet shift in the Mercat, being a Bank Holiday there did not seem to be as many folks about, so a slightly delicate Sir Christopher and myself manned the front of house, while Claire and Andy did the rear.

Anyway , up now, off to town shortly and will hopefully miss the queues at the four way traffic lights at Hillend on the Edinburgh Biggar A702 road where the Water board have opened up a new set of works right through the three junctions ( A703 and the Old Pentland road), last night there was total chaos as folks were heading south, with queues right back onto the A720 by pass - the usual nightmare which will get worse as there is literally no alternative, and the work is planned to continue for the next three weeks - Edinburgh is a City under Siege by these bloody road contractors. AND , having said that, the road past our house is a possible diversion , but the water Board have promised to come and fix our manhole this week so that will mean more traffic lights and congestion !!! You cannot win.