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CAMPAIGNING FOR SCOTLAND
(Owned, Edited and Printed in Scotland since November
1926)
"Promoting all that is best in Scottish
Nationalism and all that is best in Scotland."
[Issue 164 -
25th July 2003]
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Compiled by Richard Thomson |
Lots of great information to
read and enjoy under our
Features Section:
Scots
Language | Scottish Food |
Dates in History |
Scot Wit and lots more!
DEATH OF A SCIENTIST
Just as
we were going to press last week, news broke that the body of missing UK
Government scientist Dr David Kelly had been found. He was found to have
bled to death as a result of a cut to his wrist, with a packet of
prescription painkillers having been found nearby. Police at this stage are
not believed to be looking for anyone else in connection with Dr Kelly’s
death.
Dr Kelly was the UK’s expert on biological
weapons and a key figure in the UN inspection program in Iraq. Unusually for
a civil servant, he hit the headlines as being the suspected mole who told
BBC reporter Andrew Gilligan that the Government had ‘sexed up’ its dossier
against Iraq, by inserting a claim that Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)
could be launched within 45 minutes. The BBC later confirmed that he was
their primary source, only after his death.
Whistleblower
The Government’s ferocious onslaught against the
BBC in recent weeks stems from the allegation, written by Gilligan in the
Daily Mail, that a source we now know to be Dr Kelly had accused Tony
Blair’s press secretary Alastair Campbell of inserting the 45 minute claim
into the September Dossier, despite knowing it to be false.
There could hardly be a more serious charge
against the integrity of the UK Government. Although Dr Kelly denied saying
any such thing to the BBC when he appeared before the Commons Foreign
Affairs committee, the BBC claims to have contemporaneous notes and a
recording of a conversation with Dr Kelly which suggests otherwise.
An inquiry has been launched into the
circumstances surrounding the death of Dr Kelly, to be conducted by senior
Judge Lord Hutton. Hutton is expected to look specifically at how Dr Kelly's
name was made public, and what he actually said to BBC journalists when he
met them to discuss Iraq's WMD program. However, the inquiry needs to be
able to find answers to the following questions:
-
What pressure was exerted on Dr Kelly by the government
to identify himself as a possible source for the BBC’s stories? Was he at
any time threatened with disciplinary action and/withdrawal of pension
rights/prosecution under the Official Secrets Act?
-
Why was Dr Kelly called to appear before the Commons
Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) and who decided that the MoD should
confirm Dr Kelly’s identity as the source if the media suggested his
involvement?
-
Why was Andrew Gilligan questioned in private the
second time he appeared before the FAC?
-
What was Alastair Campbell’s role in chairing meetings
of the Cabinet Joint Intelligence Committee which approved the September
and February dossiers?
-
If his role was to take care of the presentation of a
dossier to convince a sceptical public, what amendments from the original
draft were made at his instigation?
-
If not Campbell, then who decided to give such ‘undue
prominence’ to the 45 minute claim, excoriated by Kelly and in recent days
by chief UN weapons inspector Dr Blix?
Inquiry
Of
course, a full judicial inquiry into the run up to the war is needed, which
is undoubtedly why Tony Blair has decided to restrict the scope of Hutton’s
inquiry. However, depending on the outcome of Hutton’s inquiry, it is
possible that the pressure for such an inquest could become irresistible.
For Margaret Thatcher, it was the Westland
affair. For John Major, it was ‘Black Wednesday’ which marked the beginning
of the end of his credibility and premiership. It is too early to say if the
Kelly affair will see Blair removed from office. However, it seems likely
that this affair will see the eventual resignation of one, if not two of his
most trusted lieutenants in Geoff ‘buff’ Hoon and Alastair Campbell.
It promises to be a long, hot summer for Tony
Blair and his government. Has anyone seen Gordon Brown recently?
SPINNING OUT OF CONTROL?
Since
the tragic death of Dr David Kelly, it’s been tempting to draw the
conclusion that something has gone badly wrong with our political culture.
However, leaving aside the suspicion that Downing Street manufactured a row
with the BBC to divert attention from failure to find WMD, its worth taking
time to reflect on how our government has tried to manipulate public opinion
in the aftermath of the tragic events of September 11.
The spin started when the ‘War on Terrorism’ was
termed as such. The phrase was chosen to polarise opinion, with opposition
to this war marking you as being at best misguided, at worst traitorous.
After all, whether it was military action abroad or reductions in civil
liberties at home how could any right-minded person possibly be opposed any
action carried out in the name of a war on terrorism?
After Afghanistan, attention turned to the
so-called ‘axis of evil’ and the odious rulers of Iraq. To pave the way for
invasion, we were told that despite their clashing ideologies, Iraq had
links with the terrorists of al-Qaeda. However, this didn’t fly with a
sceptical public and in any case, wasn’t enough to provide a legal basis for
military action.
Dodgy Dossier
WMD
were then seized on, with the British Government claiming in a September
2002 dossier that the Iraqis could launch such weapons within 45 minutes. A
further dossier was published in February to sway opinion. Unfortunately, it
didn’t take long to establish that much of this had been copied from a 10
year old PhD thesis, spelling mistakes and all, becoming known thereafter as
the ‘dodgy dossier’.
Undeterred, the government ordered members of the
Household Cavalry to begin patrolling Heathrow Airport. Instantly, the dodgy
dossier disappeared from the front pages to be replaced by pictures of gun
toting soldiers atop armoured vehicles. Suddenly, people began to wonder
just how serious this threat could be. After all, the threat had to be real
if there were soldiers at the airport, didn’t it?
When
it became clear that the UN Security Council would not back action against
Iraq, the US and UK began briefing against the weapons inspections, which
had been a ‘failure’. In the UK, the politically appointed Attorney General
gave a helpful legal opinion that war in Iraq was justified by earlier UN
resolutions. He could do this knowing that if he hadn’t, the Prime Minister
could easily replace him with another political appointee who would give the
opinion he needed.
Weapons of
Mass Distraction?
The war saw a suspension of media hostilities, as
politicians largely sank their differences, terrified of being seen to be in
any way against ‘our boys’. However, even after the war, the spin continued.
As time passed without any weapons of mass destruction being found, Labour
camp followers began telling us that the removal of Saddam’s regime was
justification enough for the invasion. Perhaps true, but a significant
departure on the earlier case advanced for war.
Blair
dissembled shamelessly. His confident assertion of ‘We will find weapons of
mass destruction’ soon became ‘we will find evidence of weapons of mass
destruction’. This in turn reduced to ‘we will find evidence of programmes
for weapons of mass destruction’, which last week before the US Congress
became ‘history will forgive us if we are wrong about Iraq having weapons of
mass destruction’.
It’s hard not to draw the conclusion that, in
Britain at least, there has been a concerted effort by government to scare
the public into support for military action. The British political culture
may have gone badly wrong, but the history of the war shows that it happened
long before Dr Kelly was thrust so tragically into the public eye.
GOODNIGHT SCOTLAND?
One
of the powers reserved to the grown-up Parliament in London is, of course,
broadcasting. This is largely because there was, and still is, a paranoia in
Westminster that too much of a Scottish focus on broadcasting would play
into the hands of the SNP.
This is why the proposal for a BBC news program
at 6pm covering
national and international news from a Scottish perspective
came a cropper. What we got instead was an opt-out from the in-depth
Newsnight – a compromise which annoyed Unionists and Nationalists alike,
with few seeing the need to alter the format of one of the best news
programmes on British television.
Newsnight Scotland went on air in October 1999.
Almost inevitably, there were cries of parochialism from opponents, most of
whom had also opposed a Scottish Six. However, after some teething troubles,
the programme bedded down to build some respectable viewing figures.
‘Newsnicht’, as the wags soon had it, replaced
the final item on the UK programme with a run down of the Scottish headlines
and carried one or two items in the same format as the networked show.
Meanwhile, a grateful Scottish nation continued to watch news reports at 6pm
on the state of the health service,
schools and crime in a strange place called ‘Englandandwales’, which had no
bearing on their own experiences.
Missing Ministers?
For
all its limitations, it’s hard now to imagine there not being a Scottish
opt-out on Newsnight. However, there seems to be a marked reluctance by
government ministers or spokespeople to appear on the programme. Almost
nightly, presenters have to say with regular monotony that the relevant
minister was unable to appear, or alternatively read out a statement from a
spokesperson before beginning the debate without them. When they do appear,
they never go head to head with their opposition counterparts.
On Wednesday, it was the turn of Scottish
Enterprise to cold shoulder the program. Following a thought-provoking film
on the underperformance of the Scottish Economy, we were told that no one
from Scottish Enterprise was available to appear on the programme. It was
then left to ex-Tory candidate Alan Hogarth of CBI Scotland and Professor
Brian Ashcroft of Lloyds TSB Scotland to debate the economic policy of the
Scottish Executive and its agencies.
It beggars belief that no minister or
spokesperson is available to put the government’s case on such a regular
basis. Far be it from me to suggest that our Executive or our great
Quangocracy are fighting old battles over broadcasting autonomy or are
reluctant to face scrutiny. Nonetheless, it’s hard to imagine ministers in
London treating Newsnight with such disdain. Surely there can’t be a
concerted attempt to try to undermine the credibility of a programme with a
reputation for breaking stories which the Government finds inconvenient?
All of this goes to make the case for more
general TV coverage of Scottish affairs. After the Andrew Gilligan affair,
the BBC Board of Governors owes the Labour party absolutely nothing. While
the Government in London threatens to play hardball over renewal of the BBC
charter, perhaps its time for the BBC to dust down those proposals for a
Scottish Six. The Government wouldn’t dare try and interfere this time
round, would they?
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SCOTTISH
FOOD, TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS
(if you have any suggestions on what you'd like us to include
email peter@scotsindependent.org
Today sees the 207th anniversary (25th July 1796) of the funeral of
Scotland's National Bard, Robert Burns, in the north-east corner of the
cemetery, St Michael's Parish Church Kirkyaird, Dumfries, chosen by the
poet himself. He wrote of his choice - 'When I am laid in my grave I wish
to be stretched to my full length, that I may occupy every inch of ground
I have a right to.'
Upon the evening of Sunday, 24th July 1796, his remains were conveyed from
his house in Mill Vennel to the Town Hall in Dumfries. On the following
day his body was borne in procession, with military honours, and the
Volunteer's Band playing 'Dead March of Saul' as they advanced to St
Michael's Churchyard. The chief persons of the town and neighbourhood took
part in the procession and the streets of Dumfries were lined by the
Fencibles Infantry of Angus-shire and the Cavalry of the Cinque Ports,
then quartered in the town. The funeral arranged by the poet's friend,
John Syme, was attended according to Allan Cunningham by a multitude
amounting to ten to twelve thousand. We can only but agree with Allan
Cunningham when he wrote - "I could, indeed, have wished the military part
of the procession away. The scarlet and gold in the banners displayed -
the measured step, and the military array - with the sounds of martial
music, had no share in increasing the solemnity of the burial scene; and
had no connextion with the poet."
Over the grave a sharp volley of farewell shot cracked out, while at the
house in Mill Vennel, his widow, Jean Armour, lay in labour with her ninth
child, a son whom she named Maxwell, after the doctor whose unfortunate
advice had hastened her husband's death.
There was an immediate talk of raising a subscription for a suitable
monument, but as time dragged on Jean suspected that it naught but talk
and covered the grave, at her own expense, with a plain tombstone,
inscribed simply with the name and age of the poet. In 1813, however, a
public meeting was held in Dumfries, with General Dunlop, son of Burns'
friend and patroness, Mistress Frances Dunlop, in the chair; a
subscription list was opened and contributions flowed in from all
quarters. The present costly doric mausoleum was erected in the most
elevated site of the cemetery, there was not enough room where the poet
lay in the south-east, and there the remains of Robert Burns were solemnly
transferred on 5th June 1815. Buried alongside the poet were his sons,
Maxwell, who died in 1799 (aged 2 years 9 months) and Francis Wallace who
died in 1803 (aged 14). His widow, Jean Armour, who died at Dumfries on
26th March 1834 was interred in the Mausoleum on 1st April 1834.
The Mausoleum still attracts thousands of visitors every year, and if you
are visiting the churchyard, take the opportunity of seeing Burns' chosen
burial spot and visiting the graves of many people associated with our
National Bard. During the tourist season you can also take advantage of
a conducted tour of St Michael's Parish Church carried out by members of
the congregation. A Christian Church has stood on the spot for over 1300
years and amongst the many points of interest inside the present Church is
a brass plaque marking the site of the pew occupied by Robert Burns. His
widow, Jean Armour, continued to occupy the pew regularly for the next
thirty-eight years until her death.
Robert Burns wrote that 'FREEDOM and Whisky gang thegither/ Tak aff your
dram!' and this week's recipe, in honour of our National Bard, has
Scotland's National Drink as one of the tasty ingredients. Our recipe for
Scotch Collops in the pan serves four.
Scotch Collops in the Pan
Ingredients : 45g butter; 2 large onions; 250 g mushrooms, sliced; 4 thick
Scotch fillet steaks (800 g total); 2 tablespoons whisky; 2 teaspoons
plain flour; 1/2 cup chicken stock; salt and pepper
Heat butter in large frying pan; add sliced onions. Cook over medium heat
for 5 minutes; add mushrooms. Stir over medium-heat for five minutes until
lightly golden. Push to one side of pan.
Add steaks to pan. Cook over medium-heat 3 minutes each side. Spread
onions and mushrooms around meat; add whisky, shake pan. Transfer steaks
to serving plate; keep warm.
Add flour to pan; stir over medium-heat for 1 minute. Add stock gradually.
Stir for 2 minutes or until sauce boils and thickens. Season and spoon
over steaks.
See our
Scottish Food, Traditions and Customs in our Features section
DATES IN
HISTORY
25 July 1796
Funeral of Robert Burns in St Michael's Churchyard, Dumfries, while his
wife, Jean, was in labour with their ninth child, a son whom she named
Maxwell, after the poet's friend Dr William Maxwell.
27 July 1689
Battle of Killiecrankie in which Williamite forces, under the Whig
General Mackay, were routed by Jacobites led by John Graham of
Claverhouse, Viscount Dundee, who was mortally wounded during the
battle.
29 July 1030
St Olaf, King of Norway, was killed in battle. Several churches in
Shetland and Orkney were dedicated to him.
MEN OF BUTE
Men of Bute Commemorative Ceremony held on
Saturday 19 July 2003 at Bute Cross, Falkirk Old Parish Church,
Falkirk in memory of Sir Willam Wallace, Sir John Stewart, and the men
from Bute who fought and died at the Battle of Falkirk on 22nd July
1298.
Address by Peter D Wright. Chairman, Scots
Independent & Organiser, Alexander III Commemoration Committee
Mister Chairman, Friends and Fellow Scots
It is an honour and pleasure to accept
your very kind invitation to address the Men of Bute Commemoration
ceremony . As someone who organises a historical commemoration in Fife
every year to remember the 'Golden Age' of Scottish history, the reign
of Alexander III, of which more anon, I know full well the amount of
work that goes in to holding such events. My congratulations to Marion
McMillan for all her hard work in organising today's event. Thank
goodness such events are now held all over Scotland, they tell our
people the story of our history, something that our Unionist-run
education service fails to do.
We meet today to honour the memories of
Sir William Wallace, Sir John Stewart and the Men of Bute who fought
and died at the Battle of Falkirk on 22 July 1298 - 705 years ago.
Only a man of Wallace's stature and
determination could have rallied the Scots, including the Men of Bute,
to take Scotland's side and face up to the mightiest army in Europe
led by one of the most ruthless men in Europe - Edward I, King of
England.
William Wallace 'the ae-man fortress,
fully manned' as the poet Tom Scott so well described him, must have
been an impressive sight and a natural born leader. He is without
doubt our greatest warrior HERO. But he was more than just a fighting
man, he was a statesman. Remember as Guardian of Scotland, one of his
first acts was to write to the Hanseatic League, the Common Market of
its day, informing them that Scotland was free again of English
domination and able to resume trade.
As
a wee, bittie boyackie, I well remember the first time that I saw the
Sir William Wallace statue in my home town of Aberdeen. The finest
statue of Wallace anywhere in the world. I was taken by my Grandfather
and told the story of Sir William Wallace. Like our National Bard,
Robert Burns, I felt a Scottish prejudice flowing through my veins,
which will continue until the day I die.
Many years later, I was to learn that the
model for the Aberdeen Wallace statue was the Great-Uncle of a friend.
Uncle Willie was six feet six - like Wallace, himself, an impressive
sight. Uncle Willie worked, for his sins, for the British Secret
Service. I don't know how effective he was as a spy, today's secret
service certainly don't seem to be very effective! But Uncle Willie
used to spy incognito on the Continent dressed in his kilt - no one
would suspect a kenspeckil figure, six foot six, bearded and kilted of
being a spy - would they?
However I want to take you back to
the event which set in motion the course of history which led to
Stirling Brig, Falkirk, Bannockburn, The Declaration of Arbroath, the
Treaties of Edinburgh and Northampton and the continuing long Wars of
Independence. I want to take you back 717 years.
On 18 March 1286, Alexander III, King of
Scots, known as The Peaceable ,
chaired a meeting of his Council in Maiden Castle, Edinburgh Castle as
we know it today, discussing the problem which has bedivilled Scottish
history - how to deal with a larger, richer, stronger neighbour to the
south - in one word ENGLAND - which had territorial ambitions to
control all her neighbours. Under Edward I, Langshanks, who was to be
become the 'Hammer of the Scots', this was very much the case as
France, Ireland , Wales and our own beloved Scotland would learn to
their cost.
The meeting dragged on but no resolution
to the particular problem emerged. Eventually the King and his nobles
wined and dined and Alexander, in spite of the pleas of his nobles to
stay in Edinburgh because of the stormy weather, set off to return to
Fife. He was determined to rejoin his wife of six months, Yolande (Jolete
of Dreux) at Kinghorn Tower. Was the King driven by sex? Was Alexander
driven by the need for a male heir - for his two sons and daughter
were dead - and the heir to the Scottish throne was a wee quean in
Norway - The Maid of Norway. Alexander III knew full well that
Scotland needed a strong King to follow in his footsteps - well
capable of standing up to men like his brother-in-law, the King of
England.
Alexander III with a few companions rode
to Queensferry where the Ferryman pleaded with him not to cross the
Forth. But cross the gurlie waters he did, in an eight-oared boat, and
crossed safely to Inverkeithing. At Inverkeithing in the black, stormy
night the Saltmaster only recognised the King by his voice. The
Saltmaster implored him to go no further and stay the night but
Alexander insisted that he only needed two guides and determined to
ride on into the pit mirk nicht. In the darkness the King was
separated from his companions as they almost reached their
destination.......
That day the prophet Thomas of Erchildoun,
Thomas the Rhymer, was at Dunbar Castle and told Earl Patrick and his
company -
"Alas for the morrow, a day of misery
and calamity! Before the hour of noon there will assuredly be felt
such a storm in Scotland that its like has not been known for long
years past. The blast of it will cause nations to tremble, will make
those who hear it dumb, and will humble the high, and lay the strong
level with the ground."
On the morrow the stormy weather had given
way to a beautiful Spring day and as noon approached Earl Patrick and
his household, having watched the sky for the prophesied storm,
dismissed Thomas the Rhymer's warning, and went in for dinner. They
had barely sat down as the clock pointed to noon when a messenger
knocked on the Castle Yett demanding entrance to see the Earl
immediately. He was admitted and gave his urgent news -
"News he said " I have indeed and evil
news, which the whole realm of Scotland will mourn; for alas! its
noble King ended his life yesternight at Kinghorn; and this I am come
to tell you."
The Earl Patrick rose and smote his
breast, acknowledging that indeed Thomas was all too true a great
prophet. Indeed as the messenger said all Scotland would mourn the
loss of Alexander III, a most beloved monarch. His death marked the
end of the direct line of Scottish Kings descended from Kenneth
MacAlpin. His death also marked a turning point in Scottish History
and his reign was to be seen by future generations, poets
and historians as 'The Golden Age'.
Indeed the historian James Halliday has
said that the last luck Scotland enjoyed was the reign of Alexander
III. The next piece of luck we enjoyed was the discovery of oil in the
North Sea and a fat lot of good that has done the Nation of Scotland
as the revenues are swallowed up by the greedy maws of the English
Exchequer.
In 1286, Scotland after many years of
peace and prosperity, the customs of Berwick alone amounted to a
quarter of the whole of England, and responsible and good kings, such
as Alexander and his father Alexander II, was cast like a rudderless
ship on a stormy sea.
You all know what happened, the Maid of
Norway died, and the Scots asked Langshanks to adjudicate on the next
King of Scots. He chose John Balliol. Now I suspect that Balliol was
not totally 'The Toom Tabard' of history, after all winners write
history and he lost. He did secure The Auld Alliance with France and
angered Edward I into invasion. Also remember that William Wallace
fought the battle for Scottish Freedom in the name of Balliol.
But invade Edward did - Berwick was sacked
and put to the sword, the Scottish army was defeated at Dunbar,
Balliol was deposed and English garrisons installed all over our
Nation.
But thank goodness men of the mettle and
quality of William Wallace and Andrew de Moray arose to throw off the
English yoke. Alexander III had ruled and had ruled well. In his day
and age he put Scotland First. His ambition was to keep Scotland
Independent and to unite her people. He succeeded in making Scots feel
Scottish. He built a Nation. His success in achieving these ambitions
was to help carry our forebears through the long Wars of Independence.
But you can well understand that after
years of peace and rising prosperity and trade; the shock of
occupation, death and turmoil would make Scots of future generations
look back on Alexander's reign as 'The Golden Age' and
this is well summed up in the oldest surviving verse in Scots written
by an unkent haun -
Quhen Alysandry
oure Kyng wes dede,
That Scotland led
in luve and le,
Away wes sons off
ale and brede,
Off wyne and wax,
off gamyn and gle;
Oure gold wes
changyd in to lede.
Cryst borne in to
Vyrgynyte,
Succoure Scotland
and remede,
That stad [is in]
perplexyte.
Many of us still seek that remede for our
beloved Scotland, a Scotland that very much still stands in
perplexity.
In 1298 the Men of Bute were prepared to
give their lives for Scottish freedom as they followed Sir William
Wallace into battle; we only need to dedicate our lives to the
Scottish Cause and the rebirth of Scottish Nationhood. We only need to
live for Scotland and by doing so, we can truly honour Sir William
Wallace, Sir John Stewart and the Men of Bute.
See Dates in History in our
Features Section
SING
A SANG AT LEAST
(compiled by Peter D Wright)
"That I for poor auld
Scotland's sake
Some useful plan or book could make
Or sing a sang at least ........"
- Robert Burn
THE
SLAVE'S LAMENT
By Robert Burns
It was in sweet Senegal that my foes did me enthral,
For the lands of Virginia,-ginia, O:
Torn from that lovely shore, and must never see it more;
And alas! I am weary, weary O:
Torn from that lovely shore, and must never see it more;
And alas! I am weary, weary O.
All on that charming coast is no bitter snow and frost,
Like the lands of Virginia,-ginia, O:
There streams for ever flow, and there flowers for ever blow,
And alas! I am weary, weary O:
There streams for ever flow, and there flowers for ever blow,
And alas! I am weary, weary O:
The burden I must bear, while the cruel scourge I fear,
In the lands of Virginia,-ginia, O;
And I think on friends most dear, with the bitter, bitter
tear,
And alas! I am weary, weary O:
And I think on friends most dear, with the bitter, bitter
tear,
And alas! I am weary, weary O:
Footnote : The last of our mini
series of songs by our National Bard, Robert Burns, to mark
his death (21 July 1796) and funeral (25 July 1796). I was
reminded of this beautiful song by the recent visit of
President Bush to Senegal.
See the
SING A SANG AT LEAST in our
features section
A KIST O
FERLIES
A Keek at the Guid Scots
Tung
By Peter & Marilyn Wright
(Note: All words underlined in
this section are RealAudio links)
Lament him, Mauchline husbands a',
He aften did assist ye;
For had ye staid whole weeks
awa',
Your wives they ne'er had
miss'd ye!
Ye Mauchline bairns, as on ye pass
To school in bands thegither;
O tread ye lightly on his
grass,
Perhaps he was your faither.
COMPLETE POEMS
Steeplejakes
by J K Annand
See Scots Language in
our Features Section
for other poems, stories, songs, sayings, jokes and words in the Scots language
SCOT WIT
Enjoy a Scottish Joke every week and
listen to it as well
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.
43 JULY 2003
[Click here to bring up the crosswords]
AND
AS WE CONTINUE...
If you read our first issue of The Flag in the Wind you will know that
this is a weekly Internet commentary on the Scottish political scene; if you desire
further erudition click on Archives.
SOME OF OUR FEATURE
SECTIONS....
About Us
Our mission is to fight for an Independent Scotland and to promote its history,
heritage and culture. Learn all about us here.
Events
A running event guide to what's on in Scotland.
The Scots Language
A great introduction to the Scots Language, produced by Peter and Marilyn Wright,
and added to each week both in text and RealAudio. Enjoy listening to words, poems and
stories told in a real Scots accent!
The Rebels Ceilidh Songbook
An excellent introduction to traditional songs from Scotland.
Sing A Sang At Least
Our collection of Scottish songs. A new song is added to the collection each week.
Scottish Food, Traditions and Customs
Enjoy our collections of recipes and our comments on them.
The Prize
Crossword
Each month the newspaper edition produces the Prize Crossword and you can now try it for
yourself with this online edition. We carry previous copies here as well.
Notable
Dates in History
Each week we add three new notable dates in history building this into an historic
timeline for Scottish history.
Features
Lots more stories, recipes, historical articles and even whole books are added here on a
regular basis.
The Oliver Brown Award
An annual award given to an outstanding Scot(s) each year. Also included picture
galleries from the annual lunch.
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National Party, but we support the Party in its drive for Independence; while space
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the Party Office Bearers, we have provided a link to the SNP Website.
THE FLAG IN THE WIND
The above was the title of a book written in the early Fifties by John
MacDonald MacCormick, one of the founder members of the Scottish National Party in 1934.
The sub-title was "The Story of the National Movement in Scotland". His comment
in the book said "It is perhaps in the symbols which men use that their deepest
sentiments are most readily expressed. Flags as well as straws show which way the wind is
blowing". A fuller account appears under
Features.
ADVERTISING IN THE
FLAG IN THE WIND
Advertising in The Flag in the Wind has some unique advantages. Not
only will you reach thousands of people every week but you'll note from the details below
that when you advertise with us you also get a FREE advert in the Scots Independent
Newspaper. Well you should know that the newspaper is considered to be an historical
resource so all issues are archived by Aberdeen University and Edinburgh University for
future generations to read and study. This means when you advertise with us you become
part of Scotland's history and heritage! Of course free issues of the newspaper are
sent to 400 Scottish secondary schools so that our youth can also learn from our excellent
range of topics on Scottish politics, heritage and history. This means that your advert,
while publicising your company, product, service, events, etc., is also helping to educate
our children and helping us to extend the reach of our newspaper to promote all that is
best in Scottish Nationalism and all that is best in Scotland. We have a powerful voice
not only in Scotland but all over the world wherever Scots and Scots descendants are
settled.
Button Advert
You can take out a 145 x 40 pixel Button Advert on this page for a full 12 months for
only £995.00 and at the same time get a FREE 2 column classified advert in
the Scots Independent Newspaper for the same 12 months, all for the same inclusive annual
price of £995.00.
Banner Advert
One Banner advert, 468 x 60 pixels, is available on this index page under the Issue Date
and before the first article. Cost is £695.00 per month and includes an optional FREE
2 column display advert in the Scots Independent Newspaper during the same month as you
have the banner on the site.
WE WOULD WELCOME YOUR
FEEDBACK
The Flag in the Wind would welcome your feedback on what you think of this
weekly service. Happy to receive any comments or suggestions. Simply email webmaster@scotsindependent.org.
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