VJ Day 75

“Hundreds of spectators were gathered in anticipation of the flypast but because of the "low cloud outside of safety limits" in Edinburgh, the pilots diverted to fly over Prestwick Airport.” - Edinburgh Live.

We did not know this as we got off the bus outside St Andrews House, took off our masks and joined the national two minute silence to Mark VJ Day which had just begun with a tiny group of British Legion veterans. We remembered especially T’s father who spent four long years in Japanese custody in Changi POW Camp in Singapore. Like so many of his generation he never talked about what really went on there. It was all internalised in a world that had yet to embrace fully what is now recognised as PTSD.

We climbed Calton Hill to set up cameras to record the fly past. Visibility was good - Berwick Law and beyond in clear sight. About 200 had gathered there and more on Salisbury Crags. “The Reds” are never late. It quickly became evident that there would be no show.

Later we walked to the far end of the promenade for a mini beach busk. Sadly this too had been cancelled due to the strong easterly on shore breeze.

A typical Scottish summer day and many continental holiday makers scrambled home to avoid the 14 day Covid quarantine that began at 0400 today for U.K. visitors returning from France and The Netherlands etc..