Largs for a Day

A bit of a long story.

My Mum has come to stay with us for a few weeks to look after Euphling while I and the fair Euphemia are at work. Euphemia has a very important week ahead and has been in very short supply around here recently.

Mum has a sister in Clydebank and arrangements had been made that I would take her across to visit today, Saturday.

Now on Thursday I had a call at work asking me to help out the Cooperative Funeralcare Brass Band in a concert, in my capacity of Euphoniumist. They are, on their day, one of the finest brass bands in the world and it is always exciting and rather flattering to be asked. The concert was in Largs, on the Ayrshire coast, a long drive from home in Dunbar, but a plan started to take form!

"Mum?" I asked, "Would you fancy coming to a concert in Largs after visiting Aunty Isabel on Saturday?" All was set.

I phoned back the band manager to tell him I could play, and also that I would only require the most meagre of travelling expenses because, hey, I was already in Clydebank, a mere stone's throw away.

On Friday evening Mum phoned to let Isabel know what time we would be arriving to be answered by a very hoarse and poorly Aunty who did not want any visitors and would see her next time she was here up north!

So, net loss on the travelling exes, but a lovely afternoon with Mum (Euphmama? - naah!) and Euphling in lovely Largs, with ice cream and pizzas at Nardini's followed by a great (if somewhat challenging to my ageing powers of sight reading) concert and pleasant drive home.

The Largs to Cumbrae car ferry, Loch Shira, leaves port .

(We got to Largs for me to discover that in the frenzy of leaving the house I had forgotten to pack my camera! Luckily Mum had her very modern Lumix compact with stupid megapixels, but unfortunately turned down to the smallest picture size setting. I discovered this when loading went very, very fast! I'm not sure if this will go much bigger as the file appears to be very small, but if you would like to try click on here.)