Ziggy & Anne's Postcards From Home (3)

Hi All

Well, it's off to "Auld Reekie" (Edinburgh to the uninitiated) for the Festival.

Anne and I were invited to stay with another ex-Wemysser, Alan Campbell and wife Barbara in Pennicuik for a couple of days. Alan is about to reap the rewards of a successful business career by taking the option of early retirement. Both Alan and Barbara have a great love for Australia after spending some "wenching" years in Sydney before returning to be married in Scotland.

Our first evening was a visit to the Prestonfields Hotel for a "Taste of Scotland"
This is an extremely popular event that exhibits Scottish culture at its best and is attended by many international visitors.

We travelled in style with the now, more colourful "black cab"

Entry to the hotel is more like entering a castle than a concert hall.

Anne was a little nervous making her entrance due to the new hairdo :)

One of the stars of the show happened to be none other than Alan and Barbara's eldest daughter Louise, who has been a champion Scottish Highland dancer for quite a few years. Here she is with her mother when she joined us for a drink prior to the show.

The following couple of pictures show the cast of the show but the darkened conditions and lack of photographic skills do not give this colourful show the justice it deserves.

We had a superb evening for good food, a wee dram and great entertainment. This is a show that comes highly recommended. It runs through the summer season, if you ever have the opportunity go and see it.


On the second evening we took in the Silver Jubilee, Edinburgh Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle. Rainy conditions were an ominous sign that the evening would be spoiled for the 11,000 international crowd but an hour before the late start of 9 pm the summer skies brightened as you can see.

Out of a crowd 11,000 people - why did the most excitable guy there, have to sit in front of me ????????????????????

]The finale of the evening was the parade of the Mass Bands and Dancers performing a stirring medley of traditional Scottish music that still makes the hair on your neck stand.

Limbering up for our trip to Poland, tell you about it when we get back.

Best wishes
Ziggy and Anne

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