Holyrood Abbey.

We had another sortie into the world of visitor centres for Mrs TD's research and visited Holyrood Palace.

The cafe was the first stop where we had some soup, there was a choice of "creamed vegetable with pasta" and "sweet potato with coconut and chilli." While we know which we ordered, we have no idea what we ate; it was followed by tepid coffee and stodgy cheesecake.

During the tour of the palace we saw lots of faded tapestries and threadbare carpets and furniture. While appreciating that these items are of historical significance and have a high intrinsic value, we felt that it would be nice to have seen some products of the modern Scottish skills; they do, after all, emphasis that the place is a modern working palace.

While I was photographing the abbey ruins at the end of the tour, two ladies asked me if I could take a picture of them against the backdrop of the gothic arches. They said that they had done a survey and, since I had the most expensive looking camera there, they thought I offered the best chance of a decent picture - so I lined them up against the wall and shot them. They seemed so pleased that one of them posed for this blip of the East gable end.

This evening's delight at the cinema was the much requested "Sunshine on Leith," it drew our highest ever audience of over 80 souls; they seemed to like it. From my point of view it had a weak plot spoiled by songs whose inane lyrics didn't scan so that the tunes' rhythms were grotesquely distorted. If our customers read this I'll probably be stood against a wall ........

Perhaps things will look up tomorrow.