Sunday 15th August 1971

I did Dougie's City Hospital paper round. Being a Sunday I only had to be down at Baird’s Newsagents around 7.30am. It was the first time I had to sell the Sunday papers as well as fags and confectionery. The biggest seller was ‘The Sunday Post’ - three out of four patients bought one. I also bought one for ourselves at 6/2 as well as a ‘Sunday Express.’ The hospital has a different feel to it on a Sunday. Somehow it's slightly quieter more restful and peaceful. In some of the wards there was a radio Sunday Service on in the background. I cycled back home to Oxgangs; with no workers heading off to work the streets were pretty empty. 

Sunday Post 15th August 1971

I enjoyed my Sunday rolls 'n Stork and a wee read of the sports pages in the Post before we all put in a very good shift in the house. It's now shining like a brand new pin. 

Afterwards a big bunch of us headed across to the nets at Redford Barracks for a good game of football. We played inside the stadium which was great fun and we managed to complete a full game without being chased off by the sudjers which is not always the case. Although being chased off is a beggar often spoiling a good going game it does give us all a bit of a buzz as we desperately try to climb the outside fence which is about twelve feet high. Ye cannae help laughing at some of the panicking strugglers or should that be stragglers! 

Back home it was the last day of the European Athletics Championships. It's really given me the bug for athletics. David Coleman is brilliant on the commentating. David Jenkins ran a great last leg in the relay and just missed out on us getting a bronze. I felt sorry for Scotland's Don Halliday and Les Piggot on the last leg of the 4 x 100 metres relay. The team ran the same time as the Italians down to a hundredth of a second yet were given fourth; you would have thought both teams would have got a medal. Somebody who did though was Brendan Foster who picked up a bronze in the 1500 metres. I've just had one of my ideas. There's a cinder athletics track around the football pitch up at the Redford Barracks Stadium; I think I might try to organise our very own Europeans or Olympics. I've just enjoyed some chips; it’s great having Rissi's open on a Sunday these days.