Summer is on its way ...!

Fiddle music echoed around Towerbank School yard to serenade the start of the Christmas holidays. T was one of the merry band who performed a rousing repertoire of socially distanced Christmas carols.

On the way home along the sunny beach I kept an eye to the sky (and my plane finder app) to track the arrival of the Qatar flight from Doha. One of my friends was on this flight home for Christmas. I am unlikely to meet him on this visit due to quarantine regulations. There may well be even stricter Covid controls on us all across mainland Scotland from Boxing Day.

I was surprised to seeI Santa and red coated dog on a SUP* paddling toward the shore. No one else seemed too bothered or surprised and carried on with their dog walking, pre Christmas talking, single skiffing, student selfie taking and, of course, sea swimming!

While there was a very long socially distanced queue waiting to access the Butchers on Portobello High Street and other shops were doing a brisk trade we had a very smooth Click and Collect experience at our local superstore.

This evening we watched Scottish Ballet’s Snow Queen - this was the last live performance we saw at The Festival Theatre at the beginning of the year. We wondered when we would go to the theatre again and also how all these performers, musicians, technicians and support staff were coping in these dark dark days for all the performing arts.

*Stand Up Paddleboard