'The Battle of Skye Bridge' . Bbc Scotland (22/10/2019)

[Gedee]

Did anyone watch above programme?

The kind of recent History Programme that stirs the heart (People vs Establishment)

I suggest it's well worth watching on "catch-up" ... Whatever your politics or beliefs.

"An inspiring story from the Isle of Skye, where agroup of ordinary island folk, banded

together, to fight against expensive tolls on a new bridge"...I'd love to hear responses.

[WoodStein]

Yes, had recorded it & just watched it tonight.

In the 80's, I went to Skye from Aberdeen often, for hillwalking trips, though avoided the main tourist season due to (1) the tourists & their inability to understand how to operate single-track roads & passing places, (2) the midgies & (3) the queues to get on the ferry from Kyle to Kyleakin....it wasn't funny if you'd driven 4 hours straight from work in Aberdeen & had to sleep in the car waiting for the morning ferry.

I thought the documentary was brilliant, just the right amount of sarcastic islander humour, and a tale very well told.

I felt a wee bit sorry for the Dingwall procurator fiscal, who'd had no option but to do his job, became a bit of a hate figure as a consequence, but clearly sympathetic to the islanders, and he seemed quite chuffed that the protestors had found the legal flaw in the Tories contract documents...."a scam" as he described it.

I remember Robbie, who had formally changed his name to Robbie The Pict, before this campaign, he was a very clever, articulate guy, and a huge help to the SKAT campaign. It was a classic profiteering scam of a job from the Tories, allowing all those revenues to boost a foreign bank at the expense of the islanders, who needed to use the bridge regularly. 

While the bridge was under construction, I'd lived in Kristiansund in Norway, a town made up of 3 bridge-linked islands, with a 5km ferry link to the mainland. An undersea tunnel was built (longest in the world until the channel tunnel opened) & another bridge to do away with ferries. This was funded from national & local government, and the local bit was to be paid back from tolls....the kommune got to vote on the toll amounts, on the basis that they'd exist only until the loan was paid off, then it would be free.....no private companies got to profit from this, an attitude this country could do well to adopt, with public service projects. 

The night-time 'blockade' convoy of islanders vehicles, crossing the bridge to the toll gates, with the pipe band marching in front, in near-horizontal rain, was brilliant....and many of their later campaigns & fundraisers became far more effective, and gained support all round the country.

As with the early phase of the Timex strike, it was clear there was an amicable & humorous relationship between locals, toll office staff, and local police. Fortunately, this one didn't turn violent, but I'm sure it was getting close to that, when all those people were given criminal records, instead of civil offence charges.

I'd forgotten that, having been the work of those 'evil Tories', when Labour took over, they also failed to remove the tolls, despite promises to do so.

Following the disgraceful Braes debacle of 1882, I guess you could say this case made it Skye locals 1 - 1 Westminster.   

[Gedee]

Morn Wood'... Thanks for response ... I'm glad I never went into too much detail about the programme (My political bias/anger/disgust around this, would have overshadowed what was awell made, informativer humorous programme)  The humour & strength of feeling of all those invovolved (old & young) shone through, alongside their determination & tenacity to see it out to the bitter end to sort out this obvious injustice...however long it took. It seems "the powers to be" thought it would all blow over ...

Decent hard working, creative people. I've a lot of admiration for the "ordinary folk" who are willing to stand up to those in power. who wrongly,  unfairly,  uncaringly, think they can ride roughshod over others, who are seen as (by some) as week, ignorant, unimportant people.

Excellent Good Post Friend. Hope it persuades others here to watch the programme.

And well done to all the people of Skye & their supporters...All invoved in the fight

[BCram]

On 24/10/2019 at 08:14, Gedee said:

Morn Wood'... Thanks for response ... I'm glad I never went into too much detail about the programme (My political bias/anger/disgust around this, would have overshadowed what was awell made, informativer humorous programme)  The humour & strength of feeling of all those invovolved (old & young) shone through, alongside their determination & tenacity to see it out to the bitter end to sort out this obvious injustice...however long it took. It seems "the powers to be" thought it would all blow over ...

Decent hard working, creative people. I've a lot of admiration for the "ordinary folk" who are willing to stand up to those in power. who wrongly,  unfairly,  uncaringly, think they can ride roughshod over others, who are seen as (by some) as week, ignorant, unimportant people.

Excellent Good Post Friend. Hope it persuades others here to watch the programme.

And well done to all the people of Skye & their supporters...All invoved in the fight

Watched the programme. Becoming very concerned about popular uprisings and the lack of concern shown by politicians. We are governed by the consent given by the people to those who are elected. I am very worried that there is a growing trend to involve the law as though it is a higher authority. Voice of the voiceless was a great slogan from CC33 in the days before this forum went non political.