Copper coins

James and I popped over to the New Victoria Hospital this morning for an appointment to get one of Grandma’s hearing aids replaced after it had accidentally been through the washing machine! I was really impressed at how quickly I was seen, and the lady who sorted it out was extremely pleasant. I have found out how to get the attention of hospital reception staff very quickly - when I arrived at the hearing aid clinic reception, I couldn’t help overhearing a lively discussion that the receptionist was having with a customer over the phone, where she kept repeating “No, you can’t get here from Hamilton * in seven minutes!” and I could hear the customer’s angry protestations (clearly the customer was going to have their appointment cancelled because they were late). And indeed the receptionist was correct, there’s no way that they could have made it in that time. So I was standing listening interestedly, nay, avidly, to the back and forth conversation, when suddenly the receptionist from the other desk noticed my nosy demeanour and came rushing over to escort me from the area and immediately found the hearing aid technician for me. So my top tip to get attention at a hospital is to look as if you are enjoying yourself too much while waiting!
This left us with more than an hour before our next errand in nearby Sinclair Street; James wanted to get his guitar re-strung and the guitar shop didn’t open until 11 a.m. So we went for a walk around the perimeter of Queens Park and enjoyed the fine and frosty morning. The oak trees were shedding the last of their leaves, making a whispering noise as we stood beneath them. We tried to take photos of the leaves fluttering down in the sunshine, but couldn’t do them justice. We saw some beautiful silver birches whose fallen leaves were scattered on the grass below them and James compared them to copper pennies - that’s just what they looked like! We also nipped up to the flagpole at the top of the park at James’ request (Anderson’s always like to ascend to the highest point) and could see lovely views across Glasgow to the University and beyond to snow capped Ben Lomond.
When we arrived at the guitar shop we still had time for coffee in a wee shop called Blether across the road; it was just as well that we weren’t in a hurry because it didn’t open until at least twenty past eleven!
Having dropped off the guitar it was time to set off to the west end to see Play, Pie and a Pint. This week it was Cranhill Carmen, which was quite good - a modern and somewhat more feminist take on the Carmen story.

* Place name changed for reasons of discretion.