Alley

Dull morning but cleared to give sunshine though cold. Booked my airline tickets to France. Going out with my brother and sister-in-law on 29th March until the 5th April. They have a house in Marval, a small village in the Haute Vienne.

In the afternoon went into the centre of Edinburgh with Dave, who was introducing me to the alleyways and steps of the city. The city is built in the old part on top of the original streets and these alleyways, closes and steps connect them. We went into Poets close where there are large paving stones with quotes from famous Scots writers. One was of George McKay Brown 1921-1996

'In the fire of images gladly I put my hand.' George McKay Brown was the uncle of a school friend of mine and one of the characters often seen in Stromness, Orkney.