Scottish Voices

Voices for Scotland - https://voicesforscotland.scot

Business Scotland - https://www.businessforscotland.com

Women for Indy - http://www.womenforindependence.org

Pensioners for Indy - https://www.facebook.com/PensionersforYes/

Scottish Independence Convention - https://www.facebook.com/ScotConvention/

Bella Caledonia - https://bellacaledonia.org.uk

Progress Scotland - https://www.progressscotland.org

Two of the main Indy websites below. There are many Scottish Indy sites - how do we pull together with our online presence? Its all about fast impact these days. 

**Common Weal -  https://commonweal.scot

**All Under One Banner - https://auob.org

Scottish Women Writers

*Catherine Carswell 1876 – 1946

Carswell wrote of the worlds of Europe and Glasgow. Carswell was a professional reviewer for the Herald newspaper. She wrote of great women characters of modern fiction: vulnerable, tough, bright and strong. 

Biography Robert Burns (1930):The Sage Pilgrimage (1932); the Tranquil Heart (1937),

The Scottish world is not for Joanna: Italy and Europe must be experienced before she can fully inhabit her potential

*Nan Shepherd(1893 – 1981)

`The Quarry Wood, The Weatherhouse, A Pass in the Grampians. Shepherd wrote of identity and freedom; landscape and spirituality; responsibility and choice. Her most famous book is  The Living Mountain (1977).

*Willa Muir (1890 – 1970)

Women: An Enquiry (19250, Mrs Grundy in Scotland (1936), Imagined corners (1931); Mrs Ritchie (1933), Living with ballads (1963); Belonging (1968)

Aileen Christenson’s critical study moving in circles on Willa Muir’s writings (2007)

All three have either place in any canon of modern literature, write Alan Raich. Scotland should be glad to give them acclaim.

Democracy and Universal Suffrage

It appears that the small island nation of Iceland led the way

Iceland is generally held to be the oldest Parliament, starting in 930. The oldest continuous Parliament is the Tynwald (Isle of Man), which started in 979, although its roots go further back. In 1188 Spain held one of the first parliament followed by the Netherlands in 1581. 

In the UK the Union of Parliaments 1707, brought about a more modern parliament, which limited the power of the monarch. 

After the Union of the Parliaments in Britain – which dissolved both the Parliament of Scotland the Parliament of England under James Stuart (VI Scotland and I England) to create a parliament of Great Britain, which sat in London. The modern concept of parliamentary government emerged in the Kingdom of Great Britain (1707 - 1800 ) and in Sweden during the Age of Liberty (1718 - 1722). 

**Universal Suffrage

Suffrage – is the right to vote in public, political elections. 

Britain was not one of the first countries to offer votes for all men, and later all women.

France - 1792 suffrage for all men (in 1850 excluded criminals and homeless)

America  - 1856 Voting rights all white males, and suffrage women 1920

New Zealand  1893 – full suffrage and votes for women. First self-governing country.

Finland - 1906 – suffrage all men and women (women could also stand for election) 

UK – 1918 – male suffrage, all men the vote

1928 – all women the vote. 

Voting Injustice

In 1969 UK closed a loophole where 7% got 2 votes!

Also in 1969 Northern Ireland  votes for Catholics after the civil rights movement. (under Harold Wilson)

In the US, some states exercise shared sovereignty to offer citizens the opportunity to write, propose, and vote on referendums. 

Referendums in the UK are rare. In the UK we have a passive, non interactive democracy.

and we have too large, impersonal council areas. 

Women Musicians

Beth Orton

There are many exciting Scottish women musicians – 

Be Charlotte, Stephanie Cheape, Iona Fyfe, Siobhan Wilson, Karine Polwart,

But there is also a serious lack of women producers, songwriters and executives. Women must think bigger. I believe we must have more business and management courses in education. There are many women in media and promotions.

Iona Fyfe

Julie Fowlis

Low Anthem

Sharon Shannon

Imelda May

Congratulations to the recent success of Scots! – Calvin Harris (our major Scots producer) at the Brit awards; Tom Walker from Kilsyth and Lewis Capaldli from Glasgow! Well done to all. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS0SyW980YI

 

Laura Marling

King Tuts Revolution Program

Famous steps King Tuts

The famous King Tuts venue in Glasgow celebrates women musicians along with emerging new talent 

with their exciting January Revolution Program 

https://www.kingtuts.co.uk/whats-on#/january-2019

Emeli Sande at her sound check King Tuts 2009

2017, Year of the Looking Glass

Many in Scotland are angry and frustrated with the incompetence of a Tory elite who believe in out-dated privilege, In today’s modern world, why do we meekly have to accept an enforcement of major changes such as an ill-advise Brexit? 

….and we in Scotia long for self-determination…

The Press and Media has become manipulated and controlled by algorithms.

“Thirty years of liberal twiddling with the lies of communication have made it almost impossible to broadcast anything but received propaganda.”  American critic Guy Davenport.

The purpose of journalism is to inform and disseminate, and if it isn’t, it isn’t doing its job.

Brexit is being run by incompetents with no idea of their end goal.

We had the horror of the Grenfell tower fire tragedy – Channel Four news and award winning journalist Jon Snow, exposed that the tower was run by a large incompetent and criminally out-of-touch management company. It is clear that there needs to be urgent changes made so that people can have a say in how their homes are managed.

In 2017 women roared and spoke out against the bullish bully Harvey Weinstein. A similar bully, Trump, sits on the seat of power in the American Whitehouse. This misuse of power towards women, with women as second class citizens defined the year. 

The major serious issue is that women are the main care givers of the old and of children, and nothing in our world is more important than the care of children.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! and that wiser heads may rule in 2018!

MUSIC, Ignorance and Faith 2017

Adam Holmes performed at Celtic Connections with Rura

The Arts lift us out of the ordinary, offer us permanence, shift time, give us beauty, hope and dreams..“When the arts are neglected and obscured, people suffer from dullness or ignorance.” Alan Raich

I now have my old record collection on display – and there appears a shift back to the quality of the physical purchase. In our world of fast moving shifting sands people are now searching out some classic permanence. 

Significantly my son said, ‘I want to own my music.’

At Milngavie folk club I enjoyed quality performances from Dougie Maclean, Cara Dillon , Blue Rose Code. Thanks Jason for running such a top folk club!

I enjoyed a great concert with the legend Celtic soul man Van Morrison.

At Celtic 2017 – I exhibited some of my Celtic photos of my ten years covering this major event, at the Old Fruitmarket venue and I thought of the many fun gigs I’ve enjoyed there. This year Rab Noakes played a quality concert with a mostly female band. Also concerts by many top Women musicians. Men continue to dominate music, but there are some highly talented and wonderful women musicians – both young and old – to be discovered. Julie Fowlis, Siobhan Wilson, Eddi Reader, Joni Mitchell, Cara Dillon, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Alice Marra, Laura Marling and many many more... 

The Scottish pipes were altered a while back, so that they can now be played along side an orchestra or band and this has made a big difference to ceilidh music.

Laura Marling backed by the RSNO

Beautiful Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis

the indomitable Eddi Reader

Iona Fyfe

Other artists I rate highly – Lorde, Father John Misty, Christine and the Queens, Radiohead,

Mary Chapin Carpenter and friends

**CUTs to the ARTS – Both Brexit and the deregulations by the UK government of Lottery Funds threaten the future success of the Arts.

The arts are of vital importance for our well being, how we view the world and ourselves and place in the world. The Arts give shape and understanding.

Van Morrison

Preservation

It’s important we preserve our significant heritage and in so doing ensure a flourishing, creative and rich artistic future. I’ve been reading of Burn’s travels over Caledonia – from the highlands to the Borders, when he kept his finely tuned ear alert for some of the world’s most memorable oral ballads, and to preserve them for all time. He added verses and altered tunes. What a legacy!

SCOTTISH WRITERS – Apart from Burns, I have been reading of the many other great Scottish writers – William Dunbar, Edwin Morgan, Iain Crichton Smith, Edwina Muir, James Hogg, Elizabeth Melville, Hugh MacDiarmid, 

As we entered into the Looking glass of Neverland in 2017…

I am sad for the lost forgetting, the hollow dreams, the ignorant minds…

Are we at crossroads, certainly not new beginnings. We are in a downward spiral, without balance and must now hope for options on the next turn. This is not about standing on the shoulders of the greats – its about being lost in some dark tunnels.

Blue Rose Code

For 2018 I hope we may find new balances, real informed debate in physical spaces, free press and build bridges across old, entrenched divides. 

Then I found a piece I’d written on inspiring people.

And I have to wonder - why can’t different cultures co-exits In harmony, side by side – are we not stronger for our very diversities?

There were many terrorist attacks UK – we need to build bridges and reach out. ….and we in Scotia long for self-determination…

‘One World’

All the arts depend on collaborating – the more diverse and broader the better. Bono of U2 wrote his ‘One World’ when the Berlin wall came down. Sadly today walls are going back up…..

 

Rab Noakes and his band

Rura

Women Writers EIBF 2017

Sheila  Rowbotham

Evelyn Glennie

Hera Lindsay Bird

Laura Albert

Lura Waddell

Katy Mahood

Elif Shafak

Caroline Brothers

Harriet Walter