You may recall from October the tragic death of Lewis-based aid worker Linda Norgrove. She had been abducted in Afghanistan on September 26th by an armed group. As fears grew that Linda might be transferred across the border into Pakistan, American forces were sent in to liberate Linda. One of the group of American Navy Seals threw a grenade which exploded near her, causing fatal injuries.
This version of events was today confirmed by UK Foreign Secretary William Hague. Linda's parents, Mangersta residents Lorna and John Norgrove, travelled to London to be informed of the report. Disciplinary action has been taken by the US military against the serviceman who had thrown the grenade, as he had not immediately accounted for his actions, instead (initially) stating that Linda's captors had detonated a suicide vest.
This finally closes a very sad episode for the Norgrove family, and for the island of Lewis where Linda grew up.
Thursday, 2 December 2010
Football's not going home
It has been decided to host the Football World Cup 2018 in Russia. That gives that country two major events within four years: the Winter Olympics will be held at Sochi in 2014. England, Spain & Portugal and Holland & Belgium had been rival contenders for 2018, but found themselves finally beaten by the Russians. Disappointment is deep in England, which is hosting the Olympics in 2012. The last time the football world cup was held there was 1966, when the host nation beat Germany 4-2. Reaction in Russia is positive, although some people are wondering if the money for the 14 new stadiums, transport links and hotels could not be better spent on modernising facilities for ordinary people. However, it is to be hoped that the 2018 World Cup will serve as a boost towards further modernisation of Russia.
To quote one of my Russian on-line contacts: "Россия, ура, ура!"
To quote one of my Russian on-line contacts: "Россия, ура, ура!"
Thursday 2 December
Our wintry spell continues unabated. Over the past hour, I have watched a snow shower moving east across the peninsula of Pairc in the southeast of Lewis (20 miles from Stornoway), as westerly winds herald the arrival of a weather front from the Atlantic. The high clouds are moving in from the west as the sun slides towards the horizon, due to set at 3.40pm. The front will introduce more snow and northerly, rather than easterly winds. The mercury has not crested zero today, after an overnight low of -7C. Altnaharra is at -17C at the moment, after an overnight minimum of -21C.
And Russia is to organise the Football World Cup in 2018.
And Russia is to organise the Football World Cup in 2018.
Wednesday, 1 December 2010
World AIDS Day
AIDS, the complex of diseases that is brought about by infection with HIV, leads to death because it knocks out parts of the normal immune system, which defends us against bacteria, viruses and other pathogens. Although drugs have been devised that can slow the progression of the disease, AIDS is not curable, and a vaccine is still a long way off. It is 25 years ago today that AIDS came to prominence, and at first there was great awareness of practicing safe sex (using condoms &c), but this seems to be falling by the wayside.
AIDS was first discovered among humans in Uganda in 1959, although the HIV virus, naturally occurring amongst primates (monkeys, apes) will have been around for a lot longer. HIV has counterparts in other species, such as cats. There is, to my knowledge, no cross-over between species - having said that, the close relationship between primates and humans means that the virus was able to cross between the two species groups, something that happened just over a hundred years ago.
World AIDS Day is, to me, about preventing the spread of the disease. This means education.
It is also about ensuring that medication is easily accessible, whilst research continues to find a cure or a vaccine.
Leslie Nielsen
I am not a cinema goer (full stop), and the only films I have gone to see in the last 10 years were Lord of the Rings (I, II and III) and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (which nearly sent me to sleep).
However, I have always found myself nearly choking with laughter when watching the Naked Gun movies on TV, starring Leslie Nielsen. Modern slapstick, expertly handled (sometimes literally). I was ever so sad to hear that he had passed away after a short illness two days ago. So, let's have a laugh.
However, I have always found myself nearly choking with laughter when watching the Naked Gun movies on TV, starring Leslie Nielsen. Modern slapstick, expertly handled (sometimes literally). I was ever so sad to hear that he had passed away after a short illness two days ago. So, let's have a laugh.
Wednesday 1 December
The last month of the year is here, and the early winter is tightening its grip. A fall of snow left an inch of the white stuff here in Stornoway, although the bright sun has served to burn most of it away. We are left with the snow that fell over the weekend, which is slowly evaporating in the sunshine. Our temperature? Well, we reached +1.6C at 1pm.
Temperatures in Altnaharra, in the far north of mainland Scotland, have peaked at -12C this afternoon, after dipping to -20.5 overnight. As darkness falls, the mercury is expected to plumb new depths, down to -22C. And the following night might see it go down to -25C. Altnaharra is located in a valley, where the cold air pools; the snow serves to lose even more 'heat' and down goes the temperature. Residents in the village have been unable to reach the main road, and some have not seen their car since Friday - when it got buried under snow.
Falls of snow are much more of a problem than extreme temperatures. Snow has now reached the south of England, leading to passengers stranded on trains overnight; air passengers unable to fly out of Gatwick or Edinburgh (I know the feeling) and road travellers unable to budge. It is reported that 1 metre of snow (that's 40 inches in old money) has fallen in the northeast of England.
No let up in sight.
Temperatures in Altnaharra, in the far north of mainland Scotland, have peaked at -12C this afternoon, after dipping to -20.5 overnight. As darkness falls, the mercury is expected to plumb new depths, down to -22C. And the following night might see it go down to -25C. Altnaharra is located in a valley, where the cold air pools; the snow serves to lose even more 'heat' and down goes the temperature. Residents in the village have been unable to reach the main road, and some have not seen their car since Friday - when it got buried under snow.
Falls of snow are much more of a problem than extreme temperatures. Snow has now reached the south of England, leading to passengers stranded on trains overnight; air passengers unable to fly out of Gatwick or Edinburgh (I know the feeling) and road travellers unable to budge. It is reported that 1 metre of snow (that's 40 inches in old money) has fallen in the northeast of England.
No let up in sight.
Tuesday 30 November
A quiet day in the islands, with a little additional snow after nightfall. Snowfall elsewhere in the United Kingdom is causing mounting problems on the roads, for schools and on the rails.
I went to the library to find more tributes from the First World War and found nearly 20 for the months of April and the first half of May 1918. I also had some positive feedback from a cemetery website in South Uist that had been set up earlier this year. Whether a similar thing will happen in Lewis is questionable. Having put out some feelers here and there, I think people need to warm to the idea. Seeing your loved ones' gravestones on the Internet may not be everybody's cup of tea.
Today is the last day of the northern hemisphere hurricane season, with the exception of the Northwestern Pacific which may generate storms up to New Year. The Eastern and Central Pacific basins have been unusually quiet, with no storms in the Central Pacific, and only seven storms in the Eastern Pacific. The Atlantic season has spawned 19 named storms, with 12 hurricanes. I would not be surprised to see one or two names withdrawn - the most deadly one was Tomas, the last hurricane.
I went to the library to find more tributes from the First World War and found nearly 20 for the months of April and the first half of May 1918. I also had some positive feedback from a cemetery website in South Uist that had been set up earlier this year. Whether a similar thing will happen in Lewis is questionable. Having put out some feelers here and there, I think people need to warm to the idea. Seeing your loved ones' gravestones on the Internet may not be everybody's cup of tea.
Today is the last day of the northern hemisphere hurricane season, with the exception of the Northwestern Pacific which may generate storms up to New Year. The Eastern and Central Pacific basins have been unusually quiet, with no storms in the Central Pacific, and only seven storms in the Eastern Pacific. The Atlantic season has spawned 19 named storms, with 12 hurricanes. I would not be surprised to see one or two names withdrawn - the most deadly one was Tomas, the last hurricane.
Monday, 29 November 2010
Wikileaks
Website wikileaks.org has been posting confidential memos from the US government. These include notes from its diplomatic missions around the world, and contain some pretty embarrassing comments. US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton has vowed to track down and prosecute those who have leaked the documents, which is the proper thing to do. I was quite intrigued by the reaction from governments around the world to the leaks, which appear to be more one of embarrassment, rather than anger. It is like having your love letters posted on the Internet with a big huge arrow pointing towards the website involved.
I reached this conclusion because the reaction from the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmedinajad. He is an implacable enemy of America but also a shrewd politician. He described the leaks as orchestrated by the US government (a statement for home consumption), adding that he would disregard them completely. The latter bit is quite significant. Ahmedinajad knows very well that the American government is severely embarrassed by these leaks, and they had in fact no direct part in their release. It is something that could potentially happen to every government in the world (and they all know it); further more, the leaked documents just puts on public display what the diplomatic community knows secretly about each other.
I have no time for Mahmoud Ahmedinajad's policies, but I make an exception in this instance: ignore the Wikileaks story. It is a lot of hot air, and the only significant impact is to warn governments to tighten up on their security protocols for documentation.
I reached this conclusion because the reaction from the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmedinajad. He is an implacable enemy of America but also a shrewd politician. He described the leaks as orchestrated by the US government (a statement for home consumption), adding that he would disregard them completely. The latter bit is quite significant. Ahmedinajad knows very well that the American government is severely embarrassed by these leaks, and they had in fact no direct part in their release. It is something that could potentially happen to every government in the world (and they all know it); further more, the leaked documents just puts on public display what the diplomatic community knows secretly about each other.
I have no time for Mahmoud Ahmedinajad's policies, but I make an exception in this instance: ignore the Wikileaks story. It is a lot of hot air, and the only significant impact is to warn governments to tighten up on their security protocols for documentation.
Monday 29 November
A cold but sunny day out here, although massive falls of snow in the east of Scotland have brought havoc to the roads. A lorry driver, speaking on the radio, said he had been stuck for nearly 10 hours on the A9 around Perth. At the moment, the section of the A9 south of Perth appears to be "passable with care". Many other roads at higher levels in the Highlands are closed. And it isn't even formally winter, neither meteorologically nor astronomically. Here in the Outer Hebrides, temperatures are expected to lift towards the end of this week. With the bright sunshine, ice on pavements is turning back to slush. Tonight, the mercury will nosedive to -20C on the mainland.
Tomorrow, it will be St Andrew's Day, but celebrations have been cancelled due to the adverse weather.
I may have another update later today.
Tomorrow, it will be St Andrew's Day, but celebrations have been cancelled due to the adverse weather.
I may have another update later today.
Sunday, 28 November 2010
The Clearances - a myth debunked
First published on Pentland Road
I quote from Wikipedia on the background to this statue, which was erected near Helmsdale in 2007:
[It] commemorates the people who were cleared from the area by landowners and left their homeland to begin new lives overseas. The statue, which depicts a family leaving their home, stands at the mouth of the Strath of Kildonan, and was funded by Dennis Macleod, a Canadian mining millionaire of Scottish descent. An identical 10 ft-high bronze "Exiles" statue has also been set up on the banks of the Red River at Winnipeg, the city founded by those who left Scotland for Canada.
Mr Macleod has said that the statues celebrate the achievements made by Scots who went to Canada. Well, I would be quite happy to acknowledge the fact that some of the Scots did go on to do great things. But those having departed Helmsdale, and that's what we're talking about, certainly did not do well. I am going through the Napier Commission's Report, which was sitting at Helmsdale on 6 October 1883. The answers to questions 38252 and 38253 actually serve to negate the reasoning for the erection of the statue.
38252. Then you stated that the expatriated people, some of them, found their way to America, where they experienced a worse fate. What ground have you for believing that the emigrants generally experienced a worse fate ?
—The fate of my great-grandfather's family. My great-grandfather's family, except himself, all went out in Lord Selkirk's expedition to the Red River. My grandfather was married before he went out, and I have seen in my grandfather's house and my father's house a pile of correspondence describing the vicissitudes they underwent. They were left exposed on the north coast, and they had to find their way from Hudson's Bay to the Red River settlement; and they were exposed to the rigours of a lengthened winter, and, to crown all, the Indians came in and killed some of them, and the rest fled over the winter's snow to Canada. Only seven or eight managed to survive and settle in Canada afterwards.
38253. Are there many evicted families from this part of the country who cast in their lot with Lord Selkirk's settlement ?
—Yes, and that accounts for the difference between those who settled here and those who were in Kildouan before.
38254. Mr Fraser-Mackintosh.
—Had Lord Selkirk a settlement called Kildonan?
—Yes, and it is called Kildonan to this day. It is near Winnipeg. Fort Garry was the principal town in the old Red River settlement, and it has now become Winnipeg. You will see an account of it in the book called The Great Lone Land, by General Butler.
I quote from Wikipedia on the background to this statue, which was erected near Helmsdale in 2007:
[It] commemorates the people who were cleared from the area by landowners and left their homeland to begin new lives overseas. The statue, which depicts a family leaving their home, stands at the mouth of the Strath of Kildonan, and was funded by Dennis Macleod, a Canadian mining millionaire of Scottish descent. An identical 10 ft-high bronze "Exiles" statue has also been set up on the banks of the Red River at Winnipeg, the city founded by those who left Scotland for Canada.
Mr Macleod has said that the statues celebrate the achievements made by Scots who went to Canada. Well, I would be quite happy to acknowledge the fact that some of the Scots did go on to do great things. But those having departed Helmsdale, and that's what we're talking about, certainly did not do well. I am going through the Napier Commission's Report, which was sitting at Helmsdale on 6 October 1883. The answers to questions 38252 and 38253 actually serve to negate the reasoning for the erection of the statue.
38252. Then you stated that the expatriated people, some of them, found their way to America, where they experienced a worse fate. What ground have you for believing that the emigrants generally experienced a worse fate ?
—The fate of my great-grandfather's family. My great-grandfather's family, except himself, all went out in Lord Selkirk's expedition to the Red River. My grandfather was married before he went out, and I have seen in my grandfather's house and my father's house a pile of correspondence describing the vicissitudes they underwent. They were left exposed on the north coast, and they had to find their way from Hudson's Bay to the Red River settlement; and they were exposed to the rigours of a lengthened winter, and, to crown all, the Indians came in and killed some of them, and the rest fled over the winter's snow to Canada. Only seven or eight managed to survive and settle in Canada afterwards.
38253. Are there many evicted families from this part of the country who cast in their lot with Lord Selkirk's settlement ?
—Yes, and that accounts for the difference between those who settled here and those who were in Kildouan before.
38254. Mr Fraser-Mackintosh.
—Had Lord Selkirk a settlement called Kildonan?
—Yes, and it is called Kildonan to this day. It is near Winnipeg. Fort Garry was the principal town in the old Red River settlement, and it has now become Winnipeg. You will see an account of it in the book called The Great Lone Land, by General Butler.
Sunday 28 November
Day 3 of the cold snap and absolutely no sign of it letting up. In fact, the thermometer plummeted to -18C in Wales last night and -15C at Loch Glascarnoch, a location well-known to travellers between Inverness and Ullapool on the A835 road. Here in Stornoway, we did not go below -2C last night, although the northeasterly wind does make it feel cold when you're exposed to it. Looking at the distant horizon, there is still a bad swell running in the Minch, but ferry operators Calmac say the ferry will sail as normal this afternoon. Images from Stornoway, from yesterday morning, featured on the BBC TV news earlier today, showing the heavy snow showers failing to dampen spirits at the farmers market at An Lanntair. It also showed cars stuck on the steep section of the A859 above Scaladale, where the road climbs up to the pass below the Clisham.
The Met Office says there is colder air blowing in from Siberia. Over there, they can't use mercury in their thermometers: mercury freezes at -38C, and in extreme instances the temperature goes down to -70C in places.
I'll have a post with pictures later today.
It is bad enough that people who are involved in an accident drive away from the scene without checking on the well-being of others involved in it; it is even worse when the accidents results in someone's death. In Smethwick, Birmingham, a baby boy of 2 months of age died following a hit-and-run crash between two vehicles. The BBC News page carries further details of the fugitive vehicle.
The Met Office says there is colder air blowing in from Siberia. Over there, they can't use mercury in their thermometers: mercury freezes at -38C, and in extreme instances the temperature goes down to -70C in places.
I'll have a post with pictures later today.
It is bad enough that people who are involved in an accident drive away from the scene without checking on the well-being of others involved in it; it is even worse when the accidents results in someone's death. In Smethwick, Birmingham, a baby boy of 2 months of age died following a hit-and-run crash between two vehicles. The BBC News page carries further details of the fugitive vehicle.
Saturday, 27 November 2010
Evening notes
As I type, the mercury is sinking below freezing, and the slush on the pavements will be turning the town into an ice-rink. It was eerie to read a tribute to a WW1-loss, which was attributable to, yes, icy streets. A sailor slid off the quay by his ship and drowned in Baltimore harbour on New Year's Eve 1917.
The ferry is on its way back across the Minch, and will dock by about half past eight tonight, slightly earlier than timetabled. It has only made one return crossing today. The cold conditions in the UK will persist for well over five days, the normal forecast period.
The ferry is on its way back across the Minch, and will dock by about half past eight tonight, slightly earlier than timetabled. It has only made one return crossing today. The cold conditions in the UK will persist for well over five days, the normal forecast period.
Saturday 27 November
A very wintry scene, with frequent heavy snow showers leaving a covering on the ground. Last night, the wind got up to galeforce, with gusts to 70 mph up at the Butt of Lewis. It is not nearly as bad now, but as I type, there is another shower passing through, which looks something like
The high winds have also wreaked havoc on the ferry schedule, with the 7 am sailing not departing until 11 o'clock this morning. Whether it will come back is not certain at all. There is a northeasterly wind today, which causes a nasty swell on the Minch. Today, there was to have been a cross-country running championship heat here in Stornoway, which has been called off. Yesterday's evening ferry sailing was cancelled, making it impossible for the bulk of the contestants to come over. Leaving to one side the atrocious driving conditions on the mainland. If I look on some of the traffic monitoring cameras in the Highlands, the roads look pretty horrendous in places.
The high winds have also wreaked havoc on the ferry schedule, with the 7 am sailing not departing until 11 o'clock this morning. Whether it will come back is not certain at all. There is a northeasterly wind today, which causes a nasty swell on the Minch. Today, there was to have been a cross-country running championship heat here in Stornoway, which has been called off. Yesterday's evening ferry sailing was cancelled, making it impossible for the bulk of the contestants to come over. Leaving to one side the atrocious driving conditions on the mainland. If I look on some of the traffic monitoring cameras in the Highlands, the roads look pretty horrendous in places.
Friday, 26 November 2010
Friday 26 November
An unpleasant winter's day, which started out with a good covering of the white stuff. It is still lying, with occasional light showers making sure it does not fade altogether. I don't mind snow at all, but the biting northerly wind is less than pleasant. It is a sustained force 5 to 6, with the weatherstation at the Butt of Lewis reporting gusts to 60 mph. It has caused the cancellation of the ferry this afternoon.
Tomorrow morning, the national championships cross country running are to be held in the Castle Grounds here in Stornoway, but as the competitors cannot come on the evening ferry tonight, I do not know whether the run can be held. Leaving any problems with snow to one side. One competitor, who was due to travel from Orkney, was thwarted through two ferry cancellations: one was the Stromness to Scrabster service from Orkney, the other was our ferry link.
A teacher in a local primary school has been struck off the teaching register in Scotland, after she removed the plaster from a boy's arm against medical advice. It is known what prompted the teacher to do this, but it is thought likely that the teacher concerned will be banned from working with children altogether.
Tomorrow morning, the national championships cross country running are to be held in the Castle Grounds here in Stornoway, but as the competitors cannot come on the evening ferry tonight, I do not know whether the run can be held. Leaving any problems with snow to one side. One competitor, who was due to travel from Orkney, was thwarted through two ferry cancellations: one was the Stromness to Scrabster service from Orkney, the other was our ferry link.
A teacher in a local primary school has been struck off the teaching register in Scotland, after she removed the plaster from a boy's arm against medical advice. It is known what prompted the teacher to do this, but it is thought likely that the teacher concerned will be banned from working with children altogether.
Thursday, 25 November 2010
Walpurgis / Halloween
On-line friend Direcleit kindly pointed me to an article in the Book of Hallowe'en, available to view free on the Internet. It refers to the background to Walpurgis Night, which I mentioned a few days ago. I would recommend other texts in that book as well, which mainly focuses on Hallowe'en.
Walpurgis Night is the counterpoint to Hallowe'en, being the time when the wintertime is said to end, as opposed to Hallowe'en which is the day that summer ends. I close with an image of the Walburgskerk [Walpurgis Church] in the town of Zutphen, 70 miles east of Amsterdam in Holland. Another church of the same name stands 20 miles to the south, in Arnhem.
Walpurgis Night is the counterpoint to Hallowe'en, being the time when the wintertime is said to end, as opposed to Hallowe'en which is the day that summer ends. I close with an image of the Walburgskerk [Walpurgis Church] in the town of Zutphen, 70 miles east of Amsterdam in Holland. Another church of the same name stands 20 miles to the south, in Arnhem.
Thanksgiving 2010
Today is also the start of winter, judging by the icy conditions on the pavements this morning. Heavy snow has wreaked havoc on the roads of Moray- and Aberdeenshire this morning, and there is no prospect of improvement. Temperatures will be close to zero for at least the next week as a northerly blast appears to be firmly entrenched over this country.
I have now gone through the copies of the Stornoway Gazette for the year 1917, looking for tributes for servicemen from the Isle of Lewis who lost their life in the First World War. The total number of tributes will exceed 100 once I have transcribed today's harvest. I will endeavour to take in 1918 as of next week, leading to the aftermath of the Iolaire Disaster in the early days of 1919.
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
Wednesday 24 November
Well, winter is slowly encroaching upon us once more. A heavy shower has just left a coating of hailstones on walls and pavements, and the hail shows no signs of being in a hurry to melt. In the northeast of mainland Scotland, a heavy fall of snow has caused disruption to road travel, with many roads blocked or only passable with extreme caution.
I was deeply saddened to hear that a second explosion has ripped through the coalmine in New Zealand, where 29 miners were trapped since a first blast last weekend. There is now no hope that they will come out alive. It comes as a bitter disappointment to the relatives, who had hoped for a repeat of the Chilean miracle. The mine's owners have pledged to make every effort to retrieve the remains of the dead.
I would just like to link to the story of the couple who won a reality-TV contest with their island-based wedding.
Just to close this post, an image of a nice parhelion that appeared for 5 minutes just before 11 o'clock this morning.
I was deeply saddened to hear that a second explosion has ripped through the coalmine in New Zealand, where 29 miners were trapped since a first blast last weekend. There is now no hope that they will come out alive. It comes as a bitter disappointment to the relatives, who had hoped for a repeat of the Chilean miracle. The mine's owners have pledged to make every effort to retrieve the remains of the dead.
I would just like to link to the story of the couple who won a reality-TV contest with their island-based wedding.
Just to close this post, an image of a nice parhelion that appeared for 5 minutes just before 11 o'clock this morning.
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
Tuesday 23 November
A wet morning, with occasional heavy showers. The date for the royal wedding between William Wales and Kate Middleton has been fixed for Friday 29th April 2011.
This was the day in 1945 that Adolf Hitler got married to Eva Braun. They committed suicide within 48 hours of their marriage. April 30th is the eve of Beltane, the start of the light half of the year. April 30th is Walpurgis Night, the date on the pagan calendar on which the evil spirits of the winter half year would be exorcised. Probably unknown to Adolf Hitler, who was brought to his wit's end by the collapse of his 12 year reign of terror. April 30th is also the date in Holland on which the Queen celebrates her birthday; Queen Beatrix will be 73 this year. I don't know if she will attend the wedding in London; she'd have to hare back to Holland pretty sharply in order to attend the celebrations there.
More later.
This was the day in 1945 that Adolf Hitler got married to Eva Braun. They committed suicide within 48 hours of their marriage. April 30th is the eve of Beltane, the start of the light half of the year. April 30th is Walpurgis Night, the date on the pagan calendar on which the evil spirits of the winter half year would be exorcised. Probably unknown to Adolf Hitler, who was brought to his wit's end by the collapse of his 12 year reign of terror. April 30th is also the date in Holland on which the Queen celebrates her birthday; Queen Beatrix will be 73 this year. I don't know if she will attend the wedding in London; she'd have to hare back to Holland pretty sharply in order to attend the celebrations there.
More later.
Monday, 22 November 2010
Monday 22 November
A bright day, with not much change in conditions. We are under warning for much colder weather by the end of the week, with daytime maximum temps barely above freezing. Those that are reading this in the Pacific Northwest of the USA will probably chuckle as they have now dived below freezing and are having falls of snow.
The Irish Republic is having a cashflow crisis, and requiring a £90bn bail-out from various international money suppliers. Other EU member states, Greece, Spain and Portugal, are in equally dire straits. I am told that Ireland is peppered with unfinished housing schemes which were started, but never finished. Plugging one hole with another do tends to collapse on you at some stage, and that's what has happened here. I remember Ireland being hailed as the Celtic Tiger. I also remember the Arc of Prosperity, Iceland, Ireland and Scotland. Well, we all know what happened in Iceland, Ireland is following suit, and Scotland would have been leader in the pack if the UK government had not bailed out the Bank of Scotland and Royal Bank of Scotland a year or so ago.
More tomorrow.
The Irish Republic is having a cashflow crisis, and requiring a £90bn bail-out from various international money suppliers. Other EU member states, Greece, Spain and Portugal, are in equally dire straits. I am told that Ireland is peppered with unfinished housing schemes which were started, but never finished. Plugging one hole with another do tends to collapse on you at some stage, and that's what has happened here. I remember Ireland being hailed as the Celtic Tiger. I also remember the Arc of Prosperity, Iceland, Ireland and Scotland. Well, we all know what happened in Iceland, Ireland is following suit, and Scotland would have been leader in the pack if the UK government had not bailed out the Bank of Scotland and Royal Bank of Scotland a year or so ago.
More tomorrow.
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