Motivational speaker and Thinktastic founder Mike Stevenson is keen to encourage a bit of lateral thinking – but has decided his own thought process may have got a little too creative.
When he locked himself out of his Leith home on Boxing Day, he immediately started to work out a way of getting back inside, in time to finish cooking for soon-to-be-arriving guests.
With his mobile phone locked indoors, he found a key cutting shop, got the number for a locksmith and arranged for help to come swiftly. Only when he had been let back into his home – at some expense – did he notice that the back door was wide open...
News left to mature
As A livery company that was granted its Royal Charter in 1638 by Charles I, the Worshipful Company of Distillers can be forgiven for taking a leisurely approach to communications.
The business desk received word on Friday that Brian Morrison was installed as the company’s “master” for 2013 – on 22 November.
A third generation distiller of whisky, he spent 40 years with the family business, Morrison Bowmore Distillers, before retiring in 2004. He is a former council member and treasurer of the Scotch Whisky Association, a master of the Keepers of the Quaich and chairman of the Scottish Liqueur Centre.
We were, however, surprised that news of his ceremonial appointment arrived not by despatch rider but the new-fangled email – perhaps the Worshipful Company had forgotten to send it following the ceremony, which must surely have involved some of Britain’s finest spirits.
Going the extra mile
PEOPLE in the Standard Life press office are hardcore. For example, not only does one of its denizens, Steve Hartley, have to deal with the slings and arrows of handling press queries about corporate pensions, he has also pledged to run 2013km in 2013 (or 1,250 miles in “old money”, he helpfully points out).
At the same time he’s fund-raising for the Yorkhill Children’s Foundation after his daughter, Caitlin, who was born with a rare heart condition and required open heart surgery within the first few weeks to save her life, was treated at the institution.
And, as the foundation is one of Standard Life’s official charity partners this year, every pound he raises will be matched by the insurance giant. Want to make a big financial services company pay something back? Tempting.
Perfectly suited tenant
Buccleuch Property has found a colourful group of tenants for its recently refurbished 25 Silvermills Court offices in Edinburgh’s New Town.
AFG Media, the company behind the Morphsuits craze and more recently the Royal & Awesome brand of outlandish golfing attire, has taken on the first and mezzanine floors on a four-year term.
