A Weekend in Historic Scotland

It is possible that I have a new favourite city. Just over a week ago I travelled the long road from the Midlands to Edinburgh. It was a journey at times battered by rain at others, bathed in sunshine but the A1 through Northumberland, glimpsing Bamburgh Castle on the coast in the evening sun, and over the drizzly border into further sunshine on a deserted dual carriageway, was a delight. When we finally got to Edinburgh it was a hasty check in at the hotel before a race to have dinner before the pubs stopped serving at 10. After a dinner of haggis, neeps and tatties, we walked along Princes Street in full view of the dazzling castle, illuminated in the darkness.

In the morning it was straight to Edinburgh Castle to make the most of it for the day. Tickets were free to us as English Heritage members, they would usually be £15 each, but well worth the money. We explored every part of the castle, with it's exhibitions and towers, the highlights for me included the fascinating exhibition leading up to the great reveal of the Scottish Honours (the Crown Jewells of Scotland), and the One O'clock Gun, which takes you by surprise even when you've been standing waiting for it for ten minutes! A bright morning gave way to thunderous clouds at noon adding an ominous atmosphere to the castle and the thunder began to rumble even as a bride was being led to her ceremony in the chapel by the piper. We left the caslte in the midst of this thunder storm, the thunder rumbled on for much of the afternoon to know great effect until at the end of the Royal Mile, which we had battled down in torrential rain, when outside the Scottish Parliament, there was a collosal clap of thunder and flash of lightening which left me in shock, only to be remedied by a stiff whisky at a nearby pub. A small detour to visit Greyfriar's Bobby, a statue of a skye terrior who sat by his master's grave for the rest of his life, and then on to dinner in the evening. After a disastrous attempt at a meal which had to be abandoned even though we had already paid for it, our evening was rescued by Whiski Bar and Restaurant on the Mound which served incredible food.

Another sunny, beautiful morning and we had a quick look round the National Gallery of Scotland which has an impressive collection of paintings including works by Van Gogh, Monet, Rubens, Di Vinci and Gainsborough among others. We then regrettfully had to leave Edinburgh but I will definately want to come back, it is a city with everything, greenery, scenery, mountains, castles and the sea, as well as history, character, great food, great drink and great shops. It is clearly well looked after.

If You No Longer Go For a Gap, You Are No Longer a Racing Driver

I always find the build up to sporting events rather tiresome. Sepia images of footballers in painfully slow motion accompanied by opera, cuts to wild animals, or whatever is appropriate to the countries involved. I am a big fan of Formula 1 and although the coverage often employs the same overblown montages, it is quite unnecessary when you consider the drama which is displayed in the sport itself. From the uneasy relationships of the two drivers of each team vying for the coveted number one driver spot as well as maintaining the facade of teamwork, to the spy scandals and pursuit of absolute glory that underpins every driver. F1 contains betrayal, spies, unbeatable relationships, strategy, gutsy moves, speed (obviously), undeniable skill, heartbreak and of course heroes. Unsurprising, then is the brilliance of the film Senna, a documentary on the career of the person many people consider to be the greatest ever racing driver, Ayrton Senna.








The film follows the politics of Formula 1, an aspect that Senna found tiresome but found himself constantly surrounded by. It tracks his passion and ambition through the uneasy (to say the least) relationship with team mate and rival Alain Prost, with championship after championship coming down to the wire and ending in dramatic fashion crowning one or other of the exceptional drivers number one in the world. We follow controversial moves, questionable FIA presidents, energy sapping victories and witness terrifying accidents. Some of the most interesting parts of the film are when we see Senna fighting for safety measures in the sport and we chillingly witness him watching in horror the crashes of fellow drivers, sustaining serious injuries and in the case of Ratzenberger, death. Ayrton talks about his fears of the dangers of the sport, the length of his life, his hopes and aspirations for the future. It was a sport he would never leave voluntarily, and it is impossible to watch this film without a forboding feeling of what will happen at the end. However, Senna leaves you feeling inspired and uplifted by what Ayrton achieved for his sport, his country and his passion. He defines the term 'pushing the boundaries' and the part of the film that sums him up as a hero is when he claims his victory of the Brazilian Grand Prix. He thunders round his home circuit stuck in sixth gear and promptly passes out having achieved one of the great aims of his life, even summoning the energy to spray the champaign and lift the trophy in utter agony.





It is amazing to see the twists and turns of Monaco on the big screen and see some incredible unseen footage in this film. I have watched Formula 1 since I was a child and just about remember Senna from his time, have heard his name so many times since and now have had the chance to see the whole story in its cinematic glory. I urge everyone to see this film.