Laurence

You could say What has it not done? The Highlands are short of cash for the upkeep of schools, many small and uneconomical situated throughout the small villages. . Many weak bridges, small roads to maintain, massive bills for snow shifting. Freezing council tax means council employees struggle to get a fair pay rise. Expenses like building regulation approval's, or planning applications going through the roof to help the council meet its obligations. Freezing council tax does nothing to help small authorities with massive land mass and very small populations. The SNP are using the massive amount of cash provided by the British government to buy votes with no concern for the running the Highland council / Their only concern is for the areas that most of their MSPs represent. It was quite noticeable that in the Highland region not one area returned a Yes, and some areas where well over 70% NO; Indicative that the general population in the Highlands are sick their antics and misinformation. This Forum is way out of line with the people of this area.

You will see it as often as I can post

There is only one way to win at Football Manager and that is to cheat

Cockney "Went down the pub last night didn't hi"? You would think he would know

Turkey 1 Czech 2 I have just returned to Scotland from Istanbul I have been in Museums, Mosques , Roman ruins, Sultan's Harems, trips to Black sea Islands , and know 30 degrees C. day in and day out. But the hottest place I went was Fenerbahçe stadium on the Asian side of the Bosporus The match kicked off at 20.00 hours , which was a problem because the trams were scheduled to stop running at midnight. Getting into the stadium was a nightmare the crowd was unbelievable, I was searched at least 3 times. On entering the stand it was mental the fans were sitting on the steps and you could not get to the seats we had booked. When the players came out it was absolutely deafening, I have watched football at most major stadia in the UK and in France , but nothing like this. Eventually we got to our seats , where 5 big Turks were in occupation, my daughter who is fearless said " move" and they did. The National anthem was dynamic to say the least, I thought the Yanks overdid the jingoism but this was beyond anything I have ever known. After about 8 minutes the Turkish centre forward scored a nice header, and the crowd including my group went mental again. The Turkish crowd sang and sang without stopping , they were never quiet even when Czech team equalised and then scored the winner in the second half. Both teams seemed to play the modern formation of a back 4 with two holding midfielders in front at times Czechs had 7 at the back The Turkish tactics to me were not good and I thought the Czech team were more composed and better drilled. Turkey have some brilliant players but they are like loose canons at times , they really need leadership. Istanbul is around 4 times the size as the whole of Scotland with many teams you would think they would be a force in world football. They really play for the shirt. I travelled last Sunday so missing the Highland firm derby match, one wonders if I saw the better game. Life goes on now I have returned to the Tolkien like "Shire, haven, of the big bad world", one seems rather very relaxed.

Take consolation from the fact that if they had anything worth saying, they would say it. A lack of respect for other posters is the refuge of those who don't like what you're saying but can't argue against it. To be quite honest, that statement sums up Laurence perfectly. People can put forward any viewpoints they like, but they need to be backed up. The vast majority of his are ill-informed ramblings. The "SNP have no future and no money" statement being a prime example. I think the main thing that turns people off though, is not his political views at all. It's the manner he comes across. I don't know if it's intentional, but in the vast majority of his posts, he comes across as very arrogant and condescending, almost at times talking down to us, as if we Scots are lesser people than him. While it is wrong to attack people's personal lives, maybe if he refrained from bringing his personal life into everything, such "attacks" would never have started in the first place I don't mind opinions at all I don't like personal attacks cracks about my education cracks like his rambling If you don't like my opinions fine But don't justify your opinion by personal abuse of the person you disagree with Keep to the facts and keep my personality out of it and all will be fine Attacking me calling me a hypocrite , saying I ramble does not justify your case one iota. It just sums up the attackers perfectly Keep to the facts, If you think there is a future for Nationalism say so, but don't deny my right to say " its dead in the water*, because along with 2,000,000 others I think it is. Get my point?. Now post away with dignity.

Not any more Laurence !! The main attraction is a pub crawl down Station Road - 23 watering places in total in my heyday although probably a lot less nowadays. I was talking about the beer Are the Lancashire County repair depot's for Fire Engines still located there. Oft is the times I was sent there to drive the machines back to their own stations after repair Paddy Kenny the Bury goalkeeper later QPR and Leeds had his start I think at Bamber Bridge

I give up sounds like bad manners and sarcasm will be winners on this forum

I know it Ender Lancashire's Finest are found in Bamber Bridge.

Apparently it is London rhyming slang - Merchant Banker, reduced in the London East end to a simple Merchants. If someone is called a Merchant in London out of Context It is taken to being called a W****r

Get off my case mate This is becoming personal You have had the benefit of a modern educational system established by Harold Wilson in the 1960s I never went to a modern school I left at 14 to work in the cotton mills of Lancashire. I was caned nearly every day. We had to salute the teacher when s/he came into the classroom. We had the same teacher for every subject. We had no exams , no qualifications, no future except to produce cotton. So don't lecture me about being old and badly educated.

One so aged and wise will no doubt see the broader sweep of history and realize that the referendum was a crucial stage in the independence process, not an end in itself but the beginning of the end of the union. My only hope is that you will still be around to see that day. Maybe by then you will have composed a single coherent sentence on CTO. Hope springs eternal. Personnal attacks again Grow up

Embaressed http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/10/02/rachel-riley-countdown-erection-pictures_n_5918534.html?ncid=webmail2

A year later the No Vote had a 33% lead over the Yes - I was right Dead in The Water I was also right the SNP - Now have no leader , No money and No future.

I got a lot of flack from the Yes vote and an SNP feeding frenzy - see below The Big Scottish Independence Debate Posted by Kingsmills on 10 November 2013 - 12:38 PM in Serious Topics Laurence, on 10 Nov 2013 - 12:30 PM, said: I don't know why this debate rambles on The Independence debate is dead in the water And I suspect so are the prospects for the furore of the SNP ( reply was) A year to go and many twists and turns yet despite the disingenuous doom momgers. There indeed be a bit of a furore but the future of the SNP is assured.

Goodness gracious what a mob youngsters are these days. No respect for their elders and betters. Sooner as we bring back the birch and/or National Service the better... Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit Are you aware that the late and rather clever Mr Wilde was being sarcastic when he was said to have coined that phrase that many of those not capable of sarcasm or original thought have resorted to citing ever since ? Anyway, would sardonicism not be a rather lower form of wit ? When did you have an original thought? You speak on issues brought forward by others never can I remember you putting forward an original view. You gun from the side-lines and think it is funny You pertain to speak on behalf of the club. When I suspect you don't have any genuine connection with running the club you are not in my book a person to be respected. Any body who brings a guys personal life into a perfectly honest question about a lack of a scoreboard at the club who resorts to personal abuse for no reason I can see does not deserve any respect. I think the reason you post on this forum is to show off to your mates, cut it out and grow up.

And the stature of Charles is what, exactly? From my own observations He is a prominent member of the community He is the author of Against all odds a book unrivalled when it comes to football histories He is a top journalist and is employed by the BBC I am told by many people he is a very good lecturer and teacher He has the guts to put his name to his posts more than I can say for most of you who continually run him down ( Alex excluded)

Goodness gracious what a mob youngsters are these days. No respect for their elders and betters. Sooner as we bring back the birch and/or National Service the better... Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit Bring my wife into your ramblings well you are at it.

one of the many problems of social media is that faceless individuals ( not you Alex). Can attack without reservations a personality of the stature of Charles with out mercy I speak as an old senior citizen who was told to go and live in North Korea by a teenager A think a bit of dignity is called for by the sore losers involved in the yes vote

Hi Alex I bow to your knowledge on this subject I feel the Transport dept just handle the trunk roads and the back roads fall under the jurisdiction of the local council. May be wrong on that ? I was speaking some time ago to the Provost of Inverness , he was quite concerned over the number of old weak bridges he ( his authority that is) was expected to maintain With regard to games I remember whilst living in London there was an awful stink that the rates or City Of London council would be out of pocket with the Olympics. Anyway I agree that there are many spin off created by these events the public don't always notice. The Exchequer do very well through VAT and Income tax as well. My main point is the very deprived of the", population don't get a slice of the cake sort to speak. As the song says " The rich get richer and the poor get poorer". a bit flippant - but some of it is right. With my capitalist head on " I think great, with my Marxist cap on I think " Not so good"., I do hope more funds are granted to local areas as I suggested earlier. Still the world has bigger problems at the moment on and beyond the Kurdish border with Iraq. Fingers crossed on that one. Laurence.

I don't know about new powers ? The powers they already have , have not been used wisely at times Take for instance the power to support local authorities and the freezing of council tax The Highland region needs extra finance from time to time, The maintenance of clear roadways in winter can put a massive burden on a remote area council such as ours. The miles of old roadways and weak bridges need constant and expensive attention. Coupled with the financing and maintenance of small parish and town councils , dotted all over the area. Small villages often have small schools with limited children which are expensive to run, Tourist information offices have to be provided in quite remote areas. If you freeze Council tax , you are saying to council workers, no pay rises or there will be cuts to council services. I could go on and on about the difference in running a council such as ours compared with the much smaller ( in size not population ) of councils to the south of us. Freezing Council tax is a burden that is significantly harder for the highlands then other places in Scotland. I would prefer the United Kingdom to give extra funds to the Councils direct, and not through the Scottish government. That would really put local people in charge, and stop the power house in Edinburgh thinking only of their own needs I myself would ring fence some of the Barnet cash for use by local authorities to protect the services in remote district's I have already mentioned above. We have heard a lot recently about the poor people of Glasgow. If Council tax had not been frozen for Glasgow maybe fund could have been allocated to help them out/ Also playing the Commonwealth games in Glasgow did the poor no favours . Don't get me wrong on this I am in favour of International events , but I don't see why local Citiy Councils should be out of pocket. End of rant Laurence

Although I have my season ticket I had to miss the match as I was taking part in the Inverness Contract Bridge tournament. I was frantically asking if anyone knew the score. Nobody knew anything; and the cards rook preference. Anyway on reaching home at midnight I read the reports and I was over the moon at the result. My attempts at bridge success fell on much stony ground but I have a chance today for improvement Congratulations to the team must add

Can we all stop the silly jibes It is becoming a factor in this campaign. " If you don't like the message". Shoot the messenger This is the future of a great nation at stake not who runs a bath

Your first point is the hope, Scotland will shine a light on the inequality and corruption that has taken over Europe. Who will ultimatley control Scotland post-Yes vote will be the people of Scotland, in the event of a No vote it'll be any combination of Farage, Boris, Ed or Clegg. Any political party with any kind of politics could be elected in control of a Scottish parliament in years to come. Whether a Yes or No vote. Every single democratic nation on the globe changes parties all the time., I can look back over 60 years on British Politics , parties change, politicians change. policies change. Nobody knows the future. No point voting Yes based on a boo ray debate, on TV

It has something to do with it. very much so. I can only debate with someone who has some form of life style I can understand, as a 71 years old pensioner, I feel it hard to relate to a teenager. My life style is a business man who stands to lose £100 a week just on postage charges to England for my business. I just wondered who I was talking to. If you are willing to debate on a sensible basis fine but wise cracks are well behind me. Maybe 50 tears ago I would cross swords with you but not now. You should realise I am very very worried about this referendum and I can do without childish jibes - Thank you.