Portobello Beach Edinburgh Day 319

18 tonnes of rubbish left on Porty beach so far during the heatwave according to The Edinburgh Evening News. Last night, when we walked along the sands at dusk there were new litter bins, full to the brim, but no rubbish on the sands. I suspect the residents' litter picking team has been out and about. (If anyone knows how we can join such a team please let me know.) The beach this morning was looking splendid ahead of another onslaught of sunseekers lured to the sands that have been warmer than some Med holiday hotspots this week.

It is good to be back in sunny Porty and contrary to one commentator on my Journal I have not been the reason for the cooler weather yesterday, honest!

Just off the beach, an interesting change in the commercial dynamic of Portobello is about to occur with the former hardware store in the final throes of being turned into a Sainsbury's Local. One immediate effect is that the Coop has suddenly had an instore re-vamp to meet the increased competition. The supermarketeers can arm-wrestle with each other with out getting sprained or bruised. I worry about the collateral damage of their big buck backed enterprises on the stand alone, long standing, long serving and long suffering small shops that are really vital for sustaining that sense of community that makes Portobellos such a very special place.