From Central Park to Toronto

It has been  a glorious spring day in New York.  After breakfast in a traditional Diner (bagels and all) I had to go to  Central Park to meet with Harrison Bailey III, an athlete from Philadelphia, who is coming to Edinburgh this summer to take part in the Highland Games as part of The Gathering.   In conversation it turned out that I would have seen him before, competing at the annual Games in Durness, where I go every year.  

 Thankfully my duties were restricted to a photo call with no heavy lifting!   He however was picking up vast lumps of metal with one hand.

Now I am  at  La Guardia about to board and Air Canada flight to Toronto to begin the Canadian leg of the trip.  Tomorrow is Tartan Day itself and I will be talking to a few of the  Canadian Papers  about what this means to Canada and Scotland  and about  how our deep historical links have paved the way for the business and trade relations that exist today and can exist in the future.

After a breakfast with the Toronto Edinburgh University Society – hosted by someone who was at Marr College a year or two above me – I will be meeting the Mayor of the City, the Ontario Culture Minister and then addressing the  Economic Club of Canada (in a speech which will be available  on the Scottish Government’s You Tube site).  I hope to talk about why  Scotland is a great place to do business and highlight the potential to do even better.  I will also be talking about what the Scottish Government is doing to fight the effect of the recession on Scottish citizens whilst wanting the powers to do so much more.     Later in the day I am scheduled for a visit to Research in Motion, who make the Blackberry, amongst other appointments.

But the plane is being called, so time to go…..