Chariots of Fire

Well, I must have inadvertently used a few unaccustomed muscles at Pilates yesterday. My stomach muscles are complaining!

A dreich day - ideal for day time movies. Ideal for Senior Screen - with a complimentary cup of tea and a biscuit. I lie. Three biscuits. It's easy to stuff a couple of biscuits in your pocket when they turn round to make the tea, and then pointedly take just one biscuit when they are looking. There were plenty left, lest you think I was greedy and deprived the next old person of their rightful chocolate digestive treat(s). I was the last oldie in. It's nice to go places and actually be the youngest person present!

The film was Chariots of Fire, which is very topical, with the Olympics and heroic feats still fresh in our minds. That opening scene is marvellous, although I kept expecting Mr Bean to pop up! Mind you, the running style (in the actual races) looks rather daft now - with arms flapping wide, head right back, mouth wide open. I don't think they'd win anything now running like that!

It was even more topical than usual, as at one point, Abrahams is called in to see the Dean and told off for using a 'professional' coach - it just wasn't done. It was 'plebian'. How topical is that!

For non UK residents: there's a story currently running about how a Tory MP called a policeman a 'f***ing pleb'. The policeman had merely asked him to dismount from his bike and use the proper gate out of Downing Street. It's the 'P' word that everyone's up in arms about, as it confirms our belief that the country is being run by posh toffs who have no idea how ordinary people live. Brilliant.

The sun was trying to come out later, so I walked down by the Grassmarket and up through Greyfriars Churchyard. I didn't realise that William McGonagall, Scotland's other, less successful poet, is buried there. Lots of branches down everywhere, and men clearing them up. There was a tree down in the Meadows. These kids were so colourful and noisy, but brightened up a grey day - the teacher obviously had them interested in something. I also liked all the detail in the stonework.

As I came through the Meadows, past the wee coffee van from yesterday, I resolved to buy a coffee as so many folk had said yesterday I should have, as I'd taken a photo. If it was the same girl, I was ready to partake. But no, it was another girl and a young man, fiddling with the coffee machine. Possibly the enterprising owner. They were busy fixing something, so I was able to walk on by, coffee-less.

Just as well I have my own little machine.