Howzat!

THE post-playing career options of former England cricket captains are bountiful, it has struck The Bottom Line.

This week alone we have seen Ian Botham on television advertising a circulation booster (interrupting our viewing of Santa Clause :The Movie) , followed by a press release about David Gower providing his services as a cruise ship host in the Caribbean (coinciding, naturally, with England’s forthcoming tour of the West Indies

What next, we hear you cry, Graham Gooch advertising hair restoring treatment? You read it here first.

Gin Guy

NEWS reaches us of a big boost for Andrew Clark Hutchison, the former Lloyds banker turned drinks entrepreneur.

Mr Clark Hutchison, pictured below, has won the inaugural Guy & Co-creation award for his plans to develop a gin distillery, visitor centre and shop in the former Johnston School in Kirkcudbright.

The award was launched by Edinburgh creative and research agency Guy & Co to help innovative Scottish food and drink businesses turn ideas into successful brands. After topping the pile of entries, Mr Clark Hutchison, a Kirkcudbright native, can tap into £65,000 worth of support to help bring his Dark Art Gin to market.

The Dark Art Gin distillery and visitor experience and shop will be housed in two former classrooms of the school, which was originally built in 1847. Renovation work will start in Spring 2019, ahead of an opening later in the year.

The big sleep

IAN Fergusson, managing partner of Shepherd Chartered Surveyors and chairman of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), has confirmed he will be among an estimated 12,000 people taking part in this weekend’s Sleep in the Park charity event.

Mr Fergusson, who will be part of the RICS team on Saturday, said: “It’s shocking to see so many people still being forced to sleep rough in the 21st century; hopefully nights like these can raise awareness and funds to eradicate rough sleeping across Scotland for good. While I will have the chance to go home to a warm house on Sunday morning, it’s harrowing to think of so many being forced to sleep outside in the cold throughout our harsh winter. At last year’s event £4 million was raised and this year we want to smash that sum.”

We doff our cap to everyone taking part.

Cool statistics

STAYING on chilly matters, we were bowled over by some impressive statistics issued by renewables to crisps firm Mackie’s of Scotland, which has been celebrating the first anniversary of its 19.2 ice cream parlour.

Mackie’s said the Aberdeen parlour, located 19.2 miles from the owning family’s Westertown Farm , has served a mind-boggling 243,800 litres of ice-cream since opening its doors.

And that equates, claims the firm, to 7.3 million licks or 3,000 bathtubs of the cold stuff.

We’re not quite sure how Mackie’s worked out the licks, but we are happy to take its word for it.