Laurence

Caman See you at walking football ? No need to bring boots 1 By the way in my day the feet used to bleed as the nails of the studs wore through the leather soles . Joking apart - Things are beginning to look very serious. I think we are getting towards a watershed match. A poor result against another " part time " unit , will be very bad for team moral and also us beleaguered shell shocked fans I am not hoping to pull up the Dundee United tree or even the trees of the top rated Falkirk' or the underrated bush of ST Mirren , but we must produce against the less powerful outfits in the league. I have fingers crossed - My new season ticket awaits it's first use, Hopeful and anxious - regards to all the fans Laurence

I really don't know what to do, I am nor phased by relegation, In England I saw plenty with my boyhood team " Bury" , the other side there were plenty of promotions, what goes up sometimes goes down syndrome. The last time I saw Bury play was against Bournemouth in a league two play off match. Now look at Bournemouth?. Life goes on. My years watching Calley have not been all rosie but interesting. I have never seen a Scottish football match outside the top floght. I am not sure if to buy another season ticket. I will be 74 on the 1st of August , my fight against cancer I seem to have won, but my wife says I am not fit to drive up and down the A9 at night. On Saturdays my wife drives she drops me off at the ground and picks me up after the game. This last year I have not enjoyed the games much. I suspect we will hold our own in the lower league and the games will be less intense. Thinking back to my life watching football times have changed dramatically, my first game was an away game at Bramhall lane Sheffield in 1949, I only remember it because it was bonfire night, there were no motorways then and as the coach travelled over the Yorkshire moors to Bury, I remember fires all over the place, The coach was full ofr "old" men, no replica shirts in those days, but guys who worked 12 hour days In Cotton mills who moaned about the players conceding 4 goals, the match ended in a 4 4 draw. My next memory was Bury lacing Southampton 8.2 at Gigg lane. Bury was virtually the first club in the North of England to install floodlights, I can also remember an inaugural match against Vienna Rapid. Gates used to be getting on for 20,000 in those days. Disaster came around 1959 when the Shaker's dropped into the 3rd Division North. They were in the main much better than the other teams, but promotion was limited to one club. Bury did not get promotion that year as a formidable Scunthorpe team was far too powerful. The reorganisation of football and the emergence ot a national 3rd division did the trick, as Bury with an array of Scotsmen and the new manager " Bob Stokoe", swept all before the and they went back to the 2nd tier , with a record points win, with every member of the 5 man forward line scoring at least 20 goals. At this stage my hard drive failed I had to quickly save and rejoin, before I could check the spelling in my diatribe which I was writing because I cant sleep. My point is do I stop watching football >? , or do I risk life and Limb driving to a Inverness . The strange thing is it is easier to go to away games because I just catch the coach in Aviemore. Maybe I should just go to the airport and fly to Manchester and see my last game at my beloved Gigg Lane. and call it a day/ . I usually sell a lot of books over the week-end so I will be busy anyway. I am now signed up for walking football on Sunday mornings. I was surprised to find I still have a powerful shot in both right and left sides . I have a problem with balance though and I landed on my knees when I fell off the gazebo roof. recently some ex firefighter I am?

I Have told you all before Do I have to repeat myself because you are nationalists that will accept separation at any price Scotland has a small working population. The tax revenue is very low The balance of payments deficit with England will be immense not to mention the rest of the world Scotland can't rely on oil because it only takes one meeting with OPEC to increase production Scotland exports whiskey, so what it probably imports more Coca Cola and other soft drinks before we get onto the other alcoholic drinks like wine and such like all have to be paid for. Go in any store in Inverness and walk around identify products made in Scotland. You will see that Scotland will be on its hands and knees within a year The alternative is to take the money from the Uk treasury, laugh and carry on letting London do the worrying , I won't repeat myself again I think this is the 3rd time I have told you the rampant still fighting medieval battles , Just grow up.

I seem to have a lot on my shoulders, being blamed for relegation What next the stocks, or the ducking stool, or been tied to a tree and set alight All I tried to do was point out that a young man in his first job was given no cash. How many other managers would have done better with a boracic club. You can't get blood out of a stone

I can understand that a lot of people are getting on my back, over Richie Foran. I seem to remember he was a popular choice on his appointment. What do I know, but lynching the manager is a popular remedy for failure. It can work look at Leicester City, But not Birmingham City. Managing a football club is not easy especially with no cash. Guys have left the club for pastures new , usually Aberdeen or Dundee because of one thing cash. Hughes left because he couldn't pay his players the going rate. Managing in a lower division , who can we attract ? I am not jumping on the sack the manager bandwagon . I realise it is just my opinion, but I am not convinced he ( Foran ) is incapable of managing with the proper resources. - Have another go at me chaps, I can't help the way I feel. As in the last line of " Gone With the Wind " Tomorrow is another day " We have nothing to lose in the next few games, let's blast the hell out of the opponents.

To Scarlet Very sorry if I annoyed you about your book I can't really remember your proposal I am a second hand book seller , The older the better, I specialise in old Scottish books , I really wouldn't know where to start with newly published items. The best of luck with your book , I lost my account with Amazon co uk when my account was hacked costing me a thousand pounds a month, because Amazon will not re-instate me.. I was the victim but Amazon will not listen although I have a police Scotland report saying it was not my fault.

Well - What can one say? - totally depressing for me and I have only supported the team for 8 years . I can't begin to understand how long time fans are feeling. It may be a double whammy for me as my boyhood team needs to get a result tomorrow at Southend to keep their status. I have seen many promotions and relegations in my time - I have lost count. Alright it is not a mathematical fact that Caley are down but it would take the " Lucky Man's ", bracelet to get to the play -off . They ( whoever they are ) say the league table doesn't lie - I think "they" are right. Only one real performance of note , was the home game against Celtic in my opinion. Caley will have to regroup , they have done it before , they can do it again, With Hibernian and possibly Dundee United out of the way , it is possible. I don't know who to blame , several candidates and events come to mind, But it wont help to dwell on spilt milk. I certainly don't blame the manager. Many years ago when I was a teenager Bury were relegated from what is now the championship. The board sacked the manager , the Bury fans demonstrated at great length against the decision, outside the ground , to such an extent that Shannon was reinstated , the following season the team gained promotion back to Division two as it was . Shannon resigned having made his point. I hope Richie Foran stays and shows everybody what he can do.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/793453/Amazon-bookshop-Scotland-government-subsidies As a local bookseller who pays a lot of tax on my modest sales - I can't for the life of me see why Amazon need handouts from Holyrood SNP government is diabolical in the extreme

All these points are meaningless The bottom line is Scotland cannot afford to separate from the United Kingdom end of

Kingsmill I respect your point of view, however it is not relevant as you are one of the romantics I was referring too Believe what you want too, whatever you feel I am sure like the Pied Piper you will get countless followers I feel following recent events that the First Minister and SNP leader was frit to go to her conference without any stance on this issue I for one don't want to show my passport at the border, and border controls there will be because of the threat of migration of foreign nationals entering Scotland and then going to England. We may even get a Trump wall. This nationalistic fervour to which you espouse can only end in disaster, I am sure you know that . The bottom line will always be Scotland cannot afford to go it alone. The worst synedria Holyrood will be taking orders from Berlin.

Quite simply Independence is just a romantic notion There are people still fighting medieval wars in their heads and in their hearts. Scotland cannot afford financially to be an independent country in or out of Europe The NHS in Scotland is costing about 10 billion pounds a year , just about the same as the oil wealth when the price was high Now the north sea oil and gas industry is being funded from the UK treasury , it is in a negative financial state and is predicted to stay that way until 2022, (not accounting for the costs of decommissioning ) If the oil magnates in the middle east , can put the price up or down ( by raising or reducing output at will) , then the fear of a second collapse is always possible. Scotland's tax payers I guess around 2,00,000 of them can't be expected to foot the bill of running a country. The balance of payments deficit with England not to mention the E U is enormous , over one hundred trucks an hour cross the border at Gretna bringing supplies from England and elsewhere into Scotland, I know because I have counted them . The main trucks going the other way are carrying timber and livestock. Yo only have to go into the stores in Inverness to see the sales floors stacked with imported goods, all would have to be paid for with the currency adopted by the new country. If it be the Euro a second bankrupted Greece will be on the horizon. Romance is one thing , reality is another, as a Scottish tax pay payer I am not happy to foot the bill of separation.

According to all the Scottish news bulletins and interviews with the players, the wheels were due to come off the chariot. We ere told that the record would be a problem and the English players would get a bout of nerves, and the Scottish team was on a superb high. Could they not have been more wrong? and what ? The Calcutta cup stays in the south The unbeaten record goes on Quote "Six Nations 2017: Winning run could 'paralyse' England - Scotland's Nathan Hines " - from BBC sport England 61 Scotland 21 Mind you the men did better than the women England 64 Scotland Women 0 Sunday 26th February 2017

Well now it has come to a wasted 5 days of parliamentary time The Government should have used the guillotine motion A straight forward vote in or out Now we have the ridiculous spectacle of Scots Nat hypocritically moving amendments in a most undemocratic way to a desiccant made by the people to leave the EU. Can you imagine the furore it would cause if God forbid Scots' won a vote to leave the UK and parliament blocked it. We have 3 line whip on Labour to support the will of the people . Will those members from constituencies' which voted to REMAIN follow that whip , I hope so Will the speaker have the guts to curtail posturing from the SNP I also hope so This pantomime has gone on for too long , It should be voted through on the nod

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The Royal prerogative was mentioned in court Apparently after the Since Civil War and the reinstallation of the Monarchy in Great Britain , Parliament have the last say in all constitutional matters

In 1997 the Labour Party, desperate for electability, ? At the Time the Labour government had the biggest majority in history

The recent High court ruling that Parliament is soverign and referendia's do not make the law is a great talking point.

I notice there is feeling that royal Estates and other places should be forcibly put into public hands When Robert Mugabe did it it was condemned throughout the world

On a daily basis I calculate my sales converting the sales on my American web site to from dollars to British pounds Usually I have to sell around $100 to gross £66 or so Today I sold $87 dollars worth of books to gross £66 This below is a resume' of the conversion company review of the situation Somewhat interesting - But from my point of view clouds and silver linings come to mind XE Market Analysis: North America - Jun 24, 2016 Currency markets settled in a confused stasis after the dramatic moves during the Asian session as the reality of Brexit became increasingly apparent. Cable was sitting with a 7.8% net loss on the day, at 1.3700 as of the early European PM session, having shown a record-breaking 11% decline at the 1.3231 intraday low. GBP-JPY was also off is lows, but it still showing a net 11.4% decline. EUR-USD, meanwhile, was off by 2.2% and EUR-CHF was 0.5% for the worse, despite confirmed SNB intervention. Commodity and other high beta currencies, along with European currencies, have been the ex-sterling currency underperformers today. AUD-USD lost 3% and USD-CAD gain by over 2%. European currencies have also taken a beating, with the Norwegian and Swedish crowns and eastern European currencies all underperforming the euro, which itself is notably underperforming the other G3 currencies, with the yen and the dollar the Brexit safe haven currencies of choice. [EUR, USD] EUR-USD plummeted from levels above 1.1400 to a three-month low of 1.0911 before recouping to the upper 110s. The euro is set to remain an underperformer in forex markets amid post-Brexit concerns about the broader euro project. Resistance is at 1.1098-1.1100. [USD, JPY] USD-JPY dove to two-plus year lows of 99.00 from 106.81 before "magically" sprinting back to 102.00 in a heartbeat. Japan Finance Minister Aso reportedly said "no comment" on whether or not the MoF ordered intervention to stem yen gains earlier. Aso also said firm action on the yen will be taken if needed, though said it was premature to discuss joint intervention. He said that Japan will respond to FX moves, if needed, "more than ever" and is watching with a "sense of urgency." The BoJ presser said it will continue to closely monitor the markets after the referendum, ready to provide sufficient liquidity, "including using existing swap agreements." [GBP, USD] Sterling saw record-breaking losses as the UK opted for Brexit. Uncertainty now prevails. Will there be a general election (less than 200 of the 650 members of parliament supported Brexit)? Will Scotland and Northern Ireland vote to leave the UK (both having voted to remain part of the single market? What happens to investment, consumer spending etc during a "transition" period that could be more than two years? How long before the ratings agencies chop the UK's triple A status (S&P and Moody's issued informal warnings today)? What implications with this have on the broader European Project? Brexiters will celebrate their victory, but the near- to-medium term economic future is not looking bright for the UK. Risk-off positioning is likely to dominate for the foreseeable, with sterling to remain firmly under the cosh. [USD, CHF] EUR-CHF dove from levels above 1.0800 to a 10-month low at 1.0623 before recouping to the upper 1.07s. The reality of Brexit will likely maintain pressure on the cross and given the Swiss policymakers a headache. The SNB said after its quarterly policy review this month, that it is monitoring the impact of the Brexit issue on the "significantly overvalued" franc. [USD, CAD] USD-CAD rallied to a 23-day peak at 1.3099 as oil prices fell as the reality of Brexit sparked a risk-off panic in global markets. We expect the pair to remain underpinned. The May 23 high at 1.3188 provides a target, while support is at 1.3020 and 1.3000.

"Something Happened" but what ? Did the Elite get a bloody nose from the Non Elite , if so why ? By Elite can I mention David Cameron Jeremy Corbin, The IMF, The G7 , The USA , But most of all France Germany Italy amongst others. Including the Britt's living abroad Why did over 50% of the population show two fingers to the people who boss us about, but significantly not the Scots or the Irish Maybe you can put it down to Leadership, The Scot had its latter day " Maid of Orleans " The Irish had the republican movement, ( aiming to unify their Island, ? Did the media go about it all wrong. ? Did the Confrontational broadcasts not help, Some form of explanation of all the facts was not forthcoming. Is the person in the street suitably equipped to make judgements of this nature. Or will we just het knee jerk reactions based on immigration in our own back yard. Can someone exp[ain to the million or more British living and working on the Iberian peninsular ?that they could be extradited at the drop of a hats l Little Englander strikes again?

Can someone tell me how people know who voted what ? Supposed to be a secret ballot

I find it really hard to believe that anyone voted leave, especially oldies like me .

The SNP are by nature a confrontational party The other day a Nat spokesman in the House of Commons was championing the cause of an Australian family ( based in Dingwall ) threatened by deportation under immigration rules. Instead of approaching the subject with a degree of diplomacy to the position of the minister. He just had to dive in with both feet . Sometimes in the words of Baden Powell " softly softly catchy e monkey " . Making a major issue in parliament is not always the right course of action, if you want a result Virtually every time an SNP MP speaks it is "in your face politics" , time they calmed down.

My next door neighbour was a native of Ipswich and he travels there quite often to visit relatives. He told me he recently met Butcher in the club shop in Ipswich, he said to Terry , "wished you stayed in Inverness", Butcher "replied I do too"

In 1993 I retired from the Fire Brigade in Lancashire and was offered a job in the deep south in Kent A work mate of mine was a Wimbledon fan, he took me to matches .and I soon got hooked. For many seasons a I watched Wimbledon play Premier league football on Crystal Palace's ground Selhurst park. 14 years ago the club was stolen off the fans and franchised to Milton Keynes. The Fans formed a new club themselves, ( sitting on hay bales on an amateur ground ) they joined the 9th level of English football, determined to fight back their rightful place now they are in the 3rd tier of English football, Fantastic spirit of Neil Hardley who I watched play against all the top sides . Now AFC Wimbledon are in the the same league as MK Dons, What a game that will be next season when the teams meet on level terms. My memories of that period of my life returned today. Unbelievable feeling I can tell you.