The Tattoo by Wilma Stewart
It was Saturday August 19th and in the evening I was going to the Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle. I had the day off work so I spent most of the morning doing housework and tidying up the house then we went shopping in town. The weather was miserable all day but as the day went on the weather got worse.
After tea was over and dishes washed it was time for the family to get changed into warm clothes for the night ahead. We left the house in plenty of time to catch the bus to Edinburgh. We dropped off my grand-daughter at her grand-dad's and headed for the bus garage round the corner. We had to sit in the car for at least half an hour as the bus was away picking up other passengers and the rain was torrential.
When on the bus on the way to Edinburgh the rain eventually stopped. In Edinburgh all the passengers were dropped off at the Grassmarket. We had time to spare so we went for a walk round the shops and had some chips then made our way to the Castle in plenty of time before the Tattoo started. We found our seats quickly and got comfy before everything began. When everybody was seated we were squashed like sardines and nudged from all sides. Eventually the performance started and the crowd started to get very excited.
The rain started pouring down again and this time it was heavier than before. There were many different performers and performances and colourful displays, especially from the overseas visitors. There was also a lot of Scottish tunes from the pipes and drums of the various bands.
By this time the show was nearing the end. There was only two more items on the show to go, the fireworks display and the Lone Piper. The fireworks display was very noisy and as it finished the Lone Piper began. I got very emotional and sad at this time because it reminded me of my dad who passed away a few years ago and he loved this kind of music.
The show was now finished so we all plodded back to the bus, soaking wet and very cold. When we arrived home at the bus depot we all got into the car and picked up grand-daughter. When we arrived home tired and weary at about two in the morning we went straight to bed and to sleep almost immediately.
