Sunday to Tuesday 3-5 August 2025
Saturday, we booked
into the Jubilee Victoria Hotel, close to Victoria Station. There are a number
of small hotels here in Belgravia and Pimlico, in heritage buildings. We’re
next door to a home that Winston Churchill once lived in. True. A plaque on the
wall says so. We walked around the area and found a couple of pubs and it soon
became apparent where we were. They were full of the YWE crowd (young, white
and entitled). Sloane Rangers and Yummy Mummies as Lady P observed. Not so many
hijabs or chadors in this part of town.
The weather has
cooled down a bit and it’s cloudy but not unpleasant. So, on Sunday we walked
14,000+ steps, going down to Battersea. Here, they have redeveloped the old
power station into a residential, retail and restaurant precinct. A very
pleasant outing. However, a concerning trend in restaurants here. They add “A
discretionary service charge of 12.5%
has been added to the bill.” It’s discretionary, right. So, if you don’t
want to play it, say because you got totally crap service, you have the embarrassing
task of taking on the server in front of everyone. So, the smart arse waiter
says, “oh, I’ll get the manager.” Then with the charge removed he sarcastically
says, “Well, you have a nice day.” Restaurant service here generally does not
warrant a tip.
Dinner was at Kazan
Turkish Restaurant, a short walk from our hotel. The service was excellent and
the food really good. This time Flashy paid the service charge. It hurts
though, as all pounds here cost two dollars.
Monday morning and
the storm warnings for Scotland are all over the news. Cyclonic winds are
forecast and our train to Edinburgh, while not cancelled yet, may be in
jeopardy. We’re due to leave at 11.45 pm tonight, overnight to Edinburgh at 7.30
am.
Our Caledonian Express comes with a twin bunk and an ensuite, plus access to the club car for food and drinks. It is expensive but a bit of a treat, although you don’t have the cost of an overnight hotel. Nonetheless, it was a mixed experience. Wandering down the platform to the pre departure lounge, we meet our fellow ‘business class’ travellers.
The lounge has no food other than a packet of crisps. A bit of grumbling but the Poms are sympathetic with the offered explanation of the ‘Storm Floris’ stranding staff etc.. Boarding time, and we drag six bags along the platform and look for the promised train guard or even a cabin attendant, to place the bags in the storage carriage. No one in sight. You see, they will fit in our cabin but then we won’t!
Lady P finds a harried train attendant and asks for the big bags to be placed in the guard carriage. “We’re not paid to lift bags.” "That’s OK she says, I’ll lift them, I just want to get them out of this room.” Not really a good start.
Following the research about the train, we rush to secure a seat in the Club Car. Our very expensive drinks arrive in plastic bottles. Reminiscent of Jetstar service. The food however is OK. The cabin is quite good, with enough room to sit up in bed without hitting your head and very comfortable.
The latest time for breakfast
is 6.45 am and we make it for an unremarkable cooked meal. Two pieces of white
bread with a slice of meat loaf half the size of the bread. Nothing else.
That’s Flashy’s ‘sausage sandwich’ Scottish special. He eats it. We arrive in
Edinburgh to a clear day but cold winds. Out come the winter coats.
The town is expecting
three million visitors for the festivals, so says a taxi driver. There are not
so many about at 7.30 am, though. Our hotel, the Holiday Inn at the Zoo is a 20
minute bus ride to the front door and we make our way there and drop the bags.
They are at 100% and you’d be worried if they weren’t at this time of the year.
The coffee from the restaurant was so bad Flashy left it all in the cup. I
know, stupid to even order a Starbucks.
The plan was to stay awake until we can check
in at 3 pm, so a bus back into town and some time spent in the Scottish
National Museum, which was very well done. Then on to the Canny Man’s pub in
Morningside. Famously discovered by Lady P and Flashy 25 years ago
The Canny Man’s is
one of the city’s finest public houses, well known far and wide for it’s quirky
nature and ‘never’ changing décor. Established in 1871 by James Kerr ,the pub was
voted best pub in the world by Rick Stein – so there! After a couple of drinks,
we made it back to the hotel for an early night.
Wednesday 6 August 2025
Refreshed, we headed into town again and Flashy managed to find a pasty (with meat) and we contemplate the 965 shows that are on today in the Fringe Festival. Choosing ‘A Shoddy Detective and the Art of Deception,’ at 4.00 pm we walk to the University of Edinburgh, into one of the lecture halls, where the Fringe has taken over as the ‘Gilded Balloon’ – Appleton Tower building in the Bramley room.
This three person comedy was hilarious. So typical of Fringe acts, that we booked another for 7.30 pm. This was a one person dialogue comedy called "The Chief," about the imminent retirement of Scotland’s Chief of Police, delivered by the 'Chief”' himself. Amazing stand up for 60 minutes to a sold-out audience.
In between shows we wandered into what might be the ‘Garden of Heavenly
Delights.’ A grassed area surrounded by pop up bars and food trucks. Again, so
Fringe. We shared a trestle table with a young couple from London and enjoyed a
Negroni, exceptional Souvlaki and a wine.
Not satisfied with enough culture, we booked another show for tomorrow before we go the Royal Military Tattoo. Home by the bus to a relatively early night.
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