Something borrowed, something blue
Posted on
January 01, 2014 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
So here we are, then. 80% of the referendum campaign is over. It’s 2014. The next nine months are when we’ll either win or lose it all. Time to get to work.
Happy New Year, readers. In every sense of all of those words.
All the best for 2014
Happy New Year Stu, and everyone. And a toast to the Year of Independence.
A very happy New Year to Rev. Stuart, Scott and all contributors, posters and readers of Wings Over Scotland.
2014, the most important year in Scotland’s history for more than 300 years, has started.
I am sure there will be a majority democratic vote for Independence on 18th September.
But I am extremely concerned that the British stablishment will rig it.
There is not a single former colony where the British establisment has not used black art operations to prevent Independence and to subvert it after.
Scotland IS the ‘jewel in the crown’, in other words a cash cow, and there is no depth that the British establishment will not sink to to prevent her from breaking free from its clutches.
Rev. Stuart, make sure you have a Plan B for your own safety and for a Wings Over Scotland in exile.
Sorry for the pessimistic note, but we will never get this opportunity again if we miss it in 2014.
Scotland is a country!
It’s my country.
Vote Yes.
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to you Stu and all at Wings. Thank you for all you are doing. This is our year, Scotland’s year. Good luck to all. X
Happy New Year everyone. And what a year it’s going to be! Just think what this year’s Hogmanay’s going to be like 🙂
Did anyone catch Rab C Nesbit’s comment about Scotland providing the common, but London receiving the Wealth!! This is going to be a good year to be alive.
Did the Marquis of Montrose ever rebuild his Grand Casino, the gambling house that died with an awful sound?
Happy New Year to one and all.
9 months to go. Let’s do this thing!
I’m sitting in the house for the bells alone, for the first time ever. I’ve never been out of my home in Scotland for the bells in my life, not even for the 24 sets of bells where my actual address was in England. It was always a big deal in my family. Always be in your own home for the bells. But the tradition is dying, and I don’t think anyone is going to come past and first-foot me tonight.
I know where the open house is in the village, and I’d be welcome, but I don’t really want to go out. I just want to sit and think about it. This is 2014. It’s really here.
If (when) we get the Yes vote, I hereby pledge to give up the old ways, and go to the clock and bring in the New Year out in the open with the rest of the heathen next year.
Happy New Year Folks. We can dae this…lets work oor socks off tae make shair we dae!!!!!
Ach Morag, away round and have a drink
Happy New Year to you Stu, and everyone.
Drinking a very nice wee dram with my other half – and both of us feeling such promise and excitement about the coming year.
Let’s do this.
Nah, got a drink in my hand right now, and it’s cold out there. Got you lot, too. 🙂
Happy new year folks. All the best on this very historic of years. Enjoy!
Happy New Year to all from Wings, and all the posters who love the site.
Time, 00.42 and just pulled the PC out, just had to say this. I watched “Only an Excuse” on BBC one prior to the bells. You know the show, the send up of football that is well liked. We I am furious with the BBC, they diverted from the usual football to ridicule A. Salmond, get in that Scotland was rubbish ( via rubbish sketch ), even made Bannockburn a rubbish thing along with a supermarket trolley in a burn. Also other things.Pure and dirty propaganda because many would be watching it. The most brazen, and quite sickeningly obvious charade yet from the BBC. I think even those who might vote NO, will also be taken aback by this. Absolutely disgusting stuff, just shows what they really think of Scotland. Or is it just me being touchy? Disgraceful.
Happy New Year to everyone. I’m looking forward to a great 2014 where I will be able to celebrate an personal aspiration and that the people of Scotland will be able to celebrate the joy of a forthcoming Independent nation. Let us all go for it.
“Rev. Stuart, make sure you have a Plan B for your own safety and for a Wings Over Scotland in exile.”
I’m already in exile, man.
Happy New Year! This is it! It’s going to be an exciting year, and in 12 months, we’ll be celebrating our first New Year of independence. Can’t wait!
I’ve been watching BBC Alba, and it’s been fine, if a little unadventurous. I only switched over for a better look at the fireworks just after the bells.
If BBC1 can make Phil and Ally (consummate musicians) sound like a tenth-rate boy band, I’m offski.
Bad news from for people waiting for this 2014 diary;
http://thescottishscaremonger.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/2014-desk-calendar-cancelled.html
Hi Les. Picked up on it also. Every 2nd sketch was a dig at Scotland or Salmond. The program will be forgotten in the next few days. Just enjoy the night.
Hi Morag – I’m in the house on my own too – and having a great wee sing-a-long (adding to the noise of Edinburgh’s fireworks!) to Deacon Blue, The Proclaimers and Ray Davies et al on telly. (You’re right about it being Baltic outside). But as the Rev says on Twitter:
‘Spare a thought for our No friends tonight, folks. They haven’t the faintest clue how exciting this feels.’
It’s true, I do feel a real exhilaration at the thought of what we can achieve in 2014 and beyond.
Here’s tae us, wha’s like us 🙂
Well this is it. 18th September 2014 and all to play for, in the sense of all or nothing. Happy New Year to all, ‘now’s the time and now’s the hour’.
Oops – too late to edit ‘It’s’.
Happy New Year all.
Thought OAE was poor this year. Maybe running out of steam. Emili Sande on the Hootenany excellent. Proclaimers too.
Having a Rabbie’s Porter, after a couple of Highland Parks.
Big, big year. Can’t wait.
Happy 2014 to everyone. Yes FTW!
Hi Rev. Stuart,
Happy New Year! Thanks for everything you’ve done over the past year in informing and keeping morale up — and in the process entertaining your readership.
I’ve only really become aware of Wings because of the publicity about your opinion poll a few months ago but now you are always my first point of reference.
Good luck for the coming historic year I’m sure it’ll be one we will be proud of.
Happy New Year folks.
I’m really looking forward to 2014, I have a funny feeling that we may just be winning the argument.
New Years resolution “GET IN THERE WITH THE HEAD DOWN”
Happy New Year folks! This is it. 2014 here we come!
Happy New Year from China, folks!
Its going to be a momentous year and there can only be one outcome.
Handbrake off and let’s go!
So this is what 2014 looks like?
Cooooool. 🙂
Just watched Chewing the Fat. Started witha master class from Karen Dunbar and I laughed all the way through it. I enjoyed allthe programmes tonight. The playwas funnt. Auld Lang Syne was excellent and OAE was much better than last year’s. I don’t think the format for bringing in the New Year from various points works very well however but its a worthy idea but I was comfortable with it.
Happy New Year to all
My biggest difficulty in the next few months is going to be remaining polite when I am asked idiotic questions.
Don’t know who is responsible for Only an Excuse and Chewing the Fat but I thought they were both good. Meebee just me 🙂
Happy New Year to one and all. This is a huge big year for Scotland and the World will be watching closely.
A great firework display with the Cross of St Andrew for all the world to see.
DC telling us what to do in his speech will not go down well. The English, Welsh and Irish have no say in this. It is the people of Scotland who will decide on the 18th September.
I haven’t watched Only an Excuse for yonks. Like Hogmanay Live it is way past it sell by date and should be binned along with Jackie Bird.
Oh! how I miss Grampian TV.
Ach Braveheart wussnae that bad onwards tae Sept 2014
Brothers & sisters we can do this !!!
Time to win, people. Time to win.
Happy New Year to everyone.
BIG year. Now or never. Let’s go for it.
A happy new year to all you good people.
This has always been my date, the gloves are off. I’ve already lost friends on Facebook. Lol [sic].
Our future has arrived. Let us grasp it.
@ Morag and everyone sitting in the house by themselves. Next year organise your party in advance 😉
Take care everyone. Only two more practice runs at hogmanay/new year before it will be real.
THIS IS OUR YEAR. WE ARE GOING TO WIN THIS. SCOTLAND WILL NOT PUSSY OUT. WHY AM I SHOUTING?
Have a good 2014. It’s now time for drunken oblivion.
ALL oor wee purses – after gubbin’ Westminster,
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/69904000/jpg/_69904497__67934284_013459378-1-1.jpg
Let’s just dae it!
Happy New Year, all. This is the most important year of my life, not only because of the referendum, but because it marks the time where I finally put it all on the line and become a professional artist. It isn’t quite the all-or-nothing game the referendum is, but it feels like The Time, you know?
@craig: There is not a single former colony where the British establisment has not used black art operations to prevent Independence and to subvert it after.
Of course: what else can you call the 40% rule but black art operations intended to prevent anything that could lead to independence? What else can you call the complete rejection of the Scottish Covenant? What else can you call the truth behind the McCrone report, the classified Devolution papers, the obstruction of West Coast Oil exploration? Despite all the nonsense about devolution “killing nationalism,” they know fine well that the more powers a population has, the more they’ll question why they don’t have all of them.
‘Spare a thought for our No friends tonight, folks. They haven’t the faintest clue how exciting this feels.’
I would feel sad, then I remembered that they’re essentially campaigning against the only feasible alternative to austerity, food banks, anti-immigration, anti-EU, capitalist, neo-liberal perpetuity. In a No vote, all of us are going to suffer – that’s what Westminster has made clear, with its promises to alter Barnett and increasing demands to remove Holyrood altogether, more cuts across the board, more wasting of precious resources on nuclear death machines. Do you think a No vote will result in leniency from Westminster? That this show of loyalty to the British State will result in more devolution, powers, freedom, when all we’ve seen from the last 30 years is nothing but cuts and derision and scorn? Ask the hostage if he believes petitioning to stay with his kidnapper rather than escape will protect him from being shot.
But a Yes vote? A Yes vote means that even if we do suffer, at least it won’t be in the name of Trident, HS2, Austerity, privatisation, inequality, and all the other hideous iniquities which result from a chancellor who thinks money gained after brutal cuts constitutes a “recovery.” At least we won’t be wasting our money on a weapon which can only ever be used in spiteful, petty, worthless retaliation. At least we won’t be pouring our blood & oil revenue into the anti-democratic House of Lords and Westminster Elite. A struggle for a worthy cause is worth it: a struggle for the benefit of the scum at the top of society is not. And a Yes vote means that we are in a position to change that – and despite voting otherwise, those who voted No will be welcome to share our struggle for a better country, should they wish to remain.
But know this: that we – that is all the people of Scotland, including No voters – will prevail. We won’t win because of a “natural” Yes vote, or because we’re going to wait for No to make that final colossal mistake which will leave the BT campaign in tatters. We’ll win because we have more people who believe, more people who work harder, more people who are willing to put everything on the line to make sure this happens. It won’t be an easy fight, but the difference is our struggle is worth it. The No campaign’s struggle is to retain the twisted, corrupt, hateful Westminster system in the hopes that they can change it, even if it means continuing the suffering and deaths of the disabled, the elderly, the frail, and the young.
Our struggle is to ensure that the struggle is ours to make. Put it this way: you learn your father died. He was a hard working man, good, kind, generous, and we were sad to see him go. He worked incredibly hard at his job, and it was hard-going at times, but he kept working, because he needed to provide for his children. In one lifetime, he works for a good boss: imperfect, and one who made mistakes himself, but it was the boss he chose to work for, and the boss shared in the ups and downs of the job. In another, he works for an abusive boss who does none of the work, who he didn’t choose to work for, who pays him a pittance, and overworks him.
Which job, which existence, do you think makes the struggle worthwhile?
Yeah, I should have been more assertive. Insisted that a neighbour first-foot me. Gone to Susan’s house. But I’ve been busy. You have no idea how much effort it takes to publish a book by 21st December, starting with a blank sheet of paper on 30th March.
And I’m still a bit shaky from Lockerbie on the 21st. Ended up crying my eyes out in church, not just for all these senseless deaths, but for the senselessness of what happened after that, which could have been averted by anyone with even half a brain who was paying attention.
I can’t see forward. Yes is a no-brainer. We seem to have managed to figure it out in 2011. Can we do the same this year? We’re so close, after all these years of effort and believing in spite of everything. Surely we can’t crash and burn now?
@ Les Wilson.
I agree wholeheartedly. The people I fell out with on facebook? Same battle. To hell with this respect crap. I ain’t feeling no love baby. All we need is the truth. That will win it.
All the above – but fuck the BBC !!!!!
Happy new year everyone and it will be.
And by the way, I think I worship Taranaich.
Happy New Year everone. Weren’t the Stirling saltire fireworks superb! Glad you stayed up for it Stu.
This is our year!
@ Morag
Stay cool babe. We’re winning.
@ Taranaich
Mind if I quote you? All of it basically.
Morag – Now you’ve shed a tear for what’s gone by, time to look forward – we will do this.
Besides, there was someone on Jools Holland who said we are, unusually for new year, under a black moon and if you make a wish under a black moon it’s sure to come true. No idea who he was but not to pass up any opportunities, I braved the cold, stepped into the garden and wished for Independence.
Maybe see you on a balmier evening in The Albanach or wherever the Edinburgh WoS night will be on 4th April.:-)
I liked only an excuse,think it had a go at both sides.Loved the Holyrood chamber bit with FM questions.
Happy New Year to you, Rev Stu, and everyone campaigning for Independence who is able to fly higher and further with the help of Wings. The time between now and September is going to fly, too.
It’s coming yet.
This is the year ‘Scotland’ gets a proper stonner.
Wishing all at Wings a Happy New Nation!
New Year’s resolution: Get off the internet and spread more indy-love in the real world.
We can do this.
4am ish here and just opened a bottle of 18 Y O Scapa.
recorked and laid to rest until a certain date in September.
Nightol
B t P
Ian Smart drops yet another little race-themed turd for his friends, family and admirers to sniff and delight themselves with:
“I see the genius Jenkins has announced a new group called Polish for Yes. Presumably you can Pledge your support.”
Evidently there’s a pattern here.
Happy new year everyone.
@ orpheuslyre
Foreigners for Scottish Independence – there are millions around the globe that think Scotland should become a country again.
Mr Smart is in a small minority that thinks we Scots should wait for Labour in 2015 to solve the worlds problems. NOTE – his brother has a better handle on real life.
Am I the only one sober at 0400 ?
Happy New Year everyone – Vote Yes
How many times have I said that tonight!
I think there’s a better nation rustling in the corner…
🙂
Happy new year to everyone on Wings over Scotland and may our dearest wish come to fruition on on 18 September.
Rev Stuart, my thanks for all you have done to keep us informed and for the ammunition you have provided us footsoldiers with.
Ronnie Anderson, to you my sincere and special thanks for the inspiration you provide by battling on against extreme difficulties and making me smile so often.
Lang may all our lums reek!
YES. 2014.
Oh! Ma heid!
Thought Only An Excuse was good last night. Had digs at all sides – which is what satire should do. If we can’t laugh at ourselves, as well as “them”, it’ll be a sad wee indy country that we’ll restore in September!
I would like to wish all my friends a Glorious 2014 – the year of Yes
Rev Stu and all at Wings are making a great contribution to the securing of a Yes vote.
What Boorach says
goes for me as well,
o/t
Camerons off the mark with a new year message to Scotland about what a huge mistake it would be to vote for independence,
is this not the man who said he’s keeping out of the debate?
put up or shut up Dave, oh and may I wish on you all you would wish on Scotland in the new year.
Happy new year folks.
This is it!
Stu, what you are doing on our behalf deserves our total support. You can rest assured that I will be increasing my monthly contribution to Wings. I trust that others will also consider how they can increase their support.
Oldnat
Do you not remember when this program was technically a satire show based on Football? Not imposed gutter politics with no chance of redress. I am not sure you were watching the same program as me. But they covered most points that BT say, and generally insulted Scots throughout. Nothing at all to do with the origins of the show, a classic BBC propaganda agenda riddled through it. Again, I do not know how you feel or how others feel, but I certainly do not like seeing My BBC licence fee squandered in actually insulting, well, us !
Any MSM outlet with which you do not agree, do not watch or buy. Boycott. Simple Don’t get angry just get even.
There are plenty of alternative Media outlets.
If unelected Cameron thinks killing off the UK citizens and destroying the economy, is a good way to run a country, The sooner he is sent a strong message the better,
Ian Smart is a racist. A caution should be enforced to restrain the unacceptable language.
Ian Smart the supposed voice of ‘International Socialism’ – racial abuse.
Happy New Year everyone.
Welcome to the most historic year in any of our lifetimes. Let’s make sure it’s the best year (so far) in our lifetimes.
A Happy New Year to one and all.
And may we all look forward to an Independent Scotland, free to move forward towards a future where we decide the outcome, not Westminster.
Happy New Year Rev and to all wings contributors.
We have finally arrived at 2014. This is where the hard work really starts.
The shear enthusiasm for a YES victory will give us the strength to get the message out there. Those undecided voters should be told of all the benefits of Independence.
So whether it is by more leafleting, wearing badges, word of mouth, car stickers, flying flags or what ever way that you can think of, we must get that message out.
It has been proven that once undecided voters get the proper information, then they do come over to YES.
So the gloves are off. It’s time to start spreading the word.
This is the biggest decision Scotland has ever had to make, and I will do all I can to make sure that she becomes an independent nation on 18th Sept 2014.
And by coincidence, just got emailed that we are YES leafleting on Saturday morning.
Can’t wait to get out there.
Och, settle down, folks. Just caught up with OAE and the only offensive thing about it was how rank the impressions of the FM and Lamont were.
Well, that was the quietest hogmany in the history of our village.
A few squibs went up at midnight then most of the lights went out.
The calm before the September super-storm I’m hoping.
Let this be the year folks!!
Happy New Year folks. It’s 2014, let’s create some history.
Just watched Only An Excuse… what a load of guff!
Honestly, I am glad I don’t pay for that rubbish… if thats what the BBC passes off as satire nowadays! OAE should stick to football, their attempt to satire Scottish politics was pathetic and straight out of the unionist smear book.
Anyway happy new year everyone and stop paying the TV licence.
Happy New Year tae ane an aw.
And it’s up to us to ensure that 2014 is happiest year Scotland has ever had!
REV OAE was always a football satire show, not a BBC propaganda platform, which it was last night. So sorry in this case I have to disagree, it was blatant and ugly. obviously I was not the only one to find it so. However, upwards and onwards, it would just be nice to have a level playing field, that is what Democracy SHOULD be about.
Anyway happy new year everyone and stop paying the TV licence.
ok, im on board with that
Ooph, G4. Zoom, wheee!
A happy and productive year to all.
LOL
I have to say that the impression of Salmond was odd, it didn’t look like him or sound like him. It wasn’t all that harsh though and OAE normally do harsh. However, I think it is the No camp that should be spitting tacks. That impression of Lamont….Dear God! Ouch!
🙂
Happy New Year to everyone, I’m so excited – 2014 best year ever you can feel it.
Well this stirs the blood a bit !
Happy New Year All!
Time for us all to pound the streets as well as the keyboard – serious business in hand.
Some of the lovely Bjork with some good advice (thanks to National Collective for alerting me to this fine song):
“declare independence
don’t let them do that to you
– justice –
start your own currency
make your own stamp
protect your language”
Happy New Year!
In the coming months we need to work hard, stay positive, and keep our eyes on the prize. I’m confident we will.
This time next year, we will be on the road to independence!
Happy New Year Stu and everyone on this site. I’m not alone in thinking that Wings is our greatest resource in the media battle. I’m particularly proud that everyone on here works to maintain objectivity, decency and the positive vision of Scotland. This is why we’ll win.
A Happy New Year to you Rev and all contributors wherever you are or your views one way or another!
O/T how do you put up a picture (avatar?) with your name?
Loved this one from the Scottish Scaremonger books page:
‘SNP accused!!!’ by E. Barnes – a journalist’s guide to impartial Scottish political reporting
Happy New Year everyone (except, obviously, Blair McDougall, Alistair Darling, Johann Lamont, Iain Davidson, etc., etc.)!
@Craig Evans
“O/T how do you put up a picture (avatar?) with your name?”
Double click on the wee space invader to the side of your post and create a Gravataar account
Having been quite depressed STV and BBBC – found myself wishing for a repeat of Andy Stewart – a frisson of excitement has just run up my spine while reading the Rev and all the comments.
Yippee!
@Craig Evans
Double click doesn’t seem to be working so follow THIS LINK
Standing making lunch for my family. Just watching a big tanker passing my window moving north through the Minch towards Sullom Voe to fill up with our precious oil, knowing that not much of the money will be coming back to Scotland.
So, not too wee, certainly not too poor and I hope not too stupid on Sept 18th.
stu, I had to cancel the current standing order but have set up a SO for twice last years amount first payment should be made 6th Jan instead of normal second of the month. I just didn’t have the brains or skills to simply amend the original SO – or maybe it was just the banks process wasn’t easy to follow. I know you will keep up the fantastic work during 2014. Many, many thanks.
Happy New Year everyone. Rev, many thanks for your hard work!
Shtirring Shtuff, Taranaich! Best wishes in your artistic career
Happy New Year from Aberdeen Rev! Just finished very Scottish Xmas and New Year up here and its very much 40% YES, 30% NO, 30% Don’t know. It gets heated with NO stuff like “but I don’t want border control, who’ll protect the oil rigs, how can you split families” etc NO vote says “we are out of the EU and NATO” and a YES vote says “What?! Scotland is the North Atlantic.” Fun
Keep it coming!
As usual I’m late to the party. 😆
Hope every one had a great time last night.
Wishing Stu and all the regulars of Wings a great and extremely fruitful new year. I hope all you hopes and dreams come true, especially that ONE dream we all have that has something to do with some sort of referendum thingy on 18th September this year! :P:
bliadhna mhath ur dhuibh uile
(happy new year to everyone)
SAOPR ALBA! :P:
A guid New Year tae a’body …… 2014 THIS IS IT !!!!
Nine months to the rebirth of this ancient nation.
Lets make it work people.
Happy new year guys from (very) wet and windy Stranraer, where the Drams are visiting the old drams.
Morag, just reached chap 7 and have enjoyed your analysis – quite an eye opener. Well done and I raise a glass to you.
@Morag: And by the way, I think I worship Taranaich.
Well, he is the god of Thunder. 😛
@Bubbles: Mind if I quote you? All of it basically.
Don’t mind at all, go for it!
@Caroline: Shtirring Shtuff, Taranaich! Best wishes in your artistic career
Thanksh very much!