‘I brought the chairs and a wee table to make a wee border cafe’: Friends who met at the Edinburgh city limits share a laugh at their newfound publicity

Two friends who hit the headlines by meeting for a cosy brew sitting on either side of the border between Edinburgh and East Lothian, are happy to have brought a smile to the public.

Tim Porteus and his friend Sheila decided to meet for a tea and a catch up, but were unsure how to manage with the new restrictions forbidding them to cross the city limits.

Tim explained: “I live in Prestonpans in East Lothian and she lives in Portobello.

"We are very old friends.

Picture credit: Tim Porteus

We have both found this time very difficult and isolating.

"Sheila is a singer and I am a storyteller, both professions which have been hit hard by current events.

"We are both struggling in our different ways and in the past have always managed to support each other.

"We had planned to meet up to talk, then the new restrictions meant that was no longer legally possible.”

Both Edinburgh and East Lothian are currently in tier three, where guidelines restrict residents from leaving travelling out of their region.

Tim continued: “On the spur of the moment I suggested meeting at the “border”, so we would keep to the rules, but still be able to see each other face to face.

"Sheila was up for it. Neither of us intended it to be a publicity stunt or anything, or a comment on the new restrictions.

"We were just desperate to see each other and talk.

“It was a cold day, but we both had a bit of a walk to reach the county border and I had a flask for our brew.

"I brought the chairs and a wee table to make a wee border cafe. We had our own cups, stayed four metres apart, me on the East Lothian side and Sheila on the Edinburgh side.

“When we finished I cleaned the chairs with anti-viral spray, and we walked back to our homes, much happier than we had been earlier in the day.

“There were a number of people who tooted their horns or gave us the thumbs up, and a couple who took photos.”

The pictures of the pair became an internet hit after several snaps of them went viral.

“If we have brought a smile to other people then it has all been worthwhile!”

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