A day in Edinburgh

By train from Glasgow to Edinburgh Waverley. Cafe visit, then into the City Art Centre to see an exhibition called Glean: Early 20th century women filmmakers and photographers in Scotland.  Featuring the work of 14 women. My friend Fiona was involved in finding photos by Dr Beatrice Garvie in the Orkney archive. Dr Garvie was a GP on the Orkney island of North Ronaldsay for 15 years in the 30s and 40s. Fiona took the photos from the archive to the island and by putting on slideshows, she got islanders to identify all the people in the photos. The main one is a 16 month old that she had delivered, called Willie. Dr Garvie was more interested in featuring islanders that being arty.
The first extra is Mrs MacDonald, taken in 1912 on North Uist, by Isabell Burton MacKenzie. Although she is wrapped up warmly in a shawl, she doesn’t have any shoes.
The second extra is two sisters, Pèigi and Màiri MacRae, cutting the oats on South Uist; taken by Margaret Fay Shaw between 1930 and 35. 
The third extra is Màiri MacRae again, taken in 1930 by Margaret Fay Shaw. She has been gifted a whole codfish, and her cats are very interested - 2 are hoping to be given some, but the third is helping himself:)
The fourth extra is an islander with her cat, taken by Violet Banks, date unknown, some time in the late 1920s. The woman looks tiny, but so does the doorway. She has some strong shoes. 
After we’d looked with great pleasure at the exhibition, we had lunch in the Fruitmarket bookshop and café. Delicious; recommended. 
Then I went off by myself to meet a friend I first knew in London 46 years ago. In fact she interviewed me for my first proper job after university. She moved to Edinburgh in about 1980, and now lives in Portobello.  We had lots of catching up to do - mostly in a café - but then we had a walk around Holyrood Park and the Parliament building. 
The fifth extra is when we walked up Canongate, and she is standing in the gateway of Old Moray House, where she taught at the university for about 30 years
It started to snow, so she thought she’d better get home in case it settled.  So we parted and I walked up the High Street towards the station, and that’s the sixth extra, with a bit of snow and a dramatic sky. 
PS the connection with yesterday is that Dr Garvie used a camera like the old one I showed. My friend Fiona is learning how to use it, quite a challenge.  The film required is pretty obscure, but she has just finished the first one and will send it off. You have to measure how many feet you are from your subject, and focussing is quite tricky.