Sir Patrick Geddes

As I suspected I've not been inundated with responses to my last post. The photos were taken in Sandeman House Garden at 55 High Street, Edinburgh, which is just behind the Scottish Storytelling Centre and John Knox House. Both well worth a visit and while you are there pop down the close beside the centre and you will find yourself in this beautiful hidden garden. My good friend Jean Bareham has written about it in her book Hidden Gardens of the Royal Mile. She also does tours of the hidden gardens, usually during the Festival, but I'm sure she would oblige with a private, personal tour if anyone so desires, though not right now as she is presently walking across Spain. Wish I was too. Maybe next year.  http://www.greenyondertours.com/tours/hiddengardens.html

The green statue visible at the back of these photos is of Patrick Geddes, described as a Scottish Polymath, Thinker and Visionary. He was world renowned as a town planner, ecologist and social reformer. I must admit that I'd not really known much about him before I bumped into his statue but I'm glad that I did as I've now had a chance to read a little about him on the old net thingee and he seems to have led a full and exciting life.

He seems to have coined the phrase "think local, act global" and the statue was erected in recognition of his contribution to local and international science, city planning, politics and education.

The statue was designed by Scottish sculptor Kenny Hunter who says of his sculpture and of Geddes " His legacy is in many ways still in motion and may in fact be finding it's conclusion in a developed world, where many are shedding the current Grow or Die philosophy, for the more Geddisian By leaves we live ....."

Meantime I've reached the half way stage in my chemo treatment and tomorrow will be my fourth intravenous dose, providing todays blood tests are satisfactory. So tomorrow I will hit the home straight, all being well. My diabetes is not as good as it should be, and now up to four tablets a day, but I'm told it will go back to normal once my treatment is complete. Let's hope so.

Very good April Fools story in todays Guardian and they even managed to fit in some Gaelic, Lana Gocaireachd, one of the experts they quote, it being the Gaelic for April Fools day. Which was nice. Mind you there are so many other stories on the go it was hard to work out which was and wasn't.

I'm sure you will all be as concerned as I am about out team's performances this year, so lets hope we give Bayern a sound trashing tonight and remind them just who's in charge. When I was a boy a neighbour of ours used to come in to visit us, drunkenly, on a Saturday night and demand to know "who's in charge?" I wonder if he ever found out?