Not a parking lot

For the last five years or so, our street has been used as a weekday park and ride/parking lot for local businesses. It is indeed strange to come out on a Wednesday and find it completely empty as far as one can see. The parking is not particularly pleasant - it makes the road narrow enough that cars won't easily pass in both directions, but at the same time, despite the sleeping policemen and the cobbles, people still race along. Crossing can be quite hazardous. The city is, indeed, strange, and after seeing Ridgeback's blip, I conceived a wish to see the city centre as well whilst it is so empty. Perhaps I might get on my bike tomorrow. Hopefully I won't fall foul of any regulations.

Today was also the day that the Festivals for 2020 were cancelled. I have mixed feelings about the Festivals. I can see both the economic impact and the cultural impact. And yet I feel that exponential growth has become uncomfortable for many people, and the impact on public spaces has become unacceptable - viz the whole business over the so-called 'winter festival' and the closure of Princes Street Gardens. And that's before we start discussing the Airbnb issue, which isn't only in the city centre, but is also widespread in Leith. Maybe this year we do need some breathing space to reconsider exactly what is good about the Festivals, and perhaps also to recover a modicum of accountability to council tax payers. It will also be interesting to see what forms of 'pop up' creativity emerge if July and August turn out to be times when there aren't so many restrictions in place.

All that on the day when deaths in the UK jumped to an astonishing number - >500. To demonstrate that life still turns, I've added some signs of spring in the extras.