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Happy New Year!
Posted on January 8th, 2009 by bryan.
Categories: General, Holidays, Restaurants, Theatre.
2009! Where did that come from??
The festivities proper started on 19 December, with an indoor picnic and party games at my last day in the office in 2008. In the evening, a friend and I went to Cadogan Hall, where the London Gay Men’s Chorus (including Graeme) was performing “For Christmas’ Sake”, featuring carols, comedy and very exhausting audience participation. This was my second LGMC concert, and they’ve both been great - although there is one member of the Chorus that I just wish would choke on his microphone! Never mind, I got to gush over my ’star’ boyfriend and I even won a raffle prize - a very impressive set of xmas tree baubles! It wasn’t a very late night, because I was up early the next day to head to Edinburgh.
It was another early start on 23 December, but this time it was for a visit to the dentist and the news that I’ve to get a wisdom tooth out under general anaesthetic - great!! I then met a friend at Le Sept, probably my favourite restaurant in Edinburgh. I know smoked haddock and crayfish crepes won’t appeal to everyone, but I’ve yet to be disappointed! As my friend was abstaining from alcohol, it wasn’t one of our usual marathon lunches, and I spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening attempting (unsuccessfully) to finish my xmas shopping.
Christmas Eve was relatively quiet - just a visit with my Dad and Sister to Edinburgh Zoo. Unfortunately, my Sis was working night shifts over xmas, but I still had Graeme to look after me - amazingly, it would be the first time that we would wake up together on Christmas Day. After opening a few presents, Graeme, my Sister and I went round the corner to my Dad’s house, where we exchanged family presents and tucked into brunch. Graeme and I then went to wish the animals at Edinburgh Zoo a ‘Merry Xmas’ - yes, my second visit in as many days! Meanwhile, my Sister was preparing an informal (but very tasty) haggis supper, which we had to throw back before she started her night shift. Graeme and I spent the evening lounging in front of the TV, enjoying the traditional xmas nonsense - although Wallace & Gromit’s “A Matter of Loaf and Death” was excellent! Boxing Day was our formal family xmas celebration, with a steak pie dinner at my dad’s house.
Our trips to Edinburgh are always pretty manic, and we never have enough time to see everyone and to do everything that we want. However, on 27 December, Graeme and I met up with my long-time friend, David. We had dinner at the Smoke Stack, which is definitely in my list of top five restaurants in Edinburgh, and drinks at The Street; but we had no energy for the clubs.
We had a relatively quiet day on 28 December, but after dinner at dad’s house, Graeme, my sister, a couple of her friends and I headed to The Spylaw Tavern, to test our brains in the local pub quiz. Amazingly, we came second in the main event, and somehow won (yes, won!) the bonus round and the £50 prize! In the mood to celebrate, but not quite dressed for the occasion, we bought pizzas and alcohol and headed back to my sister’s house, going to bed in the wee small hours. After a late rise the next day, we sought some retail therapy for our sore heads at The Centre, Livingston. 30 December brought our annual dinner with family friends - it’s one of those ‘traditions’ that nobody remembers why or when it started, nor indeed (if I’m being totally honest) why it continues. Oh well!
Hogmanay is one of my favourite times of the year - Scottish, world recognised … and really, really fun! Graeme and I celebrated with dinner at the Smoke Stack (I said it was one of my favourites!) and drinks at The Street (sound familiar ??), before watching the fireworks that heralded the arrival of 2009. The pyrotechnics are impressive, but the best part of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations is the sight of over 100,000 strangers cheering, dancing and embracing as if they were ‘well kent’ friends - I’ve only spent one New Year’s Eve in London, but it definitely lacked the atmosphere that you get in the Scottish capital. After the fireworks, we headed to what is now a traditional Hogmanay flat party, hosted by more or less the same people for almost 10 years. Needless to say, there was chatting, drinking, singing, drinking, games … and a bit more drinking! Continuing the Scottish theme, we finished a great night of celebrations with a haggis and sausage from Rapido, undoubtedly my favourite chip shop.
Despite not getting into bed until the wee, wee small hours (i.e. 5am), I was up on New Year’s Day at 9am to officiate at the Portobell Promathon, a surprisingly popular (to the extent that it does not have to be advertised) race that attracts hundreds of runners. I don’t understand the attraction of running practically in the North Sea during a Scottish winter, but then again I go along every year to watch. Weird! Anyway, I was shattered and hungover, so I spent the rest of the day at my dad’s house.
2 January was our last full day in Edinburgh, so we had a lot to fit in - lunch with my friend Laura and her fiance, coffee (and PlayStation 3) with David and lastly dinner with my Dad and his partner at another favourite haunt, Katie’s Diner (the food is great and the owner is hysterical). Then it was up early on 3 January for the return journey to London, work and a bit of a rest!
So that was how I ended 2008, and welcomed in 2009. Who knows what the year ahead has to offer, but it looks set to be ‘interesting’ - a looming recession, soaring unemployment, a general election, pointless wars, a dying planet. As you can see, I’m staying positive.
Happy New Year!
Glasgow East - a (very good) sign of the things to come
Posted on July 31st, 2008 by bryan.
Categories: General.
I’m fed up reading that the SNP’s victory in Glasgow East was a response either to: (1) voters’ disaffection with the Labour Party, both in Government at Westminster and in the Scottish Parliament; and / or (2) increasing support for the Tories.
Anyone who knows anything about Scottish politics will understand that (2) is absurd - the Tories have had little influence in Scotland since 1997, most especially in Glasgow East!
There is more basis for (1), with the Labour Party north and south of the border having a torrid 12 months under Gordon Brown and Wendy Alexander. However, Scotland is traditionally a Labour heartland, so that alone cannot justify a 23% swing against the Westminster Government.
What the politicians and media seem to forget is that the political scene in Scotland has changed. Whereas once it was a fiefdom taken for granted by the Scottish Labour Party, it has for the past year enjoyed an SNP administration working in the best interests of Scotland and its people. Labour, on the other hand, has lost yet another leader!
The top four parties have all held the reigns of power in Scotland since the mid-90s: the Tories and Labour in London; and Labour / Lib Dems and the SNP in Edinburgh. But the Glasgow East result indicates that its Alex Salmond and his team who have earned the trust and support of the people of Scotland.
The reason for this? The SNP is the only mainstream party campaigning actively for an independent Scotland and the right of all Scottish people to self-determination. I can’t think of a greater cause.
The SNP leaps ‘off the richter scale’
Posted on July 25th, 2008 by bryan.
Categories: General.
Congrats to newly-elected John Mason MP, who has over-turned a Labour majority of 13,507 to win a swing of 22.54% and Glasgow East for the SNP. I doubt that this alone will bring an end to the Labour Government at Westminster, but surely not even it was expecting such a drubbing at the hands of the Scottish people. We will no doubt hear from Labour and the press that it’s all to do with the economic downturn and/or an unpopular Prime Minister; both, of course, will ignore the influence of the successful and popular SNP Government in Edinburgh. Alex Salmond and his party continue to lead Scotland for and on behalf of the whole nation - long may that continue.
Cardinal O’Brien’s at it again …
Posted on March 21st, 2008 by bryan.
Categories: General.
Cardinal Keith O’Brien, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland, will during his Easter sermon urge the Prime Minister to re-think ‘monstrous’ plans to allow hybrid human-animal embryos and to allow Labour MPs a free vote on the issue. He will also urge Ministers to resign instead of voting in favour of the new Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill.
This is an issue of ethics and morality, so I do support Cardinal O’Brien’s call for a free vote - albeit reluctantly! However, I object to his scaremongering, in particular his references to Frankenstein, and his misrepresentation of a science that could lead to cures for diseases including MS and Alzheimer’s. I also object to his hypocrisy - he will say that the Government has no mandate to change the law in this area, changes which, he will argue, do not enjoy ‘widespread public support’. That may be so, but if anyone lacks a mandate or public support to speak on this or any other area it is Cardinal O’Brien - the unelected leader of a minority religion.
Religious leaders are entitled to preach to the converted. However, they should be prohibited from exercising influence over Government or Parliament, or from using public institutions like the BBC to spread ‘facts’ that are no more believable than the Bible!
Scotland 15 - 9 England
Posted on March 8th, 2008 by bryan.
Categories: General.
The Calcutta Cup returns to Scotland.
There’s really nothing more to say!
Scotland: the best country in the world ??
Posted on August 27th, 2007 by bryan.
Categories: General.
I wrote back in May, just after the election of a minority SNP Government, that it was time for the people of Scotland - regardless of their views on independence - to be more optimistic about what their country can achieve. It’s great to read, therefore, that the new Government has decided to drop the former (Labour) Government’s promotional slogan that described Scotland as the ‘best small country in the world’.
In the words of the First Minister’s spokesman: ‘why not just aspire to be the best country in the world?’
Choosing Scotland’s future - a national conversation on independence
Posted on August 18th, 2007 by bryan.
Categories: General.
The Scottish Government has published its long-awaited White Paper, Choosing Scotland’s Future, setting out the grounds for a conversation exploring the concept of independence, and other constitutional possibilities, for Scotland. The paper is only the starting point for the Conversation - it is now for the people of Scotland to carry it forward to reach an informed decision on their future.
A long rant - any excuse to get away from the calculator!
Posted on June 4th, 2007 by bryan.
Categories: General.
My brain is now completely dead - which is a good thing, because I’ve also lost the will to live.
I really don’t know how people work with finances all day, every day. I’ve just been doing it for a few weeks and I struggle to keep my eyes open for more than 30 minutes at a time! I don’t know whether I now have respect or increased pity for the Finance Team at my work - on second thoughts, it’s definitely the latter. But then they are the type that get excited by a balanced Excel spreadsheet. I suppose that someone has to be into that sort of thing.
Life over the past 10 days has pretty much been taken up with revision. I did manage to pop out (with my notes) to Hyde Park yesterday to enjoy the sun, but otherwise I’ve been stuck indoors most of the time. The only thing saving my sanity is Classic FM and the odd visit to the BBC News website, but even that pis**s me off - if it’s not the Catholic Church in Scotland getting upset about a woman’s right to have an abortion it’s reports that Manchester United will spend £50m this summer on transfer fees.
The abortion story really annoys me. First, it’s the fact that a religion still thinks it has the right to dictate to a woman how she should lead her life - I thought that was the role of the courts and Parliament which, for the record, legalised abortion in Scotland in 1967. Second, it’s that same Church’s call that Scottish Catholic MPs who support abortion should not put themselves forward for communion. Well, if Cardinal Keith O’Brien has such an issue with our elected representatives, maybe he should decline any further funding from the Scottish Executive in support of Catholic schools. Of course, that would mean the Church would have to find another source of income to continue to preach its doctrines of hate and lies - to children as young as 5. Third, it’s the fact that the BBC (and other media) continue to give air time to the likes of Cardinal O’Brien. He has no mandate to speak on behalf of ‘Scotland’s Catholics’ - he is un-elected - but yet his often inflammatory statements get more coverage than the many other real stories affecting the nation. Scotland might have a strong Catholic community (many of whom are non-practicing), but it’s out-numbered at least four-to-one by non-Catholics. We elect people - of all sexes, colours and creeds - to represent us, and it’s time for them to stand up against the Catholic (and any other) faith when it starts preaching at the majority of the dis-interested (and happily excommunicated) population.
As for the Manchester United story, I can’t help but think that the £50m that it plans to spend this summer ‘buying’ already wealthy players could be put to much better use. But take heart, apparently we will have our first £200K per WEEK footballer within three years. Is it too late for me take up the game??!
What next for Scotland? A random scrawl.
Posted on May 21st, 2007 by bryan.
Categories: General.
So Scotland has its fourth First Minister in just eight years. Alex Salmond MSP has been elected by the people of Gordon, nominated by the Scottish Parliament, endorsed by the Prime Minister, appointed by the Queen and sworn in by the Lord President. Now that’s what I call a job interview.
But the tricky part is still to come. He has appointed his Cabinet Secretaries and junior ministers - three fewer than his predecessor and perhaps his first triumph in power. But what will follow in the next 100 days? No doubt lots of talk about the economy, education and health, but will he be able to convert these words into actions? He is leading a minority government in a ‘rainbow parliament’ and, despite promises to put the interests of the Scottish people first, I can’t help but think that the opposition, Prime Minister-elect Gordon Brown (and perhaps even the SNP itself) will continue to take all opportunities to score political points. Nothing ever changes!
So what will we get? Well, the First Minister is playing the patriot card - he wants us to host Euro 2016 and to have our own team for the Olympics. Next thing you know, he will be proposing adopting formally a Scottish ‘anthem’. And in my view, this is exactly what he should be doing - getting the people of Scotland to be proud of their country. We might have had an ‘interesting’ election, but the result remains valid. The people have voted for a nationalist Scotland, so let’s do something about it. And for once, let’s try to be a little optimistic!