Another bit of reminiscence

So, after leaving Livingston, and despite the fact there was frozen food in the boot of the car I turned off on the Calders road and headed up over the level crossing , through Kirknewton Village and up past the old airfield and army camp there. I can remember when the airfield, a former RAF fighter base during the war, was used by the U S airforce. They used to come down to Balerno and Currie at the weekends in the camp bus and take us up to play baseball with their families. The base camp then became an army camp for the Black Watch, and now the airfield is used by glider pilots.

I then turned off onto a single track road, over what used to be a ford in the stream where we often got stuck - Mrs. B. was losing the plot as she had no idea where we were or where we were going - so having made a wrong turning and had to turn at a field entrance near to Harperigg and Threipmuir reservoirs, I eventually arrived at Cockburn farm . This was where I was born and lived till we moved to Currie - Mrs. B. has never been there so she was quite surprised and interested to see the place. It brought back a lot of memories, but the house has changed a bit with alterations and there is a commercial garage on the plot of ground next door. I probably need to go back and take a walk around just to see how much I remember.

From there she saw how far I had to walk each day to and from the school at Balerno, just under two miles which was a long way for a wee tot. So down through Johnsburn , passed Johnsburn House where Sir Hugh Rose used to live - perhaps the family are still there.

The school has not changed any other than it is now an annex to the new primary school, but Balerno has, although I did not have time to get out and have a wander - frozen food in boot - so then we headed home, via Currie and the Police Tax collector hiding in his radar van.

Suitcase packed and ready to go, notes left for RGB and Go Jo to sort things out, and all arranged to meet William and Sandra some time after 6 p.m. tomorrow, but it will take us time to get through from T1 to T3 at Heathrow.

Sparky Mark also packed and ready to go, twisted sod is planning on taking his boots off on the plane which might well be mistaken as a gas escape, so if you hear of a flight making an emergency landing over southern Europe or North Africa , you will know the reason why.

So now doing a Sparky and chilling out. Tomorrow being a long day.