Our unlikely man in China

WHO could have dreamed that Aberdeen Asset chief Martin Gilbert, likened by the Treasury Committee to a "sophisticated snake-oil salesman" in 2003 over the split-capital trust scandal, would this week be the Chancellor’s financial sector ambassador in China?

Scotland’s fund supremo said Aberdeen’s new licence to operate in Shanghai was part of a 10 to 20 year strategy.

So let’s hope his hosts did not spot the weekend newspaper article in which Mr Gilbert said the group had shunned Chinese shares by being “underweight in China for as long as I can remember”, choosing instead “to gain exposure to the Chinese economy through other routes”.

Licence to sell?

COULD it be that the man who played James Bond in The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill has a new side-line?

An email on data base and email marketing wafted in from a certain Tim Dalton this week.

Having recently had roles in high profile films such as The Tourist starring Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie, we suspect, on balance, that it is a different Timothy. Shame.

Harper sticks with Sammi

THE timing could scarcely have been better for Harper Macleod to announce the extension of its association with Scottish wheelchair racer Sammi Kinghorn.

The deal came as Ms Kinghorn, a star of last summer’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, was selected for the British team to compete in the upcoming IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha, and Harper Macleod officially opened its new Edinburgh office.

Ms Kinghorn, who has been the firm’s athlete ambassador since 2013, said: “Though I hoped to be selected for Doha, I can still hardly believe that I’ve made the team and will have the chance to experience the World Championships. I’m extremely thankful for all the support I have been given and I really feel part of the Harper Macleod family after all we’ve experienced together.”

Toast of parliament

SCOTLAND’S nascent craft distilling sector was the toast of Holyrood this week.

The Scottish Craft Distillers Association showcased gins, whiskies and vodkas from 11 working distillers an event hosted by Jean Urquhart at the Scottish Parliament.

Chairman Tony Reeman-Clark, who co-founded Perthshire’s Strathearn Distillery, said: "Scottish Craft Distillers Association has been the result of two years of work by many parties, and now it's fair to say that we are a credible presence in the quality spirits marketplace. Our members are producing gins, rums, vodka and whisky, and helping to re-establish craft distilling in Scotland as an important sector in its own right within the global drinks industry.”

We’re sure there would be no shortage of people who would drink to that.

Bingo banter

THE possibilities for witty headlines are almost limitless.

With Edinburgh PR firm Havas recently winning the contract to represent bingo giant Mecca, we look forward to receiving plenty of pun-laden press releases in the months ahead.

We have no doubt there will be enough to, er, fill a house. Oh my...