Tag: photography

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The lowest crime, the safest campuses and now, with Glasgow Central at 1 458th in the table, the safest railway stations – I blame that SNP!

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Newton-on-Ayr Railway Station the most dangerous railway station in Scotland but only the 67th most dangerous in the UK. By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS  The ‘Scottish’ Sun true to form, has: The Daily Record, ever-useless as a reliable information source for its readers, has: They do go on to tell us: A recent analysis of UK-wide data identified the train stations across the nation with the highest crimes rates. Topping the list for Scotland is a small station near Ayr, ranking 67th out of all 2,580 terminals in the UK. but the damage is done by the headline. There … Continue reading The lowest crime, the safest campuses and now, with Glasgow Central at 1 458th in the table, the safest railway stations – I blame that SNP!

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From the World’s End Murders to Scotland today

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By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS  As I watched the above, excellent but deeply disturbing BBC documentary series (two parts), I was cast back 55 years to a night in September 1969. I was to attend Glasgow School of art, the next morning and I could not sleep for anxiety about the next day. I wasn’t worried about the course, I was worried about Glasgow. I’d never been and my head was full of images of knife and meat cleaver attacks, from TV news reports and my dad’s Daily Record. It was newspaper then. In the end, I … Continue reading From the World’s End Murders to Scotland today

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Chaos for drivers and passengers as both of Isle of Wight privatised ferry services suffer breakdowns and cancel key services despite higher fares

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The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser primarily, finishing in 7 days, to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS Red Funnel and Wightlink, above, provide ferry services to the Isle of Wight from the South of England. In January 2025: Sir Keir Starmer: Isle of Wight ferries … Continue reading Chaos for drivers and passengers as both of Isle of Wight privatised ferry services suffer breakdowns and cancel key services despite higher fares

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How BBC Scotland tried to suggest CalMac ferries were unsafe 7 years ago but has failed to update on the safest ferry service in the world

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The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser primarily to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS This just popped up in a search for related ferry matters. In July 2017, before the ‘ferry fiasco’ narrative really got going, I thought, BBC Scotland had this: CalMac ferries lifejackets were … Continue reading How BBC Scotland tried to suggest CalMac ferries were unsafe 7 years ago but has failed to update on the safest ferry service in the world

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Rail travel cheaper in Scotland despite recent increases

johnrobertson834

The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser primarily to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson By Professor John Robertson OBA The Herald today has: ScotRail fares will increase by 3.8% from April, with the Scottish Government admitting the move is ‘unwelcome’. No context is offered and I must admit to being unable to identify a recent, reliable, … Continue reading Rail travel cheaper in Scotland despite recent increases

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Affluent Toronto’s ferries, 61 to 114 years old, crash into docks, injure passengers and cause massive delays

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From blogTO in Toronto, Canada, three days ago, we see that all of its ferries are out of service because the ice-breaker boat is in dock for maintenance. You’d think they’d get the maintenance done in summer? Also: While the City’s ferry fleet carries more than 1.4 million passengers annually, its current ferries are between 61 and 114 years old. [CalMac’s oldest ferry is 48] Back in September, the almost 90-year-old William Inglis ferry experienced a mechanical issue and subsequently drifted into the wooden slip at the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal. Although paramedics and Toronto Police’s marine unit were called to the … Continue reading Affluent Toronto’s ferries, 61 to 114 years old, crash into docks, injure passengers and cause massive delays

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Privatised English ferry company has 30% of its fleet in dock, with no new replacements due

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From BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight, 26th January 2025: Ferry passengers will face journey disruption as two vessels undergo repair and maintenance work. Operator Red Funnel, which has a service between the Isle of Wight and Southampton, will run a one-boat timetable for at least three weeks from Sunday while the foot passenger ferries are out of action. The firm’s Red Jet 6 ferry has been sent to Wight Shipyard for a permanent repair to one of its water jet shaft seals, which was temporarily fixed in November. Red Jet 7 will begin its annual maintenance work once Red … Continue reading Privatised English ferry company has 30% of its fleet in dock, with no new replacements due

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Will Starmer now launch an investigation into why Scotland’s ferry service does much better than that ‘serving’ the Isle of Wight?

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From the Island Echo yesterday: Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said in the House of Commons this lunchtime (Wednesday) that ferry services to and from the Isle of Wight have ‘not been good enough’, and promises that the Maritime Minister will hold further meetings with Wightlink, Red Funnel and Hovertravel. Joe Robertson, MP for Isle of Wight East, stood up during today’s Prime Minister’s Questions to ask whether or not the Government agrees that the anomaly surrounding Isle of Wight cross-Solent travel must come to an end. In his address, Mr Robertson said: “My constituents on the Isle of Wight … Continue reading Will Starmer now launch an investigation into why Scotland’s ferry service does much better than that ‘serving’ the Isle of Wight?

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BBC England reveals that ScotRail had fewer cancellations, often far fewer, than any other other UK rail company in 2024

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I’m grateful to my old friend, workmate, dry humourist* and sandwich stealer, from events he hadn’t been invited to attend, Prof Mike Danson of UWS, for alerting me to this. Never to my knowledge reported by BBC Scotland, STV, the Scotsman or the Herald, this BBC England report from December 2024, reveals ScotRail, in 2024, to have had the lowest rate of cancellations of any UK train company, at 2.9%. You can check yourself with the link below but even those in the affluent South-East had 3.3%, everywhere else had around 4% and the North West had a shocking 6.5% … Continue reading BBC England reveals that ScotRail had fewer cancellations, often far fewer, than any other other UK rail company in 2024

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CalMac ferries don’t cost ‘ferry much’ to keep in service!!!!

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Mr Robertson, Primary 7, Room 12 The Herald’s Craig Paton (14?) wrote the above. Nope, me neither. Other media are having a slavering, low-intellect, feast on that huge £100 million figure that he’s built up. The average 11 year-old would be shocked at the idiocy and mendacity. Note, it’s ‘repair’ not ‘maintenance?’ Drip, drip, drip…. Anyhow, class: If it costs £100 million to maintain 8 ferries for 10 years, how much did it cost to maintain 1 ferry, on average each year? Bobby – Easy! Easy! 2 minutes later, Bobby has it, £0.125 million or 125 000. Sounds a lot, … Continue reading CalMac ferries don’t cost ‘ferry much’ to keep in service!!!!