Doug Marr, a highly respected and long-standing columnist for The Herald, has died at the age of 76 after a short illness. Here, we pay tribute to him by re-running one of our favourite columns that we believe captures his wit and warmth.
As the Rugby World Cup (RWC) rumbles towards its conclusion, it’s as good a time as any to reflect on what has been an outstanding, if overlong competition. In terms of organisation and attendances, it has been a great success. Some of the contests have been epic; New Zealand v Ireland and France v South Africa to name but two. Nevertheless, some aspects cause concern.
It was Sir John Junor of the Sunday Express who came up with, and no pun intended, “pass the sick bag, Alice.” Sir John habitually dined at the Savoy, and was less than impressed by the egg and chips served up by Alice, canteen lady at the Express.
The six-month trial removing peak time fares on Scotland’s railways was much in last week’s news. Very welcome for regular commuters I’m sure, but was it worthy of the coverage and hype? At the end of the day, will it improve services for the rest of us? Will it contribute to a system matching those in other countries?
As the soon-to-return inhabitants of Ramsay Street assured us over many years, “Neighbours, everybody needs good neighbours.” Indeed, for most of us, neighbours are a fact of life that can have immense impact on the quality of our lives, even determining whether we feel happy and safe in our own homes. Relationships with the people next door can even influence our mental health.
A friend was blessed with four daughters in rapid succession. For years however, he fretted how he would pay for their weddings. Back in the day, the bride’s father was expected to pick up the tab. Thankfully, things have moved on and costs no longer settle on one pair of shoulders. It’s become commonplace for both sets of parents to split the bill. Many happy couples now choose to foot the bill for their own big day.
For reasons known only to herself, my mother kept and filed my primary school report cards. Under “Crafts,” my P6 teacher had written, “When it comes to making things, Douglas is best described as “handless.” They didn’t do much for self-confidence or self-concept in our school. On reflection, I suppose the judgment was harsh, but probably accurate.
Having spent my entire teaching career in the state sector, I’ve hesitated to write about private education. I’ve always been ambivalent, believing it’s up to parents how they spend their money. My laid-back attitude is probably down to my own privileged secondary experience.
I don’t have any great interest in, or regard, for the royal family, although I admit to turning up my hearing aids when they share their thoughts in public. It’s not usually the content but how it’s said. Understandably, the late Queen was a great proponent of the “Queen’s English” or Received Pronunciation (RP). To my ear, “my family” sounded more like “meh femileh,” uncannily close to the local, more proletarian pronunciation of the famous “Dundee peh.”
Let’s face it; politicians tend not to be the sharpest knives in the box. They are more comfortable with election-winning slogans than with ideas and policies that improve lives. If in doubt, revisit the Prime Minister’s five pledges and you’ll get the idea. They resemble the Bulls**t Bingo we used to play at conferences and training courses.
