Bowlers to the Signet

Fantasy Bob was concerned to see a story in the weekend press describing how Edinburgh's Signet Library is under financial pressure to the extent that it is proposing to install a permanent cafe on its premises open to the public.

The Signet Library is on Edinburgh's Parliament Square and has claims to be the site of the oldest professional society in the world, the Writers to the Signet, Edinburgh's association of lawyers which has 500 years and more of history.  Its quaint name refers to its origins as a society of those legal eagles who prepared official documents which would be sealed with the private seal of the Kings of Scotland.  The buildings themselves are a high expression of Georgian elegance, and George IV described the upper library as the finest drawing  room in Europe.  And he knew something about drawing rooms.

Upper library - perfect for a cricket net

The rooms have long been available for hire for various purposes and at various times FB has attended in his official capacity dinners, lunches and lectures there.  It is also a popular venue for weddings.  So the cafe proposal is not a surprising development.

But FB thinks that in their search for additional revenue the Trustees have missed out on one obvious opportunity.  The Upper Library is a long rectangular box structure of delightful proportions.  Proportions which would lend themselves exactly to a cricket net.  FB is confident that a walk-up cricket practice facility in the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town would be a welcome hit with tourists.

He is also sure that, should the Writers of the Signet so wish, he could persuade Carlton juniors to operate as net bowlers to tourists for a small supplement to their pocket money.

Now there's a business proposition.