John Gibson: Wali’s on his way to the States

Needing all the help it can get. Mind you, that’s how it’s always been for Bangladesh and nobody in these parts is more aware of the nation’s perennial plight than Wali Uddin, although he’s viewing it from a distance. From Leith.

He has owned the Britannia Spice Indian restaurant in Commercial Street since its launch in 2000. None posher among the port’s eateries and his charitable endeavours for the home country have raised countless thousands.

He is off soon for two weeks to Washington and New York on a dual-purpose trip, in the main as President of the Europe and Bangladesh Federation for Commerce and Industry.

Says Wali: “I plan to encourage investment in my own country while I’m in the States and on a personal level we’ll have a family reunion of seven sisters and four brothers, some work in New York.”

In Leith, where Britannia Spice remains a seven days operation,they are introducing for the first time take-away. Sign of the times. Even for the “Brit” which has always resisted the “to go” trade.

Cold comfort

Brass monkeys. Cauld blew the bitter, biting north and all that palaver and you’ll have read it in the papers. We’ve a nasty winter ahead and Edinburgh’s in for it.

William Hill at a recent count were offering 11-4 we’ll have the white stuff on Christmas Day. You could get 6-1 Belfast snow, 8-1 London, Liverpool and Cardiff.

No wonder folk beetle off to Barbados when Auld Nick’s around. Shivering already.

You’ve not forgotten your jab, by the way?

Trace her past

Further to my line on Tracey Emin and her relatives . . . in days of yore, she admits, they sold witches brooms.

No call for them these days but I’d vigorously support a campaign to bring them back. The brooms. Not the witches. They’ve never been away.