Ten Questions: Stephen Cotton

Published on Monday 29 June 2009 09:22

STEPHEN COTTON, 54, is a partner at CCW Business Lawyers and chair of the Traverse Theatre. He lives in Cramond

1 What is your earliest memory of Edinburgh? Sunbathing in Princes Street Gardens during a high school trip from Hamilton.

2 What are your memories of school? Very fond . . after an awkward start. I arrived in Scotland in the 60s, as a six-year-old from Derby, only to discover I was going to "The Catholic School" (St Ninian's, Hamilton) while my new friends were at "The Protestant School" (Udston Primary). Until that point religion had been a complete irrelevance along with my accent. The happy ending (the story itself would take too long) is that I ended up as Head Boy at Holy Cross, Hamilton, where I gained a lifelong love of books.

3 Where is your favourite place in Edinburgh and why? It has to be Scotland's new writing theatre, The Traverse. Reasons include the spirit of the place, and feeling somehow linked to the great writers and thinkers the city has spawned or adopted from the Enlightenment onwards.

4 What are the best things about Edinburgh? Its contrasts – international and parochial, New Town and Old Town, those who have been and those who are yet to come. And the wonderful madness of the festivals.

5 What would you change about the city? Our failure to appreciate the wonder that we have, and our duty to protect and nurture it. Is the height of this city's ambition for our waterfront a promenade, thousands of two-bedroom flats and a few shopping centres? It should be the city's heart and lungs.

6 Describe a perfect Edinburgh day/night out. It has to be Elaine and I facing any day and long night in late August, with the city swelled to bursting point by our very own Cultural Olympics.

7 Which sports interest you? Football, athletics, swimming.

8 What was your most embarrassing moment? 20-odd years ago at Aberdour Golf Club, I inexplicably hooked three balls off the tee and into the Forth. Whilst hurling my golf bag over the cliff, I realised it belonged to one of the party of strangers playing behind us. I gave up golf that day.

9 What is your greatest achievement? I'm still waiting, surely there will be one.

10 Sum up Edinburgh in three words. A moveable feast.