Sorry about the lack of an update for the last few weeks but we have finally succumbed to the owner occupier class and bought ourselves a flat. It's in an area of Edinburgh called Tollcross which backs onto the old town. It's an interesting part of the city, I think in the misleading sales pitch of the estate agents it's classed as 'up and coming, with an eclectic mix of urban dwellers'. I think of it as shabby-chic.
That said it has everything I hoped for in out first house. The tenement dates from the 1890s and has plenty of original features such as large windows, original floorboards and smart cornicing. The flat has been fully refurbished by a building firm so the kitchen and bathroom are brand new saving us much time in the decorating and renovating business.
Tollcross is close enough to the city for my liking (a mere 10 mins walk) while at the same time boasting its own shops, delis, restaurants, cinema and bars. We've already tried a few of the hostelry's with Bennet's and the Cloister's being excellent pubs with real fires for lazy Sunday's and Henricks being the more modern bar for when I fancy a glass of wine and something to eat. The cinema is the lovely 'Cameo', which has both art house and mainstream fare. Lady H bought us membership for my birthday so I plan to spend quite a bit of time in front of the silver screen.
I am now writing this from the room we've christened 'the den' at my new desk with (at last) a proper chair. One of the best parts of moving here is the view and from the den I look out over the roof tops of the tenements opposite, an outlook that is dominated a church spire all gothic and dark. It's inspiring.
So now I'm installed its time to turn my attention to all those works that have been sitting in the back of my mind (including a story of brothers lost under London, a short about a mural, and adapting 'The Park' for a comic book) while touting the now complete 'The Missing' to agents. Time to get busy.
Read this week: Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill
