A Work in Progress

It takes more than rain of biblical proportions to deter this Lady and her sidekick from taking up the offer of a free coffee and cake at John Lewis, awarded to her for all the spending she has done therein over the last months.

With grim determination not to mention stoicism, His Lordship and I girded our loins for the long, winding walk there, which avoids the demolition site of the old St James Centre. In the end, fortune smiled kindly on us as the rain abated to almost nothing and a watery sun tried to break through the clouds

According to two shop assistants, that part of Leith Walk from Princes Street to the roundabout outside the Omni Centre will shortly be closed for 10 months while the work on the Centre continues. Unless pedestrian access is maintained, there will be an even longer winding walk for us coming on foot from the south side of the city to reach the portals of John Lewis.

Much to my relief the polenta cake of yesterday evening met with approbation from my fellow book group members. The book, 'TransAtlantic', although much enjoyed by everyone, produced an animated discussion about the merits of the writing and punctuation used by Colum McCann in parts of the text. The voting was, two for, three against and one abstention. The last member of the group was a d.n.s., so we may never know what she thought.
In the end we agreed to differ.

the extra image of the tranquil gardens of St Andrew Square contrasts nicely with the destruction of the St James Centre