1 What is your earliest m emory of Edinburgh? I remember going to watch my first rugby international at Murrayfield at the age of eight in 1975, when Scotland beat Wales 12-10 in front of 104,000 spectators. It was a world record at
that time for such a match. I'm also sure the ticket cost my dad less than the price of a gallon of petrol.
2 What are your memories of school? I have great memories of my time at Merchiston Castle School in Colinton – I enjoyed my sport and the food.
3 Where is your favourite place in Edinburgh and why? I work at my favourite place. Every day I go to work in a tropical rainforest full of butterflies from around the world. For stress relief, nothing beats feeding the snakes or handling a tarantula.
4 What are the best things about Edinburgh? I love the original architecture of the city buildings and the beautiful countryside, as well as the walks and castles.
5 What would you change about the city? The traffic and the condition of some of the roads are awful. Closing off roads and making complicated one-way systems just doesn't work. Also, there have been some real eyesores built next to classic Georgian and Victorian buildings.
6 Describe a perfect Edinburgh day/night out. It would begin with a lie-in before going swimming with my family. This would be followed by feeding the ducks and having lunch at Dobbies Garden World, then playing golf whilst the others go shopping. And later, my wife and I would dine out at Rhubarb for a treat.
7 Which sports interest you? I enjoy rugby and watch Edinburgh whenever my wife allows me to abandon her on a Friday night. I play some golf and have been known to pick up a rod from time-to-time to go fishing for trout – with limited success.
8 What was your most embarrassing moment? It was dislocating my shoulder while paint-balling and turning up to the hospital covered in green and pink paint-splats.
9 What is your greatest achievement? Becoming a father to two beautiful children and husband to a gorgeous wife.
10 Sum up Edinburgh in three words. Spoilt for choice.
The full article contains 396 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
