Author Archives: davidsberry

About davidsberry

Local ex-councillor, tour guide and database designer. Keen on wildlife, history, boats and music. Retired in 2017.

Continental Car-Rail

Posted on April 8, 2019

This week saw the launch of the Caledonian Sleeper’s new fleet of carriages for use on their five overnight Scotland-London routes. After the pleasant but antiquated stock Serco tool over from First ScotRail four years ago. This fleet represents the … Continue reading →

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Haven on Earth

Posted on March 30, 2019

Throughout its history, Britain has been driven by global commerce. Even the socialism of the Atlee years were a sensible antidote to private railway, coal, steel, shipyard and health industries on their last legs. Commercialism really got a modern shot … Continue reading →

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It’s the Society, Stupid!

Posted on March 5, 2019

Lead item on newscasts and front pages of newspapers are currently dominated by knife crime. Politicians are falling over themselves to declare that a 50% increase  is an emergency that needs to be addressed swiftly ad on a par with … Continue reading →

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Blockheads Dancing on Pinheads

Posted on February 24, 2019

I apologise. Normally this blog tries to ring the changes, tries to be informative and even entertaining, as well as highlight the heavier political issues of the day. But less than five weeks to go to Brexit and nobody yet … Continue reading →

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Torysaurus Rex

Posted on February 18, 2019

We live, as the Chinese curse goes, in interesting times. On the endless chaos of Britain proving itself incapable of finding an acceptable posture for its place in Europe, any coherence in its posture in the world has gone begging.  … Continue reading →

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Theatre of the Absurd

Posted on February 13, 2019

East  Lothian Council Annual Budget Meeting, Town House, Haddington, Tuesday February 12th, 2019 It’s a bit like a cross between an Oberammergau pageant and an accountants’ convention, but one that costs punters (in our local case) one quarter billion of … Continue reading →

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One of Ours

Posted on January 26, 2019

Across Britain these days, there is political friction on every hand. But one thing most people would agree on is a dislike of Donald J. Trump and his performance after two years as US President. People find him variously rude, … Continue reading →

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‘OMLET—A Tragedy in Three Acts

Posted on January 17, 2019

by Bard Brawl ACT I (a dark clearing, deep in the Bois de Boulogne) WAROLD HILSON (puffing on a pipe): Let oos join yer cloob and you kin forget all that daft froggie nosh and coom t’ noomber ten fer … Continue reading →

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The Great Bullshit Train Wreck

Posted on January 15, 2019

“It is impossible for someone to lie unless he thinks he knows the truth. Producing bullshit requires no such conviction.” —Harry G. Frankfurt, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, Princeton University The world has always been a complicated place. But, until this … Continue reading →

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A Different Kind of Norway+

Posted on January 13, 2019

Norwegian Air Shuttle (NAS) started small. It was founded on 22 January 1993 from the bankrupt wreckage of Norwegian regional airline Busy Bee by 50 then-redundant former employees. Using three Fokker 50 aircraft, they contracted with  Braathens to link the … Continue reading →

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