Day in Leeds

I went on my first visit to Leeds recently. What a lovely place, full of varied architecture and interesting arty things to go see. Not to mention very nice cafes and restaurants; but why so many shops?

Taking the bus tour around and about helped make sense of the layout before I set off again on foot. I also learned a lot of the history and development of the area.


I've been on a few of these city tours and this was probably the most comprehensive commentary so far, although the ancient gossip about some football team and some referee decision was irrelevant.

 

I took lots of pictures on foot and on the bus.

A curious structure, at the edge of Millennium Square.

The Royal Armories museum.

Statue at City Square.

There is still a lot of Leeds I'd like to see more of, so I hope to return sometime. And while I was there, I went to see a couple of exhibitions and the Henry Moore Institute, but I'll cover those in another post.



A proper castley castle

Forgot my camera so made do with my phone camera on a recent visit to Bothwell Castle near Uddingston in the west of Scotland.

Of the various castles I've traipsed around over the past few months, this has to be the most stereotypical castle so far. It's a ruin, but with interesting and differently dated bits and pieces. It also has a fascinating history dating back to the 1200's when building began on an ambitious scale and replacing an earlier wooden structure.

All this architectural grandeur was interrupted by that pain in the neck Edward 1 of England. Thus Bothwell Castle featured in the Wars of Independence being seiged, besieged and captured back and forth between sundry Edwards, and the Moray's, companions to Wallace.

The castle is being repaired and some parts of the tower can't be accessed because of the scaffolding.

After peace broke out the Earls of Douglas took over the castle and the colourfully named Archibald the Grim began a programme of rebuilding the castle.

The castle is in a particularly strategic point, which is simply not obvious today, at least to me. But it is next to the river Clyde and guarded a major crossing point over the river that could be used by advancing English invaders during the Wars of Independence. Today, of course, it looks like a very nice ruin built from warm red sandstone sited amidst a peaceful landscape with mature trees and the river running past.

View of the postern gate with the river Clyde at the bottom of the slope.

Nauseatingly cute

On a recent visit to Martin Mere wetland centre, the experience included practising photographing the ultimate in cute, wee furry things.  The day we visited there were lots of folks who'd brought their animals and their crafts to display. Many owners were willing to allow visitors to hold or stroke ferrets, birds and baby coo's and pigs and such like.The meerkats were problematic to photograph as they would not sit still and smile for the camera.

Some beasties were closer up than others, and the just as cute but feathered instead of furry were enclosed in their own ponds but further away from the enthusiastic photographer.

Flamingos in their shed.

No picture records my not quite distant enough encounter with Priscilla the death inducing tarantula. I spied Priscilla across a hut I’d entered following my discovery of how soft chinchillas are.  I was a little off balance from narrowly avoiding verbalising my thoughts that I could now understand why heartless people made them into coats thus upsetting the terribly nice owner and ruining any credibility I have as a vegetarian.

But Priscilla and my near death experience…
All arachnophobes have dramatic tales to tell (as opposed to being drama queens) and seeing what I first thought was an ugly pattern on a chap’s jumper turned out to be blood-chilling to the extent I was capable of emitting only a feeble squeak. Sig Other congratulated me on keeping my cool. I later admitted it was shock not cool I felt.  Actual end of life was averted by staggering over with whatever aplomb I could muster to cuddle a cute python.  Equilibrium mostly restored, I carried on to the next building which held an assortment of birds of prey.

The outlying parts of this waterfowl sanctuary are home at the moment to vast numbers of pink footed geese.

And the final cute pic was taken when the otters were being fed.

Wee stop off on the way south

I took the A7 on my way south for a change. Normally I go via the A702, which is the most frustrating road in the country, apart from the all too often lethal A9. 

On each occasion that I am stuck behind lorries, farm vehicles and dithery drivers, I reflect that I live in a very rich country despite which I and every other driver has to make do with dangerous, slow and frankly, neglected transport infrastructure.

I am frequently in and around Greater Manchester, and while this is not a scientific observation, it strikes me that the motorway system around one English city is possibly more extensive than that in the whole of Scotland.

WHY?

Apart from avoiding the usual teethgrinding experience of the 45 miles between the capital and a functional motorway south, the A7 was a nice alternative on a bright sunny autumn day.

I passed a sign for Hermitage Castle, and decided to turn around and go visit it. The sign provided the information that it was 7 miles to get there. It did not say, 7 miles of muddy, potholed single track road with few passing places.

The scenery was spectacular, as the track rose above the valley and into the borders hills. I longed to stop and photograph the views, but was too concerned about other traffic, some of which was local and confidently whizzing along at what I thought was alarming speeds. At one point I narrowly managed to get the one sinking wheel out of a sodden verge that threatened to bog me down when I swerved to one side to let a local past.

Heart in mouth, I finally reached Hermitage Castle. It was worth it, even though my car looked like it had been in some particularly arduous motocross.

Fortification of the strategic border area of Liddesdale was begun in the 1240s. Then building on the existing castle started in 1360, although it has been transformed and modified over the centuries into a magnificent stronghold.

An inside wall looking a teeny bit spookily like two eyes, snub nose and gaping mouth.
 
A lovely isolated spot in glorious scenery and some history I was only vaguely aware of.

Brief London Meander

I went to London this week. But only briefly, enough time to have a bit of a wander round Hackney, Dalston and Shoreditch.  I'd never previously been to any of these areas and was pleasantly surprised by the buzz, signs of regeneration and friendliness of those people I had any interaction with.

I took my camera and set out in the lovely warm sun to take some photos. The above is a whirly windy thingy on the side of a very smart new building. All rather dynamic. But look - just across the road about 100 meters away ...

Not quite as new and shiny. But that is probably typical of any area which has been neglected and now racing to catch up with modernity.

The area is flat so more people risk traveling by bike than in more hilly areas. I can only say that they are braver than I'd ever choose to be given the London traffic.

I had a nice time and maybe sometime I can go back again and find even more cheap, yummy veggie food as I did the other day and more relaxing cafes to sit in and watch that part of London life wander by.

Sunday in East Lothian

Brandishing my Scottish Heritage membership card, I made my way to Dirleton Castle in East Lothian.

The village of Dirleton is quaint and pretty and completely picturesque. I immediately began plotting to find ways to retire there when the time comes.

The castle is set in lovely grounds which boast the world’s longest herbaceous border. This must be a wonderful sight in the height of summer and even this late in the season was impressive in colour and variety of planting.

Some pretty flowers that came out well when I fiddled about with the settings on my camera.

Winterval Meanderings

Long time silent on this blog – not because I’ve nothing particular to say, but because there are too many subjects to rant about, I’m spoilt for choice. Therefore, indecision reigns and time marches on to year end.

I’ve also been busy going hither and thither seeing friends and being rather more social than earlier in the year. Trips included Sheffield, Nottingham and Bradford. Sadly, no photographs worth showing of snow except one I took on my iphone going over Snake Pass in Derbyshire last month. At the time, I assumed that this first flurry was an aberration and we’d have the normal cold wet winter. Nah - that was a harbinger of miserable weather to further depress this bah humbugger more than usual.

I feared the snow would prevent my seasonal stay in Cheshire, but I managed to get through to the motorway (M74, M6) and reach Sig Other’s on Xmas Eve.

Now on Hogmanay the temperature is once again falling, relying on the inadequate local public transport tonight is pointless, and I might as well drive. I don’t require drinking vast amounts of alcohol to bring in the New Year, so that should be fine. We have tickets for a ‘do’ locally and it will be interesting to see in the New Year in England for only the fourth time in my life. Nevertheless, I’ll probably miss the proper celebration going on in Edinburgh.

Last Winterval, Sig Other was in Edinburgh and I was responsible (mostly) for the food and cooking. This year it is his turn and I am luxuriating in his choice of dishes. We celebrated the Christians' festival with a largely vegan selection based around a delicious mushroom, chestnut and brandy terrine with red wine gravy and tons of veggies. Another highlight was his Caribbean rice and peas with fried plantain. I’d never eaten plantain before, but will want to again, it is so yummy. As I write, he is making veggie moussaka to keep us going until next year.

Taking it easy for a few days has given me time to reflect on a year that seems to have passed me by. Three major bouts of flu and assorted other health issues kept me from doing all I had planned to. I’m not alone in this experience, as many people have had similar repetitive viruses irrespective of age or previous health status. However, tomorrow, the calendar changes and new opportunities may turn up. Ever hopeful!

Highlights have been the unforgettable cruise into the Arctic back in March, and the weekend in Madrid in October.  Time spent with friends and family are always good and with determination, I hope to do more of this in 2010.

I’m almost stunned with surprise that the first decade of the twenty-first century is ending. That sorta snuck up on me. At times I suspect my consciousness got stuck in the 1970’s, so to leave behind the noughties and move into the teens (err, what are we to call the next decade?) is daunting. No amount of intoning “yer as auld as ye feel,” is convincing me that this headlong gallop towards the end date on my driving licence is controllable. Maybe I need just to go with it and accept whatever is in store for me next?

If anyone has the answer please let me know – but shouting 42 won’t cut it!

Happy New Year!

Dreichness Abounds

It is grey and dismal this week, so here are some photos I took on Sunday afternoon on a ramble along Longniddry Bents. Hope they are cheering.

Looking across the river Forth to Fife

Parts of this area have SSSI designation, probably because of the birds which come here. I did not have my 'Girls Book of Birds - Easy identification version' with me, so I can't report what species I saw, but one lot had distinctive red legs and long beaks, so might have been something interesting.

Cockenzie power station with Arthur's Seat in the background
There was a surprising amount of heat in the sun. Not enough to take off any layers, except gloves, but certainly no chill breeze to cause me to scurry back to the car before I was ready to.

Looking downriver with the sun at my back

Someone from the Guardian appears to have visited the week before and didn’t get quite such glorious sun. They did know what they were talking about when they saw various birds.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/nov/02/longniddry-bents-east-lothian-ducks

Longniddry is on the John Muir Way which is 73km long. I reckon I did 73 yards along it until I found a way down onto the beach. I’ve walked another few yards of it a year or two back when I wandered around Yellowcraigs. As a confirmed non-rambler, I don’t imagine I’ll walk the whole lot anytime soon!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Muir_Way

Autumn in the Botanic Gardens

Very happy ducks.

The new visitor centre opened recently at the Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh, so of I trotted to see what they’d done with it. I was impressed! The building is beautiful outside and in.
http://www.rbge.org.uk/about-us/news/stories/john-hope-gateway-open

I took some pics during what was a short, and wet visit to the gardens. If you look on the RBGE website there are superb photographs, but mine are not too bad considering my extremely amateur status.

In the rain - taken while balancing my umbrella, camera and some pine cones I collected from the sodden grass.

The the rain stopped and people started walking about again.

I came across some fungus in the damp undergrowth.

Weekend in Madrid

Could have titled this post "Five go Mad for Madrid", as I accompanied four of my chums to this city for a long weekend in the sun. I cannot rave on enough about this wonderful city. The criteria for selecting our weekend was to go somewhere none of us had previously visited; Madrid fitted the bill and exceeded our expectations for a short city break.

The weather was perfect as it was consistently sunny and warm enough to walk about and see the sites without every being overly hot or dropping below comfortable in the evenings. When the sun was a little too bright, every avenue had shady trees to sit under and endless little cafes to sample.

I already loved white Rioja and was delighted that this became a favourite with the other wine drinkers. Although, I also found good Albarino at a few cafes which meant I really didn't get round to trying the lager, but it had its fans too, particularly lager with lemon. Being a city, there was no problem finding good veggie food as well as a great range of tapas for all tastes.

However, it is the architecture that is so special. and although holiday snaps are tedious at best, I've added a few here. I just wish I was a better photographer, as I simply cannot do the views justice.

Gran Via, the very busy street our hotel was on. Very central so we could walk practically everywhere.

The Palace - hosting a state visit, but we never found out who was being honoured.

Big hotels with curious history. We were informed that Mata Hari stayed in the Palace Hotel.

The city has many beautiful churches, but we only saw round the Cathedral.

Cathedral organ pipes

Madrid has an abundance of art galleries and museums. We only had time for a speedy visit to one.

The Prado

I'm not sure how long it would take to see everything I'd want to see here. I had made a list of 'must-see's' and managed most of them. I was most impressed with the three Clara Peeters, and The Garden of Earthly Delights (Bosch).

http://www.spanisharts.com/prado/peeters/bio_peeters.htm

http://www.spanisharts.com/prado/bosch.htm

Edinburgh Doors Open Weekend

It has been Doors Open weekend in Edinburgh and I took full advantage of this in the wonderful sun yesterday and found some real treats!

http://www.cockburnassociation.org.uk/default.asp?page=119

I started at the Kings Buildings, which house Edinburgh University’s faculty of science and engineering. First up was the Natural History Museum, within the old Ashworth building, then the Cockburn Museum of Geoscience, in the Grant Institute.

The Natural History museum contains somewhat more specimens in jars than I can stand, so I mostly avoided those and looked into microscopes set up with various marine exhibits. This was fascinating – a word I’ll make no apology for overusing in this account.

There was worrying information in the apiary exhibit about the threat to bees and, more optimistically, the research the university are conducting into preserving bee stocks.

Most interesting was the talk from an enthusiastic youngster on his work linking his engineering expertise with the biomedical research company set up to produce innovative procedures to identify cancer cells which don’t respond to drugs and use new methods to tackle this. He also gave a brilliant explanation of the uses of nanotechnology in medicine.

I moved on to the Grant Institute and while looking at the examples of rocks, a faculty member (Professor … oops, didn’t get her name) offered to show me the Ion Microscope in the bowels of the building. She left me in the hands of another enthusiast, this time a very experienced tech who knows everything there is to know about ion microscopes.

This was utterly fascinating! He had some terrific stories about these complicated machines, of which there are only 2 in the UK, both in this department.

He showed me what he is working on right now, which is some minute Russian diamonds, which reached him by the curious delivery method of being taped into the spine of a Russian book. He is uncertain of their provenance but hopes the work done to analyse their properties in the ion microscope will be paid for!

I became quite inspired and could easily have been persuaded to take up earth sciences and train for this kind of work, but I think it takes longer than I may have left to learn all this!

I’d left a couple of hours to see round the Royal Observatory – it wasn’t nearly enough.

http://www.roe.ac.uk/roe/support/pr/opendays2009/index.html

What a brilliant site this is, and to top it all they have really great coffee in their cafe!

A young astronomer gave a talk (oops, didn’t get her name either) on her work at Paranal in Chile on the VLT (Very Large Telescope).
http://www.eso.org/public/astronomy/teles-instr/paranal.html

I like astronomers; they must have a passion for plain speaking, the way they name their telescopes VLT and E-ELT (European Extremely Large Telescope). Um, I might be tempted to give a slightly more explicit title to a telescope that is 42 metres in diameter.

After this short tantalising talk, I wandered round some more and got my photo taken with an infrared camera. It was a warm day but my nose was still cold and showed up green on the image. It showed even greener when I rubbed it with an ice cube, while my hands got very red holding a cup of hot water.

Time then to climb up the stairs to the observatory. Half way up there is a door onto the viewing area where there was a telescope trained on the Nelson Monument at the top of Calton Hill. I managed to take a photograph of this by placing the lens up against the eyepiece. It is upside down for obvious optical reasons and I’ve left it so at the top of this post. As the Nelson Monument was also taking part in Doors Open Weekend there are people up there too.

In the education room off the viewing area, I waded past hordes of kids playing with various astrological things appropriate to their age-group. I decided I was too old for the ‘making a comet talk’, but muscled my way into the group of adults surrounding the ‘handle a meteorite’ display.

Finally, I made my way up to the old telescope and yet more informative exhibits, before coming back down the stairs and noticing a fascinating info board detailing the ‘bomb’ set off in the Observatory grounds in 1913 by Suffragettes campaigning for votes for women. Yikes, these women obviously got pushed so far that they really took things into their own hands! However, they made sure no one was hurt and there was not extensive damage.

http://www.womenslib.org/index_files/Page324.htm

The incident made the New York Times which quoted the UK Home Secretary who described it as a “… petty annoyance to frighten the government into giving the franchise to women …”
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9F04E7D81F3AE633A25751C2A9639C946296D6CF

Thanks to the bravery and persistence of our foremothers, less than one hundred years later I can visit the Royal Observatory and listen to number of women scientists who have had the opportunity to travel the world and work as equals alongside male scientists and no one thinks anything of it.

What a way to end my afternoon!

Tedious disclaimer

Having posted all of the above, I reflected that I probably, for the sake of utter clarity in case anyone could conceivably think I was in favour of gunpowder, state that I am not. Duh!

Picnic at Pemberley

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-lymepark

Taking advantage of this brief warm weekend, Sig Other and I visited Lyme Hall, the scenic location used as Pemberley in BBC's Pride and Prejudice. You'll instantly recall it as soon as I mention Colin Firth and wet white shirt.

Sunny though it was, Sig Other was not moved to replicate this iconic scene, but in a romantic gesture soon after we first met, he took me to see 'Pemberley' in December when the frost glinted on the lawns and the little lochan (what's the English version of lochan?) was iced over at the edges. Again, no C.F. or any other exhibition of manly drippiness.

Today the Hall was open as part of the Heritage Open Days, so this time we saw round the house and gardens after picnicking in the grounds near the mill pond.

http://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/

For aficionados

http://www.pemberley.com/

Mythical beasties

I spent a few days in the highlands last week partly seeing how far north I could manage to travel from my base in Dornoch, but also to entice some shy beasties out to play.

The first night was spent at Fort Augustus which is on the Caledonian Canal as it runs into Loch Ness. Nessie was present only in the artistic interpretation shown above. Neither did she turn up as hoped when I stopped at Castle Urquhart on the shores of the Loch.

I was miffed, as I’d grown up hearing about my grandfather’s sighting of the monster some 80 years ago. Sig Other commented acerbically about family traditions of visits by mythical beasts, at which point I harrumphed and shut up. Loch Ness

Despite travelling a fair bit around and about, no dolphins appeared to me either. Lots of cavorting seals by the shores of numerous firths. Those photos are still in Sig Other’s camera.

Although the wildlife was largely in absentia, the sun was out and the beaches were as advertised with foamy surf and few other humans around.

However, I did achieve one goal of my trip and that was to find an old friend whose address I had lost in a long ago house move. I am quite proud of my amature detective efforts as I nipped into the public loos in Tain and asked the women guarding the facilities if they knew of my friend. Delightedly they said yes, and pointed me in her direction. (Tain is a small town.)

Even better, B seemed happy to see me despite the shock she must have had at me arriving out of the blue after some 14 years of silence. Kettles were boiled, high-speed gossip exchanged and I left with her contact details.

Although I felt some trepidation at boldly knocking on her door, I was reasonably confident of a welcome. We’d long ago agreed that as neither of us were any use at keeping in touch, that no matter how long it was, we’d pick up our friendship when we met again.

She said something rather touching … that “I carried a part of her past and she carried a part of mine”. We met in our first careers more than thirty years ago. This was a turbulent time for both of us professionally and personally, thus we were important supports to each other during these years. I no longer have anyone else in my life who knew the highs and lows and neither does she, so a renewal of our contact means some good/bad old stories can be dusted down and reappraised in the light of maturity and distance.

But this is also a reminder to me to trust in the bonds of real friendship no matter how stretched these might become.

Er, I’ll stop now as I suspect I'm beginning to channel Francis Gay's* column.
http://www.sundaypost.com/frangay.htm

*Another mythical beastie!

Oop N’awrth

Another of my ‘always wanted to do that’ tick-the-box activities is to visit the mysterious hinterlands adjacent to the M60 motorway. I persuaded Sig Other to accompany me to Bolton, situated on the A666 a short distance from the M60, for a day out in this north England industrial town.

In the centre there is a square outside the rather glorious architecture of the town hall. A temporary exhibition was housed in a marquee in the square. On entering, I found a small, but fascinating display featuring items of interest on the lives of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people which was part of GRT History Month.

http://www.grthm.co.uk/index.php

Like many (I suspect) I am ignorant of the history of these minority ethnic groups in our local and European population and have no appreciation of lives lived, in some cases, so differently from my own. The link above goes to a truly educational site where I spent a considerable time being enlightened and humbled by the history of people who have contributed in many ways to our society.

The Bolton exhibition highlighted some examples of GRT people’s lives in north England where people live(d) and travel(led) on the canal system, while others bring their circuses and fairgrounds round the cities. Other exhibition boards outlined the terrible destruction of GRT lives in the run up to and during the holocaust. The link above gives harrowing details about this often neglected aspect of those years.

On leaving behind the exhibition, we walked about the town centre which in terms of shops is largely interchangeable with anywhere else, except for the statue of Fred Dibnah cast by sculptor Jane Robbins.
http://www.janerobbins.com/gallery.html

Bolton also has a little aquarium in the basement of their library building. It has been there since 1941 and now has a collection of fish from international waters. The long tailed knife fish is particularly impressive.
http://www.boltonmuseums.org.uk/aquarium/fish-collection/giant-green-knifefish/

The countryside around Bolton is hilly and when I visited, it was looking its best in the sun. A run through the hills on windy country roads then back down the A666 completed this day out.

Stuff I've been doing while not blogging

I've been taking a wee break from blogging. This wasn't planned, it just happened, but I'm back to continue, perhaps not where I left off, but by putting up some pics I've taken round and about in the last month.

On a drive through South Queensferry I stopped to take some pics of this rather grand cruise liner moored in the estuary. In a slightly surreal moment I was tempted to photograph the bus loads of tourists come to view the bus loads of tourists from the ship who were returning from a day out in Edinburgh. In some weird way it all made sense, or at least I expect it would to an economist, as it all leads to folks buying tat and drinking coffee in wee cafes.

On one drive round the city for a now forgotten reason, I was stopped for a while in the pouring rain by an officious policeperson. I could easily have turned round and gone another way, but I'm nosey, so I waited to see what the fuss was.

It turned out to be some soggy sodjers doing something ceremonial in front of Ms E Windsors hoose. Well, whatever takes yer fancy, who am I to comment?

This is a photo of either Toffee or Fudge, one of two llamas residing in the little farm in Muiravonside Country Park. This is the photogenic one. Alas, the other was quite scruffy so landed on the cutting room floor.

There is an impressive collection of pampered animals in this park, so much so that I've found my next reincarnation choice - as a fluffy guinea pig living in style and being admired by appreciative visitors and fed awfully well.

Muiravonside Country Park is located along the Avon Gorge in the Braes above Falkirk. There are (allegedly) otters in the Avon but none came out to play on my visit.

http://www.falkirkonline.net/For%20Visitors/Local%20Attractions/Muiravonside%20Park.aspx


Finally, a view of the gorge at the bottom of the precipitous walk up Dollar Glen in Clackmannanshire. It's worth the slog up this hill, if only to experience the wonderful microclimate and unusual plants clinging to these slopes.

At the top is Castle Campbell which has spectacular views across the river Forth to the dubious industrial architecture of the Grangemouth cooling towers.

http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/dollar/castlecampbell/

Oil fired sneezes

Field of yellow taken from the train somewhere in West Lothian.

Sneezes start this month when I go into the country and am surrounded by this damn stuff. It looks quite pretty, but causes so much hassle for those with sensitive little nasal passages.

Although much touted by healthy eaters as an equivalent to olive oil, I am so annoyed by it I simply refuse to buy the processed oil.

Other yellow is gentler on the eye and on the nose at this time in the countryside. Whenever I see broom flowering in spring I’m reminded of this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_E7JnqGcA8

The Yellow’s On the Broom is the story of Traveller woman Betsy Whyte.

http://www.booksfromscotland.com/Books/The-Yellow-On-The-Broom-9781841581354

Yellow over Morningside, Edinburgh

The High Court Building in Glasgow

Of the various interesting things I’ve gotten up to lately, the visit to the High Court in Glasgow is amongst the more notable.

Glasgow High Court is housed in a very smart new building. Nice shiny marble and bright entrance. I was there with a group who had come along to listen to a talk by the Witness Service and to be given a short tour.

The Court Witness Service is a specialised part of the Victim Support organisation. These volunteers look after people who are witnesses in serious court cases, including bereaved relatives in murder cases, child witnesses and women who have been raped.
http://www.victimsupportsco.org.uk/page/witnesses.cfm
This was a fascinating insight into the working of the legal process but ultimately a depressing reinforcement of the problems in obtaining justice for large sections of the population.

We were shown witness rooms, which are relatively comfortable small rooms where a witness waits until being called to give evidence. There are careful procedures in place to ensure that the witness is not confronted by the accused in corridors or when leaving the building.

Next, we were shown a standard courtroom. It was nowhere near as large as I’d imagined. Then we were shown into the courtroom, which was described as secure and used for high profile or for particularly dangerous criminals. Lots of reinforced bombproof glass and a corridor that could be sealed off from the rest of the building. But again, quite cramped, especially if there was more than one accused, each of whom would need his own set of defence lawyers. A member of the Procurator Fiscal’s Office known as an Advocate Depute represents the Crown. For some cases, it is probably that the Advocate Depute has only just gotten their hands on the case, maybe even the night before the trial. This does not inspire confidence in justice for the victim of serious crime.

We were also taken to look at the CCTV room, which is where witnesses under16 years give their testimony. A volunteer from the witness service sits in the room with the child, but cannot even offer any words of comfort if the child gets upset. How bloody inhumane is that? Yes, I can appreciate that the perpetrator is innocent till proven guilty and any suspicion of "coaching" of the child by an adult will be exploited by rapacious defence council, but arrghhhh what a dreadful system. It would be so much simpler if all those who commit crimes against kids just stopped their vile behaviour.

Since I am not any kind of expert, here is some background info:
http://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/justiciary/index.asp

However, one of the worst shocks to many women who are victims is that they do not have their own lawyer. They are merely a witness to the crime which is prosecuted by the Crown. Most people have spent years watching American legal programmes where a mini-skirted fast-talking and very smart lawyer wins cases for vulnerable people. Well, it’s just not like that in real life.

But this gives me an excuse to publicly mourn the demise of Boston Legal.

Boo Hoo and bye bye James!
http://www.tv.com/boston-legal/show/25525/summary.html