The Flag in the Wind
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CAMPAIGNING FOR SCOTLAND
(Owned, Edited and Printed in Scotland since November 1926)
Compiled by Jim Lynch
[5 January 2001]

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Being a reasonably sociable person, I wish all of our readers a Happy New Year. I know our big brother, the Scots Independent, adds the words "Regardless of their political persuasion," but I would wish our political opponents a personally happy, but politically unhappy New Year!

FALKIRK POSTSCRIPT

Now that New Labour have scraped home by 705 votes they may feel very relieved to have succeeded in slipping the By Election through very quietly before Christmas, but we wait to see if they put their money where their mouth is. At the start of the campaign there was word of a Falkirk FC candidate, as happened at the previous Hamilton South By Election. Following a series of secret meetings between the Labour Party and the supporters club, the supporters agreed not to field a candidate; they were give the assurance that the timetable for considering the structure plan document would be reduced from 40 weeks to 10 weeks by the Labour controlled Scottish Executive.

The meetings all took place at the premises of a company called Amicable Marquees.

HONOURS ON GRAVESTONES

We have in our possession, a copy of Peterhead Branch SNP newsletter of July 1967, which states , "Despite the fact that the football critics of the world went into ecstasies over Celtic, Jock Stein didn’t even get an OBE, far less a knighthood. What a pity, with Celtic being the first British team to even reach the final. Well, Jock, it’s your own fault, you should be manager of Manchester United".

And the following year, when Manchester United won the European Cup, being the second British team to do so, Matt Busby was knighted; eventually in 1970, Stein was made a CBE. The story has relevance, because the reasons for not granting the honour should have been revealed after 30 years, but apparently they have been now buried forever.

In the last two weeks, two other famous Scots have died; Sir Jimmy Shand (Of whom more later) and Sir John Brown, designer and builder of the Queen Mary, the Queen Elizabeth and the Royal Yacht, Britannia. Sir Jimmy Shand was knighted in 1998 at the age of 91, and Sir John Brown in the year 2000 at the age of 99; it looks as if the establishment are giving honours to be entered on gravestones, and maybe Jock Stein just didn’t live long enough.

Questions are also being asked as to why no knighthood for Britain’s most successful racing driver ever, Jackie Stewart? Whisper, he is a trustee of the Scottish International Educational Trust, set up by Sir Sean Connery to provide grants for talented young Scots, so what chance does he have?

TRIBUTE TO SIR JIMMY SHAND MBE

28 January 1908 - 23 December 2000

The Yule period was darkened for many Scots, world-wide, with the death of the internationally renowned accordianist and Scottish Country Dance Band Leader Jimmy Shand.

From humble beginnings in the Fife mining village of East Wemyss this quiet unassuming family man scaled the heights to become an international recording star. For all his fame Jimmy never forgot his roots and was as happy playing in a wee village hall as at the grandest of Highland Balls !

A composer of over 300 tunes, through his regular wireless and then television broadcasts, Jimmy Shand became a household name. Home or abroad, Jimmy Shand enhanced the standing of Scottish music and he successfully toured North America, Australia and New Zealand.

Although he retired for health reasons in 1972, Jimmy continued to play for charities and to record. At the age of 88 he again became a best-seller with a video recorded with his son, Jimmy Jnr, "Dancing With The Shands".

Both as a musician and as a man, Jimmy Shand was held in the highest esteem. Awarded an MBE in 1962 he was subsequently knighted in 1999. Fife honoured her favourite son, in turn he was made a freeman of Auchtermuchty in 1974, of North East Fife in 1980, and of Fife in 1998.

Jimmy Shand's musical achievements in the 20th Century were on a par with those of the great 18th Century Scottish fiddler Niel Gow, and it is appropriate that both their portraits hang in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

He inspired others to follow in his footsteps such as Phil Cunningham and will be remembered whenever his greatest hit "The Buebell Polka" is played - Jimmy Shand's immense contribution to Scottish music and life will live on.
 
Peter D Wright

A fuller tribute will appear in the February Scots Independent

THE FLAG IN THE RAIN

The Tories are getting upset at the failure by the Government to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Union Flag; on 1st January 1801, the current Union Flag was unfurled for the first time at Dublin Castle. Three years before that, the United Irishmen had rebelled against the Crown , and 30000 Irish died in that conflict; the Irish Parliament was bribed (Bought and sold for English gold) to enter an incorporating Union with Great Britain.

Perhaps the Tories have not noticed that the Irish Free State was formed in 1921, and that while the Cross of St Patrick is still part of the Union Jack it should no longer be there, and one day soon the Cross of St Andrew will vanish from the flag, and leave the English with their own Cross of St George. St George is no longer a saint, having been removed from the Calendar of Saints; he was described by Oliver Brown as "A thieving army contractor from Cappadocia.

FOX POPULI

An inordinate amount of time and effort seems to be going in to the cause of foxes, either to hunt them with dogs and preserve a country way of life, or to abolish this outdated pastime of the landed gentry.

The arguments are raging fast and furious, but at the end of the day, both camps appear to agree that foxes are vermin, and have to be culled to keep the numbers down.

We are sure that the fox, having been humanely shot, will , with its dying breath say "Gee, thanks".

THE PRIVILEGED COMMITTEE

Another little New Labour wheeze; just as Westminster rose for the Christmas recess,, the Privileged Committee issued the report on Dr John Reid’s misdemeanours. According to Dr Reid, he was unanimously cleared by the Committee of paying public money to people working for the Labour Party during the Scottish Elections in 1999. The Committee said that because of the gravity of the accusations "A higher standard of proof was needed". According to one Conservative MP, Peter Bottomley, a member of the Committee "The standards committee were capable of totally clearing Reid. But that is not what we did. The case against him was just not proven".

Apparently, it is a convention of the House, that all this committee’s decisions must be unanimous, and there was a lot of horse trading and manipulations of words before the decision was reached; the Committee has a majority of Labour MPs and they stuck by their pal. Some of them were critical of Ms Elizabeth Filkin, the Parliamentary watchdog, who found Dr Reid guilty of a serious breach, but the complaint was that she was too thorough, as if she was investigating a crime, which she was.

There has been so much charge and counter charge in the Press, with allegations of impropiety, that if the two MPs were innocent they should take the Press to court for libel. We will not hold our collective breath.

FOOT IN THE MOUTH NOTES

On the subject of holding one’s breath, we must take issue with the correspondent in dispute with Douglas Alexander, wee brother of Wendy, Section 28 Madam; apropos whatever Mr Alexander was wishing for , he urged him "Not to hold your breath".

We would doubt if Mr Alexander could either hold his breath or his tongue.

Martin Bell, the Man in the White Suit, is considering standing against the Tories in Brentwood and Ongar; apparently the Conservative Constituency Association has been taken over by the Peniel Pentecostal Church, under the leadership of Bishop Michael Reid, amid claims of faith healing, miracles, and raising people from the dead.

We understand Mr Bell’s concern; what if they introduce them to William Hague?

Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott has accused rail firms which are raising fares at present of indifference to passengers and "A lack of judgement".

Mr Prescott knows what he is talking about.

The Government has set up over 200 Task Forces since coming to power in 1997; most of these have not even produced any reports.

One which did produce a report; the Hunting with Dogs Review Group, said "foxes’ welfare was seriously compromised by hunting".

Villagers in Clachan, Argyll, are outraged that a council gritter passed through the village without gritting, cleared and gritted the road and drive leading to Lord Irvine’s holiday home, then left, leaving his neighbours still snowed in.

Although Lord Irvine admitted phoning the Council, a Council spokesman said that the arrival of the gritter was sheer coincidence.

A Russian millionnaire tycoon, Dennis Tito, is paying the Russian Space Agency $20 million to take a trip on the Soyuz rocket going to the new international space station.

Sir Richard Branson has been happy enough with balloons that fall to earth, but it’s a tempting thought; the People’s Single Ticket.

 DATES IN HISTORY

6 January 1540
First performance of Sir David Lyndsay's play 'Ane Satyre o the Thrie Estaites' in Linlithgow

7 January 1451
Glasgow University founded by a bull of Pope Nicolas V, at the suit of James II and Bishop Wiliam Turnbull.

8 January 1746
The Burgh of Stirling surrendered to Jacobite Army but the Castle remained in Hanoverian hands.

THE REBELS CEILIDH SONG BOOK

'S ANN AN ILE BHOIDHICH
(Seist: Traditional: Port a Beul)

'S ann an Ile, 'n Ile, 'n Ile,
'S ann an Ile rugadh mi.
'S ann an Ile, 'n Ile, 'n Ile,
'S ann an Ile Bhoidhich

'S ann an Ile Ghuirm an Fheoir
A rugadh mi 's a thogadh mi,
'S ann an Ile Ghuirm an Fheoir
A rugadh mi 's a bha mi.

'S ann an Ile Bhoidhich
A rugadh mi 's a thogadh mi,
'S ann an Ile Bhoidhich
A rugadh mi 's a bha mi.

'Nuair a bha mi ann an Ile
Bha Caitriona cuide rium.
'Nuair a bha mi ann an Ile,
Bha Caitriona comh' rium.

Am measg nam bruachan, boidheach, buidhe,
Bha Caitriona cuide rium,
Am measg nam bruachan, boideach, buidhe,
Bha Caitriona comh' rium

See the Songbook in our features section

A KIST O FERLIES
A Keek at the Guid Scots Tung
By Peter D Wright
(Note: All words underlined in this section are RealAudio links)

• acquant: acquaint
• contrair: contrary ; diametrically opposed
• hurl: to bowl along ; to wheel ; a vehicle ride
• hurl-barra: a wheelbarrow
• saum: a psalm
   
  It taks a lang spune ti sup wi a Fifer: If you associate with a Fifer be on your guard, they are a smart bunch.
   
  "The Lord's my herd, I sall nocht want
  Whaur green the gresses grewe
     sall be my fauld. He caas me aye
  whaur fresh sweet burniesrowe.
   
     He gars my saul be blyth aince mair
  that wandert was frae hame,
  and leads me on the straucht smaa gait
  for sake o His ain name."
   
  frae "The Twenty-Third Psalm o King Dauvid"  - Douglas Young

See Scots Language in our Features Section

THE MONTHLY PRIZE CROSSWORD

Each month the Scots Independent Newspaper offers a prize crossword and we're now offering this online in the Flag in the Wind as well.   Should you complete the crossword by the deadline you can fax it over to the SI and the first correct one opened on the closing date will win a £10.00 book token.

SI Prize Crossword No. 13
[Clicking on the picture will bring up a life size version which you can copy to your desktop or print out]