Bartimaeus

There are a lot more saltires displayed in windows, or hanging outside them or  fluttering outside cars this month, due to the World Cup. The tartan army are avid followers of the game but their participation is not usually expected to be long. I expect St George's crosses are festooning England but we're not there yet.

The longer than expected stay has allowed me to participate for a whole term of the new choir I discovered nearby. I love it and wish I had found it years ago. The leader is retiring. Many of the songs are African or Scottish, or her own composition and usually on themes of peace, harmony, fellowship, nature, particularly the sea shore and the constancy of life, time and tides.  A new leader has been appointed and I have been fortunate to be involved in the selection. It was most democratic, with the committee selecting, from initial interviews, three applicants, who each came, separately, and led us for half an hour to teach us a new song. of their choice, and then everyone got to put them in order of preference and their slips posted in a secret ballot. While sad to see her go as many are, since she has led the group for about 30 years, we are happy with the new choice.

The choir's repertoire will change inevitably and this month has mainly been requests to have one more chance to sing their favourites. We normally meet in a hall but one week due to the hall being unavailable, we met in the church, in the domed choir area. How wonderful the songs sounded there! Our leader commented how the old builders knew what they were doing to create great acoustics.

We have been out cycling on the tandem and visited some old favourite haunts, Cockenzie and Aberlady both had beautiful gardens. A grasshopper landed on my leg in Aberlady and hastily left again.

We sat outside for lunch. I noticed a jewellery shop was branching into football support this month and selling themed glassware for toasting the team, or a post match tipple, celebrating a victory or drowning their sorrows.

We ended our cycle ride in North Berwick where we could get the train. I noticed a few bikes but Shane was confident of getting everyone on and placed himself at the far end, ready to board. I noticed the multilingual ScotRail sign and while I didn't think of North Berwick as an international hub, there was in fact a group of German speaking people on the platform, including a pram and a wheeled walking aid. There was indeed room for all the wheels. Welcome aboard!

I was pleased to meet up while still in Scotland with my two knitting friends based in Glasgow and Aberdeen. They both came to Edinburgh for the evening and we had a celebratory drink before dinner, Nozeco, though Margaret and I added a spot of Islay gin to it. We still managed to knit after.

While I had been waiting to guide Rhona to a suitable parking spot in our street, I noticed three other women patrolling the pavement peering at the buildings. I asked if they were looking for something and they said it was General Maczek's house. The esteemed Polish general used to live here and has a brass plaque by the door. The Polish women had information about his address but were interested to hear that there is also a path on the nearby Bruntsfield Links named after him... an attractive walk and an easy photo opportunity. 

Shane told me there was a statue of him at the City Chambers off the High Street. I was walking that way the next day with Margaret to go to the station and so I checked it out.

The High Street was alive with tourists and street performers and a wedding party at the City Chambers and I was in no rush to hurry home. There were bagpipers of course; a precariously perched juggler with a large crowd; a blue painted Braveheart warrior in a great kilt; quick drawing cartoon portraits while you sit and a young singer guitarist with a surprisingly deep gravelly voice, delivering an impressive rendition of Hurt.

I couldn't get the QR code to work and he came to help. He couldn't see why it didn't work either. I said how easy it was to tip with the tap machines but he said he was too young to get one! But he is on a buskers' website and said he'd help me get on that after his next song. That took a bit longer than anticipated as a Pro Palestine march arrived on the High Street, en route to the Scottish Parliament,  chanting and raising their placards and flags. So the singer stopped and the painted Warrior took a Palestine flag and a Saltire and held them aloft yelling "Freeeeedom"! 

After paying Delta, I walked home to find a different group women paused outside General Maczek's house. I wonder if there is a new site with tourism tips for Poles.

The next day I had lunch and a walk with Pete. I saw a wild flower area and a sign I hadn't seen before though I am often in The Meadows. The area is well maintained but there was a strip of wild flowers and grasses left unmown and a guide provided to identify species.

I have been using my plant app a lot recently with so many summer flowers out. The good weather bring others into the back garden so Nye and I were able to help the Irish neighbour from upstairs put up a Wendy house for her daughter.  Our back green had gone wild while the scaffolding was up and now there were bald patches and overgrown patches, so I added grass seed and pulled some weeds. It was a small contribution compared to the pruning and mowing that was done by our Welsh neighbour and her friend. We were able to provide the brown bin for garden refuse, since not all households are issued with one. There was enough to fill it twice. I was glad to be involved before we disappear to England, but we'll be back again.