Friday 26th October, 2012

Frustrating week for me because as you will no doubt be aware the CIMB Classic began yesterday in Kuala Lumpur and the likes of Tiger Woods and my fellow Scot, Martin Laird, must be fancying their chances of scooping the US$1.3 million first prize in my absence. I asked one of you to provide me with the excuse to get out there but you let me down. Thanks a lot. Talking of golf Bob was 15 yesterday and part of his day was spent over nine holes at Royal Worlington supposedly playing golf with a friend. He didn't have much to say about his game. The fact is he would have been pre-occupied exploring the adjoining woods which harbour all sorts of interesting wildlife. I know I go on about his pursuit of furry creatures. In fact fishing is his greatest passion. I can't help him there. I totally hate the smell of fish on my hands. Now, you might have the impression of Bob as an outdoor guy, which I suppose he is, but there is a reality TV show he never misses. Not for him Hollyoaks or TOWIE. It's called Wicked Tuna. Every evening this half term we have had a running commentary over dinner on the latest developments from the fishing town of Gloucester, Massachussets. A blue finned tuna sold for $13,000 in yesterday's episode and there was an interesting scrap between the locals and some outsiders who had strayed into their waters. Oh it's exciting stuff. So I'm back from lunch - client was quite late but with an interesting excuse...."my IT guys in their wisdom decided to put the clocks on our floor back a day early"..and we had a good time reminiscing. That's another thing I've noticed as I write this weekly drivel. Besides blowing my own trumpet more than I used to I also include much more nostalgia. Sign of the times. Anyway an interesting thing happened this week. There was this guy I knew at school who was a good friend, but I hadn't seen him since we'd left. Every few years or so some random event reminds me to type his name into Google to see what he was up to. Nada. No disrespect to him. I used to be a similar non-entity. Something about Glenalmond obviously. If you searched for David Sandison you got a photographer, an accountant or a fisherman in Shetland. But then I ran the Jungfrau Marathon and suddenly I was somebody. Anyway, I spotted his name whilst re-reading my 1981 diary in bed on Wednesday evening and was prompted to have another search for him yesterday. To my surprise, my friend who, as my brother reminded me, lent my parents a pen-knife on my first day at school with which they carved notches into a coat hanger on which to hold my kilt, has re-surfaced. There he was, pictured in the Daily Mail, wearing his OG tie. It's a sad story though I'm afraid. It appears he recently drove his £70,000 Maserati through a stone wall into the harbour in Shieldaig, Ross-shire. And that's the least of it. He has just been fined £1,000 in Perth Sheriff Court for a separate incident. Tut tut.