COVID 19, Sketchbook 62
The sketch above is on Leith Walk, a couple of days before lockdown one was announced. I’d just been on the phone to my partners discussing what might happen and looking at the sketch brings back all the feelings of uncertainty.
24th March. The remaining food rescued from the HTA fridge and the first day in fifty years that HTA hadn’t made lunch for everyone who was in the office.
In the house, it was like this:
In reverse:
The last event of the break, my dad’s 88th birthday.
New years day, a brass band in the livingroom.
Angus visited from France.
Catching up with old school pals in Dunfermline. The same as we were, a little more tired but a little better at communication.
Innes hid behind the sofa for the Queen’s speech.
Fun box was fun.
The only person on a plane to London City the week before Christmas.
Actually these are the things I did in between riding the bike and painting portraits, in preparation for cycling from London to Cannes in March. I’ll show you the portraits next time.
In amongst the boxes, waiting for the removal men to turn up and take us out of Fettes Rise. “Will we take the windows?” asked Innes.
We have more stuff than I had imagined and, five days later, it’s largely unpacked and I have a new view from the sofa.
Here’s the place we left behind. In a world of laptops and wifi most of the stuff is redundant, but we took it anyway. Unpacking the boxes helps make the new place feel like home.
Sketching interesting people on the train.
Heisker is a wee island off North Uist, and a new face at Gran’s for lunch.
Before that, reading some funny French words.
A week in London, and 3 nice places to spend some time
1. London’s public space has had a makeover since I lived there.
The focus is kids and the device that gets them active is fountains you can play in. People used to point to Spain to show how kids playing could be a welcome part of civic space, but London does it too now. This one is Princess Diana’s memorial, swishest of the five we came across on our travels.
2. Ben’s shed. I spent some time looking at it and thinking about spaces to be creative in (with some help from the White Stripes*).
This might be what Ben would describes as ‘rus in urbe’
3. Eames lounge chair 670. You need somewhere cosy to relax after a day in central London with three under fives.
*
http://www.whitestripes.net/songlyrics.php?id=49
These are the people who turned up and made it a memorable week. With the usual apologies for unintended insults!
Why we are all here: Seoc’s grandson, Peter Keith Morrison, my dad.
Ruari and Mary Morrison, my mum.
Jane & Julie
Catriona (sort of)
Flora and Alastair
Marc and David
Keith
Jennifer and Calum
Douglas and Elizabeth
Rachel
Fraser
Isla
Andreas and Innes.
As it happens, my kids got them all, except Elizabeth (Rachel) and Catriona (confused looks, no guesses).
Edinburgh Castle: a painful place to visit the day after you’ve run the Edinburgh half marathon. The half marathon route is down hill, and you feel that in your calf muscles on the countless castle steps.
Below is the Edinburgh 10 mile four weeks before. It had a much better route through the middle of town, starting and ending in the same place. The finish is overlooking Holyrood House, where the royals went when they realised the houses being built in the new town had better rooms than their old home in the castle.
Lot’s of exercise in the last few weeks and I’ve learnt that a strict rule of running is that the ladies wear lycra and the boys don’t. Perhaps cycling could learn from that.Fraser feeling better.
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