Jackson Street School.

I spent the day putting things in place for my impending absence as I'm travelling down to Bristle tomorrow and may be there some time. During the process, I past this derelict site of the old Penicuik school. The council demolished it five years ago and, to add insult to injury, ground up the valuable local building stone for road ballast.

The story goes back several more years, the council put the building on the market and had a prospective buyer - then the deal fell through. The Community Trust wanted to use the premises for a community centre, the site was ideal being adjacent to the main shopping centre; there would be a heritage museum, a cafe, and workshops and offices for new start small businesses. They matched the price of the failed bid but the council refused to consider the offer. The demolition was expensive and, since then the site has been an unmarketable eyesore that everyone passes on their daily walk to the shops. The sole redeeming feature is that a guerrilla artist, who goes around decorating unoccupied buildings, has zip-tied a couple of paintings to the railings.
I'm sorry, it's a hobby-horse of mine - but there's nothing that I can do about it.