Lucy and Nina

A cold shower thanks to a boiler on the blink is not the best way start to a day of yet more birthday celebrations, this time for Glasgow daughter.

However the walk into Waverley Station had us warmed up and before we knew it we were in that Dear Green Place and visiting the Modern Art Gallery where her husband has an installation on display in the current exhibition,
'Modern Day'.

Then it was on to the Central Market eatery in the Merchant City to meet up with her, the artist himself and Nina aged 4 3/4, who has just started school and was eager to show off her uniform, sensibly compulsory at her school.

There followed two hours of chat, laughter and wonderful food washed down with the inevitable wine. Nina was a model guest, behaving beautifully and kind enough to donate some of her French fries to her chipless grandmother-greater kindness hath no child than this; she will feature large in my will!

His Lordship and I bade them farewell as they left for a meeting with Nina's teacher, and we collected another meal for 2 at M&S in Argyle Street and trained back to a sunny Edinburgh. Nil by mouth for us tonight though, the meal will keep.

This evening I have the pleasure of the book group and tasting someone else's cake.
We are discussing 'Nemesis' by Philip Roth a short novel about a summer in the early nineteen fifties when a polio epidemic devastated a small Jewish community in New York. A cheery end to the day...... perhaps not.