Jan Bondeson's new book

Jan Bondeson’s new book ‘Greyfriars Bobby The Most Faithful Dog In The World’ mentions the connection between the world famous dog and the One o’ Clock Gun.

The book is well researched and designed. No stone has been left unturned to present the true facts to the public. Jan consulted the files in the Central Library’s Edinburgh Room, the City Archives, the Museum of Edinburgh and the One o’ Clock Gun & Time Ball Association.

There is no doubt that Bobby came to the attention of the public when the terrier started using the time-gun as a dinner signal. In chapter 3, the author quotes an old Edinburgh resident who witnessed the dog's daily dinnertime ritual:
‘Towards one o’clock people would gather just outside the large entrance gates, (Greyfriars Church)
forming a line on each side of the sloping causeway. So widespread was the interest that every class of society was represented, from the well-to-do and fashionably dressed to the artisan and humble message-boy. As the hour grew near there was a hush of expectation.

Then bang went the gun in the castle, and every head turned to the gate, knowing that at the signal Bobby would break his lonely vigil and set off on the way out. Soon there was a hushed whisper, ‘Here he comes!’ and the grey, shaggy little figure appeared, pattering over the causeway between the two lines of people. Looking neither to one side nor the other, intent only on his own affairs, Bobby hurried round the corner to his right, up the street a few yards, and disappeared  into Mr Traill’s Dining Rooms for the meal he never failed to get for many years.’

Jan has acknowledged the Association’s help in contributing to the book and there is a photograph of our Chairman Brian McKenzie kitted out as Colour Sergeant Scott with Bombardier Blue the Association’s handsome little mascot. The book is a first class piece of work, long overdue and like Eleanor Atkinson’s classic novel ‘Greyfriars Bobby’,  Jan’s book will never be out of print.