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| Early Morning at the Scottish Parliament |
For the fifth time since July, I had been invited to meetings about the Scottish Parliament's long-overdue review of public sector reform. This time, it was to be a witness at the Public Sector Reform Committee. Four papers that I had written had been published by either Enlighten Scotland or Sceptical Scot. I was fully loaded with material if only my brain could download it in a logical order. Saying little and saying it well would be a tall order, and so it proved as we answered questions for 90 minutes from the assembled MSPs.
The day had been a shock to the system: up at 6am to drive to the station to catch a train just after 7am, a walk to the Parliament and through security for a pre-meeting at 9am. I used to be used to these sorts of days, but baby boomers need their sleep nowadays. We had a quick debrief before I exited Parliament and headed up Canongate. I had noticed the Proverb on the way in; I paused and read some of the other 23 quotations on the Canongate Wall. I was heartened by the Norman MacCaig quote from 'A Man in Assynt' and was pleased that I had raised the issue of a land tax for the benefit of all the people of Scotland. I read the extract from Edwin Morgan's 'Tell Us About Last Night' or Canedolia.I loved the phrase 'pure strontian' meaning pure magic. Even more thrilling is the use of "Schiehallion, Schiehallion, Schiehallion' in the poem as a toast to the Scottish landscape.
I spent an hour visiting shops searching for everyday woollen socks; they are warmer and more comfortable than the flimsy synthetic fibre and cotton socks that the retailers stock. I had spent one summer working in a Courtaulds rayon factory; I should have learnt to shear sheep instead. As I returned to Waverley station, frustrated at the time wasted on futile shopping, I was amused that Edinburgh had installed a cone on Sir Walter Scott. It is good to know that Edinburgh has used the tourist tax for an installation at the Scott Monument to attract the passing tourists.
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| Hopefully, Andy Wightman's legacy |
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| Skye Magic |
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| Sir Walter would be pleased with the patriotism |
