John Rattray

For many years now, this little corner of Leith Links (which is apparently where the first hole on the Leith Links golf course was located) has been fenced off. A statue appeared there a little while ago, of John Rattray, who was responsible for the first rules of golf. Now I'm no golfer, or even particularly interested in golf, but I do like a bit of local history and a bit of public art. The site has been fenced off, I think so that the landscaping could be finished, although the statue was inaugurated last September. So I never bothered photographing it. Today, when I cycled past on my way to Porty to see the Two places by the sea exhibition, it was for the first time free of fencing, so I stopped to have a look at the plaques and the statue and to take a picture.

As to the exhibition - well it's great, but you can see the images better on the website. Or at least I can, because when I was there this morning the sun was behind the pictures, so the railings on which the canvas or plastic roll on which they are printed were visible and marred my enjoyment of the pictures. But it certainly is a great blip project, as this entry makes clear. Porty Prom is certainly thronging these days with lots of outdoor eateries.

My other reason to be out (on the bike) was to find some wine and to try and score some compost without getting the car out and going to B&Q. I tried various places, including BM where I found some in April, but funnily enough I actually succeeded in the place literally called "Anything and Everything" on Great Junction Street. Indeed. We then proved you can put a forty litre bag of compost in my large Ortlieb pannier, so that I could get it home. Once home, I finished off separating the lilies into smaller pots. So that's the home gardening sorted for now.

At 6pm, C and K came round for pre-dinner drinks. They are once again staying in their son's flat, which is across the demolition site from ours (but not facing the demolition site). No-one is actually in the flat at the moment, because their son is staying with them in Dundee, and has been there since lockdown as he is working remotely. We went to New Chapter for dinner, using the voucher that L kindly gave me for my birthday. It was absolutely delicious.

Another first was taking a taxi home from the restaurant. That felt funny....hailing a taxi and using cash (well K's cash) to pay for it.

C and K came back for more drinks and by our standards it was a late night. But a good one.