Off-topic
Posted on
January 02, 1968 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
For off-topic chat. Duh.
The world's most-read Scottish politics website
-
About
Wings Over Scotland is a (mainly) Scottish political media digest and monitor, which also offers its own commentary. (More)
-
Recent Posts
- 04-22
- 04-20
- 04-20
- 04-18
- 04-18
- 04-17
- 04-15
- 04-14
- 04-13
- 04-12
- 04-11
- 04-10
- 04-09
- 04-07
- 04-06
- 04-03
- 04-03
- 03-31
- 03-31
- 03-30
Wings Over ScotlandA tall tale
Wee Books
Video
Probably a robbery
Transphobia
Bit syrupy perhaps, but the sentiment’s a good one, and the title’s even better;
Andy Williams, ‘Almost There’:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XifUaCyCO0g
@Thepnr, ein shutting time have a good one,catch you,s awe the morra, good nites all.
@Ian Brotherhood
Haha you call mine syrupy 🙂
Regards Eddie & the Hot Rods, I saw them with top billing in the Caird Hall, Dundee in 1977.
Second billing was Radio Stars and last was Squeze, it was obvious then who would become stars.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9ba-as5t8Y
Brilliant track there Thepnr. Hope you are having a wee dram for your Birthday. I Spent my Birthday at the PQ3 Demo. Nobody knew it was my Birthday but I had a great time. Got to meet the inspiration that is Ronnie Anderson. And not many People can say they had Tommy Sheriden speak at there Birthday party. Memories I will have for ever. Still to Shake Ian Brotherhood’s Hand Though. But that will come some day soon I hope. Vote Yes.
@Michael McCabe –
That day will come. In the meantime, me hand’s right here mister – shake it anytime…’shake it like a Polaroid picture…’
OutKast, ‘Hey Ya!’ –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWgvGjAhvIw
@Ian Brotherhood
Now that was brilliant, a visual feast and a toe tapper.
“Now let’s see you at your baddest” 🙂
This ones kind of Good and Bad. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=_7VsoxT_FUY Vote Yes.
OK, OK, a mixture of stupidity and over-work yesterday. No link to the Sea Fest piccies.
Humble and abject apologies to all those expectant wingers and Hairy String ennobled attendees.
Here’s the DropBox link:
http://www.dropbox.com/sh/4czbbn7kikb8h45/AADXyKp1E6CYNL9ITxoAQQ91a
Now, back to catching up on this thread …
@Thepnr
Happy birthday! 😀
I didn’t know where it was, or I’d have figured out something to send you. Even if it was just a card with a funny message and a piece of hairy string and a Yes sticker on it 😉
Hope you’re having a great day there! 🙂
When it was, not where!
This is what happens when I stay up too late at nights!
Didn’t know where it was either, but I definitely meant when 🙂
@Thepnr now that it’s you “proper” birthday
Happy Birthday young man 🙂
@Tartan Tory – just did the ol’ Friend Request thang via the Oil & Gas People fb page
Alex , happy birthday , I hope you have a good one .
It was great meeting you on Sunday and I am looking forward to the biggest party the world has ever seen on the 19th September
@Thepnr
Haven’t seen this posted yet – seems fitting though… 😉
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqolSvoWNck
Cheers Jim 🙂
Let’s not forget though we do not intend to be a republic. There will be no need for a President.
All I ask is for my ain folk to have every opportunity available to them.
I talked with my sister today, she is a social worker and daily meets with those who have the most problems in our society. Her gut feeling is that they support a Yes vote but don’t know why? Other than they feel excluded.
No one need feel excluded. We can and will do better running our own affairs. I am convinced of that.
Sorry I am not very good at remembering names .
I would just like to thank the people who gave me the Aye Right cards and the N.H.S for YES leaflets at Seafest on Sunday .
I put them to good use tonight by delivering them with the Your Choice booklet .
I still have plenty of N.H.S leaflets but I will be able to use them up with the W.B.B or the next delivery of YES newspapers .
Alex,
Enjoy your last UK birthday & start planning for the party to end all parties on 19th September. I’m seriously contemplating a week long hangover.
For those who follow such things – Wings is now near the bottom of page 3, if you type-
scottish independence
into the google search box, yesterday it was halfway down page 4.
I liked this…at one time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twqdWWY5iEc
Foodbanks & Welfare State event Thu 14th from Westerton Hall, Bearsden, Glasgow starting at 7:30pm. Julie Webster (Greater Maryhill Foodbank), Denis Curan (Loaves & Fishes Foodbank), Michelle Thomson (chair – MD Business for Scotland) and more on panel.
If you can please attend event and have your say, or tune into out LIVESTREAM and send us your questions.
More details on our website: independencelive.net
Darlings in Coatbridge on Sat 16th Aug at a meeting at 10.30 am,I am waiting for a Email from BT to tell me where,probibly late on Frid nite will keep yous posted,its a all ticket event mine came through BT mailing list, but its (Everbrite events).
@Paula Rose just tried that search and the pages I get have two ads on them. Top of page is the NO/Government sponsored youdecide2014 one and at the bottom of each page is one for Wings.
I can only assume the Rev doesn’t have the unlimited funds provided by taxpayers and quantative easing.
They have obviously not been round to look at your shed then Uncle Ronnie
Hi Jim – I’m just interested in whether more people clicking on Wings when they “search” for ‘scottish independence’ pushes Wings up the league table. If it does then let’s all do it, if not I’ll continue with my observations in private 😉
Paula, that’s what I thought you were doing 😉
I did click on the wings link near the foot of page 3 just to keep modifying the google stats 🙂
@Ronnie
Is there an internet link to the EventBrite listing?
I had a good hunt through their listings for Coatbridge and immediate area but couldn’t see anything obvious.
What are they calling the meeting on the Eventbrite stuff?
I’m just wondering if they have some sort of private group set up and you need to be pointed at it via a link.
Paula
I have just tried it and I got newsnet bottom of page 1 and wings bottom of page 2
p.s nice meeting you on Sunday
I have ‘scottish independence’ typed into my google search thingy, whenever I want to refresh I click on that find Wings, then click on that. Bit lengthy but does it work in pushing Wings up the league?
Hello Silverytay honey!
@Ronnie Anderson
Granite, eh. Rauch or polished? Size?
Paula Darling
I now type in wee blue book into google search rather than wings or Scottish Independence to try and increase the wee blue book .
Looking forward to seeing you some time in the near future but hopefully with your kinky boots on or your slinky high heels .
This is my last post for tonight as I have an early start tomorrow due to the teachers being back at school
Silverytay – you only need type ‘wee blue’.
Seems to be a concerted BBC effort to lie about Scottish NHS funding tonight, Sarah Smith now colluding in the misdirection.
Alan Little’s “Our Friends in the North” just started on BBC1
Hi Thepnr.
Belated birthday greetings!
Any advances on Airdrie on 23/8 and Dundee on 13/9?
Hi Silverytay.
I gave you a drap o’ the wee Aye Right cards but there were Aye Right leaflets as well.
@Paula Rose, unfortunately you won’t be pushing wings up the listings by clicking on the link. Google aggressively protects its algorithms to stop them being abused so that only Google make money from placing listings. The internet is littered with shills who promise you higher ratings on Google, they are all worthless.
@X Sticks Granite plinth 8″1/4″length, 2″ wide, 1″ thick polished, I will square you up when I see you Thanks Colin.
FKin DDOS
@ Jim Thomson I got the invite as I am on BTs mailing list, it just said it was (Eventbrite)I take that as some events company.
@ronnie anderson, Eventbrite were the group used to organise the Yes in the park gig. As you say they are just an event organising company.
@Patrician the thing you learn on here I did,nt know that, maybe there shareing the company with BT to reduse costs lol.
As soon as anybody has got some Wee Blue Books available, I could use a few hundred for delivery to undecideds in the south side of Glasgow. Please let me know where I can pick up. Thanks, Cal
@Ronnie,
May take me some time to arrange (kinda busy just now 😉 )Ronnie, but leave it with me and I’ll see what I can do. I knew of a little stone cutters over at Cove and hopefully they are still there.
Belated happy birthday Alex sorry Irene and I couldn’t make it up on Sunday but I had to finish my leaflet drops for a Nichola Sturgeon night in Lochgelly centre, my wee grand daughter helped me, finished it in jig time, 🙂
Patrician
“@Paula Rose, unfortunately you won’t be pushing wings up the listings by clicking on the link.”
I just put in google search bar “wee blue book” and it came up as the top entry.
Brian Doonthetoon
One again thanks , they were put to good use , it was great meeting you all on Sunday .
Typical wingers , first on the field of battle and last off , we will win this .
Ooh lookee…
“Dear Paula
Time to play your part in Scotland’s future
In just 34 days time we will vote on Scotland’s future. It is a vote unlike any in our history, impacting you, your family and generations to come.
The ‘No Thanks’ Campaign is a campaign built around people like you. People who don’t want to stand by and watch as Scotland breaks away and becomes weaker.
Now is the time to join our growing number of inspirational volunteers out on the ground right across Scotland. You might have a free hour or two or maybe even longer. Whatever you can do you will help play your part for Scotland. It couldn’t be easier:
Register as a volunteer and join your local grassroots group.
Invite your friends, family, colleagues and neighbours to get involved by registering here: http://bettertogether.net/volunteer
Volunteer now
Ask Alex Salmond for his plan B
It has been over a week now since the first TV debate on Scotland’s future. Alex Salmond is still refusing to provide details on what his plan B is for our currency.
Sign our petition to demand answers.
Sign our petition
Invite your friends to volunteer…”
Sorry, still rolling around the floor having difficulty holding things in.
@John King, this will be because lots of people are linking to the page. The spiders and crawlers google use to trawl through the internet will end up at that page. Importance in rankings appear to be more to do with amount of independent links to a web page from other web pages. The thing is, if you knew every in and out of the way google ranks webpages you could be an extremely rich person.
Patrician dear, so no problem if I carry on the way I am? xx
The ongoing main thread is infested.
Can we chat in here instead?
If she/he/it comes in here we can gather our tents and sleeping bags and head off into the back of beyond…
Ian dear – rest assured I will keep you safe xx
Back of beyond sounds like a nice place away from trolls.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3xV1-73Qf4
and Ian Honey did you get your hairy, short and curly?
and for those who love my mum…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtEJ2hO-FF0
Time to say good-bye, we have a future to win for our country.
I have the contacts I need where I am.
No more poking fun, I have ordinary people to talk to, people like me.
No more chatting on wings, time is short.
Everyday counts, we all have our contacts sorted.
@Paula Rose, if it keeps you happy and out of mischief, carry on.
👿
The annoying creature on the leading thread has been booted off.
Never mind. Another one will be along shortly…
Trying to find the strip cartoon from the Freak Brothers’ where the cockroach general would send his battalions into various catastrophes, and the punchline would often be ‘Never mind. Plenty more where they came from.’
Haven’t found it yet, but stumbled across this, which may amuse some:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-um9OHFMAHo8/TtwS9f8MidI/AAAAAAAAERU/a0pWa6h_GPM/s400/others03.gif
@Paula Rose
You’ll be here on the 18th like the rest of us. At least I hope you will be.
Ian – was that from the Furry Freak Brothers? A wee nostalgia trip there. 🙂
@TJenny –
Indeed it was. Seems quaint now…
Ian – ah well, that’s nostalgia for you. 🙂
Ian – any idea how many are intending to go to Airdrie on Saturday 23rd? I think we’ve got
Ronnie (obvs)
You
Me
Cactus
Tam Jardine
Thepnr?
Anyone else?
OK last post gone into moderation – will this get through? It’s the GCHQ shift change – again!
I went into moderation after posting a track on the main thread, just as an interlude you understand. The post that was moderated was actually trying to get back on topic, so I’ll put it down to my current infatuation with hardcore avant garde. 🙂
If anyone is brave enough to play the game, please can you identify the 1970’s TV show the sampled steel drum is from. I’m thinking Mission Impossible.
Messer Chups – A plateful brain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kn_otiAeKLE
If there is a wings night out in Airdrie on the 23rd count me in
Still awaiting details re Airdrie.
Is it confirmed? Getting a tad close…
@TJenny –
re Airdrie, I truly don’t know anything more than what’s been mentioned here. Someone (Ronnie?) had mentioned maybe using the Wetherspoons, but I don’t know if that’s a go-oer.
Haven’t heard anything about Airdrie either.
Then again I haven’t been on here as much lately…
Not even too sure where Airdrie is… *runs off to Google Maps*
If it’s another Wings night out, and if I can get there, I’m interested 😀
@Paula
Hope you keep reading this (and other Wings) thread(s).
See you on the other side 🙂
@Cameron B
Are you really expecting us half daft oldies to remember as far back as the MI TV series? Not only that but, remember a two second steel drum sample that’s been a wee bit mashed?
I had to shut my eyes during the video, I couldn’t take all the image changes (not on enough of the right drugs y’see 😉 )
Anyway, nope, doesn’t sound familiar. Sorry.
Morning Folks! You probably weren’t aware, but there was a mini ‘wings meet’ last night at a posh hotel in Aberdeen… I was (unusually) the first to arrive at the pre-dinner drinks reception and was happy to discover that there was a free bar!!! As I watched the guests arrive, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the hat-wearing, festival-going groupie(!), known as X-sticks can actually scrub-up rather well. I only recognised him because of the wings lapel badge on his jacket as he walked into the room. (Good morning Colin) 🙂
Aside from such A-list celebrities as a couple of badge-wearing Wingers, there were a few less well known faces at the soiree. For example, I spoke at length with a wee chap called Alex and also with his lovely wife Moira. We even arranged to meet again for lunch near their home in the not too distant future. There was a chap called John who was an accountant-type from Edinburgh and he spent a good while with myself and my wife discussing the Angus glens, Kirriemuir & Blairgowrie. Finally, there was a (loud) wee ‘wifey’ from Glasgow called Elaine (who apparently is also known as ‘Mary Doll’) and she was instrumental in organising my lunch with Alex and Moira.
All in all, a very nice evening and good to be in a crowd of over 200 people from the Aberdeen Yes camp. We also had a bit of a fund-raiser and the total for the evening was £17,000!! Perhaps not quite up to Stu’s crowd-funding achievements, but very good all the same.
Despite all the positivity in the North East, I reckon it’s got to be the central belt that turns this thing around. I’m going to a function in Glasgow next week and I’ve heard that man Alex is going to be there again too. Anyone else from here going to that one???
Hi TT
Sorry I missed you at the end, but it was past Mrs X_Sticks bedtime and I was hustled out in short order.
Hopefully catch up again at some of the other events.
It couldn’t have been past her bedtime! I reckon you need the beauty sleep more than she does!!! 🙂
@Tartan Tory
Sounds like a pleasant evening had by all TT. 🙂
I hear that Alex fella is quite the convivial talker when he’s not doing the day job. 😀
Indeed he is Macart, and a potential rival to Elaine C Smith in the comedy stakes when he wants to be as well!! Mind you, he seems to be surrounded and challenged by a sorry bunch of half-arsed comedians on a daily basis, so he has obviously learned a thing or two in his time. 🙂
Tartan Tory says:
“I reckon you need the beauty sleep more than she does!”
I can’t argue with that, much as I would like to. I put it down to the wear and tear of campaigning 😉
Must admit to having seen him in action away from the day job on one occasion. Night and day and a wicked turn of wit when he feels like it.
On the night out stakes – Hope Wingers are going to have another meet n greet on the west coast before the vote. I’d certainly like to throw my hat in the ring and shake a few hands.
My computer has just automatically “updated” Windows 8 and restarted.
Now when I tried to respond to john king’s email using “reply all” Nobody is recognised and it won’t send. Hmmmm???
Jim Thomson
Thanks for trying. 🙂
@CameronB You’re welcome 🙂
Today has been seriously fragmented for me since the Rev stuck that damn fundraiser up. I’ve been switching back and forth between what I should be doing and the fundraiser thread.
I’ll be glad when this is all over!
On a very similar tack, just had an e-mail from Mission Central telling me to expect a box of WBBs next week. I’m hoping the local Yes Team are up for a targeted letterbox-popping session.
@Thepnr that wouldn’t be the auto upgrade from Win8 to Win8.1 would it?
It’s been know to brick a few laptops.
I had to rescue one belonging to my youngest lad’s girlfriend. Took me half a day between rescuing files off the hard disk before doing a reset on the operating system.
Seems as though yours isn’t quite that bad though 🙂 especially if you can get to the stage that you can compose messages but just not send them.
Which mail program you using? Outlook proper or outlook express or something else?
Using Thunderbird, tend not to trust anything LOL.
I take it you’ve done the time honoured “power cycle” and allowed it to restart itself?
You might have to switch it off (via the start button) and then switch it on from cold (i.e. after a few seconds of being off).
If it still doesn’t want to play ball, check for updates to T’bird (unless it claims to do those automatically of course, in which case CHECK FOR UPDATES anyway 😉 )
If that doesn’t work, not sure there’s any point in me even suggesting trying to restore address books etc. because “reply all” is kinda self explanatory and it should pick up addresses from the To: and Cc: fields.
Jim
All the addresses were picked up, no problem. The issue was the first person in the To list after john king says not recognized(or close to) so I deleted that name.
Then the next said not recognized etc. haven’t tried again yet but will do and note the exact messages.
Cheers
Happy birthday LA. 22 is so old!
Still, 21 is so last year 😉
@Thepnr
“Hello, I.T., have you tried turning it off and on again?”
XP was the nearest thing to a half-decent operating system Microsoft had. Once they discontinued that, I just quit using Windows for good, and never looked back.
Looking into this, I’ve heard of a few people having trouble with Thunderbird in Win8.1
Not too sure why. Possibly Microsoft up to their usual dirty tricks with competitors’ software again.
Of course it could also be a bad update in Thunderbird. Mozilla’s developers give the impression that they don’t really seem to care about their own products much for some reason…
Can’t seem to find any information about that specific problem. And I don’t use Thunderbird myself.
Have to go out for a bit right now (leafleting in Kilwinning for a Yes-campaign-related public meeting there on Monday), but I’ll take another look into it later when I get back home…
Had the dubious pleasure of witnessing the white noise from Jim Murphy’s Megaphone this afternoon.
Great turn-out from YES, usual suspects from NO. Also managed to give him a ‘I’m voting No because… ‘ WoS leaflet.
Parting shot to him, as I was walking home and saw him heading for his car. –
‘Aye, it’ll not be long Jim’
‘Not long until what’ he said.
‘Not long until you get your P45 Jim’
Scottish cup Falkirk v Rangers.
just about to start.
http://hdfree.tv/bt-sport-1-live-stream.html
Been out since 4pm (Aberdeen @ 5pm on a Friday meant a leather clad trip) and just got back. Straight onto a pc to see what’s been happening….. YeeHaa!!! 🙂
By my reckoning, we are at a third of a MILLION copies within the first twelve hours of a crowdfunder when there were originally only going to be 20,000 copies.
WOW! Well done everybody. 🙂
Hey Bob Sinclair
I just saw you wandering past in the video, pity you didn’t get to hand him his P45 live. LOL
Still reeling over yet another massive show of solidarity by Wingers. So, to everybody out there (and with a string reference)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyQJvSEWHK8
Bring on the party!
@ Thepnr Does Lesley-Anne Like T Rex ?
Now THAT Michael is a very, very, VERY SILLY question!
Go into the corner and write out 500 times LA LOVES T REX! 😛
Happy Birthday Lesley-Anne http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-520Wo64Pq8&feature=player_detailpage Have a good one. Vote Yes.
Lesley-Anne
Happy birthday – one that will live long in the memory. Have a guid night.
Fellow Wingers
Chill out about next Saturday night – all will be confirmed in due course but I am banking on spending the night in an Airdrie tavern amidst you all. Instructions will come through in plenty of time to get the word out.
Thanks for that Michael, consider your punishment dismissed! 😛
Thank you Tam, aye you are so right. I can’t remember another birthday like this one. I’ve been on a high all day and we’ve still the YES win on the 19th to come. 😛
TJ – I’ll await instructions. 🙂
Two TJ’s get me confused? Which is which? LOL
See you in Airdrie one way or another.
From me 🙂 and from him 🙂
I watched Michael McCabe’s presnt to Lesley Anne but it is over an hour long but one near the start caught my eye.
Jeepster.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-G7-yLFmCQ
For you and your partner Leslie. Happy Birthday again xx
Mmm just found half a packet of parma violets left over from Seafest. Thanks Ronnie.:-)
We’re away next Saturday so no visit down to Airdrie. 🙁 Drat.
Many thanks for that one Thepnr. XXXXX 😛
Whilst having my earholes assaulted by The Murph, I along with a couple of others got chatting with an ‘undecided’ who had questions about administration of the issue of driving licences, tv licences etc.
That discussed we moved on to passports. He was concerned that he’d be forced on Independence Day. We put this one to bed very quickly by reminding him that he was born a UK citizen and unless he chose to relinquish that he would always be a UK citizen, only he can give it up, and told him that if he wanted a UK passport then no one could stop him from having one.
Pensions likewise discussed & dealt with.
Issues in the main dealt with, pointed him in the direction of the ‘WBB’.
I’d like to think that whilst we were having this polite conversation and the ‘Murph’ was still screaming into his microphone that this gent saw what the YES campaign is about. It’s about respect & information. Hopefully he will take what we have told him, build on it & vote yes.
Does anyone have a link to Murphy’s latest outing? The threads are becoming too long to scroll through.
BTW, as mentioned by Oneironaut earlier, we (SSP) did some door-to-door leafleting in Kilwinning this evening – the patch we were in was (we were assured by people who know) ‘apache country’, with TWO Masonic Halls within a stone’s throw of each other. Many UJs and Red-Hands on display, as well as a few NO THANKS window posters. ‘Yes’ stickers, on cars or windows, were rare.
Did we get any hassle? Naw. Did anyone come out to engage us in debate, or release the dogs on us? Naw.
We walked into the lion’s den…an’ he wisnae there.
There ya go Ian
http://tinyurl.com/lt99g8e
Murphy on a milk crate pmsl. I haven’t watched it yet, just have it queued up to round off my evening 😉
@Chipmonkey did you no get parma violets on Sat/Sun there wiz plenty in the sweety bag lol.
If there wiz a nite oot in Airdrie naebody hiz telt me yit.
Ian Brotherhood
We walked into the lion’s den…an’ he wisnae there.
Sounds like there was a couple of lions there after all. We’re winning this – its just the largest scale mind-fuck imaginable. They are going to tell us we are on a hiding to nothing right up to our victory.
I keep thinking about the end of movies like Poltergeist where the evil finally takes physical form and can be destroyed (a giant, evil tree in the movie). Well that is what we are faced with – an evil empire that can finally and forever be defeated.
What a fork in the road we are reaching – the new order v the old, positivity v negativity, and the difference between success and failure could not be more stark.
Have a guid weekend Ian – hope to see you next weekend
@Ian Brotherhood
Enjoy, it’s a classic and will be long remembered.
Anyone fancy some toast?
new.livestream.com/IndependenceLive/jim-murphy-on-a-milk-crate
Oh and before you go and watch this, since the very fisrt WOS night out that was widely publicised i have expected “the lone nutter” or his equivalent.
Truth is they just aren’t there, our support is huge, more than 2/4rds of ordinary folk. They would have to pay their nutters to disrupt one of our events.
At their very high cost.
Thepnr – Whit, there’s a ‘Rent a Nutter’ shop or Nutters R Us? Oh, aye, that’ll be the unionists then. 🙂
Posted this on the wrong thread, but maybe not, anyway worth posting it here too, ’cause we’re worth it – and where is Paula Rose?
For Stuey and all Wingers – Tina Turner and Simply the Best – enjoy and join in. 🙂
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob6RRcw3V3A
Aye Thepnr just watching the toast burning 😉
The only thing you can say for him is he does at least face the public. More than the rest of the noo labour.
Oor Del was enjoying himself 😉
@Tjenny
Post from Paula last night.
Paula Rose said:
“Time to say good-bye, we have a future to win for our country…No more chatting on wings, time is short.
http://wingsoverscotland.com/off-topic/comment-page-9/#comment-1805745
@ X Sticks Thank you Colin a most enjoyable vid
X-Sticks – so we wont hear from Paula Rose again until the 19th Sept? 🙁
Paula is fighting for the cause by wearing down her high high heels going round doors.
She will be looking in though now and again and I can’t fault her for that considering a full time job as well.
@Thepnr –
I know you’re an engineer, so can you please explain what 2/4rds is? (:))
Ronnie, yes those were the parma violets you gave me at Seafest that I found tbe remains of tonight.
Then I changed subject completely mid post and mentioned that I can’t go to any meet up next Saturday (meaning a week tomorrow) in Airdrie. I just type as I think. Doesn’t confuse me just abody else.
He was once known as Rab the Doupter, then as Bob Sinclair, now he’s The Rebel without a Pause, mair power tae ye Bob
x-sticks,
Have to agree, at least JM is out there fighting for his expense account unlike the rest of the troughers.
What’s this about Paula Rose going AWOL?
Nae chance. That lass is a tonic for the troops, and she knows it – are we to be deprived of her company for five weeks?
Intolerable.
Come back Paula Rose.
And that’s an order.
Here’s a good song for a Friday.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa2nLEhUcZ0
@ Chipmonkey am the one confused, has Patrician orginized the Witherspoons in Airdrie I,ve not heard from him or Gerry, I,ve been in Maryhill all day.
Ian – I’m glad you asked the 2/4rds question. 😉
@ Thepnr I sent you a text message
Ronnie – all I know is there are a few of us intending to descend on Airdrie on Sat 23rd. No idea what venue though. Tam Jardine says details to follow.
@ T Jenny I left itup to Partician & Gerr Parker to arange so I dont know whats been done as yet.
Ronnie
Just – thanks.
@ Bob yer a star.
PS to Paula Rose –
I should amend my last comment. I doubt Paula likes being ‘ordered’ by anyone. So I’ll change that to a ‘pretty-please with a big giant cherry on top’.
Come back, eh? Please?
Ian Brotherhood says:
I know you’re an engineer, so can you please explain what 2/4rds is?
We now it all depends from what end of the spectrum you look at 2/4th. Some might call it a half but as you well know halves are there for drinking.
I prefer to look at it as greater than zero, admittedly it’s less than one but not by much.
As far as the future is concerned at least 2/4th of our population will be Better off bt stayiny Togeter.
The other 2/4th’s we;; I really dont give a fuck.
At the end of the day as long as 2/4th say No to separation and the ohher 2/4th’s say Yes. It won’t matter, the people will have made their voice heard.
I’m on the side of the 2/4th’s. Even if it is a Yes in September.
Deary me LOL
@Thepnr –
Thanks for clearing that up.
I’m glad I read your explanation there Thepnr … I think! 😉 😛
Well it looks a if I wont be getting a Email from BT to say where Mr Darling is appearing in Coatbridge tommorrow I have the tickets printed but no place to go.
Don’t tell me you’ve been ratted out by someone ronnie. Johann hasn’t been around your local recently by any chance? 😛
Johann has been tutoring me, private lessons and that,
Doing good eh!
Gawd she really is busy these days. I guess this must explain why she can’t understand what our currency is after independence she is dog tired from all that out of hours tutoring that she is doing! 😛
@Ian Brotherhood
“We walked into the lion’s den…an’ he wisnae there.”
Couple of very big and very angry dogs there.
Though they actually weren’t as bad as the tiny little ankle-biter that kept trying to trip me up when I was walking up the path and then started barking loud enough to be heard in the next town and wouldn’t shut up even when I went into the next street!
Still, we’ve shifted a good few thousand leaflets between us all over the past couple of days. 🙂
Most of Kilwinning’s Don’t Knows just had the “no-one tells me where to get information” excuse well and truly demolished!
Have to wait and see how many of them turn up at the meeting.
Hey Ian,
Rummaging through my disorderly bookshelves recently, an author’s name leapt out at me.
Yes, I have had had your book for some years.
@X-Sticks –
Thanks for the Murphy Livestream link. Watched it all, and enjoyed it immensely.
He mentioned (at approx. 24 mins) that this was the 48th event. So – we have another 52 to look forward to?
Nice…
The land of Zebedee is calling. Night all.
Cracking day, that. Fair lifts the spirit.
We can, we should, we must.
An independent Scotland.
Yes.
@cearc –
Aha!
So that’s where it went!
Night, night from me too. What a day it’s been, all that excitement – is just a practice run for the 19th. 🙂
Unfortunately I did not swell the coffers of chez Brotherhood as I bought it 2nd (or should that be 2rd?) but it was an ex-library copy so you were well paid
@cearc –
Every Little Helps!
(And the ex-library copies have good solid covers on them – keep the thing! Might be worth something one day, especially after I croak it.)
It’s the upside of so many library closures in england that there is a lot of good ex-library stuff about.
If you come up for a holiday sometime you can sign it.
Ok if this fundraiser finishes like I think it might we may have half a million WBB’s on our hands.
Where, when, how? who do we we give them too? None should be wasted.
@Thepnr –
This is only by way of an example, and others will have to do the arithmetic…
Yesterday morning, SSP Ayrshire leafleted Pennyburn (Kilwinning), and the fringes of other neighbourhoods – the team of six shifted 1500 leaflets (through letterboxes) in just over two hours.
So 125/man/hoor
Looks right to me, so the secret is how many men/women?
I reckon thousands. Breaking it down into small bundles is what we do. Getting them into the right hands might be more difficult.
I’m not bring negative but let’s do it right. A half a million is a lot mind you and after distribution there can be no excuse of “no information”.
Even if they oppose Yes.
Hi
we are planning an event in central Edinburgh on Middle Meadow Walk for the evening of Sat 6th Sept.
We have access to a small open air stage, plan is to have music, films etc.
Its ideally located for distributing the wee blue book to numerous passersby, but we need a few hundred copies and a couple more volunteers to distribute them, anybody know where we can pick up some copies in Edinburgh/East Lothian?
Heres a link hope someone can help
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Open-Air-Yes/274923289377507
Aussie #@!$#%. I’m on a warning. QQ says if I use the f word one more time I won’t get my scone and jam with cream this afternoon.
@Thepnr
We need to use the Yes canvassing returns to target the DKs – plan in Aberdeenshire is to hit all the 4+ DKs first then if time / copies of WBB permit target the 2/3+.
We have to try and maximise return for effort in the last push.
Off to the Aberdeen Yes stall at Markies now.
Give us a shout if you’re in the area.
Catch up later – let’s get out there and DO THIS.
@X_Sticks
Sounds like a plan. Will take a massive effort in the next 4 weeks. the last thing anybody wants is for boxes of the WBB to be sitting in an empty garage.
Some stamina and brains required here.
@Thepnr
If anyone is needed to post them out around Stevenston, I can volunteer.
As we learned the hard way in the leafleting run yesterday, if you have teams of people doing the same areas, be sure that everyone has some way of knowing which houses have already been done and which are still to be.
@Oneironaut
I used http://www.streetmap.co.uk to produce quite detailed street images which generally get right down to individual blocks of houses.
Have a look and make sure you zoom right down to the wee-est block possible. Then, if you use Windows there is a tool called “Snipping Tool” that you can access via the start menu and search for it.
If you get the aspect ratio just right you can then print those maps out either full-size landscape or portrait, depending on the area you’re trying to cover.
Give each volunteer, or pair of volunteers, their own map with their patch marked up.
Works really well for newbies.
At the first house in a street make sure the leaflet is visible ie sticking out of the letterbox.
and then hope that a bad BTer doesn’t come along afterwards and remove it 😛
Good advice Paula.
Have been making badges for most of the day. My biceps and pecs are involuntarily jerking.
Crash Test Dummies, ‘MMMM MMMM MMMM MMMM’ –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaUqpnHvua8
Wee bit of nostalgia for you Ian.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x8PLjvmiIw
Ian, are you sure you simply haven’t been down the gym?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTAAsCNK7RA
and here’s one for the geeky engineers amongst us 😛
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAWF-qhh4pQ
@Thepnr –
Aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye right.
@Jim Thomson
That was brilliant haha. Hood you must watch this.
@Ian Brotherhood
Ah, the old days eh! 🙂
Diversity, the spice of life. It’s my Life. Talk Talk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ixRWvrkUHo
debbiethebruce
I live next to the Meadows, so it would be daft for me not to help. Leafleting or anything else, just let me know where and when.
Here’s one for the lazy engineers among us…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PcL6-mjRNk
Just Because ? Why Not. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EAl8xDhI2A&feature=player_detailpage Vote Yes.
@ debbiethebruce I am up for that on the 6th of September just give me a shout and I will be there. Vote Yes.
Thepnr,
thousands of them about, especially with stepper motors rather than servos, here a couple
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-8dkQRyQXA
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7KIcwAn0FU
@Jim Thomson
Using a Linux system here. But for every Windows app, there’s usually a Linux equivalent (which is usually free, unlike the Windows one! 😉 )
When I was doing the Yes newspaper deliveries, they had some good maps of the areas, with route information and everything. Just a matter of giving everyone different routes.
@Paula Rose
Good idea that. I’d always just gotten into the habit of stuffing them right through, since I’ve heard of wee neds stealing stuff out of the letterboxes around here.
I’d even thought of spray painting weird symbols on street lamps to mark streets that have been done.
Putting a Yes sticker on each door to mark it as done might be frowned upon or I’d try that 😉
For Paula Rose –
Terence Trent D’Arby, ‘Sign My Name’ –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YmAGxc95QM
Right – a wee bit serious now.
Once Stu advises volunteers that they will be part of the Wings oversight team for the voting and counts, I suspect there will be a need for some sort of training/familiarisation provided by people on here who have done this sort of thing before.
I seem to remember a couple of regulars mentioning that they had previous experience (a couple with a LOT). Can’t find the threads though to identify the names.
Anyone on here either have that experience or, know the wingers who have the expertise?
Once we identify the people, we’ll need to arrange locations for said training/familiarisation ahead of the game.
Hearts V Hibs free stream
http://footballhd.me/skysports3.html
@Jim Thompson.
Received forms yesterday from North Lanarkshire Council intimating I have been appointed as referendum agent for wings over Scotland.
Briefing session by the Counting Officer has been arranged for 27th August.
Excellent, Gerry. I offered my services for S Ayrshire or Fife (have access to digs across there), as needed, but nothing from our hyper-efficient council team(s) yet. Maybe there’s another Winger in S Ayrshire, of whom I am unaware … hmmmm.
🙂
@Ian Brotherhood & @Oneironaut
have you guys got twitter accounts? I need to either PM you or e-mail about our area.
Hi Jim.
The WOS Referendum Agent for Dundee has been appointed (Arthur Birnie) but has only asked for volunteers on his Facebook page and the “YES Dundee and Surrounding Areas Events & Information” Facebook page.
I got the impression from posts on his wall that you couldn’t volunteer if you couldn’t be at the Council’s briefing presentation on Tuesday morning (19th) but I subsequently noticed that he had mentioned, “and Robbie Spence who is coming to the count but cant make the briefing”.
I’ve posted on his wall, seeking clarification as to whether attendance on Tuesday is mandatory, as I was willing to volunteer to do a few hours at my polling station.
Thankd Brian.
Just had a look at the South Ayrshire website and found this list of agents:
http://www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/referendum/sir2014-notice%20of%20referendum%20agents.pdf
I’ll have a scout around the other local areas and see what i can dig up.
East Ayrshire:
http://www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/Resources/PDF/N/NoticeofReferendumAgents.pdf
Wonder who the guy is at the top of the list.
North Ayrshire – no Wings agents.
http://north-ayrshire.cmis.uk.com/north-ayrshire/Portals/0/Referendum%202014/Notice%20of%20Appointment%20of%20Referendum%20Agents.pdf
Fife:
http://www.fifedirect.org.uk/uploadfiles/publications/c64_NoticeofReferendumAgents.doc
Perth & Kinross:
http://www.pkc.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=26751&p=0
Falkirk:
http://www.falkirk.gov.uk/services/council-democracy/elections-voting/docs/scottish-independence-referendum/Notice%20of%20Referendum%20Agents.pdf?v=201408141407
Shetland:
http://www.shetland.gov.uk/about_elections/documents/NoticeofReferendumAgents.docx
That Alistair McConnachie appears again. Who is he?
I’m going to be taking 18th & 19th Sept as a holiday and will be available to help out on Referendum duties in Shawlands Glasgow if required. Just let me know.
@Bob Sinclair – looks like you’re the Wings agent there:
http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=12957
No Wings in Argyll & Bute, although that Alistair bloke is there again.
http://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/sites/default/files/sir_agents.doc
Jim Thomson – looks like, on the East Ayrshire list, 13 out of the 18 campaign reps are pro Indy. Don’t know who Alistair McConnachie is representing so counted him as a No, as most Yes folk are proud to be known as Yessers. 🙂
I’ve not done a full trawl of the regions because I’m busy swotting up for something else I need to do on Wednesday. Just keep dipping into here every hour or so 🙂
That McConnachie name appears on quite a few of the ones I’ve seen.
Also, I don’t know who the Brian Blair lad from Minishant is, who is the South Ayrshire rep. Hopefully he’ll be on here soon and unveil himself (in a perfectly decent way, of course 😉 )
Sorry, that should all have been prefixed with @TJenny 🙁
All,
I’ve been working away from home last couple of weeks & never had a chance to check this out. I’m going to need some help/advice with this. Those who have my email, could you drop me a quick email.
Jim Thomson – That Alistair McConachie, wth the same address of G2 4JR, (when Googled that address seems to have a few businesses at that address including a Hair Studio, the Pantheon Club and Carpet Shop) appears on
N Ayrshire
E Ayrshire
Perth & Kinross
Falkirk Council
all whilst being based at the same address. How can this be? Is he a Time Lord? Are these places all having the vote at differing times? Is there such a thing as a floating referendum agent?
I couldn’t open the links to Shetland or Fife council’s lists, but if he’s there too, Dr Who needs to be told.
(With my tin foil hat on, could this be used as a spoiler? Lists of reps weren’t correct or somesuch skullduggery?)
possibly this guy
http://companycheck.co.uk/director/911126352/MR-ALISTAIR-DAVID-MCCONNACHIE
Not sure what the trust does yet though – more digging …
Co -directors:
http://companycheck.co.uk/company/SC341272/THE-JAMES-GIBB-STUART-TRUST/directors-secretaries
accounts:
http://companycheck.co.uk/company/SC341272/THE-JAMES-GIBB-STUART-TRUST/financial-accounts
Not a monster company, but steady growth in funds.
This DOES NOT, however, mean that the trust has anything to do with his activities relating to the IndyRef.
Jim Thomson – that links very De Ja Vu as I’m sure I’ve seen it before re this chap in some other indy ref connection (BT donor or panel member?) Anyway, it doesn’t explain how he can be at different places at the same time.
http://jgstrust.org.uk/videos/
that link will take you to a page of the trust’s videos. Scroll to the foot and you’ll see Young Mr McConnachie giving a presentation to the “Get Britain Out” group back in 2001.
@TJenny, the ones from Shetland and Fife will be downloaded word docs. have a look in your downloads folder, or at the foot of your browser (I think)
I’m pretty sure he doesn’t have to be there personally but it allows him to appoint others to do the leg work (again, I think).
So, I suspect he’ll be on either the supporting Aye or supporting Naw lists with the EC. – not looked there yet.
Aye, sure enough he’s a Naw on the list
http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/find-information-by-subject/elections-and-referendums/upcoming-elections-and-referendums/scottish-referendum/register-of-campaigners-at-the-scottish-independence-referendum
Three posts back – 2001 should have been 2011 – getting tired.
Bin stuffin’ facts into the heid aw day and need dinner/a drink 😉
Jim Thomson – you deserve a break, eat drink and be merry. 🙂
He’s on the Dundee list as well –
Alistair McConnachie
268 Bath Street
Glasgow, G2 4JR
@Jim Thomson –
My e-mail:
ian@stevenston4.fsnet.co.uk
Did they ever get anyone for the North Ayrshire area?
I could probably help out at the Stevenston polling station at Glencairn (my old primary school, ahhh, nostalgia trip…)
I’ll be going there to vote that day anyway. Just got the polling card through the letterbox on Friday 🙂
@Oneironaut – see my post at 3:24pm
Also, you might get an e-mail forwarded from Ian B that I sent him 🙂
@Jim Thomson
Ah ok, thanks 🙂
Normally I shy away from posting my E-mail address anywhere it can get easily hoovered up by spam bots.
Then again it’s already been pretty much infiltrated by unknown unsavoury characters anyway, judging by the number of my messages that keep disappearing.
I’ll likely be dumping it in favour of a more secure one at some point.
For now though, it’s at:
darkstar27 at Gmail dot com 🙂
Feel free to message me, unless you’re selling viagra, or if you have several billion pounds you want to transfer into my bank account from Nigeria, or if you’re from Microsoft technical support wanting access to my computer to “fix things”…
(Actually, if you’re that last one, feel free. I could use some entertainment! Hehe) 😉
@Jim Thomson –
Done and dusted.
This is all quite exciting, eh?
The memory is a strange thing, eh?
Thinking about Alistair Darling, I unaccountably remembered a favourite joke from my college days – one which garnered me a few free drinks during those lean years.
A wee Glasgow guy goes into the doctor’s for the first time:
‘Aha! A new face. Now, what can we do for you?’
The wee guy says nothing, but stands up, unzips his flies, extracts his penis, which is unusually large, and lays it on the desk. The doctor gets his specs on, dons latex gloves, and carefully examines the helmet, works his way along the foot-long shaft, then scrutinises the testes.
After a few minutes of painstaking examination he replaces the thing on the desk.
‘I can’t see anything wrong with this.’
‘Ah know,’ replies the wee guy, ‘it’s a pure belter intit?’
That Alistair McConachie is on the Aberdeenshire list too.
X-Sticks – do you not think that’s very strange? Will others who are not these resective lists be able to turn up and say they’re atttending instead of AMcC?
Maybe he’s representing the Scottish version of Spartacus party but they’ll all be Alistair McConachie instead – crikes maybe the UKOKs are using clones – eek!
Soz should read ‘not on these respective’ (I’ve lost the edit preview bit.)
@ Ian Brotherhood noo that cracked me up.Did you get the Badges.
@gerry parker that Bavaria beir went doon well wie the popeye steak I had.
@ronnie anderson –
Forgive me mister, I knew there was something I had to do – thank you aplenty indeed. They arrived on Thu/Fri. I’m totally chuffed.
I know I should really be wearing all these things, but the only one I wear regularly is the wee shiny gold one you gave me in Dundee. I want to keep the rest mint, for posterity.
(Oneironaut, on the other hand, is a fiend for the badges, and wears them all – he told me his jacket used to be waterproof before he got into the whole Yes thing!)
@Ronnie.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Perhaps the BTUKOKVNOBNOTHANKers could cover this song, and use AD as the front man. Imagine him…topless, running along the beach, the wind ruffling his eyebrows?
It’s a winner!
Hothouse Flowers, ‘Don’t Go’ –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiaS4PEC4MM
Cameron B and Michael mccabe,thanks for the offer of help on the 6th Sept. its at 7.30pm-10pm at back of pancake stall,middle meadow walk.
Check on the face book link in my ealier post for updates.This is my hubbys project really as Im busy with English scots for yes.we will have a stall at the meadows on that date too,lots going on that day,and were on middle meadow walk every tues and thurs from now till the big day!
Come and say hello any time,usually along side yes marchmont stall.
‘…when you don’t meet a chancer, there’ll be days like this…’
Van Morrison, ‘Days Like This’ –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BteIwbKU_iQ
Where’s Paula Rose?
Come in Paula Rose…
And where’s Alex McI?
Come in Alex McI…
Ach, well, you can’t keep tabs on a’body.
Here’s something…
Martin Luther King, ‘Free At Last…’ –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4Wbmp6CQo8
@TJenny et all re Alistair McConachie.
Probably nothing sinister, he probably represents some organisation.
Each Referendum Agent registers helpers with the Counting Officer (as obviously one person can’t be everywhere all the time (though I do try 😉 )). Would be interesting to know who he represents though, could it be Nob Orders?
X-Sticks – Ah, I see, so he’s kind of the manager and can appoint helpers. I was thinking he may be UKIP, but that’s a lot of areas to cover with UKIPPpers or Nob Orderers. Didn’t think they’d have that many, or maybe you don’t have to be eligible to vote in the ref to be an observer? If not, they may be being bussed up from darn sarf.
U2, ‘Pride (In The Name Of Love) –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHcP4MWABGY
YesConvoy pics from today:
http://imgur.com/a/umKGO#0
I haven’t added any text yet, I’ll get around to it later.
Same rule as before, if you don’t want to appear in any pics, let me know and I will remove them.
@Ian Brotherhood
Pity the badges aren’t waterproof too. Still got a couple from last year that are going rusty after campaigning on relentless rainy days 🙂
@Jim Thomson
Posted my E-mail yesterday, but it got stuck in a moderation queue for some reason.
It’s at 17th August – 8:54pm, if you haven’t already noticed it popping up there 🙂
I have, today, received notification of my appointment as the WoS Referendum Agent for the Angus Council Area.
I’m taking this appointment very seriously and I hope to be able to rely on the assistance of an army of volunteers from the north of Dundee, Forfar, Brechin, Montrose, Arbroath and surrounding areas.
Make no mistake, the task ahead is a daunting one, with 160 polling stations to account for, which are spread as far and wide as Dundee, Glenisla, Kirriemuir and Edzell to the west, and over thirty miles of the coastline on the east. To visit each station individually for only one minute would require several days, but that’s not the job!
I’m going to make no bones about this – I’ve never done the job of a Referendum Agent before and I don’t profess to be an expert. However, my strengths (I’m told) lie in administration and organisation, though I may need a more ‘people orientated’ second in command. 😉
There is a meeting of the eighteen (Angus) Referendum Agents on Thursday 28th August to discuss local arrangements and I would hope to be able to present a plan for volunteers on the immediately following weekend (30/31 August).
Firstly, I need an Angus army! I need names, addresses and contact numbers (with e-mail info etc.) of people who would be willing to attend their (hopefully) local polling station(s) as an ‘agent on my behalf’. I draw your attention to the Rev’s post on this very topic which states the job of a referendum agent:
http://wingsoverscotland.com/32-alert-men-and-women/#more-58702
“- attend the receipt and opening of postal ballot papers and/or appoint postal ballot agents to do so on their behalf.
– attend polling stations on polling day for the purpose of detecting personation and/or appoint polling agents to do so on their behalf.
– attend the counting of votes and/or appoint counting agents to do so on their behalf.”
The opening of postal votes happens only in Forfar on four separate dates, so this one isn’t going to be too much of a problem. However, manning 160 polling stations for eighteen hours on the 18th September and then attending the subsequent count, is not a one-man job!!
It’s going to take some time to digest the many pages of information included in the pack I received today. Meantime, if anyone reading this in Angus is ready to step up to the plate on behalf of WoS, I can be contacted in the first instance by e-mail – john(dot)clark(at)belmont(hyphen)coms(dot)com. I’m looking for sensible, responsible individuals to oversee the goings-on in their locality on my behalf. I’m NOT looking for tin-foil hats, or people who have a tendency to jump up and down before engaging brain! This is an important undertaking, in the most important referendum you may ever be a part of, on possibly the most important single day of our lives. What I’m asking for is a big thing. I need YOU to help me on that very important day. I need your time, your understanding and your support.
Hi TT,
I am the WoS Referendum Agent for the Aberdeenshire area.
As TT says, we will ALL need volunteers to help with this,
WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DO THIS ALONE
NOw is the time that we will need our fellow Wingers to step up to the plate.
The Aberdeenshire postal votes take place over 10 days. I work full time, so there is no way I can do all that myself. We will probably need two people to cover each day of the postal vote count. If we can’ get that we might as well forget it.
Then as TT says there are the Polling booths, and while I didn’t count them last night there’s a lot in the Shire. I suspect we may not be able to cover all the PBs, but by working with other groups like WfI, the Greens etc perhaps we can get close.
Then there is the final count which could be a long long day and we’ll need enough people to give observers a break.
Anyone in Aberdeenshire who will be able to help can contact me at colinizat (at) Hotmail (dot) com.
I look forward to having my inbox swamped by volunteers 😀
@Oneironaut
You should have had that Micro$oft support e-mail by now 😉
I had a call from them just after 12 today but haven’t got the time to bugger them about for half an hour or so. Just told the wifie to sod off, and hung up.
I usually do a lot of “Uhuh” and “yes, go on” and “right that’s me doing it now”. That takes them about fifteen minutes or so, because I’m no awfy bright y’see and I need to be reassured that all the things I’m doin’ are correct.
When I get to the bit where I say “this disnae seem to be workin'” and they ask some more questions I then tell them that the pc came loaded with something called Line Yux or somethin’. There’s normally a short pause, they then try to go through it all again and eventually they get the drift that I’m winding them up.
Doesn’t stop them from calling every other day though.
Sometimes I hand the phone to my “IT guy”, normally one of my sons, who all have a great set of patter lines they use. can be very entertaining 😛
@Tartan Tory
I’ve still no idea what the Wings ID is of the guy who’s been nominated for S Ayrshire.
I’m keen to have a word (might have to look him up in the phone book) and find out what his plans are.
On the subject of making sure all the polling stations are covered, I suggest you get into a huddle with the other Yes leaning agents and agree some sort of attendance schedule so that you try to have at least two observers there all the time regardless of the sponsoring Agent.
Further to Tartan Tory & X_Sticks comments RE Referendum Agents, I am awaiting further info from Glasgow City Council.
As TT & X_S have already said, this is not going to be a one man job and I will be looking for volunteers to help/advise as, like TT I have not done this before.
I am in the same ‘boat’ as TT & X_S regarding the postal vote count, being fully employed I will not be able to cover this other than Friday Afternoons which will not be a problem.
I plan to set up an e-mail address tonight which will solely be for this purpose (to prevent emails getting lost in a sea of spam) & will also be looking at getting a cheap mobile & PayG sim so I can have a dedicated phone No. for this.
As soon as I have this all set up I will post details on here & look forward to getting this job done.
Just a wee update on WBB status:
The 20k print run of the ‘Collector’s edition’ is being delivered on Thursday (I hope)
Ivan McKee and myself are then hiring a van and putting these out round the central belt (population density and all that).
I fear that delivery is all spoken for… :((
Then, on or near 28th, the full 200k run will come off the presses. Stu is setting up hubs around the country – he’ll no doubt release details in due course.
bob sinclair says:
I am in the same ‘boat’ as TT & X_S regarding the postal vote count, being fully employed I will not be able to cover this other than Friday Afternoons which will not be a problem.
I’m actually in a different ‘boat’ Bob. I have a company to run, which can be a bit more than a 9-5 job! However, I am on record of stating already that this is too important for one mans financial concerns to over-ride the greater good. If I lose business or upset customers because of this, then so be it.
I hear what you are saying TT & agree entirely with you. Will be putting as much into this as I possibly can.
Jim Thomson, Brian Doonthetoon + X Sticks, re discussion on Alastair McConnachie being a Ref Agent in many and varied locations, and discussed in earlier comments on this thread, I see the Rev has named him in the ‘Bigots Together’ post as a holocaust denier. I knew I’d heard his name before when we were digging around for any info on him, how did I miss this!
I’d checked whether he was on any Scottish UKIP contender lists, he doesn’t seem to have been, but didn’t look for him on BNP, though maybe he’s just an independent (the irony) nut job.
Oh well, just so long as he doesn’t become an indy ref poll denier.
@TJenny
“Oh well, just so long as he doesn’t become an indy ref poll denier.”
Just got this mental image of him going on TV after a Yes vote and saying: “Errr, can we try that again, best out of three?” 😉
@Jim Thomson
Yep, they’re fun to mess with 😉
Worst thing they can do is try to pull that scam on a computer tech with an evil sense of humour and too much time on his hands, hehe.
Had them just snap after a while and shout more verbal abuse than a BT agent’s Twitter feed. 😉
Ok Folks in Glasgow, I’ve set up an email account as follows:
indyref2014WoS[at]gmail[dot]com
Drop me an email if you can assist please.
Could someone give me details of and a means of contacting WoS Agent for referendum for South Ayrshire. I am prepared to offer a significant amount of time to help him out with postal votes etc. Thanks
@Vince
here’s the details you need :
http://www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/referendum/sir2014-notice%20of%20referendum%20agents.pdf
I need to contact him too at some point.
I still haven’t received any correspondence from GCC Regarding Ref Agent.
Anyone know if they’ve sent info out yet? I’ll call them AM tomorrow.
Hi folks!
Just letting you know that things have started with the Ref Agent for South Ayrshire, just as the scale of task sinks in…
The aim of the game is as many sensible people as possible to keep an eye on things, so help is required if we’re going to make the Wings effort work. It’s a good idea to have plenty people involved to keep things honest and straight but with a cool head.
If any Wings regulars are interested, feel free speak up! 🙂
Obviously half the problem for this is many won’t be members of parties or old hands at the game as this referendum has brought in so many from outside the usual politics or the party web of contacts and established organisation.
We’re Winging it to say the least…
@Morag
Just been in contact with our shiny new South Ayrshire Agent 🙂
He thought you might be able to help shine some light on what we (Agent plus helpers) all need to do.
I haven’t scoped the size of the task yet, but I suspect there will be dozens of polling stations and a few days worth of postal vote checking to be done on top of the final count stuff.
Any and all help appreciated 😛
Any WOS agent for NW Perthshire needing a help re Blairgowrie/Alyth/ Coupar Angus side of things?
Sorry -meant NE Perthshire!
I think it’s important to note too we’re not going in swivel-eyed to spot conspiracies. It’ll be exciting on the day as we’ll be right there as it is all progressing, we’ll have a good idea of what direction it is heading before announcements and we can say we were there and involved, but don’t expect X-Files or to battle shadowy ballot-tampering MIBs. 😉 It’ll be more a comfortable shoes and bottle of water sort of day, I suspect. Getting as many sensible folk out there to be Alert Readers for South Ayrshire on the scene is what counts. There’s a lot for us to learn on this in the mere month (!) we’ve got left.
I think the rural areas especially will need a lot to cover the many small polling stations miles apart in villages, etc.
Jim Thomson says:
I haven’t scoped the size of the task yet, but I suspect there will be dozens of polling stations and a few days worth of postal vote checking to be done on top of the final count stuff.
Just to add to your scoping techniques Jim, if I were to complete the Agent task to it’s full extent, I would be looking at 500 volunteers!!! This is based on three ‘shifts’ of 6 hours each at the (160) polling stations on my patch, plus the maximum permitted agent numbers per postal vote opening sessions and at the count itself.
Needless to say, this will need to be rationalised by combining and co-ordinating efforts with other ‘like-minded’ YES agents….. Much to do!
@TT – did ah no jist say that at 2:16pm 😉
So you did, but I hadn’t appreciated the enormity of the task at that point! 😉
BTW, the polling station ‘agents’ are not permitted inside the polling stations themselves. There is no ‘overseeing’ to be done in there!
Polling station agents are more about watching turnout and canvassing those going into the polling station in an officially unofficial capacity!
Tartan Tory dear – can I unofficially attach myself to you? – back to stuffing.
I think you just want another hard’n’fast ride in my car Paula darling! 😉
Please don’t laugh…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT9Ify40I_U&feature=youtu.be
@Paula Rose
I wouldn’t want them to build my house if that’s the kind of walls they put up. If the infamous cairn is being build to those standards it’s going to be a death trap.
I wonder if they imagine walls of shoogly breeze blocks around every border? It’s a wonder it didn’t fall over in the wind and land on them.
@ Paula Rose thats a tall order,( dont laugh ) you canny dey anything else but laugh. Your just another Brick in the Wall,noo there,s a song.
@Paula Rose –
Good god, what a total embarrassment.
They didn’t need a sledgehammer – my dog could’ve pushed it over.
Utter rubbish, but a classic of its kind.
Ian dear – I’m only following orders.
Blooming nob sort xx
Why am I here again? I thought I was being a serious girl – oh what the hell, I hope you are all doing your thang and convincing folk. I had to deal with an arrogant loud-mouthed englander yesterday – he won’t try that chat up line again.
Paula Rose,
Y’jammy lady! Had a spin in TT’s Quattro, eh?
Lucky you.
It’s all your fault Ah just wet mysel Paula Rose 😉
cearc dear – I couldn’t possibly comment xx
X_Sticks dear – too much information.
We had a good meeting tonight in the Cranberry Rose Centre, Pennyburn, Kilwinning.
A crowd of ‘Socialists For No’ turned up. First I’ve heard of them, but they were team-handed (six, I think) and had nice shiny leaflets to give to the 60 or so attendees. Apparently, one of them (a worryingly embittered-looking young French man) had, apparently, travelled up from London. Their efforts to derail the meeting flopped miserably, but why they went to such efforts remains a mystery.
I had to chair the thing. Richie Venton, Colin Turbett, and Louise Cameron (a new SSP member, and brilliant speaker) did their thing, and it all went swimmingly.
I just wish we’d had the WBB to dish out…
Ian dear – I’d just settled down to stroke my pussy and you bring disturbing news of a french variety, non pour les future?
Well done Ian.
“Socialists for NO” where the fuck are they recruited from?
These are the same “Socialists” that side with the Lords, Land owners, Millionaire Bankers and Tories.
Their having a laugh. No wonder they had to go to France to recruit them. Six socialists who see being harder on welfare than the Tories as a good thing. Not even funny.
Does anyone know who Garve Scott-Lodge is, other than being our agent for Highland?
He’s probably in deep shock looking at the task. 299 polling stations!
‘Socialists for No’ is hat the same group as ‘Commies for cant’?
@Paula Rose/Thepnr –
I didn’t even remember to take one of their leaflets. Strange outfit. I’ll find out what I can about them, and it would certainly help if I could remember their actual name. It wasn’t ‘Socialists For No’ but very close to it…
Oneironaut – did you happen to take one of their leaflets?
See how that ‘t’ jumped?
Socialist action
http://www.socialistaction.net/Britain/British-Politics/Scottish-Independence-–-why-socialists-should-call-for-a-No-vote-in-the-coming-referendum.html
very very splintered group.
@cearc
“He’s probably in deep shock looking at the task. 299 polling stations!”
I think that’s a given! Hopefully many hands will make light work…
@Paula Rose –
Cheers.
That does seem to be them. Why they’ve never surfaced before now is strange – why they choose to do so in Kilwinning is stranger still.
No matter – Colin Turbett and Richie Venton kicked their arses (in the nicest possible way, naturellement) and the French lad made a show of leaving during Colin’s final comments. The rest of them had the civility to stay seated, but bolted as soon as Richie finished his sum-up.
They hung around in the courtyard long enough to have fleas inserted in their ears, and departed to cries of ‘Don’t forget to vote Yes comrades!’
Bickering Socialists – what are we like!?
Note to self –
Stop using ‘apparently’ in comments…
‘Don’t forget to vote Yes comrades!’ Nice one 🙂
This is what the referendum is doing to us. Won’t stop me though, I was crazy before the campaign started. LOL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kIJKIhsXKY
Here is a wee song for Westmidden and there gravy train. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=OmtlqB0x59Y Vote Yes.
I like the Socialist worker bit, whit workers are the appealing tae, you,ll find them awe doon the job centre, Fkin muppets.
@ Bob,
I have received all the referendum agent material from North Lanarkshire council.
Going through it now.
A briefing meeting has been arranged by the counting officer on Thursday 27th August.
commencing 7pm.
Referendum canvassing – Scene 1:
“Action”
Knock! Knock!
Wha’s there?
No Thanks
What’d ya mean, you’re knockin at my door, wha are ye?
No Thanks
You’re nae right you, you shid be lifted, awa’n bile yer heid.
“Cut”
You learn something new every day.
What I have learned today:
B&Q does not sell elastic bands.
Please share.
Referendum canvassing – Scene 2:
“Action”
Knock! Knock!
Wha’s there?
No Thanks
What do you want?
We want to talk
How many of you are there?
Two
Then you can talk tae each other! By the way you got the number right!
“Cut”
Comments open on BBC Scotland thread re Tim Vine wining ‘one-liner’ of the year at Edinburgh Festival.
I commented in line with others posting their own one-liners:
Q. Did you hear about the Indyref related thread that was open for comment?
A. No, neither did I.
Just got an email from the BBC saying my comment had been deleted for (insert your own reason).
Someone much cleverer than me put together this playlist on YouTube.
It’s the Q&A session from our Troon Jim Sillars, Philippa, Ivan & Ben gig last week.
The main speakers will be added to another YouTube posting over the next day or two.
Enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0flgxbaS2Rl1MFUmsEHwztIduPHesXFV
I’ll just post the same thing on the current main thread now …
Shameless plugging 😛
@Ian,
Your local friendly postman should be able to get you some.
Oh btw, I meant Wednesday 27th August for the briefing of election agents for NLC.
enjoy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GowMI4wvmU4
@Ian Brotherhood
B&Q sell hairy string, so why would you want elastic bands from them?
@Ian Brotherhood
I didn’t take one of their leaflets. Got plenty of toilet paper at home, thanks! 😉
The first one who asked a question was going on about how a Yes vote would split the working classes of the different countries within the UK, when they should all remain united against capitalism.
Slight variant of a similar tired old argument I’ve heard before.
And I’m sure I’ve seen the guy who said it somewhere before too. Can’t remember where though. Only caught a glimpse of him on the way in, since I was right at the back with the “camera crew” (Me and another party member who was videoing the meeting) and spent the night staring at the backs of people’s heads.
Think I’ve managed to track the group down though.
The picture on this site looks like one of their leaflets:
socialequality.org.uk/
At the time I thought they were just some sort of new BT trolls pretending to be socialists like some kind of poorly thought-out political trojan horse effort.
But now I’m thinking they’re just dangerously misguided…
I’m hearing of queues of people at John Street, Glasgow to register to vote. Anyone got info on this? An awakened population, or busloads of people from England and NI shipped in to boost the No vote?
Is anyone checking it out?
Historical note:-
Hairy string was widely used in the post office in the 60’s to tie up bundles of letters prior to delivery, and to tie up the necks of parcel bags before they were dispatched. Nowadays they use elastic bands to bundle the letters, then discard them all throughout their delivery.
I pick em up, give them a light wash with some washing up liquid and a spot of savlon, and Hay Presto, bands to bundle my Yes newspapers!
I also save up bits of hairy string, but that’s another (sad) story.
🙂
Have a good day wingers, get out there and talk to people, or talk to them on the phone and get them to think and talk to other people. Pop a leaflet or two through a door, don’t have any Yes material lying round, get it out there. 28 Days to go.
We can win this.
Perhaps this is already being attended to, but will we see a ‘WBB Selfie’ Facebook/Twitter campaign? Remember what happened when the Sunday Herald came out? That was impressive.
As soon as the actual WBBs appear we could do likewise, make it trend, and get even more bang for our buck.
Anyone know the Wings Election Agent for South Lanarkshire?
Apparently South Lanarkshire
had the briefing meeting last night and are restricting the number of people to be allowed at the count.
I have someone interested in attending the count from Yes Rutherglen.
Gerry, I’ve scoured their website and found nothing helpful.
Try an e-mail to this person assessor@lanarkshire-vjb.gov.uk who is the main contact for election enquiries. Ask for a list of the Referendum Agents and/or a link to the the list on the website.
You could mention that the lists for other authorities are all very easy to find.
Hope that helps
I’ve also filled in an on-line form on the SLC website requesting that they add a list of agents’ names.
Not holding my breath though, might turn a very peculiar colour …
@ Jim.
Many thanks, will do.
How you doing with volunteers Gerry? :-/
Thus far, I’ve received one volunteer e-mail from here, with another who I know will be involved anyway.
Spoke to X-Sticks this morning and he’s had…… none! 🙁
Come-on ye keyboard warriors, we need troops on the ground!
I’ll repeat my earlier plea in case it’s been missed:
If anyone reading this in Angus is ready to step up to the plate on behalf of WoS, I can be contacted in the first instance by e-mail – john(dot)clark(at)belmont(hyphen)coms(dot)com. I’m looking for sensible, responsible individuals to oversee the goings-on in their locality on my behalf….. Please!
@ TT.
Have been speaking to a few people locally John.
I’ve got a list of election agents for North Lanarkshire and will be contacting the Yes representatives there. No point in too many at the one location, and none at another.
When Stu asked for 32 Volunteers he must have got more than us as a response surely.
Perhaps if the WBB work eases off a bit he could share the info with the nominated election agents.
@Tartan Tory says:
20 August, 2014 at 11:23 am
sent an email today with my availability
Cheers Pete. You just doubled my volunteer count! 🙂
It’s obviously a personality popularity competition TT, so I must be on a hiding to nothing.
It’s going to be a difficult job covering the 10 days of postal vote counts, 128 Polling Stations and the vote count.
I could be a bit stretched…
@Tartan Tory
it occurs to me (some things occasionally do …) that maybe the lack of offers for Agent assistants is because very few of the “regular” WoS readers know this thread exists.
It’s also a bit tricky trying to encourage people to place their e-mail details on here, for obvious reasons.
I think the suggestion above for Stu to pass on his list of offers is the best and most secure way of limiting access to those of us not in possession of a tinfoil hat 😉
Who’s going to be brave enough to e-mail Stu and suggest that? 😛
Got the latest batch of info from South Ayrshire Council, joy of joys! 😀
Meeting for me with other agents and council is soon and we’ve got to start getting lists of names for various nominations/duties.
We’ve got several days of postal vote openings, the polling stations and the ballot box count itself to cover, ideally.
@X_Sticks
128! I reckon we’ve got about 50 to cover here and I thought that was bad enough. You’ve also got more days of postal opening there to cover too. Ouch.
@Jim
I think you’ve just nominated yourself to prod Rev Stu into doing that. 😛
Might be a good date and location for a “gathering”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-28867301
Jim,
I’ll e mail Stu.
🙂
I must apologise for lack of active participation people. Unfortunately I am only just out of hospital and I am pretty much housebound at present. Pretty useless in terms of getting out there and actively pushing for yes.
I am hoping to be stronger over the next couple of weeks, though: and if there is anything I can do from home I am more than willing. I live in the west end of Glasgow so anyone who needs a housebound helper in that area let me know through TBW
http://thosebigwords.forumcommunity.net/
@gerry parker
phew! – close shave there. Thanks:-)
@Fiona
Hey, welcome back to the den 🙂
Hope you’ll start feeling better soon. I know that I always felt better when I escaped the clutches of those dire hospital beds.
I always ended up sleeping on top of the covers, because sleeping on top of a plastic mattress was never any fun.
I’m sure you’ll have more than a few requests for assistance.
Take care and be good(ish) 😉
Thank you Jim Thomson 🙂
My Grandson has a Apprentiship placement, but the problem is he needs digs in Aberdeen,he & his dad were all round Aberdeen today with no luck he,s supposed to start on Monday 25th at Anderson Drive Industrial estate,or lose the placement. Can any Wingers help with information, or know of anyone with a spare room.
@Tartan Tory get your appeal up on the main page & Twitter /F Book pages, best of luck John.
Sometimes what with all the doom & gloom from BTNTUKOK you need a bit of light relief and it is being amply supplied on Twitter at the moment with all the ‘Crowds Flock to see Jim Murphy’ tweets, for example:
https://twitter.com/spoozd/status/502169114920898561
Sounds like monitoring the referendum is plenty involved… hats off to everyone involved. Makes gathering for a few pints seem like a trifling matter.
I get the impression that events have taken over somewhat and Airdrie is not happening unless Gerry Parker or Patrician can advise otherwise.
I guess it could have been a useful meet for Wings referendum agents to compare notes but if there is no appetite then fair does – short notice now.
Anyway – whatever happens I am proud of you all and the effort made.
@Jim Thomson
“Who’s going to be brave enough to e-mail Stu and suggest that?”
Nooooo, he’s scary! 😮
(*hides behind Paula Rose*)
If he’s still looking for people for North Ayrshire, I could volunteer for that.
Is it past the deadline for registering them now?
I suspect Yessers and especially Wings folk will be hiding their badges and wearing false beards for the next few weeks as desperate Referendum Agents attempt to press gang them into working for them…but we’ll still track you down.
😉
@Oneironaut
We’re still needing a lot of people to help with the manpower of covering everything. If you volunteer with your local Wings referendum agent (or are willing to allow someone else nearby to steal you away…) then that’s the best route.
Evening Tam Jardine, I’m still game furra gathering this Saturday if anyone’s at a loose end.. any takers for Glasgow, Edinburgh or Helensburgh? Disney matter if it’s 5, 15, 50 or 100 of us fine Scots.
A merry welcome to all the new readers that have found their way here.. there’s something for everyone 🙂
Swings and roundabouts in the bottom end of Stevenston this evening – door to door with Yes material, including car-stickers, wrapped in the leaflet for next Wednesday’s Ardeer Neighbourhood Centre SSP Public Meeting.
We assembled on the pavement outside the centre, spent ten minutes waiting for others, then decided where to start and headed off. The railway barriers had just gone down and cars were starting to back-up. Almost simultaneously, the two cars nearest us opened and a very large pony-tailed man (who I recognise and know as a local) got out of the first and said something to the colleagues behind me. The car parallel with me also opened, and a stocky, heavily tattooed middle-aged man shouted something to me, ‘Ho, mate’.
I thought ‘uh-oh’, as you do, ‘here we go, and we haven’t even got started.’ Turns out they both, separately, had spotted the Yes bag I was carrying, and wanted any spare materials we had. ‘Gaun yersel lads,’ was the general send-off.
We did approximately 500 doors between the four of us. Sadly, towards the end, a youngish woman called me back, said ‘Take your junk with ye,’ so I went back and she handed me the crumpled wee package. ‘The dug’s stamped it fur ye,’ she said. Such a shame, to see what must normally be a reasonably pretty face so contorted with hate. I live roughly two hundred yards from her door and we must have passed one another many times.
The two colleagues were also heckled by youngish lads with the now-familiar ‘stick your independence up your…’ etc.
It’s the first time I’ve witnessed incidents of either type – things are certainly warming up.
Cactus
Aye – agreed. Helensburgh a bit of a stretch but Glasgow, Edinburgh or between is possible.
@Ian
At least by the sound of it the good and receptive outweighed the bad! I think you’re right that things will get very heated towards the end. Before now it’s probably only been a simmer. The ever-increasing visitor numbers to this place that Rev Stu has been mentioning seem to be proof of the interest levels rocketing.
I hope everyone still behave themselves relatively well through it all, despite the demonisation going on and the use of rather ugly groups by the opposition.
@BB –
Yes, you’re probably right. The positives should be highlighted, and we encountered many more Yes flags and stickers than I expected.
I’m a bit down because I can’t help blaming the MSM and British State for what they’ve done and are still doing to my neighbours i.e. ‘ordinary’ citizens. We’ve all been subjected to such vast lies over such a long time, it should be no surprise that some people react as they do. But from a specifically SSP point of view, it’s particularly disheartening because we are totally skint: we organise these meetings with no more than a lot of legwork, a few thousand of the cheapest possible monochrome flyers/posters; we try to hold them in the heart of the communities most affected by Westminster decisions; we do our level best to make sure that residents of the targeted areas are given straight answers to whatever questions they raise.
Better Together have never shown face in Stevenston since the calamitous ‘launch’ of BT North Ayrshire last year. None of the main parties could demonstrate any more disdain for the people who live in the poorer areas of Ayrshire than they already have, and yet, when we organise a meeting, get volunteers to traipse miles trying to make sure that every household is made aware of it, we get that kind of bitter dismissal from one of the residents!?
Just feeling sorry for meself and me colleagues I suppose, but as noted by others, it will be replaced by anger, and firmer determination that we will not spurn this opportunity.
Ian darling, I’ve never been so busy and optimistic, get out there my dears, it is ours to win, can’t hang around work to do.
@Ian Brotherhood
Not to worry Ian my friend, the only way now from here on in is up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtKADQnjQmc
@Ian
Good on you. Don’t let it get to you. It’s easy to get down about it or even angry at times but we’ve got to rememeber that the poison has been fed into us all up to the eyeballs from BT, UK Gov and the media. Even with the best info and the best cause we’re going to get a few turkeys voting for Christmas. Advertising works, otherwise they wouldn’t pay millions for it. Just got to hope that we can keep chipping at it. If you can convince the friends and neighbours of such people then maybe they can in turn work on people you couldn’t connect to personally.
Of course the tendency for inherited voting habits always was a bad thing.
I have gone through as much of a Roller Coaster ride as anyone during this “campaign”, particularly in the last 3 or 4 months.
However, I realise that I was supposed to do that. That is the object of Westminster propaganda. It is designed to demoralise and depress.
I’ve got some bad news for their expert psychologists…I’m in a fantastic mood on the run in. It is you guys who are running away hahaha.
Come and have a go…Dickheads.
Cheers for encouragement friends.
Bobby McFerrin, ‘Don’t Worry Be Happy’.
(I’d already searched for this before realising, upon watching the video for the first time, that Robin Williams is in it…)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-diB65scQU
Hey Ian!
Your sending me to bed with a smile on my face. Wish I’d picked that. Goodnight.
Meeting in The Iron Burgh last night was stowed out. Tommy Sherriden was the main speaker.
@Tam Jardine. Out canvassing and leafleting I’m afraid. Also Election Agent for North Lanarkshire so I’ll be leaving any social events till after 18th.
Patrician did try and suss out some Airdrie locations but drew a blank. The prime premises didn’t want to be associated with either camp I believe ( Just like “No Football colours”)
2 locations in Coatbridge checked out but neither suitable.
@gerry parker – have you tried the Dreadnaught (or however it’s spelled these days) in Bathgate?
Jim, Don’t know Bathgate at all, only been there once (trainspotting in the 1960’s)
Thought the idea was to have it close to where Ronnie was in Airdrie.
E mailled Stu re volunteers information.
🙂
Heading to Greenock today.
Ahhh, yeah, sorry. Forgot about geography (not my strong point 😉 )
Hi there, just to offer my services for any polling day duties in either Perth or Stirling (I live in Perth and work in Stirling). Please let me know if I can help out. Thanks.
Anyway, stumbled across a few Lindisfarne tracks recently and now suffering from the dreaded ear-worm that comes with oldies but goldies [please take Lady Eleanor away .. arrgh].
So, to try and rid myself of that little ditty, here’s a live version of another, less played, song by them. It’s a wee bit more upbeat than the album version and seems to benefit from that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JFsQG2hrt0
@David Anderson
Here is the list of Ref Agents for P&K:
http://www.pkc.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=26751&p=0
I tried to find the one for Stirling but, their website is hideous and doesn’t seem to have any current links to IndyRef info.
@ ronnie anderson – Does he have a budget in mind for digs? I had a look at Gumtree [Aberdeen] website and there are quite a few rooms available.
I thought I would use my full name as I see we have a “wilma” on a main thread.
This is really for Ian.
I am no good at adding links so, please, go to Bella Caledonia and watch the livestreaming event of the results of the mass canvas at the 11am daily briefing for Tuesday. It is wonderful, it will cheer you up no end. The results for the poorer areas are coming out above 60% for Yes!The undecideds number is surprisingly high but with them removed, in some areas, it is over 70%. They canvassed over 18,000 people across Scotland.
I really admire all of you for your wonderful efforts. Michael and I just work on a small scale — one to one basis. But we have managed a few converts. I missed a fantastic photo opportunity the other day when Michael and two workmen were standing in front of our large Yes poster. They are all English men and each voting Yes—and this is in the wilds of Argyll too! Like you Ian, and others, I get very angry about what has been done during this campaign. I will never forgive Westminster, the BBC, the Labour Party in Scotland and the Liberals.(although I gave up on them as soon as they climbed into bed with the Tories.)
I have just become a lurker on this site recently but I do enjoy the chat, keep it up and remember. THE RICH ARE DEMANDING THAT WE VOTE NO. THE POOR ARE PLEADING WITH US TO VOTE YES.
I know who I am listening to, Wilma XX
@ X Sticks – I am available if required. You have my phone number.
@Wilma –
Great stuff. Cheers aplenty.
Amazing what a difference a good sleep makes – up and at ’em!
Glad it helped and you had a good sleep too.
Well, It looks like another obstacle has been removed. Replacement for Trident imminent:
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/war/swans-to-replace-trident-2014082089746
@Archie
Thanks Archie, only need to get another 18 folk now 😀
@Ronnie Anderson 20 Aug 7:46pm & @Archie [not Erchie] 21 Aug 10:38am
I had digs in Liverpool (a few years ago) that my better half found on a site called http://www.spareroom.co.uk/ Might be worth a wee keek for the Aberdeen area.
You fine people get to be the first to view Ivan McKe’s presentation as part of the Yes Troon event in the South Beach Hotel last week.
here’s the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Mit19G4uUQ
Two more to come, one from Jim Sillars, and the other from our very own Dr. Philippa Whitford.
They will (eventually) complete uploading later this evening [enormous file sizes because they were filmed in HD]
Please feel free to share the links.
The video descriptions will be updated in the near future to include acknowledgement for the filming and minor editing.
@Ronnie Anderson
Ronnie, I might be able to help your grandson, can you drop me an email with phone no to discuss..
Ahhh. just tried to post a YouTube link and it’s been trapped by “The System”.
Humblest apologies Stu [grovel grovel]
I’ll post it again with the URL in a different format.
Here’s the Jim Sillars link now (hopefully in a compliant format)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnuAA2-jmc4&feature=youtu.be
As a matter of interest, how many Wingers from Dundee would be interested in helping out the WOS Referendum Agent for Dundee, in some way, for some time, on Referendum Day, or for the postal ballot opening?
Jiss askin’ like, iye?
Hi Jim.
See your YouTube link?
It ends with watch?v=RnuAA2-jmc4&feature=youtu.be
You don’t actually need the “&feature=youtu.be” or “&” and a big screed of characters after the video ID number.
With any YouTube URL, if you strip out the “&” and everything after it, and start it with “www” and everything up to immediately before the “&”, you end up with a ‘clean’ YouTube address.
So, to take yours as an example, and remembering that WordPress adds the “HTTP colon and two forward slashes” automatically to the start, you would paste in,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnuAA2-jmc4
QED!
8=)
@Brian Doonthetoon
Aye, I know, more haste, less speed.
It all slipped past as I was doing about four different things at once and this was just one of three things I’ve had to go back over (although – you’ve done a grand job for me with the link 😉 )
I will offer my services for any polling duties in East Ren
to Brian Doonthetoon – were you in the Royal Navy by any chance
If there’s no North Ayrshire Wings Referendum Agent I’m sure that other Pro-Yes in that area or nearby Wings Ayshire Ref Agents would be happy to have any help from NA volunteers too. COUGH COUGH
😉
Hi Garve Scott-Lodge (Highland Referendum Agent)
I can help in Highland, have taken holidays so I can be available for the postal votes. Don’t know how to get in touch with you – can you post a message?
cheers 🙂
Campaigning, canvassing and leafleting in NEFife. Available to help on the day in NEFife.
And the final piece of the jigsaw … Philippa’s segment in the grand Yes Troon Event, on the glorious twelfth in the South Beach Hotel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM2SbYQ-tko
@Lanarkist here’s the word doc containing the relevant contact details for Fife.
Please note, this won’t open as a webpage, it is more likely to be a download to your PC so you’ll need to either look at the foot of your browser screen or in your downloads directory.
http://www.fifedirect.org.uk/uploadfiles/publications/c64_NoticeofReferendumAgents.doc
Here’s a quick summary of what is required for monitoring the Referendum for Aberdeenshire.
There’s three bits to it:
Postal vote count
This will take place at Gordon House, Inverurie, from Mon 8th to Thurs 18th Sept (except Sunday but including Saturday) start 9:30 (finish when that days votes are counted, I guess)
As this is over 9 working days plus a Saturday. I would like to have 2 people to attend each day. If we can find willing volunteers in Inverurie that would be perfect, but otherwise transport will be required, but if need we’ll organise that nearer the time when I know what resources are available.
Polling Station Agents
There are 125 Polling Stations in Aberdeenshire. I doubt we can cover much here, but I will look to co-ordinate with other Indy groups to cover as much as possible. May require some travel. Obviously more than one person will be needed for each Polling Station. I’m not sure how many Polling Agents we can appoint. In my ideal world (tinfoil hat on) the ballot boxes would be tailed to the counting centre at the AECC at the end of the polling.
Counting Agents
Up to 15 counting agents can be appointed to attend the count at the AECC from 7pm 18th Sept. It’ll be a long night, but YOU’LL BE THERE. (Obviously I will give preference to those who have assisted with the above 😉 )
I have to register all the above with the counting officer by 4:00pm Thurs 11th Sept, I’ll need the names and addresses of any volunteers before then. Phone number would be useful, but not compulsory. Would also need to know if you have transport and are prepared to travel/give lifts.
I will be attending a briefing on the 2nd September with the counting officer, so if you have any questions you’d like me to ask let me know.
My questions so far are:
– How many Polling Agents can we appoint?
– What happens to the counted postal votes each day, how are they secured?
get me at colinizat (at) hot mail (dot) com if you want to help.
NO time wasters, please. Only volunteer if you really mean it.
Still not got any info from Glasgow City Council which seems really strange given the short time left.
Early finish tomorrow so a quick visit to John Street will be first priority.
In the meantime I can be contacted at:
indyref2014wos(at)gmail(dot)com.
Over the weekend I will be putting together a plan for covering the polling stations, thinking that if I can get info on what other Yes groups are doing then the scale of the task may be reduced and will take it from there.
Given the huge number of polling stations etc I think a chat with other yes groups about their intentions might be in order, but I am going to need Postal Voting coverage.
Any assistance whatsoever will be gratefully accepted. Thanks all.
@Gerry Parker
Cheers Gerry – I think everyone is too busy now we’re getting to the business end. Take care – will see you on the other side.
And, of course X_Sticks has put it much more eloquently than me.
Great post & as soon as I have further Info I will be plagiarising his style because it couldn’t be put more clearly.
It would be really useful if we had a separate ‘sticky’ thread for this though, just in case anything gets ‘lost’ in the generality of ‘Off Topic’
Archie [not Erchie] says:
“You have my phone number.”
Err..can you send me your details again Archie – email above..ta.
I’ve emailed Rev Stu in the hope he can hint on his next post for people to come here and volunteer for various areas. I know not everyone checks in on the off-topic area.
*cough* South Ayrshire *cough*
@X_Sticks
re the Polling station agents – Assuming you’ve got the same rules we did, you can appoint unlimited total numbers for polling stations but only one person can attend at any given moment for a permitted participant (in this case WoS). So you could have two people in one day swapping over halfway but not attending the same station at the same time. It makes this clear on the front of the forms I’ve been given under Note 3 if you have the same preamble on the front of that form as me. Hope that helps.
Gotcha BB, thanks for that.
Ideally then you’d want at least 3 or 4 people to cover each polling station given it’s from 7am-10pm. Start and finish most important.
Co-ordination between the indy groups will be crucial to maximise cover. What will or will not be covered should be treated as sensitive information.
Firstly,
James Caithness…
The nearest I got to the sea as a member of an organisation was as a member of The Life Boys.
From there, I graduated to the paramilitary wing of The Church of Scotland, aka ‘The Boys Brigade’.
As a member of that organisation, The Queen gave me a badge.
That’ll do me – I have no desire for knighthoods or ermine, unless it gets me free beer in The Counting House…
Secondly…
Came across this document tonight, when seeking info about the duties of Polling and Counting Agents in respect of the Referendum.
IT SHOULD BE READ!
http://tinyurl.com/lwgm429
(I hope that tiny URL works. If not, I’ll repost.)
REV I hope your reading, I’d think we need a few new threads for polling volunteers or at least one new thread. I’ve no idea of doing the work necessary for 32.
I do think though that the importance of this work is worthy of a separate area to discuss.
Same for the WBB also, the distributors need to know where when and how, not much time.
Doh! how do you add a photo/logo to yer posts?
ie- like Thepr’s above…
Stakhanovite says:
“Doh! how do you add a photo/logo to yer posts?”
http://en.gravatar.com
Yes Airdrie are running a stall on Saturday morning, it should start at 10:00am. However, the normal pitch they have outside RBS is going to be high-jacked by Pamela Nash and No Scotland. So Yes Airdrie are going to set up at 9:00 am and are asking for any Yessers in the area to turn up to show their support.
@Thepnr
Agreed! It’d help if Rev Stu made a thread and directed people there via a front page message. Almost every area has 1-3 wings regulars to start with (including the Ref Agent themselveS) but we’ll need more than that to get this done and not every area is lucky enough to have someone committed to cover so many days (props to Jim!) so they’ll need more people to do the bare minimum of covering the counts themselves. We’ll need dozens at a minimum for covering the polling stations.
I’ve contacted him to ask if he can mention us and direct to off topic thread but your idea is even better and would really help a lot.
We’ve a *really* tight schedule to get this worked out in and can’t waste too much time. Forms need to be in council hands before 11th Sept or else it’s too late for them to get passes etc. to allow them in. If we want people to get time off or arrange babysitting, etc. it’ll need to be known and word get around long before that.
Again I think Thepnr’s idea @11:17 is a great idea for anyone reading. Please nudge Stu into it, everyone! 😀
@ThePNR, Stu doesn’t read many of the posts now. you would be best dropping him an email either directly or through the contact page.
We are never going to get enough volunteers to cover every polling station during opening hours. The important part to cover is the closing of the poll and sealing of the boxes.
Even with the help of all the independent Yes groups such as ourselves i doubt we would have the manpower to do it all.
Hopefully I’m wrong, but if I’m right I would suggest covering those stations with the largest votes which can be found on council websites. Certainly “escorting” these boxes to the main counting house.
Am happy to hear other opinions.
@Patrician
Got ye.
ok thanks
@Thepnr
If all the groups co-ordinate we might together have enough, or close.
Bfs
Farming4Yes
Generation Yes
Labour for Indy
Radical Indy
Scottish Green Party
SNP
WoS
WfI
Yes Scotland
@Thepnr
This is the same thinking I have. The Ref Agents get lists of all the boxes and the electorate number for it, so we know which ones are potentially the biggest if we look down the list. I’m hoping that between the many Yes groups we can drum up enough to see to it the boxes don’t go “wandering” or no one plays “swapsies”.
Depending on how many people we can get there’s a list of priorities and then the “wishlist” if we’re lucky.
I’ve sent an email to Rev Stu recommending Thepnr’s idea too, so he knows it’s not just one person who’s agreeing with the idea. He’ll hate me for adding to his inbox woes. 🙂
Does anyone know if there are other Wings badges than the “Alert Reader” and “On the List” ones available here? http://www.quickbadge.co.uk/sections/115/wings_over_scotland/
It’d be nice if I could make sure everyone helping out for WoS got at least one.
@ThePNR, I have tweeted Stu about your idea of a new thread, we will see what happens.
Regarding coordination – we’ve all got meetings with the council so we’ll end up meeting the local referendum agents for the opposition and for the various Yes groups in our areas. Should help for arranging meetings.
@Stakhanovite
See, just ask and it’s sorted. Good choice of avatar.
Guys, great work I must head off to bed now, have an alarm set for 05:00 and I’m already knackered.
Thanks patrician.
For any lurking Nawbaggers still capable of thinking for themselves:
‘Russian Ark’ (Finale) –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbkgAx8jdmc
@X_Sticks –
Aherm.
Sure there are aren’t any political parties still to be included on your list?
🙂
@Ian
I guess it depends on which groups are registered in each area and which ones he trusts. 😉
@BB, there are a few different badges available for WOS, I have counted at least 6 different designs over the last few months. Not sure how many are left now though, we have distributed a fair few thousand of them. kendoacaroonbar was the man getting them created so ight be worth contacting him to see if any are left.
@Patrician I,m just not long in was at a gig in the Mansion House
Cheers, Patrician. What’s the best way of tracking kendoacaroonbar to mug him for his badges? 😉
Tam Jardine ~ I could take a trip over to the capital on Saturday.. who else is available for an Edinburgh outing; T Jenny, CameronB Brodie, QFA.. are yee’s about?
A mighty thumbs up to all the readers getting involved in the polling process, helping to ensure the safe management of our votes, cheers.
@Ian.
Sorry Ian, but that those are all the registered Permitted Participants from Aberdeenshire. No SSP I’m afraid.
@ronnie anderson
http://wingsoverscotland.com/off-topic/comment-page-9/#comment-1822767
Wingers
I was out with some mates and was shocked to find one of them has his own No website.
It is pretty rubbish and he was complaining that nobody went to see it and looked a bit down cast when I told him wings has 2 million viewers and 300k WBB downloads in 2 days.
I offered to put it on wings in return for sending WWB around the rest of the guys.
2 definite Yes, 3 yes leaning (WBB will push them over to YES) and one No.
It is a shame he is a decent guy at heart
Here is his No site
http://www.saynoscotland.co.uk
if you would like to leave some comments on his blog…
Morning folks! Excited to be waking-up just over the water from where a lot of WBB’s are being printed. There was much talk with me about the WBB at the Business for Scotland dinner last night too! 🙂
@X Sticks, Thanks Colin this is my Daughters
E Mail addy send a contact her she will give you detais & my
home/moby numbers.
heather.valentine@dundeecity.gov.uk
@Ronnie
Done Ronnie.
We’ll see what we can do.
@X_Sticks –
Sorry mister, I thought you were just listing general Yes platform groups.
It’s well seen I’m having bother keeping up with these threads now, even O/T.
Nice problem to have. 🙂
@ X Sticks – emailed you with my details.
Thanks Archie – replied
@X-Sticks
You should have an email from me too.
North Lanarkshire Election agent.
gerry[dot]parker[at]gmail[dot]com
Good to catch up with Ronnie, Kendo & TT at the printers today, thanks for the box of WBB’s & will get them out in Shawlands Tomorrow. Also, thanks TT for sharing your views on Referendum Agent duties & putting me at ease.
Glasgow volunteers:
indyref2014wos(at)gmail(dot)com
@Bob Sinclair
Great News, thanks Tartan Tory for picking them up. Looking forward to getting my hands on some this Sunday.
Thank you too kenmacaroonbar.
I’ll have to get my whisky bottle for the 19th! Tried Jura 10 year and it was pleasant, but didn’t enjoy it as much as Glenfiddich. I’d rather celebrate/drown my sorrows with a brand that wasn’t seen as an official No voter.
Still trying to get the right one and time’s running out! 😉
On the subject of keeping track of boxes, someone a few weeks ago on one of the other threads suggested having our own seals (preferably tamper-proof) that we could add to the boxes. Is that allowed?
If so, would the seals have to be able to cover the top as well as the edge of the lid?
This sort of thing comes to mind – not cheap though:
http://www.indigo.co/Item/tamper-proof-evident-tape-red-50mm
http://www.data-label.co.uk/products/security-labels.html
http://www.labellock.com/product/stock-security-tape/
If it is permissible, anyone know of cheaper alternatives?
I see that somebody else, steph, is looking for the invisible Highland agent as well now.
Does he expect us to post letters to him?
@ Jim,
If you have a read at this
http://tinyurl.com/lwgm429
it would appear that seals can be added at the end but not at the beginning.
BB, although i’ve not had a drop for 10 years, I’ve got a bottle of Old Pultney 12 year old malt I may have a sip of on the 19th.
Not sure yet if we’re allowed to do this, Jim? I can imagine if everyone had a go we’d have a dozen plus seals on a box from each group and the standard official one. It might be a case of the designated polling station agents being allowed to check the official gov seal is in place and intact. Especially if they thought everyone would want to put their seal on it.
Could get pricey too, especially if someone lived in an area with hundreds of boxes to cover.
I’d hope and expect there’s some sort of lid to go over the top for sealing as it’d seem remiss to allow people to fish in through the top of the slot or add more to it after “sealing”!
Hopefully we’ll get more info on this in the meeting soon.
That’s great gerry! That PDF makes it clear that we can make sure boxes are empty and sealed at the start and then add our own seals to the box (assuming we’ve got someone cleared for that polling station)!
Oooops. Just to be extra clear. It’s just as gerry said, re we can add the seals at the END of the voting. This is the most critical time anyway, I’d expect.
@ BB
PDF courtesy of Brian Doonthetoon, he posted it earlier.
I’ve 363 boxes to cover at 132 polling places. That’s a lotta seals.
🙂
@gerry parker
I’ve printed the PDF! More bedtime reading for me! 😀 I’ve got a backlog now as the referendum stuff goes to front of the queue…
132 polling places. Oooh. That’s a few indeed. It’s the ones like the Highland that would have me sweating. I think it’s over two hundred polling places there? The rural areas spread them out more too. That’s a lot of people and a lot of seals to do.
We’re not too bad here. It’s 50 odd places and 120 boxes to cover. Combination of urban and rural. I shan’t complain. Except to any Ayrshire Wings readers who haven’t volunteered here yet! GET TO IT, NOBLE WINGERS!
BB,
That’s why I would have expected the Highland agent with 229 polling stations to make his presence known by now.
Only know who it is from the council website.
Unfortunately cearc it is possible that a few “enthusiastic at the time” but had a change of mind slipped in. Or worse those with no intention of acting for Wings but hoped to derail our efforts.
We do what we can, that’s about the sum of it.
Yeah, I hope they do make themselves known. Maybe they don’t know about the off-topic bit or are more active on Facebook and Twitter than the site? 229 polling stations is no mean feat to cover, even with good coordination.
Some places have many more days of postal vote openings too. Here it’s six days. Others could have more. Not everyone is lucky enough to have people who can cover more than one day either so the numbers just to do the bare minimum of watching the postal vote openings and the count go up straight away.
We’re really pressed for time on volunteers too. The forms need to be completed and sent off in a couple of weeks or else no one gets in anywhere. Not long to get word about and amass all the volunteers and find out who is happy to watch what. No matter how many or few are down on the list, forms get sent off before closing date. Anyone who volunteers after that can’t help as council passes via the forms are needed. :S
I’m hoping Rev Stu reads his inbox and the requests in it to mention on the front page about the need for volunteers. This (and his Twitter account) is obviously the hub for Wingers for us to get the message out. Too few people visit the off-topic area regularly for everyone to get all they need.
@Thepnr
I think you might be right in that some may have bottled it when they got an idea of the scale of the task at hand. Which is a shame as I’m sure others in the area would pick up the baton (although I know some areas got none in the end, I belive Stu mentioned them?).
If possible in the areas with the missing agents not making themselves know and impossible to track down then keen Wingers may be able to help out in a nearby area?
For instance there’s no North Ayrshire Wings agent, so any from NA are welcome to help out in South Ayrshire if they want the Wings Referendum Experience. 😉
I’m in contact with my local SNP, RIC etc groups who are registered – we will have all bases covered, in each area we need to know where there is a shortfall. All who want to help – keep an eye on Off-topic, we are going to win this.
@BB
Agreed. It’s a fact of life that 99.99% of those that read Wings have NO contact with any others. There is so little time and unless we can get email addresses and phone numbers to each other then their may be a lot less Wings volunteers as hoped for.
My personal opinion is that each referendum agent must offer to team up with other pro-yes groups so as to cover as many bases as possible.
I don’y believe we need people to cover the polling stations from 07:00 until 22:00. Only the period before 07:00 and after 22:00 when the boxes are sealed.
Next, those that do volunteer would be best placed where there are the most voters, look at the Highlands with 229 polling stations, which would you chose to cover.
Again my own view, we should try to cover every single event of the opening of the postal votes. This is long recognised as the area most likely to be abused. If there are not as many bodies on the ground as we would like. I think I’d focus my energies there.
By the way I am not an agent but will be assisting Tartan Tory for the Angus area. I will definitely be available to monitor the postal vote openings.
Best of luck.
Just had a productive chat at local Yes hub & this task looks like it might become a bit more manageable.
Once again, link for anyone in Glasgow who can help/advise.
indyref2014WoS(at)gmail(dot)com
Distribution
I saw kendomacaroonbar today and he thinks my garage in central Kirkcaldy would take 3x 1msq pallets. There is off street parking for loading and unloading but I dont have pallet handling. I am available to help up to 10 Sept, in as much as 73 year olds with gammy legs “help”.
From 10 Sep I’m on daily postal openings for Fife for Yes so I’ll not be available except in the evenings
Sorry to interrupt you guys discussing the need for volunteers at the polling stations, but I just wanted to give another wee plug to the ‘Scotland Yet’ feature film which is now free to view.
Got a spare hour and a half this evening ? Pour yourself a glass of your favourite tipple, sit back and enjoy.
You’ll even get a glimpse of our very own Stu !
Watch here:
Bob
Just dropped you an e-mail about helping out in Glasgow.
Cactus and TJenny
Sorry mate – am ludicrously skint so my stravaigin days are on hold for now. Am bleedin working the morn as well so will miss most of the wonderful leith says aye! Festival but I can recommend it Cactus. If you and TJenny make it, head to the Cask and Still about 5pm will manage a quick up-and-downer apres work x
Is there an easy way to find out where all the Yes hubs are other than stumbling over them and remembering? 😛 I get asked and I’ve no idea where they are listed.
Well I haven’t seen any mention on Stu’s twitter thread but I don’t do facebook.
I would have thought that the people Stu chose would have been long time wingers and would know about o/t. If anybody has bottled it they should at least get a few people who may be willing to take on the organising although they would still be the agent in name.
BB
Try this link, or visit your local Yes group’s site
http://www.events.yesscotland.net/join_an_event
Tam Jardine – just Googled to see where the Cask and Still is, and I see it’s the old Volunteer Arms. I remember boyfriend and friends and I going there before gigs as they, even in the 90s still sold quarter gills and very cheaply too. 🙂 – happy days. Anyway so handy for your work so hope to see you @ 5ish, maybe Cactus will appear too, I’ll look for the Hat. Don’t worry about spoondoolies if you want to go on somewhere else later.
@Tam Jardine
Thanks. Local Yes group says nothing about a hub or Yes shop, etc. Nothing on the events mentioning the swanky branded Yes hubs/shops either. I guess around here it’s being run out of someone generous person’s own lock-up or home like the rest of us mere mortals. 😉
Pity though! Would have been handy.
@cearc
I doubt you’ll find any disagreement on that (I’d suggest exactly the same with the replacement idea) but we’re stuck with the reality of it unless people can track the inactive ones down. There are meetings for the referendum agents with the council in each area. Some may be over already, some are very soon. You can still participate if you miss it, but it’s a great chance to learn about the process and meet the other groups to get cooperation with them.
The biggest barrier so far is roping people in. I’ve got a couple more that are willing to check in at the end of polling to the polling station, but we need Wings folk involved and that means the Wings site or twitter account pimping the cause so we can gather people under our wings. 😉
The hardest part is getting the potential volunteers to know about us as this site is the only place we have, really. After that we can work out where people can help out, fill out forms, etc. That part I’m ready for by now.
Good wee leafleting session in Stevenston’s Hayocks this evening for our Wed 27th meeting in Ardeer.
Big shout to the two neighbours at the cul-de-sacs near the top end of Hyslop Road – very impressive Yes flags and Hamish poster on show – more power to ye’s!
I’ve lived in Stevenston for 16 years, but never had much cause to go up ‘the top-end’. I’d no idea it was so big. And if the window posters/car stickers are anything to go by? It’s 10-1 Yes, no problem.
BB,
We could really do with Stu putting a page up with the names and contact details of all the agents.
I am not doing a 250 mile round trip to bang on a door to find our agent. The council list just gives names and addresses.
Obviously, Stu passing on the emails of people who volounteered would be a help for the agents but not on its own.
I didn’t volounteer as I didn’t think it would be feasible, geographically, for me to organise people as I am so far from the centre of the very large area and I have to be here to shut my birds up in the evening so wouldn’t be able to have meetings in Inverness in the evenings.
Sounds like you are doing a great job setting yours up.
@Ian Brotherhood
Fantastic to hear! Always had worry that Ayrshire area would be tough one to get Yes in roads thanks to the baffling Tory voting presence. I’ve noticed too that Yes stickers on cars and windows seem to outnumber the few Nos I see but many fence-sitters yet. Love that big window saltire with the YES sign in it in the high street of Ayr too.
@cearc
Well don’t know if I’m doing well at this (proof will be in the pudding!) but it’s a handful right now. Once you get stuck into it and realise what’s invovled it’s not so scary. We’ll do what we can on the day. 🙂 Just champing at the bit to get more people involved. A person only has so many able relatives and friends they can rope into politics without being shunned.
castle hills chavie
Thanks for stepping up to the challenge. Much appreciated.
TJenny
The gentrification of the volunteer is part of Leith Walk’s renaissance- this cosmopolitan, bohemian behemoth is going through some interesting times.
Although as my mate pointed out – ‘the centre of town gets the trams and we get wide pavements – We lost that one, didn’t we?’
Will see you there at 5 for a quick pint or 2
Billy Bragg’s tweeted that he’s appearing with National Collective Presents at the Fringe tomorrow 23rd at The Scottish Storytelling Centre, High St, Edinburgh from 9.15pm to 10.15pm.
@Nana Smith and Ronnie Anderson, and Jock Scott too –
This is crying out for youse to give it ‘the treatment’ with respect to a certain young lassie surnamed Marra:
Duncan MacRae, ‘Wee Cock Sparra’ –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iM9c97Rf20U
Need more meetings in the Ayrshire region only seen 2 in Irvine 1 in kilwinning this week infact ,Seen one in Adrossan.
0 in Stevenson and saltcoats .
Bombard these places with meetings its been a bit shy.
Not Long to Victory. Day by day we are Winning this. Lets Do It. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=OZCIKjYDf1g Vote Yes. Hope to bump into a few Wingers at the Leith yes Fest Tomorrow.
Stu get a forum on the go as well as this ,Comments don t work half the time ,How are you folks able to post you tube videos and mine do not show up at all.
Ian Brotherhood – I heard last night that a full canvass of Hayocks recorded arount 750 Yes and 350 No. Any confirmation?
Had a lot of computer problems this week which ironically turned out to be related to my anti-virus AVAST installation. Allegedly since their ‘association’ with Yahoo, its case of gamekeeper turned poacher. Sorry if I ever recommended Avast in the past (eat your heart out Rabbie.)
@Fairliered –
I haven’t seen any stats at all.
Just going on the visible propaganda? Yes is heavily ahead, but I daresay my 10-1 guesstimate is probably very biased, laced with wishful-thinking.
Put it this way – we encountered a good number of UJs/Red-Hands/No Thanks flags/posters in central Kilwinning last week; fewer in the bottom end of Stevenston (Ardeer), but sporadic verbal and angry one-offs. In Hayocks? (North-East patch at any rate) a few ‘No Thanks’ window stickers/posters, no UJs, and no Red Hands.
We got no aggro at all, and some relaxed, encouraging banter with passers-by. On a Friday evening?…telling.
For those looking for the Highland agent, I spotted a tweet from him somewhere earlier today (nothing to do with being an agent) and couldn’t remember why the name was familiar. Now I know!
Try:
https://www.facebook.com/garve
https://twitter.com/G4rve
After finding out last Sunday from the Spirit of Independence boys, that our Yes shop window TV was the first they had seen on their tour, I determined to upload our loop from last week to youtube, which despite my computer issues, I have at last done.
I am now ready to punt it to all the other Yes shop guys, because I think it could have an impact. Especially on the casual voters we need rather than the already converted.
Would welcome input before unleasing it tommorrow.
Its about a half hour loop. Best played in mute even though some clips have a soundtrack, since that is what the street punter gets.
Also included a little bit of Kirrie specific stuff just to give a flavour of how it can be used locally but you’ll be glad to hear I removed most of the farming related stuff which would have you reaching for a box of pins to stick in your eyes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnWD83CiAGw&list=PL-d1quOktu_LxqaxeflqcqMbFfsHeuX0q
Due to the acquisition of new tablets and laptops many will have access to ‘old’ disused or underused computers and monitors which could be put to such use in a day. The one we use is 7 years old but works fine.
The material is obviously restricted to visual only, but there is stuff out there. Plus we have subtitled some which seem amkeniable to that approach.
The ‘virtual wall’ mainly has indyposterboy stuff with Chriscartoons.
@Chic –
More power to you mister.
Our paths seem to cross late at night or early morning, when the traffic is thin.
I wonder – two weeks hence…will this place suddenly fall quiet after 12.30-ish?
Can anyone imagine what the traffic will be like then?
Orraverybestest to you mister, and if I don’t see you again on a thread here? I’ll see you on the other side.
🙂
Chic McGregor That is Class. Every Yes shop should have that. It would catch the eye of most people even when the shop is Closed. I Think it is a Brilliant Idea. Vote Yes.
Goodnight Fellow Wingers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEMXJ8a17Oc&feature=player_detailpage Vote Yes.
Crazycat,
Thanks for that.
These seem to be the only tweets about it, both Aug. 19th.
‘Apparently I’m allowed to wear a rosette at #indyref count, but no other signs of the side I’m on. Where does one get a rosette made up?’
‘Received my info pack from the Highland Council explaining my responsibilities as a referendum agent. Getting excited!’
With 229 polling stations to cover, I would have thought the rosette was the least of his worries.
Still at least he is getting excited. Maybe, in due course, he will be excited enough to come on to Wings to get some help, like the other agents are doing.
Tam Jardine, T Jenny, Michael McCabe and others..
Aye, I like the idea of the Leith YES fest / Edinburgh fest / unofficial Wings meet-up fest. I’ll take a stagger over for the festivities and keep a look out for y’all.
I wonder which other Wings readers will be making an appearance.. you know the time, you know the place, do it. 🙂
@Cactus
you know the time, you know the place, do it.
I think I know the place, not sure I can make it though but who knows.
Oh dear, the bloody uncertainty makes me want to say No though as a Proud Scot but! Feck em, I’ll do meh damnedest.
Airdrie Yes Stall well manned this morning and Wings Stall beside it in support.
I called in at the Yes stall in Coatbridge outside Asda and gave them some Wee Blue Books.
Kendo, you’re a Star!
UKOK stand in Airdrie not as busy as the Yes one.
Stonehaven today. Labour Cooncillor and Tory MSP making up better thegither grassroots. That’s Nickel and Dime.
https://www.facebook.com/YESstonehavenandmearns/photos/a.807728399240665.1073741830.629795723700601/893985550614949/?type=1&relevant_count=1
@cearc
It sounds possible from the tweets that the guy thought he was signing up to be a helper rather than the one in charge of the Highland region, and is blissfully unaware of his responsibilities.
I’ll be in Inverness today and will see what I can find out.
Good day to all the wingers out there. Hopefully bump into some of you today at Leith yes Fest. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=PmMwH1mUqBs Vote Yes.
@cearc you mentioned the difficulty of getting to Inverness. Have you tried Skype? Obviously no idea of how good your internet is but might be worth a try if you can get the Agent and his/her helpers to congregate where there’s a PC/Webcam/Internet.
Tried to post something similar earlier and it seems to have disappeared.
hey ho.
@Michael McCabe
Won’t make it today after all which I’m disappointed about. Thanks for the video though, you still manage to find class.
I hope the sun shines on you all this afternoon and I’m with you in spirit.
I’d like to contact the other election agents for North Lanarkshire to spread the Yes polling and counting agents as efficiently as possible.
If you are in any of the undernoted organisations, please get them to contact me at
gerry[dot]parker[at]gmail[dot]com
Business for Scotland – Caroline in Gartcosh
Labour for independence – Liam in Viewpark
Farming for Yes – Carol in Hawick
Generation Yes – Kirsten in Glasgow
Yes Scotland Ltd – Alan in Cumbernauld
RIC – Jillian in Strathaven
Scottish Green Party – Kirsten in East Kilbride
Scottish Independence Convention – Shona in Glasgow
SNP – John in Wishaw
SSP – Kevin in Glasgow
Women for Independence – Ann in Glasgow.
Kendo,
The WBB has been flying off the table in Shawlands. Going to need plenty more, people really want the hard copy.
@gerry parker
Any chance you can get in touch with them via the council contact details or perhaps at the council meeting?
BB. Council details only give name and postal address. Was looking for e mail contact.
Yep – I’ll no doubt see them at the meeting but It is on 27th, and I’d prefer to have a plan in place for covering the counts by then at least.
Polling places and Stations provide a formidable logistics challenge.
@ Bob. Ditto in Coatbridge and Airdrie.
All thanks to Kendo.
@Gerry Parker?,
@Ronnie Anderson,
@Patrician,
@Jan,
It was good getting to see and meet you all today. Hopefully we can do it again soon. And Ronnie thanks for the lift home. Appreciate it. Cheer’s, Andy.
You could maybe look them up in the phone book to get the phone number and then from there the rest? You might end up having to go witht the meeting day. I got in touch with one of the others and that seems to be the day we’re arranging things. Ours is a little earlier than yours though. Some others have had theirs already.
On the upside I’ve got someone willing to do the job of checking the boxes at closing and even tailing boxes from the polling station to ensure they get there uninterrupted. Yay. That’s one off the list…only umpteen to go.
Kendo is sounding abit like Voltron here! 😀
http://youtu.be/icTrzUuWlHI
Kryczek.
Thanks. Tomorrow at Cumbernauld for the Convoy.
It was good to get out of my wee patch in the Whifflet and into the big wide world of Airdrie.
🙂
@gerry parker
“Tomorrow at Cumbernauld for the Convoy”
Would love to but I work every Sunday 🙁
I wrote a post there in reply and I think the system has eaten it again. Weird. :S
@gerry parker
The gist of it was I was suggesting if you’re mega keen to get in touch ASAP with the others you could look them up in the phone book? I was in contact with one of the others and it seems the arrangement here is to meet at the council meeting and swap details and arrange things then. Ours is a little earlier than your meeting though. Some meetings have already happened too.
@Kryczek, it was a good mornings work. Really enjoyed it in Airdrie town centre this morning.
@gerry parker, did you hang about Coatbridge for long? We didn’t leave Airdrie till 2pm. See you and Ronnie tomorrow.
If you are in Cumbernauld tomorrow afternoon and want a WBB or a badge (come early, we don’t have many left) or even just a wee blether come and see us.
@ BB thanks for they.
@JIm, didn’t stay long, only long enough for a chat and left them with some WBB’s for their canvassers. Picked up some “Your choice” booklets.
See you tomorrow.
Darlings – I know I said I wouldn’t comment (much) as I had work to do, but the tears are running down my cheeks, was accosted by a gent shouting at me that as I was English I had no right to tell proud Scots how to vote and I should get out of his country as I was an embarrassment to the UK. I’m still laughing.
@Paula Rose
Bastards like him are an embarrassment to our country.
@Paula Rose
Ignore the ignorant —- [insert your own word]
Radio 4 on their ‘Profile’ Series doing a thinly disguised BT broadcast – Ouraged & need to buy a new radio to replace the one which has just got broken.
Paula
I do hope you are ok , these type of experiences can be rather traumatic .
The best cure for this is just to pick yourself up and continue what you were doing and after meeting you at Arbroath I am sure that is what you did after you managed to stop laughing .
One word of caution , you can do yourself a serious injury with to much laughing .
Dears – you are so kind, I think I’ll have tears of another sort running down my cheeks. The beautiful Haggis Hunter massaged my weary feet, Tartan (hunk) Tory delivered everything I needed and now Dr Who is on TV bliss. If only Ian Brotherhood and the indefatigable Thepnr were here. Cactus whispered in my ear – but I know how to keep a secret.
@ Gerry Parker
Several of the people on your list are outwith North Lanarkshire, so it is probable they are covering more than one area – Shona is also on the East Ayrshire list, for instance.
I have asked someone I know to pass your details on to the Green Party Agent, in case she does not read Wings. I don’t have direct contact myself. I hope that is ok.
Paula Rose,
I’m surprised that he didn’t suggest that it was too weighty a topic for the sensitive fragile mind of a pretty young lady.
@Paula
Don’t back down because of abuse and don’t let them get to you. They’ve been feasting on ignorance, hate and fear and it’s brearing this foul fruit. The unionist campaign leadership should have known this would happen (probably did and didn’t care). It’s going to keep happening every now and then with us all if we dare to stick our necks out but it’ll be worth weathering the trolls and tension to get a good future for us all.
You’re better than their abuse and your future and dream of something better is worth standing up for.
Howde TJ’s, had probs getting over, just arrived at the Cask & Still if yous are still about? Gonna head for the Black Bull rock bar in a bit, cheers
@ Paula
Today I had the new experience of being queried by two separate people about my voting/campaigning for Yes, which they thought I shouldn’t/wouldn’t because I have an English accent. Neither of them was hostile, fortunately, though one did ask if I had a vote and was a bit embarrassed when I said I had lived here for 35 years.
I’m slightly surprised not to have encountered this before. We just have to endure a little longer.
@Paula Rose –
From what you’ve described, and the confused nature of the man’s ravings, I’d hazard a guess that he saw you, was instantly smitten, reacted powerfully against the animal magnetism he was experiencing for the first time, and tried to distance himself from these new and frightening sensations via exaggerated exhibition of faux rage bolstered by verbal violence.
Then again – maybe just a drunk bigot.
Crazycat.
Many thanks for that.
Ian darling, you are so sweet – I remember how excited you were when I first met you, you came across very well.
Oh that’s it, I’ve got the entire city of Brechin to vote Yes, our lovely Niggle Don is dancing in the streets, so, job done and I’m ready to dance barefoot again.
@Ian Brotherhood 8:52
Having met Paula I know where your coming from. It’s obvious that the man lost control of himself. Paula can have that affect on people.
That’s why so many in Brechin have gone from No to Yes. Keep up the good work Paula.
Well boys, that’s it, job done – Brechin is voting Yes. I thought I would have to devote my time to the cause – but NO, job done – time for fun Paula is back in town.
@Paula Rose –
I remember it well. Beneath the calm exterior I was all aflutter and agog.
This is for you Paula. No particular link, but it’s brilliant and cheering:
Stone Roses, ‘Fools Gold’ –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSD11dnphg0
Spoke to the Yes campaign referendum agent for Highland in the Inverness Yes shop. He knows Garve Scott-Lodge and supplied an email address:
garve[at]scott-lodge[dot]com
From what he (the agent) said, I think they’re only manning the count in Dingwall on the night. So the job as far as they’re concerned seems to be getting 10 volunteers (10 is apparently the the maximum allowed) for the count on the 18th. Presumably this is also Garve’s understanding of the scale of the job, and probably explains why we haven’t heard from him. I guess it’s also possible that he plans to source his volunteers from Inverness instead of Wings, who knows really.
Sorry that’s all the info I can give you!
@steph
There’s three seperate roles to fill for the referendum which need to be appointed seperately with passes provided for each and all are rather important in the end for this:
Postal vote openings
Polling stations
Ballot count on night of 18th/into 19th
There’s different forms for each of those and different limits for each of them, etc. If I had a postal vote opening pass I wouldn’t get into a polling station with it or into the ballot count.
So you’d need to cover at least the postal vote openings and ballot box, ideally and hope to help out with covering ballot boxes. This is why it’s certainly way to early to say someone has enough manpower. Not unless they’ve got 100+ people already in which case I am well jelly. 😛
SHAMELESS PLUG – Anyone willing to help out in **South Ayrshire** – even if they’re in North Ayrshire and willing to travel to help the Wings effort and the referendum go through with the minimum of fiddling – would be welcome, of course. 😉
@BB
Your doing a grand job in spreading the message. Kudos.
@ Gerry Parker
You’re welcome! The response won’t be instant, though, because the person I sent it to may not see my message till tomorrow. I may also hear from one of the other people on your list (RIC) but don’t know when. I’ll pass on the information if it’s soon.
@ Paula Rose.
Keep smiling through as we want you to
we know your light, will chase the dark
clouds away.
@BB
The guy I spoke to today was the Yes campaign’s referendum agent in Highland – nothing to do with Wings. I was there in an attempt to track down the elusive Garve Scott-Hodge, who is the Wings referendum agent.
It was certainly surprising what they said their own plans were (i.e. only monitoring the count on the day). Hopefully I got the wrong end of the stick somehow.
@BB –
When is the absolute latest you need confirmation from volunteers?
Don’t want to offer meself unless I’m totally sure I can do it.
What’s a typical ‘shift’ hours-wise? I’m up for any of them.
Steph,
Well thanks for that. It doesn’t look too good does it?
Jim Thompson,
Internet’s fine but being via satellite, satellite-lag is an issue with skype/facetime etc. Fine to watch but not for being the person organising. I didn’t volounteer as agent because not being at all central and having mobility problems which are worse after long drives I really felt the job would be better done by somebody more central and fitter. I would happily do a shift at the postal votes and local polling stations etc.
Looks like I may have been wrong, so far it seems that my ducks would be doing a better job.
Steph,
It seems pretty odd that that is all Yes Scotland are doing. I would have thought that they should take the job a bit more seriously.
Paula,
We all love you.
@Bob
I reckon the Rev’s books will be ready in 7 to 10 days from now. Due to the sheer volume of the print run the printer will batch feed product to the binder/gluer, and it’s up to our side to plan the best logistics to distribute accordingly. There will be over 30 pallets of material…circa 30 tons… we’re gonnae need a bigger van wi a man an a plan 🙂
@cearc
No, it’s not looking brilliant. I actually volunteered for Argyll & Bute, but my application form didn’t get there in time and the council wouldn’t accept it. Thought I could help out with the Highland one instead but we don’t really seem to be getting anywhere, and time is short.
(I’m going to double-check with Elizabeth at Yes Lochaber what the Yes Scotland role will be, we were chatting about it briefly earlier – I think she has some organising to do for that herself – and she certainly seemed to think it was a big job. Maybe I misunderstood the guy I spoke to in Inverness today.)
Hi peeps.
Well over a week or so ago, thepnr mentioned the pic that was in The Courier, featuring the WOS stand at Arbroath Seafest in the background. He had hoped to get a copy of the original from DCT.
Onnyhoo, I took a pic of the pic and you can see it at the link below. I recognise Chipmonkey but that’s about it.
I’m assuming the pic was taken on the Saturday, as, on the Sunday, I seem to recall there were only two YES Saltires flying.
https://sites.google.com/site/webgaffer/home/wos-seafest/DSCN0025-1000.jpg
Just a wee thanks for clicking, to the geezer posting “Taysiders In Space”. 🙂
Spoke with Nigel Don (MSP) today with regards to the tin-foil hat ideas about vote rigging etc. He reckons that, despite all our concerns, Westminster have already given-up on Scotland and that it is highly unlikely that there will be any mass-tampering efforts involving MI5 etc!
Cameron, he said, is going to be willing to ‘let Scotland go’ if that’s the vote, so that he can concentrate on winning the 2015 general election! DC probably sees Scottish independence as a good thing, as it will cement the Tory vote without the pesky Scottish Labour contingent muddying the waters and diluting Tory support.
From ur discussion today, the idea that postal votes could be abused is still, by far, the biggest worry. Thoughts of ballot boxes being part-filled before the polls open, or being ‘swapped’ on their journey from the stations to the count are really only in the world of make-believe and conspiracy theorists. Mr Don reckoned that Westminster folks were so caught-up in their grab for power, that they simply aren’t considering 5+ years ahead. For this reason, Scotland isn’t on their radar in the same way that it is on ours.
@Ian Brotherhood
The ballot count and polling station forms have to be in the council’s sticky hands before midnight on 11th – but that’s also the day of the first postal vote opening in the SA area so all the forms here may as well go at once a little before to make sure they get it and processed on time for the first day of postal vote openings. So I’d want the forms with the council for them to process at their desks on the morning of the 10th at latest.
The postal opening security passes are seemingly issued on site (they check that you are aware of the secrecy requirement before giving you it, I’d expect you’ll sign something to show that), possibly to compensate for the shortened deadline and turnaround, but still got to get the rest in for the 11th anyway.
Ideally I’d have them posted away early next month maybe 4/5th, but I could maybe push it a day or two as if it came to it without much worry. I could go into town and hand deliver it to make sure it gets there without delay at last minute! 🙂 That way it’ll still get in and we’d have as many volunteers as possible. Absolute nail-biting, losing-sleep-worrying-if-passes-will-arrive-or-we’ll-be-disqualfied-until-I-hear-we’ve-all-got-them latest would be maybe Tuesday 9th at night, I’d post the envelope through their door myself and that should likely give them time to process it for postal openings and the rest, but I hate leaving things to the last minute or worrying if I’d stuck it through the wrong letterbox! Hah! 😛
As for shifts:
**Polling station** duties would involve possibly checking the box is okay and sealed first thing in the morning. The next and more important task is checking box is sealed (possibly applying our own seal as per rules) and all are loaded up, if possibe following it to the counting station to ensure safe delivery (Citadel in Ayr in this case). So this would be one or two very short shifts really, ideal duty for those keen but not much time available or not able to get time out of normal working hours (as the boxes will be sealed and moved after 10PM and set up is usually first thing in the morning too).
**Postal opening** duties take place at 9AM over six days in our area. Two locations in Ayr town. Unknown how long it will go on for each day, but unlikely to be an all nighter like the final count would be.
**Counting agent** duties are on the night of the 18th and will no doubt go on into the morning of the 19th. This one will start after the polling stations at 10PM and will go on until it’s done.
Happy to accept you for any of the roles if you’re sure you can do it. 🙂
I’d imagine someone could do the polling station duty and follow box up and then come in to help with the count, if they wanted.
I’ll be at the council meeting/briefing session for this on Monday. If anyone has any questions then feel free to give them to me before then (make sure I spot them!) and I’ll keep them in mind when I’m there and ask if I don’t get answer first. Hopefully I’ll have more info in general about it all afterwards too.