Sunday 8th August 1971

Baird's Newsagents Morningside Drive

I was out early to do my papers but at a slightly more respectable hour. There's a different feel to Baird’s on a Sunday partly because it's Pamela Baird's day off but also because Sunday is Sunday, if that makes sense. 

The City Hospital with 'The Village in the Sky' in the background

I cycled up to the City Hospital with a pretty big bundle on the back of the bike. It's slightly trickier than doing the afternoon run when I'm only selling the Edinburgh Evening News’. This morning I've got the Sunday Post; Sunday Express; News of the World etc. so it's a bit more challenging. Also I've got my favourite patients so I always make sure they get a copy of the newspaper they're after; that said I'm sure some of the patients share and swap their papers. 

After I finish it's always a braw feeling and I casually cycle back through Firhill, Colinton Mains and back home to Oxgangs; the world is still coming to and I've already put in a shift. On the way I stopped off at Colinton Mains and picked up some Sunday rolls from Andretti's - a braw breakfast for the working laddie. 

We spent all morning cleaning out the back shed and we now have a great wee gangy. After dinner Boo-Boo; Iain and a few others all played in the shed. 

Paul; the author; Iain and Boo-Boo

It was great fun; we've got wee boxes for seats; candles for light; and a deck of cards for playing ‘Trumps’. Every now and again we hear someone out in the back alley and it goes all quiet while wee fight over the keyhole whilst trying to keep quiet and not laugh. Sometimes it's some of the mums going back 'n forward to the washing line; other times it's some of our pals. Often they don’t even realise we are in the shed and they scratch their heads at the sound. The only slight drawback with the gangy is the oxygen begins to run out; it gets a wee bit low and stale - just a slight drawback! If I'd only paid attention in Chemsitry 'n Biology at Burrie in first year I would have kent all about that! 

A T.V. evening including a very good comedy on called The Old Dark House - the critics might not like it but Retep thought it was good.