Life and loves

Career high: The registration of the Caithness flag has been a key success. This was the first mainland community flag in Scotland.

Career low: In my first flag campaign after promoting my own design, a flag that failed several flag design basics (such as having no wording) was chosen. It taught me that it was more useful to promote good design principles and provide communities with the tools to develop their own symbols.

Favourite music: The Moody Blues, pictured. I love the progressive sound and their themes of philosophy and child-like wonder.

Last book read: Since the birth of my daughter last year I’ve struggled to finish any book and even read any fiction at all. So it’s of little surprise that the last book I completed was reading to her. This was Thomas & Friends’ Hooray for Thomas, which we both loved. Ysobel loves the lifting flaps and pop-up sections and I like the surprising bits of science and engineering that it is teaching. Favourite film: Ghostbusters. It’s such a fun sci-fi premise that’s both funny and deep enough that makes it not only easy but rewarding to rewatch.

Ideal dinner guests: Verity Lambert – as the first female producer at the BBC it took great vision to deliver the original run of Doctor Who. The programme has led me to some of my strongest friendships and to meeting my wife. Professor Elemental, the steam punk stage persona of Chap-hop rapper Paul Alborough. Sir David Lindsay of the Mount, an important figure in the development of the Lyon Court. And Ysobel Stewart of Fasnacloich, one of the co-founders of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society. She’s the lady after whom my daughter is named.