[0762]

Thank god we have progressively moved to another level of politic and societal change in Scotland compared with what has been described in your last para ritchie. Sadly, there is still a huge threat of imposing such a horrible wealthy-poor/lower class barrier and practises from certain extreme RW Tory-Brexit morons who are nothing more than extremists "living in the past", but they are extremely dangerous (bizarrely in positions of power!!) to the country and must be marginalised in the name of true democracy and proper human rights.

[hibeejim21]

jim, the NBR Co was a private company and it's only connection with the British Govermment was that it required Acts Of Parliament to proceed with it's plans, just like the English companies. The fact that it had numerous rich shareholders who no doubt were in it for profit did not stop it being a Scottish company, and although you mentioned the word "exclusive", I did not.

I have no doubt that Learmonth being a Tory helped greatly in getting the permissions and backing required. Don't forget too that all the major engineering works of the period were only built because of rich people spending money. Equally they were only built with the toil of poor people and it's that (unequal) partnership that gave us iconic sights like the Forth Rail Bridge.

Sure ritchie.... Just it definitely had links to government and parliament to "grease those wheels" so to speak and to impede rivals - there are several examples of this documented.

I'm not fussed about the term "north british" i just see that as a flag of convenience to make the company work across the borders, but they certainly over-extended financially across their history which may have sadly resulted in the structural and maintenance failures that caused the tay bridge disaster.

[ritchiebaby]

Just a comment about the fantastic respect and affection shown by the Scottish public and officials to the Royal Family generally and especially to the late Queen.

On a slightly political note, it was good to see that the Moderator in his thanksgiving address in St Giles Cathedral made specific mention of Queen Elizabeth. Not Queen Elizabeth II, as Scotland has never previously had a Queen Elizabeth - Elizabeth I reigned before the Union Of The Crowns and was solely Queen Of England.

[0762]

And may I add - a good Scottish accent to match up to that address and well presented to a global audience. I think there is a lot to debate re the media presentation of this event, suppression of other opinions and other issues relative to it. Now is not the right time to do that.

[hibeejim21]

Truss was giving the first minister the filthiest look during her reading at that ceremony. Definitely no love lost there.

[theo_luddite]

It's a wonder she knows how to put her clouts on to be honest. She's another one removing anyone that questions her ideas, regardless of length of service. They need reigning in - big time.

[0762]

She couldnae "lace Nicola's boots" either or manage to get a slot in Vogue magazine.

[hibeejim21]

Maybe i'm just in a bad mood as i've done my ankle a sore one, but watching BBC news and hearing some woman boasting about waking her 8 year old kid up at 3:AM to take her to Queue for 10 hours to see this just struck me as revolting. What kind of a nutter does that ?

The whole thing is just overkill now, from interviews with the president of the welsh corgi association to Beckham making it all about him as usual. Enough is enough now. It's turning into an obscene spectacle. It feels like lots of people are there just to be seen to be there.

In some ways it's like the Poppy stuff all over again. The people who seem to care the most, cheapen it the most with their competitive performative public grief.

Roll on Tuesday.

[0762]

That's what they do Jim. There are lots n lots of folk who are similarly watching this spectacle in amazement!1 I even had an off the cuff conversation yesterday with a checkout woman at Waitrose who asked, "What do you make of these people queuing for 8-12 hours to walk past a coffin in a couple of mins? Not for me"! My reply - "Yep, 1000s of folk gawping at a coffin, freedom of choice, but not for me either"!! Grieving privately/discreetly aint such a bad thing IMO!! Note THERE IS MORE TO COME!! AND HOW MUCH PUBLIC EXPENDITURE WILL BE SPENT ON THE CORONATION NEXT YEAR?? Mind-boggling stuff and more to add to the list of issues/criticisms to be seriously debated later.

[theo_luddite]

Have to agree. Think many knowing it's wall to wall and everyone and anyone that has a 24hr News thingy has a reporter and a camera somewhere in the queue. They are hoping for their 10-20-30 seconds of fame on the tellybox. They've no more connection to the Queen than nearly all of us on here have to each other, but of course they can all recall when they nearly met a Royal but we're walking down the next street. God save the Kwing.