It was with a huge amount of excitement that I boarded the train to Edinburgh with my youngest daughter for a day of shopping and culture last Saturday. It's surprises me still how the once everyday has become extraordinary post Covid.

My daughter was looking to buy a couple of things ahead of her 13th birthday and I had the chance to finally try the cord trousers which had shadowed my mind since the autumn and well, simply put the Toast trousers are toast.

I had phoned ahead to have the item put aside in a couple of sizes and armed with my gentle intention granting "permission to spend" and my word and colour of the year "balance" and "silver" we walked the cobbled streets to Georgian Stockbridge, an artsy and instagramable area of the New Town.

The shop itself is beautiful, selling a lifestyle as well as textiles and I was positive I would be finally committing my ££, however, it took one glance to see the trousers were too yellow to work with my palette and colour of the year. So as Angie likes to say...onwards. https://www.toa.st/products/ga.....lsrc=aw.ds

Although onwards in this instance was only a couple of metres to the shabby chic eatery Patisserie Florentin for a much needed cuppa.

Fortunately, my daughter was far more successful and is now the proud owner of a cream pleated pleather mini skirt and a pair of edgy creeper shoes.

I did treat myself in the end to a dyptique solid perfume which is so beautiful, tactile and refillable so all was not lost.

We finished our day with a saunter around the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and arrived home tired yet satisfied from our day.

In Scotland the Omicron variant appears to have peaked and I'm feeling cautiously optimistic for more shopping adventures in the near future.