Time to reflect / rave

What is on my rather disturbed mind tonight ? as I watch my favourite girl on Tv , Abbey in NCIS - I think she is dead brilliant, and tonight as a Marlyn Munro lookalike instead of her usual dress - totally stunning.

So - I put out my recycling buckets, and what happens - my biscuit tins were left behind !! Big question - why do Midlothian Council reject these tins, while East Lothian take all our big steel drums and even all the crushed catering sized cans.

Trams - latest traffic diversions for the tramworks around Shandwick Place have just been announced, so we now look to see how many more firms go bust.

A serious assault took place at the bottom end of our street on 1st January when a man was flung down a flight of stairs while at a party - no truth in the rumour that he was singing " Come Fly with me" prior to the incident - our RGB actually saw the ambulance on site as he returned from work at 3 a.m.

Brother Kenneth Jack, is being Installed as RWM of Lodge 814 St Andrews, Pitlochry, on Friday 6th, not sure if I can make it due to other commitments - but I do wish him all the best.

Our footballers ( Heart of Midlothian) are waiting for their wages - overpaid, unskilled , and baw heided - having read my previous blogs you will know what I think about these clowns - when last night I watched extremely skilled medical staff saving a life, and being paid sweeties for doing so.

On the same theme - numpties !!! Rangers FC ; Manchester United FC: - we are back to the fact that these men play football for money alone - no heart - no loyalty. Yet - the tickets for the synchronised swimming at the Olympics have been oversold.

Making the pennies count - look at the adverts for items which are priced at !!!.99p - sounds a lot better than £30 or whatever - a psychological war on the buyers.

Next round of adverts - holidays; then Burns Day; Easter, Mothers Day; Fathers Day; and so on - commercialisation running riot - and for whose benefit.

Time to call halt - off to the BNI - (cult) meeting in the morning - early - before I go to work - BUT I do get a good breakfast.

Mercat Bar / Dolphin inn - in the pipeline

Swinging into the New Year and the Mercat Bar / Dolphin Inn have a couple of events in the pipeline - 21st January, 1 pm. for £20 you can participate in a wine tasting afternoon at The Mercat Bar, where there will be a selection of wines for sampling, notes, and a talk, along with more than enough complimenting food to eat. (Phone 0131 225 8716).
On 28th January there will be a Burns Supper Dinner at the Dolphin Inn, evening, ( menu looks brilliant with Iron Bru sorbet and Deep Fried Mars bars to compliment the traditional soup, haggis, and cheeses) - Billy will be in charge of the bookings on 0131 665 3354 - entertainment being arranged.

Walter Blaikie - R I P.

It is with great sadness that I write about my "Uncle" Walter who passed away quietly in his sleep during the night in hospital.
Walter, who was my father's cousin, was a true and proper gentleman who in his day lived his life to the full. My earliest memories were when my dad took me to see Walter and I knew I was guaranteed a "birl round the block" on the pillion seat of his motorcycle - a wonderful and hair raising experience.
He came out to Newbattle Golf Club to help my father celebrate his 80th birthday, and even then they were as alike "as two peas in a pod".
Through the years I dropped in to see him on surprise visits and try and dig up old history of the family. He, in turn always gave me at least one visit a year and that was to bring a supply of apples from the trees in his garden - which more recently have gone int the apple pies at The Mercat Bar.

WALTER BLAIKIE, R I P.

High winds bring out the Ghost of John's Street !!!

A trifle dodgy outside for a few hours today , another "blawbag gale", rather than "a bit of a breeze" as one local farmer put it when I stopped to view the fallen tree at Pomathorn - interesting to see the phone cables exposed and in danger of being broken.

Gusts of 101 mph recorded in "the Meadows" in Edinburgh, and in the harbour at Ocean Terminal / Granton Harbour, the £300 million pound yacht Amaryllis (which I wrote about last week) had to be towed to safety after being caught in the high winds. I had thought it would have been away, however the crew and guests were here to celebrate New Year and leave on Saturday.

Signs of devastation everywhere, trees down, Tesco trolly shelters demolished, lorries overturned on the M8 ; M9 ; M74, Forth Road Bridge closed and so on, I even had my fence destroyed at home, and will need more than a few nails to fix the fencing at the Dolphin Inn.

Whilst "down the street" later on I popped into a couple of shops, Semi Chem, and Luscious (might even take up Melissa's offer for a deep tissue massage), the girls were expressing concerns about rather mysterious goings on - young Julie was being disturbed by the shop door constantly opening of its own accord; and one of the others said there was a "sulo bin" going up and down John Street on its own - this was very reminiscent to similar events which used to occur in John Street many years ago when I was a young Police officer on night shift - and even then some of the older Officers would tell me similar stories of strange events in the street - with the occasional reference to rumours of a ghost who roamed the street, going back to the late 1700's when a local had been killed by a tree falling in St Mungo's churchyard, only a couple of hundred yards away - just strange, a coincidence or what - especially when there is a plaque to the Carter's dog on the church wall !!!!

Finally, for the moment , forget all the pseudo sales taking place, the majority of which are just the usual con of overpricing for the requisite number of days, then bringing the price back down again - and as for Richard F Mackay 's so called sales - which seem to take place about fifty weeks of the year for assorted excuses - the sale to go to will be at The Standing order of one of the other JD Wetherspoon pubs who are selling two or three of their beers at 1992 prices (£1.29p) or coffee at 79p - might keep the big pole Dancer occupied for a bit.

Mission Impossible nearly the death of me

Home now and recuperating from a trip to the cinema - I use that word as I seriously thought I was going to have a heart attack during the movie - It was brilliant, the latest "Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol" starring Tom Cruise, probably one of the most exciting I have seen for a long time. It was hard to believe that Tom Cruise did all his own stunts, how he could sit up on top of the hotel , the highest building in the world , I do not know - my toes were curling in my shoes. It was a good job I did not go to the big screen - IMAX, the added excitement might have finished me off.
What I could not believe was the number of very young children in the Cinema, some with their parents, and others on their own - some just could not sit still and I must remember not to go back there during school holidays !!!

An E.P.I.C. membership, plus more

I watched Ben Hur during the past few days, an Epic movie, as were many other - Sound of Music;, West Side Story;, Happy feet;, the James Bond series, etc. - all Epic - however for me the most epic experience of all is my membership of E.P.I.C. ( ex Police in Industry and Commerce). I joined EPIC in 1976 when I retired from the lothian and Borders Police - and since then the majority of the work I have had has come from fellow EPIC members. Next meeting, in Manchester on Friday 27th January 2012 when I hope to be there. EPIC members are involved in wide spectrum of the Security industry with total professionalism.

I must, however, say that many years previous to this , in 1967 I joined the I.P.A. ( International Police Association which is a vast organisation with a membership of serving and retired officers from around the World. I am still involved with the Lothian and Borders Branch who are always hosting overseas Police visitors to Edinburgh.

There are those who would allege that these Police organisations are just an extension of the regular Police Force - not true, we retired or had to resign after our service commitments had been met - so like thousands of others from many other walks in life - we just put our training and experience to alternative use.

A Happy New year to one and all

New Year's Day - all over bar the shouting as they say, and for the workers - time to sit down and relax - much needed.

Edinburgh was buzzing last night as the expected crowds hit the town, and from all accounts were well behaved and good humoured. Saltire Cross flying high and proud , (Alexander Millar's drawing). The fireworks display was superb, much better than in previous years.

The Mercat Bar was very busy and if the revellers had had their way it would have stayed open all night - on the other hand we did close the Dolphin Inn . Bit of a sight as we were leaving at 8 p.m. (showing my age I think) - weather was a bit damp and raw, but two of the local girls were heading out for the town, wearing less than we would normally be wearing on a warm summer's evening - and they wonder why they catch their death of cold.

Party poopers we were, or just plain knackered, so it was an early bed and with a drive to work first thing in the morning, no drink to celebrate.

Usual restless night so I heard the merry wanderers heading home, and have to compliment the drivers of the Lothian Region night buses who did a great job in getting everyone home from the town.

Up sharp and off to the Dolphin Inn - whilst RGB headed back to the Mercat Bar which was very busy with folks trying to cure a hangover with the traditional remedy, a "Full Scottish Breakfast".

While they were busy we had a nice steady day, giving me the chance to get the new calender's up, and have the place neat and tidy for the New Year.

Biggest disappointment of the day was not being able to make it to a New Year's day party at Grant@photogenics - which I am sure would have been a hoot. If Grant has his way I am sure we will make up later.

Now back to the mundane - in this day and age, with a need to preserve our vital mineral reserves, why are the biscuit manufacturers and many others (whiskey, tea, etc) still packing their wares in tin boxes !!! - how many tins with photos of London buses, Prince Charles, "Uncle Tom Cobbly and all", do the collective "WEE" have stacked up in our kitchens and cupboards - probably enough, if donated , to help, if melted down to finish off our next aircraft carrier !! Time now for them to get their act together and use recycled cardboard, etc., We have a friend who has for ages has stopped using "gift wrap" and has returned to using either newspaper of brown paper !! - now that's my kind of girl.

Total drama this evening - an evening to remember - Pat died !!! yes, we have been watching the events of Eastenders unfold as an Icon of the show makes her departure. I saw an article in the press where she was saying how exhausting these final shows had been for her and afterwards she had taken to her bed to recover - even so it caused a stir.