Memories of my father, awakened

I was looking through some of my recent photos and found these which I had taken in St Giles Cathedral a couple of weeks ago.

A bit or serious reminiscing as my father left a career in dairy farming at Cockburn Farm, Balerno, way back about 1954/ 1955 and moved to work for the Edinburgh Union of Boys Clubs, then in Alva Street, Edinburgh. I cannot remember much about that but we soon started to visit Dalguise House in Perthshire as that was a base for many of the courses run by EUBC and also the Scottish Association of Youth Clubs - many a good time had there,and I later went there with the Scottish Schoolboys Club who also used camps at Bruar and Calvine.

On the theme of Dalguise, when father moved on to work for Ferranti Ltd at Crewe Toll, Robertson Avenue and Dalkeith, he often had apprentices up at Dalguise House on Adjustment to Industry Courses. I even met one of his former apprentices on my recent Urquhart's coach trip to Lewis and Barra.

The other plaques, one for the girls union I am not sure of , but the B B one William Smith who was a friend of Baden Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts.

Beautiful Edinburgh

Been a busy day with work in the Dolphin Inn, where we had a lovely "young" 94 year old in for lunch with her family.

Meeting at SAC this afternoon, and a Trip to Tranent tonight to meet up with fellow licensees for a Pub Watch meeting - excellent attendance.

Thought I should add some of my Edinburgh pictures, the Floral Clock in Princes Street Gardens, this year commemorating the centenary of the RNID. ( Royal National Institute for the Deaf) The Castle and a couple of perspectives of the Scott Monument with the Balmoral Hotel ( formerly the North British Hotel).

Just a pity it was pretty dull when I took the pictures, they do not do justice to the scenes.

Time waits for no man

Heading for Glasgow on Friday along the M8 when we eventually passed these three chaps on scooters who were struggling to overtake as they did not have enough speed. The lad in green had to take up the racing position over the bars to make headway.

They, were obviously not wasting time - nice feed to the next photograph, which just appealed to me -

and of course the statue of the Green Man, Donald Dewar, has been outside the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall for some time - whilst out man statue was good at posing very still for a long time !!!!!

Forget Spain, head for Barra's beaches

It is just unfortunate that we do not have the same amount of sunshine as Spain and other foreign lands, when we have such beautiful bays and beaches in our own country - just the slight matter of getting there and having the opportunity to wear less than a cagoule. However when we were on the Island of Barra we managed to get out and have a paddle in the sea which as can be seen was crystal clear, and stroll along pristine silver sands.

Isle of Barra Hotel and beach

As I am having problems trying to get onto Tripadvisor to do a report I am continuing to add a photographs from the trip to Barra.

These four were taken from either the hotel looking out or the bay looking back

Calanis Standing Stones, Isle of Lewis

The Standing Stones at Calanais are reported to have been erected between 3,000 - 4,000 years ago. They stand on the side of Loch Road and Calanais 1 , the biggest of three circles contains fifty large stones, the tallest being sixteen feet high and weighing 5.5 tonnes.

The second circle consists of ten stones with five still standing and the third has twenty stones formed in a double ring.

These circles are thought to be older than Stonehenge and the pyramids of Egypt, however being less accessible the numbers of visitors is considerably less !!!

It's only a joke !!!!

Happy dogs in the Barra sun and sea

Despite what some on the bus said, there was sunshine and here are two happy campers to prove it !! The collie was full of beans and never stopped running, while the collie spent his time chasing waves, and more waves, and yet more waves - happy days and happy dogs.

Brad Pitt, ghouls, the Fringe and movie sets

Bit of a coincidence - Wednesday afternoon I was in The High Street, Edinburgh when this group of "Ghouls" taking part in the Edinburgh Fringe were posing for the tourists.

Today - just a bit different. We were in Glasgow where George Square has been turned into the streets of New York city for the sets of Brad Pitt's latest movie about a city being taken over by ghouls.

Security was fairly tight and there were crowds of spectators, but we could hear lots of bangs and see the smoke as a shoot was taking place, then they all broke for lunch and the hundreds of extras headed off.

Missing photos from the tram story.

Tried my best to get these photos onto the previous entry but failed miserably - just like the Council and TIE !! And with the Edinburgh Evening news having a hey day there is no shortage of material, especially with tonight's posters.

Timetable for a Tram to Nowhere - Edinburgh Council

When the Carlton Hill Folly was built in Edinburgh many years ago, it was thought to be a disgrace that it was never completed, however, this bit of foolishness has been overshadowed well and truly by the continuing saga of the trams to nowhere !!! Having dug up Leith Walk, Princes Street, the West End and Shandwick Place, looks like it was all a pointless exercise apart from an attempt by Edinburgh City Council to get a mention in the Guinness Book of Records for the biggest waste of public funds.

Latest news is that it might run from Gogar to Haymarket Station, probably with a link to the airport, and the incoming / outgoing tourists will need to resort back to the bus again to and from Haymarket - THAT IS, provided the Council can reach an agreement with the contractors - if not they can walk away and claim compensation from the Council - which will leave us with tracks in Prices Street going nowhere ( a bit like the "Bridge to Nowhere" up in Lewis), and no doubt the already laid tracks from Haymarket out to Gogar and the Airport will be pinched during the night by the "tinkies" who will probably arrive in droves and take over the Gogar Depot and the Park and Rides once again.

Nina - the bubbly blonde on the boat to Barra

Not quite what you thought, but we met this beautiful Golden Retriever on each of our four ferries over the weekend. Full of life, very well behaved and coped with the long crossings sitting out on the open deck.

But even pups need to cuddle in now and again

Barra Airport, Isle of Barra

This has to be one of the most scenic airports in the world, and certainly a nice safe runway. Miles and miles of silver sands - with three different approaches from the sea. it is apparently on the the list of "100 Things to do before you die" - a landing on the beach at Barra.

The commercial flights are operated by FlyBe from Glasgow and land most days of the week with two flights in some days. The plane also island hops up to Benbecula next door. There are also often a number of private planes flying in and out - some just coming in for lunch at the nearby Isle of Barra Hotel.

Lovely ladies in the High Street, Edinburgh

Made it home last night although we did have to walk onto the ferry yesterday, and pick up a replacement coach at Oban - lots of pictures but I will work on them later.

Today we hit the town, had breakfast at the Mercat, then up into the High Street where the fringe acts were out in force, more so with the bright sunshine.

Next stop was a visit to the underground world of Mary King's Close, the old Edinburgh streets buried beneath the City Chambers. I first went went down there about thirty years ago when on the nightshift after pre VIP searches of the City Chambers, and it was really spooky then - just as it is now - but in those days it was only used as a special visit for private guests of the Council - but a fascinating insight into the old city.

From the High Street we popped into the Bank of Scotland museum on the Mound,(FREE), then down to see Archie the Pole Dancer at the Standing Order.

William and I went to the Salt Cave in Marionville Road - quite an experience, I had a therapeutic snooze while William took in the saline air to help clear his chest - different.

Finished off with a lovely dinner at The Mercat Bar before heading home on the big red bus - right to the doorstep.