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!