Inspection report
ASSESSOR: Rev. S. Campbell
DATE: 19-25 September 2013
LOCATION: Scotland, various
INDEPENDENCE MARCH AND RALLY: Amazing. See appendices A and B.
WEATHER: Warm, cold, wet, dry, windy, calm, overcast, sunny. (See “Scotland”.)
TRANSPORT: Rather good. They say the grass is always greener on the other side, and friends, you don’t know what you’ve got in ScotRail. The new Bathgate-Glasgow line is a joy, populated with large, spacious clean trains in the lovely ScotRail livery (as well as the hideous maroon-and-cream SPT version), and the journey is through delightful countryside for most of its snappy 39-minute duration.
Off-peak services went to both Edinburgh and Glasgow several times an hour and usually comprised a generous eight carriages, compared to the three (or even two) cramped, uncomfortable cattle trucks that unfortunate inter-city travellers between Bristol and Cardiff or Portsmouth get shoved into for significantly longer trips.
The cross-border leg of the journey also provided a stark contrast, between the poky, nasty rolling stock of Cross Country (again short on carriages, and charging extortionately for wifi) and the super-pleasant surroundings of Virgin, with plentiful space and unlimited free internet.
Should you ever be coming down the West Coast Line it’s well worth the hassle of a change at Birmingham to spend the bulk of the journey with Virgin, and despite the 20-minute changeover time you’ll also somehow get to your destination an hour quicker than the Cross-Country train that’s going to the same place.
ROADS: What the hell, West Lothian? Were they doing buy-one-get-120-free on speedbumps and traffic lights at Bob’s Highway Supplies one day in 2003 or something? It’s now all but impossible to get to a speed above 12mph for more than four seconds anywhere in the county.
And seemingly only there, not anywhere else – I covered much of the Central Belt in the course of the week, but only West Lothian was some sort of awful motoring Purgatory. Bathgate especially is in a totally ridiculous state. Sort it out.
CHIPS: Still popular, I note. Sampled both western (Blue Lagoon, Argyle Street) and eastern (various) varieties. Look, folks, salt and sauce is just better – it makes even mediocre chips great, whereas salt and vinegar can only improve ones that were good to start with. The argument is over.
FOOD (OTHER): More different than you think, in this over-homogenised culture. I could fill a truck. Golden Wonder potatoes. Highlander crisps (I thought they’d disappeared for good, but seemingly not.) Proper strawberry tarts. Caboc cheese. Lemonade rock. Square sausage, of course. Burgers with haggis in them. Maw Wingsland’s macaroni cheese and Victoria sponge. God dammit, I left a slice of the Victoria sponge uneaten. I’m going back.
WATER: Oh God, the water. The soft, silky, beautiful, clear water. It might be the very best thing of all. You don’t know you’re born, readers. It’s like a whole different type of substance to the nasty, hard, bitter stuff that comes out of taps here. We’re not charging enough for it.
ABERDEEN FC: Surprisingly good. Played just 12 miles down the road from Wings Home Base, and impressively cuffed Falkirk 5-0 with half the first-choice XI missing. This particular false dawn lasting longer than usual. Strength in depth? Can it be true?
LIVINGSTON: Car parking charges? For an out-of-town mega-mall? Are you insane?
GLASGOW: Hadn’t been in the city centre for maybe 15 years or more. Doesn’t appear to have changed a bit in that time. Still looks like it needs a good wash, frankly. Walked up and down the length of Hope Street, and all around Blythswood Square, but the offices of both the Yes and No campaigns were invisible, and I didn’t see a single leafleter, poster or badge anywhere in the city.
EDINBURGH: Changes constantly. First time I’ve seen Princes Street not disfigured by tram works in living memory. Still just about the most beautiful city on Earth. Equally bereft of independence campaign presence (except the rally, obv). Conclusion: public not yet afire with political fervour. Would be nice if our two biggest cities had SOMEWHERE you could go and buy a Yes badge.
CAFE ROYAL CUSTOMERS: Grumpy. Went to meet some old friends on Tuesday night around 7pm. Managed to fortuitously snag a table, but they were late AS USUAL and I had to defend it doggedly in a busy hostelry. By 7.20pm I’d been threatened quite menacingly several times despite the genteel surroundings. Don’t think anyone was doing it because they recognised me.
(Eventually discretion overcame valour, I went and waited for the muppets outside and we had an awesome time in the adjacent Guildford Arms instead, entirely free of intimations of physical violence.)
LANGUAGE: Earthy. Wow, we really do swear a lot more than English people. For the first couple of days it catches you by surprise, as the most normal and respectable-looking coves stroll cheerily down the promenades of our cities and towns spraying out casual f-bombs and c-bombs the way our southern neighbours use tuts and slight eyebrow-raises. By the third day you don’t even notice it any more.
OVERALL RATING: A-. Some minor issues, still room for improvement, but generally highly satisfactory. Will return, and recommend to friends.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Take direct responsibility. Vote Yes in 2014.
Eight carriages on Edinburgh – Glasgow services? Are you sure? The most I can think of would be six (2x Class 170s on the Falkirk route or 2x Class 334s on the Bathgate route), or *maybe* seven (one Class 380/0 plus one Class 380/1 via Motherwell) but I’m not sure on that.
Certainly cannae think of any eight coach ScotRail services though.
“Eight carriages on Edinburgh – Glasgow services? Are you sure?”
It looked that way, but it was actually too long to be certain. Definitely more than six.
Recommended action – come back soonest XXX
Maybe you got a bump to the head with all the speed bumps and pot holes in Bathgate but come on! Livingston. Out of town? There’s 60,000 people living there (well me and 59,999 others). 2nd largest population in the Lothians. Out of town? Nah.
“Maybe you got a bump to the head with all the speed bumps and pot holes in Bathgate but come on! Livingston. Out of town?”
The shopping mall is out-of-town. As in, it’s purpose-built, not normal streets with shops on them.
Regarding Glasgow’s need for a good wash, I was thinking it might be useful to develop a To-Do List
i) Wash out the Labour-Stain from the city council: strategy is to pre-soak with a healthy dose of YES in 2014, let it sit for a couple of years and then completely remove by the simple applicaiton of a democratic vote in 2016.
Any takers on what cleaning might be undertaken at the Biased Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) offices in Glasgow?
How did you get free wifi on the Virgin train? I’ve done Glasgow to Birmingham many times and it’s always been pay for….
Yep, we take the water for granted. Where I go in Bavaria it is like S England – chalky & recycled. Here in Fife I know it comes from the hills out back.
I love the feeling of “relaxing into” the language when I come home; I don’t have to worry about what/ how I speak- I can even use words like “dreich” and “scunnered”!! It’s noticeable even coming off the motorway at Gretna services.
Funny, I walked down Hope Street a few weeks ago in the rain and completely missed the YES campaign offices. Today, after a meeting at Transport Scotland about yer actual trains, I looked a bit more carefully and managed to find them.
There was a very nice chap at the desk (actually I’d heard that Jeannie works there sometimes and I had this urge to talk turkey basters with someone) and after a few pleasantries we both agreed that we’d enjoyed the rally. I said I was there with the WoS crew and he said oh I’m looking at Wings just now. So Rev, you might not have found them but they have certainly found you.
” (Blue Lagoon, Argyle Street)”
Blimey. That’s brave.
‘Look, folks, salt and sauce is just better – it makes even mediocre chips great, whereas salt and vinegar can only improve ones that were good to start with. The argument is over.’
lol – buy good chips – s&v!!!
Wow, we really do swear a lot more than English people
Do we fuck.
Glasgow lived here all my 40+ and labour have done SFA for the city except maybe pushed up brown envelope sales
The eight carriage trains are on the Queen Street lower level lines.
I think the YES office must have had a makeover, I was there Tues and it was blindingly obvious where it was…bought two shiny YES badges.
Even Aberdeen FC got a mention – Wow you must have a discerning eye eh? :-). You realise you have just opened yourself up to a reciprocal about Bath and its flavours?
What was that movie? Jim Carrey in the Truman Show? We all had a whip round for you and nothing was what it seemed. Morag made the strawberry tarts, Jeannie arranged the circa 20K extras for Calton Hill. Thanks Rev Stu, it was all done for YOU.
“Jiggsbro says:
26 September, 2013 at 10:23 pm
Wow, we really do swear a lot more than English people
Do we fuck.”
Ah just pished masel!
@major bloodnok
Aw naw…sorry I missed you and missed that conversation about turkey basters……I’ll just need to get the magazine
A nice Saturday evening for me in the Waterloo Buffet, had to get home early to loose the hounds. Cheers to everyone there, especially BtP.
in livi if you park at the ‘far’ car park , maplins etc, then its free with a 2 hr limit,
oops my tight arse is showing
Not been in Edinburgh myself for a while. Loved it mind and I’m looking forward to going back.
Sounds like the Blue Lagoon’s still got its Hazchem certificate then!
@Jeannie
I did not know you worked at Yes Scotland HQ. Any chance of asking them if Yes are going to bring up the consequences of a No vote?
With regard to the swearing, I learned to swear down south! I suppose it depends where you are.
However, I’m glad my Yorkshire friends taught me the intricacies of profanity as I need it after every trip to the Better Together Facebook page. Been there a week and I need some meds.
Got a good few new Yes voters though as a result but I have to say the experience is not good. The only way I can describe it is that it feels like your eyes are slowly being sucked back into their sockets, desiccating, before rolling 180 degrees to face the freedom of darkness, while drool slowly trickles down your chin, its path only interrupted by the force of the head tremors.
If that is an example of the positive message for the union and we vote for another 300 years of it, god help our children.
I love the flexibility Scots manage to use swear words! For example, only in Scotland could the only still taboo word, be taken as a negative to a positive. I heard this phrase on a train – “he’s a good big cunt”!
One of my abiding memories of Bath was getting a chap from Bristol to come and de-scale our boiler every nine months or so (and the strange scum that stuck to cups when drinking tea).
Hope Street Yes offices have Yes in every window…but they are at knee height as they occupy a basement lot. The Better Together mob appear to be in the old Glasgow Society for Lady Artists building..but it is rare to see anyone go in or out….probably need to know only basis.
The shopping mall is out-of-town. As in, it’s purpose-built, not normal streets with shops on them.
That’s quite recent. It was free for a long time, and I sometimes did my Christmas shopping there. I had to go there in June, as being my nearest “O2” shop and I had mobile phone problems. Then I had to go back on a Saturday afternoon because they screwed it up the first time. And it’s nearly an hour’s drive, damn their eyes.
Second time, I didn’t have the exact change for their bloody machines. I mean, it’s 2013. Can’t I put a card in or pay with my phone (oh, wait…)? No, exact money only. My car has no ticket and there are parking wardens circulating. Several nearby shops tell me to bugger off, obviously fed up to the teeth with this. Then a lovely lady who should surely be canonised heard my request to some unco-operative 12-year-old shop assistant and said to me to follow her back to her car because she is just leaving and has some time left on her ticket.
Not impressed. Will not be returning except under dire necessity.
@muttley 79
Just an occasional volunteer.
@ tattie-boggle,
I couldn’t agree more matey, I lived in Glasgow for the first 30 of my 40+ years and can concur that Labour did hee-haw for anyone but themselves. The poverty in the north and east of Glasgow is truly a crime that can be blamed on them and them alone.
Wow, we really do swear a lot more than English people
Depends who you are. I have to watch my mouth around my relatives since I returned from England. Even the relatively mild swearing I picked up in England gets you disapproving looks. I know people who wouldn’t take their children to see the first Harry Potter film because Ron says “bloody”.
We actually caught the train from Falkirk on Saturday and I can say I was gobsmacked for want of a better expression.
OK I admit it is decades since I have ever been on a train but even so Saturday was a real eye opener. The trains had a lovely blue colour scheme on them and free WiFi in the carriages. More over they had a dedicated area on each train for disabled passengers. I can not commend all the rail staff enough for their help to and from Edinburgh.
We had planned to start in Alloa but Network rail were working on the track between Stirling and Falkirk hence we started in Falkirk. From what my partner’s daughter said it was probably just as well, getting from the Alloa train to the Edinburgh train would have meant using the bridge which only has steps no lift fitted. Just glad I missed that palava in Stirling. With any luck Stirling station will install the necessary lifts in short order. I’m also kind of surprised that there are no trains running from Alloa through to Edinburgh via Forth Bridge, thought that would have been a good idea for folks in the Alloa area still what the hell do I know……….nuffink!!
Need to take issue. Special fish supper. Salt, yes but brown sauce on the fish only! My Dundonian mate was telling me today how he used to enjoy a salad roll with a tattie fritter on top. Delicious.
P.S. Glasgow’s beautiful too. She’s just a bit more lived in and you need to look up a lot.
@Arbroath1320. I think through running from Alloa to Edinburgh is planned in the long term. I’ll do some digging and see if I can find out for sure. Pretty certain it’s on Transport Scotland’s shopping list!
Census had nothing about foul language – except that lots of people speak Scots. Ooops sorry, I’ve been reading BBC Scotlandshire’s assessment that the census is a load of shite.
link to bbc.scotlandshire.co.uk
“only in Scotland could the only still taboo word, be taken as a negative to a positive. I heard this phrase on a train – “he’s a good big cunt”!”
Glasgow is probably the only place in the world where if someone calls you a cunt he’s probably just being friendly. But if he calls you “pal” you should probably start running.
David Smith says:
@Arbroath1320. I think through running from Alloa to Edinburgh is planned in the long term. I’ll do some digging and see if I can find out for sure. Pretty certain it’s on Transport Scotland’s shopping list!
Thanks for that David.
I don’t actually live in Alloa but my partner has family who do hence the reason we were heading to Edinburgh from Alloa on Saturday. I look forward to the day we have the choice of going to Edinburgh via Stirling or direct. Either route will give some fantastic views. :P:
Oh, I forgot to mention that salt and vinegar is truly the only thing for chips. I agree that the chips have to be good to start with and it helps if you know where to go. The Pizza Crolla on the corner of Buchanan Street and West George Street is my go to place in Central Glasgow.
That my East Coast cousins need to put sauce on their chips to cover up the poor taste of the product leads me to believe you can’t find a decent chippy in all of Edinburgh.
“Census had nothing about foul language”
The lack of swear words was probably why so many people in Scotland (62%) didn’t understand the questions, hence answered incorrectly.
By the way, if anybody is looking for the Yes office in Glasgow, it’s at 136 Hope Street, which is in-between West George Street and St. Vincent Street. If you’re looking down the hill, it’s on the left hand side. They have a range of products for sale in the office – t-shirts, high-viz jackets, pens, badges, stickers, car stickers, wrist bands, choccies, etc.
@Arbroath 1320
Now then, see if you can spot yourself on Bella Caledonia!
The reason for the Livi car park charges is that local traders in Bathgate were complaining that all their trade was disappearing into the maw of McArthur Glen (with some justice) so I think it was an effort by WLC to even things up a bit. The key is to park in one of the open air car-parks and take your chance. Compared to the rabid grey meanies of Edinburgh, the Livi ‘attendants’ are easy meat.
Scotrail may be good, but by God, if you want to travel north of the central belt, you are back to Thomas the Tank Engine. Imagine – you still have single track for much of the way to Inverness, and semaphore signals to go with it. And getting to Perth from Edinburgh….do you really want to see Kircaldy and Markinch on the way? Time some heavy money was spent on rail infrastructure. Perhaps we could spend our share of HS2 on something more useful to travellers?
West Lothian roads are a disgrace – until you try out the back roads of South Lanarkshire. The Council Tax freeze has its downsides.
Salt and sauce is just wrong. Edinburgh pubs good.
Sorry to be O/T – but looks like the fluid running through the tube leading to John Curtis’s brain on Newsnight Scotland has been spiked – never seen him so eager to run down a report – 61% Scottish not British. Obviously should have been carried out by Britishcensus.co.uk
Great comedy on tonight, you can catch it on BBC iplayer at some point i`m sure. Pokes fun at the way politics is handled on our TV`s. It`s called Newsnight Scotland, think it`s supposed to poke fun at the UK version but is set in Scotland.
They had a clown and even had gremlins. Whoever came up with the idea has a twisted sense of humor but for me it was pure genius. Who said political satire was dead? Could the good old days of the likes of Spitting Image be upon us once more?
Wonderful, thank you BBC, you`re not all bad after all.
Maybe a letter to points of view is in order .
I only recently found out about this “salt and sauce” thing. Never noticed it in my childhood. Salt and vinegar was the thing, no other question. Now I discover it’s a strange eastern perversion I was previously unaware of.
Last week in Peebles, I was offered the two alternatives. They must be a cosmopolitan lot, there.
To-morrows scare story is from The UK Defence Select Committee
The MPs attacked the Scottish National Party’s defence policy, highlighting holes in its proposals and rubbishing its economics.
With a proposed £2.5 billion budget, an independent Scotland could not afford adequate equipment and forces, the committee said.
Separation would ostracise Scotland from the global intelligence sharing community and ravage its defence industry. There was also a question mark over whether it would be accepted into Nato.
Another issue was the future of the UK’s Trident nuclear deterrent, which is based in Scotland.
I always suspected Edinburgh was gastronomically peculiar when my mate arrived back with a round of beers, a chunk of cheese and large stick of celery (*) in a Grass Market pub. Madness.
* Light green colour. Stick like. A vegetable.
Twenty14
Guardian is not liking that 62% figure either and the nastiness of the comments on the Herald demonstrate how easily the Bitter lot are rattled. Expect more spin.
Murray
Celery is heartburn on a stick and I can only imagine vile with beer.
Re. Sauce or vinegar. Has anyone been able to prove one is quantitatively or qualitatively better than the other, or which one I prefer?
Ergo, the argument remains open, as in not-proven.
White puddings?
Things on this forum go at the speed of knots it’s really difficult to keep up. By the time I get around to writing something about chips, swearing, turkey basters, strawberry tarts & speed bumps everyone will probably be five topics further ahead. Perhaps I’ll just do a photo-collage instead. The ground pepper mill & jar of mayonnaise will be next to my chips which always come from Bene’s on the Royal Mile.
I haven’t been able to read many of the articles as I have been busy again today with my ‘Yes Positive Art Therapy’ treatment. I feel a lot better today and I think if I keep up the art therapy I will eventually not feel so bad about being called a virus & a nazi collaborator.
I wonder about these pork pie hats especially in Brighton where there are a lot of hungry seagulls.
Any problems with seagulls down there in the West Country Stu?
link to dl.dropboxusercontent.com
Aye Stu the speed bumps are atrocious, there really is no need for them on residential streets. During that really bad winter a few years ago the plows couldn’t properly scrape the roads in Boghall because of them. We took our lives in our hands trying to get up the hill by the academy to visit my mum that year. Some of the bumps are still in terrible state where the plow caught them.
Agreed chips are great, but fritters when made properly are best of all, sadly no one does them to the standard my late dad did and by the way i know oil is healthier but chips etc did taste better when they were done in fat.
As for the REV’s other observations, tend to agree but I’ve never been in Livingston so can’t judge.
You never get this type of varied conversation come information on a unionist site!
They just lack the class lol
Ah thought the celery wuz fur the burds ?
@Twenty14 – Total agreement. Mr. Curtice’s performance tonight confirmed his unionist credentials. He basically rubbished the Census question on Scottish v British. Quiet disturbing that he is given credit as a neutral academic, but is allowed to be very effective in skewing the debate in favour of the union. He is one of many who is getting paid to undermine Scottish democracy.
Celery! The only fresh vegetables in our local boozers when I was younger in deep SW were in a Golden Wonder packet labelled “cheese & onion”.
What about Vinegar and Sauce mixed together im sure I had that some time in the dim and distant past, cant remember where, mind you im an Arranach simpleton I only discovered cheese and chips fairly recently!!!
Rev, I didn’t know it was possible but you have gone up in my esteem massively
A Dandy Don Supporter, we wuz brilliant last night, would be great if they get to hampden next year had to go to see Killie in the semi final this year as a bunch of mates were going, typical south end of arran (Bodachs) minibus, parked in the fenced off area about ten yards from main entrance beside all the police horseboxes etc and nobody moved us on. How we managed to get into that area is still a mystery to me.
@Murray McCallum – They are known as mealy puddins or mealy Jims here in the North East. Very tasty, but deadly on the old ticker!
Sauce has spices and vinegar.
It’s like comparing chicken noodle soup to chicken tikka masala.
Which was invented in Glasgow, strangely enough.
Bill C
I have partaken in the “buttery” while in the NE. Very good. A man’s croissant.
Sorry to be O/T – but looks like the fluid running through the tube leading to John Curtis’s brain on Newsnight Scotland has been spiked – never seen him so eager to run down a report – 61% Scottish not British. Obviously should have been carried out by Britishcensus.co.uk
I wasn’t watching it. Did he have any actual reason for rubbishing the data, that could be discerned?
@ Bill C
It’s nae a ‘buttery’, it’s a ‘rowie’. In the toon, onywye.
Brown sauce is good on chips, if you mean HP sauce instead of the watery thing in chip shops.
I’ve been to the Bath area, Disgraceful having to leave the bottom quarter inch of tea because of the chalk in the water, and you never feel clean in the shower.
I do not mean to come across as a spoil-sport or as not living in the real world re. swearing. This forum is open to all tastes and persuasion, and I wonder just how productive it is for use to show everyone that we not only know swear words, but that we can type them as well. It is necessary or productive?
I am seriously considering whether or not to introduce my 70+ year old mum to this site. Sure, she will know all the words. I know for a fact though, that she will dismiss this site immediately due to the profanity. The vast majority of which is unnecessary. IMHO.
In business, “brand integrity” is king.
The Livi car parks were free when i worked there 2007-2010, but as soon as they finished the mall works NCP got right stuck into charging. Next year we can kick the English based leeches into touch
P.S. I am sure my mum is not unique within the older generations.
Oi Rev, just noticed that picture at the top of the article look decidedly suspicious..
http://www.glawest.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/New-Scottish-Conservatives-Logo-680×420.png
“it makes even mediocre chips great, whereas salt and vinegar can only improve ones that were good to start with. The argument is over.”
There you are proof that only Glasgow and other civilized areas produces good chips and the easterners have to slaber sauce on theirs because they are mediocre!
@Murray and Ronnie – “Buttery” oot here on Deeside, but a “rowie” in the Toon. Nae metter both deadly on the hert but helluva tasty.
Things I noticed when I came back home from England 6 years ago:
– The people will strike up conversations in the shops, bus stop, say ‘hello’ on walks.
– The rolls – Stuart’s the bakers’ floury & Stevens’ well fired!
– Haddock in fish suppers
– Red Kola
– Ayrshire bacon (although Gloucester Old Spot was great too)
– Supermarkets displaying Scottish flags and, wait for it, selling Scottish goods
other than Scotch Beef & Whisky.
The list could go on but it’s late.
“Red Kola”
Barrs can FUCK OFF ever since they ruined almost all their drinks, including the majestic and iconic Red Kola, with poisonous, disgusting sweeteners.
CameronB
I would usually tell folk to f**K off when they complain about me swearing. I am what I am and make no apologies for my upbringing (my old man was a hairy arsed steelworker and swears in almost every sentence).
Having said that, you make a good point. If my refraining from profanities furthers the cause then I shall put on my best bib & tucker
David Smith
In the car park you talk about, apparently despite all the threats, the company who sends you your fine seemingly cannot enforce payment, They keep increasing it to frighten into paying it, but those in the know do not bother even the local shops will tell not to bother. Something about English,- Scots law does not allow them to pursue through courts. even Police in civvies don’t pay it, I was told! ” By an informed source”
Nae Tunnocks Tea Cakes?
Tesco Uddingston sells the dark chocolate Tunnocks tea cakes under “local produce” same for the caramel wafers.
They are so good that I can almost forgive Boyd Tunnocks unionism.
@Karamu
For free wifi on Virgin trains make sure you are on a pendelino, and you must be on carriage D (the one next to 1st class). The wifi in carriage D comes from 1st class and is complimentary. Stu just got lucky.
Incidentally, this is my first post on wings though I have lurked for a few months. I was at the March in Edinburgh and made a 600 mile round trip from Birmingham to attend. Even used some free wifi on the way
“For free wifi on Virgin trains make sure you are on a pendelino, and you must be on carriage D”
Hmm. I got lucky on both outward and return journeys, and I’m not sure either was a Pendelino. I was in coach D today, though.
The “sauce vs vinegar” chips debate is a complete sham. Properly cooked chips need nothing more than a wee shake of salt over them. Pity the poor souls I brought home for tea after school who, presented with a plate of my mum’s quite literally legendary chips, asked for tomato ketchup.
“FIT??!?? YE DINNAE NEED KETCHUP! THAT SPILES GUID MAIT!”
*crusty bottle of Heinz gets thumped onto the table*
rabb
I can be quite adept at turning the air blue myself, so I hope folk don’t interpret what I said as “I’m better than you”. So with that in mind, thank you.
Salt n sauce. I find Edinburgh dolls very saucy. In fact my present one says if she had another pair of legs she would open in Glasgow.
Salt n sauce on chips is just sick.
If you want a great shopping experience it has to be Buchanan St Glasgow, and Buchanan Galleries. The Italian center is good also.
I agree regarding BARRS why and when did IRN BRU lose its “bite” its now a shadow of its former self.
Bring back “Real” IRN BRU, and in glass bottles!
You reckon? I always wonder if my memories are just over-egging the pudding. But I agree, it doesn’t seem to taste the way it did in 1958.
Apologies to Cameron B, but the conversation is now reminding me of one of my first experiences of Glasgow.
On a bus going through Shettleston there were two lads discussing drugs and prison in extremely blue languge and very loudly. It was the kind where the same swear word will be strung together several times in a sentence for maximum effect – that c***ing f***ing c*** etc on and on. To make it worse, they were talking about “Ah’m no going back tae the jail fir that…” well you get the idea.
Everyone else on the bus was obviously quite uncomfortable and there were a lot of school kids too.
Eventually this sweet looking old dear with a shopping trolley got up from the front of the bus, went to the back where they were sitting and said, “Oi yous. Gaunnie mind yer language, eh? There’s fuckin’ weans oan this bus”
Sometimes I love Glasgow.
Rev. Stuart Campbell
Re. you comment @ 12:28pm. It is obvious that you have never run a business. Are you deliberately trying to limit your readership?
Cath
Profanities might be part of everyday life butmany people particularly our sisters and mothers are not impressed FFS.
Geez, Curtice on Newsnight really is Davros bonkers. Any deviation from britnat must be crushed. Exterminate!
Ah thought the celery wuz fur the burds ?
Careful! That sort of stuff can get you labled a misogynist.
Eh Stu?
Geez, Curtice on Newsnight really is Davros bonkers. Any deviation from britnat must be crushed. Exterminate!
Since I wasn’t watching, would some kind soul mind posting a summary of what presumably passed for his reasoning?
Les Wilson glad to hear that, as no obvious sign on entering the car park about tickets , just sent off my letter regarding their £70 fine this very morning.
To state the obvious , truth is always welcome
Profanities might be part of everyday life but many people particularly our sisters and mothers are not impressed FFS.
Like I said, I know several Scottish mothers and grannies who refused to take the kids to the first Harry Potter film because Ron said “bloody”. Never ran across that in England at all.
Les Wilson glad to hear that, as no obvious sign on entering the car park about tickets , just sent off my letter regarding their £70 fine this very morning.
Let us know how that works out for you!
MajorBloodnok says:
@Arbroath 1320
Now then, see if you can spot yourself onBella Caledonia!
Thanks for that Major, I can’t remember thew photo being taken, must be the exhaustion of signing all those autographs fame does have its downside wouldn’t you know.
Geoff Huijersays:
27 September, 2013 at 12:25 am
Things I noticed when I came back home from England 6 years ago:- The people will strike up conversations in the shops, bus stop, say ‘hello’ on walks.
Funnily enough we noticed that as well Geoff. We returned “home” from London in 2007 and were actually taken aback by how friendly total strangers were. To be fair we had spent 9 years in London and did the good morning every day thing we were in London and were greeted on most occasions with looks from people that made us think we had horns growing out of our heads so tyo return home and be greeted with calls of good morning every time we went out did for a short period of time catch us unawares. I’m glad to say this is no longer the case. :D:
The Man in the Jar says:
Nae Tunnocks Tea Cakes?
Careful tmitj, if my memory serves me right the guy who owns Tunnocks is a supporter of the NO campaign! :(:
I always thought “Tunnock” would make a great sweary word.
As in “GTF ya Tunnock ye”.
Morag
“Since I wasn’t watching, would some kind soul mind posting a summary of what presumably passed for his reasoning?”
The logic seemed to be the format of the ethnicity question, Scottish was first on the list, British was third. If British had been first we’d all have gleefully ticked it presumably. Just how dense do they take us to be? But it was how animated he was, very amusing.
“Rev. Stuart Campbell says:
26 September, 2013 at 10:14 pm
“Eight carriages on Edinburgh – Glasgow services? Are you sure?”
It looked that way, but it was actually too long to be certain. Definitely more than six”
Nope, is a maximum of 6 carriages on that line, you get either 3 carriages for off-peak, or 6 for peak times, it passes my house and I would agree it is a great addition to the network. But the length of the trains is subject to the length of the station platforms. Opening up these long closed lines for me is one of the most noticeable improvements to public transport in recent years. A policy the SG should shout more about, me thinks. (rant over)
“Nope, is a maximum of 6 carriages on that line”
I’m not mad, fella. I know how many six is, and there were more than six carriages on those trains.
Mental note! Do not copy paste from word to web site!
sheesh
Returning to the chips debate. Totally bad for the ticker (or so they tell us) but the best chips used to be fried in quality beef dripping. I know ’cause my auld Granny had the first chippy in Livingston many moons ago before it became the labyrinth it is now. Oh and salt and sauce fir me wi a big pickled onion on top! Slurp.
“Any takers on what cleaning might be undertaken at the Biased Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) offices in Glasgow?”
yes A BLOODY GOOD FIRE
Edinburgh could do with a good wash as well. Always looks a gloomy place to me with its soot-blackened sandstone that nobody has thought to sandblast despite the days of coal fires ending 40-50 years ago. Personally I would paint our city buildings bright colours like in Central Europe.
You’re right about the views. Even the most boring road in Scotland – the M8 – has the occasional glimpse of the Highlands.
The only thing to put on chips is mayonnaise. Sorry, Belgium has corrupted me.
BBC Scotland are off to an early start – today’s Project Fear story about NATO was reported in detail as the second item complete with a quote from some tory trumpet called Arbuthnott at 6:03 on this morning’s news headlines.
There is now no pretence of balance.
I wis aboot tae make a daft comment aboot oor watter
but then I saw a news report on SKY and it caught my attention, so I did the rewind function on the remote and cofirmed what I thought I saw
the must unsubliminal of subliminal messages
the words UNITED KINGDOM overwritten on a full map of the UK
in large type right across the central belt of Scotland
from where the graphic pans down to somewhere in the south of England to tell of a man who was stabbed to death,
just felt disrespectful of the deceased to use such a story for a naked attempt at persuading the Scottish public of who they (really?) are,
but even before the story unfolded the use of UNITED KINGDOM
well above the position on the map from where you would expect to see it
was akin to the word SCOTLAND being apportioned on a map to the Shetland Islands
SKY have been got at!
Noo aboot this here watter
it jist so happens we live above an aluvial spring from where oor watter is cleansed by a 100 foot plug of lava from which are imparted just the richt amoont o minerals and when its aboot tae reach the surface its injected with carbon dixide thingys frae a geyser (a dinnie ken who the geeser is, a hivnae met him) and so it comes oot oor tap aw sparkly ,
jist richt fur Irenes early mornin gin
och a wisnae meant tae say that
DOH
Tunnock Tea Cakes . I don’t have a problem eating them but buying is a different matter all together. My partner brought half a dozen in and I didn’t speak to her for the whole day but it didn’t stop me scoffing them and then straightening out the foil to a nice shiny and smooth square
I seriously hope that someone is recording Good Morning Scotland on the BBC – the first 25 minutes are unremitting doom and gloom. If you read this Stuart I swear it will pour pish on your chips – it really was getting surreal – at one point there was a mention of some horrible disease unique in the world apart from Fife.
Craigp says @ 6.09
Not that I’m an expert in maintaining sandstone buildings Craig don’t get me wrong, but I would have thought the very worst thing you could do with one of them would be to sandblast them, I would imaging taking off the surface coat of grime would leave them open to attack from the car fumes which would damage them irreparably, there’s a building near the Tay bridge in Dundee we pass often and the wear on the stone shows severe damage,
it looks as it has been standing since the 13th century instead of a couple of hundred years (at most)
Im awa tae watch private Frazer on the BBC tellin us WERE AW DOOMED
By the BBC’s reckoning of numbers at the Indy rally, figures between 20k and 30k is to be reported as 8,300. So the built in bias is roughly a third of reality.
It makes we wonder if the BBC reports of the YES figure being as low as 20% at times in reality is closer to 60% by their means of calculation.
By the amount of YES activity and the sheer volume of increased panic witnessed of late in the no shower, I reckon 60% is more than likely a distinct possibility.
Granted it is still not enough. There needs to be an overwhelming majority before the due date in order to send the message that vote tampering will not be tolerated.
Eight carriages? I thought there were 30?
Stu,
ROADS: What the hell, West Lothian?
—————-
I know your from Bathgate, mate, (and I’m from Livi) but seriously …I do not complain about the roads in West Lothian. After 4 years of driving around the city center of Edinburgh during the Tram constructions (or destructions if you prefer), West Lothian roads are like roads from paradise!
At least, you can move constantly on them, you have options to take a back road if there is a problem, and there is no traffic lights every 15 meters. Bliss!
“and there is no traffic lights every 15 meters”
You haven’t been to Bathgate for a while, then?
Re swearing. American friends pish themselves laughing.
They reckon Scots are the only folk they have heard insert a swear word in the middle of a word. My uncle, whilst in New York, remarked that he had to travel to ‘San Franfuckinsisco’ on business, and his US workmates looked at him in awe!
LIVINGSTON: Car parking charges? For an out-of-town mega-mall? Are you insane?
—————–
But on this one, you are quite correct. Baffled and annoyed are the two moods when you enter the MacArthur Glen car park. Why? Why? Why!!!!
I have no idea how this land deal was allowed to be passed by the council.
I make sure now that I only go near the centre for either
A: getting holiday stuff for abroad
B: Christmas shopping
After that, I avoid it as though it was a radiation fallout zone!
I think (hope) you might have point here keef, the sanguine approach by Alex Salmond belies the msm polls which show an (unassailable ) lead on a regular basis
I think their own (more accurate polls) are telling them something else, and the first rule of warfare is “never interrupt your enemy when he’s making a mistake”,
addendum
See what you mean clochoderic
the risible (report) from the commons select defense committee headed by James Arbuthnot have trotted out yet again (ad nauseum) “it is not guaranteed that an independent Scotland would be allowed into NATO” AND “the group of mps say the defense implications for the UK and the moving of nuclear weapons MUST also be clarified if there is a yes vote,
Now noone is so stupid and pedantic as to say why should we care about the defense implications for the rUK or the moving of nuclear weapons (your crap you shift it so to speak)
of course we should negotiate the defense of our two countries it would be foolish not to, but in what way does our defense diminish with the costed amount of 2.5 billion when they then ignore that only 1.5 billion of that cost is actually spent IN Scotland meaning a net increase of 1 billion actually spent defending OUR shores not the south of England
as in the words of the SNP defense policy
““We will actually have a defence and security policy made expressly to suit priorities in Scotland. Unlike every recent UK Government we will not ignore the clear majority wish in Scotland to get rid of nuclear weapons from Clyde.
“It is unimaginable that a Scottish Government would avoid the challenges facing our region in northern Europe, the Arctic and High North, which does not even merit a mention in the recent UK Strategic Defence and Security Review. “It is inconceivable that a Scottish Government would approach the defence footprint in Scotland in the cack-handed way the UK has, breaking one promise after another on personnel, basing and capabilities. “It would be unacceptable for a Scottish Defence Minister to visit Scotland only twice in two years as has been the case with the current UK Secretary of State.
“Scotland is in a critical geo-strategic location in northern Europe. It is a maritime nation with more than 11,000 miles of coastline, including nearly 800 islands, critical under-sea and offshore infrastructure and an area of responsibility extending far into the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean.”
For these people to trot out yet again old and worn attempts at showing that Scotland’s too wee too poor too stupid to defend itself is getting a bit tedious ,
lets not forget what the Norwegian navy looks like (google images norwegian navy) and the picture show an entity which does not even exist in Scottish waters (a defense force) and they DEMAND answers from US?
Chips – when eaten, must be salt, vinegar, and black pepper with a side blob of brown sauce and side blob of mayo. This covers the likely contamination of flavour created by reused/reheated oil. A very serious subject.
JLT says @7.13am
hiya jlt. it was nice to meet you the other day, the wife was fair taken with ye
but your comment on parking charges, is it not the case if your going into asda for shopping worth more than a fiver ? you get the parking charges back?
or am I wrong on that?
“Hmm. I got lucky on both outward and return journeys, and I’m not sure either was a Pendelino. I was in coach D today, though.”
You know what, it could be the Voyager trains now I think about it. Ok, I’ll put it like this: If you are in coach D and coach E is first class, you will get free wifi.
(The easiest way to get coach D when booking a ticket is to request a table seat and or power socket.)
John King
I have some photos from the march and especially the post Waterloo.
You can send me at the following e-mail address, your own so I can send them and especially the two I have you and your engaging better half. Good luck to you both, you are a great inspiration as is she.
Thanks again for the beers and chat.innerbearsden@gmail.com
orra best
James Mclaren
I am glad someone else is concerned about the the fkn propaganda pouring out of Pacific Quay, john king.
These cunts really do think they are bulletproof – this morning’s output is a lesson in news manipulation – just look at the prominence given to the women’s football team’s triumph compared to some rubbish about a stone skipping contest.
This is a Scotland is shite editorial line in reaction to yesterday’s census news – the truth is BBC Scotland does not like Scotland. I would gladly resume paying the telly tax to send honest Bill Whiteford and cheeky Gary Robertson off to cover flower shows and gymkhanas in leafy Berkshire.
btw whats the current feeling on the event at Bannockburn next year?
the wife’s got a taste for big events now and
“cannie wait for the next one”
besides we need to teach Stirling council a clear unambiguous lesson (mess wi us at your peril) could even be a good opportunity to lure the panda back from France
I take great pleasure from your comments bugger and am very humbled by them
John King – I take your point, the reason I say it is I’m pretty sure there is a sandblasted church in Park Circus in Glasgow. It looks amazing.
Craig P
The building stonework after cleaning has to be sealed, I presume by some sort of clear silicone something.
About chips and Scotland. My idea of heaven is a white pudding supper with sauce and salt on a chill autum evening. The strangest thing I saw in a chip shop was in Motherwell the guy in fromt of me ordered a ‘tattie fritter supper’ WTF! Is it me or is that just insane?
when I moved back to Scotland two years ago after 20yrs down sarf. First thing I noticed that people will talk to you and strike up conversations. In london they tended to ony do that when they were drunk or trying to sell you something. Saying that the further north, east and west from london the more talkative and friendly folk seemed to be . Maybe its a London thing(too many stuck up arseholes IMHO, my theory is that all the stuck up arseholes gravitate towrds london)
If you think that Glasgow needs its “face washed” you should have seen it in the late 50s, early 60s.
I remember getting the bus from Parkhead cross to Uddingston with my Dad the smog was so bad the clippie walked all the way in front of the bus with a torch. Like that would happen today!
Breaking news on the sauce or vinegar and potholes / speedbumps channel:
BBC Scotland brands Nato non nuclear members as hypocrites. Live on radio host Gary Robertson made the accusation during a tough ( cough) interview with rebel SNP spokesman Keith Brown.
It would be sad if we lost by just one vote and that one person had been so offended by swearing and profanity that they stayed at home hiding behind the sofa….o/t re NATO…just look at a map for goodness sake!
Virgin trains may well have wifi free if you pick the right coach, but it must be impossible to take advantage of, as you spend the entire journey trying hard not to hurl as the cottages and stands of trees outside pitch at ever crazier angles. Oh for the stability of a Cal-Mac going somewhere nicer.
But if it has to be a train then I’ll always head east first. Last week I managed journeys on both East Coast and Cross Country. The CC wifi charges were nothing compared to the robbery of the state-owned line. But at least I wasn’t nauseous.
My final CC trip, returning from a certain gathering in the east, was diverted onto the Scotrail trundler, the CC having broken down somewhere further south. But it gave me more time to reflect on the highlights of the day.
Anyway, Virgin Trains, not for me, even without a lining of either sauce or vinegar. And I’m not alone.
In Berlin at the mo. Realised in a flash why German visitors always say Glasgow is a beautiful city. Also can see how they lost the war – beats me how they managed to get it started .German efficiency my arse.
Can you imagine the stooshie if Scotland threatened to pull out of NATO.
clochoderic
I listened to Gary Robertson’s interview of Keith Brown. It was at best a harranging by Robertson, who clearly tried to twist words and meanings out of Keith Brown, to get something that they (the BBC/Better together) could use against the SNP. Fortunately Keith Brown dealt with Robertson’s inane questions, to the effect that Robertson appeared to get annoyed at not getting the responses he was trying to twist out of the interview. The icing on the cake was Keith Brown throwing back one of Robertson’s questions in which Robertson inferred that non nuclear members of NATO were hypocrites. I may be wrong but I was sure that Robertson was flustered enough to get Keith Brown’s job title wrong describing at the end of the interview as ‘Defence Minister’
john King
delete the chat. in the afore e-mail address
Famous15 we’ve been here before in regard to the language used on this blog several times. Swearing on this blog will not be the deciding factor whether someone votes or not.
Heard Keith Brown this morning. Someone needs to take him aside and tell him to slow down his speech when he’s on air. What he was saying made perfect sense, but the speed he was going at meant half of it would be lost on anyone not listening carefully.
I think Sky News and STV have been told by “Project Fear” that they have not been scary enough. So they dutifully fall into line. John Mackay of STV is starting to boom out “warnings” of Independence in his news bulletins. Even the Sky News weather map has copied the BBC weather map, with a severe “tilt” so Scotland looks the size of an English county, so when describing the weather in Scotland the don’t need to go into too much detail, they simply mention “and in Scotland the weather will be” and then they can move on to the more important forecast of what it will be in the south east of England.
I have wrote to both about the “tilt” and they say it is the position of the satellite that they use and there is nothing that can be done about it…
Bullshit!!
You lot have got me salivating for a real rowie! The objects sold in Glasgow as such are truly dreadful.
BBBC Scotlandshire has a wonderful piece on that census whish caused such consternation and technical glitches on BBBC Scotland.
Wow! That doesn’t augur well for James Naughtie’s taking over the BBC’s Indyref Coverage: BBC R4 Today prog @ 06:50 discussing some Commons Defence Cttee paper. Naughtie was so far up the Chairman – James Arbuthnott’s backside he needed a plank tied to his feet lest he disappear up there permanently. Treatment of SG Transport & Veterans minister Keith Brown totally different. Naughtie kept diggiing about SNP wanting to join nuclear alliance but dispose of nukes themselves.
It’s not a difficult concept. When Scotland is a member 26 of the 29 members of the alliance will be non-nuclear.
I don’t have the technology to record off the BBC iPlayer. If you do, Stu, it may be worthwhile.
“I don’t have the technology to record off the BBC iPlayer.”
link to freesoundrecorder.net
I see that Severin over on the Guardian is straight onto the NATO story. I don’t think he covered the Yes rally at all he really is firmily partisan isn’t he
No matter, his coverage is as ever weak pish and easy to wash away.
On the SAC all I can say is regarding Arbuthnot’s claim to be unbiased – Aye right!
@Dorothy Devine
“You lot have got me salivating for a real rowie! The objects sold in Glasgow as such are truly dreadful”.
What has you “salivating” Dorothy?
Roddy Macdonald
Here is another take on it from one who knows.
link to derekbatemandotnet1.wordpress.com
Anyone remember ‘cavens’. My mother used to get 4 rolls and 4 cavens. I’m fae Fife.
Morag — cavens (might be wrong spelling sorry in advance)
So there we have it. The big debate in an independent Scotland will be “salt n sauce” or “salt and vinegar”?
Happy to corrected but is the salt n sauce thing not just restricted to Edinburgh, Fife and the Lothians?
The watter is good up here. Not just for drinking either. Inverness seems to have water that magically transforms the most unruly, frizzy tresses into silky locks. If they bottled and sold Inverness tap water, I’d buy it just to wash my hair with.
Something weird going on. I am not being allowed to edit comment due to usual reason but no further comments appearing. Even if I click to edit immediately after posting. Happening all the time now?
Bugger, worked that time!
You called?
Can’t load the comments on Bateman’s blog.
I wonder if he wrote the one concerning Nato before the actual interview?
Do we have a Mole with a script?
@Robin- quine fae Torry
at 9;38
Where did that post come from? It appeared after 9;44. Strange.
Never mind sorry everyone!
HenBroon says: Salt n sauce. I find Edinburgh dolls very saucy. In fact my present one says if she had another pair of legs she would open in Glasgow.
I had to read that a few times to be sure …. can I have have balsamic vinegar on mine then?
Agree it’s hard to find the Yes Campaign office in Hope Street. When I asked – it turned out that Glasgow Council are being difficult about giving planning permission to put a sign outside! Who’d have thought it?
so they only have signs inside on the windows.
@AnneDon
I had to find it by counting down the building numbers to 136 yesterday and even then I walked past it the first time.
Glasgow City Council are a disgrace, typified by today’s clearing of Gordon Matheson of any wrongdoing in regards to the George Square redevelopment saga.
Something weird going on. I am not being allowed to edit comment due to usual reason but no further comments appearing. Even if I click to edit immediately after posting. Happening all the time now?
I have a theory about why this happens, don’t know if it’s right. Some posts that come in don’t appear immediately, and may not appear at all. Posts by new posters and people who have mis-spelled their names or email addresses are held back for moderation. Spam vanishes into a spam folder somewhere. I suspect that when either of these things happens, the edit window closes regardless.
AnnDon
If it was a Bar the sign outside would be nodded through.
I live in Edinburgh, and have started noticing Yes signs on people’s windows!
Brilliant stuff from Bateman, again. And did you catch yesterday’s? Hingers…..
O?T Stu, your kitten fetish indulged here
link to scottishbooktrust.com
the spik o the fowk
How we were colonised.
“The Doric. Five of our former pupils have lost their places in offices, under a youth training scheme, because they either could not or would not attempt to speak standard English on the phone. If you allow the use of the Doric by your pupils in your room, you could be a contributor to what can only be described as a sorry state of affairs.”- Memo by headmaster of Mauchline school, Ayrshire, 1985.
A woman biding in Aberdeen phoned in to the P&J to post a death notice for her late husband. It read “Peter Reid from Peterhead is dead”. That was it, so the customer sales rep at the P&J said that she could have a few more words for the same cost. So she started again, “Peter Reid from Peterhead is dead, Volvo for sale”.
Overheard in Aberdeen shoe shop- ‘fit fit fits fit fit’? Boom boom!!
far dee ye tak a quiney that’s hard-o-hearing? Ballater.
is at a pavlova or am a rang?
Sandy: Wullie, fit do yi think aboot these same sex marriages?
Wullie: I’m dead against them!
Sandy: Fit wye?
Wullie: My first marriage was a same sex relationship.
Sandy: REALLY?!?
Wullie: Aye, it was the same sex with the wife ilky month!
Wifie A: Did you hear aboot the fairmer who fun a trumpet in een o his parks?
Wifie B: Nah, fit haipened?
Wifie A: He rooted it oot.
Mannie A: Did you ken that Bernhard Langer once wanted to marry Nick Faldo’s caddie Fanny Sunesson?
Mannie B: No, fit happened?
Mannie A: She said no is it would have made her Fanny Langer.
fit aboot V J Sing fa wis engaged ti Fanny Sunesson and announced that he was sure he would mak her Fanny Sing very soon
what about the aberdeen drug dealer dealing in kenfitameans
My father was from Aberdeen, and a more generous man you couldn’t wish to meet. I have a gold watch that belonged to him. He sold it to me on his deathbed. I wrote him a cheque for it, post dated of course. – Chic Murray
The spirit o the man fae Aberdeen – Will Fyffe
Desperate stuff from Curtice on Newsnight, last night, just in case any one might confuse three quarters of Scots putting Scots as their identity in the cenusus, with being likely to favour or vote for Independence, a panicked Curtice rushed in the bit about the order of the questions. Scots being the first possible answer, British being the third on the list.
Curitce almost gabbled that people were most like to tick the first box and think they had given the answer, so not bother to look at the rest of the boxes! It asked people to tick any box, in combinations, that defined identity. So it could be Scots and British etc.
We are apparently idiots who cannot read forms.
It is a problem when experts in a field are given full credence to direct and interpret what we are supposed to think.
A good example, when the NHS in England was handed over to administrators to run, they began to shape it in terms of how administrators do things. So lots of meetings, and diary checking to see if they could attend meetings, rather than focusing on what the meeting might be about. Or targets and budgets, instead of patients with illnesses.
And of course, appropriate salaries, meetings about that!
With Curtice, he owns statistics and questions and the interpretation of these. And of course it showed Scots felt Scots, which was the wrong answer.
Here is a suggestion in answer to AmadeusMinkowski (26th September 10.16pm) “Any takers on what cleaning might be undertaken at the Biased Broadcasting corporation”
Sign this petition:
link to change.org
If Curtice is right then the Yes box should be below the question and the No box on the reverse side of the ballot paper
I thought it was an offence to fill out a census form incorrectly. I take it Prof Curtice is following up on this – Scots saying they feel Scottish and on purpose!
Regarding the census 62% Scots thing. Did I not read a comment from Scottish Skier some time ago saying that how Scottish you felt didn’t matter regarding the referendum vote but that how Brittish you felt had an effect on the way you would vote. Only 18% felt British / Scottish. I hope that I am right.
Hen Broon – those were hilarious.
Here’s one of my faves:
An Aberdonian is out for a drive in his shiny new red car. As he drives through Royal Deeside he marvels at the luscious greenery of the trees and grass.
He pulls up to get a bit of fresh air and a break from driving. It is only then that he sees a destitute man with his wife down on all fours munching on the grass. “Why are you eating grass” he asks the tramp.
I haven’t been able to find any work for months and this is all I can give my wife to eat.”
“Ah I see, tell you what, you and your wife get into the car and I’ll get you some extra food”
The man and his wife are overjoyed and jump into the back seats.
“Oh this is so kind of you dear sir” says the wife as they drive through Garthdee”
“Och, think nothing of it wifie – I haven’t been able to get my grass cut in weeks!”
“So there we have it. The big debate in an independent Scotland will be “salt n sauce” or “salt and vinegar”?”
Don’t go giving the spoof BBC ideas. I can just see it now: in the run up to the referendum next month, BBC Scotland will be bringing you the debates that really matter to people in Scotland. Debate one will be on “sauce or vinegar” with Nigel Farage, George Galloway, Chris Hoy and Kate Higgins. Second in the serious will be “they’re no cried butteries they’re cried rowies”. In this debate various London based journalists will react in horror to the ingredients in the famous Aberdeen roll, decry Scots lack of health generally and question whether such an unhealthy country could possibly be independent. Third in the series will be Star Trek or Star Wars…
Loving all the Doric humour!
Aboot those trains…
GLA-EDB expresses, the diesel ones, 1 or 2 class 170 at 3 cars each, 6 Max
GLA-EDB on the new electrified routes can be
class 334, 3 car, 6 Max
class 380, 3 and 4 car, Have been on a 3+4 but never seen a 4+4
Thats all from the trainspotting department
Scottish Skier some time ago saying that how Scottish you felt didn’t matter regarding the referendum vote but that how Brittish you felt had an effect on the way you would vote.
Not quite, but sort of. It was in the SSAS; ‘Scottish’ unites with vast majority of people in Scotland identifying first as Scottish. British in contrast is divisive, with many Scots not identifying with it at all was the conclusion. This is very important however, and those feeling strongly Scottish are highly unlikely to vote No, but instead Yes. Likewise, only those feeling very British are likely to vote No. For people who’s head isn’t telling them what to do, the heart will tell them on the day.
The great thing about the census is we can rubbish every MORI poll as they’re way off on the national identity question; their sample is far too British, presumably due to the telephone approach. This will not correct it perfectly as it’s still biased towards an older, better off demographic, but do a rough re-weight and averages for MORI since early are N = 48 and Y = 35 which is much more in line with the others.
If I was a pollster, I’d ask the census question in exactly the same format before any political/indy questions and weight to it. Would give those in love with MORI a fright.
You should come and live nearer London eg Huntingdon, where I live a lot of the time. The inhabitants there, in what is a fairly genteel country town constantly use the F and C words, as they parade in town, men and women, in familial groups with children and not in such groups. And southwards and in London the same thing prevails.
@westie7 Looks like the Rev clocked a pair of 4-car 380s then! Wonder if he took the numbers.????
“Earthy. Wow, we really do swear a lot more than English people.”
Not more than the people in the part of Manchester I was brought up in! That’s for sure!
@ john king You’re right about parking in Asda. It’s only 50p for two hours and if you spend a fiver in Asda you get your 50p back. Long way tae run back though if you’ve wandered all the way to m & s and realise you’ve only got 5 mins left to get back. The wardens are right on the ball as weel, think it’s a £60 fine or thereabouts if you get caught.
Bill C et al:
Curtice receives circa 185k from the UK Government funded ESRC to avail us of his objective view. As do six other academics who have a habit of frequently turning up on Newsnight and Scotland Tonight.
Re: the lack of YES posters. I actually asked YES scotland if they could provide some A4 or bigger posters for streets etc, as all you can buy are tiny little car stickers. They said no they don’t want to mess up the streets and upset people! A psychologist in the family pointed out to me that the best way right now of increasing the yes vote is awareness. If people thing that others are voting yes they will be more likely to consider it rather than assume it is a minority and therefore scary. We NEED awareness and posters everywhere, but YES Scotland don’t want to!
There’s another point, though. Posters have a shelf life. You have to rotate and renew them regularly. Unless you’re going to do that, this is way too early for more than car stickers.
I have a friend who saved a bunch of Yes-Yes posters from 1997 – different colours as issued by the different parties. He puts one or more in his window occasionally if there’s a big announcement or development, leaves it for a bit, then takes it down. He says, if you just leave the same thing there for months, people stop noticing it.
Hi John King
Tell the wife I was pleased to meet her (and yourself, by the way!). It was great day, it really was. I met so many folk that I have corresponded with, that it was almost magical when I shook hands with them as we told each other our pseudo-names. So to yourself and the wife …damn glad to have met ye’s!!
As to the parking charges, your right. Asda do give you a refund if you spend so much in the shop. The wife is she has to go to the center, always heads for Asda, does her clothes shopping in MAcArthur Glen, and then does food shopping in Asda.
I noticed one comment above saying that the charges came into place, because Bathgate shops were complaining like hell about the mega shopping center in Livingston. The only problem is …fat good that it did them …Tesco opened up a very large shop near enough right in the heart of Bathgate.
Take care the now mate. Will catch up with you again at some point. No doubt there will be another rally of sorts before the big one next August.
Rev. Stuart Campbell says:
27 September, 2013 at 8:04 am
“and there is no traffic lights every 15 meters”
You haven’t been to Bathgate for a while, then?
———————
Hey, Bathgate’s great. I’ll no’ knock Bathgate. It has the Dreadnought. Gotta love the Dreadnought (though I did prefer it when it was the old Dreadnought Hotel – that was way better).
For this post, mate, I was going to originally going to counter it with a ‘You definitely haven’t been to Edinburgh for a while, then?’ …but …ye were there last weekend, so that scuppered that reply!
The only thing that has taken the pain level from ‘completely suicidal’ to ‘Now just banging my head off the steering wheel’ is that York Place has reopened …but even with all the tram modifications, it’s still a complete hell-hole for driving in (two lanes filtering into one as you head west along it).
Bathgate Roads… paradise…
To add: on Curtice and the Census.
Gordon Brewer making the ‘suggestion’, that as 4% in Scotland gave ‘other ethnicity’ answer but 12% in England gave that answer, we are not open to diversity as England. That was the direction of his question about it.
We know his bias, but this is strongly reinforced when an issue is created out of the air to suggested something negative. Not simple more people have gone to England because their relatives are already there, or London airports have flights to many more distant destinations than in Scotland, or the Channel Tunnel connects to England.
A hint of we are not as welcoming as we say we are! Also no mention that UKIP and the Tories, and many Labour supporters would like to substantially reverse the numbers in England. Immigrants go home adverts etc.
The BBC tries to get conflicting convoluted messages in and reminds me of the Stephen Leacock quote, “Lord Ronald said nothing… flung himself upon his horse and rode madly off in all directions.”
An auld wifie fae Torry in Aberdeen get on a bus and sits doon.
On the seat in front of her is a wee blonde lassie aboot five wi beautifull curly hair and baby blue eyes.
She get up on her knees and looks at the wee wifie ower the seat. And gives her a lovely big smile.
The wifie say tae her mammy, “fit a bonnie wee quine.”
Afore her mammy can say a word the wee lassie say’s. “Awa n shite missus.”
The wee wifie nonplussed says, “and sic a guid spiker tae.”
“Lord Ronald said nothing… flung himself upon his horse and rode madly off in all directions.”
An excellent and accurate portrayal of unionism in the UK. Ma breeks are wringing.
We know his bias, but this is strongly reinforced when an issue is created out of the air to suggested something negative. Not simple more people have gone to England because their relatives are already there, or London airports have flights to many more distant destinations than in Scotland, or the Channel Tunnel connects to England.
Another possibility is that in Scotland, people from immigrant families are more likely to self-identify as Scottish, while in England they continue to identify with their parents’ nationality. And yes, we don’t actually know, and yes, I too am sick and tired of the most derogatory spin possible being put on every inconsequential little factoid.
Re: The 2011 census.
I completed this and it was door to door. A woman came into my house with a computer and asked me lots of different questions. I said Scottish – when asked this question therefore it was not a case of not understanding the question or ticking the first box. All questions were read out before answering. And I got a free pen
Laptop rather than computer.
I did it on paper. But the form was available way before it had to be returned. It was something to sit down and do properly one evening. Plenty of time for thought and no hassle from anyone.
It’s perfectly possible that a proportion of people did what Curtice describes. How many, though? That this would be enough to skew the result so far in that direction is ludicrous. What does he think we are, a nation of complete idiots?
@JLT thought the auld Dreadnought was boarded up last time I passed it? What about the Green tree is it still going? What was the hotel right next to the Edinburgh bus stop?
“thought the auld Dreadnought was boarded up last time I passed it? What about the Green tree is it still going?”
Yeah, as far as I know the GT’s still open – that was actually me and my friends’ local when we were teens. Always in the wee pool room with the old vinyl jukebox. The Dreadnought, as JLT says, has I don’t think ever reopened since it initially closed, MANY years ago now. It’s sad.
cath says:
“So there we have it. The big debate in an independent Scotland will be “salt n sauce” or “salt and vinegar”?”
well cath, living in the capital I provided (pre march) a couple of etiquette guides for those marchers that didn’t live here, one for how to behave on the busses and the other was to do with ensuring that they asked for “salt n sauce” with the fish and chips.There is nothing more embarrassing than getting a blank stare from the attendant when you ask for vinegar (when in Rome and all that). Now I have to confess that I’m a deviant – I get nothing on them in the shop (Naked fish and chips – you want to see the looks I get!!) but I then rush home and souse them with Soy sauce or if I’m feeling up for a touch of the exotic, I pop into the Chinese carry out shop and get a portion of curry sauce – yum!!
Now don’t you go telling my local fish and chipper what I get up to – I might get banned. Kind regards Dram.
@ Hen Broon,
Think I might have met that bairn on the number 59 once.
cath says
“Loving all the Doric humour!”
am jist here fur the banter:)
You should try the L’Alba D’Oro on Henderson Row (Stockbridge-ish). It’s quite posh and it has a nice wine shop attached so if you ask nicely no doubt you can get your chips with champange vinegar. I am of course, deluded.
…and if only I could spell. Well, you know what they say:
Champagne for my real friends, real pain for my sham friends.
Chip shop branded ‘racist’ in sauce row
Tuesday 27 August 2013
A GLASWEGIAN has branded an Edinburgh chip shop “racist” after it charged him for ketchup while giving away brown sauce.
Tony Winters has complained to Trading Standards after the shop tried to charge him 25p for a sachet of tomato ketchup, claiming it was “racial discrimination”.
Mr Winters was with his fiancee and friend when they went to the Gold Sea chippy in Ferry Road.
From Herald. Story also in Record. Scotsman etc.
Google racism over chippy sauce.
Juteman: I wonder if a Scotsman inspired the writer of ‘Pretty Woman’ to use to term ‘Cinderfuckinella’
The term Cinderfuckinella seems to be used a lot in the States now.
I don’t mind friendly swearing what I do hate is when shop/checkout assistant say ‘There you go’ or ‘No problem’
I would prefer them to say ‘You’ve got your shopping now fuck off’ That to me is much more friendly than the highly patronising phrase ‘there you go’
I’m not too keen on the term ‘regular fries’ either. I won’t be going back to any chippy that asks me if I want ‘regular fries’
Morag: When I first read your post I thought you were referring to human posters ie posters on a forum. I was wondering how long I had before being banned. I imagined Stu saying ‘ Right you lot are boring you are all being replaced now ***** **!
… no doubt the story says that Alex Salmod was working there at the time and he’s to blame.
The Chippy Sauce Racism story was even covered by the Independent.
‘Scotland’s sauce wars: Charge for ketchup in Edinburgh leaves customer from Glasgow with chip on shoulder’
link to independent.co.uk
Sorry I don’t know how to do the archive thingy yet also having problems trying to unbold.
Morag: When I first read your post I thought you were referring to human posters ie posters on a forum. I was wondering how long I had before being banned. I imagined Stu saying ‘ Right you lot are boring you are all being replaced now ***** **!
“Rev. Stuart Campbell says:
27 September, 2013 at 7:00 am
“Nope, is a maximum of 6 carriages on that line”
I’m not mad, fella. I know how many six is, and there were more than six carriages on those trains”
Well I didn’t claim that you were mad, just mistaken. But hey ho, I use the line every day and you’re the journalist, maybe a simple check of facts with Scotrail? You can book an appointment with a shrink after if you so desire, fella.
Weedeochandorris says:
@JLT thought the auld Dreadnought was boarded up last time I passed it? What about the Green tree is it still going? What was the hotel right next to the Edinburgh bus stop?
————————-
It still is boarded up, mate when I saw it the last time. Been boarded up for quite a while now (I’m even going to say years!). I don’t believe it has opened up as anything else, since it was the old Dreadnought.
They did open up a ‘new’ Dreadnought on the main street as you enter Bathgate if you were coming in from Livingston. Main bar downstairs. Bands play at one end of the main bar room. A half decent nightclub upstairs. Now and again, me and some of my mates will go through (usually when there is an AC/DC tribute band on!)
The Green Tree still exists. Usually, I if I’m in Bathgate, I’ll got to the Balbardie before heading up to either the James Young or Lloyds (it’s either a Wetherspoons or a Lloyd, but I’m sure they are one and the same brand). After that …the Dreadnought.
As to the Hotel near the bus stop. I’m not too sure about that one. The old grey cells are too dim on that one.
Bizarrely, I remember the older places such as the Palais, Jarvey’s and the Twig. God, that takes me back …just thinking of Jarvey’s (weep, weep …I’m getting auld! Where did the years go???)
Glasgow has a lot going for it, but is scourged by too many people (most notably the labour council) not caring about their city, hence the filthiness, and a preponderance of awful chip shops. You really have to get out to the coastal towns for good west coast chips.
the massive new hospital being built at the Southern General (merging three large existing hospitals from all o er the city into one site) is a nightmare to reach via public transport.
Our transport system is also rather outdated, especially as previously deprived parts of the city have seen regeneration efforts in recent years. Traffic in the city centre s ok but it is choked with filthy buses. The infamous Edinburgh trams would have made sense in Glasgow
All these things are far more likely to be improved in an independent nation.