Gone to Edinburgh

I’ve invaded sunny Scotland! Mind you, the invasion got of to a slow-ish start when Ian decided that the best way from Tupton was to head south to Derby! Lindsey, Katie and I disagreed :-)

We got back to The Sidings quite late on Saturday evening and had a lovely, gentle, quiet Sunday. We didn’t go any where. The Vixen sat untroubled out in the road. The Builder put the gazebo up. Ian connected himself to the ether by pulling a cord through the dining room window and sitting outside in the courtyard with his laptop. Lindsey, The Builder and I went to the allotment and inspected the magnificent tomato plants and the almost magnificent yellow peppers and cape gooseberries in the greenhouses and dug up potatoes and shallots. We weeded the raspberry bed, pruned the finished canes and mulched it. Then we celebrated our endeavours with Spanish cava (that’s fizzy wine not some strange South East Asian drug) in the sunshine. Then Lindsey, The Builder and I went around the washland and wetlands walk. The cows were sunning themselves. The mighty Rother was glistening. We had roast chicken for dinner. It was all good.

On Monday, The Builder went back to work. Well, someone had to! Lindsey, Ian and I in the meantime pottered about, ambled into Sheffield to the Ecclesall library and then dropped by Penny’s place to deliver Imogen’s birthday present from Peter and Joan. We drove down Penny’s road and Katie said: At the end of the road turn right. Turn RIGHT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Why right? Katie then took us all around the houses on tiny (and very pretty) country lanes and dropped us on the A57 heading across the Snake to Manchester. Quite why she thought we should go to Edinburgh via Manchester was a complete mystery to me. And I can’t remember if the A57 has opened again after my abortive attempt to use it when going to collect Lindsey.

It has.

I eventually decided that we had gone via Manchester and Carlisle because Katie had been asked to plot the fastest route and that one is almost entirely on motorways. Interestingly, if you ask her to go from The Sidings, she takes you up the M and A 1. Which is how I would have gone from Penny’s. We’ll go back that way.

Mind you, it was certainly a scenic route. And we stopped in Carnforth for lunch and found a very cute pub right next to the canal. It was rather lovely, eating BLTs and watching the boats and the water in the sunshine.

Where Katie really comes into her own is when you get to your destination and are trying to find your way through unfamiliar streets to where you want to be. Katie brought us to the apartment with no trouble at all. And it’s quite a nice apartment, near Morningside, looking towards Blackford hill with an observatory on the top. I fancy we may be going to the top of the hill at some point!! I was gazing idly about when I saw an odd little animal dashing around. What is it? Aha – it’s a grey squirrel. I had forgotten about grey squirrels. We never ever see them at The Sidings. We didn’t see any in Wiltshire/Dorset/Hampshire. I have got out of the habit of expecting them to be about (there were loads around The Mudhut).

Lindsey let Ian and me loose in Waitrose by ourselves :-S We bought the makings of a pork Wellington. And then – we made the dinner **together**. And we didn’t argue. Or even discuss. And the Wellington was magnificent. Mind you, for a kitted out flat there are some funny omissions. There is a cafetiere in the kitchen, but no frying pan. There are toiletries and things in the bathroom, but no soap dish in the shower. And - another place, another shower to work out. Usually I'm pretty good at fathoming British showers but this one defeated me. Eventually Ian worked it out.

Lindsey has been complaining at The Sidings that she is permanently getting bitten by fleas, midges and any other biting beastie who happens to be passing. We've come here - and I have arisen from my bed covered in huge bite marks. Where's the aeroguard?

A serious disadvantage of going away and leaving The Builder behind is that I had to make my own morning cup of tea this morning. That won’t do. Won’t do at all. I shall have to send for him. Or buy a tea maker!