The Reader

Polling day in the Scottish Elections and for the first time in 40 years we had to vote in a location other than Sciennes Primary School.
Today our location was the Novotel beside the Art College.

We can't make up our minds whether or not this is a step in the right direction.

We miss the big playground where the candidates are hovering with their different coloured rosettes proudly stuck to their coats.
We miss deciding whether or not to bestow a smile on the face of the chosen one, or to wickedly bestow a smile on one we didn't vote for and give him or her a false fillip.
We miss the seeing and greeting of fellow voters.
We miss the smell of a school: the slightly warm humid aroma of dust, chalk, gym shoes and the not unpleasant smell of warm humanity.

What we found today was an oasis of civility. No candidates outside the hotel or inside for that matter, and only a few discreet advertising stands on the pavement.
No crowd of voters. In fact we seemed to be the only people voting at that time.
A walk through what looks like rather a nice hotel with the offer of a coffee in the voting room.

All in all it was very low key and in keeping with the lobby of a hotel serving guests. What was missing was atmosphere.

One thing that amused his Lordship and me was the length of the voting paper for the regional candidate. It was so long that in order to put it into the ballot box, it had to be folded at least twice and even then it was still fat enough to remain stuck inside near the slot. I can't imagine how it will be at 7pm, but perhaps they will bring along another box or two.

I notice this lady defying the cloudy skies and imminent rain to do some reading in the shade of a tree.
I think this weather will have put pay to the incontinent piddlers and random litter louts. Huzzah for that!