Return of an old friend
Posted on
November 11, 2013 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
The world's most-read Scottish politics website
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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 The shifting sands of memory: “Aye, it is a wonder Peter. I recall at the time being extremely frustrated at Swinney accepting what was on…” May 21, 15:55
- on The shifting sands of memory: “My understanding of Professor Black’s view is that Scotland was illegally annexed as a territory of England and that the…” May 21, 15:48
- on The shifting sands of memory: “As I have mentioned on previous comments to articles on Wings Why do the SNP and other independence supporting parties…” May 21, 14:47
- on The shifting sands of memory: “Scottish Sovereignty Research Group Conference (17 May 2025) KEYNOTE SPEECH BY PROFESSOR ROBERT BLACK KC Starts at 1.46.35 into youtube…” May 21, 14:30
- on The shifting sands of memory: “Can you extrapolate a Scottish sub-sample of Westminster voting intentions to Holyrood with any accuracy? Voters (well some at any…” May 21, 14:30
- on Just a couple more shots: “While watching the tv baftas,I wondered if someone would make a drama about For Women Scotland and their long and…” May 21, 14:24
- on The shifting sands of memory: “House Boy Kerr sits happily on the gravy train and no second class colony is going to take it away.…” May 21, 14:13
- on The shifting sands of memory: “Re: the inevitable comments of people unqualified to discuss the history of international law or the constitutional history of the…” May 21, 13:59
- on The shifting sands of memory: “Extremely rare for the SNP to hit 2%, four times in a row on UK wide, Westminster voting intention polls.…” May 21, 13:53
- on The shifting sands of memory: “CJ that link is broken.
So use this one instead: “The UK – A Voluntary Union or Capture by…” May 21, 13:20 - on The shifting sands of memory: “Well it just clarifies to us all that Scotland is a colony . Thus seeking independence has clearer reasons to…” May 21, 13:19
- on The shifting sands of memory: “What ever happened to the new site layout, I preferred it.” May 21, 13:17
- on The shifting sands of memory: ““We have catched Scotland and will hold her close” The Speaker at Westminster 1707 following the Treaty. Says it all…” May 21, 13:17
- on The shifting sands of memory: “I believe whats upset Mr Kerr is the fact he’s been running about like a tit all his life shouting…” May 21, 13:12
- on The shifting sands of memory: “Robert the Bruce has made it clear by being accused of being a leper that he plans on being resurrected…” May 21, 13:07
- on The shifting sands of memory: “I’m not aware that anyone has ever said that ‘Scotland is a partner in the Union’ as a legal position,…” May 21, 13:06
- on The shifting sands of memory: “One irony being the current SNP have studiously avoided referring to anything related to the * Union * , eg…” May 21, 13:05
- on The shifting sands of memory: “https://caltonjock.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=27761&action=edit” May 21, 12:54
- on The shifting sands of memory: “If Scotland has been “absorbed” into England, why isn’t it called England? Or how about “North Britain”? – They tried…” May 21, 12:48
- on The shifting sands of memory: “Well, tories (of whatever complaexion) are going to tory.” May 21, 12:36
- on The Ace Attorney: “Mia 20 May, 2025 at 9:41 pm >I do not know if they were nutters or not. What I do…” May 21, 12:35
- on Just a couple more shots: “Exactly Lorn. How did we survive in the past, how did we ever manage to survive. I agree with whoever…” May 21, 12:34
- on Just a couple more shots: “I know what you mean, but if you take a look at the manboobs on some of those lardy trans…” May 21, 12:31
- on The Ace Attorney: “@Captain Caveman Every day is a learning opportunity eh? It is indeed a well known political saying. Often attributed to…” May 21, 12:24
- on The Ace Attorney: ““religious differences, none of which matter today” If only that was true. I’ve been slow to pick up on this,…” May 21, 12:22
- on Just a couple more shots: “James Cheyne I thank you, too, for the sentiment. Of course, you couldn’t have missed my comments if you weren’t…” May 21, 11:37
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A tall tale
Wee Books
Video
Probably a robbery
Transphobia
Hahaha!! I can’t remember her wearing that hat!!
There is only one answer and that is to spend £65k to raise the good lady to a height where cone emplacement is likely to cause serious injury to the more inebriated prankster. I think the Glasgow City Council benchmark KPI for this sort of thing is 15 fatalities a year.
Will there still be cones in an independent Scotalnd- We demand answers
If you want to track the full glory of another Scottish two fingers twitterfest, try #conegate or @wellingtoncone
Keep the Cone – It’s a Glesga Aye-Cone
Is just another GCC Conespiracy?…sorry couldn’t resist
@sneddon says:
Will there still be cones in an independent Scotalnd- We demand answers
Yes but they will be blue and white.
She needs a higher plinth. Donate £65,000 to Better Together now.
Well I wouldn’t conedone GCC spending that kind of money.
Rumours of victory…
@Gerry Braiden (Herald) Breaking #cone news!! Glasgow Council to withdraw its application to elevate the Duke of Wellington’s plinth to curb the coning of statue
Stop it! I’m beginning to feel sorry for the wummin
Has anybody sent her a copy? Have you got an email address?
Big gap in the market for a ladder hire business in Glasgow coming soon.
Miserable soulless gits.
How very un-Glasgow.
Glasgow has its faults but until now has always retained its sense of humour.
So, it’s over as soon as it begun? Well done Twitter!
It’s the Cone of Destiny chaps….leave it be FFS !
I can go to bed cone-tent now. Night, all.
Simple solution. Leave the fecking cone on his head! Cost = zero.
Here today, cone tomorrow?
@majorbloodnok – it is part of the fine print of their conetract.
Breaking news – apparently GCC have withdrawn the proposal to raise the plinth and ditch the Cone! And saving £65k. Don’t know yet if the are still going to keep removing it though.
(The power of social media – 5000 facebook likes on the Keep the Cone facebook page so far, in few hours)
Haw Rev, coney no dae that….
Glasgow City Conecil: absolute eejits. I cone’t believe they actually thought this one would fly.
It makes you think though – there are many people who want more local democracy, meaning more decisions being made by the kind of people who came up with this idea (and who currently spend £100 a time getting the cone removed). It’s quite conecerning.
Dra cone ian decision by GCC
gonnie no dae that
jist— gonnie no
That there son is the cone of destiny
a brave group of patriots went doon tae London an stole it richt fae under the English polis noses frae aff the head o Nelson himsel
Breaking news that they are withdrawing the proposals?
I’m no cone-vinced! Bunch of cone artists…
Glasgow City Council – what a bunch of cones! Makes you wonder what they were going to spend on the ice cream.
I remember the cones helpline as the one crowning achievement of the Major Government
@TJenny: “Breaking news – apparently GCC have withdrawn the proposal to raise the plinth and ditch the Cone! ”
At last, reconeciliation!
The Man in the Jar
Simple solution. Leave the fecking cone on his head! Cost = zero.
More people like you should be in charge at GCC. (and beyond)!
She has been elevated to a Deaconess.
O/T but a little disconecerting…. I think I have just been threatened with violence on Facebook for daring to debate a knuckle dragging Unionist.
Reading the Darling McCone report about 2bn barrels of oil left come the revolution.
‘And feck off before ah set mah balloon on ye!’
100 quid a time! Those ALEOS really are great value for money. What’s wrong with a pole with a wire coat hanger tied to it?
When did they do away with the pokey hat and sub it with a cohen…them Israelies, they’re gettin the malkey an no mistake…
You don’t often see a Cone on the Barbarian.
Never mind some day her plinth will come.
I’ll get my cape.
‘Ah think ah wiz coned intae daein’ this gig’.
And they spent a year conesulting!
“Various solutions were con(e)sidered, after a year’s investigation and con(e)sultation…
link to m.stv.tv
100 quid a time? Fuckin conemen!
GCC must have kept John Major’s cones hotline in business.
100 quid a time? Fuckin inconeceivable!
My that wis entertaining. Am off to bed quite conetent.
Quote from yesterday’s Herald diary…….
“Glasgow has mair cones than Nardinis in Largs”
O/T Mr John Curtice on Newsnicht now, and he looks like he’s just snogged a 13 amp live wall socket ! In cone ceivable !
100 quid a time! Fuckin family conections?
@John King “the Cone of Destiny” rofl
I’m going to call it that from now on.
100 times a year. That’s twice a week. Twice a week someone is on Cone Duty.
That’s why I love Glasgow.
Wonder if the ex first minister, Jack McCone-nil had anything to do with it…
GrutsForTea
At a 100 quid a time, that’s why he loves Glasgow too!
Anyone else thinking that John Curtice is spitting image for Pat Lally ?
Glad to see the SNP lass got tore in on tonight’s newsnicht. Well done, we need more of it.
That there son is the cone of destiny
Quality.
Mechanise the bloody thing to remove its own cone and save the dosh for winter homeless folk.
GrutsForTea and JohnKing,
‘The Cone of Destiny’ should be the only way to legally crown all future kings or queens of Scots, written into the constitution of our newly re independent Scotland. I am a lifelong republican but I would vote for a monarchy to see that. It might even encourage regular regiscide, just so we can crown another one!
I can’t wait for the new constitution!
Wouldn’t the best head for an Attack of the Cones have been Sarwar’s?
Last of the Coneservatives.
STOP please….I’m inconetinent laughing!
Cpned!
I think the cone is feckin hilarious – Michael Greenwell has done a graphic with a matching cone on his horses ear. Still laughing. Pure dead brilliant as they say in that corner of Scotland.
Would a visiting Native American Indian with bad eye sight perchance mistake the statue for the inimitable cone arranger ?
Best quote from the movie ” Glasgow’s Usual Suspects ” – ” The greatest trick Lamont ever pulled was conevincing the world she didn’t exist “
Ron Burgundy,
that was not a horse it was a unicone!
But more seriously, there was a time when both the Duke and his Horse each had a cone on their heads, so it may not be a graphic.
Cone on the Barbarian gets my vote, spot on
Is this whit Labour meant by entering the cone-stitutional debate?
Kendo – given that it’s in Glasgow would it not be the Cone Ranger
It’s no a called a cone yah eejit, it’s a Pokey Hat.
@Tjenny.
quite coneceivably …
If they did try to surgically remove the offending cone would that create a conestitutional crisis ?
There wurnna any cones when I wiz wee, we hud pokyhats wie ice cream own top Gie £65.000 tae the FOODBANKS the fekin things a SYMBOL of IMPERIALISM wiz he ever in Glesga
Finally, just listening to Bob Dylan in conecert on the wireless strangling the ditty. ….like a rolling cone
see yeez all ramorra morning for breakfast… Conetinental of course lol
rite you cone omics the REV let us play awe day Sat we coney hud a serious debate when we re laughfin ah conenna no day that
Thanks, everyone. I’ve really enjoyed this cone test.
I liked that they had to elevate the statue of Dewar to avoid molestation. I now expect a sort of evolutionary process whereby the plinth of the Dewar statue gets higher and higher until it’s the tallest structure in Europe. A sort of tumour, just as the man was.
A traffic cone on Wellington’s head is our concession to allowing him to stay there. No traffic cone, no Wellington, and that’s a promise (I have a friend with a crane and a big lorry).
If the Rev’ll indulge me, I wrote a wee piece on our beloved Cone:
link to bannockburncomic.blogspot.co.uk
In short, I think it’s more than “just a bit of fun” (a worthy cause in itself) but actually a worthy part of Glasgow culture which should be cherished.
Anyone affected by this story who wishes help,or is conetemplating drastic action can visit our site for advice or counselling.
link to grumpy-gpabud.blogspot.co.uk
link to archive.is
Every time they take the cone doon is that no’ … cone-descending ? (Sorry)
Odd that it costs nothing to erect the cone on the Duke’s head but costs the city 100 quid each time to remove it.
Perhaps the city council should consult those who can claim to have placed it there in order to save money.
I prefer to save all the money and just leave it there.
For 65k they could probably get a 10-ft tall bronze cone.
Could they not get the guys who put the cone on to take it off for £5 a time. Limited to twice a week only, not per person.
Think of it as a sort of job creation scheme?
Saves £190 a week ?
I yer caught pittin a cone on the statue dis that mak yea a conevict?
all get ma coat
bugger the panda says @ 5.58
I dont think a fiver would cover it BtP
link to en.wikipedia.org
John King
There is an old Glasgow joke in there. Something to effect that the Glasgow Herald wouldn’t cover it.
Oh please let there be a statue of Arthur CONEan Doyle.
Braco says
“It might even encourage regular regiscide, just so we can crown another one!”
Bit hash on a the regs oot there braco
an whit happens when we rin oot o regs dae we start oan the daves?
noo that jist the sort o thing Ian Smart wis talkin aboot ,ken?
BtP say
“Limited to twice a week only, not per person.”
No return within 40 minutes and only after 6.00pm and weekends?
and Bank holidays?
“No Irish”
(CofS)
Was it not also traditional for the horse to have a few fag-ends in his mooth? Personally, I have my dowts.
Used to do that to the James Watt at the upper level of the George Street entrance of Strathclyde Uni. That and a match placed between his fingers.
In the tradition of the posters above
Watzis name was havin a drag.
Meanwhile, what were the council really up to while we were all looking at the cone?
Wee folding bike says @7.03
You read my mind
Online activism about a trivial issue = good
About Scotlands future = bad
Highlighting petty and cynical mindset of establishment=good
ignoring petty and cynical mindset of establishment=bad
Typical Glasgow Council, spend time and money coming up with the least popular and costliest ‘remedy’ then be embarrassed into dropping the whole idea. Remember the Great George Square debacle? There are two sensible and money saving possibilities – glue the cone on permanently or remove the statue altogether (think of the scrap value). The DoW was from the anglo-irish elite, a tory and opposed the Reform Act which extended the voting franchise a bit. (If he’s there because of Waterloo then there should also be statues of Blucher and Bulow).
Surely this mischief should be dealt with by the local Conestable.
Can I just state the ‘bleeding obvious’
For a city that has CCTV, is it not beyond the realms of possabilty that they have one trained on the Statue, so that in the event someone is seen to be climbing to put a cone on, they can alert a constable to be at the base in time for the ‘person or persons’ coming done after the deed?
Which bring us back Edward to an earlier poster who suggested it was all a deflection to cover for some other scandal or manoeuvre that the barstewards were trying to keep quiet.
Having just looked at the twitter thread about how business rules us, I thought it would be appropriate to mention the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership(TTIP), between the EU and the US, and how it is about to make it a whole lot worse.
After a feeble response that the NSA spying on Europe might affect this, it is going ahead as before.
It’s worth pointing out to readers here that what it means, or one affect, is that US companies could sue a European country for potential loss of earnings that would come from decisions Governments here take. So if Monsanto is not allowed to sell more GM products, because a Government rules against it, the company could sue.
Cone ban? The Barbarians!
Is, somebody gonna tell that wee wunnin in the photo awe the sheep have ate the grass & on tae pastures new, they wont be back fur aboot six weeks tae the grass has grown,
@Bugger the Panda
Above the gate at St John’s College Cambridge is a statue of Henry VIII holding a chairleg. The students replaced the septre so often they just left it there.
no much mentions of Newsnite STUC womens conference Dundee, due to the cone comicdy //all the shopstewards interviewed are presenting themselves as unionist / no voters // & their membership this is just another case of shop stewards toeing the Union / Lab heid yins . ( HAVE ANY BRANCH MEETINGS TAKEN PLACE ) I DOUPT IT is this the collective views of the UNIONS MEMBERSHIP ( I DOUPT IT ) TUC // GMB // TGWU // UNITE // STUC WOMEN // Shop Stewards UNIONS GEN SECT have all made pro unionist statements that is MISREPRESENTATION OF THE MEMBERSHIP WHEN THERE HAS BEEN NO CONSULTATION in breach of union rules C MON UNION MEMBERS LET YOUR VOICES BE HEARD wither you vote YES or NO as a former shop steward Imperial Steel Works I have caused the Convener / SS Labourites many reversals ( trying to bypass the membership of branch ) Convener lost a Area Rep job because I caught the Secretary filling out Ballot papers in his faviour / WHO OWNS THE UNIONS // THE MEMBERSHIP // RECLAIM YOUR RIGHTS
When we vote YES and Wee Eck is crowned King, could we not use one as his head gear or would that not be too cone-vincing? Where’s ma coat?
I’m still bemused by the facts that: someone came up with a slogan “U KOK”; others must have approved it, and despite it being laughed out of court, people still sit next to posters of it.
You have to give them credit for…
well, something.
£100 to remove the cone?
Well, they could always just leave it there, on the duke’s head. Certain Glasgow city councilors seem to be a bit full of themselves.
Send teh statue homeward, it’ll make Glasgow “conecil” think again
It would appear someone is lying again
link to dl.dropboxusercontent.com
nice one Mato , use their ain information against them
@ Sneddon says:
“Will there still be cones in an independent Scotland – We demand answers”.
A good question! A better question might be, do we need statues of Wellington in an independent Scotland?
Shouldn’t she be outside the GOMA in Glasgow, on a plinth commerating the Battle of Waterloo.
@Dramfineday –
“A better question might be, do we need statues of Wellington in an independent Scotland?”
I see no problem with having statues of famous Irishmen in an independent Scotland.
@Bigdrone
If Salmond refuses to wear it, though, that would be: the cone Eck shuns!
I’ll stop now.
I don’t see this move as being coneducive to good relations between the people of Glasgow and th conecil.
@Al Ghaf: Online activism about a trivial issue = good
About Scotlands future = bad
Considering GCC allegedly sees fit to spend £10,000 a year removing a cone from a statue’s head, I’d say this is emblematic of a much larger problem with GCC – not that you’d know it from all the fluff news items.
I find it far more worrisome that a constituency which has one of the most deprived areas in the Western World apparently sees fit to spend money removing a cone from a statue’s head. But on that point:
@mato21: It would appear someone is lying again
link to dl.dropboxusercontent.com
So they either aren’t willing to say how much is *actually* spent on removing the cone, or it costs nothing (as I’d expect) – leading the £100 a time statement to be a bald lie. OR the response itself is a lie, and they ARE spending £100 a time removing a cone from a statue – again, a constituency which has an area with a life expectancy lower than that of several war zones.
What is wrong with GCC? How can they even function with this level of rank incompetence?
Aiden, That would be a great shame – He could be known as Eck the Cone-querer! Where’s my coat?
A bit late to then party but someone sent me this:
link to glasgow.stv.tv