Author Archives: davidsberry

Unknown's avatar

About davidsberry

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

Scotland by Hugh MacDiarmid

Posted on March 17, 2012 by davidsberry

As an enjoyable weekend break, I’m at the StAnza festival’s 15th outing and was enjoying St Andrews’ lively atmosphere in term time, delving into various entertainments and thinking I was well clear of politics and motivations to blog. Then I came … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | 1 Comment

You Choose—

Posted on March 15, 2012 by davidsberry

Two very different quotes regarding Scottish independence from viewpoints furth of Scotland came to light this week. One, from a Tory grandee—whose party prides itself as emblematic of tea with crumpets, cricket on village greens and jolly good shows; that has … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Leave a comment

You Can’t Get There from Here

Posted on March 14, 2012 by davidsberry

A recent tweet complained that a passenger boarding a Lothian bus did not have his (valid) Ridacard accepted, was thrown off and had to taxi in to work. I’m sure this was a rare exception but it highlights a certain … Continue reading →

Posted in Transport | 5 Comments

Not the Best of Health

Posted on March 13, 2012 by davidsberry

Today’s Hootsmon prints an op ed piece by local MSP Iain Gray entitled “Smiling and Nodding Will not Create Change”. In it, Iain, a former  Minister for Social Justice, fulminates about the lack of progress in harmonising (if not actually … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Wish I’d Found This for IWD

Posted on March 12, 2012 by davidsberry
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

My Kind of Scotland

Posted on March 11, 2012 by davidsberry

Now that we’re past the preliminaries in the independence debate and most parties have accepted that Scotland has both the right to call a referendum and to decide when it should take place, we move on to the more substantive … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Leave a comment

Ma Faither’s Howff Has Many Mansions

Posted on March 9, 2012 by davidsberry

This week part of my duties involved attending the CoSLA Resources & Capacity Executive which busies itself with such things as how councils make ends meet. Those there shared concerns how various developments, such as welfare reform and utility tariffs, … Continue reading →

Posted in Commerce, Politics | 4 Comments

Rosco Used in Train Robbery

Posted on March 6, 2012 by davidsberry

The future, we are told, must be green. To be green, the future must be sustainable and the only way civilisation can be sustainable is through public transport, the backbone of which is our railways. Are you with me so … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

A Tale of Two Cities

Posted on March 5, 2012 by davidsberry

It was a fluke that two party conferences took place this weekend. But it was also enlightening to compare and contrast what was being said in Dundee and Inverness. What was particularly amusing was the sheer interchangeability among the speeches. … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Leave a comment

Hey, Jim! Eat My Shorts

Posted on March 2, 2012 by davidsberry

Today (Friday 2nd March) The Grauniad printed an op ed piece from Jim Murphy MP entitled “Scotland Cannot Afford to Leave NATO” in which Jim, in his usual declarative style, seeks to disparage the SNP’s position, this time on defence … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment