Getting to Know You: Chris Murray

What’s your earliest memory? 

I’m two years older than my brother and I remember looking down at him in his cot, him with a dummy in his mouth and me, probably three years old, peering over him. I’ve got quite a few memories around that time that are sort of just images, like of being in my pram and watching the rain rolling off the plastic cover – which I suppose is a very Scottish memory. 

What were you like at school? 

I would probably have been known as a good student. I was always doing my work and had my hand up, the stuff that could irritate others sometimes.  

I tended to come top in exams but I pushed back on that a wee bit when I was a teenager. I started missing quite a bit of school – I was a massive dogger. Despite becoming a bit cheeky in those years, when I liked a teacher I was still a bit of a teacher’s pet.  

In those years, I was worried about being seen as too square because I was always doing extra homework and taking extra classes.  

What were you best at? 

I was really into languages, particularly French and German. I was really lucky because at that time state schools let you do languages the whole way through because there was enough provision, which there isn’t really any more. That led me to read languages at university.  

How have you used your languages since then? 

I worked in Paris for four years and obviously used my French a lot there. I was a student the first time around, also spent a bit of time in Berlin, and then I went back and worked at the UK Embassy in Paris, pre-Brexit. It was a wonderful place to live, the second-best city in the world after Edinburgh.  

And weirdly, there are a lot of German speakers in my constituency, which is funny because it appears they don’t know each other. I’ve had about 10 separate people in one specific area who have told me they are German. I’ve got to know them, speaking German with them, but none of them seem to know there’s quite a few of them living in a wee pocket of Edinburgh. Through door knocking for the general election, I appear to have identified a German community living in Edinburgh.  

What’s your greatest fear? 

I’m terrified of heights and dying, which combines to give me a terrible fear of flying. I think my fears are pretty logical. Everyone makes flying out to be glamorous, but I’m much more of a train person.  

What’s the worst thing that anyone’s ever said to you? 

I’m quite good at repressing it. I can’t think of anything terrible.  

What’s your most treasured possession? 

Honestly, it’s probably my phone because I literally don’t go anywhere without it. I’m not a very sentimental person so there’s not really anything else I can think of. 

What’s your guiltiest pleasure? 

White wine and cheese and onion crisps are the perfect flavour combination. A white wine around the £7 or £8 mark, or on the Tesco Clubcard. 

If you could go back in time, where would you go? 

I’ll preface this by saying I’m not just choosing this because Wolf Hall has been back on TV, but I’d love to see the Golden Age, when the modern world we know was starting to be shaped. I’m interested in Elizabeth I, Luther, and the Reformation, that 16th century early-modern time.  
It’s just such a fascinating time, where you have this combination of huge personalities, big ideas like humanism and Protestantism, the development of the nation-state, while they were all shagging and murdering each other in huge numbers, as well as the amazing clothes.  
Although I wouldn’t go unless I could still have penicillin and paracetamol.  

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever had? 

Ignore it and crack on. It’s important not to dwell on things for too long and crack on.  

What skill should every person have? 

Learning another language. It opens your mind and fundamentally makes you feel like a bit of an idiot while you’re learning. It’s hard work, but worth it.  

What’s the worst pain you’ve ever experienced? 

I split my hand in two by opening a window a couple of years ago. That was pretty painful. It was one of those sash windows that you push up, I slipped and smashed the glass then drove my hand into the broken glass. I have a massive scar now.  

I spent a week in hospital and had to have plastic surgery on it. I severed the artery, the nerves and the tendons. They all had to be individually stitched together, which meant my hand had to be opened up and then closed back up. I have trouble moving parts of it and there’s still a loss of feeling. Thankfully, it was my left hand, and I don’t play the piano or the harp or anything, so I just had to learn to type again.  

Although honestly, there’s been some pretty intense hangovers as well that rival it. Thankfully, I’ve not had many since I have been elected but they really do get worse the older you get. 

What’s your top film or TV programme of all time? 

I’ve already mentioned it, but Wolf Hall. I was watching it last night. I also really liked White Lotus because it felt light whilst still having real depth. I struggle to engage with the programmes that are dead heavy.  

What was your best holiday ever? 

I’ve been going back to Paris since having lived there, and I love it because it’s like having another life. I feel a bit transported when I’m there, and I know it so well. I love the restaurants, the wine is amazing, visiting the museums, and sitting in cafes pretending I’m an intellectual but not actually doing anything.  

I have also recently been to Amsterdam and Trieste, which I loved.  

What was the last book you read? 

Caledonian Road by Andrew O’Hagan. My auntie bought it for me because I really like the author.