Edinburgh June 2010 2 Hour. Site: Top of the Walk.
photographer Laura Laakkonen and video Sharon Jeffrey.
Research over 3 days leads to Leith and its one time glorious history as the real capitol of Edinburgh. Leith is the most densely populated area outside of the city of London.
We find ourselves at a memorial service for soldiers in a small church. We are in a graveyard reading tombstones of young men. Our dress is formal and we wear the tartan kilt with the pride of the clan who gave it to us. Our location is called Top of the Walk which is now a marginalised area of Edinburgh, rich in history and pride.
We are among the graveyards, reading the tombstones. We make our way up Constitution street, sit on the bench watching the comings and goings. Queen Victoria's monument is strong against the bright sky. The yellow crocheted cord is ritually placed on a shoulder solemnising the event. A walk away and we are placing black ribbons on the faded wooden hoarding along with the yellow cord. We hand out printed slips with quotes from Scottish poets. "Links that bind..." A man reads what we were doing from the way we are dressed and our interventions. He understands that this intervention is about Iraq and the history of Scottish men warriors dying. Another comments on our dress that it made him proud to be Scottish.
Four young girls question us and play along giving orders in a military commanding way.
