Alex Salmond - an embarrassment for Scotland

Firstly, a big congratulations to Andy Murray for a superb win this afternoon. All the more so given the fight his opponent put up. Great tennis. Just a pity Alex Salmond had to get his oar in by waving a Saltire at the end. Thankfully the cameraman found better things to point his camera at.

It seems that the SNP are not the only ones not taking democracy seriously - former PM Tony Blair seems to have decided that it's not always the best thing in the Middle East. Looks like the Arab Spring has gone straight to Autumn, a phenomenon we Scots are pretty familiar with, although this year it looks like summer might just last more than one day. Calton's eyrie is certainly still sweltering in the heat from earlier on. For that reason he's going to finish this post and go and get himself a nice cold glass of white wine to toast Andy's win with. Cheers!

The first sour grapes - 2013 vintage

Yet another person who should think first, tweet second - SNP Councillor Gillian Renwick.

Is it controversial to say we should rename the Glasgow Veladrome? The aim was for him to be there - did he get a great TV or s'ship deal?
— Gillian Renwick (@CllrGillRenwick) April 18, 2013

She's now backpedalling fast, saying that she was only 'asking a question'. Aye right, Gillian!

Well done Andy!

Calton would like to congratulate Andy Murray on his US Open victory last night. It was the first thing Calton heard on waking this morning and it brought a ray of sunshine into the eyrie before he'd even opened the curtains. Well done Andy!

Sir Chris scoops sixth gold

Congratulations to Sir Chris Hoy on his fantastic achievement - six Olympic gold medals. He should have the freedom of Scotland, not just Edinburgh.

A ray of sunshine

Another dull rainy day in Scotland's capital but this time there was a ray of sunshine as Andy Murray took gold in the Olympics. Well done Andy! Calton was settling in for a five set match but Murray won it in straight sets, clinching the match with an ace. Superb. He and his fellow Scots have made a huge contribution to Team GB's medal haul however Calton does not think this is an argument for an independent Scotland - more a reason for us to continue to be part of Great Britain. Would our athletes do so well if we didn't have the resources of our larger southern neighbour to help them? In return, they put the great into Team GB. That's what teamwork is all about. At a time when Europe is tearing itself apart along a north-south divide Great Britain is winning medals. United we stand, divided we fall.

Not all doom and gloom

Sadly, the ray of sunshine which Calton was hoping for in the form of a Murray win at Wimbledon today did not happen and so the capital remains a dull and gloomy place this evening. On the plus side, Andy played a great game against a tough opponent and managed to win the first set before losing the next three. Maybe next year! It was also good to see the Saltire flying outside 10 Downing Street in recognition that Murray is Scottish. Most encouraging of all were the young boys who Calton spotted playing tennis in the street instead of watching the match - future Wimbledon winners?

David and Goliath

Today Calton has found two tales of David facing up to Goliath.

Firstly, good to see Kirkcaldy MSP David Torrance (SNP) throwing his weight behind the Children 1st campaign to deal with sideline bullies. He is backing a motion at Holyrood to have the issue recognised as a problem - hopefully this will result in more support for the Children 1st campaign Sideline Bad Behaviour.

On an entirely different subject, PM David Cameron assures us that he has secured an explicit commitment that, as the Eurozone moves towards deeper economic and monetary union, the integrity of the single market will be fully respected. Let's just hope he is right. The Eurozone is fast becoming not just a Goliath but a Juggernaut.

Red card for sideline bullies

Calton is not surprised that the nation's children spend most of their time indoors on the playstation, given the findings of a survey conducted by Children 1st into behaviour at sporting events. Children reported being called names, sworn at, threatened and physically abused by adults, usually parents. They also told of seeing adults fighting each other and threatening match officials. No wonder the poor kids are put off sport! And it's not just football - the same thing happens at events like fencing. Have none of the adults involved heard the phrase 'it's only a game'? Do they not know they are supposed to be setting an example? As it is, their conduct is shameful. Hopefully the Sideline Bad Behaviour campaign which has been launched by Children 1st today will help address the problem. Some parents certainly need to be given a red card.