10 questions: Philippa Cochrane

Published on Monday 2 February 2009 08:52

Philippa Cochrane, 34, is the Scottish Book Trust's learning manager. She is organising the Creative Sparks conference on February 27 at the Corn Exchange

1. What is your earliest memory of Edinburgh? Playing in the woods behind our house. We used to live in Frogston, so the woods in question are part of the Mortonhall estate – still one of my favourite places.

2. What are your memories of school? I went to George Watson's College. The teachers in the English department were fantastic and entirely responsible for the direction my life has taken. Between them they instilled such a love of literature that it was inevitable that I would end up working for Scottish Book Trust.

3. Where is your favourite place in Edinburgh and why? At the moment, it is Edinburgh Zoo. I finally got to see the penguin parade last Saturday – it's only taken 34 years. However, the answer to this question changes on a weekly basis – there are so many great places in Edinburgh.

4. What are the best things about Edinburgh? That there are folk who choose to live here who come from all over the world. That you can easily walk anywhere and that the city can look so beautiful on a crisp, clear winter morning.

5. What would you change about the city? The number of dreich, despondent winter mornings.

6. Describe a perfect Edinburgh day/night out. The morning in the zoo, feeding the Lorikeets, a long lazy lunch with the Sunday papers and some really good bread from Falko, a stroll along the canal and a film at the Cameo.

7. Which sports interest you? I used to row at school – until I ruined my knees. The closest I get these days is the traditional Edinburgh sport of dodging people flyering during the Fringe.

8. What was your most embarrassing moment? This still makes me cringe. When I was 11 I knocked over an entire trestle table of expensive glass lamps in Habitat. They all crashed to the floor and broke into smithereens. The noise was immense and stopped everyone in the shop dead. My mum cannily denied all knowledge of me until we left.

9. What is your greatest achievement? I hope it's yet to come

10. Sum up Edinburgh in three words. Chilly, hilly, home