Braids Hill,2010

To The Duty Manager, Scot-Rail

"As i write with quill pen,not from the laptop, in the carriage of one of your trains, i respectfully and ever so humbly ask you if the train will ever reach Waverley. It has now been 23hrs. 43mins. since we left Queen Street. Not for myself,of course, but only for the wife and the children, you see it is but once a year that we,humbly ask for any time off work (and to venture to Edinburgh). Also, some heat would very much be appreciated as hypothermia is rapidly setting in."

Yours Bob C.

Well it’s just your luck aint it? Sat just outside haymarket for about an hour with a "points failure" scuppered the plans for this years race.Hey ho, at least it did get going.

Happened to meet a friend in Edinburgh whose relatives were delayed 6 hours coming from Wales to Glasgow – 6 hours for goodness sake.Yes on the train.

So at least had to have a wee burl over the Golf Courses etc. Steady now don’t go and disturb the Pringle brigade on their backswing. No,no, very respectful – waited in the rough until yer man had played over the brow of the hill. On and on and up, and suddenly recognised the terrain; twas part of The Seven Hills course – the steep down, over the stream, steep up, and on the Lang Ling Path, over the road, and up again. (In reverse in the race). Great day for it , blindingly sunny and damn cold.

When back at Kings buildings did have a look for you Grim,Gibby, anyone? But everyone looked about 12yrs.old,well about 17.

The train back did not seem to come with the strident voice of "There will be NO ALCOHOL ALLOWED ON THIS TRAIN". Just as well, the guys few seats up had bottles everywhere. Not so the early train from Queen Street………Police Presence while we were herded out to the Taxi rank then back in with "Tickets ready, all tickets must be shown,if not you’ll be shot at dawn" "Excuse me Sir, can you just open up the bag please,you see we’ve been asked to keep a sharp look out for you skeletal runner types, who may be trying to smuggle alcohol on to the train." " Oh what have we got here…………. a full bottle, yes a full bottle of ……..Oh you’re calling it Gatorade. Well we know that this is pure malt is’nt it. But,but………….Now, now Sir you’ll only make it worse for yourself,if you’ll just come this way. I want my phone call.There’s always one. HELP"