NEWSLETTERS |
SOCIETY OF WILLIAM WALLACE JANUARY 2010 NEWSLETTER |
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Dear Members, As you know, our late Convenor, David R. Ross, used to pen a newsletter, which was attached & sent out with the monthly minutes of each meeting of the Society. Let me say that no-one will be able to do all the tasks that David did. I just thought I should write this newsletter as a tribute to David as a one-off. No one person could possibly do all the things that David seemed to juggle effortlessly. What we can do, is share the workload that he carried on his broad shoulders. He will be sadly missed, but fondly remembered. We have so many cherished memories. So many moving encounters; so many daft, madcap episodes in our lifetime together. It is still difficult to accept that he won’t be here any more, but he would have been the first to urge us to “just to get on with it.” We will miss a dear friend, but Scotland will miss one of her greatest champions. His stance resembled that of Willam Wallace, in the fact that, in matters pertaining to the wellbeing of Scotland, he was unbending. There was no grey area, it was either black or white. You were either for Scotland or not. When his many friends met at the crematorium, well over an hour before the appointed time, we hugged & exchanged tales & anecdotes of the Big Man. And there were plenty of them. It was an important part of the grieving process. Everyone had the same thoughts of Davie. He did so much for so many people, & was always there with a helping hand & a ready smile. Our friend, Ted Christopher, did a magnificent job at the funeral. Although emotionally very difficult, Ted managed to find just the right words to convey what we were all thinking. When he sang three of the most important songs in Davie’s life, he managed to do so admirably. A testament to his sheer professionalism. When he sang “Scot’s Whe Hae”, I swear I could hear the Big Man’s voice shouting, “Gi’e it laldy, Ted”, as I’d heard him often do before. As mourners began to file out of the crematorium, the strains of the Bay City Rollers, “Shang-A-Lang” were heard softly through the PA system. I could feel him smiling over my shoulder, that big broad grin that we had come to know & love. We have been through a lot together. And facing a new year without Davie Ross will be an enormous struggle for everyone. Davie spoke not only for our Society, but for many other societies & organisations, at many events throughout the year. Everyone will just have to move up a gear. Whatever doesn’t break us makes us stronger, & we will move forward, hand in hand, to take whatever life decides to throw at us. As Davie often said, “We Scots are a resilient lot!” Respectfully yours, Duncan Fenton: Vice Convenor, Society of William Wallace. |
SOCIETY OF WILLIAM WALLACE DECEMBER 2009 NEWSLETTER |
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Dear Patriots, I recently took part in a launch for a new book on
Wallace entitled “Le Cri de la Liberte”. As you can see from the title, this is a book in French about the story of our great Scottish patriot. The lady author is one Beatrice Balti, who had come over from Toulouse to do a double event, firstly in Edinburgh, then in Glasgow. |
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| There have been some committee changes in the Society at the AGM, and I’m sure you will be appraised of these within the minutes. George Boyle, our new treasurer, myself, and Ziggy our merchandise officer, went to the bank in Johnstone to change over the accounts to the new signatories. Ziggy had just taken delivery of new enamel Society badges, which I was very impressed with. These will be available for the cost of £2 plus P&P. It just remains for me to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Guid Hogmanay, and we can all look forward to the changes predicted for Scotland in the coming year. |
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I remain, yours for Scotland, David R. Ross, Convenor. |
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SOCIETY OF WILLIAM WALLACE NOVEMBER 2009 NEWSLETTER |
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Dear Patriots, |
SOCIETY OF WILLIAM WALLACE SEPTEMBER 2009 NEWSLETTER |
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Dear Patriots, Came home from speaking at the Stonehaven Wallace Day just yesterday. It was a delight to sit in the sun on the cliff tops, the bike parked up, and looking out at that view of blue sky, blue clouds, seals in the water, and the castle a dramatic focus to it all. The event has been allowed to slip a little, but a local couple, Graeme and Lesley, are determined to get it back on track. |
SOCIETY OF WILLIAM WALLACE NEWSLETTER MAY 2009 |
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Dear Patriots, I received a communication from member Grant Williamson. Grant and Gordon Aitken were responsible for the whole idea of the new memorial cairn to Wallace in Falkirk. He has asked if the Society would help take on the responsibility for the commemorations held at the cairn each year. This will be discussed at the next meeting, or if any members have a view on this, they may contact the Society to make their views known. |
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SOCIETY OF WILLIAM WALLACE NEWSLETTER APRIL 2009 |
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Dear Patriots, I had a meeting with Councillor MacKay at the City Chambers in Glasgow to discuss the possibility of erecting a plaque or a monument of some sort near Cathedral Square, to commemorate Wallace’s fight in Glasgow known as the “Bell o’ the Brae”. The only place this fight is mentioned is in Blind Harry’s work on Wallace, and it is not collaborated in any other source. That does not mean that it did not happen of course, but it means that any wording would have to be carefully thought over, to avoid controversy, as I can imagine Unionists having a field day attacking such a scheme. The safest way to do it is to use phrases like “Tradition states that near this spot….” So that no one is making hard and fast claims to anything. It would be nice to have even a small plaque to Wallace in Glasgow, as there is a dearth of monuments to anything regarding Scotland’s history in most of our major cities. Think of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen. There are no statues of any of the Stewart kings, even though they were the longest running dynasty in European history. How many have statues of Robert the Bruce for instance? Aberdeen has its fine Wallace statue, but that is about it, and we have Wallace and Bruce flanking the doorway to Edinburgh Castle, but there is nothing to depict our history in our city squares. Glasgow’s George Square is full of statues of “Britons”- Walter Scott included. No MacBeth, Kenneth MacAlpin, Alexander I, II or III, or Mary, Queen of Scots. There is a statue of Bonnie Prince Charlie that I know of, a very good one, with him mounted on horseback looking every bit the prince-but it’s in the centre of Derby! Rant over. But it would be nice to have a little something to Wallace in Glasgow. We could always link something together with Robroyston to have a Glasgow related day. And just in case you were wondering where the Bell o’ the Brae was sited, its that rise in the High Street heading towards the cathedral just after you have crossed George Street. But Cathedral Square would probably be the most appropriate site due to the fact that it’s a touristy area, for any sort of memorial. Worth pursuing at any rate. And thanks to my mate John Toner for suggesting the idea in the first place! I remain, yours for Scotland, David R. Ross, convenor. |
WALLACE SOCIETY NEWSLETTER MARCH 2009 |
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Dear Patriots, Glasgow City Council seems quite amenable to erecting a new memorial of some sort to Wallace in the High Street area. This is all at a very early stage, and no real detail has been put in place as yet. There are plans afoot to “tidy up” the surroundings of the boulder at Riggend, between Cumbernauld and Airdrie. Legend states that Wallace sharpened his “great two-handed claythorn” on this boulder before the battle of Falkirk in 1298. I have been speaking to some of the tourist people from Nova Scotia in Canada too, and they are to take the copy of the Wallace Sword that usually resides in the Wallace Monument, on a tour to Nova Scotia in early summer to arouse interest in Wallace’s story. Member George Boyle has made some great changes to the Wallace Society web site. Thanks George, it was long overdue, and thanks for your expertise and input. You can easily find the site by punching “Society of William Wallace” into your search engine. It is a start we can build on, and hopefully it will become a place where those desiring knowledge can browse and learn. I remain, yours for Scotland, |
WALLACE SOCIETY NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2008 |
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Dear Patriots, There have been reports in the press that there are moves afoot that a Member of the Scottish Parliament will ask for the return of the Lubeck Letter. This was one of many letters sent out in the name of Wallace and Murray on Scotland’s behalf, after the victory at Stirling Bridge, telling European traders that Scotland’s ports were once again “open for business” after the ousting of a vicious invader. The Lubeck letter is the only one, which has survived the centuries. Lubeck, incidentally, is a port near Hamburg, Germany, that was an important place in Wallace ‘s day. The letter still bears Wallace’s seal, and it is this seal, which allowed us to identify the name of Wallace’s father, as it bears the motto “William fillius Alan” (William son of Alan). I can understand calls for this letter to be returned, important is it is to the history of our country, but the hard fact remains that this letter was “sent” to Lubeck, and so, I think of it as their property. If any of us received a personal letter from, say, a Hollywood star, we would think of it as something sent to us, and so therefore our property. Lubeck has looked after this letter admirably, through everything the centuries have thrown at it, including the heavy allied bombing raids of World War II! While other Wallace documents and letters have vanished, this one has survived, due to the care that has been lavished on it. Lubeck were good enough to loan the letter to Scotland a few years ago, and it was on display in the Museum of Scotland- I know as I travelled through to Edinburgh twice to look at it. There were other Wallace related documents on display with it too. The court ledger that was used at Wallace’s trial, and a little letter that was on Wallace’s person when he was captured. This little letter was a personal one to Wallace from the King of France, introducing him to his envoys at the Vatican. This letter has become known as the “Safe Conduct”. Now, this “Safe Conduct” was an item given to Wallace. The English in Scotland captured it. It was a Scotsman’s possession, and was taken south like its owner, and when he was murdered, it, and the other documents that were on his person were kept in London. It is currently in the keeping of the Public Records Office at Kew. The other documents that were on Wallace’s person have all been lost over the centuries. I feel it would be better if the onus on returning a Wallace document was concentrated on the Safe-Conduct. It is a Scottish possession, and should be returned to Scotland. I am proud to say that Scotland has not been lax in returning items that are important to indigenous people. The ghost shirt of the Lakota people to name one. Wouldn’t it be brilliant to be able to go to the Museum of Scotland as look upon a letter that was a personal possession of Wallace’s? Something that was given to him on the 7th of November 1300, and remained in his possession till his capture on 3rd of August 1305. It was something he was familiar with, something he looked upon, and something Scots should be able to look upon too in this day and age. Kew have been approached many times regarding this matter. They get very evasive when this matter is raised. The wording on the letter is clear and it refers to William Wallace. They have even gone so far as to question whether it is the same William Wallace, why do we think it is connected etc? I get the distinct impression that they do not think we are capable of looking after such an artefact in Scotland, and it is better where it is, behind closed doors in a locked drawer in England. They have managed to lose the other documents that were on Wallace’s person, letters that could have enlightened us to much that is unknown about the man. I do applaud motions such as that asking for the Lubeck letter to be returned. They keep Wallace’s, and therefore, Scotland’s struggle to the fore of the public imagination. But my personal view is that the Safe-Conduct has relevance, and a very valid claim to be returned, due to the fact it is a Scottish possession. It is the one that the pressure should be on to be returned. Lubeck, as said, have looked after their letter and have looked after it admirably. I feel that the people in charge of our museums should be doing much more. I think they are of the feeling that they can basically turn up at Kew and ask to see such an item. They can don white gloves and look upon it, so what is the problem? But the time has come when our museum staff should be pressurising for the return of the many thousands of documents kept elsewhere in the world that are Scottish, and as what makes us Scottish is our shared history and experiences, much of the missing “brickwork” of that should be being put back in place. I hope you have all had a good New Year, and I look forward to catching up with many of you at this year’s meetings and commemorations. I remain, yours for Scotland, David R. Ross, Convenor.
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| Dear Patriots,
It’s been an eventual few days since the last meeting in Elderslie. I was contacted by Society member Jim Singer (Jim has run the Aberdeen event which takes place at the Wallace statue for several years) and informed me about a plaque due to be unveiled in France. Like Jim, I have an interest in all things, and all eras Scottish. The plaque was to mark the last resting place of Cameron of Loch Eil, who had to flee Scotland in the aftermath of Culloden. Having just come back from the States, I swithered about going, but cheap flights from Ryanair sealed the deal. Four of us flew from Prestwick to Beauvais, north of Paris. For anyone who ever wants to do a similar jaunt, four makes sense, as you can hire a car split four ways, and prices for rooms are for the room and not the amount of people, so it makes sense to pay for two twin rooms. We headed north, almost back to the Channel, to a picturesque little town, still sporting its medieval gates and walls, by the name of Bergues. It stands just a little inland from Dunkirk. There is already a plaque to Cameron of Loch Eil in the town, on a wall marking the site of the hospital where he died in 1748. This plaque was unveiled ten years ago. The 1745 Association now wanted to mark his grave in the town’s graveyard, but this was not straightforward. The cemetery was heavily shelled during the allied advance in World War II and bodies were basically blown all over the place. They were all re-interred of course, but no one is really sure where the actual resting places are any more, as I’m sure you can imagine. So an upright plaque was unveiled, on a cairn like edifice, with the pipes playing, and with a few words spoken, most notably by the son of the current chief of Clan Cameron. The Saltire flies above on a new flagpole, and a French brass band played a selection of Scottish airs. The town dignitaries were all there, and were delighted that a new link had been forged with Scotland. The hospitality that we were shown was remarkable. We were only in France for 48 hours, so I poured over a map looking for something else that we could visit that had some Scottish link. I knew that Longshanks had exiled King John Balliol to his ancestral lands in France. Although I had a large-scale map, Bailleul near the River Somme was not marked, but I knew that it was somewhere in the region of Abbeville, near Amiens, and luckily this was on the way south to the airport. I should perhaps point out that there are something like seventeen towns or villages in France with the name Bailleul, so it is worth remembering that this one is near the Somme! So we set off, and when we reached Abbeville I asked several people if they could direct us to Bailleul. No one had ever heard of it. Even a taxi driver who spoke perfect English had never heard of it. Eventually it was found on Sat Nav, and it turned out it was only 13 kilometres away. We were given directions. We followed the Somme upstream a few miles, and came across the place. It was tiny, only a few houses scattered round a little old church. So small, in fact, that I was not surprised that it was unknown only a few miles away. We managed, after attracting some attention wandering about in belted plaids and the like, to gain access to the church. There is not much to see inside, in fact, it was quite austere. But where was the castle where Balliol lived out his remaining years? Several enquiries with gestures and using our non-existent French (and none of the locals spoke English) and repeating words like “chateaux?” had us pointed in the direction of a large house on a hill above the town. The local landowner who lived within this more recent version, seeing our dress and garbled enquiries, suddenly said something along the lines of “Jean Bailleul, Roi Ecosse” and I snatched on this, exclaiming “oui!” He took out some ancient maps of his property, and marked upon was the site of the ancient castle in some dense woodland. He and his wife pulled on Wellington boots, and beckoned us to follow their vehicle. Following the road back down to the village, we turned into a track where there was a statue of Christ crucified on the junction. This track led into a clearing on the edge of the thicker forest, and a path led into the trees. Just a few yards in we could see the remains of quite substantial earthworks, and on climbing atop them I was able to ascertain that this was part of the outer bailey of the place. At the far end there rose the inner keep of the castle, everything covered in quite dense foliage. Further inspection revealed there was stonework still protruding here and there. In the middle of the inner keep the well was still intact, stonework complete, and the landowner was able to inform us that this well was 20 meters deep. We scrambled over these remains. It was quite extra-ordinary to think of the King of Scots in exile here. He lived just long enough to hear the news of Bannockburn, and I wonder what he thought of that, as his one time rival had won the victory. But more striking to us, was the thought that there was a good chance that Wallace himself was here. He fought in the name of John Balliol, and it would seem probable that on his journeying across France, that he would have called in here to pay homage to his liege lord. So we looked out upon the landscape and tried to cast our minds back to the time of Wallace and how it must have looked to him. The ditches surrounded the castle are still very deep, and it was relatively easy to see what the outline of this large fortification had once been. We took many photos, but there is much tree cover and pictures do not really do justice to what remains. As we could only find one person in the area who knew where the castle remains actually were, on the way home we did discuss the feasibility of perhaps erecting a little cairn or plaque telling of the Scottish connection, with the story in French and English, and holding a ceremony to forge a link with Bailleul. Another couple of, I hope, interesting wee points. I went to see the film, “Stone of Destiny” at the cinema. It was brilliant, one hundred times better than I honestly expected! It stuck very well to the actual events involved in the liberation of the Stone back in 1950. It was a film from a purely Scottish perspective, and we so seldom see that, that it hit me like a breath of fresh air. The best tip I can give you is that you should strive to see it. It made me proud, it bathed me in patriotic feeling, the music was great, the acting was great, and look out for a cameo appearance, in the style of Alfred Hitchcock, by Ian Hamilton, the man behind the events of 1950. Fantastic! It made me feel that change was really underway, just in the fact that I had seen something created with no Scottish “cringe” and with no foreign propaganda subliminally in place. Finally, crossing into Scotland the other day, a new sign has been erected at Gretna, marking the border. The old one was a little brown affair, this one is massive in comparison, is in blue and white, features the Saltire as its theme, and states in large writing “Welcome to Scotland”, and has the same in Gaelic “Failte gu Alba”. You can spot this one from an appreciable distance, and again, I hope this is part of the accelerating change taking place in our nation. I remain, yours for Scotland, David R. Ross, Convenor. |
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WALLACE SOCIETY NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2008 |
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| Dear Patriots, Just to remind you all that Wallace Day is this Saturday, 23 August, the actual anniversary of Wallace’s murder. This is the 703rd anniversary, and I can’t believe that is three years now since the commemorations in London. The march leaves Ludovick Square in Johnstone at 2.30, so we will be gathering there from about 2 PM on. The march goes to the memorial at Wallace’s birthplace in Elderslie, where there will be speakers and a wreath laying. The evening event in the village hall begins at 7 PM and carries on to midnight. Ted Christopher and Saor Patrol will supply the entertainment. Entrance is £10. The café will be up and running as usual, and there will be the usual bar facilities etc. I hope to see as many of you there as possible. Some of you may have read in the press of the desecration of the original coffin lid of the tomb of James III at Cambuskenneth Abbey. I have been inside the abbey many, many times, and I know many of you have too, especially at prior Stirling Bridge events, but I had no idea that the original coffin lid was within, as it has never been pointed out to me, and it is certainly not signed in any way. The tomb in the churchyard today was replaced in Victorian times, and it is on the site of the High Altar and surrounded by railings. I’m shocked that there is so little respect for our past that vandals would not balk from destroying such a precious artefact. But it is no wonder when I see the state of our press. The Daily Record had a paragraph on the story, with an accompanying picture of James the Eighth- who was James the Third of England! Their research was so bad that they had a picture of a king three centuries after the fact! And he was James III of the wrong country! The Herald at least, covered the story with a little more dignity. But we have so little remaining of our tombs of Kings and Queens, that I’m really surprised that the original tomb cover was so little known. I wish I had a photo of it at least. As to the Olympics. Is it just me, or is everyone left as cold as I am. The whole “British” aspect means nothing to me. I watch “Britons” win medals and it does not stir me in the slightest. I would honestly be as happy to watch, or happier actually, a Lithuanian winning a medal. I hate the whole phoney British thing, and hate the Union Jack thing that accompanies it. I’m glad I am not talented enough to be a world leader in any particular sport. There is no way I could stand there with the Union Jack waving, and that dirge of an anti-Scottish tune being played with me standing to attention. Team GB. Who thought that one up? Does the GB bit stand for Gordon Brown? It means nothing to me. I will have no interest in the Olympics until I can actually watch Scottish athletes represent their nation. I feel completely alienated from the whole thing. And as for Gordon Brown, I saw him interviewed in the States, and the interviewer asked him where he was born. His reply was “North Britain”. I would never recognise him as a Scot of course, and it seems he does not either. He is British. I am a Scot, and there is world of difference. William Wallace was a Scot, there is no doubt about that, and I am proud to call myself one. I remain, yours for Scotland, David R. Ross, Convenor. |
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SOCIETY OF WILLIAM WALLACE AUGUST 2008 NEWSLETTER |
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| Dear Patriots, Just wanted to remind you all that this coming Saturday is the day for the commemoration of Wallace’s capture at Robroyston. The event starts at 2PM, and afterwards, anyone who wishes can go on to the Campsie Nairn, a local bar that has put a room aside for us. I hope to see many of you there. Most of you will be familiar with the Wallace Tavern in Elderslie, standing as it does on the Main St. The place is under new ownership, the new proprietor being Fraser Campbell, a local man who also plays rugby in Kilbarchan. I met up with Fraser and he has big plans for the place. He wants to make the pub more of a Wallace “visitor centre”, with a Wallace related theme and storyboards on the walls etc. He has plans to apply to put in a flagpole where he can fly the Saltire, and he is looking at having a Wallace mural painted on the gable end of the building. He wishes to get involved in making Wallace Day more of a village-wide event, and he is putting on bands, and has a bouncy castle for kids and the like at the large car park at the side of the bar. Obviously Fraser is a businessman, but he bounced some interesting ideas off me, and as the Society is very much a democracy, I want to share some of these ideas with you, so that people can debate their thoughts on these matters at forthcoming meetings. He did suggest that there could be a large marquee erected in the pub car park in future years, where a series of events could be held in conjunction with the Society. He is also willing to allow the place to be used by the Society if the need arises. It did occur to me that it may be a fitting venue for this year’s annual dinner, and this is something to be discussed too. The guy is obviously a patriot, and it is good to have folk on the ground, so to speak, that are interested in taking Wallace Day further. I would like to see Elderslie come on board as a unit, and celebrate its most famous son, and this may be the first step for the future. There is only one meeting left before Wallace Day of course. It takes place on Tuesday the 19th of August. For those who cannot make the meeting, the details for this Wallace Day, the 703rd anniversary, are roughly the same as for previous years. We gather in Ludovick Square in Johnstone at two for a two thirty set off, probably arriving at the monument in Elderslie at three. Speeches and wreath laying will take place. The evening event at the village hall will run from seven till midnight. Tickets are ten pounds. I have also received a copy of the new programme I have made for the History Channel in the States. It is called “Warriors” and this particular episode is about the Battle of Stirling Bridge. It runs for an hour, and I am toying with showing it at the next meeting, but that may depend on how much other business we have to get through! No matter, I’m sure you will all get to see it in the near future if we run over a bit. Or we could watch half at this meeting and half at the next! I remain, yours for Scotland, David R. Ross, Convenor. |
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SOCIETY OF WILLIAM WALLACE MAY 2008 NEWSLETTER |
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Dear Patriots, I remain, yours for Scotland, |
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SOCIETY OF WILLIAM WALLACE NEWSLETTER MAY 2008. |
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| Dear Patriots, The campaign to try and have the only artefact that we can truly call a personal possession of Wallace’s continues. We have the Wallace sword of course, although it has changed greatly over the centuries, a new pommel being fitted in the time of James IV for instance, but there is always going to be debate over its authenticity, although I truly believe it is, indeed, the “ghost” of Wallace’s sword. But the letter in question was taken from Wallace, along with other documents during his capture at Robroyston. It was a personal possession that he was given by the King of France in 1300, and so he had carried it for some five years when he was taken in 1305. It was taken south to be used as evidence at his sham trial in Westminster Hall, and today it is kept at Kew, at the records office. As interest in this letter has grown, so by comparison has the back peddling from down south. There is now dialogue denying that it really has anything to do with Wallace, or that it is some other letter that has mysteriously appeared, but just happens to bear Wallace’s name. What I found particularly insulting was Kew saying that the letter was better where it was, as they had the facilities to look after such an artefact, thereby implying that Scotland could not. A bit rum when you consider that over the years they have managed to lose the other documents that were taken from Wallace. The Museum of Scotland, a building housing the greatest artefacts from our history, and whose halls I love to wander, has a glaring gap in our past by having nothing on display that has any tangible connection with Wallace. The return of this document would change that. The Sunday Post has been good enough to carry on this fight, and along with this newsletter there will be a cutting from that newspaper telling the latest episode of the story. I look forward to seeing many of you at the next Society meeting at Elderslie Village Hall, Glenpatrick Road, Elderslie, 7.30 for 8PM, on Tuesday 20th May. I remain, Yours for Scotland, David R. Ross Convenor. |
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SOCIETY OF WILLIAM WALLACE NEWSLETTER APRIL 2008 |
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| Dear Patriots, I was lucky enough to be invited to the “Edinburgh Dungeon” at the side of Waverley Station in Edinburgh, to be at the unveiling of their new “Wallace” exhibit. They have done a good job describing Wallace’s last moments, and I was particularly impressed with the guy they have clad as one of Wallace’s companions who gave a moving and patriotic speech regarding Scotland’s fight for freedom. John Smeaton was meant to open the exhibit, but had been delayed, so I happily obliged when I was asked if I would cut the ribbon. As I have said before, it may seem strange to tell you about Wallace being used in a visitor attraction in this way, but it does at least show some kind of moot change in Scotland, as fifteen years ago, Wallace was not mentioned anywhere on a regular basis. I parked my car on the outskirts of Edinburgh and got the bus in to the city centre. The Edinburgh Dungeon is a pricey place to visit, but I noticed that on the back of the bus ticket there was a £5 off the entrance fee offer, and it featured the story of Wallace on the bus ticket. I also saw several posters for the Edinburgh Dungeon featuring Wallace on bus stops on the route into the city. All these wee things help of course, and keep people’s consciousness on Wallace and Scotland. The Edinburgh Dungeon will not be to everyone’s taste, as it is more geared to tourism and I know it will not be a lot of folk’s idea of a good time, but I always want to keep you all appraised of any connection I hear of connected to the man. It is only a five-minute walk from Waverley over to the Museum of Scotland, and that was the other destination on my journey through to the capital. It is always nice to look at the many Saltires flying from the buildings en route. There are still one or two Union flags, but in my soul I know that these are flown by those who have not woken up to the changes inherent in our nation, and that the days are numbered for that sad old flag of oppression and colonialism. I always stop for a while and ponder at the opening exhibit on the ground floor of the museum, the Breacbannoch. That little house shaped and celtic motif embossed reliquary, which was carried before the Scots as they advanced at Bannockburn. It is sad that there is really nothing on show that we can connect with Wallace, though there are articles from his era. I know that there is very little that has survived that has a tangible connection with Wallace, but as he is known the world over and is regarded as our National Hero, I feel that the museum should have one or two items in a case to at least recognise that he existed and ensure his place in our nation’s story. The letter of safe conduct from the King of France for instance, that was taken from Wallace at his shameful betrayal at Robroyston, but is currently in the archives at Kew near London, should be on show in Scotland. It was a personal possession of Wallace, something that he could take from his pocket or sporran of sorts, and gaze upon, and every child growing up in Scotland should be able to gaze upon it as he did and forge that link. And the question has to be asked, why are our museums not clamouring to have Scotland’s most treasured possessions back from the various institutions in Europe (mostly in England I have to add) where they currently languish? Still it seems, this is down to the sorry spectre of Unionism, but I hope that the day will come when this situation is rectified. While at the Museum of Scotland in Chambers St., it is worth visiting the exhibition currently underway on the silver of Scotland. Bit pricey to get in I thought, at six quid a pop (maybe that’s just the true Scot in me) but it was well worth the effort. Only black mark for me was that many of the pieces from the late 1600’s-early to mid 1700’s, were referred to as dating from the time of the Jacobite rebellion. Rebellion is not a word I like to see used, uprising is a better choice. After all, Charles Edward Stewart was the direct descendent of Kenneth MacAlpin and the early Pictish kings, through Ceannmor, Bruce and James IV, and he was of course the great, great grandson of Mary, Queen of Scots. Hardly a “pretender” to the throne. Sad that a Scottish museum refers to the ancient bloodline of Scotland as “rebels”, but that is propaganda for you. Speaking of the silver, I thought we had lost something through the centuries, as the older, hand worked items were aesthetically far superior than our modern silver, and all done without modern tools and techniques. I noticed that I was not only one to spot this, as a kid’s scrawl in the comments book said, “the old bits are great, the newer ones are rubbish”! And when walking round this exhibition, please keep an eye open for the “Lanark Bell” among the sporting trophies. It was awarded as a prize for horse racing in Lanark, and parts of it may date back to the days of William the Lion. Our vice-convenor Duncan has taken a particular interest in this piece and has been doing his very best to promote it. I remain, yours for Scotland, David R. Ross, Convenor. |
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SOCIETY OF WILLIAM WALLACE MARCH 2008 NEWSLETTER |
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| Dear Patriots, I’ve been involved in several media-related Wallace projects recently, and for better or worse, I feel I should tell you all a little about them. I played Wallace for a short film for the “Edinburgh Dungeon”, who have a new attraction being built, which features the gory murder of Wallace. I always question the rights and wrongs of these things, but at the end of the day, 20 years ago there was nothing regarding Wallace, or for that matter, any of the great folk of Scottish history at any of these places, and I suppose any publicity is good publicity. Anyway, I sat in make up for an hour to be transformed into a dark haired warrior, and I hope that I did the man justice in the words I chose to use for his “final” speech. John Smeaton was also present. He was dressed up in Wallace garb and did some publicity work for the “Dungeon” folk, the press taking pics of him as our national hero. John, as everyone knows, seems to be a bit of a “Brit” at heart, but I have to try and put that down to a misguided or misinformed sense of what country he actually lives in and hope that one day the light will be seen. I was at least able to say the line (I have to admit it, it was reported in the Sun) “700 years ago Wallace said to the English, “just come tae Scotland, we’ll set about ye” and 700 years on John Smeaton said to those who would try to curtail our way of life today “just come tae Glasgow, we’ll set about ye!” Well, I did try to forward a Scottish aspect to the scenario! John was a decent enough guy at the end of the day. He has been catapulted into a situation not of his making where he is getting to see a bit of the world, getting awards, and documentaries are being made of his life, and I wish him the best of luck. I’m also just starting to make a programme for the History Channel in North America, one episode for a series called “Warriors”. It will be focusing on various great fighters from history, and of course, the episode I’m working on is about Wallace. I’ve enrolled as many people as I can who know their stuff, to try and do justice to Wallace and what he was all about as a fighting man. Member Hugh Robertson will be helping with the fighting scenes, and I’ve contacted some of our academic community to help too. Dr. Amanda Beam is on board, and as most of you will know, Wallace fought in the name of King John Balliol, giving his fight some legitimacy, and so you may be interested to know that Amanda is to release a book on King John later in the year. It’s going to be something like 500 pages, so it seems that a king of whom we know relatively little, will be catapulted forward in our understanding. On Society business, we are a little behind in some of our membership renewals, and the fault for this lies with me. I’ve undergone several bouts of surgery, and today sees me back in hospital for some face reconstruction work after a mishap where mine got a bit smashed. I’ve shown the surgeon a photo of Brat Pitt, but he didn’t look very hopeful. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that everything will be back on track after the next meeting, and I apologise for any delays, most of which were caused by me not being present at the last meeting and I have a backlog of renewals in a pile here, waiting to be handed in. And if you have a problem with that, the good news for me is that you might not recognise me to have a word with me about it! I remain, yours for Scotland, David R. Ross, Convenor. |
| © William Wallace Society 2007 |