Under Cover of Darkness

This is what Bruntsfield looks like at 8.15 am on the morning before Hogmanay. I had an early appointment with the doctor to find out the results of my recent yearly MOT. It appears that, barring accidents, I have a fairly good chance of putting up a Christmas tree again next year.

The footpads and brigands that operate under cover of darkness on Bruntsfield Links were all abed when I strode through the darkness. I exaggerate, the only dangers most of the time are the silent cyclists who come up from behind and whizz past uncaring whether or not you deviate from your line of travel, or the dogs suddenly rushing across your path chasing unseen balls.

When it eventually got light there was a trip to the seaside to have coffee with JoppaStrand and Tiggy in their beautifully decorated and very festive home.
I think we collectively agreed that if we were in charge of running Edinburgh, it would be a different ball game where the citizens had rights and Underbelly with their horrible Christmas Market and Hogmanay party would have none.
We didn’t really get around to discussing the potholes.

I was whisked back from the relative calm of Portobello in a speedy 124 North Berwick bus to the utter mayhem of Princes Street were I was meeting up with my school friend to give her a beanie for her daughter-in-law.
Pandemonium does not adequately describe the state of play in the city centre........ and ‘they’ are planning yet more hotels and have vetoed a visitor tax. You couldn’t make it up!