Category Archives: Commerce

Toys Out the Pram; Bums Oot the Windae

Posted on June 24, 2016 by davidsberry

I join over 15m voters in their varied disappointment on waking this morning to discover that Britain has voted to leave the EU. That’s about as sober a statement as I can manage right now. Because I am bealing, furious, … Continue reading →

Posted in Commerce, Politics, Uncategorized | Tagged | 4 Comments

Brexit is an empire-era trick. Only the radical case for Europe makes sense – in The Guardian

Posted on June 1, 2016 by davidsberry

Originally posted on Yanis Varoufakis:
‘Sovereignty is dear to our hearts. We reject the notion that Britain must settle for diminished sovereignty as the price of global influence.’  Referendums can throw up some odd bedfellows. But there is nothing odd…

Posted in Commerce, Politics | Tagged | Leave a comment

And the First Shall Be Last

Posted on May 24, 2016 by davidsberry

Lunchtime today something of a bombshell landed in East Lothian Council with First Edinburgh’s peremptory announcement that they were cutting one fifth of all their services as of August this year. More specifically, they are pulling out of East Lothian … Continue reading →

Posted in Commerce, Transport | Tagged | 2 Comments

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 →

Posted in Commerce, Community, Politics | Tagged | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Commerce, Environment | Tagged | 1 Comment

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 →

Posted in Commerce | Tagged | 2 Comments

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 →

Posted in Commerce | Tagged | Leave a comment

Angels or Vampires?

Posted on November 6, 2015 by davidsberry

According to SCVO there are over 45,000 Third-Sector organisations (i.e. charities) in Scotland, employing a total of 138,000 people with a turnover totalling just under £5bn each year—getting on for 10% of our GDP. Many of them do sterling work … Continue reading →

Posted in Commerce | Tagged | Leave a comment

Clearing Away the Past

Posted on September 29, 2015 by davidsberry

A prominent feature of the East Lothian shoreline and visible all round the Forth, Cockenzie Power Station spanned half a century. Once an embodiment of the proud coal tradition in the West of the county, it followed on immediately from … Continue reading →

Posted in Commerce | Tagged | Leave a comment

Who’s Kidding Whom?

Posted on August 10, 2015 by davidsberry

The fiscal train wreck that is Kids Company has been explained away in the English media as one of a kind, much as its founder and leading light—the larger-than-life Camila Batmanghelidgh—belies any standard concept of a CEO. When the Cabinet … Continue reading →

Posted in Commerce | Leave a comment