Did I miss the vote?

Two answers.

1. The vast majority of recent elections.
2. Where was the vote that said we do want a second referendum?

Yes but they were. An independence referendum is a reserved matter ie for Westminster to decide. And the party elected to govern had a manifesto policy of no second referendum.

To rephrase the question, why should we have another referendum when the majority of people don’t want one?

 Can’t have parties going back on their manifesto commitments 😀

Totally agree. The majority of Scottish voters voted for parties with manifesto policies of not having another referendum, and that’s what we have now.  So the Scottish electorate has got what it wants. Perfect!!

how exactly does the population of Scotland express it’s right to a referendum

Well the SNP have consistently said that Westminster should listen to the voices of the Scottish people. In the vast majority of recent elections and polls the majority of Scottish voters have said they don’t want a second referendum. Therefore Westminster is doing exactly what the SNP have asked them to do.  Surely the SNP should be happy about that?

A mountain bike would be better than a gravel bike (I reckon) unless your bike handling skills are far better than mine. Though to be honest that’s not difficult.

A hardtail, or short travel full suss would be fine. Other than a few steep downhills there’s not much that’s really technical. Just lots of bumpy grass tracks where I think you’d want a bit of suspension, just for comfort, as it’s a long distance.

I copy my photos from the Photos app to a file on my Mac. Just select and drag across. I also back them up to an external hard drive and a USB by the same method. Plus iCloud storage which is pretty cheap.
Might be overkill but my photos are the one thing I would really hate to lose. And the above takes no time to do.

Is it/ are you still contagious then for all that? I was under the impression that you were only contagious for 3 weeks after commencement of the cough.

Yes, three weeks after you start coughing is when you are contagious. Or 48 hours from when you start to take antibiotics. According to both my GP and the NHS website.

As far as i am aware thats a disease caused by nutritional deficiencies (and or lack of exposure to sunlight) resulting in low vitamin D. Unless you have a diet low in dairy and kick about in a burka* i think you’ll be fine.

I’m Scottish……a poor diet and lack of sunshine is our national norm!!  (-:

I thought this was vaccinated for?

I was vaccinated as a child. But that was about 50 years ago so guess it may have worn off.

Remember the days when whooping cough was something you learnt about in your primary school Victorians project?

Slight worried I may have rickets now!!

@FunkyDunc your wife sounds horrible (if you know what I mean). I’m thankfully nowhere near that level of illness. Hope she recovers eventually. Out of interest did she have an underlying condition (don’t answer if you don’t want to)? Reason I ask is I have asthma.

Whooping cough is reportable to public health england, and you should ensure you get a swab and its noted.

I had to take antibiotics at the time as I was classed as a contact. If you do get it you are supposed to isolate for I think a week. Even if you dont get it too severe other people will so please do keep isolated if you get it.

Yes I’ve had the swab test. Doctor was on the phone as soon as it came back so obviously something they are worried about. He’ll do the notification. Both doctor (and NHS website) say you should isolate for 48 hours from starting antibiotics which I did think was surprisingly quick.

My main worry was that we’d been socialising with friends who have young grandchildren. Frantic round of phone calls last night to warn people. Fingers crossed but  no one has any symptoms and at least they are now all aware.

I’m two weeks in. Thought it was just a chest infection, as did the doctor. However he took a swab just to be sure. That was on Monday. Tuesday afternoon he called to say I have whooping cough. Am now on antibiotics.

I have to say how impressed I was with my GP and pharmacy. Test results within 24 hours and on antibiotics within an hour of that.

I don’t feel too bad during the day. Mostly just a regular cough. Do feel very tired and short of breath though. Only able to do short walks. Nighttime is horrible though. Getting woken up coughing violently and gasping for breath.

We were supposed to be off on holiday this morning but been told to isolate for two days. Main worry is the stories of it dragging on for months and what it might to fitness. I’ve been training for a couple of things which are now in doubt.

Basically being a proper man and feeling very sorry for myself. 😀. Mrs Kenny is being far more stoic.

LD for the win,only the (some) Scots will know about it especially Inverclyde lot.

When I was living there (nearly 40 years ago admittedly) it was indeed El Dorado that was the tipple of choice for the jakie connoisseur. Buckie was seen as being a bit “posh”.

A second thank you to all the people who replied after my first thank you. On the back of all that great advice we’ve decided to extend our trip there slightly. Sounds like a lovely place.

I, and a few others on here, lost a good friend (and brilliant mountain biker) to cancer a few weeks ago.

His death hasn’t made me enjoy rides more exactly, but it has made me savour and appreciate them.

He was still checking out what people were doing (by Strava) right up until near the end and was always keen to hear about our biking, walking etc trips even if he could no longer do them himself.

To be honest I’m not entirely sure what point I’m trying to make with this post but just felt it needed saying.  So if you’re out and about in the hills or wherever today……enjoy it.

Several magazines, loads of books and the occasional Sunday newspaper. I find reading via  an actual physical item far more satisfying than reading on a tablet or phone.

Proper books and magazines also hold my attention far more than online articles do.

I have a gold level membership. I’d be happy to set a tournament up if that level allows me to.

I know it’s summer and we should all be out playing in the sun, but for those days when it’s too hot to go outside (England) or too wet to go outside (Scotland), is it time for another chess tournament? Been ages since the last one.

I’ve just turned sixty and this year am doing a total mix of cycling, running, walking and swimming. I’m also going to the gym more as they say resistance work is vital as you get older. Well that and the fact that while fit from the waist down I could barely open a can of beans.

I’ve found doing stretches (about 20 minutes) each day is great, and recovery days essential. They can be a gentle walk or easy swim.

I’m no longer very fit at one specific thing, but on the other hand my general fitness is better than it’s been in years. It’s also a great excuse for being slow at any specific discipline. “Sorry chaps, I know I’ve been off the back all day but that’s because I’ve been doing more running/swimming/walking etc this year”.

That’s brilliant. Many thanks to all who responded. This place never fails to deliver. I’m working my way through the various suggestions, to the point I’m now thinking we might extend our trip by a day or two.

Once again, much appreciated.

But he also said that independence could be delivered in 5 years…? Is he shoving it on the back burner or not? Or does he mean “if there were a yes vote today, we could Get Indy Done by 2029”?

He is obliged to say it as that’s what an SNP leader is supposed to say.

He knows there’s not a chance it’ll happen (as we all do), but as he’ll only be leader till Kate takes over in a year or two he can say what he likes and it doesn’t matter.

OP……this isn’t meant to sound glib or “smart”. but basically you’ve answered your own question. Go back and read what you’ve written and you’ll see you’ve no real worries (other than things we all worry about).

Hope that helps, apologies if it doesn’t.

Dear young me,

You know that Canadian prog rock trio that you’re really into? Well 48 years later they’ll still be your favourite band. Sadly though they never get to be cool. And neither do you.

Aldi’s Peppermint Aero copycat is much nicer than the original.

For sheer good fun, probably Star Trek IV……not least for “nuclear wessels”.

I love the old black and white sci-fi too. Some of them just plain silly, some of them really quite superb. The Day the Earth Stood Still for example.

Yup, utterly horrible disease.

One sort of positive thing I can say though is that this forum……for all it’s many faults :-) ……will be here to help in any way we can. You need only ask.

Once again and as Kennyp agrees they actually have had a great deal of success – and once again post independence its unlikely to be the SNP as we know it in government – the SNP will have lost the glue that holds it together and there will be a huge realignment of scottish politics

The SNP have been in power a long time. Certainly the last year or two has seen the wheels come off the bus (or rather the motorhome!) but before that they were pretty good. Not perfect, but no party, regardless of political persuasion, ever is. But in my opinion they made Scotland the best place in the UK to live.

And that, for me, is both good and bad for both pro-independence and pro-union supporters. Pro-independence will say “Look, the SNP did lots of good things, so think what they could with full independence”. Pro-union will say “Ah yes, but they did all those good things while being part of the UK”. A similar point could be made about anything the SNP have got wrong.

Both arguments have a certain validity. No one can be sure what the future holds, so for both sides it’c conjecture. For me economics is the key factor, most aspects of a good society flow from being a country being on a good economic footing. If independence supporters can convince me on that basis then I would probably vote for it (it would also have to be good for other parts of the UK).

However from what I’ve seen the arguments don’t yet stack up. I don’t know much about economics but worked for years in financial services so I know a lot of people who know a lot about it. And the large majority of them aren’t yet convinced by the case put forward by the SNP etc. It seems to reply too much on optimistic assumptions.

I’m sure Scotland is quite capable of surviving as an independent country. It’s got loads going for it and I love living here. But as long as the chances of us being worse off are more than 50% then I’m not going to vote to leave the UK.  Change that and you’ll get my vote.

And Unionism is YOUR deal breaker – basically you’d accept anything for Scotland as long as it had a Jack on it, is that what you’re saying?

Totally wrong. Though I accept I shouldn’t have used the word “committed”. There are definitely arguments in favour of Scotland being independent. However for me there aren’t nearly enough of them. I want what’s best for Scotland (and indeed the UK given how many friends and family I have in the other parts). So far I haven’t seen enough evidence that breaking up the union would be a good thing.

If supporters of independence put forward sound economic arguments (and similar) I’ll happily listen and debate. What I can’t be bothered with is the “Scotland needs to be free from English rule” drivel.

I have a Hilleberg Akto. It’s certainly not the lightest one man tent but it is absolutely bombproof. Has survived all sorts of wild conditions over the years. And it pitches inner and fly together, very quickly. It’s also quite spacious inside, which is great when you’re inside for hours and hours on winter nights. Or sheltering from midges on summer nights.

I paid about £300 for mine 14 years ago. I think they are double that now.  However I reckon I’ll have mine for 30 years or so (basically I’ll never buy another). From that point of view I think it makes them quite cheap.

One thing in this polarised debate is that unionists will never give the SNP led government any credit

In which case you might want to read what I wrote about the SNP a few pages back. I’m a committed unionist but I accept the SNP government has done a lot of good things in the past 15 years. In fact if it wasn’t for the independence thing I’d probably vote for them.

And yes, before anyone says, I do get that the “independence thing” is kind of a deal breaker for the SNP. (-:

A WW2 mash up……

Digging out tunnels called Tom, Dick and Harry,

Getting shot in the back as I climb out the lorry,

Showing my papers and other such japes,

These are a few of my greatest escapes.

So still nothing from the anti-SNP/independence posters accepting that what we have is what they want, the Union.

Well I am very much in favour of not breaking away from the Union, but I also happen to think the SNP have generally done a quite decent job in government. I’ll never vote for them for one obvious reason, but the independence issue aside they broadly speaking represent my political viewpoint.

Of course their record in government hasn’t been perfect, no party, regardless of politics, ever is. But Scotland is a brilliant place to live. I’ve loads of friends and family down south, and speaking to them I reckon the quality of life up here is much better. And for me being part of the Union is one of the reasons.

The SNP have done a lot of good things (though let’s not mention ferries), and have been able to do these things while being part of the UK.

As for Humza, well he seems a decent enough bloke, the sort you’d happily go for a beer with. But politically he’s hopeless. Which is why I think it’s strange the Tories have forced a no confidence vote with an election still possibly 6 months away. If he goes then I suspect Kate Forbes will get in who may well revitalise the SNP in time for the next election.

I’m glad the SNP have ended the deal. I’m not racist but Scotland should be for the Scots, and it’s time we sent these Green people back to where they came from……Greenland.

(thank you Sickipedia)

@scotroutes I think a small reservoir may be the way to go. I get through quite a bit of water on summer days, and don’t like carrying a hard case bottle on my back in case I fall (have had a couple of sore ones in the past when I’ve slid and landed on my back and had things dig in when wearing a waist pack). And agreed, I keep my mountain bike reservoir water only, and let it dry properly when I get home.

For longer summer runs in the Pentlands I just tend to take foil blanket, light jacket and (sometimes) light hat and gloves, plus phone, food, keys etc. Doesn’t take up too much space but gives me that reassurance should I slip and twist and ankle or something. Exact kit depends very much on forecast though.

For the vest type things, do people just carry water in the two little chest pouches? Or extra in the back?

Reason I ask is that while I can see the advantage (indeed necessity) for extra kit on longer, more remote, runs, the amount of water storage capacity on the vests seems quite limited. I’d get through two of the little pouches in an hour or so on a summer’s day. Even a Scottish “summer’s” day.

I’m quite keen to do some longer runs over the summer (mostly Pentlands too). Though when I say “runs” it’s more like a brisk walk with odd bits of jogging.

I’m just a grumpy shite on here. Well, not exclusively, but not as bad in real life. Apologies.

And I got a bit wound up too I admit. For what it’s worth I genuinely wasn’t doing Glasgow down. Pubs with bouncers (anywhere) just aren’t my thing, but I also admit that Glasgow is my favourite place anywhere for live music; amazing atmosphere. I’m old enough to have seen AC/DC play the Apollo.

but anythings better than a Blue Lagoon. Gads.

Finally something we can both agree on!!

Would depend on dates but potentially yes. We are about 5 miles from the station but on a good bus route for getting back into town. We have a garage. However we may be away bits of August, especially towards the end. Other than that, happy to help out.

All Bar One on St Vincent Street

I appreciate the tip ta, but I’m not a fan of these corporate chain pubs. Each to their own though. We obviously like different places.

That escalated faster than a fight in Best Kebab.

If I met him in real life I’m sure I’d buy him a pint. People just don’t always come across at their best on Internet forums. Me included.

I can also recommend Pizza Crolla. Had a few late night dishes from there over the years.

I must have frequented some quite unusual places whenever I’ve been out there then.

I can well imagine the sort of places people like you go to.

Easy answer……Edinburgh. Quite unusual to see a pub with a bouncer on the door there.

it wasn’t a stupid comment. I was drawing the OP’s attention to the fact about bouncers. I wouldn’t go into a pub of that type. Maybe he would. I don’t know. And I was also very complimentary about the Glasgow curry scene so hardly bringing the place down.  I was at a gig in Glasgow last Friday. Had a great time. Much better city than Edinburgh for live music.

I was then responding to your remark calling me an “arse”. STW is normally a friendly pleasant place. That wasn’t a friendly pleasant remark.