The Ba's burst!

No, not the trams - I'm talking about Wales' Six Nations Grand Slam hopes.
I always thought the trip to Paris was the toughest of all of the Welsh fixtures this season, and so it proved. The French coach has been criticised for constantly tinkering with his team selections, with the result that French performances have been wildly inconsistent - brilliant one game, clueless the next.
He got it spot on last night, though, and despite a frantic last ten minutes that could have swung the result Wales way France were worthy winners. Their defence was heroic in a bruising encounter, they took their chances when they came and showed a desire to win that the Welsh couldn't match. All credit to them.
Wales can still win the Championship, and the final match of the tournament - against Ireland in Cardiff - looks like being the championship decider. I'm looking forward to that one already.
Meanwhile the Irish have the small task of England to deal with this afternoon. We know the way the English will play - they pushed Wales all the way last time out - but the Irish ave their tails up and I fully expect them to prevail this evening. They have the power up front - the English will not be able to dominate or bully them - and they have the flair players who can turn a game too. So Ireland to win, but it will be a slog and they'll have to battle all the way. A winning margin of 6 - 10 points, I'd wager.
And the basement battle between Scotland and Italy? This was always likely to be the 'wooden spoon' decider this term and so it's proving. The Italians have been dreadful at times, and you've got to think that even a pretty poor Scotland side should prevail this afternoon.
Our constant mistakes and unforced errors won't be punished by the Italians as they have been by the better sides, and - assuming our pack don't buckle in the alarming manner in which they did against Wales - our backs are likely to get plenty of opportunities.
Italian indiscipline has cost them dear too and, if we find points hard to come by in open play, penalties could make the difference. Scotland will win, and should do so relatively comfortably - not because we're good (we're not, far from it) but we're far less bad than the Italians. Scotland to win by 12 - 15 points.
Sadly, I won't see the Scotland game this afternoon as I'm off to Easter Road for some 'round ball' sporting entertainment. Expectations are not high (how many times have I said that about Hibs this season?) but they have really got to grind out a result against Falkirk this afternoon. To me, Hibs on current form won't finish in the top six place and that, for a club as big as Hibs, is not good enough.
Fingers crossed for some silky, flowing soccer - then again, a 1-0 with a dodgy penalty in injury time would suffice.

Tram hits the buffers?

Biggest news of last week was the possible derailment of Edinburgh's tram project. It seems that the consortium contracted to carry out the construction work are claiming something in the region of £50 - £80 million to continue their work (what's a few tens of millions between friends?) TIE, the council-owned company set up to deliver the city's tram system, say that the contract is water-tight: I certainly hope so. If there are any loopholes in the trams contract, heads must roll.
So far, £150 million has been spent on the scheme with not a line laid. The total cost of the line (the line, mind, not a network) is £545 million - the Scottish government has committed £500 million and has already said that not a penny more will be handed over, so if more money has to be found it would have to come from the city council. The city council is not, sadly, flush with excess cash.
Negotiations are ongoing, but I hope that the council stands firm. My concern is that the current administration does have a track record of buckling under pressure - schools closures, for example - and may feel that it is worth paying a bit extra to get the project delivered on time. They shouldn't - the public won't thank them for it - they should stick it out and refuse to be held to ransom. Some backbone is required, but the contractors should be left in no doubt that enough is enough.
I do feel, however, that the current game of brinkmanship will have damaging consequences for Line 1b, the so-called 'Granton Spur'. The council must make a decision on this part of the network next month, and currently the finances just don't stack up. Should there be a protracted legal wrangle over contracts, the cost and the delay could be the death knell of the Granton spur. That would leaves us not with a tram system, but a solitary tram line. I supported the thinking behind an integrated transport system with trams at it's core, but I would have really difficulty in arguing the case for a single tram line.
Here's hoping the negotiations go smoothly and the project can get back on track without further delay - it seems that the majority of Edinburgh citizens are already heartily sick of the scheme and any further hold ups will prompt increasingly strident calls to scrap the whole scheme.

Congratulations

I understand that congratulations are in order. It's been many years since I last watched the Brit Awards (may have been the memorable Mick Fleetwood/Samanatha Fox fiasco), but my daughter Knutt informs me that Duffy picked up three prizes, including one for best album Rockferry.
Jim Duffy (pictured above with his award) was a wholehearted if limited footballer, a fairly 'duff' manager and an unremarkable football pundit, so it's delightful to see a change of career has paid dividends. Well played, Jim!

Home Sweet Home Sweet Home

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is in trouble over her second home allowance claims. Now you may have though that the Home Secretary, of all people, would at least be clear about where she actually lives, but with all the pressure heaped on the shoulders of cabinet ministers just now surely it's quite understandable that a person can get confused? Haven't you ever forgot where you live? Could happen to any of us ...
Incidentally Jacqui Smith should not be confused with Liverpool FC legend Tommy Smith (pictured above, top). One is a no-nonsense, hard as nails, tough tackling bruiser who put the fear of God into terrified opponents, the other is ....
Hope that clears up any confusion. We're here to help!

Pink Fluffy Clouds

Awakened at around 4am by the unnerving call of a lonesome fox shrieking out in the street, and try as I might I couldn't get back to sleep. It had taken me ages to get to sleep, too - funding issues at the NEN and financial worries at the Club made sure of that.
Up and about by 5am, and it's amazing how much work you can get done at that unearthly hour. Thought through some funding ideas, loaded some software, paid bills, managed to get a wee notebook connected to a wireless network (wrestled with this for hours on Sunday - without success), compiled a report and then responded to some emails that have required attention for days ... feels like a full day's work done already and I haven't gone into work yet.
Still feel fresh as a daisy, but no doubt will feel like falling asleep by lunchtime when the fatigue kicks in.
Hope you like the pictures - I took them after leaving work last night. The sky was an amazing colour for an hour or so before the light went. Pink fluffy clouds - there you go, I'm losing it already ...!

Weekend Sporting Supplement

Dear readers, I've decided to issue a one-off weekend Sporting Supplement - completely free of charge (I know, sometimes I'm just too generous ...!)
Six Nations
France v Scotland
Scotland were dire last weekend. Forget the 'fightback' in the last 20 minutes - the Welsh had the game well won by that time and made multiple substitutions to rest their key players and give some of the other squad members a run out.
At times it was embarrassing to watch, with all of the old frailties still there for all to see - the basic errors, the lack of punch, the wrong options being taken, etc, etc. What was more worrying was the pack's poor display - driven back off their own ball on two key occasions. Make no mistake this is a very good Welsh team, but we made them look even better. It was humiliating, and once again coach Frank Hadden seems very able to pinpoint our shortcomings but seems equally incapable of doing anything to address them.
So it's over to Paris this afternoon, with expectations less than sky high. Yes, the coach has listened to the fans' calls to introduce the Evans brothers and flanker Stroscoch, but he's also now missing key members of the pack - a pack that was given a torrid time by the Welsh last week. So we may have the talent and speed in the backs, but will they see any decent ball?
The French played well against Ireland last week, showing some phases of that famous Gallic flair and running rugby that can make them such a joy to watch, but it's still a team in transition, building for the World Cup. No doubt they will be keen to run the ball out wide in front of their own fans, and there's just a chance that Scotland could benefit from spills and broken play. It's also possible that, should Scotland start more positively than we did against the Welsh - and avoid silly errors - then the crowd could quickly get on the backs of the French side. The French cannot be high on confidence, so perhaps ...
Anyway, it's just a passing thought. If the French get into top gear early we are in for a torrid afternoon. I don't expect us to win, but I hope that at lest we show a bit more passion and make an entertaining game of it. Really, we have nothing to lose as so little is expected of us, so the pressure is all on the French.

Wales v England
The Welsh are on a high, but they'll feel the loss of the talismanic Shane Williams today. They didn't have to be at their best to beat a tame Scotland side (they even lost their captain before the game without noticeable effect) but they'll face a very determined (if decidedly less talented) England team this afternoon. England were not that impressive in beating a poor Italian side last week - although again, they didn't have to be - and they will do everything they can to disrupt the Welsh. England are unlikely underdogs - they still have their pride and nothing would give them more pleasure than beating last year's Grand Slam winners. A victory today, however unlikely, would leave them on course for the Grand Slam.
The Welsh must keep their discipline - and Robert Jones goal kicking must improve on last week's performance - but they have match winners throughout their squad and also have the ability to change their game plan. England, on recent showings, do not. For the sake of entertaining rugby (and my bank balance) I hope the Welsh hammer them - but I believe it may finish a lot closer than most pundits expect.

Italy v Ireland
The Irish travel to Italy on the back of a tremendous victory over a rejuvenated French side last week. Where the Irish were magnificent - O'Driscoll back to his peerless best - The Italians were awful. The gamble of playing the talented Bergomasco at scrum half was a huge mistake but illustrates the lack of strength in depth of Italian rugby. They are unlikely to be quite as bad again in front of their own fans on Sunday, but the Irish have too much fire power. Expect a comfortable Irish victory.

And the round ball ...
The Old Firm lock horns again tomorrow; another titanic struggle of blood, snotters, full-blooded challenges and ninety mile per hour football - I hope. The quality of the football has never been what an Old Firm game is about, and long may that continue - the 'gemme' needs a wee bit of passion!
Whether both halves of the Old Firm have deteriorated, or whether the chasing pack is improving (probably a bit of both), both Rangers and Celtic have been slipping up against 'minor' teams this season so it's unlikely that the outcome of this match will determine the destination of the League title. Having said that, it's a game Rangers really can't afford to lose and I don't think they will. Whether they can actually beat Celtic at Celtic Park again is more questionable, however, and I can see this finishing all square. I'll go for a score draw, and one sending off apiece too just for good measure. Yellow card count? I'll guess five - fairly unremarkable for an Old Firm clash!
Football purists could always tune into another local derby over the weekend - AC and Inter square up in Milan, but honestly, what would you rather watch? Silky skills in Milan or clattering hoofs in Glesca? There's only one winner for me ...
the pies and Bovril are on order.

A sorry state

Unreserved apologies. We're so sorry. Deep regret. How many ways can you say I'm sorry? Britain's favourite new spectator sport is clearly public humiliation under the glare of the TV cameras - no, not Celebrity Big Brother or I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here but Bash a Banker or I'm a Financier, Get Me Out of Here.
The cream of the UK's financial world appeared in front of the Commons Treasury Select Committee last week, but those who expected a bruising clash of the Titans must have been bitterly disappointed. It was abject apologies all the way from the Famous Four, which spoils the spectacle a bit. Plenty of apologies, but no answers as to why we find ourselves sinking ever deeper into the financial mire.
Picture of the week was Prime Minister Gordon Brown sharing a joke with Sir James Crosby - the pair were captured in a light-hearted moment and it's actually a good picture of Gordon, laughing away seemingly without a care in the world.
The picture was obviously taken some time ago though: it's doubtful if the Prime Minister will be finding quite so much to smile about just now.
The good Sir James, HBOS chairman, was seen as the ideal bloke to regulate Britain's banks as deputy chairman of the Financial Services Authority in 2007 - despite warnings made about HBOS' risk taking as far back as 2006, by, among others the Financial Services Authority! You couldn't make this up! HBOS, incidentally, was also bailed out by you and me to the tune of £11.5 billion. Sir James nobly stepped down from his FSA position last week, but nice work if you can get it.

No more about bankers, bonuses or budgets - it's all too depressing at the start of a new week. Instead, hearty congratulations to Robert Plant CBE, who with US roots singer Alison Krauss won a Mercury Prize for their terrific album Raising Sand. I'm not a lover of rootsy music as a rule, but I bought this album when it came out (the only 'new' album I bought last year) and was blown away. Robert Plant is a national treasure and surely it's only a matter of time before it's 'arise, Sir Planty'!
I mean, if 'Sir' James Crosby can get a knighthood for his services to banking (!), surely Robert Plant must be in line for his services to music. Both have made millions for themselves, but one's made millions miserable while the other has made millions happy through music for over forty years. Come on, yer majesty, before it's too late ...

And another upbeat note. What about the Weekend Selections, eh? Had you followed my tips you could have wiped out the country's national debt! Well, not quite, but it's so seldom I get any of these right surely a little hyperbole is allowable?

Time for work, more later ...

NOTE: I started this post on Friday but didn't post until Monday morning so it looks out of sequence. I'll sort this out later - much later.

What's the word?

Words can be dangerous; careless use of language hit the headlines quite a bit last week. There was an outcry over Gordon Ramsay's over-use of some colourful language on a television programme, then the other Gordon got into hot water for saying 'depression' when he meant 'recession' - an easy mistake to make.
But topping the lot was the fragrant Carol Thatcher, who apparently likened a tennis player to a golliwog - not on air but in the informal setting of the One Show's Green Room. Some of her fellow guests took exception to her comments, and the BBC reacted swiftly - but wrongly in my view.
The BBC has been running scared since the Brand/Ross incident, and clearly felt that it had to act, even although the remarks were made in private. Now I'm no fan of Ms Thatcher - I would be less than upset if I never saw her on television again - but if the BBC was serious about punishing the presenter surely they should have issued a statement saying that Thatcher would no longer be used by them - full stop. Instead, however, they have decided to drop her from The One Show but have not ruled out using her on other projects! What seemed at the time to be firm, decisive action is really nothing of the sort. The modern-day Beeb seems to lurch from one crisis to another, invariably self inflicted. For those of us who hold public service broadcasting dear, it's tragic - and offers another opportunity for critics to get the knives out. There are a lot of people out there who want the TV Licence scrapped and to see the BBC compete in the commercial market, and they'll be rubbing their hands at this latest faux pas.

Budget - winners and losers
The Scottish Government got it's £33 billion budget through at the second attempt, which will come as a huge relief to the country's local authorities. It's hard to see what was so different between Budgets Mark 1 and 2, yet all the opposition parties (save the Greens, who were shafted for getting uppity) seem to think that the new version saw them achieving great concessions from the SNP. Labour got 8000 apprenticeships - which apparently they were getting anyway. The Lib Dems got a commitment from the Government to sign up to the Calman Commission - well, whoopie do! The Tories seem to be the party who have emerged from the process with most credit.
In reality, the endorsement of the Budget has less to do with wringing concessions from the Government as the realisation that the public would take a dim view of the great and the good at Holyrood playing petty party politics at a time like this - the last thing anyone wants or needs just now is a Holyrood election. Our politicians belatedly twigged and common sense has prevailed - for now. Normal hostilities will doubtless soon be resumed.

Party Time
Last night's party went very well - around fifty house guests was a bit of a squeeze but great fun nonetheless. In the early hours of this morning I discovered a delicious new drink - a M&S White Chocolate and Vanilla liquer with a shot of whisky added to give it that extra kick. Heavenly, and so easy to quaff - with hindsight, perhaps too easy. I am now suffering the inevitable consequences of over-indugence. I really should be old enough to know better, but hey ho ...
See you next week.

This week's picture is the sun trying to break through at dawn.

Six Nations: It has to be Wales

Who cares about the Scottish Cup, anyway? Yes, Hibs have a free weekend (thank heavens for small mercies after last week's dreadful showing against Motherwell), so attention switches to the oval ball with the opening round of Six Nation games.
I know that shrewd punters across the globe await my tips (if only to back something else), so here goes:

WALES will win the Six Nations. The Grand Slam may be beyond them (an away game in Paris is the key clash in this year's set of fixtures) but a Triple Crown is certainly within their grasp. A confident selection - and a steal at 15/8.

France - enigmatic as ever - will finish in runner-up spot. They have the flair, but can they deliver? We'll have a better idea at 7pm tonight after their clash in Ireland - should France prevail in Dublin their pre-tournament odds of 3/1 will look very generous indeed. That game should be a cracker.

Ireland - few new faces but you know what you'll get from the Irish. They won't disgrace themselves but I don't think they have the all-round talents to win the tournament. A creditable third place awaits.

England - England had a terrible autumn against the Southern hemisphere giants (good!) and Martin Johnson has a real job on his hands to restore England to their former glories. He's lucky to have Italy at home in the opener - expect England to kick and grind their way to an uninspiring victory. As ever, England expects - but I expect them to struggle this season and to finish fourth.

Scotland - A safety-first selection for the opener against Wales doesn't bode well for the 2009 Six Nations. I can't see where the tries will come from, and the lack of new faces shows real caution. I could be wrong (surely not? , but I expect Scotland's tournament to produce - at best - two winds. Fourth place.

Italy - There's no doubt that the Italians are improving with every season but they're up against it. Their discipline remains suspect, their stamina is questionable and while they have some talented individuals they still don't play as a team. A victory - any victory - in this tournament will be a fair achievement. The wooden spoon beckons.

So there you have it - this year's selections. It's Wales for me - back them at your peril!

Back to the future?

Wildcat strikes. 'British Jobs for British Workers'. Factories on short time working. Business closures. The pound in deep trouble. Redundancies on hte rise. Empty shops 'To Let' on High Streets across the nation. The 1970s? No, this is the UK today. And another old sore that's never properly healed - the Troubles of Northern Ireland - erupted once again last week with arguments over payments to families who have been bereaved - including those of terrorists.
It's like going back in time - mass meetings, placards and braziers. The golden years! And while every news report last week was like an edition of All Our Yesterdays, Friday night also saw me stepping back into the 70's. My son Brian is working in Harry's Bar off the West End, so I thought I would check it out. Admittedly no flares or kipper ties - and the prices were decidedly 21st century - but Harry's Bar on Friday evening was essentially a 1970's disco bar, filled with office workers letting their hair down and boogieing the night away to the classic sounds of the seventies. Poptastic!
Then this morning on Andrew Marr's show, who else but singer-songwriter legend James Taylor. Gone is the shoulder length hair of the Mud Slide Slim years, but that voice remains the same - and brings back warm memories of happy and innocent times of long long ago. Carolina on my mind indeed.
And goodbye to another 70s legend this week - Scotland's own John Martyn passed away, leaving a rich musical legacy that's right up there with Joni Mitchell, Cat Stevens and the rest. To me, 'Solid Air' was one of the finest albums of it's day and stands the test of time, ranked right up there with 'Blue', 'Teaser and The Firecat' and 'Sweet Baby James'. It's an age thing.
Anyway, enough nostalgia - back to the present. Another paper off to print on Thursday, and thankfully Fairer Scotland Fund doesn't feature on the front page - although it does get due attention on the inside pages. January is always a slow month for stories in NEN, but, as in previous years, things start to pick up and so it's proving this year. Some good news stories from our schools in next week's issue and it's always great to report these. You do have to wonder, if we didn't report them - who would?
Meetings? Of course - Inverleith's FSF Panel was far less traumatic than the Forth experience, and lessons have clearly been learned. As a result, most projects seem satisfied with their Inverleith allocations (or recommendations, as these must be agreed at a full Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership meeting, another departure from the Forth process). Obviously there was much less money to distribute - and projects' expectations were not as high following Forth - but the decisions were made in a fair and transparent process that was reasonable and can be honestly justified.
The other meeting of note was Drylaw Telford Community Council's first meeting of the new year. Lots to discuss, including the annual Thomas Tierney Award (a major drop in the number of nominees this year)and ongoing environmental issues. The meeting was brisk and business-like, though, and well chaired by Thomas.
Next Week
I've got a day off on Monday - plan to tackle a major filing/deletion task as I seem to have accumulated an email inbox of over 900 items since the middle of December, so that needs to be dealt with.
Meetings - Inverleith Neighbourhood Partnership on Monday evening, a Fuel Poverty Conference on Friday afternoon and possibly a meeting of the Unionist Club's office-bearers to talk about financial concerns.
Meetings aside, it's both my dad and son Brian celebrate birthdays over the next couple of weeks so Caroline has decided to have a party next weekend - we didn't do much socialising over New Year for obvious reasons, so it also gives us the opportunity to use up some of the booze lake that seems to have accumulated in the run up to Christmas. The argument now is about what music should be downloaded as party background music - Caroline is not so keen on Atomic Rooster, Jethro Tull or Uriah Heep, so this 'debate' could run and run. James Taylor, anyone?

Back to the City Chambers for this week's picture. Not an abstract, but a picture taken through the haze created by a radiator under a window caused this striking effect. Artistic or what, eh?