Diary of an Edinburgher

By LadyMarchmont

Batman goes shopping! With his mum...

Shopping day with Uncle A. I sat on my usual seat with the paper, watching the world go by. I was quite near a temporary stand that the Police had put up, just giving out pamphlets and generally chatting to the shoppers. One young chap came and had a big conversation, which I couldn’t quite hear, and didn’t like to move nearer… but the gist of it was he suspected a neighbour of converting his house to growing cannabis, and he was being given advice. Which I couldn't hear. Drat.

Then I spotted him from afar.

BATMAN!

Not sure if the suit was brand new and he just had to wear it there and then, but he was looking pretty pleased with himself. Got the camera organised and ready on my knee for him passing. Blip.

Popped in to the National Library of Scotland - been meaning to all summer - to see the John Murray Archive, specifically the David Livingstone exhibition. The Livingstone items were amazing - I stood in absolute awe in front of the huge, hand drawn, intricate maps of the area of Africa that he explored. Also on show were his notebooks and drawings and letters.

But actually, it’s John Murray Archive which is even more amazing. It’s a collection of 150,000 letters, and manuscripts dating from 1768 to 1920. The Murray family were a publishing dynasty and published Charles Darwin, Jane Austen, David Livingstone, Sir Walter Scott, Winston Churchill. It’s the most extensive collection of Byron in the world, including journals and letters.

I see now that I’m home there’s an app, which I’m off to download now. It’s definitely worth another visit.

And the cafe has no muzak and big scones!

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