60's era sideboards.

We dodge a heavy downpour and pop into the uber trendy new cafe in town. It's full of youngsters staring at their laptops in pre-tutorial silence. After last nights opening match in the Six Nations a few of the lads look slightly hungover. We opt to sit in the laptop free zone which is frequented by an older ( and noisier ) crowd of sensibly dressed dog walking pensioners and young mothers with gurgling pre-schoolers in bright romper suits. Pre-schoolers and dogs are soon on first name terms. 'The Font' notices that our chosen 'zone' has been furnished with 1960's era sideboards. Seems that old furniture never dies it just gets recycled into trendy student cafes. I look in vain for a radiogram. Who remembers those ?  We had a Grundig.

At the small kilt makers by the Divinity School a black jacket, black shirt and black tie. Why ? The grey kilt is even more of a fashion travesty. Angus is mortified. Who, why, where and when would you wear this ? 

The lemon 'Love' sponge ( or Valentine's Gateaux as cake purists would know it ) remains in the bakers window. Is it the original we saw last weekend or is it one of a daily batch?

The local branch of Clydesdale Bank has closed down as has Barclays. The Bank of Scotland is being boarded up and this morning a group of men are removing the two external cash machines. The town is now left with three places you can get cash - The Royal Bank of Scotland, Nationwide and a small outpost of The Trustees Savings bank. Which will be the next to close ? The Royal used to be the bank which we used as students. Angus was forever being called in to address his 'Font' induced overdraft.

More groups of Chinese students seen wandering the rain swept streets. They look glum. Each group is accompanied by two or three older 'minders'.  Some Scottish universities have thousands of Chinese students. St. Andrews only has a handful. Is this about to change ? I'm guessing that after their brief exposure to the local weather many of the wannabe attendees will opt to study in the sylvan climate of southern England.

A great reshuffling ( apparently ) in the world of fashion :https://katebevan.substack.com/p/milan-or-paris-who-won-in-the-great

Polar bears adapting :https://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2026/02/a-polar-bear-paradox-is-unfolding-in-the-arctic/

Puzzling tunnels :https://www.404media.co/scientists-keep-discovering-mysterious-ancient-tunnels-across-europe/

The Irish share the same rain humour :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48Fw9ErE8Qg

First time ever seen :https://x.com/MAstronomers/status/2019100966407246048

For the serious minded:https://thetwocents.substack.com/p/the-safe-assets-that-werent

Random history video :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H05H_chbBRk