Tag: photography

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Isle of Wight Tory MP calls for ferry pricing regulation introduced by SNP in 2008 to transform Scottish island economies and then be forgotten by the ungrateful among them

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Professor John Robertson OBA From the Independent last week: Ferries which connect island communities to mainland Britain are in decline, an MP has warned in his push to bring boats more in line with buses and trains. Joe Robertson said the Isle of Wight’s 140,400 residents have little say over how ferries are run across the Solent to Hampshire. He has tabled the Ferry Services (Integration and Regulation) Bill which, if agreed, would set up a framework for regulating boat routes throughout the country. Bus and train operators must follow several laws, such as the new Bus Services Act this month, which gives councils the … Continue reading Isle of Wight Tory MP calls for ferry pricing regulation introduced by SNP in 2008 to transform Scottish island economies and then be forgotten by the ungrateful among them

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The case for developing a shipbuilding industry on the Clyde learning valuable skills from the two hybrids – as four cheap-build island ‘lifeline’, Turkey-built ferries are delayed again and again despite cheap and dangerous practice

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By Professor John Robertson OBA From the Scotsman in March 2025: A fleet of ferries being built in Turkey have been hit by a further setback, with their completion date pushed back by at least another three months due to labour shortages. The Isle of Islay – the first of four vessels being built at the Cemre Marin Endustri shipyard at Yalova – will now not be completed until at least June. The delay, which was blamed on the impact of “global geopolitical events”, was confirmed in a letter from Scottish Government ferry-buying firm Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (Cmal), sent to a key Scottish Parliament committee … Continue reading The case for developing a shipbuilding industry on the Clyde learning valuable skills from the two hybrids – as four cheap-build island ‘lifeline’, Turkey-built ferries are delayed again and again despite cheap and dangerous practice

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Health Secretary need not apologise over Glasgow drug room briefing

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Professor John Robertson OBA In the Herald today, the above and: Health Secretary Neil Gray is under pressure to apologise after an official briefing prepared for him included claims that residents in Glasgow’s East End have spread misinformation about the city’s drug consumption room. The internal paper — released under Freedom of Information laws to the Scottish Conservatives — was drawn up by Scottish Government officials ahead of Mr Gray’s appearance before the Westminster Scottish Affairs Committee in June, as part of its inquiry into “Problem Drug Use in Scotland” and the Thistle pilot facility in Calton. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/25566391.neil-gray-urged-apologise-glasgow-drug-room-briefing/ Who is urging the apology? You won’t be surprised: What … Continue reading Health Secretary need not apologise over Glasgow drug room briefing

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‘Devastating damage to vehicles’ aboard North Link’s Orkney ferry after ‘cargo shift’ in wind speeds that have never troubled CalMac

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Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to Dottie again for alerting us to this: Off Stromness, wind speeds this morning varied between 24.5 and 40.1 mph with gusts up to 42.4 mph1according to the Inverness Courier: ‘Devastating’ damage to vehicles aboard Scrabster ferry after ‘cargo shift’ – A “full review” is under way after vehicles were damaged while the ferry Hamnavoe was crossing the Pentland Firth [from Stromness] this morning. The ferry operator, Serco NorthLink Ferries, said there had been a “cargo shift” as the vessel was on its way from Stromness to Scrabster. No-one was injured. Managing director Stuart Garrett … Continue reading ‘Devastating damage to vehicles’ aboard North Link’s Orkney ferry after ‘cargo shift’ in wind speeds that have never troubled CalMac

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Chill – Scottish data centres powering AI only require 0.00004% of Scotland’s 745 trillion litres of water

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Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland today has the above headline and: Data centres powering artificial intelligence (AI) in Scotland are using enough tap water to fill 27 million half-litre bottles a year, according to data obtained by BBC News. AI systems such as the large language models (LLMs) that power OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini require warehouses full of specialist computers. The equipment is power-hungry, consuming large amounts of energy, but they also use tonnes of water in their cooling systems to stop the servers overheating. Freedom of Information data shows the volume of tap water used by Scotland’s data centres … Continue reading Chill – Scottish data centres powering AI only require 0.00004% of Scotland’s 745 trillion litres of water

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Shocking contrast between customer satisfaction with CalMac and British Columbia Ferries with latter often screamed at, spat on or threatened due to poor performance

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Professor John Robertson OBA From the Times Colonist on 10 October 2025: The union representing B.C. Ferries workers says its members are facing “disturbing” levels of abuse from passengers. A survey of B.C. Ferry and Marine Workers’ Union members indicated that more than 80 per cent of respondents said they have been threatened with violence on the job, and 92 per cent said they have witnessed it. The union released the results of its survey as the Thanksgiving weekend got underway in what is expected to be one of the year’s busiest for ferry travellers. Behind every sailing is a crew doing … Continue reading Shocking contrast between customer satisfaction with CalMac and British Columbia Ferries with latter often screamed at, spat on or threatened due to poor performance

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I repeat, how can a half-empty ferry be a ‘lifeline’ to a mainland town when there’s a road that’s more than one hour quicker than the ferry?

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to Campbelltown next summer. Local businesses had hoped the company would be able to restore the seasonal service next year. The route was suspended because of the problems the company was facing maintaining lifeline services. Local businesses [only one really in the online report] and councillors [none quoted in the report below] want Transport Scotland and the Scottish Government to intervene Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland today merely repeats the 30 July 2025 story in The Express which had merely repeated the February 26th 2025 news of the cancellation of the Campbelltown to Ardrossan ferry. This is still not … Continue reading I repeat, how can a half-empty ferry be a ‘lifeline’ to a mainland town when there’s a road that’s more than one hour quicker than the ferry?

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Scotland’s better building standards mean no ‘towers of terror’ here much as the Sunday Mail might wish for them

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With only 2 days left, support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method – John Robertson, Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421 Professor John Robertson OBA The Sunday Mail‘s front page is a classic of melodramatic misrepresentation of the facts, based with little apparent sense of irony, upon a 1968 explosion in London and pointing to risk in large panel systems. What are these LPS concrete panels the Sunday Mail would have us panic over? From Grok AI (Powerfully helpful as long as you ask the right questions and can … Continue reading Scotland’s better building standards mean no ‘towers of terror’ here much as the Sunday Mail might wish for them

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Police Scotland praised again for humane crowd handling contrasting with that in England – The media coverage too contrasts starkly with Operation Branchform

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Support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method – Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421 Professor John Robertson OBA Like you, I’m mad as hell about Operation Branchform but, like you I hope, I know damn fine Police Scotland is not making the decisions in what is the clearest example of a police force being told what to do, by those above them, charged with protecting national security as they see it. Putting that in a box, I was pleased to read in the National yesterday: Edinburgh Palestine Action … Continue reading Police Scotland praised again for humane crowd handling contrasting with that in England – The media coverage too contrasts starkly with Operation Branchform

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Channel Island’s ferry kills three fishermen after underpaid Ukrainian crew with little English failed to understand and respond to warning lights then another hits harbour wall in high winds – Imagine that was in Scotland

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Support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method – Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421 Professor John Robertson OBA From ITV News, two days ago: Warnings were flashing on a Condor Ferry for up to 10 minutes before a collision with a much smaller fishing boat that killed three people, the prosecution has told Jersey’s Royal Court. In his opening statement, Crown Advocate Matthew Maletroit says the ferry – which is 184 times larger than the L’Ecume II trawler – was left in autopilot and travelling at full speed at the … Continue reading Channel Island’s ferry kills three fishermen after underpaid Ukrainian crew with little English failed to understand and respond to warning lights then another hits harbour wall in high winds – Imagine that was in Scotland