Musings from the Merse
Friday, April 03, 2009
Voytek the Soldier Bear - Redbraes Scottish & Polish War Memorial
Originally uploaded by Flying Badger
EVEN HARDER TO BEAR
It appears from this image (thankyou Flying Badger) that the wretched Voytek/Wojtek-see post immediately below, already has a memorial in a public space in Edinburgh-Redbraes Park. So why does Mrs O want another one-even if it is to be lifesize.
So whose money is to be wasted on this.?
In the middle of a recession!
Labels: Mrs O, Polish Bear, Voytek, Wojtek
Hard to Bear
It seems that when ever the Berwickshire News is short of, er, news it will produce yet another item about the world's most boring and overblown animal-the smoking, swearing, fighting,etc Polish Bear : Voytek.Aka Wojtek. The latest effusion is here
One wonders who paid for this knees up in the Scottish Parliament and who can really think that charity funds are appropriately spent in financing a statue in Edinburgh to this beast-hardly an inspiration for the modern generation of human kind never mind a new litter of cubs.
The hard copy Berwickshire has a picture of some worthies at the parliamentary reception including the indefatigable Mrs O who has been the brains and the brawn behind this campaign although I think she would have preferred to have the memorial in Hutton where Voytek was once stationed with his Polish comrades. One can only hope that she will be satisfied with an erection in Embra thus leaving Hutton (relatively) unpolluted.
Disapointingly for one who is adept at self publicity she has been bumped from the electronic Berwickshire by the equally camera friendly Mr Lamont, our Tory MSP. Wherever there is a sniff of a good (?) news story he is there taking as much credit as he can-any band wagon will do; what the vote nabbing value of this one is I have severe doubts but it seems to be his philosophy that when two or three people are gathered together, shake all their hands
And bring a cameraman
It seems that when ever the Berwickshire News is short of, er, news it will produce yet another item about the world's most boring and overblown animal-the smoking, swearing, fighting,etc Polish Bear : Voytek.Aka Wojtek. The latest effusion is here
One wonders who paid for this knees up in the Scottish Parliament and who can really think that charity funds are appropriately spent in financing a statue in Edinburgh to this beast-hardly an inspiration for the modern generation of human kind never mind a new litter of cubs.
The hard copy Berwickshire has a picture of some worthies at the parliamentary reception including the indefatigable Mrs O who has been the brains and the brawn behind this campaign although I think she would have preferred to have the memorial in Hutton where Voytek was once stationed with his Polish comrades. One can only hope that she will be satisfied with an erection in Embra thus leaving Hutton (relatively) unpolluted.
Disapointingly for one who is adept at self publicity she has been bumped from the electronic Berwickshire by the equally camera friendly Mr Lamont, our Tory MSP. Wherever there is a sniff of a good (?) news story he is there taking as much credit as he can-any band wagon will do; what the vote nabbing value of this one is I have severe doubts but it seems to be his philosophy that when two or three people are gathered together, shake all their hands
And bring a cameraman
Labels: Drunken Bears, Lamont, Mr Lamont, Mrs O, Scottish Parliament, Voytek
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Grin and Bear it. Once more with Feeling
Huttonian vowed not to blog(again) about Voytek the Drinking, Smoking, Fighting, ASBO-worthy Polish Bear but a letter in the Berwickshire strikes a chord:
SIR, - May I disagree with the places to put the statues of Voytek the Bear.
There was no Polish connections with Paxton House. They employed Italian prisoner of war labour.
Visitors have to pay to go to Paxton House and it is closed from October to Easter. As Duns has a Polish war memorial and Duns is twinned with Zagen in Poland more people would be visiting Duns.
Voytek ended his days at the zoo in Edinburgh. Many children saw him then and would remember him today. The statue would be more at home there than at the Parliament. How many politicians remember him?
Hutton (not Paxton) was the centre for the Polish soldiers. Two of them found wives and lived there.
ONE WHO REMEMBERS,
Name and address withheld on request
Someone should show this letter to Mrs O
So no statue in Paxton then?
Nor in the Eildon Hills either, as yet-see image taken from Harden's Hill looking south west. Click on it to see Trimontium- one more possible site for a statue to Voytek as suggested by nobody. Frankly I could not be bothered to put up another picture of the disagreable and dead animal
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Getting an Orr in
I am sure we all wish Janie Orr the best of luck in her chosen career as a politician-here I am heavily dependent on a Berwickshire News article which you can share here She says that she is following in her mother's footsteps and whilst reiterating our best wishes we sincerely hope she has more success than her indefatigable mater who must be one of the most unsuccessful politicians in the Borders. Yet to win anything in any election at any level and I doubt her chances of doing any better as the SNP candidate for Westminster -presumably standing when Mr Brown throws in the towel.
Janie is quoted as saying "I got interested in politics through my mum" Well she certainly started with the basics when her mum was out canvassing: the Orr children handed out the bumph while the candidate sat in her car. Or so my Paxton friends tell me. She certainly never made it to the top of Kirk Lane in Hutton but I did get her handouts-child delivered. Perhaps Mrs O felt that the locals knew her well so why bother to put in a personal appearance and press the flesh. Here she was right enough: she failed to get in against much less familiar opponents.
Well here is the junior Orr in a parliament already. A first for the family. A youth assembly is better than none. The article fails to mention her party label. ff she is not joining the SNP, well done Janie.
You deserve to go far.
I am sure we all wish Janie Orr the best of luck in her chosen career as a politician-here I am heavily dependent on a Berwickshire News article which you can share here She says that she is following in her mother's footsteps and whilst reiterating our best wishes we sincerely hope she has more success than her indefatigable mater who must be one of the most unsuccessful politicians in the Borders. Yet to win anything in any election at any level and I doubt her chances of doing any better as the SNP candidate for Westminster -presumably standing when Mr Brown throws in the towel.
Janie is quoted as saying "I got interested in politics through my mum" Well she certainly started with the basics when her mum was out canvassing: the Orr children handed out the bumph while the candidate sat in her car. Or so my Paxton friends tell me. She certainly never made it to the top of Kirk Lane in Hutton but I did get her handouts-child delivered. Perhaps Mrs O felt that the locals knew her well so why bother to put in a personal appearance and press the flesh. Here she was right enough: she failed to get in against much less familiar opponents.
Well here is the junior Orr in a parliament already. A first for the family. A youth assembly is better than none. The article fails to mention her party label. ff she is not joining the SNP, well done Janie.
You deserve to go far.
Labels: Borders Politics, Mrs O, SNP
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Its That Bear Again
Huttonian had rather hoped that we had heard the last of the Polish fighting Drinking Smoking Bear-Voytek by name- who has once again put Hutton on the map as the wretched animal was briefly 'posted' there with the Polish army in the latter stages of the war. It ended its years in retirement in the Embra Zoo. If you want an unexpurgated frank account of this rather unpleasant animal you can read about it here
It made an appearance on the BBC TV One Show earlier this week with the energetic Mrs O, SNP candidate for Dumfries etc at the next general election, making her pitch for a memorial for the beast in the Hutton area. Recently a local writer has written a book about the bear-see here and a mention on the One Show will do its sales no harm.
Given the number of existing tourist sights in the village-the Village Hall, the 4 pumps, the great Kirk, The former Manse, The Old Manse (AKA Antrim House), the 39 Steps,the former pub, the bus stop,the sign post to Paxton, The Millenium stone, the existing phone box does Hutton really need a memorial to a politically incorrect bear who is mostly remembered by the very olden folk for its habit of scaring the this (anag) out of innocent villagers? Given its record of bowel moving escapades a fitting memorial might be a
Public Loo
(With so many extra tourists we might need one)
Huttonian had rather hoped that we had heard the last of the Polish fighting Drinking Smoking Bear-Voytek by name- who has once again put Hutton on the map as the wretched animal was briefly 'posted' there with the Polish army in the latter stages of the war. It ended its years in retirement in the Embra Zoo. If you want an unexpurgated frank account of this rather unpleasant animal you can read about it here
It made an appearance on the BBC TV One Show earlier this week with the energetic Mrs O, SNP candidate for Dumfries etc at the next general election, making her pitch for a memorial for the beast in the Hutton area. Recently a local writer has written a book about the bear-see here and a mention on the One Show will do its sales no harm.
Given the number of existing tourist sights in the village-the Village Hall, the 4 pumps, the great Kirk, The former Manse, The Old Manse (AKA Antrim House), the 39 Steps,the former pub, the bus stop,the sign post to Paxton, The Millenium stone, the existing phone box does Hutton really need a memorial to a politically incorrect bear who is mostly remembered by the very olden folk for its habit of scaring the this (anag) out of innocent villagers? Given its record of bowel moving escapades a fitting memorial might be a
Public Loo
(With so many extra tourists we might need one)
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Putting an Orr in?
This letter in today's electronic Berwickshire indicates a bit of disarray in the nationalist ranks?
SIR, - I read in last week’s issue with some degree of surprise that Aileen Orr is being quoted in your newspaper as Westminster Candidate and she is quoted as speaking for the Borders regarding independence.
While I am delighted that the Petition on Independence is getting some column inches in your first class newspaper I am disappointed that Ms Orr is once again being presented by the Tweeddale Press as some kind of local candidate for the SNP in Berwickshire.
This is extremely misleading for the electorate and quite insulting to our own Westminster candidate, Paul Wheelhouse who has been working across the Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk County Constituency since he was appointed last October.
Ms Orr may well farm with her husband at Hutton but that does not give her the right to comment on matters relating to this constituency without that comment coming through myself or our candidate.
She is a Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for an area which stretches from Clydesdale on the west coast down to Dumfriesshire and the Solway coast then up to West Peeblesshire. That, I am sure you will agree, is a bit further west than even the Berwickshire News can claim as its circulation area.
All press releases regarding the Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirkshire Constituency are issued from either myself for Paul Wheelhouse and I would ask that you respect that position check with one of us before publishing items purporting to represent the SNP in this area.
KENNETH GUNN,
Chairman, Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk County Constituency SNP Association.
Might it not have been simpler to ask Mrs O to button it locally rather than air party disagreements in the medja? And how is it Mrs O's fault if the local press has misunderstood her position?
Whilst wishing the Hutton Farmer all the best in the Westminster hustings may Huttonian respectfully suggest that door to door canvassing is not best done by sitting in car and sending the younger members of the family to stuff the letter boxes and knock the knockers. It did not work around here and I doubt if it will have a warmer response a 'bit further west'
Verb Sap as they used to say in Pompeii
This letter in today's electronic Berwickshire indicates a bit of disarray in the nationalist ranks?
SIR, - I read in last week’s issue with some degree of surprise that Aileen Orr is being quoted in your newspaper as Westminster Candidate and she is quoted as speaking for the Borders regarding independence.
While I am delighted that the Petition on Independence is getting some column inches in your first class newspaper I am disappointed that Ms Orr is once again being presented by the Tweeddale Press as some kind of local candidate for the SNP in Berwickshire.
This is extremely misleading for the electorate and quite insulting to our own Westminster candidate, Paul Wheelhouse who has been working across the Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk County Constituency since he was appointed last October.
Ms Orr may well farm with her husband at Hutton but that does not give her the right to comment on matters relating to this constituency without that comment coming through myself or our candidate.
She is a Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for an area which stretches from Clydesdale on the west coast down to Dumfriesshire and the Solway coast then up to West Peeblesshire. That, I am sure you will agree, is a bit further west than even the Berwickshire News can claim as its circulation area.
All press releases regarding the Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirkshire Constituency are issued from either myself for Paul Wheelhouse and I would ask that you respect that position check with one of us before publishing items purporting to represent the SNP in this area.
KENNETH GUNN,
Chairman, Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk County Constituency SNP Association.
Might it not have been simpler to ask Mrs O to button it locally rather than air party disagreements in the medja? And how is it Mrs O's fault if the local press has misunderstood her position?
Whilst wishing the Hutton Farmer all the best in the Westminster hustings may Huttonian respectfully suggest that door to door canvassing is not best done by sitting in car and sending the younger members of the family to stuff the letter boxes and knock the knockers. It did not work around here and I doubt if it will have a warmer response a 'bit further west'
Verb Sap as they used to say in Pompeii
Labels: General Election, Mrs O, SNP
