Monthly Archives: November 2013

How would you build a nation?

Originally posted on A Burdz Eye View:
If you had the chance, how would you build a nation? What qualities would you want your people and communities to have? Courage, certainly. To decide in a split second that the right…

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Per Ardua Ad Asda

It may be flippant to paraphrase the RAF’s motto into a cynical equivalent for the Royal Navy but purchasing chickens now coming home to roost under Admiralty Arch are a product of a whole series of predecessors to the luckless … Continue reading

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Britain Is Broke

Making that statement does not fill me with great joy. There may be an entirely different social debate about wealth distribution that could equally have headlined “Britain is Broken” but this blog is about fiscal facts—that Brown’s smug ineptitude and … Continue reading

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Enough with Racket Science

Yesterday, my normally chatty barista went all quiet when one of my coffee buddies brought the chat around to independence by speculating on the White Paper due out this coming week. When prodded, she looked awkward, but blurted out “What … Continue reading

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The ‘Lords’ Prayer

—may those who take the Jubilee Line to St John’s Wood meet the Test. OK, so it’s two months late for National Poetry Day (Oct 4th) whose theme for 2013 was supposed to be ‘water’. But the poem below popped … Continue reading

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On Top of the World

At lunchtime, on my way in to EL Council offices in Haddington the skive inspiration hit me and veered me off the A6137 at West Garleton to puff my way up Byers Hill and the 133 steps to the top … Continue reading

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“Planning Scotland’s Seas” Consultation

(Submitted as a personal response to the consultation: would be interested to hear any other comments that were made in response to http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/marine/marine-consultation) Background My comments are confined to the territorial waters element Southeast Marine Region (Between Montrose and Berwick … Continue reading

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It’s Official: I’ve Become My Dad

It may have been a long time coming but what brought me epiphany was 4-5 days of solitude. While I really enjoyed this last summer, it is over and, despite pleasant weather, autumn is clearly hurtling winterwards. Although it doesn’t … Continue reading

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Changing of the Parliamentary guard

Originally posted on A Burdz Eye View:
2013 has, in many ways, been a transition year. It’s not over yet, of course, but November always seems like a good point at which to pause and reflect, before the hurly burly…

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Big Brother in George Street

The Accounts Commission does a fine job. Given that local councils are run by (no offence intended as I’m one myself) a bunch of amateur councillors, as a result of the way they are selected, it is self-evident that some … Continue reading

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