Off-topic
Posted on
January 02, 1968 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
For off-topic chat. Duh.
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Wings Over Scotland is a (mainly) Scottish political media digest and monitor, which also offers its own commentary. (More)
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Recent Comments
- on Unhinged Malady: “Stu If you have a moment can you tell me why my post is in mod? Thanks..” Apr 25, 01:12
- on Unhinged Malady: “It really is outrageous how the BBC,STV & Sky News are still promoting the “poor vulnerable trans” story. Yet hardly…” Apr 25, 00:52
- on Unhinged Malady: “” I am ahead. I am advanced. I am the first mammal to wear pants. I am at peace with…” Apr 24, 20:08
- on Unhinged Malady: “@Lorn – I’m afraid the Salvo case has no chance, there have been innumerable cases on the U.K. constitution in…” Apr 24, 19:55
- on Unhinged Malady: “Ah c’moan now, Mark. If they’re mostly called Navid, it’s all going to be grand. Never forget that for some…” Apr 24, 19:51
- on Unhinged Malady: ““the very establishment of a supreme court should have had our legal profession outraged and riotous as they have been…” Apr 24, 19:35
- on Some People Try To Fuck With You: ““tick numerous red flags – Histrionics, Narcissism, Authoritarian, Grandiose, Anti Social, obsessive & Compulsive. They think they’re the smartest person…” Apr 24, 19:27
- on Some People Try To Fuck With You: “Absolutely shocking that a single individual can waste so much valuable judicial time on vindictive attacks and not suffer any…” Apr 24, 18:51
- on Unhinged Malady: “Lorn I don’t believe anyone posting here would call you stupid or otherwise in relation to the Scottish judges or…” Apr 24, 18:09
- on Unhinged Malady: “I agree with everything you say, but will any of this happen? I doubt it..sadly.” Apr 24, 17:47
- on Unhinged Malady: “Why do the Greens not remove her (or he if that’s how the cookie crumbles) from the list for 2026…” Apr 24, 17:15
- on Unhinged Malady: “Just passed a few Transvestites on the street. They have lost that “we are taking over the world” look on…” Apr 24, 17:11
- on Unhinged Malady: “Admittedly, RefUK friendly polling company Find Out Now, has the Faragists with a 8% lead. Eight percent! Westminster voting intention,…” Apr 24, 16:38
- on Unhinged Malady: “Having said the above, that doesn’t mean that the lady isn’t as deranged as … well… a man who thinks…” Apr 24, 15:35
- on Unhinged Malady: “GERI: at the risk of being repetitive, you have to bring a case to court. Before SALVO/Liberation, no one had…” Apr 24, 15:10
- on Unhinged Malady: “She has already served two three year terms as Rector of Aberdeen University.It is part of the strategy to capture…” Apr 24, 14:59
- on Unhinged Malady: “No, it’s not just you, diablo. This is precisely the tack they have taken. It’s all about the ‘trans’ men…” Apr 24, 14:38
- on Unhinged Malady: “Get Swinney to say Woman, Woman yes Swinney W O M A N. Say it Swinney.” Apr 24, 14:18
- on Unhinged Malady: ““Multicultural and multiracial” You don’t need to walk to far to see this is another Teletubby fantasy. In fact if…” Apr 24, 13:59
- on The Disgrace Of Holyrood: ““Alexander Gavin” No such thing as the “English Supreme Court” ! The Supreme Court is a UK institution ! Poor…” Apr 24, 13:37
- on Unhinged Malady: ““But we can safely extrapolate a couple of facts from Wings BTL to the voting public as a whole..” Actually,…” Apr 24, 13:22
- on Unhinged Malady: “People are turning to the likes of Reform because they’re sick of seeing and hearing immigrants everywhere. Nae need to…” Apr 24, 12:12
- on Unhinged Malady: “Frame it in the context of Be Kind/discriminated minority facing further victimisation. The news media likes every other part of…” Apr 24, 11:54
- on Unhinged Malady: “This idea of free speech that McKay talks about in the article has never existed here in the UK, anybody…” Apr 24, 11:27
- on Unhinged Malady: “Is it me or are news programmes continuing the promotion of trans individuals? I have watched several he, she or…” Apr 24, 11:26
- on The Disgrace Of Holyrood: “Well fuck what the English Supreme Court has decided! If we’ve got shit going on in our country we’ll deal…” Apr 24, 10:53
- on The Disgrace Of Holyrood: ““a wee snippet of joy” Careful there, Barbs, it sounds like you’re getting in touch with your inner trans
” Apr 24, 10:38 - on Unhinged Malady: “I see that the free speech card is being churned out now: https://archive.is/9zBFf Of course free speech only works for…” Apr 24, 10:19
A tall tale
Wee Books
Video
Probably a robbery
Transphobia
Here is a wee song that get me giddy. link to youtube.com Vote Yes.
Michael McCabe rides to the rescue as usual.
Cheers Buddy.
Poor wee furious Alan suggesting now that his side tries to form some sort of grassroots…with less than two weeks to go! LOL
link to telegraph.co.uk
This level of nonsense is why the tide has turned.
A musical tribute a remarkable politician. Guess who?
Prince Buster Allstars – Prince of Peace
link to youtube.com
A wee bit sentimental but passionate all the same.
link to youtube.com
I think the spam filter hates me tonight! It must be cranked up high level with the constant attacks Stu’s been getting on the place. Understandable if it is on full alert. Hundreds of spam messages are PITA.
I was just suggesting that SAINT MOTEL – “1997” might be a nice theme for us Yessers or used in the post-win parties.
Never felt more confident than now that not only we CAN win this but we WILL win this. And the feeling is only growing!
@Cameron B.
Another tribute to a politician.
Online competition, can you guess which politician this reminds me of?
link to youtube.com
Ah – only 2 more working days till it’s Monday.
Test, am having posting probs?
Hi Betty Boop and Quentin Quayle.
Your other halves for Invergowrie also?
More news on Invergowrie over this weekend.
@Briandoonthetoon
I’m Quentin Quale’s other half- I made top of your last list:-)
See you soon
@Cactus – mega spam problem it seems.
one of my other comments this morning on another thread hit the “moderation” wall too.
@Cactus me too
@Brian Doonthetoon – we are most definitely considering it. Have to negotiate B&B with our son for the Tayport digs though
Thinking about starting a gardening post on off topic, so after (fingers crossed) we get a yes vote I propose we all plant saltires in out beds using Lobelia, and Allysums next spring, living Saltires, we may see them sprout (ahem) up in municiple plantings in parks as well, such as Princes street gardens.
gerry parker
ow you’re just egging us on.
Cameron
And T B Liar
Different folks follow different threads. This is a hoot
link to facebook.com
Great to meet oor ain Gavster, and Bill Boyd, and ‘Alison’ this afternoon in Ayr.
We shifted 200 WBBs (with no strings attached, kininvie!) and it was not easy to locate hard Nos.
My second attempt at a first post, so please still be gentle.
Lurked here for many months but haven’t posted before.
Just booked my flight to Glasgow, get in 8am the morning of the vote. If needed I am willing to help in any way, drive folk to vote in Glasgow and surrounding areas.
I don’t have a vote but as this is something that I have wanted for the last 35 years I really want to help.
gerry parker
Hi Gerry, I hadn’t thought of him, though I see where you are coming from. I was actually thinking of the First Minister, and the opportunity he’s made available. Nukes gone, and no more imperialist wars if we chose to leave them behind. What’s not to like?
And he’s is from the east, as far as most Scots are concerned.
Darlings – all day doing the dance, smout honey – big kisses and welcome to our wee forum, lots of kisses from me honey.
WBB – put out WBBs beside my big Yes sign at bottom of the garden on Thursday. Not the busiest wee Perthshire town but 15 taken over an 8 hour period. Bit annoyed yesterday as the steady drizzle put paid to any chance of them staying dry, so didn’t put them out. Mind you, mood was lifted when someone arrived at the door and asked if I had any because they had been told about the street side ‘box’. Had a great chat and a couple more WBBs out there doing the job.
Thank you Paula Rose. And big kisses back
I’m off out now to my local in Cardiff Bay. Even down here I’ve managed a few worthwhile conversations with the Scottish tourists over the summer. Hope I’ll meet some of you on the 18th.
@James Caithness
Thanks for that link. How have we got the folk with the talent?
Just wonderful.
oh btw James Caithness honey – I didn’t mean to upset you a couple of nights back, big kisses honey.
My favourite song sung by a goddess
link to youtube.com
john king says:
“Thinking about starting a gardening”
Na, coos’n’bees, John – land of milk and honey
Ian Brotherhood says:
“it was not easy to locate hard Nos.”
Paula will be very dissapointed
Another braw day on the stall in Aberdeen although weather a little inclement in the afternoon. Still, it’s Scottish water. The bitters only turned up about 12 and lasted about 2.5 hours, the second heavy shower did for them, poor wee souls. I don’t think their heart is in it.
Up to Alford tonight to set up the YesMobile for the bike rally at the Alford Transport Museum link to gtm.org.uk
Be there tomorrow all day. Now to go catch up – see the Rev’s just tweeting YouGov poll 51 Yes 49 No. Just another 15 point to go. Let’s not flag or crow. Get out and go for it.
My boy has just taken a splendid snap of me with a Yes cupcake (from the excellent Kandy Bar in Satcoats) stuck to my head, and a WBB stuck to my cheek.
Unfortunately, I can’t share it as we can’t work out how to get a link in here. If I e-mailed it to someone with the techy skills, could you please do it for me?
Thanks. I’ll need your e-mail address. Obviously.
Ian dear – which cheek?
Not the one I lovingly caressed in that field in Oban I hope.
@ ian
mines just up the thread a bit
writing on a phone. just read two stories on tomo observer. quite emotive language. massive new powers on offer. habloodyha. seems like they trying to change our direction of travel. not a happy bunny. however. as usual. no substance. but they msm prob be choca with new offer for no vote stories for next few days. do not get distracted. need people in top tier to think on their feet now. rebuttal asap
Remind me – what’s the question being asked on the18th?
good point paula. YEEEESSSSSSS
keep it simple. yes for people power. no for abject failure. sorry getting morose. no for….. whats no for again????
@X_sticks –
Cheers amucho –
Please message me ian@stevenston4.fsnet.co.uk and I’ll send the thing by return.
“‘Yes’ campaign lead at 2 in Scottish Referendum”
link to yougov.co.uk
@Ian
link to t.co
Lol, what that wbb is doing to people, eh?
Sorry your sideways Ian. Don’t know why.
Aye, min we’ll hae a sup or twa richt enough and indeed it is historic times we are privileged to be living in.
When the unicorn broke the chain and the lion roared. That’ll do for me.
GTG early start at Alford for the YesMobile at the bike rally. Going to be a cracking day.
Get our there and enjoy it folks.
It’s comin’ yet for a’ that.
Wee tune for lurking BTUKOKVNOBNOTHANKers –
Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) –
link to youtube.com
For all Wingers and Yessers generally:
Tom Jones & EMF, ‘Unbelievable’ –
link to youtube.com
Quentin Quale put this Song up the other day. And I think it is Great So I am putting it up again. Give it a listen I think you,s will enjoy link to youtube.com Vote Yes.
Holy crap. I go to bed early and I miss an amazing YouGov poll. :O
@Ian Brotherhood
Hoped to see you in Ayr, but I ended up busy with work related stuff so just missed your gang, I think! I say at least a dozen people in town for the air show with Yes badges, stickers and wristbands in open display and only one No sticker on someone.
@X-Sticks 11:53pm
I only noticed that the unicorn was in chains for the first time a day or two ago when one of my sons pointed it out on the front of his passport.
That needs to be made more public.
I’m pretty sure most Scots are unaware of the symbology in the crest.
Its doors open day next weekend
link to doorsopendays.org.uk
Could these venues be a good place to set up stalls nearby the link above is for Dundee might be worth checking the net for events in your area for suitable place to set up a stall, since its the last weekend before the vote it would be a shame to waste it
,,, sorry here are the missing commas
Looks like some of the doors open days are this weekend check here for your area
link to doorsopendays.org.uk
We haven’t heard from No Better Together Thanks for a while, but we shouldn’t have worried that Project Fear wouldn’t roll out the same old horror re-runs.
The Marketts – Out of Limits
link to youtube.com
The Tarantulas – Like-Spellbound
link to youtube.com
Baron Daemon & The Vampires – Ghost guitars
link to youtube.com
@ Jim Thomson
According to legend a free unicorn is a very dangerous beast…
It’s to do with that horn.
Unicorn porn…only you Paula
Georgia v Ireland Select footie option: on soon.
or watch anything on here.
You want to download ad blocker if required (30secs)
link to wiziwig.tv
@call me dave
Call me duh!
But I haven’t a clue how that website works.
must be missing a plug-in or summat.
Hi Cearc.
If you click on the link below, you’ll see where that path meets Mill Road. It looks like it’s tarred. You can then zoom out of the map to get your bearings.
link to goo.gl
Hi Jim Thomson. I’ll add your name to the list as I don’t believe the Troon Brigade will want to miss this get-together!
Your B&B will be arranged, iye?
Hi Chipmonkey. I didn’t realise you were FionaF!
BTW: the phone number I gave for the Invergowrie Inn previously was totally wrong! If anyone wants to book a table for a meal, phone (01382) 562686 and mention of Wings Over Scotland will let you book a table up to 7pm. (General public up to 6.30pm.)
But better to book sooner, rather than later, as they are always fully booked for Saturday teatime.
So, the current list of those attending the Friends of Wings Over Scotland night out at the Invergowrie Inn (last orders at quarter past midnight) is:-
chipmonkey
Quentin Quayle
Thepnr
ronnie anderson
Bob Sinclair
Betty Boop
Jim Thomson
Quinie frae Angus
cearc
Paula Rose
Tartan Tory
There’ll also be some lurkers from Dundee who are working their @®$es off, campaigning for a YES vote. I won’t be publicising this get-together on Facebook – it’s for Wingers.
So, who else is adding their name?
Once again, here’s the link to the post where I gave hotel info:-
link to wingsoverscotland.com
Oh dear I keep commenting on main threads – I don’t mean to be naughty but you know how it is. Now – which of you are going to pick me up in Brechin? And I will want some lovely platters of deliciousness sweeties.
Ronnie Anderson my darling – you do this for me
link to youtube.com
Oh so complex – darlings I will be there I will need food, can someone order me the special main course? My pussy is so demanding, I should really get au fait with the modern world.
Hooray, managed to get hold of the Yes agent for my area and I’ve coordinated to fill up some slots so that’s perfect. Full set from the Wings front now. We’ll outnumber the opposition on the day in the counting rooms.
BB, well done.managing to make a start on my allocations too.
Awe Paula Rose the distance is to great for me to keep you warm,I’ll send you a packet of firelighters n a bag of coal.
Here is a song for Westminster the Establishment Bitter Together. For the day after Scotland Votes Yes. link to youtube.com Vote Yes.
Well all, it’s 10 days to go, and we need to work hard:
link to wildernessofpeace.wordpress.com
I took one final day off today for my health. The next ten days I’ll be doing everything I can until I crash – hopefully on the 20th – and Inverclyde’s 56,000 electorate need ALL the help they can get.
TEN DAYS! Oh man, it’s really closing in fast, isn’t it?
It all seemed so distant when it was first announced it was going to happen.
@Brian Doonthetoon
Aye, indeedy. Mark us down for a wee nosh and a swally
Just had a look on Google Earth – they REALLY like their double yellow lines in ‘Gowrie. Jings, hope there’s a space in front when we arrive, or else we’ll have to walk from Tayport!
Table booked, btw.
Hi Jim.
If you want to have a meal before the shindig, you’ll have to phone the number above and book a table ASAP.
My ex says they’re always fully booked on a Saturday. Remember to mention ‘Wings Over Scotland’.
@Brian Doothetoon
Yes – the clue is in “Table booked btw”
Also bringing one of our lads who’s at Abertay. He’s kindly agreed to put us up for the Sat/Sun
Nice pic Ian.
Sorry I wasn’t much help with the picture posting.
I’d gotten the idea in my head that you wanted it to actually display the pic in the post.
But yep, external links are easy enough.
Going to set up a new image hosting account for myself later anyway, since I lost the password for the old one when my old PC blew up.
So if you need any more pics posted up, feel free to pass them on
Hi Jim.
I was typing while you posted your “table booked” info.
8=)
Oops done that youtube thing again, forgot to strip off the http
Anyway, is this to rude to put out there?
link to youtube.com
Brian,
sorry for the late change but I am not going to make it to Invergowrie. Got to drop my Daughter off at Uni. I will miss the last chance to meet up with you guys before we win but will be thinking of you all. You’ve all been an inspiration to me. YES THANKS
Was out delivering Yes materials today. Highlight? Being, ahem, thoroughly entertained by the delectable Paula Rose after handing over a load of WBBs. Ya beezer.
I’ve been trying to get my head round a small section of a weighty tome, known as CAP168, for a couple of hours now, but all this Wings stuff is sooo bloody distracting.
Gonnae no dae that!
On second thoughts, that document is quite dry and tedious so some light relief should be welcome amidst the dryness of the day job
Jim, I sympathise with you as a former airport employee.
(Air Ground Radio and Airport Admin)
aahhh another distractee – I am NOT lone … woohoo
Anyway, going to try and get “Architects for Yes” livestream event onto the telly downstairs now (see foot of “Finding sense to make it work” thread)
So, there I was at the Postal Vote opening (nothing to see here, the ladies were meticulous in ensuring we saw no ballots)
Got speaking to the observer from the Labour party after the opening. She asked me my thoughts on a couple of indy issues and listened to my answers. We got on to the campaigns and I was telling her about the online campaign for Yes. She’s not very computer literate. Got around to telling the story of the WBB. “Oh, she says that sounds interesting.”
Well says I, “I just happen to have one here in my pocket and you’re welcome to it.”
“Thank you very much” she says, “what do I owe you for it?”
“It’s free. Courtesy of Wings over Scotland.”
“That’s very kind of you, thanks”
Into the bag it went. Strongly suspect it will get a good read. Strongly suspect it may well change another mind.
Well done x-sticks.
Fancy you ‘just happening to have one in your pocket’!
@X_Sticks
hahaha. Lets hope that one gets passed around a lot.
Gerry,
Full box of WBB’s + about 50 I got from Glenrothes + about 100 from Interesting Books in Shawlands distributed over the weekend.
I had a thought about the one I got signed by The 7th Doctor from Doctor Who (Sylvester McCoy). Theres a wee bit of a Doctor Who crossover in that the book is Wee & Blue on the Outside & massive on the inside, a bit like the TARDIS.
OK despite some input elsewhere that it is funny, I’ll take the silence here as a no and dump it.
Chic,
You took it down and I hadn’t watched it!
Chic,
Everyone was away playing pilots on the ‘Too easy’ thread.
I thought the other thread WAS the Off-Topic thread LOL.
link to wingsoverscotland.com
An easy mistake to make!
WBB Update
OK, so that is Wings Central officially cleaned out. The 230,000 copies that came off the presses in Glasgow are now all distributed across the country as best we could manage.
We shipped boxes to Stornoway, Shetland, Orkney, Skye, Campbeltown, Thurso, Laurencekirk and many other places. We delivered pallets of 10,000 or more to Troon, Dunblane, Perth, Dundee, Dunfermline, Inverness, Ladybank, Melrose, Livingston, Edinburgh, Dumfries, Aberdeen and more. We’ve put 40,000 copies out from the Glasgow hub. We’ve sent out thousands of individual ebay orders in addition.
We’ve watched in awe as the WBB has spread out to cover nearly every geographical niche. Copies have arrived in Barra (how?) and they are spreading from hand to hand in Strathpeffer, Elgin, Loanhead, Prestonpans….
We’re cleaned out, but the message is out there…
Most of you will maybe never know how much thanks are due to Wingers who have stepped up to whatever demands were made of them over the past couple of weeks – but we, on the 5 man/woman distribution team know, and are grateful.
I am grateful too. This will clinch it for the people of Scotland and rid us of the corruption of Westminster. I never realised you were delivering little books full of dynamite that could swing voters as well as it can.
I’ve witnessed it.
Thank you kinivie and the rest of the team
It is pretty impressive for an ad hoc logistics exercise. Well done one and all.
Kininvie
I would just like to say a big thanks to you and your team for all the hard work you have done to make this possible .
I would also like to thank all Wingers who have made this possible by digging deep into their pockets every time the Rev has asked them to .
Huge thanks to Andrew and the rest of the WBB distribution team, what a superb job you folk have done.
Utter commitment. That’s why we ARE going to win this.
The establishment is in full panic mode.
The MSM is in full on panic propaganda mode with all pretence of fairness and lack of bias out the window.
Wings (And the Rev!) has played a significant part in this, more power to use.
Keep up the good work folks we’re winning!
Well done to all, and we know that if the same exercise had been carried out by the No side then it would have been splashed across all the news channels and newspapers. Only mention I’ve heard of it in the MSM so far was by John Beattie yesterday on Radio Scotland when he mentioned “Blue Book”.
Managed to get some precious WBB out to some canvassers as well as a good variety of Wings related material – leaflets, badges, etc.
Don’t know about anyone else but I’m getting very skint now, war chest for campaign long since plundered. LOL
Hi folks,
Just about to get myself out on the road again for more canvassing and finding those UDs, WBBs packed in the sack.
Although I reckon I have managed to turn quite a few voters to yes, I had a lovely experience a couple of nights back when I had just finished canvassing a particularly challenging street. Car stopped, reversed and the lady driver said “I was sure it was you, the wee Yes lady” and then gave me the thumbs up.
In the words of Jola, I was astonished! Spoke to her at length in front garden over 5 months ago; a fascinating/frustrating conversation which I thoroughly enjoyed nonetheless. She was a definite NO! I persisted with the conversation because she was obviously a very capable woman, but, she hadn’t really investigated the proposal. On parting, I gave her a list of weblinks I recommend and asked her if she would look at them. She said she would.
She said that she wouldn’t say I had turned her, but, had got her thinking. She was already there, totally fed up with the scare stories, etc., but, the last debate between AS and AD cemented it. She said that there has been a big change in attitude amongst people she knows.
I thanked her for stopping to let me know her change of heart and it certainly cheered me up.
The power of conversation – if only we could speak to everyone…
@Cearc
“Chic,
You took it down and I hadn’t watched it!”
It was just a spoof using the iconic Meg Ryan restaurant scene where (presumably after having just swallowed a particularly nice piece of cheesecake) she expresses her approval by exclaiming Yes! Yes! Yes!… 2 min later… YES!.
Except the lady at the end of the clip who says “I’ll have what she’s having.” was redubbed into “I’ll vote what she’s voting”.
Never mind eh?
BTW my effort this morning seems to be popular:
link to dropbox.com
Got my hands on my first actual wee blue book yesterday. I was like a kid with a new toy, it’s brilliant, and so wee! It’s now been passed on to a wavering Yes.
Just wanted to say thanks to the distribution team.
Chic,
They are so inept that we don’t even need to be creative to mock them.
Not that I am suggesting that you are not, you’ve done such great stuff.
Wiz wondering,if onybody wi a wee van wiz just happening to be passing the big hoose in Lundinium, could they please bring oor stane back hame. I’m sure Oor Madge disnae need it onymair.
Would mak a braw doorstop in Edinboro Castle.
@Jim Thomson
Just letting you and the rest know that the paperwork for SA was handed in to reception at their offices. Did it in person to make sure! No “it’s in the mail, I promise” nonsense.
I’ll see you on Thursday for the postal opening then, Jim!
Ian Brotherhood, I’ll see you at the ballot count.
That’s me in from a day at the Yes shop – can’t be bothered cooking, shall I have a nice meaty Italian, Chinese or Indian?
P.S.
Obv Ian I don’t mean you aren’t in for the postal openings any more, you still are, just that you’ll be on different days from me! Sorry if that caused confusion.
With your class Paula it has to be Italian!
Hi kininvie.
You and the team are due a large bag of Kudos (iScotland’s currency?) for the work you put in, and also all the local distributors who continued the work.
My box is being spread round Ninewells Hospital (nearly 6,000 employees). I’m asking people, “So, do you know anyone who hasn’t decided how to vote in the referendum?”
This usually results in a 5 minutes+ conversation and a couple of WBB’s left for passing on. Funny thing is, most seem to be voting YES – I’ve only met 2 hard NO’s; one a Labour ex-councillor and one a former member of the SNP.
Strange, iye?
.
Hi Bob Sinclair.
Sorry to read you won’t make our last ‘Wingding’ before the referendum. Never mind – there’s bound to be a mega Wingding in Glasgow or Edinburgh for you to get to after the 19th.
.
INVERGOWRIE UPDATE.
Have talked to Bob Costello who owns the ‘Scotland’s Dragon’ double-decker, the Business For Scotland coach and the ‘mini Dragon’.
He’s going to run the mini Dragon from Dundee city centre as follows:
From the bus/coach park at the Sensation Science Centre at Greenmarket (around 3-4 minutes walk from the rail station) to the Invergowrie Inn at 6.30pm and then at 7.15pm.
The return journey(s) will be arranged on the night, according to demand.
Trains and buses come into Dundee from Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness all day. As Pete the camera pointed out in a previous post, it’s ‘Doors Open Day’ in Dundee that weekend, so you can spend a few hours discovering Dundee before you head for Invergowrie.
link to doorsopendays.org.uk
.
You should check at the Traveline Scotland web site for details of connections and so on…
http://www.travelinescotland.com
The last trains into Invergowrie and Dundee that I got from the Traveline Scotland web site are as follows:-
From Glasgow,
To Invergowrie Rail Station
Departs at 13/09/2014 17:03
Arrives at 13/09/2014 18:44
Duration 1 hours 41 mins
From Aberdeen,
To Invergowrie Rail Station
Departs at 13/09/2014 15:33
Arrives at 13/09/2014 16:52
Duration 1 hours 19 mins
From Aberdeen,
To Invergowrie Rail Station
Departs at 13/09/2014 16:37
Arrives at 13/09/2014 18:44
Duration 2 hours 7 mins
(That one goes ‘the pretty way’! See Traveline Scotland for further info.)
From Edinburgh,
To Invergowrie Rail Station
Departs at 13/09/2014 15:35
Arrives at 13/09/2014 17:38
Duration 2 hours 3 mins
(That one goes ‘the pretty way’ as well. See Traveline blah blah blah.)
.
Last trains home as follows:
From Invergowrie Rail Station
To Edinburgh,
Departs at 13/09/2014 22:00
Arrives at 13/09/2014 23:49
Duration 1 hours 49 mins
From Invergowrie Rail Station
To Aberdeen,
Departs at 13/09/2014 22:00
Arrives at 13/09/2014 23:22
Duration 1 hours 22 mins
Unfortunately, the last train to Glasgow is as follows:-
From Dundee, Dundee To Glasgow,
Departs at 13/09/2014 21:54
Arrives at 13/09/2014 23:19
Duration1 hours 25 mins
which is a tad early. See the bus times below…
.
Now, last buses from Dundee…
From Dundee Bus Station,
To Glasgow,
Departs at 13/09/2014 22:40
Arrives at 14/09/2014 00:15
Duration 1 hours 35 mins
From Dundee Bus Station,
To Aberdeen Bus Station,
Departs at 14/09/2014 00:55
Arrives at 14/09/2014 02:10
Duration 1 hours 15 mins
From Dundee Bus Station,
To Edinburgh Bus Station,
Departs at 13/09/2014 23:05
Arrives at 14/09/2014 02:59
Duration 3 hours 54 mins
(Another ‘pretty way!)
Sorry about Inverness. There’s no way home until Sunday, at the earliest.
.
Lastly tonight…
As I typed previously, we are producing PERSONALISED badges for ‘Wings Over Invergowrie’. But, in order to do the needful, we need names for everyone who is intending to come along.
So, if you’re coming to Invergowrie, stick in a post here to let us know. Otherwise, on the night, you’ll have to scribble your own name on your badge.
I’ll be keeping my usual eye on this thread over the next few days but not, necessarily, posting – got stuff to do!
I am about to book the nearby hotel for fri/sat B&B. It is only £14 more to make that for two people.
So if you are either female or someone I have met before and need a bed for the night let me know tonight.
The £14.00 is for one or both nights as that is the extra I would have to pay. (The pool looks nice so bring a cossie)
@Brian Doonthetoon et al
I really won’t know whether I’ll make it or not until I get there.
Long hard weekend with the trailer in Aberdeen Sat/Sun. Can’t leave it in the city centre so will have to set up and pack both days.
Then again it is just doon the road, so if I possibly can make it I will.
BBC seem to have missed a trick – Mexican Bolsa down .95% & Brazil Ibovespa down .87% and they aren’t placing the blame on us.
Can someone please get Ronnie A to check his e-mail? I don’t have a number for him.
I’ve tried a couple of times to get him to respond to a lad in Airdrie who’s keen to help.
ta much
@QQ and that damn Brent crude just keeps getting cheaper and cheaper. THAT has nothing to do with the currency thing either.
There’s obviously just far too much of it
@BB –
When will we know what ‘shifts’ we’re on? No hassle mister, but I’m running out of Brownie points (and have exhausted all means of bolstering those remaining…)
@Ian Brotherhood
I’ve emailed you before on the shifts some time ago? You been checking your inbox in between your endless slog on the campaign front?
I replied to the first email you sent and sent a further email with an update to your “Ian” one. Def sent a while ago as can see them in the gmail sent box! Not my old memory failing this time.
If you can’t find it just let me know and I can resend/copy&paste to the address of your choice!
Yup. Just checked again. It was 8 days ago I sent the shifts to you! Also lot of info on what happens where, when, etc.
Might have gone into your spam folder?
@BB –
Sorry for tardy response here…
Haven’t even checked back yet, but just a heads-up that I’m aware of your alert and am checking…
Hello Ian
Gies a tune I might like, I’m knackered!
@BB –
It’s not in Spam, but I’ve maybe filed it wrongly.
Please re-send to ian@stevenston4.fsnet.co.uk
Sorry for any hassle.
@Thepnr –
Don’t know if this’ll fit the bill, but it did it for me anyroad.
The Stranglers, ‘No More Heroes’ (Live) –
link to youtube.com
@ Thepnr Here is a wee Whisky Kiss for You. link to youtube.com Vote Yes.
I Kind of like this wee song just now. link to youtube.com Vote Yes.
@Ian Brotherhood
You should see the smile on my face, loved that song and the time.
Michael I’ll watch yours next, after this off to bed.
Thank you. Great to have friends who are going through the same turmoil as I am. Not hard work physically but mentally well that’s something else.
@BB and Ian Brotherhood
Gmail seems to have developed a disturbing habit of losing people’s E-mails.
I’ve been getting that for at least a year or two now, and it seems to be getting worse.
Been meaning to create a new E-mail account within the deep dark depths of the Tor Network where no mail tampering gremlins can reach, but it’s so unreliable right now that I’m hesitant to try…
Anyways, just warning everyone that missing E-mail messages seem to be far more of a common occurrence than you’d expect.
@Ian Brotherhood
That looks a lot different from when I remember it LOL
link to youtube.com
@Oneironaut
Thanks for letting me know that. I had no idea that was even possible! :S
This is what I see in the sent box there. It’s telling me my reply to the first email was sent okay: link to postimg.org
@Ian Brotherhood
Same email now resent to your “Ian” address too!
Ever since web designers started relying too much on fancy code to keep the marketers happy, the internet has been falling apart…
Gmail (and Google in general) is one of the biggest users of such unnecessary bug-ridden fluff.
It might have been sent from your computer ok, but it may not have arrived in the other account.
Difficult to tell when that happens, and I’ve lost friends before when they thought I’d suddenly started ignoring all their messages for no apparent reason…
It’s enough to make me wish for a return to old reliable “snail mail” again…
Yeah, I do think the quality and reliablity of the interface has really gone downhill for most webmail too. Gmail responds very badly to slow connections since they dumped the old HTML based system and added chat, Google+, etc. to it.
Same thing happened with their rivals, sadly.
Do you know any decent ones these days?
BTW Ian, sent you the other email that went missing too. ANY problems, just let me know. I can still contact the Counting Officer or their office by email. There’s still a reserve space too for you-know-who if it’s wanted. No problem for me to start asking about it if you give the nod.
@BB –
Me better half is already scunnered with the whole thing, so I don’t think I’ll even ask her!
@BB
You can still get the old HTML interface. Though you have to be quick.
There’s a link to it, marked “(For slower connections)” while the new interface loading bar is on the screen.
If you click that before it disappears, you can go back in time to when Gmail actually worked properly!
I think there’s also an option to use the old interface as the default one all the time too.
I’m looking around for a better option. Though being the paranoid person that I am, I’m looking at anonymous mail servers in the Tor Network just now.
They have to keep things simple with those services, since the bandwidth is severely reduced on there. (Though that might also make it less reliable under certain conditions).
I’ll see what I can find anyway
Any Yes groups in Coupar Angus, Blairgowrie, Dunkeld or Pitlochry areas looking for extra copies of the WBB? There’s more of a need for them out in the community than in my house! I’ll deliver.
Darlings help – my half brother Paul doesn’t know how to cook anything other than cereal – what do I do?
Oh btw a huge monster of a 4×4 paraded through Brechin today – we all leapt out of the way, no need to worry though it was our lovely Tartan Tory in town to share his love!
@Ian
LOL! Don’t blame her. You’ve got to keep the peace on the home front too.
@Oneironaut
Cheers for the info! If you get wind of something, let me know!
Honeys – did you listen to our young people from East Renfrewshire on Channel 4? Fabulous.
@Paula Rose 7:06pm
Doesn’t his butler have the skills? Deary me what is the world of domestic servitude coming to [shakes head slowly whilst “tutting”]
@BB when you attended the training session for agenthood, how easy was it to get parked? Or, was that at the Citadel?
just looked at County Buildings on StreetView and there seems to be fairly limited parking at the building.
Now – honeys, lovely meeting in inverwotsit, so how does this work? I will need a light repast and a lift – details please, I’m only coming for a personalised badge and/or Tartan Tory revving up his exquisite machine.
@Paula Rose
have a look here:
link to wingsoverscotland.com
and here:
link to wingsoverscotland.com
You’re welcome m’dear
Oh you are so dear to me you lovely boys – but lets get serious, I need a lift to inverwotsit any offers?
@Jim
It was easy for me getting in as the training session was after work hours, so I wouldn’t take my experience that day as a given! I did go there during mid day when I handed in the forms and there were surprisingly parking spots outside it and so would be easy for anyone to get in. There’s limted parking around the courthouse gardens, the roads off towards the beach and few spots nearby.
I think they like to keep plenty spaces around there so the armoured wagons can get folk to the court.
It’s possible though that with the extra staff in for the count and two people for every permitted participant it could be jam packed. I’m getting dropped off to solve that one and picked up later.
There’s a nearby carpark and a street’s length of parking in front of the carpark that at this time of year is usually pretty empty.
If I can get Google Maps to work I could put a link to the streets I mean. Bloody technology…
If you look at Mews Lane on google maps that should (IIRC) have loads of nearby parking spots open and a walled carpark off it, if the courhouse spots are full. Give it a try if your internet connection is better than mine (any damp string should be).
Wait! It’s Charlotte Street you’re after, Jim. My mistake.
Stream of consciousness posting. Just as well this is off-topic.
@ Paula. It’s not a monster 4×4. You only leapt out of the way because you were soliciting on a street corner and even I can’t afford your rates to share any love!! Besides, that was my wife whose window you were chatting through as she sat there wondering about your stockings and high heels……;-)
My name’s down for Inverwotsit, but I didn’t put it there and I’m not so sure due to too many commitments I’m afraid. My exquisite machine is most unlikely to be revving round the circles on the Kingsway….
I’m currently full of the cold, have conjunctivitis and I’m getting about 4h sleep per night. Here below is an example of (one of) the reasons for this. I’ve spent much time on a particular forum trying to convince other Tartan Tories about independence. I received this earlier this evening:
I’m one of a large majority who has switched from the No camp to Yes in the last few weeks and reading your responses to the constant bombardment of abuse is one of the main reasons for that. You’ve answered the questions with as much accuracy as we have at this time with some humour that has obviously been lost on some. Keep up the good work, fingers crossed it will be well rewarded.
This is from someone I don’t know, but who has been reading my responses to the bombardment from No’s since the beginning of this year. I have a number of similar messages too.
@TT
Top man.
Hope your brace of diseases deserts you soon! Not right that they gang up on you like that.
Freedom is Priceless. link to youtube.com Vote Yes.
@ Jim Thomson.
Get the lad in Airdrie to contact me directly.
gerry[dot]parker[at]gmail[dot]com
I should be able to help, but he needs to contact me ASAP.
I need Name, Address Postcode.
phone number and e mail address.
TIA
@ No Better Together Thanks
Marv Johnson – Come on and stop.
link to youtube.com
@ No Better Together Thanks
Welcome to the digital age.
Stylophone+DS-10 – The Girl From Ipanema
link to youtube.com
@ No Better Together Thanks
Do you think it ethical to target Scotland’s elderly, with scare stories that they would loose what little they have if they vote Yes? Neither do I don’t think folk will forget you comparing the indyref to a war, and attempting to dehumanise myself and my others by calling us a virus.
Rymdreglage – Old Style [Dubstep]
link to youtube.com
Sorry, that should have read.
@ No Better Together Thanks
Do you think it ethical to target Scotland’s elderly, with scare stories that they would loose what little they have if they vote Yes? I don’t think so and I don’t think folk will forget the indyref being compared to a war, nor the efforts made to dehumanise myself and many others by calling us a virus and cybernats. These are the techniques of totalitarian regimes, not modern and inclusive democracies.
Really! Tartan Tory – you know full well I was on the street corner outside the Yes shop inviting people to come in and have a look at my wee blue book and nothing else!
If anyone is interested, I would like to offer – free –
3 x 100 Scottish Passport Postcards, A6, 250g/m²
that I have left over from my trip to Glasgow this weekend.
I had been itching to pop over to Scotland for ages, since just sitting in Belfast bunging money to Stu and reading WoS wasn’t soothing the raging passion in my heart: I had to see for myself, hear for myself, feel for myself, the vibe that you heroes were describing.
On top of that, the Pro12 season was about to start and I wanted to check out the big threats, Glasgow Warriors and Leinster, seeing as my team, Ulster, were playing in really remote Llanelli.
However, not wanting to be just a YES tourist and because “sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul” (remember that one?), I couldn’t mooch round Glasgow empty-handed. I quickly designed and printed several hundred postcards to pop through the letterboxes of the rather nice houses around Scotstoun Stadium, roaming from Jordanhill & Victoria Park down to the Dumbarton Road before my hip gave out.
Mercifully, I had a pit-stop in Murrin’s Coffee House and saw my first professionally-printed WBB, but my street-walking days are over for this month. However, I still have 300 postcards in bundles of 100 each which I can send to anyone who feels they can put them to good use.
Rather than try to rewrite the WBB or any of the many other excellent pieces of persuasion doing the rounds, I thought I’d offer a gentle nudge, something tangible with a subtle psychological appeal, so I imagined a full-size mock-up of a Scottish passport with the aspirational message “For People Who Are Going Places”.
Have a look for yourselves: Passport Card Front and Passport Card Rear. If you compare the design with those of other EU member states, you’ll see that I was leaning away from the ‘scrambled egg’ appearance of the British passport and towards the elegance of the Baltic states.
Anyhow, I propose posting a large letter containing 100 postcards to your local YES shop, with your name as an addressee, so that someone should be around to receive the post on Friday (100 postcards weigh under 500g and will fit into the cardboard envelopes my inkjet cartridges come in). I could pop one bundle each to the first three names who post back here saying “Pff, go on then.”
I won’t be too upset if you haven’t the time or inclination for these cards; from what I experienced this past weekend, YES is so far ahead that my little effort won’t be required. Besides, with those postcards, some scissors, a pot of glue and a can of paint, I can build that space rocket for wee Bruce.
@Leo Foyle –
‘Pff, go on then!’
Wow. They look brilliant. I’ll have some of them mister, and more if they’re going spare (so to speak).
Please mark them for my attention, at the Yes shop, 183 High Street, Irvine, Ayrshire. I’m sure they’ll go down a treat.
More power to ye!
Quinie frae Angus would LOVE a personalised Wings over Invergowrie badge!!
Really looking forward to seeing all the Wingers there who are able to make it….
I have had so much great feedback about the WBB. So fantastic to be able to pull one out of my bag each time I get a conversation going. I’ve given them out to many bus drivers and taxi drivers in Glasgow – too many to count but one taxi driver actually came back to my door to ask for more! (A former NO, of course…..)
Leo Foyle,
That is brilliant.
Nice one Leo Foyle, I want one of them, burgundy front & back.
Howde Brian Doonthetoon ~ Kindly add myself and one guest for tomorrow evenings soireé chez Invergowrie.
Chairs,
Cactus & Dixie
@Gerry Parker 11 Sep 12:41am
Done!
Been reading for a while, any time I’ve been in here there’s been some songs posted. We all love a bit of music don’t we?
Well I’ve been writing a few independence tunes recently, got some of them recorded and put online. There’s 4 of them, just me and an acoustic guitar. They are a bit rough with a few mistakes, time was against me but I’m sure you’ll get the idea.
Soundcloud.com/aye-we-can
See what u think. You can download them if you want. Will try and put up the lyrics tomorrow. Cheers.
Love everybodys contributions btw.
Um honeybunches – no offers of lifts or big expanses of night-time soloness, am I destined to spend tomorrow evening being jostled by Brechin Farmers as I try to lead them to the promised land?
Paula Rose,
Is there not a bus?
There is a bus honey – but I will have to travel all day, where is my darling Thepnr?
As per usual my pussy needs a stroke – be back in an hour.
Paula Rose,
If you can get down you can share my hotel room for the night. There is no extra charge for me having another person in the room.
You will have to sleep on the floor honey – is that OK with you?
Hi cearc, the guy sleeping on the floor is normal practice when sharing with Miss Paula, happened to me too before (or so I’m told).
You’ll find the sleep-talking quite entertaining.. be prepared!
@Paula Rose –
I thought you’d have been in Glasgow tonight to catch that naughty Farage chap and administer some of your infamous ‘correction’ – that’d wipe the smile off his fizog.
@cearc –
Careful there mister.
Paula Rose has been known to persuade grown men to sleep UNDER her bed wearing nothing but a grin.
My pussy has just taken a break from a stroke – Ian honey, I’ve got a lot of ‘correction’ to mete out in Edinburgh tomorrow. Oops she’s back.
Honeys for you – the most beautiful woman ever…
link to youtube.com
@ Ian Brotherhood, 22:27 yesterday (oops!)
Sorry for the extreme delay – I’ve been out in Belfast stockpiling champagne and tap shoes…
I’m glad you appreciated the design, and since a): You’re Ian Brotherhood, b): no-one else replied; I’ve posted all three packages to you at the YES shop in Irvine. Have a look at this blog post for some pictures of what you or your comrades should expect. With a bit of luck, they’ll reach you tomorrow lunchtime, right in the middle of the busiest Saturday of your life.
For those of you who also appreciated the card, you might like an alternative A3 poster of the passport (PDF, 4.7MB) or perhaps you could play around with this image showing just the front of the passport (JPG, 1.4MB).
There’s nothing more I can do from this island except wish everybody good luck in the week ahead, and to admit that I’m almost jealous I’m not a Scot.
@ Leo Foyle – you have secured your place in the pantheon of Scots xxx
Cactus, Ian,
I’m not a guy! Cearc = hen, I met you both at CH1.
Paula,
There’s a small sofa or half a large bed. You can also have free breakfast courtesy of me just complaining about the room service
Hehe, thanks for the reminder miss cearc hen, us guys eh? Still, two girls sharing a room.. sounds like a party!
X
Cactus,
Well I guess I’m not very memorable. Glad Quinie’s coming, I remember her as well.
I hope Paula does come, I haven’t met her only her fame.
Cearc honey – I’m coming!!!
@Leo Foyle –
You’re a star mister.
Those cards will be in huge demand, and I’ll be careful about who gets them – only the carefree, smiling and sparkly-eyed will be in with a shout.
SSP street-stall in Ayr tomorrow, near the Wallace Tower. I’ll drop by Irvine on the way, hope to pick up your present to Scotland, and also have two fresh boxes of WBBs (big cheers to Stuart @ Mrs in Kilmarnock) to go along with them – a collector’s package or what?
More power to you and yours, and cheers aplenty.
Hoots!
@cearc –
Sorry about that. I don’t remember very much about anything – especially CH1.
Ian dear – I bet you remember CH2 in great detail xx
@Paula Rose –
If that’s the one which led to my waking up underneath someone’s bed wearing nothing but a grin, no, I’ve no idea what you’re on about.
No dear – that was Jolly’s in the Ferry.
Paula great, when are you getting down?
I’m at the Doubletrees, just off the last roundabout in Dundee. We can also get a free drinky here courtesy of said complaint.
Also nice looking pool bring a cossie.
I booked to eat at the Invergowrie at 6.45ish
Cearc honey – email me at paulambrosewright then the atty thing then gmail. (its my employer’s account – he won’t mind.
Scunnered wae the media this week thought i would try photoshop for a few hours ,this is what i came up wae.
tinypic.com/view.php?pic=34zyis9&s=8
paula,
sent one.
Ooh look – me without my high heels!
link to youtube.com
@Paula Rose –
Have you found your cossie yet?
Hi peeps.
Apologies for tardiness in the update sequence but I’ve been busy finalising the badge design for tomorrow, printing off badges for ‘Dundee’s Dragon’ (Team YES Bus), and getting the videos together for tomorrow night.
Have updated the list of those who have intimated that their attendance is more or less definite.
chipmonkey
Thepnr
ronnie anderson
Betty Boop
Jim Thomson
Quinie frae Angus
cearc
Paula Rose
Pete the Camera
Brian Doonthetoon
X_Sticks
Cactus
Dixie
Now, if you (and your partner/guest) are gonna be at Invergowrie, get your name posted in here pronto, ie before 1pm Saturday, to guarantee a PRINTED personalised ‘Wings Over Invergowrie’ badge, otherwise if you just appear, you’ll have to write your own name on your badge.
Remember, the ‘mini dragon’ will be running from the coach park at the Sensation Science Centre in downtown Dundee to Invergowrie at 6.30pm then 7.15 pm.
The return journey(s) will be played by ear on the night. Last orders at 12.15, bar closed at 12.30.
BTW: a pa and mic will be available but we couldn’t source a tuba stand.
@Brian Doonthetoon
Please don’t forget Quentin Quale. You wouldn’t want me having to drive myself
What! Where’s Tartan Tory – he promised me a ride!
Ian dear I prefer to swim au naturel.
TT, said he wasn’t coming yesterday.
i assumed that was gmail.com? cos that’s where i sent it.
Errm, not sure that the hotel would appreciate au naturel.
paula,
Got your message offer still open for sofa.
@Brian Doonthetoon –
I was hoping to make a surprise appearance, but it turns out you won’t have a tuba-stand?
Fuck that. Count me out. With prejudice.
@BB from a couple of days ago:
I may have misunderstood your comments about parking, but isn’t the count at the Citadel, not in Wellington Square (that’s only the postal stuff), so parking for the 18th will be different? (I’m going to the Kilmarnock count, but I also did jury service at Ayr Sheriff Court recently and you are right about the lack of parking spaces round there during the day – I parked behind what used to be MFI and walked.)
Anyone coming to Invergowrie tomorrow, I have spare rooms, only £30/night B&B LOL. You know I’m kidding
@crazycat
You’re right tha the ballot count will be at there, but the postal openings start off first few days at a different building and then move to it too for last couple of days of it. They like to keep us on our toes by moving it around.
@ Briandoonthetoon
I am bringing my wee sister along tonight, so if there is still time could you do a badge for “Wee Quinie frae Angus”, or just “Wee Quinie” if there isn’t room on the badge?
Thank you!
Busy day ahead. Betty is doing her blue arsed fly impression between Troon and Prestwick (Wee Eck’s making an appearance) and a “Fun Day” at the Yes Stall until mid afternoon apparently.
We’ll need to be away from here by 4pm latest to make ‘gowrie via Tayport.
@BrianDoonthetoon if you could also make a badge for our son, also attending for the evening, that would be much appreciated. I’ll suggest “Betty’s Boy” for the name. Probably get a slap off him, but hey, if you can’t have fun at your kids’ expense what’s the point?
I suspect we’ll also have a wee pile of WBBs still available that we’ll bring up with us for a bit of redistribution if that helps anyone.
Have updated the list of those who have intimated that their attendance is more or less definite.
chipmonkey
Quentin Quayle
Thepnr
ronnie anderson
Betty Boop
Jim Thomson
Betty’s Boy
Quinie frae Angus
Wee Quinie
cearc
Paula Rose
Pete the Camera
Brian Doonthetoon
X_Sticks
Cactus
Dixie
Hanii Puppy (my son)
I think Tartan Tory’s a ‘maybe but doubtful’.
We’ll do a badge onnyhoo.
I may do one more update this afternoon but as I’m affie busy today, it may just be a case of “SEE YOU TONIGHT!”
Hi Brian DTT, my pal Dixie canny make it tonight so I’ll be flying (driving) solo. See y’all at the party the nicht!
Also, YES is everywhere is sunny Glasgow today, from cars to bars.. bikes to trikes.
Scotland’s come alive!
Today has been an emotional day for me, and it has also been a day full of symbolism.
Today, after 18 years and 10 months my daughter took the largest step of her life and set off on the road to her independent life.
It is not going to be easy, there will be worries, fears and probably a little self doubt as to whether she is doing the right thing. One thing is certain though, she has set off on a huge adventure and the world is full of new challenges for her. Some of these challenges she will take head on & deal with, some she will need help with and yes, some will be unsurmountable.
For the first time in her young life the world is hers to take on and shape to suit her needs. I am confident that she has the tools and skills to do this whilst considering the needs of others. I am immensely proud of her.
As we dropped her off at her university of choice I looked up to the Wallace Monument and at that time there must have been a sudden gust of wind blowing dust into my eyes, because they involuntarily started to get all watery.
Who wouldn’t want this opportunity for their daughter, and who wouldn’t want this opportunity for their country.
Laura, take the opportunity of a lifetime, give it your best and remember, we love you and will always be here to help you make the right decisions, but those decisions are yours and yours alone.
@Bob Sinclair
That’s a beautiful post Bob. Its’ not easy being a parent. I wish your daughter well.
Hi folks.
Went to work this morning; Cockburn St.
Crossing an Orange Walk, in my ain toon, wearing a YES badge…
Lots of abuse.
Some of it in an Norn Iron accent.
Most of it Weegie though.
Fuck them, and the white horse they rode in on.
Was almost like a street party in Ayr today
Even the local BT mob tried to poke their nose in, but it looks like “too little, too late” for them.
A whole box-load of Wee Blue Books found new homes today, and the atmosphere there brought me back to thinking we might actually win this.
When I was younger and reading about historical moments that had a huge impact on society as we know it, I never expected to find myself only days away from the epicentre of one like this.
It’s days like this when it really hits home what we’re doing here…
Whether we crash and burn, or succeed and soar high and far… Be proud of yourselves folks!
link to youtube.com
@Oneironaut –
Well said that man. It’s been a wild and wacky adventure! All we need is the happy ending…
I was in Ayr today too! It was AMAZING! It was like a Yes festival! Singing, dancing in the street, etc. Singing along with the crowd there. Nothing else like it in sight or memory.
I got to see what happened to the BT crowd and I was howling with laughter in the end.
They had set up at the top end road entrance to the high street.
[They very dishonestly set up with a “Help For Heroes” charity flags and banners. These charities should be non-political as police, fire, military, etc. folk all have their own individual votes and wishes and are not all No. BT is also not a charity so shouldn’t be sharing a space like that under their cloak.]
So the BT mob (many of them I recognise as paid staff) did their usual doom and gloom ranting saying that seperation was the end of the world…when brilliantly a street preacher set up RIGHT NEXT TO THEM with a microphone, soapbox and speaker set up and started his own DOOM AND GLOOM end of the world and ranting about seperation of the kingdom of god and earth, etc. almost as an echo of BT. The preacher drowned out BT and ended up making BT look ridiculous as they both seemed so much like two peas in a pod with their fearmongering and warnings. BT eventually all gave up and walked down the street looking miserable at the huge crowd of YES supporters down the street still gathered there.
Noteably there was many folk proudly wearing their Yes badges and not quite as many wearing No stickers, slapped onto people without asking in many cases as I talked to someone complaining about their kids getting it and another was a very mentally disabled person being stickered up and leaflets shoved in their hands, despite them not really wanting it and the carer/family member not wanting it. I think there’s a big difference in support between people wearing badges on a (semi)permanent basis and people getting a sticker slapped onto them for a few hours.
Don’t know if any of you folk will recognise yourselves but caught tail end of the festival
in Ayr:
link to postimg.org
Magic.
@BB –
Your account of what happened today in Ayr is spot-on. I didn’t venture up that far but my wife did, and had already told me 95% of what you wrote above, so you must’ve both been seeing it almost simultaneously. It does sound as farcical as it is hilarious, and is no more than those clowns deserve.
As an elderly Ayr couple pointed out to me – the Yes Scotland folk have been at that same patch (Wallace Tower) every week or other week, come rain, shine or bollock-dropping cold, for the past eighteen months (maybe more) and oor very ain Doonfooter has become part of the street furniture on Ayr’s Main Street. The venerable Gaavster, also of this parish, was there today too. No doubt there were WOS folk I didn’t get to meet.
Bottom line – BTUKOKVNOBNOTHANKS think they can turn up for ONE DAY and make any real difference to how ordinary punters perceive their wretched campaign?
No chance. They’re a busted flush, and everyone knows it.
Total respect for the regular Yessers – it’s been a real privilege to campaign alongside ye’s all, and here’s hoping we get more opportunities to work together as and when the welcome, long-overdue task of building a new country gets underway.
Ian,
Thanks. Thats all.
@Bob Sinclair –
Mister, I was in tears after reading your 5.58 comment.
My weans are 15 and 13. There’s scarcely a day passes when I don’t imagine what you’re going through right now and dread it more than anything I can imagine.
There can be very few families in this country who don’t have loved ones in Australia, New Zealand, Canada etc etc. They didn’t go to these places for a laugh. They went for work. They went to improve the chances for their ‘Lauras’ and ‘Aidans’ and ‘Joys’ and ‘Craigs’.
But we know that they didn’t have to. Those bastards at Westminster KNEW about the resources we have right here, and chose not to tell us. They feathered their own nests, saw their own families alright, and left us to watch fathers, sons, daughters, cousins, friends and neighbours succumb to despair and self-harm, addiction and suicide, and for what? So that it might enhance their party-political/personal ambitions?
They are criminals, and what they’ve done to the people of Scotland is unforgivable. Families are not meant to be split apart, unless by irreconcilable differences – point is, hundreds of thousands of our families were split apart, and there was no need for it. Nothing wrong with going overseas. Nothing at all. But we should have been given the choice.
Now, when we have a choice, they’re pulling out all the stops to prevent it?
Not this time my friend. Not this time. We will win, and start about the business of looking after one another properly.
It was priceless, Ian! It’s like watching the icing being piped onto the cake. Glad that plenty folk got to see it, adds to their humiliation.
Wee dregs of them slithered off. A handful compared to the two sides of a street full gathered at the tower for Yes.
The dedication, hope and support from the Yes side is amazing. Not seeing same from other side. People – actual ordinary people – emptying their pockets or giving their time in support. Not Tory millionaires funding it or paid for staff bussed in doing the legwork. It’s hard not to feel a lump in the throat at it. As you say Ian, the people like that elderly couple notice it too. The constant friendly and helpful Yes there regularly compared to bussing up people and gone with the wind BTNOBS.
The BT crowd were angry and desperate today and it shows. They’re doing too little, too late. Def a busted flush!
AND ON THAT NOTE:
New ICM “gold standard” poll :
Yes 54% (+9)
No 46% (-9)
GET IN THERE!!!
link to scotgoespop.blogspot.co.uk
James will no doubt have more info as it comes in.
When I think of the poverty forced onto Scotland – man made poverty at that – and the family, friends, etc. that I know have suffered on the west coast as the decline continued over many years it makes me sad and angry, but the chance to rectifiy that and bring a new boom and and new future for us under our own control…that really is like a pair of wings on me.
Ian,
For all our kids, there’s no bigger priority, and in 5 days time we can start to settle the account.
@Ian 9:36PM
That rings so true for me too. Know what you mean. I’ve seen and heard people suffer from depression, alcoholism and self harm as suicide as jobs go and Scotland was stripped bare. Generations forced into the “Born To Fail” scenario. I’ve so much family lost abroad over generations too, which are missed and which also miss the “old country” in turn but knew they had to stay abroad just for opportunities. Almost the same thing happened with my father but a sheer fluke kept him here or else I’d have been raised in Canada, another Scot deprived of Scotland for purely economic reasons.
I can only applaud and cheer you on with your comment, Ian! Sock it to the buggers!!
We’re doing it for Laura and all the other weans, for the adults, for the elderly and for the Scots abroad dreaming of coming back home. We’ll do this for those who come after we’re long gone to dust who’ll stop as they read the history books and wonder why we didn’t do it sooner!!
Public Enemy, ‘Fight The Power’ –
link to youtube.com
Not a bad theme tune choice for today!
The last episode of Mock the Week was good too, if anyone hasn’t seen it (still on iPlayer). First half mostly about Scottish independence. The host Dara said how remarkable it was here, how peaceful it was and how great it would have been for the Irish to get independence so cleanly and without people dying. No Scots on it but everyone praised us and they tore into how bad the BT side was and how it acted like an abusive partner! Amazing considering these aren’t folk with votes or voicing support for us, etc.
link to facebook.com
Amazing story. Lass needing lung transplants climbs rocks of Edinburgh castle at night with oxygen tanks on her back and puts up giant YES sign in defiance of Gordon Brown’s transplant scares!! Fucking hero, if you’ll pardon my language but damn…with folk like that and that sort of determination how can we NOT make a great country?
here is a wee song for the folk who made it to the Invergowrie inn. (Jealous ? who me. Never) Anyway hope all of you had a great time. Not long to go until the real party starts, link to youtube.com Vote Yes.
We await Paula Rose’s report from ‘Inverwotsit’…
Yes, the Paula Rose report on it is sure to be the most…definitive!
I’m sure plenty chances for Yessers everywhere to come together after we WIN THIS!
Just back from Inverwhatsit.
Braw catching up with everyone.
Wasn’t too rowdy even with Paula Rose there, I think everyone is pretty tired. Can a roller coaster be flat out? Similar reports from everyone, we’re going to do this.
Unbelievable day in Aberdeen. I almost thinking we can actually do it in Aberdeen and I never thought we would. Take a deep breath folks this last four days is going to be something else.
Stay strong, stay calm and keep the faith. It’s coming yet for a’ that.
Night all. Knackered and early start for the trailer in Aberdeen again tomorrow. All day at Markies and there’s a flashmob in the Castlegate at 12:00. Come along if you’re in the vicinity it should be quite something.
Ayr’s the closest to a tory town outside of Borders and even it’s Yes team was making BT look two inches tall by comparison as so much bigger and livlier.
The tension and waiting is going to get unbearable! I feel exactly like I did as a kid waiting for Christmas to arrive. Anyone else feel like that?
@BB
Nice pic there
Not sure if me and Ian were still there at that time, but if so, we were off-camera to the right somewhere.
I didn’t know about that little event with the BT stall though. Really wish I had seen that, would have been the perfect end to a great day!
Scotland has anywhere between 25 and 100 years of oil left. Westminster has only 5 days of oil left.
@Oneironaut –
You up for a random stall tomorrow?
We’ve got a table, plenty of stuff…
How I wish I had a camera with me tonight. Driving along Chapelhall Main Road tonight when it was starting to get dark, I spied Pamela Nash MP with 2 followers using a small collapsible stepladder to put up No Thanks posters. Grass roots campaigning “No Scotland” style, PMSL.
Here is a song for all of you who man the stalls. Deliver the leaflets and papers. Do all the hard Work. I am Greatfull and proud of you all. You are an Inspiration. Cheers. link to youtube.com Vote Yes.
Here’s a pic of yesterday’s crowd further to the right.
link to postimg.org
It was so big I couldn’t get everyone in and at least twice as many on the side of the road I was standing on cheering! And this was late on after our Imperial Masters had given up.
Just been in tesco in Perth (edinburgh road) there are two cars parked in car park by entrance to store plastered with U-kok posters. One looks to have a camera set up in the window!
Phoned tesco on 0345 677 9532 to check parking rules (3hrs max) and they said theres nothing wrong with political advertising if its only a car with stickers in window.
Has anyone else noticed similar anywhere else?
Wonder if its even legal to film everyone going about their business shopping ect?
It’s legal to film people in public places as a rule but on private property the owners CAN ask anyone filming while standing on their property to sod off as their land, obviously. So you could bring up issues to Tesco and say it’s making shoppers uncomfortable. Then they’d have to go to public owned spot.
Just been on the phone to them again, spoke to duty manager and complained about political campaigning.
Mentioned it might be filming people as it looks like there is a camera in window. So the manager is away to check. I was there around 8.30am so will check back at 11:30 and see if its still there.
Taysideterrier. Maybe treat them like Trolls. Their film must be like watching paint dry -unless of course they capture you keeping coming back and set you up.Keep positive… only a few days,so we all need to keep on track
@Taysideterrier
If there’s no-one in the car with the camera, you could apply a suitably positioned PLAIN sticker on the window in front of the lens. Might take them a while to notice it (They’re usually no awfy bright
)
@Ian Brotherhood
Sorry, I went to sleep after posting that. Only just got on here…
Up for a random stall any time!
@BB
Another good pic.
Though the strategically-placed bloke with the Yes hat is blocking the view of the place we were standing at.
Again, not sure if we’re even still there at that time.
(Might also have been when I nipped across the road to grab a photo of the band)
Well darlings – first off I must thank the manager of The Doubletrees hotel for opening the pool at midnight for us wingers, and not batting an eyelid as we all disrobed. Funny how the boys all jumped in straight away with their hands covering their naughty bits.
Might have had something to do with cearc’s tasteful abandoning of her beautiful attire!
@Paula
You do realise that the Courier stations a photographer nearby for all the celebrity skinny-dipping that the Doubletrees management encourages.
I’ll be first in the queue on Monday morning for my souvenir copy (I hear it has to be a double page spread to cope with the amount of detail in the image). ooo-err missus
I hear they want to stop doing The Sun’s traditional “Page 3” though. So you might be safe from them
Pity, that was the only thing that made The Sun worth reading…
@Chipmonkey
If you see this in the next half hour or so, (before 17:30) please e-mail me re piper. Ta Much.
@Paula and WaterWingers – Has anyone seen my snorkel?
@ Quentin Quale – I thought that’s what you were hiding under your towel?
It was a fine wee get-together last night at the Invergowrie Inn. “Select” would be an apt description.
Those attending came from as far as Troon, Lochinver, Airdrie, Glasgow, Aberdeen and various parts of Angus.
Funny thing was, although there is a Wings Referendum Agent for Dundee, none of his team showed up. The only Wingers from Dundee were my son (a lurker) and myself. The Angus referendum team showed up in strength – good on them!
BTW: we got a bill from the Inn’s management for the damage caused to the dance floor by Paula Rose’s almost needle-point stilletos. We were able to crowd-fund the bill, so all is well and we’re welcome back – as long as Paula wears plimsolls.
@ Jim Thompson.
Ma brother Jim’s a piper. he’s fae Stonehaven. Got a braw kilt and everything. Black watch if I remember correctly.
The kilt, no ma brother.
He may not appreciate me telling you that though,
Oh well, typical that someone would block the shot and hide you but I gave it a go! ;
Darlings – I’m so sorry, it’s strappy sandals from now on.
Good times in Invergowrie last night groovy people, looking forward to our Wingdependence after-party.. best thing about it, is everybuddies invited.
Let’s see.. anyone care to (in traditional Scottish fashion) start up a YESerendum Vote Sweep? Howsabout ‘X’ Scottish pounds per head for the first 30 people picking from 51% to 81% YES.
Cactus honey – are you still embarrassed about your snorkel? Really dear it was nothing.
Folks, a lovely wee lady, Olive M Hunter from Aberdeen has asked me to share her poem on the internet.
She’s been waiting all her life for this. How could I refuse.
I’ve tweeted it here.
link to twitter.com
Naughty miss paula darling, that wasn’t a snorkel I was modelling for you.. you know I prefer to use my hat for keeping things in place.
Btw that’s some stroke you’ve got.. more champagne honey?
@BB
Despite being an amateur photographer, I have an odd aversion to being photographed myself.
The universe itself seems to conspire to keep me anonymous. Either the pictures don’t turn out right, or something inexplicably blocks the shot at just the right moment.
It all helps to contribute to the general aura of mystery that surrounds me… hehe.
@Paula Rose
It’s not the size of a man’s snorkel that matters, it’s more about his stroke technique!
Maybe the media will catch you on camera instead during the big day or the celebratory aftermath, Oneironaut.
Just in from Inverwotsit and have the management of doubletrees on the phone whingeing about how long it took to remove a large soggy hat which had blocked the pool filter and caused reception to flooded.
Paula Rose, did you nick my itsy-bitsy?
Patrician,
Great comment.
Nice one xsticks.
After we’ve shown them the front door we can kick them out of the backdoor.
Sorry darlings – I did rather take my eye off the ball, I was rather concentrating on Ronnie improving my stroke.
@Paula Rose –
As you well know, the real knack of snorkelling is making sure you blow at the right time. Avoid swallowing at all costs.
Quentin,
I’m sorry, I’m afraid we didn’t notice but then the water may have been a bit chilly where you were.
Ian dear, can we have another of those private sessions?
@Paula Rose –
Certainly, but in the interests of fair-play I have to inform you that I recently reviewed my tariff.
Ian honey – you want to pay more???
@ Cearc As you know I was very impressed by your amazing motor bike and enjoyed our tootle together round Inverwotsit.
Could you remind me the make and model? Thanks.
Chipmonkey honey – it certainly throbs doesn’t it!
As this page is listed under Zany comedy relief, here’s some comedy
Guy on a buffalo (Movie/Song)
link to youtube.com
Check out the series..
Cactus dear – the relief part is true.
chipmonkey
It;s one of pride elite traveller series (not going out to the car now to have a look). I bought it 3yrs ago but a quick shows several variations around £400/450.
OMG!! Calm down everyone, I didn’t really misuse a semi-colon. It was a typo, honest.
Chipmonkey,
You will be pleased to here that I told your ma that you weren’t even slightly tipsy and that behaved impeccably all evening.
She looked at me with blank astonishment!
(Of course I only said evening, we won’t go into the you and Jim in the Gym incident).
So, you all waited until you got rid of me and then started the party.
Ach, at least I got a couple of fab badges from Peter.
Just yous wait ’til next time!
@BB
Well I’m fairly certain I’ve been caught on CCTV a lot.
…Don’t ask!
@Ian Brotherhood
Sorry I missed the question about the stall last night/this morning.
I tried calling you, but you weren’t home.
Maybe another day though. Still got 3 left!
BTW, saw some TV cameras set up in Ayr yesterday near a hotel. I think they’re doing test or establishing shots.
Thanks for the info and for covering for me at breakfast Cearc! We’d better gloss over the gym incident, I don’t fully remember how it came about. I think QQ was still snorkelling with Paula Rose at the time.
Mum tells me the hotel was very quiet most of the time, but some rowdies tried her door several times in the small hours. She was blaming those kilties from the wedding. We better not put her right!
Caught on CCTV! I’m afraid to ask, frankly.
OMG – just got the first edition of the P&J, blush.
It’s in the p&J as well?
The Courier must have syndicated it! I hope the Northern Times don’t have it as well.
cearc – are you sure its snorkels the boys are trying in vain to hide?
Courier headline -” Wingers with Wangers”. Oh dear – a reputation in smithereens.
Well it wasn’t goggles! Especially when you were doing your butterfly dives.
To be honest doll, you did get a wee bit giggly when Pete the camera practised his breast-stroke.
Now honeys – all you have to do is use the word “Yes” instead of “Love” –
link to youtube.com
Can someone tell me the difference between a Postal Ballot Agent and a Count Agent. Are Wings covering both?
I’m pretty sure they are the same – just the “Agent” for, in our case, Wings. They can nominate people to represent them at the various stages from PV opening through monitoring polling stations and then the count itself. The count will be limited numbers though (for obvious reasons).
JIm. Wings are covering both. The referendum agent can appoint a postal ballot agent and they can both be present at the postal vote opening and counting. the postal ballot agent I appointed is also a counting agent and a polling agent, too few wings volunteers to have separate posts.
hth
I’m putting the finishing touches to a black-metal / post-rock / folk album inspired partly by the referendum, and I need some help finding images for the booklet. I’m looking for a hi-res photo of EITHER 1) a street with lots of Yes signs, or 2) a tenement block with lots of Yes signs in the window. Ideally without people in the shot, extra points for arty angles.
This picture would be perfect, but isn’t really large enough (and has a watermark):
pbs.twimg.com/media/BxGZ_fgCQAErgg-.jpg:large
Does anyone have any good snaps from their time on the campaign trail? Or even know where I could find a higher-res version of the aforementioned image?
Lloyd Bridges, ‘Airplane’ –
‘Looks Like I Picked The Wrong Week…’
link to youtube.com
Ian honey – you missed the beauty of cearc – I bet you are kicking yourself now, us ladies had a wonderful gathering whilst the laddies huddled together near the towels – I’m sure you would have joined us in the deep end.
@have to admit Paula, I never knew watching synchronised swimming round floating handbags could be so emotionally draining. That was a clump of handbags wasn’t it?
Jim darling – we so enjoyed your delight at being invited to dis-robe, cearc only had to caress you with her eyelid to result in a strengthening of resolve.
And they say that real men have a beauty that is rarely seen – I have come face to face with the future!
I’ve just had a wee look at the main threads – I’m ripping my clothes off and conjuring up the ancestors for a party – we are going to win, even with an hairy Rev.
Oh Paula Rose you are very very naughty but we like You
Glad to get feet up now and catch up with Wings, etc.
Gotta say, Jim’s got some very nice and clued-up lads! Nice to think of folk like that getting more involved in politics in the future after the indy ref. Just hope we can get the indy Scotland they deserve to work in. We’ll find out Friday! Eeek.
Local council has the polling/counting agent passes ready here for collection and delivery. Thankfully everyone in my area should be fine. Anyone else remember to make sure the passes in their area all get to who they are meant to get to or tears will be shed on the day! If the passes are not all there for me I know I’ll be changing my name and using that open ticket to Cuba I’ve been holding in reserve tomorrow ASAP as it means all the paperwork was wrong. Ahem. Hah.
I’ll put the kettle on – do ring the bell when you enter I don’t want to have to giggle at your excitement.
Now dears – substitute the word ‘Yes’ for ‘love’
link to youtube.com
@Paula Rose
I think you’ll like this
link to youtube.com
So many heroes my dearest X stickies
link to youtube.com
Must go try sleep – work tomorrow
Night all.
Paula Honey, how is that going to help? I needed a lullaby
Now I’m gonna dance to a different tune
link to youtube.com
@ Chipmonkey honey -this one and then bed-time xx
link to youtube.com
Ach it wouldn’t come up -but I scrolled down to sounds of silence instead
I’ll close my eyes and see if thst works this time. Night night.
Here is a wee Duet for anybody Still up. link to youtube.com Vote Yes.
Lovely. Love it. (Maybe my sleep pattern will be back after we make history.)
Here is a version of Sounds of Silence I like. link to youtube.com Vote Yes.
That’s a really different way of doing sound of silence,full of emotion.It must have felt even better to be there. I didn’t think I liked him. Middle of the night might be a good time to hear it.
Here is a Mellow one that I like most of the time. link to youtube.com Vote Yes.
Final WBB Update
The very last of the ’emergency run’ of 10,000 are now out on the streets in the greater Glasgow area. Kestral deserves all the credit for that, as the run was managed single-handed from the Shettlestone hub.
Anyone who has been tracking the wbb on @weebluebook or on the Facebook page can see at a glance how (as we hoped) Wingers have picked up the challenge of getting them to where they are needed – by whatever means they chose. I read a tweet this morning that the WBB business cards were even to be found inside the packaging of curries in one of our spermarkets. The variety of distribution methods is too great to list – but imagination lies behind all of them.
It’s been a massive effort by all of you – all the more so since it has effectively been done as samizdat – far away from the ken of the official Yes or No campaigns. And (let us hope) it will be the weapon that wins the battle.
A final plea – if anyone is still sitting on a stock, however small – get them out today!
@kininvie
10/10+ to everyone. Brilliant job folks.
There’s no doubt it has made a significant difference.
I don’t have any left. Last one went out today to a good home.
I hope we get a commemorative copy!
Please read this it’s VERY VERY important. Many voters have not received their polling cards and probably won’t in time for the referendum. Many are saying people in places where Yes support is strong are wost hit by this scam. Please spread the word that YOU DO NOT NEED A POLLING CARD TO VOTE.
@Cal
“YOU DO NOT NEED A POLLING CARD TO VOTE.”
But you DO need identification such as passport or driving licence and means of proving your address – utility bill etc
test
@ CameronB – cricket dear?
Footie for free link.
link to wiziwig.tv
@Michael McCabe – the mellow one was just what I needed. Thanks!
@ cearc – did I leave my thong on the side of the pool?
I expect it ended up in the filter with Cactus’s hat.
They probably thought it was a hatband.
Not been winging much lately.
busy with getting back among the Clydesdale gang sampling Glasgow a bit.
so what’s happening Friday.
when’s the big winger after party any news.
I’m planning going in to Glasgow Friday George Square Still Game then back into town I reckon
Love the lot of you.
Are there any other countries we can liberate?
Tartanpigsty,
Next up Catalonia.
twitty twitty silly silly – love you all xx
Here’s one that Cactus may like, and even know.
A wee ditty for Lamont, Sarwar, The Alexander Brothers, Davidson, Rennie, McDougall, Darling, and all the other belters who professed to love us so much.
Take a hike, the lot of ye’s, and hum this as ye make yer way down to your nest in Westminster.
Shakin’ Pyramids, ‘Sunset Of My Tears’ –
link to youtube.com
@Paula Rose –
One thinger, one thong…
I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that tomorrow is going to be a busy day, and apparently there’s something big happening all across Scotland on Thursday (anyone got any further info), so theres a fair chance I’ll be kept away from Wings.
If I don’t get the chance to post before Friday I just want to wish you all good luck & thanks. It’s been great and I’m proud to have been a tiny part of the most exciting, vibrant, engaged & positive campaign ever seen in British Politics
We have all been shown that whilst individually our voices may be quiet, when combined they create a roar that can be heard around the world. This evening at George Square I talked to people from all around the world, some working here, some tourists & some journalists covering events. They all had one thing in common, a desire to see us carry this through to the end & win back our country.
The world is watching and listening & I for one intend to make sure that my voice, carried along with millions of others, is heard.
Thank you all for letting me climb onboard the ride on the journey to our country’s freedom, I’m not getting off until we arrive.
@ Ian Brotherhood Good wee song There. Well Said Bob Sinclair. Vote Yes.
For Me this has been the Journey of a Life Time. One that I thought I would never see. It has been great Interacting with you all. And I feel Privileged to have met some of you. We are nearly there now. see you on the other side. link to youtube.com Vote Yes.
To all my friends on Wings. Those I’ve met and those I’ve yet to meet.
Let’s face tomorrow with defiance, let’s use this final day to make our voice heard. No matter what the result of the vote says we will have won.
This, for me is much more than about Independence, it truly is about Democracy.
We have a voice and are not just the shite on someones shoe.
good night, just a question. (hi Paula rose, Missed you)
For the twitterererers how about FFF – Follow Freedom Friday?
Just a thought.
Last day and I will be out soon delivering and canvassing, then manning the wee stall this afternoon.
After tomorrow, I might even cook a meal again!
Anyhoo, just want to say before we get to the big day that it has been an absolute pleasure and privilege to be involved in this campaign. I think we have all been surprised at the intensity of our involvement, the company in which we have found ourselves and the fun we have had too.
To all the Wingers, those I’ve met, exchanged messages, all who post here (including lurkers), it feels as though I know you all.
Can’t forget the glue which sticks Wings together – thank you Stu for creating the means for this incredible family to flourish and for all your hard work.
Wings is the giant of this campaign.
Onward – let’s do this. x
@Betty Boop –
Will be thinking of you and Jim and everyone else I’ve come to know in this very special place.
Have a good one!
It’s one more day.
Rather than write, I drew a picture.
link to wildernessofpeace.wordpress.com
Thank-you all. Meeting so many of you the first time I ever joined in anything remotely political (On Thepnr’s bus to CH2) changed my whole attitude to the referendum and to the future.
Hope I see many of you again soon.
YES
link to youtube.com
We have wings because we are on the side of the angels.
@Taranaich, love that graphic, well done.
@ chipmonkey I still have a copy of the First draft saved to my Favourites. Found a lot of great original songs posted on Wings. Along with great Comments and great People. Hope we all get what has Joined us all together. Vote Yes.
Hey folks!
Feeling very nervous this close to the vote, so I’m thinking I might just head down to that rally in George Square at 2 and lose myself in some positive euphoria.
If anyone else is heading there, might see you around, if we don’t get lost in the crowd.
Wanted to make some comment like the ones above on this whole thing, but right now I can’t quite find the right words. (Only one I can think of right now is “Yes!”, hehe
)
Maybe after this I’ll have more of them than I know what to do with.
Have a good day everyone! The finish line is in sight!
@Taranaich
Brilliant! I was only made aware, by one of my eagle eyed sons, of the chains on the unicorn a few weeks ago.
There will have to be quite a few coats of arms re-worked following our wee fare-thee-weel wave to rUK. Is that a potential consultancy role for you I wonder
@All
I can only echo my better half’s sentiments with regard to the Wings team, nay, family.
I’ve been bowled over by the wide range of political views and talents evident in our group and the totally selfless dedication shown. If we can continue as a freed nation with such resource and skill we will be a loud and generous voice on the global stage.
Tomorrow really is our time and, I know, we are all ready for the challenge that lies ahead and, we are humbled by the very opportunity that we have been given. (Eck, if you read this, feel free to crib it for your speech
)
Folks, onwards and upwards.
Well then, Thepnr !
Fame at last – caught on the telly drinking a pint of beer. I am presuming you were refreshing yourself for the next round of canvassing
Thepnr seen on BBC1, Reporting Scotland, 7.09pm )(ish)
I’m a bag of nerves. I hope I can get to sleep tonight. It will be a long day tomorrow!
Amazing people involved in all of this. It’s been a privilege just to meet them all and see them in action. Hope we’re all full of cheer come Friday morning and optimism for building a new sovereign nation.
I can’t say for certain which way the results will come in but I can say we really do deserve to win this.
Definitely going to be a long day tomorrow.
I’ll be spending it standing outside the polling station set up in Glencairn Primary School in Stevenston with a pack of Yes leaflets in the hope of making any No folks grow some free will at the last moment.
If anyone is in the area, feel free to drop by and say Hello.
You might stop me going insane!
Honeys – we are going to win I can feel it deep inside!
@Gerry Parker I would like to know why you never put my name forward as a Polling Agent thereby denying me of a ticket to the Count,after all the time we spent working together to this End.
@ Ian Brotherhood, 9.05pm
Thanks Ian.
@ BB Just get your head down and dream, but, remember to set the alarm – we need your vote!
Just popped in to say,
See youse all on the other side.
Then I saw your message Ronnie. I am so sorry, have a big hug from me.
dunno if this has been posted,here goes, Hope over fear.
link to t.co
cearc, Ronnie and many others – I have never met such beautiful people as I have on Wings, we will win dears – and if you are around Rev, well done lad – we might consider re-newing your employment status xx
@ StevieMcB Not seen that Song before. Great post. Cheers. Vote Yes.
Cheers
Wall of Sound ~ Slade (“WoS power” / “24 hours of power”)
link to youtube.com
Stay tuned to this frequency.
‘…we wanna be free, to do what we wanna do…’
Kin right.
We want to get shot of Westminster control and start looking after ourselves.
It’s really not THAT complicated…
Primal Scream, ‘Loaded’ –
link to youtube.com
Here is a wee track I posted on another thread for Rev Stu And I think most People on Wings would agree with me. link to youtube.com Vote Yes.
I just wanted to say thank you to all my friends on Wings – the next few days will be crazy like the last few.
I couldn’t have struggled on without you, and the movement has become bigger than any of us imagined.
youtu.be/xIVy5XdQhOM
I love you all.
Let’s build a new country, starting the morn
Tam x
We will win this. we’ve got the nice people on our side, love you all, especially Stu, who created such a platform for such a bunch.
see you on the other side in a grown up Scotland.
@Betty Boop
Yeah, you weren’t the only one to spot that even though it’s around 6 months old and was spotted too the first time
I went to Perth tonight to hear the First Minister and Nicola Sturgeon, they were great. Tomorrow I believe we will win, there are still undecided and soft No’s so we keep it going until the polls close.
Good luck, this is something I will never forget and I do love all of you generous people I have met. Soon we will meet again of that I am certain.
Andy Murray just came out as a YES. Hahaha! The media will be FUMING.
Love to all you very special people who inhabit the anarchy that is the O/T.
Let’s break on through to the other side
link to youtube.com
Off to lie flat for a while. It’ll be a hard day’s night today. link to youtube.com
Right now I am on edge. But do you know when I will be Happy. link to youtube.com Vote Yes.
Morning
link to youtube.com
Time-out…enjoy this –
Marvin Gaye ‘How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You’ (Live, Montreux, 1980)
link to youtube.com
Spandau Ballet, ‘I Don’t Need This Pressure On’ –
link to youtube.com
Peo Kindgren, ‘Cavatina’ –
link to youtube.com
@Ian Brotherhood
will be heading down to Citadel to be there around 9pm.
Not sure I can take a full night drinking Red Bull though, and strong coffee ain’t my favourite
Just hoping that watching the YES piles getting much taller than the NO ones will inject some life into the ol’ frame.
@Jim –
As usual, I’ll be slightly later!
Was a pleasure working on this with you all. Feels like we were robbed. Heard some dodgy stuff going on, but don’t know how much. Scotland deserved better than this.
@BB, 6.25am
I’ve met some really decent, talented and dedicated folks on this campaign and that has been the brightest spot. We were robbed, probably in more ways than one.
Everybody in else in bed now, but, I needed some time to myself to mourn that Scotland really does not believe in itself. Maybe I am being too harsh; maybe it is just gullibility.
Maybe some will have fight enough left to try to salvage this country.
@Betty Boop –
If we’ve done nothing else, we’ve forced some dark forces out where everyone can see them.
Whether or not anyone has the appetite to fight them?
That’s another matter.
(It’s like the old ‘dentist’ joke – ‘Your teeth are perfect, but your gums will have to come out.’ The ‘United Kingdom’ may be alright, but Westminster has to go. One way or another, it will.)
I still haven’t had a greet, but it’ll come later, and it’ll be for my pals and my weans. We tried, and we know we did.
Now? We take the gloating and the guffaws (such as those being issued by the grotesque Brian Donohue this evening, at the South Ayrshire count, surrounded by fawning nonentities) and we grin and bear it all – our time will come yet.
Love ye’s all.
We need first to accept. Superficially I think I have. No gains for the future come from being sore losers. There was a huge task and a huge difference was made.I read someone’s post on facebook saying she had voted ‘not proven’. Before we point out the case was indeed pretty well proven or call her names for wasting a vote maybe we have to understand people really felt that way. We live in a society where the media controls how people see the world and is not bound to seek the truth or give any evidence to support what they say-I didn’t really fully understand the significance of that before. Maybe that is worth fighting. Also the definite problems in the polling system. If it would have made no difference this time,it’s still worth putting right.
There were of course also facts in this debate which we accepted as worth accepting which others truly did not.
I have felt truly sick with disappointment,but no tears yet.I think they will come.
@Team Wings
I’m pretty sure this isn’t the end of the line for us but, we do need to pause for a wee breather, marshal our thoughts and consider what we’ve learned as well as acknowledge our talents and capabilities.
As noted above by BB there have been more than a few “issues” that seemed to be conveniently occurring during the whole collection/storage and counting of ballots. It may simply be that the system is flawed and needs to be significantly improved or it may be that there are sinister happenings associated with those flaws.
Right now, I just need to rest a wee while and will try to record my thoughts about the whole journey at some point in the not to distant future. Some of those might be for sharing, some will more probably be for the “lessons learned” drawer.
I am genuinely proud to have been associated with such a wide ranging (in every sense) group of truly dedicated individuals and don’t intend to sever the ties just yet (sorry about that
).
One lost battle isn’t a lost war.
In particular, the Reverend Stuart Campbell has been an absolute inspiration, and I’m sure we have all fed on his intellect, determination, morals and strength during that past year or two. Somehow we must reward him in a way that will be meaningful and not crass or tacky. If there are any ideas on how we do that, please let’s have a chat in another channel (we pretty much have each other’s email addresses now) to make it happen.
I think it’d be wrong and a shame for Rev Stu and others to simply give up on their dream of reform. It’s further out of reach than we expected, but it isn’t gone.
The result wasn’t what we hoped for but appears to have been above board as far as the overall process we are aware of. The few cases we’ve heard of of human error, etc. probably account for a tiny number of ballots across Scotland. Not the many thousands needed for a swing. There’s some people missing off register or made mistake voting with postal or something else and not realising it, etc. The few oddities with Glasgow (only ten ballots) that were caught and so on. Anything else would have to be far greater in scale than the small things we’ve seen so far in the news, I guess. There will be scrutiny from third parties but unless truly large/industrial scale fraud is found it’s a valid result. I think Alex and others realise this and that’s why they asked people to accept result and move on from there to get the reform promised.
Still, 45% is no mean feat and a large base of people who want independence. Many in the 55% also want change too. That’s a large group of sympathetic people for reform who have identified something wrong with current situation and are clearly unhappy with it. All those people saw everything the government and media threw at it and still wanted change and reform.
It’ll be a longer road working within the democratic system, but doesn’t mean it is the end of the road.
Well the hurt is fading and you know what…it could have been worse. The closeness of the race still works in our favour. They’ll try to make us forget that and big up their win but it was far too close for them to be comfortable. Jon Snow picked up on that early on and he was right.
link to blogs.lse.ac.uk
Prof Dunleavy feels it’s possible we could be looking at another indy ref in 2018. This is exactly what we should be thinking about. Round 2. As soon as we follow the Westminster/BBC manufactured and planned narrative that this is over forever then we are letting them win instead of letting them simply delay it as they have with this.
While there is still a shred of democracy left we can have a referendum any time we choose. Not up to the BBC or newspapers to decide that.
We’ll have the unfortunate but real “advantage” that we know things will get hard for next few years and already promises of more powers looking wobbly. This would only galvanise reform demands, bring about outrage and make No voters regret. We’ll also have new young voters coming up by then simply by passage of years bringing them in.
Instead of starting from scratch we’ll have many experienced campaigners to draw on. All of us started from almost nothing, in a very tight schedule, total outsiders and we ran them to the wire on this. Now we have countless people who can organise meetings, do research, speeches, etc. Next time we’ll have an established network AT THE START (I agree with Jim on NOT just walking away or losing contact. That’s what Westminster would dream of anyway), people who can express faults and mistakes, we’ll have endless post-mortems of the campaign to correct faults. While all Westminster will have is the same campaign, people and efforts they ran this time to do all over again.
Round 2. Keep Wings alive.
Just wondering if it’s worth a legal challenge on all of the issues where the Edinburgh Agreement was breached and the purdah period also ignored by Westminster, hence skewing the outcome with false (now) signed vows.
In other words, annul the referendum and do it again within 6 weeks.
If they really shaft us ASAP and break vows in short order I think an organised petition campaign could potentially force a new referendum sooner than they feared. Westminster/BBC is utterly desperate to make this a once in a lifetime thing and that tells me we need to make sure it isn’t as they know their hold is growing weak.
Worth keeping in mind that Quebec’s first referendum suffered a significantly worse defeat and yet managed to get another referendum in less than a generation. We’ve a closer run thing with far more insane behaviour and promises from WM for them to live up to. WM have opened up a can of worms for themselves by making these promises closely tied to the No from the start and then reaffirming it right before the end and with all the media.
blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/political-and-constitutional-turbulence-in-the-uk-looks-set-to-continue-to-2020/
This game isn’t over. The end has simply been delayed. In the longest run the voting demographics alone tell us it will happen as more come on board the social media and internet.
Hi BB.
I hadn’t actually intended to post tonight, because I haven’t really got my thoughts together (been keeping up with Wings, Newsnet and Facebook stuff though), but I had to respond in short fashion to a couple of points you raised.
“…bring about outrage and make No voters regret.”
There will be some No voters who, over the next week or three, will regret their vote. But (and I don’t claim originality here; I’m sure I read it somewhere today), there are a considerable number of people who can be considered “Hard NO”, because of their own particular circumstances.
I work with one of them. Retired, with a full pension as a ‘civil servant’, in their 50s, carrying out a full time job to supplement their generous pension, until their spouse, still working full-time and contributing to the household budget, retires.
They have two or three foreign holidays yearly, their mortgage is paid off and they are comfortably well-off, thank you very much.
He just was NOT interested in engaging in conversation about the referendum – “I’m voting NO!”. I offered him a Wee Blue Book, to get all the facts – no interest. From his point of view “things are aw’ right as they are.”
.
Round 2. Keep Wings alive.
Yeah, must be done. It’s not gonna be 15 years before the demand for another independence referendum raises its head. A lot of “The ordinary people” are now too savvy to brushed off with the kr@p from the Westminster Establishment.
There was a spontaneous get-together in Dundee’s City Square tonight, where we confirmed solidarity with Glasgow and the other council areas that voted YES, but also with all the YES voters in every other council area.
We are not going to go away. We need Wings to do the stuff for us. Wouldn’t a crowd-fund to start up a new, independent, Scottish newspaper be a rather cracking idea?
Could it be done?
I haven’t got a clue!
But the revolution in civic politics is not going to go away. We have a lot to thank Rev Stu for – mainly training us to read between the lines when we read something in the online or print media.
For that, I thank you. More power to your keyboard!
I would just like to thank Jim Thomson, Brian doon the wotsit and Pete -the-camera for their loving caresses of my calves in the early hours of Friday morning, without them I would have been in tears.
Without Tartan Tory I would have been bereft.
Held off crying since leaving the count at the Citadel, Ayr, last night.
Doing it now, watching this, fu’, while cuddling y’all.
Moby, ‘Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad’
link to youtube.com
Thanks Ian
That has awoken me from my slumber. I’ve spent all day by myself, didn’t want to see anybody or take part in the world. I’ve just been contemplating.
We done as much as we could have and I need some time to get my head around this new situation. I know one thing though now that this political activism has been awoken in me it will not just fade and die.
Just need a wee bit of time to fathom out the next step. There are still foodbanks on our high streets, we have ATOS and the bedroom tax is not yet abolished.
Although we failed to achieve Independence at this time there is still a great deal we can do to halt or at least slow down the relentless march of those that wish to drag us down.
I will not be giving in, we lost this time but there are many battles yet to fight.
Thepnr honey – we are all re-grouped and ready to win, we were wondering where you were xx
Oops sorry – Ian do you need something special?
Now wake up boys – I’m fucking angry now…
link to youtube.com
@Paula Rose –
Man alive! Last time I saw an image of Siouxsie, it was a vulgar poster involving a guy called ‘Budgie’. Must be, erm, thirty years ago. She’s certainly looked after herself. (I’ve no idea what happened to ‘Budgie’.)
@Thepnr –
If your heart is half as broken as mine, it’s twice as strong as mine was when this whole WOS palaver started off. Know what I mean ? (I don’t, but it sounded good at the time…)
Hi lads and lassies.
Got back from the at 10.30 this morning and slept most of the day.
Half the count agents quit halfway through when it was obviously going to be lost, even before all our boxes had been delivered (our own WoS referendum agent amongst them).
PaulaRose,
I’m glad the lads were there to give you a hug and wipe the mascara off your cheeks.
Oh cearc they were so kind – I was distraught but no fucking longer, I have grandkiddies – this was a battle with a set back, but we are Scots and we will not give up. My family pride themselves on being descendents of Hereward the Wake – we do not give up!
Thought I’d pass this message on to you guys.
Was at a campaign after party for yes. Hope you folk attend anything like that in your areas. Got to see a lot of people there including some well known faces. Good crowd. What I saw in that hall wasn’t broken people or defeated people. What I saw were people who realised they had made tremendous gains and that their setback was merely a delay. Not an end to the goal.
We will have our rest and recovery. It is more than deserved and needed. We’ll take stock. Plans are going to be coming into place for next approach. Keep your ear to the ground. Get word out. Don’t lose contacts.
The opposition are relying on us giving up or believing their bullshit about this being settled forever. It only is if we allow it. They utterly dread us getting back up after they have knocked is down. The fear is clear between the lines before the result and in their language and spin afterwards on the BBC, etc. Don’t give them an easy win. They’ve made promises and painted themselves into corners that leave them open to attack.
Most of us went into this as relative political novices. We had never tasted defeat like mainstream parties have many times before in elections and so on. So it hurt and was all the more raw as a fresh new experience. I was hurting bad after it. It was like a bereavement for me and others. What will tell for the future is how we handle that defeat and what we do afterwards. Few great victories in war or politics never lost a battle or faced a setback. We need to accept this, see our mistakes and correct them. That is how a war or a cause is won. We learn, adapt, build on gains and move it forward.
Eventually (and probably far sooner than they think) we will have them by the short and curlies. Even Prof Dunleavy has said this isn’t over. Others too see this as unsettled for any long term. While we have democracy itself we have our goal in sight – even if it takes longer than the 18 months or so we hoped for.
You are all fantastic, capable, intelligent, successful people and I would be honoured to work with you again in the future. We can do great things.
My regards to you all, you magnificent underdogs.
I’ve been playing airs from my collection, but still to sad to play them here – go back 4000 comments and there may be one. I am saddened but not lost – Caledonia is everything it is my home.
Thepnr has retired.
The point of no return is past.
Alex Clark will be taking his place. Look forward to meeting some day with you all.
Gaun yersel Alex!
Good morning Alex.
Gie Thepnr a big man-hug fae me. He’s been a rock IN a hard place for long enough.
If the born-again Alex is just as game, you’ll be a continuing strength for those around you.
(just re-read that mince, but I’m sure you get the gist
)
For what it’s worth I’m still here.
I’m not going to go away.
I am seriously considering giving up work to concentrate full time on the political fight ahead.
I’m inspired by Robin MacAlpine’s article in Bella and I think that is where I may put my effort.
We need a cohesive front to move forward. I’m not sure how that will materialise over the coming days and weeks, but I believe it will happen.
We should hold our heads high. We may have lost the battle, but the fight goes on.
This is like a boxing match:
we lost the first round on a technicality in 1979;
We won the next round on points in 1997;
We lost the latest round, due to some biased refereeing.
And as the bell goes for the next round to start, we stand bloodied but not bowed. We know we only have to win once but they have to win every time.
WE ARE THE 45, WE WILL NEVER BE BEATEN.
Alex,
I’m sorry to read of the untimely passing of thepnr, but I’m sure you will carry on his good work. I honestly can’t think of anyone better qualified.
Some of you may have read my post last week about my daughter starting University. A wee postscript to that post, inscribed on the numberplate on her door in her student residence:
‘THE CATALAN’
It transpires that this was already there before she moved in, bu fact that she sees the significance of this is one of my comforts.
She & all the kids of her generation are our future and I am so proud that they have the tools to carry the movement forward.
We who are the 45 should be happy that we can pass the baton to her generation who supported independence – the 71.
@Oneironaut –
You around mister?
Alex,
Totally agree with Bob Sinclair, you’re the man for the job.
ps. Should we send flowers?
Hi honeys – put the kettle on xx
Hey!
Thepnr has not passed away, just retired to a beautiful wee cottage next to the beach. I’m just taking up the mantle as there is a lot of work to be done going forward.
Bowed but not broken!
Now dears we need some tunes, some love and now we will win.
link to youtube.com
link to independent.co.uk
link to sourcewatch.org
link to powerbase.info
Can’t help it dolls –
link to youtube.com
Oi you lot – us warriors have picked ourselves up and are ready for action, come on you wee arty types gie us some tunes!!
One effing battle and I’m standing here alone – get a grip, where are the pipers?
For starters –
link to youtube.com
Dundee showed the wey in the vote and will continue to do so.
Why is this? Mostly because we are like this.
link to youtube.com
@Paula Rose –
Yes dear, that’s very good, but here’s the original and best – please watch out for the big hairy cow at approx 14 secs:
link to youtube.com
For as long as but a hundred of us remain alive!
Or 1.6 million for that matter…
Paula, Ian, John, Irene, Jim, Graham, Fiona, Ronnie, Betty, Brian, Pete, cearc and for ALL my wings friends.
This is for you.
link to youtube.com
@Alex Clark –
Good shout mister, and a suitable note for me to say nicht-nicht.
Nicht-nicht!
Alex Clark informed me how I could post songs on here. So this Song is for Alex. And all the Yes Folk. link to youtube.com
Brilliant again Michael and so apt. The lion has awoken and Westminster has no idea what it has unleashed.
Lick your wounds, get up again for the battles yet to come.
They Cant keep us down. Not when we are. link to youtube.com Onwards and Upwards.
@Michael McCabe
Yes, you cannot keep a good man down for long. Anyone still feeling down should watch these last three videos.
It is who we are, next time it will be 65%.
What do you play in the wee small hours of the Morning. link to youtube.com
Alex, thank-you. Good choice. Made me cry- about time, I need to. I think I’ve got delayed reaction, since I was OK on Friday and most of yesterday. Now I’m a wreck. Just a phase we all have to go through. The dawning realisation as things unfold that we were definitely right all along to be worried about where ‘Great’ britain goes now. Right that we were being lied to. They don’t even bother covering their tracks.
Paula, we haven’t gone anywhere hun. Our bad sleeping patterns just don’t match
xx Fiona
Chipmonkey,
Sleeping patterns? Ahhh yes, I do seem to vaguely remember them.
Alex, that is one very emotional video. Brilliant stuff. We must meet up and chat about it and many other things. It’s a pleasure to know you, sir.
Graeme
Does anyone know (i mean 100%) whether you can watch ‘Catch up TV’ on Sky if you cancel your TV license?
Jim -I’ve been wondering too. I#ve read other places that you can’t watch any live tv at all – any as it is broadcast tv (even sky), without a licence, and you can’t record as it happens to watch later.
I wonder what would happen if a movement of people all wrote to sky and asked if they can do a package without BBC, and without license necessary – would they be interested since we otherwise have to take our custom from them too?
Just a thought.
Hi all, words fail me the now, I’m still here and remain ready for the next round.
Thanks for the subsequent articles / comments, keep em coming.
OK first of all I’m not a conspiracy theorist, and I don’t think ‘we wus robbed’ in a strict sense, but can anyone give me any idea of what is happening in the second video down (43 seconds long) from the link below.
In the video one woman walks in front of the box (not sure if it’s a ballot box, all ot ours were black) and the other starts stuffing it with papers.
link to tinyurl.com
Could they be shredding the missing postal votes.
There are rumours on social media saying there were thousands of postals missing
Sorry ignore my last comment, the box is see through so it’s obviously not a ballot box – suspicious behaviour though, whatever it is.
Hi all
We did out first live stream after ref today which was very interesting you can check it out via our website.
I’m contemplating going full time with Scottish Independence Live Events but would need crowd fund it. Do you think there is an appetite at the moment for this?
KG
http://www.independencelive.net
@Cactus and Thistle –
Good to see ye’s back.
@Oneironaut –
You back with us yet mister?
I think we’re all still standing Ian honey, now we will win the easy way – every general election in the UK is a referendum for Scotland. If we all work together and with the first-past-the-post system we can do it.
@Paula Rose –
Indeed. And I’m sure we will.
I’m not privy to SSP membership details, but someone, somewhere in the ongoing threads, mentioned that we’ve gained 1,200 new members since Friday. If true, that is mind-boggling.
@Oneironaut –
‘Broadsword calling Oneironaut…Broadsword calling Oneironaut…come in Oneironaut…’
@Thistle –
Hope you’re alright there mister. I daresay you’re bruised, but we can all swap sob stories after the job is done.
On the crowd-funding thing – was the last one worth doing? If so, do it again. In any event, things have changed so utterly that you may be able to ask for more, and get it faster than you thought possible.
And have you approached the Weirs? I wouldn’t know how to go about it, but they are right on the ball and know what’s worth backing. For all I know they’re readers here…
Can someone help?
1. I want to change my internet supplier. Can anyone recommend a supplier who has not disgraced themselves by speaking out against Scottish Independence?
2. I need to buy a new laptop. Where should I buy it? Did Argos say anything bad about independence?
3. I want to move my current account to a more reputable bank. Which ones have spoken badly about Scotland?
4. I need to move my AVC pension from the odious and mendacious organisation where it currently resides to a more respectable one. Can anyone recommend a bank or building society?
5. I intend to change my mobile phone network supplier. Which suppliers have remained neutral on independence?
I have stopped shopping in Asda. I am joining the SNP.
Cactus honey – I’m rushing about checking for wounds etc are you OK or do you need special attention, just had to deal with Ian Brotherhoods attack of cramp in a delicate area, but it’s sorted now.
@Thistle
Have you seen Derek Batemans blog?
link to derekbateman.co.uk
Something worth considering?
Glad to see all the usual reprobates still here
Ian honey is Oneironaut still MIA? I’m sure I spotted them earlier, someone check please.
Blimey its like being Mary Seacole, any more dressings needed?
I do not have a Bank Account or a Credit Card so have never chipped in to Crowd Fund anything or chipped in towards the wee blue book. Though I wanted to. So if anything happens and there is another way to chip in without bank details or credit cards ? Then I am willing to chip in a few bob. As they say. All in a good cause.
Right I’ve gone down the list – number one still missing is Oneironaut – honey please report in, I can provide some much needed relief.
Here’s a wee picture, see if you can recognise anyone?
link to i60.tinypic.com
Hmm – beautiful Ronnie in the centre, some oik on his left, probably some troublesome trot, but whose the hunk on the far left!!!
I see Ronnie got the gal, as usual!
Ronnie always does – gosh he certainly knows how to hug!!
That’s the brave young girl that climbed the castle in Edinburgh to put up the Yes sign. The 3 guys behind the banner are also well known Wingers.
Just the NEW members joined in last few days alone of the three main pro-indy parties – SSP, SNP, Scot Greens – have already totalled more than the entire membership of Scottish Labour!
They’re gonna reap the whirlwind.
Coming up. Some Chinese restaurants and carry outs to avoid in the Glasgow area and some others to use in their place.
@Jim McIntosh 21 Sep 3:33pm
First – those aren’t ballot papers, they look like A4 sheets and Ballots were around A5 in size.
second – the first woman def looks as though she is positioning herself (badly) between a known camera and the box and not acting in a natural way.
third – where is it? When was it? There is an ID stamp along the top of the clip but it doesn’t allow easy location or date/time verification.
Fourth – the container looks as though it has a seal on the edge nearest the camera.
Thoughts:
Until there is absolute proof that was in a referendum centre of some sort, conjecture isn’t helpful.
If it was in a ref location, was there a reason for positioning that see-through container in view of a camera, or was that just random placement?
If it was a ref location, what were those papers in that box on the chair? Was it in a “controlled and restricted” area? I didn’t notice if the people had passes round their necks. (All people in the South Ayrshire count either had distinctive “Count Staff” clothing or were wearing passes that clearly identified their roles.
I would love to believe that there was skullduggery afoot during the whole ballot to count to declaration process, but all I’ve seen and heard so far has been conjecture and (to use your own words) conspiracy theory. If this is to be progressed, we need hard evidence and verifiable proof. There’s a lot of water muddying going on just now.
Let’s have a dance and cheer up…
Cee Lo Green, ‘Forget You’ –
link to youtube.com
link to waterfordwhispersnews.com
Got to agree with Jim here. Without hard evidence we risk wasting our energy on a wild goose chase and damaging our repuation with tin foil stuff or unfair accusations.
Indulge me friends.
An old favourite…
House Of Pain, ‘Jump Around’ –
link to youtube.com
Update on my plans to move money around and purchase various things.
Internet service provider
Looks like BT, Talk Talk, Telephonica, Vodaphone, EE and Three UK are out. link to archive.today so that just leaves Sky. Best of a bad bunch I’m afraid but I can’t find any quotes from them directly criticising independence. Anyone?
Purchase of a new laptop
This looks like an easy choice. It’s got to be Dixon group’s PC World/Currys. They actually said independence wouldn’t make much difference to them
link to retail-week.com
Moving my current account
Like most people, it seems,I’m going to settle on the Airdre Savings Bank
Moving AVC pension
I think it’ll be Santander. They don’t seem to have said anything nasty about us recently. Does anyone know differently?
New mobile phone supplier
I’m struggling here! Vodaphone, EE and Talk Talk are all out – see the archive link above. Does anyone have any ideas?
Nice choice, Ian! Great pick me up tune.
Cal,
I’ve used link to utilitywarehouse.co.uk
for ages phone/electricity and it formerly internet until my 7 1/2 mile phone line could no longer support it and I had to change to satellite.
Always found them very good. Call centre in W. London, usually answer quite quickly.
They also have a referral programme, so if you do please ask me what info you need to put me down as your referer.
Ian,
I remember having a demo of that before the US release. Everybody who heard it liked it and were rather ratty that I wouldn’t let them copy it as it was a not going to be UK released for a couple of months.
Bouncing car music, eh?
@ Cal
I’ve been using The Phone Co-op (it uses “the co-operative” brand under licence, but is separate from the shops, bank, funerals, etc) for landline and broadband for years – because they are more ethical and owned by their members – and they have recently started offering mobile packages and now a FairPhone smartphone (I don’t have this). link to thephone.coop
I have had some problems with the broadband, but that is due to my rural location and distance from the exchange, not the provider. (They’ve got a referral system too! I’m not wanting to be in competition with cearc, though.)
crazycat,
No competition. Just mentioned it, as you did because we would be daft not to.
Re long line, it will only get worse. Mine packed up when a dozen holiday chalets got connected five miles down line. Dedicated satellite (Q-Sat) is great! No problems at all since I changed. Dearer but worth it (no referral scheme though!)
cearc and crazycat
Thanks guys I look into that.
Sorry “I’ll”
I think this is the first post I’ve done in Wings since my post of Friday evening. You may recall I mentioned the YES rally in City Square that evening.
Well… Below is the only (I think) post I’ve done in Facebook since the vote, from Saturday evening. I posted it in ‘The Indy Inn’ (now a closed group) and the ‘YES Bus… Scotland’s Dragon for Indy’ page. (Open.) It kinda carries on from Friday’s post.
______________________________________________
I was a tad depressed early Friday but attended a YES rally in Dundee’s City Square, with around 150 others, Friday evening.
Today, there was another rally in Dundee City Centre, attended by a few hundred. Ordinary people from the crowd got up to say a few words.
Although the rally was originally planned to support the idea of asking for an investigation into vote rigging, people who had been at the count in Dundee’s DISC said that they had refused to leave the building during the THREE fire alarms and stood at the Fire exits, keeping their eyes on the counting tables.
In their opinion, nothing untoward took place.
However, a number of speakers made similar points about our way forward. For the 2015 UK General Election, we have to replace as many Scottish Labour MP’s as possible with SNP MP’s.
This could have two effects.
1. The old rule (pre 1999 devo), whereby a majority of Scotland’s 72 MP’s, elected with Independence in their manifesto, would have the democratic right to hold a referendum on independence, could be triggered if we can return at least 30 SNP MP’s of the 59 MP’s we now elect for Westminster.
2. Because of the way voting intentions are going in England, where it is thought UKIP could hold the balance of power, a strong block of SNP MP’s COULD hold the balance of power and become ‘kingmakers’.
The other upside of Scotland voting this way for the UK election, is that this would give the various, well-organised, campaigning groups within the YES Campaign, the time required to create a credible left-wing political opposition to the SNP for the Scottish 2016 election.
This scenario would also provide the opportunity for ‘soft NO’s’ to see how how they were duped by the Unionist parties, as the pledges, vows and promises are broken over the coming days, weeks and months.
Today’s Dundee rally was followed by a march round High Street, Commercial Street, Albert Square and Reform Street – the crowd filled the whole length of Reform Street, coz people were joining the march along the way.
We ended up singing ‘Flower of Scotland’ at the end of the march, before heading off to the Trades House and Counting House for much needed refreshment on a warm afternoon.
This evening, I am feeling a lot more optimistic about Scotland’s future, than I did on the drive home from the Arbroath count at 5am on Friday morning. The buzz in the air has returned…
______________________________________________
Addendum: While we were singing ‘Flower of Scotland’ at the end, three guys with masked faces were seen to approach the rear of the crowd.
The Police, who were handily present in reasonable numbers, pounced on them immediately and shepherded them away.
Onnyhoo, looks like the grass roots YES Campaign is metamorphosing into a grass roots ‘Pro-Independence’ movement. Interesting times indeed.
Off to my sister’s wedding and will be mostly offline for the next couple of weeks.
Will check in whenever possible, but not sure how good comms will be where I’m going.
Lots of initiatives springing up all over the place. I don’t think we’ll see the right way forward until the fog clears. I would just suggest not jumping in too quick. Let’s wait and see what materialises before we decide what is worth supporting.
I would like to see more collaboration between the pro-indy groups. If we stay as disparate groups its going to be difficult, if not impossible, to keep them all funded. Let’s try and use what resources we have to maximum effect.
Derek Bateman, Pat Kane and others are already talking about an alternative media outlet. Could be the start of something big.
I think we’re going to see things happening on the political front too. I suspect Alex has a plan..
They think it’s all over. It’s anything but.
If anyone that has a pension with HSBC, Std Life, HBOS, RBS, Scottish Widows, Virgin, Hargreaves Landsdown, Aviva or AXA, might I suggest you move it to Prudential? They were refreshingly neutral on the matter of Scottish Independence
link to international-adviser.com
Here’s one of Cameron Brodie and John Prescott’s favourite bands:
Chumbawumba, ‘Tubthumping’ –
link to youtube.com
That could work very well as our own theme, Ian.
Folks
Mate Billy has a sister Maureen in Australia and she is dying to have a YES Saltire fly high in Melbourne.
I searched web there but seems hard to find any for sale post the vote. Anyone know where I could get one for her?
All help greatly appreciated.
Cheers Ian, I do like a bit of Chumbawamba. How did you guess?
Just a thought, as the elderly support for the Union diminishes over time, the battleground to save the Union will have to move on to younger minds. Let’s ban the BBC from schools, where it is not legally obliged to be. Yet.
Messer Chups – Chasing for Young Blood
link to youtube.com
@desimond
Tartanpigsy is the man who imported them. Maybe he could help.
Bound to be some of the Yes saltires around. I think there were 10000 plus made! I’m hanging on to mine in the hope it’ll not be moth-eaten before round 2 comes about.
I’ve posted this in the other thread but was so late and will likely be swallowed and barely seen. It is just my view.
I’ve avoided posting like I might catch Ebola or something since the referendum. The threads are infected with all kinds of stuff that I didn’t want to catch.
I’ve suspect that this is just the attempt at the “bayoneting of the wounded”.
The conspiracy crap is purely to cause divide and clearly has, don’t engage in it for the sake of your own blood pressure. You can guarantee the more that fall for this then the sooner it will be exposed in the MSM as the “nutty” Yes supporters.
It is a tactic to divide us from the mainstream, lots and lots of posters I’ve never heard of doing just that these last few days.
I’m also not sure of this “45” movement. Absolutely smacks of 1745 and again another means of having the MSM slag you off as Nationalist and anti English, I personally will avoid.
I think we all need to have a wee rest and recharge the batteries, there are ways to win Independence and we can figure them out. The posts over the last few days don’t meet that criteria.
It is now that they want to break the YES support, because you are at your weakest mentally after the defeat. Don’t fall for that.
What I never said is that it is more than likely that a few posters who have been around for a while have been here for the sole reason of stirring the porridge after the referendum.
We are being deflected from our goal. Ignore.
Re Yes Saltire
Mine is still flying about 25 feet up. Can be seen from the other side of the golf course where I know there are a lot of no voters.
Yes signs still in the windows for a while longer.
Alex aka thePnr
(thank goodness you still have that gravatar)
Re the 45, I agree with you that 45 has its problems and could also imply exclusivity. That is why I still wear my Yes badges, that tells folk exactly where I stand anyway.
I’m leaving my saltires up as well – until I get my collar felt by the planners for defacing a category A building.
I was at the RIC meeting in the Burgh Coffee House on Tuesday evening. They said that they usually had between 6 and 12 at meetings. A head count at the end showed around 80 had turned up.
Onnyhoo, there’s this on Sunday, 28th:-
“A public meeting to discuss how we organise from here and to bring together all the different groups and individuals that have fought so hard for a better Scotland.
SPEAKERS TO INCLUDE ROBIN MCALPINE OF COMMON WEAL and BRIAN COX.
We have not – yet – won a country, but we have gained a mass movement. Now we need to plan the next stage in our campaign for freedom and justice.
We need to discuss how independence can now be won, we need to organise ourselves to resist the attacks on our communities coming from Westminster, and any negative consequences that may arise from so-called devolved powers, and we need to ensure that the Scottish Parliament uses every power at its disposal to move us towards that better fairer country that we all voted for.”
That’s Sunday at 14:00–16:00 in Dundee Uni’s Bonar Hall.
link to facebook.com
I’m leaving my saltires up as well – until I get my collar felt by the planners for defacing a category A building.
I was at the RIC meeting in the Burgh Coffee House on Tuesday evening. They said that they usually had between 6 and 12 at meetings. A head count at the end showed around 80 had turned up.
Onnyhoo, there’s this on Sunday, 28th:-
“A public meeting to discuss how we organise from here and to bring together all the different groups and individuals that have fought so hard for a better Scotland.
SPEAKERS TO INCLUDE ROBIN MCALPINE OF COMMON WEAL and BRIAN COX.
We have not – yet – won a country, but we have gained a mass movement. Now we need to plan the next stage in our campaign for freedom and justice.
We need to discuss how independence can now be won, we need to organise ourselves to resist the attacks on our communities coming from Westminster, and any negative consequences that may arise from so-called devolved powers, and we need to ensure that the Scottish Parliament uses every power at its disposal to move us towards that better fairer country that we all voted for.”
That’s Sunday at 14:00–16:00 in Dundee Uni’s Bonar Hall.
link to facebook.com
Apologies for double post.
Moving forward…
Now that the the referendum is over, does the information on the various sides funding sources become public? I seem to remember suspicious funding regarding Vote Nob Orders…lots of very unrealistic donation patterns, etc. that were recorded.
Could be worth while holding their feet to the fire with all their rule bending and breaking (there was quite a few dodgy moments in this campaign) to undermine their ‘mandate’ to bash Scotland and empty our pockets.
and it still rumbles on …
Not sure if there’s any REAL mileage in this though.
link to beyondthe45.co.uk
Thinking about it though, if it does come to a review, I’d be happy to submit a written statement of my observations during the PV opening.
Might also comment on the lack of fixed timing for the sealing of “empty” ballot boxes before the official polling station opening time.
Damn it, on a roll now … there was also a wee bit of concern raised about the general tidiness of the counting table areas in the main count venue.
And don’t get me started about the free sandwiches and industrial coffee – oh hang on that’s not relevant is it.
Jim dear – I knew you were getting excited at your first sight of my high heels, now take yourself off to a quiet corner and relieve yourself of all that pent up testosterone.
Oh well – nae chance of getting the decorating done with all those tenners in the air so –
link to youtube.com
I’m just gonna play my favourite tunes…
link to youtube.com
Another successful crowdfunder going on for “Dateline Scotland”. They, and “BBC Scotlandshire”, injected a modicum of humour into the shenanigans over the past few months.
Let’s see ’em do it! YES we can!
link to wingsoverscotland.com
Seems quite a few clinging on to conspiracy nonsense. Been blocked by a few for disagreeing with this approach. Too much paranoia and too little information. Do they really think there will be some big reveal like the end of an Agatha Christie novel, everyone gasps and then they award us independence?
Alex is absolutely correct. People need to take a leaf out of the Salmond/Sturgeon book. All this conspiracy stuff just makes us all look like idiots.
Anyway, I’m still about, but keeping my head down for a bit. Loads of work to catch-up with too. It’s been a week of grief here. We’ve stopped greetin’ now, but the wife and I are still on short fuses. Needing a holiday I suspect.
Good to see you’ve surfaced TT.
You might find the meet in Dundee on Sunday, 2pm, at the Bonar Hall, inspirational.
See my post above…
link to wingsoverscotland.com
@Tartan Tory –
Missing you already man!
I remember when you first appeared on WOS, and folk were sceptical, giving you a hard time, but you just charmed your way through it all and remained steadfastly positive.
(And then you met Paula Rose – that, as I’m sure you’d agree, is ‘another story’…)
Hope you manage to have a rest in-between catching-up on the work. More power to ye, and yer missus!
Here’s a song for ye’s both:
Whisky Kiss, ‘Jocks Revenge’ –
link to youtube.com
Hey Ian
That was something different but really good. Cheers.
@Ian Brotherhood
Here’s one for you, with reference to an earlier suggestion of yours
link to youtube.com
Hi Alex.
“something different”???
This is something different. From the glorious years of the syndrum…
link to youtube.com
@Alex –
Nice one.
(That’s Stevenston beach BTW…)
@Brian Doonthetoon –
I did watch, and I did last more than a minute…
Extraordinary stuff.
Cheers!
Ah Music. Good to see it back on Off Topic. And the Familiar Names too.www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwDQxz67ZxA&feature=player_detailpage
Sorry Try Again. link to youtube.com
And not Forgetting The Ladies. link to youtube.com
Here’s one that Paula Rose brought to us many moons ago.
Laurel & Hardy, ‘Pretty Vacant’ –
link to youtube.com
The Skids, ‘Into The Valley’ –
A coconut for anyone who can transcribe a solitary line without cheating. N.B. ‘La-la-la la-la la-la-la-la-la’ doesn’t count.
link to youtube.com
Of course Ian, we can’t feature ‘Into The Valley’ without nodding in the direction of the B side; a thoughtfully put together ditty, which was a standard in the Bell Street Tech’s Students’ Union (the Bowlin’ Alley), for a year or three.
link to youtube.com
Check out the crowd going mental here –
Sparks, ‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough For Both Of Us’ –
link to youtube.com
What’s happened to Paula Rose?
TT announces he’s taking some time-out, and she’s disappeared?
Mmm?
Where is a’body tonight?
Eh?
Come on, FFS, it’s like a BTUKOKVNOBNOTHANKS party in here…
Steve Harley, ‘Come Up And See Me’ –
link to youtube.com
Ah the 80s. the Fashion the music. But we are where we are. link to youtube.com We will start again though.
Yep. 80s.
Blue Nile, ‘Tinseltown’ (Live, on Jools Holland) –
link to youtube.com
Blue Nile. Now you’re talking. I’m not in tinseltown,but it is Saturday Night.(find own link please!)
Goodnight boys and Paula (if you are around).
ps Briandoonthetoon-don’t know where you got that thing I found when not sleepy at 5am and reading o/t,but maybe it would have been best left undisturbed LOL
Just when I thought it was getting safe to read the threads… they’re on about PVt AGAIN!
Sorry about the shout, there. Here’s something to calm down to.
link to youtube.com
Sorry Cearc. Hadn’t spotted you there
Hi honeys – just got back from a wedding party, two lovely boys who have been together for 30 years – never too late to tie the knot, so here is a love song…
link to youtube.com
Hi Chipmonkey.
You did utter, typographically,
ps Briandoonthetoon-don’t know where you got that thing I found when not sleepy at 5am and reading o/t
I admit to being bereft of a scoobie as to what you are typing about…
Sorry Brian DTT. I read o/t in middle of night,not as it was happening. I was joking re your ‘something different’ massacre
and using my multimedia device,not my computer. Like now,I couldn’t see properly what I was writing. You’d think I’d learn not to try:-)
Gosh Briandoonthewotsit – was that your thingy that was bouncing all over the place at 5am, we all had to keep ducking dear, please keep it under control.
Chipmonkey doll, its OK Brian doonthewotsit’s thingy is back under strict control – he’s just emailed me to that effect.
One at a time boys – or not
link to youtube.com
What is it with these preacher men?
link to youtube.com
Here’s my big sister xx
link to youtube.com
She doesn’t do heels !
We’d better remember this ahead of our next mountain
link to metrolyrics.com
Hello all
Glad to see you’re all still here, making merry and sipping sherry.
I have to go back to France for three weeks for work, and I will be in a forest with a load of hairy woodsmen and won’t have much in the way of internet connection. (Paula Rose, you’d be in your element here. But medieval garb is a must…..)
But will look forward to looking in here when I can, and hope to get stuck back into the campaign on my return.
Good luck to you all, dear Wingers. Let’s keep on keeping on.
Quinie
Quinie frae Angus
Hairy woodsmen? Some people have all the luck!
Enjoy your trip.
Hope to see you again sometime.
This is too long a comment to go in the main thread and I suppose it should really be stuck on a blog somewhere.
So here we are, one week and a bit after the referendum, and like most people I am thinking about how we got here, where we are now and how we go on. I like to think I am, at heart an optimist, tempered with a quite strong pragmatic streak. Therefore, I don’t see the loss of the referendum as a major defeat but more a celebration of how far we have travelled in the last few years. It has taken over 300 years to get Scotland to this point; we aren’t going to give up now.
The following are some random musings of mine for discussion, most aren’t fully thought through yet but I will throw them out there anyway.
I can understand those people who want to believe that the campaign was cheated in the counting halls; I was at the count and can assure you that the counting process was scrupulously monitored. To cheat at the level required to get 400000 extra votes would require manipulation on an industrial scale*, not the few hundred at most that could be accounted by the dodgy videos on You-tube and Facebook. The cheating that occurred in this referendum wasn’t covert; it was right in your face from day one. The people of Scotland were bombarded by negative propaganda in a psychological war. There was very little to balance that propaganda, it became the accepted way of thinking. A major lesson for the next campaign is about getting control of broadcasting. “No Thanks” winning this campaign has shown that no matter what people think about the power of new media and the internet, traditional MSM is still by far the more powerful force. One interesting note about this is that the most negative propaganda didn’t happen till the last two weeks by which time almost three quarters of the postal votes had been returned. If we had already lost the postal vote by that time, as some believe, what was the point carrying on with the propaganda? I think that right upto the last minute the result was too close to call.
This broader campaign now faces some hard decisions for the future. Will we, like many campaigns in the past:
1) Die away. Having lost the campaign, we become demoralised and allow the fight to end. For some of us this has been a long campaign, over 3 years and counting. A campaign of this length was unheard of in any modern country. It has been physically tiring and emotionally draining, and frankly a lot of us need a rest to recharge our batteries. There is a danger for us in losing concentration and then the momentum stalls but conversely by hanging on we start to make the mistakes that only happen when you are tired. This is the time to allow fresher minds to carry on campaigning for a while. We don’t need to worry the fight isn’t going anywhere and will still be here when we return;
2) Split into factions and infighting. This can be seen already in the lets blame the Yes campaign. I agree it did seem at times to be very happy-clappy but don’t forget how far it brought us. To suit my own personality, I would like the next campaign to be a bit harder hitting. As someone might have said, I come not to bury Yes but to praise it as it has primed the pump for the next campaign. Tommy Sheridan’s plea for everyone to pull together for the May elections next year is hopefully a signal that will be heeded and everyone will stay together, let’s hope so anyway;
3) Be subverted. The most obvious example of this is Labour making advances towards the remaining Yes campaigners with promises of fighting a common foe, the Tories. Let’s not forget that for this campaign the enemy has been Labour aiding and abetting the Tories. There will also be groups who would like to infiltrate and discredit the campaign, false flag operations will not be out of the question until they have seen the end of the Yessers. We all need to be vigilant for any of these things happening;
4) Use new media and the internet to stay mobilised. This is the new option for our age and with the help of social media we hold together. This can already be seen in the meetings arranged within a day of the referendum, letter writing campaigns, twitter and facebook interactions. Probably the most visible to non-internet users of this activity is the boost to membership of the Yes Alliance parties. Social media has allowed people who would have been sitting alone, feeling sorry for themselves to stay in contact and mobilise. Misery likes its own company but happiness always seeks a crowd. There have been various types of criticism about the 45ers and similar groups that have formed on twitter and Facebook, it is too exclusive or it is too reminiscent of failed endeavours in the past. What this criticism misses it that these groups are rallying points for people when they are feeling down and alone. Human nature tells us we need to feel part of something bigger; there is power and protection in the herd. In a year’s time no one will remember the 45 but at the moment it is important as a badge of belonging.
So after that rant, what else is there that I have found interesting in the last week. The Ashcroft analysis (if correct) that was published showing the breakdown of the poll by age group has, I think, some good news and some bad news. The good news is that the British state is in terminal decline and this vote has only delayed the inevitable. The bad news is that sadly a lot of our more senior readers will never live in an independent Scotland. Independence will most likely be achieved when the current generation of pensioners are no longer with us. Time will not be denied. tick-tock, tick-tock as the clock counts down on the union.
*For what it is worth, I have experience in working for a large utility company that could print, fold, insert into envelopes and post, 250000 bills in 5 days.