Vale

I have just been to a fireman's funeral. I stood in the rain and watched it pass by, anyway.

I'm not sure why I went, really. I didn't know him, but he was from the station round the corner, and died while fighting a fire in a pub not far from here. That seemed reason enough.

I actually had to call them yesterday when an alarm went off in the block of flats. Turned out to be a false alarm, but they were hear in minute and and they met my apology with a completely unperterbed 'Nae bother'. I wanted to say something to them then, but I figured they could do without getting reminded they were about to bury a collegue every time they tried to do their job.

We could hear the piper before we caught a glimpse of the parade through the teeming rain. It rained in a truly Scottish fashion, from start to finish: heavy, persistent and drenching rain. By the time I got home my waterproof shoes were full simply from the awater running into them down my legs.

Other fireman lined the route, standing in the teeming rain, and from what I can see there was more than a few burly fire-fighting types quite glad to have rain to mask the water on their faces.