One of the amazing things about Leith is its history as a centre of industry and commerce. Many of the flats that are now converted into businesses and homes began as warehouses and factories, a striking benefit of which, today, is their high ceilings and well-insulated walls. Our first-floor flat (which is on the second floor in American terms, just to be confusing) stays fairly warm on all but the coldest days (as well as Sundays, when the shops below us are closed) and has ceilings so tall that I. and I both have difficulty changing the overhead lightbulbs even when standing on chairs. (This is a pleasant change from our last flat, which provided us with many bumps and bruises on our heads when we forgot to duck going through the doorways).
I don't know the date of our staircase, but it is steep and stone and elegant, with a beautiful iron railing that runs from the base all the way to the top floor (to which I've never yet been). Although a little treacherous in heels, it is a pretty impressive feat of engineering, and I enjoy coming home to something splendid, if aging, each night.
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