The Free Church

So it was Doors Open Day in Edinburgh, but my mum had been up and down the 15 floors of the National Library so she was quite happy with that one conquest for this year.

We strolled towards Princes St, going through one of the closes near the Jolly Judge. We were busy looking at a wee memorial to a student when a very well dressed elderly gent asked if we would like to come in and have a look at the lovely ceiling in the meeting room of the Free Church of Scotland offices right beside us. This is a photo of the front, which is a bit fancier than the back view.

He explained that they hadn't been part of Doors Open for 20 years or so, since he had retired (and he was now 82)- but he evidently liked to hang about accosting strangers and showing them 'his' building.

He seemed quite harmless so we went for an nosey - it was all very interesting - nice ceiling, first painting that was done from a photograph The Great Disruption - when the Free Church broke away from the Church of Scotland, then the Wee Frees broke away from the Free Church, then the Free Church Continuing broke away - you know what religion is like.... I would have taken a photo inside but was a bit scared to ask:)

So that was me done my Doors Open for the day, so everyone was happy: my mum; me; and the nice man who got to show off his building and his encyclopaedic knowledge of the building and its paintings.