Monthly Archives: May 2014

Little White Rose of Scotland

Posted on May 31, 2014 by Grouse Beater

I have a hand-written poem dedicated to me … well, that’s an exaggeration. It is actually autographed to me, though written on the spot; others may also possess the same honour. The poet whose name I did not know until … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 3 Comments

New Zealand Cannot Exist

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Grouse Beater

New Zealand is a small country with a huge coastline. It has a population of 4.5 million. It has a topography similar to Scotland, lots of mountains and glens. It rains a lot. It has many generations of Scots emigrants. … Continue reading →

Posted in Scottish Independence Referendum | 46 Comments

Essays in Betrayal 3

Posted on May 22, 2014 by Grouse Beater

The third chapter extrapolated from James Anderson’s invocation to Scotland’s legitimacy as an independent nation, published Edinburgh, 1705. The intention is to show how, first time around, the same disinformation and black propaganda as now was the order of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Scottish Independence Referendum | 6 Comments

Library Time for Kids

Posted on May 10, 2014 by Grouse Beater

I’m attending a primary class obervation hour, east end of Glasgow. The children are six years of age. Many are from disadvantaged homes we used to call “poor.” Elbows poke out of frayed jerseys, snotty noses abound, hair cut by … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 5 Comments

A Scottish Compliment

Posted on May 10, 2014 by Grouse Beater

I have an example of the Scots technique of passing a compliment. I raised money to tell the story of the Orkney chapel on film for international television transmission. It took a long time to track down the remaining former … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 3 Comments

BBC – the Cultural Tollbooth

Posted on May 9, 2014 by Grouse Beater

The proposition: BBC runs a toll through which Scottish culture has to pass. BBC Scotland has two standard excuses for turning you down: BBC London controls schedules and purse strings. That’s the equivalent of, “a big boy done it an’ ran … Continue reading →

Posted in Scottish Independence Referendum | 2 Comments

The Pitch – BBC Scotland

Posted on May 6, 2014 by Grouse Beater

We don’t do ‘drama’ here The head of BBC Scotland drama kept me waiting over twenty minutes, an open area in the deathly mausoleum they call Pacific Quay headquarters. I’d come a long way for the meeting, from Los Angeles, … Continue reading →

Posted in Media | 32 Comments

Essays in Betrayal 2

Posted on May 2, 2014 by Grouse Beater

An early blog – how I hate that ugly word – promised to post selected passages from the 1705 book I rescued from auction, existing still, a gem bound in leather of Scotland’s political struggles to secure autonomy once and … Continue reading →

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The Infamous Ledger

Posted on May 2, 2014 by Grouse Beater

The United Kingdom is a collection of nations yet people talk of the British Isles as ‘England.’ The English do it as a matter of course. Foreigners do it. It’s endemic, a recurrent howler, manifestation of a lingering colonial mentality. … Continue reading →

Posted in Scottish Politics | 57 Comments