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.

Building Something Worth Keeping

Posted on March 13, 2016 by davidsberry

Edinburgh has a lot going for it as a city, not least its World Heritage architecture, its strong cultural reputation, its status as a capital city and its stunning setting beside the Firth and peppered with hills. Property professionals prize … Continue reading →

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Carlekemp: Architectural Gem

Posted on March 10, 2016 by davidsberry

You can drive down Abbotsford Road in North Berwick and not even know it’s there. Carlekemp, a long, elegant pile of mellow Rattlebags stone, hides in its expansive four acres of grass and trees behind a high wall that retains … Continue reading →

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Chocolate Steam Train

Posted on March 6, 2016 by davidsberry

Ever since 2007 when the affable, ineffectual John Home Robertson (as unlikely a Labour MSP as you’ll ever meet) drifted into retirement, East Lothian has been represented at the Scottish Parliament by Iain Gray. Now Iain—like John—is not a bad … Continue reading →

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Why Did It Take So Long?

Posted on March 2, 2016 by davidsberry

Today’s Herald reports that Nicola is to use a visit to a school in Midlothian to announce major changes to how Council Tax is levied. The paper reports that the SNP had originally wanted to replace it with a progressive … Continue reading →

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Council Crunch

Posted on January 31, 2016 by davidsberry

Any regular reader will be know I have been a inveterate supporter of Scottish independence since I first became aware of politics as a teenager. For most of that time (38 years to be exact), I was a member of … Continue reading →

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The Budget as Window Dressing

Posted on December 17, 2015 by davidsberry

John Swinney may be Scotland’s best politician. He displays neither the presence nor the delivery of charismatic leadership but he is, for many, the embodiment of “a safe pair of hands”. He comes across as an old style bank manager, … Continue reading →

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Fleein’

Posted on December 11, 2015 by davidsberry

Just back from a tour of sundry airports, it is hard not to be struck by the differences between airports in Britain and those countries who take air travel seriously, such as the USA. Scotland is particularly ill-served, having a … Continue reading →

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Time to Learn Mandarin

Posted on December 8, 2015 by davidsberry

山雨欲来风满楼 (shān yǔ yù lái fēng mǎn lóu) “Coming events cast their shadows before them“ Coming to the end of ten days in and around San Francisco, I am struck by how much the old place has changed. This 74th … Continue reading →

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Patrician Politics

Posted on December 4, 2015 by davidsberry

It would seem that, having led his party to multiple unpredicted victories before having the grace to fall on his sword when he failed to clear the final hurdle of the Independence Referendum, the political death of His Eckness has … Continue reading →

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Wha’s Like Us?

Posted on December 3, 2015 by davidsberry

Being in a far-flung corners furth of Scotland for the last week (Glendale AZ; Sonoma CA) the marking and portent of St Andrew’s Day had slipped by me until somebody tweeted a link to Stephen Daisley’s OpEd column for STV … Continue reading →

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