#scottish information commissioner's office

[weavingthetapestry]

Epiphany 1540 - The Linlithgow ‘Interlude’ Is Performed

(John Slezer’s engraving of Linlithgow Palace, c.1693. Reproduced under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence, with the permission of the National Libraries of Scotland)

On Epiphany 1540, a play known only as the ‘Interlude’ was performed before King James V of Scotland in Linlithgow. This play, which at the time was perhaps little more than another festive court treat, has since been of great interest to both historians of Scottish theatre and the Protestant Reformation. The king’s alleged reaction to this performance, as reported in a letter from the English Warden of the East March to Thomas Cromwell, has fuelled speculation over his religious views. Meanwhile the description of the play itself, preserved in some ‘notes’ which accompanied the letter, has led many critics to argue that the Linlithgow Interlude was an early version of ‘Ane Satyre of the Thrie Estaitis’, the most famous work of the Scots makar and herald Sir David Lindsay of the Mount.

James and his pregnant queen Mary of Guise spent Yuletide 1539 in the lochside palace of Linlithgow, newly refurbished in the latest Renaissance style. With the Yule celebrations over and the New Year’s gifts dispersed, the festive season usually closed with the feast of Epiphany or ‘Uphalyday’ on 5th/6th January. Uphalyday itself was an important occasion, marked by solemn religious services alongside more boisterous entertainment like guising and the ‘Feast of the Bean’. This year the court tailor was especially busy making costumes of red, yellow, and purple, because a play was to be performed before the king, queen, and entire council ‘spiritual and temporal’.*

An account of the proceedings was sent by Sir William Eure, an English March Warden, to Henry VIII’s ubiquitous chief minister Thomas Cromwell on 26th January 1540. Eure had recently been at Coldstream, meeting commissioners sent by the Scottish king, and had fallen into conversation with one. This was Master Thomas Bellenden, ‘a man (…) of gentle and sage conversation, especially touching the stay of the spirituality in Scotland’. Bellenden was actually the Lord Justice Clerk, and director of the royal chancery. He also had close court connections beyond his official duties- his mother had been the king’s nurse while his younger sister Katherine worked in the royal wardrobe (and her third husband was Oliver Sinclair) and his brother John’s literary works were patronised by the king. However, Thomas Bellenden would also become known as a Protestant sympathiser and even in 1540 he was sufficiently reform-minded for Eure to describe him as ‘a man inclined to the sort used in our Sovereign’s Realm of England’…

(King James V and his second wife Mary of Guise. Source- wikimedia commons)

Taking him for a like-minded fellow, Eure discreetly questioned Bellenden about James V’s attitude towards Protestantism. Bellenden gave the rather ambiguous answer that James and his secular counsellors intended to reform the ‘misdemeanours’ committed by churchmen in Scotland. He then informed Eure about an “Interlude” performed for the king on Uphalyday, ‘the whole matter whereof concluded upon the declaration of the naughtiness in Religion, the presumption of Bishops, the collusion of the spiritual Courts, called the Consistory Court in Scotland, and misusing of priests.’ Even more interesting was the king’s alleged reaction to this reformist drama. Bellenden supposedly told Eure that, when the play finished, James turned to the bishops present and threatened to send six of them to his uncle Henry VIII if they did not reform their lives. Gavin Dunbar, archbishop of Glasgow and the king’s chancellor** answered carefully that the bishops would obey even a single word from the king, to which James angrily replied that he, ‘would gladly bestow any words of his mouth that could amend them.’ Bellenden also claimed that the king intended to remove all churchmen from government posts and that James studied every day, looking for a way to prevent clerics holding Crown offices. Bellenden then asked Eure to assist him by having a description of the acts that had been passed in England ‘touching the suppression of religion’ sent to the king of Scots.

One nineteenth century editor of Eure’s letter considered it ‘unquestionable proof’ that James V was planning a Scottish Reformation in 1540. In fact, things were rather more complicated. A full exploration of James V’s religious policies and personal beliefs would take far too long to go into here, but a couple of brief points may be made. Firstly, whether or not James actively sought to remove all churchmen from government as Bellenden is supposed to have claimed, this was never accomplished during his reign, nor did he ever make good on his alleged threat to send some bishops to England when they didn’t clean up their act. Secondly James V benefited greatly from the desire of both the papacy and the Scottish clergy to ensure that he did not break with Rome. Papal indults allowed him to wield a great deal of influence in church appointments, while the Scottish church contributed thousands of pounds to the Crown. James may have publicly flirted with the idea of a Reformation after the manner of Henry VIII but he was already doing quite well under the current system, and never made any real attempt to alter this during his personal reign. Possibly Eure’s letter should be viewed as an indication of the hopes which reformist councillors like Bellenden might have had of their king. Alternatively, perhaps it merely reflected an image which Scottish reformers or English diplomats, or indeed the king of Scots himself, wished to present to Henry VIII’s government down in Westminster. Thus although Eure’s report is intriguing, any conclusions about James V’s spiritual policy which rest solely on the authority of a secondhand report of an isolated remark made on Uphalyday, must be limited.

However the Linlithgow ‘interlude’ clearly made an impact. Eure was so impressed by its reported effect that he procured a synopsis of the play from a Scot ‘of our sort’ and attached it to his letter. The play opened with the antics of a character named Solace, ‘whose part was but to make merry, sing ballads with his fellows, and drink at the interlude of the play.’ Following this harmless comic section, the play took a more serious turn when another actor entered, dressed as a king. The role of this ‘king’ was largely confined to ratifying the other characters’ decisions, but his presence is intriguing- was he supposed to reflect the real monarch sitting in the audience?

(Bare and roofless, the Great Hall at Linlithgow Palace on a dreich day sadly doesn’t give a great impression of its former opulence. But please try to imagine a sixteenth century court celebrating Yule with a roof over their heads, hangings on the wall, and a fire in the grate).

The king was followed on stage by his flattering courtiers Placebo, Pikthanke, and Flaterye, who fawn over him at great length. Then four more characters enter. The first three are an armed man, a bishop, and a burgess, corresponding loosely to the mediaval concept of the three estates- those who fight, those who pray, and those who work. This also reflects the division of the Scottish parliament, often referred to as the “Three Estates”. But these three characters were also accompanied by a character named Experience, who was dressed like a ‘doctor’ (in the university, not the medical sense- presumably an expert in theology or law). When these characters had assembled on the dais beneath the king, the action was driven by the entry of one last character- a Poor Man, who lamented as he walked up and down between the audience and the noble characters on the raised scaffold. He complained that he was reduced to beggary by the demands of the courtiers, and could not get redress because he did not know the comptroller or the treasurer, who controlled petitioners’ access to the king.*** Asking for the king, he was pointed towards the actor dressed as the king on the dais. The Poor Man was apparently unconvinced by this figure and launched into a rant, stating that, ‘he was no King for there was but one King, which made all and governs all, who is eternal, to whom he and all earthly Kings are but officers, of the which they must make reckoning.’

Although this speech seems very bold for an actor to deliver in front of the real king, its sentiment was by no means without precedent in the court literature of James V’s reign. But the Poor Man did at least rein in his dismissal of all earthly kings. Taking another careful look at the king in the play he concluded that the actor could not be the king of Scots, ‘for there was another King in Scotland that hanged John Armstrong with his fellows, and Sym the laird, and many other more, which had staunched theft’. This (somewhat simplistic) account of James V’s attempts to restore justice allowed the Poor Man to segue into a lament for the one thing which this true king of Scotland had not achieved- the reform of abuses committed by the Church. The Poor Man claimed that these included the harrying of the poor through the Consistory Courts; the theft of men’s wives and daughters; maintaining their illegitimate children whom they married to the sons of the nobility; the levying of high rents on the secular lands which had been granted to the Church; and the sexual immorality of cloistered monks and nuns. Early in his speech the character of the bishop tried to shout him down, but the Man of Arms rose to defend the Poor Man and told him to carry on. The Poor Man’s argument was then ‘proved’ by the character of Experience. Their evidence convinced the Man of Arms and the Burgess, who decided that it should be also approved by parliament. When the Bishop attempted to protest, the other two told him bluntly that, ‘they were two and he but one, wherefore their voice should have most effect.’ The play then ended with the king approving and ratifying all the foregoing arguments.

It is a bit difficult to gain a real sense of the dramatic effect of this play from such an abbreviated description of its plot. However it is immediately obvious why Eure was so interested in the Linlithgow Interlude’s content, since it seems to have espoused a blatantly reformist programme, if not necessarily ‘Protestant’, in the modern sense. But the ‘notes’ describing the play are of interest to historians for another reason, since they also reveal close similarities between the Interlude, and one of the most famous early examples of Scottish drama- David Lindsay’s ‘Ane Satyre of the Thrie Estaitis’.

(The fountain in the courtyard of Linlithgow Palace was constructed in 1538 on the orders of James V)

Sir David Lindsay of the Mount was a prominent figure at James V’s court. He had been close to the king since James’ infancy, beginning as an usher in the royal household. Although he was removed from the king’s household during the ascendancy of the Earl of Angus, he was restored to favour when James began his personal rule. The king later appointed him Snowdon herald and then Lyon King of Arms, a position he held until his death in 1555. Aside from his heraldic duties, he was a poet of great skill and several of his works demonstrate his close, quasi-paternal relationship with the king. Indeed, this may have allowed him to carefully criticise the king, exhorting James to amend both his personal life and the abuses in his kingdom. Lindsay was also claimed as a proto-Protestant by some following the Reformation but it is debatable how far he was sympathetic to what we would now call Protestantism. However his views on the state of the realm are most famously addressed in his play ‘Ane Satyre of the Thrie Estaitis’, probably his best-known work. This chiefly survives in two versions: an abbreviated text in the Bannatyne MS, and a more complete version printed in 1602. It was staged at least twice during Lindsay’s lifetime- once in 1552, on the playfield of Cupar in the author’s home county of Fife, and then in 1554 in Edinburgh, when it was again attended by Mary of Guise, now ruling in Scotland as queen regent for her daughter Mary I. The play has also been performed several times in the modern era, since its revival for the second Edinburgh Fringe in 1948.

The early performances of the ‘Satyre’ took place in a very different context to that of the Linlithgow ‘Interlude’. There was no king in the audience and, despite the queen regent’s best efforts, religious discontent was growing in the 1550s (especially in Fife). Meanwhile the open-air playfields of Cupar and Edinburgh, with their audiences of burgesses, local lairds, craftsmen, farmers, and others further down the social scale, were very different to the intimate and elite surroundings of Linlithgow Palace. But the framework of the Interlude does seem to resemble that of the Satyre very closely. The ‘Satyre’ opens with a short speech by a character named Diligence before a king (‘Rex Humanitas’) enters in the company of his flattering courtiers Wantonness and Placebo. These last two are more overtly malevolent than the courtiers described in Eure’s ‘notes’ and they are hanged at the end of the play, which is not a feature of the Interlude. Although flattering courtiers were a common target in sixteenth century literature, their behaviour in both plays is otherwise very similar. Rex Humanitas and his courtiers are joined by a character named Solace, a drunk who is also capable of singing ballads. His appearance coincides with the first jokes about the sexual immorality of the clergy, and this is a major theme throughout the ‘Satyre’, couched in very similar terms to those of the ‘Interlude’. 

An eighteenth century depiction of Sir David Lindsay of the Mount. Reproduced under the Creative Commons Attribution licence by permission of the British Museum)

As in the ‘Interlude’, much of the action in the ‘Satyre’ is also driven by the complaint of a Poor Man (accompanied by another character named John Commonweal) who bemoans the abuses of the clergy and the nobility. There is no learned doctor named Experience to support the Poor Man’s argument in the Satyre, but there are characters such as Good Counsall and Correction, the latter of whom convinces Rex Humanitas to call a parliament. The second half of the play therefore deals with the meeting of the ‘Thrie Estaitis’ who are explicitly identified as ‘Temporalitie’ (the nobility or the equivalent of the Armed Man in the ‘Interlude’, though less explicitly warlike), ‘Merchant’ (equivalent to the Burgess in the ‘Interlude’) and ‘Spiritualitie’ (the clergy). Temporalitie and Spiritualitie are harangued for their sins, the latter getting the worst of it, and although Spiritualitie attempts to argue, he is eventually forced to accept correction. The play ends with the execution of the king’s evil counsellors.

The similarities between the overall structures of the ‘Satyre’ and the ‘Interlude’ is clear, and there are numerous minor details which both plays share. Little wonder then that the 1540 ‘Interlude’ has also been attributed to Lindsay and viewed as an early version of the ‘Satyre’. However, it must be acknowledged that there is no explicit evidence which confirms Lindsay as the earlier play’s author. Many of the themes shared by the ‘Interlude’ and the ‘Satyre’ are also found in other Scots literature of the period, and there are important elements of the ‘Satyre’ which are never mentioned in the ‘notes’ about the ‘Interlude’. For example, there are no female characters mentioned in the description of the ‘Interlude’, whereas in the ‘Satyre’ characters such as ‘Chastity’ and ‘Lady Sensualitie’ play important roles. It must be remembered though that Eure’s contact may not have recorded every detail of the Linlithgow ‘Interlude’, especially if they weren’t relevant to his religious and political aims.**** And overall, despite some academics rightly urging caution, there does appear to be a general consensus that the ‘Interlude’ and the ‘Satyre’ were in some way connected. The survival of an account of the Linlithgow ‘Interlude’ is thus of great significance for the study of Scots literature and sixteenth century court culture.

The Yuletide festivities drew to a close and by early February the court had moved to Edinburgh in advance of the queen’s coronation. The long-term impact of the little interlude at Linlithgow on James V and his council cannot be ascertained, if indeed it had any real impact at all, beyond its entertainment value. Nonetheless, the frustrations and ideals which informed the play would fester for the next twenty years or more and, eventually, a reformation would indeed be effected in Scotland, though it was destined to take a very different form to anything James V, Henry VIII, or even David Lindsay might have imagined. And in any case, even if areas such as James V’s religious policy and the play’s authorship must remain something of a mystery, the survival of a description of the performance at Linlithgow offers a rare insight into court entertainments in sixteenth century Scotland.

Notes:

*’The whole council spiritual and temporal’ is a bit of a vague phrase but presumably included at least to the king’s closest, privy councillors, who might be loosely associated with the small group who witnessed most royal charters at this time. Two of these men- the chancellor Gavin Dunbar and the justice clerk Thomas Bellenden- we already know were in attendance. It is perhaps not too much of a stretch to guess that some of the others were in the audience- men like the bishop of Whithorn, the earl of Moray (the king’s older half-brother), the earl of Argyll, the chamberlain Lord Fleming, the secretary Thomas Erskine of Brechin and the clerk register James Foulis of Colinton. Perhaps some of the queen’s ladies were also in attendance, or even some of his illegitimate children who were likely at Linlithgow at the time, but this must remain speculative.

** Gavin Dunbar had also been one of the king’s tutors and, known for his ‘cursing’, he was not usually at a loss for words.

*** Interestingly the treasurer of the day was James Kirkcaldy of Grange, who might have been in the audience. Kirkcaldy obtained a reputation in later literature for his defence of persecuted Protestants.

**** And in the case of ‘Lady Sensualitie’ in particular, I do have to wonder how popular an account of how consorting with concubines allegedly impeded the cause of reform would have been with an English ambassador during the reign of Henry VIII.

Selected Bibliography:

- Printed copy of Sir William Eure’s original letter can be found in Sir Henry Ellis’ “Original Letters Illustrative of English History”, series 3 vol. 3 and is also calendared in the Letters and Papers of Henry VIII here.

- “Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer”, vol. 7, ed. Sir James Balfour Paul

- “Ane Plesand Satyre of the Thrie Estaitis”, by Sir David Lindsay of the Mount- I used both this printed copy of the 1602 version and the modern ‘standard’ edition by Roderick Lyall, and of course the notes associated with this (link to publisher’s website here)

- “The Linlithgow Interlude of 1540 and Lyndsay’s Satire of the Thrie Estaitis”, by Greg Walker in Medieval English Theatre vol. 37 “The Best Pairt of Our Play: Essays Presented to John J. McGavin”

- “Versions of Lindsay’s Satire of the Three Estates”, by Raymond A. Houk in PMLA vol. 55, No. 2 (June 1940).

And others.

[teentitanimals]

im working on a BIG Batfamily project, and WOW have i realized how much harder this is gonna be than i first thought it was... for now, have an excerpt- or, rather, Selina Kyle’s information card of the project :) im pretty proud of this! information and story subject to change

Selina Kyle-Wayne

birth name: Selina Calabrese

Main Alias: Catwoman

Other Aliases: Catbird (in Gothtopia), The Cat, The Cat Burglar, Irena Dubrovna

Current Age: ~46 (When first CW; 21. When had HK; 36. Retires CW; ~55. At death; ~70.)

Birthdate: March 14th (Alternatively; March 31st)

Hair Color: Black

Hair Length: Short

Eye Color: Green

Race/Ethnic/Skin Color: Half-Cuban; Possibly Italian, Scottish, and/or Latina descendant (White)

Sexuality: Bisexual

Gender: Female (She/her)

Height: ~5’11” (Tall)

Weight: ~146lbs (Sorta Heavy)

Build: Slender, Curvy

Biological Parents: Maria Kyle, Rex Calabrese

Step-Father: Brian Kyle

Alleged Father: Carmine Falcone

Biological Sister: Magdalene “Maggie” Kyle-Burton

Biological Half-Brother: Aiden Mason

Brother-in-Law: Simon Burton

Biological Cousins: Nick Calabrese, Antonia Calabrese

Alleged Siblings: Sofia Falcone, Alberto Falcone, Mario Falcone

Surrogative Sister: Holly Robinson

Ex-Lovers: Sam Bradley Jr., Eiko Hasigawa, Moreland McShane

Husband: Bruce Wayne

Parents-in-Law: Thomas Wayne, Martha Wayne

Siblings-in-Law: Thomas Wayne Jr. (On Earth-3), Rochelle Wayne (in Elseworlds: Reign of Terror)

Surrogative Father-in-Law: Alfred Pennyworth

Surrogative Sister-in-Law: Julia Pennyworth

Cousins-in-Law: Kate Kane, Beth Kane, Bette Kane

Surrogate Daughter: Arizona

Biological Children: Helena Kyle, Helena Wayne (from Earth-2)*, “Aion” Wayne (In Batman in Bethlehem)

*(HC; Helena is legally her adopted daughter on Earth-1.)

Step-Children: Damian Wayne, Athanasia al Ghul, The Heretic (clone of DW), Tallant Wayne (clone of DW), Alina Wayne (maybe), Bruce Wayne Jr. (On Earth-3839), Dick Grayson, Lance Bruner, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Cass Cain, Duke Thomas (maybe), Terry McGinnis, Matt McGinnis

Daughters-in-Law: Koriand’r, Dana Tan

Step-Grandchildren: Mar'i Grayson, Jake Grayson, John Grayson II (On Earth-2), Sasha Todd, Clark Wayne (On Earth-3839)

Step-Great-Granddaughters: Lois Wayne (On Earth-3839), Lara Wayne (On Earth-3839)

Catwoman Run: ~34 years

Succeeded By: Eiko Hasigawa, Holly Robinson, (First Name N/A) Black

Wikipedia. Batman Wiki. DC Database. DCAMU. Animated Series. Comic Vine.

(tw; self-harm, suicide, child abuse, illegal prostitution, drug addiction, sexual abuse, death)

Selina Calabrese was born to Rex Calabrese and Maria Calabrese with a sister two years older than her named Magdalene Calabrese. When Selina was very young, her mother escaped from Rex, also known as The Lion, leader of the Calabrese Crime Family, and became the husband to Brian Kyle, legally changing all their names to Maria Kyle, Maggie Kyle, and Selina Kyle. Maria had a son with him, Aiden Kyle. Their relationship was not healthy, with Maria being very suicidal and Brian being drunk and abusive. He would often yell at and harm Maria and her kids, and Maria, although she loved her kids, was distant, more often spending time with her cats. One day, Selina came home from school to find her mother dead in the tub, having cut her wrists until she bled out. A year later, Brian died from alcohol poisoning, and Selina called the police, packed her bags and ran away. Maggie and Aiden were taken to the orphanage, and Aiden, being fairly young, was almost immediately adopted by a family, where his name was changed to Aiden Mason. His contact with his half-sisters was cut off, although he would eventually seek them out as an older teen and young adult. Maggie was adopted after a few months, and was raised very religiously. She kept in contact with Selina best she could.

On the streets, Selina would steal food, clothing and other material from grocery stores. She was eventually caught and put in the orphanage. She acted out a lot, causing her to be sent to Juvenile Hall. When she turned age 13, she was sent back to the orphanage. There, she realized the place was embezzling money. To make sure she never told anyone, they put her in a bag and dropped her in a river. Selina managed to escape, and then stole documentary proof of their embezzlement to give to the police, some money for herself, and her own files in hopes of reuniting with her brother or sister. Instead, she found out that Brian was not her birth father, and that her father was an unknown mobster man. Selina continued living on the streets, stealing food and jewelry to meet her own, as the money she stole would not last forever. She would be taken in by an old thief gang leader named Mama Fortuna, who treated the kids under her care like slaves. Eventually, Selina would run away with a friend from the gang named Sylvia. They could not survive on their own and always had a shortage of money, and Sylvia took up prostitution to support them both, and grew to hate Selina for it. They parted ways.

When Selina was 17, she began illegally working as a prostitute under an abusive pimp named Stan. She stumbled upon a 13-year-old Holly Robinson who was being sexually abused by a cop. Selina beat the cop up, inspiring Holly who said that was the first time anybody had shown her she could fight back. The two became roommates. To pay for living expenses and food, Selina continued stealing, and Holly eventually became an illegal prostitute too when she was 16, despite Selina being against it. Her underage status resulted in Stan getting into a fight with a drifter, who, unbeknownst to them, was Bruce Wayne in disguise. A few weeks later, Holly would wake Selina up to show her Batman, still new and fresh, beating up corrupt police officer and former Commissioner Branden. Selina, inspired by how someone can don a costume and have everyone either be happy or terrified to see him that she can do the same too, would confront and fight Stan about his abuse, officially having her and Holly quit prostitution. She spent money to buy an expensive costume- her first Catwoman costume. She robbed a local store, and one of the security guards called her “Catwoman”, which she liked and chose to be her name. Stan, wanting revenge on Selina and Holly for quitting, kidnaps Maggie. After a few days, Selina locates him, saves her sister, and beats him to death in a rage as Catwoman. Selina informs Maggie of her new persona, who disagrees heavily, especially seeing as she killed a man, but promises to keep quiet.

The police investigate Selina and Holly, and one police officer sexually harasses Holly. Enraged, Selina went out as Catwoman with intent to kill him, but Batman intervened and made her see how her anger blinded her. Terrified she was a danger to Holly, she sent Holly to live in a convent with Maggie, who was a nun (although she would later give up her nunage to marry her husband, Simon Burton). Catwoman would begin her crime life properly, crossing paths with the likes of the Joker, the Riddler, Poison Ivy, and others, and flirting with Batman, of course. While Selina continued on to be a thief as Catwoman for the next few years, Holly felt she did not fit in the convent, and eventually found herself back on the streets. She got addicted to drugs and went back into prostitution.

While Holly was away, Selina temporarily got a new roommate, a young blonde girl nicknamed Arizona who reminded Selina a lot of Holly. She took her under her wing, and Arizona acted like her sidekick for a while, before she eventually found her own feeting and started a life on her own. She still kept close contact with Selina, though.

After five years, a gang leader named Bone killed a close friend of Selina’s named Lola MacIntire, who knew Selina was Catwoman and let her crash at her place after her apartment was destroyed. Bone wanted revenge after Catwoman had stolen from him. This devastated Selina, who viewed it as completely her fault. At Lola’s funeral, Selina encountered her old friend, Gwen Altamont, and the two began working together. Catwoman stole cars for Gwen, and encountered a metahuman thief named Spark while on the job. Catwoman convinces Gwen to let her work with Spark, and the two plan to rob Penguin of the fifth dagger they need to complete a set of valuable knives. Catwoman stakes out at the restaurant Penguin likes to eat at a day before he would be there, which Spark questions why they are doing so a day before. Catwoman notices a young hooker getting tranquilized and dragged into a van. Catwoman leaps into action, Spark soon following. They save the girl, and, after questioning local prostitutes, find out there have been multiple kidnappings and murders like this. Catwoman investigates and plans to defeat the kidnappers. After failing to stop a kidnapper in the act, Catwoman contacts Detective Carlos Alvarez, a detective who has been chasing her tail but that she knows is a genuinely good cop, for help. They track the kidnapper, Matilda Mathis aka Dollhouse, the daughter of Dollmaker, to a mansion. Catwoman fights Dollhouse, but Batman interrupts their fight, allowing both to escape. Catwoman questions her ability to be a vigilante, knowing she’s a better thief.

After those series of murders to other prostitutes, Holly quits being a prostitute and heads to her and Selina’s old apartment. She is pleasantly surprised to find Selina lived there after the destruction of her other apartment, and the two reunited. Holly began working as a spy of sorts for Catwoman, gathering information of what was happening on the streets of East End. Although she eventually stopped taking drugs after living with Selina for a few months, she felt concerned that she was still looking at the world through the eyes of a junkie to gather intel. During this time period, the Scarecrow releases a gas that makes everyone believe they are in a utopia- Gothtopia. There, Selina believed she was Catbird, partner to Batman. Where Batman could see glimpses of reality, Catbird just thought him delusional. While people who could see through the illusion questioned their sanity and committed suicide, Catbird began investigating a criminal named Steeljacket, who was also convinced their reality was an illusion. Steeljacket explained that the suit he was wearing kept him alive and he needed her thievery skills to get him the money to repair it. Catbird helped him, and the familiar adrenaline rush of a robbery made her remember her real identity of Catwoman. After Batman freed the city from Scarecrow’s toxin, Catwoman reminded him of how they shared both a partnership and a true romantic relationship in Gothtopia. Batman denied the extent of his romantic feelings, even though the toxin showed them both what they wanted to see.

A few years later, Black Mask, who held a vendetta against Catwoman, kidnapped her sister Maggie and Simon, killed Simon, and then forced Maggie to eat her husband’s eyes, driving her insane. Black Mask also kidnapped and beat Holly with the help of an old childhood friend of Catwoman, Sylvia. Catwoman kills Black Mask, Holly kills Sylvia, and they save Maggie, who is put in a psychiatric institute. Holly isolated herself and nearly fell back onto old habits. Selina decided Holly needed time to heal outside of Gotham City and needed proper training, so she sent Holly to a rural safehouse where she trained in hand-to-hand combat with Ted Grant. Selina and Slam Bradley, a detective friend of Selina’s, located Holly’s long lost brother Davey, and the two reunited.

Eventually, Black Mask was revived by a Black Lantern, and immediately sought out Maggie, threatening to kill her and anyone else Catwoman cared about. Catwoman, with the help of Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, defeated Black Mask again. Maggie escaped, and no longer wanted anything to do with Selina, blaming her for her insane condition and Simon’s death, and believing Selina was possessed by a cat demon. Maggie sought out Sister Agatha to exorcise her sister, but when Maggie saw Agatha’s cat, she snapped and killed Agatha’s cat and then Agatha because she believed Agatha was in league with Selina’s cat demon. Maggie then searched through Agatha’s relics and tools, stumbling upon a supernatural substance in a container that warped Maggie’s sense of reality further. To Maggie, an angel was released and claimed it would help her destroy Selina’s cat demon. Maggie finds Selina and Harley Quinn and attacks them with heightened abilities. Harley refers to Maggie as “Sister Zero”, and then becomes possessed by the “angel”’s influence. Catwoman manages to get through to Harley, confusing her enough to escape Maggie’s control. Selina forces Maggie to escape, who starts to formulate a new plan to save her sister’s soul. The angel told her to team up with Azrael and Crusader during Gotham’s Judgement Day, which she does. Maggie believes she is her sister’s test of faith, which means either Selina will get cleansed of her cat demon, or Maggie will die. But in the end, when Maggie has a chance to end Selina’s life, she can’t bring herself to do it. Maggie ends up back in a psychiatric institute and starts to slowly heal, although sometimes Sister Zero breaks out.

Holly begins a relationship with a girl named Karon, who she moves into the apartment of. She also becomes the supervisor of a group of street kids known as the Alleytown Gang, training them to act like the spies and informants of Catwoman’s network. Unbeknownst to Holly, Selina had grown tired of seeing her role as Catwoman ruin her life over and over. Selina burned her suit, but would be forced to don it again after a woman named Roulette contacted her about a competition between thieves that threatened the lives of children. Catwoman got a new suit and raced to save the lives of the children. After competing in several rounds, she realized that there never were any real children in danger. Roulette had actually been hired by a man named Hunt Stone who wanted any evidence that connected his ancestors to a famous murder stolen and erased. Selina began sabotaging every aspect of her strictly regimented and planned out days, until Roulette was forced to declare her the winner of the Race of Thieves to make her stop. During this time where Selina went missing, Holly acted as Catwoman to keep other criminals at bay.

With Catwoman I back in action, Oracle asks Catwoman, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn to keep an eye on Vicki Vale, who has evidence on the members of the Batfamily that need to be destroyed. Selina notices an artifact in Vicki’s possession that she had once stolen. It reminds her of the days when Batman used to chase her, and she reminisces on them. Her flashback is interrupted as Harley breaks into the room they were monitoring, wanting to get her hyenas back because they had stolen them from her. Vicki bolts out of the room, and they lose her trail, but Selina managed to get her phone number. She planted a fake call to lead Vicki out of her apartment, allowing Selina to break in and take pictures of her Batwall, which Batman and Oracle needed. Selina reminisces about her crime life.

When a mysterious malefactor came to Gotham with a yearlong plan to ruin Batman’s life, Catwoman began investigating into the turf war between the Penguin and newly returned mobster Carmine Falcone. She was captured by Falcone for causing him grief years ago and he nearly killed her, but Professor Pyg attacked Falcone, having a vendetta against him. Catwoman plans to kill Falcone, who she suspects might be her biological father, but before she can, Batman intervenes. She leaves Falcone and his mob to Batman, but sometime later while trying and failing to stop a deal to sell a baby snow leopard for its fur, a young girl locates Selina. She tells Selina that her father wanted her to attend a meeting in Blackgate Penitentiary. Her real father was Rex Calabrese, the crime boss from whom Falcone had taken power. Selina declined the request at first, but a street kid named Jade came to find her next, informing her the girl before her was killed by gang violence. Selina asked Rex for his guidance in becoming a mob boss herself to keep the mobsters in check from killing any other kids. The leadership of the Calabrese Family and the ownership of the Egyptian Nightclub were passed onto her as the legal heir. Catwoman, wanting to make sure Batman knew she was still on the side of good despite becoming the head of a crime family, told Batman everything she knew about the group of Arkham escapees still on the loose. After she got invited to a secret weapons sale that were actually weapons stolen from Batman’s own supply, Catwoman began to research high bounties in Gotham, and was tipped onto Stephanie Brown. Catwoman kidnapped her without realizing she was the current Batgirl. She was rescued by Batman and the situation was resolved. Soon Batman got captured by Lincoln March, and rioting broke out across the city. Selina forced her people to help prevent the riots while also secretly making strategic thefts to further her causes. During this time, Selina gave up her Catwoman mantle to Eiko Hasigawa, a heir to the rival Hasigawa crime family, and a love interest of Selina’s.

Eiko’s time as Catwoman was short-lived, though, as Eiko and Selina merged the Hasigawa and Calabrese families, leaving Eiko as their leader while Selina went back to her normal life… Sort of. She realized she was pregnant from a one-night stand with Sam Bradley Jr., and Holly Robinson took on the mantle of Catwoman at Selina’s request. Selina made up a fake identity, Irena Dubrovna, to peacefully give birth to her daughter, legally known as Helena Dubrovna. Sam Jr. had died by the time Selina realized she was pregnant, but his father, Slam Bradley, wanted to provide for his new granddaughter. Selina could not resist the thrill of Catwoman, and donned the suit alongside Holly a few times. Unfortunately, Film Freak and Angle Man had deduced where Selina lived after catching the two Catwomen on film, and kidnapped Helena. Selina easily rescued her daughter, and then had Zatanna Zatarra mindwipe the two villains of Selina’s identities. With Batman’s help, she faked “Irena” and Helena’s deaths, putting Helena up for adoption. She asked Zatanna to wipe her mind of knowledge about Helena so she wouldn’t put her in danger again, but Zatanna refused.

After returning to her solo role as Catwoman for nearly a year, Selina allowed herself to be arrested and sent to death row at Arkham Asylum for the murders of over two hundred terrorists. It was her friend, Holly, who had really committed the crime, but she trusted Batman would prove her innocence, therefore saving her and Holly’s lives. Nearly a year later, Helena Wayne, biological daughter of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle, from Earth Never-Two passes into Earth Never-One and gets trapped. Helena meets this world’s Selina Kyle. The two become close, with Helena still mourning the death of her mother in her universe and Selina missing her daughter. Selina was worried that being too close to her alternate universe daughter might lead her to the same fate as her Helena Kyle, but this Helena was an experienced adult who had lived through an Apokoliptian war. She was a capable vigilante who could hold her own perhaps even better than Selina herself, and Selina felt her concerns fade away. After another year passes, Selina asks if she can adopt Helena Wayne, despite Helena being 21-years-old. Helena, surprised, agrees. Almost a year after that, Bruce proposes to Selina and she accepts, becoming his wife.

Selina Kyle is, in general, highly flirtatious, seductive, and willing to use her looks and her charms to get what she wants- in fact she’s even proud of it. She’s also, much like her namesake, graceful, sly and light-footed, known as one of the greatest thieves out there. Despite her past of being an abused victim, she stands with her head high since she first donned the Catwoman suit (it can be quite enconfidating, that anonymity). She was never one to sit back and let herself or others get abused, and she sympathizes heavily with abused children, young women and sex workers especially. While her career as Catwoman started out to support herself and her friends, it eventually became an addictive adrenaline rush she couldn’t give up. Even though she’s ‘reformed’, she still has sticky fingers and loves the thrill of getting away with small robberies, especially when her husband is the Batman. She enjoys getting under his skin. She isn’t too big on black and white morality, instead choosing to do whatever is necessary for the situation. She’s not ‘above’ killing, but she’s no homicidal murderer, and it’s never her first option, although attacking her loved ones is a sure way to push her closer to the edge. Although admittedly in her earlier days, the empowerment of being Catwoman got to her head, and she let rage cloud her judgement, leading to her being more willing to brutally harm and kill. She’s very willing to take risks, enjoying the danger even, and she’s incredibly stubborn and persistent. She never had much of a villainous ego, nor does she have a superhero complex. She walks the line between the both with confidence, never worrying about being in the gray. Sometimes it ticks her off when Bruce and others think she should commit completely to one or the other, when she’s perfectly fine where she is.

Reblogs appreciated! Stay tuned for the finished project, which is this... but for every Batfam member ever

[irnbraw]

On the Need to Preserve Freely Spoken Words in Scotland

Scotland is slowly boiling to death - like the proverbial frog in the pan of simmering water.  Our civic life is already damaged to such an extent that Scotland seems more like Northern Ireland than the rest of the UK now.  To which we can now also see the methodical disassembling of facts, history, free-speech and freedoms of person, belief and action.

The SNP is fundamentally illiberal.  (See all the preceding pages of this blog).  It, like all cultish entities, has a Dogma to which ALL must be sacrificed.  Truth, facts, friends, even family.  Nothing is more sacred than Dogma so public ethics, accountability, transparency, honesty - any and all can be safely and comfortably dispensed with if Dogma is furthered and the transcending goal of Dogma is advanced.

Into this vortex of lies have wandered a number of persons who are not a perfect fit.  They are those who have failed to have their own moral compass overwritten.  Certain people who, when they encounter corruptions or abuses of power at the highest levels do not look the other way - or mutter to themselves something about ‘the end justifying the means’.

This is alas rare - but therefore significant.  One such instance is when avowed separatist, ‘progressive’, a scion of the Scottish nationalist cause - someone at the core of that maelstrom: Robin McAlpine - saw and experienced at first hand the kind of corrosive corruption that the SNP is now disintegrating Scotland with, he spoke up.

McAlpine was Director of “Common Weal” a social issues ‘think tank’, dedicated to the progressives’ view of a separate Scotland.  But he is that no longer.  For when he stopped in his tracks and lamented the detrimental impact of secretive, conspiratorial nationalist power (by penning a 3,000 word article)* he was invited to step down.

Given the direction in which Scotland currently drifts, aided by Covid and an overly sentimentalist and un-critical population, I believe the essay that caused the former Director’s downfall may not long survive.  Therefore, I have copied and pasted it here.

Not much is now, in reality, safe in the hands of Big Tech.  The clarion warnings of Rand, Huxley, Orwell and Bradbury have already been rendered moot by our illiberal and autocratic governments combined with the mob mentality of ‘wokeism’.  So even reprinting here is no guarantee of anything.  But we must all make an effort, and this small bit is my contribution to preserving words freely spoken in Scotland - while that is still a thing.

 - Here is the Article - 

(link to the original blog-post is above)*

THIS TIME almost exactly two years ago I sat in a cafe close to Holyrood in a state of what I can only call shock. The enormity of what I’d just heard was sinking in; over the preceding nearly three hours I’d been introduced to all the gory detail of the plot against Alex Salmond. The last two years has at times been surreal for me as a result.

To explain what I am going to write next I need to tell you something about my fundamental beliefs. I have worked close to the power of government my whole life. I have studied and read widely on power. I am also a strong believer in social change.

Everything I have seen has driven me to the same conclusion; nothing is more important than integrity in public life. That may seem anachronistic to some (given modern political culture) and not particularly left-wing. But the positive change I want cannot be built on anything but the firmest of foundations; when corruption or misuse of power creeps into those foundations, nothing good can be built on them.

Some on the right of politics are anti-state and for them a discredited public realm has its uses. For the left, nothing good ever, ever comes from it.

There is no doubt in my mind that there was and is a coordinated plan of action created by a powerful group of people, developed and executed in secret but using public resources, all with the sole purpose of forcing a perceived opponent out of public life in Scotland.

I then have no doubt that when this plan was at risk of collapsing and exposing those who perpetrated it, they instigated a wide-ranging cover up. My suspicion is that it was not initially the intention to seek to jail Salmond, and that this was a result of an escalation to distract attention as part of the cover-up operation. Yet that is the direction in which this plan proceeded, nonetheless.

There is no greater abuse of power than to use it arbitrarily to remove someone’s liberty. This is absolutely not the ‘rough and tumble’ of politics. It has no place in Scotland. None.

At this stage I need to make some more things clear. This is no longer anything to do with Alex Salmond, his reputation, his career or his future. He was investigated thoroughly, tried in a court of law and acquitted of all charges. It is worth adding that he was not acquitted because his actions were ‘dodgy’ yet failed to meet the threshold of criminality but because the jury believed his defence that none of them happened.

It is not about contentious political issues such as independence or the Gender Reform Act. It is not about crucial social and cultural debates such as the Me Too movement. I am open that I believe Nicola Sturgeon has run a poor administration and has repeatedly misled the independence movement in a way that has harmed our chances of independence. But it’s not about that either.

Nor am I any kind of Alex Salmond fan-boy. This is not about a personal squabble or some ‘psychodrama’. It certainly isn’t some spurious debate about ‘civic’ versus ‘populist’ nationalism. The sheer volume of dust being thrown up to obscure what this is really about is in itself telling.

So you must clear your mind of all of these issues and focus on the sole and single issue this is about; are there people in a position of power in Scotland who misused that power in a manner which makes them unfit to hold office or employment? (If this gives you difficulty, perhaps remove the names and think in terms of ‘Politician A’ and ‘Civil Servant B’.)

In what follows I will try, carefully and without emotive language, to take you through how I reached my conclusions. I will seek very hard to only state as fact things that are public record, and to make absolutely clear where I am introducing my own opinion and analysis.

(There are far, far too many references to include throughout as this relates to thousands of disclosed government papers available here. Gordon Dangerfield has gone through many of those forensically on his blog here. I know there are strong views about Wings Over Scotland but that is the best place to find a number of documents which are redacted elsewhere. I have never at any point had access to nor specific knowledge of material not in the public domain but have broad awareness of what it is believed to indicate.)

But yes, I am of the decided view that people in a position of power in Scotland misused that power in a manner which is not acceptable. I believe that it started when a complaints procedure was created and designed to target a specific individual and pushed through over strong objections from the UK civil service.

In a position of power, you should never create laws or procedures for a purpose related to the pursuit of an individual; it represents a gross misuse of those powers.

I am of the decided view that the same people merged this process with the ‘grooming’ of complainants against the same individual, and on this a ruling of the Court of Session strongly suggests I am correct.

There are then too many details concerning the fundamentally improper manner in which this complaints process was subsequently pursued to cover here, but it is all documented and will reach the public domain eventually. This too was a gross abuse of power.

It seems that at this point, those behind these actions became aware of their risk of exposure as a result of legal arguments they had become aware of, and I believe this is when the cover-up began.

The first crucial element of this cover-up was for the most senior of government politicians to arrange a meeting to discuss sensitive government business at her house, seemingly deliberately doing so with the express intent of excluding civil servants from documenting this meeting and then subsequently, when caught, to knowingly and repeatedly to mislead parliament about that meeting. I believe this is confirmed by existing information in the public domain.

I then believe that, aware their position was coming into substantial jeopardy, the participants in this operation sought to move the focus away from their actions by escalating the matter to a criminal one by reporting information to the police, information they had access to for at least six months previously but did not act on (done against the wishes of the complainants).

... seeking to jail someone for political expediency is something I did not believe I would see in Scotland in my lifetime.  Pause must be taken here to take in the enormity of this ... 

At this point we have moved into the territory of the kind of behaviour we seldom see in western Europe. Certainly, seeking to jail someone for political expediency is something I did not believe I would see in Scotland in my lifetime. Pause must be taken here to take in the enormity of this.

As part of that process, I believe that a leak of information which is probably criminal in nature was carried out from within the office of the politician and on this the investigation of the Information Commissioner’s Office strongly suggests I am correct. I do not believe that it is feasible this happened without the authorisation of the politician (though I am aware of no hard evidence for this).

The affair now moves into two strands. The first involves continued efforts to cover up what has happened through the repeated failure to produce documents, even in the face of a Court Warrant, and in this a judge at the Court of Session concurs (on fact, not motive). This appears to be, on the face of it, contempt of court.

This also involves what I believe appears to be pressure exerted on Government lawyers to misrepresent facts in court up to the point where they threatened to resign (this latter point is public record).

The Scottish Government continued this behaviour in the face of at least one (and probably more) legal opinion that it would be ruled against but only admitted fault when more damaging material appeared to be about to be exposed. The ruling on the part of the Judge in this case was damning and the award made was extraordinarily harsh on the Scottish Government.

From there the cover-up, I believe, is fairly apparent, ranging from refusing to reveal legal advice to doing everything possible to avoid document disclosure to creating the remit of inquiries deliberately designed to prevent proper investigation of what has happened to repeatedly evasive and factually incorrect evidence given to a Parliamentary Committee.

The second strand involved the criminal case, and while there was some crossover of participants this was pursued largely by the apparatus of the political party of which the politician is a member. Much less of this evidence is currently publicly available, so I will restrict myself to saying that staff of that party appeared to have sought to maximise the number of complaints and put pressure on the police.

These two strands recombine during the resultant criminal trial, where there may be a case to be made that the repeated refusal to produce relevant documents represents an attempt to pervert the course of justice and contribute to the imprisonment of a man by withholding evidence relevant to his defence.

Perhaps the pinnacle of this for me is the testimony of Woman H, by far the most serious of the charges presented (attempted rape). Here the prosecution led no properly admissible evidence that she was even in the building where the alleged attempted rape took place. The defence led multiple pieces of evidence including reliable eye-witness testimony that she was never there.

The circumstances around this testimony are deeply concerning and it seems to be clear perjury. I can’t comment any more, but for me it sums up this whole sorry affair.

I haven’t even mentioned what I find to be the difficult-to-understand decision by the Crown Office and Prosecutor Fiscal Service to bring this case to court, nor its (for me) subsequent chilling pursuit of supporters of the man tried. I also have some concerns about what I know of the actions of the police. The role of some publicly-funded agencies and the publicly-funded BBC in the aftermath only contribute to my unease.

There is so much more, so much that will come out and this will be worse still than what you’ve seen so far.

There is so much more, so much that will come out and this will be worse still than what you’ve seen so far. The damage I believe this is likely to do to confidence in the conduct of public life in Scotland is substantial.

That the politician is Nicola Sturgeon, the man Alex Salmond, the civil servants a group surrounding Leslie Evans and the party officials a group surrounding Peter Murrell (husband of Sturgeon) should play no part in affecting the details I have set out above.

I have never in my life called for someone to resign. If they should be fired, they should be fired; but resignation should be a matter of honour, so calling for it seems futile to me. But I can see no circumstances in which it should be acceptable for Nicola Sturgeon to remain in office. Any one of half a dozen the above acts perpetrated by a member of Boris Johnson’s cabinet would have the SNP demanding their head.

From there it seems to me to be a question only of how many of the civil servants and paid officials of the SNP should be sacked for misconduct. Some of the civil servants seem to me clearly to need to face contempt of court proceedings and there are a number of people involved who seem to me at least terribly close to ‘conspiracy to pervert the course of justice’ territory.

I want only to finish with a few thoughts on the ramifications of all of this, firstly for public life in Scotland.

I have made no secret of my growing concern about the state of democracy in Scotland nor the way public officials perform their duties. There seems to me now to be a messianic cult of impunity among far too many senior officials. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that this has rattled my confidence in the health of Scotland as a nation right now.

There must be reform of governance in Scotland and a root and branch review of the civil service and its agencies. I struggle to understand how the Lord Advocate is still in post (what exactly is the ‘correct’ number of malicious prosecutions he can admit to in any given year?) and his existence as an active member of Cabinet is clearly contrary to EU law (enshrined in domestic law) that the Executive (government) and judiciary (legal system) are independent of each other.

If this rattles the confidence of the public in Scotland then I can hardly blame them, and I can’t see what the option is other than (finally) honesty, full disclosure and reform.

Talk of continuity in government during the Covid crisis is neither here nor there. If continuity means failure to ensure integrity, we have a bigger problem. Surely someone else can do a press conference every morning and no-one is asking health officials to resign. The vast majority of the SNP’s politicians are good and honest people who had nothing whatsoever to do with this; there will be no problem forming a strong working government.

Finally, the cause of independence. I have said over and over to the small group of people whom I’ve spoken to about this that harm was inevitable from the moment the ‘original sin’ of this affair took place.

In the last week there has been much chatter from people who support independence of the sort ‘but she’s so popular, can’t we turn a blind eye to this, at least for a while?’. I of course have sympathy for the many grassroots activists I so admire and who have been let down by this, but I have two responses.

The first is simple; directly before the Watergate scandal Richard Nixon had approval ratings of 68 per cent, substantially better than Nicola Sturgeon’s – and this whole affair has remarkable parallels with Watergate.

This will out eventually. I wish dearly that Nicola Sturgeon had found a dignified excuse to fall on her sword long before now and it might actually have been possible to avoid this (for now, if not for the history books). But she didn’t. Every part of this traces back to her, her team, her husband and her close confidants. If you’re angry about this (you should be) that’s where to direct it.

We sure as hell can’t afford this to dominate the 2021 Holyrood election and there is a very real risk it will.

But to return right back to the beginning, while I have sympathy to those wishing we could ‘turn a blind eye’, in the end that is the Ted Cruz/Mitch McConnell position – and how is that working out for them?

It is almost explicitly to say that you are content for a new Scotland to be born from corruption, so long as it is born. But I can’t tell you how much of a mistake that is – there is no redemption for us from such a stance. Our future, our nation must be born from honesty and integrity or you should want no part of it. I certainly don’t.

‘Just this one corrupt conspiracy and no more, we promise’ can’t be acceptable

‘Just this one corrupt conspiracy and no more, we promise’ can’t be acceptable, can’t be how we carry ourselves into the future. Whatever price we pay for this we must pay, and we must then atone and rebuild. We can still win an election if we start right now.

I wish I had an alternative for you. I wish, I so deeply wish, this had never happened. None of it. Even now I wish I didn’t feel I need to write these things. But I do feel I need to, for my own conscience if nothing else. My silence would leave me feeling complicit and I can’t live with that. I would have written the same even for a leader I admired and supported.

And I have already lived for these two years with the knowledge of this wound deep into things I care very much about – Scotland, its future as an independent nation and its ability to be a much better place than one where a fifth of the people live in poverty.

We have been dragged here and whether it is now, during the election or in the months after when we should be moving purposely towards independence, this is all going to pour into the public domain like it or not.

And because it will poison all it touches, those responsible must remove themselves or be removed and rapidly be distanced from the cause of independence and Scotland’s public realm.

[sablelab]

Covert Operations - Chapter 59

 DISCLAIMER: This is a modern AU crossover story with Outlander and La Femme Nikita. LFN and its characters do not belong to me nor do those from Outlander.

 SYNOPSIS:  James Fraser meets with Superintendent Zheng to tell him about Claire Beauchamp’s transfer to the OCTB.  Although he is not pleased to do so, he reluctantly releases her knowing that this was a possibility.  Claire’s neighbour drops in to her apartment.

 THANK YOU to everyone who has been reading or who have just discovered this story.  My heartfelt thanks to you all. Much appreciated.  Also, a special shout out to all who reblog my story onto their blogs.  This is most appreciated for the exposure of Covert Operations and I am grateful to you all. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

 Previous chapters can be found -  https://sablelab.tumblr.com/covertoperations

CHAPTER 59

Superintendent Zheng had requested some files from police archives and Claire was just about to go and collect the records that he had wanted when the phone on her desk began ringing. Picking it up she didn’t even have time to answer when a familiar Scottish brogue said her Section One code name.

“Jo-se-phine.”

 It was all he said but it was enough for Claire to get those funny feelings in her stomach whenever Jamie contacted her at the start of an impending mission. It had been several weeks since she had heard his voice and the dulcet tones of his command washed over her and made her long to see him once more.  At last Jamie had contacted her to inform her that the new mission profile was imminent.

“Yep! Thanks.”   

Her reply too was brief but it was all she could manage to say. Replacing the handset, she set off to the archives in the basement to collect the documents knowing that Jamie would contact her soon with the updated profile. Claire smiled to herself and replayed the sound of his voice in her head once more.  She couldn’t wait to see him in person and hoped that he would be back in Hong Kong sooner rather than later. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“So, Mr Fraser.  We meet again.”

“Aye.” “I thought you had returned to Scotland?” “I did ... but now I’m here.” Superintendent Zheng remembered that James Fraser was a man of few words and his replies were succinct as before.  He did wonder however, why he had been in Scotland but guessed it was probably on some official business given the résumé of the man seated before him.  Fraser was certainly clandestine in his answers and in embellishing any details that really didn’t concern him.  Nevertheless, the man intrigued him.

“Yes ... you are. What brings you back to Hong Kong after all this time?” 

“New orders from your Chief Commissioner.” He sat back in his chair. Fraser’s statement was news to him.  “Really?”

“Aye ... I’m sure you did your homework Superintendent Zheng before I was assigned to Miss Beauchamp some months ago.” 

A wry look passed between the two men at Jamie’s words for Zheng had done exactly that. “You have a most impressive body of work Mr. Fraser. But what has that got to do with the Chief Commissioner?”

“What I am to tell ye is strictly confidential you understand and will go no further than this room.” “Of course.” “Private investigating work is but a mere cover. I actually work covertly for the Canadian Government and other world bodies specializing with triad groups in Canada and elsewhere. We liaise with similar agencies where triads are active.” “Hmm ... I see.”  Zheng remembered that it had stated on his resume that Fraser had been seconded to work as a special agent for the FBI in his area of expertise … Organized Crime. So, what he had said made sense and perhaps that is why he was also in Scotland.

“But I don’t quite understand why you are here then and not at the OCTB Mr Fraser? They deal with organised crime and triads here in Hong Kong.”

“That’s precisely why I am here Superintendent. Certain people Miss Beauchamp and I came across in our undercover assignment have been seen in Canada recently to open a chain of new business ventures.” 

“Who?”

“I’m not at liberty to disclose any names but some are of doubtful character. The Canadian government is worried about a triad influx into their borders to set up legitimate business but with underlying motives.” “So are these people members of the Rising Dragons?” “Read into it what ye will.” “I find this all a little overwhelming I must say Mr Fraser.” “That’s why I need yer help ... or more specifically ... Miss Beauchamp’s help.” “But why will you need her assistance again?” “As you are aware her undercover assignment was very successful.” “Yes.” “Your Chief Commissioner was most impressed and at the request of my government, Miss Beauchamp is to be transferred to Hong Kong's Organized Crime and Triad Bureau undercover unit for the remainder of her stay here in Hong Kong. You can verify this with the Commissioner if needs be.” Superintendent Zheng’s own premonition had come to fruition as he had pondered on this very scenario when Claire had arrived back at the Water Police, for he knew she would be best suited to the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau. Obviously orders had come through while he’d been sitting on his hands reluctant to release Claire to the OCTB as he’d known she would be eventually. Instead he dug his heels in and wanted to know the reasoning behind the decision. “For what reason?” “That’s classified I’m afraid.” “And if I refuse to transfer her to the OCTB?” “I wouldn’t if I were you. The deaths of Mr. Wu and Annalise de Marillac on the junk have proved that the Rising Dragons will not tolerate interference in their business. I think they have made that perfectly clear in the past. Wouldn’t you?” “But Mr Fraser … I need her here. I did have plans … Our tighter anti-crime laws have been responsible for a recent drop-off in the overall crime rate in Hong Kong.” “Ye are delusional Superintendent … they have merely been dormant for a while. ��I would suspect that the current slow rate of crime is an indication that there is movement in the hierarchy of the triad for an overthrow and more so with the death of Tony Wong. He will need to be replaced. I would think that their leader Sun Yee Lok better watch his back.” “That may be so, but why Miss Beauchamp? Surely the OCTB has personnel that can deal with such a scenario?” “What valid reasons could ye come up with Superintendent? The junk murders have been solved as far as the Water Police are concerned and consequently your department has no further need of Miss Beauchamp’s services anyway.” “W-ell ...” “You’re grasping at straws Superintendent Zheng. Her transfer ... is not ... negotiable.” “But ...” Xiao Zheng tried to find a legitimate excuse that would sound rational rather than petulant and goading for this formidable man. He had noticed James Fraser’s steely disposition the first time he had met him and today only further confirmed that he was not a man to be underestimated. He was used to being in control. Zheng could feel the aura of power surrounding him. “Will you disobey your High Commissioner and cause a diplomatic incident by refusing orders Superintendent?” “No ... but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. She could be in danger.” “All covert work is dangerous. Miss Beauchamp can protect herself.” “I know.” “Good … then you’ll release her.” Superintendent Zheng looked at Jamie and finally nodded his compliance of the directive he’d been given. “Very well … I’ll have her come to my office when she returns.” “Thank ye ... Oh and Superintendent...” Jamie stated as he rose to leave. “Yes?” “I need to remain covert for obvious reasons.” “Of course.” “And ... this conversation never happened. Understand?” “Perfectly, Mr Fraser.” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ After James Fraser had left his office, Superintendent Zheng sat musing over their conversation. Yes ... he understood perfectly well. Covert work was always clandestine. Zheng knew John So at OCTB and one or two others because of their past connections to the Water Police, but no one really knew who was undercover and who wasn’t. There were a few Bureau members who he didn’t care much for, Chief Inspector Jiang Ng, the head of the Bureau being on top of his list. He was young and brash and much too cocky for his likening. He never gave any Intel away either, unless he was after some. As for the others, Zheng kept an open mind. The thing that worried him most was that in some circumstances, life undercover often replicated itself into their real lives until the boundaries became blurred. He had to let go of his feelings of foreboding ... Claire had survived Tony Wong ... and the Rising Dragons’ triad ... but they never forgot or forgave those who betrayed them. Nevertheless, he was worried that Claire Beauchamp would become involved in something undercover that would affect her profoundly or get her into serious trouble. He knew that whatever had transpired and whoever they had met while they were undercover had prompted her recall. Obviously he was not privy to classified information and he knew that he would never know the extent of her knowledge of the Rising Dragons. Whoever they had in their sights was obviously dangerous and needed the expertise of people trained in covert work. Reaching for his telephone Superintendent Zheng reluctantly called Claire to his office. The telephone rang repeatedly at her desk but as yet there was no reply as she was clearly still trying to find the files he had asked for. He certainly didn’t want to lose her to the OCTB, but obviously his hands were tied. Orders were orders no matter what your personal feelings were. Transferring her to the OCTB could be fraught with danger, however, if Claire were in danger, he would rather she be protected by this man James Fraser. He had clearly seen to her safety on their undercover assignment and he would do so again on their next ... and besides he had been most adamant and persuasive. It was apparent to Superintendent Zheng that Claire Beauchamp knew too much about the Rising Dragons and would be invaluable to the OCTB. But why would the Canadian government make a formal request for her help? Perhaps they had requested Claire because of Intel the two of them had discovered that he was not privy to and this was their way of keeping her close? Or did their undercover assignment open up many leads that could only be perused through other avenues? Too many questions rose in his head ... too many scenarios presented themselves ... and there was too much secrecy. Clearly, he was not fully briefed about the Intel they’d uncovered for these questions would surely have been answered if he had been. Once again Zheng would be saying goodbye to a person whom he had come to admire and respect. He only hoped that Claire Beauchamp would come through this safely and unscathed. He tried to call her again and this time she answered. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ “Sir you wanted to see me?” Claire announced as she stood in the doorway to his office. “Yes ... come in Miss Beauchamp. Sit down.” “Have you enjoyed working here?" “Very much sir.” “Your time spent with us at police headquarters has been most valuable and I feel fortunate that you were assigned to the Water Police for your sabbatical leave.” “My sabbatical has certainly been interesting, hasn’t it Superintendent Zheng?” He smiled.  “You made a difference to our case Claire and this has not gone unnoticed by those in authority.” “Thank you sir.” “However ...” He paused and looked at her, “... there is no other way to say this but you are to be transferred to the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau.” Xiao Zheng announced sadly. “I see ... Why am I being transferred?” “The Police Commissioner feels that some experience at the OCTB would be beneficial especially given your past undercover assignment. Working at the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau will be enlightening police work I’m sure.” “I’ve enjoyed working with you Superintendent Zheng and I’ll miss you all.” “Everyone here at the Water Police is sorry to see you go too. But you need to move on and test new waters as they say.” “When will my transfer take place?” “Immediately ... You can clear out your desk ... but you’ll start there tomorrow.” “Oh.” Xiao Zheng rose from his desk and approached Claire. Shaking her hand he hesitated and then gave her a quick hug. “Good luck and good bye Claire. It was a pleasure to meet and work with you.” “And you too sir,” Claire replied as she turned and left his office for the last time. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Claire lay on the floor of her apartment exercising and trying to take her mind off her meeting with Superintendent Zheng today by giving herself a thorough workout. She’d cranked up the music before starting her exercise regime and had already worked up a sweat. With her body on her white floor rug and her lower legs resting on the couch she was up to her thirtieth sit-up. When she had finished her fiftieth one, she sat up. Feeling her pulse rate, Claire wiped the sweat from her brow with a towel then closed her eyes for a moment before getting up and walking into the kitchen. 

Having been told to stay in her police cover prior to returning to the Hong Kong Water Police until Section One would need her again, Claire realised that the next stage was this new appointment to the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau which would begin tomorrow morning. Clearly this transfer was part of the plan that Operations and Madeline had in mind, but she was a little worried though as Jamie hadn’t made any face to face contact with her yet to debrief her on her transfer to the OCTB. Perhaps he would have some Intel about Jonathon Randall as well, and if so, her profile would need to be changed. Claire wondered why he hadn’t arrived. Her mind was at loggerheads also thinking about whether they would be able to see each like they had on the Madame Cheung mission before the scenario was in play or would he be evasive about the mission. Getting a drink from her refrigerator she took a long swallow before returning to the floor for some push ups, but before she could begin a knock sounded at the door. Claire wondered who it could be at this time of night. She hoped that it was Jamie and that he’d finally arrived to debrief her about her new profile. She suddenly felt a little nervous. Her heart was immediately in her mouth and her pulse rate quickened in anticipation of her visitor. Remembering when he had arrived at her apartment before only exacerbated her nervous tension. She hoped that it wasn’t Angus and Mei as she’d already said her sad goodbyes to them when she had left Police Headquarters saying that they could not contact her again under any circumstances. The last thing she wanted was another spur-of-the-moment visit from her two friends trying to cheer her up after she’d told them of her transfer to the OCTB. They would be risking disciplinary action if they had broken with police protocol and tried to contact her after hours now that she was not associated with the Water Police. She had told them that she would also be leaving her apartment as soon as possible in order for them to not come calling in the future. Giving them both a huge hug she’d wished them well ... but it was a final good bye. They knew the risks involved when there was a transfer to the OCTB and they wouldn’t want to put her in jeopardy. Claire didn’t think that they would do that so perhaps it was her neighbour and jogging buddy Karen Yee. She would have to say goodbye to her too at some stage. Claire would miss her and their budding friendship that had developed over the past few weeks, but she didn’t live an ordinary life and friendships on the outside could not be encouraged. Standing, Claire turned the music down and hurried to open the door. Checking the peephole first, however, it was not who she expected. James Fraser was not the one standing on her threshold.  Nonetheless Claire took a breath to compose herself before answering and despite her disappointment she opened her apartment door with a cheery greeting.

 “Hi ... Come in.”

Leaving the door open, her neighbour Karen Yee walked into her apartment while Claire went to turn the music back up and resume her push ups. “Hey, what’s going on in here?” Karen asked closing the door behind her and casting her eyes around the apartment. “Sorry about that; I was just working out. The music wasn’t too loud was it?” “No, no ... I’ve got something to tell you,” she stated excitedly. “Uh huh.” “I met someone.” “Hey! Good for you!” “Remember that new nightclub I told you about a couple of weeks ago?” “What ... The Triangle?” “Yeah ... Well I met him there. Claire, I think this is the one. He’s different.” Karen walked into the kitchen and got some bottled water out of the refrigerator as she made herself at home in Claire’s apartment. “Want some water?” She called out. “No Thanks,” Claire called back. “I’ve got some.” “Mmmm! Something smells good. What ya cooking girlfriend?” “Spaghetti Bolognaise ... You wanna stay for dinner?” “Sure,” Karen replied coming back into the loungeroom where Claire was exercising doing a series of pushups. Taking a sip from her bottle, Karen sat on the floor in front of Claire and watched her work out. Arching her back like a cat in a stretch Claire feigned interest and solicited more information about her mystery man. “So tell me about him,” but as soon as Karen began talking she switched off and continued concentrating on her exercises. “I know musicians are trouble, but he’s such a wonderful guy. That can’t be that bad, right?” Noticing her apparent lack of interest, Karen handed Claire her half filled bottle of water from the floor then asked, “You okay Claire? ... You seem a bit distracted.” “Yep, I’m fine. It’s nothing really,” she replied as she stood up. Taking the bottled water with her, she moved to look out the balcony windows across Victoria Harbour. Karen could see that Claire was upset. “Yeah, well, it’s something. What’s wrong?” She asked trying to get to the bottom of her friend’s melancholy. “Something happened today.” “What?” “I left my job.” Claire stated not even looking at Karen. “Why? What happened?” “I had a huge falling out with my boss ... I just can’t work there anymore.” “That’s too bad.  Hey ... I know a way to cheer you up. How about coming to the nightclub to hear my guy play,” Karen said enthusiastically. “Nah! ... I don’t think so.” “Come on Claire it will be fun ... You might ... meet ... a guy.” Claire smiled at her persistence. “Okay ... Why not?” “That’s the girl. Now, why don’t you go freshen up? I’ll organise everything in here for dinner.” “Thanks Karen ... I am a bit sweaty. I won’t be long ... be back in a bit.” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ When Claire returned, she helped Karen set her small glass table for dinner and as they did so they chatted. “I'm glad you came over Karen ... it's not very often I get to hang out with friends.” “What about Angus and Mei? Don't you guys hang out anymore?” “No.” Claire replied, putting the salad bowl down on the table. “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” She replied sincerely then trying to cheer her up inquired sneakily, “So have you got a boyfriend?” “Well, I wouldn't really call him a boyfriend but he's okay.” Karen poured some red wine into two glasses. They smiled at each other and clicked glasses. Noting Claire’s apparent changed mood Karen asked, “But there's closeness, yeah?” “Yeah ... but we haven’t seen each other for a while.” Claire’s thoughts were suddenly somewhere else ... on someone else ... someone who should be here but wasn’t. “Hey Claire!” Karen’s voice however, brought Claire back to reality with a thud once again. For just a moment she’d forgotten that she was entertaining her friend. “I don't know about you but I'm starved. Let’s eat!” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ When Karen finally left her apartment, a worried Claire immediately contacted Section One as she thought that by now Jamie would have contacted her in some capacity one way or the other.

“Fergus! What’s happening? Where’s Jamie?”

“A situation has arisen that has taken priority. I don’t think he liked it, but Jamie has been recalled back to Section for a new mission in Senegal.” “Why? What’s happened?” “There’s been a coup d'état ... all hell has broken out.” “For how long?” “Don’t know ... Could be a couple of days or longer. It’s hard to tell until he reports in about the situation.” “Oh!” She replied, hoping that the disappointment didn’t register in her voice. “It seems Operations’ changed the agenda. He said he needed his top Level 5 operative in Senegal to ascertain and contain the situation.” “That would be right,” she responded softly but Fergus failed to hear her. “Claire? ... Claire? ...You still there?” “Yeah Fergus ... I’m still here ...” She answered as her voice trailed off. “So where does that leave the mission then? Will I be getting an update or do I wait for Jamie?” “Intel’s been transferred to your PDA. You should have the details within the hour.” “Why have I been transferred to the OCTB?” “Section thinks there is a mole at the Bureau. You’re to do some investigation to see if you can find out who it is.” “Does Jamie know about this?” “Yes.” “Is someone feeding information to the Rising Dragons from the OCTB?” “It appears so.” “Do we know who it might be?” “No. See what you can find out, then report back.” “Okay. Any new Intel on Jonathon Randall?” “Some, but Jamie will debrief you on what we know when he sees you.” “Okay.” “Good ...He will be there as soon as he can.” “Thanks Fergus.”

 Claire bit her bottom lip in disappointment ... when would she see Jamie?  Hopefully the Senegal mission would be brief and he would be back very soon.  She just wanted to see the man she missed in the flesh so desperately, but Claire knew she would have to be patient although she didn’t like it one iota. Tomorrow was another day and she was to start at the OCTB so Claire tiredly made her way to her bed. Nonetheless she didn’t think she would be able to sleep especially if her thoughts were about the man, she missed and longed to see.

 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ to be continued

[hyipstation]

Zumo Money Wallet Review: Get comfortable with Crypto

Zumo Money Wallet Review: Get comfortable with Crypto

About Zumo Money Zumo Money Wallet is payment platform that makes people’s money and cryptocurrency work in a seamless and safe manner. Zumo is a product of the Blockstar Developments Limited company. This is a Scottish company registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office. It was founded in 2017 by Nick Jones and Paul Roach, but currently, the team behind the Zumo project is spread all…

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Brief Australian History - The Eureka Stockade (Gold Rush)

Well! I’m procrastinating, and am going down to Sovereign Hill next week, and knowing it’s been brought up on my feed recently, I felt compelled to educate a little today on the Eureka Stockade. Forgive me as a lot of my knowledge is aged and coming from text books I have from school. But, it’s an interesting thing and if I bore you, I pray you look it up elsewhere and it won’t. The Eureka Stockade is an important part of Australian history, and is strongly symbolised in our pop culture.

// Also, specifically for the Hetalia fandom, the gold rushes were mentioned in the strips with little Australia and Canada. It’s said his character aged drastically due to the gold rushes and wool industry. (Chapter 201 / 202)

Background Information… First findings of gold was discovered in Clunes, Victoria in 1850. The excitement travelled, and by August the rush had spread into Ballarat, where Yule’s Diggings was situated. It then spread a month later into Castlemaine and Bendigo. The goldfields within Ballarat proved to be profitable, and it’s stated that Lieutenant-Governor Charles La Trobe, the first of Victoria and whom of which La Trobe University in Melbourne is named after, witnessed men uncover over a hundred ounces of gold within a single day.

This new influx of immigration into Australia created a significant change between the initial colonies, specifically convict colonies. They progressed into being their own towns and cities. The population within Australia raised in a space of 20 years from 430,000 to 1.7 Million, and this is where Australia’s infamous multiculturalism began, but also the traits of racism within Australian culture was introduced. In particular, there was a huge rift between Australians and the Chinese. The Japanese pearl divers up in Queensland weren’t treated with such distain although held for their labour the same way Aborigines were, yet they weren’t deemed the same way the Chinese were when arriving upon the gold fields. The Chinese immigrants’ unique, and non-European techniques and differential appearances led Australians to being greatly unsettled in what is quoted as the fear of the unknown.

In 1855, over 11,000 Chinese immigrants made their way through to the goldmines through Melbourne. These led to many violent anti-Chinese protests that took place in numerous sections of the gold mines. This led to Victoria enforcing the Chinese Immigration Act of 1855, which limited Chinese passengers per 10 tons. It didn’t work as well as hoped by those enforcing the law, as Chinese immigrants made their way through South Australia onto the lands anyways. (Australia’s a bit well known for their white-only policies.)

This brings us to the beloved Eureka Stockade of 1854, which occurred on the 3rd of December. The Eureka Stockade was a rebellion started by gold miners against the English authority over the rise of the mining license.

In August 1851, Lieutenant-Governor La Trobe had installed a mining free of 30 Shillings that would start on September 1st that same year. The first protest, consisting of around 50 men, was held on the 26th against this new fee, that only raised from there on. A statement announced in December of that year announced there was to be a raise on the fee, from 1 Pound to 3 Pounds and would be effective as of the 1st of January 1852. In reaction, the miners around Ballarat had started arming themselves in spite, and the initial plan was there forth wavered. In 1853, there was permission granted for personnel to search an owner for their license, which were as frequent as a couple times per week. Bendigo and Ballarat miners reacted to this unsettlement, as well as strict laws on liquor, with threats of violent rebellion.

Further unrest was confirmed when Scottish miner James Scobie was murdered outside the Bentley Hotel in Ballarat after breaking a window and being hunted down and murdered with an axe. Despite all the evidence poured by eyewitnesses, the Supreme Court found bar owner James Bentley and his staff innocent, and angered Ballarat miners further - They took matters in their own hands, and burnt down Bentley Hotel. More soldiers were sent to Melbourne, inspections were increased, and the rumours of a drummer boys murder had resulted in miners rioting back against the reinforcement.

In result, soldiers increasingly arrested more members of the community. In relation to the burning of Bentley Hotel, Thomas Fletcher, Andrew McIntyre and Henry Westerly were sentenced to jail for up to 6 months of imprisonment, which was resented amongst the miners - who met up together in a mass of 4,000 attendees, and established a group to protect their rights, known as the ‘Diggers Rights Society.’ On Bakery Hill, (situated in front of government establishment,) another meeting was called on November 1st with 3,000 miners in attendance over the arrest of another 7 thousand miners in relation to the fire. 10 days later, shit got real when 10,000 miners gathered upon the same hill, where John Basson Humffray created the Ballarat Reform League. He recycled principles set out by the British Chartist movement, of which he was a member of. They all agreed upon the right as man to have a voice in the laws being created, and swore to remove themselves from the United Kingdom if the current ordeal wasn’t solved. They wished to negotiate with the Governor of Victoria, Sir Charles Hotham, over the jailing’s of men related to the Bentley riot, and the injustice of James Scobie’s death. They also stressed the removal of gold commissions, the mining license, and a democratic representation on the fields. Sir Charles Gotham reviewed these situations and appointed a Royal Commission, but Commissioner Rede reacted with an increase of soldiers and called in more reinforcement from the city of Melbourne.

On November 28, soldiers marching in from Melbourne were lynched by a group of miners. The rumour of drummer boy John Egan’s death began with this group attack, although he wasn’t actually murdered but instead shot in the thigh. It is said that a soldier who had died within an Benevolent Asylum claimed that a man of dark complexion had murdered their drummer boy with a stone - likely accusing an Aborigine - but this settlement of the drummer boys demise was laid upon the concept that, these men weren’t worth credibility nor equal rights.

The next day around 12,000 miners agreed upon open resistance, starting with a public burning of the licenses. Following that, Commissioner Rede had ordered a new check - knowing full well that men had burnt theirs - and eight different miners were arrested. A vast majority of the military personnel employed had to escort the arresting officers from a mob.

Feeling they weren’t being represented enough, the Ballarat Reform League appointed Peter Lalor. They settled with a military-based structure, featuring significant roles such as captains. More licenses were burnt, and on the 1st of December, the miners held a meeting and swore an oath around a newly constructed flag, where they swore allegiance to the Southern Cross and to stand for their rights. The Eureka Flag, claimed to have been designed by a Canadian miner, was then flown. The flag was said to have been risen at 11 o'clock, and was considered at the time as the Australian Flag by the community.

During December 2nd, discourse was caused upon Vinegar Hill with claims that the Union Jack had to be flown underneath the new flag, with miners protesting their rights as British men. I’m touching on this briefly, as I do not know the accuracy of this event.  The same day, a group of 200 American men under the leadership of James McGill arrived carrying weaponry such as revolvers and Mexican knives, and provided horses. These men were known as the Independent Californian Rangers, and were led to interfere with a rumoured set of British reinforcements. They were followed by men commissioned by Commissioner Rede, and when these men were convinced that no military forces were to be sent and returned to their tents for the night, the spies reported their findings back to Rede.

At 3am on a Sunday morning, 276 soldiers stormed upon the shabbily made Stockade that had been crafted over a short period of time and wasn’t thought to be used in military pursuits. A war broke out immediately.

It was vastly violent, and wasn’t a fair fight by any means. There’s no direct knowledge on whom actually shot first, but the blood certainly spilt. Women were said to have laid over injured men to prevent any more death, Canadian 'Captain’ Henry Ross was shot dead - a notable figure whom had requested the construction of the flag  - and Peter Lalor was hidden and had his arm amputated after being shot in his left arm. 34 men were said to have been casualties, and 22 had passed away - including, for some reason frequently noted, Prussian Lemonade seller and leader Edward Thonen. The flag was removed by police mid-battle. Captain Charles Pasley, absolutely disgusted by the carnage of the men, saved a few prisoners by threatening the lives of any policemen or soldiers whom continued to kill anymore. Amongst the prisoners held were 114 miners, who were held in a barn.

Peter Lalor, the Irish Australian man who had escaped, said “There are two things connected with the late outbreak (at Eureka) which I deeply regret. The first is, that we shouldn’t have been forced to take up arms at all; and the second is, that when we were compelled to take the field in our own defence, we were unable to inflict on the real authors of the outbreak the punishment they so richly deserved.”

Commissioner Rede ruled the mine fields here on out with an iron fist, and Peter Lalor returned to Ballarat and was elected unopposed in 1855. He stood against democracy, asking the Legislative Council in 1856 and asked the council their views, “Do they mean Chartism or Republicanism? … I am not now, nor do I ever intend to be a democrat. But if a democrat means opposition to a tyrannical press, a tyrannical people, or a tyrannical government, then I have been, I am still, and will ever remain a democrat.”

The Eureka Stockade is a tale of man fighting, the unity of so many backgrounds… save for the Chinese, and the absolute carnage man can cause. Australian’s love their criminals, love their rebellions - and trust me I’ll write a piece on Ned Kelly when I get around to it - but the Eureka Stockade is a tale of resistance and want for representation. The strength of the women is a fantastic thing to analyse if you ever want too. The Eureka Stockade is mentioned in a lot of press, Melbourne’s well known 'Eureka Tower’ was designed solely off the concept of the Eureka flag. If you visit Australia, or come down by Melbourne, the car trip north to Sovereign Hill is a historical trip back in time worth it.

Sources: My Grade 4 textbooks/notebooks, Sovereign Hill lectures, an essay my friend wrote a few months back (I fact checked before inserting them), (stupidly) eurekapedia, and The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka by Clare Wright. Don’t just trust what a kid posts on the internet, research for yourselves lovelies. x

[cassidygallagherg]

#Privacy: ICO fines Scottish company £500,000 for automated nuisance calls

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined CRDNN Limited for making more than 193 million automated nuisance calls.  CRDNN Limited came to the attention of the ICO after over 3,000 complaints were made about the nuisance calls.  In March 2018, the ICO raided CRDNN Limited, which was operating out of Clydebank business park. Computer equipment from cybrtx https://ift.tt/2TyuLOu via IFTTT

[valentinopo]

#Privacy: ICO fines Scottish company £500,000 for automated nuisance calls

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined CRDNN Limited for making more than 193 million automated nuisance calls.  CRDNN Limited came to the attention of the ICO after over 3,000 complaints were made about the nuisance calls.  In March 2018, the ICO raided CRDNN Limited, which was operating out of Clydebank business park. Computer equipment from cybrtx https://ift.tt/2TyuLOu via IFTTT

[thisdaynews]

Everything you need to know about the UK Supreme Court ruling

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-uk-supreme-court-ruling/

Everything you need to know about the UK Supreme Court ruling

LONDON — Boris Johnson’s five-week suspension of parliament was ruled unlawful Tuesday and MPs will now hurry back to Westminster to take their seats in the House of Commons.

Just hours after Britain’s top judges gave the prime minister a serious telling-off, Speaker John Bercow was back, declaring business would resume the following day.

But, as is so often the case with Brexit, the politics is ablaze yet the steps toward an EU exit remain largely unchanged.

Here’s your guide to what Tuesday’s ruling means and what happens next.

What has the Supreme Court decided?

Eleven judges decided unanimously that Johnson acted illegally when he advised Queen Elizabeth II to suspend (or prorogue) parliament. In essentially misleading the queen, the prime minister had by extension trampled on the sovereignty of parliament at a crucial time in the Brexit process.

“The decision to advise Her Majesty to prorogue parliament was unlawful because it had the effect of frustrating or preventing the ability of parliament to carry out its constitutional functions without reasonable justification,” said Brenda Hale, the court’s president, as she read out the judgement.

Johnson’s advice was “unlawful, void and of no effect,” she said, meaning that “when the Royal Commissioners walked into the House of Lords [to enact the suspension] it was as if they walked in with a blank sheet of paper.”

In the eyes of the law, this suspension never happened, meaning the speakers of the Commons and Lords are now free to recall both houses of parliament, Hale said.

However, the judges chose not to rule on Johnson’s motivation for suspending parliament, something that could have been even more politically contentious.

What impact will the decision have on Brexit?

As things stand, the U.K. is still due to leave the European Union on October 31, and Johnson reiterated again on Tuesday that he wants to “get on and deliver [Brexit]” regardless of the Supreme Court ruling.

But he still must contend with a new law — known as the Benn Act — which forces the prime minister to ask the European leaders to extend negotiations if no deal has been agreed by next month’s European Council meeting on October 17 and 18.

With the threat of suspension looming, MPs acted quickly in early September and passed this law in order to stop Johnson taking the U.K. out of the EU without a deal.

“[The court ruling] doesn’t make a big impact on the outcome of Brexit in the long run,” Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform think tank, said. “What matters most is whether Boris can get a deal with the EU27.”

Does the ruling make a no-deal Brexit less likely?

Probably. Having lost in the country’s highest court, the Cabinet are likely to be more cautious about allowing the prime minister to try any more unusual maneuvers to force Brexit through.

The Democratic Unionist Party, which propped up Johnson’s government in Westminster, could also apply pressure not to further test the law. Arlene Foster, the party’s leader, tweeted on Tuesday that the Supreme Court had “to be respected.”

Grant said he thought the chance of the U.K. leaving on October 31 had gone from “low to minimal; infinitesimally low.”

“The more radical, Maoist voices in the government were saying let’s find a loophole. Having been chided by the Supreme Court once for acting illegally, it would be very difficult for them to do that twice,” he said.

Assuming Johnson doesn’t do a deal with Brussels, the most likely next step for the government is to ask the EU27 for an extension and then push for an election.

Does this mean Johnson will have to resign?

Johnson on Tuesday rejected the idea that he could resign over the defeat, and was backed up by Trump. Asked if the British prime minister might step down, Trump said: “I’ll tell you, I know him well, he’s not going anywhere.” Johnson added: “No, no, no.”

British prime ministers do not usually resign unless they lose the confidence of the public (via an election or referendum), of their Cabinet, or of parliament. Johnson doesn’t appear to have lost the first two and arguably never enjoyed the confidence of parliament, having lost every vote in the House of Commons. Whereas once losing a key vote would have spelled the end of a premiership, new rules mandating when U.K. elections must be held have made it possible for prime ministers to cling on.

A snap YouGov poll in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling suggests the public largely agrees with the judgment that prorogation was unlawful. But Johnson has been riding high in the usual polling horserace in recent weeks and the public — or at least the section he claims to speak for — generally seems to support his approach to Brexit.

He held a “businesslike” Cabinet call in the wake of the judgment, a Downing Street official said, and although Justice Secretary Robert Buckland raised concerns about a hostile briefing against the judges, nobody seems on the verge of resignation.

Johnson himself feels no need to resign because he refutes the verdict, a U.K. government official said. “The prime minister has said he disagrees with the ruling but of course, as always, we abide by it, he now has a job to do.”

Will anyone take the blame?

Downing Street does not expect ministers or advisers to lose their jobs over the prorogation blunder.

There had been some speculation that Attorney General Geoffrey Cox could be in line for the chop after Sky News obtained a memo detailing his legal advice that prorogation was lawful. “The attorney general said that his advice on the question of the law is that this was lawful and within the constitution,” the document reads. “Any accusations of unlawfulness or constitutional outrage were motivated by political considerations.”

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage, meanwhile, said top Downing Street adviser Dominic Cummings “must go” for recommending what he branded the “worst political decision ever.” Other reporters said there was disquiet about Cummings among Tory ranks in the wake of the verdict, while questions were also raised over the position of legislative adviser Nikki da Costa.

A U.K. government official said the prime minister had confidence in Cox and Cummings. He was not asked specifically about da Costa but rejected suggestions there would be job losses.

What do MPs do now?

While the ruling is a blow to the prime minister, it also puts pressure on MPs to demonstrate that parliament has a valuable role scrutinizing Brexit. Why make a big fuss about suspending parliament if MPs don’t have anything meaningful to say?

The ruling caught most of British politics by surprise and there is no clear cross-party strategy yet, according to a number of figures involved in discussions. “The outcome of the ruling had not been expected by many in Westminster,” one opposition strategist said.

The coalition of cross-party MPs that pushed the Benn Act only came together when facing a looming deadline because Johnson was about to suspend parliament, which focused the disparate group on their shared aim of preventing a no-deal Brexit.

Some Tories opposed to no deal are mulling further legislation to ensure the prime minister can’t circumnavigate the new law, strategists working with some of them said.

While some think a move could come as early as tomorrow, others do not think MPs will act immediately.

Another strategist familiar with discussions said MPs from across the political divide would use the extra parliamentary time to probe the government for more information on Brexit preparations, for example more detail about planning for a no-deal exit, insight into the government’s legal advice or details of negotiations with Brussels.

The ancient parliamentary device of a “humble address” to require the government to publish such information would likely be used in the coming weeks, the strategist said, although some are more cautious about forcing legal advice because of the precedent it sets.

Will there be a general election?

It is still just about possible to have a pre-Brexit election if two thirds of MPs vote for one when parliament returns Wednesday, according to the Institute for Government’s Joe Marshall. But it is very unlikely.

For opposition leaders, the calculation on an election hasn’t changed. They still want to be sure Johnson cannot pull the U.K. out of the EU without a deal before they will back a snap vote, which makes an election very unlikely before November.  Opposition parties held discussions about their next steps on Tuesday following the Supreme Court ruling.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told his party on Tuesday that the only way out of the Brexit crisis was a general election, but that no-deal exit must be ruled out first. A spokesman said Corbyn would go to parliament on Wednesday and “use whatever mechanisms there are to try and hold the prime minister to account and achieve the goals Jeremy set out.”

Scottish National Party Leader Nicola Sturgeon said MPs should “come together” to force Johnson out of office through a vote of confidence if he does not do the “decent and honorable thing” by quitting. But an SNP official said the party would make sure no deal had been ruled out “for good — no games or smoke and mirrors,” and then move against the prime minister.

Can the U.K.’s unwritten constitution survive Brexit?

“The wider effect of the [Supreme Court] judgment will be that few, if any, politically controversial decisions taken by minsters will be out of bounds for the courts,” said Adam Wagner, a human rights lawyer and expert on constitutional law.

He said Tuesday’s ruling made a written constitution “more likely” in the long term.

“Many will be uneasy with the courts taking an increasingly muscular role over hybrid political and legal issues which just a decade ago they may have refused to get involved,” he said.

“Ultimately, the court says it is revealing constitutional principles but some will argue the justices are creating them. A written constitution could resolve that tension, though experience from other jurisdictions suggest it would not solve it,” he added.

Read More

[hanapbuhayph]

Agricultural Engineer - Scottish Borders - JR082 ~ De Lacy Executive ~ Scottish Borders, United Kingdom, Europe

New Post has been published on http://www.hanapbuhay.tk/job/agricultural-engineer-scottish-borders-jr082-de-lacy-executive-scottish-borders-united-kingdom-europe/

Agricultural Engineer - Scottish Borders - JR082 ~ De Lacy Executive ~ Scottish Borders, United Kingdom, Europe

De Lacy Executive have been obtained to find an Agricultural Engineer to service, maintain and fix breakdowns in both conventional milking parlours and also robotic systems. Working for a successful family owned business, the successful candidate will have the opportunity for progression into a managerial position long term. Experienced engineers from other sectors will be considered as ongoing training and support can be provided. Responsibilities:

Service, maintain and repair parlours and robotic systems to a high standard within the customer territory.

Attend one out of hours call every five weeks.

Update the CRM system on works carried out.

Represent the company in a positive and professional manner at all times.

Use excellent communication skills to co-ordinate with other team members.

Requirements:

Experience in engineering.

Dairy farming knowledge is desirable.

Willingness to travel extensively throughout the territory and to work overtime as required.

Full UK driving licence.

Remuneration:

Competitive.

Interested? Please be assured that all contact is treated in complete confidence and your details will not be passed to a third party without your prior permission. Please note that this advertisement is not a job description and you should satisfy yourself about the full details at interview. De Lacy Executive is an Approved member of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, which promotes high standards in recruitment practice, and is registered with the Information Commissioners Office. De Lacy Executive complies with all relevant data protection legislation.

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[dhanaklondon]

High Commissioner Visits Scotland, calls on the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, meets Trade & Investment Officials, addresses Community

    Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK, Mohammad Nafees Zakaria with Rt. Hon. Nicola Sturgeon MSP, First Minister of Scotland, at her official residence, Bute House

Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK, Mohammad Nafees Zakaria, called on Rt. Hon. Nicola Sturgeon MSP, First Minister of Scotland, at her official residence, Bute House.

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Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK, Mohammad Nafees Zakaria with the Pakistani community in Glasgow

  Appreciating the Scottish Government’s Pakistan Engagement Plan, Mr Zakaria apprised her on the significant development in and around Pakistan and the conducive environment for business and investment in Pakistan. He urged that it was a propitious time for friends like Scotland to avail of the enormous economic opportunities. He identified prospective sectors such as Education, Tourism related infrastructure development, tech and other industries in Special Economic Zones, oil & gas exploration, power generation, halal product industries, surgical instruments, pharmaceutical industry, sports goods industries, and dairy product industries. 

  Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK, Mohammad Nafees Zakaria with Anas Sarwar MSP in Glasgow

The High Commissioner also briefed the First Minister on CPEC and economic opportunities associated with it for friendly countries to explore. Mr Zakaria underlined that the use of Scottish expertise and technological advancements in education, industrial sector and other identified areas could benefit both. He extended the invitation to her to visit Pakistan.

  Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK, Mohammad Nafees Zakaria addressing the Pakistani community in Glasgow

   The First Minister thanked the High Commissioner for the invitation and underscored the need for further cooperation to strengthen the bilateral relations between Pakistan and Scotland. She expressed keen interest in promoting economic partnership with Pakistan and assured full cooperation. She specifically acknowledged contributions of the Pakistani community to the Scottish society, economy and culture.

  From left to right: Anas Sarwar MSP, High Commissioner Mohammad Nafees Zakaria, Baroness Nosheena Mobarik CBE, Councillor Hanzala Malik, and Consul Muhammad Rumman Ahmad in Glasgow

Earlier, in his meetings with the Scottish Government officials and a Round Table with key stakeholders, the High Commissioner made a presentation on the identified areas of economic interest in greater details. The High Commissioner especially elaborated on the investment opportunities and policy for the 9 Special Economic Zones (SEZs), being set up by the Government of Pakistan. He assured all possible assistance to the interested business people/investors in terms of information on the processes and procedures, locating potential partners, and setting up meetings with key players in the public and private sectors within Pakistan.

  Video Clip

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Besides the High Commissioner, Consul Muhammad Rumman Ahmad, Mr. Geoff Pope, Team Leader, and Mr. Mark Cooney, Desk Officer for Pakistan, of the Scottish Government’s International Division, Mr. Julian Barnes, Chairman of Pakistan Scotland and Pakistan Britain Business Councils (PSBC & PBBC), Mr. Rashid Iqbal, CEO/ Executive Secretary (PSBC/ PBBC), Mr. Zeeshan Hussain (PSBC/ PBBC), Mr. Alain Van Weert, Clyde & Escaut, Ms. Vanessa O’Brien, Senior Associate Director CBI Scotland, Mr. Matt Lancashire, Director of Policy & Public Affairs, Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI).

During his fully packed visit to Scotland, the High Commissioner also interacted with Pakistani Community, including Parliamentarians, Councillors of Pakistan Origin at the Consulate of Pakistan in Glasgow. The notables of the Pakistani community Baroness Nosheena Mobarik CBE, Mr Anas Sarwar MSP, Councillor Hanzala Malik, Councillor Saqib Ahmed, and Councillor Shahid Farooq attended the event. Scotland-based representatives of ethnic media were also present on this occasion.

  The High Commissioner briefed the community on the significant developments and enormous business and investment opportunities which he urged that the community should avail.

  Responding to a query, he briefed on the grave human rights situation in Indian occupied Kashmir and the concrete steps taken by the government to highlight the plight of Kashmiri brothers and sisters.

  Besides, the High Commissioner addressed a number of issues raised by the participants.

High Commissioner Visits Scotland, calls on the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, meets Trade & Investment Officials, addresses Community High Commissioner Visits Scotland, calls on the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, meets Trade & Investment Officials, addresses Community…

[thesciencefaith]

Ireland Allows Muslim Police Officers to Wear Hijab

Ireland Allows Muslim Police Officers to Wear Hijab

The police service of Ireland announced on April 4 it would follow the footsteps of its Scottish and Northern Ireland counterparts by allowing Muslim female officers to wear the hijab, Irish Legal reported.

“I hope this move will encourage people from minority communities to join the ‘An Garda Síochána’ police service,” expressed Commissioner Drew Harris.

He further informed that Sikh…

[thewebofslime]

Home My Feed Saved Search Video Rewards Subscribe - 30 days free Login Register HOME NEWS SPORT BUSINESS ALL SECTIONS News UK World Politics Science Education Health Brexit Royals Investigations Matt Front Bench newsletter More Telegraph News Police Scotland chief constable Phil Gormley resigns amid misconduct probes Save 20 Phil Gormley has resigned as Police Scotland chief constable CREDIT: PA Simon Johnson, scottish political editor 7 FEBRUARY 2018 • 12:36PM Follow Scotland’s chief constable has resigned amid mounting allegations of gross misconduct and a furious political row over the Justice Minister’s opposition to him returning to work. Phil Gormley, who only took the role in January 2016, said it was “impossible to resume my duties in a meaningful way” and he needed to prioritise his family “on whom these events have taken a significant toll.” His resignation with immediate effect comes following mounting pressure on the chief constable, who has been on special leave from Police Scotland since last September while the allegations including bullying are investigated. It was announced last week that a fifth inquiry has been initiated, while Michael Matheson, the Justice Minister, has been accused of unlawfully intervening to prevent him returning to work while the investigations were conducted. Mr Gormley decided to step down and end his contract 10 months early despite consistently denying any wrongdoing and his wife, Claire, claiming he had been “vilified” in a “disproportionate fishing expedition.” She criticised Mr Matheson’s handling of the “sorry affair” and even claimed the fact he is English could have contributed to his treatment, saying he was seen as an “outsider in Scottish policing.” The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (Pirc), who was conducting the investigations into Mr Gormley, said they would all “now come to an end” and the information collected so far submitted to the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) watchdog. But his resignation means Police Scotland’s first two chief constables since it was formed in 2013 have left under a cloud. Several other senior officers are currently suspended as part of a separate investigation. Sir Stephen House, his predecessor, stood down in 2015 following a series of scandals culminating in a furore over a woman who was left dying in a crashed car by the side of the M9 motorway for three days. Deputy Chief Constable Iain Livingstone, who has been standing in for Mr Gormley during his leave, is the favourite to succeed him in the top role. Police Scotland Chief Constable Philip Gormley (left) talks to police officers with Tasers outside Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh CREDIT: PA Announcing his decision to quit, Mr Gormley said: “The last eight months have been difficult for me and my family, in particular I would like to thank my wife for her love and loyalty. “The events since November 2017 have led me to the conclusion that it is impossible for me to resume my duties in a meaningful way prior to the end of my contract. I now need to prioritise the health and wellbeing of my family on whom these events have taken a significant toll. “The support of colleagues from across the UK with whom I have served during the last 32 years has been a source of great strength. As chief constable of Police Scotland I have had the privilege to meet and work with some exceptional people, I wish them well for the future and it is in their interests that I feel it is right to step aside.” Mr Livingstone thanked Mr Gormley for his contribution to policing and wished him well for the future. He added: “The last few months have been a difficult time for Police Scotland and for many individuals. “My focus, and that of all officers and staff, will remain on day-to-day policing and serving the people of Scotland as we go forward.” The SPA decided he would not be required to work his notice period. Mr Gormley will receive three months’ salary in lieu of notice and his outstanding annual holiday entitlement. Susan Deacon, the SPA’s chairman, said: “Chief Constable Gormley has made a significant contribution to policing in Scotland. “I would like to thank him for this contribution and wish him well for the future. This has been a challenging period for all concerned, and in the interest of policing in Scotland we now need to move on”. Scottish Justice Minister Michael Matheson CREDIT: CORBIS NEWS Mr Matheson attempted to draw a line under the controversy, saying he hoped the resignation “enables policing in Scotland to move forward” and insisting his own actions were “entirely appropriate.” Referring to his controversial meeting with the SPA, which caused the watchdog to reverse its decision to allow Mr Gormley to return, he added: “I am very clear that my actions in questioning the SPA on November 9 were entirely appropriate, indeed were expected of me.” But Liam Kerr, the Scottish Tories’ Shadow Justice Minister, said the resignation “does not close down many of the questions hanging over this sorry episode.” He said: “Mr Gormley makes clear in his resignation statement that it was the events of November 2017 – when Michael Matheson intervened to prevent his return to work – that made it impossible for him to carry on. “It suggests that, less than two years after his appointment, the SNP Government intervened to force him out. Michael Matheson may hope that the stink hanging over this affair will clear with Mr Gormley’s departure. “It won’t. That will only happen when Mr Matheson does the decent thing and follows the former chief constable out of the door.” Daniel Johnson, Scottish Labour’s justice spokesman, said: “"Police Scotland has been riddled by crisis and controversy for years now, but the case of Phil Gormley descended into utter farce and raised serious questions about ministerial oversight. "Regardless of Mr Gormley's decision to resign, there are still serious questions for Michael Matheson to answer." Willie Rennie, the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, said: “The resignation of Gormley should not lead people to believe all the problems in Police Scotland are solved. "With lawyers exchanging blows, the relationships at the top of Scottish policing were damaged to such an extent that it became impossible for Phil Gormley to return. "The rate at which chief constables and SPA bosses have come and gone points to a much deeper issue. Problems are hardwired into the structures they are operating within.” Lawyers acting for Mr Gormley have accused Mr Matheson of making an “unlawful” intervention to prevent the chief constable’s return last November and had threatened to go to court to have the decision judicially reviewed. The SPA unanimously agreed last November that he could come back while the investigations continued and he was travelling from his Norfolk home back to Scotland when he was contacted by Andrew Flanagan, the watchdog’s then chairman, and told to turn around. Mr Flanagan had just come from two meetings with Mr Matheson, and he told MSPs last month that the minister had said he thought the chief constable returning was a “bad decision.” He said he felt he had “no choice” but to “pause” a decision to allow Mr Gormley back, despite the SPA supposedly being independent of ministers. However, Mr Matheson has insisted he had only ensured the proper process was followed and the SPA had failed to contact Mr Livingstone, the police commissioner investigating the allegations or those who had lodged complaints. Mr Gormley was formerly at the forefront of the fight against organised crime as deputy director general of the National Crime Agency. Related Topics Crime Scotland Police Scottish National Party (SNP) 20 Show comments FOLLOW TELEGRAPH NEWS Follow on Facebook Follow on Twitter Follow on Instagram News latest 10 Mar 2019, 7:43pm Donald Trump expected to ask Congress for extra $8.6 billion for border wall in budget 10 Mar 2019, 7:34pm Tony Blair secretly advising Emmanuel Macron on Brexit as former PM accused of 'unacceptable' behaviour PREMIUM 10 Mar 2019, 7:17pm Comment: We need to scrap the foreign aid target - and spend the money on policing instead ESTHER MCVEY PREMIUM 10 Mar 2019, 7:13pm More than one third of couples suffer mobile phone 'screen snubbing' by their partner, survey finds 10 Mar 2019, 7:07pm Teenagers kept in temporary mental health units for more than a year, despite six week guideline 01:16 10 Mar 2019, 7:04pm First of seven Britons identified among 157 killed in Ethiopian Airlines crash 10 Mar 2019, 6:46pm Leading activist for persecuted Kazakh Muslims arrested in China 10 Mar 2019, 6:36pm Comment: Oh how I wish companies would spare us the torment of hideous hold music JANE SHILLING PREMIUM 10 Mar 2019, 6:30pm Crufts branded 'irresponsible' by RSPCA over Dachshund advice 10 Mar 2019, 6:28pm Analysis: What does the EU stand to lose in a no-deal Brexit? PREMIUM 10 Mar 2019, 6:15pm Ailing Algerian president returns home amid mass demonstrations 10 Mar 2019, 5:44pm German CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer criticises French calls for major EU reform 10 Mar 2019, 5:39pm Mukhtar Mai, Pakistan's gang rape survivor, sets up school as she fights on for justice 10 Mar 2019, 5:32pm Range of patriotic sarees released as Indian election date set 10 Mar 2019, 5:27pm Watching violent women on TV is 'empowering', Phoebe Waller-Bridge says 10 Mar 2019, 5:09pm Italy puts rail project with France on ice to defuse political crisis 10 Mar 2019, 4:55pm Post-mortem shows film-maker buried in shallow grave in Kew murder had been strangled 10 Mar 2019, 4:29pm Tom Watson 'gearing up for Labour leadership battle with John McDonnell' PREMIUM 10 Mar 2019, 4:00pm Stephen Hawking's former nurse suspended amid secret misconduct hearing Gallery 10 Mar 2019, 3:53pm Gallery: Telegraph cartoons, March 2019 PREMIUM 10 Mar 2019, 3:46pm Cash and camel steroids: Inside the anti-quackery raids targeting Pakistan's backstreet clinics PREMIUM Contact us About us Rewards Archive Reader Prints Branded Content Syndication Guidelines Privacy Terms and Conditions Advertising terms Fantasy Sport Voucher Codes Modern Slavery © Telegraph Media Group Limited 2019

[bondedmulchspecification]

New Active Nation Commissioner for Scotland to make her first official appearance by meeting the people delivering active travel infrastructure

23 January 2019 ,

In her first official appearance in her new role Scotland’s newly appointed Active Nation Commissioner, Lee Craigie is to meet the people at the frontline of delivering walking and cycling infrastructure at a major event in Dundee.

Raising the Standards Day, Caird Hall, Dundee, 23 January, is an annual knowledge sharing event run by walking and cycling charity, Sustrans, that brings active travel partners together to meet and share best practice project ideas and experiences.

“  I am looking forward to attending this event. I am delighted to have been tasked with the privilege and responsibility of helping more people to realise the benefits of walking and cycling for every day journeys. ”

- Lee Craigie, Scotland's Active Nation Commissioner

Speakers and experts will come together to share knowledge and best practice in delivering well designed, safe and accessible walking and cycling infrastructure. Sustrans sees it as an opportunity to raise ambition and promote innovation in infrastructure through inspirational presentations and workshops that empower partners to deliver big, bold and pioneering projects that will restore the balance of Scotland’s streets. Sustrans manages funds to support walking and cycling infrastructure on behalf of Transport Scotland, the Scottish Government’s Transport Agency.

The charity expects around 200 delegates to attend on the day, from each of the 32 local authorities in Scotland, community groups, NHS, universities and colleges, Scottish Government and other statutory bodies.

Lee Craigie was announced as Active Nation Commissioner for Scotland in December 2018. This new position will see Craigie as an official representative for walking, cycling and physical activity. This will be Craigie’s first opportunity to address, meet and talk to Sustrans and travel partners working towards increasing and making active travel easier across the country.

Other speakers at Raising the Standards Day include world-renowned Danish urban designer Mikael Colville-Andersen, transport engagement consultant, Jon Little and public health and transport expert, Lucy Saunders alongside workshops, panels and exhibitions.

Sustrans Scotland National Director, John Lauder said:

'Sustrans Scotland warmly welcome Lee Craigie to her role and we are delighted that she has chosen to attend our Raising the Standards Day event as her first official appearance.

'Raising the Standards Day is an opportunity for those at the forefront of delivering infrastructure that makes places better for walking and cycling, to be inspired and to share best practice. It will be a great opportunity to hear from Lee and for her to learn about, and discuss, many of the challenges and opportunities we all face in making Scotland a more active nation.'

Active Nation Commissioner for Scotland Lee Craigie said:

'I am looking forward to attending this event. I am delighted to have been tasked with the privilege and responsibility of helping more people to realise the benefits of walking and cycling for every day journeys. This event is a great opportunity to meet the technical experts and those in charge of delivery and learn about the challenges faced on the ground.'

For more information please contact:

Claire Daly, Sustrans Scotland Policy and Communications Manager: T: 0131 346 3010 / M: 0786 8701678

Henry Northmore, Sustrans Scotland Senior Communications and Public Affairs Officer: T: 0131 346 1384 / M: 07824 664445

from News http://www.sustrans.org.uk/news/scotlands-new-active-nation-commissioner-make-her-first-official-appearance-meeting-people via IFTTT

[larrygarity]

UK press - Bitcoin hackers hijack thousands of government computers for mining

 The article says that government websites (eg. Information Commissioner's Office, Student Loans Company and Scottish NHS helpline) have been were infected with a virus UK press - Bitcoin hackers hijack thousands of government computers for mining published first on https://forexlasersforum.tumblr.com/