It is amazing just how much has been crammed into the past few days! Leaving aside that I am burning the midnight oil with my day job (currently exceptionally busy), I chaired the TACTRAN (Tayside and Central Scotland Transport Partnership) Board meeting on Tuesday, plus participated in two other internal TACTRAN meetings (Tuesday/today) and a TACTRAN induction session on Tuesday too, so I am all TACTRANed out! That said, find it very interesting and worthwhile working with colleagues across the Tayside and Stirling Council areas on transport and related matters.On Wednesday morning, the Lord Provost and I visited the Ocean Youth Trust Scotland on the 'Alba Explorer' (see picture above right) during its visit to the Victoria Dock in Dundee. 'Alba Explorer' is a 72’ ocean going yacht formerly operated by Chay Blythe’s Global Challenge business now owned by the Ocean Youth Trust Scotland. The Trust does really super work encouraging young people to learn about the challenges of sailing - you can read more about this by clicking the headline above.
A busy set of surgeries tonight at Mitchell Street Centre, Harris Academy and Blackness Primary School with various issues including licensing and cleansing matters for me to follow up.
Delighted to see the request for barbecue stands on Magdalen Green I had made to the City Council following requests from Friends of Magdalen Green has resulted in two very sturdy ones being installed - a great result and many thanks to the Leisure & Communities Department.
Lastly, talking of cramming things into a few days, hats off to SNP councillor Nigel Don (err, or should that not be ex-councillor Nigel Don) who in Monday's Evening Telegraph "vowed to continue with his roles as North East Scotland MSP and Lochee councillor" but by today had dumped the councillor role. Nigel's a thoroughly nice man, who I first met when he was my SNP opponent when I won the Tay Bridges Ward by-election back in 2001, but I must say the volte face between the position on Monday and the resignation today is quite incredible. One can only speculate at the internal manoeverings within the Dundee SNP, but what we are left with is that a councillor elected in May for four years has resigned before four months are out and the public purse is saddled with the significant cost of an unnecessary by-election.