Odd day.

Armistice day. But you probably knew that.

Just inside Edinburgh castle's gate there's a public war memorial with, among many others sadly, my Great-Grandfather's name on it. His war was ended by a mustard gas attack and he took about twenty years to die. Family legend has it he was given the last military funeral in Leith but my family are notorious exaggerators so I'm not sure about that, although it's a nice, if bittersweet story. When they started charging to get in to the castle they effectively made the monument private. My Bolshevik father decided this was beyond the pale and marched up to the gate and demanded to see the 'public' memorial. They let him in free of charge rather than have a scene. Only my Father would get away with this.
My other two late Granparents (one here.) also fought in the war but, like so many never talked about it.

On the way to the office today someone threw a cherry tomato from a car and it bounced off my right cheek. About ten years ago, I was standing having a fag outside a bar and some moron did the same with an egg. It hit my cheekbone so hard it broke and cut my face. The guys in the office suggested I stand around on street corners some more and I'll have a full breakfast. After all that a nice cup of tea was in order. And maybe some wine with dinner.