A Toast to Rabbie Burns with James McCallum
Entrepreneur, Philanthropist and Mentor, this month Mr. McCallum is placed under the spotlight as we prepare for our 'Creative Legends' event at The National Portrait Gallery in conjunction with the Maggies Centre and Visit Scotland. He has agreed to adorn one of our creations for the evening, but can you guess which one?
Which is your favourite Burns Poem? And do you know it all off by heart?
Unsurprisingly "Tam O’Shanter" and yes every word.
We are currently creating you a period piece to celebrate Tam O'Shanter for the Legends event we are undertaking in late February. Is there a particular period in history you would like to have lived in?
Other than right now, the period of Enlightenment in Scotland. Edinburgh was arguably the second most economically important city in the world and probably the most important intellectually.
With your work focusing on energy and resourses, if you were to be immortalised in poetry, would the theme be more about your personal or professional life? And what would the title of your poem be?
I would hope my personal life but the title could still be: "An Energy for Living".
With renewable energy now becoming a future way of thinking, do you think there will be more demand from the consumer which in turn will force large oil and gas companies to invest sooner into these ideas?We are I believe entering a time where access to and provision of Energy will come from an increasingly diverse set of sources , particularly electrical energy. Think more Tesla than Shell . Oil and Gas companies will become increasingly specialised in the efficient lower cost extraction of hydrocarbons in an increasingly challenging commodity market place.
It is always good to remember the past and look to the future, do you think there is enough work and research being currently undertaken to meet the demands of the future in the energy industry?
Yes I think so. Huge strides are being made in the diversity of energy supply and storage. Consumer demand for new products such as environmentally efficient electrical vehicles will accelerate technology development across the energy supply chain.
You are a man of constant momentum, always getting involved with projects both business and philanthropic, is there a current project which excites you or just interests you on a different level?In business, the potential of combining the connectivity of the World Wide Web with the almost infinite potential for the application of artificial intelligence to make everything we seek to do more efficient and effective. I am already working on this in relation to education and healthcare.
In my personal life, working with Maggies to help raise funds in Edinburgh and Fife is incredibly rewarding as I get to meet wonderful people facing up to one of the greatest challenges we are all effected by, Cancer and its consequences.
In your life, who has been the greatest inspiration to you, and has given you the best advice? Can you share it with us?Of course. It’s an easy answer-my immediate family and friends. They constantly inspire me to challenge convention whilst at the same time ensure I keep my feet on the ground. They remind me of the frailty of life particularly when confronting the unplanned events and remind me to celebrate the occasional successes. I couldn’t ask for greater inspiration.
What is your favourite line in Scottish literature?
"Gin I
speak wi the tungs o men an angels, but hae nae luve i my hairt, I am no nane
better nor dunnerin bress or a rínging cymbal."
1 Corinthians 13 New Testament in Scots
What would be your perfect accompaniment to Haggis?
Sometimes we shouldn’t challenge conventional wisdom. Neeps, Tatties, a wee dram and fine company sat by a fire warming my hurdies will do it for me every time.
In the short time since returning after a near decade in Dubai, it has been wonderful to be re-immersed in the riches that are the traditions of Scotland and the beauty of our capital city Edinburgh. Perhaps one such discovery has been to meet Vixy, Dan and team, to learn about their shared vision for Stewart Christie. The combination of a business celebrating the wealth of 300 years of historical expertise in Scottish tailoring combined with their infectious passion for promoting the highest quality of local cloths and products is a rare thing indeed. I am delighted that they are having a material impact on my wardrobe both for Burns Night and my more regular day to day wear. Tam, I am sure would be honoured to be promoting the Stewart Christie brand just as I am . Who knows, maybe even the Bard himself might have been kitted out during his time in Edinburgh, had Vixy been around it would have been a certainty!!
Tales of Tailoring
