Tag: Military Tattoo

bookmark_borderA night in Edinburgh

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For the past few years my mate Keith has worked in Edinburgh producing the lighting for the Military Tattoo. I’ve never managed to get across to see him, or any of the Edinburgh Festival before, until yesterday.

He gets accommodation for the few weeks he is there, and as luck would have it there was a spare bed last night. So I packed an overnight bag and hopped on the train, meeting Stuart who was coming through for the night. There were no real plans, just a few beers, dinner and maybe a show if the mood took us.

And we did just that, partaking of a few shandies, and a rather good Thai meal in a nice restaurant tucked away down Old Assembly Close (I think, it’s a couple down on the right from Fleshmarket close). We then managed to get a couple of tickets to watch the Jim Rose circus. Keith knew someone who was working on the show so we got in for nothing which was just as well as it was gratuitous nonsense.

That said, I can now say that I’ve seen a woman spurt blue paint from her arse onto a canvas… can you?

It was a good night, followed up by pancakes and bacon for breakfast. However I am a little fuzzy still, age making hangover recovery just that little bit longer.

bookmark_borderGranny Watch

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So I visited my wee (and shrinking) Granny last night and I’m pleased as punch to report that she’s doing really well. She’s lucid, bright and yakked away for half an hour. Considering that only last week a ten minute chat was leaving her out of breath I’d say that’s a big improvement.

Better still, she’s threatened not to let me visit her again unless I return with some chocolate eclairs so I’m guessing she’s back to her usual self! (the chewy sweets, not the cream filled buns. Apparently she can take her teeth out to chew/suck on them, in case you were wondering. If you weren’t wondering, apologies for that image…)

Why the sudden improvement? Well it turns out that the nurses had her on the wrong medication (or wrong dosage)! Needless to say she was either cold turkeying or completely spaced out. Still, it’s all sorted now. In addition we are just waiting for the power of attorney to get signed over to my Mum, and my Gran has had a social worker appointed who seems to be very good (quite young = very keen!). Obviously she’s on a waiting list now, but they’ll be keeping her in hospital until a room is available. It’s a relief to be honest, as she definitely needs full-time care, in fact she’s probably needed it for quite a while but her natural stubborness kept getting in the way.

A nice long chat with her I had, talking about the Edinburgh Military Tattoo that she used to go to every year, my Grandfather’s lodge used to run a bus and her and Betty Murdoch used to go. It would pick you up on West Regent Street, take you through to Mackays for dinner, then they’d head up to the castle for the late showing. Home by midnight and all for 5 bob!

I know my Mum has heard all of these stories before but I love listening to her reminiscing about stuff like this, and at least for a change it wasn’t a story about the war! Anyway, good news for a change, here’s hoping that August brings some more our way, we certainly could do with it.