Wednesday 26 December 2007

Scottish developments are so great!


You know, I'm just sitting here on Boxing Day with my Santa hat on thinking about all the good laughs we used to have at this time of year before my wife left me for a younger man. But I like to be a positive person as you know and my mind has turned to some of the truly great things I have seen this year on my visits to important ground-breaking developments around Scotland.

It's hard for me to choose my favourite as there have been so many great new developments over the past few years. Here is a short list of the greatest ever projects according to me:

1) Glasgow Harbour
2) Ravenscraig
3) The big Tesco at Port Glasgow
4) X-scape and Ferry Village at Braehead
5) The Factory Outlet at Gretna on the Scottish Border

I may add more when I think of them. For now, Glasgow Harbour is the leader. I was there back during the summer on a wee boat trip down the river. I was completely bowled over by the quality of the architecture and the fact that it must be like having your own wee Scottish Castle - you know what I mean? You're completely isolated there with no shops or local facilities to attract neds and women of the night. You could walk out onto your balcony with nothing on if you wanted to. It looks really great too - see the wee photie I took from the boat, and notice especially the wee parkland on the left where all the seagulls live. That will be the biodiversity angle - clever.

So full marks to Clydeport for this great innovative development! I wish I could afford to live there! Today I am so proud to be a town planner!

Thursday 6 December 2007

Project Scotland is great!

You know I got a lovely wee surprise this morning when I opened the mail. Project Scotland have sent me a Year Planner for 2008 with my personal copy of the news magazine. It looks great! It's got lots of nice wee adverts round the sides of the calendar - I'm looking forward to 2008 already so that I can put it up on my wall and make my workmates really jealous.

You know a lot of planners spend their lives in local government drinking tea and going on long site visits to run up the car mileage. They are scum compared to the people that are featured in my favourite wee magazine. I'm a bit envious of all these nice men in their safety helmets posing for the camera beside their great projects but my day will come! It's only a matter of time before they seek me out here at my highland empire. I'm sure some of the suits these folk wear are really expensive. I assumed that they would be from Marks & Spencer but somebody said there was a place in Glasgow called Slaters that all the toffs go to. That must be really expensive!

Anyway - must dash. Thanks Project Scotland for your inspiring and beautiful magazine!