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.

From Underground to On Top of the World

Posted on May 13, 2013 by davidsberry

While East Lothian can make fair claim to the best place to live in Scotland, the ‘Hill Country’ of Gullane is the most desirable address in the county. And while there are some very fine houses on Hummel, Nisbet or … Continue reading →

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Jock Tamson’s Kindergarten

Posted on May 12, 2013 by davidsberry

I have a confession to make. Despite a lifetime of dedication to the cause of Scottish Independence, I like Douglas Alexander. Hell, I even like his sister and regret that she has gone from the mainstream of Scottish politics. Let … Continue reading →

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Why Scots Should Be Fans of Farage

Posted on May 10, 2013 by davidsberry

The results of this month’s English local elections were a shock to many and a surprise to even more. Normally barely registering on political seismographs, the discussion usually revolves around how many seats the party of UK government lost vs … Continue reading →

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Tug for a Clapped-Out Gunboat

Posted on April 30, 2013 by davidsberry

The ‘discussion’ on Scottish independence is theoretically well underway but the SNP’s Angus Robertson gets himself into hot water on Audioboo’s new Hear Hear and reported in today’s Hootsmon by asserting that all the Better Together campaign do is repeat … Continue reading →

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The Groat in Yer Sporran

Posted on April 24, 2013 by davidsberry

You know you’re getting old when you remember what happened half a century ago but can’t find your keys. OK, so it wasn’t quite half a century ago that Labour’s Harold Wilson, after weeks of increasingly feverish speculation and a day … Continue reading →

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Brechin’s Revenge on Beeching

Posted on April 22, 2013 by davidsberry

What was disappointing about the half-century anniversary of Dr Beeching’s evil œuvre “The Reshaping of British Railways” wasn’t that comment and opinion was as divided as on the death of Margaret Thatcher and pushed it off the page (political bedfellows … Continue reading →

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Gung-Ho Kim Jong

Posted on April 18, 2013 by davidsberry

Despite all that the press do to stir up flagging sales, the world is a pretty peaceful place; those parts of it that are not tend to blight mostly themselves. Readers may dispute this, citing some conflagration or other that … Continue reading →

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Face it: Thatcher Was Right

Posted on April 17, 2013 by davidsberry

Opprobrium has been poured on Maggie Thatcher and all her works, especially in Scotland. This last part is understandable because, whatever her vision and commitment and however you view her legacy, she was neither subtle nor broad in her understanding: … Continue reading →

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Who Do You Think You Were Kidding, Dr Beeching?

Posted on April 15, 2013 by davidsberry

Fifty years on from the Beeching Report, it is still hard to get an objective analysis of its recommendations and the impact of those that were followed. The Beeching Report recommended taking an axe to about a third of the network—5,000 … Continue reading →

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Milli-Management

Posted on April 11, 2013 by davidsberry

Speak to anyone who is not among the small minority with a career in politics nor among the even smaller number of their colleagues who are genuine unpaid conviction activists and you are likely to receive a pretty jaundiced view … Continue reading →

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