FF#43: Have tea at the City Chambers

Today was a lovely birthday treat - tea and cake at Edinburgh City Chambers with my friend and local councillor Gordon Munro.

Edinburgh City Chambers is a magnificent building in the heart of Edinburgh's old town, a few minutes walk from Edinburgh Castle. I've been there for a wedding reception and the odd meeting or two but had never really had a proper look around.

The main entrance to the City Chambers, on the Royal Mile.

 It was a damp and windy morning and after being thoroughly soaked at school running club earlier in the morning, I was ready for a warming cuppa. As soon as I walked into reception I was greeted by a deafening alarm. I assumed it was me setting off the awesome detector, of coure - but it turned out to be the weekly fire alarm test.

City Chamers selfie

Gordon kindly surprised me with pain au chocolat and patessierie, so it properly felt like a birthday treat. We sat in the Member's Lounge and had a lovely chat, catching up with family news, Leith and the Independence referendum.

Birthday elevensies!

I first met Gordon in 2000 when I was Labour's Parliamentary Candidate for the Edinburgh West Constituency. That election campaign was very difficult (despite the great result we achieved in the constituency) and it put me off political involvement almost entirely - but Gordon was a supportive and dependable beacon during that campaign and I was really pleased when he became councillor for Leith, where I live. The 2001 election seems like a very long time ago - before I had children, and when Gordon's daughters appeared on my campaign material. I found this lovely photo in my memories folder.  Many leaflets have been delivered since then!

Next, Gordon took me on a bit of a tour - the main chamber with its lovely zodiac dome and its public gallery (I refrained from heckling or pinging bits of paper to the dinner ladies gathering below for a meeting); the European room; the Golden Jubilee Room; works of art and stained glass, and Gordon's office.

The view from Cllr Munro's office - including some of the Leith Ward

Vertiginous central staircase

Beautiful stained glass commemorating the first female Provost of Edinburgh

It was lovely to have a wee bit of birthday celebration in October - thank you Gordon!

FF #8: My engagement ring

FF #8: get my engagement ring re-made

I got engaged on 14 December 1997. DH (darling husband, but that also happens to be his initials) wanted to ask my mum first (quaint - although I think I made him do it). We went out for a birthday meal with my mum and his parents. I'd already chosen a diamond solitaire and he had it in his pocket. As the evening went on I resorted to gentle kicks under the table, and those facial expressions with judicious use of eyebrows that say "go ON! Ask her! Get on with it!". After dinner he suggested a wee walk up Calton Hill.

You can imagine that in mid-December it was a bit nippy out, and the parents were keen to make the return journey to their homes in Glasgow. About one-third of the way up, they called time on the adventure and said they were off. Dave was forced to ask my mum for my hand in marraige there and then (her answer as I remember it was "oh! well you'll have to ask Elspeth!"), and there was much back-slapping and sniffling. We got married in October 1998.

DH and I when we got engaged in 1997

and when we got married in 1998.

Some time round about 2008, the diamond and it's setting came off the band of my ring. I was lucky to find them in my jeans pocket, but having small children and a wedding ring on the same finger meant that the repair wasn't a priority. I always meant to get it mended but never found the time.

But today I got my special birthday present from DH: my beautiful engagement diamond re-set into a new ring. The setting includes gold from the original band. It's a totally different setting, so it won't catch on my clothes the way the old one did. It is utterly beautiful and I love it. I've been grinning all afternoon since I got it and I can't stop looking at it!

new ring, old diamond.

More than just a piece of jewellery, this diamond means so much to me and I'm so lucky to be able to wear in 24/7 again. Given the chance, I would marry DH all over again and I wouldn't change a thing. Life has happened to us over the last 16 years with good times and challenges, but Love Never Fails. I love DH and I love what we have together. If he asked me to do it all again, I would say yes, yes, yes, without any hesitation.  

(We got my ring re-made by Ariel at Annie Smith in Stockbridge. He was very patient and attentive and he's done a marvellous job!)