Scottish Election 6

Things are hotting up, and Labour is really beginning to panic if the Sunday Papers are to be believed.       They are clearly in for a ‘bad night’ on the 3rd May.    
While there have been endless grumbles about the parliament, devolution has actually been very good for devolved things like farming and tourism.    Civil servants and [...]

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Scottish Election 5

Postal Votes.    It is 5 days to go, and an amazing number of people have already voted.    By post.   
Well, call me a traditionalist, but I think this really spoils the fun of the election.     I actually like going to the polling station (or ‘place’ as we now have to call it) and putting my cross (or [...]

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Scottish Election 4

A morning spent canvassing in the sunshine.    I can’t get over how much time and trouble people take with their gardens.    Some people have made the most fantastic effort with very little space available.
Also, most folk are very polite when you speak to them.    Even the ones who tell you that they are voting for the [...]

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Scottish Election 3

I predict a riot.
This election sees ballot papers being counted electronically for the first time.     A nervous evening for the officials then, particularly if the vote is close.     If the electronics go wrong, we are in for a huge mega fuss.   Already, there is a shortage of electronic fixers on election night – fewer fixers [...]

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Scottish Election 2

Canvassing tonight.    Western edge of Perth.    Warm sunshine.     I get the feeling that folk really don’t have the measure of this election yet.    The MSPs are elected on a first past the post system for each constituency with a party vote for a list system of MSPs to make up the balance.     So you vote [...]

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Scottish Election 1

Only a few days to go until the election in Scotland.   We are electing our third set of MSPs as well as local councillors.      It is going to be a very interesting result.    Much disillusionment with the Lab/Lib coalition that has been in for the past 8 years, so the Nationalists SNP may gain from [...]

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Sewage

Fairly horrible story about all of Edinburgh’s weekend sewage ending up in the Forth.    Apparently one recently serviced pump failed while the other was ‘waiting for spare parts’.    
Not too long ago, the sewage was pumped into a large boat which sailed out into the North Sea for a bit then emptied itself, so we have [...]

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Pixar – 20 Years of Animation

Caught this exhibition at the Chamber Street Museum on Sunday.    I think that we are now supposed to call it the National Museums of Scotland – have they ditched the Royal title?
The exhibition was pretty crowded, and featured lots of Pixar artwork, with explanations about how characters are developed, and stories storyboarded.    I can’t say [...]

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Oak Trees – warm spring.

What has happened to the oak trees this year?    Round here, they are already bursting into leaf.   That’s ahead of the beeches and of course, the ash.     And it is before the swallows have arrived.    It is really unusual, as oak usually comes into leaf in May. 
As the saying goes:
“If the oak flowers before the [...]

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