Edinburgh to London

After the reception last night, I managed to get to bed at a reasonable hour which was just as well since some inconsiderate travellers down the corridor from me at the Parliament House Hotel seemed unaware that they might be waking everyone else up when they were shouting down the hall at 4.30am. Never mind - I managed to get a little more sleep and then call down to the Cathedral to say some office.

Wanting to see a little of Edinburgh, I got an all day bus ticket and rode around for a little on Lothian buses before making my way to the house owned by the Fraternity of St Peter. Fr Emerson is away and Fr Brendan Gerard is holding fort. He kindly allowed me to say Mass at the chapel in their house for the Feast Day.

Fr Michael John Galbraith then picked me up for lunch with Fr James Clark (from Southwark Diocese). We went to a very popular pub with a magnificent view over the Firth of Forth.

The 3pm train from Edinburgh to Kings Cross was quite full but I managed to get a reasonable amount of work done as well as saying the Office. The journey includes some lovely views of the East coast of Southern Scotland and Northern England. Here is a shot through the window as we passed Berwick-upon-Tweed:

The journey from Kings Cross to North Greenwich on the Tube was quite unpleasant. Even though it was 8pm, the trains were jam-packed and very hot. I met one of my young parishioners on her way home from a day's work doing people's nails at "House of Fraser". It must be rotten travelling home in those conditions each evening.

A total of five and a half hours after leaving Edinburgh, I was motoring homewards along the A2. Busy day tomorrow in the parish ...

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