Time on fast forward once again

Biggest disappointment tonight was not being able to make it to the Mercat Bar for their whisky tasting evening, however, old age, the need to recuperate and a backlog of work - plus another early rise more or less decreed that common sense should prevail.   BUT,  I did have a wonderful 1997 LINKWOOD  cask strength single malt on Tuesday night which went down a treat.

Was at a meeting yesterday when we were discussing the sophistication of the thieving travelling folks who are targeting the region, using new vehicles, rented vehicles, wearing High Viz gear and moving from one target to the next with apparent impunity as folks are not reporting them to the Police.

Worse still are the two females who are dressed as Policewomen and gaining entry into the homes of the elderly where they are stealing cash and valuables.

Basking shark seen off the coast at North Berwick  by one of the previous owners of the Dolphin Inn - good job that they live on plankton.

Last entry I was sitting in the eye of the storm -  because it hit us later in the night with flooding in Haddington, Musselburgh,  however, it was a minor deluge to that which hit  the North of England,  Yorkshire, and Wales which tragically led to the death of the young couple in Wrexham who drowned in a flooded stream trying to rescue their dog.

Quadruple roll over on the National Lottery on Saturday -  Do I feel lucky !!!!!

The Eye of the Storm

Could say that I have no idea what the fuss is all about -  weather warnings,  poo hoo-  however I will not speak too soon. 
While other parts of the UK have been buffetted and drookit by winds and rain, we have been quite fortunate so far with only lightish rain and the occasional gust of wind.  BUT the forecast if for much worse to come, so we must be sitting either on the edge of this weather front or bang in the middle of it.  I  hear that a lady was killed in Kew Gardens, London, by a falling branch,  not so good.
The weather is so unpredictable,  two glorious days, apart from the morning frosts and having to scrape the ice from the car, then this.
Not a lot to report other than working hard at the Dolphin Inn, where there is big panic - we have run out of the home made meringues -  so Mrs. B will need to get her skates on .   They proved to be very popular over the weekend.

Had a nice wee E mail from Bennie, our escort /guide who looked after us a few years ago when we visited China on a Cosmos/ Archer's tour.  Nice when folks keep in touch.

First meeting of the new season at RA 500 tomorrow night,  missed an Installation at Dundas on Friday with being at work,  so that gives us a month before we get Sparky Mark installed as the MEZ and I lose my title of IPZ.

Our not so eco friendly travelling folks (tinkies) at Smeaton have been having a ball, doing their bit for atmospheric polution, by generation large plumes of smoke - probably from burning cables, or tyres.
We even had a rather audacious  car theft, two in fact, when intruders entered two houses in Inveresk  during the day, got car keys and stole an Audi and a Mercedes,  plus a third high value vehicle not so far away, same time -  so the moral of the story, do not leave your house doors unlocked and the car keys where they can be easilly found.

A pet, but still a tragedy

While working at the Dolphin Inn on Tuesday there was great activity in the field at the rear of the pub, with Police,  Firemen, and a variety of marked vans .  Not intruding, there was great speculation as to what had happened, a disused mine shaft perhaps,  collapsed sewer, and so on -  however we learned the next day that a springer spaniel dog, being walked by its  owner, had fallen into a sewer drain and been washed away.  It transpired that the drain cover had disappeared, presumed stolen by increasing number of scrap metal thieves who are operating freely in the country.
One of our clients had remarked that he had driven over the moors into the Scottish Borders and on the road the all drain covers had all been stolen, a hazzard.
Back to the local drain, the dog is still missing, presumed dead.
BUT - what of the scrap metal -  unscrupulous dealers are obviously buying the metals without question , might even be flogging it to the Chinese or Indians  - yet another example of our Foreign aid contribution.

Invasions of privacy - not just Prince William and Kate

If I was to walk along the street naked, I could not object if someone took my photograph and sold it to the media,  however, I would object if I had gone out well away form the public, seeking privacy, to discover that a photographer had followed me for the sole purpose of trying to get a picture of me. 
The same must surely apply to the recent much publicised incident whereby a photographer stakes out a private secluded dwelling or stalks the inhabitants with the sole purpose of getting a "scoop" - and of course this is what happened to Prince William and Kate (his wife)  whilst holidaying at Vicount Lindlay's  home in the Provence of France.

There is no way on earth that a cameraman, sitting 300m away with a telephoto lens can conceivably claim that he took pictures with the participants consent - and then to tout them around the International media for personal gain -    I am delighted that the French courts have agreed to back the complaint made by Prince William, and look forward to seeing the paparazzi getting their come uppers.
    

Edinburgh tram debacle - is it pananoia

Now - a sight for sore eyes,  three guys alert, interested and totally aware and interested about their surroundings - yes - of course I am talking about the Meercats,  not the three men allegedly working on the site of the ongoing tram debacle which is now strangulating the business community in the West End and Haymarket areas of Edinburgh.  Local traders already having suffered losses from similar disruption three years ago, are now into a year of this current catastrophe with another year to try and hold out !!  time to ask the Edinburgh City Council and the Chamber of Commerce for the true statistics of the failed businesses so far.

 

I wonder what the tourists might think of the City when they pass boarded up buildings in the new "Ghost town" once the trams eventually come in on their seven mile journey from the airport.

What was more interesting,  having watched the several spoof videos on U Tube, was the black and white video about the "Demise of the Edinburgh Trams", a ninety minute fascinating documentary about the tram system in Edinburgh, dating back from the late 1800's till it finally closed in November 1946.  At one time there were forty seven miles of tram lines around the city running as far out as Colinton, Port Seaton, Fairmilehead and Granton -  just amazing footage and well worth a "gander".

Murdered by a maniac - Policewomen doing their job.

Being back on line the most horrific event in the past few days to effect me has been the murder of the two female police officers, Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes in Manchester where they were lured to their deaths by a hoax call to a burglary.    Obviously not all details are being made public, but I find it very strange that the suspect Dale Creegan, who was also wanted for interview in connection with the murders of father and son, David and Mark Short a short time ago, walked into a Manchester Police Station a short time after the policewomen were killed and surrendered himself - why ?
Was he afraid that he might be shot and killed himself by the Police seeking him ?   Has he set up an alibi which the Police might have to disprove? Is he out to seek publicity as a serial killer and a "cop killer"?   BUT - what is worse -  he will get legal aid and the best defence lawyers available who will also benefit from the publicity - how despicable !!!  just horrendous .
I do not think that we need to arm the Police any more than they are at the moment,  there has to be a change in public attitude to stop these thugs and scumbags - might even be a need to rethink the abuse of the European Bill of Human Rights and even consider the reintroduction of Capitol Punishment.    There seems to be a slow erosion into the value of human life - we see and hear in the media of killings every day around the World, in Eastern Europe, in Afghanistan, in the USA, etc and with the continuing influx of immigrants into the UK, this may also be a contributory factor.

Try the new blogs, apologies

Have not the faintest idea what is going on here,  this blog was closed to me a few days ago and i started a new one on StuartBlaikieplus1@blogspot.com,   this also shut down so if I cannot get back in I will  start a new one on StuartBlaikieplus@blogspot.com.

Hope this makes sense - more than google have been doing.

Blogging problems

Once again I will try to write, but if not try the new blog by looking at StuartBlaikieplus1@blogspot.com - but hopefully new one on StuartBlaikieplus@blogspot.com will work  " Yet more happenings in the life of me and my friends (budgie deceased)

Certainly not the brain drain in Haymarket

Back on my high horse again about the tram works in Edinburgh  - here we are paying staff on the off chance that customers will venture through the works, but where are the workmen, all gone home early or on a lunch break !!!   And one of our nearby restaurants was shut down when the workmen burst a sewer and flooded the recently refurbished premises.

Interesting to note that one of the former Directors of the tram company - who retired during the earlier stages of this tremendous fiasco, has just been appointed to oversee the Scottish Police Service - (non Political remit of course) - diligent dedicated officers beware.

Going Chirpy cheep cheep at Edinburgh Zoo

Need I say any more ?

Monkey business at Edinburgh Zoo

There are several different primate  enclosures within the zoo complex, housing many different breeds and sizes of monkey - entertaining to say the least especially at feeding time with the chimpanzees, where we also had a short lecture and a Q & A session with the  keepers.

Panda bears at Edinburgh Zoo - 2012

Its been a very busy week, lots of visiting with the family, and end result, either not enough time or too tired to sit and write / play catch up in the evening.

So obviously, from these photographs we made it to Edinburgh Zoo, and having followed the instructions we pre booked a slot in advance (free), although the zoo do say that a very limited number of tickets are available at the main entrance at opening time.

Weather was not too clever, however there was plenty of cover under the trees as we walked around and many of the exhibits are in purpose built houses.

We arrived early for our visit to see the panda bears, and were taken with the earlier group, which was fortunate for us as lady panda had come out to play, while Mr. Panda (sunshine) was being a bit of a lazy B!!!  still in bed and no doubt munching bamboo.    Mrs p. was doing fine, smiling for the camera, however she decided to have a lie down so all the subsequent visitors would see was her back.

The outside enclosures are really good so at some stage it will be nice to see them out in the fresh air.

One of the other popular exhibits is the meercat centre where we timed it nicely to see the keeper feeding them with live crickets, certainly kept them on the hop chasing them around