It's that time of year

....when I become a complete grinch, but I'm prepared to use the colourful signs of Christmas as my blip if necessary.

These pictures represent something of an emergency blip, as nothing had presented itself to me until gone 8pm. I did a short peloton workout in the morning, not feeling particularly energetic, and then headed to work for a meeting with colleagues from far and wide, marking the move of a journal from Southampton to Edinburgh. Our new managing editor is in post, and I'm starting to work closely with the colleagues in another department. It was an interesting and rewarding meeting, and we capped it with a dinner for a few of the colleagues, none of whom had previously been to The Outsider, so they were very impressed with the view. We enjoyed the rather nice nook in the corner. Don't get that terribly often. As we arrived early, it wasn't too noisy, but by the time we left just after 8pm it was starting to get very noisy in there. I increasingly do not enjoy loud noises in crowded spaces.

Knowing I still needed a blip, I wandered with the rest of them down The Mound and the Playfair Steps towards Princes Street. Two were heading for Waverley. Two for hotels, where they were staying. I don't know whether after I left some of the younger ones might have gone to queue for the Starflyer or the Big Wheel. I headed onto George Street to get a bus.

It's not my cup of tea, but the Christmas market and the funfair are impressive when set amongst Edinburgh's architecture and "city shape".