Tuesday 10th August 1971

Ali; Boo-Boo; Les and I went for a very long cycle run today. We set off seeking out adventure feeling as fit as butchers dugs! We set off mid-morning and cycled all the way out to Dalkeith with a few breaks en-route. It was a pretty long way compared to being in Gaga’s car; they all depended on me for directions. 

We took the old back roads from Oxgangs which are lined with all the lovely Scottish hedgerow plants like thistles; buttercups; pink clover; cow parsley and primroses. It was a hot day and we arrived at London Road Dalkeith feeling pretty thirsty and of course with no money. 

With everybody's encouragement I plucked up the courage to call round to Pumpa’s (great-grandfather aged 89 years) house at London Road. All he offered us was a glass of water so we really didn’t bother hanging around too long. At the very least I was hoping we could get some of his Cremola Foam but he was having none of it. He's always been a bit of an inhospitable auld bugger but at his age what can you expect. Although I'm one of nine great grand-children I don’t really mean anything to him. 

Photograph SPL

We didn’t hang around Dalkeith for too long and instead cycled down to Portobello going past the old Cockatoo pub at old Craighall and down to Durham Road to Nana and Gaga’s where we were guaranteed to get a braw welcome and a massive feed as well as drinking down gallons of orange squash. It's great being able to take friends round to Nana’s knowing they're all so well received despite some dubious manners on all our parts. We had bacon and eggs and she also rattled up some scones and buns too. 

Nana’s back garden is at its lovely best. It's the height of summer and we all wandered about and then sat out for a while on the garden seats. Boo-Boo was eating the goose-gogs! In fact after all our cycling today, followed by a slap-up feed and sitting in the sun, we were all starting to stiffen up and nod off to sleep especially me being the only one up who was up at the crack of dawn to do my milk run. 

Photograph Wullie Croal

I was just thinking what a prospect - seven miles uphill back home through Arthurs Seat to Oxgangs. However once we got going and re-energised and with everyone's good company we soon got into our stride again; mind going along Morningside into Comiston Road was a bit of a long haul and with the prospective climb up through Greenbank to follow we instead cut through Braidburn Valley. 

We all got back home to the Stair around 7pm - tired but happy; a long fun-filled day with lots of good laughs - just how we should spend a school summer's holiday with adventures aplenty before the dark prospect on the near horizon as Boroughmuir and Firhill all start again next week. 

Back home at 6/2 Oxgangs Avenue I sat and watched the first day of the European Championships. I love my athletics; however a bit of a disappointment for Britain; Dave Bedford was dismal in the 10000 metres final. They pulverised him on the last lap. David Coleman was braw on the commentary as always but perhaps he built him up just a wee bit too much but Bedford did break the European record on a hot day at Portsmouth a few weeks back. 

Afterwards I went out to the coolness of an Oxgangs evening to have a wee chin-wag with Reg (Brian Rennie) and Guy Henderson. Oxgangs is a braw place in many ways with the only downside really being an undercurrent of violence and bullying from a few guys who I dislike and tend to avoid.