Worrying news from Islay, where they are running out of whisky. This is a cold, wet island off the west coast of Scotland with several distilleries, one of which claims it has had to shut down because they are out of oil.

Bruichladdich managing director Mark Reynier says they depend on oil imported by tanker. A delivery earlier this month was turned back, and none can get through now because of the averagely awful weather.

At blame is the EU, or possibly supplier Shell. The EU caused the size of tankers to be increased, and the local pier had to be altered, even though the locals claimed the new tankers would only be able to use it in calm weather. “Shell has left the island in the lurch,” claims Reynier.

Shell, sounding slightly baffled, says that deliveries are always difficult in winter gales. I have some sympathy for the oil company here — the only time I was on Islay was this time of year, and I could easily understand why the locals tend to start on their most famous product with their porridge.

Bankers go back to the humble fax

US investment banks have of late been paranoid places to work, with compliance people lurking around every corner. Some impose Chinese walls so vigorously that e-mails between analysts and corporate finance are automatically not delivered. All e-mails must, everyone assumes, be monitored. So US bankers have apparently found a new way around this — the humble fax machine. They have discovered something else, too. “I don’t know when you last used a fax,” says a banking community website, “but god do they suck.”

From Santa’s homeland comes a seasonal story. The EU has banned toys containing chemicals called phthalates for children under three, and the Norwegian pollution authority has deemed that just to be on the safe side, the ban should be extended to older children. Showing a fine grasp of the meaning of Christmas, the toy industry claims it has spent a long time building up its stocks and wants an equally long leeway to get rid of them. I learn this from the very wonderful Aftenposten Nettutgaven, which elsewhere on its website carries the strange headline “Will sue to avoid goblins”.

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