..but you don’t need to be bilingual to enjoy the RSS 175th Anniversary Conference here in Edinburgh!
As well as a packed programme of sessions covering Statistics in a Changing Society over the last 175 years, we have strived to give delegates a taste of our Scottish Heritage.
We start with the reception in Edinburgh Castle with spectacular views out over Auld Reekie [Scots for ‘old smoky’], where 300 delegates will be welcomed by the Scottish Minister for Enterprise, Energy & Tourism, Jim Mather. (His portfolio covers Official Statistics).
We end up at the foot of the Royal Mile (and round the corner) at Our Dynamic Earth for the Conference Dinner. In between we’ll have some fun and dance at the Ceilidh to Bella McNab Band (guidance provided), a sail on the Forth, tracing Scottish roots at Register House, or one of the many walking tours in the ‘auld toon’.
Finally a few words you may hear while at the conference and not be sure what they mean:-
- Dreich – what the weather is likely to be while we are in the sessions. No chance of an Indian summer this year.
- Bevied – hopefully few of the young statisticians will get to this state on Wednesday night after partaking of beers, wines and spirits
- Stocious – another word for the above state
- Birl – twirl your partner in Strip the Willow at the Ceilidh
- Smashin – awesome – how you’ll describe the conference on Friday
Mary Sweetland, NHS Scotland, ISD (Chairman)
Katy Barratt, Scottish Government
Darius Blaszczak, NHS Scotland, ISD
Natalia Bochkina, Edinburgh University
Anthony Fielding (retired, Birmingham University)
Alan Forrest, Royal Bank of Scotland
Scott Heald, NHS Scotland, ISD
Cecilia MacIntyre, General Registrar’s Office Scotland
Brian Miller, Institute of Occupational Medicine
Gillian Raab, Statistical Consultant
Jill Sales, Biomathematics & Statistics Scotland
Mairi Spowage, Scottish Government
Jill Tefer, Statistical Consultant
