Dr Lutton Takes a Stroll

Dr Lutton takes a stroll down Granton Road on most days, but today was the first day we met him. His family go back a long way in Edinburgh, having a connection with Gibbet Loan Farm, where Lutton Place now stands, but after a bit of chat about our garden, we stood and talked about Granton. And what tales he did have - and he was more than happy to share them with us. I guess at the age of 92 most of your own friends have left the scene and perhaps it’s a rarity to meet people who happily indulge you.
And there’s something quite wonderful to meet someone who’s seen history at first hand. Telling me how outside the harbour below us there were so many vessels prior to D-Day that you couldn’t see the far coast, and how he was ferried out to HMS Whirlpool, anchored a mile offshore for a meal with the Officers, and got so drunk that he could hardly make it back ashore. And let us not forget the sardine shoals washed ashore in a storm in the early 50s - so many that they lay thick about the quays. Now I feel entitled to pass these tales on; I’ll save his tales of his father’s derring do in the Boer War and his grandfather’s in Crimea (both medics) for another day.
This was after a trip out to Dobbie’s and IKEA and a visit to the Secret Herb Garden. What a lovely little place that is. This gardening’s the life.
And later, to round off an excellent day - a surprise! Not a fish finger one. No, I was ferried to an unknown destination. Soon I was in the queue at the Usher Hall and I still hadn’t a clue who I was about to see until we were in the hall and I saw the stage monitors - Elbow! Supported by C.Duncan - and what an excellent show, Mr Garvey was in just great form and an Edinburgh audience singing along? Fabulous. Home for a veggie curry and Secret Garden beer. What a beautiful day - I've been singing ever since.