Bridge between Scotland and Ireland

[bert]

It's a condition of Nato that member states allow nuclear weapons on their territory, so that might prove to be an obstacle.

[bert]

In article [e-mail], T i m [e-mail]> writes

The Welsh language is strongest in Nth Wales. Most of the holiday homes that were burned down were in North Wales. The South is much more Anglophile

[bert]

Well the union ultimately came about as a result of Scotland asking us to bail them out.

[bert]

In article [e-mail]>, "Dave Plowman (News)" [e-mail]> writes

Much of Londons income is generated in the rest of the country but is declared in London as that is where companies are headquartered. Much of it also stems from the fact that it is the capital city and so most of government is based there. Take London out of the UK and most of that disappears.

[bert]

Excellent idea. Two lanes left for Eire right for NI. Solves all this hard border nonsense at a stroke. Boris has cracked it again.

[Jethro_uk]

Didn't the Italians do it properly and sell it back to us ? The pendolino trains for Virgin ?

[Custos Custodum]

Bollox! It was a predatory takeover that the English parliament had been lining up for years, if not decades. " We have catch'd Scotland and we shall bind her fast", as the then Speaker said. All sorts of dirty tricks were used to bring it about, such as threats to blockade Scottish ports. What worked in the end was bribery of the Scottish ruling classes who had been bankrupted by the Darien debacle. "Bought and sold for English gold, sic a parcel o' rogues in a nation", as one R. Burns put it. There was rioting in Glasgow and Edinburgh when the union was announced. "Scotland" certainly didn't want it, impoverished or not.

[bert]

Basically yes, although I don't know how much of ATP experience went into it.

[bert]

In article [e-mail], Custos Custodum [e-mail] writes

Exactly. Scotland was broke.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Inded,. And its te same trick they will play with the EU, which finds that you dont need to buy a whole country, just the politicians who (mistakenly) have the people's trust...Heath, Major, Blair...

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Depends if you think there is any need to travel as economically as possible CO etc output wise. If so, a rail bridge would likely make more sense, same idea as the chunnel.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

From what I'm told, a high speed APT on a twisty track might not be the most pleasant way to travel.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

The biggest part of the UK's income comes from financial etc services. Not digging coal or making steel etc. Of course they could be far more spread out over the country. To stop the SE being more prosperous than many other parts of the land. But that would require government intervention. Forcing businesses to do something they don't want to do. Not the sort of thing our Brexit loving types want. Except when it suits them.

[bert]

In article [e-mail]>, "Dave Plowman (News)" [e-mail]> writes

On it's first run with the press on board most hand hangovers from the hospitality provided the night before. But really you don't notice it now.

[Steve Walker]

But again suffers from the same problem as plane or ferry - you need to book, there may be no availability at short notice and prices can be unaffordable for many.

SteveW

[tony sayer]

In article [e-mail]>, Dave Plowman (News) [e-mail]> scribeth thus

So anywhere north of Watford then?....

[tony sayer]

Theres the detective series "Hidden" on the moment some Welsh speaking actors with English sub titles!..

[Ian Jackson]

In message <g3wLDTj$ [e-mail]>, tony sayer [e-mail]> writes

The BBC Alba channel often has Gaelic programmes with English subtitles. Some are very interesting. I'd like to learn a bit more than the handful of Gaelic words that I know already. I've tried watching their 'Speak Our Language' programmes, but I find 'Our Language' nearly as impenetrable as Welsh.

What I don't get are the 'Fàilte gu Alba' signs when crossing the border from England to Scotland - especially in NE England, where the nearest native Gaelic speaker is probably nearly 200 miles away.

[Ian Jackson]

In message <O6Y27lKe+ [e-mail], bert [e-mail]> writes

Indeed.

I've told the tale before about when, in the 1970s, I stayed the night in Treorchy (in the Dun Raven Hotel).

I was having an evening bar meal in a nearby pub, and there was a TV on

- on BBC TV. As it came up to 8pm, the announcer said, "This is BBC Wales, Telweli Cymru". There was a loud Welsh-accented chorus of "Oh bloody hell!", and someone switched over to ITV.

[Brian Reay]

The fundamental thing about bridges and/or tunnels is they link places people wish to get between by a shorter/quicker route.

Given the locations of the potential Scottish ends and the road links to them, the project makes as much sense as starting the new Dartford Crossing in Glasgow.

As for the actual bridge (assuming it is a bridge), engineering wise there are much longer bridges, crossing wider expanses of sea, elsewhere etc. Funding will need to be found. The Irish have already indicated they aren?t interested. The Scots only have what comes from us. I can?t see a private company taking it on. Even if we were still in the EU, we?d have been paying in effect.

Then, of course, there is the tree huggers. If it ever gets beyond the drawing board, we?ll have the Eco Terrorists swimming around, hugging fish, saving seaweed, kissing barnacles ..... They?ve already got their pink boat and Greta likes sailing around.