Chaos in Scotland.

[Boac]

Very annoying to get that 'itch' just when the portrait is being painted.

[FD2]

Thirteen years living in Scotland in Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire and another ten living within a stone's throw were brilliant. Being married to one for 50 years even better. Things change but if we were ever to return we wouldn't live anywhere but the north of England or the north of Scotland. What has rubbed off is the intense dislike of being talked down to by loud, opinionated, insular and sneering southern English who know little or nothing about life and manners amongst the 'peasants' 'up North'. Almost always a friendly welcome or greeting up north and almost always a suspicious look or rudeness down south. It was always easy for the SNP to tap into that anti-English sentiment under the guise of 'freedom' without putting their own house in order first.

[TheGreenGoblin]

Very annoying to get that 'itch' just when the portrait is being painted.

A repressed Napoleon complex!

[om15]

257122465_4717019051653682_3953451068070492108_n.jpg (48.67 KiB) Viewed 608 times

[AtomKraft]

Nice!

[Boac]

Unusual for a lady to be called a scrotum, though. Scottish intellect at its finest.

[FD2]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... power.html

Equals -"Where's oor dosh?"

I don't know how money would make any difference at this time but it will always be England's fault it happened in the first place, according to the nasty wee futret*. The Marines will be able to help people with food and fuel etc., but will not do more to mend the lines than help with putting new poles up maybe and clearing fallen trees from houses and roads.

This happens every few years for the remote Aberdeenshire farms and villages, because it's impracticable to bury the power lines and the area certainly catches the weather. After they are all reconnected the issue will be ignored until the next storm, with no significant investment on stronger poles and lines. I think the record from a few years ago to get everyone reconnected is considerably longer than the 7 or so days it has taken so far with this one.

*Local term for ferret.

[CharlieOneSix]

Too little, too late with the troops - they should have been here three days ago. Twenty years ago we used to get innumerable power cuts here every year. Eventually the 11kv line and spurs were rebuilt over a six mile length and in the main is clear of trees. We had no power cuts during the storm. Back in August, with our agreement the Electricity Board took down twelve trees in our garden as in places the branches were touching the line. A good decision in the light of last week's storm.

Four years ago SSEN said a rotten Beech in the wood needed felling as it was within falling distance of our spur in the event of a strong south westerly gale. They never came back to cut it down even though I reminded them when they were here in August. Fortunately the wind was northerly with this storm so when that Beech did fall the wind took it away from the line.

[FD2]

Trees are a problem here too. After every big gale they get blown onto the overhead lines and cut off the supply to many houses. The lines company then spends money advertising to tell property owners to make sure their trees are clear enough from the lines. Not much happens until the next blow when the cycle is repeated - we can drive along country roads and see trees towering over lines all around the area and the owners just ignoring the lines company and the company not doing anything about the land owners. At least your Electricity Board did something about those twelve trees!

[Undried Plum]

Every ten years or so I get an unsolicited visit from a Scottish Power surveyor looking for trees over 4m tall within 8 metres of their 11kV powerlines which cross my land. He gets pissed off when I ask if they'll cut those trees down on my behalf at their expense on condition that they leave the felled timber in situ and mulch the brash for me and leave it where it comes out of the munching machine.

To be fair to them, they have greatly reduced the number of power cuts we have hereabouts.

I do feel sorry for those people who are still cut off from mains leccie in the NorthEast and South of Scotland. Nae leccie for a week or more is a right bugger.

We have contingency plans for being cut off for a month in a '62/63 type winter with a hurricane in the middle. We keep a month's worth o food reserve to feed four as there are two elderly widows in local cottages who would need to be taken in for the duration. Big problem is keeping the deep-freezers powered. I've got a rattley old genny for the purpose, but it makes a hell of a din and would be thrown in the river by 'locals' within a mile or two of the **** thing after a day and a night of continuous running.

[CharlieOneSix]

....... He gets pissed off when I ask if they'll cut those trees down on my behalf at their expense on condition that they leave the felled timber in situ and mulch the brash for me and leave it where it comes out of the munching machine......

The SSEN guys that took down my trees were excellent - they lifted the heavy stuff out of the garden and dumped it where I asked and they were delighted when I asked them to leave the small stuff that went through their huge chipper as they normally cart it off somewhere. All done free of charge. There were two huge piles of chipped wood to spread on the garden to keep down the weeds. A farmer friend chainsawed the logs for me and used the splitter on his tractor so I have a healthy pile of firewood for the woodburner drying out in the old stables.

IMG_1374.JPG (45.78 KiB) Viewed 467 times

[Undried Plum]

Win/win all round!

[FD2]

Scottish nationalists threaten ‘brick through the window’ for chef who gave Boris Johnson a pudding

Entrepreneur left 'in tears' by social media abuse described as 'utterly disgraceful' and 'the very worst of nationalism' by Tory MSP
By Daniel Sanderson, Scottish Correspondent 7 December 2021 • 7:11pm


A clootie dumpling maker has been threatened with a “brick through her window” by Scottish nationalists after she presented Boris Johnson with one of her puddings.

Michelle Maddox, who runs the world’s only shop exclusively dedicated to the traditional Scottish desserts, said she had also been branded a “traitor” and warned not to walk down dark alleyways after she attended a Downing Street festive market which promoted British produce.

She posted images of herself outside Number 10 on her social media channels, as well as a video of her presenting the Prime Minister with one of her dumplings.

Mr Johnson can be heard to comment on the size of the dumpling, which was wrapped in Harris tweed, and thanking Ms Maddox for the “fantastic” gift.


She said she was then soon inundated with abusive private messages from independence supporters which left her “in tears” and “petrified”.

“It’s been horrific,” she told The Courier. “Who would have thought a clootie dumpling could have caused this?

“I was told I was a traitor, that I could get a brick through my van. Another warned me to not walk down a dark alleyway. I can’t say some of the words.

“Another message was not a direct threat of harm but was verbally awful. I was in tears and petrified and I’ve not checked Facebook messages on my phone again.”

She said around a dozen orders were also cancelled, including one large bespoke order, although interest in her business has surged after other Scots, disgusted at her treatment, purchased dumplings as a show of support.

The Downing Street festive market was designed to showcase British businesses which are exporting their products internationally. Ms Maddox’s firm, Clootie McToot, was one of 12 in attendance. Other firms included a Welsh cheese maker and Northern Irish snack firm.

Murdo Fraser, the Scottish Tory MSP, said the episode was only the latest example of Scottish businesses coming under attack from nationalists.

I'm not a fan of the oaf Bunter, but it's great to read that non-rabid Scots have been supporting her, but if Sturgeon ever does get her referendum I suspect it will be another nasty affair.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/1 ... ave-boris/

[Pontius Navigator]

FD2, we got on well with our neighbours in Scotland over 9 years. There was an Englishman who was quite unpleasant and his wife very down trodden. The only Scot we had trouble with was a 6ft 4in police sergeant who intervened in some child hood spat between 4 year old.
One neighbour was a surrogate aunt. She was delighted to baby sit whenever we were renta crowd with Phil the Greek.

[Undried Plum]

Sadly Clootie McToot dumplings are now no longer available online for Crimbo. Waiting list: closed.

We have determined that as soon as they're available online again we'll put in an order for a coupla hundred Quid's worth.

I'd like to think that Politzei Scottland would use their access to computer comms records to trace and arrest those who sent death and other threats to that wumman, but we all know who controls PS and The Crown Office, don't we boys and girls.

PS set up what its own officers called "The Salmond Squad" to recruit more politically motivated "witnesses". They failed, abjectly. £7M budget floated downriver like a Clyde Trout. Wonder how much effort they'll put into tracing and tracking the Natzionalists who threatened that wumman?

[PHXPhlyer]

Clootie McToot dumplings
https://clootiemctootdumplings.com/
Thank Dog for the Google Machine_TM.

PP

[Ibbie]

Krankie is due to speak on the virus this afternoon.

God help all who live in Scotland if she follows the lead of the tinpot would be dictator in Wales and his kill joy measures of yesterday.

[CharlieOneSix]

Much as I detest her and the SNP, the Krankie gave a clear and concise statement about reinstated rules at Holyrood today. Christmas is still on but Hogmanay events are cancelled.

Most of the measures announced by the First Minister will be in place for three weeks after Christmas Day. Here are the main points:

No large public events from 26 December
Limits are 100 people standing indoors, 200 seated indoors and 500 at outdoor events
1m physical distancing at all events
Sports matches including football are spectator-free for three weeks
Edinburgh's Hogmanay is cancelled
Table-service only returns to hospitality with 1m distancing between groups and no more than three households together
An additional £175m is made available for business support
Schools will re-open as planned in January
Test and Protect will prioritise high-risk settings
Public asked to limit socialising from 27 December

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-scotland-59739514

[TheGreenGoblin]

Much as I detest her and the SNP, the Krankie gave a clear and concise statement about reinstated rules at Holyrood today. Christmas is still on but Hogmanay events are cancelled.

Most of the measures announced by the First Minister will be in place for three weeks after Christmas Day. Here are the main points:

No large public events from 26 December
Limits are 100 people standing indoors, 200 seated indoors and 500 at outdoor events
1m physical distancing at all events
Sports matches including football are spectator-free for three weeks
Edinburgh's Hogmanay is cancelled
Table-service only returns to hospitality with 1m distancing between groups and no more than three households together
An additional £175m is made available for business support
Schools will re-open as planned in January
Test and Protect will prioritise high-risk settings
Public asked to limit socialising from 27 December

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-scotland-59739514

Leadership is about making hard, often unpopular decisions, something that Johnson here in England will never get!

[G-CPTN]

It amazes me that restrictions deemed necessary are not introduced 'immediately'.