‘’Giraffe about Town’ and A White Bicycle’

Up to Edinburgh’s West End this morning to explore new hearing aid options. Spotted this giraffe in the distance next to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, (still known to everyone in Edinburgh as the Caledonian) and, finding I had some time to spare, went over to investigate.

It turns out that it is one of over 40 similar brightly coloured giraffes currently appearing at different spots throughout the city over the next couple of months. 

A collaboration between Edinburgh Zoo and creative producers Wild in Art, ‘Giraffe About Town’  is designed to celebrate Edinburgh’s heritage and cultural diversity.

I also discovered the significance of the white bicycle opposite (extras) that I’d noticed lots of times over the past year or so.

Today, however, it was bedecked with flowers. It’s a ‘ghost bike’ - a tribute to a 23 year-old who was hit and killed after falling off her bike at that spot five years ago . Campaigners (who had gathered to commemorate the accident last month), blame getting stuck in tram tracks and are calling for action to prevent it ever happening again.