That was the week...

I'm afraid I haven't had the chance to post over the last week. I had a speaking engagement in Braemar for the WI and the Castleton Lady Dancers of Braemar, who gave the GWT an excellent cheque. Immediately afterwards I spent time talking to various BR engineers as the recent Halkirk Crossing train crash happened on my land (!) To cut a long story short BR want to do various works and need to use some of my land to effect them. Visions of pots of gold are not appropriate, but I daresay I will be able to afford a Lottery ticket.
M'learned friend and I were due to travel south on Sunday to Salisbury, but the trial he was due to preside over was moved back from Thursday to Wednesday, necessitating his travel by train.
BR had closed the line between Carlisle and Preston for works ( and almost certainly just to spite me ) which meant I would have taken 17 hours to get to Salisbury, so I stuck with Plan A and drove.
The reason for the GWT meeting was to update us on various matters, notably the bad publicity in the Daily Mail and Independent on the Gurkhas who have come over since the ruling last summer - Lumley's Law one might call it.
In fact, the numbers that have a problem is relatively small ( and mostly caused by GAESO's misinformation) whilst the vast majority who have done it properly for free through the GWS have been able to access help immediately on arrival if required.
Only some 150 have had to have real help, and that has been immediately organised through the GWT.
There are already some who are going back ( life here is not in the least much fun for them) and there will be lots more who come, but the Newspapers resolutely refuse to see the second chapter - the good news rather than the bad.
I believe there will be a ministerial statement soon and also a statement by JL.

Why "Castleton" Dancing Ladies of Braemar?

"Stumbled on your blog quite by accident when I googled Castleton Dancers - as I do from time to time, just to see if we are getting famous! I thought I should explain where the 'Castleton' comes from. Braemar used to be two villages, Castleton the protestant one,-with a castle- and Auchendryne, the Roman Catholic one on the other side of the river. We happen to use the village hall on the Castleton side to practise...so hence we are the Castleton Dancers. Next performance is on Tuesday at Birkhall for Prince Charles. Lovely to meet you all last week and hope your fund raising was successful. Marilyn"
So now you know.
Despite John Knox, the Highlands were long a bastion of Catholicism, and, indeed, it's arguable that those Scots supporting both Young and Old Pretenders were largely Catholic, and those supporting the English were Protestant.
That, however, is far too simplistic a description of the '15 and '45, both of which I've always felt were much more about helping oneself to a bigger slice of cake than about religion, blood lines or, of course, principle.

John for Prime Minister!

What a player! John Sergeant has done the absolutely correct thing - get out whilst you are ahead.I particularly like the idea that his news conference drew more journalists and camera crews ( including Jeremy Paxman) than any government minister in the recent past.

John Sergeant - National Treasure.

Don't you just love it? Can't dance a step, true dancers hate him, but the GBP ( Great British Public) just adore him.
Cheri Lunghi, quite possibly the best dancer on Strictly, gets thrown out despite being clearly the judges favourite overall. For the GBP she clearly showed too much ambition and expertise, and a thirst for success. Not Brit at all.
John, on the other hand, is deprecating, beautifully gentle, clearly in it for a laugh and we adore him.
So tush! to afficionados of dance. This is not dancing, this is every woman's desire to be romanced beautifully, gently and with love.
So come on guys, get with it!