Not much in the way of good news, except for the footie

No real update on Mondays escapade at the Dolphin Inn - Police are now investigating, and there has been a good article in the Edinburgh Evening News. I thought the locals might have heard something, but nothing so far, other than a lot of anger directed at the villains who stole all the charity monies, which had been accumulating since last June.

Made it to RA 500 last night at Bonnyrigg, not as many as usual as there was a big meeting taking place at Dunbar, however, with a candidate this month and the next two meetings we had a really good evening on the floor, followed up by a cosy supper in the lounge.

We had some lovely customers in the Conservatory for lunch today, no complaints, plenty praise, and even a request for a "doggy bag" - and, in conversation - a few minutes of reminiscing and blasts from the past.

On general topics - I did say a few days ago that I felt sorry for Ally McCoist being landed keeping things together at Ibrox , and today there was an excellent item in the paper praising him for his efforts to date. In the meantime Craig Whyte is is MIA, as is most of Rangers money.

I was disgusted to hear that the head of the UNITE trade union was advocating for his members to disrupt the Olympic Games, totally disgusting and certainly not "proper and British" - comrade. On the theme of unions, I am kind of disappointed in the people at UNISON, Edinburgh, who, despite their promises are not quite getting their act together.

Someone who also has not / or ever had his act together was Mr James Murdoch of News International - one who speaks with forked tongue, heading off to the USA to mess up Sky TV no doubt. I see that Al Jazeera TV are possibly going to outbid Sky for some of the football rights.

A wee bit of brightness in the sporting world, with Scotland being the only home nation team to win this evening - but watching the news item, the English and Welsh managers were "chomping" away on chewing gum, something which I find seriously off putting, Alex Ferguson being another - but the biggest no no for me is when someone is doing an up front presentation / talk, etc and chews all the way through it

Break in at The Dolphin Inn

Bit of a long day, we had some uninvited, unwelcome and unsociable visitors this morning at the Dolphin Inn - sadly they decided that along with other items the monies raised for charity by the Darts team and other customers was theirs for the taking. The locals pick a different charity each year and have different events, along with the Charity bottle, and usually do very well.
Police, who were really good, are now hoping that someone local will come forward with information.

Bogus workmen (and people) in and out the City

not a camp site, but the covers over the tram tracks in Princes Street, where this piece of track is being redone yet again. I was up in Jenner's tea shop having my morning cuppa - and watching the workmen - now considering that this is a multi million £££ project (debacle) there were three men, one wheelbarrow and a container with what appeared to be liquid tar and the man was applying it to the road by hand. It is like McDonalds bakery employing someone to make thousands of rolls by hand.


But on a more serious note we have had an incident out here in Penicuik a few days ago with these dammed predators, bogus workmen, who are just the scum of the earth, called at a house near me and had the 81 year old lady go with them to the bank and draw out £4000 in cash to pay for repairs to her roof and then b+++++ed off with the cash. Dirty rotten thieving rat bags - I hope they get caught soon. We/ me/ I / the police have been preaching the same message for years - DO NOT DEAL WITH ANYONE ON THE DOORSTEP - if anyone calls just phone the police with details of their vehicles and a description - I appreciate that it might be hard to do, but it is sensible and wise and helpful.

Complete change again, while in Jenners we had dealing with staff in three different departments, lovely Kerrin in the domestic electrical section who was so helpful ; a very nice young lady in the "Pen Shop"; and the marvellous Suzanne in the Breeze gallery - it is so nice to meet helpful, customer friendly staff - well done.

So - over and above, there was a bit of reminiscing on the way home on the bus - I was thinking way, way back to a night out I was at in Roslin Miner's Welfare Club, celebrating the retirement of our typist from the Police Station - so along with colleagues - nice evening being had by all, then of course the effects of the dreaded "John Barlycorn" kicked in - end result, a couple of the "chaps" had a slight altercation which ended up with one being knocked out and left lying in a heap on a pile of gravel (from where he headed home). The "guest" for the night was so upset with our behaviour that she left in a taxi and went home - however - the sensible !!! or not so sensible ream decided to go look for her and apologise - but when we got there she was so upset and mortified that she threatened to call the Police !!! (to arrest the Police). Having written that I have just remembered another night when we were all out again, and once inebriated we decided that we should go into the then Princess Margaret Rose hospital at Fairmilehead to visit one of the "team" who was in for treatment. Bold boys rolled in at 10 p.m., under the weather, made it to the ward, however, once again we had to leave before the Police were called to remove us (fine upstanding citizens - members of the community). As the song says "Those were the days my friend".

Pain, Pain , go away

Still chewing with a full set, although the dentist has said that the offending molar will neet to come out very soon. Did not help me get a decent sleep though, just have to keep taking the tablets.
Rain again - no hose pipe ban here.

A few days catching up - or is it

Sorry to hear about the death of Frank Carson, the comedian, who was a real character - and I am pleased to say that I met him in person and he was the same off stage as he was on stage. I was working on a search detail years ago at the Edinburgh Playhouse Theatre, and he was one of the cast. We were able to wander around the stage while he and other were rehearsing, but then we would be working away in the corridors and changing rooms and he would stop us and tell us more jokes.

Beloved sister in law, aged a little yesterday - was a bit concerned because the green parrots were nibbling at "her Willie's nuts", and she was having to chase them with a stick - poor Willie.

A few less amusing notes from the news, Royal Bank Of Scotland , publicly owned, have announced yet another massive loss, despite which continue to pay high bonuses to their staff, pay tiddle all interest on savings and are tighter than a Badger' s bot if you want a loan.

Variation on the back seat driver story, now - there is no requirement to be able to speak English if you take your driving test in the UK - you can have an interpreter in the car with you and Yes, of course, the UK taxpayer will pay the bill - (Mugs).

I am surprised that there was no one in the House of Common's bar last night armed with a camera phone to record the "Glasgow Kiss" being administered by MP Eric Joyce to his colleague, Stuart Andrew - be interesting to see what the real story was - might be they were comparing notes about claiming expenses ! - Had it been in the local school, the kids would have had it all over Facebook (that font of all knowledge and power). I am sure that if he gets in touch with Tommy Sheridan's lawyer, he will out and about toute suite.

Having met Ally McCoist in person, and having watched him for years on both the pitch and TV, i feel sorry that he has ended up trying to work with a team of overpaid numbties who have no loyalty/ or heart to anything other than money (so none left - no kick the ball), and now he is being directed by a Chairman who, according to the media - who are prone to exageration- is a sociopath - big Question is ? WHERE HAS ALL THE MONEY GONE.

Olympic fever is building up in London, the new cycling velodrome has been in use and a brilliant display that was, the new diving pool in action this week, but still only a handful of tickets sold for the football at Hampden Park (Glasgow)- and to be on the safe side, taxi's are going to be banned from the Waverly Station (Edinburgh)!!! RETHINK - having had the terrorist attack at Glasgow airport a few years ago, and there being a general feeling that there will be another major incident in the UK, and it only being a matter of time, then the authorities are correct to continue with a nationwide programme of target hardening and public awareness. It is just unfortunate that the public will not take heed until there is another incident - years ago when I was in the search teams we always said that "it took a bomb to concentrate the mind" and then businesses would do something practical and realistic.
I go to the BNI meeting on a regular basis and, sadly, there are a number there who do not take the subject seriously - but for them, only time will tell.

I missed the "William Topaz McGonnagal" dinner on Tuesday night, which was, to all accounts a great night, and very enlightening for those who had never heard of this "terrible" poet - the highlight of the night was his story of the Tay Rail Bridge Disaster, complete with collapsing model. I did arrive at the end of the meal, (as taxi driver) and it was great to see a number of well kent faces from the Licensed Trade, and also the guest artiste , Bill Hill" who I have known for a long time.

Not amused - restless night ahead - got to see the Dentist again tomorrow and it looks like I will be minus one chomper very shortly.

Just when you thought it could not get worse.

Great hue and cry tonight about the relaxation of the controls by our Border Agency folks, which have allegedly allowed tens of thousands to get into the UK without proper checks. Time they took a leaf out of the USA 's books where their Homeland security types are paranoid to the extent that if you look at them the wrong way you get a flight out on the next plane. BUT their hands are not tied behind their backs by the Human Rights Legislation stuck on us by the Mandarins in Brussels.

On a different theme COMPLETELY - RGB and friends are going to a dinner tomorrow night in memory of William Topaz McGonnagall, Scotlands "worst poet", looks like it night be fun, dress is certainly informal with bunnets, odd shoes, kilts back to front, etc., And the meal is served with the sweet first, mains and then soup, and all the speeches are in reverse also.
He was born in 1830 (ish) and did not start writing him poems till he was 50, when he "heard voices" then wrote his first poem in the memory of a local minister in Dundee. He was born and died in Edinburgh - certainly a legend in his own mind!! Some of his poems are not quite what I would think as being poems, and Queen Victoria seemed to agree as she had to reject his offers to write for her on several occasions and he even walked from Dundee to Balmoral to try and see her. I found one ode, to Sunlight Soap, written to the Dundee washer women.
Of interest to me was is verse written about Colington Dell, Edinburgh, and also Hawthorden Castle, Midlothian, where he visited. This Castle, near here is now owned by the Heinz family and is used as a retreat for writers - so I wonder what he would have thought if he came back now. It has a well in the courtyard, and halfway down the well is either a cave used as a hidey hole when being attacked, or it links into a tunnel which led away from the castle. In the nearby cliffs on the side of the River Esk are a number of other caves which were used by human inhabitants over the centuries.
Quick poem - On yonder hill there stood a dookit,
It's no there now,
Some B*****s took it. Eat your heart out.

Sensationilistic Journalism - again-

Interesting article in the Sunday Express today on Page 35 by Steve Lumley who had written a feature allegedly about the Knights Templars, and linking it in with the Da Vinci Code and Rosslyn Chapel in Midlothian.

The group he is writing about have nothing whatsoever to do with the Knights Templars linked to Scottish Freemasonary, but appear to be newly formed group set up by a chappie in England !! This has happened before where outsiders set up allegedly genuine orders which are in fact banned by the proper authorities.

Their web site is "orderofknightstemplars.com" and should not be confused with the real thing.

Pot of Gold at the end of the Rainbow

It is amazing what a bit of folk lore can achieve !!

My neighbour was needing his garden tidied and some tree stumps removed - so - with the promise that there might be a wee tin buried for a rainy day, or that he had seen the end of a rainbow in the garden , his son and son in law were on the job early this morning - tough luck chaps.

Might have been better off checking the drains like the two Council lads down South who found £60,000 's worth of expensive watches - which they have handed to the Police and if not claimed in thirty days will get back - well done.

Tesco's Sunday diddle has me traumatised - again

Off to the shops, not a care in the world, and Tesco was still closed, probably while staff were changing the price tags around !! Anyway, every time I go now I just get angrier and angrier at how greedy the Company is - not helped of course by the fact that with shopping for the pubs at Cash and Carry you get a more realistic idea of what things cost - BUT - then consider that Tesco buy direct so they get it even cheaper so their profits are higher !! So this morning it was Tea bags, and sitting side by side on the shelf were there boxes - which equated to £2.29 for 40 tea bags if you took the Big value box, But I suppose their defence would be that everyone should be paying attention and work it out for themselves. Interestingly, there was another brand on offer at £4.00 for 240 bags, but there were none available - odd, considering that they had had all night to stock up and I was one of the first through the doors.

Reached toothpaste shelf and spotted the brand I need to use to use for my sensitive teeth (and personality) on offer reduced from £4 to £2.66 P now that is a big saving, and if they are making money on £2.66p how much are they making on £4.00 ??????????????????

Dick Turpin lives and breathes in your local Tesco supermarket.

Where have all the workers gone ?? Then and now

So, what is going on , 1st photo taken ten days ago and place was busy last week, and here we are this morning - no one there - but the nightmare goes on for the traders. ALTHOUGH - there was free parking all around the West End and even in George Street today - BUT the sting in the tail is that the Pay machines for the parking are all being reprogrammed as our beloved City Fathers have just bumped up the city centre parking charges once again, and over the cost inflation.

What else has happened, missed the 49 Club AGM and Luncheon in Glasgow on Thursday where RGB handed over the role of President to Graeme Harris of The Old Original Inn, Roslin, hope he enjoys his year and finds some good eating places.


Dolphin Inn ticks along and we have some lovely repeat customers now - nice to see folks appreciating the time and efforts of the staff

Friday night made my way RA, Honour, Concorde and Fidelity, Loanhead, where they had a good attendance and a visitation by Provincial - however, feeling a bit under the weather I excused myself early and headed home for an early bed.
Today, as taxi driver, popped into the Standing Order to collect "ladies a dining", had a quick blether to the Big Pole dancer who was fairly busy - nice to see him looking so well

A Historical stop off along the Valley.

On our way home from Stobo Castle we stopped at Stobo Kirk, The present kirk dating back to Norman times but believed to be on the site of a 6th Century church founded by St Mungo.
At the door of the Kirk there are a set of the old Joules, which were used to chain criminal or ecclesiastical offenders to the door of the Kirk or a nearby tree.

The well known Scottish poet, James Hogg @ The Ettrick Shepherd was born on 9th Dec. 1770 not far away at the end of Ettrick Valley at St Mary's Loch (where a lovely commemorative statue sits), however, there are graves in the Kirk of his family members, who were also shepherds. Hogg was "discovered" by Sir Walter Scott and both worked together on some of Scott's novels.

Although a small churchyard, there are a couple of very ornate gravestones to view.

A pleasant wee stop off.

Stobo Castle Spa - a place to chill out.

Home after a night away to Stobo Castle Health Resort and Spa, at Stobo, way out in the lovely Borders countryside about six miles from Peebles.

It is a beautiful Spa, set in magnificent grounds and if you do not want to have any of the many and varied spa treatments you can head off for a walk in the countryside, go cycling, visit the Japanese gardens within the grounds, or wander further afield to Stobo Kirk.

Big changes since we first went there, a fabulous new pool and purpose built centre with gym, treatment rooms, etc. BUT - no more carrot juice and detox treatments, just go and chill out in the beautiful surroundings, relax all day in a robe, have lovely meals in the dining rooms served by a very attentive staff. I had a relaxing day yesterday, sat back with a book, a wee swim, nice dinner and a bottle of wine before tumbling into a mega comfy bed. Today, breakfast, swim, relax, and then a relaxing back massage (with mud treatment) and gentleman's facial - administered expertly by the Assistant Manager of the Spa - lovely lady who has been there for sixteen years.
Changed and had an excellent lunch before heading home, I think a second day (or more) would have been brilliant, but duty calls.

Perhaps the next time !!!!!!!! "SO STOBO" - Go Stobo.

Happy Valentine's Day

Take note, even the wrinklies can be romantic and show the young ones a thing or two. Although I suspect that the days of writing the wee poems in the cards is past, maybe because we have trouble thinking up new verses.

The old ones were the best " Postie, postie, don't be slow, be like Elvis, Go man Go " !!

Lovely young birds, in the eye of the beholder

rumour had it that RGB had allowed five young ladies to set up camp in the back garden at the Mercat Bar, we thought maybe, a new eco camp, or was he thinking of Polygamy, perhaps - no - it is part of an experiment run by Edinburgh University with chickens - not sure what is behind it, inner city farms and so on - no idea if their egg production is better here than in the country. Biggest threat I see for the chickens, who are really sociable, are the city foxes which roam that part of the town. So little Chickie's - make sure you lock your door at night.

Strawberry Corner - just a bit different

so , you wonder where or what Strawberry Corner is, it is the East Lothian recycling depot near to Wallyford, and well worth a visit. The staff at the original depot asked to be part of the design team for the new Depot, and it is really well organised. Each time I visit they have more and more ornaments, etc, all rescued from skips and with a bit of imagination they have various scenarios all around the site, which they are rightly proud of.

Memories of the past in Auld Reekie

No clues for guessing where these pictures were taken - with the magnificent castle in the background it has to be Edinburgh. So for a change today I was not snapping the tramlines which are being relaid for the second time, but looking at the statues and church which are sited along the side of the west section of Princes Street Gardens.

Yet another miserable weekend for Scottish rugby

Half way through the Scotland wales game and Wales have just scored following an error by Scotland.
It has been quite a weekend for rugby, on Friday morning I was talking to some of the members of the "Ospreys" who were having their breakfast as I left the BNI breakfast meeting at the Marriot, Maybury, and of course they went on to beat Edinburgh at Murrayfield on Friday night.
yesterday I was in the Mercat Bar where a group of twenty eight Welsh lads arrived for a stag weekend. The Stag was for Gavin BaunEvans, former No. 8 for Cardiff, who had to give up following an injury. I bumped into them later on in the day in the Alexander Graham Bell (Wetherspoons) , George Street, where they got a row for singing "Flower of Scotland" - ridiculous, probably some English tourist complaining !! as most folks were quite taken by their good singing. The boys were in good fettle so we wish Gavin and Sian all the best when they get married.

We had dropped in and met friends, Colin and Lorraine who we had not seen for a couple of years - so instead of us heading home for tea and them going shopping we had a "guid blether" for "several" hours, before we all ended up getting the bus home.

I did not even realise that the France game had been cancelled due to the frozen pitch - no such problems here in Edinburgh where the weather has been lovely , 7.5C this afternoon.

Ocean terminal, tugs and the Royal Yacht Britannia

All in a bit of an overcast afternoon - just a bit different this afternoon when we stopped off, initially to go to the Cinema, but found there was nothing that really took our fancy. So, up onto the rooftop car park and from there, no long distance views, but some nice shots on a very still afternoon, just a bit different from normal. The carrier, MS Marietje Andrea, (launched in 2009) was unloading what appeared to be sand - and from the look of the plimsole line it was nearly empty.

The Royal yacht is back in situ again having been away for a bit of a refurbishment and to patch a leak.

The old pier, a relic of the shipyard which was once on this site was looking very serene, adorned by seagulls, but I do not know what the significance is of the gent standing out in the harbour.

If global warming is to be an issue, with rising sea levels, I still wonder why they built these new houses out on a reclaimed harbour wall !!

Look Up, not at the stars and do not trip - well done

On my wanders with camera in hand, I now spend more time than ever looking up at the different features of and on buildings.
It never fails to amaze me how stunning the features of the buildings are, and how much time, effort and extra expense our forefathers put into their buildings.

In this selection, we have the Georgian houses in Melville Street, named after Lord Melville. The Royal Society of Edinburgh in George Street; Corner building above Harry's bar; the old Lamp holders on the outside of buildings in Queensferry Street; and a bit of modern (and inspirational) graffiti.

I have a few premises lined up for visits in the future, so watch this space.

Oh!! What a dammed mess -

I was in Edinburgh this morning and decided to do a follow up snap to one I took of Shandwick Place a few weeks ago before the tram works recommenced. So from a height you can see the so called organised shambles in the street. I did drop into Jacob's the photographers who said that they had been affected by the works, but not as badly as others.

On my wanders I did see upteem of the workmen gathered in huddles, a "Time and Motion", nightmare, wasting time and little or no motion.

There were of course some unimpressed spectators by the roadside, and I would suggest that the latest poster at the print shop says a lot about what is / or is not going on.