We have been up to Edinburgh this week to see the Tattoo.

We have talked of going for years, and this year we have actually gone and done it!

Before the Performance, we had seven hours in Edinburgh itself. We were fortuantate the weather was super, we watched several street performers, had a walk in the Princes Stree Gardens, a meal, then it was time to re-join the coach to go up to the Castle.

The coaches have to be in place at seven o'clock. Then uou walk up to the Castle to Queue and queue! It is quite off putting the amount of Police and Security in evidence. There are people photographing the crowd, out bags were searched, and we were told if we were suspicious, "We would be searched". It was a relief to get in and find our seats.

The Tattoo was brilliant, but we were totally surprised at the noise all those Bagpipes and Drums make! Before the thing started the R.A.F., Squaronaires played some Jazz and Glen Miller so we were well "warmed up".

They did do a piece showing medics recovering injured in "Afghanistan", this was so effective, they had firing going on, the the "Helicopter" came over, the noise was deafening, the put a relection and lights onto the Castle, of a helicopter so realistic.
It made us all appreciate the awful din and noise that the soldiers face all day and every day. I felt quite exhausted by the noise after the few minute representation that we saw.

The rest was lovely, a brilliant experience. It will be shown on T.V., this Saturday.

Getting out of the Castle and back to the Coach we a bit of a nightmare, there were just so many people. The Police were saying "keep moving" and herding us down the hill. One 93 year old man that was on our Coach got lost, we waited 45 minutes for him, then had to leave becaus of the Drivers "hours". The Police actually found him by looking out for him on the CCTV, then going and picking him up, he was sent back to our Hotel via a Taxi.