Hogmany In Edinburgh

by Meg Faichney
(Airth, Falkirk)

When I was younger, being born and brought up in Edinburgh, summertime in Princess Street Gardens was great, looking forward to being kept up past bed time to watch the tattoo on tv.

It was never so good in black and white but I must admit, I was brought up in the 70/80s.

I used to go to What Every Woman Wants (whatys) up the bridges wi my pals, for our "under a tenner" outfit for Hogmany.

What a state we looked like, but it never put the guys off us, we probably looked easy.

I'd say goodbye to my parents on Hogmany and go to my mates to get ready. Then we'd get the 44 bus to town, wi a bottle in our bags, and do a pub crawl along Rose Street.

The "Auld Hundred" was our local. It was great place to dance to, then at 11 o'clock we'd go up to the Auld Tron, meet up with folk we didnae ken, go to party after party, and then a week later we'd go hame to our parents and swear we'd never dae it again.

Oh these were the good days, no control freaks or paying a arm and a leg for tickets to stand in a street you walked along for nothing a couple of days before.

Ah, the smell of new year in Edinburgh Tron, the drink, the sick, and waking up in a doorway looking like something the cat would spit oot.

Them were the days!