Armies advance and retreat, elections are won and lost, philosophies cross continents and collapse walls. In Edinburgh, however, most issues are contested on a far more modest scale.
Take Broughton Place, for example.
A local resident – for whatever principled reasons – attached a sign to the railings at the western end which read 'NO CYCLES'.
Some other principled citizen – for contrary principled reasons of their own – promptly removed the 'NO' and replaced it with an invitation to join monthly organised rides about the capital.
Neither party bothered to give reasons. No voices were raised. No blood was spilt and no meeting of minds occurred. To our knowledge, bikes have neither been parked here recently nor forcibly removed.
All that exists is this discreet, wee war of words: testament to the endless, peacefully unresolved irritations of sharing a city with other people.
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