From October 2003 to June 2008 I was a non-executive director  of Edinburgh City Centre Management Company (ECCM). During that time I became fascinated by the intangible qualities that make cities tick and had great fun editing a slightly quirky newsletter about culture, commerce and the importance of public space.

Meanwhile ECCM has morphed into Essential Edinburgh, the capital’s first business improvement district.  I still have yellowing copies of the first four issues of The City Talks and will soon attempt to upload the PDF files. But my interest in city centre life will find its way into my blog.  Not least through my new involvement as a member of the steering group of Poetry in St Andrew Square (perhaps the best and most lasting legacy of ECCM).