Friday 23rd July 1971

I got the 6.00am number 16 bus down to Morningside and joined the rest of the milk crew. It was absolutely pouring with rain; in fact it stayed on for the rest of the day. Half-way through the round I was drookit but it was actually quite refreshing on a summer's morning scampering from the milk float back 'n forward along the garden paths as well as up 'n down a few stairs too. And being the summer holidays it wasn’t as if I was having to turn up later at Boroughmuir all bedraggled. 

Iain Hoffmann (6/2 Oxgangs Avenue) and Ali Douglas (8/3)

Ironically probably because of the rain Iain and Ali Douglas went off to Warrender Baths to get wet inside rather than outside. 

Although I cycled down to Bairds Newsagents in the afternoon it was so wet I decided just to leave my bike at the shop. I'll collect it the morn; so I instead took a number 41 bus up to the City Hospital to sell the Edinburgh News' around the wards. 

I then just walked home squelchin' all the way back to Oxgangs Avenue through the hospital woods across the burn and through Colinton Mains Park. I was so flipping wet I could have lain down in the burn and it wouldn’t have made any difference! Mum and John are away to the Dom (Dominion Cinema) to see When 8 Bells Toll. So it was a wee T.V. evening for me and a large poke of Rissi's chips whilst I dry out for at least the third time today. Simon the cat is on my lap so that's helping to speed up the process.

Friday 13th July 1973

Gaga ran me up to Oxgangs before work to dump my things for staying at Oxgangs. He then dropped me off outside Thomas Graham & Son Ltd. In the afternoon it was just Roy and me in the office so it was quite quiet. At lunchtime we went down to Gilmore Place to The International for our lunch; he was telling me that he thinks I should be able to get some time off to go down to Birmingham to run for the Scottish Boys Clubs’ team at the British at Birmingham. In the evening Mum and my sister Anne went to see Fiddler on the Roof at the Dominion Cinema. I was outside talking with Les Ramage, Steve Westbrooke and my brother, Iain. Later on we played some table tennis.

Thursday 15th July 1971

I was out first thing on the Edinburgh & Dumfrieshire milk float. The big news is that our boss, Sid, is leaving; it took us all by surprise. 

I came home for my breakfast before going down to the National Garage to put in a wee shift. I'm starting to get used to the job. I'm much better now at the oil 'n petrol mix; I've got my customer-care off to a tee and I'm better at dealing with the quirks of old man Munro whose bark is worse than his bite. 

Mid-afternoon I went back down to Morningside to collect the Edinburgh Evening News' to sell around the City Hospital wards; once again I managed to sell every copy but I had to work hard to get them off my hands; anyway Pamela will be pleased when I go into the shop tomorrow. 

Later on Boo-Boo; Ali; Iain and I went to the Dom (Dominion Cinema) to see That's The Way It Is with Elvis. It was absolutely brilliant. I'm a big fan of The King. There were some great numbers in there -  'I've Lost You'; 'One Night'; 'Suspicious Minds' all alongside Elvis's good humour. 

I'm hoping to see something decent on the box tonight. 

On the big world news front President Nixon says he's going to China. It must be the same in America as Scotland - difficult to find a good local Chinese Restaurant! We're lucky with The Bamboo and the old boy's pal Ben who opened up his own place up at Bruntsfield.