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.

Inside the Commons

Posted on January 30, 2015 by davidsberry

Reblog of John Plunkett’s review in The Guardian, January 29th 2015, of Michael Cockerel’s documentary of the same name to be broadcast on BBC2 on February 3rd. There is precious little in Michael Cockerell’s documentary about the House of Commons … Continue reading →

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Beware the Greeks When Baring Teeth

Posted on January 25, 2015 by davidsberry

All results are not yet in but it’s pretty clear that the Greek people have thrown a wobbly after five years of austerity and voted en masse for Συριζα and its leader Tsipras who said: “Today the Greek people has … Continue reading →

Posted in Commerce, Politics | Tagged | 2 Comments

Canute’s Kingdom

Posted on January 23, 2015 by davidsberry

Most people agree that whatever Gordon Brown’s virtues or failings, his memorable contribution to political debate since 2010 was his impassioned plea for the union just before September’s referendum. The Huffington Post described the result as “a personal triumph for … Continue reading →

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Ailment or Oil Mint?

Posted on January 19, 2015 by davidsberry

Fate has not been kind to Scottish Labour over the last few years. Under first Iain Gray and then Johann Lamont, they seemed to get stuck in a dreich cycle of politics-as-moanfest. That led to a drubbing in 2011 that … Continue reading →

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Operation Puffin Update

Posted on January 14, 2015 by davidsberry

I have reported on the terrific work that 100+ volunteers have done on the Forth Islands to protect the indigenous puffin population from being crowded out of house and home by an invasive plant. What follows is the latest report … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, Environment | Tagged | 1 Comment

Senate Intelligence Committee “Torture Report” Findings

Posted on December 19, 2014 by davidsberry

This is not for the squeamish. But if you want details just how egregiously cavalier the CIA was in pursuit of ‘terrorism’, this is a digestible synopsis. Fan though I am of the American people this is enough to question … Continue reading →

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Getting Your Feet Wet

Posted on December 17, 2014 by davidsberry

Just recently, I was asked to give a presentation to a civic group so lively it refused to accept defeat after a decade of bureaucratic foot-dragging by the local council: the Friends of the CC Museum. Founded in a century-old … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment | Leave a comment

Beyond the Beach

Posted on December 15, 2014 by davidsberry

And, just in time for your last-minute Christmas scramble—a shopping experience much more pleasant than crowded malls lost amidst acres of tarmac…

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Home from School

Posted on December 7, 2014 by davidsberry

I may need to sit down, take a powder or do something radical: it seems I agree with Jim Murphy—something that has real rarity value. Now, unlike many Labour timeservers, Jim is not someone I dismiss. He packs an impressive … Continue reading →

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Market, not Manure

Posted on December 5, 2014 by davidsberry

“The most beautiful, if not the most romantic village in Scotland” is how Sir Walter Scott described the town of Kelso. Indeed, a visit there is always a pleasure; the town is a friendly streetscape of historic building gathered around … Continue reading →

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