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1 June 2009

 

I look out my office window at an amazing green landscape.  The sunshine is incomparable.  At thirty degrees centigrade I don’t think anywhere on earth could be more beautiful than Scotland and a garden humming with bees butterflies and birds.  The Year of Homecoming.  Well at least the weather has come home.  Goodness knows how those folks made it round the Edinburgh Marathon yesterday!

Last week went down to Cragside, home of the Lords Armstrong, inventors of the lightbulb, armoured plated battleships and a fab place to have an icecream on a Sunday Afternoon.

This is the view across the restored Iron Bridge of the House above the Pinetum.  First house in Britain to have electric light – generated from a turbine in the stream this bridge is crossing.

Capturing energy from the world about us.  That’s what we are all about!

Easter Monday 13 April 2009

Another lovely Spring Day with a slightly cold wind, but masses of sunshine.  Saturday was a very successful open day in the garden in aid of Friends of African Nursing, with over two hundred pounds raised, lots a plants sold and good craic in the blossom filled garden.

Earlier in the week we returned from a quick jaunt to Dorset and back via South Wales seeing family.  It’s great to do these long runs across Britain (when the weather and traffic are tolerable) and get this wonderful feel for what a diverse landscape it is.  Particularly moving visit to the Rhonddha Heritage Centre, and to see how the area still suffers from the loss of its great coal mining tradition.

A timely reminder that the economy never stands still!

 Sunday 29 March 2009

Since both our bairns have Spring birthdays we have enjoyed a bit of coming and going this last wee while.  Ruby was home last weekend for her twenty first (hardly a bairn then), and Sandy is here today for his nineteenth.

Ruby in the Spring sunshine at Lindisfarne Castle

Walks, meals, games all the kind of family stuff that makes life worthwhile…

Such as discovering that the origins of celtic knotwork are in fact Gaelic Coffee….

And talking of gardening (I know we weren’t!) , just a quick note to say Easter Saturday (11 April 2009) will be an open day in the garden in aid of Friends of African Nursing.  So if you’re interested in the Forest Garden idea, or just hanging out with some interesting people send an e-mail and we’ll send details…

 Sunday 1 March 2009

St David’s Day.

Lovely and warm in the spring sunshine, cooler when the clouds flit by.  First crocuses up and at it, and primulas making a showing.  Daphne odorata with its delicate pink flowers ahead of any leaves, living up to its promise of the season to come with its delicate perfume.

That other spring joy, the Six Nations Rugby enjoyed at Murrayfield yesterday and many thanks to Business Streeam for their hospitality.  Lots of good Scottish Water drunk by all.  Ahem.

Press enquiries continue to seek the negative: “Is Scotland’s/Edinburgh’s economy collapsing?” “Should Sir Fred Goodwin lose his knighthood / pension / worse?”  The reality is that life goes on.  Financial services will remain important, but sunrise industries are coming through – the Life Sciences, Renewable Energy, Creative Industries.  Looking at nature is a great way of reminding ourselves of the value of a long term view.  We invest to improve, whatever we do.  The alternative is certain decay…

Tuesday 17 February 2009

After a couple of weeks of snow of Highland proportions we emerge to mild weather the other side.

Perhaps the best thing about the snow is the hoards of songbirds coming to feed at the table in front of the kitchen window.  This little ball of fluff is a Goldcrest (our smallest songbird in the UK - and tame as anything).

Well whether the delights are grand or small we’re hard at it negotiating a Spring in our country’s economic fortunes and spreading optimism…

Tuesday 3 February 2009
The Day the Music Died

Don Maclean’s famous phrase (see Quote for the Day) is perhaps an ironic but marvellous encapsulation of how youth feels disappointment.  Whatever happened on 3 Februray 1959 (fifty years ago today) the music lives on.  As do many other valuable things when human concerns make us feel otherwise.  The Credit Crunch has completely failed to stop the dawn chorus – and I look out at a garden alive with song birds.  Yesterday’s blanket of snow has gone and there are the snowdrops pushing up through the cold earth – first and most reliable harbingers of Spring.

Yesterday being Groundhog Day, I understand Punxsutawney Pete tells us winter still has a few weeks to run.  And so it may be with the depressing effects of an economic downturn.  What’s important is to keep believing in, working for and seeking out those green shoots of recovery, no matter how hard a time you get for believing in them!

Sunday 25 January 2009

We got here at last!  250th Anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns.  Reason for the Year of Homecoming.  Being as the family are all currently fled we decided to have a Burns Breakfast instead of a Burns Supper.

Our American friends tell us that Scottish Food is ‘a heart attack on a plate’.  Well we need something to keep out the cold damp winters.  What we have here is a sweetheart of haggis (with a dash of french mustard) a sliced pork sausage, a slice of smoked bacon, a wee dab of bubble and squeak, a plum tomato, an egg, and that very healthy slice of orange.  All washed down with yoghurt, strawberry and fruit puree.  Won’t need to eat for another month of course but that’s what it’s all about.  And see how we enjoy it!

Afterwards we spend an hour on the Royal Society fro Protection of Birds (RSPB) Birdwatch which also runs today (as well as being the 250th anniversary of Guiness!!)

Our watch yields* a pheasant, two nutchatches, a treecreeper, a goldcrest, a blackbird., six bluetits, a crow, five chaffinches, five coal tits, a dunnock, two pigeons, two great tits, three greenfinches, three long tailed tits, three robins and no vultures at all, despite current rumours on the state of the economy.  Now where’s my shotgun…

*(that is greatest number of each species seen at once in one hour).

Which just goes to show that the world of nature carries on whatever the insanities of economics can throw at us.

Wednesday 14 January 2009

Just back from a week away in Oxfordshire.  Nice to have a break after a very busy Christmas.

Trips out to some favourite haunts:

The Perch at Binsey and the Trout at Wolvercote both make fine lunchtime venues and offer riverside walks.  A snowier venture took us up on the Ridgeway to walk from the White Horse of Uffington along to Waylands Smithy.

Waylands Smithy is a neolithic longbarrow.  Very powerful feelings standing high up over Oxfordshire in a site continuously inhabited (by dead people) for five thousand years.

And so back to the fray (blessed with streaming colds – there has to be some price to pay.)

St Catherine’s College Oxford on a sharp winter’s day.  One of Britain’s few Grade 1 listed contemporary buildings, and my Alma Mater.

Saturday 3 January 2009

Apologies for taking a full three days to post a New Year’s message.  Too busy doing accounts, joy be upon us for the year end!

I hope this year will bring much more prosperity to us all than the doom mongers are predicting.  My own view is that there are plenty of opportunities to do well, but we may all need to be flexible and creative in adapting to changed (economic) times.  For those who do come up against some harsh realities I hope they find the swiftest resolution – sometimes this can be just the challenge which brings us closer to our true desires in life.  And to share for the New Year, a new discovery (for us anyway).  This little baby is not actually a Triffid, but the fruit of a Mexican cactus (found in Morrison’s In Berwick-upon-Tweed!):

Known here as Dragon Fruit, has a rather light tasting heart like grey custard with pips in.  Probably tastes brilliant if you find it on a thirsty day in the Mexican desert!

Friday 26 December 2008

I always remember my late friend Bruce Marshall of West Linton saying that a land full of milk and honey was a perfect description of a fertile landscape.  As I look out my window at a garden alive with birds on Boxing Day, the feast of St Stephen (as made famous by Good King Wenceslas), I am reminded of our good fortune in enjoying a repleat Christmas in the presence of family, and of how many do not have this privelege.  We have done much this year to try to share our good fortune around.  I hope we may be able to continue to do so in the months ahead, and at this time thank all those who have done the same for us.

A land of milk and honey reminds us of the need for us to ensure the conditions for fertility (and therefore wealth creation) endure and that we remember to share the benefits around.  May your new year be as prosperous as you would wish.  May you be part of the eternal flow of sharing those benefits.

Monday 8 December 2008

What a busy time we’ve been having.  Had the Chancellor over for his tea last Thursday (Well Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce did) (well a black-tie do with 411 other people at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre…) and oodles of coverage.  Even got to ask the great man a question in his press conference, without getting lynched.

Abbotsford House

The Sunday before (St Andrew’s Day) we were guests of the BBC at a chamber concert in Sir Walter Scott’s Library at Abbotsford.  Most civilised Sunday afternoon for a long time.  Tea in the dining room standing where Sir Walter passed away looking out over the River Tweed (for us on on a crisp sunny snowy afternoon).

Front garden at Abbotsford

One of the most frequent reasons people visit this site is that they have searched on ‘quince’.  Different eh?  Well for all the quince lovers here’s a picture of marmello, about to go in the freezer!

Tuesday 25 November 2008

The first snow of winter fell on Saturday and a bright clear morning Sunday ideal for a walk up the river.  We often get these short cold snaps in November, but they tend not to last.  Very noticeable how much less light there is as the days shorten.

There were long tailed tits feeding on the teazels this morning.  Unfortunately not for long enough to catch on film.  Scottish Chambers of Commerce Dinner last week, celebrating sixty years of promoting business.  And another busy week ahead….

Yesterday the Chancellor revealled his Cunning Plan to stem the tide of global financial woes.  It seems to involve vast ammounts of national debt and very little payback in relative terms.  Lots of care for the poor sick and elderly (no bad thing in itself) but how, pray, does that kickstart the economy.  Bold, but how bold and how foolish only time will tell.

Sunday 2 November 2008

A sunny morning, heralding first signs of financial recovery – mortgage take up rises in September for first time in ten months.   No doubt there are financial incentives to help.

Scotland heads into the winter do’s season – awards dinners and other causes of concern for the fuller figure.  Also a celebration of our ability to brighten up the winter months.  Aided by our having lit the stove for the first time this winter.  I love the cycle of capturing sunlight and storing it in logs only to release it later when it’s most needed.  The sun remains our best nuclear reactor.

Enjoying Jenny Uglow’s biography of Thomas Bewick, Nature’s Engraver.  Lots of lessons about running business,  craftsmanship and perseverance in there…

Sunday 26 October 2008

Ah the clocks go back today so winter girds its loins somewhere not too distant.  After the wettest summer I can remember I’m not sure how we’ll know the difference.  And we approach the end of what has been a very interesting October…  A new meaning for ‘coaching’ when Nancy & I enjoyed the last run of the Jacobite steam train for the season earlier in the month ( a welcome quick break in the Highlands).

Lucky Alec wins our 94lb pumpkin in the Marie Curie raffle in Kelso (thanks to RGB photography for the picture).  And looks suitably surprised.  Or something.

Financial meltdown (or not) depending how you look at it.

We harvest lots of goodies from the garden including especially fine quinces.

One of the reasons this website looks a lot at the changing seasons, growing our own food and everyday events in our lives whilst also being about business is that we believe strongly in the lessons to be learned from the natural world.  No finer way of putting a crazy world economy into perspective, for example.

Wednesday 15 October 2008

Today we had Hector Sants (CEO of the Financial Services Authority) speaking in Edinburgh.  Hasn’t quite put all the Monopoly money back in place, but he was refreshingly candid.

A great weekend in the Highlands celebrating Nancy’s round numbered birthday.  Centrepiece of which was taking the Jacobite steam train from Fort William for its last run of the season…

…to Mallaig.  Lots of great chat with a varied bunch of folks who are all foolishly optimistic about travelling in Scotland in October…

 Wednesday 8 October 2008

Definitely moving into autumn now.  The slightest touch of frost on Monday, and the birch and beech trees turning colour, as the odd leaf drifts groundwards.  Plenty of warming things going on despite that.  The rail signallers strike on Friday has not cancelled our maiden voyage on the Jacobite steam train from Fort William to Mallaig and back as the sensible people have just put the departure back two hours.  Two fine tomes received from Gareth in New Zealand (in exchange for two of mine).  Haven’t seen him in a long time.  But the Parsnip made it into the picture as we share a common belief in the importance of roots – actual and metaphorical.

Saturday 27 September 2008

As Andrew McLaughlin, the RBS Chief Economist  remarked in his newsletter last week – well the world’s still turning.  Banks crash around us.  George Bush fails to get his team to sign up to a $700bn bail out.  But our garden is still productive.

An hour’s picking brings late pears, apples, blackberries, carrots, a stupendously forked parsnip, three kinds of beans, late rhubarb, ruby chard and cabbages, onions and potatoes and mixed salad which didn’t make it into the basket shot!

Quinces are looking great – just waiting for a frost to  finish them nicely.  Vranja has done well as always and Meech’s Prolific has for the first time lived up to its name.  Must like wet weather.

Well we all need a bit of sanity in the midst of financial mayhem!

Saturday 20 September 2008

What a week eh?  Credit Crunch turns into bank-o-mania.  HboS shares falling forty percent in a day, RBS coming up 32% yesterday.  Short sellers manipulate the market and make fortunes – or will they lose them now they’re banned.  Spent ten hours straight on the phone on Thursday dealing with a wall of media interest.  Whilst we seem to have returned to relative sanity it’s not over yet!

In between attended the ECTA awards in Edinburgh – great to see a whole gang of mature folks getting their accreditations as computer technicians – some real life change stories in there too.  And Friday to the National Railway Awards in London.  Huge praise and Awards for HS1 and the St Pancras station.  So all my hard work on High Speed Rail vindicated.  Many thanks to First Trans-Pennine for their hospitality.

Now just having a quiet weekend dealing with a mountain of fruit and veg from the garden!

Thursday 11 September 2008

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness.  Well no actually.  Continuing season of seemingly endless rain with the odd sunny day in between.  Still picking fruit, mind, digging potatoes and generally being fruitful in the literal as well as literary senses..

Sandy with the 94lb pumkin we picked today

 Continuing to hit the headlines for our clients on a daily basis and having fun as we enter the real nature of the season: the dinners circuit.  With little else to cheer about we start the ‘let’s get fat for the winter’ season (some of us have a head start).  Tonight we kick off in Glasgow at the annual Business Awards and many thanks in advance to The Scotsman for their hospitality.  Next week we have the National Railway Awards in London.  It’s all go!

Monday 18 August
A day at The Grange in Edinburgh watching the first ever official cricket match between England and Scotland.  A rain delayed start sees Scotland chalk up 156-9 in 44 overs, and England make 10 for none before the rain returns and that’s the end of festivities.  Do we need an undercover national pitch for Scotland, or a rule change that says you have to play on in the rain?  Thought it was a creditable performance, given the pace and accuracy of Anderson and Flintoff.  Bresnan and Broad were pretty hot stuff too, if not quite as accurate or fast.  Some mean spirited BBC commentator described Scotland as ’struggling’, but I thought it was a good show from a crew of amateurs and four second rank county players.  Certainly wouldn’t like to have been facing some of the head high stuff coming along at close to ninety miles an hour on any Scottish village green I’ve seen!

Saturday 16 August 2008

After weeks of rain the weather cleared up enough today to harvest stuff from the garden.  We have potatoes, runner and broad beans (the oldest vegetable we have, I discovered recently) loads of berries including the first blackberries, salad (including radish pods).  Yummy.

And just as we were doing all this Mr Tiggywinkle turned up.

What a handsome fellow he is too….

And then Nancy directed me to the aptly named butterfly bush…  This is a Peacock butterfly.  The wonders of digital cameras eh?

There were also red Admirals and Commas… deep joy.
Sunday 10 August 2008

Coldstream has suffered under the most terrible rain I’ve ever seen in a Civic week.  Such a shame for all the people who spend an entire year making this event work.

An hour later the whole green was underwater and the campers had all escaped, if a little wet.  Thanks to  Jason for the photo.

Just back from the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Chairing a talk with Tim Harford, The Undercover Economist.  And now for some game pie…

Hope your week is looking good…

Monday 4 August 2008
Great Evening yesterday at the Festival Fringe launch party at the Corn Exchange Edinburgh, as guests of First Trans-Pennine Express (many thanks guys!)
My one unmissable show from the festival would be Sound & Fury at the Gilded Balloonn.  Three guys from LA, USA in Shakespearean costumes doing vaudeville based (loosely) on William Shakespeare.  Frenetic, energetic, perfect timing and very funny.  Good luck to them…
And back home to be asked to chair an event at the Book Festival, so another action packed week ahead!

Sunday 3 August 2008
Michael Vaughan resigns as England captain.  Probably the right time to do so, given his poor run of presonal form.  Never let it be forgot that Michael has been the most successful captain of the England cricket team ever.  A great model of leadership for us all.  Well done, Michael.  Hold your head high!

Saturday 7 June 2008
World Moth Day – according to the Bowhill walk-about organsied by Buccleuch Estates.  A nice idea anyway.

 Wednesday 4 June 2008
A jolly outing to summarise at the end of a morning’s debate on the planning process aorganised by Capital Review – City of Edinburgh’s informative journal.  Managed to slip two biblical quotations in and stir some life into a flagging audience.  To East Lothian in the afternoon where it is a warm 22 degrees C and beuatifully sunny along the cooast of the Firth of Forth.  What a great place Scotland is to be when the weather is favourable.

Wednesday 30 April 2008

Yo!  They found a giant squid in New Zealand.  You have o check out this baby.

See Gifts of Unknown Things by Lyall Watson

 Wednesday 23 April 2008

Adam Wlkinson rings me and we agree to meet.  All is forgiven (see 18 April).  Well maybe.

 Sunday 20 April 2008

Joseph Rowntree release the results of their ’social ills survey’.  As one of the 3,500 volunteer participants I was very interested in the results.  Some good, some alarming….

What are today’s social evils?

People feel a deep sense of unease about some of the changes shaping British society, according to our consultation on modern-day social evils.

Individualism, greed, a decline of community and a decline of values were among the social evils that worried participants most. In addition, people also identified:

• drugs and alcohol;
• poverty and inequality;
• decline of the family;
• immigration and responses to immigration;
• crime and violence;
• young people as victims or perpetrators.

 

 

 

 

More information, and the opportunity to share views, is available at www.socialevils.org.uk.

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Friday 18 April 2008 World Heritage Day

To Edinburgh’s Storytelling Centre to hear from the new director of Edinburgh World Heritage, Adam Wilkinson (and others).  He started well by saying we should end ‘the polarised debate’ on heritage issues.  Assisduous readers of the website will know I have been working at the same goal for over two years now – despite EWHT declining to make an appointment for the last twelve months to follow up on our earlier discussions.  Disappointed then that Mr Wilkinson promptly made three assertions designed to further polarise the debate:
1) that developers would simply ruin ‘the goose that laid the golden egg’ by building offices and hotels
2) that fiactions who were seeking to undermine the heritage lobby had better watch out (I’d be delighted if he could name me two people who were in collusion seeking to do that)
3) no-one comes to Edinburgh to see a conference centre – news to me – I thought EICC was Europe’s fifth most successful business tourism destination
Couldn’t  debate the matter as he promptly got up and left after his address.  Hopefully Mr Wilkinson havng ‘made his mark’ will follow his own advice, ‘calm down’ and engage in dialogue, before he chooses to nmake further disparaging remarks about a community he has only just joined!

Thursday 17 April 2008

A fine day with a cold wind and nearly a full moon…

Wednesday 2 April 2008
The Registrar of Companies spares my blushes by waiting till today to announce the arrival of Graham Bell Associates Limited (hence no fools here).  Owing to burgeoning demand for the service a recruitment drive is under way.  Have now had three messages saying ‘God bless her and all who sail in her’, so am wondering if I have inadvertantly launched a ship, not a company.  Go to bed and have wierd colourful dreams about all sorts of things, including setting out in a ship.  The freight is plentiful so I hope this is a good omen.

Saturday 29 March 2008
Sandy is 18 tomorrow and celebrates with a couple of dozen friends at Birgham Village Hall and then at home.  Dad retires to bed at 3 a.m. after hearing “Ssh here comes Sandy’s dad” for the third time.  Good time had by all.  And what a fine bunch of young people they all are.

Sandy celebrates his 18th birthday at the Birgham Village Hall – here playing with Ben on Pipes and Gabrial on drums.

 Wednesday 12 March 2008
BUDGET DAY – oh joy.  Alastair Darling, Chancellor of the Exchequer wimps it.  As usual I have to listen to the whole thing for news and briefing purposes.  The media agree it was DULL.  I didn’t actually find it so as I was listen for the detail.  In fact I’m still waiting for it.  Seems the UK government is paralysed by all the sensationailst stuff in the media about world-wide recession, collapse of the housing markets etc etc (neither of which are evident) and by a need not to admit all their past failures (eighth budget speech in a row when they’ve had to admit their forecasts were over-optimistic – and not a dickie bird about the Northern Rock disaster.)  Nice to have a home-grown one so we don’t leave the USA to have all the financial collapses.  Reality is the poor will get poorer and the rich will get richer.  Think I may be just above median as the BBC website tells me I’ll be three hundred pounds better off next year.  Might increase my donation to the Salvation Army.

 Friday 7 March 2008
Through to Glasgow.  I enjoy the two hours on the train crossing Scotland – it’s always great to see more of our country through the changing seasons.  Coming back takes four hours however – harrumph!  In Edinburgh Waverley Station I am approached by a range of well disguised Engishmen – clearly all imbibing and all here for tomorrow’s Calcutta Cup match.  Two want to know where the gent’s toilet is (was once asked by the chap at the next urinal if it wasn’t a waste of money to have to recycle beer so quickly.  We were in the Talbot pub just off Bishopsgate, heart of the City of London and financial home of the UK.  I replied “Depends whether you take the macro- or the micro-economic point of view.”  He looked puzzled.)  Next request today was for “Where can I go to have a smoke?”  The station now being smoke-free (supposedly).  Indicated the in ramp and said “Get beyond the canopy.”  Regretted it afterwards as it drives me bonkers that walking into the station you have to wade your way through fag ends and fight off smokers blocking up the pavement.  Ten seconds later a train pulled in (I’ll spare the operator’s blushes and not name them) belching smoke.  Within minutes the entire canopy has filled with the fumes of burning oil, before they can detach the (obviously on fire) locomotive and shunt it away somewhere else.  So much for ‘no smoking station’.  Reminded me of the following little vignette.  I regretted having taken my camera out of my bag before leaving the house this morning.

 Grangemouth stadium in the rain with the Chemical Works behind.  A curious juxtaposition of health wealth and extreme toxic danger.

Tuesday 4 March

To Edinburgh to meet with Mark Thompson Director General of the BBC.  Edinburgh Chamber President’s Forum Dinner – the best turnout ever – which makes things a little crowded.  Some amusing letters to the DG read out but after that thought he played it rather safe and (might I say?  defensively.  One of the advantages of being floated on sixteen gazillions of public cash I guess.  I, like most folks, am very proud of the BEEB, but hey on this kind of support you’d struggle not to make something whizzo.  700 website visitors in four days.  Help! I’m surrounded.  The only way to know if they’re other than robots is to request you post to mycelium.  Good show chaps!

Saturday 1 March 2008
St Davd’s Day
Well happy greetings to all the Welsh who have a celebration day today.  And commiserations to the inhabitants of the isle of Colonsay, who after a week of delayed ferry crossing owing to bad weather have a local store which is down to two half carrots two packets of cornflakes and four tins of caviar.  An interesting variation from let them eat cake.
A productive day in the garden clearing stuff.  Planted some first early potatoes (Red Duke of York) and hacked back lots of tree weed (elder and sycamore).  Perhaps this year the garden might be a little more ‘tidy’ and vegetable productive instead of just the usual avalanche of fruit and salad.

 Wednesday 27 February 2008
To Glasgow and in the evening to the Royal Television Society lecture at STV headquarters on Pacific Quay, given by First Minister Alec Salmond on the future of Scottish Broadcasting.  The man knows his game for sure.  His comments on lack of live coverage of Scotland football games on terrestrial TV being a sure fired ‘ newsy’ arrow against the London-centric management of programme content.  He actually had a very good grasp of the issue and made some interesting ‘ vision’ statem,ents.  He was also obviously hugely enjoying himself. ‘Minority government’ status does not seem to have dented SNP enthusiasm for their controlling position.  Thought it was highly noticeable (and regrettably meanspirited) that no-one from the BBC was in evidence…

 Tuesday 20 February
An army of various types of cleaners have descended upon the house.  And lots of unnecessary ’stuff’ has been gathered together and passed on to others.  Or binned.  Freecycle is a wonderful facility in which I acquire (mostly) musical instruments and give away office commodities, plants, books, tapes and sundry other things.  Things, which seemed so attractive at one point in life now seem burdensome and reducing one’s footprint feels like lightening the burden.  Still have qualms about ‘employing cleaners’ as if passing on menial work to others is a cop-out, but realise they want to do the work and it creates income for them so why not?  Do you ever wonder about how these kind of thoughts get lodged in the brain?  I blame my Mother of course, but then that’s what Mothers are for.  And Fathers?

Saturday 2 February 2008
National Potato Day – an event we helped create some years ago, which has got bigger and more tattificated with time. With over eight hundred varieties in the national collection with a huge range of qualities and attributes there’s more than just ’spuds’ under discussion.
To Edinburgh for the Junior Chamber International Burns Supper.  Only a week late, but hey then there’s less competition.  Excellent speeches from the ‘young’ speakers.  (Not sure 28 seems that young any more!).  Well honed wit and a tribute to the work the JCI has done on training its members in public speaking.  What an asset these folks will be in the years to come.  Left Sandy behind to dance till 2 in the morning.  Being a fiddler and an athlete is a gift as a) he knows the dances and b) he can keep up… Time was…

Friday 1 February
Where did that week go?  Today is Samaritan’s Stress Down Day, which is a great reminder about the importance of not getting stressed out by work; something it’s sometimes easier to say than do.  I was astonished to read that over sixty percent of people consider changing their job in January every year!  Are we all really so unhappy.  Golly!

Thursday 31 January
The Loud Tie Campaign starting today.  Apart from the excuse to wear some really awful ties it’s all in the cause of publicising Bowel Cancer.  Like Prostate Cancer it’s one of those things we avoid talking about as it’s ‘embarrassing’.  Not quite as embarrassing as being dead mind.  We really need to overcome these kind of taboos in the way that has been done so effectively with breast cancer.  Early detection is the most valuable tool in increasing the chances of treatment and recovery or at least good remission.

 Monday 28 January
It’s National Storytelling Week and also National Salt Awareness Week.  So you can take all those tall tales with a pinch of salt (but no more!).  Personally haven’t used salt in cooking for thirty years (except to make pork crackling go crisp!  Delighted to see the latest tome on why Americans think the British are whacko is called ‘from the nation that brought you pork scratchings’, or some such.  But Storytelling is an art form we could all perfect – the basis of politics, selling, excuses for coming home late, getting young kids to sleep, sex, entertainment… is there anything else left?  Celebrate – tell a story to someone else today!

Wednesday 23 January 2008
Was approached yesterday after 29 years as a mere Member and asked if I wished to be a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, and if so could I send a CV.  Duly did so but think the website might have been a greater reference point!  Pleased to tell you that 24 hours later I am informed I am so honoured.  Great!
This week (20-26 January) is Farmhouse Breakfast week.  You can join in our survey of the importance of breakfast and what people do about it here. To check out the idea see the website.  Mine was porridge!

 Thursday 27 December 2007
A sad day for the world as Benazir Bhutto is assissinated on the streets of Pakistan. A contemporary of mine at Oxford (along with Tony Blair!)  – don’t worry we weren’t chums!  Notice on the Scotsman website xenophobic ravings about Islamic extremists.  Not sure how such ignorance is going to advance anything.  Benazir Bhutto was a brave woman, and it is a sad day for Pakistan and for the whole world.  Before criticizing we in the West should consider the extent to which we have been destabilising the world of Islam for the last thousand years.  That was, and always will be, an unsuccessful approach.  The only future lies in working together and building an inclusive future.  I dread to think what violence will be visited on the people of Pakistan as a result of this tragedy.  God help us all (and any flavour God will do in that regard).

Thursday 29 November 2007
St Andrew’s Day, the morn.  I cannot for the life of me understand why there has been argument in Scotland over whether this should be our National Holiday (and a public holiday to boot).  The only other country on earth that would quibble about taking its national day as a holiday is England.  How sad is that?  Challenged to-day by speaking with two businesses who have become implacable foes over a planning issue, but have never met to discuss it.  There must be a better way to make progress.