Musings from the Merse
Sunday, October 25, 2009
THE TARTAN RACISTS is the headline in today's Scotland on Sunday about the influence of the BNP north of the Border which most SNP politicians seem to regard as an 'English' problem-and with only 29,000 people voting for the BNP in the European Elections they might have some justification for this view. Yet, inevitably, Nick Griffin's performance on Question Time, however buffoon like it appeared to the audience and most viewers will have had an unpleasant effect even around here in the peaceful friendly Borders. I have been aware of a feeling especially for those on a low cost subsidised rental housing waiting lists through housing associations that too much priority is given to 'minorities' and not to local families desperate for accommodation-locally. The points system being weighted against them. Not too many asylum seekers in this neck of the Merse-more likely economic migrants from the poorer EU member states but I wonder if most of them have not actually gone home from recession hit UK but the myth lives on. Its just the shortage of low cost rentals which is the real problem. The feeling is more against 'outsiders' rather than racist.Non-white people not being very visible generally.
Having said that I remember four years ago great excitement over a rumour that a group of Polish Dentists were setting up practice in Duns.
Why?
Said to be women
And very beautiful!
Never happened
Having said that I remember four years ago great excitement over a rumour that a group of Polish Dentists were setting up practice in Duns.
Why?
Said to be women
And very beautiful!
Never happened
Labels: Economic migrants, Polish dentists, Racism in the Borders
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Less Trouble at t'Mill ?
Its encouraging to see that absolutely nothing has happened on the planning application for a new house at Hutton Castle Mill? This you can see from here
http://eplanning1.scotborders.gov.uk/WAM/showCaseFile.do?appType=planning&appNumber=09/00801/OUT
It is very unusual for even a controversial application to have no further correspondence for a couple of months and has not yet been taken by the Planning Committee. One hopes that pressure is being put on the applicant to withdraw it as he did an almost identical one over a year ago.
There's no perceived need and the arguments put forward (see previous posts) are hardly persuasive-here and scroll down
Its encouraging to see that absolutely nothing has happened on the planning application for a new house at Hutton Castle Mill? This you can see from here
http://eplanning1.scotborders.gov.uk/WAM/showCaseFile.do?appType=planning&appNumber=09/00801/OUT
It is very unusual for even a controversial application to have no further correspondence for a couple of months and has not yet been taken by the Planning Committee. One hopes that pressure is being put on the applicant to withdraw it as he did an almost identical one over a year ago.
There's no perceived need and the arguments put forward (see previous posts) are hardly persuasive-here and scroll down
Labels: Berwickshire Planning, Hutton Castle Mill
Friday, October 23, 2009
An airport too far
The story here about an aircraft unwittingly overflying its destination in the US reminds Huttonian of when he was in Dubai a Chinese airliner landed at Sharjah next door instead of Dubai- a much bigger airport but only 12 miles away. Sharjah in our time was never busy but was more so than Ras al Khaimah, another small UAE Sheikhdom up the coast which had about three flights a week. You could arrive at the airport on a Monday afternoon to find the next flight out was on Thursday.
Mind you it had very relaxed airport authority so if you wanted to hang around there was no problem (and no restaurant)
The story here about an aircraft unwittingly overflying its destination in the US reminds Huttonian of when he was in Dubai a Chinese airliner landed at Sharjah next door instead of Dubai- a much bigger airport but only 12 miles away. Sharjah in our time was never busy but was more so than Ras al Khaimah, another small UAE Sheikhdom up the coast which had about three flights a week. You could arrive at the airport on a Monday afternoon to find the next flight out was on Thursday.
Mind you it had very relaxed airport authority so if you wanted to hang around there was no problem (and no restaurant)
Labels: Careless pilots, Dubai, Ras al Khaimah, Sharjah, UAE
Festival of Talents
Report in Full
At last the Berwickshire website has caught up with recent events-so can now go here and save yourself 65p on the paper!
Last para is the interesting bit
Labels: Festival of Talents, Poetry Anthology, Spectres on the Landscape
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Press Stopped
The electronic Berwickshire News is a bit behind the game today but the hard copy carries a very good article on The Festival of Talents. I am sure you can't bear to wait for the website to be updated so pop out and get a copy.
Not page 3
9
The electronic Berwickshire News is a bit behind the game today but the hard copy carries a very good article on The Festival of Talents. I am sure you can't bear to wait for the website to be updated so pop out and get a copy.
Not page 3
9
Labels: Berwickshire News, Festival of Talents, Spectres on the Landscape
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Post(al) Strike?
While Huttonian is a bit poorly and not going out that much it is not too easy to find "green fields and postures new" ( as one rural lady of the late afternoon, short of new clients once said)to blog about. One assumes that there little more interesting to say on the B6341 Black spots or indeed on the Fishwick Bypass. Sleepy old Duns-all very quiet and it is not worth making too much of a new fuss about Litter (very little) and Dog Poo (none)The Festival of Talents-including the launch of Spectres on the Landscape was a huge success and in a Silent Auction the Huttonian Cottage in Norn Iron raised £400 for a week's let!
So we must be patient and anticipate tomorrows Berwickshire News-always some copy there.
Fingers Crossed
While Huttonian is a bit poorly and not going out that much it is not too easy to find "green fields and postures new" ( as one rural lady of the late afternoon, short of new clients once said)to blog about. One assumes that there little more interesting to say on the B6341 Black spots or indeed on the Fishwick Bypass. Sleepy old Duns-all very quiet and it is not worth making too much of a new fuss about Litter (very little) and Dog Poo (none)The Festival of Talents-including the launch of Spectres on the Landscape was a huge success and in a Silent Auction the Huttonian Cottage in Norn Iron raised £400 for a week's let!
So we must be patient and anticipate tomorrows Berwickshire News-always some copy there.
Fingers Crossed
Labels: Duns, lack of blog material
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Duns Roving
Say what you like about Duns-and many people do, it is certainly one of the friendliest settlements in the Borders/Southwest Scotland. When we first arrived in Hutton we were told that local people were at their friendliest in the East getting less so-from warm to tepid to downright indifferent as you near Stranraer-and further West than that is hard to do with boarding the Stena HSS.
Duns is like Hutton in the friendliness stakes: little acts of kindness-such as yesterday -I arrived at Nairns at 5-15 pm having forgotten to collect the Grudian at my usual early hour. I timidly tapped on a locked door, was immediately allowed in by one of the owners who then painstakingly unwrapped a large bundle of papers and extracted my Guardian en route to the Knackers Yard.
'What paper usually gets returned the most?' I asked. 'English Daily Mail' he said
'So how many do you order?'
'Used to be lots. But I am now thinking of reducing it to
one!'
So what do the English expats read here I wonder.
Research required.
Me, I am banking on the Sun. English edition. Although I suspect Page 3 is the same
Say what you like about Duns-and many people do, it is certainly one of the friendliest settlements in the Borders/Southwest Scotland. When we first arrived in Hutton we were told that local people were at their friendliest in the East getting less so-from warm to tepid to downright indifferent as you near Stranraer-and further West than that is hard to do with boarding the Stena HSS.
Duns is like Hutton in the friendliness stakes: little acts of kindness-such as yesterday -I arrived at Nairns at 5-15 pm having forgotten to collect the Grudian at my usual early hour. I timidly tapped on a locked door, was immediately allowed in by one of the owners who then painstakingly unwrapped a large bundle of papers and extracted my Guardian en route to the Knackers Yard.
'What paper usually gets returned the most?' I asked. 'English Daily Mail' he said
'So how many do you order?'
'Used to be lots. But I am now thinking of reducing it to
one!'
So what do the English expats read here I wonder.
Research required.
Me, I am banking on the Sun. English edition. Although I suspect Page 3 is the same
Labels: English newspapers, Newsagents in Duns, The Sun
Monday, October 19, 2009
Tour de Farce?
Rhoda Hogg has been on patrol and reports as follows :
that there are outbreaks of cyclists of the even-sillier-than-the-lycra-and-a-tin-hat-that-looks-like-half-a-hard-boiled-egg variety along the B6461. They are hard to see in mist and failing light, being given to wearing a camouflage of dun colours, do not wear protective helmets and appear to be unaware of the concept of single file. You have been warned.
It is Dun not DUNS btw
Rhoda Hogg has been on patrol and reports as follows :
that there are outbreaks of cyclists of the even-sillier-than-the-lycra-and-a-tin-hat-that-looks-like-half-a-hard-boiled-egg variety along the B6461. They are hard to see in mist and failing light, being given to wearing a camouflage of dun colours, do not wear protective helmets and appear to be unaware of the concept of single file. You have been warned.
It is Dun not DUNS btw
Labels: B6461, Rhoda Hogg
