Embra Days

The OH set off back to Orkney the day after Edgar, but I stayed on in the Central Belt, hauling myself over to Edinburgh for three days in a row. This was largely so that I could once again expose myself to the horror that is researching in the National Library. I think, and devoutly hope, this was my last foray there before completing my Ph D. Fingers crossed, eh? 

True to form there was a problem. I got up to the Special Collections Reading Room, presented my ticket for admittance, and promptly got knocked back by the machine which controls entry. 'I'm sorry' said the Guardian of the Gate, 'I can't let you in. Your ticket has expired'. 'Expired' I said, 'how can it have expired,  it doesn't have a date on it.' No' he said 'but it has expired, you can renew it downstairs at the Registration Desk.' 

Down at the Registration Desk a young man told me that 'I should have had an e-mail about the ticket expiring.' Which is possibly true but, you know, not helpful. He then asked if I had any form of ID on me, to which the answer was no because I hadn't expected to have to produce any. So he asked me for my post code, which luckily I know, and for my e-mail address, which was slightly more problematic because when he asked for it I sad 'Oh gosh I have four, I wonder which one I registered here' and he said helpfully 'well it's the BT one'. So I wonder quite how secure the security questions are, but anyway, the ticket got renewed and I went back upstairs.

The research went relatively well; I knew what I was looking for and found it, so that was good. What wasn't so good was the pop up exhibition of early Gaelic texts which I had been delighted to see before I left Orkney was scheduled for my first day in the National Library. When I arrived I saw that it was only open from 11.00 until 3.00 which seemed odd, but doable. Sadly when I came down at just after two for some refreshment and a visit to the exhibition it was to find two technician types looking balefully at the door to the exhibition hall and a notice on said door, denying access due to 'technical difficulties'. 

So there you go, I am obviously destined never to see The Book of the Dean of Lismore in real life. But it could have been worse. 

The third day my trip to Edinburgh was for a whole nicer reason as I was meeting up with two friends and we were of to the National Museum to look at an exhibition of Scottish Samplers. This was really just a hook to hang lunch, coffee and a good long chin wag on, but we had a good time. The samplers were interesting and so was the food (I will say that the National Museums/Galleries in Edinburgh have their catering well sorted) and a good time was had by all. I was supposed to go back to the National Library the next day but I had developed a nasty limp and a sore spot on my right foot so I stayed indoors in  Glasgow instead and rested it. Didn't want it to give up when I moved on to Leeds the next day ...