Meanwhile in Scotland......

Suedonim do you REALLY think t has been possible for the SNP government to fix all those decades old issues in afew short years? They cant work miracles ..they have done far more than many thought possible ..not that they are perfect and I have my own issues with them BUT they have done exceptionally well on an ever decreasing budget ,A sto the farming money ..look at the facts re ,late payment from EU and retention of the funds by Camerons government for use in England when they were specified for Scottish use .Its never quite as simple as some make out ..no one held onto funding just because they could

durhamjen That doesn't change the point I was making. Mentally add a letter to my comment if it is that important to you. Stop trying to create arguments out of nothing.

Perhaps you ought to follow the thread, Jaycee, and not just me.

durhamjen Whatever you say. Find someone else to argue with.

Please don't shout at me by using capital letters when replying to my posts, Paddyann. It's considered rude to do so online.

Many of the things I wrote of have occurred under the SNP's rule and are not historic issues.

Also, the sad decline of education over the past few years is shocking. I've had four children go through the Scottish state system and they've all done well. I used to boast about our system to non-Scots but I don't any more, witnessing Scotland's slide down the rankings.

Meanwhile in Scotland...

inews.co.uk/news/politics/nicola-sturgeon-brexit-population-warning/

Yes, in general Scotland needs and welcomes in-comers. This is one of the areas of where a UK wide 'one size fits all' is detrimental to Scottish Interests. There have been several well publicised cases where families, who have integrated well into rural communities (in one case running the only shop in the village) have been given notice of deportation by the Home Office, in spite of the support of the SG and 1000s signing petitions.

It is fairly obvious that the big News in Scotland tonight is SNOW, proving once again that nature can affect our everyday lives more drastically than any politician. I don't know the full extent of the snow falls as our TV went blank early on, showing a message that their was either no signal or insignificant signal. I popped out and saw the dish covered in snow. We live beside a main road, usually with constant traffic but in the last half hour there have only been 2 cars and a taxi slowly passing in the middle of the road. Still snowing heavily. I wonder if there will be school closures tomorrow. Hope everyone is safe and warm at home.

We've got snow as well, Granny23, but not as much as you.
You might find all my family moving to Scotland after Brexit, if it happens. More votes for independence.

Mind, I've just seen you've got mountain rescue out on the roads, let alone the mountains. Your's is definitely worse than our snow.

Snowy Scotland. Absolutely beautiful!

I'm from Dundee, but have lived in England since I was a teenager. I still have family there who are fanatically SNP. My Mum and Step-Dad live in Stranraer and I go there four or five times a year. My DH is still working, but we have discussed moving to be nearer my Mum when my DH retires.

The biggest hurdle is access to consultants in the NHS for me as I have health issues. I have two NHS trusts to choose from here. If I moved to Scotland, I would probably have to travel to Dumfries to see consultants and that's 150 mile round trip. For some treatment we would have to go to Edinburgh or Glasgow. At the moment we can drive there, but there's a kind of minibus service that takes patients to Dumfries and Glasgow. Edinburgh is public transport only. The minibus picks up people early in the morning to arrive at the hospital in time for the first appointment. The other patients could have a couple of hours before their appointment. It's the same for going home, everybody goes together after the last appointment. There's a similar system for afternoon appointments. It's a terrible system and thankfully it is under review.

Stranraer has a community hospital opened 10 years ago and it has the facilities to offer a wide range of services. Originally consultants travelled to the hospital and ran clinics there. After a review it was decided it was cheaper for patients to travel to Dumfries or Glasgow. The inconvenience for the patients was not the top priority, saving money was. Now the situation is being reversed and consultants are starting to hold clinics in the community hospital again.

It sounds to me like Scotland is doing its best in difficult circumstances and I hope now it can raise taxes that things will continue to improve.

How come you get two NHS trusts to choose from Wilma?

I suppose your having to travel 150 mile round trip is a bit like my having to take DiL to Addenbrookes, Cambridge from north Norfolk for her treatments. It was really annoying when the last one was found to be ineffective as the stuff they used was two weeks out of date! She's waiting for a new appointment - this could take some time!

DH's (Mental Health) consultant comes to the health complex about 4 miles away for appointments, but when he had the broken and dislocated arm we had to travel to the main hospital so that plasters could be removed and Xrays done, followed by months of visits to rehab there. We chose to drive back and forward, although hospital transport was offered but would have meant a very long day for DH with all the drop offs and pickups. There is an hourly 'Hospital Bus' an ordinary service bus, which goes round the County and then to the Hospital in Falkirk. It is not used much for hospital appointments but quite busy at visiting times and a handy addition to the sparse local bus services.

I suppose if we choose to live in beautiful rural/semi-rural locations then we cannot expect the easy access to health, transport and other services that city dwellers enjoy, but then there are many compensations.......

Granny23, please investigate volunteer transport and community volunteer transport. DH drives for RVS and only takes one person per trip so liaises first with the clients! AgeUk offer the same service as does our local community centre!

KittyL There is similar volunteer transport available in our area (I have the leaflets somewhere) but as DDs and I were able and willing to drive we did not use the service. Also latterly, DH would not have consented to going off with a stranger and needed someone with him anyway to speak to staff during appointments.

DH takes relatives as well. The benefit of volunteer transport is that they are able to drop you right outside. It is less stressful all round. I would consider it as it is one less worry for you and not so tiring.

Now here is something new - an online TV channel for Scotland. Still in its infancy it is looking for supporters and suggestions as to what you would like to see. It reminds me of the old pirate Radio Stations - remember them?

Certainly worth a look if only for the Welcome to Scotland video.

www.trulyscottishtv.com/

Will look out for that granny23.
Is Dundee the only place in the UK to have had no snow at all?

a wee post fromFarmers for YES,showing that it was always the same ..better together? NOt as far as I can see.

Farming4Yes
18 mins ·

From 1929. Plus ca change.
No automatic alt text available.
1 Comment

sorry link hasn't worked AGAIN ,I'll try to sort it

Nfk sorry, I've only just read your post from yesterday. It's because I live in the area of one Trust (George Eliot), but I'm actually closer to the neighbouring Trust (University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire). Both trusts work in partnership and you can choose which hospital to go to (providing the service is available). There's always talk about services moving from George Eliot to UHCW and the A&E service is the most under threat.

I think you can choose which hospital you use no matter where you live, but obviously it's easy for me because of the geography. I also attend one of the Leicester hospitals and was referred there by a George Eliot consultant. All my other consultants are based at UHCW.

mcem we haven't got snow either in our part of Warwickshire.

Out of a budget of £120 Million Scotland received just £34Million back leaving England with £86Million....yet the House of Commons could only grant 20 THOUSAND pounds for the abolition of slums ..with only 8 thousand of that for Glasgow who had the worst slums in Europe.
To conceal the facts of the Scottish accounts and expenditure ,the House of Commons ceased publishing the a/c 's in 1921

the Treaty of Union was signed in 1707 ,SIX years after signing EVERY scot who signed including Lord Seafield voted for its repeal ...on account of the manifestly unjust way it was interpreted to Scotlands disadvantage

It must be pointed out they had NO way of ever winning the vote ..as over 85% of MP's are English

And so here we are in 2018 and NOTHING has changed

Most schools closed in Durham because of snow.
Grandkids out sledging.