http://www.billmarshall.co.uk/blog thoughts on Scottish life by Edinburgh web designer Bill Marshall Fri, 12 Feb 2010 21:04:22 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en One of Scotland's best loved voices died today at the age of 86. It's hard to overstate the love and respect felt by the entire rugby world for one of the finest sports commentators that Britain has ever had. He was more than a commentator, he communicated an understanding and appreciation ... http://www.billmarshall.co.uk/blog/sport/bill-mclaren-a-national-treasure-leaves-us.php ... blows directly off the Atlantic. (Hey you try finding something to rhyme with Madeira!) Back again to the island I visited this time last year, but it seems I'm not so lucky with the weather this time. Apparently it's been raining and stormy for the previous two weeks at least, ... http://www.billmarshall.co.uk/blog/personal/the-rain-in-madeira.php I was a bookseller for 21 years, and books were in my blood long before that. Yet seven years after finding myself out of the business it is hardly recognisable and I'm beginning to wonder if it will still be there in another seven. Increasingly I don't feel the magic when ... http://www.billmarshall.co.uk/blog/books/is-the-book-trade-facing-the-final-curtain.php As a former bookseller I retain a great interest in books, particularly on history, and as a web designer and consultant I tend to choose clients that I can really believe in and feel committed to. This is certainly the case with the Highland estate of Glen Tanar on Royal Deeside ... http://www.billmarshall.co.uk/blog/books/books-landscapes-and-history.php Is any one else getting fed up with these TV adverts telling us to drive 5 miles less a day to save the planet? That'll be the same government that builds new airports and runways (and then taxes air flights), that allows local governments to build out of town shopping centres ... http://www.billmarshall.co.uk/blog/socialpolitical/how-green-is-my-government.php Don't you just love banks? Not content with blackmailing our governments into bailing them out for their idiocy and incompetence then complaining because they are asked to pay some of it back since we "own" most of their establishments now (and that "own" must be the most meaningless phrase in ... http://www.billmarshall.co.uk/blog/personal/banking-on-inertia.php I had a delightful surprise last night. On the way to visit a friend I passed by a park area near my home. The park isn't lit and the trees surrounding it still have enough leaves to keep most of the streetlight out. Walking by, my eye was caught by ... http://www.billmarshall.co.uk/blog/socialpolitical/urban-encounters-and-renewed-faith.php You know there's something strange happening to the world when you find yourself almost agreeing with Rupert Murdoch! What cataclycm could cause this abberation? Google's attempt to take over the world of books and the Associated Press's attempts to battle them in the area of news generation. Actually given the all powerful ... http://www.billmarshall.co.uk/blog/books/copyrights-and-wrongs.php Today saw an announcement of a further reduction in Edinburgh's once famous publishing industry. The offices of Chambers, respected worldwide for their dictionaries and established way back in 1819 by brothers William and Robert Chambers, are to close. 27 staff will be affected and the remainder of the work will ... http://www.billmarshall.co.uk/blog/books/another-literary-loss.php This time last year I was commenting on how pleased I was to see Greg Norman leading the Open at the age of 53. Greg wasn't quite able to prevail against the immaculate play of Padraig Harrington but what he achieved was superb. This year with the third round at ... http://www.billmarshall.co.uk/blog/sport/watson-brings-back-the-memories.php