Just a wee puckle more

More snow this morning so it was out in the baffies to help clear the car so Mrs B could get away. There was a bad accident on the Leadburn Howgate Road at Pomathorn so the main road was really busy and it took her about seventy minutes to drive the six miles or so to work - everything was really bad.

When I headed off later it was up via Lowrie's Den which was looking good, and as I passed I spotted the ponies being fed by their young owner. They are now eight months, and a bit scruffy in their winter coats.
My hairy pals next field had just had lunch delivered and were tucking in to a great feast.

Is our system that screwed up ?

So,

off to town again , via KB once again to cheer up the super workers, Arlene and Alan. On to The Mercat, which, like the rest of the areas affected by the tramworks is fenced off and we now have lots of new plant and vehicles, in the bright red livery of "clancydocwra" which looks like a combined Irish /Polish group, but I believe they are London based.

Many of the employees are those who were previously on site up till the x mas break.

On my way home I had to run the gauntlet again by walking through the ice rink of a car park.

Thee was an interesting article in the paper yesterday about Polish workers coming into the UK as "consultants", registering into our N I system, and then starting to screw our benefit system !! This European Bill of Human Rights, as I have said before , is certainly doing us no good at all.
We have reporters who have recently successfully challenged the Police Stop and Search
powers thus giving our criminals more freedom.

Anyway, change of theme, I was particularly disturbed to read of the two Policemen, or members of the firearms dept in Durham, who have been arrested for selling surrendered weapons back to the public - in this day and age they deserve everything they get. Many, many years ago we had a similar incident in Edinburgh where two Policemen who were supposed to be disposing of firearms, were doing just that, but selling them to a local firearms dealer - all were eventually caught, arrested and locked up.

Prior to this, the old weapons were being disposed of by dropping them into a local reservoir , but during one particularly hot summer the water level dropped so low that the discarded weapons were exposed !! caused a bit of an upset, but after that the weapons were chopped up by a guillotine and dropped in a steel furnace.

Laughing lads and lady

WEDNESDAY, I must try and remember this - yesterday I had no idea what day it was at all, a "senior moment" perhaps !!!

Tuesday, I had also been in to see Arlene at KB who I always maintain is one of the hardest working ladies I know - she seems to make professional jugglers look tame.

Back at the Mercat we had our weekly delivery beers from Bellhaven. The Draymen have been great during the five years we have known them and despite the banter always go out their way give good service.

Back to reality, the latest earthquake in Haiti is a real shocker, out of the blue and the worst since 1770 with massive devastation and a high toll of casualties. It looks like it will take a while to get the true sale of the disaster..

I heard a few days ago that an old friend, Douglas Wilson, of the Navaar House hotel and Yeamon Bar, Edinburgh , (to name a couple) died last week. I first met Dougie and his wife Cath about 36 years ago when they took over the former "Trollheim Hotel" Penicuik, which had been damaged by fire, rebuilt it and called it The Navaar. It was a very busy pub when at its peak. Douglas RIP, our thoughts are with the family.

They also had the Craigiebield House hotel for a short time, bought from Alex Walker - Alex Walker previously owned a grocers shop in West Maitland Street, Edinburgh, known as Westwoods, which he converted into a bar called Westwoods, and which is now The Mercat Bar !! small world.

Back to the cold again this morning , so time to get the de-icer or scrapers out once more.

My hairy highland pals

Another mild morning, although I was hearing that Orlando USA was having some very unusual cold weather so hopefully Risky the Pilot of the road is home !!

Popped down to see Grant at Photognix and get soem photos printed off and my card stored onto CD.

On my way to town stopped off to talk to these lovely chaps who are coping with the snow. Did not look too happy, but that might well be due to the recent publicity about their meat being the best steak available - and there I was with a knife and fork in hand, and a jar of mustard in the pocket.

Off to The Mercat Bar again, and made the mistake of parking in the NCP car park at Morrison Street which is now a deadly skating rink, dammed disgrace, virtually impossible to walk in the main car park and the steps were also untreated.

Bar was busy again for lunch so were kept on our toes for two hours before I left.

Henry Raeburn Dobson, and a new menu

Monday night, back home and feet up for a while.

Sunday afternoon met my neighbour out with his new pup, which was keen to have a bit of a play in the snow at the front of the house.

Today, planned to have a day off but with the start of the new Menu at The Mercat Bar RGB persuaded me to go in for the lunch period. It gave me the opportunity to pop along to Jessops and try and get
Mrs. B.'s camera sorted, two weeks old, never been used and it went on the blink first time out.

Opposite Jessop's in Shandwick Place is an ornate entrance with the words Albert Gallery faintly visible on the stonework, and I presume it is a portrait of Prince Albert. After a bit of digging I can only suggest that it was once the studio used by Henry Raeburn Dobson @ Raeburn Dobson - 1901 - 1985, who specialised in landscapes and portraits. He certainly moved about, including living in Belgium. He also lived at Mavisbush Lodge, Polton , Lasswade which was later known as Priorwood Lodge.

Poppd back in to see "smelly" Gillian at Fraser's who was in good form, apart from being unable to buy herself some leeks yesterday at Tesco's - after global warming, the big freeze, now we have food shortages - folks struggling to make a decent pot of soup !!! Where will it all end ?

New "specials" now on the menu appear to a success, we were busy at lunchtime, and even a nice group in for a birthday lunch ( girl in the pink coat).

Anyway, home on the bus, bit of peace and quiet.

Will get some quiet this week as Sparky Mark is off on his travels again , away to Spain on Thursday on another walking trip - good one Sparky.

Nice bit of peace and quiet for me - well maybe !!

Big surprise for me when I discovered that I was finishing early on Saturday, plenty staff on board to deal with the customers so i took myself off on a wander.

Popped into Anthyllis at Haymarket on spec and found that Laurie had some free time so I ended up having a nice restful hour and a half, nearly asleep at times - just what the Doctor ordered. Had a blether with her husband later and discovered that he was a scuba diver and a friend of a friend so to speak, Gary Lawson from North Berwick who has a dive boat, and Sandra who was at the last wine night - picture was on the blog in the sharks cage off South Africa - who was his instructor.

Headed back to the Mercat where our regular group of Edinburgh District ( Gunners) supporters were gathering before heading off to Murrayfield for the match against Cardiff ( Edinburgh won 22 - 12). Only a crowd of 1500 present, but apparently the refereeing left a bit to be desired and blood pressure was high.

Later teamed up with JP (John Paul) one of the staff and we took ourselves round to the Voodoo bar to annoy Alex, which makes a change from him annoying us !!! Then on the way back to collect my belongings gave Jani at Gali's Italian restaurant the pleasure of our company so we ended up with some Vino and a pizza - excellent.

Was fortunate enough to get perfect connections on the buses home, so I made it into the house well before the bewitching hour ( when carriages change back into pumpkins).

Despite my tipple, still only managed four hours sleep and that was in an empty bed as Mrs B. and her wild friends were out at a works dance and staying overnight in the McDonald's Hotel at Holyrood where i believe they have managed to behave sufficiently well not to get locked up.

Up and out to clear more snow this morning , but it was mild at plus 2 C, however, the cold is taking its toll on the batteries, so the power pack was back in use again. took the car out to Nine Mile Burn to give it a run hence the picture of the fairly deep snow at the roadside.

Off to collect the "ladies" now.

It was chilly - still !!

So much for a day off onFriday, RGB persuaded me to go help at The Mercat where there was a big booking for lunch, a farewell doo for a couple of ladies leaving their firm to have babies.

However i had a bit of a wander around the town , where although cold it was bright and sunny.

Managed this shot of the Balmoral Hotel in Princes Street, from the top of my bus, note the unfinished tram lines in the foreground.

Quiet night in front of the Tv watching the start of the new series of Silent Witness - or perhaps it should be (Dirty - (lucky) Harry).

Up with the Penguins this morning , only minus 4C so the snow was trying to come on . had a short wait then Fergus came storming into sight in his McEwans 101 Bus, which has not been deterred all week by the snow - just ploughed through the drifts. so instead of being late as anticipated I was in on time.
So - all quiet on the western front , so to speak - bit stupid of these blokes to make bomb threats this morning on the Emirates aircraft at Heathrow, you would think in this day and age and current climate of terrorism that you shut your mouth and do not even joke about such things.