Author Archives: davidsberry

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About davidsberry

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

Open Letter to Nicola

Posted on May 18, 2016 by davidsberry

I hope you’ll forgive the presumption but I have already tried writing in confidence to all four of your party’s members of Holyrood’s previous Local Government Committee and even to the Minister at the time (Marco Biagi). Unfortunately none saw … Continue reading →

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Not Waving but Drowning

Posted on May 12, 2016 by davidsberry

Over its five years and almost 1,000 posts, this blog has been critical of the Scottish Labour party. In part, this has been in lively debate with some of its members and its policies. The position taken here has always … Continue reading →

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No’ Sae Green…but Cabbage-Lookin’

Posted on May 7, 2016 by davidsberry

Despite predictions (including my own) of this election being a rather boring shoo-in, credit is due to those who peppered it with upsets of pundit apple carts. Iain Gray increased a wafer-thin majority in the teeth of the SNP hurricane … Continue reading →

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The Election That Wasn’t

Posted on May 1, 2016 by davidsberry

It’s a funny old world. Once Thatcherism so scunnered the Scottish electorate in the 1980’s they sent a phalanx of Labour MPs down to Westminster in protest. It was a vain effort to block the worst effect of Tory privatisation. … Continue reading →

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If You Don’t Know By Now —

Posted on April 28, 2016 by davidsberry

I’m thinking about taking the advice of Unionist friends and giving this up. They think I’m wasting my time because I’m not any good. But the real reason for stopping is altogether different…is there any point? What more do we … Continue reading →

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The First to Leave

Posted on April 26, 2016 by davidsberry

While English politicians and media work themselves up with two more months of lather over Brexit, Scottish politicians and media are in a similar spiraling clinch over looming Scottish Parliament elections. Given the relatively isolated nature of the snug Tory … Continue reading →

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A Tale of Two Cities

Posted on April 24, 2016 by davidsberry

I make no pretence at being an urbane city dweller but I know my way around much of the Western world and have seen many samples of the rest. Having grown up when there was still something of a British … Continue reading →

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Trans-Arctic Convoys

Posted on April 2, 2016 by davidsberry

Once upon a time, the British took the Phoenecian and Viking idea of building a maritime empire to its logical global conclusion. We spent the last two centuries congratulating ourselves on how clever we were to do so. Leave aside … Continue reading →

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Nae Twae Kitchens

Posted on March 26, 2016 by davidsberry

My grandad was a crusty old fart, given to rolling in from the pub the worse for wear and frightening the bejasus out of me when he took off his wooden leg to relax. His real one is still somewhere … Continue reading →

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A Terrible Beauty

Posted on March 20, 2016 by davidsberry

For some years, I have made a point of wearing green on March 17th. That’s not because I have any Irish blood but because of a swathe of positive influences that Ireland and the Irish have made on my life. … Continue reading →

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