Another Corporate Grab For Our Public Spaces.

           I'm not a lover of petitioning our lords and masters, asking them to "please do this or that", or "please don't do this or that". However, to emphasise the point I keep making, that the aim of this corrupt system we are burdened under, is to end all public spaces and public services, I sometimes make exceptions. Bit by bit they slice and gobble up pieces of public spaces and syphon of part of our social services. moving ever towards that day when everything is "private" owned by the greed driven corporations. You pay what they ask, or you are excluded.

Loch Lomond.

 

       Here in Glasgow we have seen slices of public spaces disappear into the grasp of the money Mafia. The latest greedy grab is for a slice of Loch Lomond, part of the The Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, to develop a money making "leisure park" named Flamingo Land. As long as you come with your credit card or wallet, you will be able to enjoy parts of the National Park that you once could enjoy for free. The Loch Lomond area is a place to relax, explore the hills and/or cycle its roads, Loch Lomond is a world renowned beauty spot, and a place of wonderful scenery and walks that you can enjoy for free. This greed driven "Flamingo Land" fantasy, gives no thought to what the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park is, their idea is to snatch a slice of the National Park and milk the hundreds of thousands of people who come to enjoy, in many forms, its spectacular beauty. Do you wish to see, piece by piece of our national parks become money making enterprises for the corporate greed machine, excluding you, unless you pay their price? Let's make sure the "flamingos" take flight and leave Loch Lomond.

 Luss, on Loch Lomond shore.

       With anger and disgust, I've just signed the following petition "Scottish Government: To The  Scottish Government - Stop The Sale of Loch Lomond" and hope you will join the growing group of angry concerned folks, and turn this into an almighty roar of real anger. However, until we dismantle the capitalist economic system we live under, we will have to continually fight these money grabbing exploits of the corporate greed brigade as they continue their onslaught to disposes the people of all public spaces and public services.

      The goal of the petition is to reach 25,000 signatures and we need more support. You can read more and sign the petition here:

https://chn.ge/2KUfJB8

Visit ann arky's home at radicalglasgow.me.uk

Roamin' In The Gloamin'.

 The lights on the shore are the Lodge on Loch Lomond Hotel.

        At the week end we took a wee trip up the Loch to Luss, the scenery was spectacular with most of the surrounding hills capped with snow, forgot to take some photos. In the local hotel I enjoyed a plate of Cullen Skink, (A fish soup, from a fishing village on the east coats of Scotland, called Cullen, where, like most poor areas, food was simple and local. The soup is made from haddock, potatoes and cream or milk, the word for soup in that area was "skink" hence Cullen soup, Cullen Skink.) Later we went for a walk in the "gloamin'" (For those not familiar with the Scots tongue, Gloamin' is just as the light is fading.) Some may remember the Scots singer/comedian Harry Lauder, whose famous song was "Roamin' in the Gloamin'. A popular guy who went on to become a recruiter for WWI, and learnt the hard way the brutality and stupidity of war, as his son was killed in battle. Our wee roamin' in the gloamin' took us down to the Luss pier and in that fading light the view was something to behold, and I did remember to take a couple of photos.

 A wee zoom in.

Quiet and still.

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We Beat Storm Conner.

       Just back after a couple of days away to escape the consumer madness and the volume of crap flowing through the babbling brook of bullshit, the mainstream media. We didn't go too far, Luss on the shore of the beautiful Loch Lomond. Despite storm Conner, on Sunday night my daughter and family joined my partner, Stasia and I, and for about two and a half hours, there was a break in the rain. Long enough for us to find a bit on the Loch shore sheltered from the wind by a line of trees, where we lit a fire and indulged in munching goodies, enjoying a drink, and chat, not a drop of alcohol in sight. Then storm Conner opened the flood gates and we hastily doused the fire and headed for shelter. A great time was had by all. I'm not in the photos, somebody has to take them.

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

Go On Luss, Ban The Car.

       In my post yesterday about Luss I made a comment about the traffic and parking in the village, well it seems that I'm not the only one that thinks it is out of order and dangerous. The residents and the Argyle and Bute council are at loggerheads about the problem. It is not a big village, about 120 residents, it would be quite simple to ban vehicles, except service vehicles, from entering the village. I know it would be cruel and extremely brutal to expect people to walk a few hundred yards in this modern age of the car. However, a small idyllic village perched on the shores of a loch with its narrow streets clogged up with visitors cars of all sizes, so that people don't have to walk, seems utterly selfish. I remember the village when cars were a rare thing and you could stroll down its narrow streets in little groups without having to continually shuffle to the side of the road or risk death. There is nothing idyllic, picturesque or peaceful about weaving through lines of moving and sitting cars. The village magic is lost.

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

Warm And Windy Scotland.

      It has been a good week on the bike, Wednesday, reported as the warmest day of the month so far, saw me round what is more or less my home stomping ground, the Campsie area. Warm but cloudy, still great cycling weather. 

View from Clachan of Campsie tearoom. Ooops, forgot to place the bike.

         Saturday it was up the Aberfoyle road and pulling into Ward Toll tearoom, they always do a nice plate of soup. From the windows you can look in one direction towards Aberfoyle, in the other direction you see the hills behind which nestles the town of Callander. 

View from Ward Toll tearoom, Callander sits behind the hills in the distance.

        Not so many years ago Callander was my favourite Sunday run. Going out via Lennoxtown, the Crow Road, Fintry, Kippin, Thornhill and on to Pipps Tearoom in Callander. Heading home by a different route, over the Braes of Greenock, past the Lake of Monteith, south down the Aberfoyle road past Ballott Toll, up the Blane Valley, turn at the Kirkhouse Inn and head for Lennoxtown and home to Springburn. Some of the most beautiful countryside in the land.
       Sunday it was up the Loch, (Loch Lomond). In a previous post I stated that when up the Loch I always seem to stop at Tarbet and take a photo, but promised I would perhaps stop at Inverbeg or Luss, for that wee photo. Well I did, it was Inverbeg. The photo doesn't do the view justice. It was very windy on Sunday, around 20mph. This was great on the way up the Loch, but I had to work hard on the way back. Still a magic weekend.

 Looking across the Loch from Inverbeg Hotel.

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

 

Tarbet Again.

       This Sunday saw me again cycling up the Loch, (Loch Lomond), and why not, it's a lovely run, with beautiful scenery, with the added pleasure of cycling along a shore of panoramic magnificence. It never fails to delight me as I trundle my way along its winding shore road. A very busy road traffic wise, but relatively safe as there is a metre wide lane at the side for bikes along most of its length. Lately I seem always to stop at Tarbet and take a couple of photos, but the length of the loch is is a photographers paradise. It's just that I don't like stopping until I get to where I'm aiming for, perhaps next time I'll take the trouble to stop at the beautiful village of Luss, or drop by the Inverbeg Hotel and take a few snaps. 

The shore of Loch Lomond at Tarbet with the peak of Ben Lomond just visible.

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk