Hanafubuki

It's been a stressful few months at work and uncertainty about our funding situation has had an impact in all sorts of ways.

Last week we finally learnt that the latest round of austerity measures (i.e. cuts!) mean our core funding has been slashed by 75% for the current financial year and that our contract from our local NHS Clinical Commissioning Group will cease after that. I'd been bracing myself for 50% but this is obviously a lot worse and leaves us with some tough decisions in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, we're as busy as we've ever been and the need for what we do remains. You know all that extra commitment that the government claims to have made to the nation's mental health? Well, we're not seeing any of that on the ground, that's for sure! If only I could feel more confident that the nation would see sense and vote this lot out...

Meanwhile, having heeded the maxim that a change is as good as a rest, I've headed north to the birthplace and spiritual home of Blipfoto. Yes, I'm in Edinburgh!

I'm spending the Bank Holiday weekend with my lovely pal, WhiskyFoxtrot - seeing the sights, eating good food, visiting coffee shops, making impulse purchases and conversing on all manner of topics. In short, it's been a real tonic!

Today we went for a stroll on the beach at Portobello, visited Stockbridge Market for some delicious food, strolled along the Water of Leith to Dean Village, then back to Stockbridge to browse in the shops and stop for a hot chocolate before heading to the Cameo cinema to see 'Lady Macbeth' which we both found rather disturbing and not as good as the reviews had promised... Then it was back to WhiskyFoxtrot's lovely flat for more food and chat!

A lovely day.

Here's WhiskyFoxtrot enjoying the fallen cherry blossom in Dean Village. She tells me that the falling of the blossom at this time of year is known as Cherry Blossom Blizzard, or Hanafubuki, in Japan. So that seemed the perfect title for today's Blip! To see the, rather less glamorous, view from where she was... check out her Blip for today! www.blipfoto.com/entry/2305832288295849577

Thanks for being such a great host, WhiskyFoxtrot. Today's tune is dedicated to you... www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-H0uIH5HHQ