Memorable memories
Fire on Arthur’s Seat
The year at Pollock Halls when the weather was scorching and Arthur’s Seat went on fire. We had a good view of this from the workroom – very exciting!
Bagpipe distraction
That may have been the same year that we were joined in the Halls, towards the end of the week, by pipers preparing for a pipe band championship. The hot weather meant the pipers were able to practice outside but also meant we needed the windows open. Individual pipers practicing standing facing a wall and going over and over bits of tune wears thin after a bit!
Prayer call
For those resident Pollock Halls was a noisy place because all doors were on ball catches and no rooms were en suite in those days. But particularly disturbing was a group of visitors who were knocked up for prayers at 5am every morning. The knocker up must have had quite a shock when confronted with an irate Kath King(tutor) resplendent in her dressing gown.
Breakfast entertainment
For those who lived in at Pollock Halls there was constant entertainment at breakfast time. People who had paid for bed and breakfast were allowed a specified number of items for their breakfast. However most of the tourists took the chance of stocking up for the day and took extra cereal boxes and plenty rolls. What they did not expect was the servery police (!) who stood at the exit to the servery removing the extra food! Unkindly the looks of bewilderment and dismay as people saw their treasures being removed were a source of great entertainment to us.
Alarming fire alarms
Fortunately at Pollock Halls we never had a fire alarm but Heriot Watt has made up for this! We have now had two day time alarms and two in the middle of the night. No-one really appreciates being woken at 4am and having to stumble out into the fresh air – very sociable though as there is nothing to do but stand around chatting till the fire brigade arrive. Happily none of the alarms has been caused by a serious fire – mostly malfunctioning sensors so it has not been traumatic.
– Gymnastics
– Banana with feet
– Running
– Tunes on the pins
– Just read what I have written!
Other conferences and groups we have shared with
We were a little unsure about the world conference on Herpes! We were fascinated by the ‘Health and the Sex Industry’. During this one a number of lacemakers were sitting at a table outside the bar (the bar itself being very busy). A piper was there – we were unclear why – but he had had a few libations and started chatting up Dorothy Swinson, a tutor, who it must be said was not being overly forthcoming. Kath Corbett, another tutor, was very entertained by this but never more so than when it was realised that the piper thought Dorothy was the Madame for all these ‘ladies’ at the table!
More memories to come…..