Shining the Spotlight on…

Andy Scott qualified as a Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) in 1994. 
He joined the firm in 2001 to head the taxation services department of the firm and is now tax director, specialising in advance tax planning services for high net worth individuals and highly profitable businesses. 
Andy is also Client Director to many of K&H’s major clients and manages in-house taxation training matters.

You’ve had a Racing Greyhound for quite a while now, haven’t you?
I have 50% of a bitch called Hazel Grove Girl currently running at Swindon. I have owned her for approximately four months but have had other dogs on and off since 1997.

So they are a bit of a hobby, not kept as pets? 
They are working animals and not pets!

But you do have pets at home, don’t you?
We have recently become the proud owners of two Chihuahua puppies who are 11 weeks old. They make very good alarm clocks, especially if you like getting out of bed at quarter past five in the morning.

You raced pigeons at one time, didn’t you?
Yes, in my teens and early 20s I did race pigeons in partnership with my brother.  I would like to do it again but my wife refuses to have flying rats in our garden.

What was the last book you read?
I tend to have several books on the go at one time and often never finish any of them.  I am currently reading the Dick Frances novel Risk, a biography of The Last Kaiser of Germany and a very interesting history book called The Time Travellers Guide to the Middle Ages.  I am an avid reader of the BBC History magazine each month and a Member of the National Trust and English Heritage. 

Do you have a favourite TV programme?
I tend to sleep through more television programmes than I watch. I don’t watch soaps but I do enjoy Holby City. I am not a member of the Tina Holby Fan Club, but I did find out how to join! 

You’ve done quite a bit of travelling over the past few years. Any memorable moments that you’d like to share?
My last holiday destination was Libya! It was an interesting country and I am surprised that they are now in Civil War. An outsider’s impression of the country at the time was that the view of the average person, or rather of those who spoke English, is that they were contented with Gadaffi.

For a pure holiday, Canada would be my favourite destination. For historical sites, Jordan, Egypt and Turkey would be my favourite destinations.

Do you have any favourite place in Britain?
Britain as a holiday destination has some very interesting historical sites. Our last short break was in Scotland when we went in search of the Antonine Wall, ending up becoming lost and thinking we had found it, when in fact we had found the remains of an open cast coal mine. For beauty, Northern Ireland is stunning – especially the drive between Belfast and the Giants Causeway.  It is a pity that you do feel tension from the two communities because it is a beautiful place in which to live.

Have you got any money-making tips that you’d like to share?
Don’t own any pets or racing greyhounds! It is a bottomless pit.

Any short-term – or long-term – plans ahead?
A visit to Syria, subject to the political situation and my wife’s health.

Andy lives in Hungerford with his wife Sarah.