"M" is for...

Middletons. A detail on the tiled wall of the pub on Easter Road. And one that hasn't changed in many years, unlike so many other pubs that have changed their names in the time I have lived in Edinburgh. When I lived in Albert Street and worked for Scottish & Newcastle, Middleton's was one of the places I use to go to cash my beer voucher. Yes, we actually got a voucher every month that you could exchange for a case of beer. So I used to go along to Middleton's with a rucksack, hand over the voucher and get twenty-four bottles or cans to load into my bag. There was usually some comment from one of the guys sitting at the bar about me having a good party and I'd nod and smile as I clinked my way out of the pub to walk home.
Parties with work colleagues back then always had plenty of drink as, instead of just turning up with four or six cans, most people would just bring a case of something. Mostly beers, but when S&N brought out a 'wine cooler' - a mix of wine and fruit juice called Castaway - that was also available on the voucher. It was a little dangerous as it just tasted like fruit juice and more than one guest was taken a little unawares after drinking several bottles and ending up rather drunker than they expected to be, even if you'd warned them, 'it is alcoholic you know'.
Taken on the way home from football after losing by a couple. I failed to score this week and despite setting up plenty of chances for team-mates far too many of them were wasted. We had the extra man but having failed to take sufficient advantage when we were on top the other lot scored three late goals using 'route-one' long balls. They all count though.